this is Salem, a land filled with magic and maladies. It is a place where witches and their elemental familiars gather, a home to legend and
lore that predates time itself. Yet of all the wicked and wonderful stories the past can tell us of, the most magical are the ones yet to happen.
This is Salem - this is the start of your very own journey. Welcome to starfall
Starfall is an animaga witch roleplay set in mostly modern times. Members play as witches in a world plagued by monsters, where the only safe spots are walled cities. Starfall strives to be a character-driven roleplay with expansive lore and a highly interactive plotline. We want to allow members to
create and look back on a magical journey, and mold the site and its plot as their characters grow.
[attr="class","gearcore"] Zephyr wasn't too accustomed to working with the Knights, but seeing how they were one of the major authorities in Sundial, he supposed it was inevitable that they'd be requested to work on missions where criminals were involved. That didn't mean he was happy about it.
Since it was easy to market himself as someone who could quickly get people from point A to point B (because it was true), it also made sense for him to be allowed onto a mission which could potentially happen anywhere in Downtown Sundial, despite not being a member of the Knights himself.
The mission organizers had suggested the two of them meet at a central location to prevent favoring any one side of the downtown area. Conveniently, it was also the location of a small bank which had been one of the victims of the heists. Glancing around, he couldn't see anyone who wasn't working there or using the bank for its intended purpose; he must have been the first of the hired pair to arrive.
" 'Scuse me," he asked one of the tellers quietly as to not cause a commotion, "I'm here 'bout the event that happened two weeks ago, and was wonderin' if I could speak t' anyone who was there." Spock, sitting comfortably on his shoulder, gave the lady a friendly wave.
The eyes of the teller took a moment to light up in understanding, but when they did Zeph knew she had an answer for him. "Ah, the -- yes, there was someone who wanted to talk with you. Please wait out here a moment," sh replied before flitting away.
Zephyr decided to take a seat and occupy himself by watching Spock sketch up some doodles of stereotypical thieves wearing face masks and carrying big bags with currency symbols on the side. However, before the teller returned or Spock completed her doodle, someone familiar arrived through the entrance.
"Holy shit," Zeph said out loud, disregarding the otherwise quiet and professional environment he was in, "Yer just as tall in real life!"
The teller leads Claire out. She said her partner for this mission has arrived, and Claire is more than willing to discuss the intel with them. She had found... rather auspicious information about the thieves, if they can get more auspicious than they are already. What kind of thieves would heist on anseemingly daily schedule? Claire personally thought they are cocky and confident. Turns out there are more to them than that.
When she first heard of the mission, Claire immediately thought of the group from years ago. But judging from the initial overview of the job, it didn't sound like that group. Still, Claire generously accepted the offer. It's from a mercantile guild—they ought to have money to pay.
The guy's loud voice pulls back Claire from her reverie. Does he know her? "Excuse me?" she says, not quite comprehending what he just said.
He certainly does not look like one of the Knights. Not that Claire has a stereotype of what the Knights should be, it's because she doesn't see him around the Halls. She tilts her head to the side, trying to remember—and then it dawns on her.
"You," she says in mild surprise. "You're one of the persons from before." She does not dare mention what is before exactly. He would know it, just like her.
"Ah well, I try not to remember that certain event," Claire says, sitting down on the sofa across the guy. "But I was outed early. I do wonder what happened next?"
The teller, perhaps recognizing the sudden heavy atmosphere, excuses herself then hurries away without waiting for an approval. Her retreating figure reminds Claire of the folder she's carrying. The Knight slides it across the center table, to the guy. If she would remember his name... she gives up halfway and resigns to business.
"I'm Claire Fermont. This is the intel the Knights have gathered. It contains possible identities of the thieves, as well as patterns of their movements, if there are any. It could be useful."
[attr="class","gearcore"] "Sure am," Zephyr nods to confirm her recognition, then leans back in the couch and inhales when she wonders what had happened next. "Well," his breath is released as the teller began to hurry away, "there was some zombies, some ghosts--" his dead parents had showed up as bystanders "-- and it was gen'rally not a great time. Likely for the best that ya got out early." He didn't particularly want to get into too much detail, but he was fairly sure she wouldn't fault him for it, especially considering that she herself admitted that she didn't care to remember it.
