Lady Antebellum brought them from the magistrate's office, and out to the city proper itself. She fell quiet as the party discussed among themselves. She let out a small hum to the notion of the filly being a captain, but kept quiet-at least up till they got to the palace.

Garnet's palace- the presidential palace- was unusual in design. Not only was the whole building above the ground, it had no doomed roof. On the flats of the roof though were harpoon and cannoneers looking for signs of trouble. Antebellum turned to the three. "Regarding the matter of pay- what were your terms?" she offers. "Before we go further with this, I need to know we have a sealed deal."

Ash Greenmane was very against a filly captain! Just saying! He was less against the job they were doing, especially when seeing the building the group was headed to. Working for a magistrate should've been something that paid -very- well, which was why he tried not to be too eager in nodding in agreement to Lady Antebellum when she brought up the subject of the contract. "Well, the question I'd want to ask first is what would you be offering? This missing pony's rather important and given who finding him's being left with, this sounds like it may be a little risky on top of expensive?"

Gallows Song:"Uhhhhhh" Gallows frowns "All the bits? That sounds fair"



Redgrave gives a small snort, "All of them might be a bit much, since you wouldn't have an opportunity to collect more afterwards. I agree with Ash that knowing what you'd be willing to provide would help."

Gallows Song:"Bah," The filly huffs and plods along

"You all don't think big"

ExpeditiousPony (GM):Antebellum fidgets slightly. "Uhm...not all of our silver, no- that would cause untold inflation and-" She chuckles slightly, as she fiddles for the keys to the gates of the palace. They weren't taking the main entrance it seemed. "Well- just silver alone is hardly enough for this. You are all non-citizens, yes? Lady Garnet could offer you guaranteed housing, your own airship, and of course a large silver payout. But of course...only if you bring back Shardlight, Steambells and the maid..., or if they;re dead...whatever's left." She shudders.

Gallows Song:"Ooh! Ooh! A ship!" The filly says bouncing in place "That be a prize worthy of our services!"

Ash Greenmane hummed thoughtfully at that offer and glanced to the others. "Well...suppose being able to make a more stable living again -somewhere- would be nice..." he mused. "Citizenry and a decent payout of silver to use toward getting established in it would be very useful and--" Yeah, he figured she'd be eager for a ship.



Redgrave ponders this for a moment, "I intend to one day reclaim my own original home. Though an airship would certainly be of good use to travel around quickly. I've worn through several sets of shoes as it is."


Gallows Song:"You no use a ship just fer travel! Theres... Other tings... Like... Uh... Sellin stuff"

"Cargo! Shipping! Uh... Privateerin!"



ExpeditiousPony (GM) nods to Redgrave. "We could see what help we could offer for that- but...do we have an offer? This all worries me night and day...I just want to see them again." She sighs, the mare having the gate unlocked. As if she was expecting to be offering something like this, she conjures a piece of paper and starts to write, offering the terms to them as they reach the door of the palace. "And...you all seem like decent ponies. I think I have a good judge of character here in trusting you all to this, yes?"

Gallows Song:"Yarr!"

"I mean... Aye"

Gallows Song figures thats much nicer sounding... Totally not a badpone

ExpeditiousPony (GM):After getting their signatures, Antebellum led them inside to a rather typical looking throne room. For Ash, this looked all too familiar. Yet at the center of the seat was Lady Garnet, an apricot colored unicorn in her fair forties, smiling joyously at the newcomers and Bellum. Strangely, the guard presence was only that of a few rag-tag guards. She seemed rather confident in herself.

....

And that was when she noticed Gallows, the filly. "Oh my Goddesses above, you-" She grins. "You, what is your name, oh mascot of the city! Yes, you shall have a statue in your honor and-"

ExpeditiousPony (GM):The president blinks, seemingly registering the other three. "Ah, Lady Antebellum! May I ask?"

Lady Antebellum explains everything that's happened so far- with the brooch, with the missing ponies, with the breakin and finally with the cloaked strangers stating their own peace on the matter. The president smiles widely. "So you three must be here to find my missing friends, then?"



