Difference between revisions of "306/The General's Daughter, Part 1"

Latest revision as of 04:21, 30 July 2014

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    FOR THE UNION:

    Presumably a discreet call for assistance was put out some time ago, given the desire that Psyber and Nathan and probably others have to find out information about GENERAL STEPPENWORTH, who was supposedly the man who directly ordered the burning of Fairchild Manor that resulted in the orphaning of Elliana herself. Existing contacts have directed the group to the far-flung city of ARNOL'S WATCH, a harbor city that is on the western coast of the eastern continent, protecting the WINDWARD EMPIRE'S border on that side.

    FOR THE CONFEDERATES:

    Elliana does not know if Steppenworth ordered her manor's burning, or even if he was involved at all. She has reason to suspect it, however, and has openly requested some investigation be done.

    ARNOL'S WATCH is a city grown up around the harbor and the nearby fortress, but it's pretty obvious they rely on the natural barrier of the harbor and the narrow pass it offers for most protection. The city lacks walls of its own, though the remnants of crumbling walls can be seen interspersed with buildings of varying age. The fortress looks solid enough, but it's quite clear that the place isn't built for a seige with everyone in the fortress.

    The city is in Empire territory, and while people are generally aware of the Multiverse, strangers in this region will stick out if they aren't careful. The DOCKS are an obvious place of gossip or the like, but only for the lowborn and criminals most likely, unless the HARBORMASTOR can be found. His office presumably includes some military men. Alternately the FORTRESS could be investigated, or the INNER CITY, where a 'walled city' once was around the Fortress and now makes up the wealthy and noble district. The MARKET DISTRICT is in full bustle today, and the RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT is an option. Finally, the SLUMS are not an official area but available to investigate.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "Nathan, I recommend you and I check out the Fortress or the inner city. We've got the connections from Shiningsoul to get wherever we need to. And I think we should just go right to the core of it," Psyber advises to Nathan, crossing his arms and trailing close behind the General wherever he may be wandering. Psyber is trying to have some level of input on this, having been the one to most directly get the name 'Steppenworth' some months back. Still, he also recognized Nathan as the better politician, so he's not overtly demanding it.

Charity Whiteheart (299) has posed:
    Charity, and thus Mordred as well, have a bit of an advantage. Since Charity is a native, she knows how to dress up... even if she's never been to this specific city. She knows how the west coast dresses and acts, though, so she's given Mordred the option of either neutral-looking travel clothes and an appropriate cloak, or a suggestion on the kind of armor to wear. She's wearing a cloak as well, but as is the custom in the area she's keeping her hood down instead of up, unless it's raining.

    "If Steppenworth ordered the attack, we'll just need to find one of his former or current soldiers who was around at the time. The harbor probably has a military barracks. I'll see what I can coerce from the harbormaster's office, and then you can do your..." She pauses, casting a smirk back. "Knightly bonding."

    To that end, she is heading for the harbor and the harbormaster's office, to find out where the /veteran/ soldiers hang out, rather than the newbies.

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    Nathan Hall is here. There's a grim nod to Psyber. "Ideally, yes. Assuming his influence extends this far, we should be able to find much to our advantage here through that." Nathan knows good advice when he hears it, at least. Is Rorschach with them? You know, probably not, but if he's there, he'll get the incredulous glance from Nathan. "It is best if we keep this disassociated with our lesser-known and less... Tactful allies."

    "Rorschach." This might be via radio, or who knows, he could be talking face-to-ink with the man at the moment. "This place has locations for the less desirable. They tend to be informed in ways some would prefer they were not. Head to the docks, the slums, or other such areas. Find me any 'dirt' that may exist about a General named Steppenworth. You are free to use whatever methods you see fit for such things."

    "Psyber, you are free to do as you like, but I would be much more comfortable with you here. You certainly have a habit of catching what I miss. If you find any other routes you wish to investigate, though, do so." Nathan himself starts simply; first head through the INNER CITY to see if there are information centers, but if none are there, he's going to head for the FORTRESS. Start right at the core, right? Let's see what we can get done there.

Mordred (12) has posed:
    If knightly disguises are viable Mordred needs none.

