Glastone (Marlon's Group)

Whoever this fella is, it sounds like they've locked themselves inside. (Ed says, noting how the door seemed to be locked.)

Uh, maybe this person is managing the fields or something? (I suggest, hazarding a guess based on the boards I can see through the window.)

(Confused, Ed knocks again.) Anybody home??

Glastone (Grigori's Group)

Okay, now things are looking different again... (Delilah says. At Royal's suggestion, she looks at the map.)

We could go to the Dock Authority building since that's the largest building here...though there's also the Storehouse building. (She says.) I dunno about the rest of you, but the Dock building feels like the obvious place to go...and yet I wonder about this Storehouse building. It seems like an odd place to put a storage building, if that's what it is.

Glastone, Marlon Group

As I take into account Ed and Goobert's other observations I make another key one of my own.

Well, if they don't answer, we might have to force our way in.

But isn't that just breaking and entering?

She is 100% right. At the same time, we really can't exactly just lose this lead.

It is, but what other choice do we have? Ed, can you bust through that or are you gonna need backup?

Not from me, obviously.

Glastone, Grigs Group

Yeahs, who'd be puttin' somethin' like a storage buildin' in a place surrounded on all side by watah? Maybe we can ask whoever runs da Dock Authority more 'bout what exactly is goin' on dair, too?

Edited by Team42Larson on Feb 15th 2022 at 8:25:52 AM

[Glastone (Grigori's Group)]

"Yeah, sounds like the ebst course of action," said Royal, declining to comment on Marsha's pronunciation of water despite how funny he found it.

Glastone

Marlon's Group: The Berry Fields

Marlon has actually seen these sorts of windows before in town. They're pretty common actually, probably made of the same sort of glass that adorns Glastone's outer walls and some of the homes.

Upon closer inspection, Cindra would see the blackboard doesn't really have the sort of rushed, scrawled scribble of an academic, but instead a presentation-worthy neatness. It's this neatness that lets her read some of the items on the board: "Projected Yield", "Cost of Seed", and notably "Requires Disciplinary Action" along with a list of names below.

Ed knocks some more, but there's not even any signs of movement on the upper floor from someone hearing you, no thudding footsteps reverberating through the floorboards, no buzzing of wings cutting through the midday ambience to meet you, no grunts of confusion or anger at the sudden disturbance, nothing. You all just might be the only ones here right now, and it's likely whoever got hit with the VA here was the only one here before you.

Glastone Harbor (Grigori's Group)

(The hooded figures are concerning, especially since it should be an area mid-construction. Squatters maybe? Not likely, the hoods and masks would mean that there's some connection. I swear to whatever god's out here that if we just saw a cult... No use worrying about it right now. We got a lot on our plate as is.)

Alright, we'll try the Authority first.

Glastone

Grigori's Group: The Harbor

The Dock Authority building, while not massive, not as tall as the Elder's Sanctum, is almost as imposing. The docks themselves are large stone slates that jut out into the sea radially from this sad stone plaza like the points on a crown, and the Dock Authority buildings looks as if a piece of the docks was taken out of the water and hollowed out, this blade-edge brutalist prism of a building.

If Grigori were concerned about the cultish figures in front of the one home, the Dock Authority building has another couplet of them at the front door as well. The two begin to eye the group as you draw close, then one of them flips their mask up, revealing a Blipbug.

"Arright, what're you clowns doing out and about?" The other guard clears their throat and taps their smile-adorned mask, a cue to the Blipbug to cool it a little.

Glastone (Marlon's Group)

Nah, believe it or not, this wouldn't be the first door I've busted through. (Ed says.)

(The huge Feraligatr takes a few steps back, then charges into the door of the house with all his might.)

Glastone (Grigori's group)

(Delilah allows one of the others to explain. Her mind isn't still entirely focused on the current mission. "Do I just casually tell him mid-conversation? Do I do it in front of everyone? At this point, should I tell Marsha that I always thought the way she says "water" was just the cutest thing?...")

Glastone, Marlon Group

As it'd come to turn out the owner of this place is not quite an academic. Rather, it would seem that, as is to be expected, a Berry farmer uses this place somehow.

Disciplinary records..why would a Berry farmer need Disc-

Bang! Is the only sound that reverberates through Cindra's mind as Ed barrels through the door, reaffirming in her eyes that yes, we are in fact not above breaking and entering to solve this investigation. (Boys..always wrecking something..)

