☆ Event Log: Snatched, Part Two

[faileas]

Event Log: January, Snatched - Part Two

I. A Great Escape (20th, Evening) It's been a miserable six days for the Mirrorbound and refugees kept locked away in a basement cell block, subject to all kinds of torment and experimentation. They're a resilient sort, though, and their efforts to organize and bolster each other are not in vain. As the time passes with no sign of the City Guard drawing close to their operations, the Rathmore family grows overconfident, and characters can hear them talking to each other about another mass-kidnapping in the works. The best opening comes late on the night of the 20th. A few of the family's numbers are out - notably, Thomas Rathmore, his wife, and his mother are attending an emergency meeting of Parliament, and Constance is making an appearance at the Coven. This leaves the more inexperienced cousins in charge, the lesser known Rathmores with no particular skill outside of cruelty. Changing of the guard begins as usual, a handful of Rathmores delivering some sparse rations and taking their time to choose a few prisoners to remove from their cells, but this time, the Mirrorbound bite back. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of Daenerys and Asura, along with the prisoners preparing an organized revolt, a fire started in the torture room provides chaos and cover - and one dead Rathmore cousin, whose body gives up some of the keys to a handful cells. Time to play the cards you've held close to your chest over days of torture, your held-back spells, your tricks, your items that weren't confiscated. A mass escape isn't likely, with so many people still present in the building and so many of the captives injured and tired, but with enough of a distraction in the form of a prison riot, which may be enough to overpower the three Rathmores initially left in the cell block, a handful of scrappy Mirrorbound may make it out to safety before reinforcements arrive. a. The Escape Attempt There is one door out of the cell block, the main, heavy, warded door that the Rathmores enter and exit from every few hours. It's locked down tight - but it's possible to power through it, pick the lock, or charm it open. On the other side of the door, in the greater basement area, they'll find themselves free of the Bond dampening. Witch magic make take some time to return, depending on whether they were drugged or only charmed, but it'll be important to move quickly. The Rathmores' basement area is large - the size of the mansion above and the grounds put together, and they'll find themselves on the lower of two levels. The cellblock turns out to be a room within an even bigger room, with the stairs at the opposite end. The dangers are numerous: magical and mechanical traps set in areas marked off-limits, illusions intended to confuse and turn people around. There is only one completely safe path from the cellblock door to the stairs, unless they take the time to disarm the traps and illusions with their returning magic and abilities. That safe path is faster but more exposed, with two or three Rathmores in pursuit, and also the other people that could occasionally be heard outside the door - young aristocrats in on the kidnapping, who thought the Mirrorbound would be sent home. They're just as surprised to see you as you are them. In fact, it's not difficult to overpower these non-Rathmore kidnappers; they're obviously shocked to see Mirrorbound still here, in such states, and some are quite angry, or scared to learn what they've inadvertently gotten themselves into. A good handful flee instead of fight, but some others follow through on the shouted orders to go after you. Use the chaos your appearance causes to your advantage. Once escapees reach the upper basement level, up the stairs and through a hidden door, a few more traps remain, but up here, it looks more like a normal basement; servants' quarters, empty for some time now, storage rooms full of antiques, and winding hallways connecting them. It's easier to hide in this dusty maze to escape any pursuers, and eventually, they find the servants' exit out onto the back grounds. From there, freedom is just a run and a decorative, wrought-iron fence away. b. The Chaos Back in the cells, everything descends into chaos. The Rathmores are furious; while two or three of the cousins go after the escapees, the rest begin to gather down in the cell block, put out the fire, and the interrogations begin. They don't bother taking prisoners out to torment them now - they can't, with their torture room charred and smokey. Their main focus is forcing prisoners back in, and locking everything down with magic and heavy chains, to ensure no one else gets out. They grow more vicious now, and they begin speaking directly to the captives - they want to know which ones got free, how they managed it, who helped them, where they're going, who they're going to tell. Those who refuse to talk will be gagged or muzzled or simply beaten without finesse, and they'll move on to the next captive. Preying on the Mirrorbound's camaraderie with each other is the tactic they quickly turn to, hurting one to try and make another talk. The talk outside the main door grows louder in these few hours, angrier. Occasionally one of the Rathmore cousins will go out to spin some lies, or simply shout down any protesting. Some of the enchantments were damaged in the riot, though - they can hear you, just as well as you can hear them, muffled but still mostly clear. The more they hear from within, the more the confusion outside grows; all the better for the escaped Mirrorbound. ..."What's going on? Those were Mirrorbound that got out-" "We thought you were sending them home!" "You told us there was no risk, that this would make them leave-" "You don't need to worry about that! Go back upstairs!" "Someone needs to get a message to our Uncle Thomas immediately-"... They're all panicking as their grand plans, flimsy as they may have been, start to crumble around them. It's just a matter of time, now. The OOC post for the escape plotting is here if anyone needs to refer back to it! Eight characters will be escaping first thanks to a joint effort. The rescue will be underway within two hours of their escape, but those two hours are likely to be unpleasant for characters who remain in captivity. Any NPC maimings or proposed deaths need to be reported on the City Tracker; please note that mass murder / killing NPCs will still have consequences and needs mod approval first, but we're happy to work with players however we can.

