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Dylan paused and listened. He was sure the man was being sincere but... he was getting in the way. Besides, Kara had given so few details about her past that he was certain she wouldn't want to be questioned about it for no good reason. He really couldn't be bothered to deal with the police. Closing the door further, but not completely, he turned his head back to the others "Can anyone give me a reason to take us away from this building for a while?" he asked his accomplices.

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Lynda stared at Lucian expressionlessly for a few seconds. "I don't understand why you're so worked up about doing this quickly, but that is no way to speak to a superior officer" She stepped backwards, and took from her bag the bottle of beer that had been confiscated from his desk. Without a word, she chucked the bottle into the canal, and turned back to Lucian. "If you want to keep your job you will calm down, and accompany me as we question the Grand Minister. This time, try a little bit of tact"

Constabulary HQ
The Lord-Marshall turned as Iris spoke up "Ah Miss Hyden, apologies I didn't notice you there" he said, nodding his head respectfully, then grimaced as she mentioned the brutes "Yes, but I suppose that's to be expected in the Eastern districts. We've tried to enforce some sort of order there, but evidently we've been mostly unsucessful. We visited the Steiner Institute on our way back, so I have been patched up and am feeling much better now, thank you"

Dragocrest Plaza
Royal Guard
The guardsman pondered Ulrich's questions "Uh... no actually. It wasn't warded against magic, I don't think. We don't usually have to worry about that kind of thing. Most of the time a couple of guards could take down any mage" He stated "Do you have permission from the Lord-Marshall of the Constabulary? That's what you need if you want to search the Ministry"

Constabulary HQ
Lord-Marshall Harvey Hogfeld was an overweight man with a moustache, a fact that Iris would notice as he strode into the Constabulary HQ in some disarray. He was flanked by two policeman, one of whom ran forward to the reception and began speaking in hushed tones to Penelope. The Lord-Marshall had a cut in his sleeve, and the arm had been bandaged up beneath it. There were small splatters of blood on his uniform, and his expression was one of anger. The policeman at the desk was explaining that their carriage had been attacked by random thugs on the way back from a meeting with Lord Mortimer Gallahowe earlier today.

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Dylan stared at the policeman expressionlessly as the man spoke. He'd seen this particular officer before, he was one of the meddlesome ones. Dylan noticed Zephyr's presence alongside him, and let the younger man speak first, while Dylan analysed the policeman. He seemed sincere, but Dylan still didn't want to let him anywhere near his employees. The police couldn't be trusted, if they weren't corrupt then they followed the law too much. "But this is not just a random stranger, Zephyr. This is a policeman" Dylan stated with a hint of bitterness, still staring unblinkingly Sergeant Crowne "Kara does work here, but I don't think she's in right now. Enjoy your walk" Dylan began to close the door.

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"If only more people understood their jurisdiction as much as you" Lynda muttered to Aspire, before striding forwards "And I know the law better than both of you" Lynda interjected, walking in between Lucian and the stranger. Men, honestly. First, she eyed the newcomer "You. I'm not going to arrest you as long as you get away from here. It is my job to deal with unruly constables, not yours" She said, her tone being both strict and reassuring. She turned around on the spot to face Lucian "And you" she scowled and grabbed his arm, trying to pull him back "Get out of the way of these guards"

Dragoncrest Plaza
All of a sudden, the woman being borne forward by the guards looked up. Her cheeks had tears running down them and her eyes showed sadness and confusion "I had no control! I couldn't stop! I swear I-" She was cut off as a guard struck her in the side of the head with the butt of his gun.

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Lysander continued to huddle to the side until the flashbacks left. His breath came in short quick breaths, and the world spun slightly. Suddenly Miss Secret approached, and Lysander scrambled backwards slightly, looking at her warily. She gave him advice, but he wasn't really listening. "It's not the monster that scares me" he said, staring at her hands. As she left he hesitated, before picking up the leaves from the ground and stuffing them in a pocket.

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Thorvald narrowed his eyes and looked out across the bay. There was a boy in a boat... a witcher. Perfect. Raising the stone once again, he issued more mental commands. The serpent moved. The werewolf was still attached, but that was unimportant for now. The serpent burst forth in the water between the witcher on the boat and the shore. It faced the young witcher, and then lowered its head against the boat, then swam. Rapidly, the boat was pushed out towards sea, and towards the mists.

