COUNCIL OF VENICE
REPORT #2
ON THE PARISIAN MONSTER SURGE
REPORT AUTHOR: DARIUS POWELL, MISC.
Administrative Notes
First of all, it should be noted that Stephen Grant is being removed from all Parisian reports and operations. I will be working on these reports from now on. If you have any questions, please direct them to my inbox. Thank you.
Agents in Paris are using #ParisienneSecrets to discuss field matters on Twitter.
Finally, I will be including reports from locals when necessary. Thank you.
INITIAL INVESTIGATIONS
Russell Kobayashi meets with Brittany Duval. Not only is she... off, but she seems to be running an agenda. She tries to mislead Kobayashi, direct suspicion onto Cassandra Havelock, and generally acts in a way that does not have Paris as the priority. Intriguing. The details of their talk can be found here.
Grace Mereland meets with Brittany Duval. The women should click - they’re both Malleus Maleficarum, after all, and yet Duval continues to be suspicious. Interestingly, she tries to deflect suspicion onto Cassandra Havelock - although it’s not certain why.
Catelyn Eames arrives in Paris, immediately lending her aid to Cassandra Havelock. The two women reform the alliance they had in Vegas, based on their deep personal friendship. Also, Eames tucks Havelock into bed. It’s, dare I say it, downright adorable? NOTE FROM CASSANDRA HAVELOCK: GOD DAMNIT, POWELL.
Jericho Blake moves into the city and takes action immediately. First, he meets with Brittany Duval. His passive spirit sight shows him an alarming truth - Duval is possessed by a predatory owl spirit, a Strix who feasts on prey such as humans and Bees and mages. Blake updates Cassandra Havelock immediately, and she is the one to actually identify the beast. She begins to get the word out. However, Savoy refuses to act on Havelock’s report, claiming it is a lie.
Rhoswyn Evans meets with Antoine Savoy and Savoy admits he plans to use her significant magical prowess to burn out the underground of the city, leaving nothing left but ash. Evans is horrified at the possibility - including the potential loss of life and history. Savoy agrees to hold off, and encourages Evans to join patrols - as well as know her place in the city.
Abigail Williams and Vane Graves try to fly into Paris, only to have their plane crash in the countryside. They’re lucky enough to get a lift into Paris. Once inside the city, they meet with Cassandra Havelock, who asks the duo to help track down some of the Templar corpses lost beneath the city.
Grace Mereland interacts with Savoy; it is not necessarily a productive meeting. It becomes increasingly clear that Savoy has ignored everything to do with the monster situation in the city. The details of their explosive meeting can be found here.
Antoine Savoy is introduced to Alima Hopkins. The meeting goes terribly, with Hopkins completely losing her cool and vowing to save his city without him - and prove the true meaning of what it means to be a Templar.
Elisha Wright meets with Antoine Savoy. The two of them agree on initial approach to the city, and Wright obtains permission to do initial magical readings on the city with her team. However, when Savoy realizes she’s using Blood Magic to speak French, their interaction becomes... strained. However, initial magical readings suggests there are power sources under the city that are becoming increasingly stronger - and more urgent to address.
Jacob, one of Elisha Wright’s people, gets permission for permission to act as they please in the city from Cassandra Havelock - of course, within reasonable limits. This allows Wright and her crew to bypass the Old Guard in some ways.
Alice Glenisle meets with Cassandra Havelock and discusses the current state of the city. Havelock suggests Glenisle avoid Savoy and instead investigate the Administrative Office. Glenisle agrees, and reminds Cassandra to keep her chin up, leaving with her seven attack poodles in tow.
Mathilda Cavendish proves to be the only Templar who doesn’t get into a row with Savoy immediately; instead, she says she will do anything for the city and follow orders. She asks for more information on the beasts spotted underground - Savoy points her towards Cassandra Havelock and Rhoswyn Evans. Valerie Xi may also prove to be a useful contact in this pursuit.
TL;DR - The city is in a state of great peril. Savoy is stonewalling most Templars from London. Brittany Duval has been possessed by an Owl predator spirit known as a Strix. These two major authorities in the city are either corrupt or useless - and it may be Paris that pays the price.
FOLLOWING THE BREADCRUMBS
Next, Jericho Blake moves into the sewers. He encounters a corpse golem and finds he is unable to take it down solo - or a least without not putting his life at risk. However, he also discovers that the Phoenicians control the waterways - and are able to move through the underground by using the waterways. This is, to be sure, a fascinating discovery.
Mathieu Tveskog meets with Halette Narcisse about the situation in the city. Narcisse informs him about some of the relics in the underground that are amplifying and luring in the monsters that plague the city. She’s hesitant to tell him too much at first, as she fears the iron hand of the Inquisition coming down upon her - but Tveskog’s passion for his hometown and his people wins her over, and she shares some coordinates. The details of their conversation can be found here.
