Ptolus: 165 Vock Row - "Rat-catchers"

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

It is early morning on the second day of Rain in the 721st year of the Imperial Age. It is drizzling outside 165 Vock Row, and Gallesini, the first of the three emperors of the dawn, has just begun his brief rule of the 24 Gods of the Hours this day when the Erac Kunstler's apprentices begin to wake.

His house staff has already been awake for more than an hour, preparing breakfast for the almost two dozen people that call Kunstlerhaus home, setting up the day's alchemy work, cleaning the library for the day's lessons and putting the topiaries Kunstler has been experimenting with into a secure greenhouse where they cannot escape and harm anyone during the day.

The apprentices ignore the sound of the ringing bell -- that's just the butler, Argus Blackmore, summoning the staff for some purpose -- but when head apprentice Cicero Brackenbury starts yelling a moment later, he gets their attention.

"Mairan, Thurst, Aeshen," Argus calls pleasantly, but with the urgency that tells the staff not to tarry, "Please report to the library."

Mairan brushes off the leaves from her hands and sucks at the cuts on her arms from battling the topiaries back into their cages. The gardener nods at her, and she turns to head back into the townhouse.

Thurst pulls his head out from beneath the boiler in the basement -- the master enjoys hot water baths, which are a luxury even in a city where running water is common -- and wipes the sweat from his eyes as he puts his tools away. The malice of the bound fire elemental in the boiler radiates through the great bronze vessel, and he'll be glad to get away from it for a bit.

Aeshen is in the kitchen, helping the kitchen staff with the first of the day's shopping he's brought back from the market. He works the water pump and runs his hands under the icy water and neatens his hair before responding.

"Mata! Ella! Valana!" Cicero's voice is anything but pleasant with the lower-ranking apprentices. "Get dressed and get to the library, chop-chop!"

The three female apprentices he's called all share a single room on the main floor. Mata has the usual death threat directed at her familiar from the mouse on her chest -- "get rid of leezard befor i keel hem" -- and crumples it up as all three apprentices hurry to get dressed before heading to the library.

It is the start of another day on Vock Row.

 

[Aeshen]

A new day

Aeshen deftly set aside the 4 blood-oranges he was peeling for a particularly fetching half-elven kitchen-servant. The oranges were a rarity this time of year and Aeshen was proud to have found them. He had gotten 3 dozen for scarce pennies more then standard oranges cost.

Aeshen checked his hands to ensure they were free of the red juice before presenting himself before the butler. He greeted Argus respectively and moved to stand to the front of him, and slightly to the side - allowing room for the other 3 staff members. He was a tad curious as to what this summons might involve, since he was quite certain he had nothing in common with the insane dwarf perpetually buried in the boiler... as to Mairan, he wasn't even sure who that was.

Aeshen stood casually waiting for the other requested staff members to join him, comfortable that all would be revealed soon enough.

 

[Fyrie Windlitened]

Mairan brushes her sleeve over her face to try to wipe away any dirt and sweat. Paying no mind to the others called except to hope their presence might foretell a somewhat less stinging task, she briskly makes her way to the library.

 

[Voca]

As she pulls a her clothes on Mata asks Anyang what he did to the mouse, a question she asks every morning and does not expect an answer to. "What did we do now?" she wonders aloud. She splashes her face with the cold (and frankly not that clean) water in the jug on the dresser and ties her hair back before heading to the library -- experience has taught her that looking unkempt in the Kunstlerhaus is frowned upon very slightly more than being late. (Or at least, if you are going to be late anyway -- an easy thing to do, since one is late as soon as one is summoned -- being unkempt makes things worse.)

 

[Vdou]

By the time Cicero had called for the Apprentices, Ella had been lying awake for a couple hours, her body's time clock not yet adjusted from working in the kitchen.

She sighed.

Getting up out of bed, Ella moves towards the dresser to fetch her robe moving methodically, as if she planned every step hours ago. As she shimmies into her robe, her sleeve catches the lip of Mata's jug, sending it crashing to the floor.

She sighs again.

"Sorry."

Swiftly, Ella mops up the water with an old robe, then places it gingerly over her bedpost to dry. Quickly gathering herself, Ella fixes her bed and heads out toward the library.

 

[Wool]

The sound of a muffled explosion can be heard as reverberations are sent throughout the lower levels of Kunstlerhaus. "Fan-tastic!", shouts the dwarf. A few moments pass until the sounds of the harried mechanic can be heard from outside the library, reassuring terrified servants. "Aye, aye, there's nothing ta worry about ya wee fairy. Just a naughty valve," Thurst guffaws at his own joke.

Thurst enters the library and is surprised to see that he isn't running late for a change. His meticulously groomed beard stands out in stark contrast with his soot and grease stained body. While not being so unkempt as to make others uncomfortable, he still appears out of place when among the "fancy lads" of Kunstlerhaus. His unusual mechanical mace stays ever-present at his side.

