Chapter One: Outbreak

It was a balmy night in Esterwyn, the crescent moon and twinkling stars bright and clearly visible. The cool sea air blew in from the ocean, cooling the night but not unpleasantly so. The brightness of the evening and the temperature meant that there was more foot traffic this evening than normal. The crowd, for the most part, was gathered around the taverns of the entertainment district, as well as its less reputable venues. The Merchant Quarter was alive with the night markets, with many stopping for food of all kinds before moving onto the night market. Bards of all stripes moved throughout the city, busking and trying to earn the attention of the crowd.

You found yourself moving through the crowds as well, whether by walking smaller roads or in a boat that was making its way through the canals of the city. Regardless of why you had ventured out that night, you found yourself in the Seafront District. The district was comprised of waterways and docks for the most part. It was an area that never slept, as captains came in and unloaded their cargo before moving on. The area was renown for its more colourful taverns, where dockworkers, sea hands and crews came to spend their money before the next ship or voyage took place. It was also not uncommon to find captains negotiating over the cost of their cargo, normally with city officials or representatives of the noble class. The landmasses that the docks and taverns existed on were almost like islands in the district, broken up by the canals, many of which were deep enough to have a full vessel make use of.

Despite it being a working district, there was still a beauty to the buildings and warehouses. They lined the streets or docks in an orderly fashion, many showing intricate carvings of the oceans, waves or marine life, particularly on the domed rooves that were tiled for the most part. Classic motifs like columns, pilasters, pediments and blind arches were common. Typically you knew that the more richly decorated a dock or warehouse was the more likely it was to be owned by a member of the Great Council. Everything was a reflection of themselves and they could allow nothing to call their wealth or honor into question. Even the cobblestone roads were decorated with vegetation and the occasional archway. You also passed the homes of the lower middle class of Esterwyn, many choosing to make their home here despite the constant noise and smell, so they could be close to the largest source of work in city. The city guard patrolled lightly, each carrying a musket and blade, adorned in the dark blue and red of the guard.

As you made your way through the night, the sea breeze carried on it the unmistakable aroma of smoke. Looking off into the distance you saw an orange glow. A moment later you heard faint screams on the wind. Without realizing it, you broke into a run heading towards the source of the commotion. It was not long before you were joined by the city guard. A fire like this was a great risk, not just to the people in the home but to the entire city, since if it wasn’t contained you knew the whole city could burn to ash. Eventually, you turned onto the street and looked to the end where several homes were engulfed in flame, smoke billowing into the night air.

The fire had engulfed three homes on all sides and what appeared to be a bakery in one of the basements. The fire was everywhere, the roof was on fire, the doors and windows were on fire, fire was even coming out of the house through various openings, as did the smoke. As you stood there stunned for a moment, you heard screams and shouts from help inside the burning building. The city guard seemed to be focused on stopping the spread of the fire, using buckets to put out embers before they could catch. Those men knew that for the greater good of the city, the fire had to be stopped, no matter the cost to life but even as you watched, more spot fires began to spring up despite their efforts.

Conner tries to get closer to the engulfed building but gives up and gets down on one knee and beseeches Timet to help him find a way to save the victims of the fire or put out the flames. After a moment of prayer he rises and surges forward calling for the people in the crowd to go and find more buckets.

At the sound of Connor's voice, the people that had gathered to watch were spurred into action. Lines formed from the river to the homes and buckets were passed back and forth. This seemed to help but the inferno continued to rage, carrying embers and smoke high into the night air.

As Ventrue broke into what appeared to be a living room, the shouting became clearer. Four voices, one male, one female and two children cried out from upstairs, while another male voice came from the basement. There were separate staircases, one leading up and one leading down. Neither appeared very structurally sound and you had no idea if they could actually bear your weight but it was now or never. With you organising the crowd and word spreading more and more help seemed to arrive and now the fire was now contained to the three properties and didn't appear to be moving onto the other properties. A man with a soot-covered face and moppy black hair passed you another bucket and you passed it down the line. You walk up to the flames, ignoring the smoke as it stings your eyes making them water and the heat from the inferno. Guesting with your hands you begin to chant and as you do your eyes drift shut. They snap open as your spell finishes and you feel a cold burning sensation leave your body. You sway slightly but looking up you realise that the flames burning in the doorway are no more. The flames have been reduced to embers, burning inside blackened wood. Wide-eyed guards and townsfolk run forward with buckets to douse what is left of flames. The way was now at least clear should any brave souls be willing to risk the danger to save those trapped in the building.

