3.5e Batman Campaign (2.0)

[JoyWonderLove]

=Carriages and castling=

The only enjoyable parts of the journey were playing keep away with Damien’s device, however impossible that was in the coach with the motivated little parkour fiend, and stealing a hot bath with scented soaps. The cloth bath robes hugging her nude form like a hand-tailored grey cloud wasn’t exactly enough to cover all her concerns, though. Hearing they had to wait, Spoiler was altogether sure she wouldn’t make the Sionis Manor today, and worse, had totally lost the opportunity to inform anyone important in the Narrows about the shattered glass in Vault 6. The Merchants would secure it.

So much for claiming to be Witch Hunters, and hustling a few clearly ungodly pieces out to help ruin the Thieves Guild. They’ll have to make do with the cypher alone. The House had succeeded before at greater heists with far less, but that didn’t stop the rogue from chewing her lip. It wasn’t about a one-off hit against the larger criminal organisation, as much as any edge over the larger gangs had to be considered. There was the entirety of the Narrows at stake, and absolutely no one among the nobility cared to improve anything about it except Lady Kyle herself. Or so it was said.

The elderly knight showed Stephanie to a room large enough to fit at least four shanty lean-tos, and dominated by a bed as wide across as seven thick chests. The mattress was so seductively soft she feared she never be able to make peace with thin sheets and the hard ground again. Sighing, she pushed the plush high backed chair from before its little table to before the fireplace instead. It had taken hunting down a servant – few that there were – to figure out how to get it crackling. Thanking the man, she laid down the holy symbol of Estanna on the plush chair when he was outside, but hide the sack in the draw. She couldn’t risk it clinking for her early morning excursion.

Spoiler had no delusions that the old knight had only wanted the Mage College woman and the House Kane knight, and had extended an invitation to her out of some odd sense of chivalry. Her crossbow had only been minimally useful in the last engagement. Slipping back on her full equipment reluctantly, she knew this might be the last time the Waynes ever had her in their presence. That meant learning as much as she could to figure out where they probably kept their soon to be growing fortunes. Too many nobles had proven themselves self-serving and predatory when they grew in power, and House Kyle specialised in redistributing misapplied wealth.

Better to know and not need it, than need and not know.

Spoiler opened the solid wood door to begin getting an idea of her surroundings.

Spoiler: Take 10 Hide (25), Move (25), Search (20), and actions

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Of note, this is basically only searching for a maximum of an hour (as everyone is likely asleep, and personal fatigue is a thing), mostly to find anywhere that might realistically have wealth preferably in the form of coins, or basically the rough location of their treasury (if it even exists). But I’m not actually trying to disable any devices or open any chests. This is just to confirm ‘okay, great possibility some expensive things are stashed in there’. The more nondescript items, the better.

Also, I would love to actually nab at least one preferably small thing that is distinctly House Wayne, simply as proof that I really was in their castle. A signet ring is -okay-, but doesn’t confirm much. Something like a solid silver candle holder with their symbol on the bottom is better. This theft is motivated to show ‘no, really, I was actually in their home. Crazy, right?’

Then sleep on the floor of the assigned room, but in the soft duvet. Gotta indulge a little.

=For the Long Haul=

The House Kyle associate strolled over to the long table, dragging a black bowl filled with sugar cubes nearer. Midway from popping one of the white cubes into her mouth, Spoiler stopped and eyed Damien’s back mischievously, before instead emptying half the bowl into the platnium filled sack quietly. The ceramic was returned slightly away from her. She returned back to the wizard’s side, not overly sure what to say in the noble setting, but keen to attempt it regardless.

“Ah, the perks of the pauper,” the unmasked blonde otherwise wearing her full get-out began beside Oracle in the long hall, “Those two have already seen me without, and as the only nobody here, I pretty much have free reign to not care about disguises for once. Not sure I’d recommend it over owning your own castle, though.”

Stephanie took a moment to jingle the sack attached to her belt, confirming it hadn’t been swapped out or lightened by anyone. “Anyway, it makes you look more badass if you stick to your wands. Not all of us can intrigue princes, or rearrange reality with a word.” The chalky clash between Damien and Kate was watched with veiled interest, the boy choosing a wooden knife to a weapon with longer reach, and she felt uncomfortably aware the same people that had fed and sheltered her for years might someday need pointers for encounters distinctly less playful.

Who’s to say her vendetta isn’t against all theft? That he’ll understand how the Narrows is being given a chance? A purpose?

A gloomy air descended on the purple clad vigilante, for how few outside the neighbourhood understood why they called themselves House Kyle. Sharing successful heists with half-nots, stabbing those that were making the region worse, and persuading their way to a united and thriving community was the current approach. The sprawling, slapdash jigsaw of favelas and hopelessness that made up the Narrows was too complex for one approach. But theirs was a promise for a future, as much as she had started doubting those in it; and sought people far outside it. It was too likely to end up in jail or in the dirt. Entirely too possible she might be abandoned like the Vault thief girl.

We don’t even know what really happened to that guy in the red mask...

“Do you buy Bruce’s cover story?” Stephanie asked Oracle conversationally when the grey knight was out of earshot, voice kept low out of self-preservation, and sympathy for the son. Her gloom was hidden behind an easy half-smile as she continued. “That he’s not meeting some maid, or playing with his sword? Or making us wait so his time appears precious for when he finally doth meet the people.”

Few were the men, let alone among nobles, that would admit to random mercenaries that their leadership had led their households to a rough spot. To say nothing that they had an excess of time for it. They all had accidentally kept the bat banner from the flame when they protected the Merchant’s Guild, although it was certainly better the Waynes succeed than the Thieves Guild. They were the weaker of two poisons. Two chalky strikes caught Damien quicker than anticipated.

Stephanie shrugged innocently. “But maybe that’s a genuine sickness, too.”

