The party rose from the depths of slumber they had a good night. With the local vampire elder the prince dead there was quite a celebration and quite a heavy purse that would be invested in some good equipment shortly. They have a hearty breakfast infused with aromatic spices from the central plains, shipped a long way up the coast, a subtle reward for their efforts.

Vivian was dragged out of her area of comfort by David. She normally practised alone but David was drilling some of the guards. He was focused on shield formations defensive lines. He had a group of archers and they needed someone specificity qualified to train them.

Vivian had to stop to think, what it would be like to not have her advantages or her trove of magical items. Slowly Vivian addressed the group of militia and guards. she went over the basic training that they received from the glass bay mercenary company's drill instructors. Some of what she had picked up in the field and some things Jonathan swain had taught her.

She believed that at least a few useful things went into the lesson, many a mercenary had claimed a few choice bounties got themselves some fancy armour then spent the rest of their career training others to do the same, it was the expected retirement of many.

Alice used the time to get some reading in. She had already read the books she had many times but there were layers of meaning in magic. She felt that over time her understanding would grow as page by page she analysed theory and practice. Martin worked on his armour for a bit, a few patch up jobs after the battle with the vampires. He started to reconsider this martial philosophy, with the effort of repairing armour perhaps avoiding damage was an even better strategy.

After the training session was over Martin addressed the group a bundle tucked under one arm. “I have acquired one of the battle alchemist Tesla's greatest creations. I will need it examined before it can be repaired and added to our arsenal”. It was at Martin's insistence that the group formed up. There was still the chance of the hidden hand or another thieves syndicate attacking them for the bounty. Which had probably only gone up, when they were outside the duchess's fortified residence, they had to be careful.

They went to the cathedral, a short conversation and they were admitted to see the bishop. “My children, this city breaths a little easier with the lich and the vampire gone. You have my thanks I would implore you to track the sorcerers, they have twenty hostages and a dark purpose”.

Martin gripped the bundle under his arm tightly as he could, a look flashed through his eyes almost as if he was afraid to lose his prize, “I came to speak with you”. The bishop knotted his hands almost in prayer, “my son I have expected this visit for a few days”.

Martin half expected to have to hand it over, even though technically he would need a direct order from bishop Alexius to do it, as he was an agent of a different diocese. “You mean the artefact that we recovered, yes the hand of Tesla”? He nodded, “yes, you have dispensation to keep the artefact as a sign of your accomplishments, once it is restored to working order. Artefacts like that do the people no good sitting on some shelf in a museum or hidden in some vault. They are made for a purpose and they need to be used for that purpose, or they dishonour their creator’s intent”, Martin was relived hearing these words.

“I thank you for your understanding, it has been sitting in the bottom of a vampires lair for a hundred years or more. It is made from black adamantine and mithril in the most part. It needs a lot of cleaning and some tarnish to be removed from the mechanisms. Tasks that I must sadly say are beyond me, do the church have any great artificers or battle alchemists locally”?

The bishop raised his hands to his chin, “the bulk of the churches artisans are at the cathedral city or holy mountain. Though every order of a certain size has a few skilled brothers. I am unaware of any locally, but Francis has a few contacts that might be in a position to help you”.

They thanked the bishop and left heading for the hunter’s house. Past a few checks and they were speaking to its leader. Francis was still examining the correspondence from the vampires lair, “I must admit I rely on the merchant’s guild more than anyone of my own people. You would already equal or surpass the tinkerers I have amongst my associates, though that is not truly a high bar. The trade guild have a mechanist of good standing Clarice Benett. She mostly builds clocks, but this should not be beyond her, she got a Tesla field generator working a few years back, it’s on one of our ships”.

They moved onto the merchant’s guild finding a senior clerk David was politely greeted. “we are glad to see you. But it will be a few days before your commission is available, do you wish to purchase some more supplies get another commission underway”. David started to think about mithril armour an upgrade from his Damascus. Martin quickly steered the conversation, “the local master hunter Francis advised that there was a mechanist of reliable skill a Clarice Benett. I need a battle alchemists weapon repaired, that would probably be her area of expertise correct”?

