It's just one disaster after another

[brightwitch]

1) Statement issued to Circle Daybreak re: Gilbert Norrell, 21st June
For the attention of all Daybreak covens:

You may have heard by now that Mr Gilbert Norrell, High Priest of Circle Daybreak and leader of the Norrellite Coven, has gone missing. His assistant John Childermass is also missing.

We are treating these disappearances very seriously and a full investigation is underway. Attacks on witches, and particularly on senior members of our community, will not be tolerated. However, we do not yet have any direct evidence of foul play and so I would ask you to exercise discretion in this matter. We must not jump to hasty conclusions.

Once we have the full picture of what has happened here, you will of course be the first to know.

My best wishes to you,
Sylvia Redbright, Mother of Witches; Chancellor, Redbright Institute; President of the Night Council

(NB. You may notice that there is no mention here of fae magic or the black tower that appeared above Norrell's home on the day that he disappeared. Sylvia is trying to keep that quiet.)


2) For Lancelot – Norrell's house, Westminster 23rd June
The problem with Norrell is that he's a paranoid recluse. Even getting into his house required a full coven of witches to break the labyrinth spell that would otherwise have confused and trapped anyone who tried to search the place. And after that, the witches were nervous about entering. Though she had sworn them all to secrecy, some of them had seen the dark magic that had hung over the house for near on half a day, a black tower of smoke that had been an absolute nightmare to cover up.

She sent her top Guardian to investigate the matter, but her witches are so spooked that Sylvia deems it necessary to pay a personal visit to the house and confirm that there's nothing dangerous in there herself. Fingers crossed.

She approaches Lancelot first, nodding in greeting. "What have you found so far?"


3) For Natasha – Redbright Institute, 1st July
It's safe to say that Sylvia has a lot on her mind. From trouble with Islington to the mystery of Norrell's disappearance, this has not been a good month. So she's surprised and rather annoyed when she receives a request for a meeting in her office after sundown. Yet another too-long day.

But her PA tells her that it's important and so Sylvia is there at the agreed time, calling for her visitor to come in when she knocks at the door. This had better be important.


4) For Natasha and Simon – Westminster, 2nd July
The news that Simon O'Neill is dead but not gone is potentially game-changing. For one, it means that they have a witness to his murder, which is a huge step forward in their investigation. And it means that she still has a Guardian she thought had been lost – if he sticks around.

Natasha takes her to the street where Simon died. It's late by now, the traffic less heavy. And because Sylvia knows she's looking for a ghost, it isn't long before she feels the familiar prickle at the back of her neck, the cold sensation that tells her a presence is nearby. She doesn't specialize in ghost-related magic, but like all witches she's sensitive to ghostly activity.

"Simon," Sylvia calls, drawing her shawl tighter around her shoulders as she looks around. "Are you there?"


5) EVERYONE READ THIS – A statement from the Night Council, 4th July
On 4th July, the Night Council issues a controversial statement to the leaders of all factions, to be disseminated to their respective communities.

It speaks first of the death of Simon O'Neill, a Night Council Guardian. The evidence is now conclusive, it says, Simon was murdered by an Islington vampire in pursuit of the absurd policy instituted by its leader Raymond Harris which rewards members of the nest for killing werewolves and shapeshifters.

The Night Council strongly condemns this grotesque act, and further condemns this attack on a Guardian which can only be seen as an attack on the Night Council itself. Therefore it demands the Islington Nest cease this barbaric practice with immediate effect, or else it shall be forced to conclude that the Islington Nest is no longer fit to have a seat on the Council.

The statement is signed by Sylvia Redbright, Peter Vrinak, Nora Shannon and Yasmine Merad.


[ooc: Would you like a thread with Sylvia? PM me!]

Comments

2

[knightscode]

Lancelot sighs the sigh of a man who is not at all at ease with his current situation.

"Confirmed a lot of personal suspicions. Norrell is a paranoid hoarder who had a lot of money to burn. There's no sign of forced entry that I can see. Not in the traditional sense at least. I've been trying to trace through the house in the less traditional way but there's been a lot of magical activity here, no surprise. It seems strongest upstairs -- that's where his library was. Another labyrinth spell. I'm... not so sure if I know him well enough to judge. Was he always this paranoid or should we take it as sign he knew something?"

