Murder In Mind

*Cibernadie
Posts: 78
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am

Posted by *Cibernadie »


After the entire cycle searching and late into the night,  It’s clear to Ameylia that whatever Salcis’s private thoughts were, she never committed them to paper, unlike her many studies and research papers on the aspects of the planes and the nature of existence; the closest thing to “personal” would be her attempts to trace her lineage to a specific fiend, result apparently inconclusive judging by what lies on the table.

In the dark streets of Night Time Sigil, she’d find the Hall of Speakers without much trouble. Querying the signers present there debating with one another would yield information about her after enough time. Salcis had attempted to join once, a long time ago in fact, but had failed to prove her worth. Still, a few of them were familiar with her work, as she still had one or two signers in her circle who she liked to converse with on the topic of reality beyond good and evil and her work was amusing and interesting enough to warrant their attention. Sadly, however, none of them had seen her lately, and had only learned about her death with the patrols of the Harmonium.
-
Argent’s documentation inside the same building earlier that day would yield different information, smaller in scope because of the specifics of the query. But as they say, The Devil is in the details. Multitudes is a word used in more formal speech and documentation, often used to refer to large gatherings of people or individuals, and thus it appears in all the texts where it is used, more often than not redactions from the endless recitations and speeches that characterize the Hall of Speakers.

Fellow signers who would ask or offer assistance with the Silver Elf’s investigation on the importance of the word would quickly point out that perhaps the Doppelganger seeks to collect a multitude of heads, or murder a multitude of people, but they’d quickly devolve into an argument as to the significance of specific targets instead of taking random cutters indiscriminately. A pattern lies there no doubt, perhaps backtracking through the lives of their victims in some demented search, perhaps simply picking its targets for convenience and usefulness, if it indeed can assume their powers, their knowledge, and their memories.
-
The Happy Martyr’s visit is quick and brief, and the Rakshasa appears unsurprised by the notice the Harmonium officers bring. She’d put away her work, twist her claws, her brow and her smile into the correct shapes, and head to the Lady’s Ward.
*Notatuma
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am

Posted by *Notatuma »


Seeing she'll find little else at the residence, Ameylia picks up a few of the books and goes to collect the turtle and departs the apartment.

She dropped the turtle off at the House of Healing for Argent to examine, treat, and find a new home.
*Cibernadie
Posts: 78
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am

Posted by *Cibernadie »


Argent examined and treated the turtle, but then decided to have a nice talk with it instead.



The turtle is an old, lethargic, apathetic member of its kind, and thought little of Salcis concerns and struggles, assuming they were more of the self-made problems humanoids love so much. She spent a lot of time inside her house (which is alright by the turtle) and would converse during her long nights of research and writing, despite both being unable to understand each other. The turtle enphatizes Salcis obsession with her fiendish heritage, since it apparently scared off her potential mate, and that drove her to long exhausting nights of grimoires, conjurations, and even blood rituals. She never got to the bottom of the matter, partly because the turtle ate one of the few legitimate books she had (for her own good assures the turtle) but also because the fiendish essence in her blood was too thin to find a pure blooded ancestor. The turtle rolls its eyes retelling the many times Salcis obtained the same result from her divinations, something about cambions (or maybe just Cambion) and since it'd not be perfect enough for her, she'd toss her desk, burn her documents to ash, and then eat, drink, and cry compulsively (sometimes simultaneously says the turtle) until sleep took her.

The turtle laments Salcis died unhappy, but tells Argent that if there's any lesson to this, is that humanoids should just do the best with what they're given and not go on far fetched, ill conceived searches.
*Notatuma
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am

Posted by *Notatuma »


She hated the spell. The very thought of using it disgusted her, made her insides feel as though worms had found their way into her skin, but she had no other recourse.