"Thanks," Zeph says as he picks up the folder and opens it, followed by a quick introduction: "Name's Zephyr Hart. I'd say it's nice t' meet ya under better circumstances, but I'm not so sure these're much better..." He puts down the map on the table between them to see where the heists had been perpetrated, but didn't see any obvious theme. Other than that they all happened after 6:00 PM on Fridays in Downtown Sundial, and each location (so far) had only been hit once. There was also a short list of possible culprits, given their appearance and apparent affinities. "Hey, so," Zeph points to the list of names, "do ya wanna try t' find some o' these guys b'fore evenin' hits?" he asks, "Just t' trail 'em, not t' fight 'em. Yet."
"I see. You all are strong." Maybe she is lucky that she's outed early, maybe she's not. All she knows is that the nightmare seriously changed how she sees life. Up to the point prior that evening she has very little regard to what keeps her heart beating. The past Claire can throw it away at any point in line of duty.
Now? Not so much. If she can get out of any situation while keeping her life, she will.
"This is infinitely better than last time," Claire disagrees. "I'd take this job as many times over that nightmare. These are people we can beat. We'll be fine." The Knight has fought many battles prior to this moment, she is quite confident of her skills. Her experience is reflected to the tone of her voice. It is calm, far from lax but not panicky either. It is a tone of voice that deals with the current situation at hand.
She stands and almost blocks off the pouring light from the windows, casting a shadow on the room. The slant of the light suggests the afternoon is turning quickly into night. The cuckoo clock says it will be in about an hour or two.
"Yes, sure. Let's start over with this guy." Claire points lays a finger over the picture of a middle-aged man with address south of the district. "We better get moving."
Claire exits the building, then, sure that Zephyr would follow her. Outside of the building, she could see the complicated alleyways, the narrow passages, all the sort that would make escaping easy... if you don't know the place.
"We should memorize the place," Claire suddenly says. "It's better if we can navigate through these passages with ease. If one thing is known, it is the fact that the thieves have these place mapped out and memorized."
[attr="class","gearcore"]"Ah, well, I appreciate the compliment, but I'm not sure I'd go that far -- I've just got some wild luck. It's not always the strong ones that make it through," Zeph admits with a small smile, eyes twinged with just enough sorrow to hint that he had something other than the nightmare in his mind.
The underlying gloom is broken, however, as Claire insists this situation is better than last time and Zeph lets out a genuine laugh. She's right, of course. These foes weren't demons or the undead -- they were humans, just like anyone else. "I like that confidence o' yours. It sounds like ya got experience b'hind that conviction," he says, then nods as she points to one of the picture from the files, "It's a good a plan as any." The crafter quickly gathers up the files and bounds after her. Just before leaving the bank behind, he tosses a thin looped chain behind one of the bushes framing the entrance.
"I've got the memorizin' covered," Zeph declares as a small semitransparent interface appears in front of him. Moments after it does, a rough overhead map of the nearby area etched itself into the soft holographic glow. "Speakin' o which, I don't actually know a whole lot 'bout ya. What's your skillset? I dabble with Aethenium, but I'm mostly a machines guy. Got hired for this mission 'cause I got a whole lot o' portals." To prove his point, he grabbed a fist-full of chains similar to the one he'd thrown by the bank just moments before. Had they been more brightly colored, he would have looked perfectly prepared for a mardi gras celebration. "Honestly, more than I even know what t' do with -- which ain't a phase I ever thought I'd be sayin' in my life... I might've gotten a lil overexcited when I learned how t' make 'em."
"Wild luck, huh," Claire muses. She actually smiles at that. A faint smile, but a smile nonetheless. "I got mine from Kiki, the local capitalist. If possible I'd like to find another source or I'll get bankrupt." For someone like Claire who needs to work her way to the top, nothing ever comes to her as merely luck. She works hard for it. Even the four-leafed clover she has to buy through gold she earns from missions.
Claire nods in agreement. "You as well," she says. In trying to redeem herself from her past delinquency, she had followed orders without questions, entirely. While Claire has been molded into something like a machine that follows orders, Zephyr grew into something else entirely. She has thought that everything would go well as long as she stays on the path labeled by the Helios Knights as 'right...'
