Category: Gaming

#Lore24 – Entry #280 – Sentinel City by Night #6 – The Rough Part of Town

From the Journal of Sheba O’Rourke, Private Investigator

“Nothing was clicking into place.  I’d been to three of the four previous body dump sites, and I had no new revelations or insights into the killer’s nature, to say nothing of their identity.  Granted, it had only been a day, but still. 

Tonight, I’d started out immediately for the last of the sites, the second in the chain of killings, the Steel Shark Tavern, a bar on the far side of Sentinel City that tended toward the biker crowd.  Was feeling antsy tonight, realized halfway there that I needed to grab something to sate my thirst soon.  Sometimes forget to feed when I get absorbed in a case.  Careless of me, maybe dangerous.  Will get it taken care of.

No sooner had I pulled into the parking lot of the location did I see a body go flying through the front door.  It was that kind of place.  I could hear the shouts and sounds of fighting inside over the music.  The guy who had been tossed out got to his feet and reset his jaw, then headed back inside after pulling a knife.  Sure enough, as he disappeared into the doorway, I saw the distinct aura that revealed him as a ghoul.  Wondering what mess I’d just become witness to, I checked my gun to make sure it was loaded.  I tended not to use the little Smith & Wesson .38 often, but better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it, right?

The ghoul was back outside in a heap a moment later, another biker, also a ghoul, sprawled on top of him, the first ghoul’s knife stuck into the second’s back, though not fatally.  The door flew open again, this time with a mountain of a woman charging out, two more ghouls firmly held in her huge arms.  She roared, tossing them into the growing pile of leather-clad ghoulish bikers, and stepped out of the way as a fifth ghoul was shoved out by another woman, smaller than the first, but still no stranger to a brawl judging by the way she handled herself and her victim. 

Didn’t escape me that these two were full-blown vampires, either.  The pack of ghouls surged toward the pair, the one plucking his knife out of his companion on the way.  The two women fought together as if they’d done it for ages, probably had for all I knew, covering each other and fighting almost as one.  The mountainous red-head was all about power, like a charging bull or a rhino, while the pink-haired one was all about finesse and technique, moving like a big predatory cat.  I had decided just to stay in the car for now; no sense getting involved in a mess like that if I didn’t need to.

The two vamps made quick work of the ghoul gang, breaking no few bones as they fended off the ravenous bunch and quickly forced them to retreat to their bikes, their limited reserves of their master’s blood having been spent.  With the busted up ghouls on the retreat, I finally stepped out of my car and approached the two vampires, who were busy jeering and taunting the fleeing gang.  They both whipped around on me in an instant, sensing my presence, still pumped up and ready for a fight.  I quickly introduced myself and complimented their display, though they were anything but impressed.  I noted that the pink-haired woman, who would eventually introduce herself as Catherine Ramos, had peculiar eyes, yellow and reminiscent of a feline’s, which she quickly covered with a pair of shades, her hair generally wild, almost like a lion’s mane, while her companion, Anita Winters, had less obvious animalistic features but for her larger build and perhaps a discoloration and peculiar pebbling of her skin not unlike the thick hide of the rhino I had compared her to previously.

Though our conversation was not the most civil, I would nonetheless join them for a drink in the bar, once they’d had their adulations for tossing out the gang, of course.  I had been looking for a meal tonight anyway, so why not?  They were working for Grim Jacobs as his Hounds, and were likewise of clan Gangrel, as I had already surmised.  The bikers they’d tossed out weren’t locals, were likely Sabbat, so they said.  Catherine swore they had the stink of Lasombra blood in them but wouldn’t give me more details as to how she knew that, though I sensed something deeper behind her obvious distaste, outright hatred of whoever she had in mind.

