Fantasy Steamhaven: Land of the Lost

[Cartoonicat]

Patting the top of her hand, Dan's smile turned sheepish. He scratched at the fuzz on his jaw. "Well, you see-"

"Hardly," Poppy spoke for him. "Between Gram and I, we got him to chew with his mouth closed, though. I see enough of that at work, don't wanna see it at home. Erm... shelter?" Poppy shrugged, obviously not sure what to call her sanctuary. "Speakin' of work, I need to talk to you-"

Interrupting her, Aunt Muriel returned with Patrick, a still down-trodden Clara, and several more Hunters from upstairs. She clapped her hands and spoke loudly over the cheer and merry: "Wrap it up! We've got trouble!"

While the air of celebration quickly evaporated, it did not do so without a few grumbles. Eventually, everyone had fallen silent and grabbed a spot somewhere in the room, all eyes on Muriel. She gestured for Lianna to start the meeting.

Lianna could dive right into the subject if she knew what she was going to say or, if she hadn't figured it out quite yet, she could try stalling for more time.

- Start the meeting
- Stall with small talk
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Wow, no pressure at all, Lianna thought as all eyes landed on her. Giving her best not to look like she was chewed on, she stood up and cleared her through. She could do this, she wasn't shy.

"Good afternoon, everyone." She greeted, before getting right to the point. "Some time ago, before the blood moon, I caught a vampire and managed to get a piece of information out of him." She wasn't completely lying. "He told me that the vampire coven is gathering forces and is planning to hold talks with other supernatural beings, in order to form an alliance that would turn on the humans of Steamhaven. It might have been just a ruse, but the more I thought about it, the more I was leaning toward it being the truth." She paused. "Even if it wasn't, we still have to be ready. We know how to deal with the undead, now we just need to prepare for others. There can't be another Blood Moon. We have to be ready for anything."

 

[Cartoonicat]

Murmurs broke out not long after she began speaking, but most of the questions waited until after she had finished. Those who were impatient were silenced by Aunt Muriel's sharp tongue.

"We all know the factions are large," A woman raised her hand to catch Lianna's attention. She was a skinny, fragile thing with long blonde hair pulled into a twist atop her head. She did not look like a Hunter and Lianna did not recognize her, yet she radiated professionalism. "Too large to hold meetings unnoticed-"

"Crock o' folly," said a Hunter, piggy-backing off of what she'd started.

"-Unless they are outside the city walls," the woman finished, ignoring the Hunter who'd interrupted her as if he had never spoken. More murmuring amongst the Hunters. Humans rarely ventured into the woods because of the dangers; many considered it true supernatural territory.

- Ask her name
- Agree with her
- Disagree with her
- Ignore her
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"That could be right." Lianna nodded in agreement. "The woods are large and no one ever goes there." She looked around the room. "But, I think it's time we went. As you have said, if they are there in force, they cannot hide. We should send a small party to try to learn their intentions."

 

[Cartoonicat]

"Or gut the creatures and be done with it," another Hunter spoke up. "We're not the stealthiest lot; I doubt with all our gear we'd make it twenty feet in without the beasts knowing we're there." Several people around the room nodded in agreement, while others suggested finding help outside the Hub. It didn't take long for arguments to raise.

A stealth mission comprised of Hunters wouldn't be the stealthiest, but should an altercation happen, they'd be a team of strength. Lianna could select a group of all-Hunters to infiltrate the woods or she could put together her own ragtag team of multiple occupations. She could assemble the Hunters there and then, but a custom team would take a little longer to procure.

Aunt Muriel looked to Lianna while the others argued amongst themselves. "You know more about this situation than any of us. What do you want to do?"