As she continued to work the buckets, Margaret heard one of the voices yelling for help from the top of the burning building clearly for the first time. She hadn't heard that voice in nearly five years and it was enough to make her freeze. Dr Russo? No, it couldn't possibly be him. The doctor has spent so much time with her when she was ill in her formative years. She remembered his kind eyes and wide smile and the jokes he used to tell her when she was depressed from spending long periods of time inside. Why would he be here now?

As you began to run up the stairs, they creaked and groaned before you started to hear the timber cracking. Looking up you saw two small figures on the landing of the top floor. They were lower to the ground but still coughing in the smoke. As the staircase began to give way, you lept for the landing but you came up short, crashing to the ground in the ruined remains of the staircase. "Margret? Margret is that you?" came a hoarse voice from the second floor. A head appeared out of the window and while the good doctor may have put on a few years, it was certainly him. He had the same heavily lined face and broad nose, his head almost completely bald except for the sides but his most striking feature was still his blue eyes.

As he stared down from the top floor, the people began to ransack neighbouring houses, mattresses, pillows, blankets and even drapes began to be piled in the street. It wouldn't be long until there would be enough to break their fall but the question was whether the house would hold for that long. The doctor locked eyes with you and understood what your plan was.

"The children first." he called down. As you completed your chant, the water in your hands began to glow a bright pale blue before rushing up into the night sky. Clouds began to form over the house seemingly out of nowhere and as they broke, water began to pour down onto the buildings, the fire hissing as the water began to extinguish the blaze. Just as quickly as the rain clouds formed, they dissipated. Turning to the crowd of people, you saw most of them had frozen and were now looking at you mouths agape.

The air shimmered around you, as light expanded from your arcane focus and encircled you. The golden light took the form of shimmering armour around you for a moment before fading from sight. As you look around the crowd, you notice the city guard members, perhaps close to a dozen looking at you with a wariness that bordered on fear. More than one of them had their hands drifting to their weapons. As the water came through the roof, the flames that danced around you began to extinguish themselves and you moved through the room, avoiding the worst of the flames that remained, as the townsfolk ran into the building carrying buckets of water. You dashed down the stairs, keeping to the most structurally sound parts and found yourself in what remained of the bakery that was under the home. You found a heavy-set man, with a bald head unconscious and he didn't appear to be breathing.

Taking a look at the man, he didn't appear to be breathing. With that in mind, you guessed that he had probably passed out due to smoke inhalation. As you looked the man over, you could see all around what remained of the bakery were strange symbols carved into the stone floor. As you both began to move through the crowd, several of the city guards drew their blades and levelled them at you and you found yourself looking down no fewer than half a dozen muskets. A richly dressed man, with a well-groomed goatee and narrow features, pushed his way through the guard. He was dressed in brown leathers which were accented with gold, as were his black gloves and boots. An aquamarine waistcoat drew your attention as did his wide-brimmed hat, with one end turned up and pinned with what appeared to be a golden pin inlaid with a pearl. A red feather was a bold addition that completed his look. Of more interest to you than any of that was the flintlock pistol he had drawn and which while not pointed directly at you, seemed at the ready. Like the rest of the guard, he had a blade hanging from his side, though it seemed to be of a much finer make.

"No one is going anywhere." he said in a silken voice,"Or not at least until I am satisfied."

"Now, children! Try to land on your backs, if you can. Jump!"