The boy made one final desperate dash between the taller woman’s legs. Far from the strike at ligaments or a less sporting spot, he did a surprising leg sweep that caught only the air. Surprising, that was, to herself, not Kate. The still helmed knight easily stepped past it and ended it with a final swipe. Stephanie only sighed, the incredibly skilful child having ultimately been overcome by military experience. The only winning move was in befriending knights, not battling them.

“I’m guessing Bruce wants to play Master of the Hunt to appear relevant to Gotham, even if all that meant is subduing that unstoppable creature. Which is easily better than nothing.” Her eyes flicked to Oracle. “But what does the woman with more spells and ice cream than House Fries on amphetamines desire out of all this?”

Oracle stepped forward into the unmarked arena, evidently desiring not to be overly apart of the conversation, or else to humble someone.

Spoiler: on timing/Jbe

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do not make me delete all this jbe I spent forever trying to make this fit

[Molan]

Spoiler: Spoiler

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Stephanie crept out of her room not long after the servant was gone, and began to slowly make her way through the huge manse.

The great keep was incredibly cold and foreboding...but it was also mostly empty, which made Stephanie's job a lot easier. Better still, many of the corridors were lined with large pillars or suits of armor; it wasn't long until a couple of servants were quietly making their way down a hallway and heading her direction. Stephanie bolted behind the nearest suit of plate mail and lurked in the shadows as the pair strolled by.

"...I heard they're vigilantes."

"They are but what else is knew? Half of the people in this city are mercenaries, adventurers or footpads. Who else were they going to find?"

"Why do we need help anyway? There's still a few men-at-arms left. And the Lords Wayne are more than capable of
taking care of themselves."

"Don't count on it. I heard Sir Pennyworth talking in the study a week back. This is worse than the other times...it's...more dangerous."

"That's hard to believe...I remember..."

After that, the two servants passed out of earshot, and Stephanie stepped out into the hallway to watch to make sure the coast was clear. When she did, she got a chance to look back at the statue she'd been hiding behind, and was surprised by what she'd found.

It was a tall suit of silvery armor, draped in a long dark blue cloak. Emblazoned in the center of it's chest was the ancient symbol of House Wayne; a golden, oval-shaped moon behind a black direbat. The helm was partial; the mouth piece was open and it had two angular eye slits, but what made it unique was that a pair of sharp, angular ears were forged to point out of the top of the helmet, piercing the hood of the cloak. Stephanie couldn't quite place it, but there was something about the suit that stuck in her mind. When she inspected it closer she saw it was covered in a thin layer of dust, so it hadn't been used in quite a long time. Still, she couldn't help but feel unnerved by it.

She scurried away from the odd armor, deciding it best to find some valuables elsewhere.

Her search uncovered a few odd gems in the castle; she found the kitchen, servants quarters and several guard quarters. She found a secret door, but wasn't sure where it led and didn't have time to investigate. There was a door that looked like it led to an armory, and another to a garrison, but both were locked. She found a few other areas that were also locked, and a couple of other interesting staircases she didn't have time to climb.

There was a study in the west wing that was filled with dust and books and valuable looking art, but nothing particularly interesting or worth her time. In the east wing, things got a bit more interesting. One room was a large open ballroom area with limestone tiled floors and plenty of fancy decorations, with a large elegant piano in the far corner. The place seemed important -- there was much less dust layering the surfaces in here than in many other parts of the castle, but she couldn't find anything out of place that would indicate why the room was special.

She made her way around the shelves built into the walls, and eventually scored what she was looking for: several writing instruments, including wax for seals, inside a monogrammed and lacquered wooden box. One of the object inside was what looked like a silver-plated seal stamp with a Wayne sigil and a "W" over it.

"Paydirt." She whispered.

[JbeJ275]

Oracle replies to Spoiler's questions with just a hint of a smile. "Oh who knows, no doubt a little sniffle or cough for him is a thing of great concern, no doubt he believes his time is more valube though or perhaps he think's he's doing us a great favour letting us linger in the same building as him for a litttle longer. Besides it might be a mixture, a little bit of posturing, a little bit of recovery and a little bit making him seem stronger than it is. Plenty of nobles find a reason to posture, and he could be one of those who doesn't realise when it's time to stop."

This seemed to be cheering Barbara at least in so much as letting her unattatch herself from the present situation and focus on the world through a more analyctical lense ensured she remained calm.


"As for why I'm doing this.. I appreciate the kind words but you have to undeerstand, we're meduim fish in the world's most ferocious pond right now. I've managed to be clever so far, and with your and Kate's help, and i guess last night Damien's, we're punching above our weight. But with the chaos in the city, and the corrupt attacking them from every angle the Gordons have a limited capacity to act and a lot of people willing to counter any attempt to escelate. And I've come to see that with the indifference from above, there's little hope of the justicar's being cleaned up from the inside. We've got to strike at the pillars that support that corruption and Wayne wealth, if I'm being honest it's out best hope to do that."


Left unsaid was the fact that a far from insubstantial part of her motivation was nothing more significant or less petty than the enormous argument she'd had with her brother before leaving the house, and the deep rooted and deliberately unexamined feelings she had about what the path of her life had meant for the family around her.

Leaving what was said said and what was unsaid unsaid, it soon came time to depart to the library and speak with wayne.

=A Rather Tense Table=

In response to the host's comments Barbara spoke.

"I'm Oracle, a mage college trained diviner and it seems a newly minted mercenary.

[Molan]

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Oracle. You say 'newly minted'; were you an adventurer before now or is this your first foray out of the College?" Wayne replied.

His question seemed pleasant and amicable enough. He was charming, in a sort of reserved and brooding way, and impeccably polite, if nothing else. It wasn't what anyone had expected of him, but his manner also wasn't completely out of place, either. He had asked them there as a favor, after all. All in all the former prince remained a bit of an enigma, masking whatever his true purpose was under an excellent poker face.

[JbeJ275]

"I had taken part for some freelance work with an intitution outside of the colleges before this, but I'm somewhat new to offering my services in such an distinctly martial endevour."