I informed them of my reasons for visiting the Shark this night, but they had little in the way of useful information for me.  They weren’t around when the body had been dumped, said they usually kept troublemakers in check, hadn’t noticed any suspicious types around till the ghouls had picked a fight tonight.  Got the impression they didn’t much care for me, and even less so once they had learned of my own bloodline.  Not the first time I’d experienced such mistrust, certainly wouldn’t be the last.  Not that I cared, really; everyone had their prejudices, and my clan certainly had a reputation.  I think I’m rather a positive example personally, but that is neither here nor there.

Still, after I had excused myself, I surveyed the dump site, and then left the bar; I had managed to secure a proper apartment and would be moving in tonight.  If I had time, I would see about paying Delia Emmerson a visit, though I suspected I would be far too busy with arranging my case notes tonight.  Priorities and all that.”

#Lore24 – Entry #279 – Sentinel City by Night #5 – Previous Victims

From the Journal of Sheba O’Rourke, Private Investigator

“My reception at the SCPD precinct was about as cold as the nights were getting this time of year, at least in Walsh’s office.  No judgement here, I was just there on business, after all.  They had identified the victim, Andrew Vance, a local, manager for some local tech company, reported missing less than a week ago when he didn’t show up for work on Monday morning.  Minor drug offenses on record from his college days, but otherwise clean.  Coroner confirmed pretty much everything I’d picked up at the scene regarding injuries, though blood tests were still pending.  If it was a vampire at work, I doubt they’d find any kind of chemical restraints used; we had other ways of making humans compliant, after all.  He had a brother and parents still in Sentinel City, but they weren’t relevant at this point.

Walsh left me alone to review the previous victims they’d tied to this killer in a private room, out of sight of the rest of the team.  Fine with me; I enjoy my solitude.  So far there were four other victims, two male (Zak Harrison, Jamal Beck), two female (Eliza Stewart, Gwen Weber), all local residents, all in their mid to late twenties, and the killings had started about half a year ago.  Aside from age, they seemed to have little in common.  All were from different parts of the city, different social classes and social circles, no common background elements aside from having lived in SC most of their lives, if not all of them.  Couldn’t even see that their paths had crossed at any of their jobs or during school. 

Only thing that stood out as far as common to them all was their general appearance.  All could have been considered “above average” to “gorgeous” on the appearance scale.  Given that two victims were white, one black, and one Hispanic, with differing hair and eye colors, at this point I could only assume something about their faces had drawn the attention of the killer.  All had been slain similarly to the latest victim, had had their faces and scalps peeled, along with certain other patches of flesh.  Ritual killings could be a possibility, though I’d have to delve deeper into the occult to figure on what dark being had this particular taste in sacrifice. 

My gut said it wasn’t occult, though.  No, this killer was keeping some grisly trophies, had to be.  Operating on some kind of compulsion, perhaps, and given the rough timetable, the killings were roughly monthly.  Could fit.  Bodies had all been dumped in varying places throughout town, most around Walsh’s precinct, so that could indicate either proximity or simply a favored dumping ground, likely due to the Red Light District and all the crime that goes on there.  More likely to get lost in the mix of dead hookers and drug overdoses, even with the grisly nature of the slayings.  Maybe.  Maybe not.

I happened to be standing on the far side of the door with the case notes spread out on the table when the door opened, and someone poked their head in.  I tended to reflexively obscure myself, so the intruder hadn’t noticed me.  Though dressed as a janitor, even pushing the mop bucket along, I instantly recognized Delia Emmerson beneath her layers of makeup that might have actually fooled your average joe.  Dedicated and crafty, would possibly make a fine investigator if she wasn’t looking for fame.  Slipping inside, likely assuming that whoever had been looking over the case files had stepped out, she slipped her phone out of her coverall and started snapping pictures. 

I contemplated stopping her right then and there, but I still had to learn what she knew of the Kindred first, and didn’t need the PD ransacking her home following an arrest.  With what was on display, there wasn’t anything that would obviously harm the Masquerade; it was all standard reports on the victims.  Could her reporting cause trouble on this investigation?  Maybe, maybe not.  If a Kindred, the killer likely wouldn’t be dissuaded with a mere mortal reporting on their activities.  Taking a chance, I let Delia finish her work and slip out without alerting anyone, resolving to hunt her down and see what she really knew as soon as I had the chance. 