"I am less concerned with what they did and more with how they did it. That was no simple street magician's illusion. You summoned clouds and a downpour to douse the fire! Do not take me for a simpleton!" he growled,"If you do not wish to explain yourselves to me, I will take you to the Magistrate and you can explain yourself to her and since you are so eager to defend them and interfere with my work, you can join them"The man seemed unresponsive to your voice or your slaps and you grew concerned as the colour in his face began to change hue. Above you, you could make out the creaking and groaning of the timbers and over the dying cracking of the fire, you could hear heated voices coming from the street. The children look up at you with soot-covered faces as their eyes water and noses dribble but now that the staircase had given way, they seemed to recognise they had very little choice. The older brother's eyes seemed to harden and with an encouraging nod from the doctor, he grabbed his sister's hand and lept from the building. You watched, with your heart in your throat, as they fell and breathed a sigh of relief as they landed with a couple of bruises and perhaps a little winded. The mother followed in short order and then it was just you and the doctor remaining. With your help and direction, what remained of the fire was doused and you looked up at the house, now just a gutted remnant of its former self. The people around you seemed weary after their effort, some swaying on the spot, others sitting in the street. A small group had gathered around a group of guards and other people in the middle of the street. Their voices carried easily to where you stood, over the lapping of the water in the canals.As you exit back onto the street you see the conflict between the guards and the other samaritans and note that it appears to be getting quite heated. You were distracted from that as the two children landed in front of you and as you watched, the younger girls eyes began to fill with tears after having the wind knocked from her by the leap.

You make your way downstairs carefully, avoiding putting too much pressure on the stairs themselves. By the way they creaked and groaned you weren't sure how much longer they would be standing for, after being ravaged by the fire. Coming to what appeared to be the remains of the bakery, you once again found an unconscious man on the floor who did not appear to be breathing and around you were strange arcane symbols. With your encouragement, the doctor lept from the window landing in the pile of cushioning before, reaching out and grabbing your arm to steady himself.

"Thank you for your help, my dear," he said,It has been far too long, how are your mother and father? How is there health?"

As he spoke you could see genuine concern for the wellbeing of your parents in his eyes. The doctor knew enough to know that they would be getting on in age and all the complications that could bring. "As I meant no offence to you sir, forgive me it has been a trying night." he said to Hallion inclining his head slightly,"As for the two of you, I am taking you to the magistrate. You may have helped with this situation but whatever it is that you can do represents a danger to the people of Esterwyn and that is not something we can just allow without a through investigation. Will you come peacefully and do I have your word that you won't try to escape?"

"I have no idea, my dear. I was just here treating the children the next minute there was smoke coming from the basement and flames everywhere. Speaking of, I must check on the children and see that they are okay."

He moved away from you and made his way over to the children. He sat them both down and had them breathe deeply and then moved his in front of the child's eyes, having her track the movements.
The captain looked at both of you shrewdly but then nodded and seemed satisfied, he put his gun away. Taking his lead, the remaining guards put their weapons away.

"Come on then." he said, "I appreciate you both not making this harder then it needs to be, especially in front of the children."

He looked over the smouldering remains of the home and shook his head. "They will have enough to deal with in the coming days."

With that he turned on his heel and began making his way down the street, the guards surrounding you both waiting for you to move.
You arrive and push your way to the front of the crowd and caught enough to know that the pair was being taken in for an odd display of power. The guards briefly regarded you before they turned their attention back to the pair being taken in.

There was far too much here for you to record everything here before you in the brief time you had. Taking in the runes, you realised in a flashing of insight that they began in a middle point and ran in spirals. With the basic understanding of how the runes were arranged, you recorded the parts that you felt were of the most value. Something about summoning, strengthening and maintaining...
You ran around the man, trussing him up with your rope before tying handhold knots. While Ventrue was preoccupied with the symbols, you tried to give the man a pull but he was going nowhere with just your efforts. Eventually Ventrue came and joined you and you both began dragging the man from the basement. As you toiled, some of the city guards joined you and together you got the man into the street. A man was pulled from the home by a childlike figure and a large figure that only vaguely human to your eyes and the city guard. As the man was removed from the home, there was a creaking noise that got louder before there was a number of cracking noise, as the home collapsed in on itself. The woman from the home looked up from her children and gave a strangled cry and clung to her children as she noticed what was going on. The doctor made his way over to the man and began to try and treat the man. There was a noticeable moment as the Russo visibly sagged as if the weight of the night, had fallen on him all at once before his back straightened and he made his way back over to the woman and her children. He said something quietly to her and she began to sob uncontrollably. The doctor continued to speak with her, before you saw him press a leather purse into her hand and embracing her.
The captain whirled around tearing his eyes away from the scene before you all.