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"Nobody here lacks humour, Kara, it's just that yours is exceedingly difficult to understand at times" Dylan shook his head as he spoke. The detective didn't respond to Kara's lie, except for with a disbelieving glance, but he did reach into the bag. He pulled out an apple, she'd bought a lot of apples. He sighed inwardly as he analysed how much of the food was actual meals. Paying some attention to the conversation going on, he noted Kara's
flirtatiousness, and how Mirabelle didn't seem put off by it. Interesting. Zephyr wasn't contributing much, Dylan got the impression that the younger man preferred to pay attention to what others said. It was a good trait for a detective. As Kara tossed a can his way he swiftly grabbed it out of the air with one hand, and had a look at the label. Chicken. Well, it was something. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Dylan looked up immediately, and placed the can and apple back in the bag. The person at the door wasn't a mage, but they did have an arcane magical item on them. He looked back at the two women with a stern expression "Hey, I don't mind you two being flirty, but not in front of random strangers, okay?" He admonished as he stepped towards the door. Opening the door, he found himself face to face with an officer of the constabulary, and his eyes quickly sweeped the man. Mainly the magical sword at his hip, which appeared to have anti-magical properties to Dylan's vision, as its blue aura flashed and runes wavered around it. The man was older than him, though not by much, appeared to have clockwork augmentations around his legs, and was a sergeant of the constabulary. This was also revealed to him as the man spoke. "Kara Webb you say?" Dylan replied with an unreadable expression. If a police officer was looking for Kara, it probably wasn't for a useful reason. In his mind Dylan weighed up the options quickly. "I might have heard of her, what's she done?"

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"Officer Rochester would be more appropriate" she noted, half paying attention to Aspire, and half paying attention to Lucian's antics "But most people just call me Lynda" she paused, remembering the strange technicalities that the golem seemed to be affected by "That means you can as well. Now I'd better sort out this situation with Constable Thistle. I fear you're correct about the trouble, so I'd like you by my side, if you would"

Dragoncrest Plaza - Royal Guards, Lucian
The captain glared at the meddling constable with fury "I don't like your attitude, and I'm not a fucking complaints box! This is an incredibly sensitive situation, this woman killed five people, and you just stroll up full of demands?

As Lynda approached she could hear the heated argument. Lucian being his usual antagonistic self, in front of four guards with submachine guns. Was there no end to this man's stupidity? It was one thing trying to get information, it was quite another to act so disrespectfully to those who had the information. This was not the proper way to gather a report. Suddenly, a third party intruded, and attacked the unruly constable "Careful Lucian!" she yelled with concern.

Constabulary HQ - Penelope, Iris
"Lovely to meet you Miss Hyden" The friendly receptionist answered "I'm afraid Officer Rochester is out right now, dealing with an emergency at the Ministry. You can wait here if you want, or speak to one of our other administrative officers?"

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Lynda listened carefully as her former acquaintance explained the situation. He gave an accurate report of the specifics of the situation, she wouldn't expect anything less of the golem. However, he was less able to gauge the more personal things about the scene. Aspire wouldn't necessarily note how warily the guards treated the harmless-looking minister in handcuffs, which Lynda instantly found suspicious "Yes, well the Royal Guard are quite a paranoid bunch. Comes with the job" She told the golem. "Also it's not 'Sheriff' Lynda anymore, I gave that job up to try and... what is Constable Thistle doing?" Lynda asked rhetorically, she trailed off at the end of the conversation as she noticed how Lucian had strode up to the Royal Guard.

Dragoncrest Plaza
Royal Guards - Lucian
As Lucian confronted the guards who lead Lilian Harbrook out of the ministry, the ones at the front brought up their guns menacingly. The Royal Guard Captain, who'd already been having a bad day, rushed over "Woah woah, constable, you can't just run in here! Who's your superior officer?"

Royal Guard - Ulrich
Ulrich got a much better response. The Royal Guards liked being treated with respect. The man nodded "We've been expecting you lot to turn up" He stated. As he began the explanation a grave expression showed on his face. "It was more than a murder, it was a massacre. Five people dead. Three ministers and two Royal Guard. It was during a meeting or something. Doors and windows all locked. Nobody could get in or out without keys. First thing we heard was the screaming, and as we arrived at the scene we found fleeing ministers, and standing in the middle of it all was her" he pointed at the woman in handcuffs "Lilian Harbrook. Minister of something or another. Holding a Royal Guard's pistol, and covered in blood"

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Dylan nodded at her response, and carried on. The stairs softly creaked as he stepped down them, and he approached he was able to see the two mages' auras through the walls. He'd worked out a long time ago the limits to his sight, wood didn't block it, stone and metal diminished it slightly, but the most important aspect was the distance he was from them. About fifteen metres was enough to make sure he could no longer see an aura, but he would still be able to see the flow of magic that it caused. Dylan reached the bottom stair and walked into the kitchen, to find Kara had brought back groceries like he'd asked, and Zephyr looking at his books. As usual, the first thing he noticed was the aura. To Dylan's eyes, Zephyr was outlined in a blazing inferno. luminescent magic seemed to be coming from within him, it was bursting to be released from beneath his skin, and his eyes flared with fiery intensity. When Dylan looked his Kara his vision wavered slightly. Her own magical abilities distorted his ability to see the girl's aura, but he was usually able to see bright blue magic surrounding and emanating from her, with the occasional rune wavering into existence around her. Dylan neglected any sort of greetings and immediately introduced his employees. "This is Kara Webb and Zephyr Siegend" He gestured towards the two "Guys, this is Mirabelle Autumnfield, our newest recruit... Kara there is no way you managed to get all that with the money I gave you" he stated, staring at the bags of groceries with suspicion.

