Editing Bullrich and Partners Ltd (Blades in the Dark) (section)

=The story so far=
The crew was caught up in a perilous (and possibly profitable) situation in the Crow’s Foot district. '''Roric''', the ward boss who ran the criminal operations in Crow’s Foot, has been killed. People say it was his second-in-command, '''Lyssa''', who did it. She now controls Roric’s impressive gang of cutthroats, who call themselves the Crows. 

When Roric died, the peace he had brokered between two enemy gangs fell apart. The Lampblacks and the Red Sashes have once again exploded into open war on the streets. At the start of the story the gang was summoned to '''Bazso Baz's''' office to declare for or against him. With some skills and a considerable amount of luck the gang managed to avoid declaring for either side (though [[#Tocker_Vale|Tocker Vale]] managed to rub him on his wrong side, and his patience is finite..). But, nonetheless, as a matter of personal favour (and due to his history with [[#Zamiro_Jayan|Zamiro]]) he asked them to do a job for him: due to the war it has become difficult for him to pick up his shipment of drugs from the Docks, with all the Red Sashes watching his movements. The crew agreed to do the job for the price of 4 coin and [[#Zamiro_Jayan|Zamiro]] managed to talk him into getting a cut of the drug's sales as well.

==Mayhem at Peddler's bridge==

The plan was to pose as simple transportation workers with a cart of goats and get the goods in the quiet hours of Doskvol from the warehouse. A contact of '''Bazso's''' let them in and the rest was up to the crew. At the specified warehouse at the Docks, they easily managed to get past the single old watchman, and took the crate through the toll inspection as well, however not without attracting the attention of a handful of Red Sashes thugs (who were on the a lookout for any such activity). 

They tried to corner the gang in the winding alleys surrounding the harbor, but they managed to escape by running their leader down with the goat cart (but he managed to shoot through [[#Tocker_Vale|Tocker Vale's]] shoulder). Followed, by the rest of the thugs, the gang spurned the goat cart at breakneck speed towards Peddler's bridge (which connects the Docks to Crow’s Foot and Bazso Baz’s turf).

On the bridge the first stalls were being set up for a busy day at the market, and a Bluecoat patrol was checking all incoming traffic. With no time to waste, [[#Zamiro_Jayan|Zamiro]] staged a diversion, while [[#Tocker_Vale|Tocker]] spurned the goats to burst through on to the bridge. The bluecoats blocked the bridge, but through a flashback we learned that the plan was to drop the wares all along into the waiting gondola prepared by the [[#Others|Students]]. However, due to the Vassily's drug stupor, the gondola was running somewhat late. With the bluecoats closing in, [[#Tocker_Vale|Tocker]] pulled two pistols, took cover behind the cart and opened fire. He just managed to hold them off (downing two) until the boat arrived under the canal. The crate was lowered into the boat and both smugglers jumped after, making a quick escape through the familiar winding canals under Crow's Foot.

'''Downtime'''

The payoff consisted of 6 coins (2 for the additional sales from '''Bazso''') and a considerable gain in reputation, for both tangling with the Bluecoats and the Red Sashes. This of course also led to significant heat for the crew, after an operation that left the Peddler's bridge market in chaos, one member of the Red Sashes dead and two Bluecoats heavily injured. The Bluecoats promptly increased patrols in the area and  [[#Zamiro_Jayan|Zamiro]] was picked up (among other thugs) for some questioning and got roughed up in the process.

In between jobs, [[#Zamiro_Jayan|Zamiro]] met up with '''Bazso Baz''' and after some drinks asked him for recommendations for a surgeon (to treat the wounds of [[#Tocker_Vale|Tocker]]). '''Bazso''' was feeling particularly cheerful and had one of his thugs introduce them (with his personal recommendation) to '''Dr. Cawl Coleburn''', based in Six Towers, back alley surgeon used by his gang (''acquire asset''). [[#Tocker_Vale|Tocker]] visited the physician, who turned out to be a staunch supporter of Union and worker rights agendas. He explored novel electroplasmic treatments on [[#Tocker_Vale|Tocker's]] shoulder (''healing'').

After this, [[#Tocker_Vale|Tocker]] decided to meet up with his childhood friend '''Darmot''', who works for the bluecoats. He managed to get him to redirect the Bluecoat's inquiries (''reduce heat'') into the recent shooting on Peddler's bridge, but not without receiving one of '''Darmot's''' usual sermons about how he is headed down a dark path. Meanwhile, [[#Zamiro_Jayan|Zamiro]] decided to seek out his true love in high circles (''indulge vice''). He stole an invitation from a fine gentleman at the hotel he works at (though this raised some suspicions...) and sought his love among the guests of the party (without success).

==The Bullrich murders==

After the previous score, the gang has decided that they would like to keep a low profile. In fact they would like to acquire a cover operation, which would help them avoid any unwanted and additional attention from the authorities. After some inquiries, it turned out that a rival smuggler gang called the Fog Hounds, have an import/export company called '''Bullrich & Son Ltd.''' as a cover. They have some leverage over the well-known and legitimate businessman '''Quess Bullrich'''. Some further inquiry, especially among the criminal elements involved with the merchant (with the help of their drug distributor '''Rolan'''), yielded the information that  '''Vellyn Bullrich''' ('''Quess's''' son and groomed heir), who is married to the most noble '''Arlina Strangford''', has frequented the brothels of the Fog Hounds and has significant gambling debts with them. Release of this information would destroy the family.

The gang has decided that their best way in would be to befriend the unloved second son '''Arvus Bullrich'''. He fell into disfavour with his father after signing up (in a fit of patriotism) for the Skovlan wars. He has since returned from the war, retired from the military and frequents concerts and the Doskvol opera. [[#Zamiro_Jayan|Zamiro]] and [[#Tocker_Vale|Tocker]] (in the guise of two merchants) easily managed to make his acquaintance, though his good friend '''Emeline''' started to favour  [[#Zamiro_Jayan|Zamiro]] a great deal. After a series of concerts and meet-ups, the gang started influencing him against his brother and father, by stoking old wounds and ambitions. The plan was to provide him evidence of his brother's incompetence and to get him to sign up on the murder (and thus take over the family business with a clean slate).

After two weeks of dates and concerts, [[#Tocker_Vale|Tocker]] decided that things were moving too slow. He stole into '''Quess Bullrich's''' house at night, stabbed the old man in his bed and cut the throat of the only witness (the family butler). At the incineration of the old man (in Bellweather Crematorium), the crew was approached by Tick-Tock and '''Bear''', members of the Fog Hounds. They warned them away in clear terms, while the trust of '''Arvus Bullrich''' was also somewhat broken. However, the crew managed to get into the funeral party of the '''Bullrich''' family. [[#Zamiro_Jayan|Zamiro]] broke into '''Vellyn Bullrich's''' office and obtained definite proof of his mismanagement of finance and his abuse of the family name. He confronted '''Arvus''' with this, who broke down and after weeks of manipulation, signed off on the murder of his hated brother. [[#Tocker_Vale|Tocker]] killed him within the fortnight, but not without arousing the suspicions of his widow '''Arlina Strangford'''. With this, the gang managed to break the Fog Hounds hold on the company and had managed to get leverage over '''Arvus Bullrich''', by having a signed order of murder for his brother in their hands.