- Choose from the Hunters
- Make a custom team
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"There's not enough of us to rid of all of them in one fell swoop." Lianna said, rolling her eyes at the Hunters. "Trust me, I wish that was not the case, but unless someone has a better plan, I propose that a small team of about five people infiltrate the woods. Five is big enough to defend should we be attacked and little enough to move through the forest without making too much noise. I know that none of us are proficient in stealth, but we are not wild boards either, we can at least try to be silent." She paused for a moment, before continuing. "I plan to go either way. Is there anyone that would volunteer to come along?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

Aside from nameless Hunters Lianna did not know, of which there we several volunteers, only Poppy and Clem raised their hands. Emma pushed Poppy's arm down with a scolding, "You're not well enough yet, don't be reckless," while Aunt Muriel offered Lianna a smile.

"If you ask, I will accompany you - as I'm sure many here will," she said. "If not, I'll remain here and focus on the undead problem."

Patrick stood several steps away fashioned with a new, but not quite as fancy or powerful-looking, prosthetic. Dan must have outfitted him with it while Lianna was asleep.

Across the room, Lianna caught a glimpse of Clara leaning against the wall. The gaggle of catty women that often followed her around stood further away, not speaking to her.

- Recruit Clem
- Recruit Aunt Muriel
- Recruit Patrick
- Recruit Clara
- Recruit a random Hunter
- Go somewhere else
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"Aunt Muriel, Clem." Lianna turned to her family. Who better then your own when you need someone reliable. "I would really appreciate it if you came with me." She glanced over Patrick and Dan with an affectionate look, but could no bear to expose them to danger, along with not really believing that either of them was right for the job. Her eyes focused on Clara and she hesitated. "Clara. Would you come with us?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

Aunt Muriel nodded, "Of course," and her son gave a smile. If Lianna wanted a small team of five, including herself, she had two slots left. One, if Clara agreed.

Lianna hadn't seen much of Clara after the Blood Moon incident, yet she could clearly see the woman had changed. While she still wore her nice dresses she was now void of jewels, the scent of perfume, and the mischievous gleam in her eye. Her hair even looked a bit unwashed.

"No," she said. Leaned off the wall and headed back upstairs.

- Follow Clara
- Ask Clem and Aunt Muriel about Clara
- Practice manners with Dan
- Other
- Go somewhere else

- Steamhaven Police Department​

- Church of Divine Prayer​

- Dr. Troy's Clinic​

- Dr. Hill's Clinic​

 

[ArcticFox]

Lianna should have expected the refusal. She should have let her go, but something in her appearance was so at odds with the Clara she knew, that she had to hurry after her. Over her shoulder, she said to other.

"Thank you, everyone. Uh, meeting adjourned." Before turning away and calling out to Clara.

 

[Cartoonicat]

The room grew louder as people conversed about the meeting and what it all meant. Their voices, a cacophonous mixture of whispers, talking, and shouts, followed Lianna into the stairwell. As hurried after Clara, though, the sounds became distant.

Lianna caught up to her halfway up the winding staircase. "Quit following me," Clara said, refusing to stop or even look Lianna's way. "I said no."

- Follow her
- Grab her wrist
- Keep talking
- Let her go
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"Clara, it's fine if you don't want to go, but please talk to me." Lianna insisted, still running behind her. "You look different since the incident. I know it must have taken a toll on you."

 

[Cartoonicat]

Clara stopped at the second floor, eyes on the remaining steps that lead to the rooftop. "Of course I'm different," she said, lips in a tight line. "You don't wake up naked in the street wearing the blood of your co-workers and stay the same person."

Of the two that had become werewolves inside the Hub, Clara had done almost, if not all, of the killing. Lianna had done Patrick a service by locking him up when she did.

- Comfort Clara
- Tell her to get over it
- Ask a question
- Stay silent
- Let her go
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"It's not your fault, Clara. No one blames you for it." Lianna tried. She couldn't imagine how awful Clara must be feeling, but she knew that id did her no good to beat herself up about it. "It's them. It was always them against us." She spoke, feeling the anger stir inside her, remembering her own hurts. "This is why we have to stop them. Only then will we finally have peace again."

 

[Cartoonicat]

"But what if I am them?" She turned to face Lianna now, face twisted into a grimace. "Who's to say on the next full moon I won't sprout claws and kill again? That anyone touched by the Blood Moon won't?" The more she talked, the grittier, more emotional her voice became as if she were on the edge of tears.

