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William Fraser


Location: Gretna Green - Church
Skills: Perception



When the shadow dropped from above, William stopped listening to the conversations of those around him. He didn't question how he had missed it the first time, he didn't think about the other's reactions, it was pure instinct that drove his motions. He took a few steps, his eyes never leaving the creature as he placed himself between the shadow and Millicent, and then he reached slowly over his shoulder, and pulled his Kopis from it's sheath across his back. In his right hand, he held a Dirk birthed from the finest forges in Europe, the same Dirk that he had taken from his father's dying hand, the same Dirk that had been driven through countless blackened hearts. And in his left hand, William held something that was all at once both newer and older. The design of the kopis had been drawn from the pages of antiquity, but the blade had been forged in the East less than a decade past, and William was yet to encounter a creature, man or beast that it could not split open.

The creature was still at the far end of the church, seeming to enjoy it's dramatic entrance as it lurked over the alter. The Russian's stood together, closest to it, while the other's within the church were still gathered by the door. William's every muscle was ready for action, but what happened next threw him off entirely. Through the subdued silence that had descended after the creature leapt from above, there came a voice. There came a song. It was hauntingly beautiful, unlike anything William had ever heard, and he could only watch, awestruck, as the Duchess seemed to sing towards the creature itself. William could hear his violin hum along to the tune, crying out to be freed from the case that William had slung over his shoulder. He had spent his life with music flowing through his veins just as surely as blood, and the song that came from the lips of the Duchess seemed to hold more power than any mere tune, almost as if witchcraft was weaved between the notes, and it made William's every hair stand on end.

'Virginia' passed him, moving towards the creature and calling out in a foreign language, but William barely noticed. The music... The music was bewitching. Somehow, William managed to tear his gaze away, just for a moment, as he glanced at the group that was still left at the back of the church. The stranger stood nearby, and William still didn't know what to make of the man who seemed to be enjoying their situation quite so much, but his face was intact, and if the Duchess seemed to trust him, then that was good enough for William. For now at least. Millicent seemed to have shaken off her fear, and William was sure that she knew how to use the weapons she was now armed with. That left the two newest arrivals. The Irishwoman presumably could handle herself, William had first met her in the middle of a bloodbath after all, and even as he thought about it, she suggested finding protection, seemingly to the room in general. So she was trained at least, William was sure to make a mental note of that. He had already irked her once, he didn't intend on making a habit of it. The blonde, William next to nothing about, he didn't even have a name. She didn't appear to be armed, but William was careful not to inspect her too closely. He didn't know if she could handle herself in a fight, but considering the world they lived in, William doubted she would be completely defenseless.

William turned back to the developing scene at the front of the church, and his brow furrowed. His heart seemed to yearn to stride forward and put his body on the line so that the music would not be stopped, his violin humming, urging him forwards, but William had not survived as a wanderer for as long as he had by following every whim of his heart. He knew he wasn't a fighter, he was under no illusion of that. His training had been to survive, and he had done well in that regard so far. Charging headlong towards whatever that creature was, not even knowing if his blades could make a dent, may well have made a good story, but William didn't want to make a story he wouldn't be around to tell. He looked back at the strange group, and made his decision, managing half a smile as he spoke.

"It's no good running, there could be more of these things waiting for us. Besides, there's strength in numbers."

He turned to the Irishwoman now, nodding his head slightly as he spoke again.

"Please do, ma'am. It would be greatly appreciated."

With that, he turned back towards the creature itself, taking a deep breath as he readied himself for whatever would be unleashed next. He hoped that those who pushed forwards would be able to handle the creature, but if they broke, or the creature decided to try and prey on softer targets, William would be waiting for it.





Justice Cobalt
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Location: Shadowell Manor: Confinement (Attic)
Skills: Wisdom
Hit Points: 6
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Progress, by the sounds of it they were finally making some progress. The female voice coming from the far side of the room had found the lock, and apparently some weak hinges. Cobalt didn't have a set plan for what he was going to do when he got to the door, but he knew that it was the place to be if they were ever going to get out of this infernal room. Moving slowly, always keeping one hand on the wall to his left, and feeling forward with the other, Cobalt began the long journey around the edge of the room, and towards the far door, and the promise of freedom.

