Topic: ~The Call to Action~ {'Missing Persons' Case}

Zynisch Lucis · Date: 2016-10-09 06:26 EST

Clad in his typically gloomy trappings did the self-appointed 'Covetous Moon' of Ammy Spiritor step into the building which housed the offices of the Watch's 27th. Stepping past several of the roaming personnel in pursuit of the front desk, he would slam his hand down roughly in front of the receptionist manning the proverbial station. At once, he would no doubt come under the suspicion of those who had once been busying themselves with their case-delegated tasks. Even as they observed him, the cloaked man wouldn't falter in his own duty, save for the occasional glances he shot over his shoulder. Without a word of clarification, he would step away and proceed toward the exit with the various staff looking on in confusion.

What the receptionist would find was an envelope boasting a magicked seal upon its closure. It appeared that only to the one it was addressed to, in this case being one Hope Jubal, would it reveal its contents. However, should the individual at the desk peruse the letter for more details, a message would slowly appear in one of its front corners in a curious, time-sensitive ink that specifically requested the following.

This message is meant only for the eyes of the one I intend to speak with regarding the case of the leaked missing persons reports. Under no circumstances is anyone to look upon this text other than Hope Jubal of the 27th Special Operations Division of the RhyDin Watch. Consequences will be incurred if this warning is not heeded.

Most curious, indeed.

Hope Jubal · Date: 2016-10-10 13:53 EST

The soft wrap on Captain Jubal's door was jarring to the woman as she sat in her office chair surrounded by various bits of intelligence and snippets of rumors on Ivan Vel Yovin that she could tease from the dark belly of RhyDin. Unhealthy, many had called it, a bit of an insane crusade others gossiped, either way the Captain of the 27th hadn't been quite the same since the closing of the Missing Hands Case earlier in the year.

Hope looked to the closed door, the face and name of the woman knocking on it was settling in her mind with queasy apprehension. Something she wished would stop happening but it was like holding her breath under water for an eternity.

"Enter Sergeant Jacobson, I have some assignments you can take out to the boys in exchange. Gubernatorial Elections just keeps the flying circus around here hopping with stupidity." Hope said.

Sergeant Jacobson entered a little shaken. New transfer in from Division 15 if Hope remembered right to help replace some lost members from her wonderful mistakes earlier in the year. She felt like Brian wouldn't have made such bone headed disasters to get a full review brought down on her. The shaking letter held in the blonds hand brought her out of the swirl and twirl of mental agitation. Hope took the letter and slid duty assignments to her.

"Hand them out to the officers named on them, Jacobson and don't look so scared." Hope muttered reading the letter that opened on its own for her. "You're a new transfer and the boys and girls of the 27th love proving a stupid theory about their Captain and I am guessing you just made the 30th positive confirmation that I can tell who is outside my office without even seeing them. Now move along, looks like I have another headache that's going to form for us." She sighed as the letter burnt to ash on its own.

Sergeant Jacobson nodded in silent shock as Captain Jubal deducted why she'd been the one to deliver the letter. She snatched up the folders and fled the office for a more normal environment. Hope watched the Sergeant flee and she wore a tired, ground in smirk.

"That's right, you better be afraid of some things that could kill you in an instant. Those that aren't don't get to learn the lesson." Hope said in a soft prayer.

She sighed, pulled up what notes she had on the prior case notes Captain Ravenlock's had on mass missing bodies and found that this was going to be another headache case like the Missing Hands one. Hope strapped on her guns, standard side arm of a Glock 9MM and the magically hardened CZ-75 SP-01 Shadow. Shrugging on her Captains overcoat, she headed for the door of her office and paused. She raised a hand and just brushed the top of the door frame with her finger tips in silent honor and salute to something framed in a shadow box.

"I'm going out Greg." She whispered, unable to break herself of the habit, the man long gone, his desk inhabited by someone else.

