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Message: <blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 4920335" data-attributes="member: 3285">Gangs of Freeport: Part 7 – The Reptile HouseThe house appeared to be like any other.  It was solid, but every so slightly run down, as if its owners couldn’t quite afford upkeep along with all their other expenses.  It stood two stories in height and its single chimney appeared unused.  Every window was shuttered tight.  Two doors appeared to grant ingress; one was at the front of the house, while the other door opened out into a small garden.Price knocked on the door.A slot opened.  “Who is it?”“It’s…me.  I had a problem.  I think this Vlad person is on to us.”The slot closed.  Then the door opened and a ssanu stood before him.Price’s mouth opened and then snapped shut.  He walked in.The ssanu ushered Price over to a table.  “So, tell me about this Vlad.”Price squinted.  “He handed me some papers he got from Barnacle-Bottom Bailey’s ship.  When I tried to arrest him, he resisted.  He tried to hand me over to the Sea Lord’s Guard, but I escaped.”The ssanu cocked its head.  “You don’t sound like Price.”“And you don’t sound like a ssanu.  Where’s your lisp?”Price raised his hand and concentrated.  The magic concealing the ssanu dissipated revealing a surprised human.  Vlad let his illusion drop, sword and shield were at the ready.  He leaped onto the table and stabbed the man in the chest.  Shrieking for help, the man fell to the ground.Vlad turned just in time to fend off a blast of flames.  Then two men charged into the room, cutlasses at the ready.The Milandisian was prepared for their attack. He hacked down at one of the men, beheading him.  The second hesitated long enough for Vlad to block another blast of flames.  He jumped as the thug swung at Vlad’s legs.Vlad landed on the ground next to the thug.  Vlad punched him in the face with his shield.  Stunned, the thug staggered.  Vlad finished him off.More flames.  Vlad advanced on two wizards, one of each gender.They backed into a hallway, fear in their eyes.  “Where’s Mentire Aboir?” snarled Vlad.  “I know he’s here.  Price told me all about him.”“Right here!” shouted a voice down the hallway.  A shivering blast of ice surged forward, encompassing the two wizards and coating Vlad with rime.  He shook it off.Vlad pounded down the hallway, stopping short in front of a giant glowing hand.  He struck at it again and again with his sword.“You should have stopped at Price,” said Mentire, now visible as a twisted gnome. He was wrinkled, with fingers bent into claws.  His head was shaved and his faced was tattooed with white ink to resemble a stylized skull.  “But I was done with this town anyway.  If you want to really get to the bottom of the Ghoul Juice plague, it’s all because of Dutch Tillinghast.”“What makes you think…” Vlad slammed into the glowing hand and it shuddered from the force of his blow.  “That I will listen…” he smashed into again.  The hand flickered. “…to YOU?”  The hand faded away.“Medicatus prodigium!”Vlad hesitated.“Dutch Tillinghast was the former Commissioner of the Sea Lord’s Guard.  With Milton Drac dead, the Freeport Captain’s Council stripped it all away from him. After leaving in disgrace, he hired a band of mercenaries to work a new plan: using Ghoul Juice.  Ghoul juice’s deadening effect on the will made it a perfect tool to enhance my own mind-controlling magics, the very same you are experiencing now. We worked our way through the Buccaneers and the Cutthroats, when we were working on Finn’s Syndicate to accomplish what no one has managed since the days of Marquetta: the creation of a true, unified Freeport.”“Why are you telling me this?” asked Vlad.“Because none of it matters.  You aren’t going to follow me.  You’re going to cover my tracks by eliminating Tillinghast.  He’s hiding out at the lighthouse, Milton’s Folly. Now go, I need to clean up this place before the Sea Lord’s Guard realizes you failed.”And for some reason, Vlad agreed with him.</blockquote>

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