It wasn't long until his progress faltered. His previous foray into the darkness, to reach the door he was now leaving behind, had been fairly easy, because he had known there was nothing standing in his way, and the other guests had been elsewhere in the room. But now he was venturing into the unknown, and he had no idea where the other guests were. In theory, all he had to do was follow the wall, and he would reach the far door. But that theory was relying on no-one moving into his way, and more importantly, it was relying on Shadowell Manor obeying the laws of logic. And yet while Cobalt faltered, there was another guest who was clearly having no such issues.

There was a brief sound of metal straining against metal, and then the clatter of metal falling to the floor. Cobalt frowned for a moment, straining for some other clue. The same sequence of sounds came again, and then silence fell, a silence that seemed thick with anticipation. And then a heavy thud echoed through the room. Even the dim light streaming through the open doorway caused William to blink, his eyes accustomed to darkness. The slim silhouette, framed by the doorway, theatrically bowed as she stood in the midst of her presumed handiwork. Cobalt couldn't help but smile at the promise of freedom, calling out to their supposed savior.

"Bravo, madam. You have my thanks."



William Fraser


Location: Gretna Green - Church
Skills: Perception



Millicent had apparently caught sight of the newcomers as well, and William heard her asking after Lady Kirkpatrick. In truth, the thought of the old woman hadn't even crossed William's mind, but that was largely because he struggled to imagine the Lady Kirkpatrick not being 'alright'. In fact, William wouldn't be surprised if she outlived them all. His train of thought was derailed as he glanced across at Millicent. Was it possible that she was more attractive now that she had a sword hanging at her hip? And if she was, what did that say about William? Trying to shake the thought from his head, he turned back to the church doors in time to see the blonde newcomer step forward, clearly recognizing Millicent. Not only that, but she asked after Lord Rutherford, and William felt a chill run down his spine. The man... William stopped himself. He struggled to call Rutherford a 'man', but he didn't have the knowledge to know what to call him instead, so he settled for the simplistic. That 'thing' was still out there somewhere, and William hoped he had seen the last of Lord Rutherford.

A rush of movement from the front of the church caught William's attention, and when he turned towards the alter, his jaw dropped. He was riveted in place as he watched the surreal 'Danse Macabre' between a specter, seemingly Death itself, and a shadowy figure that William half recognized as the corpse that still lay at the feet of the Duchess. The ethereal scream seemed to freeze the very blood in William's veins, and it wasn't until the light had faded away that William could bring himself to move, looking around wildly. He caught Millicent's eye, just for an instant, but it didn't look like she had any more idea about what had happened than he did. A voice that William didn't recognise seemed almost thrilled at what they had all just witnessed, but William's every nerve was still on edge. When he heard Millicent gasp, he instinctively followed her gaze upwards.

What he saw surprised William, because he didn't see anything. Old rafters crossed the church roof and cast shadows across the roof itself, but as far as William could see, that was it. He frowned as he looked back to Millicent, unsure whether he should question her, only to see that she had gripped the hilt of her newly-acquired sword. The pale woman, 'Virginia', was looking upwards as well, and pulling out a pair of dark axes. William's confusion was only growing, and as he looked around at the others, to see if they had also been swept up in this apparent madness, he was slight reassured. He heard one of the Russian's suggest they leave the church, but the two women still by the doorway seemed to share William's confusion, the Irish woman from earlier demanding to know what was going on, while the blonde reaching for something, presumably a weapon, as she also called for an explanation. William opened his mouth to echo them, but some instinct dragged William's gaze upwards for a second time. Maybe there was something in the shadows... Something he'd missed the first time...




Justice Cobalt
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Location: Shadowell Manor: Confinement (Attic)
Skills: N/A
Hit Points: 6
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Cobalt was a little surprised that the other male voice in the room seemed to be having some success with his investigation of the bed. He'd expected it to be a dead-end, but by the sounds of it, if someone could get a spark, then they could have fire, a primitive but elegant solution to the problem of both light and heat. The following series of thuds suggested that someone had indeed attempted to flip the bed. Judging by the fact the thuds stopped again, Cobalt presumed they had either succeeded, or given up. Or at least Cobalt hoped that was what the noise was. He heard a female voice apologize following the noises, and he decided that either no-one had been murdered in the darkness, or if someone had been, then the killer was very good, and surprisingly polite, in which case there wasn't much Cobalt would be able to do if she came to him next.