The lieutenant posted by her door came to life from his near catatonic state from reading endless reports on illegal mutant slug races in the sewers. "C . . Captain, are you heading out?" He started to rise.

Hope looked over her shoulder giving the Lieutenant a spearing brown stare. "You are not my partner Billie. Sit, stay." She snapped and headed for the stairs. "I'm heading out to the Southern Glen. We're getting a house call to investigate a bunch of missing bodies. Most likely an old dance number coming back to haunt us, ironically during the month of Halloween. I'll be back at some point. If I die, throw a big party." She muttered.

Billie looked after her as she headed down the steps, he called out. "Someone has to look out for you Captain! No one should go solo! You need a partner Cap!"

A tired, pointed rebuke came back up the stairwell. "I had a partner. I stood by his wife as they buried what was left of him because of me. End of discussion. Get back to work."

Billie shuffled back from the growl and hard edge the words held in them. He did as he was told though. Captain had did him a favor getting him up in to researching case information by her office instead of Evidence Lock Up but he knew when lines were getting crossed.

Hope mounted a new motorcycle, this one was her personal one, a dirt bike for good ol' fashioned off-road terrain. Perfect for RhyDin and being personal property, she didn't have to hear about the bean counters complaining when it got wrecked. Kicking it into life, she took off for the Southern Glen and this cottage of one Zynisch Lucis, of Bristle Crios Academy.

