Metropolis - The Weight of the World (and Found Wanting)

[Phoenix]

Alexi was taken aback at this woman, partly becasue so few would dare address themselves to him from this crowd, but also the woman herself. Aside from her class, something resonated with her, perhaps it was the striking blue eyes, so like the ones back home, or it was the silent strength that lay behind them. Alexi found himself staring at the woman, passed the point of politeness, less than a stare and more than a gaze.

Alexi shooks his head, clearing it of the power of the woman's piercing gaze.

"Yes, Yes Stephanie, we are in need of a manner in which to cross this river. Do you know of a bridge nearby or better yet, a barge of ferry by which to cross?" replies Alexi.

Stephanie smiled a little strangely, as if she were afraid of what might happen should she show genuine affection, and looked across the river. "On the other side of the river is the Outskirts, no-one goes there, the danger is too high for even the desperate."

The wind picked up, causing her to shout at Alexi. "There have been a few parties crossing the river over the last few weeks from downstream, aboard a ferry that a group of Leaguers constructed some months ago, I can lead you there if you like..."

 

[Scotley]

Jazick

With a solid pound on the door so that the noise would carry through the large building, as well as over the screaming playful children, Jazick waited until the latch was unlocked with baited breath. Pale fingers wrapped around the edge of the door as Judith's long hair dangled into view, peering through the crack with one eye she threw the door open at the sight of Jazick.

"Jazick!"

Jazick drew Judith out on to the large covered porch, where relative privacy could be had. Only a couple of Tulley children played here under the watchful eye of an elderly matron. "It's good to see you again Judith. I brought you a little something," he announced handing over the apricot danish. Jazick managed to reduce the events of the night to mere phantoms at the back of his mind as he focused on Judith. He ask after her family, business mutual friends, anything but what he really came for. Finally, the pleasantries exhusted, he came around to the events of last night. "Some strange things happened last night. To understand them better I need to travel to the old cathedral dedicated to the worship of Zsath. I hoped some of your family might remember the way from trading in better times. Do you think anyone would know?"

 

[Bront]

Riki smiled with a mix of innocent joy and criminal evil that only he could pull off, "It's located in the old Spyre of Zsath, the old cathedral a couple of suburbs over. After all the priests left few had the nerve to move in, though admittadly some people whisper that their undead servants still walk the halls, but that's a minor point."

"If you can get this Sceptre out, it'll be worth it's weight in silver no doubt, and I'm sure that we could negotiate it's real price then..."

Jasmine nodded, the Spire would be fairly easy to find. Seemed like a fool's errand, but Jasmine was not a fool, and Riki knew it, so there was likely more to this than would appear. She would have to be careful as always.

"That sounds easy enough. Just make sure you have everything in order when I return," Jasmine says.

She slid of the desk into her boot, and slowly walked around to meet Riki. She smiled, and placed her hand on his chin, drawing him close. Looking into his eyes, she opened her mouth and said "Tis a pleasure as always."

Fairly quickly she turned and left, hips swaying ever so slightly. Turning only to blow Riki a kiss through the open door before she walked through it.

Leaving the Darkroom was a slightly larger woman, though still with haunting eyes. She smiled and drew long cloak around her to keep out the chill. She was fairly sure she could get a ferry towards the Spire, remembering some of the Canals that ran through the area, she just had to find the right one.

 

[Fenris]

Stephanie smiled a little strangely, as if she were afraid of what might happen should she show genuine affection, and looked across the river. "On the other side of the river is the Outskirts, no-one goes there, the danger is too high for even the desperate."

The wind picked up, causing her to shout at Alexi. "There have been a few parties crossing the river over the last few weeks from downstream, aboard a ferry that a group of Leaguers constructed some months ago, I can lead you there if you like..."

Alexi smiles down at Stephanie "Please do my dear" as he gesture for her to lead the way.

 

[GlassEye]

The woman smiled a little more generously at the sight of a paying customer and carefully allowed Ymris to place her pin within a piece of silk that she delicately drew from her dress. Stepping behind a counter the elf drew forth delicate tools and began the operation with caring hands.

"It's hardly ruling ma'am, simply a place of business like any other. Senor Draconis owns these three shops, as well as several dozen families that live in the square outside. He has a small trade network that stretches through neighbouring suburbs, a man of wealth and style you may say."

