Paridon: The Dark Metropolis (Ravenloft)

[InVinoVeritas]

Gis swallows nervously. "Deal? Ada and Pigglemorth are here out of protective custody. Do we have anything to charge them with, or any leverage at all? Also, the three you've just brought, they haven't been charged with anything, either, have they? What sort of deal do you have in mind?"

He turns to look directly at Darian. "Also, what's this about Alek's head? If he's done something criminal, then by all means, let's charge him while he's here. We should keep our issues with individuals in our custody on a professional level."

Gis sighs and leans against the table. "And Torhan, what is this 'thing' that you speak of? Is this a public safety threat? Is the festival in any danger? What sort of countermeasures do you suggest?"

He rubs his temples in worry. "Night's fallen. We've already got double watch out for the festival. What's going to happen, you think?"

 

[Rhun]

Gis sighs and leans against the table. "And Torhan, what is this 'thing' that you speak of? Is this a public safety threat? Is the festival in any danger? What sort of countermeasures do you suggest?"

Torhan sighs heavily and sits down at the table. "I wish I knew what it was, Gis. It resembled the gnome Edittomas. I struck its head clean off its shoulders, and the damned thing caught it and reattached it! I've not seen nor heard anything like that before."

 

[kinem]

Wearily, Father Berman addresses Gis.

"Son, Alek's a suspect but we need more information. He may be involved in drug pushing, enslavement, and of course murder. But we can't prove that yet. He's dangerous, and so are the women with him, so if we do charge him we need to make sure he won't put up more of a fight than we can handle. Even one of them could probably take on several men.

I am sorry to hear about the missing gnomes; that will make our work harder, and if someone was sleeping on the job I need to have a personal talk with that watchman.

Now, the monster we fought is a serious threat to public safety. It killed one gnome that we saw and it was more than a match for all of us. It can make some kind of sound that drives men crazy, and dragon pistol bullets bounce off it like children's toy balls.

It think we can take it with enough magic and backup, but for the moment, we need to keep both the public and our officers out of its path. Put the word out."

 

[InVinoVeritas]

Gis grins. He is still clearly pained at what is being said, but greatly appreciates the succinct synopsis. "Thank you, Father. Do not worry about the watchmen; I'll handle any discipline that needs handing out here. You still have a murder to solve."

Gis steps out into the hallway for a moment. "Get Abass in here. We need a report."

He returns to the office to continue, "We will send enforcers to establish curfew in the Clocktower Plaza. The gnomes won't like it, but it's for their own good. You're welcome to come; you know that thing better than anyone else. However, you might want to stay here for interrogation."

Calahan strides into Gis's office, grinning like a cat with a canary. He carries a veritable arsenal of bombs and incendiary devices, along with a scroll for Gis. He thrusts it into Gis's hand, calling out, "Sign here."

Gis unrolls the parchment:
12 Vials of Alchemist's Fire
5 Powder Bombs
1 Hellsfire Gun
4 Hellsfire Charges

To be issued to the Investigators, Rose Company, under the authority of Gis.

Gis shakes his head and dips a quill. "This must be serious. Very well." He signs.

Hieran arrives at this time. "Yes, sir?"

"Report your findings, please."

"Of course. Edditomas' two main customers, referred to only as Brass and Vitriol in his journal, had asked the alchemist to conduct research in two areas: artificial emotion and artificial life. Emotion proved to be the easier task, and he describes a process to reduce love elixirs to a rosy crystal. I believe this is the substance we have been encountering. Vitriol was pleased. Life was much harder, but Edditomas figured that the vampire sustains itself without life through the blood of the living--it so stood to reason that a distillation of blood could separate its life from dross, and he suggested a boiling vessel by which life could be separated from blood. He claimed he was successful in his endeavors--but only on his last page. If it is true, Edditomas may have created some kind of artificial vampire."

 

[Rhun]

Torhan slams his fist down on the tabling, startling everyone. "Damn, that must be the thing we fought. This "artifical vampire." Its blood boiled when it sprayed from a wound, scalding all those close to it. And whatever life force the thing might have had certainly wasn't contained within its body!"

The paladin stands, pacing around the table, coming to a stop near the wizard. "If this is true, Hieran, how do we destroy the thing?"

 

[InVinoVeritas]

"Well, it's a simple matter, really," Hieran begins. "A vampire is defeated with a stake through the heart."

His eyes glaze over a moment as he mulls it over, and he swallows. "But that supposes that it has a heart. It could be exposed to sunlight."

His face contorts in worry. "But it lacks the connection to the negative plane. It could still burn."

His voice wavers. "Yet it requires a boiler. It should be defeated by holy objects."

He looks back into the journal, leafing through the pages. "Assuming it once had a soul... I... I..."

It clearly pains him to respond, "I don't know?"

 

[industrygothica]

"Cold, maybe?" Darian adds. "If it requires a boiler a boiler to do whatever it does, wouldn't it make sense that if you stop the process, you stop the creature?"

 

[Le Noir Faineant]

Calahan, who had putting the new war tools on a table while listening quietly, nervously bites his fingernails.

"So, the possibility exists that we will be totally unable to kill that one? - Not even with bombs?"

 

[Rhun]

Torhan sighs heavily, clearly frustrated from the earlier battle. "I trust my blade, and it failed me against this creature. One thing is certain, we must find a way to destroy it before it causes more harm."

 

[kinem]

Father Berman says "The monster didn't seem mindless. It may be that this Edditomas has somehow transferred his own soul into it. I don't know if that will help us. It makes me think of the body in the clock tower, though.

I believe that silver makes a potent weapon against vampires, or is that werewolves? I think some metals will cut steel more easily than others. Enchanted weapons might help too. Perhaps we need to scare up some exotic blades."