For now, though, my task of hunting the killer took priority, so I made a quick review of all the files and closed them up, returned them to Walsh and made my exit.  I decided to visit the previous dump locations as I contemplated the facts I had.  Maybe something would click into place.”

#Lore24 – Entry #278 – Sentinel City by Night #4 – Into the Spider’s Den

From the Journal of Sheba O’Rourke, Private Investigator

“Heard the club before I saw it; not unexpected.  Nothing special on the outside, just a neon sign in greens and blues and reds, similar in design to the hand stamp, and some steps leading down to the entrance.  Could have been any other vice den for all I knew, except I knew better; could see the bouncer’s aura, unquestionably a ghoul.  Had to keep my senses in check once I was inside; far too many details were blasting me.  Sex, blood, and leather were the dominant aromas even in the entryway and had been for a long time.  Had to work to get the guys at the entryway to understand what I wanted, dumb ghoul muscle, but soon enough I was given the express tour.

Main part of the club had a bit of a retro vibe to it, kind of like 80s shopping mall vibes, the kind that were already being phased out in the late 90s when I was still a mall rat, mixed with modern flat screens and sound systems, probably fueled by alcohol and drugs of all kinds, the music serving to mix it all into some kind of techno-euphoria.  Leather and latex composed the most common outfits in the place, and I was noticeably underdressed since I wore only my leather duster and none of the other fashionable accessories common in a place like this.  Would have been plenty of eyes on me were I not so adept at blending in.

I was ushered into the “dungeons” below the club proper then, heard plenty of things I’ll refrain from mentioning on the way when I extended my perception, but before long I was on what I can assume was the lowest level I’d ever be allowed into, given the nature of the club’s owner.  Was expecting a private playroom of some kind, not the extensive server room I found myself in.  Was almost as cold in there as it was outside, but only my ghoulish guide showed any signs of being cold.  For a moment I was envious of the cable management, knowing I’d never managed anything close even on my home setup, but then it was back to business when the club owner introduced herself.  Though I could appreciate her tech setup being a computer nerd myself, I didn’t let myself get too distracted.

Rebecca Dodgers was dressed much the same as any of the others upstairs:  latex and leather-clad raver girl outfit, cyber-goth style, mix of black and neon highlights, big dreadlocks in two thick tails on her head, leather cuffs and buckles galore on her platform boots.  Couldn’t see her face behind that gas mask, not even her eyes, but didn’t take me long to discern she was a Nosferatu, what with the misshaped proportions beneath the outfit and the fact that her hair wasn’t natural; seemed like they tended to be drawn to BDSM clubs more often than not, at least in my experience growing up on the west coast; easier to hide amongst the humans when you could hide your misshapen self amongst them, after all.  What caught me off guard was the thick Texan accent that came from behind that mask when she finally spoke; I was expecting valley girl or something more refined, not that heavy southern twang. 

Didn’t let my surprise show, though.  She already knew why I was there, had known of my arrival in town before I had even met Sokolova.  No surprise there; her kind always knew.  She correctly guessed the latest victim had previously visited her club, so I gave her the details I’d picked up.  Given that he was a human, she had little to go on without a face to look for on her impressive security setup; the multitude of well-concealed cameras hadn’t been unnoticed on my way down.  She did at least offer to run through some of her footage from the main floor from a few nights previous to see if we could spot our victim, though he hadn’t exactly been dressed distinctively given the regular clientele. 

Nothing came of the search, but we did at least exchange contact info and some small talk about the latest hardware, and she offered further help in tracking the victim once I had more info to share.  Though I already planned on visiting Walsh at the PD HQ, she suggested I check up on their files as well, since they’ve been keeping the records of this particular string of killings off the digital record for now as a favor to Sokolova.  I asked her what all the help would cost me but told me she was just being neighborly, some southern charm thing, I suppose.  Nothing’s for free, so I’m sure I’ll find out the real cost soon enough.

