Fantasy Steamhaven: Land of the Lost

[ArcticFox]

Of course she wouldn't know of Clem, the timid oaf didn't get to talk to her still. Lianna sighed inwardly, but she was smiling on the outside.

"I appreciate that, miss. You do seem like a woman of integrity." Lianna spoke, though she did not rely on her charm, knowing that the woman in front was probably much better versed at it than she was. "But, I am investigating a potential danger to the society. You do not want the good people of Steamtown to suffer, do you? All I need is to be pointed in the general direction of the man that belongs to this coat."

 

[Cartoonicat]

At Lianna's reasoning, the woman looked torn. "I..." She chewed her lip before sighing. "Alright, I understand." Held the hood up to the light once more, angling it and squinting, before handing it back. "If you don't mind waiting, I'll be right back. I need to search the archives." As she made to step away, the woman paused. "Ah, there is tea in the waiting area, just over there. Feel free to peruse the boutique, too, if you'd like."

And with that, she politely excused herself before exiting into another room. This left Lianna alone with time to kill.

There were garments, pretty and new, that begged for attention. A teacup sat on a small coffee table with several chairs and a loveseat surrounding it, close to a wide window. The owner's daughter disappeared into another room that clearly stated 'Employees Only', but that was just a suggestion, right? There was also another upwards staircase barred with a black velvet rope chain - clearly off-limits.

- Browse the garments
- Pour some tea
- Follow the woman
- Sneak upstairs

 

[ArcticFox]

"Thank you." Lianna nodded, letting the woman go about her business.

She went to the table and poured herself some tea, hoping it was strong enough to keep the sleepiness at bay only for a moment longer. She was going to take a break for the day if she found something out in the boutique. Her eyes immediately strayed to the fancy clothes, but she forced them off, reasoning that this was not the time for pretty things. Yes, she liked to dress up, no matter what that vile woman in the Hub said, but she also liked being practical. Clothes did not make a lady, her manners did.

Lianna also looked up at the upstairs section that was clearly off limits and thought for a moment if she should see if they kept anything of interest in those rooms. But, she stopped her thoughts then and there. She did her fare share of snooping, but not in public like this and besides, she practiced a straightforward approach.

 

[Cartoonicat]

The tea table sat beside a wide window, drapery drawn back to reveal a damp city street. It contrasted the interior of the building in an odd sort of way, as if the shop didn't belong in such a morose place. Outside, Lianna could see several things:

Police horses gathered down the way, forming a rather sizable group of riders. There seemed to be some sort of commotion.

It was then that a middle-aged woman and a small boy were revealed, yanked and wrangled out of a door as though they were criminals despite their protests.

A crowd of curious onlookers began to gather outside

- Watch from the window
- Go outside to investigate
- Look away

 

[ArcticFox]

While she was intrigued by the sight down below, Lianna was intent on staying there until she got her answers. She still stayed near the window, with a cup of tea in her hands, looking down curiously. What sort of a disturbance was happening in Steamhaven today?

 

[Cartoonicat]

Below, the officers ripped the small boy away from the woman, pulling with him one of her gloves. It revealed a tattoo on her hand that began to glow a deep purple, noticeable even from the second floor of Brackett Emporium. Lianna could see several cats and rats step out of the nearby alleys, mysteriously drawn towards the group.

The woman bore a witch's mark, no doubt.

It was well known among Monster Hunters that witches, which were humans who'd pledged their soul to the demons of the underworld in exchange for power, could give birth to only female children. The boy likely did not belong to her, yet he struggled against the officers as if they'd yanked him from his own mother. An unusual sight, definitely. Either due to the ignorance of the officers about witches or how hard the boy fought, they handcuffed him just as they did the witch woman.

When the cats and rats bit at their ankles, they promptly knocked her out. The creatures scampered back into the alleys almost immediately.

"How sad," murmured the owner's daughter from behind Lianna. She frowned at the scene. Shook her head and offered the cloak. "I searched the archives and it was purchased forty-six years ago by a woman named Lucille Hansen. According to the ledgers from that time, she was a regular customer of ours. My father would have known her, surely, but... well, he does not understand much of anything said to him nowadays." She smiled apologetically. "This is all I know. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

- Ask about her father
- Ask her name
- Mention Clem
- Leave

 

[ArcticFox]

The sight outside would have been heartbreaking, if the woman was not a witch. She had probably kidnapped and enthralled that poor child anyway. It only made Lianna angry. She would never understand the people who willing sought out trouble. Why would anyone in their right mind want to barter with the devil?