Having done the trade guild a favour with the lich they were given a lot of leeway. The clerk raised the top of the counter and let Martin through, the rest of them idly went over some catalogues. The clerk guided Martin, “considering it is you I can arrange a consultation now, please follow me”.

Through the twisting maze of rooms and corridors that was the merchant’s guild compound he was led to a workshop. It was filled with the smell of oil and grease, with a tiny metallic taste of fumes accompanied by the tick of a dozen clocks. There were trays and draws of seemingly endless screws cogs and other bits and pieces. Mechanist were very dexterous very perceptive but very fragile, even more so than mages. The woman in the room was as thin as a twig and quite pale. She had a series of lanterns magnifying glasses and tools set up. She was somewhere in her fifties her hands incredibly nimble her eyes sharp.

The clerk introduced them and left, Martin held out his hand, “Clarice Benett, it is a pleasure to meet you”. She moved some piles of clock parts aside creating some space on a table, “you’re the grand master vampire hunter the zealot right”? He sat down next to her and placed the bundle on the table, “that is correct I am Martin Wright”.

He unwrapped the bundle slowly carefully, he could appreciate the work in front of him on many levels as a craftsman with some skill in metal work it was finely made. As a vampire hunter it was a tool that was well suited to its job. As a religious man he could appreciate the sanctity of its purpose, the black adamantine would need the specific blessing of the patriarch to make this holy metal workable. To even begin forging the main components for the hand of Tesla.

His hand lingered a little too long on the artefact, his eyes a little too soft as he seemed to stroke it. “As you know one of the vampire hunters that founded our order was a battle alchemist called Tesla. A specialist in electrical devices he had a weapon known as the hand of Tesla. A lightning projector, its mechanisms have been laying in the bottom of a vampires lair for over a hundred years, I would like you to make an assessment”.

She slotted a magnifying glass into place on a stand then looked through it. A roll of tools seemed to appear out of nowhere, lightning fast she had forceps in her hand. “Let me see, has one of your colleagues already had a go at this, also I will need a chemist to look at the fuel for it”.

The mechanist had a jar with a cotton ball held in the forceps. She used some sort of cleaning chemicals Martin explained the position. “I did a bit of cleaning and manufactured some replacement strapping for the device. I already have the electro fluid for it to function, I use more primitive devices powered under the same principle”.

The mechanist got a tiny screwdriver and slowly started to undo the fixing screws. She had a notebook and was drawing up the position of various items. “Well the consultation will be 15 silver, if I need to pay for parts or custom-made items it will be more. I assume this is not just something for the hunter’s archives. You are planning on putting this artefact to field use when it is restored”?

Martin watched the pencil blur as she sketched out the shape of the gauntlet almost precisely. He quickly answered without hesitation watching her work, “it’s made of black adamantium and mithril. I believe it will be fine as a field piece”. She was already in a clockwork trance, “I see”.

The screws were put to one site, notes were taken, and a small panel was removed for maintenance. “your party has no other hunter so I assume you will be using it”? Slowly she examined the inside, “yes that is correct”. Clarice checked a switch that was part of the mechanism, flexing your hand in a specific way would activate the device to discharge. “I will need to take some time to calibrate it what level are you for the calibration”.

Martin answered quickly, “my total level is 109”. The mechanist paused for a moment, the shock almost making her lose her grip, “Impressive I guess it will be fine, black adamantium is indestructible as far as I am aware. It will be a pleasure to work with it”.

Martin was stern, “this is a very important piece. I trust that it will be kept in both a secure place and you will be confidential about this”. She nodded, “we have a heavily reinforced spell safe. I will keep it there and I swear that I will keep this confidential. The vampires might target me if they knew I helped to repair equipment for the hunters”. Martin paid the fee and re-joined the rest of the group.

They found a quiet corner of the trade guild; Martin was quite excited and hid it poorly. “I am sorry I took so long but the artefact is in safe hands. I had to pay fifteen silver for repairs with more to follow”. Vivian raised an eyebrow, “make sure that you get an itemised list of parts, you might want to check that you’re actually getting what you’re paying for”. “It is a fair point; I will keep it in mind”.

