Takesday, Tailormoon, 1313

Hugo has (only) gone down four points with his parents, which is a pretty good outcome.

Ears of the City

Round 1 - Cobbler’s Investigation

Cobbler has spoken to Richard Dargent, but mostly obliquely as someone who was there, rather than as a suspect. Richard is pleading ignorance on Wiggin and explosion in general. Sticking to his story that he did hire mercenaries to prevent terrorists from attacking but that they were too late to prevent the explosion. All the Mongrelfolk got away. Cobbler has tried to pursue why he was hiring mercenaries rather than coming to him, mercenaries are quicker, recent events being what they are, it is tragically difficult to know who to trust.
Ravlisha was just released from a holding cell where she had been interrogated by the Bakerstreets and they came to the conclusion that she didn’t know much of anything useful.
Brief snippet of Cobbler producing a scrap of paper torn by Wiggin and stashed. Takes a second to read what’s noted on it, and addresses Tobias:
Cobbler: "Is the Emissary up yet?"
Interviewed Agamemnon, who totally caved: gave Hugo’s and Grimoire’s names. Will have mentioned there was a mongrelfolk there, who seemed to have some degree of control or influence over the taxidermied beasts. Underhands have directly taken up a personal investigation into that one. Cobbler annoyed but allowing.

Round 2 - Hugo Dargent

Gotten about that he is a person of interest in Cobbler’s investigation. Mostly perceived as to do with the Ironside end of things. Agamemnon may have been talking.
Richard Dargent: "He’s an idiot."
Minor figures at court theorise that maybe Hugo secretly murdered Yvette after she rejected him and organised the explosion to cover it up. Shot down immediately. “She hangs a picture of a lot of people; that’s dumb.”
Balthazar: “What I would have done, ha!”

Round 3 - Big group argument

Mostly arguing on what was the correct response to the attack.
A few court figures were unhappy at the fact that Richard, by being the first to address it to public, had created a perception of him specifically being in charge of handling this one. They were not happy about him having that kind of power, but no-one wanted to cause a panic. No-one wanted to explicitly challenge his narrative.
On top of all that, the Amira's Hand has been pushing for not declaring outright war on the mongrelfolk and trying to solve matters more gently. Several members of the court were sufficiently spooked by another attack, even not on Noble District, that they were pushing for breaking off from her recommendations on that.
A lot of general uncertainty because a lot of the nobles were still ill and some of them had died by wasps. It was presumed that because they happened around the same time, the wasps were also created by the mongrelfolk. No-one had a clear idea on how.
It didn’t help that Balthazar Ironside was out of action, so the person whose job it would be to declare war wasn’t around.
Cody was keeping a close eye on Agamemnon because his family’s perview was at the centre of things and his dad wasn’t around. Cody hadn’t told Cobbler the full truth about the events at the Ironside Estate, so he was trying to slow down the spread of that info. (That only lasted temporarily).

Round 4 - Bakerstreet/Richard Dargent score

Now -12 points (decreased by 2 since Needleday, Tinkermoon, 1313)

Round 5 - Baharat/Guinevera Dargent score

19 points

Round 6 - Carterhold/Castor Stargazer score

-9 points

Round 7 - Dargent-Laureat/Castor Stargazer score

-27 points
[END OF EARS OF THE CITY]

Hugo and Lindie attend Court

Still relying on Elemental servants. They have taken down the disease sensors.
All viziers except Hali Shajara present – Cobbler is glowering in a corner with a mug of coffee
Absent: Rouge Carterhold, Nycteme Underhand, Galia and Webb Nightkeeper.
Cassilda is representing Hali Shajara today.
Felinet Bakerstreet and Diana Bakerstreet-Underhand are both present, although Felinet is very quiet and Diana is looming over his shoulder at all times.
Andromeda is here and is still her formidable self, but she is clearly still recovering from her sickness. Her skin is paler and sallow, she is walking with a large staff (ship’s mast) with a ship’s lantern on top of it.
Jaq Mason is here with scratched and burned wheelchair. His machine parts are damaged and he has more mechanical parts than before. (It looks like he narrowly survived the wasp swarm by creating a huge explosion which he and his wheelchair were both also caught up in).
Itaf (Jaq’s Clockwork Gnome seneschal) is with him.
Balthazar Ironside now has a metal pipe instead of a throat (which was ripped out by his ghoulified molossus, Laelaps). One of his arms has a sword blade, and he is walking with a crutch that doubles as a flamethrower.
Pollux has turned up to Court with 2 concubines (Rina and a human, Pelagia). This is basically an act, he is clearly harrowed by wasp attack. Pollux’s coping mechanism is to masquerade as a dancing-through-life carefree “Bruce Wayne/Fiero).
Castor is sticking close to his family and saying little :(
There is a newcomer at court. Sanding darkly in an alcove - Amira's Heel.
Hugo is watching what his father (Richard) is focused on.

