We Sons Of Daley [Manhattan Blues]

Probably won't hurt too much to go with him. Might improve his mood too.
Arlington should tail them from out of sight with Area Scanning and Sense Feelings. Just in case trouble happens.

"... Yeah, all right." :Arlington, are you getting all this?:

:If you leave I'll have to tail you.: You don't know how well you can keep up with this courier in these conditions.

The HERALD nods. "It's gonna be two days to get there from here, so the Councilman wanted me to give yas somethin'." He hands over the parcel, and Alice opens it. "For yer time."

Inside is an OBSIDIAN KNIFE, carved such that EVERY FACET REFRACTS THE LIGHT. Alice seems to look it over for a moment, then closes the box and casually drops it in her backpack. "Listen, I got a poor bastard from out Illinois way tagging along with me. He's kind of handy with a GUN. Mind if he comes with?"

Of all the things... Well, if it gets her to agree, have her bring her toy along. "Sure, go get him I guess. I don't wanna hear yas two at night, though."

"That won't be a problem." She comes to fetch you. :Hey. Arlington. Cool it on the psychic powers- remember, you're just some guy who's handy with weaponry, dime a dozen, okay?:

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you," you reply, packing up the camp as much as possible. You're not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, really.

It takes you a little less than a day to get to the east bank of the Hudson through difficult terrain. However, the ferry is on the other side, and most people aren't willing to come on to Manhattan at night for fear of the wolf packs and the chameleon snow leopards. You thank your lucky stars you've got something to evade local wildlife.

So, you set up camp near the bank, and soon enough, you're joined by a small patrol of the Councilman's men, who give you a hairy eyeball; they're soon mollified by the fact the herald vouches for you.

As you reach the Councilman's lands over the next day, the ruined city starts fading in exchange for the sort of reclaimed farmland that you remember from Gary- a few public buildings left standing, the others plowed aside or under; orchards and grain stretch for some time. In the distance, you can see a horse pulling up some asphalt with a plow. The sound of hammer on metal reaches your ears over the sounds of wildlife and hard work.

The town is mostly new buildings, like most towns; apparently there's a library or something that the Councilman decided was the best place to build his home. The letters are long since fallen off, the letters erased to time, but his colors hang over it. What you notice now is that his colors are actually a flag like Chicago's, as opposed to the colors of some of the more petty mayors you've come across. This one is a blue-gold affair, emblazoned with the seal of what, on closer inspection, claims to be the GREAT SEAL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK.

The herald leads you inside, where the Councilman appears to be deciding some case put before him. He's running through his law books, carefully marking out precedent, and tells the small JURY to deliberate in the deliberation room.

The case over with for the moment, defendant and plaintiff move off to one side. The Herald approaches. "I've brought the shadow-walker, bawss."

"Hm? Ah. And an extra?"

"They work togeddah, bawss." The herald shrugs.

"I see. They'll be at the end of my docket. Show them to a waiting room." He looks at you and Alice. "I won't keep you long, don't bother unpacking. Next case, please..."

>_

Ask Alice a little more about the Councilman. Does he possess any powers? Or is he a null?

I guess juggle more if they keep you waiting.

SpoilerShow

juggling will save your LIFE someday

Ask Alice a little more about the Councilman. Does he possess any powers? Or is he a null?

"So what kind of power can we expect from him?" you ask Alice, quietly.

"None, as far as I'm aware; not a surprise, he's twice our age. He might have some ki? I've never bothered to check. Then again, I've never been in this situation before." She sits on the couch provided and kicks back.

You take a chair and balance on it, using the arm like a backrest. It's surprisingly comfortable. Around the room are various old posters; some talk about JURY DUTY, but most of them seem to indicate this was some kind of LIBRARY, once upon a time. The empty RECESSES and faint SCORCH MARKS only serve to reinforce this notion.

"Does he have support?"

"Sure he does." She pulls out your duster and keeps working on it while she talks. "Or did you miss all those armed guards?"

"So trying empathy is-"

"Probably a bad idea," she nods.

"How long is this gonna take?"