Alice adjusted her mask, “there is plenty more that we can do …today. I would like to talk about maybe replacing the ring-mail vest I use with something stronger perhaps mithril”. “What else would you like”, “perhaps a few armour commissions a few extra ...books and I would like to pass my old staff on. In the same spirit lady Imoline gave it to me, to an up …and coming apprentice”.

David interjected, “why not sell it”? “It was a gift I don't feel right just …selling it”. Vivian interjected, “well after the bounty on those vampires I can see us not needing it”. For a moment the mithril mask seemed to flash. “Normally the strongest spell anyone can use is a master spell, however I have read of hints of two more powerful levels of magic. Mystic spells and legendary spells, supposedly they are stronger versions of existing spells. They would really …help level the playing field against something like Bismark”.

David nodded “that's all well and good, we keep looking for ways of getting better prepared, getting stronger for when we collect his head. But in the meantime, do we go after the sorcerers for the church or the hidden hand crime syndicate for the nobles”? Vivian looked to Alice, “we have killed the hidden hand time and time again and they seem to come back every time. It’s almost like a demon summoned again and again do you think there is a link”?

Martin seemed unconcerned, “we need more information for a link. We might not be able to permanently kill a demon but if we kill the sorcerers they don't come back. They can’t summon their demons anymore. The sorcerers are far easier to find and kill, my holy symbol reacts to the presence of their profane magic, Alice can you sense their spells”? “From a small distance I can detect them, the thieves guild fate enchantments are …a different matter, I don't stand a chance unless I am practically on top of them”.

David didn't like fighting the sorcerers, they had more tricks with their infernal magic. He had no training for or experience of. “Do you think those kidnapped people are still alive”? Martin dismissed it, “there probably already dead or possessed by a new batch of demons”. Alice knew more, “not necessarily there are apparently quite a few rituals where they could be prepared to be sacrificed. Even if they are possessed by a demon …it would be easier to fight the possession on the beginning of this stage”.

David was still in a quandary, “let’s look at what they are doing. I would bet that the sorcerers are in league with the vampires. The demons would want to disrupt these trade talks. The hidden hand seem to just want to find a way to skim a profit, not to destroy the entire thing”.

Vivian looked over the group, “so the sorcerers seem to be a more pressing and bigger threat, so we go after them”. David seemed unsure “I don't know what bounty is on the sorcerers, but it’s probably larger than the hidden hand so I agree, at least they leave a head to hand in”. Alice added her agreement, “the sorcerers are far less of a pain to nail down”. Martin rubbed his hands in anticipation of the evil to be purged, “that seals their fate, we go after these sorcerers, Francis and the deputy sheriff may have some leads”.

They moved across the city towards the gate house to meet the deputy sheriff, to search for a lead. As they entered a small public square, they noted three other elves. They fitted the more traditional assessment of what made an elf. Taller quite thin the ears a rather dead giveaway. The twenty city guards following them around at a discrete distance were also a dead giveaway. The lead elf gestured the group forwards, Martin moved forwards Vivian elbowed David in the side, almost hard enough to dent his Damascus plate, he would keep his mouth shut.

His voice was relaxed as if he had all the time in the world it was light and happy. “Ah welcome my friends I have heard about you from the bishop. He told me about the dinner to celebrate the vampire’s demise”. They made their introductions, he offered them a blessing then shook their hands.

He wore the western churches version of priestly robes; they were dyed green with hints of blue and white. A holy symbol made from rose wood hung at his belt, “I am a priest in the service of the creator god, my name is Vicia Brychioides. I am also the elven ambassador and chief negotiator in these trade talks, to think hear I stand at the other side of the long ocean”.

There were two crusaders standing next to him they remained alert and stood several feet back. They had mithril mail and blades with kite shields slung across their backs. Martin remembered the bishop’s words, the elves didn't have that many fighters these were probably amongst their best. His monocle showed that they were both past veterans but not yet masters. Their equipment added quite a lot to their strength it was very well crafted.