II. The Cavalry (21st, Very Early Morning) The City Guard is closer than the Rathmores think. Thanks to Mirrorbound investigative help, not always strictly legal but still appreciated nonetheless, they've all followed the clues back and determined a possible address. By the evening of the 20th, several members of the Guard and Witches from the Coven, along with any Mirrorbound who followed the trail, are camped out at a manse nearby, the home of a wealthy widow eager to see her nasty neighbors knocked down a peg. Without solid evidence, the Guard can't get a warrant cleared to search the property owned by a Mr. Barclay, assistant to Thomas Rathmore, but solid evidence comes as soon as eight Mirrorbound manage to fight their way out of captivity, returning to friends and Bonded. They are the last piece of the puzzle, and now legal action can be taken. Theodore Rosethorne, leading a small group from the Coven, sends out a magical message to just the Mirrorbound - they've been found. Anyone who wishes to help bring their missing fellows home, anyone who can help with much-needed healing, or anyone who wishes to bring their captors to justice needs to show up now, because time is of the essence. The Guard can't mobilize more men quickly enough in the middle of the night to be useful and they need all the hands they can get, without a floor plan of the mansion or solid ideas of the captors' numbers. They can barely wait an hour for more hands to arrive before it begins. a. The Rescue Sowilo, Theodore's Bonded Fae and a skilled hand at illusions (and seeing through such), leads the rescue efforts, along with some of Theodore's Witches from the Coven. With information from the escapees, they plan to go through the back, take the servants' exit, and make their way down to the basement levels, while Theodore's assault team will go through the front doors, making as much noise as possible. Sowilo's illusions will keep their presence masked at least until they get into the house. The aim is to get through as quietly as possible, find the cellblock, and secure a safe route to take the prisoners out without them getting hurt any worse than they are. It's easier said than done. Magical and mechanical traps of various types litter both basement floors, and heavy illusion work has been placed to obscure the way. Splitting into smaller groups to disarm the traps and deal with the illusions will be necessary, as the entire group will make its way down to the cellblock as quickly as possible. Sowilo hopes they face little to no resistance, with Theodore's group doing their job, but a few, Rathmores and otherwise, are bound to try and stop them; in that case, they will have to fight. "Make sure you can argue a case for self-defense, if you have to hurt them," Sowilo will tell the rescuers and later the freed prisoners on the way out, wings fluttering agitatedly. "Let them be arrested and publicly humiliated in court - ruin their whole family line for generations to come." He's not happy about it either, and will overlook some of the captors getting a taste of what they deserve, but deaths are not permitted on his or the Witches' watch: anyone who takes things too far will find that the person they're attacking has simply vanished - a convincing illusion - before they're handily knocked out with a spell. They face less resistance than the assault team, but less is not none; a few of the Rathmores are determined to salvage their efforts, and some of their unwitting aristocratic cronies have sided with them. Once they reach the cellblock, dismantling the enchantments that keep the prisoners restrained and addled is the first order of business for some. Others can start unlocking cells and helping people out of their restraints. Protection for the escapees on their way out will also be necessary, as well as medical attention back at the temporary base camp. The main focus has to be on those lost friends and loved ones, bringing them back out to freedom and making sure they're tended to - not on revenge. b. The Assault Theodore Rosethorne, along with some members of the City Guard and some Witches from the Coven, leads the assault. While the rescue team goes around the back, they plan to go through the front door, as loudly and conspicuously as possible. The mansion is large and needs to be swept from top to bottom for perpetrators and evidence that can be used in court. Those joining up with this team are warned that it needs to remain legal - the Mirrorbound and the refugees, all of them, have a very shaky, uncertain legal status within the city, and a mass murder could severely harm what good will they have from the locals as well as their status here. After all, many are still neutral to positive on the Mirrorbound, but that could change in an instant. The Coven will take as much responsibility as they can, but they cannot accept the blame for a senseless slaughter. Splitting into smaller groups will be necessary in order to cover more ground quickly. The aim is to locate, subdue, and arrest as many of the culprits inside as they can. The Guard provides magic-suppressing cuffs, and the Coven a basic knock-out spell, but since many will not go so willingly, some degree of force may be unavoidable. If there's one thing the rich fear, it's a legal black mark on their family name and reputation - the Rathmores will fight back harder than their underlings, but they're also the ones they need alive to face the justice system. Those outside the family, those who only knew about the kidnapping portion, are a mixed bag - some might fight back, siding with the Rathmores, but some might give themselves up once the realization of what happened in that basement sinks in. Once they make their entrance, things move quickly. Several wealthy aristocrats either flee or fight, but their attention is thankfully pulled away from the basement and toward the upper levels. There are dozens of rooms to search, and many are cluttered with an old hoarding family's antiques, furniture piled against doors and windows blocking access to some areas, hundreds of nooks and crannies among the sheer amount of stuff provide cover for culprits to hide in. It's going to be work to ferret them all out and bring them in. Worse still, the Rathmores have collected dozens of cursed or enchanted objects that may be used as weapons against the forces of justice. Some degree of force is expected, but still if anyone tries to take things too far, they might find themselves slapped into cuffs or knocked out with a spell themselves. Any NPC maimings or proposed deaths need to be reported on the City Tracker; please note that mass murder / killing NPCs will still have consequences and needs mod approval first, but we're happy to work with players however we can.

