The Realm of Ganoltir: Strife, Exploration, and Prosperity
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"As brusque as it is, carrying her may be our only option," Renault admits. He stays with them, watching his brother take off to investigate. Can the city watch even stop whatever that demon was?
"You may be right," Évrard replies to Renault."Even being carried, her chances of survival will be much higher than if we just leave her here."
Jacques sighs as he scans the garden and is unable to locate a wheelbarrow or shed within the darkness. Not wanting to waste precious moments looking for a shed, the man says, "It seems we have no choice. If you two might help me carry her, we could get her to safety faster."
"Do either of you know where the nearest hospital is?" Évrard asks the brothers. "I haven't spent much time in port over the last few years so my knowledge of the city isn't what it once was."
With little time left to save the woman's life, Jacques racks his brain, attempting to remember any closer hospitals than his family's own.
"Ah," Renault manages, his eyes darting around as he tries to remember where he might have seen a clinic during his fortnightly investigations.
"St. Arvin's is just up that hill," Renault offers, nodding toward the ascent in the distance. "It'll be rough on her, but I fear that she may loose too much blood before we can reach anything better."
"Aye," Jacques says plainly, in agreement with his brother. "I'm not sure we can afford to make the two-mile trek to one of the Society's own." Goddess, give us strength.
"Come, help me lift her. Perhaps that dreaded hill will not be so difficult with the three of us carrying her."
Renault begins the trek with a good pace, but before long he begins to feel the fatigue of the night's activities.
Deep within, the adrenaline coursing through him dulls and he begins to feel very... human.
With Marcella's life resting in their hands, Jacques joins in carrying the dying woman to the nearest of the hospitals. Goddess, give our arms and legs the strength to make this trek before it's too late.
Évrard helps the others carry Marcella towards the hospital. He notices as the others start to struggle - drained from the night's events - while he remains relatively unaffected, used to such conditions from his time in the Navy.
The trek to St. Arvin's is an arduous one. Though the streets are mostly empty at this time of night you still make slow progress, the difficulty in carrying your quarry eating at your stamina. The hillside you must ascend to reach the hospital does not help as well, and the longer you move the more it seems like you might not make it in time.
As you reach the entrance you can feel that the woman is barely clinging to the world, and the nurses who greet you immediately rush into action when they see the woman's sorry state. Some head down a hall and return shortly with a stretcher to carry her the rest of the way to a room for care. They instruct you that she will be well taken care of, but that they don't know if she will make it. You are offered to wait in the lobby should you choose, though the staff recommend that you head home for the evening and come back in the morning.
"There's little more that we can do here," Renault reminds them in a grim tone. "Marcella's life is in the hands of these physicians."
He looks out onto the moonlit street, feeling the fatigue wash over him. For once during the night, he is unsure how to proceed. "Wh-... What should we do?" the Father asks his two companions. Return to the manor? Report what we've seen to the Bishop? No, the Bishop would already know... Get some rest?
"May the Goddess watch over them all tonight," Jacques remarks with a sigh, knowing the woman's chances for survival look slim.
As the night's events finally wind down, the vampire is hit with the familiarity of exhaustion. "I suppose I should return home to make sure Adrienne got in alright. I'm sure she is worried sick."
"I think you're right, and even if the killer wants to finish the job they'd have no way of knowing we brought her here," Évrard says, agreeing with Renault. "I should probably go check on my own sister too," he adds.
Alicia is probably back home by now and there's little I can do about Hector or Marcella tonight.
"You're probably right," Renault admits to his younger brother. "I will come by tomorrow, I suppose. Tell her I am safe," he asks, before turning to the third man.
"Évrard." Renault gives him a stern nod, before moving for the door. "May the Goddess keep you both safe. Thank you again for your help."