Vicia nodded behind him, “May I introduce my body guards these ladies of the faith keep me safe. The head of security Odoratum”. She wore light green robes with small flecks of white. “And Saxifraga” she wore white garment with hints of purple decoration. The elves were certainly well turned out. “To see other lands, I was apprehensive of this calling at first, but the creator god chose me to take the first steps. I am the first of many, they are looking at appointing a bishop as a full-time liaison eventually”.

There are some officials of the church and a handful of pilgrims chosen by lots to visit the holy mountain, it is a glorious holy undertaking”. Martin nodded, “we have seen one pilgrim we did briefly chat with a small elven woman in an inn, she carried with her an ancient holy symbol”. His eyes showed recognition and warmth, “oh yes Agapanthus she is a dear, quite impetus but she knows what she is doing for one so young”.

“You seem to be supremely calm”, “oh yes dear Vivian, the Western church is far more relaxed. We are a theocracy, but we purged or domesticated most monsters thousands of years ago. As a result, there are not that many fighters but plenty of traders and craters amongst us”. They continued to walk about the city and talk.

The western church was less conservative, allowing women in the clergy up to rank of bishop. It was a rule of the church not a rule of the creator god. Perhaps in time with the western churches influence the northern church might change its position.

Vivian chatted with the ambassador, the elven lands were more lax on drugs, that the northern kingdom would come down on like a ton of bricks. There was a small bone of contention with the ambassador. His group had to give up, several milder versions of drugs that were legal in his land and would not significantly affect elves or half elves. But would affect humans, he had to leave his smoking pipe his green and purple tobacco on the ship.

“Yes, Vivian we have a percentage of humans in our lands, my great grandfather was half human on his mother’s side. The western colonies were not the only time your people headed out west. Lots of northern humans joined with the elves. both elves from the northern and central plains city states, joined together on our voyage to find a new home. They rejected the first king and the nobles of the day. I understand such excesses were curbed with the barons. When the peasant’s revolt had them all removed, with brutal repercussions under mob justice”.

“It was providence that we left; our ancestors could see it on the horizon. The slow build up to the golem revolt. Year by year the golems were being built just that bit more complicated and bit by bit people were treating them more like things possessions. The combination was guaranteed to breed resentment and what followed”.

He paused to think, “I understand that the golems have remained mostly inactive”. He did some rough calculations in his head, “about five maybe six days from hear is the location of one of our ancient city's. Well it’s a city of graves and golems now. But it was once the city of aquamarine crystals. The golems seem to have triggered some sort of fail safe from what I hear. It is very rare or very hard for them to journey from the ten elf city's boundaries”.

There was a statue four meters high of a large armoured woman. It was granite enchanted to be highly durable. The elf pointed out the statue, “that is a statue to the eternal champion, she was the one that came when there was blood to be spilled. Truly they were a monster if my historical reading is true. She perpetrated all sorts of horrors, the halflings for example”. Vivian asked, “what's a halfling”? “One race gone by her hand, she may not have been a monster to begin with, but she worked for a monster, until she became one”.

“According to the history books, she worked for the first king, he had a long reach to the southern lands to the dwarven isles, the western colonies, what you call the confederacy now. He was around for a long time; it was not a title that passed from one person to another. But if I read my history's correctly, he disappeared when the vampire progenitor started to step out of the shadows so to speak, I guess the bigger monster won the day”.

Alice had quite a bit of extra perception due to a few of her enchanted items. She could see they were being followed. Vivian was picking up on something, her artificial eye would dart round to focus in on something. David was not sure what was going on, but he was picking up on something, by watching them. Vivian acted ready changes in her focus changes in her posture he was getting ready for a fight. Martin was using his monocle for a very similar effect focusing in on a watcher in the shadows.

.

Vivian saluted, “excuse us farther we have to attend to something”. She twirled around and focused on a shadow. The shadow turned out to be a short bundle of rags that sprinted away. Alice and David hung back as Martin and Vivian gave chase. The short bundle of rags disappeared into the gap between two buildings Vivian headed around one-way Martin the other. This bundle kept running climbing and dodging.