"That is none of your concern, madam but if you must know they are being taken in for questioning in relation to the blaze. Currently, they have not been charged with anything, which will be up to the magistrate to decide. Now clear off, all of you.

With that last sentence, the city guard began dispersing the crowd. There was some muttering but by and large, the crowd seemed content to go back to their night.
The captain turned to face you and you could see that he was rapidly running out of patience. His jaw was clenched and you swear you saw his eye twitch.

"We appreciate your concern, sir and of course all leads will be investigated. While these individuals did indeed assist in putting the fire out, there is some questions surrounding how they did it and if they represent a danger to the general public.

There were a few murmurs from the crowd that was at your back but they continued to disperse despite your words. They seemed content to let the guard conduct the investigation in the way that they saw fit, for now anyway. A few more fires might just change their mind but for now, their apathy was stronger. The leader of the guards just stared at you saying nothing before nodding and the guards, moved forward and pushed you aside.
"That may be your opinion sir and you may have the right to say it but do not presume to speak for me. Now stand aside and let us do our job."

As he spoke, the guards moved forward and roughly pushed you to one side as they began to move back down the street and out of sight.The guards formed loosely around the pair of you and began moving through the street. Before long you reached a small dock with a number of flat bottom boats tied to it. The guards made their way forward and began to untie the vessels, leaving you unattended except for the captain and the figure that had agreed to be your witness.

Conner stays in the area making sure that all the fire is out and everything that has been burnt has cooled. He will make his way carefully into the centermost building to see if he can find the source of the fire.

You made your way to the center of the structure and looked around, even as embers continued to flicker in the blackened wood and grey ash around you. There was nothing obvious that you could find that would have caused the fire, for all you knew it could have simply been a candle causing a curtain to catch fire. The Blue Dolphin was a three story octagonal structure, the legacy of originally having been a grain silo on the docks. The windows were known to be shuttered in all but the summer months to keep the chill from the harbor winds from encroaching on the inside of the structure. The slates and were all poorly weathered. Although blue paint on the wood dolphin behind the bar was beginning to chip and flake, the inn had an inexplicable aura of permanence and age, no doubt thanks to being one of the oldest structures in the city. The inn’s location ensured that it was a place that sailors could come when they had some much needed shore leave or when they had spare time. Dockhands were also common in the inn. No matter who came calling though, they were almost universally unpolished and drank heavily.

You both found yourself currently on the first floor, which was known as the common room but was split into two parts, the ground floor and the quarter deck. All around the ground floor were tables and chairs, rough but comfortable. Embedded in the southern wall was a massive hearth which was burning intensely, providing warmth to the patrons. The walls of the common room were decorated with trophy fish of all varieties, tattered nets, tridents, whaling spears and pieces of masts, supposedly taken from famous ships. Looking up you saw that the infamous second floor, known as the crow’s nest, where patrons that needed privacy went from intimate meetings of all varieties. The balcony overlooked the common room and you noticed a few figures regarding you as you entered.

Finally, there was the bar at the far end. I ragged looking bartender was kept busy pouring drinks and leaning against one end of the bar was the owner of the establishment, Elisabeth Talbot. She was a short woman at just under five feet tall, but her thigh high boots added to her height. Her ebony hair was pulled back from her face and cascaded down her back in curls and waves. As you entered, her brown eyes regarded you from the door to the bar and back to your seat. Gold bangles jangled on her wrists, and multiple golden earrings pierced her ears. She wore a simple white blouse that was tied at the front and leather pants. Not much was known about the woman’s past before she washed up in Esterwyn and bought the Blue Dolphin and no one seemed overly curious, no doubt thanks to the hard look she gave whenever she was questioned. The patrons knew she had a mean right hook and an imagination when it came to the drinks on her menu and that was enough for them.

As you come around the corner, you find yourself looking down the barrels of a number of firearms. From his position by the pier, the captain of the guard didn't even turn to regard you before speak.

