RAVENLOFT: THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY, CHAPTER FOUR

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RAVENLOFT: THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY, CHAPTER FOUR

Post by ewancummins »

...after a wet and wild bit of rat-catching work and a hasty escape from the cloud-shadowed zone...



OUT FROM UNDER THE BLACK CLOUD, EASTERN BANK OF THE MUSARDE



SARA holds a sack of live, damp, squirming rats. She does her best to keep the chittering prisoners from escaping the sack.

Benn and the others, not occupied with rodent-containment, may look back across the bridge they've crossed to reach the busy eastern bank of the river. The black cloud lowers there in the west, shading the rundown wharves and thinly-peopled waterfront neighborhoods. Its leading edge hovers over the river, casting a shadow over the island-estate of the infamous and powerful Renier family, as well as some smaller built-up islets nearby. But the cloud's strange drift against the wind has stopped.
Surveying the area in which they've arrived, the party finds nothing unusual: just the bustle of commerce, licit and illicit, the familiar sights and sounds of the city.
Resting workers and several men walking down the boardwalk pause to stare out at the cloud in the west, but nobody seems seized with panic and no general alarm has been raised.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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Re: RAVENLOFT: THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY, CHAPTER FOUR

Post by Adam »

Bennedict looks skeptically at the bag of rats. "We may draw the wrong kind of attention if we take that with us through the city."

He points. "The alchemist I know lives this way. Those who are...presentable...can come with me." He looks at his own ash-covered clothing, brushing at the stains idly to remove them.
"Of course," Benn mutters, "It would be a damned shame if we ever knew what the hell was actually going on."
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Re: RAVENLOFT: THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY, CHAPTER FOUR

Post by alhoon »

Raen nods. "I would like to accompany you, if possible. Also, "he turns to Sarah, "I would like one of the rodents, live, to contain in a small cage or something and see how it reacts when the ... weather changes. Study it's mannerisms and all"

As the party moves around, Raen checks here and there for a cage to put the rat in.
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Re: RAVENLOFT: THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY, CHAPTER FOUR

Post by ewancummins »

ON THE WAY TO THE ALCHEMIST'S SHOP


In the River Market, Raen doesn't have too much trouble finding a cage suitable for a rat.
He buys a plain cage with iron bars from an old gypsy-man.
He makes the purchase just in time to capture one of the rats that's chewed partly out of Sara's wet and wriggling rat-sack.
Getting the creature into the cage without it biting anybody requires some deft handling and quick thinking, but Raen and his friends manage the job without losing or harming any rats.


Onlookers react to all this rat-wrangling with a mixture of amusement and disgust.

With the damaged sack reinforced with a second sack and the lone rat caged safely, the walk to the alchemists' continues, taking the party to a shop-and-loft overlooking a drainage canal. The smell of brimstone hangs in the air near the wet ditch and around the heavy wooden door of the shop's front room. The canal water looks tainted with something other than normal runoff of the streets--something the color of egg yolks.
Anyone peering in the rondel windows of green glass sees a cluttered display room, shelves crammed with bottles and pots.

A brass chain with a wooden handle hangs from a hook-lever recessed in the upper part of the door panel.
Letters scrawled in chalk on the door read:
RING BEFORE YOU ENTER
WORK MAY BE IN PROGRESS


A faded placard set into the wall on the right side of the door reads, in large and well-made letters:

M. FLAMMARION
CHYMIST
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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Re: RAVENLOFT: THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY, CHAPTER FOUR

Post by ewancummins »

MEANWHILE


IMPOUND WAREHOUSE

THOM THE PRINTER


The port-guard, standing at respectful distance, clears his throat and glances at Thom as Thom climbs down from the deck of the boat and onto the floor.

"Sir, 'scuse me, have you found anything?"
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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Re: RAVENLOFT: THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY, CHAPTER FOUR

Post by RocEter »

ewancummins wrote:MEANWHILE


IMPOUND WAREHOUSE

THOM THE PRINTER


The port-guard, standing at respectful distance, clears his throat and glances at Thom as Thom climbs down from the deck of the boat and onto the floor.

"Sir, 'scuse me, have you found anything?"
"Not sure." Thom says. "You search every inch of the boat? Including the crawl space?"
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Re: RAVENLOFT: THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY, CHAPTER FOUR

Post by ewancummins »

RocEter wrote:
ewancummins wrote:MEANWHILE


IMPOUND WAREHOUSE

THOM THE PRINTER


The port-guard, standing at respectful distance, clears his throat and glances at Thom as Thom climbs down from the deck of the boat and onto the floor.

"Sir, 'scuse me, have you found anything?"
"Not sure." Thom says. "You search every inch of the boat? Including the crawl space?"

''The others did, sir. Not me."
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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Re: RAVENLOFT: THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY, CHAPTER FOUR

Post by Adam »

Bennedict reaches up for the chain, giving it a ring.

"He's much like most chymists," Benn says to the others, "A bit eccentric. And you can usually count on his prices being marked up by at least 10%. But he's a good enough sort, otherwise."
"Of course," Benn mutters, "It would be a damned shame if we ever knew what the hell was actually going on."
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Re: RAVENLOFT: THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY, CHAPTER FOUR

Post by ewancummins »

Adam wrote:Bennedict reaches up for the chain, giving it a ring.