If Claire is the machine, then Zephyr is the operator.
Amazing, Claire marvels. She has never seen an Athenian in action, and their craft is indeed impressive. She holds out a hand and gestures to the chains. If Zephyr would let her touch one she would examine it and maybe even try to jiggle it. "Can this really become a portal? The kind that could bring you anywhere in an instant?" She also has a hard time looking away from the odd particles in front of Zephyr. She holds out an innocent finger and tries to touch it--just one boop, but her finger passed right through the particles.
"Oh, what? I didn't expect that--" Red colors her cheeks and she is quick to change the subject. Her skills, right. "Ah, nothing much. I'm an enchantress and an augmentor. I am called because I do well in a chase. The perfect bait, someone barreling straight towards the criminals."
She gingerly returns the chains to Zephyr. "You could be the sneaky one while I keep their attention to me."
[attr="class","gearcore"]"Sounds a bit scam-ish if your bought luck ain't earnin' your money back with interest," Zeph muses. Gambling with artificially enhanced luck had the potential to very lucrative as long as the gambler in question wasn't caught. Granted, now that he thought about it, maybe he shouldn't be suggesting something like that to a Knight...
"Yep!" Zeph affirms to Claire's question about his Gates, unable to contain his beaming smile. He was really proud of them, especially considering they were his first useful invention that worked properly. To provide a quick demonstration, he activated the Gate's matching partner and stuck his hand through, offering a quick wave. Surely enough, his hand vanished through the Gate which he was holding and reappeared out of the one held by Claire. "See?" The crafter was fairly sure that he'd managed to desensitize most of the Leviathans and his friends from the Jesters with his excitement over his own creations, so it felt nice to still be able to inspire awe in someone (even if she was a Knight).
Zeph was silent for a brief moment after Claire explained her standard tactics. He couldn't say he was truly surprised, considering her stature and equipment. Charging in definitely seemed like her forte. Even so... "Well that just sounds fuckin' badass," the blonde admits honestly.
"Sounds like a plan t' me," he says as he takes back the Gate which Claire had been examining, checks what appears to be a small symbol etched into its side, and promptly tosses it behind a wooden pallet leaning against the wall at a crossroads. On his map, a similar symbol -- a circle with two parallel lines going through-- appears at their current location to mark it for future reference.
"So it looks like the guy we're goin' t' see is named Danial Locke. Looks like he's on th' list 'cause he works security at th' first bank that got robbed. Even if he wasn't involved directly, I wanna hear his side o' the story." With the stranger's apartment complex in sight, it was clear to see they were nearing their destination.
Claire glances at the man, and tilts her head in momentary confusion. Ah, that's right. There are all sorts of people in the world. Even if Claire hasn't had the chance to meet every single one of the 'types,' it doesn't mean that they don't exist.
She remembers the gamblers in the ranks of the Knights. These people wear gold as an everyday accessory, dress velvet for every assembly, can sweep Kiki's shop if they choose to. Perhaps, their grandeur houses already has a garden exclusive for four-leafed clovers. "Ah, but I don't intend to use it for gambling. I am actually saving it for something... crucial, or potentially life-or-death situation."
The moment Zephyr's hand disappear as if being cut in half, Claire whips around to see if will appear on the other gate. They are not far ahead, and so it is possible to see the hand waving and moving about. Claire holds her breath. "I see," she finally exhales. "Indeed an astounding creation. Do you have any other invention?"
If Zephyr would ever see the sparkle in Claire's eyes, perhaps he would wonder why. Claire can't help it. Books are a mystery to her, and then these. These are completely out of her league. "I'd like to see more of your creativeness, but that is for another conversation. Let's go see this D-Dan-Darren Luck."
And so they go, with Claire leading the way. The apartment is nothing fancy--rusted walls, clear glass windows, simplistic doors. Claire walks straight to the indicated room. She is about to knock when the door swings open. Claire, out of courtesy and surprise alike, takes a step back.
The man looks like he's in his thirties. He wears his dark hair carefully styled to the right. His fair skin is without blemishes, and he wears a kind smile. He is a welcoming presence.