I applaud Ed for actually being able to bust it open.

Dude, you blew through that like it was nothing. Remind me to never piss you off.

If you guys are done causing property damage-the blackboard in there has a list of names under "Disciplinary Records." Why would this person need that?

That absolutely doesn't make sense. I feel like we should actually look about this guy's place. Whoever he is, I still hear no signs of life in there.

Glastone, Grigs Group

Clowns? What're you exactly tryin' ta say?

Marsha finds it moderately surprising that one of the guards is "only" a Blipbug but shakes that off.

We hafta tawlk to whoever is in dair. Surely, you were made aware of us havin' ta be heres somehow.

Marlon group

Dikir was looking at the small house wondering why would someone make their farm so far from Glastone when the ferraligth destroyed the door of the house like the door is now past tense, to be honest it scared him off the croc massive strength

"Is that normal? Being that strong? I do wonder what can I do"

Dikir then looks inside

Glastone (Marlon’s group)

(Ed rolls over onto his haunches.) Heh heh, all those years of eating lots of Berries just paid off, I guess! (He laughs, patting his stomach.)

(We look around.)

You don’t suppose this guy was abusing his workers or employees or something, do you? (I ask, looking at the “Disciplinary Records” board.)

Glastone Harbor (Grigori's Group)

(More of them. Given that they're in front of the building, they're likely guards. Clowns? We're not the ones playing dress-up over here. Still, they might know something we don't. Better to play it cool.) The Elders sent us. All we're here for is a talk and nothing more.

Glastone (Marlon Group)

I can see that. Now get up, we probably have no other choice but to look around in this place.

I finally catch a glimpse of this "Disciplinary Records" sheet. Names, various infractions...absuing workers? Now hold on a second.

Abusing his... that doesn't seem like an obvious thing just from a disciplinary actions sheet. It's perfectly reasonable for an employer to have this type of record for his employees—that much we knew back home. But...the issue is, what else would this guy be hiding, if not for transgressions against the staff? Our suspect very much could be someone from out-of-town...but what if "being separated from the rest of the villagers" could be a sub-qualification for our suspect?

Edited by Team42Larson on Feb 16th 2022 at 1:49:28 PM

Glastone

Marlon's Group: The Berry Fields

The door bursts in without a hitch! The crossbar bounces to the floor in two. So much for deterrence. The silence persists as you all enter, so it really does seem like no one's here.

The room itself is somewhat spartan in its setup, a carpet in front of the blackboard for seating, a painting on the opposite wall under a table with some plants. It almost looks like a piece of Rodney's mansion was taken and transported to the berry fields, wallpaper and all.

The desk is the most notable piece here. It's ornately carved and finished wood, neat and tidy, albeit some loose papers are strewn about near the chair...

As Ed glances at the board, one of the names is vaguely familiar to him, a family friend perhaps? It and a number of other names are connected to the simple infraction of "rabble-rousing", distinct from "inciting violence" as one of the names has beside it.

Grigori's Group: The Harbor

The Blipbug and the other guard look between each other. "The Elders sent ya, huh?"

The Blipbug approaches the group, specifically Grigori, with a bit of an unearned swagger. "You must be those Surge experts Mbali set one of the Elders up with. I heard about all that through the grapevine, but I kinda just assumed it was a joke. Foreign Surge experts telling us what to do? Feh..."

The Blipbug's companion, a bespeckled but more bespeckled than what one would expect of a Volcarona Volcarona, clears their throat again, more forcefully this time. "What she means is that we got things pretty taken care of around here. The Dock Authority's doing their job, haven't had to send a single mon up to the Sanctum. With the Elders still gunning for that festival to happen, it's a wonder Glastone hasn't imploded."

They look to the group as well, flipping their mask up. "Ya hear to report back to the Elders, or is there something ya need to talk with the Dockmaster about?"

Edited by BlackMageAnolis on Feb 17th 2022 at 8:54:41 AM

Glastone, Marlon Group

I hobble my way into the interior of the building to truly survey what we have at hand, with Cindra close behind. My musings about the Suspect's relation to the rest of the town remains on the table all the same as we enter.

Alright, what exactly do we have here? Sweep through this area and let's see how this guy was running this operation.

