Tuesday, 7 September
1875
We have been drawn into an investigation here in the underground mining
city of Hauptmann Stahlmacherson’s people. A the body of a fellow
named Snorri Sturlesonson was found in the debris of a tunnel’s
collapse just yesterday. The initial finding by the “Smelter”
(the title of the local investigator), whose name is Baforsson, was the
he had died in the accidental collapse, but the victim’s mother was not
satisfied. She appealed to our Hauptmann to reopen the
investigation.
After some (rather heated) discussion, the Acting Chief Mine Engineer
was persuaded to invite the Hauptmann to look into the matter (by
treaty with Prussian powers, he may not do so without express
invitation). The Smelter was not pleased. He is evidently a
very conservative person, and is quite unhappy with the presence of
surface dwellers in the underground realm. He would not address
me directly at all, only through his intermediary, even though I
understood him perfectly well. Frankly, if not for the reverence
they hold for the Witch of Darlston, we’d have been tossed out
already. Not to discount the affection of many for the Hauptmann,
who seems to carry the nickname "Headbanger."
Mrs Salmalin, Mr O'Flaherty, and Turgenov continue their respective
recuperation--all of them are sleeping most of the time. I myself
am still somewhat pained by my injuries, but anxious to make myself
useful. I cannot be idle when Mrs Sturleson is in such a state of
uncertainty regarding her son's fate. I admit also to a keen
desire to show the "Smelter" what we surface dwellers are made of.
Notes:
Citizens of this Mine/City:
Acting Chief Mine Engineer (equivalent "Regent") --Engelbert
Stahlmachersson--son of the "Low King"--brother of Hauptmann
Stahmachersson.
Doctor/infirmarian "Mender" --Ludmilla vu Pakenhoff--seems progressive,
friendly, helpful, knowledgeable.
Deputy Minister of the Depths and "Smelter" (investigator)--
Baforsson--hostile to outsider presence and influence. Will not
speak directly to me.
Deputy Minister of the Shallows--"Caller"-- Schuktern
Schukternsson--seems friendly, helpful. Spoke directly to me and
removed helmet to make eye contact.
"Deep-Downer" seems to be a title of respect for certain
leaders--possibly even a priestly caste. Persons of this rank
wear an armour-like suit of overlapping leather and asbestos scales and
panels, and a similar helmet with a slit visor over goggles or a face
shield of mica or thin glass. The costume seems somewhat ceremonial,
and obscures the wearer thoroughly.
Deceased was Snorri Sturlesonson.
-Per Smelter's previous investigation:
Body found in collapsed mine shaft. Shaft was cut into shale,
noted as unstable and dangerous. Collapse not especially
surprising. However, SnSt had no known reason to be in the area.
SnSt had been assigned to guard duty at Gate 11, the same door we
entered. On duty with Stutz. Arrival for duty as scheduled
Sat afternoon. Verified by relieved pair and by Stutz. Per
original report, Frau Metzger came to gate, asked if her son had
wandered in here lost, and left when told he had not come this
way. Stutz reported, when questioned, that SnSt had gone back to
his quarters early feeling unwell, and Stutz completed his shift alone.
-Inspection of collapsed (now cleared) shaft:
Various miners claim collapse caused by troll or underground fey
creature.
While investigating shaft, we saw a figure emerge from solid rock wall,
see us, then withdraw back into rock. H. Stahlmacherson says it
was one of the underground fey creatures, described it using the
Greek "oryad"--mountain nymph. Looked like a person, carved of
granite but moving freely. According to H Stahlmachersson and the
"Caller", oryads have been agitated recently by incursions of other fey
creatures, especially "river women," from lowland areas. This
entity's appearance caused alarm among the miners.
-Inspection of Sn.St. body: Head crushed, back right
quarter. Minor contusions, but lack of overall crushing
injury that would indicate death by rockfall. Possibly died elsewhere
and buried in rocks post-mortem. We took duty helmet for possible
scrying.
