Fantasy Steamhaven: Land of the Lost

[Cartoonicat]

Looking over, Samael's brows lifted. He looked surprised. "Someone I did not expect to see here," he said. "Her pack is comprised of supernatural orphans and children who have run away from home." Samael hummed. "She doesn't have the best reputation; I don't know about others, but my coven calls her the Child Stealer. Whether she's deserving of such a title is up to debate."

A young boy, maybe eight or nine, strayed too far from the woman's grasp and she called out to him sharply. Despite her harsh tone, her eyes were wide, alert. Managing so many children—Lianna counted at least seven—in a crowded place seemed to stress her out. While the other wolves—Lianna identified them by their large physiques and tendency to stand alone—ignored her, the witch covens and vampires watched her closely.

- Ask about the Child Stealer
- Approach the Child Stealer
- Ask something else
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"Don't you all steal children?" Lianna asked, observing the woman. To be honest, she just seemed like an overprotective mother, but you never knew with the unnaturals. She looked around for the vampire coven, and asked, "Who is your leader? Is she here?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

Samael snorted loudly, though not necessarily in amusement. "Steal children? Granted, some of us are less civilized than others but my coven adheres to a Code of Conduct."

Even from across the room, the woman's head whipped in their direction, as did a few of the unassociated wolves. She narrowed her brows. Pulled two of her younger pack members closer. A toddler sat on her hip, playing with her hair and causing the flat brown locks to unravel from the haphazard bun that had long-since lost its shape.

Samael ignored her glares. Instead, motioned to the balcony with a dip of his head. "She's watching," he said. Lianna saw several figures draped in black cloaks standing at the rail of the balcony, though she couldn't discern male or female with their faces so obscured. "They haven't noticed," he glanced to the small witch covens and wolves on the ground floor. Hummed curiously. "They're all too busy distrusting one another. Typical."

- Ask about the coven leader
- Ask about the Child Stealer
- Ask something else
- Approach a group
- Call out to the balcony figures
- Stay silent
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"Well, I guess it's time for them to notice," Lianna said, then whistled loudly. With a slight tip of the head, she spoke. "Good evening ladies and gentlemen. My name is Lianna Atwood and I am a Monster Hunter. Nice to meet you all. Can we start the meeting, please?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

Uproar sounded in the room; several supernaturals shied away from Lianna while others stepped in her direction. Lianna briefly heard Samael say "Good luck" before his presence disappeared altogether. Looking over her shoulder, she'd find him disappearing into the hallway in which they'd come, doors closing quickly.

"A Monster Hunter!?" One of the wolves howled up at the vampires on the balcony, who all watched with varying expressions. Some vampires looked smug while most appeared genuinely shocked. Murmur erupted in their ranks.

One witch in particular—a stringy brunette with face tattoos and tattered clothes—pushed her way through the crowd. Her hand shot forward without a word of warning. Summoned rats skittered from the skirt of her dress and rushed Lianna, beady eyes glinting in the torchlight and sharp teeth yellowed.

- Attack the rats
- Run
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Lianna did not reach for her weapon. She said she was gonna be civilised and she was going to give the woman one chance to calm down.

"Stop it." She said, looking directly at the witch, "I did not come here to fight you. You wanted a human. Well, here I bloody am. Let's parlay."

 

[Cartoonicat]

The witch said nothing, only narrowed her brows, and the rats did not stop running towards Lianna. Just a moment more and they'd be swarming her feet.

- Attack the rats
- Run
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Instead of reaching for her weapon, Lianna tried a different tactic, "Commissioner Stratford? You surely don't want this to turn to bloodshed? I am reasonable to a point." She had called out, expecting the Commissioner to be reasonable as well, if he was around. If not, well, this was a good day to die as any.

 

[Cartoonicat]

None by the name of Stratford came to her aid, but just as the rats reached her feet, the witch flicked her wrist. They halted. "One wrong move and they'll eat you alive," she said, voice raspy as if broken. Despite Lianna's two attempts at diplomacy, neither the witch nor many others in the room looked appeased.