Once I’d left the club, I let the few details I had about the case percolate in my head for a while and instead focused on finding an apartment somewhere; couldn’t keep all my notes in a hotel room or my car, after all.  I’d seen the crime statistics for Sentinel City already, and they weren’t great.  I’d visit Walsh at his precinct tomorrow night, give the PD time to process the body, fill in more details.”

#Lore24 – Entry #277 – Sentinel City by Night #3 – On the Job

From the Journal of Sheba O’Rourke, Private Investigator

“Took me longer to reach the crime scene than I’d hoped; haven’t had time to learn the streets in Sentinel City yet, and the old Taurus didn’t weather the trip from the West Coast as well as I’d hoped.  Will have to get that looked at soon.

Found the scene easily enough once I’d reached the Red Light District, they still had the streets cordoned off, plenty of officers buzzing around, lots of onlookers in spite of the dropping temperatures and coming rains.  Remembered to grab my coat at least this time; wasn’t quite cold enough that I’d notice it, but the humans might have, especially the detectives.  I was expected, not exactly warmly, maybe, but quickly ushered to the body, where I met Walsh. 

I could tell he was skeptical; who wouldn’t be, after all?  I’d been in the city less than a day, after all, and I got the impression those who knew of my nature, like him, didn’t trust the Kindred.  How could they?  I wouldn’t trust someone who fed on my kind either.  Probably didn’t even know about us till Sokolova started her grand vision a couple years back, though.  Still, work to do, killers to find. 

Got the impression Walsh had seen some dark shit already, and I figured he wasn’t even out of his thirties yet.  Looked stressed, especially around his eyes, maybe graying a little prematurely, didn’t look in the mood for small talk.  Introduced myself quickly, he nodded, we didn’t shake hands.  Body looked like a quick dump job, tossed in between some dumpsters.  Walsh didn’t volunteer any information, so I took in the scene for myself.  Walsh and his buddies got a laugh out of my cassette recorder as I took my audio notes.  Old habits die hard; need to get a digital recorder at least, tapes are getting harder to find.  Still don’t’ like those smartphones; hard to use when you don’t have blood pumping through your veins and can’t leave a fingerprint to access them; old Nokia still works well enough, though, gets the job done, anyway.

Victim was male, likely mid to late twenties, upper body disrobed and showing obvious signs of extreme torture, flesh missing in several spots along torso.  Unidentifiable as his face and scalp had been removed, peeled, possibly intact, no ID on the body. Ligature marks on wrists, ankles, and waist.  Old scarring in other places, likely a whip or severe flogging, fetish-related, piercings in his nipples still in place in spite of multiple fresh lacerations to torso; lower body covered by leather pants and wearing combat boots, some blood stains, but no signs of having been removed and redressed.  Little blood at dump site.  No obvious bite marks, but definitely drained, likely through the wounds, since there was little in the way of blood to pool in the body.  Figure it had been there at least a day. 

Noticed an ink stamp on his right hand, looked like some kind of spider superimposed over a web that looked like some kind of circuitry pattern, still clearly visible.  When I asked, Walsh said it was from a club not too far from the site, called the Cyber Spider, raver hangout with some heavy kink on the side for good measure.  He pretty much spit it at me; it’s a hangout for Kindred, ran by one as I’d soon discover.  Wasn’t much else of use at the scene as far as I was concerned, other minor details are in my case notes, at any rate.

As I was about to ask Walsh about prior victims, we got some unexpected camera flashes.  Local media had shown up asking about the killing.  From the heated conversation between her and Walsh, they were well-acquainted.  Delia Emmerson was her name, worked for one of the tabloids; figure she was too far on the edge to be a legit corpo reporter.  I figured I would undoubtedly cross paths with her again, because she asked specifically if this was another “blood sucker” killing.  Will deal with her later on, though, after I had a chance to learn what she knew about us vampires; had other leads to look into for now.  As I slipped away, heard her asking Walsh about his new partner, but nobody had noticed that I’d gone till they turned their attention back to where I had just been. 

