☆ 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

[futhark]

[ Those few hours between escape and rescue were probably the worst of the time for some of the victims that helped the escapees. A noble sacrifice to make— They all played their parts. He still finds it easier to be on the sacrifice making side over the other. ]

It's been a handful. [ He barely remembers half of that night and later there was just so much sleep ] As long as these bastards get what they deserve, I would drink to that.

[ He's not allowed to drink yet. ]

What about my other question? [ The one boiling down to "how are you holding up?" ]

[kuroi_taiyo]

Dunno if we all agree on what they deserve's the problem.

[ There were differences between what the Law said, and how the various people felt. Especially those that were the victims in all of this. Judar would also like to drink, but no one would help him with anything that wasn't water or some concoction they put together with tea.

Also, he was avoiding that question for a reason, Cú. One of which is because it's hard to tell. ]

... Dunno, with the other question. They've got me on things to keep from twitching or moving around as some of the spells for the bones and joints settle in. Or so they say. It's different from just shutting off the pain, like what you did.

[ Ah, and there's that creeping paranoia showing through. ]

[futhark]

[ The drive to revenge among people is strong enough to have many wishes at least death upon their captors. They've made themselves enemies, those who live by the sword, or in this case by the knife— might meet their end the same way. What will truly happen remains to be seen, and will be probably a decisive moment for many. ]

Yeah, they told me shutting it off like that is not good for you on the long run. [ Probably why they don't use it on patients with long-term recovery. ]

You look worse than when I saw you last time. [ An acknowledgment, even if vague one. He's got no idea how to breach the subject yet, nor how to deal with what he feels about it. it. ]

[kuroi_taiyo]

[ Oh, he doesn't necessarily want death for them. He wants them to suffer, being horribly awake while constantly harvested. Given that none of them were monsters, it'd be their blood, and all their witch's energy for various little batteries as well. All while staying awake for it, to see how it felt.

Mostly because Judar knew himself, and knew that them dying wouldn't be enough. It's too easy. ]

I look worse because after helping people get out that time, the Rathmores took a lot of their anger out on me. That, and they wanted to know the how, and who, behind it all.

[ Clearly they didn't get that information, as they didn't have the chance to recover or prepare for a raid or anything. ]

A lot of the stuff they did is mostly healed now. The hands and legs, which they broke even worse... Then would heal without setting anything right. It's a lot of work to fix.

[futhark]

[ Cú flinches and glances sharply but does not interrupt the description. Taking every word to heart. That's what he feared— not the worst of it worst would be killing those that remained to cover their tracks. What if that happened, what then? A few escapees and a pile of dead bodies.

Doing the math it's better than just a pile of dead bodies (which was the foreseeable ending, eventually there would be nothing left to harvest), but it's not about math here. ]

Yeah— sorry about that. [ Sounds like a "thank you" at the same time. He lets things go quiet for a while, longer than he'd usually let silences stretch out, followed by— ] Was that your plan the entire time?

[ Noble sacrifice ]

[kuroi_taiyo]

[ Don't take it so personally. A lot of things were also happening before the escape attempt. At least the improper healing. ]

Nah, not the entire time. I really was going to get the door, then catch up. Turns out the hands weren't working because structural reasons, instead of it being too painful.

[ He'd need the bought time to get anywhere, given his legs, but didn't even manage that much. Which was something he suspected, but hadn't put into practice until then. ]

Managed to get someone else out, though, before getting caught. Just so they lost even more...

[ It might've turned into spite sacrifice. At least, that's how he's framing it. ]

[futhark]

[ Do you know what's the worst? He gets that. Right down to the spite sacrifice. When people started fighting back, started to make an attempt to run out, he was ready to let out as many as he could at any price. But in the end it all twisted and turned that he was the one to make the dash. Hence why there are just so many complicated feelings about all of it, and he knows to fuck all what to do about them.

