Case 3.P2: Lady Bzatrux
The officers took a few days to recover after the events in the basement. Fingle and Eddie went to the hospital to get the strings looked at, but no one could help them.
The officers gave the Necromancy Division a visit, both to check on Elverten and to see if they had any ideas about what to do. They knocked at the door and were left standing for a few moments before an elf opened the door. He didn’t seem too keen on the officers being there, but a familiar voice invited them. The necromancy office was just as large as the CFT’s office but only seemed to have just the two officers. An elf introduced himself as Tetra Viand, the adopted brother of Elverten. The group asked if the two knew any way to remove the Lich’s strings. Tetra pulled a face and dug through his desk, and produced a business card for the Mythril Mantel, a store in the Fae District. There, he said, would be someone who could help, but they would most likely want something in return. The officers thanked the two and left for their office.
Back in their office, Captain Mackey told Fingle and Eddie that they would be on permanent desk duty from now on, as he couldn’t risk them getting their souls ripped out on duty. Blaine stood up saying they had a lead on who to fix them and asked for one chance to try it. Mackey relented and let the officers go.
Later, they pulled up outside the Mythril Mantel. The front of the store gave a very ‘Olde Timey’ feel to the building. The officers entered the store to find it packed with shelves full of empty ornate mason jars. Blaine, though, could see something swirling around inside them.
A voice called out to them, saying they’ll be out shortly. The Officers stood aghast went an empty burgundy suit and floating jewellery came out from the back room. Again, Blaine saw what was there, a blackened skeleton with long red and orange fire for hair. She introduced herself as Lady Bzatrux.
The officers told Bzatrux their story and that they needed her help. She curled the string around her finger, a strange feat as this was the first time Blaine had seen anything be able to interact with them. She thought for a moment, then said she will remove the strings as payment for a job. Desperate to get the string removed, the officers agreed to help. Lady Bzatrux told them she needs a spirit captured that had been causing trouble and handed them a mason jar that will capture the ghost once it had been defeated.
As a show of trust, she offered to remove one string as a down payment, to prove she could help them. Again, the officers agreed. She produced a set of gold and silver scissors and stabbed them into Eddie’s forehead. After a bit of digging around, the line snapped, and the scissors shattered. Turning to Fingle, she said that she can attach herself to the string and would try to catch Fingle if his soul was removed. It wasn’t a guarantee, though, he could still slip through. So, she warned him to be careful.
The officers arrived at the abandoned theatre. Jericho busted open the lock on the front door, and the officers all pulled out their torches to light the way. The old theatre was dark and dingy with dead rats carpeting the floor. Fingle noted that there was no visible cause of death for all the rats. It seems like they had dropped dead.
Moving into the main auditorium. Jericho bounded onto the stage to get a better look around. Jokingly, he pointed behind the officers, yelling, GHOST! Only for them to turn and point their torches at the actual ghost. The Bodak attacked the party, unleashing an aura that started draining the officers. Eddie and Blaine stepped away and attacked from a distance, while Jericho and (throwing caution to the wind) Fingle got up close and personal with the ghost, beating it into submission. Blaine opened the mason jar, Bzatrux gave them The Bodak started screaming as it was pulled into the jar, which then sealed itself.
The Officers returned to Lady Bzatrux; she thanked the officers for capturing the spirit. When asked what she wanted it for, she told them she can refine the spirits, removing the souls from them and releasing them into the afterlife, leaving behind their essence which could be turned into either a curse or a boon.
Bzatrux then untied Fingle’s string from herself and pulled out another pair of silver and gold scissors, jabbing them into the Halfling’s forehead and popping out the anchor which tied his soul to Tzeagrunoc.
With the case solved and the entire horrific experience behind them, the Officers went home, looking forward to the upcoming Funfair…