Halette Narcisse is found and interrogated by Isa Vanderbilt. Halette discusses the fact that there is a necromancer beneath the city and how he (or she) is raising the dead Templars and casualties of war to fight against the city. Narcisse reluctantly admits that Bousquet is a former necromancer, and a prime suspect to be behind this - especially with Duval’s current state revealed.
Grace Mereland meets with Halette Narcisse. Narcisse shares some of the history of the city - both Duval and Savoy have been in their offices for less than six months, after the previous leader and Enforcer were taken out in a car crash. The car crash was ruled an accident, but the populace is still suspicious. Narcisse shares that only a few people in the city could have possibly activated the relics that are drawing in the monsters - Duval is the obvious choice, but Savoy cannot be ruled out as a suspect.
Mr. Whiskers and Jessa Wong are the next recipients of Duval’s suspicious behaviour, with Mr. Whiskers understanding the true nature of Duval. Duval furiously throws them out of her office, her facade cracking further. Savoy continue to refuses to take action regarding Duval and the rumours surrounding her.
TL;DR: There’s a necromancer beneath the city raising dead Templars to fight for their side. Duval’s right hand man, Bousquet, is a prime suspect. The Phoenicians control underground waterways. There are relics underground that are drawing in monsters, and amplifying and enraging them.
STRIX HAPPENS
Don’t believe Havelock - I do enjoy a good pun from time to time.
Ian Pertwee visits Brittany Duval, unaware that she has been revealed as a Strix. The man pokes at her sore spots, infuriates her - and is attacked in the process. His tweets and disappearance prove enough to reveal the true identity of the Owl demon to the populace at large, although there is a price - Pertwee goes missing, unable to trust any law in Paris.
Alarmingly, the Strix is able to mentally manipulate Templar patrols on the street.
Ian Pertwee is driven underground after being attacked. Willow Wolf manages to get him to the local Romani Patriarch, Durriken, and get him to safety until Duval can be taken in by the Inquisition. Pertwee forges an alliance with Durriken and promises to help protect his people in Paris.
With the previous encounters that Templars and non-Templars alike have had with the Strix, Gillian Zhuge does not wait for Savoy to take action - she strikes a deal with the monstrous beast, taking it into Inquisition custody in exchange for safety. The details of their deal can be found here. The Strix is now being housed in Zhuge’s apartment, and is available for questioning at any time.
Edith Kemp has a busy day following the Inquisition apprehending the Strix. She meets with Havelock and is updated on the situation. Havelock gives her a letter to help... ease things with the Old Guard authorities in town. A rare asset. It’s curious how she coaxed it out of Havelock. Furthermore, Kemp questions the Strix. The Strix admits that it was under the authority of something else - something that scares even it. The details of Edith’s report can be found here.
TL;DR: Duval is finally put away - not due to Savoy, but due to the Inquisition. An uneasy “alliance” is stuck between Paris and the Strix, and the Strix can be questioned in Gillian Zhuge’s apartment.
LOCAL POPULATIONS
Asmod LeBlanc ventures under the city to speak to a woman named Laroux, a former Templar who now resides in the catacombs protecting those who end up there. Laroux entrusts LeBlanc with the artifact that Duval found that led to her possession in exchange for medicine and weaponry.
Daxia Ring and her assistant Sam van der Schaaf meet with some of the Romani contacts in the city, including one of their Chosen of Gaia. They form a makeshift alliance - the condition being that Savoy, or the “Big Man” of Paris, is removed from power. Ring and van der Schaaf agree to these terms.
Tobias meets with a past conqueror of Paris, Bergdis Hildirdottir. Hildirdottir is tired of Paris, tired of politics, tired of the Old Guard. She speaks of joining the Phoenicians, giving up the fight. She suggests Tobias meet with Cassandra Havelock - and see whether the New Blood in Paris is worth fighting for.
Nvida Noire meets with Jay Thomas. Thomas reveals some interesting tidbits - one, he’s in love with a Templar, thus neutralizing his effectiveness as an Illuminati spy. He also shares the fact that there’s a thriving community of exiled Templars down below - not just the notorious exile, Laroux. The details of this conversation can be found here.
Astrid Archer stops to speak to the ghoul populace of Paris, which is struggling in light of current events - and unable to flee or ally with the ‘above-grounders’. Their chieftain, Aglecur, helps Archer how she can in thanks for past deeds - there are chokepoints that, if sealed, will stop more monsters from entering the underground. Archer decides to make this her priority, as well as saving the ghouls from total extinction.