"Hm? Well, if he's busy doing administration and things, it might be until the end of the day." She takes out the knife again, and you can see it refract the meager light in the waiting room. "Frankly, if he's paying for the meal, possibly a room, I've got no problems. We might want to bathe, though."

Oh. Right. That... 'Clean' thing. You get up and look for a wash-basin or something. You find one and start using some of the SOAP you have to at least look PRESENTABLE; then note to Alice, "There's a cold-water pump they've put in over there."

I guess juggle more if they keep you waiting.

SpoilerShow

juggling will save your LIFE someday

You go ahead and do this, running through plenty of other things involving sleight of hand.

SpoilerShow

You have no idea how funny that is.

It takes about an hour before you're called back in to the councilman's office.

Now that you have the opportunity to take a closer look...

The office is something of a large public hall. The concrete-linoleum mix has decayed, leaving only heavy dust where there were probably grand designs. There's only one place where the seal of the city is seen, and that's at the COUNCILMAN'S DESK.

There were a few armed guards before, but he has apparently asked them to leave. "So. Yous the shadow-walker?" He's looking at Alice.

"Yes, Councilman."

"Good. I got a job for yas- I want you to find my daughter." He sighs, and slumps against the desk, and suddenly looks every day of his fifty years, in a tailored suit that suddenly seems a little too big for him.

"... Do you have any idea where she is?" You ask.

"'Course I do. Wasn't hard to put together. Guy called himself a merchant, worked up and down the Hudson and Delaware. Says his main concern was in West Penn."

"So... Why can't you do this yourself?" You ask, because he did walk right into that question.

He laughs. "Yous new in New Yawk, ain'tcha? Listen. I'm pretty sure I got the biggest force in the Boroughs. Forty guys."

You suppress a guffaw before motioning him to continue. "Hold on, I wanna see what's so funny."

>_

Don't tell him you're from Chicago. Do tell him that you've seen folks with more personal bodyguards. Do acknowledge that New Yawk is on a smaller scale, population-wise, than places that you've seen the aforementioned folks and that you certainly would not like to go up against forty men.

Also maybe telepathy Alice for some advice if you think you can get away with it. She's been quiet and pretty reverent so far. She's probably mentally begging you to please shut up.

Make some remark about how with forty guys it seems odd to ask for strangers to help, especially for someone as important as the councilman's daughter.

Alice make your friend shut up, ask about details and compensation and whatever you'd need to make this job go smoothly.

Don't tell him you're from Chicago. Do tell him that you've seen folks with more personal bodyguards. Do acknowledge that New Yawk is on a smaller scale, population-wise, than places that you've seen the aforementioned folks and that you certainly would not like to go up against forty men.

"Well, I'll say I don't like my chances against forty, especially with limited ammo and while you're in a fortified position. I just heard a lot of big numbers when it comes to, well, The Big Apple."

"That was twenty yeeas ago." The councilman looks tired when you say that. "And twenty yeeas is a long damn time. Long enough to see a child grow up in a world you nevah imagined existed. What a yous, eighteen? Both o yas? Yas don't remembah." He mumbles something under his breath about beauty.

Also maybe telepathy Alice for some advice if you think you can get away with it. She's been quiet and pretty reverent so far. She's probably mentally begging you to please shut up.

:Little help?:

:Oh, no. You dug your own damn hole.:

Make some remark about how with forty guys it seems odd to ask for strangers to help, especially for someone as important as the councilman's daughter.

Alice make your friend shut up, ask about details and compensation and whatever you'd need to make this job go smoothly.

"But you wanted to know why I can't do it myself, that's simple. The otha three BOSSES. If I send my boys out on a search, they'll capitalize. I'm not about ta let that happen." His expression changes for a moment, but solidifies.

"All well and good, councilman," Alice finally speaks up, cool as ice. "But I don't work for free..."

"Nobody does, anymore." The councilman looks at the two of you, carefully. "But, what. Yas both magic, I'll bet. Which means Boston wants a word with yas. Now, I can pay yas, if that's yer issue- Ammo? Repairs? whatcha need for the job, for now. Gold? Silver? Sure, I'll hand some over. Take it. More, when yous bring her back. But there's somethin' more valuable than that I bet yas want."