The reply was quite and polite, though with a subtle note of tension still present there. For all her earlier vitriol at the man it was easier to keep from summoning it with a name and a face, now attatched to the previously nebulous concept of the man conceding the oppurtunity to win back the institutions of gotham.

[Molan]

Bruce nodded thoughtfully.

"I see. Alfred and I both spend some time doing adventuring work, in past lives. But we both come home because we felt like Gotham needed us. I won't presume to know whether you feel the same but we're happy to have you regardless."

He turned to look at Spoiler.

"And you, miss? I don't believe I've yet had the pleasure."

[JoyWonderLove]

=House Wayne: Because Someone Has To Eat & Make Noise In The Library=

“Haven’t we?” Stephanie teased from her seat, when the handsome royal stated they weren’t acquainted. “We must have just kept missing each other then. The Narrows are quite the warren.” She winked. “But certainly not, Your...Grace? Princeliness? Name’s Steph, if you like. Spoiler, as you prefer. You haven’t heard of me because I’m the guppy in the lake. Not nearly as agile and stealthy as Lord Damien, nowhere near the knowledge and resourcefulness of Oracle, and not in the same city as House Kane’s prowess. You might have called me passable with a crossbow, if Ser Pennyworth weren’t here to raise the bar entirely too high.”

The wine glass was swirled around, although an observant type would note the blonde hadn’t sipped it once in all the time others had talked. “Actually, it was thanks to Oracle’s alchemy that we were able to obscure the docklands, and confound the Thieves Guild long enough to break them into manageable chunks. She also saved me from a possession. Whereas Dame Kane’s psychic powers protected us against both the Thieves Guild and Lord Dent when surprise became irrelevant. Very much an anchor despite how violent the storm. Lord Damien also showed sharp insight when he rejected my idea of swapping the book for Sir Pennyworth’s well-being. We have both right now because he saw opportunities I didn’t.”

The gang member turned mercenary never quite offered a toast to anyone, aware enough it would be rude when the host was more than capable. “So Your Grace can obviously tell then: my only true talent is talking too much. But we can’t all be so strong and silent.” She shrugged. There was a single small sip taken of the wine then.

“Anyway, Your Grace and Sir Pennyworth gave up the freedom of adventure for the burden of office. A noble sacrifice, and more than most would give. How was it adjusting from one lifestyle to the other? What have you found to be the greatest challenges to helping Gotham so far?”

Spoiler: Take 10 Diplomacy (30)

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Improve his attitude, improve chances of getting help and pardons.

[MrAbdiel]

Damien seems not to have taken his drubbing at the hands of the Dame too much to heart. Indeed, it’s the furthest thing from his mind as he scarfs half of his meal with a growing boy’s appetite before sparing a glance toward the Lord Wayne across the table, conducting himself with a certain amount of grace over there, and adjusts. It seems like the transition is unconscious, his attention going from food to guests; and he begins poking his meal around on the plate with instinctive juvenile idol mimicry. As he falls into this pattern, the similarities between them grow more obvious. The heavy, pronounced dark eyebrows; the classically squared off jaw; little things about the shape of his ears and nose. If he’s not a legitimate son, he’s a damn fine impersonator; but if he is, why is he a ‘squire’ and not, as some have generously feigned or innocently guessed was the case, an recognised son and heir? The town chatter had various theories, but none easy to confirm.

He swirled his wine - probably a juice, poured into his crystal ware by an indulgent servant - and made a point of not sipping it, so now three of them at the table were swirling and cautiously not partaking.

[Molan]

Bruce smiled, nodding a bit in Spoiler's direction.

"Honestly? The worst thing? Has been realizing things would have been a lot better if I'd stuck around."

The table went quiet for a few moments, and Alfred leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms as if settling in.

"Thing is, when my parents died, I was very young. It's not a huge stretch to say that I didn't handle their loss very well."

Alfred couldn't hold whatever he was thinking in, and nearly burst in a short chuckle.

"Hah. That's one way to describe it."

Bruce smiled with chagrin, but didn't correct him.

"I...felt lost. And I was hurt, and I lashed out. Eventually, I decided I couldn't stay here anymore. I put Gotham behind me, and assumed I'd never come back. I traveled quite a lot, and one day..." he raised his glass towards Alfred, taking his first sip of the evening.

"...Alfred tracked me down. He told me how bad things had gotten here, convinced me to come back. Of course once I got here, the city was already upside down. Technically House Wayne was still sovereign, but the James' had been stewards for over a decade and a half. I didn't know anyone in this city at that point, and most of the other major Houses had spent the entire time gobbling up every stake in town. We realized I had no choice but to abdicate, and pledge fealty to House James. After that..." Bruce sighed, sort of shrugging. Alfred gave him the feintest of smiles.

"Well...we...had to find other ways to help. So, we've tried. And we've had some successes, but some setbacks too. I won't hide the fact from you that I fronted Lucius the money he paid you for the jobs you did for him."

"And the payroll that he used to start paying mercenaries and day laborers to begin working the Vaults again." Alfred added.

"Yes indeed." Bruce said. "So now, Fort Clinton finally has a second chance at life, and maybe if we can turn that around, one day we can bring Midtown around too. Tiny little acorns, and all that. But, I have to be honest with you; the city has bigger problems than it's corrupt nobility. Sure, they're bad, but the rot goes deeper. It's been stricken with attacks from terrorists and rogue magi and all sorts of nightmares. And now--" he he gestured towards the book sitting weightily in the center of their gathering "--we've got this monster. I probably don't need to tell you that the James' and the College and the High Lords all have their heads so far up their backs that they're doing less than nothing about it, but that thing prays on innocent people. It has to be stopped."

"So, what exactly do you need from us? What's with the book?"

Bruce smiled.

"That's the question isn't it. Well, you see, we found out that the Codex, which the Guild had been sitting on for who knows how long, has spells that ought to be able to kill, or at least cripple it. That was the first step in our plan to try to bring it down."