• Generally trying to consolidate his taken charge position. Hugo gets the impression also that he’s been trying to undermine the weakened families (i.e. those with out-of-action Viziers and Vizieras) to families that were relying on alliances with those families.
• Portraying himself as the most robust and reliable human Vizier at court.
• Get impression that a couple of people have noticed that Richard and Haruspex are talking with tenseness behind pleasantries.
• Lindie picks up with her “shenanigans sense” that this is partly because they are both humans who are not humans, but there is more: She gets a better read on Haruspex, who seems rattled. Richard may be in a more advantageous position than Haruspex (politically and socially) but there is also tension. Richard is aware that he is playing a dangerous game by putting himself on the Underhands’ radar.

Rumours that Haruspex plans to call a Whisper Vote on Katharine Ironside. It is considered impolite to vote in absentia. Part of the reason that people are fine with this is that there is a drive to move things forward and get things done.
Arranged to meet Cassiopeia at her estate tomorrow for Connie to “talk about stars”. She knows the others (at least Hugo) will also be coming.
Cassiopeia now on a conspiracy spree about Blood Golems and the Amira.
Information from Amira's Eyes and Ears is that a horde of ghouls has been assembled just beyond the horizon. To appease nobles to switch focus to her concerns, Amira’s Hand has brought in Amira’s Heel. She’s acknowledging that people are afraid and is offering that nobles give over responsibility for terrorist combating to the Amira’s Heel. She’s asking that nobles provide funding for people to oversee the City Wall from inside and out.
The Honourable Company has agreed to send an airship to get eyes on the Horde Beyond the Horizon.

Hugo and Cody

Hugo gives Cody the Bug Mask and Yvette’s waistchain.
Cody: "You owe me one, bro."
Hugo: "I saved your life, bro… but, yeah. I owe you one."

Court Mood towards Amira's Hand's Plan

Strongly in Favour

Dargents - What is he scheming now?
Dargent-Laureats - Strongly in favour, because Richard is.
Jackalslicers - More peaceful of the two solutions?

Tepidly in Favour

Baharats - After bunny playdate might be swayed to Dargent side.
Brasseyes - They want one of their family to be one of the nobles to go down inside the wall, and they may withdraw their support if told that wasn’t allowed.
Nightkeepers - I don’t like it but it is a good idea. (Inverse Cobbler).

Tepidly Against

Bakerstreets - Not necessarily a bad idea, but I don’t like it. (Inverse Nightkeeper).
Darktusks - Vizier Jafar is vocally against, but although they aren’t saying anything some of his family (Sheikh and Arib) seem more in favour.
Stargazers - Seems to be mostly against the idea because Richard is so obviously in favour.

Strongly Against

Carterholds - Possibly just Djann. All affected by death of Weaver. Rouge not there. Quince is there and is more withdrawn, but will nod in approval at whatever her father says.
Ironsides - Balthazar more than the children. “I will not hear of it! If a ghoul horde comes we’ll meet them as they do! These mogrelfolk bastards nearly killed me!” Balthazar wants war.
Masons - Cagey. They don’t want anyone inspecting their wall…

Unknowns

Greenskins - Talking to Cassie later, she seems to want anything that lowers the chances of ghoul attacks.
Ratriders - What’s the deal with those goblins?
Shajara - History suggests they will vote with Richard.
Underhand - ????

Bunny Playdate

Guinevera (and Scarlett and bunnies (Echo, Bugsby, Fnifs and Connie)!
Wine contains Myxomatosis: a nasty plague that was designed by alchemists in Palimpsest's history to exclusively target rabbits and Bunbun. At the time it was regarded as a form of pest control, however, it is now illegal to deliberately spread the illness.