Redgrave looks around at the fancy digs. It's been a long time since he's seen such a place. Far too long. The sudden bouncy joy Lady Garnet has over Gallows Song surprises the large pony. A small nod is given when she finally notices them, "That is correct. I find it odd for three ponies to vanish like they seem to have within such a short time of each other."

Gallows Song cants her head in confusion "What be a mascot? My name be Gallows Song, and i no be a Mascot... Unless tis a good thing..."

Ash Greenmane blinks in confusion at the sudden outburst from the president and looks down at Gallows. Mascot-what? "I think we missed something..." he mumbled quietly to Redgrave, before quickly nodding in agreement and giving the mare a polite, respectful bow. "Not to mention the work we learned the most recent one had been doing. It feels a little suspicious in regards to what possible kidnappers might have in store."

ExpeditiousPony (GM):Garnet does nothing to address her outburst, only further enforces it. "Whatever reward Antebellum offered you, I'll add on a parade in your honor, my dear!" She smirks, trotting back to her throne and smiling down through crystal speckled lenses. "You are right. Shardlight, Steambells- Feather Duster-all courtiers. All within a few weeks of each other. Shardlight and steambells infact on the same day. It smells of New Roan influence. May I see the brooch you all acquired?" She asks, shifting just a tad. "And- what are your thoughts so far on the criminals who broke in to his room?"

Gallows Song flicks an ear "... Shes weird...." the filly mutters quietly "

Ash Greenmane nods and takes out the brooch. If allowed, he'd step forward to pass it over to the eccentric mare. Or just let unicorns levitate it safely, whatever worked. "I don't think they were thieves. At least, not professional ones. Which is confusing."


Redgrave leans in to Gallows, "A mascot is like the carved figurehead at the prow of a ship. Everyone will know your name and stories and song will be written for your deeds and looks." Back up to chatting with the presidential one, "The criminals we fought seemed.. less than impressive. Hired thugs with little capability of stealth."

Gallows Song:"Oooooh, I be that on me old ship, aye" she nods sagely

ExpeditiousPony (GM):Garnet perks her ears at Gallows. "No, you." She replies casually. She...really seemed the odd one."Ahem...let me see here." She floats the brooch into her magic, examining the thing closely. "Hum...silver. That's common among royalty. But, Shardlight shouldn't have need for this. Ah!" She grins. "The gem in it. I see." She chuckles lightly, giving it back to Greenmane. "Purely unique. What was he doing with this, do you know?" After a moment though, she rubs her chin. "If they weren't thieves, then what were they?"

Gallows Song:"Uhhh.. Bad... "she scrunches her face thinking for a word similar to thief "... Iunno"

Ash Greenmane shuffles a bit uneasily as he mulls it over. Well, if it had "New Roan" written all over it anyways, what was the point of leaving the detail out. "Spies, maybe." he offered. "Or a couple scouts from New Roan. I know at least one of them hails from those lands, and they knew exactly what they were looking for. So either they had some help beforehoof, were really great at guessing, or had some kind of instructions they were following."

Gallows Song:"Spies! Yeah! Those!"



Redgrave thinks for a moment, "Well according to Shardlight's notebook, it's apparently arcanite and he was doing all sorts of tests on it to learn stuff. Something to do with an.. omnicombobulator? Omnicopulator? Some big fancy word. His notes are hard to read."



ExpeditiousPony (GM) Lady Garnet mulls it over as well. After a moment though, she starts to chuckle. "Their standards are slipping. They obviously want Steambells and Shardlight, a brillant engineer and one of the last remaining Arcanist that aren't under their hoof, at the same time weakening my own country's position as an independent power. Sighh....how boring predictable, Entwined..." she mumbles. "Still, you've been helpful so far, and knowing New Roan did this doesn't get us any closer to finding our friends. So-" She stops, blinking a few times. "Hmn. This is not arcanite. And an omnicombonation is- as I understand, the magical kitchen sink as it were. Though...I'm not sure myself."



Ash Greenmane:"A kitchen...sink...?" Ash scrunched his muzzle and looked to the others to see if they could make heads or tails of that while putting the brooch away in his saddlebag.

Gallows Song:"Om...nomicon?" the filly asks really confused "You made that word up"



Redgrave shakes his head. No clues whatsoever, "I would suggest leaving the crazy magic to the arcanists and focus on what we can do to find him."