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Mortimer smiled as the statement of his identity shocked the young girl "You are too modest dear girl. The very fact that you achieved all this without formal training or education is... remarkable" Lord Gallahowe stated. "I have seen enough of your work, I can tell that with some more education and finesse, you could become an even greater mechanic than I" he assured the young woman as he sipped at the tea "You have so much time, so many things to learn. I look forward to seeing what you'll do in future" Mortimer stood, taking the tea with him "Unfortunately I am pressed for time, but our group meet tonight at this address" Mortimer said as he pulled out a piece of paper. The tip of his index finger on his right hand became a fountain pen, and he scribbled down an address, before handing the paper to the young girl "Good day to you young miss, I hope to see you this evening" He tipped his hat to her, before turning to walk out of the door.

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Lysander watched mesmerised by the serpent. This was undoubtedly the biggest monster he'd ever seen, and it would be five times as large in his stories. He was momentarily distracted as Secret's sister grabbed his sleeve. He flashed her a charming smile, even though she instantly let go, and ran into the water. He was surprised how fast she could move and how far she could jump "Sexy and strong, this just keeps getting better" He muttered, before Miss Secret asked him to stand back. He turned to look at her curiously before seeing... Fire. Lots of fire. Oh gods. No. NO. Flames flickered in front of his eyes. He stumbled backwards, face pale as the flashbacks came. he always remembered the strange little details. The tragically beautiful patterns in those priceless paintings as they melted and burned. The acrid smell of smoke. All focus on reality left him, as he staggered behind a walll and leaned against it, hyperventilating. GODS that was a lot of fire. All desire to sleep with Miss Secret was gone.

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The serpent's maw crashed into the now empty fishing boat. Thorvald had to pay attention quite hard to notice all of the superhumans gathered to fight. Even a werewolf had arrived. The stupid beast had grasped onto the serpent, forgetting how terrible it was at swimming. Clutching the runed stone, Thorvald commanded the beast to submerge itself below the water. He couldn't tell if the creature was still attached, but even if it was it wouldn't be able to fight as well as grasping onto the serpent. He was about to command the serpent to rise again, when he noticed the witcher and sorceress preparing themselves for its re-emerging. Hm. At Thorvald's command, the great sea snake sank even lower and waited.

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"If only you were there at the trial..." Dylan muttered sarcastically under his breath in response to Mira's statement. He arose from his chair, picked up and holstered his pistol, and threw the newspaper in the overflowing wastepaper basket in the corner "Yes. Two others. Recent recruits" Dylan replied. In the air, orange lines had appeared along with the already present signs of arcane magic. These new lines flickered and wavered, shifting between yellow and red. "They've just arrived, I'll introduce you to them. That is, if you're still certain you want to be a part of my agency?" As he spoke he strolled past where Mira sat, walking towards the exit. He stopped at the door, and looked over his shoulder towards her, an eyebrow raised but a generally deadpan expression on his face.

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Lynda watched carefully as the two women were escorted from the building. She recognised the Grand Minister and... was that Lilian Harbrook? The Grand Minister's main rival was being lead from the scene in handcuffs and covered in blood. The guards around her were acting wary, despite being well armed and armoured. If she had to guess, there'd been a murder at the ministry, fortunately she didn't have to since she could simply get the Royal Guard captain to answer that question for her. A clockwork golem approached, and Lynda gave it a glance. At first she was going to leave it to Ulrich to deal with the golem, since he seemed to be doing it well. Then she took another look.
"Aspire? Is that you?" She asked incredulously. The golem hadn't changed much since the time they'd met back in Izir, and his unique design was unmistakable "What a coincidence! It's me, Sheriff Lynda!" She was smiling with wonder at reuniting with the philosophical robot. The last time she'd seen him they had been taking down a dragonkin bandit who was terrorising her town. Regaining her composure she turned to her fellow constables "This is Aspire, a golem I am familiar with from a while ago" she turned back to him "What happened here, Aspire?"

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Mortimer stood back, hands on his cane, as she tinkered with some machinery and rearranged her workstation. He nodded in appreciation as the table rearranged itself to become a suitable table, and when a chair folded up from below. He opened his mouth to speak, but found himself once again interrupted by the excitable young woman. He smiled insincerely while the spoke. She said "take a seat" twice. As per her insistence, he did take a seat. "Tea would be lovely thank you" He replied "My name is Mortimer Gallahowe. You may have heard of me, I am the owner of Gallahowe Electricity Co, and a member of the Ministry. What is less known is that I am an active advocate of technological progression, and I run a small society dedicated to improving our city's capabilities through the use of augmentations. I would like for you to join us, we could use such an innovative mind, we'd be able to learn from one another I'm sure"

