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alberteamllc · 5 years

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‘A’ Prom in Warlock Street Part 4, 7/23/2019

Starring Flinty McClintock Leucosia Dreams Guilotte Crevette Featuring Goloff Silulimesh Albertine Rosenbee Grant Woolf Aramingo Fungo Panther Panchali Jeanne Klops Sanuwa Sawbones Chanchala Chala Helena Merkava Leucosia Dreams Zephyr Kurunthadi Fancy Francis Flisk Ilan Olin Sarmasik Ardin Sarmasik Shilan Sarmasik Gidris Sarmasik Lin Sunny Vejovis Billy Adavispa Berno Halatali False Daedalus Gniece Quoyn Caowulf Cuddy Aloysius Snaxxx Bertolt Breakfist Erasmus Rosenbee Nico Kladenets Maddy McCallister Ramon Silulimesh Greg Hogswain Haurchefant Hogswain Tartuffe Eikhorn Puffin McClintock

Flinty finishes her little meeting with Mungo in a fine frenzy, and, still preoccupied with the ambiguously relevant issue of being spied on, decides to muddle through some of the accumulated sending stones in the place, with the vague intention of rigging up a way to contact... I don’t know, either Albertine or or other members of the party or something. It occurs to her that Mungo Fungo and Ardis had a matched pair and she briefly considers raiding the latter’s room while she sleeps, but decides instead to tinker with the stone given to her by Tavi.

She first attempts to contact her missing friend through it, but is met by the gruff voice of a PF500 member and pretends to be a young Cockney lad who found the stone in the street. The PF500 urges her to come turn it in at the station and ominously warns that the owner of the other half of the set is dead. Flinty becomes consumed by paranoia and destroys her stone, showering herself in a burst of magic energy and disembodied voices.

She confers a bit more and heads out, first being accosted by an equally paranoid Albertine on her way to her favorite armorer. This is all for the best, as I guess she was sort of looking for Albertine anyway. She asks to be put in touch with a wizard but Al is cagey and strange, and tries to get out of the conversation, before acquiescing to at least conferring with one of the allegedly numerous wizards she knows. Still invisible (Albertine’s fault) Flinty decides to take advantage of the opportunity and do some snooping. She lurks outside of the Crystal Cats HQ and sees them leave in three groups-- Jeanne, Helena, and Leucosia heading towards the gates in a cart, Chanchala, Sawbones, and Guilotte sauntering off towards the waterfront, and Panther leaving on her own. She tails Chanchala’s awful crew down to the water and sees them slip across the river in a stowed boat, disembarking at the cliffs below Old Eigreska and beginning to climb up.

She then gets around to popping in on Grant Woolf and orders a new set of fancy duds for the prom, talks to him for a bit, then we stop at a rest stop for like 15 minutes I think. Afterwards, Flinty moves around the city to covertly dispose of the broken pieces of her former sending stone (having consulted, I forgot to mention, with Goloff before leaving about how someone might scry out an object like that). While doing so she’s caught off-guard by Panther, who invites her out to discuss a collaboration over falafel.

The situation is that halfling gangs have been committing nonsense with startlingly powerful new artifacts, speedy machines and impressively hefty suits of armor, and nobody can figure out who the perpetrators are or where they got this stuff. Known halfling crews-- like the Handsome Lads, for example-- claim to know nothing about these crimes and appear incensed about them, and Panther, being an upstanding young lady from honest means, is unable to get a foothold in the underworld. Which is where Flinty (and Panther swears it isn’t a halfling thing) comes in. Their first lead is a shady halfling with a history of moving around different iffy circles, currently in custody at the Gentle Guild HQ (currently taken over by the PF500) for a mysterious charge of public nudity on the outskirts of the city. Flinty’s ears perk up and she begins to scheme how to kill him in his helpless position unbeknownst to Panther.

On their way to the prison they chat a bit about food and their childhoods. Panther has a taste for seafood and some proteins, having grown up in a harsh region not favored by the Valley. She remembers that she has a somewhat too-large pair of mittens that she made for Flinty, monogrammed “F” and “M” and embroidered with little weasels. Flinty puts them on backwards and yells “Mother! Fucker!” while punching, a foolish thing to do. She asks Flinty what a thoughtful gift for Ardis would be and Flinty says math or depression or muesli, I suppose she’s a pretty bad friend.