"Thank you, miss." Lianna said as she was given the information. "Tell me, can you father read? I'd like to ask him about the customer you mentioned. Oh, and... Clement, my cousin, speaks highly of you. I think he admired you from afar. I have encouraged him to approach and introduce himself, so if you are ever approached by a red-headed gentleman, quite handsome may I add, know that it is him. And please give him a chance." She smiled.

 

[Cartoonicat]

The woman nodded. "He does. If you do talk to him, I hope he can be of some help." She looked about to leave when Lianna mentioned Clem; the topic gave the owner's daughter pause. A light seemed to turn on, for she no longer looked confused. "Red-headed, you say? There is a fellow who often comes in here but never buys anything. I have tried approaching him, but he runs at the sight of me." She laughed. "I swore he was up to no good, but if he is the Clement you speak of, then I'm quite flattered."

Smiling a smile more genuine than she had before - yet still soft and amused - she continued: "Tell him Sophia would like to meet him properly the next time he visits." Sophia Brackett, daughter of the Brackett Embroidery owner, would like to meet Clem. He was either going to be ecstatic or terrified; likely both. Definitely grateful.

"Miss? I need another fitting," the man from earlier called, now standing in front of the mirror with a new suit. Sophia, called back to work, dipped her head with a polite farewell and left Lianna to her own devices. Which lead her downstairs to the shop owner's check-out counter.

He looked up from a newspaper and smiled. "Good day," he parroted his original greeting, "looking for something nice?"

- Ask about Lucille Hansen
- Ask something else

 

[ArcticFox]

"He will be glad to hear it." Lianna said, genuinely grateful that this woman was such a reasonable creature. Pretty too. Clem is going to be delighted. She now only needed to give him a few tips and perhaps get him to drink a shot or two to relax before taking the lady out.

She strolled downstairs up to the shopkeeper with a gentle smile, and as loud as possible, though not so much that it would be a scream, asked: "Do you remember a Lucille Hansen?" If the man was only deaf and her question went misunderstood, she would try writing the name on a piece of paper.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Scratching at his ear again, the man gave her a quizzical look. "I've never heard of that line. Is it new? My daughter can help you find something nice." Upon Lianna writing the name down, his eyes lit up. "Ah, Lucy! It's been, what, nearly fifty years I believe since I've seen her. Something like that. Are you a friend of hers? Give her my regards, tell her to stop by. We'll fit her into a nice new cloak. Does she still refuse wool? I don't know how she doesn't freeze to death in the winter, not using wool..."

The man had started on a long-winded monologue of memories. Lianna could try steering him back on track, wait and listen and hope to gather information that way, or take her leave.

- Interrupt him
- Let him ramble
- Leave

 

[ArcticFox]

Need to contact her. Where does she live?

Lianna wrote it down on the paper again, giving the man an expectant look. Good, he was not senile, only deaf. Though, if fifty years passed since he last saw her, then the woman was either also very old, dead, or a vampire. Either way, she was her next lead.

 

[Cartoonicat]

The old man stopped his ramblings just long enough to read the note. "Oh, you know Lucy, always the social one. I don't think she's moved from her old place, that fancy community complex at the center of the city. You know, the, uh... What was it called?" He scratched at his chin thoughtfully. "Withering something... Withering Oak hotel? Is it even a hotel anymore, though... Or was it ever? Held the wildest parties, let me tell you!"

Again, the man began rambling about old memories, these ones about the wild parties held at Lucille's fancy community home.

- Ask another question
- Leave
- Something else

 

[ArcticFox]

"Thank you." Lianna nodded. She found out what she wanted and was ready to take a break for the day. But, the hotel name did not sound familiar to her, so before heading to her home, she intended to scout the city centre and see if she could locate the old hotel, or whatever it was now. Maybe she could let Clem know that he should go and ask Sophia out.

 

[Cartoonicat]

After leaving the shop, Lianna headed towards the center of the city. It would be a bit of a walk considering the size of Steamhaven, unless she wanted to call for a horse-drawn buggy. It'd cost ten coins out of her current fifty. Luckily, the Hunters' Hub was in that direction, too.