After all, Lancelot well knows Norrell has been in the spotlight. Is it a sort of madness brought on by the election? Or did he simply always believe himself a target? He really can't say he spent enough time with the man to say. Gesturing slightly to the staircase he begins to walk toward it and up regardless, regarding the house uneasily as he does. As if still a little unsure himself it is entirely safe to be there.

[brightwitch]

He's not the only one to feel uneasy. There's something oppressive about the house's atmosphere, something that makes it feel more like a lair than a home even though it's mostly full of dusty old books.

She follows him upstairs, shaking her head. "He was always paranoid but even more so after recent events. Believed that the election was rigged. He made a lot of enemies which means we have a lot of potential suspects... but no body, is that right?"

In a way, she wishes they did have a body. At least it would confirm what had happened. This disappearance is far more frustrating, and part of her wonders if Norrell didn't up and flee along with his manservant. Perhaps someone threatened him. Perhaps the dark magic spell over his home was an attack that Norrell had anticipated. There are just so many options.

[knightscode]

"No body," Lancelot confirms. "Which makes it hard to say exactly what we're dealing with. No ransom, so if he's been kidnapped it isn't for leverage over anything. There's no sign of Childermass still. He was a member of Norrell's coven, as I understand it. Whatever happened here was definitely an explosive display of magic. Did he and Norrell have any reason to disagree, that you know of? Childermass would know his way through these spells already"

Childermass was not exactly someone Lancelot had gotten on well with, but was he capable of this? He really has no idea. The most likely suspect is often the closest to home, though. There's a statistic about it, how a large percentage of murders are committed by someone the suspect knows. It isn't, he realises, the most obvious lead -- they all know what the more obvious leads are -- but he's trying to keep a clear head. Not to show bias.

[brightwitch]

She blinks. "Are you suggesting that Childermass practised dark magic?"

Knowing his way through the labyrinth spell is one thing. But the black cloud that appeared over Norrell's house could only have been created with fae assistance. They have to account for that. Suggesting that a Daybreak witch may have practised dark magic is no trivial matter, and not a conclusion she would like to leap to without compelling evidence.

[knightscode]

"I can't rule it out as easily as I'd like. I spoke to him once, while we were looking for that child the fae took during negotiations. Norrell may have been aggressively against the fae but Childermass wasn't. He was careful not to say anything direct, but I could not say he was condemning the fae at all. I have no evidence -- the suspicion will stay between us -- but it is possible. If he truly was sympathising with them it would give him good reason to argue with Norrell."

They reach the top of the stairwell and the magic is stronger here. The narrow hallway leads around past a plain sort of office, a bedroom, a bathroom, then through to where another labyrinth spell had once been. Beyond is what is more a private library than a study. Reaching up toward high ceilings are lines of intimidatingly tall book cases. The wood is dark, elegantly carved in a French style similar to the set he sent Sylvia once on her birthday. The fireplace is cold and empty, the room dark. The curtains to the vast windows are pulled shut against, papers scattered slightly off his desk. On one wall a large, expensive mirror frame stands but the glass appears to be smashed.

[brightwitch]

It's the mirror that catches her attention. Sylvia falls silent, picking her way carefully over the floor to avoid the broken glass, and stops in front of the mirror frame.

"Mirrors are gateways." Her voice is soft, recalling previous instances of fighting dark magic, creatures caught in reflections... "They can be used as windows into another world. Come here, Lancelot. Tell me what you can sense."

[knightscode]

Gateways? Well that's hardly a reassuring thing. He steps closer slowly, a little wary now. Lance's senses are sharp, and he has learnt the hard way plenty of times that it is not always pleasant.

Looking up at the mirror he focuses, try to feel out the room. His brow furrows in concentration, gaze a little distant. It's all such a muddle, after all. This room has been used for a lot of magic, there is a lot going on here and not all of it is relevant.

Something, something nags at him. Birds. Light, high, loud, harsh, yet soft.