"It seems as if you were expecting us," the Knight says. The man nods, carefully eyeing the man and the woman in front of him. He lets out a small breath of relief when he spots the Knight's Crest on Claire's sleeve. It has long lost its magical property, but Claire keeps it for recognition.
[attr="class","gearcore"]Saving the luck charm for a dire situation was probably the most sensible thing to do, assuming that the charm would be enough to change the fate of its owner. If the charm's power wasn't enough, or was just a lie to get a handful of coin, then the Knight would likely have an awfully bad day sometime in the future. But that's how the world worked, wasn't it? You had to have some amount of faith and some amount of luck to get by, regardless of your competency (or lack thereof). "I can respect that," the mechanic admits with a nod, deciding to leave one stipulation unsaid: "as long as you're not relying on it." Zeph felt like Claire was already the type of person who'd prefer to rely on her own strength instead.
"I've got a few, but most 'f 'em aren't all that exciting," he admits with a chuckle in a reply to Claire's question of his other inventions. Between not wanting to show all the cards in his hand to a Knight whom he'd barely met and legitimately not having many fully functioning devices, he decided to hold off on gushing about his craft. (Granted, it was still a bit tempting.) "Ah, but I do have, uh..." He pauses his stride and leans down to grab the bottom half of one of his own pant legs, hitching it up for a few moments so Claire could see the metal structure underneath before continuing on. "I've got these clunky little shits," he finally says, completing his previous half-statement, "So don't expect me t' do anythin' too stealthy." It'd be better for her to learn of his prosthetics now in case they started failing or got impaled on something.
Zeph nods when she says they can talk more about his machines later. When he hears the misspoken name, he assumes she misheard the first half and he misheard the second when she said it. With his unrefined accent, it wasn't uncommon for him to need to repeat himself. "Danial," he quickly corrects as they approach the apartment.
The man they were looking for seems to have known they were arriving, causing the crafter to curiously tilt his head ever so slightly. At least he appears kind, and invites them inside willingly. "How'd ya know we were comin'?" Zeph asks, getting straight to the point, tone implying curiosity rather than accusation. The man seemed surprised by the directness, but recovered quickly.
"Ah, well, after the robbery -- I assume you're here about the robbery--" Danial began, his voice softer than what Zeph had been expecting, though resolute. After a nod of confirmation from the crafter, the security worker continued, "I implemented some basic security measures around my home, just for my own safety." He motions to a shelf of propped-open books which promptly fill with dynamically shifting ink. Each page seems to be displaying the current scene from a different position outside.
Now it was Zeph's turn to look in awe. He recognized this as an athenium spell, but hadn't managed to master it himself. "That's impressive," he compliments as he offers his hand in greeting, "I'm Zephyr. An' you're right that we're here t' ask some questions 'bout the robbery."
"Oh," seems to be the only reaction Claire can muster upon seeing the prosthetic leg. She hasn't noticed at all, Zephyr has been walking normal all along. He doesn't seem in any pain or discomfort at all. When he says clunky Claire doesn't believe him. "I see. Don't worry, I got your back," she reassures him.
It does pose a disadvantage to the group, though. Zephyr isn't for stealth, and so is Claire. Robbers are pretty easy to catch if you get the correct intelligence, strategy, and diversity. So it all boils down to head-on charges... and some nifty tricks.
"So it isn't a problem after all," Vani snarks in her head. Claire agrees. What they lack in stealth, they're going to make up with brute and ingenuity. For that, Claire isn't worried very much.
When she hears security measures, Claire's eyes automatically searches for something that watches them from the outside, and being untrained fails to do so. She does see the clear images on the books. Sure enough, she sees the group from there. A flip of the page, and it shows a different scenery which Claire recognizes--the path from before.
"Well done," Claire compliments. The man nods in acknowledgement of the kind words and shakes Zephyr's hand firmly. Claire offers hers as well. "Yes, let's talk inside," Danial says. The man makes adequate space for the newcomers, and then disappears to (presumably) the kitchen and lets the visitors make themselves comfortable.
The room is cluttered, but to Claire it feels like an organized mess. Danial knows his business. Claire takes the initiative and sits down on one of the sofas. Danial emerges from the kitchen with a platter of crackers and a pitcher of juice, then sets them on the table.
He does not need to be told what to do. He only needs one glance from Claire.
