Best Of

(Bloodloch): Officer Tydelius says, "What -."

Ayukazi uses Relic Translocator.

Ayukazi instinctively makes haste the Bloodloch Constabulary.

(Bloodloch): Officer Tydelius says, "Enemy at the Constabulary."

Bloodloch Constabulary.
--- Area 88: Bloodloch ------------ v8007 ---
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--- Bloodloch Constabulary ------- 5:-4:0 ---
Standing at crisp, military attention, Officer Tydelius is here. Inviting closer inspection, a monument of bone displays an informative plaque. A sigil in the shape of a small, rectangular monolith is on the ground. A glowing red flame-shaped sigil has been left here. Resting on the ground is a cube-shaped silver sigil. Torn into bloody pieces, a cloaked figure lies dead here. An arachnid Chiav patroller is here, creeping about the passage silently. Gyana is here.
You see a single exit leading north.

[HINT]: Officer Tydelius seems particularly alert.
This former Praenomen guard still wears his trademark chilling demeanor, pale skin stretched tautly over bone and muscles. Long white fangs hang over his bottom lip, glistening with a feral snarl. In place of the uniform of the Bloodloch guards, this vampire is afforded the rank of officer, and wears a crisp black officer's coat trimmed in red and gold to denote his status. Gleaming under any available light near his wrists are some rather expensive-looking cufflinks, marked with the crest of the Dominion.
Officer Tydelius looks weak and feeble.
He is undead.
He carries over ten weeks of survival experience.
He weighs about 137 pound(s).
He is loyal to the City of Bloodloch.

@Rhyot arrives from the north.

@Gyana asks, "What's going on here?"

Ayukazi says to Officer Tydelius, "Report."

Malkariaz arrives from the north.

Rhyot raises an eyebrow questioningly.

Azarae arrives from the north.

Rhyot says, "I've not heard of this language."

Officer Tydelius stands bloodied, the crimson substance coating hands and fangs alike. He gives the corpse of a translucent figure a kick with his boot. "That one tried to attack me."

Torn into bloody pieces, a cloaked figure lies dead here.
He is undead.

Ayukazi searches the corpse, uncovering a folded letter hidden in the cloak. The text reads:
XSS QERC ICIW EFSYX. AI EVI FIMRK AEXGLIH. HIPEC XLI HEXI XS RIBX QSRXL.

A Chiav patroller leaves to the north at a slow pace.

Straightening into rigid, militant attention, A nightmarish figure squares her shoulders and crisply salutes Ayukazi.

@Vharen arrives from the north.

Gyana says, "Another letter."

Ayukazi says to a nightmarish figure, "At ease."

Rhyot says, "It's a puzzle."

A nightmarish figure relaxes her posture.

"Ewwwwwwwww!" says Vharen in disgust.

@Zenobia arrives from the north.

Blinking at the corpse, Gyana says, "A puzzle hidden in a letter. Odd. Intriguing. Mostly unnecessary."

Rhyot says, "At most, we have a letter with an encrypted message."

Rhyot says to Officer Tydelius, "Did the figure say anything before he attacked?"

"Mmmm..." Rhyot softly utters.

Ayukazi says, "We did see a figure slip away near the lava pool. This may have been the one."

Gyana asks, "Ah, the one that dashed about?"

Officer Tydelius retrieves a handkerchief from within his crisp uniform. In stark contrast to the seeming ferocity with which he tore his attacker apart, the officer is careful wiping the bloodied remnants off his mouth and hands. Finished, he folds the soiled handkerchief carefully, bloodied side inside, and returns it into his uniform. "Caught me offguard, Keeper, as I was studying the list of criminals. Came from behind and tried to grab me. Didn't say anything."

Ayukazi says, "Yes."

A nightmarish figure chews thoughtfully on her lip.

Azarae leaves to the north.

Azarae arrives from the north.

Gyana asks, "Another attempted kidnapping? Or murder?"

(Tells): In the back of her mind, Ayukazi hears @Azarae saying to her, "It was not the one we saw in the lava pool earlier, Lady Ayukazi, he is still there. Had to make sure."

Ayukazi says, "One has to wonder if the message or messages got to the intended target."

"Shoddy effort either way," scoffs Officer Tydelius. The Officer of the Dominion bends down over the body, turning it over. "Not a warrior, this one."

Zenobia says, "Maybe killing off ones they can't pay off?"

Rhyot says to Officer Tydelius, "You've done well to eliminate and inform of where the intruder was."

Rhyot tilts his head curiously at Officer Tydelius.

