>>5130048>>5130131>>5130318Head Chimericist Henzler is your main priority. Your control over her was tenuous, temporary, not as complete or as deep as that of your other thralls, and she is most likely to face close scrutiny for the devastating losses her floor suffered. You instructed her to pin much of the blame on her late colleague, the Head Demonologist Pavlov, from whose laboratories escaped the very demons you’ve been tasked with retrieving… But the fourth floor was also where you found the reliquary which contained the city’s dwarven master stone, and their plans for a new defence project. Under close questioning, you fear she will draw suspicion, and warrant a mystical scan for outside influence.
You sail on your devil-wings into the Initiates’ Village, home to the Tower’s student body and staff. There, you land once more, and are forced to abandon those wings to better blend in. After all, you do not know where Henzler makes her residence. You do not know if she has an office besides that found on the fourth basement level of the Tower. You have nowhere else to look for her later. If she is your first priority, you will have to find her at the scene of the crime, amongst the investigators.
Unfortunately, you don’t see her right away. She would stand out like a sore thumb—she was wearing no pointed cap when last you saw her, revealing her distinctive white-fringed reddish hair to all the world. Dread sets in—what if she’s already being questioned? What if you are already being found out? Luckily, one of your other thralls provides a possible solution: Finlay Lithobathius, Tower Guardian.
‘Oh yeah, the fat guy we brainwashed on that scouting mission… Right?’
Irinnile is correct. You recognize the rotund agent of the Tower Guard and his creeping, beholder-eyed spider-chimera scanning the area as the same ones you defeated and enthralled two nights prior, when you were preparing for the Tower Gala. His blue hat stands out amongst the sea of red-hatted Tower agents—Inquisitors. It is an easy thing to beckon his attention from across the street, instantly commanding his loyal attentions. Your control f this one, at least, holds.
“Tower Guardian Lithobathiuss,” you greet him. “What iss the newssss?”
Lithobathius’ face is blank of emotion as he explains his understand, which you take to be the common understanding among most or all Tower agents: the Tower Gala was attacked by some sort of insurrectionists or enemy agents, perhaps of an occult nature. They struck at the Endless Fountain with explosives to draw attention away from their main activity, and to incite distracting panic. They then snuck into the Tower’s research facilities to destroy valuable items of research, killing some Tower operatives.
‘I mean, that’s pretty much right, ain’t it?’ Irinnile asks.