"First step? Then what's the second?"

Alfred chimed in.

"The Codex is rumored to have been written by the gods themselves...or the angels or some such, there's a few different interpretations of the legend. Either way, the power it contains is fundamentally lawful, overwhelming, divine energy. But it's also beyond mortal comprehension -- this is a job for an archmage, or a high priest. We're not sure -- either way, those are resources we don't currently have. But more than that, even if we had someone available who could channel the energies properly, they still wouldn't be able to use the book without help."

"Help? What kind of help?"

Bruce answered.

"The Codex requires a special tool in order for a mortal to wield it. This tool is called "The Cypher"."

"Technically," said Alfred, "It's true designation is a long and complicated word in Celestial but, for our purposes, 'The Cypher' will do."

"Exactly. And if you've been following along this long, you can probably guess: we don't have the Cypher and we don't know where it is."

He raised his glass to the assembled group.

"And so that, my friends, is where you all come in."

Spoiler: Spoiler

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As best you can tell, your Diplomacy has warmed Lord Wayne up a fair bit.

[Feathersnow]

"I am glad to see you take your responsibilities as an aristocrat seriously. I have a contact in the ecclesiarchy I might be able ask to help channel divine energy, but I have no reason to think she has any special knowledge of this Cypher."

[Molan]

"Well that's at least a bit of good news, if nothing else. Perhaps your friend will come in handy when the time comes. If no one from the Imperial Church knows anything about the cypher -- or more accurately, if we don't know anyone in the Church who's willing to talk -- then we're left with two options. The first is that we could try to go to the Mage's College, but I'm not very confident about that approach. They're legendarily hierarchical and nearly impossible to infiltrate, what with their overwhelming arcane magic powers.

Our other option is to try and track down House Dent, and figure out where Lord Two-Face is currently hiding out."

"How would that help? They lost the book to us. Or, to Damien more accurately."

"Absolutely. But why were they looking for the Codex in the first place?" Alfred asked.

"The simple fact that Dent was after the book is the only real lead we've got. Tracking down and discovering House Dent's hideout may currently be our best lead on the Cypher. If they don't have it then they might no where it is." said Bruce.

"But why did old Dent want the book in the first place?"

"No idea. The only thing we know for sure is: Harvey wanted the book, he's no more capable of using it without the Cypher than we are, his gang is one of the most dangerous groups in Gotham's underworld and..." Bruce trailed off, but Alfred finished his thought.

"No one has any idea where to find them."

Spoiler: Spoiler

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You don't know much of anything about this arcane/divine super key made by the angels, unfortuantely. That kind of word just doesn't get around much on the streets. However, I'll toss in a second result on House Dent, which should help:
- The Dents are one of the most feared groups in the city. Originally made up of a number of former knights who remained loyal to Dent after his spiral into madness, they've expanded and turned over a lot, and have repeatedly infuriated the High Lords of Gotham and the Mage's College by constantly raiding their treasures. The Dents are closely embedded in Gotham's underworld now, on par with larger, older organizations like the Dark Market and the Thieves Guild, but they're considered to be numerically smaller and much more powerful, due to their superior skill and weaponry.

Spoiler: Oracle

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Unfortunately, you have heard of the Cypher, but only in academic contexts. Your best piece of knowledge is that it functions off of a type of magic called Theurgy, which mixes divine and arcane practices.

[JbeJ275]

"Hmm... with what i saw of Dent during the fight it seems he has some unusual magic energies about him. I didn't get close enough to divine the relevant details but he also seemed to be utilising a mixture of rather fell arcane magic and magic that my have been divine magic, though I don't think it was anything truly celestial. If the Cypher is an example of therugic magic as many expect it could have some relationship with Dent's own pseudo-therugic nature."


"As for you leads, it might be worth me and Steph attempting research from the mage college angle, I have some amount of legitimate reason to be there, while if anyone can talk their way into the more restricted collections without triggering the direct deciet evaluation wards most arcanists prefer it's likely her."

[Molan]

"That's not a bad idea," said Bruce. "If you can find a way to infiltrate the college without raising any untoward interest, that could give us a great opening into what House Dent might be up to, or, barring that, where the Cypher is actually located."

With that, Bruce stood up, and paced around the table away from the blazing hearth until he was standing at the side of the room, in front of a large portrait of his late parents. He leaned against a large iron and wooden cart positioned there.

"Listen, I know I'm asking a lot. Each of you has other priorities, other things on your plate. I want you to know that I'm here to help. In exchange for your help I'm willing to work to support your own endeavors, insofar as they're all legal and above board. If you're willing trust me, I can provide a lot of help. But that goes two ways -- I need to be able to trust you too. And more to the point, I desperately need to be able to throw more swords at this Monster problem. So, if we're going to do this, I need to know that you're committed to this mission, and to this city."

[MrAbdiel]

Damien's commitment to this cause can be presumed; and he certainly presumes it is presumed. While waiting for the three ladies of midnight justice to consider their answers, the scion's eyes track between the pacing Lord Wayne and the table and, deciding he ought to be standing over there where the question was asked instead of sitting over here where its answer is being generated, he pops from his chair and paces over to where the elder Wayne stands in pensive, brooding firelight, and settles in beside him. A glance to his right to his father gives him final reference for a couple of small adjustments to his posture; althought not leaning on anything himself, he unwittingly draws attention to the cues of frailty in the otherwise powerful looking nobleman.

[JbeJ275]

Barbara nods guardedly.

I'll fight to defend this city. I'm not willing to share everything but everything relevant to that? I'll be subject to whatever divinations you need me to, but in return, with the power and influence that house Wayne still has, that you haven't thrown away by coming back and accepting the status quo under house James, I want you to do whaat you can to help the Justicars. To ensure there's someone at the top who'll make it hard for a new corrupt boss o be shuffled in each time one is found out, and to do what you can to help me identify both those who are willingly corrupt, and those who put so much pressure on other members of the justicars.