III. The After (21st On) Activity continues all through the night and late into the morning at the former Rathmore estate. All the Rathmores and a couple dozen other wealthy aristocrats are brought out in cuffs over the course of several hours, while all the prisoners are liberated to receive medical attention and reunite with their loved ones. The Guard take statements from everyone who will give one - what they witnessed, what happened to them, what they know - and all who were affected are told they will be invited to testify at trial. A gathering crowd forms at the end of the street, wealthy neighbors aghast at the horrors they're learning had occurred right in their District. Most are disgusted with the once-prominent family. On the steps of the Parliament building, Thomas Rathmore, his wife, and his mother, all sitting members of Parliament themselves, are publicly arrested in front of colleagues and on-lookers early in the morning. Constance Rathmore is taken out of the Coven roughly in magic-suppressing cuffs, surrounded by a small group of furious Witches, students of the Coven who spent the week trying to find the missing Mirrorbound and refugees with Divination. They escort her to the prison themselves. All who are arrested are transported to holding cells of their own within the City Guard - all except those requiring urgent medical attention, who will remain cuffed to their hospital beds until trial. Nessie and Mhairi make an appearance at one point to give the Mirrorbound their sincerest apologies for what happened, and Mhairi delivers the news that they're pushing for an expedited trial in Parliament, in order to keep Thomas Rathmore from bribing any contacts. They, along with Theodore and Sowilo, and the Guard, are all open and forthright with what will happen next: public trial and a certain conviction, followed by sentencing. They don't expect that the Rathmores will get away lightly; what they did is too public and too horrific for even the anti-Mirrorbound wealthy to stomach. Those others who were involved, who weren't aware of what was going on behind that metal door, they'll still face justice themselves, no doubt. In the meanwhile, those kept hostage will need all the help they can get to reach something resembling normal again. Hug your loved ones, nourish your Bonds with each other, and begin trying to heal together.

