RAVENLOFT: The One That Got Away CHAPTER SIX

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kintire
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Re: RAVENLOFT: The One That Got Away CHAPTER SIX

Post by kintire »

Kat grins at Van.

"I had it covered. Anyway there isn't much he could do in public. But I am going to pay that house a visit alright, see what I can find. But that is for later. We don't want to... trouble the Gendarmes with that. I'd welcome company though, I think you are right."

She turns to the others

"I'm happy to join a stakeout or see a seer. But first, what is this turning into a weasel stuff? What IS this guy Matyr?"
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Re: RAVENLOFT: The One That Got Away CHAPTER SIX

Post by ewancummins »

Wat says,
''He is the Woman-Killer of Dorgio's book. He fooled us all, and he got away. And if he is stalking you, Firehair--''
The man shakes his head.
''--then Sara is right. You should be careful, and do not wander alone.''
Wat inclines his head toward Sara, ''But I might say the same to you. Esmeralda , the Tinker girl Jon tortured and killed in my country, had dark hair like yours...''
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 SIX

Post by Adam »

"He seems to be cursed with lycanthropy, though I've never had the opportunity to test it conclusively," Bennedict says. He looks sideways at his walking stick for a moment but comes back. "So if you have silver, it might not be the worst idea to keep it close to hand."
"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 SIX

Post by ewancummins »

Wat nods.

''The girl-stealer, Van Diecks, he bit Jon while wearing the shape of a huge mink. That was how it happened, wasn't it, Alain?''
The foreign-born hunter calls for more tea.
''Bad blood. The boy may have been moon-cursed then...but I remember his other change, how he aged and grew stronger after the fight where you...after Cirdan fell.''
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)
kintire
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Re: RAVENLOFT: The One That Got Away CHAPTER SIX

Post by kintire »

Kat looks a little uneasy.

"Might be worth getting my hands on a silver weapon then? I'll give it some thought..."
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Re: RAVENLOFT: The One That Got Away CHAPTER SIX

Post by ewancummins »

ODALL'S EATS

While the party shares information and discusses its plans, the men playing cards finish up their game and their meals, pay, and leave.

Moments later, four gendarmes enter. They take a quick look about and head for the party's table.


One of the guardsmen loosens the collar of his green jacket and coughs to clear his throat, settling his gaze on Benn.
"Monsieur Gehrman? Monsieur Varga? Ah, good! I'm sorry we couldn't find you earlier, but we had to ask around the waterfront. There's been another killing last night or in the small hours of the morning. A woman."
He gulps.
"Her body was tucked in an alley near the Lorelei. We might not have found her so soon, but an anonymous note arrived just after sunrise and...Well, Captain Thibault has a copy, and here's the original."
He reaches into his jacket and retrieves an open envelope.

No marking except an ink smudge on the outer surface, and no sign of a seal, not even string ties.


The notepaper inside the envelope looks unremarkable.
But the irregular black ink text is odd, made up of mismatched letters of two or three different sizes, shapes, and styles.

THOM, if he gets a look...
VIEW CONTENT:
Immediately recognizes that this note has been made by taking multiple sets of type, some woodcut blocks and some the newer metallic type, and pressing these in ink and then against the paper. Probably done manually or with a small hand-operated press. And with little skill--the result isn't pretty.
BENnEDICT & DoRgIO
LeT THe GenDaRmes
CLEan Up THE Mess
I LEFT
IN the alley south of
THE Lorelei
WE must TALK
YOUknow Where to GO
Come Soon
NO GEND
ARMES
Or More women die
KAT maybe

Your OLD Friend
JON


''The rider who brought it claims a masked man roused him in the night, nearly morning, at the hostelry where he works. He feared it was a robbery, but the man pressed a purse of money into his hands, along with the message, and gave instructions about delivery. That's all. "
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 SIX

Post by alhoon »

Raen growls angrily at the note.
"I say we send support invisible and take the weremurderer down the hard way." He doesn't mention the books in the presence of the Gendarmes.
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Re: RAVENLOFT: The One That Got Away CHAPTER SIX

Post by VAN »

Sara sighs, she glances Kat for a moment and sighs again.

"Another dead woman...this man must be stopped. But I'm afraid he ain't stupid, he will suspect that we will plan something. I'm afraid he gave us time on purpose. He will play ahead, maybe send us there while he is elsewhere doing something else...I don't say not going at the randevouz, I'm just saying that he will not wait us there ready to be arrested or just talk. Maybe he is even hiding spying on us this very moment."