"Immunity from the Inquisition," Alice finishes for him. "Are you sure you can supply that, Councilman? You have some politesse, but..."

"Lemme handle dat."

"Now, you said you already knew where it was?" Alice asks.

"Yeah. It's this town near the Appalachians, in the foothills. Got a couple legacy maps for it. More important, yous can get there, quick." He hands over an old ROAD MAP which is defunct but shows the distances involved, and a more recent map drawn on CLOTH of the town in question. It's very... Exact-looking, and includes the surrounding hinterlands. Seems like there's a few homesteads spaced around the town.

Alice looks at it. "... Interesting. I can see why you might have a problem with the Inquisition in your business."

"Yeah, yeah." The councilman waves it off.

"Any idea in which house she's held?" Alice asks.

"Said he had holdings, so I'm thinking it's one of these..." He gestures to the ones in the hinterlands. "Yous takin' the job or not?"

>_

Very precise as in shaped like a cross?

Hey, somebody's gotta ask the dumb question.

>You probably will, but you should see if Alice has any reservations about it first.

Very precise as in shaped like a cross?

Hey, somebody's gotta ask the dumb question.

Ah, sorry. Very precise as in it looks like it was printed rather than drawn, even though there are signs it was clearly drawn.

>_

You can't exactly take this job without Alice, and the job offer was to Alice originally anyway. Look over to her.

Alice > accept the job, get that ammo and repairs he was talking about, and a small amount of gold just incase.

> ask of you can meet the dude who made that map, that level of recon skill is super valuable and could possibly help you avoid some trouble in the future.

>You probably will, but you should see if Alice has any reservations about it first.

You can't exactly take this job without Alice, and the job offer was to Alice originally anyway. Look over to her.

:Your job.:

She nods.

Alice > accept the job, get that ammo and repairs he was talking about, and a small amount of gold just incase.

"All right. Got yourself a deal. Two ounces gold now, three on completion. Six magazines, .45 M-1911. I'll get my own repairs with the gold."

"... Fine."

> ask of you can meet the dude who made that map, that level of recon skill is super valuable and could possibly help you avoid some trouble in the future.

"Who made this? I'd like to talk to them."

"... That would be the Seer. Who I am not going to let you see, because the Seer does not exist. Am I clear?"

"Crystal," Alice says.

"Got it." You're used to that sort of bullshit, this isn't news.

> Make mental note to, once this job is finished and if you manage to actually complete it, find the seer and try to recruit him/her.

>I guess rest up and then shadow walk over there.

Collect any compact food that you can find at home base and sort through your worldly possessions. More mass means traveling consumes more of Alice's juice. Better lay out everything you've got and prioritize what you're actually going to bring with you.

Collect any compact food that you can find at home base and sort through your worldly possessions. More mass means traveling consumes more of Alice's juice. Better lay out everything you've got and prioritize what you're actually going to bring with you.

As the Councilman makes indications with his dismissal about you not leaving the way you came in, Alice decides to expend the juice to take you home. It only adds a day, and the next jump isn't nearly as far as the jump between THAT MINE NEAR DAYTON and MANHATTAN was.

In the meantime, you go ahead and sort out what to take, when she nods. "For the stopover we're making, everything will be fine."

"We're making a stopover?"

"I did tell you I would be handling the repairs- And I meant it when I said I needed a new DUSTER. And the best place to do that isn't anywhere near here."

"Where is it?"

"Jersey."

"... Pffft you're a Jersey girl?"

"Delaware. DELAWARE!" She says it like it's a major point of contention.

> Make mental note to, once this job is finished and if you manage to actually complete it, find the seer and try to recruit him/her.

Seems like a plan, and when you float it to Alice, she agrees. "I want to at least make sure whoever that Seer fellow is, they're all right."

>I guess rest up and then shadow walk over there.

OUTSIDE THE ENCLAVE OF THE DUNAHAN

You are now in New Jersey, or at least, that's what Alice said. It is nightfall, and the shadows are long here. The air is different, and you realize it's because you're now far from the coast- the strange invigorating scent of the ocean no longer exists here.