"So, what's all this hallabaloo about anyhow?"

 

[Filthy]

Nearly as quiet as the murderous mice in the house, Valana rises from bed and neatly makes the bed. Avoiding the wet floor, she steps to the closet to shrug into one of her apprentice robes.

"Good morning", she says softly to the other two apprentices in the room. Then she gathers up her spellbook and quickly retreats to the library, hoping to avoid the notice of Cicero Brackenbury.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Erac Kunstler is at his harpsichord, abusing it badly just a day after Weldin, the house musician, has retuned it. Beneath his dressing gown, his shoulders are stiff and all assembled can read his body language from across the library: The master is in a foul mood. Again.

Argus, as always, is unflappable, and faces the assembled staff and apprentices, his back toward Kunstler.

"As you may know, the master is currently working on investing some of his profits from his delving in the Dungeon in a country estate. To that end, he has been speaking with representatives of the Bankers' Guild. Something interesting has come up during his discussions ..."

"Damned insulting bastards!" Kunstler bursts out, hammering at the harpsichord keys.

"... regarding something that was seen in the basement of the guildhouse," Argus continues placidly. "A ratling. This is not unremarkable, of course, as ratlings, ratlords and even ratbrutes are distressingly common beneath the city. If it were merely an ordinary ratling, the guild would have put up a reward and had some delvers come by and put the miserable beast to the sword and be done with it."

"This one had four arms," Cicero leers. "Maybe it's a mutant, maybe something magical happened to it. Anyway, they begged the master to take care of it."

"They certainly should have!" roars Kunstler, still playing. "I'm not some damned rat-catcher!"

"... and as such things are beneath him," Cicero continues, winking nastily at those assembled, "You lot have been deputized."

"You are to enter the sewers near the Bankers' Guildhouse," Argus says. " The guildhouse itself does not have valuables stored within, but there's a certain perception of security the guild would like to maintain. Find the ratling and any of his spawn, and eliminate them."

Cicero takes six sets of folded papers from a silver tray nearby and hands them out.

"Congratulations, you're all Guildsmen with the Delvers' Guild. This entitles you ..."

"To pay me back those 20 gold in dues!" Kunstler snarls.

"... entitles you to a 10 percent discount from Ebbert's in Delver's Square and and access to the Delvers' Guild Library and Maproom here in Oldtown."

"You will need to visit the library and determine whether these ratlings are using any known catacombs," Argus says. "If they are not, you will need to map out their lair for resale back to the guild. In addition, those of you who attend services at Lothian the Redeemer have no doubt seen that there is a bounty on ratling tails. You will need to bring both your map and tails back here and the master will deliver them to the guild. Staff members will each receive 100 gold pieces ..."

"Minus 20 for guild dues!"

"... will each receive 80 gold pieces as a bonus from your employer, or 80 gold pieces taken off your debt to this household. You will also receive a share of the tail bounty and map revenue. Apprentices will each receive individual instruction with the master, who will teach of them a rare spell of their choosing. The master will also loan each of you a piece of equipment from his own collection to help in your mission. Should it be damaged or lost, the cost of replacing it will of course be added to your debt to this household."

"Go change and prepare your spells," Cicero says. "You've got an hour and a half to get ready. I'll answer any questions you've got before you go."

Argus claps his hands together twice.

"Off you go. Meet back here when you're ready to set out."

 

[Wool]

Temporarily ignoring the staff and apprentices around him, Thurst thoughtfully appraises the master of the house. Normally unafraid of the wizard's sharp tongue and harsh temper, Thurst nevertheless decides that now is not the right time to provoke the man with his idea of "witty banter". Turning his attention back to his newfound compatriots, Thurst suppresses a sigh.

"Ah, Argus, I have an addition to the procedures and precautions that should be followed when I am away," begins the dwarf, "Please keep Weldin out of the boiler room. He seems to think music will 'calm the savage beast', but it just means more work for me when I return."

Upon reaching an understanding with the butler, Thurst's attention returns to the matter at hand. It shouldn't take him very long to prepare, as his area of expertise is quite small. Turning to leave, Thurst lets one last comment hang in the air, "I hope you lot have gears under those squishy bodies of yours."

 

[Aeshen]

Ugh

Aeshen allows the distate for this assignment to show on his face for just a second before carefully concealling it.

"I would be happy to help get to the bottom this mystery of many-armed rodents for you, Master", he says with a slight bow toward the fuming Kunstler's back.

Aeshen makes his way back to his quarters casually, needing only a few moments to gather his few travelling items: Some rope, a sturdy pack, a waterskin, and a bedroll. Securing these items he changes from his velvet and silk garments into more servicable leather ones. He leaves his ever-present jewelry in its place however, not willing to completely demean himself for this task. 'This better be worth it' is his only thought as he makes his way back to Argus, and his droll task.

Upon reaching the butler he leans in. "Sir, I heard your offer of a loan? I find myself lacking of some tools I might require for this task.... Specialized tools?"