The Dresden Files RP- "Edge Town"

"I guess I'll give it a look," M said as he accepted the ectomancy book "Though if I really need guidance Ntikuma probably can help. Or knows a guy who can."

"I'm no fan of the Catholic Church," he said with a resigned sigh. "But if there's anyone we can work things out peacefully with, it'd be them. If they don't raid my stuff for resources and scrub me of my family's entire culture first."

"Well, on the one hand, I hear the Catholic Knight of the Cross was a decent guy."

"On the other hand, the Inquisition is still a thing."

M rubbed his hands in his face.

"First of all, How is there still an Inquisition? Dos, why is there still an Inquisition?! And Trois, why didn't I expect the Inquisition and are they still Spanish?"

"One, because expecting innovation from the Roman Catholic Church is like expecting quality from American beer."

"Two, because the Knights of the Cross need support. And the Church probably wants to do its part to protect its constituents. It's just that witch hunters with zero accountability are complete assholes. "

"Three, because the Church likes to keep the Ordo Malleus - that's their name by the way - secret. And there have been non-Spanish Inquisitions, and this one is pretty multinational."

Tim sighed and went into Professor mode.

"Technically, the Inquisition, as in the actual Ordo Malleus, isn't that bad. Most of that is popularly attributed to them were actually just Priests and laymen aping them and going to the extreme. Think of the Inquisition as a Football team and their Hooligans going crazy after a game. The Spanish Inquisition is actually not affiliated with the true Ordo Malleus, its more like the Spanish started their own in their image."

He paused.

"In fact, due to that the Modern Inquisition is more low-key, Intelligence Network which seems to mostly try to help other Agents in their purpose than to actively act themselves. That being said, there is another Order which can be considered a more true-to-the-Image Inquisition, the Ordo Torco. These are the guys who look at the 'real' Inquisition and think of them as dithering bleeding hearts. These are more like the 'With Hunters with Zero Accountability. They are borderline fanatics and rarely question orders. And despite the public image, the Vatican is hardly a unified front."

He looked at M.

"In general, I consider the Ordo Malleus an ally in spirit and be very wary of the Ordo Torco. And that is me saying that despite any...personal historical issues I have with them."

edited 27th May '15 7:40:51 AM by 3of4

"Torca. Not Torco. Torch is feminine. Read a book, Tim." Jarl grinned.

"It's probably more accurate to say the Ordo Malleus are more uneven. Potential allies, potential enemies. The Torcas would set most of us on fire for the crime of witchcraft. Like if someone gave Amy an entire Church-sanctioned army."

edited 27th May '15 9:36:15 AM by math792d

"Joyful thought. And yes, its Torca, you are right. Why they went with female form here is just...no matter" Tim sighed. "And the Torca is less 'Suffer not the Witch to Live' - which is an anglican translation anyway not a catholic - and more 'Magic is a Thing Man is not meant to know.'"

"Not that its much better."

edited 27th May '15 10:03:39 AM by 3of4

"So, we should try to contact a member of the Malleus and hope we didn't get them mixed up with a Torca. Cause judging from what you've described none of us would be received too well by the Torca. I'm assuming they look about as kindly on werewolves as they do wizards."

"I'd preferably want to avoid directly confronting the Vatican, no matter which part, directly."

"I concur. I wouldn't be above petty vandalism, general mayhem and making fun of their silly hats, but I'd rather not have a Vatican death squad on my back, thanks."

"So what are you actually expecting us to get in and out before they even know we're there? Because I severely doubt that's going to happen. Only real advantage I can see towards not contacting them is that we at least ensure minimal resistance on the getting in."

"The other reason is that I doubt the Vatican is secure. Ever wonder how so many Denarian Coins return back into circulation?"

"Oh. Yeah ok. So at least a few of them are Denarian agents. So, trying to handle that part of the problem with negotiations is out then. ... Is there any faction that's going to try to kill us during this that we can actually talk down?"

"Given our history with that approach...?" Tim raised an eyebrow.

Leon sighs and plants his face on the table with a dull thunk.

edited 27th May '15 11:24:17 AM by Kosjurake

"Indeed."

"There's the White Court, provided they can see a long-term benefit in our meddling."

We're just having a wonderful day today, aren't we?

Annette barely had a moment to register relief as the vampire went up in a well deserved pile of smoke and ash before the clapping pulled her attention away. She raised a quizzical brow at the man on the rooftop, then looked at Ayda as she returned her necklace to it's usual place. "N-not an, um, f-friend of yours, I'm guessing?" she said quietly, putting both hands now on David's shoulders.

She didn't need an answer, seeing as she was pulled into the car seconds later.

"Ah! Ayda, h-h-hang o—AHH!" Anne let out a startled scream, holding David in her arms as they were pushed into the car. She managed to scrambled for the back seat for the two of them rather than the passenger seat. "Ayda, b-b-be careful!! Who is that? Wh-what's going on now?!" And why am I the only one who cares about traffic laws?

"No White Court if we can help it. I am glad to be rid of Alexander Thorne and his bag full of Issues he calls family. Excepting Bethany." Tim groaned.

edited 27th May '15 11:50:59 AM by 3of4

"You and me both, man. But that's not to say the White Court won't get involved. Tuscany ain't that far from Rome, you know."

"One can hope..."

Leon keeps his head on the table. "Alright, so to sum up, two factions of fallen angels, one crazy necromancer with a grudge, the White Court, and possibly the Vatican itself. Are all possibly going to end up coming for our heads. White Court we might be able to use diplomacy but the rest of them we're just going to have to fight. So, what's our first move at this point? I know we said we wanted to go after the Litany first, but how are we going to go about that?"

The man jumps down from the rooftop as the two speed off into the dying afternoon sun- there's almost no chance of him catching them as they vanish into the streets. But Ayda can see in her rearview mirror as the man approaches the ugly husk of the vampire and retrieves whatever blue object had been in his hand as he died.

The sun is just setting as Alex pulls The Zimmer up in front of Rigoletto's front-business, a laundromat in rundown section not far from the train station. He and Venari step out and into t he air conditioned reception area, where the woman behind the desk is making notes in a book from which she does not look up.

Alexander stepped out of the car, nodding for Lilaine to follow him, briefly checking the silenced pistol under his suitcoat, and the knife up his sleeve. He made his way to the woman at the counter, feigning an air of distracted chattiness.

"Ciao. I need a suit cleaned. I was walking the Tiber. The swans are beautiful, but the feathers are an unbelievable mess."

edited 27th May '15 12:44:46 PM by DrTentacles

"Well, we know we're looking for an antique music box. Which means, and I'm willing to bet you on this, that it will be somewhere that's safe from both the mundane and supernatural world. Probably a museum of some kind."

"It makes sense. All the crowds makes it relatively unattractive to members of the supernatural crowd, and heavily armed security - especially in high-profile museums - is basically the norm. So that would be my best guess."