Vivian slowly got further and further back, but Martin kept going. His inhuman endurance allowed him to keep pursuing no matter how many short cuts feigns and other diversions they made. The bundle of rags threw a smoke bomb of some sort and kept running.

Martins monocle easily pierced the smoke, but he held back. It was easier to follow an opponent who didn't realise the range he could see. They had run them around for twenty minutes now he was certain they were nice and terrified and not thinking straight. They would lead Martin and the rest of the group right back to their home base boss or contact. This was probably someone paid to watch the elven ambassador, just a hired set of eyes. He could see the panic in their body language this was no hidden protection. But someone that knew they had put their nose in the wrong place.

The bundle of rags slipped a few planks of wood lose in a fence around a dock were house. They darted through a small hatch and slammed it shut behind them. They gasped and panted trying to get their breath back. The man in the leather coat, if it was a man under the armour and mask was relentless. They had only gotten away by the skin of their teeth, they had seen little of value, but it was something to report. The eleven ambassador had been staying deep in the cathedral fortress. Now the vampire elder was dead they were letting him out into the city, it was information of some use.

The bundle of rags pulled the hood back to reveal a thin child. Easily dismissed as an urchin or an orphan run away. That would be a mistake as the child's eyes showed the onset of the thrall taint. The little rat was not alone, she was the last of eight to return to the hide out. They quietly shared a meal of stolen bread and cheese. A blood thrall one of the infamous groups known as the grave rats took down notes on what had been seen, what had been overheard.

He looked at the panting child, “what happened”? “The eleven ambassador was outside I was watching. There were four with him, a magic user a man in plate with a big shield a man in a large coat and an archer, they chased I escaped”. The grave rat looked puzzled, “describe them in more detail the archer”? “She had a funny eye it was like metal”. The man panicked, “those were the four masters grab everything we need to move quickly back onto the ship”.

Before the rest of them could react, the wooden wall exploded front and back. David ploughed through the wall with his shield in front of him Vivian behind. Alice blasted a hole in the other wall with a kinetic strike spell Martin followed. There were eight of the little rats the thralled children, they pulled out small daggers like needles and clustered around the grave rats. There were four of the blood thralls their loyalty unending. a dozen high level terror rat men with steel armour and weapons entered into the room. A purple robed necromancer entered behind them he was a rat man as well he was protected by a dozen skeletons.

The necromancer looked at the head grave rat, “this was meant to be reconnaissance only what now”, he was full of grim futile resolve, “we fight with all we have”. The little rats screamed and charged like animals; there tiny blades brandished. The terror rat men and grave rats advanced, the necromancer sent his skeletal creatures a mixture of rat-men and humans forwards. Supporting them with a few weak spells. Vivian shouted out to the group, “don't hurt the kids to much, gentle as you can be”.

Martin held out his holy symbol to the two screaming children “purify”. The thrall taint gone they dropped their knives and stood there confused. Alice used her shield spell on herself then used her earthen wall spell to create a barrier around the two children holding them in place. David watched the two going after him bounce of his shield he turned a heavy crate upside-down and put it over the top of them. Vivian pinned the last two to a wall with arrows through their clothes holding them in place like washing hastily pegged out on a line.

With the children out of the way the kid gloves were off. The party hit the rest of the group with all they had. Martin held out his holy symbol “pillar of salt” the necromancer crumbled into a white pile. Martin had his four barrelled pistol out four shots and he blasted apparat a group of terror rat men trying to spear him. Alice hurled a fire ball into the group of skeletons and got the lot of them. Vivian targeted the blood thralls, the grave rats didn't make it very far. A few tried to burn papers or grab paperwork and run but they fell with arrows embedded in their chests or heads. The remainder of the terror rat men were cut to pieces by David. The last one got close to Vivian she used her new mace to flatten him, despite his steel armour he was crushed with a single blow.