I had a club to visit, even if I wasn’t dressed for the crowd.”

#Lore24 – Entry #276 – Sentinel City by Night #2 – A Princely Meeting

From the Journal of Sheba O’Rourke, Private Investigator

“Meeting with Ivanna Sokolova went well…maybe too well.  Won’t call her outright a loon, but she’s definitely got a vision in mind, and she’s passionate about it.  Only time will tell if it’ll pan out, though.  What can I say?  I’m a cynic; comes with the territory. 

Never heard of Carthage outside of a passing mention in my world history class, and certainly nothing of the Prometheans.  Well before my time.  Literal ancient history.  Definitely sounds like a pipe dream, but the way Sokolova spoke of it…maybe it could happen again.  I mean, how many Blue Bloods would so vehemently champion an idea that was so closely tied to the Brujah of all clans?  She’s even roped Grim Jacobs in as her sheriff somehow.  Haven’t seen him since San Diego, but if he’s putting in on this idea, that says a lot, right?  A name like “Grim Fucking Jacobs” has a lot of power behind it, after all.

Might be a dream, but one worth pursuing?  Without seeing this experiment in action over a good long time, I’d count on it staying a dream, probably one that turns into a nightmare, but who knows what the future might hold?  I’m no sorcerer, though I reckon they have a presence here, however distant they remain. 

As for me, I’m willing to play along, see if this might actually work, might even be able to help it along.  Willing to try, at least.  Basically survived the end of the world as it were, so how bad could this be?  Timing couldn’t have been better; Sokolova had a job ready and waiting for me.  Cynic in me says that was too damn convenient, but given what I’ve experienced, what’s another serial killer in a world like this?  I’m honestly surprised there aren’t more of them with the madness the humans spread amongst themselves through social media and their colleges.  Can’t recall it being that bad when I was still in school, but times change, way too quick for most of us.

Of course, nothing says this one’s human; could just as easily be a rogue Kindred who isn’t playing Sokolova’s game, maybe a lupine looking to stir up trouble, or one of the many other horrors lurking in the dark.  I’m expecting a lot of bad-faith Kindred, especially when more anarchs start showing up looking for their piece of the action, looking to test Sokolova’s resolve.  Wasn’t any mention of Sabbat tonight.  That’s odd.  Or is it?  They’re still lurking around out there, reckon they’ve still got the east coast locked down, even now.  Only a matter of time till they start trouble here, I’d bet money on it.  I was still fresh when they pulled that shit back in ’99, but even I heard plenty about it.

Anyway, got a meeting to get to, with a SCPD detective by the name of Walsh.  He’s the lead on this serial killer case, going to meet with him at the scene of the latest body dump; only found it a couple hours ago.  Killer’s still lingering on the corpse, so maybe I can get something from it if I’m lucky.  Won’t count on it, though.  These cases are never easy, especially not if a Kindred is involved.”

#Lore24 – Entry #275 – Sentinel City by Night #1 – A World of Darkness

From the Journal of Sheba O’Rourke, Private Investigator

“I’ve arrived in Sentinel City later than intended; dawn will be here in less than an hour, and I’ve only just found a suitable place to bed down for the day.  Won’t go into the details of my delay here, they’re inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.  Suffice to say, nothing has been normal since the events of twenty years ago, not that my life has been anything resembling normalcy since all that mess went down in San Diego.  Still can’t parse all that went on back then, not fully.  Who even knows what happened for sure?  Haven’t found a proper elder to ask, assuming they’d even know.  Some still exist, certainly; I still exist after all, and I’m fairly low as far as Kindred rankings go.  I was barely three years into my Embrace when it all started tumbling down, yet here I am, twenty years later, still kicking, still pushing forward.  To what?  Not even I know, honestly.