After a few more moments the elf had corrected the pin and carefully replaced it upon Ymris' cloak, even fittinig the garment for her so it draped correctly over her form. "Now that comes to eight copper commons today ma'am, is there anything else I can intrest you with during your visit?"

Ymris watches in fascination as the woman deftly repairs the damage to her cloakpin. A brief frown crosses her face at the jeweler's mention of Senor Draconis owning several families but Ymris refrains from passing unsolicited judgement on the man.

Smiling genuinely as the woman fastens her now repaired pin to her cloak and arranges the cloak around her Ymris says, "Yes. I would like to look at the wares that you have displayed. Turning towards the nearest cabinet she continues, "Senor Draconis seems a man of wealth and style, indeed. How might I find him?

As she continues to look at the items displayed one in particular catches her eye. "That one," she says pointing at a comb formed from the polished shell of some creature.

 

[Phoenix]

Jazick drew Judith out on to the large covered porch, where relative privacy could be had. Only a couple of Tulley children played here under the watchful eye of an elderly matron. "It's good to see you again Judith. I brought you a little something," he announced handing over the apricot danish. Jazick managed to reduce the events of the night to mere phantoms at the back of his mind as he focused on Judith. He ask after her family, business mutual friends, anything but what he really came for. Finally, the pleasantries exhusted, he came around to the events of last night. "Some strange things happened last night. To understand them better I need to travel to the old cathedral dedicated to the worship of Zsath. I hoped some of your family might remember the way from trading in better times. Do you think anyone would know?"

"That's a way out from Candlestick Lane Jazick," Judith looked more than a little worried. "My grandfather used to deal with the Priestesses of Zsath when I was young, before he died. I might be able to find one of his maps if it survived the fires." Judith looked as if she would ask more, pry into his business, but left it lie.

Judith forced a smile and almost melted as her mouth wrapped around the danish, her fears forgotten for a moment. "Wait here!" She pointed at Jazick and giggled, running into the building and leaving him alone in the rain.

He sat and watched people trudge through the mud and rain, rumblings overhead echoing through the city like a death toll. In the shadows of the alleyways shadows moved, peasants, beggars, scrounging for whatever they could find.

It seemed like forever before Judith returned carrying a small wooden box in her hands. She sat down beside Jazick and trust it towards him. "Go on, open it, it's for you."

The box opened easily, revealing its secret contents to Jazick's eyes. A map, a map of the city, well...a large section of the city. He'd never seen one before, he'd never even heard of one before. There was Candlestick Lane, the Labyrinth, the Apartments, the Oracle, the Jestertan Canals, even...the Cathedral of Zsath. Resting at the bottom of the box was a strange device, something made out of glass with water inside it, and a sliver of metal. There was also a trading journal, charcoal, wax, a seal of somekind, dozens of sheets of parchment...

"It's my grandfather's things, from the old company. It doesn't help us much now, maybe you can find some use for it." Judith smiled, pointing at the glass bauble. "Granpy taught me all about that, it's like magic, but not. He called it a compass, some of his notes talk about it, I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out easy enough."

 

[Phoenix]

Jasmine nodded, the Spire would be fairly easy to find. Seemed like a fool's errand, but Jasmine was not a fool, and Riki knew it, so there was likely more to this than would appear. She would have to be careful as always.

"That sounds easy enough. Just make sure you have everything in order when I return," Jasmine says.

She slid of the desk into her boot, and slowly walked around to meet Riki. She smiled, and placed her hand on his chin, drawing him close. Looking into his eyes, she opened her mouth and said "Tis a pleasure as always."

Fairly quickly she turned and left, hips swaying ever so slightly. Turning only to blow Riki a kiss through the open door before she walked through it.

Leaving the Darkroom was a slightly larger woman, though still with haunting eyes. She smiled and drew long cloak around her to keep out the chill. She was fairly sure she could get a ferry towards the Spire, remembering some of the Canals that ran through the area, she just had to find the right one.

The Canals were simple enough to find, easy enough to follow, and extremely difficult to navigate. Some of the roughest people gathered near the waters to recover debris, attempt to purify its water, and pull bodies out to loot them. Jasmine had had more than one run-in with the desperates that made the canals their home.