There are still no signs of life, a detail that at this point should basically confirm nobody is here—living or not. Surely took some inspiration from the old, giant, Wurmple with the decor. Regardless we begin to rummage about the room, and as I approach the desk, I almost stumble forward thanks to my walking stick making contact with...a piece of paper? And more to boot as well. Now we're in business. I think quickly and start directing our group.

Shit— I'm fine. Cindra, Goobert...come help me sort through these. Ed, Dikir—can you look at that board a little closer?

Cindra approaches and gets to doing just that.

Glastone, Grigs Group

Listen, dat's exactly why we came heres, we need ta know anythin' da Dock Mastah knows.

This is all Marsha says at this juncture; she nods in Grigori's direction, intending to let him pick up from here.

Edited by Team42Larson on Feb 17th 2022 at 9:18:42 AM

[Glastone (Grigori's Group)]

"Yeah, we figured the Dock Master would be the best one to ask about anything around here," Royal added.

Glastone Harbor (Grigori's Group)

(Good god, is nearly everyone in this town a smug sack of shit? Whatever, as long as they're not in the way, there's no need to get in their face over it. Even if what they say is true, they might be missing something.) We're talking about any leads, like suspicious activity or anyone hiding within the area. We just want to know what your boss knows about the Surge around here.

Marlon group

Dikir would be looking the interior of the small hut finding resemblance with his previous location he was given an instruction to look at the board closer and so he did just that inspectong the board to the best of his ability

Glastone (Marlon's group)

(Ed takes a closer look at the list.)

Hmmmm...hey, wait a minute! My cousin's name is on here! What was she doing here? (He points out the name "Steena" on the list under the list of rabble-rousers.) "Rabble-rousing"? That doesn't seem like her...

(The name sounds vaguely familiar to me, but I don't know from where. It's curious that one of Ed's relatives was apparently here and involved in anything going on here at all, though.)

Glastone (Grigori's group)

(With the others pretty much covering everything, Delilah simply waits to see what the guards have to say to this.)

Glastone, Marlon Group

We are able to gather up the rest of the loose papers and place them back onto the desk. Cindra begins to look through the papers, trying to find anything interesting..

As this unfolds I take in the name Steena (for a second time in less than five minutes, actually). I find that the name sounds just as familiar, but I really couldn't place where I heard it before (if at all.) Nonetheless..

Maybe she moved here recently? You know, getting some type of job to cover until she could get a place to live. Still-more importantly, we have to find who was running this, and for what reason they were handing out these infractions. We do that, and hopefully we get new leads on finding the Vector.

Edited by Team42Larson on Feb 22nd 2022 at 9:30:53 AM

Glastone

Marlon's Group: The Berry Fields

From Dikir's old world knowledge, these look like the sort of figures you put on the board to sort out your business, the kind that would end up in an Excel spreadsheet in a more industrial time than now. One of the things that jumps out at Dikir though are "Investment Sources" within the "Allotted Budget" category under "Budget from Tax": there's an "R Source", an "L Source", and an "M Source". Another thing that jumps out is right below that, a percentage for a "Special Budget" alongside "Worker Salary", "Maintenance and Equipment", and "Cost of Seed" with regards to how all this money is spent.

As Cindra looks over the papers, one curious letter seems to be addressed to the Elders, marked with a wax stamp of approval with what looks like a seal for the town.

^{The letter reads...} 
Dear Elders of the Council of Glastone,
Despite the evident success of our joint municipal-private model which we have established for the berry fields, the workers are not taking this new success in stride. They have made many demands of me that I cannot allot to them at the moment, but perhaps in some years' time: they demand of me higher weekly wages, and paradoxically demand shorter hours of work 'comparable to the hours our parents worked before the walls went up'. They want better equipment, and they want a regiment of the guard for themselves to prevent idle theft and destruction of crops by vagabonds.
The rabblerousing has gotten pitched this past week. I fear there might be some interloper using this movement to their own ends. Nevertheless, I sumbit this formal petition for a station of guards to handle this rabblerousing. I also ask to be granted honorary rank of captain by which this deployment of guards may be under my command. This rabblerousing has gotten in the way of growing the crops, and I fear with this impediment that we might be below standard yield for the summer.
I have talked this over with some of the working families more sympathetic to my cause, trueblood Glastonians no doubt. There has been word of the Surge—the Viral Aggression as it's called south of us—coming into town via some vagrant. Its spread could easily doom the town as it's doomed Hoard and Milkett. Nevertheless, I expect the fulfillment and execution of this petition will not create the proper atmosphere for the Surge to spread unabated. The guards are merely for the sake of protecting municipal property, hardly a herald call for violence.
Your humble servant
Dakarai

