= = BACK STORY = =
THE MIDNIGHT MARKET
The Midnight Market is the Black Market of the Supernatural World of Metro; Black Magic Market. It's location is kept secret and travels around the confines of Metro - never appearing in the same place twice. It is called the Midnight Market because it only exists for one hour.
It is almost like a Rave in that those buying and selling will suddenly appear in a secret location, do their business and then as the hour strikes one a.m., they vanish.
The Council and other members of the Eastern Conclave have been trying trying to find and close such markets for decades but they seem to pop up and operate even in the face of dutiful Sheriffs and Wardens.
To traffic in (buy or sell) items found within the Midnight Market is generally grounds for a Summons to Court as this almost always involves infernal magic.
THE TWILIGHT MARKET
The Twilight Market is the Metro version of Diagon Alley from Harry Potter. It is in a fixed location (opposite the Midnight Market) in the Underground with shops and stalls of various sort. The Twilight Market sits inside a huge, vaulted cavern somewhere below Metro. There are many ways to get there and get back but the paths are often hazed or fogged with shadows and illusion magic to blind them to Mundanes.
With the plethora of candles and crystal lamps, the whole market has a twilight haze to it. Anything and everything one can imagine that would be of magical need to the Supernatural world can usually be found here.
KEEPER OF THE KEY
The Key is an object (thinking a medallion or disk of some sort) that is found using the map that is the cover of the Red Journal.
The Red Journal is the book that Wyck delivered to Book at the request of Mouse - who stole it from Iago for "Evil Bad Guy".
((Evil Bad Guy, we will eventually find out, is actually the former Sheriff for Metro who went Infernal years ago. He sent one man after Book (who ended up killing Natalya in the crossfire) a year ago and then recently sends Marco to try it again. Evil Bad Guy (EBG) is also the same person who kills Uncle Julian after Julian discovers his identity.))
The Key is a powerful artifact that the Council immediately would snatch up since it's just too powerful to leave out there on the 'Street'. It calls to certain people and whispers to them. It has a will of its own. It is Metro's version of one of the Rings of Power (LOTR); not THE ring of power, just one of them.
EBG
((Evil Bad Guy, we will eventually find out, is actually the former Sheriff for Metro who went Infernal years ago. He sent one man after Book (who ended up killing Natalya in the crossfire) a year ago and then recently sends Marco to try it again. Evil Bad Guy (EBG) is also the same person who kills Uncle Julian after Julian discovers his identity.))EBG is still around - though more in a sagely capacity, helping people live comfortable lives. He would strike you as a Gandalf or a Dumbledoor by day and an Emperor Palpatine by night.
Julian discovers just how dark EBG is while he was also trafficing in the Black before he died.
EBG's presence will be felt for several books until there is a showdown between he and Book later on. Book will learn that it was EBG who killed Julian and will want the payback, Evil Willow style.
= = MAIN STORY - IN ORDER OF EVENTS = =
THE RIDDLE
The Red Journal is only translated partially by the "Map Guy" in the Twilight Market. The one page that was translated before the Vampires approach is a fragment of a riddle:
"with Seven Wings and Seven Rings and Seven Stars Under Heaven."
Every seven pages in the journal the languages shifts. There are seven identified languages in the book and the pattern is fairly consistent. The languages vary ancient Greek, Shadowkin, Troll, ancient Elvish, etc.
Mostly they are languages of peoples of crumbled kingdoms.
WYCK KIDNAPPED
Wyck and Book have a falling out when Book thinks that Wyck has been stealing from him.
Wyck calls Nugget from the metro station near Book's house. He is heading to the 'Nest' and plans to crash with her for a few days until things blow over with Book. Wyck never arrives. He is grabbed by two Vampires at a stop before the Nest (where Nugget is waiting for him).
((Nugget's older brother disappeared similarly 2 years ago on his way home from working at the Neverland Cafe'))
Wyck is held captive (molested, fed upon) for three days by the Vampire Iago who is searching for information on the "Key".
Nugget demands information from Book - who has no idea where Wyck went after leaving his place.
Wyck, under the power of Iago's mesmerism, says that the 'Nest' is the location of the "Key".
MARCO VS. THOMAS
Marco, a newly appointed Warden of the Conclave, uses an infernal sigil to try and kill Thomas.
Thomas, using his unorthodox method of redirecting magic, accepts the infernal bolt of balefire and redirects it back at Marco - killing him instantly.
Nugget, arriving at the mouth of the alley where Marco and Thomas are fighting, only sees Thomas redirect the infernal bolt and assumes that Thomas cast it rather than redirect.
Thomas, turning to see Nugget springing to attack him, silences her with a 'Shhh' spell.
Nugget runs to the Neverland Cafe' to tell Darcy that Thomas cast the whammy on her. She tells her that she saw Thomas cast "a ball of green fire" at a guy and kill him.
