Lady Jane De'ath

*[To be organised]*

### **A Story of Lady Jane:**

The room is cold, and the wind howls through the gaps in the window frames. He has not been this high up in the city for many years, and never has he been here in a legal capacity. He is wearing a fine black velvet coat, with thick but well made woollen trousers and fur-lined boots. On his right breast is a winged skull in silver thread with a golden halo of thorns. He wears a silver necklace, from which dangles a hand made from rubies and set in gold.

The desk is as austere and rich as his clothing, a vast, oaken thing, old and well-made, varnished and sturdy. The sheaf of paper in front of him rustles as he goes back through it, muttering to himself as he reads and re-reads what he has written. He stops, and tuts, and makes a correction with his quill. Then he nods, and gathers the papers together. He folds them, slides them into an envelope, and seals it with wax and his signet ring. Then, as he sits back, he pushes the sealed package across the desk to the corpulent elf sat opposite.

"There," he says to the fat militia officer, "that is my sworn and true statement. I have signed each page and it is an honest account of the events that have seen my Mistress, Lady De'Ath, unjustly arrested despite her injuries, and great harm and foul play done to her House."

"Huh," the elf grunts, "you say one thing, they say another. We'll see."

"My Lady is innocent," the man says, leaning forwards, "and I will see her freed and her assailants imprisoned. Now - if you please - I have a meeting with those I must defend."

"You are free to go, Master Voy," says the elf, "and I will take these papers to the presiding officer immediately."

"Thank you," Harrin Voy says, a thin smile flickering briefly across his lips, "and perhaps something could be done about those blasted windows, don't you think?"

The elf stares blankly at Voy's back as he walks purposefully away down the corridor, radiating confidence, authority and power. This is his world.

The presiding officer took the packet and waved the runner away. He looked at the seal and blinked. He did not recognise it. The seal was genuine, authorised by the Guild of Sealmakers, but... a winged skull between a H and a V? A crown of thorns? Well, no matter. His familiar noted its arrival and his secretary witnessed its receipt. He broke open the seal, withdrew the papers, and began to read...

BEING THE TRUE AND ACCURATE ACCOUNT OF EVENTS IN HIGH HOUSE DE'ATH by HARRIN VOY, MAJORDOMO AND AIDE to HER LADYSHIP ESMERELDA ELSPETH De'VAY FAUX-ZORLIN LEMAIN A PARTE JANE De'ATH

I am Harrin Voy, and I write this of my own free will and in my capacity as witness to the events described herein.

My Lady De'Ath had assembled her servants and her Household Guard - hereafter referred to as the Hand - to welcome back her employees and retainers Miss CHENZIRA (an elf), Mr GRETA (a man), Mr MILO (a halfling), Mr STEVENS (a golem) and to seize the criminal known variously as PRINCE JACK, the DUKE, BENNEX, JACK, and THE PRINCE (a man and a dangerous wizard) in order to turn him and his accomplice RAUL FERNANDONIS (a centaur) into the authorities as she had been attempting to do for some time.

My Lady De'Ath had summoned her retainers and Jack via SANDSTONE, a gargoyle recently employed as a personal guard and messenger. Whilst she awaited their arrival, myself, URAOULAH ARKARRAGH (a gnoll), STEPAN SIKHAR (a half-ogre), and her golems Mr FIRE and Mr ICE together with her other gargoyle ALABASTER joined her in her Main Hall.

"As she was aware of Jack's duplicity and dangerous nature, she took the precaution of having her household guard waiting in two adjacent rooms - one larger room holding seven guards and another, smaller room holding ten.

Upon their arrival, my Lady De'Ath had her golems Fire and Ice sieze Jack, welcomed the representative of the Hygard Militia and her retainers, and asked all present if they would like to join her House as employees.

Lady De'Ath ordered the golems to bring Jack to her so that she could verify that this was indeed the notorious criminal whose gang, the ROYAL FLUSH, she had exposed and destroyed (see attached for list of evidence of Royal Flush gang crimes, members, and location of further physical evidence) in order to benefit the City of Hygard.

"While being brought forwards, Jack used magic to slip away from the golem's grasp and, just as my Lady commanded Uraoulah to summon her guards, from a hidden position Jack launched an unprovoked and brutal attack on my Lady De'Ath with what I believe was a Chromatic Orb. Before either myself, Uraoulah, Alabaster, Stepan or the golems could act he was among us, viciously attacking Lady De'Ath, pinning her to the chair she sat on to receive her guests with a magically enhanced parrying dagger.

At this point I moved to safety to observe what followed.

The golem known as Mr Stevens moved with great haste to block the doors that Uraoulah opened to the antechamber, and as my Lady's guards attempted to come to her aid, Mr Stevens launched a further unprovoked assault, killing or injuring all of them over the course of the next few moments. Although I could not see through his bulk, I could see the flares and shrieks of eldritch power and could only watch helplessly as Uraoulah tried to stop Mr Stevens, paying with her life in the attempt.

Fire and Ice did their best to take Lady De'Ath to a place of safety by moving the chair with my Lady on elsewhere, while Stepan and Alabaster attempted to exact a measure of revenge on the criminal Jack. The disgraced centaur Raul attempted to prevent Stepan from fulfilling his duty as commander of my Lady's guard, and to frustrate Alabaster in his duty as my Lady's bodyguard. The three struggled momentarily before Jack slipped away to continue his attempted murder of my Lady De'Ath. Jack was injured by Ice, who prevented him from finishing his vile aim, but Raul, thug and villain that he is, destroyed Ice.

Stepan, furious with anger and shame, disarmed by Krogul the militia officer, was attacked from behind by Chenzira. In attempting to defend himself he was apprehended.

