The Occupod

After breaking the news of the Lockport's Lament to Marcus, a employee of Lady Graveden, the Ghost Leaves formulate a way of dealing with the unearthed political mess with a surprising amount of subtlety. Vinly commits to helping his family continue their showbiz career, Halfdan uses a Spirit Warden's mask for some metallurgical experiments, and Sabrina sends the closest friend she's got to the other side of the world.

With the finances of their patron tied up in the leviathan hunting industry, the fate of the Lockport's Lament is more than just an interesting nautical mystery for the Ghost Leaves. Without more financial backing, the tea room they run will become unsustainable. Tasked with uncovering the truth by Marcus, the footman of the austere Lady Graveden, the gang head towards the only people who know more about the ghost ship: the Imperial Navy, with all the danger that that entails.

Having learnt the dark truth of Olaf's profession, our gang of baristas/burglars are working out their next move. The fourth anniversary of the end of the Unity War draws closer, and the city is tenser than ever. Vinly visits the doctor and accidentally picks up a prescription, Sabrina tries to learn more about her uncle's curse, and Halfdan bypasses the usual HR channels to provide direct feedback to employees.

Following intelligence from a sometimes useful urchin, the Ghost Leaves head to Brightstone to break into the townhouse of Olaf, Halfdan's rival and brother-in-law. Opulent but seemingly unoccupied, the gang are searching the house for an ancestral necklace once owned by Hilda, Halfdan's sister, and the late wife of Olaf. But, first appearances can be deceiving, and the Ghost Leaves learn a terrible truth about Halfdan's old foe.

After a score and a half, the Ghost Leaves need to lay low to deal with the increased heat, and the fallout of the bloodshed on the water. While the Grinders seem to have been beaten for now, there are plenty more enemies for them to contest with in Doskvol. Vinly has some fish-inspired surgery and some drug-induced nightmares, Halfdan learns more about long term ghost containment from an actual expert, and Sabrina takes her dear uncle out for a night on the lash.

After their daring raid in the Lost District beyond the lightning wall, the Ghost Leaves find that their getaway plans have been dashed. The Grinders, a vicious gang of Skovic loyalists, have decided that tonight is the night that they will put their plans into action. They aim to board the Fog Hound and capture it. All that stands in their way are our scoundrels, a gang of smugglers, and several dogs.

Upon the request of Tetsuya, an archivist at the Archive of Echoes, our gang of Hawkers are on the trail of a missing ghost. There's been a break-in, and following this ghost-napping will lead the gang beyond the safety of the city, into the dangers beyond the wall.

Now that they've helped the learned doctor develop a 'new' drug, our gang of Hawkers are able to relax a little. The city doesn't slow down, of course - there's still a demon nipping at their heels and plenty of bridges to burn. Sabrina learns more of the world of Iruvian espionage, Halfdan discovers some valuable information about his rival, and Vinly deals with his toughest challenge yet: talking to his father.

Funded by their local shady doctor, the Ghost Leaves are off to the prestigious Doskvol Academy to try and put a stop to a new illicit substance. They're not doing this for any moral purpose, of course - the good doctor wants to get the recipe for himself.

After a night on the town, the Ghost Leaves catch their breath amongst the coffee fumes. The City Watch may be on the back foot, but there are far more dangerous things than law enforcement lurking in the darkness. Vinly moves out, Halfdan returns to his faith, and Sabrina learns the terrible truth about how her and her uncle escaped from Iruvia.