Darcy and Duke Sin, who overheard the conversation, go investigate the alley. Duke Sin immediately senses the presence of Infernal magic and leaves the scene. Darcy sees and sketches the sigil that has been burned into the man's right palm.
Darcy contacts Heather Coffee for info on the Sigil. The only reference Coffee can find is that another man was found with the same mark one year ago - around when Natalya died.
The next morning, Book has a warrant issued out on him by the Sheriff (secretly Duke Sin) for his involvement in the death of a Warden (Marco).
RESCUE WYCK
The next night, Book is contacted by Augur, the blind Seer, that Wyck needs him and can be found at a specific point in the city.
((Augur offers the information to repay an earlier, undisclosed, debt))
Wyck finally is able to snap the rusted bedsprings and escapes down a drainage grate - leaving at least five other people who are held captive with him.
Wyck falls down into a sewage / drainage stream and floats along for a while until he manages to grab ahold of a ladder set into the wall and climbs up forever. He eventually pushes aside a manhole cover and is found by Book.
Pouring Wyck into his jeep, Book takes him back to the firehouse and cleans him up.
DELIVERING A WARRANT
With Wyck resting, Book waits for word of his return to the firehouse to reach the Sheriff on the second floor balcony. Coffee arrives and displays the "Mark of the Herald" (blue glyph on the back of her hand visible to magic-folk) to signify that she's there on business.
Book lets Coffee into the house and she discovers that he's rigged the house's defenses to repell a magical seige. Every ward is activated, every counter-attack is armed. He's playing jazz - to calm him down and let him think. It's the same Jazz he listened to when Natalya died.
Coffee listens to the whole story but is duty-bound to deliver the Warrant and escort Book to the Court to answer the charges. Rather than leaving the Firehouse, and put himself at the mercy of every one on the street who would attack him for the warrant (sometimes considered a bounty) or for information on "The Key" - Coffee pulls the Court to them (virtually) through the various mirrors on the walls with Sir William's help.
COURT
Coffee has information about the Infernal Sigil that was used one year ago against Natalya. It is enough to remove that stain from Book's name for Marco's death. Marco, using infernal magic, was guilty of violating one of the laws of magic and Book was just in defending himself against it with lethal force.
ATTACKED
Before the Court can get into the crux of the matter with Book, but after he was cleared of the more serious charge of Infernalism, the firehouse comes under attack.
Vampires, under the command of Iago, have attacked whatever street-folk who were watching to see if Book would emerge. This is the supernatural equivalent of having the police surrounding a place and having sent in negotiators. With a few dead at the rear of the house, the others scatter for the cafe' or the metro line.
Coffee, who has "officially" delivered the summons, can not 'arrest' Book; only Wardens of the Sheriff can do that. With the attack, the connection tho the Court is broken.
Wyck is too sick and injured to travel far and so Coffee tells Book to take him to the Sisters. As a Herald, she can't help or hinder him - but she can help Wyck.
((Three old witches who are part of the House of Avalon. They have a "House of Healing" on the opposite side of town))
Book gets Wyck to down a shot of 'Super Coffee' so he can walk and the two escape out Book's basement and through the tunnels that eventually lead to the Boardwalk.
DESTRUCTION OF THE NEST
((Not sure where this fits))
Nugget returns to the Nest where her and a few friends have squatted. It's not much but it's dry, warm and usually out of the sight of anyone who would do them harm. They have to be careful about letting anyone see them sneak into the place for fear that they will be discovered (by the police or other forces) so she has to take a weird way in.
Late at night, she climbs up the fire escape of a nearby building and then crossing the roof to shinny down to a ledge and then cross a gap that's bridged by a pirate-like, plank-bridge to another building. From there she can enter through a sky-light.
At some point in the process of her entering the squat, she picks up that there's something wrong. When she enters the squat she sees that the other four friends are all dead; slaughtered. As she tries to escape, a Vampire, still feeding on one of her friends in another room - hears her and tries to attack. She manages to kick his hand free and climb out onto the roof.
The plank-bridge isn't designed for combat or quick escapes so she ends up falling from it to the alley below as the Vampire follows her.
((2 stories down. Enough to screw her up for a while but not kill her. ))
The Vampire jumps down on top of her but ends up stabbing himself with a stake and ashes himself.
Wyck, Book or someone find her and take Nugget to the Sisters (of the House of Avalon) where she heals up and pledges herself to become a full-fledged vampire-hunter complete with bow and arrow. This, however, is another story.
THE MIDNIGHT MARKET
((Not sure where this fits either))
Coffee or Book would have reason to try and find the Midnight Market as part of an on-going research for the origin of this very powerful Infernal Sigil that not only destroys the caster but also consumes their soul in the process. By using all of this power it normally rips through normal magical shields and thus ensures the immediate death of its intended victim.
Book can't be seen investigating this matter as his earlier involvement has put him on the Sheriff's "Watch List". Any suspect behavior would result in his imprisonment, death or ostracism.
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