Unrecommendables: Ghost Vault

Saithernon the exotic fence told them he figured out the location of the Sonurian Ghost Vault. It wasn’t in the Sonurian mansion; the adepts and whispers that searched it over the centuries would have found it. However, the mansion had a museum. Saithernon determined that the ghost vault was in the shadow of one of the museum exhibits, a gem called the Leviathan’s Eye.

The sapphire had traveled from owner to owner, as such gems do, and was now part of a generous charitable donation from Lord Kinclaith to an auction to raise funds for Inspector Salkha’s crusade against the crime in Crow’s Foot.

The Leviathan’s Eye Heist

Wolfram asked around, not shy about being remembered. He found out the gem would be moved three days before the auction, into the auction house’s security. Joben checked various sources through Lysander, finding weak points. There was a way to get into the carriage when it was going through security, and there was a single bridge over a canal the carriage would have to cross, and there was an auctioneer that Lysander could blackmail.

They decided to hit the armored wagon in transit. It was pulled by a pair of ostentatious war goats, and the tower was more like a rolling watch tower than a vehicle. Still, they knew they could stop it at the bridge.

When it arrived, Tallow’s thugs pulled out the spiked chains and overturned carts to stop the war goats, who protested by hooking a thug on a sharp horn and ruining his day. The carriage was stopped, and Wolfram shot at those on top from his perch on a roof.

Meanwhile Joben ran up and used his naginata to chuck the driver into the canal, and when the guard riding shotgun fired a blunderbuss at him, he took it on his armor and then stabbed the guard in the head as Wolfram finished off the other two on the carriage.

Inside, Aldo was disguised as one of the four House Guard transporting the gem. In fact, he had it in his possession. It was in a dimensionally encrypted puzzle box, but that was a problem for later. He threw down a flashbomb and escaped; only one of the other guards staggered out to stop them as Joben raced by, and Wolfram shot him. They faded into the alleys to meet up later.

Downtime

Turns out Sgt. Trellis of the Sattler Street Bluecoats, the coppers that Wolfram and Jakes intimidated into backing off earlier, retaliated. They arrested Amancio for fencing and abetting rebels, seizing the Springflood Pawn Shop and denting the Unrecommendables’ empire.

Joben used Harmony’s gang to check into them, and he found that Lady Caroline protected them with her wealth and influence, enjoying their crusade. (She also had a beautiful daughter about Sgt. Trellis’s age named Tareel.) Captain Lesky, of the bluecoats, was losing a lot of money to the crusade and sort of really hated Sgt. Trellis and his crew of about 5 inspectors.

The adepts made short work of the box, extracting the Leviathan’s Eye.

Wolfram helped Joben set up a business for the family that depended on Joben, by clearing out some thugs that were choking off business in the area. Joben finished up getting them open with a dry goods store, so his promise to his dead friend was finally fulfilled.

Aldo spent some time hobnobbing with his bluecoat friends to try and dent the high heat their last mission brought down on them. He also spent some time meditating and absorbing the energy of his talismans, gaining the ability to project forcefully in the Ghost Field. The Outsider visited him as he completed absorbing the energy, pointing out that while the Outsider chose him, Aldo chose this path.

The Sonurian Ghost Vault Heist

They decided to go into the Ghost Vault for loot. Vincen and the coven advised them that high was good, and rain was good; they went to a widow’s watch over the Tenpenny Court Network. The adepts painted astral symbols on their foreheads, and they stepped into a small pool they built on the floor, falling through the Mirror. Aldo, Wolfram, and Joben took the adept gang and half the thug gang.

They collected near each other once through, wispy tethers connecting them through the pool back to the other side of the mirror. Aldo led them to whisk over to the door to the vault, though it strained him badly.

The door was carefully locked, and had an inscription reminiscent of the Void on its door. Aldo noticed the door bore the mark of the Outsider, so he opened it; for a moment linear and nonlinear time touched in him, almost snapping him inside out, but he persevered and opened the door.

Into the Vault

On the other side was a long hallway, a murder hole with slits in the walls and ceiling and drains in the floor. Aldo blinked to the far side, seeing a diagram of a family tree with gems. He remembered the research he did of the Sonurian family tree, and recognized the diamonds were ghosts interred within, and the emeralds were family patriarchs. He touched the green gems in order (there were 3) and opened the door.

They saw a library and a topiary, and since they had a book they went into the library. The central corridor went on forever, so the adepts tried to break the illusion and succeeded, so they reached the end.

Seated there was the Sonurian Chosen. She was a ghost, looking just like Child but with white hair and a prosthetic hand and the Mark of the Outsider. She stepped through Aldo, interlocking her Mark with his so it formed a wierdly rayed circle; without the Mark, she dissipated, but left a sort of Ghost Vault of her mind and memories firmly connected to Aldo.

Ghosts screamed and began to coalesce, as they felt the Chosen’s final death. However, Aldo realized if you know where things are in the Vault, you can move to them by willing it. He took them to the vault.

They found the painted portrait of Saithernon that he wanted as his cut. They also found many strange treasures and idols and gems, filling their pockets.

Aldo, Wolfram, and Joben got 10 coin each. They also got special treasure.

• Aldo got 6 points of talismans, 4 worth 1 each and 1 worth 2.
• Aldo got a spider hull with an abdomen that can carry 3 loads, and the mark of the Outsider on its underside. It followed him out of the depths of the vault, docile and helpful.
• Aldo got the interlocked tattoo of the Chosen of Sonuria, her mark interlocking with his to form a complexly rayed concentric circle pattern. He also has a back door into her living mind, but isn’t sure how to access it yet. She looked like Child, but with white hair, and a prosthetic hand. She was waiting for him through time, and together their symbol can open a way to the Void.
• Wolfram got a statue of the Keeper of the Gate, crystal and gold blended, with smaller statues of other gods strategically placed in a pattern on the base (3 loads.)
• Wolfram got the Dreaming Scroll, torso sized (3 loads) hammered metal scroll. It can be read, but also played, and if it is played right the weird tune can affect the human brain and its capacities.
• They got a 400 year old painting of Saithernon and his snake, the payment he wanted.
• A statue of a leviathan as long as an arm, with light squirming around on it; it is a container for holding leviathan blood.

The Beginning

As Aldo whisked them back to the entry, they escaped with masses of loot. As they gave Saithernon his portrait, he did not even look at it. Feverishly excited and flushed, Saithernon said when they sift this time from the future, they will say this is where an age began.