"We are not men that enjoy being followed. This no longer concerns you, please be about your business." he called,"Surely you have better things to do with your evening than interfere with my investigation?"
Looking over the sketches that Ventrue had made, you weren’t able to immediately make anything out. You continued to study it intently until the symbols almost seemed to dance in your vision. Then all at once, it seemed to come together. The home was being used as a focal point for something and whatever it was it wasn’t good. The site was part of a chain that if established would strengthen and maintain whatever was being summoned. The fire had been used to establish the site, with all of the negative energy being harnessed to fuel the ritual. From the notes that had been taken that was all, you knew for sure.

Margaret puts her hands on her hips and tosses her head defiantly in the face of the guns. She's secretly terrified, but angry enough to push through it.

"Captain, the day that the citizens of this city allow the police to conduct their business without scrutiny is the day that tyranny reigns. I am merely a concerned citizen, attempting to ensure that due process is followed in the arrest of these people, against whom you have still not laid any formal charges beyond your vague 'suspicion'. As far as I am aware, walking the streets in the same direction as an officer of the law is not a crime."

The captain looked at you up and down and he let out a weary sigh.

"I am certainly not answerable to you ma'am. Given your behaviour back at the site of the crime, you can understand why I would doubt your motives. Now, what business brings you in this direction?" he asked you. You made your way through the city for a number of hours, travelling on the canals several times before you came to an area where the buildings were made roughly and almost seemed to be built over each other. There was little in the way of planning to these buildings, as it appeared the inhabitants simply expanded them as they required. There was a strong smell of urine and gods knows what else on the street, with trash piled in dark corners. The few people that were making their way through the streets universally seemed to wear heavy cloaks that concealed their features but you saw the flashes of weapons catching the moonlight under their garb.

You passed what seemed to be a raucous tavern and as you passed, there was a crash as a man was thrown through the window of the establishment. Laughter and yelling drifted out into the street but no one seemed concerned, least of all the man who had been thrown through the window, who appeared to be out cold. You looked up at the sign that swung in the light sea breeze, the chains creaking, The Guided Abyss. You continued on your way, until you came to the city walls, here there seemed to be a number of rough warehouse buildings pressed up against the walls. They seemed like they were slightly better constructed and less ramshackle. The windows were shuttered and the few that were not seemed to broken.
You strained to remember but could not recall any similar events in the city's recent history. There was a loud thump and you jumped slightly. You saw that it looked like Elisabeth had decided to join you, she reclined in the chair across from both of you with her feet up on the table. At her gesture, a server came forward and dropped tankards in front of each of you and next to them was a small glass containing an amber liquid. You saw that Elisabeth had a similar tankard and glass in front of her, she dropped the liquid into the tankard and drank deeply before looking you both over.

So what brings you to fine establishment this evening?" she asked with a small smile on her face,"You certainly don't look like my normal patrons."

You read my mind! :D

Margaret lets out a deep sigh, knowing there's no way she can convincingly lie to an officer of the law. But she's come this far, so she might as well get everything out in the open.

"Captain, my interest in these people is much the same as yours. I am a researcher into supernatural phenomena, and the question of whether or not they were truly able to produce the reported effects is of professional interest. I do not wish to lose track of them before I've had a chance to speak with them."

She takes a breath, some of her anger returning. "I am also a lawyer, and I know for a fact that performing acts of 'magic' is not grounds for arrest under any jurisdiction. Their detainment is clearly unlawful. Not only that, but your subordinate officers have now drawn their weapons on a civilian, and threatened violence! Your badge does not allow you to act outside the law, captain, in fact it holds you to a higher standard. If you won't release your captives, and you won't permit me to follow unmolested, then I insist that you detain me as well, and I will happily see you in court."

Elisabeth looked you over briefly before gesturing at the drinks in front of you,"I might have heard something, I might not have too. Either way, it seems rude to discuss it if you aren't joining me for a drink."
They are ramshackle certainly and if there was a poorer more destitute side of the town you were in it but the buildings seemed structurally sound enough or at least the foundations did. You imagine cyclones and other intense tropical would be fairly common in Esterwyn, given its coastal location and while these building would no doubt take a battering, they seemed like they would stand against a fair to middling storm at least.