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Dylan clasped his hands in front of him and listened intently to everything Mirabelle told him, mentally noting it down. As she finished her story Dylan nodded, another tale of the failures of the constabulary "I see. For sake of fairness I suppose I'd better tell you a little about myself too" Dylan sat back in the chair, and was silent for a moment, staring at the ceiling. He suddenly opened a drawer and pulled out a medallion, placing it on the desk. The medallion depicted a dragon claw with a blue rune inscribed onto it. Anyone who knew anything about New Haven would recognise it as the mark of the Dominion's army, the rune signified the rank of Sentinel within the City Guard, a rank equivalent to an Inspector in the Constabulary. "I was a guard in New Haven. I killed a traitor during the war against Whytehold, and apparently I was supposed to arrest him instead. A prison wouldn't have held him though, and he would made the war continue for many more years if he'd been left alive. Was it the right decision? It doesn't matter, it was the decision I made at the time. Either way, I got simultaneously punished and honoured for the act, but in the end I was exiled" There were other reasons for the exile, but Mira didn't need to know those. Dylan thought back pensively, staring into the middle distance as he recalled those memories from barely two years ago. It felt like so much longer. He turned back to Mirabelle and was about to continue when suddenly he heard movement from downstairs, along with noticing even more blue lines than before appearing in the air. These shimmered slightly, wavering and distorting. The unmistakable aura of Kara. He sincerely hoped she'd brought food this time instead of just more pens.

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Lynda made sure that Lucian was behaving before getting into the car herself. "We're not sure what kind of emergency, but the Royal Guard are all over Dragoncrest Plaza. Now as much as I trust our colleagues in the Guard, they are meant for protecting people, not necessarily catching criminals" She informed Ulrich as the car, with a judder, began to drive off. Johnson began to accelerate, and soon they were hurtling along the streets, alarming nearby citizens. Although many of the constables found the experience nauseating, Lynda never minded. Back in the Izir desert she'd had to drive at dangerous speeds over the sand dunes pursuing bandits, this was nothing in comparison. She continued her explanation "Royal guard enforcers are already present, so in situations like this the standard procedure is to have two constables, an operative or an inspector, and an officer with authority" The car sped across Sylgar's Bridge and onto the main part of the city, where houses were more clustered together and had more storeys. Johnson began to slow down now, it wasn't a good idea to drive recklessly when crossing the intricate waterways of the central city. After a few more minutes the car finally arrived at Dragoncrest Plaza, but they found the road blocked by a pair of men wearing a purple and gold uniform. As Johnson slowed to a halt, the Royal Guard murmured to one another about the vehicle. Beyond them, the Plaza was almost entirely evacuated of civilians, the Guard were clustered around the area closest to the Ministry building. "What is going on..." Lynda muttered to herself, and exited the car.

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Mortimer smiled as the woman approached and let her ramble... wow she really was rambling. Every so often Mortimer would open his mouth to get a word in, but she'd just keep talking. So he just stood there quietly until she was finished. Finally, after she'd been silent for a full second, Mortimer held out his hand to shake "It's lovely to meet you Miss Mirela. Now I would be impressed if you could make augments better than my own, and I will say that I make sure all my mechanical parts are fully functional every day. Much like yourself I have constructed my own augments, though I have had the privilege to study among the best engineers in the world and I have significantly greater experience. So no, I am not looking to purchase any of your services today" Mortimer began to walk around the shop, casting an appraising and critical eye over the various machines and mechanisms on display "I am not saying that your work is poor, not quite the opposite. For a woman of your age your contraptions are quite remarkable. Which is why..." Mortimer turned on a heel and smiled at her in a friendly way "...I would like to have a little chat. Do you have a moment? I will not take up too much of your time"


Dragoncrest Plaza - Royal Guard Captain - Aspire
The Royal Guard captain was not having a good day. This morning he'd spilled his coffee all over the newspaper, and then he'd accidentally torn his favourite shirt, and now there was some disaster going on in the Ministry building. He looked out across the bridge towards the building. He couldn't hear the sounds of gunfire, which was a good thing he supposed. He knew that no matter who the killer was, the Commander would demand answers as to how a killer got into one of the most secure buildings in the city, and he knew that the question would be aimed at him. He sighed, this day couldn't get any worse. He turned around and found himself facing a monstrosity of steel and brass. The captain put his hand on his gun, just in case, as he looked up slightly into the golem's piercing eyes. The creature then asked him about the Grand Minister. For a moment, he held the Golem's gaze, and then his brow furrowed in anger "Look buddy, I don't care how big you are, this is a crime scene, and you need to get out of here before I start filling you with even more lead than you already have. Got it?" He scowled at the golem, meeting its gaze, before being distracted by noise from behind him.

Dragoncrest Plaza - Aspire, Lynda, Lucian, Ulrich
The ministry building's doors opened. Striding forward, the special armed and armoured forces of the Royal Guard exited, carrying forth a woman with them. The woman was dressed in a bedraggled suit and looked like a minister. She had long blonde hair, and her hands were handcuffed. She had her head bowed, and generally looked shaken. The worst part was her hands and clothes, which were covered in blood.