[JoyWonderLove]

Stephanie giggled in a manner restrained, never accepting nor denying she had a chance to win their way into restricted areas. “The trick, my dear Oracle, is to only ever speak the truth. Then what have we to fear of wards? But you hardly need me for that. So I’m fine with browsing some libraries with you for about three hours or so, but any longer and I’ll have to pull a Dark Knight. Smokesticks and all. We all know Harvey,” the woman continued, and from the quirk of her mouth and the glitter in sapphire eyes, found only amusement to the terror of the underworld’s revealed name, “took off on two silvery wings, into the night sky, as the Gotham heavyweight champion for all things arm candy hanging off his wrists. That innocuous little getaway wasn’t even a day ago. I can have his location secured before sunrise, and do the rounds after. Cobblepot and co will be knocking on Dent's front door, and Gotham has one less rogue Lord in the meanwhile. But the longer neglected, the more miserly the trail.”

Stephanie left out that there was also a tasty price tag attached to the location of Lord Dent, and not simply because it was unclear what to do with any extra windfall. While the Banking High Lord wasn’t good for Gotham, she had yet to hear anyone complain Cobblepot wasn’t great for payday.

“Regardless, Your Grace has been very generous.” The still unmasked woman patted the platinum sack on her lap like a loveable pet, and it made a reassuring clinking noise. It was hard not to wonder if the little hint of silver didn’t add an extra clink to it. Lord Wayne had elected to go brood before the painting of his deceased parents, and she thought it a lonely stance, until his son was kind enough to copy him. Whether it was in the Narrows or high manors, children couldn’t help but keep compassion as constant companions.

“Even greatly strategic. Conceding ground to turn enemies towards indifference, funding mercenaries for proxy conflicts, reinvesting in the Merchant’s Guild to help Midtown flourish to its full and vibrant potential...”

While making yourself exceptionally rich, the thought was withheld.

“House Wayne could hold a masterclass on city wide tactics. So, Your Grace must be prioritising this particular monster, over all others, for some grand strategy? Or else, that the rule of law means protecting your people first.” Stephanie supposed.

The High Lord of Wayne Manor had revealed himself to be many things, and strategic philanthropist suffering through a childhood trauma weren’t anywhere near what the Gothamite expected. It was hard for her to still presume he chased the head of the werebeast for mere accolades. When the little boy with bushy eyebrows had mimicked his father’s stance out of a misshapen adoration, it was clear she hadn’t even been right that Bruce was a negligent father. That only made the concern of where Damien had learned to apply poisons effortlessly more pressing. An obscure family, at best. They had either been the dedicated targets of cruel slander for years, or else, had intensely cloaked themselves in it to hide their movements. Stephanie frowned. A hustle was only good when on the right side of it.

“At any pace, I’ll always fight for Gotham’s families. Honestly, finding Harvey is easy enough. Getting a reader for our Codex...isn’t half the gauntlet you all might assume.” From her near non-committal tone, Stephanie had a neighbour about five doors down that could do it, but getting them to would be a chore. “But trusting near any noble at this point – that’s the hard part. Especially when the highest expression of beauty is completely different between a singer or poet, to say nothing of a High Lord or prince. So let me not worry Your Grace that he'll suffer me for some sycophant. I’ll agree to help if I understand and like but one thing first:”

Stephanie spoke less like a lucky peasant that had won her way into the Manor, riding on the robes and tabard of the wizard and knight, so much as the singular representative of the mistreated people of the city itself. “What, ultimately, is the vision Your Grace has for Gotham?”

[Molan]

"Fair enough. My vision, so much as it is, is to defeat the corruption that's gripped this city. My vision is to expel the criminal gangs and overpowered noble houses that have brought it so low. My vision is to give the people of Gotham hope again. If we can break up the criminal gangs and break up some of the larger monopolies the houses exert, and diffuse power back to the common people once again, this city will have a chance to thrive. I want the rule of law to command Gotham again, not the rule of favors. That, my friends, is my vision."

[Feathersnow]

Kate cheers. This is more than she could have hoped for!

[JbeJ275]

Barabara looks intently at the Wayne Lord while he gives this little speech. It’s the right words, the words she’s wanted to hear for a long time but words are cheap, especially those of a lord said in his own house to those who he has no reason to think are more than adventurers. She’ll have to keep watching and see if future actions line up with them.

For a second she considers what Stephanie said. That the Wayne withdrawal might have been a feint to set things up better. A gambit avoid drawing out the assassination attempts and forged evidence of crimes until he was in a better position. If he was telling the truth it was the best way to connect what he said with what little he’s done so far, but that’s a big if indeed. Not to mention it was odd to wait so long and do so little before striking, she previously would have assigned it to laziness, but the man seems so driven in person. On reflection it’s more likely this isn’t his first attempt, just another iteration or expansion. Would they then be called in to escalate the fight? Or to replace sponsored vigilante’s who’d died on one mission or another?

No, she had too little information to truly support any of this. But so far coin had backed his frontman Fox’s and so his word was worth more than nothing. On the other hand if he had been bankrolling Fox then he probably ought to know her identity, it would have been a nigh absolute failure of intelligence gathering to not have Fox promise to pass along that sort of thing. And frankly she’s rather work for someone who pressed others to break confidence than someone unwilling to do that. Unless he had some other hold on Fox?

Regardless of the swirling suspicions they were getting her no-where. So for the moment she just nodded at his words, and his promise to attack the institutions of corruption in their city.

[Molan]

Seeing that the his pitch had -- for the time being -- landed, he turned to face the cart he'd been leaning on. Damien went with him, and the two of them pushed it towards the edge of the table where everyone could see it. Bruce and Damien both worked to undo it's iron latches and several compartments opened wide, splaying out before them and revealing an assortment of items inside. Damien worked several more latches beneath the table and opened several drawers.

