Metropolis (The World in Waiting) - Chapter One

[Cathoi]

Naten easily grabs the hand of the cutpurse, lifting his arm high so that his blade cannot be manuevered. The child looks up initially in fear, then in amusement.

"'Allo Nate, long time no see...don't s'pose you could spare a cupla bits fer a poor starven' kid?"

*Naten lets go of the would-be-cutpurses hand as he changes his expression into a quick smirk.*

"Quix? And here I thought the worst thing to happen this year was a facility falling on me."

*Instead of reaching into his common pocket (containing about 30 coppers and a dagger) Naten checks a side pocket of thave haversack, pulls out 2 royals, and holds them up to Quix. He also unfolds his list of names from his side pocket.(1)*

"Of course. But I can give you the opportunity to earn plenty more. Stay quiet about seeing me here until my business is done, and you've earned yourself twenty." *The street tough holds his list of names up to the kid* "And another gold peice, one per name, for information leading to any of these names, all of them children. After I've found the names in question of course. Last thing, this one's worth five if the info's good, I need you to tell me what you know about the merchant Giante."

*Naten waits for Quix to awnser, watching Giante's stall out of the corner of his eye and making sure that none of the passing crowd is paying too much attention to his conversation with the young theif.*

(1)[sblock]that's assuming one royal equals 1 gold peice, and that the street rat was only asking for the = of copper pieces[/sblock]

 

[Phoenix]

Alexis reaction his stance is quick. She shouts to him - "Vrisse! By Zsath, Vrisse, what are you doing?" She shrieks, pulling force her Holy Symbol, a coin with a smiling face on one side and a tortured soul on the other. "Vrisse! It's me, Alexis!"

If his stance doesn't change, she'll begin to cast Darkness around herself, with the intention of fleeing him under it's cover. All the while, she's hearing What's going on?! within her own head.

[sblock]Initiative
Alexis +4
Vrisse +1
Spellcraft check (DC hidden) +23 - Success (Hold Monster)
[/sblock]

Alexis, recognising the Vrisse's movements, is granted the upper hand. It takes Vrisse precious seconds to remove the iron nail required for the spell from his pockets, giving her the time needed to finish her spell. The darkness is absolute once the priestess' word of power are complete, and after hearing the words of Vrisse's enchantment, allows her a small bout of relief.
She had heard him only use this spell once before, when the high priests of the temple were called to deal with rogue sorcerers that had intended to steal the Obsidean Sceptre of Thrall. The spell was powerful enough to dispatch one of the intruders that day, for it allowed the priest to hold any creature immobile for as long as its willpower was not strong enough to break free.
With her darkness complete, Vrisse could not see her to focus his spell and allowing Alexis to slip from the room and back into the hallway. She knew what was next though, within seconds the undead guardians of the temple would be sent after her, skeletal warriors trained in the arts of combat that excel their lesser brethren. She had to be fast.

 

[Phoenix]

Ghost stands at the entry to the warehouse. "Bremman" he nods without leaving the relative safety of the street "I'd like to have a chat with you in private please sir?" before Bremman can laugh off the request Ghost continues, his arms waving in the air and his voice droning "I'm a reporter, I write for The Independant. I want to do a story, all names changed to protect the ahhh innocent, on the art of organ harvesting. As you know the rag is often used as a source of passing on descreet information to the more nefarious members of society and I thought that we might be able to do each other a favour. My article would tell people the best way of harvesting and then, once they've acquired the goods, who do they go to too dispose of the goods?? Hmm - yes Mr Bremman you. Come let us talk over the details over a bite to eat"
[sblock]I'm casting hypnotise on Bremman, the sole target (-2 to his save) DC14 Will. If it fails (and the spell description says he doesn't notice the attempt) I'll continue and try a Bluff. [/sblock]

[sblock]Bremmen Will Save (DC 15) +12 - Success (SRD has Hypno as a Brd 1 spell, I'm putting it as DC 15 at the moment, he failed anyway, but fix me up in the OOC forum k?)
Hypnotism - 6 HD effected (Successful)
[/sblock]

Bremmen rubs the stubble on his chin for a moment, thinking deeply on Ghost's proposal. His eyes watch the investigator carefully, obviously calculating the risk involved with this strange new figure.
Grappling his cigar between two fat fingers and throwing his fox's head over one shoulder, Bremmen laughs and throws his arm over Ghost's shoulder effectionately. Blowing smoke in his face subconciously and leading the bard into the street, Bremmen rumbles: "No problem son, after all, business is business. Let's get off the shop floor what say?"
In under a minute the two lean against an old petrified tree at the side of the potters, and with none of his lackeys in sight, at the moment, Ghost is given his opportunity.