They arrive at the HQ and Flinty catches up with a haggard and depleted looking Zephyr Kurunthadi, who explains that many of the human Guild members were taken by the plague in its early stages. He sends them down to the cells with a few PF500s and Flinty is shocked to see the cages crammed with halflings of all ages pleading their innocence. Finally they reach Francis Flisk, facing the wall alone in his cell and unresponsive to Panther’s questions. Flinty pushes past everyone to boldly just behead him but he grabs her wrist, turns to reveal a pale, cracked face surmounted by the onyx nubs and ruptures she last saw on Ewer under the influence of his crown, and she passes out overwhelmed by images of carnage and despair.

Waking up in a large, suspiciously comfy bed, she discovers herself covered in bruises and extremely fatigued. Panther is summoned and explains that as soon as Francis touched her, she began to violently assault everyone else but him, and that, sadly, she lost the battle. Flinty is appalled to discover that she even attacked and hurt poor Fiz, who is summoned and cautiously nuzzles up to her. Panther is willing to hear Flinty out, and once she’s appraised of the situation, to Flinty’s surprise, she agrees that Francis is too dangerous to live and must be dealt with. The two hurry back to the HQ, Flinty carried like a baby in Panther’s arms, only to discover that they’re too late. A small fleet of Sarmasik carriages surrounded the base, and inside the entire clan minus Ardis and Ilan is present, having paid Francis’ meager bail. Ardin and Francis make smug comments to Flinty as they leave, flanked by guards and Ardis’ other two uncles, Ilan Olin (Ios) and Shilan. Flinty is still far too drained from her earlier fight to press the attack, but Panther makes an impetuous lunge for Francis, only to be stopped absolutely in her tracks by the icy gaze of Ardin’s grandmother. Panther collapses to the ground in shock and the Sarmasiks file out with their prize.

Zephyr rushes out as the PF500 taunt Flinty, who they still hate for throwing rocks at them, like, a year ago, and expresses confusion at her story. He claims to have been present for a thorough examination of Francis after the first incident and saw no signs of possession or corruption of any sort. He gently suggests that Flinty has been under extreme pressure and could use a break. Flinty works herself up into a true rant and passes out again, having yelled herself to death.

Meanwhile...

Leucosia enjoys a passive aggressive journey with a barely responsive Helena and a tight-lipped Jeanne apparently snitty about not being second in command after returning to the city. They are all on an assignment to survey the condition of Daddsford, which has been seemingly abandoned for months. After some squabbling, Leucosia decides to survey the area from above, while Jeanne sends out a mysterious spectral scout to scope out the grounds. Helena, crazed, is placated by a poultice Jeanne has brought. She ruefully explains that Helena depends on medicine to remain lucid and to dull her pain, but that since Chanchala assumed leadership the budget for it has been nixed, so she has to mix it up and forage the ingredients herself. They all commiserate and Helena, too noisy for a stealth mission, is assigned to keep an eye on the roads. It’s around this time that Abby and I stopped at Taco Bell and ate wet fries, and in any case, I’m too tired to finish this. Sorry Jesse and Molly I suppose you’ll just never know what startling sights met the 24 karat eyes of... the Crystal Cats!

Edit: Both report the village totally abandoned but covered in a thick vibrant of vibrant flowers. The flowers emit a strong, sweet scent that makes the adventurers by turn sleepy and delirious, and Jeanne’s attempt to curb the scent with a little personal whirlwind are only partially successful. The two consider cutting the mission short and reporting what they’ve found but they spot a human darting into a building and after some discussion decide to continue investigating (while deliberating, they share their opinions on other Crystal Cats and sort of become friends. Jeanne tells her about Gnermal and Leucosia reveals that she helped save Maddie and Tantan). A closer look reveals that the human is Dr. Vejovis’ protege, Sunny, now with a column of flowery mushrooms blooming up the side of his body and a florid red one waving like an anemone from his eye socket. Jeanne takes a shot from Leucosia’s talons that goes wide but alerts him and he darts back into yet another house. Jeanne dives in after him through a hole in the roof and Leucosia follows after.

Inside they find more flowers, and Jeanne is horrified to discover them growing from what appear to be fresh human bodies, although the clothes on the body are mildewed and aged. They back out into the street in alarm only to discover that the beds of flowers covering the streets are also planted on human bodies. Jeanne thinks back to Helena’s ominous warning that the town was “alive with death” and wants to try taking the pulse of one of these bodies, but Leucosia grabs her and takes to the skies. They decide to call Helena in to come in loud and just burn everything down. However, it occurs to Jeanne, a veteran party girl, that if these flowers are a drug or poison, burning them all on a windy day upwind from the city might not be great. Leucosia unsuccessfully attempts to call Helena off while Jeanne retreats to try to use some nature magic to control the blaze if necessary.