Judar presents a flippant attitude, one that almost seems familiar. ]

You make throwing your life away sound so casual and cool. No lies, there is pride to have in that. [ Just— ] I want to both commend you and punch you in the face.

[kuroi_taiyo]

Nothing really cool about it...

[ It was just the remaining strategy after finding a good portion of his body useless. But man, what a way of following up with that whole thanks thing. ]

If you're gonna punch me, do it while I'm stuck in this bed and unable to hit back. That way it can get taken care of quickly.

[ Though he might tilt his head so you end up punching the hardest part of his skull. It'd probably cause them equal parts pain if he pulled that off. ]

[futhark]

Nah, it would be unseemly to treat a great hero of the operation this way. [ A genuine praise here. Back and forth. ] Each one you got personally out owes you. Don't you ever think anything else.

[ So what is there that that feels like a thorn in a hand? Ah, right ]

If I ever punch you, it's because you can't do great deeds if you're dead. It's easy to get dead if you treat your life carelessly.

[kuroi_taiyo]

[ Ugh. He's genuinely hating this the more and more Cú talks. Things were fine, but now he's saying things like 'hero' and 'great deeds.' While he wants the guy to knock it off, it seems like saying anything would just get the opposite being done even thicker. ]

Then you may as well punch me now, according to those nurses.

[ Signs and small bouts of being feral, and potentially staying that way, with the trauma and how long he's gone without a bond. Being stubborn about accepting food, out of a mix of distrust and pride over having to be hand-fed. ]

[futhark]

[ They both get to hate it, some would say a balance has been achieved. Or frustrated equality- alas. The mention of nurses makes Cu look around briefly. ]

What, they gave you a lecture too?

[kuroi_taiyo]

Tsk. Of course they did. Aside from some other things, they're going on about feral nonsense. I got through all this just fine- I'm not going to suddenly wake up like that.

[ Well. Several parts of that could be debated. Judar has certainly been having hints of being a little feral for a little while. Then just being wild in faun ways.]

[futhark]

[ There seems to be way more than what he initially thought there was. The feralness could definitely be chalked to fauns gonna faun, but if nurses comment on it, there might be more ]

Are you going to give their words some thought or just bitch that someone cares?

[kuroi_taiyo]

[ It would make a lot more sense and obvious if Cú knew that the pre-feral signs were things like paranoia. Though at what point do you assume it's that and not someone's personality? ]

They care about their jobs getting harder. It's in their professional interest that things don't get harder, but it's not like I'm about to actually go feral. Not now, after all the bullshit's over.

[futhark]

[ He certainly doesn't know that she that paranoia hits also Monsters. Their consequences of being unbonded was always spelled to him as high risk during Full Moons. But he rememers his own bouts of paranoia and negativity, he remembers it all too well ]

I'm not a nurse and no one is paying me for what I say, so how about that?

[kuroi_taiyo]

Didn't you just say something about the people I helped owing me? If you want the debt resolved, consider it done. Don't feel obligated with anything.

[ He'd rather have used that to tease you with things in the future, but if that's what's going on here, he'd rather have none of it.) ]

Not like I want anyone bound to me in any way. It'd just cause a bunch of trouble I'd rather not deal with.

[ Man, no wonder he doesn't consider anyone friends, but a 'good time' instead. Judar, you've got issues. ]

[futhark]

[ Now Cú's patience is slowly running out. He lets out a frustrated huff and combs his hair back off his face. ]

What— this has to do with anything? [ The debt here is a separate thing! ] You're spinning this away from what I was originally saying—

[ And what he was saying? Not a thing about a debt, but about being careless ]

Don't you have a place to return to? World to save, ha? Or do you think that you can just die here and no one will care? Gimme a break.

[kuroi_taiyo]

[ Is it? Is the debt a separate thing? Things went from punching, to debts, and now lectures about how he's somehow throwing his life away. It's all nonsense! His brain is also a set of nonsense though, so... ]

Who said shit about dying? The nurses are on my case with feral warnings and throwing my life away because I don't have a bond.