Officer Tydelius reaches a pale hand over, pulling down the hood covering the face of his would-be attacker. Furry Rajamalan features stare back, lifeless. "Seen him about the city. Civilian."

A rituos consanguine slips in from the north.

Gyana glances at Officer Tydelius, blinking, then looks back down at the corpse of a cloaked Rajamalan figure. "Xorani. Grook. Rajamalan."

A nightmarish figure says to Ayukazi, "Perhaps a list of potential targets, Lady Ayukazi? If it was a messenger or scout, it is odd that they would attack before delivering it. Also, if there was only one, I suspect they would had incinerated the message rather than run around with it."

Rhyot stares down at the now deceased citizen, his eyes narrowing as he begins tapping against his leg. "So both guards and average citizens have developed a sense of unrest, to the point they feel the need to betray the city."

Ayukazi shakes her head. "What was the one that got impaled at the West Gate?"

Officer Tydelius straightens from his perch, raising an eyebrow at Gyana. "Xorani, Grook, Your Grace?" he questions.

Gyana gives Officer Tydelius her attention once again, nodding. "The different citizens I've found thus far. An undead Xorani. A still-unmurdered Grook citizen. Now this one is Rajamalan."

Gyana says, "A Rajamalan who is also undead."

Ayukazi looks over to Officer Tydelius, taking note of the interest. "Xorani was slain. Grook feared their neighbor was abducted. This Rajamalan was an accomplice to the crimes."

"We have many citizens," Officer Tydelius replies quizzically, eyebrow still arched. After a moment's consideration, the Consanguine nods. "Most know better than to get in the way. But perhaps fear - or something darker - drives some to further action."

Zenobia ponders the situation.

"Mmmm..." Rhyot softly utters.

Gyana tilts her head. "Oh, I wonder if this has something to do with Hovalai as well?"

Zenobia says, "Well then that would be a question that may need asking, what would be scary enough to make undead or citizen's behave so."

Rhyot says, "Hovalai?"

Ayukazi lowers her eyes to slits. "'Might not Light' is not an act of fear. This is deliberate planning."

Zenobia nods her head at Ayukazi, showing her acceptance.

Zenobia says, "The posters, tapestries etc do not appear out of nowhere and take time to craft."

Zenobia rolls her barbell along teeth.

Officer Tydelius clears his throat. "Fear of their peers disappearing, Overlord," he returns at Ayukazi, tone neutral yet polite. "The city stinks of it. Innocents...well, as innocent as anyone in Bloodloch can be."

Gyana says to Rhyot, "I'd been talking to Elene about the slaves who were freed. General Hovalai was in charge of them and openly expressed hatred toward Overlord Callidora. To be fair, he didn't seem to be happy with any of the Consanguine present. Then there was Usham, another undead, I believe, who seemed fairly displeased with us as well. May or may not be relevant. Just thought all this hate was interesting."

Rhyot narrows his eyes slightly, "Innocence is subjective, at best. Though the citizens being captured and others going missing that even we might not be aware of... that is something none of us can or should stand for." He picks up the encrypted letter from the corpse of a cloaked Rajamalan figure to look at it more closely. "We need to decode this letter though."

Ayukazi steps closer to the corpse of a cloaked Rajamalan figure, her massive wings of shadow flattening around her to form into a cape. "If they are now attacking Officers, this means they may be getting sloppy. It would be better to send a trained warrior against an Officer. This... this alone..." Letting her words fall, she steps away. Eyes set on something unseen, shadows begin to conceal her presence.

Zenobia nods her head and says, "Aye."

Gyana smiles at Officer Tydelius. "Thank you for bringing this to our attention so quickly, Officer."

Malkariaz drops the corpse of a skittering onyx eld.
Malkariaz drops the corpse of a skittering onyx eld.

Rhyot shrugs his shoulders, "They are either getting sloppy, or getting more confident. Either one could be the reason to attack an Officer."

"They grow bolder," Officer Tydelius nods with Ayukazi and Rhyot's assessment. "Or perhaps more desperate." He inclines his head to Gyana. "Obliged, Your Grace."

Officer Tydelius says, "Should they attempt to do so again, I will try to leave enough of them about for you to question."

Ayukazi nods at Officer Tydelius. "Perhaps boldness comes from desperation to see through to the cause."

Vharen says, "Oh, that's an easy wittle puzzle!"

The soft sparkle of tittering laughter issues from Vharen as he covers his mouth, eyes unable to hide the amusement.

