Oshi & Daniel - Kill Brand to Sin City: Vialle's Tale

When Random is gone and we're standing there, will Oshi's brother's killers dead in a trail behind us, what does Oshi do, or say?

It'll be some minutes before Daniel's jaw unclenches enough for him to speak.

Oshi would cast her eyes downward, and say in a shamed voice: "I have failed my brother Daniel. I was not ready."

Daniel stands a moment, working his jaw. He looks around and sits down on something that isn't currently on fire, and motions Oshi over, too. "We can only stay here a minute at best, Oshi. But why would you say that? What else could you have done?"

"Killed him." Then she'd pause looking into the distant sky. "I must go, I must prepare. If you need me, I'm sure you can find me."

"Wait. I've seen what you can do. I know if anyone can do this thing, you can. But this thing you want to do, kill Brand, it's... part of a much larger picture. He and Random, you know, they're brothers. Their relationship is complex." Daniel gazes off a second, and blinks. It occurs to you he's lost a lot of blood in the past hour. "Look, you brought yourself very very far with very little help. I wouldn't be alive today if you hadn't come across me, so I won't insult you by saying you need my help. But if you want to do this thing, enter into a world where you are in a position to do this thing, it seems to me you could work faster if you did have help. And, I owe you.

"Plus, I've got some lines on information about what's what in Amber. Do you?"

Oshi figures Daniel is too stubborn to just go to a hospital or something so she holds her hand out to him and says:
"Daniel I need your aid; will you help me find a place for me to rest, and get my wounds repaired?"

Daniel gives a self-deprecating huff, smiles wearily, and takes Oshi's hand. "Sure thing. A place for... you to rest it is." He gets up and moves slowly towards the treeline around the estate. There is a *push*, and a stomach dropping jolt, and the treeline becomes the wild scrub in an untended back yard. Daniel leads Oshi up rotted wooden stairs, through an enclosed back porch with a broken door, and into a musty, dirty kitchen. A slight smell of air-conditioning comes through, though, and to Oshi's observant eye the partly hidden camera in the top corner of the room is probably obvious.

Daniel stands there a second, and finally waves at the camera.

With a click and a hiss, the inner door opens, revealing a modern room that looks to be the interior of a nightclub... empty of patrons this time of day.

"Duncan! Long time no see! Can you... set us up..."

Daniel falls over.

… Onto a welcome mat just long and wide enough to catch his entire body. Judging from the old blood stains that Daniel is now bleeding on, this has happened before.

The slightly disheveled man who pops up from behind the bar must be Duncan, as his confusion falls away too quickly for him not to know Daniel. "I guess we'll save the pleasantries for later, unless you need a mat of your own." He gently turns Daniel over and sets himself to lift him, probably meaning to put him in the big booth with the endtable-sized tabletop, like a volcanic island of formica in a leather atoll.

A young woman in clean pink work overalls appears from the coat room and tries to steer Oshi toward the other side of the peculiar booth. "Aren't you a little young for this place?" she asks, but her gaze softens when she sees the bandage on Oshi's face. She swallows her gum like she'd been caught with it in class and waits to see / hear what you need.

Oshi merely says: "I will stay with him until he wakes." And sits. If the waking takes a long time she'll ask for some water, or perhaps some milk if it is offered. If food is brought to her she will eat it. Otherwise she will not leave Daniel's side.

Another woman, slightly older, wearing a tan jacket covered with pockets and yellow cargo pants comes out with a pitcher of water, two metal glasses, and two steaming bowls of something that denies immediate identification, but smells very good. Vegetable slurry... green chili... mint stew... perhaps it's best not to think too hard about it.

Oshi is treated to a twenty minute refresher course on basic field surgery as Daniel is stitched up. As Duncan is putting the finishing touches on Daniel's dressings, the young woman in pink turns to Oshi and asks, "Can I check that?" pointing to the bandage on your cheek.

Oshi allows the woman to check her wound, and says thank you for the 'soup'.

After a bit of gentle cleaning, the bandage is replaced with a strip of sterile tape that smells of antiseptic.

At your thank you, the second woman nods and smiles, but you see her shoot the unconscious Daniel a very dirty look.

Duncan finally sits up from his work to ask Oshi, "So... what was it this time?"

Oshi replies softly: "Revenge."

"Is he finally done with that, or is his old man still his shadow?" Does he mean Random?

"I do not know about his motivations, this quest was mine. Daniel merely helped me."

"What about you, then? Are you avenged, or will you be leading our battered friend into the breach once more?"