A lone pair of hands clapped from the balcony, breaking the silence the witch's mercy had caused. The figure's cloak obscured all but her smile, wrinkled with age far more than Lianna had ever seen on a vampire. "A witch and a Hunter showing restraint," her voice rang out across the room, trembling but strong. "What a beautiful start to my Summit. Welcome, Lianna Atwood, and...?"

The witch glanced at the coven leader though said nothing. Simply scowled, hand still poised to attack Lianna.

"So reserved," the coven leader smiled ruefully, "but that is fine for now." She set her hands on the balcony rail. "Now, with ambassadors of all four factions here, we may begin."

More murmurs erupted; "Four factions?" "A human ambassador?" "But she's a Hunter!" The concern grew into an outrage so loud and distracting, the coven leader's patient smile turned into a frown. Lianna could try to calm the crowd, rile them up further, or let the coven leader handle it.

- Preach peace
- Preach hate
- Let the coven leader handle it
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"And I am your bloody ambassador too." Lianna said, frowning, "I'm the best you are gonna get today. And as you can see, I was not the one that attacked first this time. You all claim that you are more than animals, that you can be civil. So far, I am not convinced." It was an attempt at diplomacy, but she was never able to keep the heated words back when in the presence of so many supernaturals. And these ones were practically asking for it.

 

[Cartoonicat]

The crowd did not appreciate Lianna's words, but as they broke into outraged murmurs and shouts of "How dare you!" and "She has no right!" the room rumbled with a bang. Stone crumbled from the balcony pillars and those on the ground floor ignored their dissent in order to move out of the way, eyes wide.

Beside the coven leader stood a vampire with a mallet in hand. He swung one last time at the pillar, which at that point threatened to crumble entirely. The people on the ground floor gasped and shied away from the potential wreckage.

"Barille hates confrontation; it angers him so, as you can see," the coven leader explained, though the vampire named Barille didn't seem to care about the chaos either way. "I highly suggest you all behave. There is no room in this coalition for those who cannot get along."

Looking around, Lianna could see other vampires with mallets standing at the ready; if the witches and wolves didn't behave, the coven leader would bury them all.

"Now," said the coven leader. "I have called this Summit for a reason... of which I am sure you are all aware. However, there cannot be peace without compromise." She smiled from beneath her hood. "I say, perhaps our dear human ambassador should begin. Tell us, Miss Atwood: What is one thing Mankind needs, in your opinion as ambassador, to effectively ally with those they currently claim war against? With us, the children of night, of so-called 'corruption'?"

- Wealth
- Knowledge
- Power
- Peace
- Security
- Nothing
- Something else

 

[ArcticFox]

Lianna observed the scene with mild amusement. Of course that the vampires were ring leaders, they always were. Witches and wolves, they were all just pawns in their vile plans. What were they thinking, choosing her to hear them out. She was the worst person for this.

"We want the only thing we ever wanted, to be left alone." She answered.

 

[Cartoonicat]

"Hmm, how simple a request," the coven leader said. She addressed the supernaturals down below. "What say you? Can your witch covens and wolf packs adhere to Mankind's wish?"

Several witches scowled. "What about our rituals? Our bloodlines? Define 'leave alone'," said one of them.

A wolf man snorted. "This is what they get for shunning men." His comment only served to bristle not one, but several witch covens.

"If men were useful for anything other than breeding, our patrons would support them," another witch snapped back.

Lianna could see Barille and the other balcony vampires raising their mallet once more.

- Let them argue
- Intervene
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

A large part of Lianna wanted that vampire to hit the pillar once again and bury them all. She wouldn't even mind being buried as well, if it meant that everyone in this room would be done for. But the coven would be untouched and then probably free to do as they pleased.