-Attempted to question Stutz, visited bachelor quarters. Stutz
found dead in bunk. Small empty phial under pillow.
Examined by Mender, who verified death by poison and identified poison
as that given to dwarfish soldiers to carry in case of dire
circumstances. Seems all too convenient. Again, we took
helmet.
Summary of Scrying by Mrs Salmalin, on Snorri Sturlesonson helmet,
Stutz helmet, and Gate 11 logbook (several scrying sessions):
Stutz approached before shift by a person in "Deep-Downer"
regalia. Deep-Downer says a group will be coming to Gate 11, they
should be admitted and allowed to pass through the tunnels, and that
this must remain secret. Stutz seems much awed by Deep-downer
rank.
Both Stutz and Snorri begin duty as scheduled. Stutz seems to
have tried to send SnSt away on errands several times,
unsuccessful. Apx 2 hr into shift, pounding on "gate."
Stutz opens to pack of wolves, including one wolf cub in muzzle and
restraints. SnSt objects to admittting them, and wants to send
word to superiors. Sn St writes "Wolves from Castle" in log book,
then is interrupted. Stutz says this has been approved already,
and they have orders to admit these. Snorri faces Stutz to
argue. Behind him one male wolf transforms to humanoid, takes up
hammer, strikes SnSt very hard, on head, from behind.
Stutz is very upset at werewolf. Deep-downer arrives with some
assistants, reassures Stutz, werewolves led away into tunnels.
One page taken out from Log Book.
Meanwhile, SnSt is wrapped up in cloth and carried away.
Unwrapped, then buried with medium sized stones (a few at a time,
rather than sudden collapse).
At Gate 11, Frau Metzger arrives, says her some was abducted and
brought this way. Stutz tells her no one has been here, and she
is turned away.
Stutz finishes shift. Is questioned about SnSt's
disappearance, gives story as instructed. Still seems troubled,
and much grieved by SnSt's death. Later he hears of H
Stahlmachersson's return, and that he is taking up the
investigation. Stutz takes poison from phial.
(later)
Sgt Frazer has brought some information which, while initially very
upsetting, is nonetheless very enlightening.
This morning in Potsdorf, the Groom’s Hunt is being
undertaken. The League’s children, accompanied by Lord
Greyminster, Inspector MacGreggor, Mr Frazer, Violet and Daru, and a
number of the royal guards, went for a ride in entirely the other
direction (since we expect Galen will disrupt any hunt by trying to
warn the animals away)
Both the main Hunt and the children were harassed by a pack of
werewolves. While the werewolves did not actually attack the
children, their horses bolted. The children kept their seats, until
Caroline's horse stopped too suddenly and she was thrown over its
head. She has a broken leg, but not too severly displaced.
I have been reassured that it has been well set and should heal
strong. Poor Caroline!
The wolves, I have heard, ran on and harassed the King's party.
Before my colleagues dispatched them, they were identified as Wolfgang
von Erbersbach (the unruly son of Baron von Ebersbach), and some of his
friends--not to be shot. The confrontation resulted in the young
werewolf being stunned with the new less-lethal etheric pulse rifles
and carted off to the gaol. Apparently, his wild ways make him a
frequent visitor there.
The portion of this incident I have found enlightening is this--it is
highly probable, from the log notes we have reconstructed, that the
Baron's son and his friends are the werewolves responsible for
kidnapping Arnwulf. If they are already in the Potsdorf area,
they might well have gone through the Dwarf tunnels and emerged on the
Carpania side of these mountains. We have requested permission to
follow the same route and go out the gate closest to Potsdorf, but this
request has been met with hostility in some quarters. That gate
is far below the levels we have been permitted so far, and for surface
dwellers to go so deep seems to be sacreligious to some
conservatives. (Never mind that the werewolves were allowed to
pass!) For the moment, we have sent H Stahlmachersson to look for
further evidence to support this hypothesis, while I re-examine the
area of Gate 11.
