Café de Nuit

Adam wrote:"Good that your blade was handy, lad."

Dorgio nods, then stifles a yawn. But between the lad's quick work with the blade and the dead woman on the boat, a feeling begins to creep up Dorgio's spine, a feeling that there's more to this boy than he's letting on.

And then he looks at the corpse. "See there, Benn," he says as he points to the body's tawny hair. "Another victim with auburn tresses." His eyes flick briefly to Jon's hair, then he returns his attention to the body.

"If its all the same to you Benn, I'll not be removing my knife until we're sure that corpse is forever still. Alain? Perhaps you should remove the head, just in case."

Jonathan reaches into his pocket and removes a few dry and cracked garlic cloves.

"Goodbye breakfast." Jonathan says to the herb before jamming it into the mouth of the corpse.

Norzak walks back into Doctor's office. "So, what be goin' on? That there dead fella really dead?" Then he adds as an afterthought. "Oi, I's ran into that ole fella an his mongrel mutt out there. I thinks he's a rat hunter of a kind. Might of made us a pal, cause he likes the coin and ale, if ye get me meaning."

Jonathan takes a few steps closer to Dorgio, until he is a mere foot away, his silver blade still in the corpse. There were other men who had commented on his hair in the past. Men who whispered that the very color gave people magic of some kind. He remembered those who tried to hurt him just because he had red hair. They had accents like Dorgio too...

"His hair looks brown to me." Jonathan looks to the others."I'm not taking any chances with what I've heard about this doctor. I have been told stories of men who creep in graveyards and prefer the company of corpses. They have never ended happily."

Jonathan leans against the wall suddenly, a tired look on his face. It occurred to the boy just how much he'd witnessed that night and of the life he'd taken on the boat. He thought about how he nearly died from that fall from the window. He remembered lying cold in the office alone hoping Norzak would find him. And how his new friends had encouraged him to torture that prisoner...

The boy doubles over and begins to vomit on the floor near Dorgio, his face pale and his body shaking.

After putting his crossbow away . Alain points a finger at the supposed corpse and mutters under his breath a spell (DU) . If this has no affect on the "corpse" then he'll say to Jon : " I don't think that will be necessary ." , but if some apparent damage shows up as a result, he replies by saying to Jon "Yes I think that would be good a idea ." And precedes to decapitate the corpse and after that he cast's a spell(BH) over the remains in a place that won't catch fire . After these action's he says to Jon:" So where do you stay in town ? I have house here that I've secured for a my use . It's is not known to our enemies, so if you don't have a better place to stay, you could come to my place so we could store the chest we got from the house boat . It would be more secure there I would think ."

"Chest? Whass' in it?"

Lord Skybolt wrote:After putting his crossbow away . Alain points a finger at the supposed corpse and mutters under his breath a spell (DU) . If this has no affect on the "corpse" then he'll say to Jon : " I don't think that will be necessary ." , but if some apparent damage shows up as a result, he replies by saying to Jon "Yes I think that would be good a idea ." And precedes to decapitate the corpse and after that he cast's a spell(BH) over the remains in a place that won't catch fire . After these action's he says to Jon:" So where do you stay in town ? I have house here that I've secured for a my use . It's is not known to our enemies, so if you don't have a better place to stay, you could come to my place so we could store the chest we got from the house boat . It would be more secure there I would think ."

Alain's incantation has the effect of withering a portion of the dead man's face. Alain then proceeds to sever the head with a hatchet [found in the cellar] and drag the remains up and out of the cellar. Taking the head and the body into the house, he crams them into the brick fireplace, carefully removes Jon's knife, and begins to wave his hands in front of the hearth, muttering what must be another spell formula.

WHOOSH!

A bright red-orange gout of flame shoots forth from his extended fingertips, washing over the mutilated corpse in the fireplace. The stink of burning flesh and hair quickly fills the room, and thick black smoke drifts up out of the chimney. The dead flesh burns with unnatural rapidity, being consumed within minutes, leaving nothing behind but a pile of ash and charred bones.

Alain then returns to the workshop out back and talks to Jon about where Jon will stay, where to keep the chest, etc.

JMaytr wrote:
"His hair looks brown to me." Jonathan looks to the others."I'm not taking any chances with what I've heard about this doctor. I have been told stories of men who creep in graveyards and prefer the company of corpses. They have never ended happily."

Bennedict, satisfied that the man in the casket is no longer in danger of reanimating, turns to examine the rest of the doctor's house. In his mind, he thinks of men from his homeland, men who snuck into places of mourning to take corpses and use them for spare parts. The rumors about Doctor Mordheim come rushing back, but he elects to set them aside for now. There is enough to worry about here, without piling the Created on top of the problem.

"I will look through the rest of the house," Bennedict says. "Hopefully the doctor has left some sign of where he is or what he's doing, otherwise this night will have been a complete waste."

Dorgio says a few prayers over what remains of the corpse in the fireplace. Following that, he'll assist Benn with the search. Assuming that nothing is found, he will then return to his home in the Gundarakite district.

Jonathan wipes the remaining vomit from his face and tries to stand.

"I'm sorry about that, I don't know what came over me."

Jonathan sits against the wall, his wobbly legs working against him. He watches Alain's magic use with awe. The way he pointed at the creature and revealed its nature...simply fascinated him. Then to shoot fire from his hands! If only Alain had been down in the sewers with the other rat catchers...that fire of his could have saved Marion...

