BOMBING ROCKS THE SHORES OF WHITECROWN
In a startling event last week, an explosion went off in the heart of the city, outside the Imperial Citadel. The bombing was, Bluecoat sources believe, an attempt on the Lord-Governor’s life. As of now the Bluecoats have a suspect, but no arrests have been made. The bombing has resulted in a closing of the Barrow Bridge, preventing any from leaving or entering Whitecrown until further notice.
The Queen’s Hand is back and in full swing. After a bombing-gone-wrong on the part of the Grinders, the crew was hired for an important mission. The bomber, a Hollow by the name of Jer, was presumed dead by Grinder and Bluecoat alike. Until an encoded message came in to Grinder HQ, suggesting Jer had taken up refuge in the basement of the North Hook Lighthouse. Hutton, the leader of the Grinders, hired the crew to go retrieve him and bring him back to the headquarters.
So the crew set off onboard their new boat, The Gentle Devil, and sailed across the North Hook channel. Bringing up their (forged) access papers, they were granted permission to dock. Moving on over to the lighthouse, they very quickly realized they would be outmatched in a fight against the guards in front. As such two of them, Phaya the Leech and Ulysses the Slide, bluffed their way in. The other two, Cyrene the Whisper and Zachnefain the Hound, chose to sneak in through the back. The bluffers got in fine, and swiftly made their way to the basement. However, a wandering patrol noticed the burglars, and opened fire.
Inside the basement, Ulysses and Phaya searched through the darkness, attempting to find the lost Hollow. Zachnefain managed to evade the guards coming after him, and slipped in to join the two of them.
Cyrene had much less luck. She was caught between several guards and the basement door. Thinking fast, she pulled out one of her spirit bottles, and threw it to the ground, releasing the spirit within. Putting her on more equal footing, the fight broke out.
In the basement, finding a lack of light sources, Phaya pulled out one of her bottles of Fire Oil, illuminating the area. What they saw was horrifying. Clinging to the rafters were nearly a dozen Hollows, watching them all with unblinking eyes. They dropped down, having been noticed, and confronted the party. “You, Grinders?” the supposed leader of them asked. After receiving confirmation, the leader engaged Phaya in hand-to-hand combat. The others quickly swarmed the other two party members.
Back upstairs, things were not going well for Cyrene. With the North Hook Lighthouse being so close to the Master-Warden’s Estate, the guards here were prepared for ghost combat. Cyrene had been shot, and the spirit she summoned was losing the battle. Mustering the energy she had left, she pulled herself together long enough to conjure a bolt of lightning from her hands, electrocuting one of the guards, giving the spirit the upper hand.
Returning to the basement, Phaya had quickly reversed the situation. Pulling back from the combat, she revealed she came prepared, with a series of bombs strapped to her person, ready to blow. The Hollows may be dim, but they were not suicidal. With Phaya having escalated the situation, they were willing to talk. After a conversation made difficult by the Hollow’s limited vocabulary, the groups found the truth of the situation. The Hollows, members of The Horde, were here seeking revenge for their fallen friend, who they believed had been manipulated into becoming an unwitting suicide bomber for the Grinder’s cause. They had faked the letter calling for rescue, in order to bait members of the Grinders to their deaths. The crew established that they were not Grinders, but merely in their employ. Both groups realizing they had no reason to fight further, sheathed their weapons.
When the basement crew returned upstairs, they found Cyrene bleeding out, four dead guards, and a broken spirit bottle. They quickly got Cyrene back onboard The Gentle Devil while Phaya stabilized Cyrene’s wounds.
Returning to Hutton, they explained the situation. Hutton understood, and commended them for trying. He explained that Jer had not been an intended casualty of the bombing, it must have been a mistake. He was sent there as a bomber, not as a suicide bomber. Hutton would work to smooth things over with the Horde, explaining the situation and possibly working on future cooperation. The crew was paid their due, and was told that future work may be in order between them and the Grinders.