    Putting her helmet on, the Noble Phantasm known as Secret of Pedigree goes into effect, and shrouds her in magic that abscures most details about her; shape, size, gender, even the color of her armor is hard to really pin down like this. Each observer may perceive a different knight, provided they haven't met Mordred and seen the disguise turned off before. So for most people, she probably appears like a generic, fully armored soldier-- possibly one of the Empire, even, blending in perfectly.

    "I'm capable of talking when I want to," Mordred says, voice muffled by the helmet into an androgynous tone (less so for Charity since she knows Mordred is female). "Master ordered me not to disrupt your fact-finding, and besides I'm interested in knowing too."

Rorschach (194) has posed:
    Unlike Charity and Mordred, Rorschach does not possess the advantage of blending in. Not even close, really. That shifting mask of his and the dark fedora that he wears tend to draw a bit of attention, when he's not slinking about in the shadows.

    Rorschach's standing a bit away from the group-at-large, though close enough to engage in whatever conversation is going on. And so, Nathan's incredulous-sort of glance is met with a rather blank, inkblot-shifting stare.

    Not tactful? Rorschach? Pssh.

    And so, their conversation is, in fact, held face-to-ink.

    "Steppenworth..." says a darkish voice from behind the shifting cloth mask, as though tasting the word.

    "Huh," he grunts, at the last bit of Nathan's words. "Usually try to throw around words like 'diplomatic' or 'pleasant'..." the trenchcoater grunts, seeming pleased to have some actual official sanction for his going-ons. Not that he really would care, mind you. But it's nice to be appreciated, sometimes.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    THE DOCKS AND HARBORMASTER

    As could be expected, the docks are... salty and breezy. Kind of nice, in their own way. Of course, how nice depends on where one goes, and RORSCHACH will naturally be finding the watering holes of sailors and the like, rather than where the Feds are going. Thus, he will encounter two things of note: one is a tattered poster which is so faded it's hard to make out, but seems to be offering a reward for the person sketched there. The amount is meaningless to him, no doubt, though prodding someone would reveal it's a tidy sum. Roughly equal to ten thousand dollars in buying power, most likely. The details aren't easy to make out on the poster, but it's possible someone knows. Of course, walking into any establishment will get a series of stares and everything going quiet, with some uncertain suspicion and one person even remarking, "Cripes, there's two of them?"

    The HARBORMASTER'S place will have a clearer poster, which states that the reward is for a man known as 'THE RAT,' a rather unoriginal name that probably stuck. The picture is in much better condition, and depicts a handsome but thin-nosed man wanted for property damage and disrupting the peace. Quite a reward for just those! The information states he is blonde of hair and blue of eye, which is pretty distinctive in this region but not unheard of.

    The Harbormaster's office lacks the man himself, but his second is there, looking uncertainly at the two coming in. "I can point you to where the soldiers hang out, but they're a bit of a... cliqueish bunch. You won't find them friendly with outsiders."

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    INNER CITY

    As Psyber and Nathan are passing through the Noble area, they don't see any wanted posters marring the street. People do give them a few odd looks, but the two modern types certainly aren't 'unwashed masses' either. It is of note that the class difference here isn't quite so severe as in other places, though it's still clearly pretty bad.

    It's pretty easy to see if anyone in the city knows who Steppenworth is, though. A good place to start might be the giant statue of a man who looks very much like the one from the dream, leaning on his warhammer, with the large plaque that says 'ARTHUR STEPPENWORTH, PATRON OF ARNOL'S WATCH.'

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "Nathan, I think I solved the mystery," Psyber says, looking up at the massive statue. He tilts his head a bit, recognizing the man from the dream. He seems a bit unhappy to see it, too. Then again, he DID have a private goal related to General Steppenworth that was only known to him and Adjudicator. He narrows his eyes a bit, "So maybe he lives here. Do we just look for the biggest house or what?" He is keeping true to Nathan's request, sticking close to him. Rorschach DOES still get a faint wave before they all pass ways.

Charity Whiteheart (299) has posed:
    Charity waves dismissively. "Looking up an old friend of the family. My mother asked me to look him up, but I'm having one hell of a time finding him. Gerard Lighteyes, you know him? He fought in the war far to the East something like twelve years ago. Hopefully he's still around."