 

[Phoenix]

Taran sees an opening with the Croc taking the man down. He calls Twitchy over to the girl as he runs back over to her. "This is Twitchy, he's my friend. Hold on to him." He says as he helps the girl into the saddle.

With the girl secure in the saddle, he makes his way back to the well as quickly as possable. He invokes his magic*, and scales the wall with Twitchy, carefully to make sure the girl is secure in the saddle. "Close your eyes and hold on tight" he says to her.

Once he is back up, he quickly draws his bearings, and makes his way back to town. The town elders must know about what happened, and he then must go to the surface to get help with this girl.

OOC:[sblock]*Spider Climb. Should effect both me and Twitchy through the Share Spell ability.

With that cast, climbing should be no problem, and I should be able to help her hold on if need be. It's a military saddle, so should be easy to keep her secured in it. As a child, she should be about halfling size, maybe a bit smaller.[/sblock]

Leaving the river of flesh behind, it takes only moments for Taran's magic to allow himself, Twitchy, and the distressed girl to slowly make their way to the upper sewers. The girl is difficult to handle on such a climb, but in time the druid and his companion slowly help her up the shaft. For nearly an hour the three companions wind their way through the safe paths within the sewers, Taran leading them with determination to get his ward assistance.

After one final turn in a narrow pipe, Taran saw home. A large chamber riddles with rope walkways, ladders, platforms, vats, pipes, nests, all in general disarray stretched forth before him. Populated with nearly a dozen families now, his home was growing.

Down the ladder before him was the Phanlak Pits*, where the old white haired and withered elf, Vulgarth, directed some of the children to cage the rats in the area so they would not spoil the crop. He was home.

*Phanlak is a children's treat often served during Azrantide**. Made from an interesting collection of syrup and mosses, as well as other odds and ends, many children laugh at the fact that the jar clearly states that they are produced in the sewers. Apparently they think it's a joke.

**Azrantide is the celebration dedicated to the sun god Azran where all of his followers celebrate their birthdays on the same day. Children eat Phanlak while adults get drunk and give children Phanlak so they will leave them alone.

 

[Phoenix]

*Naten lets go of the would-be-cutpurses hand as he changes his expression into a quick smirk.*

"Quix? And here I thought the worst thing to happen this year was a facility falling on me."

*Instead of reaching into his common pocket (containing about 30 coppers and a dagger) Naten checks a side pocket of thave haversack, pulls out 2 royals, and holds them up to Quix. He also unfolds his list of names from his side pocket.(1)*

"Of course. But I can give you the opportunity to earn plenty more. Stay quiet about seeing me here until my business is done, and you've earned yourself twenty." *The street tough holds his list of names up to the kid* "And another gold peice, one per name, for information leading to any of these names, all of them children. After I've found the names in question of course. Last thing, this one's worth five if the info's good, I need you to tell me what you know about the merchant Giante."

*Naten waits for Quix to awnser, watching Giante's stall out of the corner of his eye and making sure that none of the passing crowd is paying too much attention to his conversation with the young theif.*

(1)[sblock]that's assuming one royal equals 1 gold peice, and that the street rat was only asking for the = of copper pieces[/sblock]

[sblock]Royal = Gold
Noble = Silver
Bit = Copper
[/sblock]

Quix's eyes shine wide at the prospect of money. He barely hears what Naten actually wants, but grabs the list nontheless. He squints a little, holds the list upside-down, then smiles at Naten stupidly.

"Yoo are funny man, yoo know I cun read."

[sblock]Assuming that Naten reads the names:
[/sblock]

Quix's eyes narrow in something that normal people could assume is thought as Naten reads the names one by one past his ears. As soon as one name is said, Quix's eyes light up and he sticks his hands out for money.

"I know that 'un! Stefany Zimman. Giante bought 'er the utha day, I go' along well wif her...till 'e was finished wif 'er an' she wen away."

Quix looks back nervously in the direction of Giante's stall.

"Yoo know, 'e dus nasty fins to kids. He dusn' tuch me tho cause 'e seys I go' all the filf unner the sun anyway, not werf two bits 'e sez."

