MERC XVI: Morality is Relative; Professional Standards Aren't!

[Morty]

[To Catch a Burglar]

In the main room of the main base, Dipsnig has spread three maps: of Riverside, Skyside and Inside (that is, Inside's current approximate shape and status). On the nearest wall, there's a clipboard with three items on it:

• AMEN
• Cybil
• Lavthos

All in preparation for starting a search for Cat Burglar. It's a big, fat bounty they have on him, so snaring him is a high priority.

[Zefir]

Enemy Lines

Fade seems to be to slow to do something about Krait, befor he got draged into the Robot. Still he saw it. While the invaders prepare their leave, Fade just slides back into the tunnels he came out befor. In the main room he leaves his shadow, bruiseom his arm and face from the rubber bulllets.
He will search the Main room for Dipsnig or call him if he isn't there. he might have something Dipsnig may want to know.

[WarKitty]

Enemy Lines

Xun thinks quickly, using a magic pulse to send a telepathic message back over the communicator that should come out as words to anyone hearing. Going to figure out where their lair is. Back later!

[Shadowcaller]

To Catch a Cat Burglar

Astrana knocks on the door to Dipsnig's office and then peers inside. "You wanted to see me, sir?" The tiefling asks, her yellow eyes scanning the room.

[Morty]

[To Catch a Burglar]

"Ah, Ms. Tyamera," Dipsnig says, looking up from his map of Skyside. "I'm glad to see you. We have been given a lucrative bounty by the government of Northside, and now also Westside as it turns out. It appears we might need your skills to get a place to start."

[Shadowcaller]

[To Catch a Burglar]

"You mean Malechenar?" Astrana asks, raising her eyebrows. Here she had gone all this way to not end up with those people and now she was still going to work indirectly with them. "What do you need help with exactly? I know for a fact they have an entire cabal of warlocks working for them."

[Morty]

[To Catch a Burglar]

"They want us to catch a thief, known as Cat Burglar." Dipsnig points to the wanted poster. "I don't know what exactly he did to them, and we're not in the business of asking this kind of question. Now, according to them, he's got some associates." He points to the list on the wall. "AMEN, whom I would rather not deal with if I don't have to. But there is this Cybil and Lavthos. Both vampires, apparently, and criminals on their homeworld."

[FireFox]

[Phone]

Ring ring! Ring ring! Someone's calling the public line.

[Shadowcaller]

[To Catch a Burglar]

A lot of people were 'criminals' according to Malechenar, but Astrana wasn't going to come with a comment like that here. "If they're asking us to do it, they're likely busy with something else." She observes however. Most likely with their takeover of the city. She was so glad she had left for Inside before that happened. "I could attempt to scry for them, but I'm either expecting them to go under false names or have some sort of protection in place. There are ways to bypass that though. Like sending a outsider to find the named person."

[Morty]

[To Catch a Burglar]

"Whatever works," Dipsnig says. "We don't need to pinpoint his location. All we need, at this stage, is a place to start. A place he's been a person he spoke to who can direct us, something he owned, maybe. Once we have that, further tracking will become progressively easier."

[Phone]

The phone is answered by one of the clerks in the Inside office.

"MERC Inside office speaking, how may we help you?"

[Shadowcaller]

[To Catch a Burglar]

"I can simply try to scry him through his name first and see what that turns up." The tiefling suggests. "But was there anything else or should I start preparing?" The new ritual chamber was really spiffy. She looked forward to finally use it.

[Morty]

[To Catch a Burglar]

"Hmm. No, just scry on his name, and his associates' names. Then we'll see what we have. Leave AMEN out of it for now," Dipsnig says, after a moment's consideration.

[Shadowcaller]

[To Catch a Burglar]

"As you wish sir. I'll get back to you once I have something." Astrana replies and will get up from her seat and leave unless Dipsnig have anything else to say.

[MERC Summoning Chamber]

The witch doctor (Astrana!) will here conduct a ritual involving the burning of a note of the Catburglar's name together with the picture of him taken by Malechenar. If it's enough to actually scry on the burglar is up to his player however.

[Zefir]

[Dipsnig Office]

Fade will knock on the door. He got something that may be important, not about the urglar hunt.

[Morty]

[Dipsnig Office]

"Come in," Dipsnig says. Once Fade opens the door, he'll find Dipsnig at his desk, writing something in a notebook. There are discarded pieces of paper around, suggesting he might be trying to draft something. "What is it, Fade?"

[Zefir]

[Dipsnig Office]

Fade slips in through the door, clsing it behind him. He looks over the paper, to at least get what the boss might work at. then he looks up and speaks in his emotionless voice.

"I think I got seom bad news for you. It's about two member from here." he sais waiting for Dipsnig' full attention.

[FireFox]

[Phone]

The phone is answered by one of the clerks in the Inside office.

"MERC Inside office speaking, how may we help you?"

This is Ekwensu, the Nigerian scammer's mellifluous voice speaks out of the phone. I would like to check upon the status of my contract.

[Morty]

[Phone]

There's a rustling of paper on the other side of the phone.

"Ah, yes. Boos Razortooth is currently... preoccupied with what I believe is the aftermath of an attack on the main base of the Corporation, but he left some notes. He's investigating rumours of a group called the Vulpine Empire which seems to be gaining a foothold. There's also what appears to be a terrorist group called DART, which may or may not be related to them. He'll direct any and all findings to you."

