RP:Call the Deadwife
This is a Necromancer's Guild RP.
Summary: Joan and Jaxson run into each other while investigating reports of a swindler passing themselves off as a certified Necromancer's Guild séance performer in Kelay Town.
House
The henna stained door moves easily on its hinges as you push it open and enter the house. The first thing noticeable is the abundance of sunshine, streaming in naturally through a large bay window overlooking the front porch. Several smaller portals line the walls as well, the light catching the dust particles as they dance lazily over the well worn, but soft rug. Delicate carvings trim the wooden stairwell as it rises to a loft, overlooking the main room. Double french doors are flung open along the south wall, revealing a bedroom beyond. A horribly disfigured body lies sprawled across the floor, bearing deep gashes and tears in its clothing. At the midsection of the corpse, a great, gaping wound reveals intestines that have been slightly pulled outward.
Joan had been split up her current time between the funeral home and now here at the spiral, as well as the House of Ara. Ever since her latest meeting/testing was over and done with Khitti, the woman spent time going over and brushing up on the basic arts, as she needed to master them before even thinking of applying for a teaching position. This also meant that Joan was on hand and call for any missions or assignments the guild got in to go deal with, this happen here to her and any other similar ranking member or lower. As she worked quietly in a warded classroom down one of the massive hallways upstairs from the entrance and the fountain a dark hooded novice would knock on the classroom door to catch the vampire’s attention, Joan would pause in her work and call for the person to enter, her hold on her dark shadow icy claws held in check by her personal control and consternation. A envelope with a invite to a seance happening in Kelay today was inside. This caused Joan to frown as she called in her shadow claws, extinguished the icy waving flames from the tips of her nails before picking up the note and envelope to better examine the contents of the invite, a light dismissal wave giving to the hooded novice letting him or her know it was okay to leave Joan, which they did after a nod of acknowledgment that Joan barely noticed as most of her attention was taken up by the invite. Her eyes narrowing as she read over the name of the medium supposedly in charge of the seance. Letting out an sigh, Joan would exit the warded classroom after making sure she cleaned up after herself and making the classroom safe for general use again before making her way down long corridors and stairs back down towards the main room of the black spire, perhaps she could ask for some help with this mission on exposing the well known fraud. As she stepped down off the last stair and looked around she’d notice no one was available at the moment, puffing out her cheeks and realizing she’d might be tackling this problem by herself had the vampiric healer walking out the exit of the black spire and make her way out of town and towards Kelay and the house where this seance was going to happen at.
Jaxson Ravencroft has been a busy man over this last week. From his match against Mesdoram in the Titans of Winter Tournament, to recruiting Penelope and her twin brother Kel to a deal with Cenril and to his work amongst the community of Cenril as of late the spellcaster has had barely any time to really settle down. Today would not be the day that he did either it seems, for as the nobleman had returned to his beloved city, after his mishap with a teleportation spell sent him all the way up to the Xalious mountains, the man would find a message waiting on him. He too has received an invitation to a séance happening in Kelay, though attached to that was also a letter explaining a situation that troubled the man enough to cause him to attend. It seems this medium has been reportedly using the situation in Cenril, the virus that has been claiming lives, to peddle their “magic” upon the poor downtrodden souls of his home. While surely local authorities could be used to settle such an affair, Jax had time to spare and was in the mood to see what type of person would dare try to use such an event for their own profit. This lead the warlock from the comforts of his family’s manor, where he has been noticeably absent as of late, to this little house nestled within the heart of the village called Kelay. Supposedly the rumor is Sven himself watches over this particular area, warding off the evils from ancient legends with his supreme might. To Jax, he just assumes no one gives a damn about this Podunk town to really care. Either way that was all irrelevant to the matter at hand. Jax was here to find the one responsible for the string of cons that have been reported in Cenril, and he would begin here at this house that the supposed séance was to happen tonight. Dressed in his usual attire of a finely tailored suit, the Cenrillian noble opens the gate leading to the house and walks up to the door only to find a familiar figure was already there. That pixie-cut was a dead giveaway, as the man says. “We keep running into one another Joan.”