"As a token of my goodwill, and courtesy of our contracts with the Merchants' Guild, I've assembled some equipment I think might help you on this journey. I hope with some of this you'll see that I'm ready to put my money where my mouth is."

Having said that, he reached into the cart, removing three of the items and placing them heavily on the table.

"For Dame Kane." Bruce said, nodding towards Kate.

There were three objects there; the first was a thick black leather belt, studded with iron, and equipped with six small item pouches on either side. It's metal pieces sort of clanked against one another as he laid them on the table. Next to them was a pair of leather gloves, also black, matching Kate's armor. The third item was a coil of rope, no thicker than a wand, but wound tightly and constantly almost moving, as if it wanted to leap off of the table, but couldn't.

Spoiler: Bruce's Gifts for Kate

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You've been given a Belt of Giant's Strength +4, which has six item pouches attached to it. You've also received a pair of Gloves of Titan's Grip, which are psionic in nature, and a Rope of Climbing.

He reached into the cart and retrieved two more items; one large and one very small. The first was an incredibly heavy, thick book covered in arcane sigils, the second was a small ring.

"For the Oracle."

Spoiler: Bruce's GIfts for Oracle

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Bruce has given you a spellbook, every page of which is filled with new spells for you to transcribe. Alongside it is a lacquered red pine case filled with the materials you need to transcribe the spells into your own spellbook, and a new, fresh, untouched spellbook for when your current one inevitably runs out of room (the main gift has 100 pages worth of spells transcribed.) In this way, transcribing them will be free, not counting the timing involved.

He's also gifted you a Ring of Counterspells.

From one of the side compartments, Bruce retrieved a familiar item -- it was the same style of magical, rope-spewing grappling rod that Damien had used in the vaults. Next to that he placed a broad leather belt, studded with three moonstones. But from the drawers he revealed quite a bit more -- several official looking papers, and three different outfits fit for a Gotham noblewoman, complete with jewelry.

"I thought that this might help you, Steph."

Spoiler: Bruce's Gifts for Spoiler

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Bruce presents you with a Healing Belt, a Rod of Ropes to match Damien's, and a set of Noble's Clothes and papers establishing a false identity; that of "Robin McGuiness".

"I've already taken the necessary steps to indicate House Wayne has adopted another stray noble; Robin of House McGuiness. This way if you need to force your way into more exclusive settings, you should have an easier time. People'll think poorly of me, but that's nothing new. Hopefully you can do a decent highborne accent."

It seemed as if the gift-giving was over, but then, to each person's surprise, most of all Damien's he reached into the second side compartment, revealing three more items.

"These are for you. You still have a way to go before you've mastered your abilities, but I'm proud of how far you come. and I want you to help us end this nightmare."

Bruce lays out three objects; a Ring made up of tiny prongs, wires, and other small devices, a pair of elegant, black leather boots, and a simple black belt, made from the same material as Damien's gi.

Spoiler: Bruce's Gifts for Damien

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Bruce has given you a Ring of Lockpicking, a pair of Boots of Elvenkind, and a Monk's Belt. The Monk's Belt increases your Ninja AC bonus by 1, but you cannot add your Wisdom score twice, so it's a total +1 bonus. It also upgrades your unarmed damage to 1d8, but it does not confer the Improved Unarmed Strike feat.

"In addition to this equipment, I want you to consider me at your disposal. If you can help me track down the monster, I'm willing to support you any way I can. We have a ship docked here at the island, for one thing. And, as much as our standing within the city's politics has declined, we still have some strings we can pull. This Castle is a refuge; if you need a place to go, our gates are always open. Let me know what you need, and it's yours.

Spoiler: OOC

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So at this point, we basically just need to sort out next steps. It's almost night time, you guys have a lot on your plate. So I think we just need to come up with a consensus on whether you guys are going to stick together or split up, which side missions are getting worked first, ect. We can talk it out in OOC if we need to. What are you thinking?

[JoyWonderLove]

The bevvy of gifts were brought over to the table before Stephanie. The moonstones in the brown belt held the torchlight like meteors burning hot in the earth, and the sharp black teak rod had an onyx sheen she could have been convinced had been hewn not an hour ago. But it was the crisp parchment that her eyes were drawn to, and roamed over in growing disbelief. After a moment, she stared back at the misunderstood nobleman in utter wonderment, winning out over her confusion.

A ship. They even have an actual ship. Verena needs saving, far more than Harvey needs finding, but these papers absolutely aren’t meant for me. They know. Somehow...

“Sionis Manor.” Stephanie offered after a pause. “That’s how you get your Archmage, or High Priest. Whatever is hiding in that hole, it’s a big enough hornet’s nest that it needs to be actively guarded by Cobblepot men, if not a few Justiciars as well. I got the tip from someone that knows Gotham better than anyone at this table.” The rogue had deliberately avoided saying room, more than pampering the ego of their host, as out of growing suspicion the prince had a spy network half the size of the metropolis, or else talented diviners on command. “They’re convinced it’s a big enough scandal that threatening to take it to the press could persuade Lord James himself.”

Letting go of that tip was a tantamount to throwing away a key to a fortune at least three times the worth what Wayne had paid them. Stephanie could have done a great deal with that beyond securing a wizard to read a chained up book. But her gifts had been selected with an incredibly unerring thoughtfulness, and she had no greater way to show her buy into taking down the abomination. The paperwork in front of her was rolled up with wholehearted care, aware of what had been offered.

“We learn what’s down there, and then attend Lord James, or whoever else. We gain a high class guest to assist with a private matter, and they gain an agreeable silence. Not quite the rule of law yet, but it’s our strongest hand. For tonight, though, I’d like to attempt South Channel Isle instead. Getting Verena’s the priority; but I’ll inform my friend of the good news, too.”

The rolled up scrolls were wagged with a playfully defeated air about the blonde, eyes half lidded as Stephanie eyed the influential prince. He seemingly knew her better than some in House Kyle.