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Derrick evidently enjoyed the attention he was getting, and Lysander couldn't blame him "You should be sorry my friend, it's a story about you. Your favourite kind" Lysander smirked before sitting back again and letting conversation happen around him. His thoughts were occupied by thoughts of how best to structure the tale, and he was completely zoned out when the women suddenly arrived and made a fuss. All of a sudden everybody was getting up and running about and Lysander fought to not to spill his tea in the process. Miss Secret asked him if he'd like to come see the "thing", and he smiled adventurously in response "Anything that can only be described as a 'thing' is surely worth a look" He stated. Miss Secret introduced her sister, and Lysander gave a quick appraising glance. The Secret Sisters, that sounded like it could be the name of a saucy song, one Lysander silently hoped would turn out to be non-fiction and sung in first person. Nevertheless that would have to wait, as right now something was happening. Lysander slung his lute over his back, grabbed his cloak and ran outside to follow the others.
Lysander was not an unfit man, over the last few years he'd travelled plenty and become relatively athletic, especially at running. Usually from bandits, monsters, and ex-lovers. Yet he was still only human, and could not hope to keep up with the witchers or whatever the Secret Sisters were. When he finally arrived at the docks, panting and wheezing, he was almost too tired to notice the... thing. Clearly Miss Secret's sister did not have a large vocabulary. What she described as a "thing", Lysander would describe as a F*CKING MONSTROUS LEVIATHAN FROM THE DEPTHS OF THE DARKEST LEGENDS WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON.

Thorvald smiled as several individuals began to arrive at the docks. Though his ship was far away, the distinctive steel and silver swords of the witchers were a hint, and who else would willingly draw weapons against such a creature. They had arrived sooner than expected. Nevertheless, the plan would go as expected. Around him, the Skellige pirates were standing firm. They knew the beast would not harm them, and they'd spread the word of their captain's plan. He turned away from the edge of the ship and gazed out to sea, as a magically induced mist began to seep past their ships towards the city.
Meanwhile at the docks, the serpent stilled for a moment, and stared at the newcomers with baleful eyes. Its head was the size of a pony, and heavily scaled. Its teeth jutted out from its mouth at angles and looked like they could easily crunch a man in armour. After this brief moment it turned back around, aiming to chomp a ship which held an unlucky fisherman.

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After a moment's hesitation, the woman did indeed tell him about the magical object in her pocket. It was a watch, and just as expected it was instilled with time magic. Dylan smiled at the aptness of the object, and when the subject of the clockwork arm was brought up he merely shrugged noncommittally. Abruptly he turned around and began walking into his building "Come on then" He said over his shoulder as he strolled along the narrow corridor and up the stairs. Entering his office, the small amount of daylight that filtered in through the tiny window illuminated a cramped and untidy room. Nevertheless, it was furnished with visitors in mind, having a small sofa on one side of the room. The far end of the room was occupied by a desk covered with various items; newspapers, bottles, letters, and even a revolver. Next to the desk, a slightly ajar door lead into what looked like a tiny bedroom. The wall opposite the desk was filled with a board that would usually be covered with pictures, newspaper clippings, and bits of string that tied them together. It was almost empty at the moment, since Dylan didn't have any cases active. Dylan sat down heavily at his desk, which had a chair on both sides, and gestured for Mira to sit where she liked. "I'll be honest, my agency hasn't had the best luck recently. Our only claim to fame is stopping that serial killer who could breathe underwater" Dylan stated "That was a month ago, and I haven't been able to do anything since. Constabulary get their meddling hands over everything. That's why I'm hiring" He eyed her up and down again in a scrutinising manner "Tell me a bit about yourself"

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Lynda scowled at Lucian's retort, then turned as Ulrich arrived, having heard the panic evidently "I don't need your whole team, I just need one. Lucky for you, constable, you're the only one in the building right now" She said with a smile. Ulrich was a good man, if a little trigger-happy at times. If he would just get on top of his reports then he'd be a perfect credit to the special operations division. "There's an emergency at the ministry" she told him, the smile suddenly turning into a serious look, conveying the gravity of the situation. Constable Johnson had found the keys to the motorcar and was standing by the door, ready to go. As Lucian emerged again, Lynda turned to face him with a frown. "With all due respect constable, I would rather let a monkey drive than you" She abruptly turned about and head outside the building, waving for Ulrich and Lucian to follow. Johnson had run ahead and with the rumbling sound of an engine running, pulled the car out of the garage and in front of Lynda. The motorcar was an older model, but only the richest in the city could afford the newer ones. It was coloured a dark blue, and had a set of electric lights on the roof. There was also a large speaker on the front which, when activated, would emit a loud distinctive noise. Lynda went to get into the front passenger seat leaving the back two for the other constables.

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Mortimer Gallahowe strolled along the road, drawing glances from all nearby locals. A nobleman travelling alone through this part of the city was unheard of, it was like he was asking to be robbed. And yet, his distinctive mechanical augments would make potential muggers think twice. As it happened, he was uninterrupted on his journey as he strode through the district, metal feet clicking against the cobblestones. Soon he came across what he was looking for. A small shop with the sign "Mirela's Miraculous Machines (And repairs)". A small mechanical device flew out of the shop carrying a piece of paper. In a superhumanly swift movement, Mortimer snatched it out of the air, and had a closer look. In his hand the birdlike construct was twitching, trying to continue its mission. Mortimer analysed it for a few seconds, and as he let it go it carried on flying as if nothing had happened. Turning back to the shop, Mortimer smiled and strode inside.

