☆ 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

:')

[heartsbane]

[ Jorah figured he would garner the attention of someone with his, ahem, activities. it goes to show how little he cares about the consequence of his actions right now, because he could have surely gagged the man or taken him somewhere more private if he wanted to make him suffer by himself like so many of the other prisoners. —like Daenerys.

he didn't think it would happen so quick. the grip on his wrist is sure to bring his fight-or-flight out, and considering it is a stranger's face grabbing him, he is quick to grab for the hilt of his actual sword. it's pulled halfway out from his sheath, fully prepared to defend himself to ensure he can continue to bring pain upon this poor bastard standing before him. Jorah himself is not a fool, however, and he quickly makes note that this man stopping him had a strength that did not befit his stature. perhaps a fight between them would be less than fair. ]

I gain plenty, ser. Why else would I feel the need to drive my blade into his thigh when I very well could have aimed for his heart?

[ Jorah doesn't move to pull said blade out of his leg just yet, but he does fully sheathe his sword when he realizes he is a part of the same strike team. his blood is on fire, but he won't be attacking someone on the same side, regardless of how unhappy he is to be interrupted. ]

There is someone that was here. Someone they dared to touch. I am merely paying back in kind.

[ressusciter]

And you think you're the only one in that situation?!

[he allows some of the anger he feels to slip into his words, to show how serious he is. hatred and malice curl around his heart so strongly it takes Herculean effort to hold them off, but he knows, he knows - his passions cannot reflect on the whole. his sins, he bears alone.]

Do you believe you're the only one who has someone they care about down there? That somehow, your emotions make you the exception to the fact that if we act as thugs and murderers we'll be proving everything they say about us correct?! Do you really, truly believe you are the only one who wants to see these wretches obliterated from the face of the earth?!

[even if he longed to shatter jaws, tear out throats, burn this entire cursed place to the ground until not even ash remained. he's practically snarling in the stranger's face, until the wounded witch makes a sound of pain, trying to reach the knife in their leg. Dantes's head snaps to the side, and his tone is no less vicious.]

-You. Not a word, not a movement, or I'll consider letting him continue.

[and then his head swivels back to Jorah, dropping a touch of the savagery but no less focused. he understands, down to his core, but they cannot let them win.]

Go find your someone, and stay by their side. Your presence and safety will be a greater gift to them than vermin's blood on your blade.

[heartsbane]

[ he understands the other man's emotion and logic. Jorah never challenges it nor thinks to do so. in any other situation and mindset, it was more likely for him to be the one trying to put an end to what appears to be senseless violence. it takes a lot to bring him from his normal sensibilities. Aefenglom and its effects on him as a turnskin have made him prone to less thoughtful decisions befitting of his age. it shows now, with this stranger so clearly sacrificing his own desires to ensure others fall in line.

respectable. a foolish, impossible task that will end up having Dantes inflict his own pain before stopping everyone from making fools of themselves, but respectable non-the-less. ]

We all have choices to make, ser, and those choices have consequences. I would happily accept them for my queen.

[ he doesn't raise his voice. not even now. his voice is calm even when blood runs hot through the veins on the side of his temple and down his neck, where his heart feels as if it was about to shoot right through his armored chest. he controls his response to the other man, knowing he is not the enemy nor in the wrong for trying to instill some sense of justice and self-control. consider it stubborn and ironic when he actively tries to resist Dantes' grip to instead twist the knife inside the Rathmores' thigh.

that'll be all he does before he pulls away, knife still left in its fresh wound. his hands move to the air, signifying he would stop. for now. ]

That someone asked me to come in here. If you know of her, you would know she is a benevolent woman. But she... she would want them to feel the pain they inflicted on her. That I know without asking.

[ressusciter]

[when Jorah's hands are in the air, then Dantes lets go of his wrist. he's quiet, for a second - the idea of what they wanted, when it was all so conflicted. what would he want from him, apart from coming back alive? that, he can't guess at, though he's guessing that he'll find out at one point tonight. preferably sooner rather than later.

exhaling slowly, he looks between the witch's injury and the other man, and finally nods, before he takes a pair of the suppression cuffs out of his pocket and goes to fix them on the now quiet torturer.]