[MrAbdiel]

Damien, for a good minute or so, is unable even to express gratitude, he is so brattishly engrossed in the gifts - a child not used to receiving them, revelling in their receipt. Lying on his back and wriggling an upright foot into one of the boots, he looks upside down to his father, and grins.

[JbeJ275]

Barbara largely had tunes out everything being said, a few things had been caught and even without the re-assurance provided by her divinations she was quickly becoming sure that the lord in front of them knew much much more than he was letting on and was one of the more astute liars and powerbroker's she'd ever encountered. If that were true and he'd not chosen to try for the power needed to take back the city directly that was a bad sign. All the worse given he could at this point be assumed to know who she was.

Carefully she examined the magic items presented to her, then placed the ring atop the spellbook and slid them back across the table. Then stood and walked to the door, the library suddenly feeling unbearably oppressive, she had no chance of saying anything without breaking down in one way or another so instead forced herself to steady her breathing and pet Juluis as he fluttered inside his deep pocket in reaction to her own forced down panic.

[Feathersnow]

Kate scoops up her belt and gloves, nods in thanks, and follows Barbara.

When they are alone, she asks"Do you want to talk? I feel like I missed something important and I need to be sure you are alright."

This is the first time Kate has been in civilian clothes in front of any of them. The dress would be far more modest without the panels cut out for her natural spines, but it is still drab and functional. She is incongruous wearing a sun hat to cover her otherwise bald head.

[Molan]

Bruce smiled down at Damien, but then frowned as Oracle pushed her gifts back across the table and left. He turned back to face Alfred and Stephanie, and a long, awkward silence held over the room. Eventually he sighed.

"Well that's unfortunate."

"Shall I go after her?" Alfred asked.

Bruce shook his head, barely suppressing a frown while Stephanie happily munched on her meal and sipped her wine, her eyes watching his every motion.

"Well, in any case, Steph, feel free to stay at the Castle as long as you like. If you need to return to Gotham or intend to make for South Channel Island on your own, my household is at your disposal. There's a carriage waiting to take you back to Midtown or Downtown if you so desire, and my ship is still at the ready. If either of them decides to come back, or if you all decide not to take me up on my quest to destroy the monster, I'll still have the ship and carriage ready and waiting for you. Either way."

He looked down at Damien, who stared back up at him expectedly.

"Damien, Alfred, I'd like to speak to both of you...downstairs. In about ten minutes."

Damien nodded eagerly, and Alfred bowed, standing up.

"Very well sir. Ten minutes."

He turned towards Stephanie, bowing again.

"It was genuinly a pleasure...perhaps I should say, 'Lady McGuiness'?" he smiled. "At any rates I am deeply thankful for your timely rescue. I hope I'll see you again, before too long."

With that, Alfred left the room through a side door, and Damien soon followed suit. Bruce lingered a few more moments, staring idly at the door Kate and Oracle had exited through, before finally nodding back to Spoiler.

"Steph." he said, before stepping out and following Alfred and Damien, closing the door behind him.

Spoiler: Damien Only

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Down in the great cavern under the island, far below Wayne Castle, Damien and Alfred made themselves at home in the armory. Damien practiced his forms, striking, kicking and flipping around in space while Alfred tinkered with his newest creations. It was peaceful, the sound of their work drowned out by the roar of the distant waterfall and the occasional squeaks and screeches of bats flitting unseen, somewhere up above. The platform was suspended in space by large chains that stretched away into the dark distance, and it was affixed with stairs and bridges that led it to other platforms and levels, forming a partially suspended, hidden, underground complex. Not long after they'd arrived, they heard a cool, smooth voice speak from behind them.

"So where's the old man?"

Damien spun around as Richard walked onto their platform and into the torchlight. He was dressed in mostly all black, and wore no armor, but had a single shield affixed to his left shoulder, with his blue bird of prey sigil emblazoned across it. His hair was jet black and somewhat long, and was tied back behind his head, and his handsome features wore a sly, ever-confident grin.

Damien jumped up to meet him, but Alfred turned around first, having apparently heard him coming.

"Ah. Good evening, Master Grayson."

"Not you old man, the other old man." Richard quipped.

"I'm here." Came another voice from the darkness.

Bruce stepped into the torchlight of the armory from the other side of the platform, looking a little stiff and tired, but otherwise fine. Still, Richard frowned.

"Are you still limping?" he said.

"Quiet. I'm fine." Bruce said curtly. He didn't mean it to sound caustic, and his tone had a bit of affection for Richard couched in it, but he clearly didn't want to talk about having been hurt in the first place.

"Any news from upstairs, Master Wayne?" Alfred asked.

"Not yet." he said, shaking his head.

"Are you sure we should even be doing this, then? I feel like Alfred, Damien and I are plenty of trouble all on our own. And you haven't fought your last battle yet either. Why bring them in at all? If the High Lords find out what we've been up to..."

"I know what the risks are, Richard." Bruce replied calmly. "But I'm telling you, we really don't have much choice. We need more firepower, and these three are one of the strongest leads I've had in a while."

"Okay, but are you really sure we can trust them?"

"Listen. I know Dame Kane. Sure, her parentage is a little -- offputting -- but at this point do you know any noble family in Gotham who hasn't fooled around with illegal arcana in some form or another?"

"Well, I mean, this one." Richard shot back. Bruce ignored him.

"Kate Kane fought the orcs. Her legion fought the Sovereign Barons and the Duergar separatists. She was knighted when she was twelve--"

"And she was an Imperial Ranger, let's not forget." Alfred interjected, sounding more than a bit proud.

"--exactly. But more than that, I knew her grandfather. He served my father for many years. We can trust her."

"Sure, but..."

"AND, the other two came well vetted, trust me."

"Are you sure you know who they are? Like who they truly are?" Damien added.

Bruce snorted, sounding amused.