[ That and he's not trusting their food, but hey. There's people from the outside bringing him food anyway. That's maybe a meal a day. ]

Leave whatever I've got back in my world out of this, anyway. We don't even know if things continued on in the worlds we were taken from. Things could be over, or everyone's just living happily ever after without me, as they usually do.

[futhark]

[ No Bond is a serious issue, given how long they have known each other. Four months is it already? Or more? So this might shut him up, just a little. ]

And I was on your case for being careless— [ —with your life. But sure there is no more to that. Click of the tongue doesn't feel like he got the energy to continue. Suddenly, more subdued ] Have you been looking? Even just for a temporary Bond?

[ He still remembers how bad going Bondless in this world can be. ]

[kuroi_taiyo]

Am I really someone that can only have a chance with temporary bonds?

[ If the witch has managed to lose energy on that, Judar can ease up on it as well. Though the way his time here has been looking, with that question, paints a depressing picture. Imagine being someone that can be only tolerated temporarily, with the upcoming relief that the other person would be rid of you soon enough? The throwaway pity Bond. ]

I've been looking and considering plenty of people. They already have enough Bonds, have one with someone that's territorial, or aren't interested. I think I'm just attractive enough for a fun fuck here and there. Just something to remind people that feral's okay, but nothing compared to what they've got.

[futhark]

[ Oh for fuck's sake- ]

That's not what I meant. [ Groans, hand running down a face. Has he really lost ability to talk coherently because of the injuries or is someone taking the worst spin at whatever he says? ]

Finding the right and available people can take plenty of time. Temporary Bond is still an option to stave off the worst while you look for a permanent solution. [ Better than no Bond, basically. ]

[kuroi_taiyo]

[ Oh, someone's definitely taking the worst spin at what's being said. Mostly because it's close to what seemed to be the case for his Bond situation. ]

The longer it goes, the less I think a 'permanent solution' is happening.

[ Which is probably something related to karma, or along those lines. ]

It'd seem worse to find out that people would just rather throw a pity temporary Bond, so you can be used longer. 'No one really wants you, but I'll help so you can know that for even longer'... Y'know?

[futhark]

It's not easy to find someone right off the bat. I'd wager the majority of people here don't. [ And yes, slowly going crazy from it is the damn worst. Which is why he keeps tight reins on the patience, to keep it in place... not make it run away. ]

Why do you interpret someone trying to help as pity? You said it yourself you asked people who turned out to have Bonds at their limits. [ What Judar said was "look" but he's extrapolating ]

[kuroi_taiyo]

It's been five months.

[ There's no 'right off the bat' here. Everyone he knows that's shown up in his time or earlier had a bond, and has had one for a while now. ]

They're not always at their limits. I don't know what those limits are. Some just have no interest, or their bond is something territorial and predatory by nature.

[ Like turnskins and dragons, for example. ]

At that point, something temporary would just have to be pity, or looking for a debt to hold onto.

[futhark]

[ It might be a meaningless correction, but... ]

Four. It's been four months. [ Judar wasn't here for the Dorchacht trip and the new batch of Mirrorbound appeared in Octeuril, being on the end of Ieneuer— just a proof how bad his state is, and how damn good he was in hiding it. ]

Trust me, I was so sure I was out of it for four months, when in reality it was just three. This shit messes up with your head. [ Badly. ] Thing is— if you're refusing the short-term options that would stabilize you, then you are lowering your chances for the long-term option.

[ It's hard to form friendships and relationships if paranoia and irrational thinking leads you astray ]

I can't take up more Bonds, but I can offer a temporary one, or my blood if that's what you'd prefer— [ The witches fluid, and all that. Best working at new moons. ] —and I could help you look for people.

[ Networking, the benefit of sitting in here for longer. ]

Question is, would you want that?