ExpeditiousPony (GM):The looks she got amused her, but there was of course the important matter of her missing friends. "It might be important- but that is the term for 'trying everything', I believe. I'm sure the local mage's hall might have more information on what he was looking at here. But as for anything else..," She muses for a moment. "Well, the mages tend to keep tabs on each other, so that's not a bad place to start. We have a few guilds around that might've seen something. Having them back is important, so...you could try the local urchins too. They have ears everywhere." She offered.

Off hoof, there were several places the trio could think of. If they had left by sea, perhaps the fellow naval travelers would know-if this gem was what the spies were after, obviously the local mage's guild. But maybe still the local taverns could offer clues.

Ash Greenmane nods. "Well, it was suggested we come by here first to speak with you in regards to other ideas too. Like say, would you happen to know of anything routine about Shardlight's daily activities? Places he frequented? Anything said in visits to you, or gatherings? Could narrow down a few places as far as finding clues to his whereabouts goes."



Redgrave nickers softly, "The mages guild would be the best place to start. They tend to know about this magic stuff. Could just ask around and see if anybody knows where they were last actually seen."

Gallows Song:"I be thinking i can ask some ponies at the docks if these.. Spies, were seen"

ExpeditiousPony (GM):Lady Garnet does her best to answer Greenmane, thinking back deeply. "Shardlight always kept to himself. Steambells was always talkative and active in the court, and Feather of course did her duty- none of them acted oddly before they disappeared. Steambells always visited Shardlight though, they were close friends- but no. I can't think of anything that would be odd about how they acted. Perhaps you could check Steam and Feather's room too." She suggested. "I'm sorry- if I knew more I wouldn't have to use you all."

Ash Greenmane shakes his head and gives another respectful bow. "You've done plenty, Lady Garnet. And I think I speak for all of us when I say we'll do our best to get to the bottom of this."



Redgrave rubs a hoof under his chin, "Searching their individual rooms could help a lot too, if you give us allowance to. Maybe they have something written down that could offer some explanation. Particularly in Feather Duster's case. I can see Steambells vanishing with Shardlight, but why Feather?"

Gallows Song:"Love?" Gallows asks with a shrug

Redgrave:A look down to Gallows with a raised eyebrow.

Ash Greenmane:"Hm. ...which one was first to vanish again?"

Gallows Song:Gallows looks back and again shrugs "Iunno"



ExpeditiousPony (GM) Lady Garnet wiggles a bit. "Well, Feathers did. Hmn, yes! We did double check her room once before and found nothing, but perhaps you three could find something? It is odd the other two vanished at the same time- and our laws on homosexual relationships would mean there would be no need they'd have to flee to be together, so...not that?"



Redgrave blinks once before giving a small shrug at that, "I see. Well then. Perhaps we should get our investigation underway. I would suggest we look at their rooms first, before anyone from New Roan gets the same idea."

Gallows Song:"Aye!"

Ash Greenmane:"...hm." Ash nods. "Let's start with Feather's room then."

ExpeditiousPony (GM):----

Being a maid, Feather lived at the palace itself. The room was meticulous and tidy, though spartan, much unlike the Arcanist. There was a single, small bed- a bed stand, window access (though this one was barred and locked), and not much else. There didn't seem to be much foul play here. Lady Garnet bowed, as she took her leave. "Let me know if you find anything." She offered.


Redgrave nodnods to the Lady and looks about the place curiously.

Gallows Song:Once she gets into the room Gallows will go full detective, checking under the bed, in the closet... Under the pillow...

ExpeditiousPony (GM):And so they went to work.

It was subtle, so it was no wonder it was missed- but the signs were there. Redgrave found the clothing drawer oddly sparse, containing only three changes of clothes. Greenmane found small dust on the stand as well- possibly a dye of some type- and Gallows found a small loose plank under the bed.

Popping it open, there was an unsealed envelope.


Gallows Song:"I do be thinking i have something!" Gallow says, hopping up onto the bed with the envelope in her magic



Redgrave is occasionally slightly jealous of unicorn magic. They can hold things much more effectively, "Given the lack of common wear and the lack of the place being troubled, it feels like Feather at least left peacefully. What does that say, Gallows?"