The young woman in pink whispers something in Duncan's ear, to which Duncan just nods while waiting for Oshi's answer.

"I would go alone, but I doubt he will let me."

"Our Daniel is a rare one, although I don't know if he's ready to admit to that." Duncan rises, heading toward the door to the coat room. "When he wakes up, let him know I'm getting up to speed. He'll know where I am." He pauses at the door without looking back. "Just let Kaylee know if you need anything."

The sound of the door sliding shut awakens Daniel, ashen but whole.

Oshi gives Daniel a small smile. "Hello Daniel."

He smiles around a little pain grimace. "Hey, Oshi." He raises his head a little, then lets it drop back with a sigh. "Would you look at that? We made it. I remember hitting the floor, I just couldn't remember if we'd made it anywhere before I did. How long have you had to wait on me, anyway?"

"Duncan's treated you right, eh? Sorry I didn't get to introduce you."

Oshi nods. "Duncan has been very kinds to me. He said to tell you he is... getting up to speed."

"Good man." With great effort Daniel pushes himself up on one elbow. "Oshi, I know you want to move on. Take a couple of days to rest up, though, would you? I realize I need it more than you, but you do need it, nonetheless. Duncan'll do his magic and see what if anything we can know about Brand.

"I figure in the main we've gotta figure out how close Random and Brand actually are. They may be trying to kill each other, but may protect each other to the death should someone else try to play their game. Or we may draw other members of the family.

"I'm saying, we gotta go into this smart. Well, I'd like you to go into it smart, if I can help you. Seeing people chewed up by these fucks is something I'm a little tired of."

Oshi takes this all in then simply nods. "I will rest for a time. Will you please wake me when you are ready to move
on, or if you get some news." With that Oshi finds a dark corner to curl up in and falls asleep clutching her bear.

"Hey, kiddo, I know they've got someplace more restful than that... agh!" Daniel very gingerly rolls to the edge of the table and slides onto his feet. "C'mon..." He shuffles over to the door and calls out. "Hello? Anybody?"

Kaylee hustles back out of the kitchen to help Daniel. "Sorry, but all the rooms are upstairs. Duncan had to convert the other crash into a green room when he expanded the stage."

Daniel arranges Oshi be shown to a bedroom for herself. He'll take another room and some food, prop himself up in bed, and talk to the ladies while waiting for Duncan's report.

News through the year ...from Daniel's rumor circuit.

Since Duncan is one of the hubs of Daniel's information network, he provides the information below, minus the magical shadow info, which you'd have to obtain elsewhere.

Whether or not Oshi and Daniel end up spending a lot of time together over the year, Daniel would at least bring her what little information about Amber he could that trickles through the grapevine.

1...
Maybe about five, six months later, Daniel comes to find Oshi.

"Just thought you might want to know, Random's on the move out here again. The pattern is: bars and taverns. He's looking for something, but nobody's told me what, yet.

"I don't have anything on Brand, yet. He's still got a finger on some of his contacts... maybe that's a finger on me, since the contacts are dead, but I figure if I pull him, well, you get another shot."

2...
About 2 months after the first round of news, Daniel comes back.

"Either he's run out of time to search, or he's trying to cover too much ground too fast: Random's had someone else doing his hunting. That someone got 'disappeared,' and, maybe related, a half-breed Chaosite kid got Random's personal thank you, and an invitation to the coming card game."

3...
Just a month ago, another bit of news.

"Invitations are flying. Random's lined up Caine's daughter to show, along with a son of Deirdre's."

(and, apparently, about this time Oshi received an invitation of her own...)

When he sees that Oshi has the invitation, Daniel will ask her, "Who delivered it?"

"King Random handed it to me himself."

Daniel blinks a couple times, and then asks, stupidly, "Random was here?"

Oshi just nods, once.

Daniel reaches back for a chair and sits, heavily, looking down at his hands. "I don't get it Oshi. As usual, I don't get what he's after. I can't kill him, and I can't let him live." He laughs. It's not the easy laugh Daniel usually falls to. "That's his art."

"I would offer to kill him for you Daniel, but I cannot. My brother felt Random was a man worth protecting, and I will not dishonor my brother's memory."

Oshi pauses for a second here, her head bowed in thought. "Perhaps my brother knew something we do not. Perhaps there is a reason he felt Random deserved his loyalty."

"There was a time I thought the same. Maybe your brother was right. Or maybe he was just too honorable. I don't know what my play is, Oshi. I don't know what I will have to do."

