S1: E13 "The Boy. The Man. The Clergy."

Field Report: Memo on activities of regarding subjects E Gurunkul, T Thompson

Subject Thompson spent the week doing miscellaneous tasks for an unknown benefactor. Attempts to view mail have been unsuccessful. Trying to establish connection between these businesses and establishments. Week was largely uneventful. He has paid visits to a local detective with a growing reputation, named Roku. Paid a visit to a dining club called the Swanky Gent. Unable to view subject without being detected. Further Investigation recommended. Left after an hour in the company of a woman identified as Lady Sara Vyse. Subject is not thought to have ties to Thompson or Gurunkul. No surveillance recommended at this time.

Subject Gurunkul was observed spending time in the company of known actress Miss Jasmine Gooding. Inquiries revealed that Jasmine lived in the poor districts of Low Park, has come into some money recently and hired known bounty hunter. Visit to subject's flophouse on the previous week was thought to be of a professional nature. Further inquiries have been made into Jasmine's activities recently. Activities of both subjects indicate they were in pursuit of bounty. They departed the apartments of an older woman but left soon after altercation with a young man. They left after that by themselves.

Urgent Memo: To the Director of the Ministry; subject known as Lazarus Igglesden, known user of the Maleficium and subject for questioning in regard to use of the Dark Arts (Priority Low) has connections to the older woman in flat B5. Summery reports LI461 should be consulted in regard to this case. Agents will be dispatched to investigate mother and apartment.

Memo on the activities of Jasmine Gooding; requesting surveillance on orc female. Robbery report was filed with local Constabulary in regard to a stolen gold cigarette case which was sold to the proprietor by Miss Gooding (no known relationship with subject before today). The item was photographed and catalogued. Bears markings known to appear on other known magical artifacts. Refer to classified case files 871, 981 and 344. Photographs under further investigation. Police report and notes included. 

The Boy

I know Lazarus. More importantly, I knew his father. The man was a glutton for gin and drank himself into oblivion as a result. The boy's mother had to care for the infant child on her own. She donned her late husband's coveralls, boots and tucked her hair up into his grey cap. She feared every day she would be discovered, but as long as a Igglesden appeared for their shift it mattered little. A few layers of oil and soot and she was just like anyone else on the floor, but she kept collecting a man's wage.

The years passed. In that time Lazarus grew and attended school faithfully. The one time he skipped out to fish, his mother quietly finished her shift, returned home and waited. When Lazarus returned with a catch of two fish, she took him back down to the lake, threw both fish back into the water and sent him to bed without even a bite. There were few words exchanged. Her look of disappointment was enough to convince him to study harder. But boys are inclined to disappoint their parents at some point. And Lazarus was a man with the same vices as his father. The common man always confuses the substance as the source of his problems. But the fault lies within the lack of self-denial. The father chose gin. The son chose knowledge. There is no bottom to either. But where the father might have chosen drink for selfish reasons, Lazarus at least thought himself noble and loyal. His mother desired him to be educated, to rise above his station through learning. He chose a path which led him into the eager arms of the Consortium of Hermetic Guilds. 

I watched him reach for new heights, balancing on the back of his mother, who in turn stood over the grave of her dead husband. Strange how what we fear the most becomes the self-fulfilling prophecy. Hands reached out from the grave, gripping both her and her son. Both marked by death and corruption. She bore her burden well, believing she had given her son something to be proud of in life. But the son, stepped back into the grave in order to heal his mother of the darkness which was slowly siphoning the life away from her. Somehow, she had come into contact with a cursed item - a talisman of a prior age - which had inflicted her with its vile sickness. Nothing Lazarus could do would heal her. Without a miracle from heaven, the woman would die. He owed his mother to at least try and give her a fighting chance.

