Session 72

## And Now...

Having recovered their waylaid member, the group repairs to the Farmhouse and the topic of the long-delayed raid on the city's most prominent lending institution (See Session 69) comes back up.

### Preparations are Made.

Like a well-oiled machine, the Agents take their places.

Bug returns to the Bird's Nest, the notorious rookery in which The Forge is located and resumes rabble-rousing activities, making plans and gathering resources for the upcoming riot/distraction. Meanwhile, Hugh, Rast and Leo prepare disguises and cover identities for their second go-over of casing the establishment. Hugh, having only recently escaped the City Guard, is keen to ensure that he is not recognized. Hugh and Rast, on the other hand, finish their preparations early and take the chance to swing by for a preliminary once-over while collecting supplies from the market. During this expedition, Leo is able to spy a distinctive signet ring on the finger of the mysterious Overseer at the bank. He recognizes it as a meritorious service award given to former members of The Citadel in good standing. On the up side, this means that the city's Citadel Guardhouse may be a source of information on his identity and capabilities, but on the down side, his high status will mean any such inquiry will have to be subtle and diplomatic.

Hugh and Rast return to discover that Hugh has surpassed himself in his disguise, creating an incredibly convincing female alter-ego he has dubbed Lady Evangeline "Evie" Wainwright. Bug helps by brewing up an alchemical concoction which makes some minor cosmetic alterations in order to enhance the effect, most notably, altering Hugh's voice. Heartened by this success, the team prepares to depart, with Hugh in his disguise as Lady Evie, Leo as a dotty uncle and Rast as a family manservant, bodyguard and general dogsbody. Things would appear to be looking up.

### Fortune's Folly.

Arriving at the Bank, our heroes discover the building closed up and almost all employees gone for the day. Rousing a guard, they discover that they've had the misfortune to decide to case the bank on a day when almost all of the city's financial superstructure (city officials, investors, wealthy patrons, nobility and high-ranking business owners) have convened a meeting at the city's stately Municipal Library.

Having presented the guard with our cover story - "Lady Evie" is the daughter of a prominent businessman looking to expand his operations into Pelgate - the guard assures us that we should have no problem obtaining entry into the meeting. He also lets us know that, if we are able to ingratiate ourselves to an employee named Visgald, he is the type who'd be willing to go above and beyond to assist a would-be client.

A covert message is passed on to Bug who takes the opportunity to inveigle more people into the planned distraction and get them all hopped-up on curry bites.

Upon arriving at the Library, it is revealed that the guard at the bank may have overestimated the ease by which our party may obtain entry as the guards at the library, a formidable, three-storey structure, seem less than willing to allow us entry. This issue is on the verge of being resolved following a brief negotiation and a not-inconsiderable exchange of funds when one of the attendees arrives, pooh-poohing the guards' cautions and escorting us in,

### An Inauspicious Omen.

While being led inside, Leo notices a suspiciously empty guardpost. His instincts aroused, he steers off to investigate. He spots a pair of tiny drops of fresh blood, no more than 10-15 minutes old. Instantly, his mind whirs into action. Based on the visible evidence, the guard was a human male in his early 30's, physically fit and a talented combatant with a military history.

The assailant, on the other hand, was female, almost certainly nobility with short, blonde hair. She had entered via a side window, and travelled along the tops of bookshelves until she had reached striking distance of the guard. Such a feat would have required considerable skill and training in stealth and movement - a spy or assassin. She'd been wearing soft-soled padded shoes and black clothes with some sort of black, feathered ornamentation. Upon reaching an appropriate distance, no further than 10', she had struck once with some sort of thrown blade.

Investigating a dark, relatively disused alcove further down the corridor, Leo uncovers the guard's body. His condition would indicate that he had died instantly not later than ten minutes ago due to a single strike from a silver stiletto-style dagger with a 3-4" blade. The wound was astoundingly precise, and would have killed instantly and silenced the guard as it did so. Taking a brief examination of the assailant's entry point, Leo discovers a small bundle of thieves' tools wrapped in black cloth. Within the bundle are three small vials of unidentified liquid, with room for a fourth vial, which is absent.

Catching up with the others, Leo shares his findings. Whoever the assailant was, they're definitely still here. The trio enter the main meeting room and scan about, looking for someone who resembles the assassin but no-one presents themselves. A bad feeling settles over all three.

### A Dire Warning.

Back at the Forge, Bug is accosted by Bretta's father in a panicked state. He's received news from one of his contacts that someone extraordinarily dangerous was in town. Upon checking, he discovers it's the elusive Lady Jayne Pryor. Realizing the importance of this, Bug leaves Bretta's dad to continue rabble rousing and heads towards the Library at speed to warn the others.

### An Unexpected Reunion.

While Hugh circulates through the guests looking out for the assassin and Leo prowls the side corridors, Rast heads towards the servants' area. As he's approaching the kitchen, he overhears the head cook talking to a female servant, "Well, I don't recognize you and I know all of my staff!" Bursting in, hoping to surprise the assassin, but he's no match for Lady Pryor's catlike reflexes. She hurls a poisoned stiletto at him which very nearly does for him, until he is saved by an astounding surge of vitality.

Trying to talk her down, he offers to return her tools to her and to re-connect her to her mother. She seems unimpressed and snarls, "One way or another, they all have to die..." in response. The chef, taking advantage of this momentary distraction, attempts to shout for help, but is no match for Lady Pryor's reflexes. She magically summons the stiletto back into her hand and is about to hurl it at the chef when Rast intervenes, interposing himself and gesturing for the cook to be quiet.

Continuing his attempts to sway Lady Pryor, he assures her that our heroes share her goals of exposing and destroying the Innominate, but as the conversation goes on, it becomes increasingly obvious that Lady Pryor's hatred for her former captors has flared up into an obsessive need for vengeance. She feels an overpowering need to destroy the Innominate utterly and no longer cares who else has to die in order for her to achieve that goal.

### A Timely Warning.

Upstairs, Bug has arrives and managed to inveigle their way past the guards. Catching the attention of Leo and Hugh (Eve), they explain that they've been informed that Lady Jayne is in town and that the operation has been compromised; they must flee immediately. Bug and Leo head down towards the kitchen to hook up with Rast and overhear the conversation. Hugh remains behind to watch their rear.

Rast is continuing to try and talk Jayne down, but seeing the others, she discards her magical stiletto and seizes on two new weapons - a large, cast iron skillet and a hefty meatcleaver. She advances on Rast as Rast and Bug begin to cast spells...

### Continued in Session 73...

*10xp*

*(320xp Total)*