Café de Nuit

"Cultists." Eisenwald agrees after a long moment, "I am uncertain as to their precise goal, but the beasts are definitely being aided by a cult we have encountered before."

"And now we know the hounds are more important to them than the usual brand of summoned critter," Lia says, "if they are willing to die to protect them. Not a nice thing to know, but an important one."

"Considering what I saw the hounds doing, I think they're being used to gather spirits. Disease and sickness it looks like." Kerrian offered. "To what end...well, there are possibilities, but they're not good."

Apparently, Kerrian's new glasses gave him an amazing ability to state the plainly obvious.

"I suppose the only matter left to broach is...how best may we be of assistance?" Celeste gave the hunter her best winning smile. It was *possible* that he could have taken her for a capable, undead-hunting scourge of the underworld in deep cover. It was not at all *likely*.

Agale's growing agitation was only compounded by the indifference his companions were exhibiting. Did they not realize this was quite probably the most wanted man in Dementliu? He supposed he should acknowledge his compatriot's unconcern as a blessing. A violent confrontation would likely go against us he thought.

Madness being somewhat contagious, Mr. Agale decided to play along with the premise that this was not, in fact a dangerously criminal revolutionary and may be of some help in resolving the present predicament. "You mentioned you 'disposed' of a fellow in league with these creatures. Did he, pray tell have anything on his person which would indicate who he was, or provide any other clues as to his purpose and means?"

Nicholas, despite feeling like he was about to collapse at any moment, notes the look of disconcertion from Agale, and allows himself a small grin. A small grin and no fast movemnts being the best idea when faced with a hardened warrior with a lot of big guns.

Although Nicholas' good humour is not simply directed at the lawyer's discomfort, rather at the man before him. Unlike some of the others the poet was over the moon to finally meet M.Benoit (for he could be no other), the man was a revolutionary icon, a name whispered under the breath of the downtrodden and in fear by the establishment, or at least he was in Nicholas' overly dramtic sense of reality. Nevertheless he was also the potential key selling point of quite a large volume of books and poems.

Still that presents a problem, how do you broach the subject of mutual dioscussion on revoltuionary things with a heavily armed anarchist, wihtout either getting dismembered or worse, looking stupid? Hi Im Nicholas, Im into revolution too, love your work, fancy a chat about methods for regime change over a pastis? Wincing at the sound of that even in his own mind Nicholas wisely keeps his mouth shut and waits to see what unfolds.

Clearing in the King's Forest, Late Afternoon of April 21st, 770
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Darius wrote:He gestures to the group eloquently. "Much preferable."

"Indeed." The man gave another sharp grin. "Seems you've gained a taste for hunting the big game."

Nerit wrote:"A trap, monsieur?" Nerit asked blithely.

The forest man just smiled at the nun, and patted one of the sulfurous smelling crates.

Celeste wrote:"I suppose the only matter left to broach is...how best may we be of assistance?"

Agale wrote:"Did he, pray tell have anything on his person which would indicate who he was, or provide any other clues as to his purpose and means?"

The man's lips formed into a pensive frown. "Hmm," he agreed, after a moment's thought. "You might actually be able to help with that."

He may have been referring to the more genteel appearance of a man in a suit and a noble dilettante, though he didn't seem to find it terribly strange that they were accompanying a band of heavily armed warriors. The man trekked over to an unassuming bag, bringing it back over and unceremoniously dumping the contents out on a crate. A small metal bowl clattered out, followed by a dented hooded lantern, a sharp knife, and a drinking flask (which, much to Nicolas' consternation, proved to be filled only with water). A simple frock coat flopped out on top of the rest of the objects, looking a bit worse for wear. Something had ripped the coat open from the shoulder straight down to the center of the back, and what was formerly a navy blue garment was now a dried and bloody brown. The man rifled through the coat pockets, tossing a book of matches aside before getting what he was looking for.

"Here," he said, holding over a pair of metal keys on a ring.

One was a small, rather rudimentary looking key of steel. The other was a great brass thing, five inches long, with numerous teeth and a depiction of curling ivy on the head.

History Check

Nicholas does indeed look slightly disappointed at the non-alcoholic contents of the flask, but his attention is soon diverted by the bowl and its meaning. "This is the second time we have seen a bowl and water in the possession of one of our quarry. Any idea of the ritual significance of it? A means of contact or scrying perhaps?" He directs the question enquiringly towards Lia.

The refocussing himself he takes a hard look at those keys.


OOC: History 26 on the keys
Arcana 13 for what you use bowls of water for in rituals (which is probablye washing your hands based on that roll )

M. de Castaigne wrote:"This is the second time we have seen a bowl and water in the possession of one of our quarry. Any idea of the ritual significance of it? A means of contact or scrying perhaps?"

Celeste looked particularly curious about this matter as well, casting a similar glance toward Lia.

"A clue! A veritable clue! Oh, well spotted, M. de Castaigne! I should expect no less from an accomplished aesthete such as yourself." It was clearly meant as a compliment, though it was uncertain how much this appellation leant to the poet's revolutionary cred.

Since Celeste was disinclined to focus on one thing for more than ten seconds, her gaze soon shifted to the key ring: specifically, the bigger of the two keys. "How singular! Pray tell, M. chasseur--to what family does that engraved crest belong? I tremble to say, I find myself quite at a loss without the Noble Registry for reference, at present."

History 22

"The scroll-work is indicative of the Navarre family. The latter appears to be for a mausoleum. I would conjecture that the former is to the outer gate of the Leon Cemetery, but I could be mistaken. If the bodies were procured from the inside of a crypt, it would explain why any grave-robbing has yet to be reported." Agale said.

With no small trepidation, the lawyer stepped forward and gestured to the keys in question. "If you would be so inclined sir, our party is better situated to further investigate this lead as I assume it would be inadvisable for you to enter the city proper at this time."

History 26

"Then let's head to the cemetary," Cyrus brandished his sword and pointed roughly toward the graveyard. "I see no reason to dally further."

The priest raised his sword in a salute to the woodsman. "Good hunting to you," he said, "Perhaps we shall share stories when this is done."

Nerit Doherty spent a long moment looking at the family heirlooms. Agale's words brought her out of her reverie, and she frowned.

"You believe this may lead to the origin of the hounds?" she asked apprehensively after Cyrus spoke.

"It seems to be logical," Lia says. She nods to Mr. Agale. "Your breadth of knowledge is exemplary, monsieur," she tells the lawyer. "I would take my hat off to you if I had one.

Now. Before any of us go rushing off... what kind of help do you feel we could give you?" she asks directly of the 'woodsman'.

Cyrus wrote:"Then let's head to the cemetery," Cyrus brandished his sword and pointed roughly toward the graveyard. "I see no reason to dally further."

"If we feel we have exhausted all other leads of inquiry in the Troischamps vicinity, then by all means. Charming as this countryside is, I would be loathe to need to repeat our little sojourn out here if unnecessary."

Agale returns the mage's nod with one of his own, but freezes when she offers to help Benoit. Mere conversation and association with the man, while not exactly innocent was legally defensible. Offering succor to an avowed enemy of the state clearly did not sit well with the Lawyer.

Tomas turns his head to give Agale a sort of look.

There is a bit of sympathy, but Agale may get the idea that Tomas would think it a personal favor if he kept stoic at the moment.

He then returns to being scowly, large, and well armed.