When the heavenlies refused to answer, the banks refused to open their coffers, and natural magic produced little that could help, he turned to the very source of affliction plaguing his mother. Hidden in libraries locked away from the public are old tomes, parchment and bits of stone with runes, enchantments and spells written in a dark tongue which instruct the enlightened on the proper way to utilize a different kind of magic. The nature of the Maleficium is of course, classically misunderstood. Power has neither a dark side nor a light side. It existed in two opposing forces which balanced out the other. The very nature of it seeks to dominate the other, thus creating balance. Everything had an equal action and reaction. The operations, enchantments and conjuring seek to tip the balance a little in your favor. It's much like jumping or throwing something. Gravity inevitably pushes back. Some seek to learn how to jump higher or master the art of the toss. Some are naturally gifted or more inclined towards these functions. Utilizing the Dark Arts, as they are commonly called, doesn't merely tilt the other side a little bit harder, sending the pendulum too far in the opposite direction. The problem is that there isn't a pendulum to begin with. Using the Maleficium consumes everything, as does the Aether. It is a hunger which pushes to fill anything not already filled. The stronger you are towards one extreme the more resilient you are towards the other.

But Lazarus was not concerned with why, but how. Unfortunately, the boy was discovered and banned from the Guild. But they could not remove what he already knew. Naturally, the next course of action was to have him incarcerated. Lazarus avoided the Constabulary for almost two weeks. If it had not been for a particularly inquisitive Orc, he might have weel avoided capture altogether. It was a piece of deduction that would have made Roku envious. Jasmine, the actor and recently employed grifter, had read her share of books and newspapers stories about fictional, albeit famous detectives. Being an orc woman meant people in the lower classes were more likely to talk given the proper amount of gin and coin. She had both at her disposal. She used the plausible story about the poor boy's family needing care. But she didn't know where they were. Several pounds later and two bottles of gin in is when she finally discovered the location of Lazarus' mother. As luck would have it, she made the acquaintance of a Mr Stooley, a landlord who rented the flat to Lazarus, been paid in advance and had recognized the boy from the poster. Jasmine convinced him to let her rent a room opposite so she could look after the old lady. 

The week had passed rather uneventfully. Ed became a regular fixture of her porch, like an old sofa or worn leather chair. It seems rather unnatural that two people should become such fast friends, but when you spend every day in the company of another who, with whiskey and frequent conversation, becomes more attractive the more you talk, Jasmine was finding it hard to move on to the next part of her plan. Maybe if Ed had shown a stubborn, selfish or even callous bone in his body, she might have found it easier to do what she was supposed to do. But every day he returned with stories of his bounties, talked about his future plans and reclined into a chair with an air of a man content with the world. He was the opposite of her, and like the two forces of magic, they complimented each other. He was blunt, she was finesse. He was a hardened, she was...less hardened. She had taken the money. She had made promises. Jasmine was conflicted within herself, and Ed wasn't helping her make up her mind. In fact, Ed proposed forming a partnership. To a more sinister person (like raccoons) this would have been an ideal outcome. But for Jasmine, this was torment.

Just when she thought she would explode, the prodigal son returned. Her intuition was correct. Donning their weapons of choice and positions outside, Jasmine attempted to get the woman to open the door. Ed, once the door had been opened, pushed his way inside. There was the boy, frozen where he stood. He looked slightly older than the bounty poster. At the moment he shared more in common with Roku then the strapping young man of a few weeks before. There were dark circles under his eyes, his face was starting to show thick stubble and he looked troubled. 

There wasn't much of a scuffle as the boy tried to run. Jasmine kept the old woman from dying right then and there, while Ed demonstrated a surprising feat of athleticism and caught him around the neck with his garrot and drug him back inside. After regarding his captor, Lazarus decided he would much rather take his chances explaining everything then fighting the orc. 

Lazarus of course explained the whole situation. He would take the knowledge of a particular spell, travel to the edges Tortured Lands, casting the spell, and then return with the power and knowledge to save his mother. He neglected to mention the many possible outcomes, the terrible consequences and the vile things waiting to inhabit his soul, should he fail to fulfill any part of this plan. But it seemed noble. Terrible plans should at least be noble. 