Joan was lost in thought of how she’d call out the fake medium in the middle of the supposed ‘live real seance’ once she reached Kelay proper and turned down the lane that lead to the wooden gate, having paused there while making up her mind she’d open the gate and lightly close it behind her was she made her way towards the door where a small crowd hung out chatting in quite manner with each other in an excited manner, this caused the vampiric healer to hang back abit, the poor wealthy widowed host came out to greet the small invited guest, speaking about what everyone was to expect before standing aside and making a gesture for those outside to enter in. As the folks filtered in Joan would straighten her vest and shirt before making to file in behind the last of the guest, tho the sight of a seemly late comer caused Joan to pause, she wanted to be the one to enter last so she could stand in the back. As the nobleman spoke towards her Joan pulled back as she recognized Jaxson Ravencroft. “Oh yeah! Hi, I’m here on urgent business. After you!” She’d gesture for him to enter before her, the woman wanting to slip in behind and use the noble as a visible shield, taking to standing slightly behind. The place was packed with eager invited guest that formed a standing semi-circle around the table set in place of the middle of the room.
Jaxson is fine the greetings are short because his focus is really on the task at hand, and that task is to uncover the truth regarding this “medium” who seems to charge a pretty copper for their services. Speaking with the dead is a very impressive and very -hard- skill to master. Dealing with spirits tends to be dangerous, even something as simple as getting a spirit to come and communicate through a medium can lead to nasty things happening. When you call out to the void that lies beyond, sometimes things answer back that you don’t anticipate. Given that some “master” medium had set up shop and seemingly called forth numerous souls of recently departed in the span of a few days, more than a few questions were raised. Given the local city guard, and even the captain of the guard, would be unable to do anything since the medium had already left the city, Jaxson took it upon himself to investigate the issue. He was sure Valrae wouldn’t appreciate someone conning her people out of what little coin they had at any time, let alone during the pandemic they currently face. It may have been the desire to go good by them, or maybe it was the desire to keep doing Val favors, but either way the walock was here and ready to see this master medium at work with his own eyes. So when Joan moves aside to let him in, Jax doesn’t hesitate to, opening the door to the sound of a shop bell as he enters. His eyes quickly scan over a group gathered, what looks like three others have come, all waiting or this medium to show. It seems they are all in the waiting room, as a curtain conceals this staging area from another. Jax nods to the others gathered, taking quick measure, before he finds a seat for himself and waits for the man behind the curtain to appear.
Joan took to standing behind the seated Jaxson, the vampiric necromancer quite as she eyes the gathers guest, her senses on high alert as she crossed her arms close against her vested chest. As the curtain parted and the medium make their entrance with flourish and much fanfare from the excited clapping from the small crowd, the poor widowed man fawning over the medium that was dressed in eye watering clashing colors. Joan winced as she watched those gathered and not seated move to seat around the table, chairs pulled out for these folks. Placing a hand over her mouth to hide her disapproval the vampiric woman watched as the medium lifted a handkerchief off a swirling crystal ball set in the middle of the table. Next to the medium the widowed man took a seat. A look of pained hope shown on his features, this the medium took to with a schooled expression on their own face, gaudy rings flashed in the glow of the candles alite around the room to brighten up the area. The medium made great gestures as they took to their seat, speaking aloud why they were here and what they were going to do, making passes of their ringed hands around the swirling crystal ball.