While the trio of you discuss your plans for the remainder of the evening, you can hear footsteps ascending the small incline that leads from the road to the hospital entrance. In not long the source of the footsteps comes into view in the light of the entryway, a very serious-looking woman in clothing that suggests she is a member of the clergy. In the hint of the streetlights you can also see that she appears to be armed, holding in her hand a small gun unlike any that Jacques or Évrard had ever seen before.
"You three were at the Midnight Masquerade at the Dupuis Estate, correct?" the woman asks, though the blood and tears on your otherwise fine clothing - and your dangling masks - give all the answers she needs. "I will need you to come with me," she continues, her voice cold and stern, her eyes very serious.
Renault's eyes widen at the sight of the woman, recognizing her as one of the Bishop's associates. She clearly outranked him in several aspects. "We should do as she says," the Father murmurs to his two companions before turning back to face the woman.
"On your call," he says, ready to follow.
From Renault's reaction to the woman Évrard quickly puts two and two together."Where are we going?" He asks the Apostle, not expecting to receive a straight answer. The only times he had never felt fully in command of his ship were the occasions they had taken on Apostles as passengers.
"Very well," Jacques says with a nod as the strange woman barks her instructions. It would seem news travels fast if the Clergy is already involved. I suppose it is only natural with all in attendance.
"To the cathedral," the Apostle responds as she ushers the group of you forward. Though her voice remains cold, she continues by saying, "you need not be defensive, you are not in any trouble." As she walk the woman pays close attention to the lot of you, though she continues to look around as well, seeming to be watching for someone or something. Given that she seems more focused on your surroundings than the three of you, it is likely that she has her weapon at the ready not as a coercive device, but in case the need for self defense arises.
Despite the woman's caution, the trip to the cathedral is very uneventful. Your exhaustion and wounds make the walk slow and not particularly comfortable, but you do not encounter anything of note along the way, especially nothing that you had seen at the Dupuis estate. Once at the grand structure you have little time to marvel at the architecture before you are quickly ushered inside, where the door is then locked behind you by a very nervous-looking scribe, one Renault vaguely recognizes. The woman motions for the scribe to leave, and she does so in a rush, likely returning to her own sleeping quarters.
In the main hall of the cathedral the woman once more turns to you, and finally holster's her firearm for the first time since you encountered her. "I will be back in a moment, please do not wander," she says, before turning and heading further into the building. You are then left in silence, in the grand empty space, surrounding by pews and dimly lit candles.
The woman's caution causes Renault to feel even more on-edge. Thankfully, the trek to the cathedral lacks any reason for such.
When the Apostle leaves them in the nave, Renault stands uncomfortably, waiting her return. "Tell them the truth, and do not spare any detail," he advises the two other men. "They are on our side."
However, the Father is very nervous. I understand the urgency, but how did she know where to find us? And why us in particular? There were dozens of attendees more important than us three at that ball.
"In this," Évrard agrees, never having been the biggest supporter of the clergy's institutions. Hopefully whatever happened tonight overshadows Hector. The Apostles sniffing around the Swords of Elys would complicate things, he thinks, as he takes a seat in one of the pews by the aisle.
"We've little to hide as victims anyways," Jacques remarks at his brother's mention of speaking the truth. As they wait, he glances around the room, uncomfortably. These cathedrals are usually so peaceful. Yet I feel only dread. A dark cloud hangs over Ellisport tonight. He sighs, resting his head upon his hands in exhaustion after such a night.
"I pray this won't take too long. We could all use some rest after this," he says, eyeing the doorway the Apostle had disappeared into.
"You're in the right place to be praying," Évrard says in response to Jacques. Goddess if our cause is just, please shield the Swords from this, he looks towards the cathedral's roof, offering a prayer of his own.
Not a lot of time passes after the woman heads into the back before you hear another door open, but the stillness and silence of the large, empty chamber makes it seem much longer. From it emerges not the Apostle you'd seen before, but a man of pale white hair and robes that mark him as clergy. He approaches slowly but with purpose, and you notice a slight limp in his walk. As he draws closer you can see that he appears to be bandaged in a few places.