(Later)
I have attempted to track Frau Metzger, given that
we now know certainly that she was at Gate 11. We found her
trail, and traced it to a nearby grove, where there are faint signs of
ritual markings, a disturbance as of very localized wind, and an
absolute disappearance of tracks--signs suggest that she flew directly
into the air by her own volition.
H Stahlmachersson returned from his reconnaisance of Gate 19, where we
suspect the werewolf party may have exited, having found signs which
confirm our hypothesis. One item he brought back, wrapped
carefully in a handkerchief: an oval locket, detached from any
chain, with a small mirror within. When he opened it, we regarded
a reflected eye looking back out at us.
Mrs Salmalin performed a scrying ritual on it, and learned that the
werewolves were carrying it, and used it to communicate with a
sorceress called Lady Rosamund. We have since kept it closely
bound to prevent her from spying on us.
We had a bit of uproar when an excited reprt reached us that a werewolf
had been captured in the tunnels. After accounting for Turgenov
and Garvey, we proceeded to see the captive. He was a wolf, but
the captors had failed to note the badge of the Prussian police affixed
to his collar. It was our old comrade Corporal (now Sergeant)
Lichtenwaller, the half-vampire shapeshifter who helped so much on our
previous Prussian adventures. He reported that he had joined the
search for Arnwulf and Miss Metzger. He had found an entrance to
the tunnels though a river tunnel with a grate and sought to
investigate, but the dwarves were being very vigilant, and had cornered
him. He had refrained from harming them, though I know that he
easily could have if he had chosen to defend himself. H
Stahlmachersson convinced his people to release Lichtenwaller, who was
them able to deliver his report.
I have an inkling of widespread intrigue in this region. It
seems to me that a variety of peoples are displeased with the status
quo.
-When we arrived in Potsdorf, we were warned of Anarchist attacks
against the royal family, and provided with an "honor" guard for the
members of our party in the line of succession (distant though they
are). I have heard hints from Sgt Frazer that further incidents
have continued in our absence.
-Some "water spirits" are becoming embroiled in the politics of the
nearby human governments (as evidenced in our visit a year ago last
July, and as stated as opinion by Caller)
The leadership of the Oryads are seeking alliance with the Dwarves in
response to actions by the water spirits.
-Perhaps the Dwarf factions who most dislike surface dwellers are
dissatisfied with the current alliances (some might say subjugation)
with adjacent Human governments. Unresolved point: is the
apparent "Deep-downer" who was giving instructions to Stutz a genuine
"Deep-downer," or someone using the regalia for authority and anonymity?
-We know Wolfgang von Erbersbach is restless and ungentle. He has
taken Arnwulf for a yet-unknown reason, with the connivance of some
faction of the dwarves. Is he acting on his own, or does the
Baron also wish to disrupt the status quo? It seems possible that
some or most of this family rankles at being vassals of Human
rulers. Perhaps our friend Gefreiter Erbersbach can offer
insight. I am not sure of her relations with her family.
-It seems possible that some or all of these areas of unrest are being
stirred by someone with an agenda. Some or all of these factions
may be being manipulated. We have met many enemies with nominal
goals of Anarchy. Could the Ligue des Ombres be involved
here? Or another similar entanglement of troublemakers? I
have no real evidence to support this hypothesis, but I will bear it in
mind as we continue our investigations.
The evidence is very clear that the "wolves from the castle" came all
the way through the tunnels as a shortcut to Potsdorf. Smelter
Baforsson continues to insist that we should not be permitted to such
depths. While H Stalmachersson, Caller Schukternsson, and I might
be able to argue him around in time, Mrs Salmalin has taken matters
into her own hands: She has indicated in No Uncertain Terms that
as the Witch of Darlston, she expects to be permitted to pass, with all
of us her companions, Or Else.
I have rarely seen Mrs Salmalin in such a mood, but I suspect she will
press even the most orthodox Deep Downer to submission, if only to get
us all out of their realm the sooner.
Proceed to Uncharacteristic
inspiration
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