Mists of Winter: Chapter One

[kintire]

There are some subtle changes in Kat's body language as he speaks. She is no longer making polite chit chat, but has become genuinely interested in the conversation.

"Good sir, I have nothing to forgive you for. Even if I was offended by your answer, which I'm not, it's my own fault for asking the question! By all means praise your beloved."

She takes another sip of wine, assessing him carefully

"As you have noticed, I am more interested in excitement than romance, anyway"

[Adam]

Bennedict looks grim, prodding Munchen to get him away from the blood.

"Not good," he mutters, following quickly along the trail.

[steveflam]

"Scheisse... Munchen, get away from the blood. Follow the trail my little friend." He pulls the dog away from the blood by the collar and sets him on the trail of the blood after Benn.

[alhoon]

KAT, SARA, AND RAEN
THE LORELEI
"I would be honored to, miss Sophie" Raen takes his glass and brings it under his nose to enjoy the aroma, waiting for Sophie to make a toast. "In Darkon I wasn't partly to such delights." he says motioning to the drink and letting his eyes behind the mask hint that he includes the company of such a classy woman in the delights of the night.

[ewancummins]

FRANZ
BENN

MUNCHEN




The dog sniffs the red smear and then dashes out into the street.

He spins round, sniffs the ice-glazed cobbles, and starts off towards a narrow- mouthed shadowy alley on the opposite side of the street, where two crumbling house of blackened wood and white stone thrust broken beams into the snow flurries.
Fading, hazy sunlight washes the scene in pinkish tones.

[steveflam]

"Ah, mein companion. I trust your nose." He grins as he takes off at a run, a blade in each hand. If he can pass Benn, he will. "Keep up," he shouts after Benn as he passes him, intent on catching up to Munchen. He keeps an eye and ear alert for trouble.

[ewancummins]

"Ah, mein companion. I trust your nose." He grins as he takes off at a run, a blade in each hand. If he can pass Benn, he will. "Keep up," he shouts after Benn as he passes him, intent on catching up to Munchen. He keeps an eye and ear alert for trouble.

IN THE ALLEY


Franz catches up with his dog at the mouth of the alley.

Munchen creeps ahead, growling.

Franz sees some scattered trash, a flimsy-looking fence about man-height and ten feet into the alley, and a shifting blur the size of a human infant. Two lights flare from the charcoal smudge, like paired candles lit side by side in a closet.
The lights flash again and vanish as the indistinct shape leaps atop the fence and slides over the other side with an unpleasant scratching sound.

[Adam]

"A cat," Benn says, catching his breath, "I think it was just a cat."

He walks up to the fence, looking for the dead bird or rat he expects to find lying in the refuse.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

PORT MASTER'S

"I know little of the personal details of the killer, sadly. Very dark eyes, almost black as ink, I am told. I suspect he kills his victims by swimming under their boats and knocking them over from underneath. Have you heard any reports of men being knocked from their craft? They may have thought it was a large fish, or a rock."

[steveflam]

Franz tries to see if he can look on the other side of the fence and how long it might take him to do so.

"I imagine Munchen vill find the rat or whatever the cat left if it was indeed a cat. I don't remember them having claws that would make that scraping sound."

[ewancummins]

DORGIO AND VLAD

PORT MASTER'S

"I know little of the personal details of the killer, sadly. Very dark eyes, almost black as ink, I am told. I suspect he kills his victims by swimming under their boats and knocking them over from underneath. Have you heard any reports of men being knocked from their craft? They may have thought it was a large fish, or a rock."

"His eyes are black? That's all? You've no notion whatever of his height, his gait, his build, the manner of his speech, his dress, from whence he comes? Nothing more?"

The Port-master sighs.

" We have had a few cases of drowning in recent weeks. That's hardly unusual, though. A lot of water and a lot of people working on or travelling over it. Some of them drink too much. Many cannot swim. Now the weather has turned bad; fogs, snow, sleet-- more accidents happen. If hear any reports of mysterious black-eyed men swimming--in this chilly weather!--under boats to knock people into the water, I will send for you straight away. As it is, there's really nothing in your report that gives me cause for immediate action. Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention. Leave the address of your boarding house or place of business or whatever with one of my clerks."

He returns to his desk and sits down.

" Good evening, gentlemen.''

[ewancummins]

BENN
FRANZ
MUNCHEN


IN THE ALLEY

"A cat," Benn says, catching his breath, "I think it was just a cat."

He walks up to the fence, looking for the dead bird or rat he expects to find lying in the refuse.

Franz tries to see if he can look on the other side of the fence and how long it might take him to do so.

"I imagine Munchen vill find the rat or whatever the cat left if it was indeed a cat. I don't remember them having claws that would make that scraping sound."

Franz finds a broken, charred hunk of timber about the length and thickness of his arm, lying on the ground. Moving the burnt lumber scrap to the edge of the fence and standing on it lets him see over the top of the splintered wooden barrier.
On the far side, the alley stretches on in deep shadow for a dozen paces or so before plunging into a tall brick archway set in a blank brick wall. As his eyes adjust, Franz makes out two dull, metallic gleams set on the left side of the archway, about where hinges would be found--but he sees no door panel, only impenetrable darkness within the arch.


While Franz peers over the fence, Benn searches near the base, poking amid the rubbish with his stick.

He finds no dead rodent or mauled bird--but his prodding uncovers something that glints in the weak light. Stooping, Benn sees a finely made link of tarnished silver. Scraping away more cold slime, he uncovers a broken necklace with a dove pendant, all silver by the looks of it.

[ewancummins]

KAT,
THE LORELEI

There are some subtle changes in Kat's body language as he speaks. She is no longer making polite chit chat, but has become genuinely interested in the conversation.

"Good sir, I have nothing to forgive you for. Even if I was offended by your answer, which I'm not, it's my own fault for asking the question! By all means praise your beloved."

She takes another sip of wine, assessing him carefully

"As you have noticed, I am more interested in excitement than romance, anyway"

"You are most gracious."
The man sips his chilled wine before going on.
"When last I saw her she was in the company of the previous owner, Gaston Van Diecks. She was one of his girls and he never let them go without a steep price paid. I had promised to buy her contract. Fortune frowned on my plans. I'll spare you the unnecessary details. Suffice it to say I found new opportunity in the service of a foreign prince, which of necessity took me far from this city. I never forget her. Now I have returned to pay off her debts to the house and buy her contract--but Van Diecks has departed in the interim and so I must deal with the new owner, a Vaasan woman. I don't know how she will view my offer. More importantly, Genei...the woman I have come for, she's not seen me in over a year. I could not contact her. I don't know how she will react to me showing up after these long months. Will she still want to come away with me? In truth, we never knew each other well. But I gave my word."

[ewancummins]

RAEN,

THE LORELEI

KAT, SARA, AND RAEN
THE LORELEI
"I would be honored to, miss Sophie" Raen takes his glass and brings it under his nose to enjoy the aroma, waiting for Sophie to make a toast. "In Darkon I wasn't partly to such delights." he says motioning to the drink and letting his eyes behind the mask hint that he includes the company of such a classy woman in the delights of the night.

"Ah, you're Darkonese. I was having trouble placing the accent."
Miss Sophie brushes her veil aside and sips her whisky.
"I come from Arbora."

[steveflam]

"Benn, did you find something?" He asks as he turns around to spy where Benn is looking. "I think I saw an archway on the other side of the fence. It might be good to go investigate."