It was simple enough to drop the right person a silver or two to lead her to a safe barge and watch the dozens of vagrants stare at her as she floated past. The bargemen simply nodded at her when she told him where she needed to go, they rarely spoke or asked questions, there was rarely a need to.

The journey was long though, but worth the investment. Jasmine saw at least three murders on the way, as well as a small group of dwarves dragging a corpse from the canals to feast upon. She forced herself to stay awake through the night, but in the wee hours of the morning the gruff bargeman pushed the boat against a crude dock.

"We're here."

She looked up through tired eyes to see exactly what he meant. A single building, bigger than any of the Apartment spyres and jet black, reached into the storm clouds, lightning striking its ediface. The suburb around her was quiet, too quiet. Everywhere else people were forced out onto the streets even in this terrible weather, but here, wherever here was, was quiet, and empty...

 

[Phoenix]

Alexi smiles down at Stephanie "Please do my dear" as he gesture for her to lead the way.

Whale looked across at Alexi, "I'll go git the others." And with a nod of his helm he pulled his horse back upstream, leaving the Stag with the alluring woman who seemed all too familiar.

She walked slowly through the crowds, eventually raising one hand up to guide Alexi's great steed calmly past several savage dogs that were fighting over something...bloody. She pointed into the distance where a great pole rose up from the river's edge, eventually betraying the location of a large ship that was moored to an old dock.

It looked like several dozen ropes had been spiralled together and pulled tight, one end tied off on a huge metal weight imbedded into the street, the other tied off somewhere far across the river. The massive ropes ran through the vessel, as if to guide it across, it's huge sails providing the propulsion needed to move the thing.

"I hope you can afford the trip good knight, coppers and silvers won't pay your way here."

 

[Phoenix]

Smiling genuinely as the woman fastens her now repaired pin to her cloak and arranges the cloak around her Ymris says, "Yes. I would like to look at the wares that you have displayed. Turning towards the nearest cabinet she continues, "Senor Draconis seems a man of wealth and style, indeed. How might I find him?

As she continues to look at the items displayed one in particular catches her eye. "That one," she says pointing at a comb formed from the polished shell of some creature.

Continuing her pleasantries, the woman lifted the comb off its delicate bracket and handed it to Ymris. "As you can no doubt see, the shell is actually a composite of several pearls, delicately fitted onto a plate of ivory silversheen, electrum flecks decorating the frame."

She watched eagerly as Ymris studied it and tried it on, "The piece is currently valued at thirty-eight silvers." As an afterthought, or perhaps just to distract Ymris from the price, she continued, "Senor Draconis has his residence in this district, occassionally he takes visitors, as so few people of actual worth pass through these days."

 

[Bront]

The Canals were simple enough to find, easy enough to follow, and extremely difficult to navigate. Some of the roughest people gathered near the waters to recover debris, attempt to purify its water, and pull bodies out to loot them. Jasmine had had more than one run-in with the desperates that made the canals their home.

It was simple enough to drop the right person a silver or two to lead her to a safe barge and watch the dozens of vagrants stare at her as she floated past. The bargemen simply nodded at her when she told him where she needed to go, they rarely spoke or asked questions, there was rarely a need to.

The journey was long though, but worth the investment. Jasmine saw at least three murders on the way, as well as a small group of dwarves dragging a corpse from the canals to feast upon. She forced herself to stay awake through the night, but in the wee hours of the morning the gruff bargeman pushed the boat against a crude dock.

"We're here."

She looked up through tired eyes to see exactly what he meant. A single building, bigger than any of the Apartment spyres and jet black, reached into the storm clouds, lightning striking its ediface. The suburb around her was quiet, too quiet. Everywhere else people were forced out onto the streets even in this terrible weather, but here, wherever here was, was quiet, and empty...

"Can you suggest a few good places to stay?" Jasmine asked. With things this quiet, either something was going down, or it was time to find a safe place to sleep for a bit. She knew she'd likely settle on one she recognized if she could, but she wanted to get a few names from the man, in case someone was following her. If she decided on one from his suggestions, she didn't let on. She sliped the man a little extra for his help, and headed out into the streets to see what was going on.

[sblock=ooc]Search/spot/listen, as well as a gather info if she spots people she can ask. Otherwise, she'll simply make her way to one of the inns he names.[/sblock]