Martin used his purify blessing on the rest of the children, shortly after they no longer became a threat the level up hit. Their eyes glowed, Martin reached level 99 as a vampire hunter he was so close to the 100 limit he could feel it on the tip of his tongue. Alice reached level 86 mastering her desiccate spell. David reached level 82 and gained the second level of his battle brother skill. Vivian reached level 85 with a class level; she could now train royal praetorian guards who were a bit better with another rank of intensive training.

Moments later some city guards began to show up. The local captain of the guard began to take details down form the confused children. The queen of rats, one of the vampire masters ran a successful spy ring abducting children contaminating them with the thrall taint. Then using them as spies. Some of the children were locals most were from further south.

They examined the hide out, the rat men sneaked in on a ship inside crates according to a cargo manifest. A certain number of boxes were delivered to the warehouse, it was one way to get a strike team into the city. The local lich had served the king of bones before she died, the queen of rats was in an alliance with that other master vampire. Perhaps she had been working with them, there was no paper trail it was supposition anyway. They were certain the tainted kids had been spying, there were a dozen messenger bats in cages ready to fly.

There were two reports that Vivian read through with interest. A large supply of drugs, specifically blue moon the strong narcotic, the blue stuff. There was a lot of it held in the church as a favour for the duchess. Vivian paused she was using a little blue dust to keep her head from exploding from the stress these days. But barrels and barrels of it she had to wonder if there was some legitimate use or some strange deal. She remembered seeing barrels in the secure basement of the cathedral when they woke up Thomas Drem. The blue stains it was coming together. If the guards found that report it would cause trouble for the bishop and the duchess, so she took it.

There was a report on a possible threat growing up in the next town over. A possible threat to the vampires that was. A tamer, a monster trainer had a pet called the Forged Hydra. It was raised by hand taken form a lamia nest near forge hold. It was rapidly growing fighting trolls to clear some woods. It was a very rare golden seven headed hydra. Most had three or five heads this one was truly rare. It was a servant of the lady Grace from the minor house of Star-Lin. Reading it David chuckled, “we should have asked for another 20 silver when we sold that egg”.

The children would be looked after by lay volunteers. Until they could be reunited with their families. The bodies of the grave rats were taken to the cathedral for the usual services. The remains of the rat men were simply burnt as trash with the remains of the skeletons. Some of their equipment would be useable, the rest would be raw materials.

Vivian looked at the sheriff and the local captain, “you report this to the bishop and the trade commissioner we will report to the duchess”. They arrived at her residence and gained an audience. A brief exchange of formalities and Vivian filled her in on the situation, “we found servants of the queen of rats, some of the grave rats working in your city. They smuggled in a squad of terror rat men possibly part of an assassination plot. They were watching the elven ambassador they have been dealt with”.

The duchess did not see it so simply, “was there more”? “They were looking at potential threats a monster tamer with a rare hydra, but they also found evidence of a large shipment of drugs that the bishop has stored under the cathedral. Apparently at your request this would look bad if the city guards were asking these questions, I am sure that it has some use other than the obvious”.

Her tone was deadly serious, “Of course it does, the trade commissioner is aware of it as is the bishop. But it’s not a good idea for the general population to know we are stockpiling narcotics”. David grinned, “Is there reward for our service today”? “I can give you 100 silver now, hopefully that is the only nest of rats in my city. Thank you for your discretion, I will discuss this matter with you in depth tomorrow. For today I have to put certain contingency in place now, just to make sure that there are no other surprises from the grave rats”.

They ate a quick meal drank a few ales and met in Vivian's room. They felt out with magic faith and enhanced perception. Martin shrugged, “perhaps they are going to weaponize it, I have used some of that stuff mixed with a smoke bomb. It can really disorientate an opponent in a strong dose”. David had his own guess “elves are different from humans, maybe they don't have the negative effects we suffer. It’s probably going to be sold to them any on want to bet me a silver”?

Alice checked her bracer, “It might be used by a tamer …for a really big monster to pacify them”. Vivian looked over where her own stash was hidden. She was not prepared to share her little insight with the group just yet, “I think it’s a lure to get the hidden hand out of the shadows, a prize big enough to catch them out, whatever it is let’s keep quiet until we know a bit more”.