Zynisch Lucis · Date: 2016-10-15 05:49 EST

"Thank you... Thank you, eh? I can't help but feel her haggard appreciation of her impromptu rescue is undue. That cretin that stains my path to redemption is still out there. I only managed to help her evade him this once, and I owe it to her to make certain he cannot impose his will over her again..."

~~~~~~~

As contemplative as he had ever been, the man clad in the atypical variant of the 'cloak of obscurity' ensemble stood at the edge of a small clearing, peering out into the distance that was e'er beset by foliage as far as the untrained eye could see. The dialogue that he and his most recent distressed damsel had been exchanging was beginning to tire his mental faculties out. Even now, his thoughts were almost entirely fixed upon what to do about that shady fellow in the cemetery grounds that had almost ended the poor lass's life. In fact, he was so ingrained in his thoughts that he nearly missed the cue to resume his portion of their talk when her unnaturally large eyes were brought to his attention.

"...I'm going to keep my duplicate around here to keep watch over you. There's a meeting I need to get to, but if you'd like, I can return to check up on you," came the elder Swordmage's dulcet tones as he regarded his temporary charge holed up in her camper. Admittedly, though he was engaged in the conversation, his mind was wont to wander in favor of the myriad possibilities that his old master's return might portend for him and his family. Even so, this was his burden to bear; he'd most assuredly not make to thrust his woes onto the Chazore-Silverbloods if given the opportunity to avoid it.

Once again, it would take the intervention and unexpected refusal of his protective services from the girl to wrest him from his reverie. Alas, he would turn away from her and sigh, shaking his head in dismay, summoning a glyph below himself and vanishing into both the light and darkness simultaneously. Zynisch would reappear in a flash of light, being deposited in the clearing that housed his ward-concealed cottage home shortly thereafter. Peering about with his characteristically lustrous hues, he'd reach up through his cloak to tap at his chin. 'Twould not be long until this Hope individual found him of her own accord. According to him, a private investigation with a well-established officer of the Watch was one of his last remaining hopes to clear his conscience of the Mad Magus's ill will before he had to bring his misery to his 'little' brother's attention once again.

"Hmph... It'll be a cold day in Hades when I end up calling on Arthour to abscond with my problems. He's already helped me twice now..."

Hope Jubal · Date: 2016-10-16 15:13 EST

The dirt bike growled along the goat trails and walk paths that lead into the Southern Glenn. Foliage and bushes slip past the view of Hopes bike helmet as she began her scouting of the wilderness for a cottage and the man named Zynisch Lucis. Brown eyes picked out various trails to travel down, several of them dead ends or just long loops. Directions being vague for where to find the cottage was proving troubling for Hope.

Yet she didn't get lost as something nudged and rubbed in the back of her mind. She found herself picking fewer dead end trails as if something guided her to the right pathways. Soon the dirt bike traveled down a trail and into a clearing where a cottage stood. She saw someone standing outside just patiently waiting as if they were expecting a visit. Her mind blurred a moment and before it in sharp clarity was the persons face and above their head their name, Zynisch Lucis. Usually considered odd and totally in the realm of goosebumps on flesh and bizarre, Hope chalked it up to something beyond her guiding her to the next point of her being needed. Just like how she was picking up names and faces of people without them being in the same room with her. That truly did disturb her.

Soon, the dirt bike came to a rolling stop, fifty feet from where the person stood and Hope removed her helmet. She killed the engine.

"27th Special Operations Division of the Watch, Captain Hope Jubal. How can I be of assistance for you and your missing bodies issue, Zynisch Lucis?"

Zynisch Lucis · Date: 2016-10-22 05:44 EST

The mage regarded her from afar, unflinching as the forest came to surround them both. The vagueness of his directions were, in part, to make certain she was someone worth the salt latent in her job description. Were she rugged enough to endure his relatively meager test without much of an issue, he would be able to trust her with the more pressing particulars of his personal design of the coming events. Removing his hand from the ephemeral space whence he had planned to draw his sword's hilt, the Swordmage would adopt a posture befitting of a non-combatant.

"Good, good... I was afraid I would have to step in." came another voice that was ostensibly removed from the form she had sighted off in the distance. As he'd ordained it, and she'd likely foreseen, a humanoid figure silhouetted by the dark of the evening dropped from its perch in the canopy above. A flourish of its somewhat familiar cloak to display his lackluster garb would serve to suggest its lack of arms and trustworthy demeanor as he neared. A cursory glance at the man off in the distance would confirm her suspicions, should she possess any. "...Glad to hear that's not the case. Forgive me... My partner over there is the real Zynisch Lucis. He's a tad... apprehensive as of late. An altercation with someone he met previously has him a tad shaken, even if he was the one who requested the meeting. Oh, right... Here."

In the apparent duplicate's hand rested a bit of parchment that held the same seal as the letter; however, it unraveled without incident unlike its predecessor. 'Twould seem as though this particular fabrication was a bit more... straightforward. "I was told to give this to you. It holds a list of names to watch out for in your investigation. Once he recovers from his worry-induced delirium, the good instructor insists that he will join you in your search for said person responsible for the murders and kidnappings."