"Birds?" he says, and sounds confused by it, winces and tries to focus harder. "There has been a lot of magic cast in this room, forgive me. It is hard to pinpoint what may be older and what... is not."

[brightwitch]

"Birds?" Sylvia repeats. "Where? Coming from what direction?"

Some people reported that the black cloud above Norrell's house looked like a flock of birds – crows, to be precise. If the spell was cast here inside the house rather than consuming it from the outside, then that puts a rather different spin on things.

[knightscode]

"Forgive me, I cannot say. It is not so accurate as that, more a... sense. A great deal of magic has been cast in this room, it is hard to pinpoint which is new and which is not."

He hesitates, twists his hands together a little as he thinks. It is difficult for him to explain this sort of thing clearly, Lancelot is not a witch himself -- nor any kind of scientist. He can only describe what he feels, and describing a feeling is a terribly inexact thing.

"Much of it is faded, yet some of it... feels different to everything else. I suppose that is whatever caused this. A different kind of magic."

Something Daybreak would not support, to be sure.

[brightwitch]

"Fae."

The evidence is undeniable. She shakes her head, stepping away from the mirror.

"You know, I'm beginning to regret allowing fae free movement around central London. If the spell was cast in this room, then we have a number of worrying possibilities. One, a fae got itself invited in to Norrell's home, which seems unlikely if you know how paranoid the man is. Or two, a fae was summoned inside this house... By an enemy of Norrell's? I doubt there's a single witch in Circle Midnight who doesn't hate him. Or by Norrell himself." Her lips thin. It seems unlikely, yet somehow she doesn't put it past him to try something like that. "We need to establish who was in this house before the dark cloud struck. CCTV footage would be a good start. I want you to lead this case personally, Lancelot. Whatever the outcome, we need to keep this contained."

And confidential. She wants to reassure the witch community, not scare them. The longer this uncertainty persists, the worse it is for everyone.

[knightscode]

Lancelot winces slightly, but he doesn't disagree.

He can't, they both know it's true.

"Of course," he says, because he doesn't have the option to say anything else. They can't go pointing fingers too publicly because the political fallout of assuming wrong would be a disaster. So he'll need to investigate as carefully as possible. He presses his lips together, thinking. "I'll do my best to move quietly, but people will already be asking questions and starting rumours."

Which means they need some sort of story to work with, and they all need to be using the same one. Something non-offensive which doesn't blame anyone or cause panic.

[brightwitch]

"Then you tell them that Mr Norrell disappeared after his home was attacked by dark magic. We are conducting an investigation into his disappearance but any rumours about the perpetrator are just that – rumours. Say nothing to imply that Norrell may have been responsible for this. I won't have his name driven through the mud on nothing more than speculation."

She may not like Norrell much, but he doesn't deserve to be bad-mouthed for something he most likely didn't do. Especially not if the man is dead; it's disrespectful. She would bet a considerable amount of cash that a Circle Midnight witch or a disgruntled fae did this.

[knightscode]

It's clear cut enough, and not even a lie. They have no direct suspects to speak of. That won't stop rumours, though, and rumours may spark faction squabbling and acts of perceived vengeance.

His eyes scan the room once more and Lancelot lets out a slow breath. Its been picked apart for evidence but processing takes time, and there's no guarantee on leads that way. They still need leg work to get anywhere, and Lancelot is the one now volunteered to be doing that.

"Childermass moved around more than Norrell. I'll see if I can piece together where he was the last few days, see if anything unusual turns up or if anything changed."

If Norrell was worried about something, or Childermass was behaving oddly.

"I'll let you know as soon as anything turns up."

Which may be slow going, with how the supernatural community is, but Lancelot is persistent.

[brightwitch]

That's sensible enough and she trusts him to do a good job of it. Sylvia nods. "Good. Let me know if you find anything unexpected."

Like any evidence that could be awkward for them. Or anything that might lead them to a witch or fae culprit. The sooner they can pin this on someone, the better.

Which means there's nothing more she can do here. The place is being picked over by people with far keener eyes than she has. Sylvia may have ordered the investigation, but she isn't going to do the legwork. Satisfied that all is going as it should, she bids Lancelot goodbye and retreats from the house.