"If you continue to harass an ongoing investigation, you will certainly have your day in court because I will take you in for obstructing me. If you wish to accompany us, you may. Perhaps the magistrate will want your input regarding these new phenomena. The same can be said of you bright boy." the captain said with a brief smirk and a nod towards Hallion.

Obviously, it was going to take more than a light show to impress the man. By this stage, the boats had been unmoored and the guards were now guiding Wynn and Elendin towards the boats.
You made your way forward to the sturdiest looking warehouse, which also seemed to be the closest to the canal in this part of the city. You were not surprised to find that the warehouse was not locked and made your way inside. In the building, it was far too dark to make out anything but heavy shadows but after a moment of concentration a ball of yellow light rose from your hand and you found yourself in a large room, walking past what appeared to be row after row of cots. The cots were by no means luxurious but each of them was covered in a thick blanket made of some kind of hemp material and had a pillow at the head of cot.

"Before we get into all of that though, can I ask, what the devil are you?" she asked. You got the sense that the question was mostly directed towards Ventrue.

Elisabeth looked at Ventrue long and hard, before she drank what remained in her tankard in one long chug. When she finished, she wiped her mouth on the back of her arm.

"Run that by me again?" she asked her shrewd eyes assessing you both.

Eventually, you were all loaded into three separate boats and made your way through the canals. After close to about twenty minutes, you approached an imposing building that seemed to be separate from the rest of the city and approachable only by water. It was a stone structure that was badly weathered but sturdy and guards with longarms patrolled the top of the walls. As you approached, you were hailed by the guards on the wall but when the guards you were with identified themselves, the rifles were lowered and the steel gate that was lowered into the water and muck was raised slowly admitting your party. Entering the guards navigated to a stone rampway that led deeper into the structure. As the party disembarked, you saw that green moss and lichen had turned the stones closer to the waterline a shade of green, causing you to wonder at the building's age. Elisabeth regarded you cooly for a moment before she brought her hand above the table. She had concealed it without you noticing but more importantly, you saw that she was holding a cocked pistol. She very purposefully uncocked it and laid it on the table and kept both her hands in full view on the table.

"And when exactly was this?" she asked and you almost thought you detected a sense of wonder in her voice.

Elizabeth rocked back on her chair and seemed to take in everything that was being said.

"So it's true then, I heard tales but I have never believed any of it...." she whispered.

When she was finished speaking she took another very large drink. From what you both understood of human biology, she had to be feeling the effects of the alcohol but there were no outward signs of any drunkenness that you could detect.
As you came off the boat the guards seemed to be more relaxed, no doubt due to the fortified surroundings they found themselves in. The guards made their way to a heavy cast iron door with a padlock at the end of the dry dock and unlocked it with a heavy key. The door seemed old and rusted but still very solid and it took two of the guards working together to open it. The door swung in, creaking and groaning to reveal an arched hallway that was richly decorated. A heavy crimson rug ran the length of the hallway and torches burned, providing light. There were no windows, as the hallway appeared to lead deeper into the structure. As the guards began moving into the hall, there was a rattling of chains and the portcullis began to lower into the water once more.

"One of my men left ahead of us and a special court has been convened given the gravity of the situation before us and the decision they must make." the captain said in response before making his way into the hallway.
Hallion closed his eyes and inhaled deeply and as he exhaled, his consciousness began to stretch in all directions but he felt nothing inherently good or evil in his presence, just the murky grey of humanity. For a brief moment, you thought you may have detected a pulse in the distance but it was too fast and too far for you to make anything out for certain. As you made your way through the cots, you a faint shuffling sound reaches your ears and a whisper carries in the cavernous space before you.

"Come one, he went this way. You know what we need to do." the voice was low and husky and there was a strange accent that you could not place.

The guards led you through the spartan interior of the prison and you all soon became disorientated by the endless maze of doors and staircases. Eventually, a wooden door was pulled open to reveal a long hall area, with a raised platform and dias at one end of it. Behind the dias was three, almost regal cushioned chairs.