While he tried to orientate himself concerning where the others in the room were, Cobalt listened to the voices in the darkness. He was glad to hear that hear that several voices also seemed to turn on the woman who was clamoring about needing a plan. He allowed himself a slight smile, at least the majority of the guests he was trapped with seemed to have some sense. The female voice that had apparently reached the other door was asking for some light, or tools to help open the door, but Cobalt still held the belief that there wouldn't be a door to open. He'd definitely heard something collapse to the floor when Titian had fled, and unless the hulking man had taken the time to reattach the door, then Cobalt fancied that the doorway would be empty. Although if they did need tools, there was apparently no shortage amongst the other guests.

Cobalt glanced around, although it was useless in the pitch darkness, more of a force of habit than anything. He decided that he wasn't helping anyone standing by a locked door, so decided to head towards the other one, still sticking to the wall. Not wanting to take anyone by surprise, he spoke into the darkness.

"I'm going to try and get to the other door. Hopefully I can help you open it."

Before he set off, another voice came from across the room, and Cobalt frowned. The guest that Cobalt had already dubbed 'the planner' was apparently refusing to back down, but they did go someway to letting Cobalt know who they were. By the sounds of it, they were the same guest that had managed to stab themselves in the leg during dinner. Cobalt couldn't claim he was surprised. It stood to reason that somewhat who was foolish enough to stab themselves, was more than foolish enough to cling to needing a plan, rather than taking action. What really worried Cobalt is that it sounded like she was armed as well. He made a mental note to steer clear. Any one of the guests could be a killer, but 'the planner' was the only one who seemed likely to do it by accident...


William Fraser


Location: Gretna Green - Church
Skills: N/A



The more flamboyant of the Russian's hurried to do the bidding of the Duchess, carrying the corpse to the alter of the church, and William frowned slightly. The Duchess seemed to have assumed the closest thing to the role of a de facto leader for the strange group, and William was hardly about to get in her way. As it stood, at least from his albeit limited perspective, William was the only unknown in the room. The Russians owed apparent allegiance to the Duchess, and Millicent and 'Virginia' were clearly close friends, both seeming to also have some bond with the Duchess. Granted, there was another man who William didn't know, but judging by the way that William overheard him talking to the Duchess, he wielded some authority in his own right. So that left William. His priorities were more convoluted. Survive whatever this unholy haze was, and do what he could to protect Millicent, in that order. And from what he could see, the best chance of fulfilling both of those priorities was staying inside this church.

William took his eyes off the doors of the church for a moment as the flamboyant Russian laid a 'wedding present' at Millicent's feet. It was the first time that William had even thought of the wedding since everything had taken such a dramatic turn. It was the reason that he was even in Gretna Green, but the chance of it happening, and therefore the chance of William getting paid, had plummeted. For now, William would settle with getting out of this town in one piece. Something that had been sitting at the back of William's mind, just in the periphery of his vision, pushed itself to the foreground, and demanded his attention. There was a smell of fire in the air. From where he was standing, he couldn't see anything burning, or even any smoke, but he couldn't deny that the smell of fire still hung there. Was this another side effect of whatever was causing the infernal haze, or was it something even darker?

The doors of the church swung open again, and William's heart leapt into his mouth, readying himself to fight whatever came through, the scent of fire all but forgotten. What stepped through was a vision made flesh. The woman was stunning, golden hair framing an angelic face. William's arm dropped to his side, and he could only watch in awe. Between Millicent, 'Virginia' and this newcomer, William had never seen so much beauty in one room, let alone in a church. He struggled to tear his gaze away, but when he did, he was surprised to see the female companion of Lady Kirkpatrick from earlier. He hadn't expected to see the woman again, least of all here, and yet here she was, gesturing the newcomer towards Millicent. This was only getting stranger, and as William glanced around, he had a feeling it was only going to continue.

Justice Cobalt
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Location: Shadowell Manor: Confinement (Attic)
Skills: Perception
Hit Points: 6
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Doing what he could to mentally reign his impatience under his control again, Cobalt turned back to the doorway. In truth, he was expecting to find a locked door, seeing as it was more than likely that Titian had left through the other door, but he had to be sure. Once again, he reached out into the darkness. His fingers brushed against the doorknob, and he gripped it. Taking a deep breath, he pushed against the door and... it didn't move. Frowning, Cobalt adjusted his grip, putting his shoulder against the door and pushing again. And again, the door didn't move. It was still locked, and it was solid. Sighing slightly, Cobalt straightened up again. Hopefully the other guests would be having more luck.