• +1 Verdant Vine Bracelet (thorny)
• +1 Gauntlets of Twisting Briars
• +1 silver mithral rose pendant: “Silver Thorn”. Stunned, staggered, shaken, paralysed, panicked, nauseated, frightened, dazed - mind affecting only

Oh boy – Scarlett has so much info from Echo and Bugsby!!! She knows:

• About the labyrinth (duh.)
• About Connie covering up for the attack on Dargent parents.
• Suspects Lindie was the attacker.
• Knows about the Wolf (and that Connie can choose to change into it, and on one occasion has done so).

Connie is starting to believe that, even with the best of intentions, “people shouldn’t keep other people as pets”.
Martini: “So, archivist, do you know any good Brambleson stories I might not have heard before? I left the warren when I was six.”

Yellowback's Bookseller

• Large ostentatious bookseller that exclusively sells books too trashy to be sold further up the city.
• Penny Dreadful Yellowback: Lizardfolk, plate spine back (yellow)

Talitha Spice Day! In attendance are:

• Andersen
• Catfolk dressed in Renee outfit (Adamantine Barker herself not present)
• Huntie Lamplighter
• 2 Shajara Concubines
  • Hali’s Concubine: Elf?, Female, Not as tall or slender as most elves, Half-elf, orange eyes. Named Ash.
  • Cassilda’s Concubine: Orc, Male, greenish gold eyes. Named Thale.

Talitha Spice: “Sixty-nine beginnings and endings. At least sixty-nine climaxes.”
The best, most intense Qu’onan adventure yet:
Qu'onan and the Seventy Scimitars?
2 roadies: hobgoblin and lizardfolk
Talitha Spice is Qumin Baharat! - Secret handshake w/ Huntie Lamplighter
Basil's recording of Shajara concubines:

• Sound of footsteps.
• Plink! coin being put in vending machine.
• Voice: Ma’am, Sir, pleasure doing business as always.
  Ash: Clink.
• Scrapes and thuds of cargo and footsteps. Something being closed.

Guinevera talk
Werewolves are vulnerable to silver (heh.)

Connie Commune with Brambleson

Have I messed up by giving pieces of Hugo’s book to the Patchwork Empire? Perhaps, it quickens their plots.
Have I put Cassie in more danger by mentioning her to Beozar? I am afraid probably so.
Is the Amira’s Heel more harmful than the nobles going to war with the Patchwork Empire? She creates less collateral crossfire.
Is Guinevera more dangerous now than before we talked? Difficult to imagine that possible.
Do you think Hugo the best of us to send to speak to Termagant? Conditionally. If Termagant feels amiable.
Does the piece of paper Cobbler found on Wiggin’s body put us is more danger? Directs suspicion towards any Dargent.
Do you think maybe you should pick someone else for your oracle? Your path’s thorny. Have faith.
2 hours towards 48 of Carnegie book (Connie).

Dargent Dinner

Turbot fish for dinner, gazpacho soup. Sterile, austere setup. Silverleaf breads. Bed of vegetables (Richard eats out of propriety). Silver Orcish Delight squares in between (actually a halfling dish). Silverplated orchid-flavoured sorbet for dessert.
Silent Table allows conversation that will not be overheard by servants or eavesdroppers.
In process of adapting the Plan “to bring things back on track.”
The Bakerstreet Vizier has become a problem.
Richard: "I am confident we have the Underhands onside, which of course counts for a lot. Given a modicum of time, it shouldn’t be particularly taxing to maintain sufficient pressure on the Carterholds. The return of the Viziers of the Masons and the Ironsides may make both somewhat more of a threat but, if all else goes well, matters already underway should be sufficient to neutralise any threat from those directions. Do we have the other elves on side yet?"
Guinevera: "I believe I’ve adequately secured an appropriate attitude, yes."
Father was working to consolidate his own power and perceived passion as the most reliable side. And to secure the support of any families that he had leverage over.
Planning a Whisper Vote. (Katharine Ironside).
Richard: "Has the Courtesan been found?"
Guinevera: "Frustratingly no. I have come to suspect she’s either fled the plane entirely or come to be sealed in some kind of warded object."
Richard: "Not a great deal we can do there, but so long as we continue to control the narrative, that should be a state of affairs we can work with."
Irene Bakerstreet – found to be guilty of dabbling in the forbidden arts to a degree that required quite swift and extreme correction. A significant part of the dear emissary’s trust towards the Bakerstreet vizier is the stalwartness with which he took sides against his dear wife. But it were to come out that, say, she had been merely framed to take the fall, it shouldn’t be too difficult to cast all manner of doubts upon the veracity of any claims made by poor Cobbler.

Ears of the City