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The woman seemed unnerved by Dylan's examination, and her smile faltered. He was used to this. However he was surprised when she stated she was here because of his advertisement, and raised his eyebrows. "Oh" he stated "I'm surprised, other applicants have been significantly less... wealthy. Flynnford's suit? Custom Tailored? Very expensive" He stated. He gave her another cursory glance. Other than the beautiful cane and whatever was in her pocket, she didn't seem to have any weapons. "I'll let you in in just a moment, but first, do you have any weapons? Magic? Anything I need to worry about being in my home?" He asked. He was only asking to see if she would lie of course. He gave another glance at her left arm and noticed that the vague neutral outline that surrounded all humans was not present there, evidence of a mechanical arm, which was not unusual.

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Lucian was one of the few constables who could meet her glare with equal intimidation. "Medicine? I've never heard of a doctor prescribing whiskey before" She stated sarcastically "If you think you're getting it back that easily- hang on" Lynda cut off mid sentence as Penelope was hurriedly fast-walking towards her with a worried expression
"There's something happening in the middle of the city, Dragoncrest Plaza, Royal Guard are swarming the place, something to do with the Grand Minister" Penelope explained hastily. Lynda's brow furrowed
"Alright. Where's the keys to the motorcar? Constable Johnson you're driving me to the plaza" She rattled off orders, then turned to face Lucian "And you're not off the hook, you're coming as well, get your things, we need to get going ASAP" she commanded the unruly constable "And can somebody get me Constable Haltzenor?!" She gave the last command as she grabbed her coat and began to head out of the building, constables and officers swarming around in the panic of the event.

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"I'm sure Derrick could manage without me for a little longer" Lysander replied to Miss Secret. The bard then shut up as Derrick began to recount the details of the adventure. For perhaps the first time, Lysander was listening in awe to Derrick. "By the gods Derrick, why didn't you tell me? That encounter would make such an INCREDIBLE song!" He grinned "The Tale of the Witcher and the Striga! How one man spent a night holding back a woman in a monstrous form, suffering many injuries on the way! He could have ended it at any moment with a swift sword strike, but held back, and eventually saved the life of a young woman!" Lysander was smiling from ear to ear, his creativity working on overdrive as he thought up ways he could tell this story. What sort of melody would go with it? An ominous dramatic tune obviously, ending in a triumphant crescendo. He also began to realise that hanging around the witcher was a great source of inspiration.

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The sea serpent roared, a thunderous bellow of primal fury, before smashing its head into the jetty, demolishing the wooden structure. It descended into the water with a splash, swum underneath a ship, and moved upwards violently. The anchored ship shook, creaked, and began to split apart. The serpent continued on its path of destruction, thrashing around the bay. Thorvald simply watched from is longship, emotionless expression as he waited for the inevitable.

Dragoncrest Plaza - Kara and Jebediah
Suddenly, all across Dragoncrest Plaza, Royal Guards file into the market square. Dressed like constables but in colours of purple and gold, they shout for the populace to keep calm and evacuate the area closest to the Ministry. A large group of Royal Guards wielding sub-machine guns and wearing breastplates and helmets cross the bridge into the Ministry building, and another group guard the gates. One of the police constables at the scene asks what's going on, but the Guard simply ignore him. A moment later a group of guards escorted a bloodied woman from the ministry, surrounding her with their weapons drawn, as if she were some precious cargo. All around the plaza the gathered citizens try to stay away from the guard, but hang around with curious stares and gossiping whispers.

​

With a lack of anything else to do until Kara came back, Dylan continued to read the boring stories in the paper. As he read, he grabbed a piece of toast. Suddenly there came a knock on the door, it must be Kara returning with the food. Dylan lazily got up from his desk, and placed the piece of toast in his mouth. As he stomped down the creaky stairs, he began to notice how around him faint blue lines began to appear in the air. These lines were always there, but usually they were too faint to see. Their visibility indicated the presence of arcane magic, and Dylan knew that if he analysed them closely he'd see faint patterns, almost like writing. Dylan did not pay them much attention though, he simply assumed they were due to Kara. Before Dylan opened the splintered wooden door, he saw a bright blueish light beyond it, surrounded by these flowing runic patterns. However, upon opening the door he came face to face with somebody who was definitely not Kara. Dylan gave the woman a deadpan stare for a few moments, a piece of toast still sticking out of his mouth.
"S'chufse me" he mumbled, his mouth full of toast. He slowly finished the piece of toast, as he looked the woman up and down. The first thing he noticed was the magical light which emanated from the woman's coat pocket. He tried not to focus on it too much lest she become suspicious, but he recognised the signs of chronomancy, the way the blueish light spiraled clockwise and the specific dynamic runes which were created by its presence. The woman herself had an unimpressive aura, the same dull grey outline all humans had. It signified arcane potential, but the woman was obviously not able to use magic on her own. Of course, nobody else would be able to see any of this, it was Dylan's specific ability. Next he moved on to what the ordinary people would see, the woman's sharp suit and long blonde hair. She was quite attractive, and obviously wealthy, but none of that interested Dylan as much as the strange object that must be in her pocket. After his brief analysis, he swallowed his toast and made eye contact with the woman "Are you from the Ministry? I've already paid the rent"