Jonathan pressed hard against the nerves above his eyes, trying to repress the memory and clear some of his nausea.

After a while Alain came him and spoke. Jonathan stood up and took his knife back from the wizard.

"I have a squat. A place I found when I first came from Mordentshire. I lived in fear at first because I thought I would be arrested for occupying the flat, but when I learned the laws here were more than lax towards that sort of thing I ventured out to find work. Rat-Catching never paid as handsomly as...uh...whatever we're doing is called."

Jonathan lets Norzak know that Cirdan possesses the chest they took from Van Dieks's house boat. As everyone appears to be going to their respective beds he speaks again.

"We should probably abandon the office until our business with Gaston is through. Its not safe and either is anyone who stays there."

Norzak doesn't say anything, acknowledging Jon with a nod. He walks out of the office and soon into the night, keeping to the shadows, He slowly makes his way through the dark alleys and streets to his favorite drinking hole and Inn. Pushing through the door he finds a table near the fireplace and plops down.

He waits to catch the eye of the young serving lass and waves her over. "Evenin' lassie. I's have the usual an as allas', keep em comin. I hopes ye keepin well. I'll be takin' a room tanight. Tell 'im I might be stayin' a room fer a bit acshully."

With what I's thinkis is in tha chest, I might be able ta get me a room 'ere fer a bit. But I'll 'ave ta get me some garments to hide meself. Look inta it in tha morning.

The final sweep of the house turns up very little in the way of clues. The place is empty of notes, papers, writings, etc- except the scraps Alain saved from the fire with his frost ray. Those are mostly illegible or difficult to interpret. What can be gleaned from them is this:

1} One of the better preserved sheets contains what appears to be either a shopping list or a partial inventory- listing orders for lanterns, lamp oil, miners helmets, rope, wooden staves, and cow bladders. The names of the supplier and the person making the order are not legible, however.

2} One of the charred scraps of paper mentions the ''Guild of Ratc.....''. Unfortunatley, the rest of this particular sheet was reduced to ashes.

3} One sheet is parchment, and the fire singed it but failed to burn it to any great extent. The sheepskin in curled and blackened at the edges, and burned through in a few spots, but one passage near the middle is quite easy to make out:


The nethermost caverns… are not for the fathoming of eyes that see; for their marvels are strange and terrific. Cursed the ground where dead thoughts live new and oddly bodied, and evil the mind that is held by no head. Wisely did Ibn Schacabao say, that happy is the tomb where no wizard hath lain, and happy the town at night whose wizards are all ashes. For it is of old rumour that the soul of the devil-bought hastes not from his charnel clay, but fats and instructs the very worm that gnaws; till out of corruption horrid life springs, and the dull scavengers of earth wax crafty to vex it and swell monstrous to plague it. Great holes secretly are digged where earth's pores ought to suffice, and things have learnt to walk that ought to crawl.



After the search is completed, the party splits up and each member goes whither he will- be it back to the office, to a drinking house, or to his own dwelling place for much-needed sleep.

The next day.....




Benn-

It is mid-morning of the new day when Benn recieves a note from Lady Renier, via the same errand boy as last delivery. The note reads:

Dearest Bennedict,


The arrangements have been made. You will find the archivists at the Cathedral most cooperative now, I assure you. I trust you will inform me as soon as you are able, should you find anything of interest. I wish you the best of luck, as always,


J.


Norzak, at the Brazen Bees

The dwarf fell asleep drinking at the pub till almost sunrise, surrounded by his fellow dwarves. He was able to sleep in comfort and safety, for the owners were happy enough to bring him a blanket and allow him to doze beside the fireplace. Now he wakes to the smell of bacon, eggs, and black rye bread. Someone has been thoughtful enough to leave him a platter of food for his breakfast.


Alain-

Alain made it home without difficulty and slept a full night's sleep. He awoken around noon by a tabby cat that has somehow entered his room. The feline wanders through the room, poking its head into sacks, drawers, etc. It seems friendly, and is obviously begging for a meal.


Cirdan

Cirdan slept through the night and into the morning, laying next to the money chest, sword in hand and wearing his sweat stained aqueton. After cleaning up and having a light breakfast, a messenger arrives to inform him that Denys Sancerre would be most pleased if Sir Cirdan and his friends would grace the Sancerre's table once more, in two days' time for a luncheon.


Jon-

After sleeping the night in his squat, Jon wakes feeling much better. His injuries have mended more quickly than he'd have expected. He is very hungry, though- positively ravenous.



Dorgio-

Dorgio spent the night among his own people. They knew, even without being told, that bad men may be looking for their priest. Konstans and a couple of the other men stood guard over Dorgio as he slept after observing the dawn prayer ritual. It's past noon when little Anja wakes him with her laughter. She is playing with the doll given to her by Evangeline.


at the office

The prisoner who was left at the office is missing. A bloodstain marks the spot where he lay bleeding after he was stabbed and tortured. A keen observer will note the parallel rows of multiple gouges on the floor and wall near that spot, leading to a smashed -open window. The window has been burst from the outside, by the look of it. The origin of the scratches is easy to guess when one sees the bloody fingernails lodged deep in the wood of the windowsill.