With a grin on him dumber than a new born squid, Quix looks hopefully in the direction of Taren's money pouch.

 

[Bront]

Leaving the river of flesh behind, it takes only moments for Taran's magic to allow himself, Twitchy, and the distressed girl to slowly make their way to the upper sewers. The girl is difficult to handle on such a climb, but in time the druid and his companion slowly help her up the shaft. For nearly an hour the three companions wind their way through the safe paths within the sewers, Taran leading them with determination to get his ward assistance.

After one final turn in a narrow pipe, Taran saw home. A large chamber riddles with rope walkways, ladders, platforms, vats, pipes, nests, all in general disarray stretched forth before him. Populated with nearly a dozen families now, his home was growing.

Down the ladder before him was the Phanlak Pits*, where the old white haired and withered elf, Vulgarth, directed some of the children to cage the rats in the area so they would not spoil the crop. He was home.

*Phanlak is a children's treat often served during Azrantide**. Made from an interesting collection of syrup and mosses, as well as other odds and ends, many children laugh at the fact that the jar clearly states that they are produced in the sewers. Apparently they think it's a joke.

**Azrantide is the celebration dedicated to the sun god Azran where all of his followers celebrate their birthdays on the same day. Children eat Phanlak while adults get drunk and give children Phanlak so they will leave them alone.

"Vulgarth, I found something!" Taran calls out to the old elf. "I was examing the blockage in the grating when the blockage blew, and I ended up near a well I've never seen before. There were... corpses haning from the ceiling. I heard a cry coming from down in the well, and found here there, chained to the wall. A strange man-thing attacked us, but I managed to get around it and get her out of there. She's sick, and I know I can't help her. Is there anything you can do?"

He has Twitchy come over and sit down, so he can get the child off of him easily. "Don't worry, you're ammong friends little one." He says to her.

 

[D20Dazza]

Ghost Elf Bard

In under a minute the two lean against an old petrified tree at the side of the potters, and with none of his lackeys in sight, at the moment, Ghost is given his opportunity.

"So Bremmen, this story, it really needs an angle, it needs a real human side to it, something that the readers can relate to - a hero." Ghost leans nonchantly against the rough bark of the old tree, offering the human a fat cigar he continues "Word on the streets is that big bastard Zimmerman has lost his daughter - and that he blames you. I was talking to a friend in The Apartments and he told me that he'd heard that she had become 'product'. In fact, rumour is so strong that the pile of dung that parades as a paper, the Cryer, is running a feature story on Zimmerman's so called loss." The tall elf fishes in his pocket and produces a flicklight, a disposable flame, and offers Bremmen a light before lighting the end of his own cigar, inhaling deeply he says "Now you and I both know that Zimmerman is as crooked as the next man and that his daughter isn't lost. He's running this story to increase his popularity, pure and simple. And I've heard he's trying to muscle in on the 'spare part' business and that's why he's trying to discredit you." Blowing a large smoke ring Ghost turns to look the human in the eye "We need to find this girl and reverse the tables on Zimmerman - you in? Can you help me find her before Zimmerman gets his way?

 

[Phoenix]

"Vulgarth, I found something!" Taran calls out to the old elf. "I was examing the blockage in the grating when the blockage blew, and I ended up near a well I've never seen before. There were... corpses haning from the ceiling. I heard a cry coming from down in the well, and found here there, chained to the wall. A strange man-thing attacked us, but I managed to get around it and get her out of there. She's sick, and I know I can't help her. Is there anything you can do?"

He has Twitchy come over and sit down, so he can get the child off of him easily. "Don't worry, you're among friends little one." He says to her.

Vulgarth's face looks up from the crowd of children as Taran calls his name, his wise old face calmly looking at the halfling and his ward as they scurry down the ladder from up high. Taran's eager blurting of recent events is almost spat out into his lap, and as the tale is told Vulgrath barely pays attention as he lifts the small child into his arms.

With one hand slowly drifting over her frightened face, Vulgarth intones an ancient spell and concentrates intently on the child. His eyes glow softly for a moment before his hand wavers across her face a second time, her eyes close, and she sleeps.

