Fantasy Steamhaven: Land of the Lost

[Cartoonicat]

While Mistress Gul did not materialize, Lianna did hear her voice echo from the lip of the flower: "The only fine print to our contract is who you must kill," she said. "Your target is Kelaelin, patron of the Sisters of Amber."

Lianna knew little of witches compared to those who specialized in hunting them, but she did recognize that name. Of the many covens in the area, the Sisters of Amber were notorious for using amber, a Hunter's strongest anti-witch measure, in their spells despite the damage it caused them. Only the most veteran Hunters dared approach them—and even then, never alone.

"Demons cannot be killed in the Material Plane, your world, so you must find a way into our realm. That is where you will find him," she continued. "If you mess up... or succeed without staying inconspicuous... you will undoubtedly have a coven of Hunter-killers at your throat."

- Ask a question
- Protest
- Say nothing
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"You must know of a way into your realm." Lianna said, looking at the flower, as it felt like the most appropriate thing there to address in the lack of the demon's presence. "Can you point me in the right direction?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

"I would send you to the realm myself, but Kelaelin stole my only means of doing so long ago," the demon explained. "The only one who maintains their artifact is Ymara, a heretic of demon society."

Lianna absently recalled Aunt Muriel speaking of a coven called Ymara's Children. She knew the name, but little else.

- Ask about Ymara
- Ask about Ymara's Children
- Ask about the artifact
- Ask about Kelaelin
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"Where is her coven?" Lianna asked, "Ymara's?"

She already saw that this task would be even more troublesome than she was originally prepared. She was not supposed to only kill one demon, but also to find a different one and convince it to help her do it. And she never had much of a silver tongue.

 

[Cartoonicat]

"I haven't a clue," the demon said, "though their members are everywhere, hiding in dark corners like cockroaches, and they're vile enough include men." She leaves of the corpse flower shuddered in disgust. "Find a man with a demon's mark and you'll have found one of Ymara's children."

Lianna remembered, if only for the absurdity, a boy and a witch apprehended outside of Sophia's boutique quite some time ago.

She could talk to Clem before retiring for the night, or do something else if not simply go to bed.

- Ask about Ymara
- Ask about Kelaelin
- Get to know Mistress Gul
- Go talk to Clem
- Go talk to Aunt Muriel
- Do something else
- Go to bed

 

[ArcticFox]

"I think I know where to start." Lianna said, then turned to leave the flower and the demon.

When she returned to the main room, she approached her cousin.

"Are you alright, Clem?" She asked.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Clem seemed in the middle of a doze as she walked up. He looked around as if somewhat startled at having nearly fallen asleep, though his mother and the others paid him no mind. "I'm alright," he said, "considering the circumstances." Looking up at her, he quirked a brow. "Got something on your mind?"

- Ask about the witch incident
- Ask about Sophia
- Ask something else
- Nevermind

 

[ArcticFox]

"I do, actually." Lianna nodded, "Remember a witch mother and child that were apprehended near Sophia's shop recently? Do you know anything about them?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

Clem physically cringed. "Boy, do I," he said. "I made the mistake of bringing it up to Sophia one day and she nearly bit my head off," he confessed about the usually even-tempered seamstress. "Then again, I might have been a bit harsh in my opinion..." His mother did specialize in hunting witches, after all.

- Ask another question
- Do something else
- Go to bed

 

[ArcticFox]

"I can imagine." Lianna smiled slightly, "It's not easy talking about supernaturals to a non-hunter. I've learned that the hard way." She sighed, "Do you know what happened to the two? Where could they be now?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

Clem shook his head. "It's been a couple of weeks, hasn't it? At least a week, now," he said. "They're probably still in jail, but heading to trial soon, and... well, you know how those things go." Once charged guilty, which they were undoubtedly destined to be considering the irrefutable marks on their skin, they'd be sentenced to death regardless of age.

If she so chose, Lianna could try evading the vampires and hurry back to town now to earn extra time hunting down the pair of witches, or she could wait until fully rested in the morning—and there weren't vampires lurking about.

- Head to Steamhaven
- Sleep at the Brambleroot Coven

 

[ArcticFox]

"Thanks, Clem." Lianna patted her cousin's back. "Now get some sleep. I'll do so as well."

She wouldn't risk leaving immediately, but she wanted to get an early start. Hopefully, before most of the others woke up.

 

[Cartoonicat]

He nodded and the entire group began to settle. In less than an hour, a hush had fallen across the tunnel, though handfuls of individuals remained awake, alert with distrust for their forced company.

Lianna rose early the next morning, finding Clara already awake but minding her business. Most still slept, though it seemed some groups had departed in the night or earlier than Lianna had risen. Eden and her family, for what Lianna could see, had not stuck around.

- Head to Steamhaven alone
- Wake an ally

 

[ArcticFox]

Lianna contemplated for a moment, before finally deciding on approaching Clara. Perhaps it would be better to travel back with someone.