The cushions themselves were a deep scarlet, while they appeared to be trimmed with gold. Behind them roared a large fire, the was currently nothing more than dying embers. Along the sides of the room were wooden stadiums, where witnesses to the court could stand. Finally, in the centre of the room there was another speaking dias but from this particular dias hung heavy chains and manacles, rusted with age.

There was no one else in the room, except for a cloaked figure that stood in the witness gallery, closest to the judge's platform. She removed her hood to reveal fine features, strawberry blonde hair and clear piercing blue eyes, which regarded you all with an intensity that belied a simple hearing.

As you stood there taking in the room before you, you suddenly felt very cold despite the warmth of the fire. The hair on your arms stood up and it was so bad that your teeth began to chatter. A sudden wave of fatigue washed over you and you collapsed into a chair in the sitting gallery. Your vision swam, and you struggled to focus on the concerned voices of the guards around you. You saw Elendin collapse into the chair and there was a sudden pounding in the back of your head. You almost let out a groan as the splitting headache came out of nowhere. Out of nowhere, you wanted nothing more than to sleep. You struggled to breathe and doubled over and began coughing, deep hacking coughs and with each cough, thick green phlegm covered your clothes. Sitting there as the conversation went back and forward, you found yourself unable to concentrate and began shaking uncontrollably. You stood, taking your drink and made your way over to the fire in an attempt to warm yourself but it accomplished little. The smells of the tavern's food, which had been enticing a moment before, now turned your stomach violently. The sounds of the men drew closer as you lay under the cot, readying your spell. Laying there though, stomach cramps overcame you and you had to bite your tongue to stop yourself from making any noise. The pains were intense and it was a sharp, stabbing sensation. Sweat beaded on your skin, despite the coolness of the stones you were laying on and you began to shiver.

As Elendin collapses, Margaret rushes to her side. "Hey!" she shouts at the mysterious woman. "What are you doing to them? This is supposed to be a courtroom, you can't attack people!"

The head of the guard rushed over to Elendin, as did the woman in the hood. As Margret inspected her, you could tell that she was suffering from an unnaturally high fever, she would need blankets to be kept warm. As you did your best to comfort Elendin, the guards made their way from the room. Within moments, two women and a man in official robes, swept into the room. The man made his way over to the woman in the hood. While this continued, Wynn continued to cough almost uncontrollably.

"Nareem," he barked,"What is this? What is going on?"

"If you give me a moment Tarlos, I will see what I can find out."

Nareem made her way across to Elendin first and knelt beside her. She took out a number of green leaves and placed them in a small stone bowl, before lighting them on fire. As the smoke drifted up she began chanting and instructed Elendin to breathe in the smoke which she did. When she exhaled the smoke had taken on a green tinge. She repeated the process with Wynn, who also exhaled a green smoke. After exhaling the smoke, she handed Wynn a vial and instructed him to drink. After doing so, he felt the coughing ease but the shivering continued unabated. As she worked, you saw a necklace with a small pendant drop from her neck.

"Whatever this is Tarlos, it isn't natural." she said.

With that Tarlos and his two companions looked uneasily between each other before Tarlos turned back to Nareem.

"What do you suggest?" he asked her much more gently and you could hear the fear in his voice.

"We'll need time to look into it and see what can be uncovered. Whoever is behind this, they have to be known to the order." she responded.

When she said that, Tarlos ran a hand through his brown hair and across his stubble as he thought. His brown eyes took in the scene before him and he closed his eyes for a moment, breathing deeply, calming himself.

"So the rumours are true then, magic has returned to the world."

As the chaos of the room ensues, you notice Nareem's golden pendant has the symbol of a key pressed into it. As Tarlos runs his hands through his hair, you see he has a golden ring on one of his fingers with the same symbol pressed into it. Nareem and Tarlos continued to debate back and forward, as the other two judges and the guards watched on. Eventually, the guards including the captain were dismissed.

"From the captain's description there is clearly those with arcane talent among this group. The captain did his duty by bringing them here but I suggest they be released into my care." Nareem said to the three judges, Tarlos in particular.