Ameylia made her way to the Mortuary to find the corpse of Salcis. Convening with the dead was not something she did lightly or enjoyed, but it saved lives before and she hoped it would save another. When she arrived there, she stumbled into a Mercykiller by the name of Mirmija who was after the same thing. With the guidance of a Dustman woman, the two found the corpse and began questioning it. Mirmija even offered to perform the spell herself, something the gray guard was thankful for.

After the questions were asked, Ameylia took her notes and made her way out of the mortuary. 
*Cibernadie
Posts: 78
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am

Posted by *Cibernadie »


Last cycle saw unusual circunstances on the Lower Ward; the Temple of the Abyss had a strange commotion happening inside. When onlookers arrived, all that was left was a trail of blood leading away, and a half-fiend beaten and broken, but very much alive.



It was difficult to communicate with the victim. Partly because he didn't speak Trade Cant, and party because despite his wounds he would not stop cursing and hissing in the abyssal language. Onlookers and investigators were able to put together what had happened, however, once the Lord Cambion was healed enough to be able to walk, and led stumbling back into the relative safety of the Temple of the Abyss, while others pursued the bloody trails of the assailant.



For what can be pieced together, a tiefling woman (fitting the description of the last victim, Salcis) approached the temple seeking to commune with who would be a remote ancestor. Through the tiefling's information, the adorations of the temple and the powers of the priesthood, the ancestor in question was brought forth through the portal, one of the cunning and sadistic cambion spawns of the demonic prince Graz'zt. Of what they spoke little was heard, for the tiefling woman suddenly launched herself and somehow impaled the Cambion Lord through his armor and torso with a blade bathed in cold iron, while a second blade went straight to the half fiend's neck, seeking to behead him.

The Cambion, in spite of the surprise attack and the grievous wounds, recoiled from the blow and responded with an attack of his own, while the guards and cultists quickly surrounded the woman. Only then she revelaed herself to be something more, and her body melted away to reveal the Skin Slasher, now without the element of surprise and visibly at a disadvantage. The Doppelganger slipped away from the temple with wounds of abyssal blades while the Cambion gave chase, but he succumbed to the poisonus metal in his bloodstream and collapsed before the Skin Slasher could be captured.

The trail once again led to the Staircase between spaces, and despite the wounds and bloodloss, the Skin Slasher got away again, although evidently weakened, and without his prize. Would he come for it a second time? Would it seek another head? Never before had a victim survived.
*Cibernadie
Posts: 78
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am

Posted by *Cibernadie »


Kreskes, the Cambion Lord that had been targetted by the Skin Slasher, appears to have left the Temple of the Abyss where he had allegedly taken refuge until his lord would allow him to return to his home plane. Some berks would tell they saw him screaming in his native Abyssal language on the Market Ward, drawing attention for some unknown purpose. His current whereabouts are not publicly known.
*Cenerae
Posts: 102
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am

Posted by *Cenerae »


A few hours after the attack at the Temple of the Abyss, a blonde haired woman in Mercykiller colors is seen collecting some of the leftover blood from the scene, departing after the residents were unwilling to give her any useful information beyond what was already known.
*Cibernadie
Posts: 78
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am

Posted by *Cibernadie »


After known Factor Dace Andor of the Mercykillers washed down the sewers following clues, accompanied by a certain red haired guvner, rumors circulate that they flushed something important out of the Undersigil. Later that cycle, The Clerk Ward's very own House of Healing saw commotion, a loud thump against one of the second story windows, and a bloody trail that was exhaustively washed clean leading to its door.

Those with the right contacts in either the factions that compose the Triad or certain elements of the Indep might come to be aware of a plan being set in motion.
*Lucadia
Posts: 450
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am

Posted by *Lucadia »


"Factor Argent of the House of Healing has given the volunteers a paid respite for their hard work. A sign on the desk says for medical emergencies be directed to Factor Argent or contact of Tasha if hes not avaiable."
*Cibernadie
Posts: 78
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am

Posted by *Cibernadie »


((The ambush will likely take place Wednesday [tomorrow] 13:00 Eastern Time))
Post Reply