Gallows Song:"Iunno. Can't read"

Ash Greenmane collects the dust with a bit of cloth so he could get a better look at it. When hearing the announcement, he looked over to Gallows. "Leaving peacefully is what I'm afraid of..." he muttered, heading over to try taking the envelope from the excited filly's magic for a peek.

Gallows Song:"As captain, others need to read fer me!"



Redgrave 's ear twitches, "What makes you so sure they're telling you what's actually written?"

Gallows Song:"Because i be captain" thats obviously enough, duh

ExpeditiousPony (GM):In a fine cursive, the letter went on in a prose-

"My love-my heart burns for every second you are away. I have made arrangements for departing this city forever. Meet me by the docks at moon-high tonight. At last we will have our happy ending Love always, High Castle."

So, it was love after all? At least for Feather, it seemed. And it gave them a place to look.

Ash Greenmane squints at the letter after he'd finished reading it aloud to the other two. "That...doesn't make any sense at all. If she was a trusted friend to the other three, why would just just disappear like this without telling anyone?"



Redgrave blinks in more confusion, "Why is it signed 'High Castle'? Who's that supposed to be?"

Gallows Song:"Whats it say?" Gallows asks hopping up and down trying to read. Emphasis on try

Ash Greenmane reads it aloud again?


Gallows Song:"... Hah! I do be right!" she totally hadnt beem distracted and didnt hear it the first time

Redgrave:

ExpeditiousPony (GM):The name wasn't one they've heard of before. But, Gallows notices a smell- a rather odd smell at that. Greenmane is able to place it though. The letter smelled of lemons. He recalls this being a fun 'experiment' to writing invisible messages. Incidentally, the back of the letter was blank.

Ash Greenmane flips the back of the letter over, stares, squints harder..."...waiiit..." And then he looks through those notes again to see if he could find that journal bit about the ink, if it was there. Maybe there was a note on how to make it show too.

Gallows Song:"Do that be perfume?"

ExpeditiousPony (GM):This wasn't a magic trick- there's no mentions of tricks of Ink In shardlight's journal. But he does recall how to read the message- heating it.

Given some time to conjure a light warmth from his horn((gm derp!)), the backside read as follows. "Come alone. Ensure you aren't followed. Bring the papers. Tell anyone and you'll see them on a cross."

Ash Greenmane had no horn, but asking one of the unis to handle that or just lighting a candle should've worked too! In any case, he hummed when reading over that hidden message and nodded. "That's more along the lines of what I was thinking...had wondered if Feather was something of an informant; but could've been she was blackmailed or something?"

Gallows Song:"That threat do not be sounding like one made to a friend,"



Redgrave seems impressed by this totally magical trick of writing in apparently invisible ink? How bizarre, "That makes sense, yes. A spy in the great house, disguised as a humble maid? Using multiple names to throw off suspicion."

Ash Greenmane:"That, or New Roan was just as willing to kill their targets as capturing them and this was the easier alternative. Suppose we could check the harbor next, maybe someone there saw something. Or should we keep looking through the rooms?"

ExpeditiousPony (GM):There was still Steambell's room they could check. The docks seem like the next logical point, but there was also the local mages or the taverns. The party gets the feeling they found what they could find here.

Gallows Song:"Dont there be one more room to look at?" Gallows asks, totally not asking because an invisible GM reminded them



Redgrave hmms, "Well we started with the rooms, may as well take a peek in the last one before going elsewhere. I don't like leaving a set of tasks unfinished."

Gallows Song:"Onwards!" Gallows says a moment later with her sword pointed out of the room, followed soon by the filly

Gallows Song soons stops in the hallway, not knowing where to go

ExpeditiousPony (GM):After reporting to Garnet their findings- and getting directions of course, they're brought to Steambell's abode. True to an engineer, he lived on the ground floor of the palace, tucked away in a nice hole for him to work in. Inside- there was chaos. gears strewn everywhere. Kegs knocked over. The engine of a broken airship was on the table, with low tech parts next to it meant to fix it. His bed was but a simple bedroll. they were assured though that his room did normally look like this, but it would make the hunt harder.



