Kerberos Session Dogs and Churches

Victor POV:

Gathered people in the church. Gregory burst in carrying an almost dead Tillinghas twin. Doctors Hollingsworth and Johanson examined him immediately, while Angelina looked over the naked except for the blood Gregory to see if he was wounded. He assured her none of the blood was his. Then there was a knock on the church door. A kid from the Lip's gang, named Cassian, was there to tell us that we'd taken Talos out and brought him back. Then an unearthly shriek caused most people to cower in terror. Those of us who didn't proceeded to take the dog apart, which melted into burbling goo as it was defeated. Cassian handled himself surprisingly well. I collected samples from the ooze. Angelina went to care for the wounded (luckily the dog's attack hadn't created any more) but people were aghast that a woman would treat an injured man. Gregory denounced them in high form. I think they'd be a good match for each other: both nobles, both surprisingly sensitive to the plight of the lower class and more likely to see everyone as people before seeing them as lords or peasants.

I walked with Cassian back to the Lip's church to talk to his mage (NoT: name forgotten, will use 'H'). He recognized the dog as a striga, a vengeful spirit that comes by 10 years after a horrible murder, and every 10 years after that if it fails in revenge the first time. Seems Johanson's past indiscretions finally caught up with him. I also learned Cassian joined the Lip's gang a couple of weeks before after running away from a circus in which he was a knife thrower. Then I slept, and headed to the club the next morning to sync up with the others.

Sophronia is planning (well, planning might be a generous word to apply to her, but hopefully I can make it actually apply) to rescue her father from faerie. About time. Radu had examined some of the vials I relieved Butler of: one was an asp poison, one an antidote to that poison, and one a semi-antidote that would temporarily suppress the symptoms of the poison without curing it. He was stumped by another vial that Gregory recognized as a horrible parasite: fatal if ingested. Gregory also revealed that the Marquis Huntley he'd been spying on has powers of mesmerism. Sophronia was curious (shocking) so since Neville was around and seemed to know something of mesmerism we got him to try it out on Sophronia. Apparently being a clockwork faerie does not make you immune. Seeing something off with Gregory, I had him try it out on Gregory too and we discovered that the marquis had tried to mesmerize Gregory, failed, but gotten him to forget about it. Alice let drop that the marquis of Carmarthen was in town, and she had known for days. I went off on her for withholding crucial information, but I doubt anything got through the airheaded bubble she cultivates around herself. Gregory also told us the marquis had a visit the previous night from Cassian saying "they won't leave, but will if you pay them". Huntly responded "no, you just crush bugs" (NoT: paraphrasing here since I don't recall the exact dialogue).

We went to the Lip to warn him that Tamar wanted his church and were going to squish them. Yes, their location is on the giant circle for the ritual they're creating. H had some suggestions, but not really any better idea of what the ritual would do, other than draw a lot of power. Cassian proved himself an agent of the marquis and not the Lip, what with not letting the Lip know that there'd been a threat on the gang. Gregory came up with the idea of placing the Lip's people at the clinic: he'll do what he can to make that happen. I waited and followed Cassian to Butler's place: I'll eavesdrop on their conversation. Tonight we also have a party at Lord Mace's to go to.