Changeling: the Lost
Venice: Broken Masks, Shattered Dreams
Episode 5 - Shadow - part 2
Sonata and Freki had been tracking Tybalt in an attempt to find out more about his kidnapper. They were able to find a door into the Hedge via a window. From there, in her wolf form, Freki led Sonata through the Hedge, tracking the scent. It was very familiar to her. The Hedge grew darker, and it was only because of Freki's heightened senses that they noticed the long legged monster, a Harvetman, a giant spider like hobgoblin. They quickly made their way along the small trod and soon found the wide expanse of marsh land. The Hedge around them was tainted with the essence of Carnival. Cat people puppets hung of thorns. Fragments of masks were stuck in the mud. The air was thick with the smell of hot chocolate and spices. The trail was through the marshes and so they continued. This marsh land was in fact the great trod to Venice, the Lion's Tail. As they crossed they were whispered to by a glowing orb, but they knew it's lies and ignored the whisp.
They found the exit from the Hedge, a door stuck in the mud. Opening it they were in a dark room, and before them was a dead body and about them paintings. They noticed that there were no windows, and that the door they had come through was the front door of the apartment, and that it had been kicked in. The body was that of the loyalist changeling that had attacked just a few nights ago, and she was now dead, having been stabbed in the back. The paintings were disturbing, painted using dyes mannufaactured from the Hedge. They showed reminders of Arcadia, and faces of the Fae. The most recent painting, unfinished, showed the Zookeeper, a man with antlers being stabbed, and a unfinished face. They gathered the paintings and left, hoping they might find out who killed the changeling.
Stitches and Else had travelled to the island of Murano, and there to meet the Autumn motley, the Green Caps. This motely were experts on the Hedge and in making things from it. Led by Captain Saor, the motley also claimed the foul gristle grinder Ogre, Dr Morphine, as a member. He looked at the dart that had drugged Tybalt and explained to Else andd Stitches that he would give it go to find out what it was made from, but he doubted that it would help them.
Clio left the house of Spring. The change of events worried her, but she had a shift at the Florian. It was as she was heading there that she seemed to have a sense of deja vu as she seemed to pass the same person a few times, as if she was walking through a street of twins. She hurried on. While at the Florian she was met by a man, a large hulk of a furry Ogre. He did not give his name, but it was clear he was of the house of Winter. He simply asked for the book back and promised her that if she did not comply they would come for her.
At the House of Autumn, at the Teatro Fenice, the motley had regrouped and were examining the paintings with the Wizened, Tristan Titian, trying to make sense of the images and what was happening. They learnt of the death of the Vernal Duke and that Malvolio had taken his place. While looking at the paintings Else had a flashback to her time in the sweltering workshop of her keeper, and her mind lost it's grip on reality for a moment as she felt trapped once more. She left to go work on her device, the Hedge crafted Orrey. Using the device, watching the spining orbs, Else is able to determine that the Wyrd will be involved in an alingment within a few hours. No idea where but it might be the clue they need.
Clio is out the back of the cafe, putting some rubbish in the bins when a pale woman, dressed rather immodestly, approaches asking her to follow her. Clio says no, knowing she is a House of Winter lackey. The pale woman is indeed and a changeling, a Leech finger. Her mouth is lip less and a filled with spindle teeth, and her fingers end in similar mouths. A fight breaks out and Clio resorts to using her voice to distract the woman, and bashing her head with an empty champagne bottle. The woman retreats, scaling the wall of tha alley in the most inhuman of fashion.
Else watches on TV the news that a famous Italian movie producer has died on the Lido, at the exact hour that she had determined. Stepping back from the TV she knocks off a knife on the table, and as it hits the fall she hears the words 'Knife falls, Gentleman calls', and with that she knows that in 13 weeks time her keeper will be in Venice looking for her.
Clio returns to the House of Spring at the Ca da'Mosto, to find that the Hedge palace has been touched by the mantle of Malvolio. Know the flowers are enticing and give off a sickly musk. There are the whispers of indulgence and sighs or ectasy. A party is being held as members of Spring make their new pledges to their Duke. Clio is able to get some privacy with the Duke, and explains to him that she was attacked by Winter coutiers. Malvolio recognises the description of the woman, Lilith. Clio is certain he has slept with her. He explains that she works for a shadowy motley, the Endless Sigh. They are spies and torturers, a form of secret police. He will looking into reparations. He also tells Clio that she should stay the night for her own saftey and that tomorrow the dress maker will be here to fit her for Carnival balls.
No comments:
Post a Comment