Nevertheless, you can see in the east a CITY THAT SHINES LIKE IT IS MADE OF BURNISHED BRONZE. Lights come from windows. The sound of carts exist in the distance, vaguely, but more than that is the sound of WORK. Lots of it. Like everyone in the city is part of a single WAR MACHINE.

You're reminded a little of Chicago.

"Okay. We'll need to be quick if we want to get in before the Night Guard."

"Night Guard?"

"The Morrigans of the Home Guard that take over for the Day Guard." She hauls up everything and starts walking.

You follow with an "Oh."

"It's only a mile. Good stretch of the legs."

"So why this place?"

"Because it's the only place I know where you can get a ward-suit."

>_

Get that suit...for free!

Lament loss of ocean smell.

What on earth do we need a ward suit for?
While making haste

"What on earth do we need... ward suits... for?"

"Lemme put it this way. You like being alive?"

"... Generally..."

"What about getting shot?"

"No, that's kind of low on the list of priorities."

"Can you dodge bullets?"

"Don't be stupid, of course I can't." Not to your knowledge anyway.

"That's why we need ward-suits."

"... They're armor?"

"Well, yes. I was thinking of eventually making it out of the tac suits, but you're right, as long as we're here..." She drags you by the hand through the small city. Lots of people here, all of them with UNNATURAL EYES, ranging from SILVER to FELT GREEN to AMYTHYST to ANNOYING ORANGE.

They're mostly normal-looking though, despite the general look and feel like this is some sort of COLONIAL TOWN, almost- except there don't appear to be any women- or if there are, they're all dressed similarly.

Complete with GENDARMES, apparently, in blank GREY-GREEN, with BRASS-LOOKING FROGGING on the front and STRAW HATS. Each one has a name that you can't make heads or tails of the characters of. Two have a SINGLE-HEADED BLACK RAVEN in the lapel, while a third has a THREE-HEADED RAVEN. It's this last one- with clear, calm eyes that are nonetheless RUBY RED, and BROWN HAIR- who speaks to you in a language you've never heard spoken, never mind speak yourself. The tone is one of slight surprise, and the pitch is FEMININE.

As usual, Alice's COMPOSURE is enough as she raises a hand, and speaks to them in the same language. You catch the word 'MORRIGHAN', but the rest slips by you in a cascade of sound you're hard pressed to even keep up with.

What you are now certain is a guard pauses, and by the expression, seems to be asking Alice a question with suspicion.

She responds just as fluidly as before.

The woman's eyes light with recognition, and you are certain that this is probably some variation on "You're THAT person!? Huh."

In any case, she gestures and talks a bit more, eyes you suspiciously, and waves you on with her. You beat feet before she gets a chance to give you more than a hairy eyeball.

THE ROGUE TEACHER'S FORGE
This is a forge-room, though it looks more like a HOME GUN-SMITHERY than a BLACKSMITH'S. This isn't surprising- it doesn't look like there are many PACK ANIMALS outside, but there were at least three sets of GUARDS. SPRINGS, COGS, and FLINT-LOCK LONGARMS line the walls, while on the table is what looks like a LEVER-ACTION RIFLE. All of them are EXTREMELY ORNATELY CARVED, though the LEVER-ACTION only looks half-finished in that regard and all others.

The forge-fire is still hot, here, with the telltale scent of used asphalt filling the air. Alice enters first, calling out in the language she spoke earlier.

There's an answering call within, and what looks to be a MAN ABOUT YOUR AGE steps into the light of the forge. Now that you have a chance to look at one of the denizens of this village without the CRAZY CLOTHES, you realize this person must have been at this smithing thing for some time, what with the MUSCLES and the BURLY and the HAMMER and the... Self pumping bellows. Huh.

He looks at Alice, and shakes her hand warmly, before noticing you. He then turns back to Alice. "So, why are you here, and who have you brought me?"

>_

Alice: Repeat that scene, but from your perspective. Or answer the question. Either/or.

> if things get awkward, you can always juggle.

Arlington > you gonna take this? I mean she could have at least told you what was gonna go down before hand. You have half a mind to learn how to memory read just so you can learn what is going on here.