Rorschach (194) has posed:
    Psyber actually gets a nod from the inkblot-masked figure as he heads in the direction of the docks. Sheesh. Next he'll be hugging someone.


orschach doesn't really carry any investigative equipment with him, per se. No camera, recording device, or tablet to jot things down. So he does what any perfectly sane person would do, and tears that poster right down from the wall, and stuffs it unceremoniously into the front pocket of his coat. He gets a funny look from a group of sailors outside of a pub, and makes his way over in that direction, offering a rough elbow to the one who's laughing the most.

    Once stepping into the watering hole, everyone goes quiet, predictably, and stares in the man's direction. And, of course, somewhere in the corner of the stablishment, the ambient music screeches off, as someone yanks the plug, presumably. It's all quiet, for the span of perhaps five seconds.

    That is, until Rorschach pulls the poster out of his pocket, stomps over towards the bar, and grabs an empty shotglass sitting on the countertop. He turns, slowly, to face a particularly unfortunate man that's a bit rougher-looking than the rest, and sets the poster on the bartop. When the man reaches over to orient the poster his way, Rorschach slams the shotglass down on the tip of the man's fingers, pressing his face closer to the man.

    "This have anything to do with Steppenworth?" he asks, gruffly. Rorschach gives the shotglass a slight twist, as he asks. "Know him?"

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    Hall, at least, shouldn't have too much trouble. The guy's in some vaaaaguely period-appropriate gear, at least, even if it's a bit out of fashion and a little strange. Nathan never got a good look at Dream Steppenworth, but Psyber draws his attention properly. He takes a moment to kneel and examine the plaque.

    A heavy sigh. "A man this well-known does not enter a city without either enough power that we will find him near the fortress, or enough reputation that those in the fortress will know. We continue." Firm steps get Nathan heading the way he was heading. But as he goes, he keeps an eye out. District like this, with the class difference, has to have some guards. By this logic, they have to know too, right?

    If he can find any city watch - you know, when they're not suspiciously close to the statue - he'll stop one to ask for directions to Steppenworth for the sake of ambiguous business. Otherwise? Still heading towards that fortress.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    RORSCHACH

    The music DOES stop, though this being a less technologically advanced world it's not electrical. Not nearly as primitive as would be expected though... and yes, there are shotglasses to do that sort of thing with. The bartender gulps and mutters, "Yeah, we know Steppenworth. One of the big shot nobles here. Doesn't come out much these days... but he's the one 'at put that reward out." Slowly, the murmuring starts up again, but more subdued.

    The bartender squints, "Why are you looking for him? Bounty hunter?" He gestures to the poster, which doesn't have a very good view of the man. "The Rat's a pretty popular vigilante here. You might not want to wave that around."

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    MORDRED & CHARITY

    The man glances over at Mordred, but apparently just sees... the armored soldier. This lends some veracity to Charity's claim, so the woman gets a shrug at last and a finger pointing down the street. "Go to the end, hang a left, then a right at the second intersection. You can't miss it... little side door for a private watering hole. Dunno the guy you're looking for, but Old Saul might. He's been all over. Ask for him if you want to find your friend."

    And of course, following those instructions would take them to a small little backroom bar area. Not the sort of place to get trashed at, just a quiet spot to swap old war stories, with a dozen or so soldiers milling around in there chatting.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    NATHAN & PSYBER

    Asking a nearby guard(there are plenty) will get an amused look. "Steppenworth? Yeah, his manor is just down the main thoroughfare and to the left. Name is on the gate. I don't think he's taking visitors, though. He keeps to himself these days... has for a few years. Doesn't like to come out in public except to make an announcement now and then. Can't really say I blame him."

    The other guard next to the first nods, "You're obviously not from around here if you don't know this. He's a local hero here. Even if he sometimes can be a little strict. Even the lower classes don't mind him so much. Well... mostly."

Charity Whiteheart (299) has posed:
    "Old Saul. Got it." This isn't so bad, Charity ponders. She might not even have to kill anyone! She heads out and down the street then, commenting to Mordred, "Soldiers sound more up your alley than mine, pardon the pun. Hopefully one of them will know about the attack on Fairchild Manor. If we know that, we can find what we want..."

    She stops to look at the poster, rubbing her chin, then hmns, "And I think I'll ask them about this man while you do that."

Rorschach (194) has posed:
    Rorschach is probably pretty used to this sort of reaction, all things considered. And to his credit, the man certainly has confidence.

    He leans his weight onto the shotglass that's been smashed into the man's fingers, pressing down onto what's likely already a fairly painful injury. Subtlety, thy name is not Rorschach.