By the sounds of it, someone had some sense at least, and had made it to the other door. It offered their best chance of a way out, and Cobalt had been about to try and make his way there himself. One of the two that had been making their way to the bed, the female guest, seemed to be suggesting that some of the bed frame itself could be used as a tool to ply one of the doors open. It was a sound idea in practice, but from what Cobalt had heard, it sounded as if one of the doors had been all but knocked off it's hinges already. If that was the case, then they wouldn't need the tool. It could certainly be useful as a weapon though, and Cobalt made a mental note of that.

The two guests whose lack of usefulness had irritated Cobalt earlier had clearly not heeded his suggestions. One of them seemed to be seeing sense about the doors, and it sounded like she might have some useful skills, but she was still apparently fixated on light. In truth, Cobalt had his own suspicions that someone in the room had a means of shedding light, but if they hadn't used it yet, then they likely weren't going to. It was the other voice that was really starting to grate Cobalt though. While most of the others at least tried to escape, she seemed content to sit there and cry out for a plan. Cobalt had a plan, and it was to get out of this room before he froze. What he did after that, he would decide when it was relevant. He kept his voice level as he spoke, careful to reign in his annoyance.

"The door we came through is still locked, so we're not getting out that way without some effort. You're welcome to come up with a plan, ma'am, if you're not going to be doing anything else, but I'd rather get out of this room sooner rather than later."


William Fraser


Location: Gretna Green - Church
Skills: Perception



The unusual pair had almost reached the church when a figure burst into William's peripheral vision. He barely managed to move out of the way as the shape moved into the church itself. Although he only got a fleeting glance, the Duchess was a distinctive figure, and not one that William was likely to forget in a hurry. Everything seemed to be coming together, but William had been playing the game for long enough to not let down his defences too early. The haze still clung to the town, and even standing on holy ground hadn't cleared it away. And Rutherford was still out there. Whether the two were related, William didn't know. But he wasn't going to take any chances.

Millicent's low voice caught William's attention, and he glanced down at her as she spoke, her own gaze looking after the Duchess. For a moment, he was sure he must have misheard her. A tiger? He glanced after the Duchess himself, not being able to stop himself from double-checking if there was an until-now hidden tiger near her. William had only ever heard about the big cats, he'd never had the chance to see one himself. He made a mental note of the information. Just one more reason to spend time in the company of the Duchess. That list was growing longer by the moment.

As Millicent led them inside the church, William followed close behind, and saw that there were others already inside. The flamboyant Russian that they had seen outside was unsurprisingly inside, clutching two knives and wearing a disturbingly wide smile. The Duchess had already rushed to the side of the corpse that William had seen earlier. Another man stood nearby, but it was the other woman that caught William's attention. And he was clearly not alone, Millicent calling out and moving towards 'Virginia', her hand finally slipping from William's as she moved towards the other woman.

She stood around the same height as Millicent, and clearly recognized Millicent as she approached, the two warmly greeting each other, although carefully maintaining the proper etiquette, rather than rushing into each others arms. Something about this Virginia intrigued William, and he found himself listening to her as she spoke to Millicent. It didn't take long for him to be glad that he did. Knowing that the Duchess had seen a vision of Millicent in danger, and that this woman had been sent to give assistance, answered some questions, but it inevitably raised still more. For now, William resolved to roll with the punches, and stick with what he did know. Regardless, he still found himself drawn to the stranger.

She was willow-thin, light-brown hair hanging just past her shoulders, but it was her eyes that caught William's attention the most. Like pools almost, blue-grey and seeming to promise there was a great depth behind them, even through the haze. They were the kind of eyes that awoke the musician within William, and despite the uncertainty that surrounded him, William's hand, that had been holding Millicent's until a moment before, began to tap a tune against his thigh. The sound of movement at the front of the church finally tore William's attention away, and his hand fell still. The Duchess seemed to be busying herself around the corpse, presumably carrying out whatever ritual she had mentioned earlier. All at once, William found himself somewhat adrift.