Anyway, will have to find a proper haven tomorrow night, somewhere more secure, a place I can set up my business.  Comes after the meeting with the Prince, though, lady named Sokolova, Ventrue I reckon.  Imagine that.  Grapevine says she’s different from most of the Blue Bloods, though, real visionary type.  You’d have to be if the rumors I’ve heard of the Sentinel City Kindred community are true.  Well, maybe not a visionary, maybe a madwoman.  Hard to tell the difference sometimes.  Reckon they don’t even have a full Primogen council formed yet, only recently even got a sheriff on board. 

Personally, speaking from my very limited experience, the Camarilla experiment was a failure in the end, so don’t know why they’re going back to the concept here, even if they’re doing something different with it.  I’m no historian though, was barely started into college when I left the world of humanity behind, so who am I to speak on such things?  The name has bad memories attached to it, plenty of failures.  Still, I’ll listen to what the Prince has to say, see if I can figure out if she’s legit or not.  Might be as nutty as your average Malk for all I know, or she might just be onto something.  Won’t lie…having some kind of a proper community again wouldn’t be unappreciated.  Gets real lonely out there when you’re on your own.  Who knows?  After the world got shook up twenty years ago, just maybe this idea they’ve got going here is just crazy enough to work.”

#Lore24 – Entry #273 – Fantasy Month III #30 – The Path of Truth

As Told by Larissa no Synstralia de’Cordova, Confessor of Yurisaya

“I spent some time in personal contemplation of this particular case after my last interview, before I compiled my notes regarding the whole affair.  I won’t deny that previous meditations on the matter had given me some insights into the nature of the conspiracy which these women have become a part of, and that those insights were leading me to the exact things which were suggested by Eri and Hatae.  The Dark Lady is urging me to join them, to root out those who would seek to do harm to her faithful and perhaps even the Church itself.  There is undoubtedly a greater threat in the shadows, and the only way to combat those of the dark is to take that darkness away with a greater light.

I have been contemplating the makeup of this party, and though there are undoubtedly some in the city council who would disagree vehemently with my decision, I have placed my faith above my duties to the city, and will be accepting the invitation to join forces with them, so that the greater conspiracy may be revealed.  As it stands, we will have three faithful to Yurisaya, or close enough in the case of the mercenary, one who remains more or less neutral in her reverence to nature, and two faithful to Erisaya, or close enough regarding the bard.  I am not too proud to admit that I am quite curious as to her true nature; another mystery which I must uncover.

So, with that in mind, I do indeed know of an arcanist whom I think will be rather fitting for the party.  Though his talents are of the arcane, he was trained in the enchanter’s school here in Arcavarlon and is a devoted to Erisaya.  I have worked with Tsukasa Matsubara before on several investigations relating to city affairs, and he has proved quite capable of capturing our targets alive.  We make a good pair, he capturing them through enchantment or magical bonds, and I handling the interrogations once they have been further secured.  His personality should be a good addition to the group dynamic, I think, bringing us into something of a harmonious balance. 

Or at least, I can hope; I have no doubts there will be a period of adjustment to our presence, and no small amount of disagreements, but such is the nature of adventuring parties, as I understand them.  Even though our faiths are aligned and set upon a common goal, we are our own people, after all, and our personalities will undoubtedly clash.  I find myself growing unusually excited by the prospect of another adventure after the last few years working at the behest of the city, whatever challenges we may face.  I daresay we will stand a greater than average chance of seeing this through, for our faith is strong, and I can sense the resolve of both Eri and Hatae in this matter.  I know not where our path will take us, but I am certain that we will get to the truth of the matter, however long it takes, and however many enemies we must face. 

In the names of Yurisaya and Erisaya, we will root out the conspirators and see them brought to justice, and I will oversee their divine punishments with a most zealous vigor.  Thus, I am resolved.”