    "Yeah?" grunts the angry voice. "Why's he puttin' up wanted posters for a vigilante, then?" he asks, giving no reply to the bartender's querying of who he is, or why he's presently shotglass-torturing a man for information.

    "Talk faster. Going to run out of fingers..." he adds, reaching back for a second shotglass, tellingly. "Anything to do with the Manor?"

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "Oh thanks, I appreciate that," Psyber says with a smile to the guard, "Come on, Nathan. Let's go check that out," Psyber notes to Nathan.

    As they are heading away, Psyber has left a mysterious satchel at the foot of the statue. It looks mostly benign, being brown leather with a gold metal buckle. In the worst case scenario, he will come back for it later. Best case, it will serve a purpose later.

    But that is neither here nor there. Psyber gives Nathan a slight shove, "I really wanna see that house while we're in town. And I happen to have a message for him."

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    The man with the shotglass crushing his fingers is biting his lip, and finally as one of them audibly cracks, a few people flinch and the man lets out a short, shrill cry! One of the other men leaps to his feet and grabs a bottle, "Let him go!"

    It's the bartender who remains calm, "Let up on the poor man, he wouldn't know any of this." He covers the other shotglass with a defiant look, though there's a good bet he DOESN'T have a shotgun under the bar. "Steppenworth prides himself on the law in this city, but... well..." He lowers his voice, "They say The Rat killed Steppenworth's daughter. It's why he stays in his manor, taking care of his granddaughter. His son-in-law was killed in the war."

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    Nathan Hall nods. "We are from out of town, yes." He says, simply. "Thank you for your assistance, our business should be concluded much more quickly this way." He turns and nods to Psyber, oblivious to the bag thing.

    "I believe we may both have matters to attend to with him. I am sure you recall my discussion with Shiningsoul. I believe I know just how to get his attention. Presumably, we can arrange a proper meeting, if not get one now."

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Well, Charity has a soldier with her, and is poking around about The Rat. This doesn't give her the information she's after, but it does give her some information, and a point to someone who might be able to answer. "The Rat? Yeah, he's a pretty popular vigilante with the lower class. It's cause of him that we don't get any more slave trade in this harbor. Haven't for years. Steppenworth's put out a bounty on the guy, but they say he's fought Steppenworth personally and lived to tell about it."

    As for the war to the east? Old Saul is easily found, and doesn't need to give a redirect. "Yeah, I fought in the East, what of it? Bloody mess, that. Lot of dyin' and killin' for just a bunch of used up farmland and grumpy citizens."

Rorschach (194) has posed:
"Back off!" snarls Rorschach, looking back briefly in the direction of the man with the bottle, then returning his focus back to his 'detainee', and the bartender. He does let up on the poor man, however, though only to then point the shotglass menacingly at the bartender, as menacingly as one can brandish a shotglass, in any case.

    "Funny. Seem to know an awful lot for a barkeep," he grunts, gruffly. "What kind of reason would the Rat have for trying to off his daughter?" he follows up, without setting down the shotglass just yet. The man with the crushed fingers is given a sharp elbow, as Rorschach shoves him unceremoniously out of his barstool.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Going to Steppenworth's house? Well, that's easy. It's a pretty large manor, with the grounds neatly kept, and a gate in front. It's also much more heavily-fortified than most of the manors nearby... though there aren't a lot. It's more tightly-packed than some other places that have manors with achres and achres of land, making for a relatively small 'yard,' but it's likely that he has a country home for when not here to manage the city affairs, or whatever he does.

    In fact the two guards at the gate are just two of many, and look more competent than the guards the two spoke to. Both step in front of the gates with a silent, disciplined glare that seems to ask what the business is here.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Instead of trying to talk his way in, Psyber is instead fiddling with a program or two on his cell phone. He'll let Nathan talk their way past the gate. He wants to make sure the satchel thing works itself out properly.

Charity Whiteheart (299) has posed:
    Charity files away that information. A vigilante taking out the slave trade? Fairchild will want to hear that. For now, she turns and concentrates on talking to the old soldier. "Not a lot worth it, but greed I guess." She lowers her voice. "One really important question... was Steppenworth involved at all in an attack on the Fairchild family?"