Jaxson moves into place as the others do, the nobleman simply following suit and watching the whole scene unfold as the medium enters and everyone takes their seat. After all are in position the medium seems to start their craft, the man’s middle-aged features breaking into a practiced smile as he begins to put it on. “Welcome all, to this most special gathering...” He looks around, eyes scanning the room as to see if he could spot the most susceptible prey to use first. If he gets one, the others usually fall into place. The wandering conman’s eyes fall upon each gathered, lingering on Joan and Jaxson for a moment before settling upon the widower he remembered picking out of a crowd at the local bar one night. Widowers were his bread and butter, them and parents who’ve recently lost a child. These types do anything to hear from a loved one just once more. And they’d pay anything too. Choosing his target, Orum the Magnificent, as he calls himself, the so-called medium starts to really lay it on. “As we begin to venture into this séance, know that forces from the great beyond will enter this room…” He says, his tone shifting and manipulating the room with the skill of the actor he is, possibly better given his true talents. After he starts to see some are falling into the act, the man waves his hands about the crystal ball and begins to utter what sounds like occult verses of some magic spell. In reality its gibberish, though with a reason. If he did actually recite any spells who knows what the charlatan would unleash, so it is easier to just utter complete nonsense that these uninitiated souls would never know was just the ramblings of a conman. Staring into the ball, a sort of smokey haze begins to fill it, and swirl about. “I call upon the realm of the dead… if the loved ones of any present can hear us… give us a sign…” The medium starts to setup his act, allowing time to pass before candles flicker, the temperature would drop rapidly, and the shadows seems to move in the corner of your eye… “Something is here…” Says the “master medium” in a tone that’s just perfect for his act. The crowd seems more and more enthralled by the minute...
Joan would move soon after Jaxson sat up and moved to the table to take one of the empty chairs. She wanting to still use the nobleman as a sight shield, I mean she still stood out what with her hair cut and color, when the conman fake medium started his nonsense chant Joan really began to listen and watch, her lilac voided gaze looking about the table to those gathered around the fake medium to see if any tell-tale signs of a ghostly presence near or around the gaudy dressed fellow would appear. One amethyst brow raised upwards as the temperature in the room dropped and the candlelight flickered, but for Joan, not seeing any aura of a ghost caused her to lightly tap at Jaxson’s shoulder, the vampiric healer bending slightly so she can privately whisper to him, “Hm…I don’t feel or see a ghost.” She’d shoot a sharp glance as the conman fake medium launched into his spew but the necromancer kept a small skeptical look on her features, her gaze darting between the poor widowed man that kept nodding and wringing his hands back to the fake medium. She didn’t know Jaxson was here on a seminar reason to unmask Orum the Magnificent. She only knew others in the guild had heard of Orum and his cons. Slowly the vampire would exhale air out from her lungs as she watched the show, her lips pursed together and slightly outwards as her distaste showed. She’d take to rubbing at the side of her nose with the pad of her thumb as her senses once more creeped outwards from her to try to sense if a spirit appeared after all the hoopla.
Jaxson feels the gentle tap upon his shoulder, followed by Joan’s whisper in his ear. Goosebumps form upon his neck and arms at the feeling of breath upon his neck, but his focus doesn’t sway from the task at hand. While noble born, Jax was raised in -Cenril-, where children ran cons, and entire empires of criminals thrive, so Jax was at least aware of the usual tricks and mannerisms that come along with such acts. He felt it too, the -lack- of magic that usually accompanied the use of such a ritual. Do not let it be mistaken, summoning the dead was a ritualistic form of magic, usually left to skilled necromancers and high-ranking mages. Here the warlock would reply on his own understanding of magic to try to get a feel, and his attention falls upon the crystal ball itself… And as if he felt the attention upon him, Orum the Magnificent turns it up a notch, calling out in a flamboyant manner as if to drive the attention from the crystal ball to himself, where he starts to act out as if struggling against some great force, he bellows out. “They are here!” He wails, the conman grabbing the table with a firm grip as he sells his act, eyes rolling into the back of his skull as he continues his act with. “Calling… reaching out from the great beyond!” To add to this the man uses the limited magic he does know, illusions, to add in effects. The shadows seem to come to life! Taking upon a humanoid form that darts about the room, minor details forming that, coupled with the low light of the candles, could easily confuse people into seeing what they truly desire, like a loved one. This is Orum’s ace in the whole, his one perfected spell that sells his show. “Yes! They call out… Jo…Johnathan... John…Johnny…!” A common name, but one the conman was sure he had heard before. Going down the list of all the ways that name can be said helps him single out which one is the one used by the departed, and it worked. “Yes! Susan! Is that you! My dear Susie! Its your Johnny!” The man calls out, trying to catch the shadows, but never quite able to get them. Orum, feeling his luck tonight, says. “She says… you… you should… you should remember the things she told you...” Fishing once again, he tries to get Johnny boy to tell him everything he needs. “Remember...Oh it’s hard to hear… they are all so loud… she says… remember what you… promised?” A moment passes, Orum hoping that the recent passing had Johnny promising a lot of things. And it worked again like a charm. “Yes! Susie yes! I swear I’ll make sure your insurance money goes to the orphanage!” Seems poor Susie wished the money from her death go to help a local orphanage, noble. Orum’s face twists, as he tries to act like he is truly struggling. “It seems... she says… you should… forget the orphans...That she wishes that… what?” He pauses, feigning shock. “She wishes I could help more people? That … I should get her insurance money?” Then, like that, just as Johnny was going to ask questions, it all stops. The shadows dissipate, the temperature returns to normal, and the light seems to fill the room as Orum says. “They’ve departed once more...” With feigned heavy breath, making sure that it seems like he actually did something.
