NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="gideonpepys" data-source="post: 6230071" data-attributes="member: 79141">Session 95d - The Enemy of My Enemy is My FamilyThe whole unit, plus every police officer they could muster, marched on Casa de Kell in the early hours of the morning.  Matunaaga and Uru had ranged ahead and disabled the numerous traps set throughout the nearby buildings.  The Kell Guilders were arrogant.  Their numbers had been bolstered at the last minute and they did not seem at all surprised by the assault, but eventually the sheer amount of foes ranged against them encouraged  them to surrender without a fight.  Another reminder, as if one were needed, that there was a mole in the squad. Malthusius decided that he would spent the rest of the morning investigating, while the others (without any police officers to help or hinder) would engage in the sting on the 'eladrin' traffickers.  This last raid went off without a hitch. Meanwhile, Malthusius quickly rooted out the officer responsible for the leak that morning. While he did so, a message came that a parcel for him had  been delivered to RHC HQ.  Learning that a known Family associate had dropped off the parcel, Malthusius hastened to return and discovered a marvellous pair of magical shoes, along with a note inviting him to talk with Morgan Cippiano at the Brave Hall fashion show at any time that day. Malthusius had a long history with Morgan and had asked him for help against the Kell Guild a long time ago.  Then, having already lost men in an attempted hit on Kell, Cippiano had replied that the RHC must first demonstrate that they were serious. Clearly, that message had  reached him, if not Lorcan Kell. Malthusius donned the shoes and  hastened to the meeting.  Cippiano was his usual self - achingly polite, respectful; talking at first of clothes and style and everything but the business at hand.  Eventually, he drew Malthusius out on to a balcony and revealed that he now had a reliable man on the inside, who could help the unit get to Kell himself.  Such an arrangement would be necessary, said Morgan, as Kell  had a secure escape plan involving his shadowy patrons - who Cippiano freely admitted he knew very little about.  In return, he would need a moratorium on murders in Parity Lake; a prisoner release; and he wanted to know what Ashima-Shimtu had offered Malthusius! Surprising though this last question was, Malthusius answered at once, "She  offered me godhood, and I declined."  Morgan nodded, impressed.  The other two conditions could not be met by Malthusius who sent a request via Delft to the King himself.  (Privately, he balked at the thought of releasing Giovanni Algardi - otherwise known as 'the Carver', a sculptor who magically animated his creations and caused them to murder and rob his rich patrons.) To sweeten the deal, and demonstrate his good intentions, Cippiano proffered this tidbit of information: the leader of the Obscurati facility here in Flint had shown his face in the Nettles some time ago.  (Malthusius remembered this occasion all too well of course.) As a Crisillyiri demonstrating considerable power, he had attracted Morgan's attention.  His enquiries revealed that the man was a 'savant' (along with Azon the Stoneforger, Ludo Marcione, and others) - individuals able to manipulate reality with their minds.  The Church had once persecuted them, and they remained taboo in some parts of Crisillyir. His name was Leone Quital, the 'Steelshaper' and his rich and influential family had an estate to the northeast of Vendricce. Some time later (while the rest of the unit was otherwise engaged - see session reports 95e & 95g) Malthusius went to visit the cobbler Dozi  Mendici, as planned. There he fell into conversation with another customer - a scruffy, cheeky, chatty type (with two concealed daggers) called Dester Rathtine.  Rathtine said that everything had been arranged in accordance with 'his employers' and went on to say that he was one of Kell's trusted runners, who delivered messages from Kell to the rest of his guild.  He said that Kell did indeed have a last-ditch escape route, which enabled him to teleport away from trouble: a magical device provided by 'the other guys'.  But Kell was wary of using this route and was currently petitioning his Obscurati contact for more help.  Dester thought that he could fake a reply from this contact (who called himself 'Norm'), and draw Kell out into the open - but only when Kell felt sufficiently nervous to flee.  Dester - demonstrating an impressive knowledge of such matters - could ensure his route took him past 'an ideal bottle-neck' (a bridge across the Stanfield Canal, perhaps) where the RHC could lay down some sort of dimensional lock. (Once again, Malthusius thought of Harkover Lee.) Of course, all this required even more pressure to be put on the guild...</blockquote>

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