"Spoiler's made of a bit of a name for herself in the low quarters. It's a small name, but it's growing. And our friend in The Narrows says she's talented...and trustworthy. As for Oracle, well...just trust me."

Richard sighed, but it was clear he didn't have much more appetite to argue with Bruce, and they had more pressing matters ahead of them.

"Alright, if you're sure, then we trust you."

"Did your trip to Bludhaven yield any fruit?" Alfred asked.

"Breadcrumbs." Richard replied. "But I have a few leads to chase down now. I'm gonna try to visit Tetch tomorrow night. That miserly little gnome's got to have some solid info for us, I'm sure of it."

"Tetch!?" Alfred blanched. "You can't go up there! The Tetch's are aligned with--" but Richard waves his hand.

"I know, I know Alfred. Don't worry about me. I'll be careful. Plus more than that, I'll be quiet. I'll get the blighter to talk, no worries."

"Tetch is dangerous." Bruce agreed. "Be careful out there."

Richard smiled and nodded.

"Will do."

"Well now what are we going to do, then?" Damien asked, bringing them back to reality.

"We're going to keep looking for Harvey Dent and that Cypher." Bruce replied. "And hope that our erstwhile friends upstairs decide to change their minds about aligning with us."

"Okay...and....if they don't?" he said, this time a bit quieter.

Bruce looked solemnly up at the dark cavernous ceiling above them, his face inscrutable.

"Well, if they don't..." he said quietly. "Then may St. Cuthbert stay his vengeance."

As the words left his mouth, Alfred, Damien and Richard all became very quiet. Even the bats stopped squeaking. Silence enveloped them like the shadows, swirling all around.

Spoiler: OOC

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Okay this works, I had thought I needed to do a big transition post to move the party to South Channel Island, but Barbara's frustrations with Wayne make sense. So I'll hold off on that and let this play out.

[JbeJ275]

Kate scoops up her belt and gloves, nods in thanks, and follows Barbara.

When they are alone, she asks"Do you want to talk? I feel like I missed something important and I need to be sure you are alright."

This is the first time Kate has been in civilian clothes in front of any of them. The dress would be far more modest without the panels cut out for her natural spines, but it is still drab and functional. She is incongruous wearing a sun hat to cover her otherwise bald head.

When Kate walks through the door, barbara has a copper piece in hand and is beginning to move her hands in a gesture akin to spellcasting while facing the door she'd just walked to, but when Kate emerges she steps back quickly, and guiltily slips the small coin away. Then she lets out a breath before speaking, her first words coming out slowly and uncertinly.

"Look, it's just a lot of this stuff that I can't really.. look. It's like, when you were in the military, if you'd seen everyone you trained with and who trained you and who you'd known fighting, and some of the best ones... they'd died at the beginning, before you could even remember it. And you'd been waiting for another army to come over the hill and maybe not to win everything but to just give you a chance to breath, to speak to the people who were on the front lines, and to domething over than fight or get ready to fight. nd then they didn't, they sat there and got drunk when they were so close, when the could have given you a chance to win the fight so many died for. And now you think that maybe they were letting you keep fighting, so you couldn't argue with them after they won he fight or so it looked like they won the fight alone. And you'd put so much into this fight but haven't had to go on the front lines because people have went in your place, died sometimes in your place... and now maybe he's finally staarting the fight and just wants you to be part of it but maybe he knows that the people leading your army care bout you and wants you to make sure they can't do anything... and maybe.... and you can't know whether it's all a trap or not because the people who were looking after you caan't anymore, the fight has got too bad and you can't make things worse for them. "

As she spoke she got quicker and quicker, and began pacing at first up and down he corridor but then heading more away and less far back each time, steadily spiralling into panic and increasingly looking like she might just walk out in panic.

[Feathersnow]

"I see. This is about Cousin Bruce. You don't trust him. And he's given you little reason to do so."

She pauses.

"Frankly, you're right. I have no idea what he does all day or if it has an connection to the duties attending his station. I kind of doubt it, honestly."

"Here's the thing... he bothered to learn who we are and tried to help. That's more than anyone, and more than I expected. His help, limited as it is, as unworthy as he seems, is an edge. It might be the edge we need to win. That's how we have to look at it."

[JbeJ275]

"I know that, I really do, that for Steph and maybe for you as well he's the right thing, the right side to pick. And Damien was on his side as well, that much goes without saying.. but well look."

With that Oracle took Kate by the arm and led her away, down a few twisting corridors and into a secre passage just off the great hall where she could be surer that they wouldn't be overheard. Once there, she slips her mask up, reveaing her face as Barbara Gordon, heir to justicar's keep beneth.

"Look, I get it I really do. I get that he's the best chance this city has had in years, his influence and his money. I don't really get why he can't do it openly though, not when the indifference of those at the top is what's causing the problems below it. If he cared like this, enough to really work at it and give us an edge why wait this long? The justicars who try and hold true are under more pressure every day, and still he's just been waiting while the only people defending the city are those few justicars fighting against daily threats and unable to trust those they work with and a few half mad vigilantes. My... my mother and my father died because they wanted this city to be held by the good guys, not by the guys with the biggest purses, because they took a stand for that. My mom and my dad have been fighting the same battle with half the numbers since the day I came into their lives, and making sure I was ready to take up that fight as well. I can work with Wayne if i need to, take contracts from his guild and his house to keep things going, but I'm not putting myself in his debt. Not becoming one of his soildiers, I'm not putting down the last hope of good men leading this city, openly and in the light, as Wayne seems so eager to see happen."

[Feathersnow]

"The truth is, I don't know the answers to your questions, or if they are good ones. It scares me."

"For me, it's always been easy. I can't really hide. Fighting is my only real option, and he us helping me do that."

[JbeJ275]

“I know, and I’m willing to help him fight this thing. But this is feeling more and more like… entering into his service rather than just having him as a contact. I can over myself enough to work for the man on a job or two, but I’m not willing to be one of his soldiers until I find out a lot more.”