My arrival in Sanfield Rock is immanent. There are but a few preparations yet to make. It has been some time since I have delved into the politics of the Kindred,  since I have actually asked the permission of a Prince to reside within her domain. I know not what to expect from this one, we are so rarely welcomed. It would be better to play it safe, to follow the protocol of introduction without overly exposing myself to possible harm.

I find myself in a precarious position, I do not as yet know where to find the Prince of the city I will soon inhabit, nor where court is held. I could sacrifice precious time after my arrival trying to glean this information, but this would leave me at the mercy of his dogs, should they find me first, and at any rate, this has the potential give the mistaken impression that I do not seek permission to stay. While there have been previous occasions when this was certainly the case, this is not one of them. My current schemes require that I follow the rules, that the ruler be allowed to save face at all costs. Should he deny my request, I will respect it and find another place to reside, though this would be most unfortunate, for both of us.

My servants have been in place long enough to learn his name. I could perhaps locate a phone-number or address with which to make my arrival known by more modern standards, but I feel that this would cheapen our budding relationship. It is my wish that he, if only he, know precisely what he is dealing with before he makes his decision, that there are no hard feelings coming to bear in the future. So, I decide upon a little something extra to use as my herald.

Nearly two weeks ago, I scrawled my message in hieroglyphics with a reed upon papyrus. This was dissolved in an unguent of hagfish slime made caustic by a cocktail of gastric acids. Live slugs are added which have been infested with the mind-controlling Leucochloridium paradoxum parasite. A few drops of blood and a generous amount of wormwood complete the potion, which is then moved into a specially prepared earthen jar, inscribed with words of power.

Altogether, nearly two weeks were invested into the little vial, which was then mailed to one of my servants already in place with instructions to travel to the geometric center of the city and pour the contents upon the ground, one hour before sundown.


{Continued in Downtown}