As the page uncoiled itself, an extensive list of approximately 25 names would be penned in sequentially-revealing ink: the same as before. Among the numerous write-off monikers that more common thugs were known to implement, the last three might stand out, as they were nearly the same word:

Scion...

Shion...

Scionius...

"The final suspect listed, in particular, is someone he's uncomfortably well-acquainted with," he finished, extending a bow of reverence to the cyclist; whereas, his original stood, motionless but a ways off e'er still.

Hope Jubal · Date: 2016-10-25 11:37 EST

Hope watched the second person drop from the cover of shadows above Zynisch Lucis and she took little risk. Her hands seemed to sprout the 9MM as she covered the male approaching her, clothed just like the man she was supposed to talk to. As the stranger got closer, she saw no outward sign of armament on him and he showed no sign of aggression or ill intent. The 9MM was holstered just as quickly as it had materialized though the CZ-75 SP-01 Shadow had it's retaining strapped removed from the holster should she need the specialty weapon in a magic fight.

Hope remained on her motorcycle and listened to the stranger as he spoke. Bodyguard or specialist screener then. She smirked a little, something she'd rarely do in the early years. Seeing someone else show their fears went a far way to building a rickety bridge of trust that could settle into stability than a cloak and dagger game.

"Altercations will do that to anyone. Leave them on constant guard, which is good in this realm as long as they don't go unhinged and start causing me issues by hurting others." Hope said dryly and looked at the letter thoroughly.

"So, just to be clear, formality and all that and doing my job. I am starting a recording." Hope produced a small MP3 recorder from her coat, hit the record button and laid it on the battery housing that would have been a gas tank. "Captain Jubal, October 9th, Sunday, 2016, Witness and Lead Statements, Southern Glenn. Now then. Who are you, and just how does mister Lucis over there know so much about these missing bodies and as you've stated, the last listed suspect, this Scionius, on this letter that has been produced by you?"

Zynisch Lucis · Date: 2016-10-27 02:21 EST

The duplicate took a moment to consider the almost paradoxical nature of her inquiry, and considered making light of it. Of course, after a moment of pondering, he'd doubtlessly find the words he sought.

"Erm... Well, in that order... I am known as Dopple, or Double. I'm a crystal-form duplicate of Instructor Zynisch Lucis, and as such, I retain many of his characteristics and traits. As for his knowledge of the events, it's more to do with him having a hunch. After all, Scionius was his old master. In a way, he taught him more about the complexities of the arcane than he ever desired to know. A curious variation on necromancy from that sinister fellow is what originally returned Zynisch Lucis to this plane of existence: the realm of the living, so to speak. Double then halted to survey his conversational partner's expression, as he was certain she'd encountered similar occurrences in her line of work. He merely wished to briefly affirm that they remained on the same page.

"In any case, it is Master Lucis's opinion that some simulacrum or re-envisioning of the man has returned, and is now gathering corpses for another of his nefarious purposes. What said purposes are remain an enigma to us both," he finally finished, permitting her to gather her notes and proceed with any further questions she might have had for him. All the while, in the distance, Zynisch proper observed with ne'er faltering eyes... Were it anyone else, many would have likened his expression to a hunter sizing up his or her kill. Fascination, in its basest form, perhaps.

Hope Jubal · Date: 2016-11-06 23:22 EST

Hope felt the assessing and sizing eyes of Zynisch Lucis, the original, watching her from a distance. It was not the first time something had sized her up, nor would it be the last. She listened to the doppelganger as he spoke.

"You may be surprised to find me not surprised at hearing about doppelgangers. So Scionius is a former master of Mr. Lucis. Okay, and there is Necromancy then at play with the missing people. The twenty five that you've indicated. This sounds quite specialized, sir for a problem." She said to the crystal duplicate. "Which is why you most likely sought out the 27th Special Operations Division. So then, are you requesting the division to investigate the whereabouts of the twenty five people that are missing and alert you and Mr. Lucis of anything extraordinarily odd in our investigations? Or do you have a more direct plan and method to collaborate with the division? I just need to know how best to direct our people and how to get the best results for you."

Zynisch Lucis · Date: 2016-11-07 14:06 EST

The man would again move to speak, only to be quieted and gestured aside by his original as he wandered up to speak with Hope in person. As he was moved away by his creator, he smiled, offered a swift nod, and then leapt away into the darkness of the canopy.

"You'll have to forgive me for the little display. I need to make certain naught befalls me before what I intend to get accomplished takes place. As for the methods... I wouldn't mind a combination of both. In particular, there is an anomaly above and slightly beyond the docks in the form of a spatially and temporally displaced, crystalline castle. I intend to investigate that area as soon as I am able, and I'd like it if you were to accompany me, as well. Even so, I would merely like your available units in the field to be aware of something before you advance with your tertiary search for the bodies," he muttered, trailing off with a look of displeasure about him. Something to be aware of, eh?

"...I don't expect you to find them, but should you, it would behoove of you to assume they are hostile and that they be eliminated on sight. My... my old master isn't the sort of person to keep hostages... at least not in their original states, you understand." 'Twas clear what he implied with that. It was more than likely that he'd killed them with the intent to revive them for his purposes, if not something even more deathly sinister.