Welcome to Part Two of January's event log, Snatched! An aftermath summary of the trial and sentencing will go up on Feb. 4, the day after the City Tracker deadline, so get your submissions in if you have them! More politically-oriented characters may find an opening in the near future to enact change within Parliament and provide their own representation within the city...

And as a general reminder, please make sure to use content warnings where necessary in your headers!

Comments

[quickwhip]

[ Well if there's a voice he doesn't mind hearing giving him some shit.

Turning his face over against the mattress, he looks over to where Berserker's voice comes from and can't help but smile a little as he pulls himself up just a teensy bit more. Who knows how... dirty the floor is... though it looks a helluva lot cleaner than any of those cells did, so, yeah. ]

How do you know I wasn't pushed out of bed by some ghost or something?

[ Weaksauce, Trevor. ]

[curruid_coinchenn]

Is that the only defense you have for yourself?

[ Not impressed, Trevor.

His expression does soften just slightly. It's not enough to be considered kind, but it is less apathetic than normal. ]

Can you free yourself or do you need help? Should I call one of the witches?

[ Is he going to be a jerk because he's feeling better? Absolutely. ]

[quickwhip]

I'm fine?

[ Shit he's going to constantly tell EVERYONE including himself until he believes it. So what if he spent the last week or whatever being beaten and tortured and stabbed and left at the hands of assholes who got their rocks off torturing others? He's here now, right? Right.

So he pulls himself up to stand even if he wobbles a bit as he steadies himself, hands still holding to the bed before he turns some to look over to the dragon. ]

You look like shit.

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ Berserker doesn't take the comment too well. He knows he looks awful; it's hard not to know when he can look down and see the proof of it. His body tenses up for a moment before he lets go of the anger just as quickly as it came. ]

...I look better than I did. [ His voice is oddly sullen. ] You must be feeling well enough if you're being a smartass again.

[ Not anything really seemed to stop Trevor from doing that... ]

[quickwhip]

Nothing a bit of sleep can't fix.

[ Seems fake but he's sticking with that story. But, perhaps a bit more gently this time ]

Are your bonded ok?

[ None of them... had been in there with them, right? He's pretty sure Berserker had said as much when they had been tossed into a cell together. ]

[curruid_coinchenn]

They haven't left my bedside much since I was brought here. [ And he had a memento of the one he'd lost, a necklace left behind for him. Berserker isn't sure if that makes the loss better or worse, honestly. ] Neither of them have slept much since I was taken, so...they're managing.

[ It was a bittersweet feeling. He's not used to having people that actually care about him nor is he used to caring about people. ]

And yours? Have you seen him yet?

[ Berserker doesn't know how long it's been since they were rescued; he'd been heavily sedated the moment a competent healer saw his condition. He hadn't thought to ask what the date was when he finally came to properly. ]

[quickwhip]

[ Hold tight to that, Berserker. To be missed and worried over... he wouldn't know what that's like himself. ]

He visited.

[ A shrug and wave of his hand, he starts to move again since, nature is still calling after all. ]

You think they'd have a problem here if I asked for some ale to be brought in?

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ He decides to leave the topic of their Bonds alone for now. Questions have been asked and answered and that's good enough. There's no need to tread on something that might be a sore spot right now. Berserker does want to say something about the time they shared in that cell, but he doesn't...Now's not the time for that. ]

After what we've been through, they might make an exception... [ A beat. ] You...need to take care of something, don't you?

[quickwhip]

[ Probably for the best. Not like either of them are going to be all that great for some time, right? Yeah. But when he brings up the whole "needing to take care of something" thing, he just rubs at the side of his neck with a glance off to the side. Is he... that obvious about it?? ]

Mmmmaybe. Not like they got me in a cloth diaper or something.

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ Berserker is annoyingly perceptive...that and Trevor seemed to be determined to get out of bed for some purpose.

He narrows his eyes for a moment before shaking his head. ]

Don't let me keep you from your business, then...It's just good to see you survived.

[quickwhip]

[ Berserker is annoying. Is that better?? But with the go-ahead and all, he comes to stare at the dragon for a long moment before he lets his gaze drift off and away. ]

You too... though I figured you'd survive. Stubborn ass and all.