"It was a month and a half ago," the man started. "I was on night duty. The bank had just finished the job for the day, and I was just starting my shift. The last of the employees were leaving, and I remember two of the employees going back in. They told me they left something."
Danial takes a deep breath. "There is absolutely nothing exciting that happened that night. On my next shift, together with the other security personnel... that's when we knew. The heist slipped right before our eyes."
[attr="class","gearcore"]Spock accepts the invitation inside a bit too willingly, nimbly leaping down from her witch's shoulder to investigate all of the curious contents of the room. Zephyr, meanwhile, takes a closer look at the other atheneum's interface, opening his own holographic-like screen to measure Danial's overall magical abilities. Looking at the books through the semi-transparency of his own interface, he sees a predisposition to atheneum which the guard appeared to have embraced exclusively, centered around observation rather than the manipulation of data. That was a good sign; he would have expected someone less upright to have developed their magical abilities differently.
Interface vanishing as quickly as it appeared, he sits down just a handful of seconds after Claire.
Danial returns with snacks, and sits without being asked (at least, not verbally) to tell them about the night in question. Unsurprisingly, it wasn't quite enough detail for the crafter to be satisfied.
"Did ya watch 'em t' see what they were doin'?" Zeph asked, grabbing a cracker and taking a bite, "Th' two employees, I mean."
The guard nods. "They were very quick, and I made sure they didn't take anything they didn't have a right to. They said one of them had lost their ID."
"Know their names?"
"I knew one was Erica Williams. The other had an ID with the name of Raymond. Apologies... I don't recall his last name."
Zeph remembered at least seeing the first name in their stack of witnesses and potential culprits. "Thanks, that's useful. And what do ya mean nothin' happened that night?"
"Most of the valuables from the bank's vault were missing when we checked in the morning, but the door had never opened, and none of the enhancements on the walls, ceiling, or floor triggered, as they would have if they were breached. The entire room was in-tact. It shouldn't be possible..."
The crime is so well-executed, it shouldn't even be possible. The culprits got through and slipped right away without as much making a mess, let alone a concrete evidence. Yes, the pattern they go through can be indeed an evidence, but it's too vague. (Probably not, though; Claire just sucks at mind games).
Claire flips open the folder, and sure enough, the names are there. Her eyes travel to the end of the page, and there's just so many, at least two different personalities per bank. There are some who robbed two to three banks... there's too much to process. There are banks which has been robbed silently, like this one. There are some which has a scene, even three banks have been broken in violently. Nothing adds up.
"That means they know their way around," Claire muses. "Has the authority questioned these two?"
Danial nods. "Both of them has been questioned. They deny the crime. No further moves has been done, as of now, well, maybe except for the two of you. Erica was hysterical, and I can't believe myself she can such a crime... but I saw her with my two eyes."
That makes Claire think. "It's possible that her appearance was just being used for the pass. An illusionist, perhaps? An athenian or a crafter, possibly... Oh, wait, and this Raymond? How did he respond?"
"He lost his ID, quite irresponsible for the newbie. He just got here, and he can't possibly know the intricacies of the bank, much less the vault."
Claire shrugs at that. It doesn't really matter if one is new or not. If he's the criminal he would have known how to work his way through a fully secure bank. Her peripheries catches the chime of the clock. About four thirty in the afternoon. Maybe they can question one or two more on the list, before they go.
"All right, thank you for the information, Mister Danial." She looks over to Zephyr, waiting for his insight. "What do you think, Zephyr?"
At least once, she gets his name right.
OOC Notes // Crafter it is! I'm thinking maybe an illusionist too or an enchantress?
Fill the air with what you like Another weekend massacre of opinion Don't be afraid of the knife Sometimes you have to cut the limb to
[attr="class","gearcore"] "I think ya might be on t' somethin' there," Zeph muses, walking through the possibilities in his mind, "If they had somethin' like a pair of my Gates, all they would've needed is t' get in their target room for a second t' plant one. It works different than a standard Blink spell, so it likely would've been able t' get around the vault's protections." After all, crafters weren't exactly common, and their creations barely documented, so it wasn't standard to have protections against them specifically. Granted, Zeph never had the opportunity to test his creations against a bank's defenses, so he couldn't be sure.
