Kugelheim

[Graybeard]

[OOC: This isn't intended (at least not yet) as a venue for player operations, as much as a place to do some context setting using NPCs. Of course, if someone wants to run in a player character as an avowed Gewehr Wraith -- or something else infiltrating the Wraiths -- it could be done ... And keep in mind that a bunch of Gewehr are going to be traveling to Port Lorrel, same as the players, but please don't kill Mr. Gabriel off, Poe is going to need him! ]

"Okay, it looks like everyone is here," Mr. Gabriel said. "Let's get started."

The doors to the innocuous-looking building with the sign "Kugelheim Shipping and Transport, Inc." were locked and the rear windows shuttered; a "Closed" sign was hung in the front-facing window. Inside, in the surprisingly comfortable conference room, wine was poured and cigars were lit. As soon as administrative niceties were dealt with, Mr. Gabriel spoke again.

"Before getting into our foreign enterprises, I have one announcement bearing on personnel: I will be leaving shortly to take personal charge of the Veracia operation." A rustle of surprise rippled through the hard men and women at the table, but discipline reasserted itself quickly enough. "Developments there look like they're going to justify some serious investment of energy, in terms of business opportunities, but we've started to have a disturbing number of personnel losses and I want to see what's going on. You'll get some more details on that later this evening from Lyle" -- he nodded to a one-eyed man at the far end of the room -- "but I wanted to get this out on the table first. A few of us will be traveling to Port Lorrel tomorrow, you know who you are, and then on to Veracia. The usual security arrangements, straight need-to-know, nothing special. While I'm gone, Peter will be in charge here." Another nod, to the man on his right. "Any questions about that?" Nobody dissented, of course, so Mr. Gabriel continued, "Okay, Faye, what's the summary from Kiyoka?"

A middle-aged woman put down her cigar and cleared her throat. "Unfortunately, the news from Kiyoka is not so good. We're not seeing many opportunities for jobs, and there have been a large number of deaths there lately too -- a very large number of deaths. It has reached the point where it's hard to get information back on what's been happening, because we don't have any surviving informants." Another rustle in the room, this one with an edge of concern to it that hadn't been there earlier. "It sounds like most of our people on the street have been put out of business, and you wouldn't believe the rumors as to how and who. I don't think I believe them myself."

Mr. Gabriel interrupted her. "Is Layla still there, running the show?" That struck a nerve, and she weighed her answer carefully; Faye was one of the few people in the room who knew that Layla was Mr. Gabriel's illegitimate daughter. However, she was also a full Wraith, and good -- damn good. Everyone knew that. Faye nodded, said, "Yes, she's fine, and so's the baby. She says that she and Arty have an idea as to what's really happening in town, and she's sending the boys in tonight to take care of it. No word yet on how that went."

Well, Layla will take care of things; she always did. Gabriel commanded, "Please keep careful tabs on the situation and get Peter a report on these losses as soon as you can. Separate the facts from the crap, I want something actionable, not just rumors. I'm not convinced the Kiyoka operation is going to pan out, but the Council wants us to try." And everyone knew what that meant, too. The topic shifted to Lyle's briefing on the Veracian operation as Faye thought to herself, Yes, Layla will take care of it. Layla's the best we have...

[Graybeard]

[OOC: Thought I'd reactivate this stillborn thread in view of what's happening at Port Lorrel ... The following comes much later than the earlier entry, and follows events in the Kiyoka thread:]

"Excuse me, ma'am, I think I have an appointment," the mousy little man told the frumpy middle-aged receptionist at the Kugelheim Shipping and Transport front office.

Faye looked up at Peter from the crossword puzzle she was working. "Indeed you do, sir. Follow me, please." She stood up, hung a "back in 10 minutes" sign on the front door and locked it, and conducted the man back to the special, highly secure conference room.

"So what's the news?" Peter asked, as soon as the coast was clear.

"With one exception, things are pretty much back to normal," Faye said. "Gabriel got to the warp gate and got launched to Veracia, but we haven't heard back from them yet. I wish Veracia would get crystalnet coverage. I know, newfangled gadgets and all that, but it's useful for times like this. He'll probably send a messenger back. The slow boat called in and said that Layla should be arriving any moment. I've sent a couple of the boys down to pick her and the baby up. A little good news: it turns out that Oskar escaped all the carnage at Kiyoka. He's in the safe house in Port Lorrel now."

"So what's the exception?" Peter probed.

"Well, you wouldn't believe the stories that Oskar is telling about goings-on at the farmhouse outside Kiyoka, and the ones he tells from Lorrel are even crazier. He wound up in some dive controlled by the Eisenfaust --"

Peter interrupted. "And he survived? Wow. That's a first."

"Yeah," Faye agreed, "but he didn't learn much. The place had been taken over by a bunch of completely whacko mages and no Eisenfaust people were to be seen. Something is going on there."

Ah. That place... "Well, let's keep an eye on it," Peter suggested as the conversation moved away from the recent messiness -- and away from a subject that he really didn't want Faye to investigate too closely.

-------------

"Safe journey, Layla," Lefti said as Layla and Zachary stepped off the boat at the hidden mooring up the coast from Port Lorrel. "We're terribly sorry about Arty. Contract or no contract, let us know if there's anything we can do."

"Thanks, Lefti, I appreciate it," Layla said, projecting more composure than she really felt. "There's a small thank-you for you guys in the cabin. I hope to see you again soon." She turned to where the three men and the horse-drawn coach were waiting to take her to Kugelheim.

Phil and Lefti watched as the party headed off. "Quite a woman," Lefti mused. "If she wasn't still so busted up about Arty, I'd be tempted to give her a try, kid or no kid. What do you think?"

Phil snorted. "Yeah, and her mother would flay you alive and use your hide to upholster a chair with. You really don't want to get involved with someone like that."

"Probably not. Let's go see what kind of tip she left us." They turned and went into Layla's cabin, which she'd left in pristine -- and untraceable -- condition, with one little exception:

Sitting under the crib, and with a brief, anonymous note of thanks, was a case of Rising Moon Vineyards' finest wine.

"Like I said, quite a woman..."

[EDIT: Incredibly delayed retcon to fix a looming (hoped-for) name issue.]

[Graybeard]

OOC: I'm locking this thread (which never got going) for the moment, simply to reduce confusion as to what the active threads are. If any of the action ever moves back toward Kugelheim and new players want to join it there, PM me and I'll re-open.