***<br/><strong>Indirect Background:</strong><br/><br/>In Andres-Upon-Vail, the people practice a custom called The Eight Touches.  It’s purpose is fairly simple, but in practice, it can become quite complex.  There is no such thing as a post office in the nation state.  Indeed, there has never been a post office on the island.  This is because, since St. Andres lay his banner atop of Mt. Andres, the speedy delivery of mail was part of a citizen’s duty to crown and country.<br/><br/>A citizen isn’t expected to deliver the mail from one end of the city to the other, but he or she must hand it off to someone “heading in that direction.”  Though seemingly haphazard, mail is shockingly delivered in a highly efficient manner.  In the course of a stroll, anyone can be approached and pressed into service, and indeed, it’s not uncommon for individuals to receive and hand-off numerous messages per day.  The custom is called the Eight Touches because, between the sender and the recipient, the number of passes between citizens rarely exceeds eight exchanges.<br/><br/>This custom has numerous benefits.  First, citizens are typically packed like sardines in squalid apartments that don’t truly have addresses, making the delivery of mail difficult, and sometimes impossible, by normal means.  When citizens are required to handle the mail, it usually ends up with someone who is familiar with the recipient, and knows his haunts and living situation.  It’s not uncommon for recipients to receive their mail at their work, or even at their favorite pub.  Secondly, the custom creates an atmosphere where even the poorest citizens have an integral use in society.  Thirdly, markedly, the citizens of Andres-Upon-Vail are honest, friendly, aware, and considerate.  Fourthly, and perhaps most importantly, people regularly are easily found.<br/><br/><strong>OOC:</strong>All characters who live in Andres-Upon-Vail receive a +2 to Diplomacy when using it to Gather Information on the location of a citizen.<br/><br/><hr/><br/>Lt. Ventle's investigation into the corrupt dealings of the various clubs of Andres-Upon-Vail required that he intercept messages distributed along the Eight Touches.  Though the Crown invented safeguards against the interception of mail, there were a few legal exceptions.  If an officer of the peace brought forth a writ of suspicion to an Assembly of Kinsmen, and passed the Questioning of Information, he was then permitted by an Agent of the King to gather distributed messages.<br/><br/>Ventle was not intercepting messages from the Dragons.  The Assembly of Kinsmen believed the Eight Touches to be sacred, and did not think that the Dragon's involvement in the black market justified or warranted an exception.  And indeed, Ventle wasn't intercepting messages from the Dragons -- only one of its members.<br/><br/>The Dragon's Fire --  Moon.<br/><br/>Ventle had been building a solid case against him for the last six months.  He did not think that Moon would be so bold as to have a member of the guard killed ... but that is precisely what happened.  However, the lone Dragon that marched into his apartment did not know that Ventle had captured one of Moon's experiments.<br/><br/>***<br/><br/>The Ghoul leaps towards Charlotte (I will be using Scarlet from now on), but fell down flat on its face.  It pulled at its left leg, which was chained with a leg-iron to a bolt tied to the floor, and then hissed at both Patch and Scarlet.  It could not clear the space between them.  Scarlet couldn't quite tell exactly what kept the Ghoul from attacking, but Patch was able to discern both the thickness of the manacle and the heaviness of the chain that kept him put.<br/><br/>Additionally, Patch would see that the remains were that of a Dragon.  The familiar kutte lay on the floor, mired in gore.<br/><br/>The door opened, and a man in chainmail entered the room.  He then deliberately closed the door behind him.<br/><br/>"More Dragons?" Ventle asked.   "Are you here to retrieve your sister?  Or are you here to join her?"<br/><br/>There was a sword in his hand.<br/><br/><hr/><br/>You may directly attack or you may speak to Ventle.  If combat begins:<br/><br/>Initiative Order:<br/>1.  Scarlet;<br/>2.  Patch;<br/>3.  Ventle;<br/><br/>Ventle:  AC 16, HP 22:<br/>He is wielding a longsword.