"Morning," She addressed her... colleague, companion, friend? She did not know where she stood with Clara, but she knew that they were past their petty rivalry now, "I am heading back before others, I need to follow up on a quest. Would you like to come with me?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

"I'm on watch." Clara glanced at the others from her shotgun barrel scope, detached yet new-looking. "You might as well wake them all up if you want company; no Hunter would take kindly to being left sleeping in a witch's den," she said.

Departing with the group would take time, but give added protection should Lianna run into trouble on the way back from the coven. Such a sizable party, however, would lend itself to a significantly less stealthy journey.

- Go alone
- Wake up the Hunters
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"I can't, I'm sorry." Lianna said, "I really need to pick up the pace." If Clara won't go, she'll go alone.

Taking her pack and cloak, as well as strapping on her weapons, she prepared to leave.

 

[Cartoonicat]

"Suit yourself," Clara said. Though she stood, she stayed with the others.

Lianna was on her own in the woods. Surprisingly, she found it conveniently vampire-free. If anything, her journey seemed to go almost too smoothly, as if invisible forces were guiding her safely through the otherwise hostile trees. Though, if she were to call out, she'd get naught but silence in return.

----

Arriving back in town, Lianna could visit Sophia's boutique to discuss what had happened outside her store that day, or she could go straight to the primary police department and hope Commissioner Stratford was both available and knew where the witch boy ended up. Flaunting her title as a Monster Hunter might prove useful at City Hall, too.

- Visit Sophia
- Head to Steamhaven Police Department
- Head to City Hall
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Following her logic, she went toward the police station first. Perhaps it would be easiest to ask the questions there first. If that failed, she could always go back to the City hall, though it did not bring back fond memories.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Lianna arrived in a police department in disarray; officers ran to and from, scrambling for equipment and paperwork, before rushing out the door towards Downtown while calling for backup. Commissioner Stratford stood in the hallway, frantically locking his office before hurrying towards the front door where Lianna stood.

Upon making eye contact, he slowed. "Hunter," he dipped his head, eyes glancing towards the door behind her. "I don't have time to talk at the moment."

- Ask what's going on
- Ask about the witch pair
- Offer to help
- Other
- Go somewhere else

 

[ArcticFox]

"Commissioner." Lianna returned the nod. "I appreciate that you are busy, however, I have an urgent matter to inquire about." She glanced toward the door as well, following his gaze, "Can I help you finish your work sooner in any way?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

The commissioner inhaled sharply through his nose, then briskly set towards the door. "Walk and talk," he instructed. "What's going on?" Lianna's shirt collar concealed most of her demon's pact—if anyone looked close enough, they'd see hints of a furious rash—and the chaos helped draw the commissioner's attention elsewhere.

- Ask about the witch boy
- Tell him about Mistress Gul
- Report the vampire Summit
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"There was a vampire summit last night in the woods." She said, thinking that it would be worth mentioning, "It was chaos... partially due to my presence." She cleared her throat, "The vampires might try something even more forward soon, they did not seem friendly at all."

After a moment, she spoke again, "But I came here for another matter. A witch boy and his mother were apprehended recently in Steamhaven. Where are they now?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

"I heard," he said, feet moving faster, "and I have a feeling they're already starting trouble. Downtown is filled with more undead than the militia can handle this morning."

They skirted a corner, now running, coming up to the barricades that designated the Downtown perimeter. Gunshots and shouts rang loud and clear as crowds beyond the barricade skittered like ants. Citizens, both unharmed and wounded, fled past Lianna and commissioner with horrified faces.

"The boy goes on trial this afternoon," he said. "Talk to my receptionist. He'll give you clearance." With that, he snatched the two pistols from his belt and entered the fray.

Last Lianna checked, his newest receptionist was a young woman. The police department position seemed to have a high turn-over rate.

- Help the militia
- Return to the police department
- Head to city hall
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

"Undead again?" Lianna frowned. Last time she walked the streets the undead had dispersed. And it had been connected to the totem she found.

But there was no time to deal with that now. She thanked the Comissioner and approached the receptionist to ask for clearance.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Stepping into the police department, now deserted save for the receptionist, Lianna would find the man slumped in his chair, scribbling in what looked like a personal notebook. He looked up with a calm smile, setting it aside. Upon asking for clearance, he flipped through a couple of notes piled on his desk. "Ah, you wanted to see the boy or the...? Well, the witch has been tried, so there's no dealing with her, now..." He motioned for Lianna to enter the hallway, keys jingling in his hand.

"Here you go," he unlocked the door to the jail room. "Good luck."

Inside, Lianna would pass multiple cells, of which only one was occupied: A quant human man with bags under his eyes who idly picked at the wall grout. The furthest cell contained a boy with dark, unkempt hair and a wiry, malnourished frame. At the floor of the cell's food slot sat a tray of simple food. Tiny sugar ants skittered over the biscuit and vegetables, taking what the boy refused.

- Talk to the boy
- Lecture the boy
- Interrogate the boy
- Watch the boy
- Other
- Leave