This was Alain's first, proper case in years.
The Architect, Vrashne, Valastro and Fawsett, none of them were the same: each involved countless specialists in SPI, his knights, even Rhovnik informants. He was the Baron of Saint Aldwin, a lord and a businessman, and his work as a spymaster was conducted through a growing web of autonomous agents. The last time he had taken on a case personally was when he went head-to-head against Howe.
But his assets were stretched thin, and their every move was watched. The one thing he could count on the many eyes that watched him not expecting was doing the work himself. Race, one of the other members of the Government Advisory Council, had caught him at the Inn and filled him in on his suspicions about Brian Ravenlock's activities. Alain hated Race, but respected him because they thought similarly: he listened, took the other man's suspicions to heart, and went to City Hall to check it out.
For a change the questions he asked (and the bribes he paid) were done on his own.
"All eight of the victims," Alain said into the tape recorder as he examined a gruesome photograph of "Raven's" latest handiwork in the Marketplace, "worked at City Hall. No obvious connection to current officials... Everything I've found points to revenge.
"Records at RhyDin Goblin, Citywide Credit Union and Stars End First Market banks indicate substantial 'gifts' wired to their accounts shortly before this facility and several others were attacked by Travanix." The name darkened his expression, and his thoughts; he forced himself to move on. "If it were me, I would've done it betting the obvious signs of corruption would be lost in the chaos of the attacks... Looks like they bet right. No record of any Watch investigations into their activities... least, not until they turned up dead.
"All of them moved out of the city right before the attacks hit. Put valuables in their new homes, or into storage in facilities in Stars End. Tried leaning on local militia to pursue a warrant to search the homes, storage lockers, anything... No dice. Can't push harder, or this'll get back to the wrong party.
"Lucked out, though. Two guys had to ditch their belongings at the office -- everyone resigned, but these two never came back for their stuff. Looks like they got out in a big hurry and never looked back. Not the kind of stuff any man in his right mind would leave behind."
He rolled his chair up to his desk, leaned across to grab a list. Scanned it for the umpteenth time, before he continued: "List of Watch houses and hospitals, stamped with an encircled red hand design. It could be some kinda classification, I haven't seen this thing before... but if I had to go with my gut? It's some kind of a group. Cult, brigade, political party, there's no telling, but it's not the kind of mark you use for a technical statement, even in code. Like the mark of Bha'al, the Nightblades, the Silence and countless others, it's meant for two things: marking your turf and spreading fear."
There was a long sigh. He leaned back into his seat, rubbing his brow. "But like the Governor said when she saw all this... it doesn't explain why 'Raven' hurt more people than just these eight. All the others can't be collaborators. Maybe Raven blames them equally... It still doesn't show how Renna fits into this, other than using Raven's vendetta as a smokescreen for her own aims. At this point it's all speculation.
"I met with Renna earlier today, before Fio. I gave her a choice... she committed to her 'grand plan,' and expressed her... disappointment, in me. Going into it she tried to give me every indication she felt, genuinely, that I was some kind of threat. I think she walked away from the meeting feeling a little less that way... With any luck, the trend'll continue.
"If I had to guess? Raven's got more up his sleeve than meets the eye, and Renna too. They've got separate vendettas, each aiming to use the other as a smokescreen. But that's just my best guess -- if I want more? I'll need fresh intell."
((Refers to this thread; thanks to Brian Ravenlock, Fio Helston and Renna for the scenes that helped build this thread!))
The Architect, Vrashne, Valastro and Fawsett, none of them were the same: each involved countless specialists in SPI, his knights, even Rhovnik informants. He was the Baron of Saint Aldwin, a lord and a businessman, and his work as a spymaster was conducted through a growing web of autonomous agents. The last time he had taken on a case personally was when he went head-to-head against Howe.
But his assets were stretched thin, and their every move was watched. The one thing he could count on the many eyes that watched him not expecting was doing the work himself. Race, one of the other members of the Government Advisory Council, had caught him at the Inn and filled him in on his suspicions about Brian Ravenlock's activities. Alain hated Race, but respected him because they thought similarly: he listened, took the other man's suspicions to heart, and went to City Hall to check it out.
For a change the questions he asked (and the bribes he paid) were done on his own.
"All eight of the victims," Alain said into the tape recorder as he examined a gruesome photograph of "Raven's" latest handiwork in the Marketplace, "worked at City Hall. No obvious connection to current officials... Everything I've found points to revenge.
"Records at RhyDin Goblin, Citywide Credit Union and Stars End First Market banks indicate substantial 'gifts' wired to their accounts shortly before this facility and several others were attacked by Travanix." The name darkened his expression, and his thoughts; he forced himself to move on. "If it were me, I would've done it betting the obvious signs of corruption would be lost in the chaos of the attacks... Looks like they bet right. No record of any Watch investigations into their activities... least, not until they turned up dead.
"All of them moved out of the city right before the attacks hit. Put valuables in their new homes, or into storage in facilities in Stars End. Tried leaning on local militia to pursue a warrant to search the homes, storage lockers, anything... No dice. Can't push harder, or this'll get back to the wrong party.
"Lucked out, though. Two guys had to ditch their belongings at the office -- everyone resigned, but these two never came back for their stuff. Looks like they got out in a big hurry and never looked back. Not the kind of stuff any man in his right mind would leave behind."
He rolled his chair up to his desk, leaned across to grab a list. Scanned it for the umpteenth time, before he continued: "List of Watch houses and hospitals, stamped with an encircled red hand design. It could be some kinda classification, I haven't seen this thing before... but if I had to go with my gut? It's some kind of a group. Cult, brigade, political party, there's no telling, but it's not the kind of mark you use for a technical statement, even in code. Like the mark of Bha'al, the Nightblades, the Silence and countless others, it's meant for two things: marking your turf and spreading fear."
There was a long sigh. He leaned back into his seat, rubbing his brow. "But like the Governor said when she saw all this... it doesn't explain why 'Raven' hurt more people than just these eight. All the others can't be collaborators. Maybe Raven blames them equally... It still doesn't show how Renna fits into this, other than using Raven's vendetta as a smokescreen for her own aims. At this point it's all speculation.
"I met with Renna earlier today, before Fio. I gave her a choice... she committed to her 'grand plan,' and expressed her... disappointment, in me. Going into it she tried to give me every indication she felt, genuinely, that I was some kind of threat. I think she walked away from the meeting feeling a little less that way... With any luck, the trend'll continue.
"If I had to guess? Raven's got more up his sleeve than meets the eye, and Renna too. They've got separate vendettas, each aiming to use the other as a smokescreen. But that's just my best guess -- if I want more? I'll need fresh intell."
((Refers to this thread; thanks to Brian Ravenlock, Fio Helston and Renna for the scenes that helped build this thread!))