"Perhaps we will know when the time is at hand."

Daniel nods, and laughs a little. "When the time is at hand, it won't matter if we know or not. Thank you, Oshi." He stands up, getting ready to go. "Perhaps we will both find out."

Player / GM Notes

Simone: Do you have anything for Daniel: gossip or leads from his pub contacts about any changes in Amber or fallout from the end of Kill Brand Part II? How'd we find out about this year's thing?

GM: So far, the gossip has been quiet, but once or twice a month you hear about another Random sighting in the same area of Deep Shadow (rather near this year's card game site, you'll soon discover), like he might be looking for something in the local taverns and clubs. Whatever it is must be of some value, as working Pattern is like breathing mud out here. As for how you found out, well... Oshi received a hand-delivered invitation from Random to this year's card game. If you've been hanging out together, you were likely nearby if not on hand when Random handed her the Trump for the bar.

Simone: We've got some Trumps now, though maybe not of anyone useful... I can't remember if the deck we found was just Brand's henchmen or what.

GM: Every so often, one or another of the Trumps of the dead women goes ever so slightly cool, but there never seems to be a connection on the other end. All of the place Trumps were dead within a week of the end of your last adventure, as if the places they represented had ceased to exist.

Random seems to have sent someone to snoop around the area of Deep Shadow he's been so fascinated with lately. Shortly after this someone dropped off the radar, a Chaosite named "Sid" (rumored to be Eric's kid) got a personal thank you from the King of Amber, and an invite to this year's card game.

A son of Deirdre with a penchant for gambling and a rumored distaste for violence has also been seen around Castle Amber of late, and Random may have added him to the guest list.

Caine's daughter, Sirocco, has received her invite. Rumor has it Random let Caine hand her the invitation. Since her mother runs Madame Masque's, the "third top brothel in Amber," you have a bit more information on this cousin. She's a talented bass guitarist and avid motorcylist, with the technical skills to build both from scratch. Knife fighter and brawler who enjoys mixing it up, and she hasn't gotten on the bad side of any Elders so far. Random is her favorite uncle, and they've jammed together fairly frequently.

Simone: There are two threads of information Daniel's really straining his ears for: one is exactly what or who Random is looking for in this deep shadow area.

GM: Random has confided in no one as to what he seeks. Rumor has it, even Vialle is out of the loop, which may explain the rumors of his marriage growing cold.

Simone: Two is anything about Brand: what's his relationship with Random or Amber as a whole now? What do their rumors say about where he's holed up or gone to ground? etc.

GM: Until recently, perhaps even up until a few months ago, the official line from Amber Castle was that Brand was dead (again?), and there was no public dispute of this. Now, the official line has become "no comment" and rumors are beginning to rise. A Brand sighting in the Golden Circle last month proved to be a con artist trying to fleece some local wizards for all he could manage. The grifter's death was profoundly unpleasant, so much so that there was little left to identify. Random had no comment on this string of events, while Vialle called for respect for the royal family's grief... yeah right.

How far would Daniel pursue these rumors?

Daniel / GM play

Daniel: To help inform Oshi, keep her from going into something with blinders, he'd go pretty far, get pretty close. Maybe risk some contact points or even slipping a sighting or two of his own. Obviously if he can get farther without taking that risk, that's be his preference.

GM: You are able to arrange the theft of a sample of the dead grifter at some expense but no loss of life. Several technological Shadows' experts declare that this sample and the one you got from Brand's room are a match. However, several magical Shadows' experts claim there is no conclusive match and minimal sympathy between the samples. Also, the chambermaid who got you his brush mentioned that a few of Brand's favorite things seemed to be missing from his room when she went in.

Gerard, Julian, and Caine had a meeting, convened by Caine, a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, the man who informed you that the meeting was taking place was found dead, floating face down at the docks, before he could report what was discussed. It seems that he drowned, but there were some bruises that might indicate a struggle.

If Daniel only had time to investigate one of these things personally, which would he choose?

Daniel: Wow. One of the last two. I'd say, the threat to Amber and Vialle's absences is what I'd put heavy personal time into.

I admit to being damned curious about that meeting, but given that only three people attended it, that one's going to be awfully hard to get traction on. I will ask around if I can at least find out if anyone witnessed the struggle with my man, and get that person questioned by an associate before they, too, have a very bad day in the harbor.

GM: Even after putting a few of your contacts in Amber City at risk, you are unable to come up with a witness. Either no one saw your man's struggle, or the witnesses have already been greased, one way or the other. You had to stop - or burn half your network in the city - at that point because of a security crackdown at the docks.