Redgrave snorts upon entering the place, the smell of oil and grease and the like quite heavy, "I've never understood how some ponies live in messes like this.."

Gallows Song frowns, looking about "This, may be hard"

Ash Greenmane sensed a kindred spirit here, and was very eager to get investigating! "It's not that hard once you get used to it. It's more a matter of just remembering where you left a tool or part every now and then. Or in what you left them in."


ExpeditiousPony (GM):The room is lost on the other two- they get lost in the mess of everything. Gallows get a bit of oil in her mane, and Redgrave stumbles on on a naughty book, but nothing of note on it.

Greenmane has a bit more luck. No notes or anything like that pointing him where to go- he too was missing clothes, like the maid was.



Redgrave looks around briefly before tucking the book into his saddlebag before anybody notices.

Gallows Song slicks her mane to the side with the oil, stylish!

Gallows Song would start looking for bits to make explosives... Yes... Oil? Thats some help


ExpeditiousPony (GM):Gallows collects the oil. She doesn't have everything she needs to make a bomb right now, but it's a start. The oil would make a fine thing to use for a pitch bomb. All she needed was something to bind it and the container itself. Seafoam, on closer look, found something out of place. A singular ribbon, yellow in color. It looks strangely famiilar.


Gallows Song would loot any ceramic container, like an inkwell or such


Redgrave wonders why this random ribbon looks family. Surely he's seen dozens around. Maybe because it looks out of place in this mess? He'll acquire it too. Maybe it'll come to him later.

ExpeditiousPony (GM):An inkwell was easy enough to find. Now she just needed the binding- which wasn't found in this room. But she probably could find it at any alchemist station.

For Redgrave, the ribbon's safely pocketed. Perhaps it would come to him soon.

Gallows Song would use her own alchemy set!

Gallows Song humming to herself, the filly works on making a pair of pitch jars

Ash Greenmane was too busy scanning things to notice the others or chastise about them looting a crime scene. But at least it was nothing they'd miss or couldn't replace, right? Clothes missing too though...he tried taking another look about the room to see if anything else might've been missing too. Like say some tools packed up and taken too, or if this was maybe a more hurried departure.

ExpeditiousPony (GM):Sure enough, there was a few tools missing from the scene which should be here- like the basic toolbox that every engineer carries, for one! This definitely implied his leaving was planned, just like the maid.

Meanwhile, Gallow's Song makes two bombs, somehow. She gets the feeling that the rest of the stuff in here is too impure to use safely.

Gallows Song would normally not let that stop her, buuuut, she has 2 new shinys, so the bomberfilly is sated.... For now



Redgrave shakes his head after moving heavy stuff around easily and finding nothing, "I haven't seen much of anything here that I can really make out."

Ash Greenmane finally returns to the others. "No signs of a struggle and he's missing some of a wardrobe too. Not sure if he had a secret lover too or something else going on; but I'm thinking it's the same as the maid. We might find something more at the docks after all."

Gallows Song hops on down from the workbench, a bomb in her magic "Lets be going then?"



Redgrave eyes the bomb suspiciously, "What are you planning on doing with that?"

Ash Greenmane leers at it too.

Gallows Song:"Make the bad ponies burn?"

Gallows Song gives Redgrave an innocent look



Redgrave raises a hoof and opens his mouth to speak... then stops. Again! ... hoof goes down. He looks over to Ash and shrugs, "I want to argue with that and can't think of anything that doesn't conflict with itself."

Ash Greenmane starts to say something, pauses, starts again, then--just as speechless as Redgrave, yep.

Gallows Song resuming her humming, Gallows will trot on out of the room and towards the exit of the mansion



Redgrave just shakes his head and heads on out so they can give their report and find the docks.

ExpeditiousPony (GM):'The docks' wan'ts the most helpful of locations, considering they were massive. Garnet made its mark on the world as a trading nation, thus much of of the docks was a sprawl of buildings and board. Not to mention dozens of ships, both air and naval. The smells of the sea was strong here, and the crowd was moving to and fro, loading cargo bound from one place to another. This seems like the worst sort of place for a secret meeting. Yet, there was whisperings and some ponies keeping their heads down, passing by a certain alley.