^{Another one reads, attached to the first...} 
Mr. Dakarai,
Your request will be fulfilled to the greatest degree that we can allow. It is of utmost importance that this year's yield is a success considering the lower yields over the past few years.
We have gathered the mediciners and shamans of the town within the Sanctum not four days ago. The Elders and the mediciners independently determined there was no threat of the Surge coming into Glastone, thanks to our outpost limiting land access and the harbor limiting access by sea. If you are worried about violence serving as a vector for its spread, don't be.
- Elder Pela, Chief Elder of the Council of Glastone.

Finally, there's a strange, scrawled note that doesn't seem to have gotten to its destination:

^{This letter reads...} 
R
The vector is in our midst.
They know our game.
Screen the harbor boys. Screen your workers. Be careful.
-D

As Cindra and Marlon collect the letters, they might hear a faint buzzing coming from outside...

Grigori's Group: The Dock Authority Building

"Yea, we can go tell—" "HEY!"

Up on the balcony of the Dock Authority Building, leaning over the railing, is a Sneasel with a yellow sash around her torso and a backwards naval cap. "YOU WERE LOOKING FOR THE DOCKMASTER? THAT'D BE ME! ACTUALLY, HEY, HOW MANY OF YOU CAN, UHH, FLY UP HERE? JUST...LIVING IN GLASTONE, REALLY SURPASSED MY EXPECTATIONS ABOUT HOW MANY KINDS OF MONS CAN FLY." She puts her hands up almost accusedly. "OR YOU KNOW IT'S FINE, I CAN JUST TALK TO YOU LIKE THIS!"

She scratch her chin. "SO, THE SURGE HASN'T REALLY, UHH, PENETRATED THROUGH THE HARBOR AS MUCH AS IT HAS IN THE TOWN PROPER. THERE WAS SOME RECOMMENDATION FROM THE BULGADDA HERE—" The Sneasel "khk-khk"'s at the Volcarona with some finger pistols, who in their own limited capacity "khk-khk"'s back.

"YEA, THERE WAS SOME RECOMMENDATION THAT WE USE THIS OLD, UHH, METHOD OF HANDLING EPIDEMICS, THERE WAS A, A PLAGUE ACTUALLY MAYBE ABOUT FOUR HUNDRED YEARS AGO OR SO, WHEN THE, UHH, EMPIRE THING WAS STILL HERE IN THE NORTH. THE BULGADDA HAD THAT PRETTY DOWN PAT ACTUALLY, AND ESPECIALLY SINCE THIS IS A DISEASE WE DON'T REALLY HAVE THE, UHH, PROPER ABILITY TO COMBAT, WE HAVE THOSE OF US IN THE DOCK AUTHORITY AS MESSENGERS, WE BASICALLY HAVE THE MASKS TO TRY AND CREATE DISTANCE, THERE'S AN AROMATIC CHAMBER IN THE BOTTOM WHERE WE PRETTY MUCH PUT DRUGS."

The Volcarona nods. "Persim leaves," they whisper. "You smoulder them a little, cools you right down."

Glastone, Marlon Group

Cindra places the remaining letters onto the desk and immediately makes her attempt to decipher what is being written on these.

What do we have with these?

The Lilligant clears her breath and begins to read each of the letters, calling out the most important sections of each. She makes sure everyone in the room can hear.

First letter..ok..

They have made many demands of me that I cannot allot to them at the moment, but perhaps in some years' time: they demand of me higher weekly wages, and paradoxically demand shorter hours of work 'comparable to the hours our parents worked before the walls went up..

The rabblerousing has gotten pitched this past week. I fear there might be some interloper using this movement to their own ends.. There has been word of the Surge..coming into town via some vagrant..

Vagrant...that fits everything I've believed so far. The suspect isn't from town, they come in...blend in somehow...then plan to cause chaos. What's next?

This second letter is just reassurances—ones that the Aggression doesn't come into town, so on. Now this last little one, on the other hand...