​

Just as Lynda had really gotten into the paperwork, Penelope gave a short knock on the door and popped her head into the office
"Constable Thistle is here" she informed Lynda. This was shortly followed by loud frustrated shouting coming from down the corridor
"So it would seem. Thank you" Lynda said, before standing up and walking out of the office purposefully. Other officers kept out of her way, since she was wearing her "Somebody's in deep sh*t" face. She turned a corner and glared at Lucian Thistle, who was standing at his desk swearing and shouting. "Looking for a bottle of something, Constable Thistle? I should hope not, you know alcohol isn't allowed in the building" She stated, with an accusing stare. Lynda didn't like to berate Lucian too much, but drinking on the job while in the building was a step too far. The man was a terrible constable, but it was better if he was here than in some gang. So she let some transgressions slide. At least if he was in the constabulary they could direct his violent anger towards the people who deserved it.

​

The old rickety building slumped beside the canal. The day was sunny, but any sunlight that would have pleasantly trailed in through the windows was blocked by the massive railway structure which ran over the city. Below, two boatmen collided and began an argument, which drifted in through the open windows of the building. A hand reached out of one of the sooty windows and pulled it shut in an attempt to shut out the noise. This was a futile attempt, since a moment later a large steam train hurtled along the tracks ahead, the cacophony of wheels on rails disrupting any sense of quiet that anyone in the neighbourhood would have had. Dylan sighed, and returned to his desk, trying once again to ignore the thunderous din from above. This building was, definitively, the worst in the district. But it was cheap, and money was not something Dylan had in large supply at the moment. Putting his feet up on top of the desk, the detective eyed the board on the other side of the room as he contemplated how early he could get away with drinking.
The board was filled with unsolved cases and dead-ends. Pictures were pinned up, with little notes, and strings to connect bits and pieces. The serial arsonist? Dead end, in fact there was nothing really linking the separate fires together. The Black Dragon Brotherhood? Although Dylan had uncovered one of their gambling dens they were too dangerous to face, and they had members of the constabulary in their pockets. Then there were all the cold cases that the police had given up on, but had also taken all the evidence, leaving nothing to work with. Dylan was almost hoping that a new crime would surface, just so he could do something.
The latest newspaper lay on his desk. Another issue of the Westwood Informer, which Dylan knew was the most biased newspaper in the country but it still held some useful information. Not today, however. New building. Great. Political conflicts. Whatever. Rumours about the Oracles, if only they knew the truth. And of course his advertisement, which he'd paid a significant sum of money to have in the front page. That was the reason he had to skip breakfast. And lunch. He just hoped something would come of it. Dylan opened up the newspaper and continued to read, looking for some lead or mystery that could take him to a new investigation.

​

North Constable Station in the district of Esterfield was a proud, tall building of stone. On this fine day the sun shone down on the square outside the building, which contained a statue of the famous historical figure General Talon Austermark. If Lynda remembered her lessons correctly the general had come to the aid of Eredan during the Age of Darkness, bringing a host of the finest Whytehold Knights despite not being directly allied with Eredan. The General's ideals of defending the innocent, no matter who they were, were supposed to be carried through and kept in the hearts of all who worked in his building. Lynda strode confidently up the steps towards the station, nodding to several constables she recognised on the way. Strutting through the front doors, Lynda smiled at the woman working on the front desk today
"Good morning Penelope, how are you doing?" She asked
"Oh hey Lynda, I'm fine, nothing much has been happening. I've got your newspaper and coffee right here" the younger woman replied brightly
"Thanks as always" she smiled in gratitude. She was about to turn away when she remembered something "Oh, if you see Constable Thistle, could you please send him my way? Thanks, I'll see you at lunch" She waved goodbye, then walked to her large office on the ground floor. As she entered, she hung up her coat and then proceeded to sit at the desk to read the newspaper. The headlines were uninteresting, but a small section on the front page caught her eye. Haytham's Investigations... that New Havenite PI? As she read the advertisement her face fell into a stern frown. How could the Westwood Informer print something like this, something which was flagrantly slandering the constabulary. Then again, thinking about Constable Thistle, they might have a point. Lynda put down the paper before it upset her any more and turned to her stack of paperwork, but not before taking a large gulp of coffee.