Gallows Song trots along happily, this place was like a second home to the once pirate filly

Ash Greenmane suddenly thinks of something and stops short, taking out that parchment he rubbed the dust on for another look. What color is it?



Redgrave would have had a home like this once.. He could have been in his element here, probably ordering people around and making them stock his line of trade ships to increase his wealthy empire! But alas, it was not to be.

ExpeditiousPony (GM):The powder was blue in color. If any of it was around, it should be easy to find. Maybe they could even find the store where it was sold at, or perhaps where some was dumped. Gallows finds her element, taking a well deserved breather by the lapping waves. Redgrave finds this dock wasn't too dissimilar to his own home....


Gallows Song starts looking around for the harbormasters and administrative ponies that would be lurking about

Ash Greenmane gives the edges of the docks and any other watery drops a wide berth. Not the best of swimming ponies and he was certainly -not- in his element there like the other two. That said, that alley folks were passing by looked kind of promising in both getting away from the ocean and finding out something useful!

ExpeditiousPony (GM):Gallow's spots a harbormaster, on old saltie sailor. Unicorn stallion with an eye patch, the older stallion smiles at the filly. "Well ahoy lass, how be ye?"

There's a whispering nearby, she swears she hears 'High Castle'.

Meanwhile, Greenmane spots a small dusting of blue powder at the floor of the alley

Ash Greenmane takes a careful look around before approaching the powder to see if it matches up with his sample.

Gallows Song:"Tire" the filly replies with a shrug and grin, ear flicking "Do ye be busy 'arbormaster? Me 'n my crew do be wondering if you might have seen someponies"


Redgrave does his best to keep watch over the other two as they wander about. Gotta keep his new acquaintances safe and all.

Redgrave:Can't have wandering pickpockets or thugs ganging up on them."


Gallows Song gallows leans over to whichever of her 'crew' is closest and mutters something about looking at any groups nearby. something about "I do be hearing High Castle" she says quietly

ExpeditiousPony (GM):Greenmane finds the color's a match, along with the consistency...their maid went down this way! He hears hoofsteps approaching from the opposite side, closer to where Gallow's was.

Redgrave catches Gallow's murmurings. The captain seems oblivious, though. "An' who might that be, lass?"

Ash Greenmane decides to follow the trail and keeps heading that way, as well as toward whoever was coming his way. Nothing to worry about if the two were just passing each other by, right? Though he did try to get a look at the pony in a casual sort of way too. Particularly for any of the weird blue.

Ash Greenmane:

Gallows Song:"Ahhhh...." she would proceed to give the descriptions of the maid and Steambell, but not just them.. She also adds the two 'spies' to the list of ponies shes looking for



Redgrave 's ears wiggle at Gallows' comment and he'll look and see who might be close enough to have said such a thing, be it a group or individual.

ExpeditiousPony (GM):Greenmane passes by a group of three ponies. It's not much to catch what they look like, other than two were males and one a female. No blue- no disguises. Yet, they all vanish in an instant just behind him, just out the corner of his eye.

A few moment before that happens, Redgrave sees the group in bigger detail. Again- hard to see the exact make- but the name 'High Castle' comes up again as they sink into the alley.

Meanwhile, the poor sailor frowns. "Ahh...sorry lass, aint heard nuthin' or seen nothing. Ya might try th' land lubbers. They aint been on sea."

Ash Greenmane stops short when suddenly not detecting the trio behind him any longer. Even if he didn't actually -see- them, the sudden stop of hoofsteps when they weren't near the alley's exit was alarming. He was expecting an attempt at mugging him though, not...nothing! "What the--"

Gallows Song:"Ahh, was a slim chance, thank ye" the filly says with a head nod and hops down from the barrel shed totally been using to try and stand at eye level with the harbormaster and joins with Redgrave "Anything of interest?"


Redgrave gives Gallows a gentle nudge and point before he goes to see about following after the group that he spotted and heard.

ExpeditiousPony (GM):As the trio all meet in the alley, they discover in unison that the group is good. They didn't leave the alley- surely Greenmane would've noticed something like that. But, just barely perceptible to the eye was a faint, white shimmer on the floor.

They didn't vanish- they had gone into a door no one could see.