Meanwhile, Mr Greta had dismembered Fire who, before being destroyed completely, managed to place my Lady De'Ath in sight of her remaining guards. These guards, unaware of what had taken place in the main Hall before Fire had burst through the doors, saw Mr Greta attacking my Lady's property and fired their crossbows at him. They took no further hostile action once it became clear that Mr Greta was an employee of my Lady.

Foiled in his murder plot by my Lady's stalwart retainers, the criminal Jack and his black-hearted rogue Raul could only watch as Krogul moved to assist my Lady and prevent her from dying.

As this marked the end of the senseless fight, caused by the brutal attack on my Lady by the baseless and vile criminal Jack, I revealed myself and, as Majordomo to my Lady, took responsibility for the members of House De'Ath and insisted on accompanying them to the militia headquarters where I have given this statement.

### Another:

The past few days have been soaked in blood and fear. I have grown in power and stature. I stand, now, before my council. These ones owe everything to me. They owe me their lives, their power, their position. They stand before me, their eyes fixed on me, still, waiting, silent.

I point at the half-Ogre who, even standing below me, comes almost to my head.

"Tell me, Sikhar, Master of Death, how many oppose us now?"

He grins, a wide and crooked grin, and spreads his arms wide, hands out, palms open.

"None of consequence, my Lady. A few malcontents scattered to the winds. My assassins seek them even now."

I nod, and smile, and he stands tall, chest out, proud to serve. I turn, and gesture towards a slim, darkly-clad Gnoll bitch.

"Tell me, Iznekh, Mistress of the Hunt, who denies my rule?"

The Gnoll bows, her leather creaking, her twin scimitars glimmering on her back.

"None within our ranks, O my Lady. Few outside it. We know their names, O my Lady, and their lives are yours to take or grant."

As she rises, I return the bow with a soft inclination of my head. Iznekh has done well, and her circle of spies and informers is as interwoven within this place as they are outside it. She bares her teeth with pleasure as she catches my eye.

There, next to the Gnoll, is my aide, the slim eunuch, emasculated as a child in the service of a city noble. His pale skin and watery eyes contrast sharply with mine. I look at him and he looks down at the floor, the instinctual submission of a man who spent his childhood as a slave.

"Tell me, Harrin, what is our name?"

He looks up, and smiles.

"We are the Bloody Hand, my Lady."

I smile back. Yes, we are. The Bloody Hand. And now the final question, the ritual to mark the end of the beginning. It must be asked; and it must be answered well.

"Tell me, my faithful ones - whose Hand?"

The three crash their hands against their chests, and cry, in unison, "Your Hand, my Lady!"

I laugh, with delight, and descend the steps of the dais.

"Come, faithful ones, there is much to do, and little time."

### Another:

I am alive again. I feel energised. I can taste the electric fizz in the air, the possible futures, the threads of reality coalescing into the now. I close my eyes in the candle-light of the library, and breathe deeply, focussing and concentrating on the scrying pool I have found.

I see them.

Falling, flailing, screaming. Chenzira, ever cunning, watching from a perch. The gargoyle is nowhere to be seen. Where is Mr Stevens? No - no! Broken! The prince, there, shimmering hands flickering in and out of existence, as he desperately tries to slow his pitiless fall. Greta, plunging artfully, delicately almost; Milo, now a wolf, now a winged rodent, changing forms with terrifying speed.

"Arthur, go and summon the heads of the Royal Flush. They need to see this." I can feel beads of sweat pricking at my face, the effort needed to hold the pool steady making me shiver.

"By jove they won't like that, my lad, no, not from me!"

"Arthur. It is important. Urgent. The Prince is endangered."

A voice, then, suddenly, from the shadows - Mr Knife. "I'll bring them." Then a sensation of motion. I focus. The image flickers, blurs, steadies again.

There is potential here, for me, if I can but harness it...

### Another:

Everything hurts.

Even through Greta's potent brew, I can feel the pain. Dull, aching throbs. I remember falling. I remember the anger. The rage, the sheer impotent rage at failing so spectacularly. At the silence where once there was guidance.

The Goddess has abandoned me. Or abandoned us all, if Prince Jack can be believed. Chenzira was right. She is a marvel. Mr Stevens is useful but I suspect compromised. I must learn how to secure him from interference. Greta is ... Greta. He seems to be unsure of my methods, my aims.

Ah, the pain. The bimbo Centaur is asleep. He kisses well. A beautiful man. He could be useful. I need to regain control. Let Prince Jack play his games. His silly little games. I let the mask slip. Goddess, this hurts.

I felt something, though. My powers are growing. I am becoming stronger, here. I will put back my mask. I will contain my wrath. I will once again be the Lady. I will wait.

But for now I will rest. The pain will go. All things pass. My time will come.

### On Hygard:

Hygard. Towering, filthy, gleaming. It dominates the landscape for miles around as though it were a mountain, its dozens of crystalline temples shining in the sun and looming above the streets, threatening the sinners below.

Hygard. City of uncounted millions, from lich to kobold, from human to golem. Its power is unharnessed, its King content merely to rule over a peaceful metropolis through a myriad of competing spiritual and temporal powers groups.

Hygard. The place was perfect for me. I could lose myself within its walls, be someone else. Lose my old family and gain a new one. Build myself a noble House worthy of my name. Set in motion my plans, and take advantage of the competition. Become its Queen.

At least, that was the plan. Now I find myself in a cellar, pursued by gargoyles, the sleazy criminal swine who brought me here in front of me, unable to fully control the golem, uncertain of my bodyguard's willingness to obey, certain only that I and Chenzira are hurt.

But I get ahead of myself...