- Walk
- Hire a buggy

 

[ArcticFox]

She knew that it would only add to her tiredness, but she would walk. The tea helped a little, perhaps the walk through Steamhaven would change her mind about the town. Perhaps it was not as filthy and dreary as she thought it to be. Lianna sighed, continuing on foot. No, it certainly was every bit as dreary as she thought. A depressing little town.

 

[Cartoonicat]

The walk to the Hub was uneventful, if not downright boring. However, the moment she neared the entrance, the familiar voice of Clem shouted loud and clear: "Lianna!" He ran over, not-so-subtly glancing over her person with a hint of worry in his eye. "Are you alright? A witch was apprehended near Brackett Emporium a bit ago."

Witches were nothing new, yet he still seemed concerned.

- Answer
- (Optional) Tell him about Sophia

 

[ArcticFox]

"Yes, I saw it from the window." She answered, but changed the subject to a more pleasant one. "I talk to the woman of your fascinations, Sophia. She said she'd be glad if you called on her, whenever you get the courage to do it." Lianna smiled. "You have nothing to worry about, she fancies you too." She paused, then skipped to another topic. "Say, have you heard of a Withering Oak hotel? Is it close by?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

His eyes widened, "You saw it? Half the hunters went to-... Wait, Sophia said yes? Really?" Clem's train of thought completely derailed. He didn't even answer her question. "What did she say about me?"

- Ask about the Hunters
- Ask about the Withering Oak
- Ask something else
- Leave

 

[ArcticFox]

"She said she found you fascinating and would love to have a dinner with you." Lianna improvised. It was all for the greater good, alright. "So, you should do that. But, wait, tell me where did the Hunters go off to? The witch didn't seem particularly dangerous."

 

[Cartoonicat]

Clem looked surprised and thrilled all at once, but mention of the witch seemed to sober his good mood. Back to business. "The witch had a young boy with her. You'd think him enthralled, but no - they found a mark on him. A witch's mark, Lianna!"

Up until now no witch marks had ever been found on a male body. According to legends, warlocks were incredibly rare if not downright nonexistent. This was definitely groundbreaking information.

- Talk about the witches
- Ask about Withering Oak
- Something else
- Leave

 

[ArcticFox]

"Well, that's all rather fascinating and more than a little disturbing..." Lianna said. "But, right now I really have to focus on finding this troublesome vampire that got away this morning. So, can you point me in the direction of the Withering Oak hotel?" The news were not comforting at all and she would have to talk to the Hunters that examined the boy, but she needed to get her priorities straight.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Clem nodded, dropping the witch subject. He scratched at his beard thoughtfully. "Withered Oaks hotel... I've heard the name, I know I have, but I don't think I've ever seen anything... Oh, wait!" Clem perked up. Then deflated. "There was a newspaper clipping mentioning it, but I lost it somewhere in the Hub about a week ago. Haven't seen it since."

- Head to the city center
- Search the Hub
- Something else

 

[ArcticFox]

"Really, Clem? Not much help." Lianna shook her head. "Well, never mind, I guess I'll go look it up on my own. The people that lived close by must know something about it. And a building cannot just disappear, right?" She shrugged. "See you later, cousin."

 

[Cartoonicat]

Clem shrugged, "I was distracted, I guess. Swear I put it in my journal pages, though... Anyway, I'll let you know if I find it again." Waved farewell as she set back on her path. "Good luck!"

​

Walking took a good hour and by time City Hall, decorated with a massive clock and enough space to hold at least a thousand people inside its walls, came into view the sky had turned grey with an impending storm. It hadn't rained that long ago, either. Despite the damp weather, though, the center of the city bustled with life. Lamp lights cut through the smog from nearby factories, trolleys rumbled down the road with passengers aboard, and people meandered the streets with their umbrellas at hand.

Lianna could try asking strangers on the street if they knew anything or head to City Hall for help, though the lines to speak with a city manager were often quite long.

- Ask a passerby
- Head to City Hall
- Something else

 

[ArcticFox]

What she wanted the mos at that moment was to go back to her quarters and sleep through the oncoming storm, but she already knew that her day was ruined and that she would not get any sleep before sundown. She tried out the first option she could think off, stopping a stranger, anyone who looked a bit wealthier and old enough to remember the hotel, to ask them about anything they remembered.