"I am glad you made it safely away from the manor," the man says once closer, his voice a familiar one to the three of you. "Corinne will be back to retrieve you in a moment, but I did want to properly introduce myself before then," he says, before giving a humble bow. "I am Father Noel, Bishop Géraud's personal bodyguard. I appreciate all of your help in protecting the other attendees of the Masquerade earlier."
"It was you," Renault remarks, watching Father Noel curiously. He breathes a sigh of anxiety, remembering the night's events. "I have many questions, but I am sure that you have many too."
"Aye, you've a keen wit about you, Father Renault," Father Noel responds. "Had I known you'd be in attendance as well I might have thought twice about our ruse, though I appreciate your discretion. We'd not have been able to capture that traitor had you revealed me early."
"So you caught him," Renault responds, less a question and more a confirmation. "Good."
He looks around once again, before turning back to the Father. "If I may ask — why have we been summoned? Surely there are survivors more significant than us three," the man asks, thinking back to the prince of Tulrisse, among others.
"While that is true," Father Noel responds, his neutral smile turning slightly downwards, "no others that I noticed returned from the second story with a nearly-dead aristocrat in tow. I've a hunch the questions you will be asked will pertain primarily to that fact, though who's to say."
With a beat, his neutral smile returns, as with a bit more levity in his tone, as he adds, "besides, it is not like we've the diplomatic authority to force a prince and his entourage to submit to questioning, and they are the only others to stay back and fight those... things."
"Are you suggesting I'm not significant? Oh, you wound me, Renault," Jacques quips, struggling to laugh in his exhaustion. "Much like that snake," he adds, wincing in mild pain through his laughter.
As the two clergymen talk, Jacques remarks, "I'll not pretend to understand this traitor business, but I will answer whatever questions you have of us."
Évrard stands as he hears the man approaching. "And I appreciate yours, I doubt I would have made it out of that ballroom if it weren't for you," he says in reply to the Father as he thanks the men for their efforts.
That fool, he thinks as the Father mentions Hector. If I'd been closer I would have killed him before Russo took him prisoner.
"Speaking of the snake, I would have thought that would be a bigger topic that one disgruntled junior officer,", Évrard says hoping to change the subject and also gauge where the clergy's priorities lie. "Based on the way the man responsible conducted himself I imagine this is far from all he has planned."
"It felt within a sense of moral and civic duty, Father," the clergyman replies, shaking off any sense of self-congratulation at his actions. Why were we indeed the only ones to give much thought to the dying noblewoman? And here, I thought I resented the aristocracy.
At Évrard's words, Renault frowns, his age showing in the corners of his eyes. "I had nearly forgotten about that man," he admits. "The serpent and those — phantoms? ghouls? whatever they were — had demanded my foremost attention."
At Évrard's words, the priest appears to change his demeanor, though the change is slight enough that it is hard to say for sure if it is to something more positive or negative. "You mean to say you know who is reponsible for that great beast?" the Father asks, his voice sounding surprised. "You say it was a man? Did you happen to catch his name? If not, do you at least have a description?"
"I cannot say if the serpent was his doing, but we encountered the murderer in the act," Jacques remarks, recalling the crazed man standing over the dying Marcella. "We had shared a dance earlier in the evening. He insisted we'd met before, yet my memory fails me. He did not introduce himself. Said it would come to me." When will it? Soon, I should hope. He shakes his head, frustrated at his memory's failure.
"Most of his face was concealed, unsurprisingly, but his attire made it clear he has a fascination of roses. And his hair was short and unkempt. Blonde," he describes, picturing the homicidal man in his head. "And he spoke in a theatrical, almost rehearsed, manner."
"He wielded a savage-looking blade and was able to... disappear. He left behind a strange, smokey haze that took a moment to dissipate," Renault explains further. "Whether it was cheap trick of alchemy or something supernatural, I cannot say."
