[DH] A Wretched Hive (IC)

[LeSwordfish]

"Sort of - she worked for a friend, we're trying to track her down as a favour... he's worried the worst has happened. If you don't mind my asking, who's been looking for her? Her other clients? Where did she live? When was the last time you heard from her?"

OOC

Spoiler

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Her last communication was while doing her skulking - do we know where and when that was?

[Bennosuke]

She'll try to make sure there were no pedestrians around before speaking, 'If we want to come at this from a different angle we can see if there's anyone down here who might be upset with the sort of thing the Redemptionists get up to. They must have been fighting with someone in that gunfight that killed Gurner. I'm a little out of my element down here or I might know which bars to go to to ask. Or we could always go speak to Gurner's people instead and see if there were any witnesses.'

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea," Lyra replies, "Or at the very least a bar might be a good place to find a little more information. Perhaps we can go at this from both angles?"

Spoiler: OOC:

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Happy to roll whatever is needed assuming this is a rout we also want to take.

[Thragka]

The Blind Bishop

"Other clients," the barman said. "Sola didn't have many friends." He sighed. As Carys asked more questions, he put the stein in his claw down and took a good look at the newcomers.

"What's your angle here? She left a few people on the hook for jobs, but most folk just called it money burnt and left it at that. What makes you care so much?"

Spoiler: OOC

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A Charm test would be appropriate here – modifier depending on how you phrase it.

Timon's last contact with Sola was Shriveday of the 21st week (this calendar is starting to feel a little stupid, might re-jig it) via a vox-network call – you wouldn't know from where.

[Burden King]

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea," Lyra replies, "Or at the very least a bar might be a good place to find a little more information. Perhaps we can go at this from both angles?"

Spoiler: OOC:

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Happy to roll whatever is needed assuming this is a rout we also want to take.

Titia nodded, liking the idea of gathering further information as well as preparing as much as they could “That sounds as good as anything else. Should we let the others know?”

[LeSwordfish]

"She was doing some work on a story for a journalist friend of mine," Carys explained uncertainly, cautious of how people here might see journalists. "Just as she seems to be onto something juicy, she vanishes. The case came up again recently, so he's called me in to see if I can find her, or at least the lead she was following."

[Haval]

“That sounds as good as anything else. Should we let the others know?”

'Probably should compare notes. And maybe we talk about what happens if we don't have anything useful for Mr Vane when the deadline comes.'

'I don't know where the rest of you stay normally but it might be easier if I sleep at the house tonight.'

Spoiler: ooc

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Going to call the others and see if they want to get a drink somewhere.

Not sure how the times lines compare here so maybe after their current scene.

[Thragka]

The barman digested this for a moment in silence. Carys got a good look at his craggy face as he considered it. His rough and weathered features spoke of a life of hard work, though he wasn't quite yet at the age when most manual labourers would be forced into retirement.

He sighed, brows rippling like geological formations sped up. "Damn. Sola was a friend. When folks in her line of work go missing, it's even chances they've got out, or been bumped off. You always hope for the former. I knew it didn't feel like it this time, though."

He picked up another stein in his mechanical hand and began cleaning it. "If she's mixed up in something serious enough that people are still looking for her, though ... well, whatever it is, at least if you folks are chasing it, maybe it leads to her. However she's ended up. Can't deny it would mean a lot to me to know. Look, I've got to keep this place running for the rest of the night, but if you come back round tomorrow afternoon, I'll take you too her digs. How's that sound, Ms ...?"

[LeSwordfish]

"Aventine," Carys said, deciding she'd rather not be notable for the moment. "Livia Aventine. That sounds very good, Mister...?"

OOC

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Ready to move on.

[Thragka]

The Blind Bishop

"Jakes," said the barman. He nodded. "See you tomorrow, Ms Aventine."

~

All

The Cathedral district was subdued, and Arnest Cauldron was quieter still, as both groups converged back on the safehouse. The beampipes overhead were fully extinguished, with the only illumination outside the hab-blocks provided by small utility fixtures in the hive ceiling, and lambent coronas escaping around blinds and curtains on building windows.