"If you take an oath to leave humans alone, we will take an oath not to hunt you. There's a lot of bad blood on either side and I do not believe that this is possible, any more than you. But, you are sick of silver bullets and stakes and fire, aren't you? Well, we are also sick of abductions and murder and spells. We only ever defended our selves, your kind started this endless war, and you are all the same to me - vampires, werewolves and witches."

 

[Cartoonicat]

The wolves and the witches settled only long enough to hear Lianna's words before breaking into an argument once more. A tired yet loud voice cut through the noise: "Hey!" The female alpha and her small pack of children stepped into Lianna's peripheral, but her anger was not directed at the Hunter. "If you lot keep arguing, those vampires are going to bury us alive. Is that what you want?"

As if just realizing their predicament, the witches glanced upwards to the balcony. The wolves snarled, begrudgingly settling into some semblance of calm.

"Leaving humans alone is not an option," said the rat witch from before. "Not for the covens."

Before Lianna could speak, the female alpha narrowed her brows. "It could be. You're just scared." She looked to the wolves, and finally Lianna. "You all are."

It was then Lianna noticed the group that surrounded the female alpha. A toddler, no older than five, who kept sniffing the air and whining about 'too many smells'; a boy, just a few years older, with a Witch's mark on his neck; twin girls about the age of 10, with pale skin and whose eyes shimmered vampirically in the lantern light; a teen girl, the spitting image of the female alpha, blinded in one eye by scarred claw marks; and an older teen boy who, like the scarred girl, looked relatively human. A sleeping bundle rested snuggly in his arms.

Seven children, Lianna counted, all from different walks of life: Wolf, witch, vampire, and even human.

- Side with the alpha
- Argue with the alpha
- Confront the alpha about her children
- Confront the human children directly
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Lianna did not like the fact that the alpha wolf had human children with her, but she did not mention it. Who knows who she stole them from, but that was not her problem at that moment. Instead, she just asked, turning toward the werewolf, "Scared? What do the witches have to be scared of?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

The alpha regarded Lianna coolly as if not quite sure of her yet, before answering: "Inconvenience," she said. Several witches made to argue, but she beat them to the punch, head whipping in their direction: "You lick the boots of foul demons because it is easy; to have thoughts of your own would mean rebellion."

"You'd like us to abandon our patrons? Go back on the contracts that are carved into our skins?" Scowled the rat witch. "You're ignorant."

"Maybe. But I know enough," said the alpha. "You are weak as the dogs beside you, complacent as the humans that kill us, and cowardly as the vampires watching from the balcony above." Her slew of insults did not go over well with the crowd, though from what Lianna could see, the coven leader stood grinning from her spot above them.

The snarky wolf-man frowned. "Don't speak to us like you do the children you stole-"

"Saved," she bristled. "And I would never speak to my children in this way; they are good and fair and understand the basics of decency, unlike you lot. You're all so self-absorbed that you cannot comprehend—no, you don't want to comprehend—the plight of others. I have raised my children to be patient, to care for those who are not just themselves, to-" The human boy placed a hand on her shoulder; the alpha woman settled and took a deep breath.

- Side with the alpha
- Argue with the alpha
- Ask another question
- Address one of the children
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

I like her, Lianna thought as the female alpha spoke, If push comes to shove, I will kill her last.

"At least one of you is reasonable." She said aloud, nodding in the alpha's direction, "Are the rest of you going to continue arguing, or can we talk like adults now?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

The witches and wolves exchanged glances amongst themselves. Few of them looked particularly happy, much less content settling down, but their actual protests were few and far between and practiced in quiet whispers. The rat witch narrowed her brows. "Fine. The Willow Circle will participate." Behind her, several women in similar hide-skin rags nodded. Her coven starkly contrasted the others, who dressed in city peasant garb or aristocratic dresses. One coven, a small group of three, looked like they might belong to a circus troupe.