​

Lysander smiled in appreciation as the sorceress seemed to enjoy his tale. He smiled even wider as she brought forward cups of tea. "Ah, Tea, Thank you so much. Peracles the Thinker calls it 'liquid wisdom'. If that's true, then ale must be 'liquid foolishness'" Lysander took a sip from the hot drink, which warmed him up significantly "I am grateful for your compliments, but have found that even my most enthralling tales will not bring a smile to the lips of this city's residents. I intend to catch the first carriage out of this city as soon as I can afford one" The bard lamented. Lysander then listened as Derrick and Miss Secret spoke about the witcher's business in Vizima "I recall that encounter. Derrick here dropped me off at a local tavern and strolled into a crypt. 'Twas an hour or so later when he came back out looking like a portrait by Rukavig the Mad, using only red paint"

Name: Dylan Haytham
Age: 26
Race: Human
Nationality: New Havenite
Faction: Haytham’s Investigations
Job: Private Investigator
Appearance: Dylan is a tall man with bright bluish-green hair and similar colour eyes. He is quite handsome, and wears a long coat and hat.
Weapons: His trusty revolver, and a short-sword just in case.
Magic: Arcane magic. Dylan’s abilities include being able to “see” magic and also can enhance his speed.
Skills and Strengths: Dylan’s talents include; Drawing, lockpicking, marksmanship and investigation.
Personality: Dylan is quite antisocial and not very talkative at all, yet he gives the impression of always listening, he takes mental notes of everything. Dylan cares little for formalities and doesn’t trust the law, preferring to solve things without the intervention of the police. Dylan is unconventional and reckless, and although he may seem cold to people who don’t know him, he is very loyal to his friends and has a sentimental heart.
Flaws/Weaknesses: Dylan is not particularly sociable and often comes off as rude. Additionally, his bold recklessness has got him into bad situations before.
History:

Spoiler: History

Dylan was born in New Haven to the middle class Haytham family. It was soon discovered that he was born with sorcerous abilities and could perceive the flow of magic. His parents thought these skills made him perfect for the city guard, and they urged him from a young age to join.
Dylan was always treated differently due to his abilities, and his own perception of people was skewed, as he always saw their aura before anything else. Dylan joined the guard, and was incredibly successful. The city utilised his abilities many times to uncover hidden dark cultists among the population. His career reached a turning point when Dylan came upon a dark worshipper named Damius Mournlyn. Through his investigative talents, he came to find they were a good person, who simply chose to follow their hearts in the course of religion. He became good friends with Damius, and kept their existence secret.
During the brief war of 2085 against the Kingdom of Whytehold, Dylan was not sent to the front lines but was nevertheless devoted to protecting New Haven. Through a short investigation he came to find evidence that the Duke Azarian Greykeeper was selling secrets to the Whytehold Invaders in return for valuable artifacts. Dylan tried to alert the guard to this, but found that all his evidence had been taken back in secret by the Duke, and as such he had nothing to go on. With the help of Damius, he infiltrated the Duke's house, where he discovered all his evidence, and even more of the Duke's crimes. To stop the man from doing anything more, he shot Duke Greykeeper in the head. Shortly after, both Dylan and Damius were arrested.
The court ruled that Dylans accusations against the Duke had been correct, but Dylan himself had also broken laws in a) Breaking into the house b) Shooting the Duke c) Working with a Dark mage and d) Keeping their existence a secret. They promptly fired Dylan, and would have imprisoned him if the Duke had not been such a terrible criminal, so they merely exiled him.
Dylan traveled to Eredan, and was undergoing an internal crisis having lost all trust in the word of the law. So he started to set up his own agency in Eredan, which would act with fairness and truth. And here we are now.

Attributes
Vitality: 10
Agility: 14
Dexterity: 16
Intelligence: 10
Will: 14
Wits: 18
Charisma: 8


Name: Lynda Rochester
Age: 30
Race: Human
Nationality: Tyrranean Southerner
Faction: Constabulary
Job: Administrator at the Constabulary HQ
Appearance: Lynda has long black hair tied back in a sensible ponytail, and bright blue eyes. Her most distinguishing feature is a scar on her forehead, and she is surprisingly athletic considering her job. She tends to dress sharply
Weapons: Lynda always carries her revolver, and also owns many more guns. She’s not bad with her fists either.
Skills and Strengths: Lynda is an expert at paperwork. She is very intelligent and good at investigation, as well as tracking down individuals. She makes great tea.
Personality: Lynda can quickly flip between stern to tender. She treats her fellow officers in the constabulary with care and attention, but can get very angry when they do something wrong. Lynda is very orderly and believes in enforcing law and order, although she does think some things need to be changed. Lynda is very pragmatic and sensible.
Flaws/Weaknesses: Lynda is far too trusting in her fellow constables and in the law. Additionally, she is often too afraid to take action in case of failure, and is far too organised for her own good.
History: A long time ago, Lynda was a sheriff in a small town on the frontier, and made a living collecting bounties and fighting criminals. However, she was always aware of the corruption and problems in the legal system. So she decided to return to the city and live a quieter life, while trying to change the system from within. She became an administrator in the constabulary headquarters, but seems unable to leave her old crime-fighting life behind.
Attributes
Vitality: 14
Agility: 8
Dexterity: 16
Intelligence: 15
Will: 10
Wits: 14
Charisma: 13