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ He would accept that judgement, really.

Berserker simply shrugs. Some sense of normalcy after everything they went through is welcome and this gentle sniping is certainly normal. It's...nice. Being able to forget about how awful he feels for a few moments feels good. ]

Speak for yourself. You seem to survive on sheer stubbornness alone and you would refuse to die if only because your continued survival would piss someone off.

[quickwhip]

Well, can't give them what they want, right?

[ To become so broken you can't ever recover from it. When people take pleasure in committing immoral crimes and torture on those they deem beneath them or whatever the fuck they thought, it's a big ol' fuck you to not show them that you're getting to them. Even if Trevor himself struggled with that at times. ]

You doing ok though?

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ Berserker wants to say yes or to say Trevor is an idiot for thinking he's not okay, but he can't. It's a lie. The truth is that he is not okay and he's not sure he will be okay anytime soon. His face darkens as he looks away, his hands clenched into trembling fists for a moment. ]

... I will be fine.

[ It's quieter, weaker than he meant it to be. It's not exactly the most convincing declaration he's ever made. ]

[quickwhip]

[ Well, that makes two of them, doesn't it? Especially with the whole not wanting to admit it thing. Yeah. So, rather than call him on his bullshit, he just hums softly before giving a gentle bit of a nod. ]

Yeah.

[ Not... the most eloquent of responses, but. He's not an eloquent sort of guy. He does, however, fold his arms across his stomach and just... sort of clings to himself, in a sense. ]

If you... [ Fuck, how does he go about this? ] ...shit happened. To everyone there. I don't know everything that was done to you, but... you don't need to provide me with your blood. I'll understand.

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ Berserker steps closer so he can keep his voice low. This is a somewhat private matter and he wants to keep it that way. His expression is serious and his voice more stern than before. ]

I willingly give my blood to you because I trust you, Trevor. What... [ He has to fight to keep his voice from breaking. ] What happened to me doesn't change that.

[ They had taken his blood once they discovered the effect it had on those who drank it. They had taken much more than his blood, of course -- the bandages covering up the raw skin where his scales used to be are proof of that much. And that's just the physical... Berserker breathes out a heavy sigh through his nose, looking away from the vampire. ]

You aren't to blame for what happened...but I appreciate your concern.

[quickwhip]

[ It's.. good to hear? Yeah, it is. That they've come this far since having first met here in this world and, if he's honest with himself, he trusts the dragon as well. If he didn't, he would have never taken him up on the offer of drinking his blood after all. It's there, if even not always talked about and it's something he's become grateful for.

So he stares down to the floor as Berserker reassures him and comes to lean back against the bed he has here, fingers gently curling into the sheets still hanging over it from his tumble. ]

I just... [ Talking about feelings and things that have left you shaken is sure hard. ] ...didn't want to assume. It's all just a little fucked up.

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ These two aren't exactly the type to talk about their feelings, let's be real. Berserker keeps his gaze averted as he thinks of how to respond. He wants to be honest with him, he owes that much to Trevor, at least, but it's difficult to speak about anything related to what he'd experienced.

After a moment, he looks back. ]

... I know. Everything is fucked up...As strange as it is, letting you feed is normal and familiar. I want to hold onto whatever is normal and familiar right now.

[quickwhip]

[ To think that his feeding from him is now considered normal... jesus Christ, what the fuck is his life now?? But it's... whatever. He gets it. Slipping into something that's "normal" or doesn't have to make you think too much is exactly what he plans to do himself, so. He gets it. Familiarity and all. ]

Yeah. Although thinking that me drinking blood is normal is still fucked up. For me at least. But. [ A beat. ] I get it.

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ A silence settles between them for a bit as he decides whether or not to tell Trevor something. After a few moments, he decides it's for the best. ]

... I'm leaving the city as soon as I'm able to. At least for a little while.

[ He doesn't need to say it, but it's fair that he does. It's not like he's trying to hide from everyone and everything, he just needs some time alone and away from the city that is causing him so much distress. ]

Take care of yourself until then.

[ It's like he's practically telling Trevor to come find him. ]