Session XXII
February 16, 2008

3rd night, central rule, state of Depravity, Night of greed

We decide to risk it and hoof it back to crossguard. Eki and Chryseis take the two surviving prisoners (the thug and the mage), while Ludvik carries the loot. I fetch a light-boy. It costs us 15 copper rings to get back to Crossguard. Along the way, we gather attention of those we pass. We see street toughs with clubs watching us hungrily as we pass, the curious watching us from half-shuttered or darkened windows. Conversations hush when we go by. It helps that we're fairly well armed, walking with a member of the Harmonium, and carrying prisoners. But the attention makes us warry.

Along the way Ludvik hears something, so I drop back. Sure enough it's a thug, dressed like those that attacked us, trying to follow our light. He can't see well in the dark and keeps tripping on stuff in the streets. I wander forward and tell Ludivk while staying out of the light-boy's light. Ludvik drops back and the three of us have a discussion after Ludvik stops the thug by placing his sword beneath the thug's adams apple. I use my new-found powers to remove the thug's weapon's belt - and his courage breaks.

The thug was hired bu the wizard to stand outside and wait for us. His job was to stop us if we tried to get away. He's following us because we have one of his friends. He was contracted to the job by a family member. The wizard's been hiring crews for the last little while - using a different crew every few days. The thugs hold the barmies and bubbers down and the wizard casts his spell.

We let him go and rejoin the group. As we cross the bridge we are stopped by a brace of hardheads. Never has a group looked so good to my eyes. They help us with our load and escort Chryseis to the local garrison. Chryseis checks the prisoners into the garrison along with all their stuff. Ludvik and I gett to see the interrogation while Eki goes to the Black Sails to chat up Salja.

Captain Drexis is quite pleased with Chryseis' arrest.

In the cells we learn the mage calls himself the Shadow Nave. He claims to be a prime without papers. He works for a factor in teh dustman, specifically Skall's number-2 man, Komosahl Trevant. The Shadow Nave admits to casting necromantic magic (it's a spell of his own design) on people in the Hive. He claims the spell doesn't kill anyone. They're taken to the mortuary when the collector's find them, but the Shadow Nave doesn't know anything about what happens next.

He confirms that his magic spell gives the body the semblance of death. He's never met with Komosahl Trevant, instead he works with messengers. And for this he was well paid. The not-so-subtile attempt to bribe either the Captain or Chryseis fails miserably. The Shadow Nave admits to organizing the event that resulted in Cestor's finger being cut off.

He was sent after us because we were poking around. He was to take us alive to the mortuary tonight. He claims to know Darioch Dysarl only through our association with her.

After the interview, Ludvik and I believe he's not telling all the truth while the Captain believes the Shadow Nave is telling us all lies.

We meet up with Eki at the Black Sail and, while sitting in a booth, update him on what happened at the Garrison. It's drizzling when we go home.

4th Day.
It's still drizzling.
Chryseis reports to Ismine. Priestess Ismine finds the whole report interesting. While she admits that the Dustmen highups may be involved in politics, but then again politics really isn't their thing.

I speak to Priestess Ismene about killing the thugs. Then I go pray to Niki for our success.

We gather together and then make our way to the Mortuary. We find the back door and knock twice until a human opens the door. Eki does the talking. We get up to the overvault just as Torrana is about to dump a body into a flaming portal. Why Chryseis calls out, she turns and looks frightened! She calls on the zombies to attack and other dustmen go to get help.