"He's much like most chymists," Benn says to the others, "A bit eccentric. And you can usually count on his prices being marked up by at least 10%. But he's a good enough sort, otherwise."

A bell clangs on the other side of the door.

A moment passes in silence, then footsteps, shadows moving across the window, and a skinny youth with mouse-brown hair opens the front door.

Benn recognizes him as one of Flammarion's apprentices.

"Masters, come in."

The boy steps backs to admit Benn and any others of the party who come with him.
He gawks a bit at Kat, but says nothing to her.


"Master Flammarion will be up front with you in just a little bit, masters. He's finishing some work that can't wait."
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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Re: RAVENLOFT: THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY, CHAPTER FOUR

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Bennedict reaches into his coat, fishing out one of his cards and handing it to the boy. "Give this to your master to let him know who is here. We collaborated on that business with the men who were masquerading as mediums and driving spirits from homes last year." He turns to the others. "Turns out their 'ectoplasm' was a simple colloidal suspension similar to mayonaise. They would spread it in houses, turn over furniture with mechanical devices, do any number of clever things to make people think their houses were haunted. A very interesting case..." He drifts off, but then turns back to the apprentice, arching an eyebrow that he was still there. "Well, go on. We don't have all day."
"Of course," Benn mutters, "It would be a damned shame if we ever knew what the hell was actually going on."
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Re: RAVENLOFT: THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY, CHAPTER FOUR

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Adam wrote:Bennedict reaches into his coat, fishing out one of his cards and handing it to the boy. "Give this to your master to let him know who is here. We collaborated on that business with the men who were masquerading as mediums and driving spirits from homes last year." He turns to the others. "Turns out their 'ectoplasm' was a simple colloidal suspension similar to mayonaise. They would spread it in houses, turn over furniture with mechanical devices, do any number of clever things to make people think their houses were haunted. A very interesting case..." He drifts off, but then turns back to the apprentice, arching an eyebrow that he was still there. "Well, go on. We don't have all day."
The apprentice bobs his head, turns, and hustles into the back room, shutting an interior door behind him.

The party is left standing in the showroom/front shop area, surrounded by shelves of glassware and pottery.

Fluids and solids both are visible through some of the containers, but most of the vessels in this front room are opaque.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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Re: RAVENLOFT: THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY, CHAPTER FOUR

Post by RocEter »

ewancummins wrote:
RocEter wrote:
ewancummins wrote:MEANWHILE


IMPOUND WAREHOUSE

THOM THE PRINTER


The port-guard, standing at respectful distance, clears his throat and glances at Thom as Thom climbs down from the deck of the boat and onto the floor.

"Sir, 'scuse me, have you found anything?"
"Not sure." Thom says. "You search every inch of the boat? Including the crawl space?"

''The others did, sir. Not me."
"Did they find anything in there?" Thom says. "If they did, I would like to see what ever they found."
History prefers legends to men. It prefers nobility to brutality, soaring speeches to quiet deeds. History remembers the battle and forgets the blood. What ever history remembers of me if it remembers me at all, it shall only be the fraction of the truth.
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Re: RAVENLOFT: THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY, CHAPTER FOUR

Post by alhoon »

Flammarion's shop.
Adam wrote: "He's much like most chymists," Benn says to the others, "A bit eccentric. And you can usually count on his prices being marked up by at least 10%. But he's a good enough sort, otherwise."
Raen shrugs. "I'm quite happy with my own alchemist, Master Ambreville, that doesn't go by fancy names like Chemist or Chymist. Pass to Ambreville some good information about influential people and he would give up to 50% discount."
Once attended, Raen would check some of the substances and fluids that are in the non-opaque jars, and check the prices. He doesn't comment on the ectoplasm except to murmur "people that try to exploit the reputation of undead may hasten the arrival of the Grey Realm". He seems uncomfortable discussing undead.
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Re: RAVENLOFT: THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY, CHAPTER FOUR

Post by ewancummins »

alhoon wrote:Flammarion's shop.
Adam wrote: "He's much like most chymists," Benn says to the others, "A bit eccentric. And you can usually count on his prices being marked up by at least 10%. But he's a good enough sort, otherwise."
Raen shrugs. "I'm quite happy with my own alchemist, Master Ambreville, that doesn't go by fancy names like Chemist or Chymist. Pass to Ambreville some good information about influential people and he would give up to 50% discount."
Once attended, Raen would check some of the substances and fluids that are in the non-opaque jars, and check the prices. He doesn't comment on the ectoplasm except to murmur "people that try to exploit the reputation of undead may hasten the arrival of the Grey Realm". He seems uncomfortable discussing undead.
The prices of various reagents and other materials, where labeled, are rather higher than what Master Ambreville charges.

But the quality looks top-grade, or nearly so.
And the variety leaves little room for complaint.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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Re: RAVENLOFT: THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY, CHAPTER FOUR

Post by VAN »

Before going to the alchemist Sara puts a rat in the cage and hands it to Raen.

"Here, the rat is alive but I don't know how you will go around carrying it without getting suspicious glances."

At the alchemist's place Sara looks around trying to not touch anything.
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