 

SPECIAL NOTE:  The Path of Corrections

So, along about the middle of June, I got my entry numbers out of whack, classic off by 1 error (on the Wrathful Spirits entry as it turns out…Wrathful Spirits of organization, perhaps…).  Soooo…instead of going back and correcting months worth of entries through the WordPress interface, which would be tediously time consuming since I’d have to edit not just the page title, but the title in the text area too, I’m making a note here that I’m not short an entry, the numbers are just off.  SO, starting on October 1st, the CORRECT entry number is 275 for the start of the next month.  You didn’t miss one, I did!  Maybe one of these days I’ll correct it, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. 

#Lore24 – Entry #272 – Fantasy Month III #29 – Guidance of the Gods

As Told by Hatae Ulla, Exotic Entertainer, Dedicated of Yurisaya

“Though we must use our own judgement, of course we must look to the guidance from our goddesses too.  When I visited Yursiaya’s temple, it was the first time that I’d experienced her voice so clearly.  Though I am not of the clergy, I cannot deny what it was that I felt, and I’m certain it’s a sign from not only her, but Erisaya as well, that all of us have been brought together as we have been.  Though they are not as strongly faithful as Eri and myself, I have no doubt that Siduri and Teelsa show their respects in their own ways.  Kazumi is a bit of a, well, wildcard, but where she comes from, kerryns aren’t supposed to worship gods, and she’s had a hard time coming to terms with that, I think.  Not that she really speaks of it much…regardless, her heart is in the right place. 

There is something bigger looming that we’ve simply not uncovered yet.  You see it too, I’m sure of it!  You’ve spent time praying to Yurisaya since this whole interrogation began, right?  Don’t you get the impression that there’s something threatening her faithful, and those of Erisaya?  Eri and I spoke about it briefly following our visits to the temples, and I think she would agree.  We don’t know who else is involved beyond the two factions we’ve encountered thus far, but I’m sure there’s someone, or something, else just waiting to be discovered there, behind it all!  Maybe it’s another demon?  Maybe it’s the forces of another god?  Maybe its something else entirely?

All I know for sure is that we aren’t getting anywhere wasting time stuck in here!  Though they haven’t attacked us here yet, they’re no doubt looking for the perfect opportunity to strike!  If we can but complete our task for Lochlan, then we can return to Lady Jade and dive into this conspiracy fully, and begin rooting out the truth of the matter!  Though I’m not only voice in the party, certainly, I would hope that you would be agreeable to joining our cause, sister Confessor!  I’m sure there would be some complaints, but you can feel it too, can’t you?  Surely you do!  That looming sense of dread beneath it all?

And of course, to see to it that those you work for within Arcavarlon’s government are properly convinced, you’d be there to see to it that we are kept in line, especially Eri and myself!  I’ve been thinking about the situation and have to ask…do you perhaps know a talented arcanist who would be willing to work with us?  Perhaps one you know personally and can trust?  Not that I’d be plotting against a fellow Yurisayan, but it would be another friendly set of eyes for you and the city, and the Dark Lady knows that we’re severely lacking on the arcane talents amongst us!  Teelsa’s illusions are helpful, but we need someone to help with defeating the scrying that’s been vexing us throughout this whole affair.

Think it over, at least, please?  I’d certainly appreciate it, Confessor.  And I’m sure the others will too, even if they don’t know it immediately.  Right now, we need all the help we can get, and I’m not too proud to seek it from people I’m willing to trust.”

#Lore24 – Entry #271 – Fantasy Month III #28 – Deeper Conspiracies

As Told by Erilantielle “Eri” Kitami, Champion of Erisaya

“I’ve thought about some of the implications of that attack in the time I’ve been in here, yeah.  The way I see it, we’ve got at least two groups in play against us, perhaps a third one.  No, I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s another person or group or another demon or whatever behind all these actions against us, not after what I’ve been through.  You’ve got the twats and whoever is in charge of them, you’ve got the dark elves, and, then you’ve got the one who is really behind all this.  Sure, it could be that there’s just the two parties, but my gut is telling me that’s not the case.  Well, my gut and Erisaya’s voice during my prayers.  She’s warned me of something deeper, something more sinister lurking just out of sight, so it makes sense.