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    The man falls over, nursing his hand, and two others catch him. They're glaring at Rorschach now, but... well, this place is 'primitive' and with no running water or electricity, yet one of the sailors is tearing off some tape and working to reset the fingers with a surprisingly developed medical technique. It's anachronistic to the world, at least compared to Earth history.

    The bartender glares down the shotglass, but the's not stupid. He can tell this man is dangerous just from the attitude. "I hear things. Sailors talk, especially when money's involved. The Rat took down the slave trade here... nearly killed the economy at first, 'till the nobles gave in and started hiring local talent more." He grunts, "No idea why they'd kill his daughter though. The General's retired now, but he was a big war hero before. That kind of man... makes enemies. And The Rat sure looks like a foreigner."

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    "Salutations." Nathan say. "I am Nathan Hall, here on important business. I would like to speak with Steppenworth, if it is not inconvenient. We have extremely critical matters to dicuss" This is extremely unlikely to work. I mean, it's likely that pretty much everyone has tried that. So when he's inevitably rejected, Nathan gives an addendum.

    "If we cannot meet with him, then I would like to have a message relayed to him, after which we will cease bothering you if he truly wishes to abstain from seeing visitors. Please inform him that we are here with urgent business regarding the unfinished Fairchild assignment." He'll wait patiently at the gate, if they go along with this.

    Shiningsoul said he'd be interested to hear in a survivor. Well, let's see some interest. Nathan tries to keep this ambiguous enough that he doesn't play his whole hand at once though.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    A short question from Charity gets a very, very important answer that is equally brief, though the man stares for a long time before answering. "Oh yeah. That was where his son-in-law died. Bloody affair, that. Wasn't there myself... not many left who were." He frowns. "Listen, if you're going to get tangled up in all that... don't. General Steppenworth isn't a bad man, and he's suffered enough for that. Best to just let it lie and not dig up old wounds."

Rorschach (194) has posed:
Rorschach grunts, again, continuing to regard the bartender coolly behind that shifting mask of his. The blackened inkblots continue to slide slowly around the face of the mask, coalescing into random, inky blotches or patterns.

    "Huh...What's a foreigner got an interest in vigilanting for?" asks the masked man, leaning a bit back from the bartender, now. He gives a glance over his shoulder, briefly, checking the proximity of the others. Doesn't have Daniel here to watch his back, sadly.

    "Tryin' to find a way to get to Steppenworth?"

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Of course the guards say no. "No, we've heard that one before." Disciplined, yes. But at the mention of the Fairchild incident, they look at one another. They aren't /that/ old, and it was over ten years ago now, so they probably haven't heard the name themselves unless someone mentioned it. One of them calls over one of the other guards to send the message.

    (The satchel is, for the moment, left alone)

    Finally, the guard returns, and then the gates are opened. "You have ten minutes," the guards say... and the two are flanked by no less than six guards on their way into the manor, where Steppenworth awaits in a large foyer...

    He isn't what would be expected, perhaps. Older than his statue or the image, though his body is mostly still strong. The left side, anyway. The right is supported by a cane as he walks with a slight limp, and the right half of his face, except for the eye, is covered by a porcelain mask. From what little is shown through the eyehole, half his face is very badly burned. "Can I help you, gentlemen? I am General Arthur Steppenworth, but I am afraid you have me at a disadvantage."

Charity Whiteheart (299) has posed:
    "I make no promises," Charity says bluntly, "But I will keep that in mind. One last question though... how much of this city does Steppenworth control?" She leans back and crosses her arms, glancing around. "The way you spoke of him, he's a pretty big name, but it's not called Steppenworth's Watch. Is he a noble? Blooded, I presume."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Not what he expected. Psyber looks the man over and frowns a bit, "Greetings. We're a pair of Private Problemsolvers working on the Fairchild incidents here in Terra Majora," Psyber notes, figuring honesty will be the best policy in this case, "Most people call me Psyber, it's as good a name as any. This is my associate," He'll let Nathan Hall introduce himself.

    Psyber takes a moment and rubs his face, "Sorry, this is a more awkward moment than I imagined it being. Or different," Nathan is the diplomat, Psyber isn't. Psyber doesn't really have the ability to put up too much maneuvering. He stares the man dead on, "We have reason to believe that all the actions of Elliana Fairchild stem back to the night her parents died. But the reports on what happened are conflicted."