Helena blazes in and starts fighting, projectiles and divine weapons ablur, putting Sunny on the back foot. He flees but the bodies begin to rise, emitting sickly vapors and swarming Helena, who even in her armor is unable to fend them all off. Leucosia finds her courage and swoops in to assist but is shocked when Sunny’s arm extends in a braid of thorny vines and snatches her from the air-- due to the specifications of her pact, she is supposed to be invulnerable to harm that isn’t reciprocal, and she begins to go into shock. Helena perches over her, shielding her with the armored plates of her chassis, elated to be finally fulfilling her destiny, as she sees it, as an aegis and bulwark. However there are simply too many and Leucosia decides it’s time to run away and get backup. She attempts to fly off with a recalcitrant Helena, and finally succeeds in pulling the maimed young woman from her armored shell, but is knocked out of the sky again by more of Sunny’s thorns. Helena smiles and begins to calmly recite what she believes is her oath, drawing the requisite blood just as Gnermal darts in and ferries Leucosia away. Leucosia is in tears-- she knows that Aramingo, not trusting Helena’s judgement, left her without the failsafe that the other Cats possess, just a dummy oath, and that she’s been left to die.

However, she tries to ring her on the sending stone anyway and hears her voice, calm, collected, and lucid, thanking her for showing that she’d to this point placed her faith in false gods. She mentions heading back towards the city for a reckoning and Leucosia starts to break down a little.

She and Jeanne regroup, and Gnermal is sent back out to make sure Sunny and Helena didn’t escape by way of the sewers, but the entire city is charred. Jeanne is totally drained from sending the blaze from Helena’s last stand out to disperse at sea (a really bad plan???) and Leucosia communes with her astral boyfriend Space Mountains to calm down. They muster up the energy to get back to Lin’s cart only to find it destroyed and overgrown with plague mushrooms. Lin himself is ok but describes being attacked by a walking Helena as well as Sunny. Jeanne stays behind, drained, while Leucosia follows their trail of blossoming footprints back to the city to a warehouse choked, again, with flowering bodies, and an open trapdoor into the kobold tunnels where the trail dies.

Meanwhile again...

Chanchala levitates up the cliffs to the quarantined Old City while Sawbones scales the face with Guilotte clinging to her back. They’re here to investigate the whereabouts of the terrorist and traitor Albertine Rosenbee, but don’t know what to expect on the ground. The only intel they have is that Albertine is difficult to track, but that her twin brother, Erasmus, was stranded there when the bridges went down. They’re soon met with resistance from armed guards claiming to serve the “Bonnie Prince.” Guilotte impetuously uses her sonic boom thing, wounding and annoying Chanchala in the process. The guards have a strange currency in their pockets, marked with cheerful symbols instead of numbers. They proceed further inland and stop at a tavern, where they split up to gather information. Guilotte discovers that the island is split into three zones belonging to the Duchess, the Duke, and the Prince, with the Prince serving as a peace broker and mediator between the more bellicose Duchess and Duke. He’s a friendly ruler who regularly walks the streets to see who needs help, but also received petitioners from his “palace.” Chanchala discovers that the so-called Duke is the former Gentle Guild sergeant Caowulf Cutty, who with a stranded regiment of Guild officers has set up a brutal but secure zone where he distributes meat of unknown and sinister provenance.

With this knowledge in hand, they come up with cover identities-- Woozy Winkums, a seller of pornography, and Barbara, a liason for the Egg Babies. Sawbones is their troubled child, Toffee. Eventually the trio reaches the palace, which is separated from the mainland, the old Adavispa factory compound. A long line is coiling around waiting to take the ferry over, but Chanchala flies away, Sawbones just walks through the water, and Guilotte sweet-talks her way to the front. Within the compound, they see undead humans seemingly peacefully and happily going about their business, helping petitioners from the Old City carry gifts of food and drink and supplies back to the ferries. Despite the overall squalor and doom of Old Eigreska, the factory town is relatively cheery,decorated with motivational posters and paper garlands. They head into the palace where a modest banquet is set, poor-looking people eating bowls of soup and grains while Billy Adavispa at the head of the table sups on scraps, cheerfully pretending to slurp down soup while stretching out his meagre both. He looks happy but thin and weak, and greets them all happily. He and Guilotte walk along the elevated tracks of what was once the company tram-line discussing the situation and what each is working towards. He offers to deputize them as Billy Buddies to give them access to the Duchess’ territory, where Erasmus is located, in exchange for delivering a wagon of produce and sweets to the quarantined people there. The deal is struck and everybody parts ways.