The Guard can handle hauling this one out. He'll need medical attention if he's not to get some infection before this is over, though that wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

[moving back towards Jorah, he does lean his head closer and drop his voice, very soft.]

...The way I truthfully see this, is that by harming your queen, he attacked you. And you responded to save yourself from further harm. All of it self defense.

[in other words: he's not going to rat you out, or say you did the wrong thing. they'll get through this hell of a night somehow.]

[heartsbane]

[ there's still a temptation to continue where he left off on the whimpering fool pinned against the wall. emotions are tense, blurred, confusing. would it be worth it to take that knife out and slit his throat while the other Mirrorbound is left assuming there was temporary peace? maybe. if Jorah could somehow verify if he put his hands on Daenerys in any way, he wouldn't even hesitate. he would never be able to obtain the truth in all of this chaos. it would be a gamble, and while he would be happy to accept the odds, he isn't comfortable dragging in witnesses and sullying his queen's name.

so he breathes. he lets himself feel the air leave his lungs, runs his bloodstained hand down his cheek and rolls his neck as if he had too much pressure built up in his shoulders. Jorah lets Dantes do what he must, his eyes barely glazing over the damaged goods still cowering against the wall. when he returns and speaks of possible alibis and justifications, he lets out a breathless laugh. if he was in a better mood, he would even smile and pat the other man on the shoulder for warming up on the sadist clad in armor so quickly. ]

I appreciate it, really. But you needn't lie for me if anyone asks. I attacked that man in cold blood. If you did not show, he could very well have been killed. You may not want to take credit for a spared life, but...

[ sorry, man. you're, like. a hero type or something now, apparently. ]

[ressusciter]

You're correct. I don't wish to be lauded for my actions. That man's life is worthless to me.

[he's no hero. he would have gladly seen this man dead before him, but for the thought of what it would mean for everyone else. that isn't praiseworthy, it's practicality. he scoffs, and then glances back at the man.]

Though I recommend getting your dagger back from the healers later. Taking it out now will only raise the possibility of him bleeding to death.

[his tone is flat - clearly, that's something he has some experience with.]

[heartsbane]

[ too bad, too sad. Dantes might not be used to this first impression, and he certainly doesn't look it, but he's now known to Jorah as some beacon of justice. maybe he should be the knight instead. Ser Edmond Dantes has a ring to it, you know. ]

The man's indebted to you. Maybe that shall come to some benefit to you or us Mirrorbound in the future.

[ that should provide worth of some kind. would he be willing to testify and admit to any of the things his family had done to the prisoners? maybe if he saw Jorah or Dantes in the crowd, all too happy to finish the job when his life didn't cause problems for those more innocent and susceptible to punishment. ]

And here I thought I would get away with taking it back while you were not looking.

[ a dry sense of humor is the only thing he can muster right now, with his heartbeat slowing and his sensibility coming back to him. Jorah wouldn't say he regrets his actions, but it was good he was found out when he was. less troublesome for all. ]

I would say we can make our introductions, but I suppose we should get a move on. —Assuming you trust me to not put my blade into someone else, that is.

[ressusciter]

Not unless you find it wholly necessary.

[dry humor is returned in kind, and Dantes turns to walk away, ready to continue the hunt for more of the torturing clan. he doesn't want to think too much about what the witch being indebted to him means for his future, or that someone sees him as a figure of justice when all he wants is to grind bones to dust to be lost in the wind.]

Introductions, at least, can be done whether stationary or in transit.

[heartsbane]

[ first impressions. oh, how drastically inaccurate they can be. Dantes likely assumes Jorah is a blood-thirsty pursuer of vengeance on behalf of his queen, and he thinks of Dantes as some paragon of all that is right in the world. the two couldn't have been any further off in their thoughts, but to their credit, things were kind of chaotic.

Jorah doesn't bother lingering with his prey for long. he did say he would come to help. he inflicted his pain, acted in Daenerys Targaryen's name and ensured the fool would remember the consequences of his decisions and actions long after the trial has weighed him in turn. as Dantes walks away, he is soon to follow, finally pulling his sword out from its sheathe altogether. ]

This will suit me just fine. And for you, good sir... I will try to avoid piercing someone else with it.

[ a pause follows as they make decent pace to catch up with the others: ]

Jorah Mormont. I would normally say a pleasure.