Citizens of Freiburg part II

by (an acquaintance of) Pistol

To his fellow druids, Caerwyddich Bard of Carrig sends greetings.

Since the disaster with Count D'Lore when the Misbegotten one called Pistol (Peter O'Toole) came to the attention of the Unseelie more resources have been devoted to the watch over this walking calamity. Thankfully the Count has not created trouble with the Queen over the existence of Pistol and our subject remains in Eisen, well out of the notice of the Sidhe (so far as we are aware).

Nevertheless given the most recent episode (and we remain ignorant as to who lured him back to Avalon) supervision of him has been extended from dreamwriting to an actual seeing through his eyes. It is clear that Pistol is not leading an examined life and many of our longstanding concerns have been borne out. The facts of the following report will suffice to illustrate my point.

...

At the breakfast table Dandelion informed the assembled household that he had grave news. Lucerne had reported that L'Empereur's youngest daughter, Dominique d'Montague, gave birth to as stillborn boy child after 32 hours labour. Apparently there was nothing her Vodacce midwife could do to save the baby. L'Empereur is in a rage and the court in an uproar.

The news was received with mixed feelings around the table. Dandelion appeared concerned. Franz raised an eyebrow over his porridge and seemed lost in thought. Hadu winced in apparant sympathy but helped herself to more porridge. Don Carlos and Giancarlo registered genuine horror. How could anyone eat that stuff, let alone take a second helping. Pistol and Borstenn nodded happily as they scoffed their bacon & eggs. Eduarde was nowhere to be seen and was rumoured to be spending time with a waitress at the Green Leaves Inn.

Borstenn proposed an expedition to the market to ensure that no one who still had taste buds would have to eat Eisen porridge and the others, having nothing better to do than confound their wits deciphering the cryptic clues regarding the hidden door in the cellar, agreed.

At the market the air was suddently rent with a piercing cry for help as twelve armed men set upon a lone woman of Vodacce appearance. Dandelion sprang immediately to her defence in a righteous rage. "You want to pick on a defenceless woman then ...." he spluttered, rendered mute by the sheer ungallantry of the brutish thugs. Those closest to him hesitated, put off by the spark in his eye that promised swift justice. Franz, Don Carlos and Hadu joined him in threatening violence as they drew and laid on: Hadu promising to eat their livers with her porridge. Pistol bumped two of them to the ground on his way to assist the lady with her purse. Borstenn and Giancarlo contented themselves with slaying them swiftly, Giancarlo taunting their manhoods in a mincing fashion as he did so. Don Carlos whirled magnificently to little effect. Franz and Hadu sent some to their makers and the odds had appreciably lessened.

A small crowd had gathered to applaud the efforts of the rescuers when Pistol began kicking the men on the ground savagely in the testicles. He continued until they were unconscious, heedless of the intaken breaths and murmers of disapproval from the shocked citizens ("I didn’t know you could kick someone unconscious like that…."). A clean death with a blade was one thing but this was dirty fighting !

Dandelion swiftly carried the woman from the hurley burley and attempted to soothe her hurts. Alas ! The damage was done and she stiffened, clutched his hand and with her remaining strength gurgled her last words through the blood that was drowning her: "Vial...in my purse...must reach my sister..." She collapsed on his doublet and he gently soothed her while her death throes rendered his clothing a complete mess.

When it was over Dandelion tenderly closed her eyes and took up the small purse at her wrist. He removed a vial of clear liquid and inspected it closely, unthinkingly handing the purse to Pistol who immediately fell into argument with Giancarlo denying that there was any money in it. The crowd muttered at such a crass display in the face of a very touching death.

The unconscious prisoners and the cadaver of their victim were carried back to Drachenheim Manor, the bodies of the bullies being left in the street for disposal in the usually efficient Freiburg manner.

Upon their return to the Manor Giancarlo left to visit Christina Bianca, saying he had a plan that might assist in identifying the unknown victim. Dandelion commenced a thorough examination of the vial.

Borstenn, Pistol and Don Carlos and Hadu commenced interrogating the prisoners who were brought round with a splash of cold water. Clutching their inflamed gonads they yelped in fear as Borstenn called for Pistol to prepare the branding irons ! Pistol slouched into the next room where he made hissing noises from time to time between shouts that the irons were "nearly ready".

Terror loosened the tongues of the ruffian curs. They claim to have assaulted the woman merely because she looked "strangely" at them and they feared she was a Vodacce witch. They were sent on their way with a snarl from Hadu, a cuff over the head from Borstenn, a kick up the arse from Pistol and a stylish tag with his sword on the backside of the other by Don Carlos.

Giancarlo returned with Christina Bianca, a sculptress whose works he is advancing to the cogniscente of Freiburg. Giancarlo had arranged for Christina to make a sketch of the dead woman’s face which could be used to make inquiries. She set about the task with some skill.

Giancarlo questioned Christina as to prominent Vodacce women in Freiburg and she told him of Calabura Concerezia, the proprietress of the Gilded Lily – the most notorious brothel in town.

Dandelion announced that he had completed his examinations of the vial and could not recognise the contents.

Armin announced to Franz that a visitor had arrived to see him, Ernst Bottenfeld. Franz asked Armin to show him in. Don Carlos told Franz that he recalled an Ernst Bottenfeld from his days at the University of Arcinila. He had left before graduation after some difficulty with the Inquisitors. Herr Bottenfeld introduced himself and confirmed that he was the same person. He did not seem to know Don Carlos but did recall his brother who he remembered as a very promising student. Don Carlos flushed pink with pride and muttered some words about him not being all that good.