[Bennosuke]

Lyra took a sip from the tin mug the bartender had served her. The drink was supposed to be some sort of rotgut, but it tasted darn close to motor oil, and she grimaced as the first sip went down. Placing the acrid beverage on the table before her Lyra says to Carys and Nathias, "Well... I sure hope you two had better luck than us." She lets the statement hang in the air, hoping one of the two takes the invitation to go first and hopefully share some good news.

[Haval]

Nuala is always impressed to be in a place where the lights seem to work. Must be nice to be someone who had that kind of pull with the Mechanicus.

In the bar, 'Hey now. No one shot at anyone. I've had worse days.'

[-Sentinel-]

"Well... I sure hope you two had better luck than us."

"'Fraid not," sighed Nathias, sipping a mocktail (what did they call it again? 'Virgin Emperor'?). "We tried to get intel from church authorities with false credentials, but turns out neither of us is a very good liar. Carys is pursuing the barest shadow of a lead. What about you? Did you try to infiltrate the cult?"

[Haval]

"Did you try to infiltrate the cult?"

'Just don't let them hear you call it that. The people we met were a little jumpy, but they gave us an invite to a meeting next week anyway. Hopefully someone there will know something useful.' To Carys, 'You need any help with this lead. Given we have a deadline we should probably see what else we can dig up.'

[LeSwordfish]

"I've got a little more than a shadow - a contact at the Magistratum as well, we can use your excellent documents. I looked into this poor dead noble pilgrim - seems his house came down pretty hard on any kind of publicity about it, which almost certainly means that something's skew-whiff. Nazif Ibn Rasheed was last seen up at the top of the Cathedral district, before vanishing along with his stalker. We're checking her place out tomorrow, so i'm thinking of having a little poke around in the uphive then as well. Get my nose for news on the case."

[Bennosuke]

Lyra leans forward and with a sly grin says, "Perhaps I can lend an extra pair of eyes for your... snooping?"

[Haval]

'Nobility throwing their weight around. What are the chances.' Nuala mutters 'So is it the Redemptionists disappearing people or could it be someone else? Hopefully this Sola is only hiding out somewhere, but if we assume she's at least still alive there may be people looking for her.'

[Burden King]

Titia listened to the reports of her compatriots, and tried to think of what she could do to help. These servents of the throne all held skills and abilities that she lacked, education that allowed them to better grasp the high functions of Imperial society, Connections with the various levels of society that allowed their easy movement and gathering of information, and the ability to be in certain areas without drawing notice which may have been the most important. She listened as they spoke about a current lead they were chasing, as well as a plan to investigate the residence of a citizen of higher standing.

"While you are investigating the lead, and the residence, I can scout out the area around the congregation, maybe find some structural weaknesses or hidden paths that'll give us an advantage. I'd offer to investigate, but I doubt my likes will be welcome so deep in the hive." Titia said, reasoning that she would have to double her efforts to pay her personal tithe to the throne.

[truemane]

Metamagic Mod: permission given to re-open thread.

[-Sentinel-]

Nathias drummed his fingers on the table thoughtfully. Scheming was not his forte, despite spending the last couple of years on the wrong side of the law. "If we ever need to abduct or interrogate a cult member, my cab would be perfect for the task."

He was reluctant to suggest this, as using his job as a cab driver to snatch people up could lead to a whole lot of trouble. But if they pulled this off, perhaps he would not need a day job anymore.

[Haval]

Nathias drummed his fingers on the table thoughtfully. Scheming was not his forte, despite spending the last couple of years on the wrong side of the law. "If we ever need to abduct or interrogate a cult member, my cab would be perfect for the task."

Nuala grins, 'Well they wouldn't see that coming.' Nathias didn't seem like the type to interrogate anyone. 'Maybe if we could make certain it didn't get back to you. Does your boss know where you live?'

[-Sentinel-]

"He does not. I'm quite private."

[Thragka]

Arnest Cauldron, Laxday, 4th week of Winds

Titia excused herself early from the gathering in the tavern, seeming a bit drained from the events of the day, as the others compared what they’d found out so far and made rough plans for their next steps. They outlasted the other patrons of the bar. The barman seemed happy to leave them to sit at their table as he cleared the others and then poured himself a drink in silence. Around midnight, he politely told them it was time to leave.

It wasn’t a long walk back to the safehouse for Nuala. She saw perhaps a half dozen other people in the streets, most of whom had the air of locals making their way home after a similar evening celebration. Other than one drunk woman who mumbled at her for a couple of seconds, the overhiver was entirely undisturbed between the tavern and the apartment.