    Psyber rubs his hands together, red eyes looking around, "I want to hear what happened that night. In your words, General. We..." No, he can't say that for certain, "I... believe it may be vital to understanding and stopping Elliana Fairchild."

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    The men are wary but with the bartender taking care of things - and putting himself in harm's way - they are actually pretty quiet. These aren't the sort of sailors to start a bar brawl... local shortline merchants, rather than the longer-haul sorts that often have more boisterous and combative crews. They aren't the sort to start a bar brawl. Plus, this place is more civilized than might be expected. Which is kind of suprising for the slum area!

    Then again, they might just be looking for the right time to jump him, because at least one of them still has a bottle ready.

    The bartender, though, is trying to defuse things. "I don't know. Rumor has it they've fought before. Hang around enough and you'll probably hear about The Rat... he tends to bust in on shady deals, nobles being jerks, that sort of thing. Thinks himself some kind of hero I guess. Happens sometimes, but soon as he's caught he's dead. Guy isn't even a Blooded, pretty sure."

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    "And here I was expecting five." Nathan says, with dryness to his monotone. "Thank you, I will try to occupy as little of your time as I can." He gives a brief and respectful nod to the guards and doesn't really mind the flanking. It's not like he's here to hurt the General or anything.

    Half-burned, huh? Never fully recovered. Nathan quickly makes several mental connections and comes to the conclusion that the explosion rendered Steppenworth unable to act as a field combatant, at the very least, if not rendering him unable to act as a commander.

    Nathan gestures to Psyber. "My associate is correct. My name is Nathan Hall." No titles here. "And as Psyber implies, one Fairchild remains. Now at large. Her name is Elliana, and we have some curiosity about her actions, and seek insight we suspect that you may be able to help us achieve."

    Nathan has more to say, but he needs to gauge the reaction first. Is Steppenworth remorseful? Stressed about Elliana's survival? Maybe he seeks revenge on her family for his injuries? Nathan briefly sets his own Essence into action, trying to supercharge his social awareness and gauge displays of reaction and sentiment more effectively.

Rorschach (194) has posed:
    Rorschcah gives one final angry-sounding grunt, and drops the shotglass back onto the bar. He turns, angling for the bar's exit, and giving a rough shoulder to one of the sailors who gets a little too close to the trenchcoat-wearing figure as he moves for the exit. Assuming he's otherwise undisturbed, Rorschach would make his way back out into the streets, then, tucking his collar up against the breeze, and shoving his hands into the front pockets of his jacket.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    The soldier makes a vague gesture, "Blooded, but not deeply. They say the line runs thin in his family. He's just damn good at strategy and a great fighter." He scratches his head and considers. "Important man here. Funds a lot of the local projects. The council and Duke both listen to him, but I wouldn't say he runs the city. Lots of friends in high places though. You don't get to be a war hero without that."

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    The hand on his cane tightens, but otherwise the General just grunts at the news of a survivor. He gestures for the guards to step aside enough to escort the two into a sitting room, settling down with a sigh.

    "Fairchild. Haven't heard that in a while, and never cared to. I was there, that was the night my son died." He doesn't say it was an in-law... must have been a favored marriage. "It was his mission. I was there to back him up. We weren't there to kill the family... well, the father maybe, he was a thorn in our side. He pushed too hard, too fast, and everyone paid the price. Too eager to please me, I think."

    He runs his hand through his hair, what's left of it any way. "I heard they had a daughter. I thought she died in the explosion, but it makes sense that they'd hide her somewhere safe... but I can't tell you more details. Classified. All I CAN tell you is that if she's coming after me, I can't really blame her. There are many things I've done which have earned ire, most of them deserved."

Charity Whiteheart (299) has posed:
    Charity rubs her chin in thought as she wanders back toward the edge of town, sparing just a brief glance at the strange, masked man and promptly forgetting about it. One vigilante spawns another and another, and soon the city will be crawling with them.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "You lost a child. She lost her parents," Psyber says in a serious tone, looking at him seriously, "It's odd how the universe keeps itself in balance, isn't it? A dark sort of cosmic humor," Psyber says, his tone containing about as much amusement a wet cat. He sighs a bit and openly admits, "Do you regret what you did? What the Empire did?"

    A pack of cigarettes is produced from inside his jacket. A fresh pack, nonetheless. His fingers play at the plastic before he opens the pack. Lucky Strikes, unflitered. A brand of cigarettes older than most people Psyber knows on a day-to-day, and one he's smoked about as long. He holds the pack out to Steppenworth, "You smoke?" He asks, offering.

