Officer Trent/RP/The Power of Voodoo
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
Contents |
Overview
Trent's first case with the Three Eye Detective Agency. He and this strange group of misfits investigate the kidnapping and mutilation of a member of the Lost while fending off seemingly random robbery attempts. Are these incidents connected somehow? And who is causing them?
The Power of Voodoo, Part 1
Souvenir
A letter found on Arachnos operative Hammerhead after his failed robbery attempt and subsequent capture by the Three Eye Detective Agency. Unholy magic surrounds the letter, and the letter itself is not safe to be touched except by its intended recipient, much less with bare hands.
Plot
For reasons unknown, Trent received orders to report to the Three Eye Detective Agency under the command of Detective Dolbian. Because it was located in the rather cluttered basement of an apartment complex and seemingly staffed by misfits, he figured somebody higher up was mad at him. And the fact that a few others were suspicious of his sudden arrival did nothing to ease the tension.
They were already in the middle of a meeting, discussing a certain member of the Lost who was in police custody but was afflicted with terrible scars that seemed to flare up and cause him pain. He had no recollection of how he got the scars, only that he had to commit a certain crime thinking it would all go away. The meeting was cut short when the call came in that the Talos Island bank was being robbed. Trent, suddenly feeling useful, was more than happy to tag along. They arrived on the scene just in time to prevent the escape of an Arachnos raiding party led by the vicious Hammerhead.
In a strange coincidence, Hammerhead was also found to be horribly scarred and in incredible pain. Much to Trent's protestations, the Three Eye elected to take him back to their base for interrogation rather than to the nearest hospital. At first, Hammerhead was resistant to their questioning, that is until the empath Call of Hope managed to suppress the pain (with great cost to herself). After that, he agreed to tell them everything he knew.
Hammerhead had received the scars only a few days ago. Shortly afterward, he also received a letter saying that if he did as he was told, it would all go away. Trent found the letter on Hammerhead's person. It didn't say who gave him the scars or who sent him the letter (and indeed, Hammerhead himself did not know); it simply instructed him to rob the Talos Island bank and take the money to a drop-off point in Dark Astoria.
The Three Eye was about to check out Dark Astoria when they suddenly received another call that the Talos Island museum was being robbed by Warriors. After a short-lived battle, the detectives managed to recover the item the Warriors were seeking--a book that could be used to nullify magical powers. At first, the detectives thought that this was just another random robbery, that is until they discovered the leader of this particular gang, Orestes, was just as scarred as Hammerhead was.
Interrogation revealed that Orestes had also received a letter--steal the book. He didn't know who had done this to him, but he had his suspicions. The Tsoo were the regular enemies of the Warriors, but Orestes also recalled having a run-in with "zombie-lovers." The Agency's first guess was the Vazhilok, as they are not uncommon on the streets of Paragon City; however, Orestes said these "zombie-lovers" had a more magical aura about them. It was the Banished Pantheon, and they had their run-in somewhere near Dark Astoria.
So far everything pointed to Dark Astoria, but the Agency needed a plan. Dark Astoria was an extremely dangerous place. Just as Trent was about to haul Orestes in for processing, Dolbian stopped him and formally welcomed him into Agency for his role in the investigations.
The Power of Voodoo, Part 2
Souvenir
A voodoo doll of Trent in his PPD mask, one of several voodoo dolls of the Three Eye Detective Agency found in a Banished Pantheon stronghold in Striga. This voodoo doll is inert, and nothing happens when you try to stick it with a pin.
Plot
As the Three Eye Detective Agency regrouped, they found that despite recent developments, they could not get over to Dark Astoria to continue their investigation. Too many other cases were being thrown their way, mostly kidnappings and kidnappings-in-progress; yet strangely, all these crimes were being perpetuated by the Banished Pantheon. Their motive was unclear, until Trent received word off the street that the number of incidents between the Banished Pantheon and the Circle of Thorns had skyrocketed in recent days. If the Banished Pantheon and the Circle of Thorns were indeed having a "gang war," then that would definitely tie in the mysterious book that Orestes had almost stolen from the Talos Island museum.
Just as the Agency was about to head out to rescue the first of these victims, they were suddenly beset by a Rikti invasion force. While the heroes of Talos Island battled the Rikti downtown, the Agency found themselves defending one of the bridges near the coast. The fighting was brutal, but they also managed to enlist the aid of a young hero named Ryan Crafter, and together they were able to repel the invaders.
After the last of the Rikti had fallen, the Agency had no time to spare. The kidnappees were in danger! Among the victims were a city official's daughter, a magic shop owner, and a scientist. All of their stories were the same. The Banished Pantheon were about to perform a ceremony on them, presumably to make them into slaves just as Hammerhead and Orestes were, but the Agency was able to stop the ceremonies just in time.
Also found among the kidnappees were voodoo dolls. They found one of a Lost (the first victim that had set this entire case in motion), one of Hammerhead, and one of Orestes. The voodoo dolls were quite active, and the Banished Pantheon were in the process of making more, as they had taken parts of the victim's clothing as material components.
Despite that, the Agency was still no closer to catching the the leader of this vast conspiracy, that is until they discovered a voodoo doll that was covered in what appeared to be volcanic ash. Things were coming to a head, and the Agency needed to stop these kidnappings now. Despite all the previous evidence pointing to Dark Astoria (as loudly noted by Trent), Detective Dolbian and his crew armed themselves and went straight for Striga Isle (the only known place with an active volcano). The gamble paid off.
It was almost as if the Banished Pantheon were expecting them. As the Agency fought deeper and deeper into the Pantheon stronghold, they found even more voodoo dolls, this time of themselves! Fortunately, the voodoo dolls were inactive, but it showed that the Pantheon was confident in their ultimate victory... unless the Three Eye Detective Agency had anything to say about it first!
As the Death Shaman faced his "guests," he held up his trump card—it was a voodoo doll of Chief Dolbian and it was very much active! Before they could even take aim, Dolbian was instantly incapacitated. It seemed to spark a rage in the members of the Agency, however, and the Death Shaman was quickly mowed down.
Dolbian was rushed back to base and into a medical unit. While painful, the damage was not permanent, thankfully. As they were speaking, they received an unexpected visit from the police commissioner, who came to congratulate them on a job well done.
The Three Eye Detective Agency was moving up in the world, and maybe now they'll get a proper office!