Ed was unaware of all of this and thought that letting the boy go was a good plan. As we have learned over the course of recent weeks, this is not unfamiliar thinking on Ed's part. And so Jasmine and Ed were out a bounty and had, unbeknownst to them, inherited a new problem. But that would not be the case for some weeks. The duo left the boy to say farewell to his mother, and arm in arm departed the small flats for the open street. I was curious to know how this relationship would develop. But the two partners were on to bigger bounties. 

The Man

Across town at the Swanky Gent another meeting was taking place. Thomas Thompson had deposited his hat and prudently carrying his cane, was escorted to a discreetly placed table in a small corner of one of the many small intimate alcoves formed by curtains, plants and soft music. No sooner had Thomas found his seat, his benefactor of recent weeks sat down opposite him, drink in hand. He asked the young inventor what it was that Thomas wanted. Thomas thought about this for a moment and replied that he would like what most men want, but he wanted a good name and to be well regarded. It is reasonable to say, if Thomas had ended with money and fame he would have been discarded like yesterday's news. Those types of men are opportunists and unreliable. A man who desires a reputation, a name that men regard and esteem...or fear. Roald could use a man like that. Thomas had succeeded at all of the other tasks that Roald had surreptitiously given him. He could craft, engineer and solve problems. Now came the real test. Well, two tests to be exact. Thomas would have to prove he could work with others well and deal with the human element.

This is when Roald introduced Lady Sara Vyse, the late of the late titled noble Henry Vyse. Sara and Roald's relationship was not cozy, and Thomas could see it almost instantly. Sara was charming, graceful, and exotic in appearance with her dark hair and bronzed skin. She was confident in the way women are who possess beauty and money, and they know how to utilize it to their advantage. No two people could be built for each other. This would also be a relationship I would enjoy watching over the course of time.

Thomas might have recognized Lady Vyse from the tabloids and newspaper gossip columns. There were all kinds of scandal surrounding the widow and her late husband. But Thomas was not given time to dwell on this, for Roald informed them that they would both be working together to bring down a rogue group of foodpads who had escalated petty theft to burglary. Their job was to discovery what technology they were using, disable it and put them out of commission permanently. 

The two departed the Swanky Gent and went in search of Roku. They needed a detective to help sort through all the various theories. They interrupted Roku while he was working on a new case involving a lycanthrope sighting. He delayed his investigation to help them look into their little Jack problem.

The Clergy

After breakfasting and going over her investments from the previous week, Lindion instructed Philip to have her wardrobe prepared and to establish a contact with a banker to help go over her portfolio. She then went to the marketplace where she would speak with Reverend Clarke. She met him at his local church in the cluttered office. The spoke of many things, Lindion attempting to gauge the man's responses with her magical senses and his own sincerity. With his support she hoped to spread her message as Miss Feather and gain the support of other contacts of Reverand Clarke. Expanding the mission beyond just the poor but also to the "specials". Reverand Clarke pledged his help and anyone who could assist her would lend their aid. Returning to her home she set to preparing for the event with Yuko and an evening seeing the new sensational painting.

S 1: E12 "Curious Daggers in the Dead of Night"

The Dead

Some might be curious why the Unseen Woman returned to the home of Lindion Mavienness. Compulsion is an easy solution. But to be compelled requires purpose. Ask what the Unseen Woman's purpose was and you are almost there. If you were able to slip back through time you might notice as the woman watched Lindion mount her carriage and return to her home. You could see the slip of shadow pass across the rooftops, nearly losing the rooftop of the carriage so many times only to gain it again. Fate was smiling on the eventual meeting between the two of them. The Unseen Woman passed through alleys, across balconies and over hedges until she reached outskirts of Newhaven and entered the tranquil dwellings of Vertfield. She listened outside of windows, pressed her eye to the keyholes and passed through the house with little more than a few hairs on the back of the cook's neck and an uncanny shiver which touched Philip.