"I'd say it's highly unlikely to two events are unconnected," Évrard says in reply to Jacques. "Unfortunately I think that's just about everything we know about him," he says to Father Noel after Renault fills in the remaining details. He looks down, disheartened they have few leads on the man's identity. He notices his uniform's aiguillette has moved out of place during the night's events and takes a moment to readjust it.
"Murderer..." the Father says, looking a bit dejected at the word. "So Marcella did not make it. That is a shame. The city needed more people like her." Listening intently as the group describe their encounter, he appears shocked and uneasy. When finished describing the events he looks like he is about to speak, but footsteps coming from down the center aisle of the cathedral grab your attention instead.
Turning to face the source, you see that it is once more the woman you'd encountered before - Corinne, as Father Noel referred to her - who looks as serious as she had before. "This way, please," she says as she approaches, motioning for the others to follow back the way she'd come.
"Marcella still breathes," Renault corrects the man. "For now, at least. Her brother, however..." He shakes his head solemnly, before turning to face the approaching Apostle. At her request, the Father follows the woman.
"Aye," Jacques remarks solemnly, recalling the sight of the man's mangled corpse, the single rose lain across his opened chest. "Marcel walks with the Goddess now. I only hope he did not linger in agony before meeting Her." And yet, with that corpse, it is likely he did. Head hung low, he stands, following the woman closely behind.
Évrard's face drops as his mind wanders back to the gruesome scene they had discovered. He doesn't add anything though before moving to follow the Apostle with the others.
The walk is quick and done in relative silence, with Father Noel following the group of you as you are led along by the Apostle. She takes you first to the end of the main chambers, where you head through a door that leads immediately to a spiral staircase. From there you head up the steps to an area that must be a higher floor of one of the side wings of the building. This area is much darker, as their are very few windows compared to the main portion of the cathedral below, though the occasional sconce provides a modicum of light.
Heading down a series of corridors you eventually are instructed to enter through a door, which opens into a decently-sized bedroom. While the size of it is impressive, the decor is very bare and simple. There is a small wooden bed off to one side, a desk against a large window with a few pieces of parchment and some inkwells, and a few dressers and cupboards off to the side. All are plain wood with no ornate designs of any sort, and the bedding on the bed is undecorated white cloth.
Seated on the bed when you enter is an older man in plain grey robes, who stands as you begin to enter. He appears tired and possibly stressed out, but he manages to give the slightest of smiles as the group of you make your way into the room. Once all are inside the door is shut behind you by Noel, who then remains near the door, keeping an eye through the small window in it into the hallway.
"I thank you for coming to meet with me," the man says as slowly walks towards the group and extends a hand to shake to each one of you. "I am Bishop Géraud, though you are already aware of that, Father," the man says, giving a friendly nod to Renault once their hands meet. "I am told you had an eventful night, and I'd like to hear about it."
Renault follows along curiously, unsure of where he and his companions are being led to. After a time, he finds himself in a bedroom somehow even more spartan than his own, face to face with the Bishop.
"I... yes," the Father manages, caught off guard by his superior's presence. He shakes his hand urgently. "Where shall we start?" he asks, though more to himself than the Bishop or the others.
Fitting for a Bishop I suppose, Évrard thinks as he looks around the empty room.
"Eventful is definitely one way to describe it," Évrard's says as he shakes the Bishop's hand. "It'll certainly go down as one of the more memorable events held by the Dupuis, if it's not the last," he adds.
"Everything was as to be expected until Midnight - when the twins were meant to make their appearance. The doors didn't open for some time and when they did a blood covered servant girl emerged. The three of us and a doctor attended to the servant before the three of us went to investigate. We found a trail of blood which first led us to a bedroom containing Marcel's body." Évrard recounts in the tone of a soldier giving a mission report, before pausing and looking to the two brothers, to see if they have anything to add or if their recollection of the evening differs from his own.