Eboni Uto examines the magical side of Paris - and not the way the tourism brochures mean. She ignores the Coven of Paris and instead explores Paris’s equivalent of Darkside. A Witch named Aubrette at The Brewin’ Pot complains that her business is being choked out by martial law. Uto and Aubrette form an alliance, and Aubrette informs her that there are not just corpse golems down below - but shamblers, and even liches. She suggests Uto follow up with Cassandra Havelock.
Vincent Stillman briefly meets with Cassandra Havelock to discuss Ludious’s findings with the Romani and the city, as well as discuss the city and local politics. Havelock gratefully accepts the extra intel - but then warns Stillman to avoid Savoy if he wants to be productive in the city. Stillman then visits The Louvre, the Venetian base of operations in Paris. Kay Lowes, the current Venetian lead, explains the city’s situation to Stillman - and reports as to a demon girl who’s been spotted near one of the churches in the city. Stillman decides to track this lead.
Unfortunately, the demon girl, Anastasia ends up charming Stillman enough to earn temporary sanctuary in his hotel. While it seems that she is (on the surface) unconnected to the events in Paris, only time will tell how her ability to summon can prove of use to Venice and the Secret World.
Ivan Azarov meets up with a cat shapeshifter named Tom. Tom informs Ivan that the real power in the city are Red and White - two witches on the Coven of Paris - and that they’re struggling as much as everyone. Tom used to do paperwork for them, but he had to be let go. The Coven are friendly to shapeshifters, though - something that would be far less likely from Savoy.
Alima Hopkins follows up her meeting with Savoy by meeting Red and White, the leaders of the Coven of Paris. She finds the duo quite delightful, and they chat about the future of Paris over fresh, home baked bread and butter.
THE WAR RAGES
Angelique Richter patrols the city and runs into two Templar Witch Hunters, Jane Ashe and Q. The three form a surprisingly fast friendship. Jane and Q ask for Richter’s help in removing the reagents Savoy needs for his plan to burn the underground of the city out. Richter proves a formidable distraction, and the task is done. Savoy’s threats to purge the underground are now delayed, or derailed.
Sarah Willis speaks briefly with Duval’s right hand man and former necromancer, Bousquet. Bousquet gives her some frank information about the city - and its underworld - and informs her that the Templars are desperately seeking the uniforms and corpses of its dead. Willis decides to garner favour with Havelock and Mereland by heading down to see what she can do on that front.
Ludious emerges from the Parisian sewers with horrible stories (no one's quite sure whether they're true or not) and a mask. The mask hasn't given much information. Oh. It's a talking mask. I should have mentioned that. The talking mask is currently in Havelock's custody while she tries and figures out what it is - and whether it's useful.
Rhoswyn Evans returns to speak to Savoy after encountering a corpse golem and nearly losing her life - and finds zero sympathy. Savoy reiterates that he plans to wash the underground out with fire. When Evans still stands firm on protecting the innocent, Savoy says she can do the filthy work of talking with traitors - a woman named Laroux who lives in the underground.
Rhoswyn goes to Cassandra Havelock to warn the Knight-Captain as to Savoy’s plans and update her as to the urgency of the situation. Havelock agrees with Evans, and encourages her to stay under the radar until a permanent solution can be figured out.
Russell Kobayashi and Charles Price speak briefly with Antoine Savoy. He is as impatient with Venetians as he is with Illuminati. He does briefly agree to send them information on the underground relics - and mentions the existence of an Archon who may have interacted with the relics down below. However, Savoy refuses to elaborate. The details of this meeting can be found here
Eleanor Blackwell meets with Halette Narcisse. Narcisse admits that she doesn’t know much about the relics beneath the city (organics are more her thing). She encourages Blackwell to seek out some of the relics beneath the city, and offers the artifact hunter the ability to keep anything she can find and neutralize. The details of their conversation can be found here.
THE NEXT STEPS
Jericho Blake visits Halette Narcisse to try to get a better idea of what’s going on beneath the city. Narcisse confirms there are likely multiple corpse golems made up of Templars, and that the age of the golems may determine the skill of the necromancer involved. Furthermore, she puts together Duval’s Inquisition custody and the Strix in the city. She decides to attempt to purge the Strix from Duval.
Ilana Valkor speaks with a young boy, a child who has the gift of prophecy expressed through drawings. The boy gives Ilana a few glimpses of Paris and what lies beneath the surface - a couple of excerpts from the report are as follows.
Paris at night. The skies dark. A woman in a white sundress walks by the Eiffel Tower. Red rose petals fall from her hand, leaving a trail.
“Her name is Melanie. She was a nice lady before it found her.”
Whatever these images be - it seems to be important. It may merit further investigation.
And now, sigh... it seems Valerie Xi would like to put her report in.
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