As this begins to happen the two of us begin to hear a faint buzz begin to come into earshot...

R

The vector is in our midst.

They know our game.

Screen the harbor boys. Screen your workers. Be careful.

-D

Cindra hushes her tone and grabs at my scarf to get me to eye level after that.

Uh oh.

Son of a bitch...

The concern over this last note's contents is not the only thing making Cindra say "uh oh". Just in the moments after she utters the last words of the letter she begins to hear that buzzing noise escalate somewhat.

You do hear that one, right, Marlon? We bust into someone's house and this is exactly what happens...great...

Yeah, I hear it. Shit...we're either gonna have to hide somewhere, find another exit, or confront this Dakarai directly.

Cindra releases her grip on my scarf and I begin to scan the area for possible hiding spots or means of getting out of here. Nothing better be happening down at that Harbor...

Glastone, Grigs Group

Marsha grows inquisitive after hearing about the methods that the dock master seems to be employing to keep the harbor town safe.

So...dat's it? Yer old ways...it's not gonna be able ta handle whoevah dis guy is we're tryin' ta stop. And for dat matter, I'm just gonna turn down yer offer dair—last time we even considered tryin' any of dat an Oricorio we know had a verrrrrrrrrrrrrry bad trip.

Where is Richard, anyway?

Edited by Team42Larson on Feb 23rd 2022 at 8:58:36 AM

Glastone

Grigori's Group: The Dock Authority Building

"YOU KNOW WHAT, THAT'S FAIR. ALTHOUGH..." The Dockmaster takes a moment. "FORGIVE ME IF I'M BEING A LITTLE NAIVE, ESPECIALLY AS A MON OF PUBLIC OFFICE, BUT HAVING LOOKED INTO THE OTHER OUTBREAKS ACROSS DENALSI, IF THE VECTOR IS SUPPOSED TO BE A, UHH, EXACERBATING AGENT OF THE SURGE, MAYBE THE VECTOR JUST...HASN'T BEEN DOWN TO THE HARBOR."

She eyes the whole of the harbor on her side, all the houses, all the little tin soldiers the Dock Authority has stationed aside those afflicted. "WE HAVEN'T HAD TO SEND ANYONE UP TO THE SANCTUM, thank Arceus... IT MIGHT BE A DIFFERENT STORY IF SOMEONE HERE WAS INTENTIONALLY SPREADING IT, RIGHT? IT ONLY HIT SO HARD IN HOARD BECAUSE THERE WAS TWO OF 'EM THERE..."

Glastone Harbor, Dock Authority (Grigori's Group)

(I wouldn't expect it to be nearly as bad as the rest of the town, at least, at first glance. I assume the "Bulgadda" he's talking about are those bugs in robes and masks running around here. While the Sneasel was boasting about how safe the harbor is, a thought occurred to me. A "safe and secure" spot like this is exactly what the Vector would want. If the Vector were trying to launch an assault, they would want to corrupt as many people as possible before doing so. The harbor being as relatively cold as it is now would a perfect cover for them. Maybe not to hide away for long periods, but enough to avoid detection.)

(What the Sneasel proposed challenged the idea. Perhaps there is a chance that the Vector isn't even aware of the chaos they're causing. I decided to lay my thoughts on the table.) There's a chance that the Vector's in hiding around here. Not long enough to deal some major damage, but enough to hide from the authorities. Of course, I'm not saying this to doubt or mock you, but you might want to check your ranks, see if they aren't behaving normally. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't being a Vector affect your mind like being inflicted with VA does? If that's not the case, then the theory that the Vector's unaware might be more plausible.

Marlon group

Scratching his chin. Dikir would be looking at the board noticing stuff from his old world it was awfully similar maybe the people they are searching also came from the old world?

Seing further, he notices 3 investors from 3 sources. Dikir isnt familiar with most of them except the R source. He concludes that means rodney from the mantion.

"Look at these! There are 3 different investors in this farm one of them could be Rodney but the other 2? do you know anybody of wealth with the initials L or M?"

[Glastone Harbor (Grigori's Group)]

"Might not be my place to say since I wasn't there, I was just given a detailed rundown, but I think I remember the Vectors seeming mostly normal at first but clearly having much more bloodlust or something," said Royal. "Like that uh, Vella bug lady, whatever her name was."