The Duchess’ zone is gaudily decorated with paper lanterns and streamers of red paper flowers, and is located in the neighborhoods which once housed a dynamic mix of immigrant and non-human communities-- even now, orcs, goblins, kobolds, and bugbears mingle wearily but peacefully in the streets with humans, gnomes, halflings, and half-elves. They split up once again as Sawbones peels off and heads away with a strange sense of purpose. Guilotte pursues and finds her locked in a staring contest with a peculiar mirror of Rumble Force’s Daedalus Anuria-- a lithe kroten body topped with a grotesquely oversized crystalline head. The kroten offers Guilotte a bouquet of colorful flowers and places a flower crown of similar make on Sawbones’ head before hopping off. Chanchala meets back up with them and reports an infuriating and annoying meeting with the Duchess, who sounds, to Guilotte, to be a similar personality type to Chanchala herself. The Duchess turns out to be Gniece Quoyn, a gnomish criminal who was once one of Ewer’s Lambs but escaped capture in the hubbub of the previous year. Her trademark golems are her muscle. However, Chanchala did leave the meeting with permission to conduct her business, as violent as it may get. She leads Guilotte to what was once a popular orc bar, the Goblin Marquette, which she says she once frequented in happier times. Inside she’s greeted familiarly by Aloysius and Bertolt, and the Cats are told to make themselves at home. However, Aloysius firmly tells them that they have no authority here, and are not to mess with or intimidate any of his guests or employees. Guilotte terrorizes him with her claw though until he gives in. He directs them to Erasmus’ quarters up the stairs.

He’s sitting there looking worse for the wear practicing for the night’s performance. As he turns, Guilotte notices that he’s already maimed-- two missing fingers, a missing eye, and a missing ear, which he explains were the result of his last interrogation by government thugs, overseen by Inquisitor Harrow after the attack on the Palace. He’s impatient with them and insists that he has no contact with his sister and that in general there’s no love lost between them. However Chanchala produces an ingenious and cruel torture method using the rings of empathy last seen shared by Mungo and Beatrice, and explains that one of such a pair is usually implanted in prisoners as dangerous and unpredictable as Albertine. She forces the other ring on Erasmus’ finger and Sawbones is directed to break his arm, and then Guilotte, showing her true colors, gleefully goes to town.

Skipping forward half an hour, an exhausted and terrified Erasmus finally cracks and reveals that he’d been contacted by Albertine months ago, looking to move some dangerous goods to an ally of hers. She’d heard through the grapevine about Erasmus’ proximity to smugglers and criminals, and how he himself had fenced several trinkets which he stole out of spite from the palace on his way out, including gifts from Prince Ethbart. He insists that he refused her help. Guilotte brandishes her dagger again and he doubles down, sobbing that he doesn’t know where his sister is, but if they promise to stop he’ll give them an even sweet prize-- a halfling traitor, renegage Starry Messenger, and wizard named Tavi Feathers, who had approached him about helping shuttle halflings in danger on the mainland to relative safety here. He’d turned her down gently but left the door open for broaching the subject with Aloysius or the Duchess. He hurriedly contacts her by sending stone and sets up a time and place to meet. Satisfied, Chanchala gives Guilotte an ominous nod and the tiefling advances with her knife a final time...

Erstwhile...

Flinty wakes up in the lavish Crystal Cats infirmary with Panther waking soon after. She’s worked up about Francis and panicking, and Panther attempts to calm her down. They share a smoke and Panther explains her philosophy of providing people respite, and that as adventurers they deserve to be able to enjoy their lives occasionally. She thinks Flinty should still go to prom, but promises that the next day they’ll begin, in earnest, a joint operation between their respective parties to find out what’s up with Francis and the Crown (top priority after curing the plague). Flinty gets her gear back, Fiz is all patched up, and they head down for breakfast with the other Crystal Cats. Well as you can imagine there’s a lot of information flying around but eventually they agree on Panther’s proposal. However, Panther is shaken by some of what she hears-- including Helena’s fate, the deception she was victim to, and the excesses of Chanchala’s leadership (although Chanchala and Guilotte heavily censor their antics).

As the conversation shifts to prom, Flinty takes a moment with Sawbones, who is largely unresponsive but eventually meets Flinty’s sorrowful and kind words with a gentle touch of the cheek. Everybody finds out Flinty is going to prom with the mysterious Carlos Empanadas and loses their shit. In a hideous slurry of emotions Flinty heads out, picks up her fancy new armor from Grant Woolf, and finally returns home.

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