Joan now had both amethyst color brows raised all the way up towards her furrowed brow, her index finger now joins her thumb to pinch at the bridge of her nose as the necromancer unleashed her dark gift, the aura smoke that drifted out from the corners of her voided eyes began to cloud and smoke outwards as the light lilac color of her eyes brighten to a darker color, a deathly chilled gust of air expels from the woman’s upright body as her necromancy follows the illusion, doing it’s best to ‘feel’ for the supposedly called forth ghost. Not feeling the normal icy answering chill that a ghostly presence radiated out Joan would quickly call back in her magic to her so not to throw off the charlatan, the chill, and color smoke and glow dimming back down as quickly as she called it up and thrown it out for her search. Joan seemed to rock back on her heels as the power flowed back in time as the fake medium slumped into his chair. Nodding to herself the vampire confirmed to herself that no ghost had visibly appeared in her enhanced magical sight or was ‘felt’ by her necromancy. With a loud sigh she’d step out from behind the seated Jaxson, presenting herself to those seated around the table, to grab their attention Joan would loudly smack her hand against the table top, making the swirling crystal ball rattle upwards off it’s display and bump back into it. “Sorry folks, this here is a sham! I’m Joan Blackheart from the Necromancers Guild, and I did not feel any ghostly presence that this so-called medium ‘Orum the Magnificent’ sought to summon forward. That was all just illusions not any true necromancy.”
Jaxson felt the power of actual magic at play as the woman known as Joan went about her own investigation it seemed. The warlock does not interfere with the process, as she seems more than capable of what she is doing, and she even managed to do all of it without alerting the con artists. She is part of the Necromancer’s Guild? Interesting tidbit, though he does recall her job at the funeral parlor, and it seems to make more sense too. Creepy lot the Necromancer’s Guild, but if they sent her to deal with him, maybe that was all the evidence Jax needed as well. But before he could even begin to address the issue, Joan’s announcement sends Orum into fight or flight mode, and... well, Orum is a coward and thus uses the chaos of it all to smash the crystal ball upon the table with a quick spell that sends the room into pure panic and that cloudy vapor that was swirling within pours forth and fills the room with a thick fog like cover that Orum appears to try to use to escape! This is where Jaxson steps in, his own spell being used to shock the would-be escapee with an eldritch blast. The spell hits the conman right in the back, shocking him and stopping his escape. With his free hand, Jax summons a quick gust of wind that disperses the fog like cloud that fills the room, leaving Orum no room to escape. “Seems you’ve got some answering to do, sir.” The others gathered look on in horror, disgust and anger. Truly upset they’ve been scammed, and truly saddened they did not or could not speak to their departed loved ones as promised. Jax could only imagine how that felt, though he knows the desire to at least want to say goodbye, as he didn’t get the chance to do so with his own parents. Looking back to Joan, the warlock says. “So, you are here for him too? How do you wanna handle this?”
Joan ad moved with her supernatural speed to stand before the only exit just in case the conman got by the young mage, both her arms held out lightly by her sides as the vampire made herself seem larger and immovable. With Jaxson’s magic dealing with the fog that escaped from the smashed crystal ball making everything visible for the others she would consider what she should do beyond calling out the man. On high alert as she watched the cornered man the vampiric healer would lick at her pale icy lips mid-thought, a hint of fang seen in the movement. “Hmm…I could mark him.” Her slightly curled nails flexed as she stared at the conman, but then, it need to be magical as he was an illusions she thought to herself, turning to address the young noble mage Joan would answer, “Yeah, I’m here to outs him, but I wasn’t given any orders besides exposing him.” She told Jaxson. “Any other ideas?”