    If he doesn't accept, Psyber puts one in his mouth and lights it. If he gets told to put it out, Psyber will. He shifts on his feet a bit, "You need to hide. Run. Go anywhere but here. If I found you, she will. Lord knows she is smarter than I will ever be." His tone is hard, "She will bring fire and wrath down on this city and everyone in it to get to the man who killed her parents in her eyes. So I NEED you to tell me who is responsible for that." He might be hyperbolizing Elliana a bit much, but for good reason.

    He presses even despite being told its classified, "Was it you, or were you just following orders?" And then Psyber looks to Nathan and says something to him very quietly. He sighs at whatever answer he gets, "We won't keep you much more today, but can we stop in again?"

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    "Classified. By whose orders?" An ominous pause. "Perhaps Duke Victor the Lionheart?" Nathan's eyebrow quirks as he speaks. His thoughts race as his Essence rapidly brings back old memories from years ago, his mind churning with connections.

    "Steppenworth, I believe you underestimate our position. We are not seeking leads, sir, and our position is much more substantial than you seem to believe. So what we are asking for is not the beginning of the whole story. We simply ask you to fill in the details."

    Nathan thinks back. Wayyyyyyy back.


    Nearly three years ago, Elliana addresses a pale man in front of a room full of scared people. "DUKE VICTOR THE LIONHEART! I thank you for the hospitality to accept me, but I must be honest that my motives are not those you would like. Ten years ago, you gave the order to march upon my homeland, ignoring the warnings of what it may cause and dismissing my order as superstitious nonsense. The hypocrisy is strong in this family, isn't it? Your father said the same thing, didn't he? So I am here to punish you, as is fitting. You are accused of the responsibility of destroying valuable records of the Binder order, theft of holy artifacts, the murder of half the Binders of the Western Province, and endangerment of the condition of the Seals."


    "Thirteen years ago you received orders to march on the Western Province. You were not there for the father. I expect he may have been an excuse. You were there for the mother, a Binder. If you need authorization from Duke Victor the Lionheart to declassify your information, we can provide it. That is because we have the Duke in our own custody." Have, for three years, in fact. He pushes up his glasses. They shine with intense glare. "So," Hall says, coming back to his main point. "Perhaps you might spare us the hassle of retrieving him from the hole we confined him in, for the sake of such things." He leans forward in his seat, clasping his hands under his chin.

    "What might the Duke have thought worth keeping secret?"

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Does he regret it? "Regret is a funny word, Psyber. No... I don't regret it. Do I wish it had been done differently? Of course. Do I wish it had not happened? Yes. But I keep these burns to remind me of what happens when duty overcomes family. I won't run... I still have matters to resolve here. Family matters of my own."

    He looks to Nathan, and stares for a long moment. The accusation has apparently sparked /something/ there. Abruptly, he rises and moves with a more fluid grace than would be expected of a cripple, saying quietly. "You leave. Now." He gestures at the guards to step away though, and moves to escort the two out by himself.

    And THAT is when he says something more. "I can't answer your questions," he whispers. "Except to say that I followed orders as a loyal soldier should. The Duke gave me orders, but they were not the orders I followed."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber takes a business card from his jacket as he is escorted out, "I will go. But if you need a problem solver, please call my office," Psyber adds. He won't stop the man from escorting him out. He WILL take note of his final words.

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    Nathan follows along. "Ah, now? Ten minutes certainly flies quickly." He says, in stoic tones, going along with the escorting rather easily and without any trouble. "Perhaps we can meet another time then." As he quietly shuffles out the door, he turns and stares at him for a moment. Nathan narrows his eyes. "Thank you, sir, for what questions you did answer." He nods. But as Steppenworth is leaving, Nathan stays behind from Psyber a moment.

    "If you do not plan to run, I assume you plan to fight, unlike the Duke." A firm look to Steppenworth. Nathan crosses his arms. "When the time comes, contact us. Lady Fairchild might be here soon. Try not to let your unfinished business finish you off."

    Nathan thinks up his list.

    One hunter for Charity, check.
    One hunter for Mordred, check.
    One hunter for additional unknown associate, no check.
    One hunter for Lady Fairchild... maybe.

    Getting closer.