Plot dispersion and plot thickening

We start with a thorough going through of evidence and leads. If this was a major investigation we would have lots of paper and scribes and diagram at this stage, but we are alone, and with no time to organize and consolidate the information. Luckily at least some of us have decent memory... We have hopefully not forgotten anything important in the following list

• The Beast House has received a list of persons, according to the White Scholar.
• The White Scholar and Inq Karakalla was taken in an ambush by Pilgrims of Hayte
• The widower has been mentioned on the note left by Heron Mask 1 and again by the White Scholar
• Karkalla said 
• the Beast House are pawns
• kill the Jackal Mask
• Heron Mask intended Karkalla as bait
• We are here because of some great conjunction
• Heron Mask needs 'the old blood', probably the blood of Haarlock
• Something about the/a false prophet

We have about 4 venues open:

• Check background/backstory on Karkalla
• There was a noblelady inquiring about the White Scholar
• The Oracle
• Pursue Vulpa, aka the Jackal Mask

We decide to start of with the Oracle, and as we make our way through the hordes of revellers we overhear a man preaching about the false prophet. We move towards him, and as we approach he is attacked by a Heron Mask. Damn things, I am really starting to dislike them. On the other hand I am thoroughly intrigued by the entire mystery. Most stimulating. Nice combo. Anyhow, we kill him before he kills the preacher. Also very stimulating...

The preachers name is Obadaiah Psalter(?), he is i a pilgrim priest who came here with his congregation. But his congregation was stolen by a silver-tongued and charismatic heron mask. This heron mask has built an altar to some ruinous power in the Shattered Ramparts.

Obadaiah shows us to the altar, and to our horror we find a shrine built of human remains, rife with symbols of the ruinous powers. Holder-Smith tells us that some powerful ritual seems to have been performed there. As we investigate more closely 4 demons raise from a pool of blood. It becomes a horrible fight, and we seem to be losing. Several of us are paralyzed by fear, and at least Holder-Smith looks like a certain loss. But suddenly Alpha shakes the shackles of fear, and starts fighting like an avenging angel from some ancient tale. She singlehandedly turns the fight, and we finally send the abominations back into the void. Not just another day in the Inquisition, fortunately.

Examining the remains of a camp, we find that whoever was there was staging for an assault on the Haarlock estate in the middle of Xicarp. Lots of ammo, maps, and a painting of the estate. Among the stuff they've burned before leaving we find the remains of a map of a secret entrance to the Haarlock estate. We pict-record the entire scene.

We think we might be able to find the entrance. We head back to the hotel to examine the papers, and rest up. Holder-Smith and Dar are desperately in need of some rest. Among the papers we find a lineage map of the Haarlock family, including persons who married out and therefore changed names. Someone is definitely mapping out the old blood.

Holder and Dar stay at the hotel, the rest of us go to look for the Oracle in the Twilight Borders(?). This is a place with a lot of weirdness going on. Goes for the rest of Xicarp as well, but, well. We're met by two women who welcome us, and without us saying anything guides us to the Spider Bride. She certainly looks like it too, married and fused to a spider. Disturbing.

She will answer questions if we are willing to take a gift to Papa Grist, a noted crime lord. This gift will kill him. Certainly no demon this time. I am sure. Well, no not really at all. But we accept to take it to Grist, who stays at a place called Fate's wheel.

We start heading back to the hotel, and suddenly we are approached by a young lady. She introduces herself as Du'landre Melua. She is looking for her brother Lar'ax Melua, who was kidnapped on Malfi. She has followed him here, with a complement of bodyguards. We are sceptical, but we let her stay close. Of course, with all the double crossing going on, this could be the Heron Mask wearing the Lady Mask for all I know.

She has an image of her brother, and I recall that I saw him during transport, but not in the pit where we came around. We agree to take her with us and protect her. We don't tell her about all we know about the old blood, which we could have, in light of the fact that she and her brother are on the list of married out half-Haarlocks. As we are speaking on the street both she and Potter suddenly turn pale, and say that they felt like som ancient enormous evil brushing against them -- the Widower, perhaps. We had not seen Heron Masks for a while, but suddenly we start seeming them out the corner of our eye, again. Damn.