Jaxson shrugs his shoulders as he is asked if he has any plans, adding a quick. “Aside from being a total scumbag, I’ve no real authority myself to bring him to justice..” A bit disappointing, as he figures even the City Guard in Cenril wouldn’t be able to hold him. “So unless you think your guild will serve justice, I think we just let it be known. He shouldn’t be able to return to the same con once his name, and face, are known.” A few flyers, key ears spoken into as well and Orum the Magnificent would find his area of operations limited severely. Guilds like the Mage Guild and Necromancy Guild didn’t like people using magic to do things like this, but the Rogue’s Guild? Well, unless they were getting a slice of the cake I doubt Orum will find himself available to work the port cities. “I hear some people would love to use him as a lesson.” Says the Ravencroft heir, loudly enough he knows Orum heard him. He did, and the man’s face pales in terror. “I just wonder who would so worse? The rogue’s guild or the necromancer’s guild…” Jax makes a face towards the conman that makes Orum look like he might puke. “ I’m sorry!” He pleads! “I won’t ever do it again!” The petty illusionist throws himself before Joan and Jaxson. Not so Magnificent now. Looking to Joan, the warlock shrugs. “I’m satisfied. You?”
Joan thought for a few more moments and considered all the Jaxson informed her and told her, the other guest gathered around the widower as he had invited them all here. Mummers from the small gathering where overheard as they also discussed what happened and what they should do, dark looks sent towards the cowering conman. The main victim, the widower had his own pull with the local guard for Kelay. Taking everything in the vampiric healer would reach out her gloved hand, it aglow with her personal magic, shimmering amethyst color engulfed her leather covered hands, her fingers uncovered from nails to knuckle. Chanting a few sharp words the vampire would sketch out a arcane sigil towards the conman, once completed she’d send the visible glowing rune mark towards the man. “I mark you Orum, should you ever try to pull this con on anyone else this rune mark will appear and mark you as a fraud. Try to cover or hide this rune once it is activated I then curse you to actually be haunted by your past victims actual dead and passes on relatives. To be really haunted by their ghost.” With a mental ‘push’ she’d send the glowing sigil rune towards the human.
Jaxson watches as Joan seemingly marks the con artist with a curse seal, a potent bit of occult magic that the warlock takes note of. There is more to this woman than meets the eye it seems. As Jax watches Joan, Orum is left speechless. He knew cons, he knew bluffs and lies but once he felt that dark magic touch his flesh he knew he wasn't being lied too. Shaking his head rapidly the petty dabbler says. "Ye...yes ma'am!" His voice shakes and cracks due to the fear of the entire ordeal. Jaxson, feeling satisfied simply starts towards the door. He wasn't guild, nor an authority figure. If Joan wasn't here maybe he'd have done something more, but guilds carry more power than he does, and truly he didn't wish to get on the Necro Guild's bad side by poking in their business. At the door, the warlock turns to Joan and says. "Catch ya around." As he takes out and lights a clove cigarette with a spark of magic, before he'd push open the door and head out into the night, his form vanishing in a cloud of sweet-smelling cigarette smoke.
Joan seemed satisfied with what she has done and turns her full attention towards Jaxson, nodding her agreement, she offers him her ‘Thanks’ in a kind and pleasant tone before bidding him a ‘good evening ‘. That done and he departs the woman watched as the guest move to surround the conman, “Wait a moment good sir,” Joan would call out, digging out her contact information from her pocket. On the crumpled up card listed Joan’s guild rank in the Necromancers Guild and directions to the Black Spire. “We at the guild can -really- help you with communication of your dearly departed for the final time. Come by and schedule an appointment. We are no frauds and stand by our work.” The wealthy widowed entrepreneur mummers his thanks, informing Joan he will do his best to come up and make that appointment when possible, he and the rest of the guest begin to enclose around Orum, this is where Joan makes her own departure from the house, following in the wake of the nice smelling clove smoke.