The unseen mechanisms in the thick door whirred at the touch of her key to let her in, and clunked reassuringly back into place when she closed it behind her. Picking a bedroom – and noticing that it also locked from the inside – she settled in for a night’s rest.

~

Hewday, 5th week of Winds

By broad strokes, the investigators’ immediate plans for the next day had them all in the volume of the hive where the humble residential zone of the Cauldron transitioned into the echelons of commercia in the Cathedral District. Grand Urbis Plaza was a convenient place to congregate to start the day. By the time they passed through it, it was already thronged with offworlders and the locals who made offworlders their business. Pilgrims milled around and vendors plied their wares in the impressive morning glow from the fat beampipes overhead. Their mechanical magic made it seem as if the light really did shine from the east, bathing the plaza in a golden light that seemed to emanate from the horizon roof of the grand avenue that would inevitably end at the Cathedral of Illumination.

Lyra showed Carys the way to the vertical access shaft she and the others had taken the day before. This morning, the double helix winding through the levels of the hive was busier with vehicles than with foot traffic. After all, it was hours into the start of the working week – most pedestrian hivers had commuted earlier. Now it was cargo’s turn to be distributed across this volume of the hive.

A turn and a half around the shaft took them three levels up from the Plaza, where the refectory could be found. Lyra left Carys to decide how much further up to go for herself, while she split off in a horizontal direction.

Lyra

Falling back on old habits, Lyra wandered near the streets she’d been down last night, as if she were still a trooper walking her beat. She made sure to stay a road or two away from the canteen at all times as she considered her next step. Staking out the canteen itself was a possibility, although the dinner service was still the entire day away. She couldn’t remember anything obvious about Sid or Genya that would suggest where they might be found; Genya’s shabby clothing and jumpy attitude suggested the upperhive, but nothing more specific than that. Lem’s heavy leather apron, though, had been industrial gear – the sort of thing a furnace worker or forge labourer would use as protection if they spent all day around heat or chemicals or molten metal. It stood to reason that he’d gone from his work straight to the canteen, without going home to change first.

Spoiler: OOC

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Not entirely sure how Lyra wants to go about tracking down Lem et al, but I thought this seemed a sensible area to start – up to you how to proceed.

Carys

Carys went another full turn around the ramp shaft, and began to wonder how high it was safe to get in this region. Even the level that the Cauldron apartment and Grand Urbis Plaza were on was higher than she was used to. Obviously the others seemed to think nothing of it, the local economy was healthy and the hoi polloi seemed to be thriving, which spoke to it being perfectly safe, but she couldn’t help but notice how it was always that bit warmer and that bit louder than her usual domain. It just left her a little unsettled.

She was contemplating risking another half turn when she saw the painted icons above the exit gates on the present level. Thick white icons stencilled directly onto the shaft wall depicted an Aquila, a man in robes, and a profile of a gothic building that could only be intended to mean the Cathedral. Judging that that was enough of a sign, she shuffled over into the short queue to get out of the shaft.

She almost changed her mind when she felt the stale, hot air she emerged into – at least the access shaft had also served as a massive ventilation tunnel, plunging down into the misty depths. Unbelievably, it was even hotter up here. The beampipes still ran east to west, but nowhere near as brilliantly as below. Buzzing electric lamps supplemented the dull glow from above.

Still, her trust in her gut was rewarded when she saw more of the same icons on a street corner sign ahead – and this time, even accompanied by the written word. Old Mendicant’s Way, the sign read, pointing east and west out of a junction. High as they were, if this level was attracting a literate class of pilgrims, it was surely the right place to be. She turned west down the road. Goldengate and the Blind Bishop were many miles away towards the centre of the hive. If she had a chance of finding a hint of Sola or the late Nazif, it would be to the west, rather than closer to the cathedral.