"A portal-like structure could theoretically get someone into the vault without tripping its enhancements," the guard affirms cautiously, "Though, I'd never heard of such an object which was small enough to be carried...
"I've made a couple myself," Zeph says with a grin , failing to mention he currently had a whole bag full of them hanging at his side, "And if those two employees were bein' impersonated, it'd explain why they didn't just drop it off durin' their shift... Doesn't help us much findin' who did do it, though, or where they'll be next. We'll need t' talk t' more people..."
Spock, realizing this was their cue to leave, dashes back to her witch's shoulder and curls her tail around his arm. Zeph stands.
"Well, Danial, you've been a real help n' a great host. I couldn't've asked for better. We'll leave ya to the rest of your day, an' let ya know when we catch these guys."
"Of course," the guard replies, "And best of luck to the both of you."
Once the two investigators leave the building, Zeph points to the folder of case information that Claire was holding. "Mind if I see that a sec? And did ya see anyone in there who might be worth askin'?"
Post by claire fermont on Mar 27, 2018 10:56:03 GMT
Claire nods at Zephyr's insight. Truly the Gates is a useful item, but could be very dangerous falling into the wrong hands. She also agrees with the mention of the Blink spell. In order to use the certain scroll one must see where they are going... and they already know that the vaults remain untouched. There is little to no sign of tampering. It's unlikely they opened it by force...
"They would have found a way," Claire says. Criminals are cunning, and such simple problem could easily be solved by ingenuity. "Or perhaps they foul-played it. Knocked out a fellow guard just before the guard closes the vault... The guard must have suspecting them very real as they are trusted employees. I do not know, exactly, but they would have found a way."
As Zephyr's familiar makes his way to the witch, Claire stands up and gathers their documents. She nods at Danial, mouths a silent thank you, then follows Zephyr out the door. She hands him the folder, after taking a look at it and pinpointing another person of interest.
"Yes," Claire easily says. She points to a red-haired woman with long hair and tied-up bangs. She has small eyes, small nose and plump red lips on her sharp, angular face. The name below the picture says 'Alice Houlegate.' "She's an accountant of one of the robbed banks. Pretty new to the job. She started working in the bank for only two years. Unsurprisingly, she practices Runescripting. Her house is not too far away from here, it seems. If we hurry, we could talk to one more after Alice, then we can plan our moves. How's that sounding?"
Vani leads the way to the woman's house, having memorized the way with one swift look. Claire trails behind with Zephyr and Spock.
OOC Notes // Sorry for the delay!
Fill the air with what you like Another weekend massacre of opinion Don't be afraid of the knife Sometimes you have to cut the limb to
[attr="class","gearcore"] Zeph skims though the document's description of the woman whom Claire pointed out while the Knight gives him a verbal summary of her plan. Zeph nods slowly in agreement – with what little they had to go off of so far and with so many witnesses and suspects, the crafter would have went along with most suggestions. If they wanted to get this mystery solved tonight, they'd either need to figure out who was behind the thefts, or where they'd strike next. If they didn't, another place of business would likely fall victim to their schemes in a mere couple of hours, with (more importantly, in Zeph's opinion) the strong possibility of uninvolved civilians getting caught in the crossfire.
But before all of that…
“So,” Zeph starts in a tone that indicates he's about to veer completely off topic, “Your familiar seems kinda badass. Does 'e have a nickname?” Spock – despite just hearing her witch compliment a familiar other than herself – nods in eager agreement. She'd been wondering about the boar-shaped elephant in the room just as much as Zeph, and her gnawing curiosity outweighed her vanity.
The crafter had decided to keep the conversation prior to speaking with this second witness away from the crime string which they were trying to solve. They could come up with as many theories as they wanted, but even if they could answer the question of “how,” it didn't help them with the more pressing questions of “where” and “who,” which would actually be able to help them catch the criminals instead of merely unveiling the secret of their methods to the public.
When they inevitably arrived at Alice's door, Zephyr knocked and received no reply. He knocks again, a bit louder. “Is there a Alice Houlegate livin' here?” he asks through the shut entrance.
A silence settles.
But then, just as the crafter's knuckles were about to fall on the door a third time, a woman's voice replies: “Forgive me for my hesitance, but who would like to know?”
