Paridon: The Dark Metropolis (Ravenloft)

[industrygothica]

Darian does his best to hide the smirk that is surely creeping upon his face as he pushes the voice in his head out. He walks slowly up to Alek, his footfalls landing heavily on the stone floor of the cell. Slowly, deliberately, he kneels down so that his eyes are even with the nasty little gnome. After studying him for a moment in silence, meeting his gaze, he breaks the news emotionlessly.

"Your brother is dead, Alek." He doesn't blink, keeping his eyes on Alek's. "And his bride as well, while Combledorn Manor lies in a pile of ash. Tell me now, are there any more jokes, or do we have your attention?"

Darian stands up tall, peering down his nose at Alek while he lights another cigar.

 

[InVinoVeritas]

Alek snorts, flinches, and looks away, closing his eyes tightly. "I shouldn't even speak with you, like this, throwing situations around with your eyes harboring that..."

Alek thrusts his hand against a cell wall to steady himself. "Any more jokes, he says, while telling them... He's so single-minded in his pursuit, like that--like..."

Alek turns his head toward Darian. The mask no longer shows the leer from before, replaced with a scowl. It is as if dark veins have opened up on him, the rage inside beginning to seep through cracks is him lily-white super-ego. "Garl... You're telling the truth. Your eyes... You--"

The entire cell bellows out his challenge, reverberating throughout the stone, as if it came from everywhere.


What did you do to my family?

 

[industrygothica]

"We tried to help your family!" Darian shouts back immediately. "That vampiric monstrosity from before, that is what ruined Combledorn Manor. That is what murdered your brother and his wife, for surely that ritual was complete." Darian's rage mixes with pity, and for only a brief moment he feels sorry for Alek.

No, feel sorry for Ada and for Templeton, not for this loathsome being.

"The monster is destroyed as well--Torhan gave his life to make sure of that--but is creator is not. Tell me what you know!"

Darian is convinced Alek knows more than he's letting on, and will likely--out of desperation--go to lengths to prove it.

 

[jkason]

Ru Brike, barbaric human monk

Ru's brows furrow as Alek talks about things hiding behind people's eyes. He glances at the back of Darian's head. Was the constable keeping something from them?

He has little time to contemplate this, however, as he flinches from the giant sound issuing from Alek's small frame. Even before he can respond, Darian does, and Ru can almost feel the rage coming from his companion. He's felt much the same in the past, but now isn't the time.

"Hold," Ru says, placing a restraining hand on Darian's shoulder. He looks to Alek, trying not to let the anger of the other two in the room infect him. He'd left that behind; had to keep it there.

"Alek, whether we wanted to or not, we've played your games, jumped your hoops, and it turns out all of us have lost.

"We want to help. We want to stop the person who created this beast so that no one else, gnome bourgeois or constable, dies because of it. But to do that, we need you to tell us all you know. No more half-truths or manipulation."

 

[Rhun]

Perrin remains silent, arms crossed over his chest, as he listens to the others question Alek.

 

[kinem]

Father Berman hangs back, letting the others deal with the little perp. He had little sympathy and no quarter to offer at this point. If the time came for prayers for forgiveness - or for enhanced interrogation techniques - then he would act. For now he is content to listen.

 

[Le Noir Faineant]

Not wanting to provoke Gis any further, Calahan has not responded to his superior,
and just noded, maybe a bit mockingly, to the words.

As the others set to leave, he turns around, maliciously grins to Gis and whispers something like:

"I can live with that, but can the others...?"

On the way to Alek's cell, Calahan pats Father Berman on the back, and shows his teeth.
One may not be able to tell if Calahan's mimic is actually threatening or the intent of a friendly smile. (Maybe he himself can't tell.)

In Alek's cell, Calahan stays behind, cleaning his fingernails with his blood-encrusted Kukri while seemingly lost in a daydream, but all the while fixing Alek with his cold grey eyes...

 

[InVinoVeritas]

"Well," Alek responds with a single loud clap, "what's done is done..."

He breathes heavily, trying to calm the anger inside him. "I owe you an apology. I guess we are all short on trust today. Hmph. Happy New Year indeed."

Calming down, Alek closes his eyes, and sheds a tear. He reaches into a pocket, pulls out a handkerchief, and wipes his mask face. When he finishes, his mask is a pure white again, the odd upturned smirk from before back upon its features. "No more mysteries. No more half truths, no more manipulations. You deserve the truth."

He walks up to Ru. He looks up, staring him in the eye, and responds, "The Combledorns have enemies, yes. Lots of them. It is part of our family's code, ever since we started being merchants of rarities centuries ago. We have what you want. You want what we have. The jealousy others have of us turns to hatred.

But of all our numerous rivals, none have ever tried something so audacious. None have ever attempted to strike us in our home, and none would have attempted it on such an important holiday. I will be honest to you. No half-truths. No manipulations.

I know nothing about that vampiric monster that murdered my family."

He pauses, just a moment, letting his words sink into the policemen's minds. He quickly responds, "Yet, I can think of one possibility, although remote. My friend Edditomas was the first victim, yes? We worked together on some small ideas. Nothing earth-shattering, nothing that is outside the purview of a drink and a song. But he was working on a much greater project, something that would change the way we would view our very souls. He worked on artificial life. I gleaned this from his journal, and if it worked, it would be something worth killing for. He never mentioned by name the patron of this project, but he did indicate it with a code name: Brass. Find Brass, and you may be able to crack the case."

 

[Le Noir Faineant]

Calahan's eyes narrow. Why should we trust this bastard? - Surely its another trap...

 

[Rhun]

Perrin rolls his eyes and chuckles. "For all we know this Brass could simply be another enemy of yours that you want us to handle. I don't trust you gnome. And too many people have already died as a result of your games." With a disgusted sigh, the ranger turns and walks out of the cell.