"But do they danger pose to the city?" Tarlos responded.

"No more than I do, after all, they helped with the fire. Besides that, that one has a touch of the divine about him." she stated gesturing towards Hallion.

The three judges seemed to take pause and that and each of them scrutinised the Aasimar in turn.

"We have been right all this time, there are more things in heaven and earth than we had dreamt of."

"Does that mean...?"

"Yes with the good will come the ill and who knows what will crawl out from the shadows. They will be needed and perhaps sooner than we think, especially if this is not a natural illness or it spreads."

With that statement, the judges moved to a corner and began conferring with one another, no doubt about the fate of the group. "I have done nothing to your friend," Elisabeth said sharply ignoring your display and standing to inspect Balara. As she did so, you noticed one of her golden bangles was inscribed with the symbol of a key. After a brief inspection, she turned back to Ventrue.

"Friends of mine will want to know of your arrival to the city though and no doubt meet you both, given your natures. They will have a much better idea of what ails her than I."

Without waiting for an answer she stood, holstering her pistol and walking to the door of the establishment. She paused briefly to pull on a cloak to shield her from the wind and stepped out into the street.

I figured that. Elendin is extremely dramatic. :)

Hallion made his way up to Wynn and placed his hand on the man's chest, while he continued to cough. Hallion focused for a moment and a divine yellow-white light flowed from his hand into Wynn. There was a pregnant moment, where the party watched on to see the impact it had on Wynn. The answer came a moment later as he continued to cough harshly, though not as violently as before thanks to the potion he had drunk.

As Hallion tried to heal Wynn, the door opened and three figures swept into the room. A woman in a cloaked entered, golden jewellery glinting from under the cover of the cloak. From behind her legs came a small almost childlike figure, with proportions that suggested it was not a child with an arm in a sling. Finally, came a hulking figure that took up much of the doorway. As she entered the woman was already speaking.

"Tarlos you are not going to believe the night I have had...." she was saying before pausing as she took in the room and the group assembled before her, "....then again maybe you will. Nareem what are you doing here?"

"The same thing as you I suspect Elizabeth." she responded before looking at Margret,"We are a society that is dedicated to the old ways and preserving the wisdom of the ancients where we can find it. As for what is happening at the moment, the simple truth is that we have no idea. There have been rumours from all across Gabresia of magic returning and myth and legend coming back to the fore. At first, we thought they were nothing but rumours but then our members began finding that our words suddenly held power."

"Some knowledge is not meant for the untested child." Nareem said gently before heaving a sigh,"The simple truth is that we don't know when our order was founded. What we do know was that it was founded when magic was last in the world. There is much to explain regarding our founding and now is not the time for such a lengthy tale. In brief, there was a time when mages became overcome with arrogance at their power and entered heaven itself and sought to challenge the gods themselves.

What happened to those mages is unknown to us but what is known is that Tinel, the Archmage of Heaven, came to his most powerful followers on the earthly planes and these five archmages founded the Order of the Golden Key. This great council of mages, led by the five, set limitations and laws for the use of magic. Over time, as magic left the world, the Order's power waned and as we did, we turned to preserve and safekeeping relics of the past. With magic gone, we began to focus on more mundane power but now by with magic returning to the world we are ready to assume our most sacred duty once more."

As she spoke, Nareem seemed to become more animated, particularly when speaking of the return magic. When she had finished speaking, she crossed to Margaret and pulled her into a deep hug and whispered in her ear softly so that no one else in the room could hear.

"I know your pain, better than you can imagine. Now that you have come to us, we will have time to speak further. There is something I would discuss with you but now is not the time."
Seeing that Nareem was occupied, Elizabeth turned to Halion.

"We don't know any more than you do." she responded with a sour look on her face as though the fact irked her greatly,"Whatever this illness is, it isn't natural but is unaffected by healing that we have access to. It is something we must unravel though. If this illness intensifies or starts to spread...." she broke off looking uneasy at the thought.

As you stood there and the conversation flowed around you, your mind was drawn back to the site of the fire and the strange symbols you found there. That was it! It had been a ritual to start whatever this was. If additional rituals were performed, this would go from bad to worse.