"You cannot help this child Taran." The old man's voice was obviously once powerful and commanding, however even the passing of years can effect the majesty of an elf, for now it wavered and crackled. "Her soul has been taken from her body, harvested as were her teeth, blood, hair, fingernails, retinal fluid and even one of her kidneys. It seems that she has fallen victim of organ farmers, though not like any I have heard of before."

He mutters something under his breath, placing the child down away from the bubbling vats nearby before continuing. "Most organ farmers do not have the necessary equipment to extract somebody's soul and still leave them alive and walking. It is a very dangerous act, one which many ancient sorcerers have tried to master and failed for years."

"Taran, we can look after her here, you do not have to take this any further. But if you truely want to help this girl....you will have to go to the surface, to find whatever manner of creatures would do something like this."

 

[Phoenix]

"So Bremmen, this story, it really needs an angle, it needs a real human side to it, something that the readers can relate to - a hero." Ghost leans nonchantly against the rough bark of the old tree, offering the human a fat cigar he continues "Word on the streets is that big bastard Zimmerman has lost his daughter - and that he blames you. I was talking to a friend in The Apartments and he told me that he'd heard that she had become 'product'. In fact, rumour is so strong that the pile of dung that parades as a paper, the Cryer, is running a feature story on Zimmerman's so called loss." The tall elf fishes in his pocket and produces a flicklight, a disposable flame, and offers Bremmen a light before lighting the end of his own cigar, inhaling deeply he says "Now you and I both know that Zimmerman is as crooked as the next man and that his daughter isn't lost. He's running this story to increase his popularity, pure and simple. And I've heard he's trying to muscle in on the 'spare part' business and that's why he's trying to discredit you." Blowing a large smoke ring Ghost turns to look the human in the eye "We need to find this girl and reverse the tables on Zimmerman - you in? Can you help me find her before Zimmerman gets his way?

[sblock]Bluff check (Hard to believe - DC 10) +26 - Success
[/sblock]

Bremmen leans heavily against the wall, chewing on his cigar as he watches Hound's mouth move faster than a scared quickling. As Hound's expectant eyes widen at the end of his request, Bremmen drops his cigar onto the ground and crushes beneath his crocodile skin boots.

"Bastard."

The large furry eyebrows rustle on Bremmen's face only for a moment as the boss's mind finishes racing towards its conclusion.

"You know fella, I don't know you from a bar of soap...but it seems that we can profit from mutual greed here. I won't stand for any double dealings though lad, let me put that out upfront."

Rifling through his pockets for a moment, he pulls out a long kris dagger and gently passes it from hand to hand, his eyes never leaving its stained brown blade.

"Zimmerman bought that girl fair and square, I recognise that. I would never do anything to go back on a business dealing, but that girl left him for one of my boys fair and square, Liam. Love she said, or something. I dunno where she is now, wouldn't have a clue. It would be in your best interest to leave it alone though, I'll deal with Zimmerman..."

 

[RobotRobotI]

[sblock]Initiative
Alexis +4
Vrisse +1
Spellcraft check (DC hidden) +23 - Success (Hold Monster)
[/sblock]

Alexis, recognising the Vrisse's movements, is granted the upper hand. It takes Vrisse precious seconds to remove the iron nail required for the spell from his pockets, giving her the time needed to finish her spell. The darkness is absolute once the priestess' word of power are complete, and after hearing the words of Vrisse's enchantment, allows her a small bout of relief.
She had heard him only use this spell once before, when the high priests of the temple were called to deal with rogue sorcerers that had intended to steal the Obsidean Sceptre of Thrall. The spell was powerful enough to dispatch one of the intruders that day, for it allowed the priest to hold any creature immobile for as long as its willpower was not strong enough to break free.
With her darkness complete, Vrisse could not see her to focus his spell and allowing Alexis to slip from the room and back into the hallway. She knew what was next though, within seconds the undead guardians of the temple would be sent after her, skeletal warriors trained in the arts of combat that excel their lesser brethren. She had to be fast.

And she was. Her feet would hit the ground hard, in rapid succession. Fast as they'd carry her. She wasn't accustomed to fleeing.

Her run isn't as fast as that of most. He robes fall around her, and get in her way. She holds tight to her holy symbol as she flees.

Eventually, [assuming nothing else goes wrong], she would reach the city streets. Just outside her front door, but utterly foreign to her... but she'd keep moving, down streets and alleys, just to get away from Vrisse.

What could make him *do that* to her? And what happened to his... body? It should be gone, working in the sewer farms...