The Collector

Notes Mistake wrote about the Collector

Why he’s an asshole

• Debt collector who will steal a person to force them to “pay” whatever debt they have. Likely involved with slave trade.
• Targets poor people who have no means to protect themselves and kills anyone who fights back.
• Never shows his face. Either wears the Oriq mask and a tophat or disguises himself as someone familiar to his target (victim).

Why he’s dangerous

• No one knows who he is, what his name is, or what he looks like. He could be anyone, possibly not even a he now that I think about it.
• He’s a lycanthrope. Pretty sure we don’t have access to any silvered weapons so we’re dead if we get in a fight. (Like 5 Strixhaven first years would stand a chance even with the right weapons…)

Why he’s here

• Likely to collect on a debt. Possibly from the Arnezas, but it could be anyone.
• Possibly to kidnap someone for ransom. This doesn’t seem like his style though.
• Related to Brida’s machinations? Not seeing a connection.

How we stop him

• Get undeniable evidence that Griff can deliver to The Important People. They’ll take over, save their reputation, and not be embarrassed by us “lessers”.
• But how do we get that evidence? And is the Collector working alone?

Things I want to do at the gala instead of this:

Turn out the lights and watch the humans scramble.

Steal a bunch of the little cakes to give to the servants.

Find illicit secrets hidden in the library.

What do we do

• The Collector could be anyone: a guest, a servant, a guard, even a Burninghammer. Can leonin become lycanthropes? A cat dog? (Can triton become vampires? How would that work with the running water thing?) (Focus!)
• Koss volunteered to pose as bait but that feels too risky. Safer to get info from other guests. If we can get uniforms for them, they can chat with servants.
• Assuming Larine learned her racism from her parents, Gary should keep an eye on the Arnezas. Maybe he can use his friendship with their daughter.
• The Collector does his work in person, which a Burninghammer wouldn’t be able to do unnoticed. Except Ozric. If he’s here, I’m sure everyone would know.
• I’ll research the guest list in the morning when it’s less suspicious. Can’t hurt to know who will be here.
• Shelley. Will be drunk. Probably fine? Distraction? Assume they won’t help.

Language

Infernal

Added after Episode 25

So the Collector ended up being Larine's alcoholic dad. The others stopped him from escaping while I used a rusty dagger to stab magehunter maggots. (So glamorous!)
The Unseen held him through the night and we handed him to the Burninghammers in the morning, after his transformation was expired. He had a chance to talk to Larine. Can't imagine what that conversation was like...
Hopefully the last we hear of him, or any of this. I really thought we were going to lose here. What a waste of a fancy party.