Rhyot raises an eyebrow at Vharen.

Entirely too at ease, Gyana says to Vharen, "Ah, quite excellent!"

Vharen says, "Just wiggle the letters about! They might be desperate. Says they want to delay a month."

Vharen says, "I'm terrible at waiting though! So I'll go do something more fun now."

Zenobia asks, "If they want to delay ... why go after Tydelius here?"

Vharen twirls about, spinning on his foot.

Vharen waves goodbye.

Vharen leaves to the north.

"Perhaps they wished to bolster whatever it is they are abducting citizens for," Officer Tydelius shrugs. "Perhaps their successes have emboldened them to aim higher." He smooths out the wrinkles in his uniform, carefully adjusting his cufflinks. "A sloppy cipher. The first was not even obscured. This tells us something."

Ayukazi obscures herself from casual observation, becoming a figure wrapped in darkness.

A nightmarish figure says, "Sloppy or deliberate."

It is now midnight on Kinsday, the 18th of Khepary, year 491 of the Midnight Age.

(Bloodloch): A humble bellman says, "Midnight is upon us."

Ayukazi says to a nightmarish figure, "Perhaps."

"Mmmm..." Rhyot softly utters.

A nightmarish figure says, "I'm going to patrol incase this was a means of a distraction."

Straightening into rigid, militant attention, A nightmarish figure squares her shoulders and crisply salutes Ayukazi.

Rhyot says, "According to someone skilled in Ylemnics...."

Gyana maintains a wide and easy smile throughout the proceedings, hands twining together.

Rhyot says, "Too many eyes about. We are being watched. Delay the date to next month."

With a cheerful tone, Gyana says, "Wonderful!"

Rhyot says to Officer Tydelius, "Are there any markings or other signifying features that might be on this individual to denote their allegiance to a specific group?"

Officer Tydelius sucks noisily on his teeth. "Appreciated, Keeper, but Arch Duke Vharen informed of its contents many minutes ago. Before he left with a...twirl." A look of annoyance crosses the Consanguine's face at that, but he does not give voice to his displeasure. "It seems likely that this is an operation of mostly amateurs." His eyebrows raise again as he regards Gyana. "The civilians and denizens that are so rarely noticed."

Rhyot ponders the situation.

A figure wrapped in darkness says, "But with enough of them..."

Gyana says to Officer Tydelius, "Ah, that makes sense. Can you imagine -- a group of individuals who go unnoticed and unheard, listening to those of the city constantly joking and squabbling about which leader does the most or who has more power or which person is more useful? No wonder the Grook left, uncomfortable. It's something they experience enough to be discomforted by."

Gyana says, "And no wonder they seek to point fingers at the Council, really. It's been the talk of the city for weeks. An easy target."

A figure wrapped in darkness says to Gyana, "I can imagine many of our citizens can empathize."

Rhyot nods his head at a figure wrapped in darkness.

Gyana says to a figure wrapped in darkness, "Indeed! I -do- empathize."

A figure wrapped in darkness nods their head at Gyana.

A figure wrapped in darkness says to Gyana, "Exactly."

"Mmmm..." Rhyot softly utters.

Officer Tydelius shrugs carelessly. "They are not granted the right to vote. Their discomforts are hardly notable." With that, the Consanguine turns back to the bounty board. Beside the larger feature, currently with no bounties set for claim, is a smaller fixture, almost out of sight. "Keeper. Overlords. I must return to my duty." A quill joins his hand as he resumes writing the crimes and incidences of the other denizens of the city. Theft, break-ins, fights. A murder or two. Littering.

Gyana nods her head at Officer Tydelius.

@Ishmar arrives from the north.

Ishmar says, "Eld again..."

Gyana says to Ishmar, "Ah, I believe that was left over by someone who was present."

Ishmar says to Zenobia, "Can you read what's written on it?"

Officer Tydelius abruptly stops writing as something clicks. He clears his throat, turning back to Rhyot.

Zenobia says to Ishmar, "Its a cypher and was figured out."

Comprehension flashes across Ishmar's face.

Gyana looks curiously at Officer Tydelius.

Ishmar nods to Officer Tydelius.

Officer Tydelius says, "Keeper. It occurs to me - it does not make sense to wait for caution's sake alone, even as security grows stricter and stricter. I would be on the look out for some new initiative coming to fruition. Something they seem to think is worth delaying for."

Rhyot says, "I do not believe it's a delay."

With that, Officer Tydelius returns once more to his duties.

Officer Tydelius's attention drifts, returning to their usual tasks.