Strange, it just appeared on the page.
But now I can't UNSEE it

Most would have likely grown bored with waiting. But the Unseen Woman was patient. Patience is a lethal weapon in the hands of someone with a burning purpose; a fire which had seared everything until there was nothing but a solitary objective. Well, to be fair, it was two objectives: to protect the only family she had known and to salvage the UNSEEN UNSEEN UNSEEN UNSEEN UNSEEN UNSEEN UNSEEN UNSEEN UNSEEN UNSEEN UNSEEN UNSEEN UNSEEN. But her secondary purpose had been snuffed out in a explosion meant for another. Now the Unseen Woman had a new purpose. That is what compelled her to risk everything to learn about her savior, Miss Feather. She had waited until the gas was lit in the street and for the humans to go to sleep. She crept down from her perch and entered the room of the woman who she had seen the previous day. 

It is curious to me why the Unseen Woman told Lindion how grateful she was for her help and didn't just steal the rubbing Thomas had given Lindion earlier. Perhaps the small shred of humanity left inside her, the part that recognized humans as something other than annoying meatsacks, had recognized the human attribute of empathy in the Eldren woman. When honesty and love are such rare commodities in the world, empathy was akin to a drink of water in a desert. But the Unseen woman told Lindion her purpose and explained how she had come to be in Newhaven. She didn't mention the tedious searches and fruitless leads as they searched for UNSEEN UNSEEN UNSEEN. But their path had led to McNab, the silver fox who had begun showing an interest in the Arcane. The Unseen Woman's brother had gotten close to the fox, beguiled him and was about to lay his hands on the first of the magical artifacts being smuggled around the world when everything changed. The package, which had gone missing, returned that fateful night by the hand of someone they had never seen before. The Unseen Woman followed the courier while her brother went upstairs to open the package. She had walked a few steps down the cobbled street when the top of the inn and tavern exploded in a ball of orange fire. The Unseen Woman could not relate feelings she had felt because there were none. There were no tears or feelings of loss. A purpose had been snuffed out. And when that happens, something new will take its place. She would find the Whaling Bomber. And eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. Holy fire for holy fire. But Miss Feather knew nothing of the Whaling Bomber or his motives.

It was a chance encounter that the Unseen Woman overheard the conversation between Lindion and Thomas. She would not leave empty handed as she had supposed. So she did the courtesy of asking before she just took it by force. Fortunately, Lindion was more then willing to make a copy. Lindion returned shortly with the copy and bid the woman farewell. Unbeknownst to her, this would be the last time they would meet. Or at least, that was what the Unseen Woman supposed. But the whims of Fate are ever changing. A chance encounter is almost always rooted in a deeper weaving of the threads.

As the Unseen Woman passed without a trace beyond the walls of mortals and into the darkness, Lindion returned to her bed, only to find a curious knife laying the night table. Lindion was no expert on such things, but even her experienced fingers knew the workings of an enchanted blade. She had no idea what kind of enchantments or how it had been done. She also noted, with a quickened pulse and sharp intake of breath, the old seal of the royal family of Newhaven. The seal of the Forever Empress. With a mind alive with theories and ideas, Lindion fell into a tired sleep, eager for the sun to rise again.

The Night

Thomas Thompson had an eventful day, by all accounts. He was hunched over a makeshift workbench consisting of boxes and a piece of scrap wood he had pulled from the street. After some vigorous scrubbing, he set about repairing Roku's prosthetic suit in the small flophouse rooms owned by Ed. He had just finished tightening the last bolt when Roku appeared in the company of a physician, a Dr Withers. Roku, looking fair since his unfortunate survival, told Thomas about the new case he had taken on. His investigation involved looking into the disappearance of a body which had gone missing and its probably connection to chemicals and potions used in the processing and preparation of corpses. He left with Dr Withers and his suit in tow, and set about his investigation.