An overheard conversation (boy, you're going to owe that chambermaid big *eg*) between Vialle and Random revealed that Random is looking into what he considers a threat to Amber. "Every unknown like this is a gun at our hearts," he was overheard to say. Also, Random has been taking the Jewel on his trips lately, and Vialle has begun to disappear from the castle overnight fairly frequently.

The chambermaid reports that Random has been in the Royal Library for some time before each of his departures into Deep Shadow, but she cannot determine what he's looking at / for without raising suspicion. While observing the castle from a safe distance, you find an angle that lets you see into one of Vialle's workrooms. One afternoon, she leaves the sculpture she's working on uncovered. The subject's resemblance to Genevieve is profoundly disturbing.

Daniel: Is there anyone who speaks with Vialle about her sculpture? A serving girl or boy, a servant?

GM: There are some court ladies from Amber City and titled women from Rebma that Vialle discusses her work with, but no one you would have reliable contact with.

You see Vialle sneaking away on several nights, but she Trumped away from a different secluded garden each time. Every time you tried to catch a glimpse of where she was going (since she moved through on her own instead of being pulled through, it was 90% likely place not person), she seemed to sense your presence and you had to retreat or be discovered.

Daniel: If Vialle raises the alarm from one of the gardens, seriously, what are my chances of getting away?

GM: She's "alone" in a royal way, meaning there are at least a dozen guards within shouting distance. They'd probably only try to detain you for questioning. If you're willing to kill the majority of them, then you could probably escape if she raises an alarm.

Daniel: Daniel would prefer not to kill them, but having seen the statue, in this case is willing to risk the necessity. He will hide at the optimum place for speed of escape and cover, for the next time she is out of sight of her guards on one of these garden jaunts -- perfect, because apparently they will expect her to Trump away.

When she seems settled and about to pull out her Trump, Daniel will quietly say, "Vialle, Your Majesty, I need to speak with you." He will loosen his voice and let it be Random's, not so much to fool her, but to perhaps give her pause before she would call the guards.

Vialle: There is a flash of something - maybe surprise - that crosses her face, and then her hand curls over the top of her Trump case to hold it closed. "Daniel. I'm surprised to find you here."

Daniel: I freeze briefly at her speaking of my name, then force myself to relax.

Vialle: She swallows softly, and then adds, "Do you really wish to talk, or are you seeking something else?" She still seems a little shaken, but her milky gray eyes settle on you firmly enough to be a bit unsettling. If she could see, you'd think she was looking at your mouth, rather than your eyes, for some clue as to your intentions.

Daniel: I make no move at all, especially no move towards her. Since it is clear she is listening, I speak even more quietly. I feel like an odd cross between a wolf and a rabbit.

Vialle: Vialle seems to mirror this sensation, as she is apparently both vulnerable and powerful in her current situation, with you now, and perhaps in other ways.

Daniel: "I am here to talk. To you. I am sorry things necessitate us meeting this way."

Vialle: "My husband has a knack for the regrettable. Believe me when I say that I understand." Her Trump case disappears into the folds of her cloak, a move that reveals (unintentionally?) a hint of silken gown that seems a bit scandalous for the Queen of All Reality. "What do you need?"

Daniel: "Things are at a... balance point, for me. As usual, Random holds the cards. But he doesn't control them all, and I risked coming here because perhaps you can speak freely to me, and help me understand."

Vialle: "I cannot speak freely, but I may be able to help you."

Daniel: "What is that sculpture you are working on, the one of the woman with the short hair? And why have you chosen now to create it?"

Vialle: "It is a puzzle piece, a portion of the mystery that my husband is delving into, and is likewise delving into him. I was hoping that putting form to the strange impressions he has brought home would help me help him, but so far...." She blushes. "Let me just say that it was insufficient."

GM: You can hear the guards moving in the background, perhaps debating whether they should investigate these hushed voices when the Queen is supposedly alone.

Daniel: "I could tell you some things about that person. If I don't have to leave. Do I have to leave, Your Majesty?"

Vialle: "If I'm to be where I must be, then I will have to leave soon, but anything you could tell me to embellish my work would be very helpful." Her blush deepens.

Daniel: "The woman you are sculpting looks a lot like Random's wife. She... died. She and your sculpture also bear a passing resemblence to my dead mother, which explains a lot -- about Random's taste if nothing else. I could say... more," though it isn't clear by how quiet his voice has gone that this is true, "but I won't if it is not something you want to hear."