Alright I'm back... Note to self, Malaysian Tiger Traps and tazers are in fact NOT compatible, no matter how hard our daughters try to convince me otherwise.

Now, I am actually going to back up a tad and elaborate a bit on some parts of my removal from the Watch, for a moment or two.

Just before my removal, I had been contacted by a person calling themselves 'Vel', who sent a care package directly to the 27th Division's Watch House, and a letter.

************************************************** **********

To: Whomever finds this box first,

This box is not a trap, nor explosive and it is free of any chemical or drug concerns your superiors may have. Please hand this box to the head of your Special Operations, 27th Division of the watch. Within are items pertaining to the recent deaths at the Osiris Club, at pier 20 of the Docks and the arson of Warehouse 20.

Sincerely,
Vel

This care package consisted of the following:


Clippings from any of the local news papers covering--

A report on a local teenager killed on the streets of West Side supposedly by a thieving biker gang pleading innocence.

The shooting and death of Tony Menisty, owner of the Osiris Club known for peddling undead for pleasure as well as the deaths of five men in a gray pickup truck in front of the Osiris Club.

A report on 7 found dead at the smoking remains of Warehouse 20 with an 8th body charred and unidentified.

A report by the captain of a ship, The Glasgow Harlequin, at pier 20 describing to news reporters that their was automatic gun fire, screams and explosions at the warehouse.

A missing persons report on a dock worker, Melissa Lowan, missing since her night shift at the docks around the same time of burning of Warehouse 20.

Also inside the box were several small, plastic camera roll containers, sealed and labelled: Brimstone, Lotus Kiss, Dragon Drool, Demons Kiss.

Further more was a small pouch of gold coins all stamped with the head of a Russian Czar circa 1819 and clear envelope displaying a photocopied ID of Melissa Lowan's dock permit and picture.

Last but not least was another white envelope, sealed and labeled in the same hand script for the director of the division, that being me and it said :

To the Current Director of Special Operations, 27th Division,

Before you are articles you may or may not be familiar with. Reports you may or may not have seen. I am bringing to light a serious drug cartel working healthily in Rhydin City and they are not being stopped. I blame no one in the Watch, for this cartel is ancient, old and well disguised. Therefore I have moved against them and taken my first steps to stopping them. The article clippings included in this box bear testament to my tenacity and resolve to put an end to this cartel. I regret to inform you that in my course of actions, a woman was needlessly killed in a fire fight. Be sure the gold is sent to her grieving family.

The containers that are sealed are but several variants and the base drug known as Brimstone. You may be thinking 'what is new about drugs in Rhydin'? I strongly urge you to send these samples in for analysis and identification so you may be aware of them being used in your public. Don't fret for your human population. Human's do not suffer from this drug unless mixed with one of the many human variations of drugs. Instead, Brimstone impacts your non-human or mixed race populace. Its effects vary widely from intense pleasure to inducing a berserk rage and even swift, rapid death to any with a slight allergy to it.

If you want more information, drop a letter into the mouth of the gargoyle statue asking what you want to know at the cross street of Wagon Wheel West and Smithy Way.

Sincerely,
~Vel~


As it stood, I honestly didn't know what to make of the care package and its articles initially, but after further thought I made the decision to quietly act on what I had been given.

What followed was kept closely in house. Myself, Kerri, Alex Waterman, and a select few I could trust in regards to what I had before me.

One thing I knew right off the bat, from what I saw before me-- this was deeply personal for this person, and they were going all out. They had remorse for the innocent lost, and wanted to try to make things right. He seemed to be working for something bigger, and I needed to find out what.

So I made the decision to reach out to Vel and meet him directly. I even decided that I would assist him, if he was true to what he seemed to show so far.

Also, I gotta admit, I liked the way he worked.

Not to mention some of what he had said, fell in line with some reports we had gotten from some of the smaller local clinics in regards to recent non-humanoid illnesses.

I had the film sent to be developed, and the articles inside the care package were also analyzed as well, just to be on the safe side.

Again this was all done quietly and in house, not even my wife knew about this.

The samples of 'Brimstone' were sent to a former colleague of Garet's at Rhy'Din University, because personally I could not trust anyone local to handle things, especially if what Vel had stated in regards to the Watch was in fact true. Chances could not be taken.

Testing proved accurate to what Vel had stated, that the Brimstone was indeed something designed for 'Non-Humans', yet when mixed with other localized 'flavors' that humanoids preferred the results were in fact disastrous for the unfortunate soul that was stupid enough to use such a thing.

The Center for Disease Control had also been notified, just to keep then in the loop.

Then the time came for Vel, and I to meet and we did so in the Marketplace.

It was at that meeting that I really understood the depth of his crusade, and how far back all of this went, and worse-- who all had been involved.

Two names immediately came to mind : Haliford and Baristen.

Haliford is the name of one of the more prominent families that assisted the forces of Travanix, during the incident known as 'Scarred' all those years ago. In fact Lord Reginald Haliford was the only one of two of the traitors that my brother Jacyn had not gotten do, when he made examples of the others, using their betrayal and deaths at his hand to cloak his true intentions for the city.

In regards to Scarred, I will save the details for that on another file, accordingly.

Baristen--- is the name one of the heads of the tribunal that oversaw the charges against me, and was the leading force in regards to my removal. In fact deposition records show just how much of a hard on, they seemed to have in regards to getting me the hell outta dodge.

And both of these parties were knee deep in the mess with the Brimstone, and more.

I'm gonna break here, and pick up in a few.

End recording.