Herr Bottenfeld revealed that he had been working on a project to invent a perpetual illuminator, he needed only a modicum of funds from Franz in order to solve the wax spraying problem. Herr Bottenfeld invited Franz and the company to inspect the device at his workshop in Candlelit at 8:00 pm.

Following lunch Pistol was attending to some minor maintenance on the Stolen Kiss when he spied a man floating on a spar in the Rotstrom. Pistol quickly made the boat ready and set off to help the poor unfortunate to shore. Unfortunately our hopes for him engaging in a wholly unselfish act are dashed by his picking the pockets of the victim while pulling him into the boat. An act justified in Pistol’s mind as relieving him of any encumbering dangerous weight should he slip back into the water.

After some ministrations by Dandelion the man reveals he is Jacques Portal. A soldier in the Montaigne army under General Montague which is marching in retreat from Ussura under the terms of truce. He claimed that the Ussurans had broken the truce under which they were to depart Ussura without interference. L’Empereur had ordered Montague back to Ussura but so far the General had refused. The Lightning Guard had burned the barges intended to carry the Army from the headwaters to Montaigne. Now the Army was stranded on the border of Ussura and appeared only to have a choice of returning to Ussura or marching through Poesen, the easternmost province of Eisen. Hadu assured the company that the latter course would be resisted by Fauner Poesen. Dandelion and Franz discussed the amount required to purchase new barges and feed the Army. It was a sum beyond Pistol’s comprehension.

That afternoon Giancarlo took the vial and sketch to Cleo Bellini, the proprietress of Love’s Apothecary in the Market in the Round. Cleo did not know the identity of the woman in the sketch. In response to enquiries as to any other Vodacce women of note in town she referred again to Calabura Concerezia and the Gilded Lily. She examined the vial and informed Giancarlo that in her opinion it was some form of new poison, very sophisticated, tasteless and odourless.

In the evening the company attended on Herr Bottenfeld. Unlike most of the windows in Candlelit his workshop was completely dark. There was no answer to a knock on the locked door. Pistol leant against the door, found that it wasn’t locked after all and slipped inside.

The interior of the workshop is a complete mess. Books had been strewn across the room, floorboards ripped up and in the back room they found Herr Bottenfeld. Dead from a series of very nasty slashes. A message in blood had been written on the wall above his corpse "Repent your sins, the Fourth Prophit approaches" (sic).

Borstenn immediately made for the door. Two drunken students were supporting each other down the street. "Excuse me but are you the Fourth Prophet ?" he enquired. "Nah" one burped. "But I’m the Second Prophet and he’s the Third Prophet", shaking with laughter they lurched on down the street. Borstenn returned to advise the party of his inquiries.

Dandelion inspected the wounds on the corpse and extracted a small piece of claw which to the party’s astonishment, melted into black smoke. Pistol racked his brains as to whether any Sidhe might have left such a talon but could only recall that certain of the Unseelie were hurt by light which caused their forms to melt.

Some pages of the books left on the floor riffled in an updraft from under the floorboards. Pistol ripped up the boards to reveal a shaft leading to a nearby sewer. Dandelion retched politely into his lace handkerchief as he pointed to claw marks up and down the shaft. In the corner the boards show the impression of something of a great weight having been recently removed.

Clearly a light would be required for further exploration. With a quiet word Dandelion turns aside and the red veins of Porté sorcery ran up and down his arms. He pulls a lit lantern through from Theus knows where.

In the sewer Giancarlo and Dandelion led the way. Behind them Don Carlos and Franz with Hadu, Pistol and Borstenn in single file behind.

Some way down the sewer Dandelion shouted as a black shape detached itself from the ceiling and dropped towards him ! A flurry of claws and pseudopedia extended from it slashing towards his face. Dandelion raised the lantern and the beast sizzled when hit by the light ! Dandelion and Giancarlo avoid being enveloped as Franz hits the beast. Don Carlos reaches between his companions and fires a pistol at point blank range. The blast in the sewer stuns the ears but the creature recoils from the flash.

Pistol, sizing up the situation in a flash, jumps straight into a deep channel of sewerage next to the walkway. He sees that the walkway broadens out shortly. A wave of filth washes over his companions. Hadu is covered in it from the front but reflects that things could be worse. She is filthy only on one side. Franz deftly steps on Pistol’s head to make his way to the broader area. Pistol gamely swims and keeps his lips out of the poo. Borstenn, seeing what fun Pistol is having, joins him by jumping into the channel. A second wave of sewage soaks the party, this time covering Hadu from behind.

Franz hacks at the beast repeatedly, Don Carlos delivers another blast from a pistol, Giancarlo pierces the beast with his rapier. Pistol pulls himself from the channel and Borstenn follows him.

The creature finally succumbs to the attacks upon it and falls to the ground where it melts into a black liquid that quickly runs through the masonry.

The party find Herr Bottenfeld’s machine in the sewer and return it to his workshop. On inspection they discover that the books appear to have been randomly destroyed with parts obviously of interest to Inquisitors remaining unscathed.

Hadu relates to her companions tales she has heard of the Nightbringer which is supposed to haunt the Stein. It hates light and is extremely cunning, able to change its shape to flow through cracks. It can be driven off but can only be killed in daylight.

The company return to Drachenheim Manor for rest.