I think the conditions of Thomas' life at that moment had made him abnormally snippy. He took care to throw a few barbs in Roku's direction, though their banter was typical in the way they worked together. But perhaps today, the gang of raccoons, with a physician hanging on his coat tails, a butler waiting at his home and apparently none the worse for wear, had darkened Thomas' mood somewhat. Once he had had a chance to return to his work and occupy his mind, another knock came to the door, further aggravating him. This time, a woman was standing outside Ed's door, well dressed, with a beautiful voice and a flicker in her eye that would have made stronger men jealous. Of course, she couldn't hold a candle to Eldren or even human women. But she was pretty in her own way. In that common kind of way that orcs might find attractive. And there was this pretty lady, seeking the help of old Ed, the bounty hunter, and fake swooning like he was a sensational detective who could actually see a clue in front of his face. 

Ed seemed taken with her like the shmuck he was. There was talk of a meeting but of course Ed wanted to go with her now. Thomas made the comment about pretty faces taking priority. It wasn't like it was Thomas' future and life which Ed had invariably mucked up. Ed retorted that "Thomas would know better than anyone about a pretty face." Completely uncalled for and rude, but what can you expect from an orcish buffoon. After Ed left, Thomas busied himself with working on his inventions and some new ideas for armoring Roku's prosthetic suit. He just needed some steel...

The Dagger

Jasmine was starting to feel somewhat more comfortable with the role that had been given her. Ed was not what she had expected. He didn't take on like other orcs. He was quiet, sure and carried himself with a sincerity she had known among the humans. She had sold the cigarette case for a more money than she had ever seen in her life and bought a few things. The dress was her costume, the perfume and apartment necessities to sell the part. A few coins in the right hands had helped her get the information about the boy Igglseden. His mother was apparently very important to him. Whatever he had gotten mixed up in had not changed him towards her. She purchased the apartment with a good view of the old lady. Jasmine was constantly worried she had overplayed her hand, but Ed was here and seemed interested in her proposition. She knew where to find the bounty and he would collect it for them and split the reward. After visiting the old lady under a pretense of religious charity, a acting lessing if you will, they retired to her rooms and enjoyed a pipe her porch. 

Jasmine had to be cautious. Ed was easy going and friendly. It was not the picture that Roku had painted in her head. But she had been burned before by "nice boys" and Ed could just be that cold hearted. Even as they talked Ed seemed sympathetic to her life and sensed the guilt swimming around in her stomach. He even made her promise to take her share and do something to make her smile. What kind of villain would do that, she wondered behind a cloud of her favorite pipe tobacco. If she had doubts before, they were only growing. She had the knife in her hand still, sharpening the blade with every silly laugh, flash of her eyes and intentional word. The knife would be plunged deep to hurt and injure. She was not so sure she could do it. Time would tell.

The Curious

Across town the enigmatic raccoons had begun their search of the mortuary where the body had been snatched. As Dr Withers had told it, a large sum of chemicals and medicines had been disappearing. It was small quantities over time, easily rationalized as a accounting error. But when Dr Withers had arrived the previous day, someone had removed a body which had been brought in by the Constabulary from the bombing in Low Park. The body had of course been severely burned, almost beyond recognition.

Roku began by examining the offices above, checking locks and windows which all appeared secure. He then looked around the mortuary. Here he found two important clues. One of the windows which sits at street level was broken, looking as though someone forced it from the outside. The other was a bits of plaster dust on the floor near a shelf that held instruments and beakers. Pulling it aside, Roku discovered a giant hole in the wall, carved down into the sewer beneath the mortuary. The chiseling through the pipe and stone seemed to have been done by hand. Following the tunnel, it emerged onto a alley where the window was broken, though a grate and rope which was place just out of view. Roku assumes many things, all of which a good detective would have noticed did not add up. But his dizzying intellect impressed the Constabulary and the mortician, who could not argue with the results later when Roku apprehended the culprit. But you'll have to read about that in the papers.

Week 2: In the News!

Reputation
Ed Gurunkul - Notoriety 1 (New nickname: "The Whaling Bomber")