The Old Mendicant’s Way was half-pedestrianised, the road portion too thin for anything heavier than a light van. Most of the traffic, in fact, was bicycle rickshaws. The rockrete underfoot was patterned to look like cobblestone paving, although the effect wasn’t very good – just the shape of uniform mounds rising from the grey expanse of one continuous slab, save for the cracks and faults where hivequakes had split it. That seemed to be the essence of the entire character of this route. Shop facades were made to look like brick constructions, though again most could be easily identified as just shaped rockrete. Statues of saints and revered clerics at a first glance could be mistaken for copper or pewter, but that was just gilt which in many places had rubbed off to reveal thick plastic underneath. The local breed of pilgrim didn’t seem to mind. Again, it was instantly obvious to Carys that these offworlders were as inauthentic as the avenue: too fit, too healthy, too happy; their robes too sleek and comfortable and well-fitting; too willing altogether to pay exorbitant prices for tacky knickknacks from the shops or for the rickshaw taxis to pedal them slowly along as they chatted and pretended to be impressed by the architecture and the sculptures. Rich offworlders could pretend to be pilgrims here, act out the fantasy of spending years slowly inching closer to the Cathedral, and even bring home a souvenir. There were very few of the sort of street rabble one would expect to see looking to take advantage of rich strangers, thanks to pairs of Magistrates patrolling lazily in their dark green greatcoats. More than once, Carys saw a duo of constables forcefully shoo off beggars or itinerants that were trying to muscle in on this territory, although a handful of the cleaner sort of urchin were permitted to sell baubles and trinkets under their watchful eyes.

A mile or so along from where she’d joined, Carys even found a small restaurant opening up for the day. They weren’t seating patrons yet, but a young employee was selling hot sandwiches from a front window. He smiled and laughed easily when Carys pointed out how ridiculous the upper-class visitors were.

“People like it, though,” he said. “We do good trade. A lot of them seem to be in on the joke, sort of, they just don’t care either way. I’ve seen local bigwigs showing offworld visitors around. It’s a talking point, I guess.” He shrugged. “Doesn’t make much difference to us what they really think of it. They keep buying.”

The Ibn Rasheeds? “Oh yes. Afet, the, uh, Beyzadi, a few weeks ago. She was showing a family friend around. With an entire entourage, of course. But she seems like such a genuine person.” His face was lit up; he had obviously been enchanted by the heiress. “So charming. Her companion was polite, but he didn’t seem taken with the whole show,” he added, gesturing around at the street. “Although –”

The young man paused in thought. “Now that you mention it, he came back after, by himself. I didn’t recognise him at the time, thought he was just another tourist. But it was definitely Afet’s friend. He was asking where he could find … a bookshop, I think it was?” He nodded. “Yeah, he wanted to buy books. I told him he was in the wrong place, he’d need to go a few miles further that way.” He pointed further west.

Nuala

The cogitator dataslates in the apartment study had a map to the late Hax Gurner’s workshop, which Nuala managed to access without too much difficulty. It was south of the apartment, further into the Cauldron, where manufactoria and generator complexes began to compete with the habblocks for real estate. The directions led Nuala to a small industrial estate, a small two-storey square complex partitioned into about two dozen units around a broad yard. It seemed Gurner had rented one as a workspace. As she entered the yard, Nuala could see one of the rolling shutter doors on the right side had a band of green Magistratum tape pulled across it, as did the smaller door beside it – but there didn’t seem to be any current constable presence.

A middle-aged woman in a navy outfit sat in the booth by the gates at one corner of the square. She looked up from desk and watched as Nuala passed into the yard, but didn’t leave her seat.

[Bennosuke]

(OOC: Let me know if the below is unreasonable or if I am missing something)

Lyra was glad to see the streets were so busy. She milled about, fliting from the well trafficked and brightly lit streets to some of the darker and more narrow side streets and alleys. Though she tried not to be too obvious, Lyra kept an eye out for those down trodden and hungry looking vagrants; the types who had waited in the long line outside the Canteen. If anyone was likely to have heard something, if anyone was likely to give Lyra something she could sink her teeth into on Lem or Genya or Sid, it was going to be one of those poor souls. And perhaps with the right question, and maybe sweetening the deal with the promise of a throne, Lyra could find a lead.

[Haval]

'Given what we're doing now that's just as well.'

On the way to the safe house Nuala will watch for anyone who might object to an overhiver like her being this far down hive. She wasn't exactly hiding, but at this time of night the streets were empty enough that she might see an Enforcer coming before they saw her. She'll ignore the drunk.

At the safe house she's not entirely comfortable with spending the night here but at least the house seemed secure. The bedroom was likely the nicest she had ever slept in though so there were some fringe benefits to being here.