Clara sucked in a sharp breath of air. "You should have just killed me."

- Comfort Clara
- Tell her to get over it
- Ask a question
- Stay silent
- Leave her alone
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"You are not a monster." Lianna approached her slow and careful, she held out her hand, then thought a bit and closed the distance between them wrapping her arms around her. "I will be with you during the full moon, I promise. If you turn again, we'll secure you, separate you from others. Then, we'll find a cure for it. There has to be one. But, until we know that you are affected for sure, please don't be sad."

 

[Cartoonicat]

Clara tensed when Lianna touched her but soon she relaxed, resting her chin on Lianna's shoulder as she spoke. They stood in silence for a moment before Clara leaned away. Her eyes were glassy. "You should go," she said. Then, as if forced to by her own conscience, she broke eye contact and mumbled a quiet: "Thank you."

- Leave
- Stay
- Hug her again
- Make a joke
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"And you should take care of yourself." Lianna said, letting her go. "Please." She stepped away, smiling. "If you change your mind and want to accompany us, well, you know where to find me."

 

[Cartoonicat]

Clara did not smile in return. She did nod, however. "I'll think about it, but no promises." Took a step up the stairs towards the roof. Hesitated, gave a sincere-sounding "Good luck", and then continued upwards.

This left Lianna alone in the stairwell. She could go back downstairs and try to recruit more Hunters or she could leave the Hub and seek out two others who might want to join her stealth mission. If she was tired of working, however, she could retire to the basement for a bit and help Dan with his etiquette. The gala was soon approaching; tomorrow night, to be exact.

- Recruit more Hunters
- Leave the Hub
- Practice with Dan
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Lianna didn't know how promising Clara's response was. She wouldn't hope and wouldn't force her. There were more capable people among the Hunters, but she wanted to visit others and try her luck elsewhere first.

But, surely, everything could way for another day at least. Now that she was feeling well enough, it was time to whip Dan in shape. So she walked down the stairs, to look for Dan, who was probably hiding in the basement.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Predictably, Dan had returned underground after the meeting. Lianna found him alternating between scribbling notes in a notebook, solving lengthy formulas on a chalkboard, and marking points on a large map of Steamhaven too big for the table it sprawled across.

As always, the inventor was too busy to notice someone entering. Poppy and Emma had yet to return, so it was just Lianna and her mentor in the room. She could watch him work, sneak up on him, or announce herself.

- Announce yourself
- Sneak up on him
- Watch him work
- Ask a question
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"Hey, Dan." Lianna greeted, looking at his sketches with interest. "Can you take the rest of the day off? Maybe we should work on your speech and presentation for tomorrow's gathering?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

Dan had entered his researcher's mindset, it seemed, for he shook his head vigorously. "We are so close! See here, look: I've devised several formulas to help locate other potential totems city-wide." He tapped the chalkboard with a broken piece of chalk, dusting the floor with white dust, then gestured to the map of Steamhaven hanging over the edges of the table. "Should there be any, I may very well be able to locate them all!"

While his work was certainly important, the undead had been around for decades - probably centuries - and tomorrow night's gala only lasted the evening. Lianna could let Dan continue with his investigation or she could try and convince him to focus on the gala. He still needed a lot of practice in manners as well as something to wear.

- Leave Dan alone
- Ask him about his work
- Help him with his work
- Persuade him to focus on the gala
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"You can do that the day after tomorrow, Dan." Lianna insisted, looking him over and scrunching her nose. "I think there's a bigger emergency here. Let's go to a tailor and get you a suit. Then we can do something about your hair and manners." She doubted they'd be able to do much, but a little is better than nothing.

 

[Cartoonicat]

"But Lianna, the answers are all here!" Dan insisted, tapping the open page of the notebook he held. "They're all here... somewhere. I just have to find them. The gala is but a gala; I'm on the verge of a great discovery!"

Lianna would have to persuade him, somehow.

- Plead
- Bribe
- Flirt
- Scold
- Give up
- Other