[ThirdEmperor]

[MERC Summoning Chamber]

The witch doctor (Astrana!) will here conduct a ritual involving the burning of a note of the Catburglar's name together with the picture of him taken by Malechenar. If it's enough to actually scry on the burglar is up to his player however.

No reason why it shouldn't be.

The scry will return his location as somewhere in the twisting complex of tunnels beneath AMEN's headquarters.

[Morty]

[Aftermath of the Battle]

When Dipsnig climbs down from his power suit and surveys the damage, he's deadly calm. Only those who know him well or are experts on reading people, or both, will detect the edge in his voice.

"I swear on all the Razortooths before me that I'm going to make a rug out of that mangy mutt and lay it in front of my desk."

[Solidarity]

[MERC Inside Office]

The door to the Inside office of MERC swings lazily open and in stumbles a very haggard looking Marcus Runeheart. It's clear he hasn't shaved or slept in quite a while. He'll steer himself into the lobby and drop unceremoniously into one of the lounge chairs. Pulling up an end table, the Wizard takes his bag and grabs about four different books out that he opens on said table in front of him. A weary gaze is cast across the myriad of text as the young Runeheart's shoulder's slack and he holds the sides of his head in concentration.

"Ughh...." he groans quietly to himself.

The tomes and ledgers spread across the table are all in complex, old languages. A few diagrams can be seen as Mark sporadically flips pages in a seemingly random fashion. One particular book closest to him has an array that simply comes to life and crawls off the page. This is registered but otherwise completely ignored by the Signomancer. Must happen often. All that might be heard is his near constant, vague muttering.

"Was it...no, no. But he disproved...fractional space—oh nevermind. How did...? Ah, the fourth anomalous law says...ok. But then..." He'll trail off into a disgruntled sigh.

Any who enter therein would be hard pressed not to notice the young man. Marcus was quite the mess.

[FireFox]

[Phone]

There's a rustling of paper on the other side of the phone.

"Ah, yes. Boos Razortooth is currently... preoccupied with what I believe is the aftermath of an attack on the main base of the Corporation, but he left some notes. He's investigating rumours of a group called the Vulpine Empire which seems to be gaining a foothold. There's also what appears to be a terrorist group called DART, which may or may not be related to them. He'll direct any and all findings to you."

... I see. Ekwensu keeps his voice pleasant. No use getting angry at a secretary. No photographs or diagrams of the other areas I asked about? Emergency response times, at least?

[Zefir]

[Aftermath of the Battle]

When Dipsnig climbs down from his power suit and surveys the damage, he's deadly calm. Only those who know him well or are experts on reading people, or both, will detect the edge in his voice.

"I swear on all the Razortooths before me that I'm going to make a rug out of that mangy mutt and lay it in front of my desk."

[Aftermath of the Battle]

"I'm sure we will here of them very soon." Fade's voice comes from a close shadow as he steps out of lit like walking up stairs hidden in the shadow. He isn't badly hurt, but a few bruise can be seen on his right arm and head caused by the rubber ammunation from the atatckers.

[Shadowcaller]

[MERC Summoning Chamber]

So he was in AMEN then as mister Razortooth had suspected. Not particularly exciting information, but at least he wasn't anywhere else. But if the scrying had worked, similar things would as well. She quickly prepared a ritual for Arcusoth, the many-eyed watched and call upon one of it's eyes. Then she called mister Razortooth. "It's Astrana, would you mind coming down here? I will require a second person for this."

[Morty]

[MERC Summoning Chamber]

Dipsnig arrives in the chamber shortly. It's not far, since his own office and bedroom are underground as well.

"Any results?" he asks once he's there.

[Shadowcaller]

[MERC Summoning Chamber]

"I know he's in AMEN, but I think we require more information than just that so I've prepared a ritual to summon an eye of Arcusoth to keep an watch on him. It will require me to give up my own sight for that time however, leaving me helpless. So I'd be glad if I have someone keep me company while I'm blind." The tiefling explains.

[Morty]

[MERC Summoning Chamber]

Dipsnig grimaces. AMEN. He was afraid of that. Oh, well. He needs to leave there eventually. If he uses the main entrance, they might even see him do it.

"How long is it going to take?" he asks.

[Shadowcaller]

[MERC Summoning Chamber]

"The ritual itself won't take more than a few minutes, but I might have to watch him for a while depending on that he's planning to do today." The warlock explains.

[Morty]

[MERC Summoning Chamber]

Dipsnig nods.

"Alright then. I'll have a penguin fetch my crossbow and stay a while. Later on, I'll send a member down here in case it takes longer. I'm afraid Rilla hasn't replaced our golems yet."

[Shadowcaller]

[MERC Summoning Chamber]

"Thank you, I won't disappoint." Astrana says with a nod before turning to the summoning circle. She starts whispering strange, crude words as she goes down on her knees puts her head against the cave floor in a prayer-like fashion.
Eventually an entity shaped like an burning eye which replies to her in the same strange language before suddenly disappearing as fast as it appeared.

The Cat Burglar will not be spied on by the eye. Watching his every move. It's not physically nearby, rather it's like it's watching him from afar, being able to see through walls.