S3, Interlude: Meanwhile…

A pair of brief cutscenes giving a glimpse of the other side of the hill.

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The Acolyte

Theodor Glückstein (Art by Lamin Martin)

Glückstein wiped the sweat off his shiny bald head as he walked across the yard of the Windhund Haulage Company. His head was still on his shoulders, but he would have to think and act fast to keep it that way.

The Magister had actually taken the news surprisingly calmly, considering the extent of the disaster Glückstein had had to report on his watch. The Laboratorium Terribilis broken into, looted and partially destroyed. Alkazan and Spitz dead (well, dead for real), all the silent guards destroyed, the flawed prototypes and the lycanthrope specimen missing, along with the three assistants. Some materials, ingredients and a number of prepared elixirs stolen, as well as several books and documents. Worst of all, Alkazan’s journal and notes on the experiments were gone.

Obviously, this all had to be retrieved, and the culprits dealt with. The Magister had made it clear that the full responsibility of this “setback” rested on Glückstein’s shoulders, and that they expected him to resolve the matter and “prove to me that my great trust in you has not been misplaced”. He did not intend to find out what failure would mean.

At least the list of suspects was short. Either the Seeing Circle, which had already made a failed assault on the Laboratorium from the Undercity, or Esther Lieberung, who was back in town and behaving very strangely. But why would Lieberung break into the laboratory where she could just have walked in and been welcomed? It didn’t make sense… unless perhaps the rumours were true and she was actually working with the Seeing Circle. So possibly both. Quite likely, even.

One issue with Lieberung, of course, was that she and her associates were apparently under the protection of a powerful noble, the Gräfin Ambosstein, which made it harder to move directly against her. The Magister had agreed it would be prudent to tread carefully here, at least for now – but they did expect results soon. Fortunately, Glückstein was not an unresourceful man himself, or he wouldn’t have landed his position in the first place. He would not fail the Magister again.

The first step would be to locate the suspected thieves and their loot. Walking into the dovecote at the top of the warehouse in the corner of the Company grounds, Glückstein held out his arm and gave a low whistle. Soon after, a strange-looking pigeon landed on his wrist and turned its head to stare him straight in the eye.

 

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The Magister

The Magister, meanwhile, was thinking hard.

Well. This was not a total disaster. Certainly not the disaster it might have been if it had happened only a few days earlier. As it was, fortuitously, the Work had been finished in time, and the Magister had made sure to take the finished Faceless specimen into private custody. This one invaluable asset was finally gained and retained, and might still prove it all worth it. And even if Glückstein failed to recover what was stolen, the damage could be repaired in time. The Laboratorium could be rebuilt and re-staffed. In the long run, nothing had been lost that could not be replaced.

Then again, in the short run, there was no denying the loss of the Laboratorium Terribilis was a major blow. The loss in material resources was immense, the loss of the brilliant minds of Alkazan and Spitz even worse. And while the lost resources might be recouped in time, all this made the present plans… unsustainable. Something would need to be done, very soon, to make sure the Hand had all it needed to face the challenges to come. Perhaps even…

Yes. Before the Magister had even finished putting their thought in words, they knew it was the answer. The time had come to move more swiftly, more boldly, to cut the complex knot. And fortunately, they now had all they needed to do it, and most of the pawns already in place on the table.

Losing no time, the Magister set about writing new orders.

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GM’s notes (spoilers)