He was out of his depth with whatever the Duchess was doing, he was in no place to intrude on the two women reuniting, and he didn't know either of the other men within the church. For now, he would stick with his word, and watch their backs. And as far as William was concerned, the greatest threat lay beyond the doors, so it was there he would watch. Keeping his grip tight on the handle of his dirk, he turned to face the churches main doors, slightly squaring his stance as he waited for whatever was to come.
Justice Cobalt
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Location: Shadowell Manor: Confinement (Attic)
Skills: Perception
Hit Points: 6
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Cobalt's hand traced the door frame for a moment, eyes closing to concentrate on what he could feel, even though it made no difference in the pitch black. Finally, he moved to the door itself. If they were going to get out of the room, it stood to reason that the doors offered the best avenue for that. As he felt for the doorknob itself, to test if the door was still locked, his headache suddenly spiked. The pain was like a lance through the front of his skull, and Cobalt's couldn't help but wince, one hand instinctively going to grip his forehead. While he waited for the pain to subside, he couldn't help but overhear what his fellow guests were saying. What he heard did nothing to improve his mood.

Titian had come across as an oaf, but by the sounds of it, he may well have been the smartest one in the room. Two of his fellow guests had apparently found their way to the bed, but for what purpose? They were in a room that had been labelled as 'Confinement', and had clearly been imprisoned within it, so he doubted there would be a concealed tool hidden within the room. For a start, it would seriously undermine the effectiveness of the room in confining anyone. The only other male voice in the room seemed to speaking nonsense as well. No way out of the room other than the door that their friend had locked them out of? Trying to unravel that certainly wasn't helping Cobalt's headache. There had clearly been two doors in the room. The one that they had entered through, that Cobalt was now standing beside, and the one that Titian had been loitering by. If the man didn't realise that, then he was clearly just a pretty face.

The two guests fumbling about by the bed, Cobalt could just about tolerate, because at least in their own misguided way they were trying to help. It was the other two that were grating on him. Sitting there and lamenting their situation while doing nothing to change it. Cobalt's impatience had been bubbling for a while, and when he heard one of the guests, a female voice he couldn't place, suggesting they look for a light source, as if that was a revolutionary idea, he couldn't stop himself from letting off some steam, gritting his teeth as he spoke, keeping his voice as level and controlled as he could. If they needed to be led to the water to drink, then he was going to lead them, even if he had to drag them by their collars.

"By all means, ladies, you are more than welcome to help. Unless someone is able to magic light from thin air, then we need to focus on getting out of this room., so if someone can check the door that Titian was standing by, I'm sure we would all be grateful."



William Fraser


Location: Gretna Green
Skills: N/A



William knew that the Russians had been seeking holy ground, and he was glad to see that their aims still aligned, as he saw that the flamboyant Russian horseman had reached the church. Although in truth, the haze that seemed to still cling the town hardly made it easy to see what was going on. He assumed that the shape rising above the surrounding houses was a church, and he didn't see any alternative to that assumption, so he would have to work with what he had. He kept a tight grip on Millicent's hand, tugging her towards the building. The crowds seemed to be thinning now, as people continued to flee into their homes. Panic still filled the air though, and William had to fight to keep his own composure. Whatever was causing the very fabric of the world to shift and warp, it was unlike anything William had ever experienced. If something was causing, or someone, then they held a power greater than anything William had witnessed before. If William couldn't kill it, then he sure as hell hoped he could outrun it.

The church suddenly loomed above the unlikely pair, and William urged Millicent towards the doors as best he could. If he had had the time to look at himself in that moment, he would have laughed. William would gladly accept plaudits for his charisma and courage, both of them had been tested more times than he could count after all. But he was self-centered, and ultimately vain. He was good-looking and talented after all, he was allowed a little vanity. And yet some part of himself always seemed to rear it's head when he wanted it least. Some heroic intent, the same heroic intent that saw him willingly putting Millicent's survival above his own. He would never willingly admit it, but he valued that heroic intent, because it was the part of himself that was most like his mother.

William glanced over his shoulder as they reached the doors, half-expecting to see Rutherford at their back, but if the creature was close, then William saw no sign of him, although that hardly put William at ease. Until he had the stone walls of the church between himself and whatever Rutherford was, he wasn't going to relax his grip on the handle of his Dirk, or Millicent's hand. As he did what he could to watch their surroundings, he gestured to Millicent.

"Get inside, I'll watch our backs."
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