Oh?  Have you now?  The Dark Lady is giving you the same impression?  Well, how about that?  A shame they can’t give us more information, but I suppose that would defeat the purpose of our devotion and toils upon this land, wouldn’t it?  What’s life without its challenges, right?  I’m hardly equipped for a deep investigation into the nature of all this, though.  I’m something of a blunt instrument when you get right down to it; point me at an enemy and I’ll cut it down, but when it comes to rooting out conspiracies, that’s for brains that are more sly than mine.  Hatae and Teelsa would certainly be the ones to ask about that kind of thing, and likely Lady Jade has a lot more information about it by now, just waiting for us to finish up our task before she gives it over.

Ah, yes, that doesn’t really surprise me, honestly.  Hatae’s got a mean streak in her if you get her riled up.  It’s one of the things I really appreciate about her.  She’s really cute when she’s plotting revenge with her bondage games.  I think so, anyway, not that we’ve had that much time to really sit and ponder such things.  I can’t say I’d be opposed to the idea, though.  Erisaya does have her own brand of punishment for those who would wrong her, just take a look at my history clearing out that cult.  But perhaps a joint venture is indeed in order here, a little bonding between sisters, as it were.  I like the idea of punishing those responsible for all this trouble, ourselves included once the culprits are dealt with.

Oh, I can see through your façade, Confessor.  You’ve got the cold detachment and intimidating demeanor down well, but I can see your interest in seeing punishments properly dealt out.  There’s a glimmer in your eyes that only shows up when the subject comes up, that ever so slight shift in the way you sit that betrays your eagerness.  I wouldn’t have caught it were I not trained in the Erisayan arts, for our goddesses do share so much of their ways, after all.  What do you say, then, Confessor?  Would you be interested in seeing justice carried out?  And then presiding over some justice for our own wrongs, in the name of the Ladies?  Hatae and I can be a handful, I think; maybe we could use a firm hand to keep us in line throughout our little misadventure?”

#Lore24 – Entry #270 – Fantasy Month III #27 – Alliances Beyond Borders

As Told by Hatae Ulla, Exotic Entertainer, Dedicated of Yurisaya

“Eri’s not wrong, of course.  After that last attack, I have no doubt that our enemies are working together.  There’s been an alliance made somewhere behind the scenes, somewhere far beyond the borders of this land.  Well, yes, of course, I mean my homeland, who else?  We’ve proven resistant to their attempts so far, but that has only made them more intent at this point.  I honestly would have expected that they would have tried to mount an assault on this place by now, honestly.

Oh!  I see!  I didn’t know this jail was protected against scrying…hmmm, well, that explains that, then.  Surely, they know where we are now, though, even if they can’t spy upon us directly.  There must be another reason…perhaps they’ve had a disagreement after their failure and the alliance is in danger of breaking… Either way, I can’t say that I’m happy knowing that they’re still lurking somewhere out of sight, ready to strike.  I enjoy being watched by adoring crowds, not lurkers in shadows!

I can understand the motives of the dark elves; they’re just following the orders of the woman in charge, whichever one that is.  I wouldn’t be surprised if it was my own mother, perhaps an aunt, even a sister, in all honesty.  Still, I can’t blame them for their actions, really; they’re only doing what comes naturally to them, given their upbringing.  No, the ones I actually feel most strongly towards are the twin twats…the fact that they’re so callous in their attacks as to endanger others with such destructive magic is just infuriating!  And I suppose whoever is in charge of them condones their behaviors, too, because they are still showing no restraint at all!

Well, you can bet that if I could get my hands on them, I’d show them restraint, alright!  All kinds of them, in fact, the most restrictive I could get my hands on!  A little rigged escape challenge, if you will.  Oh, I’m not good enough to give the likes of them an honest chance…just the illusion of a chance, you see.  Give them a little hope of escape, urge them on with promises of freedom and punishments for failure, which would be quite inevitable, of course.  I would quite like to put them through some of the penance trials of the Dark Lady.  Perhaps I could convince you to assist in that regard, Confessor?”