---------------------------

The woman had the air of security for something. She'll smile politely at her, 'Excuse me ma'am. What exactly happened over there?' She'll point towards the obvious crime scene.

[Thragka]

Lyra

Though nowhere near the Hiveskin yet, this volume of the Hive clearly catered less to the flow of pilgrims and more to the working poor; it seemed most buildings were put to an industrial use of some kind, from the larger factories belching out thick smoke from the cracked chimney pipes that ran up through the hive ceiling, to the smaller material workshops squeezing in along the tighter alleys. It wasn't difficult to find down-and-outs in the streets: they were some of the only souls loitering outside at this hour. Some ignored her, whether out of disinterest or chemical stupor. In the larger streets, some sat with begging bowls or cups, calling to the handful of white-robed pilgrims that had business here. Those in the smaller alleys tended to focus hungrily on Lyra as she passed nearby.

Spoiler: OOC

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An Inquiry test would be appropriate here, I think, with some specific info about what Lyra wants to ask – it'll depend on her approach.

Nuala

The woman in the dark blue jumper and trousers looked Nuala up and down. She didn't appear impressed with what she saw. "Some uphive thugs jumped the man who worked there. Killed him. Constables looked into it, but haven't come back." She frowned at Nuala. "You got some reason to be here?"

Spoiler: OOC

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Reading back, I realised what I wrote yesterday was probably a bit misleading – by navy outfit I meant "dark blue uniform", not "naval uniform". My bad!

[Bennosuke]

Lyra will focus her efforts on those most destitute, those poor souls most likely to frequent the Canteen in need of a generous meal. She will inquire about the the three from the standpoint of a curious and devout individual desperate to know more about the saintly figures in charge of the Canteen. Lyra will put herself forward as someone who wants to meet Lem or Genya or Sid, and wants to know of a place they might find them, other than rudely waiting outside The Canteen. She'll even sweeten the deal by offering a throne to anyone who can give her useful information (assuming that might give her a bit of a bonus on the roll).

Spoiler: Rolling

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Lyra is skilled at Inquiry with a Fel of 34 (1d100)[31] Fingers crossed!!!

[Thragka]

Lyra

A homeless woman sitting on a plastic sheet in the rockrete corner of an alley elbow was more than happy to answer Lyra's questions at the prospect of a reward. "Course I know the canteen," she said, practically snatching the throne from Lyra's hands. "That's one meal a day sorted, even if I go hungry the rest of it. Still wake up with my stomach hurting more often than not though." She listened to Lyra's description of the cook's associates and shook her head. "Dunno who they are. Don't think you know either, doesn't sound like they work there. It's a big bloke with two young lads runs it. You have to pay for food during the day. But some volunteers help out with the free food in the evening, and he gets donations from the churches and pilgrims and them to do the evening meals. They probably just help out, them people you're looking for. If he wears a big apron, maybe you want to try the steel mill."

The woman tucked the coin away into a pocket of her filthy tunic. Satisfied, she fixed her piercing gaze on Lyra again. "Hey, tell you what, we go there now, you get us some food, I'll ask the cook, yeah? I'm in there every night, I'll talk to him, yeah? I'm starving."

[Bennosuke]

"The steel mill?" Lyra asks with guarded curiosity. She gives the poor soul a smile and says, "Thank you dear. Emperor's blessing." She pauses for a moment as if considering the lady's offer, then replies, "I appreciate it, but I am quiet busy. Perhaps would you be able to point me in the direction of the steel mill though?"

[Haval]

Do you have a reason to be here? Nuala will suppress the urge to say that out loud. 'This is the place then. Only I heard it was the Red Redemption. Seems like a long way to come down here if anyone from the hive skin had a problem with him. I don't suppose you were here to see it?'

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Whoops. i don't know what I was thinking. Will edit that out.

[-Sentinel-]

Nathias and Nuala


Parking spots were few and far between in this part of town, so Nathias let Nuala out of his cab to start reconnoitering the area without him. Once his cab was parked a couple of hab-blocks away, he ditched his cabbie's hat and swiftly caught up with the young woman just as she was about to speak with the official-looking lady.

"Some uphive thugs, you say. What was uphive about them? Was it the way they were dressed? Or the way they talked?"