When Hieronymus learned a lot and Mercedes ruined everything again

General Summary

Hieronymus de Groot started off on a low note by discovering he actually does not like his artist friends. He invited Liam to his home where they both went on to work on their separate commissions; de Groot went to work on his commission for a portrait of Princess-Mayor Mari de Luna holding hands with Cithol, the god(dess) of death. Liam was painting a scene of Saint Iria's death, where she was penetrated by several arrows, dying in the arms of her nephew.
However, things quickly started looking up when he got a letter from his patron (and budding friend) Klopstock, with an invitation to the Bellwick Club for a "Blue Night" where he got to experience the most decadent parts of high societal life (rare, incredibly fine wine and orgies). He also learned the party was thrown in honor of Cornelius Claudius, the former club master who had danced himself to death during the last party. Hieronymus recognized him as a dancing dwarf he had painted and got a suspicion that he had actually killed him with magic. The fine wine and finer company kept his mind off it though. He met Adolf Schlongdorf, the new club master, and his wife Theresa de Castillio, both prominent members of the club and both very interested (read: horny) in this new and very handsome artist in their midst. He also learned Klopstock was "much older than he seemed", that his feetsies are quite sensitive and fragile and that when he was young he was a real rooster surrounded by hens.
In addition later during the night, he got seemingly much closer to his goal of learning more about the dark secrets of the unseen world. A nude Kleon, who had until that night been in exile after Mercedes during her time as Sheriff pinned the terrible crimes against Alexander Tre Rosor on him, took an also nude, high and drunk Hieronymus down a dark, cold stair leading to a place without light.

---

Mercedes de Luna ruined everything as usual.
She had long sessions of sparring with Julius Nyckel which was the only good part of the last two days, as she, at times, managed to surprise him and momentarily get the upper hand. As he is basically a demi-god she saw it as a roaring success.
She decided to try on an evil mask made from dark and evil magic that changed her facial features and aura to someone who would never be recognized and remembered. Wearing it, she was overcome by the possibilities it opened up and took a walk, just enjoying the anonymity. Afterwards she managed to take it off and the fear returned. She was devastated when she learned the mask is inhabited by an old and malicious spirit.
Next day, Mercedes attended at war-meeting at the palace. Mari decreed that the city would requisition all large trading ships for the war, which would probably make the merchant class very upset, but it had to be done. They also established that controlling Wassund was imperative for the war effort, and Mercedes decided on her mothers advice to prepare to travel there to convince her cousin Brunhilde and brother Miguel to do a coup to depose Brunhilde's and Julius' mother Agatha from the throne and give it to Brunhilde. This would however cause her to miss her best friends Elize' and cousin Julius' wedding, which pained her greatly.
Mercedes spoke to Julius at Karolinska Huset and he said he understood, which wasn't at all what she wanted to hear as she wanted to be convinced to stay for the wedding. She then asked Thomas Hardinger, the pious sharpshooter working for the mercenary company, if he wanted to join the newly started Inquisition, and accidentally poached him by offering higher pay. Shame caused her to leave the house without talking to Elize.
Then she returned to the palace to ask Estanza to accompany her to Wassund for the coup, which she accepted. On the way out Mercedes noticed her Sarkian magic sensor getting incredibly hot for a moment. She hurried to Vivaldi to ask about it, and what to do about the Bearded Man, and Vivaldi seemed very frustrated and stressed and snapped at her. Mercedes then noticed the evil Sarkian mask had melted and realized that must have been why the sensor medallion got warm.
Worrying that the Bearded Man had taken things into his own hands, she walked to auf Klint's mansion and asked to enter. Captain Aldus of the house guard let her in since she is an expert on fighting dark magic, as the entire family had disappeared and the only trace left was a crying servant with a hammer and a broken mirror.
Realizing they had left the mansion through the Shadow Mirror she reasoned that maybe they had went to Elize aunt Laura's place which she knew also had a mirror, and quickly went there. She kicked in the door and found no auf Klint family, however Laura was there. After trading a few words and Mercedes asking if she knew where auf Klint was, Laura used magic to freeze Mercedes and the two guards she had brought and left through the mirror, hanging a drape over it on the other side. When the magic faded Mercedes angrily searched through the room and sent one of the guards to report what had happened to the Sheriff. She found several magic items and clues, but realized she had played her cards too soon and aunt Laura now knew Mercedes was onto them. She hung a drape on their side of the mirror too. As the guard returned, she additionally learned that King Acchon of Verdina had been assassinated. Stress almost overcame her again.

Character(s) interacted with

Hieronymus:
Theresa de Castillio
Adolf Schlongdorf
Klopstock
Liam
Kleon

Mercedes:
Mari de Luna
Estanza de Luna
Julius Nyckel
Vivaldi
Thomas Hardinger
Laura Kindling

World Date
5th-6th September 210ADW

Report Date

16 Jun 2020