Sara looks nervously around.
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Re: RAVENLOFT: The One That Got Away CHAPTER SIX

Post by ewancummins »

The gendarmes who handed Benn the letter whispers,
''Captain Thibault trusts your judgment, but he'd like to coordinate with your party in this matter. I don't think that I should say much more in public---uncrowded place or not. As the lady says, maybe this criminal has some way of spying on you.''
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 SIX

Post by Adam »

Bennedict turns and looks to Dorgio, but nods to the Gendarmes. "I'll speak with Thibault immediately, if he's available. For the sake of his victims, we have to speak to Matyr, but if I have anything to say about it, he won't leave the meeting alive. I presume he means at the lair you found?" He shrugs. "Let's be about our business."

He stands up to depart.
"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 SIX

Post by kintire »

"I think my business involves a quick visit to an alchemist or silversmith. Even a silver candlestick I can use as a club might be useful! Anyone want to join me on the arming up mission?"
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Re: RAVENLOFT: The One That Got Away CHAPTER SIX

Post by ewancummins »

After the party settles the bill at Odall’s Eats...

• KAT
SEEKING SILVER
Kat does a quick bit of asking around the riverfront, and soon finds her way to a swordsmith’s shop.
The old master-smith offers to sell her a finely-made dagger with a blade of silvery-gray steel. The product of a secret alchemical process, or so he claims. He does possess a sterling reputation.
If she cannot afford the blade, he will direct her to the nearby shop of his nephew, a silversmith, where she can buy a silver-plated letter opener, a candlestick, or perhaps a fancy walking stick with a heavy silver knob.

• BENN
MEETING CAPTAIN THIBAULT
The gendarmes escort Benn, and any others who wish to come (Kat’s out shopping, but she knows the party’s plans and can meet up with them soon) to meet Captain Thibault at the Lorelei.


The brothel has been renovated since the last time Benn saw it. Two stories, stone and timber, stucco façade with a gaudy bas-relief of nude women and fruit trees—the artist has painted the fruit in bright colors. The old river-siren-sunning-herself-on-a-rock sign still hangs above the main entrance but it’s obviously been touched up by a limner.

Inside, the place looks largely empty of clients: just gendarmes and the working girls.
It also appears fancier than it did under Gaston Van Diecks’ management, with red velvet curtains, golden paint on the bannisters, a pianola in one corner, and more gaming tables. The bar now features a long mirror of neatly-joined yellow-glass panes.
The gendarmes take Benn (and any others of his party) up to an office where the officer sits talking with a lovely brunette. The woman is dressed more conservatively than the girls downstairs, but her black lace gown would still be called daring at any high society event.

Benn may recall
VIEW CONTENT:
meeting her before, on a riverboat up from Invidia, the trip coming home with Dorgio, Alain, Karim, John Strange, Aurelius the Gnome, Galandel the Elf.
No Cirdan, dead at the hands of Benn’s comrades.
No Norzak, lost in the Mists.
And no Jon. The boy had disappeared for a time, leaving the party, before showing up again in Pont—Mouseau.
And then…
...................................


By now, it's afternoon.
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 SIX

Post by kintire »

After the appropriate efforts to lower the price, she buys the dagger with a wince. Poverty beckons, but the situation is serious.

For reasons completely unconnected with her ability to afford the dagger she does not want to meet the guard Captain, but will wander near the Lorelei in case she is needed... keeping an eye out for people following her, especially redheads...
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Re: RAVENLOFT: The One That Got Away CHAPTER SIX

Post by Adam »

Bennedict removes his hat, nodding to Captain Thibault. "Captain. I understand you wished to speak to me?"

He nods to the woman. "Fraulein."
"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 SIX

Post by ewancummins »

THE LORELEI
Adam wrote:Bennedict removes his hat, nodding to Captain Thibault. "Captain. I understand you wished to speak to me?"

He nods to the woman. "Fraulein."

The woman favors Benn with a sad smile and a tilt of her head.

Captain Thibault frowns.
''Yes, Monsieur Gehrman. I was just finishing my interview with Mademoiselle Sophie. She says the victim was one of her girls, fired for stealing from customers.''

Sophie says, ''Yes. A pity. Bernadette was a good draw. But I can't have my girls ripping off the gentlemen. I put her out of doors as soon as I was convinced of her guilt, which was three nights back. I think maybe she'd taken to walking the streets nearby, hoping to poach some old clients before they arrived here. Or roll drunks, maybe. She was a naughty one. But she didn't deserved to be...she didn't deserve what happened.''
The brothel madam adds,
''I hope you will not be gentle when you catch the man who did this.''

Captain Thibault says,
''I've got the names--confidential, normally--of Bernadette's former clients. I will follow up that end. But of course the other indications fit your theory about...''
He hesitates, glancing at the woman.
''Thank you for your time, mademoiselle. If Monsieur Gehrman hasn't got questions for you...''
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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