Monster Blood Tattoo: The Peltryman's Behest 3

Chapter III: The Black Trade

Fabercadavery: also known as asnecrology or necromancy, the making of revers and other gudgeons, including jackstraws...Therefore, in nearly every realms of the Half-Continent, fabercadavery is illegal (even the liberal surgeons of Sinster regard it with caution), and its practitioners are often hunted down and goaled or even slain. - Factotum.

The Alcoves, Brandenbrass
Lestwich, 1601 HIR

After fending off the attacks of the Ashmonger Scollfyld's thugs, the party grew concerned at the long absence of their tamed corser Frangelin, who had gone into the ashmonger's quarters seeking intelligence.  Knowing that stealth was no longer possible, they prepared to assault the building by main force.

They were interrupted by the appearance of the long-absent Prince Avignon, one of their comrades from the Battle of the Vab.  He had been distant from the city when he received Widow Portent's summons and hurried to Lord Danny's town house upon his late arrival in the city.  Being told that his lordship was away in the Alcoves, he knew if he listened for the sounds of strife, he would soon find Danube.  He was not disappointed.

Meanwhile, Corser Frangelin had been greeted without suspicion by Scollfyld's right-hand man, Makepeace.  He was told that despite the disruption to the hob-rousing market, there was still plenty of business, with request coming from further afield.  This discussion ended abruptly when the party outside began their scuffle with Scollfyld's spurns.  Makepeace sent reinforcements and prepared the lower floors for any further attack.  He crimped Frangelin into the Ashmonger's service.

While sleuth Accural and Prince Avi watched the front of the bulding, Danny, Fransalir, Angella, and Lorent went to the rear building seeking a back entrance.  They discovered a pair of corsers loading their cart.  Thinking quickly, Fransalir convinced the pair that the party was extra security hired by Scollfyld.  Duped completely, the pair showed the party the secret entrance into the rear of Scollfyld holdfast.  The party proved equally adept at talking their way past the spurns guarding the interior of the place.

They advanced up a narrow stairway to room used for the processing of the corser's product.  It was well guarded by a spurn and two hired lesquins.

The party's subterfuge was discerned by the alert guards.  From a nearby cage, two undead revermen were released and launched themselves upon the party.

The party members were able to tumbled the two man-made horrors into the stairway they had just come up, slamming the trap door after the pair of gudgeons.  They soon heard the cries of horror as the uncontrollable creatures attacked the guard therein.

Back on the second floor, the lesquins proved formdable opponents.  One well placed shot struck Lord Danube in the chest where his proofing had been torn by the dogs; the shot nearly killed the laggard-wit.  Lorent proved luckier and soon drew a potent script from his digital.

"I'll be behind you every step of the way!" cried Frangelin as Makepeace led reinforcements into the fight with the two revermen.  Frangelin then slammed the door to stairway behind them, trapping Makepeace and his men in with the revermen.

Frangelin convinced the two remaining, unenthusiactic spurns to escape the carnage by leaving through the front door.  They saw that the constabulary had arrived, led by none other than the High Constable and Thief-taker General Caractacus Maile.  The three surrendered.

Soon after being placed in the constabulary rough lentum, Frangelin put his lock-scarfing skill to good use, opening both his wrist irons and coach's door.  He then slipped away into the gathered crowd.

Lorent and Fransalir flung their potives at their opponents catching them of fire. Then fell backward into a pile of discarded coffins, setting those alight as well.  Soon the room was filled with smoke. Angella managed to drag a ragged little man from his hiding place under the surgeon's table.  A book fell from this coat that Fransalir quickly realized was a fabarcadavery manual.

Realizing that their only means of escape from the burning building was back down the stairs by which they came, Lord Danube fired his long gun at the single remaing reverman (the other having been dispatched by Makepeace's men, not without casualities).  While the shot did little damage, it did attract the reverman's attentions.  When it turned to face Lord Danny, Makepeace and his men made a hasty retreated out the rear door.  Danny then using his wit skill, forced the revereman back down the stairs.  The Creature was flung backwards through the rear door. 

The thing collided with Makepeace and his men who had been in the process of surrendering to the soldiers that Maile had sent to cover the rear of the building.  The sudden appearance of the monster caused the nervous soldiers to act as expected.  Makepeace and his men were cut down and the reverman found itself inanimate  again.

The party soon followed after. Fortunately, Accural and Prince Avi, who had hidden themselves upon the arrival of the police were able to convince the soldiers and then his acquaintance Maile that the party members were his assistants.  The fortuitously captured black habilist lent credibility to this claim.

Soon thereafter, Scollfyld himself surrendered, fearing death by fire.  Maile sternly indicated that the ashmonger's future was almost certainly included an end on a Catharine wheel.

Accural convinced the High Constable to allow him to interrogate the ashmonger for a case upon which his was working.  Maile agreed with alacrity.

Facing the certainty of a falseman's gaze and the electrifying intimidation of two fulgars, Scollfyld soon yielded up what he knew.  They had received a large number of requests for bodies from Swill, the surgeon at the Lamplighter fortress of Winstermill.  These were delivered with no questions asked in exchange for a prompt payment.  After the fall of the fortress to a horde of monster, in which Swill was slain, the requests came from a Dr. Corvinus, who claimed to be a colleague of Swill's. These bodies were delivered to Silvernook where arrangements were to be made to send them further down the Wormway, past The Wight.  In addition to many general requests for any form of body, there were at least half a dozen special requests for younger persons, very recently planted.  These were to be treated with the best but mildest preservants.  The body of Albany was sent in response of one of these  requisitions.  

Satisfied with Scollfyld's cooperation, they agreed to his request to send a message to his patron and protector, the elephantine Lassitudinus Fleenor, who served under Baron Anthemius Lorq, Senior Metripolitan to the Archduke Narseses himself.