From what Lianna could see, while there were indeed other alphas aside from the one who stood at her side, there did not seem to be any packs. Most of the wolves who had joined were likely either representative of their underlings or underlings themselves acting independently. The confrontational wolf-man watched as several witch covens agreed to talk things out. He huffed. "Fine."

The crowd, more or less, had agreed to the discussion. Now, they all looked to Lianna and the alpha, eyes expectant.

- Lead the discussion
- Ask the wolves to lead the discussion
- Ask the vampires to lead the discussion
- Ask the witches to lead the discussion
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

After everyone settled down, Lianna supposed that it was better to start talking than let anyone else talk over her. Who knew what kind of silly terms did they have in mind for the human race, for some reason every one of these unnatural beings thought themselves superior to the humans they all once were.

"So, what is it you all want in turn for leaving us humans alone?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

The wolf-man spoke first. Quick, decisive, to the point: "Hunting ground rights during the full moon," he said, "and to be left alone while we're shifted." Several of the other wolves nodded their agreement.

"Hunting ground rights?" Said the female alpha, "That's not something humans can give; take it up with the other wolves. Rather, take it up with their transformations."

He snorted. "Once Hunters finish off the morons who think it alright to change in the city, they head straight for the forest to collect our heads. You'd know that if you quit living under a rock."

The little boy with the witch's mark watched the dispute alongside his brothers and sisters. He chewed at his lip, twiddled his thumbs, and fiddled with the hem of his shirt as if he wanted to say something.

- Make a deal
- Suggest something else
- Encourage the witch boy to speak
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"While I can't grant you anything right now, I can talk to the other Hunters." Lianna said, but then her attention was drawn to the little boy and she gave her best to smile, "But, I think our little friend here wants to say something on the matter at hand?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

The witch boy startled at being called to the center of attention. He blinked wide eyes at the adults around him. "I... um..." he fumbled with his words. The scarred human girl crouched to his height; the action seemed to give him some confidence. "Maybe, um... maybe a safe place? So the wolves don't fight and... um... just a safe place."

All the children nodded, save for the toddler who continued rubbing her nose and mumbling into the alpha's shirt. "Mum goes on patrol when she changes, but she always comes back hurt because of the other wolves that can't control themselves," said one of the vampire twins. Her identical sister continued: "If there was a safe place for wolves to go during the full moon, nobody would get hurt."

It was a solid idea, if not for the fact Lianna knew of zero places capable of housing hundreds, if not a thousand werewolves. Plus, not all wolves would be willing to go—some likely enjoyed the hunt.

- Praise their idea
- Reject their idea
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"That sounds like a smart idea, to be honest." Lianna said, thinking on any abandoned building that they could use to put the wolves in during full moons. Would Clara and Patrick also need to be housed there? Would they all need to be chained? "I will relay it to the Hunters. We can organize a patrol around the area and keep an eye out on the changing werewolves."

 

[Cartoonicat]

The three children smiled at her praise, as did the rest of the children in their pack, grateful for Lianna's willingness to hear them out. However, the disgruntled wolf-man crossed his arms. "We'd be pigs sent for slaughter, with those Hunters knowing our location. Good luck finding a sensible wolf interested." Their distrust of Hunters proved strong; behind him, nearly every wolf nodded their agreement. Save for a few, however, who began shifting towards Lianna and the female alpha's side of the room. One of the wolves who'd joined her wore a hood that concealed their face.

"I understand you are wary of trusting the Hunters," said the female alpha, "but risks must be made to-"

The wolf-man scoffed. "Would you put those children in harm's way as you expect us to with our own?" He gestured to the witch boy and his vampire sisters, then to Lianna. "This one is outnumbered, and that's the only reason she hasn't put a stake in those girls' hearts or sent that boy to the pyre. Make no mistake."

The alpha narrowed her brows, but had no retort.

- Confirm the accusation
- Deny the accusation
- Change the subject
- Bargain with the wolves
- Other