A Dirge for Derrick Cork: Clues

[Lauren Lombardi]

This thread contains a respository of clues found in the investigation of Derrick Cork's death. Please see here to determine if your character would have access to the information in this thread.

[Lauren Lombardi]

Posted as a simple document

When he died, Derrick said the word or name “Sunny.” (Note: Can be a nickname for Sonia.) He also said “told you I could do it” and “you tell them.”

The building Derrick escaped from was a typical office building. We found plastic fragments and a scrap of Derrick’s uniform. Cassie read them and revealed the following:

• Four people were filling plastic tubes with a mix of powders. One of them was a woman. One of them was called Heph – possibly short for Hephaestus.
• The one doing the filling had huge gloves on and was greatly concerned about how bad spilling the stuff would be.
• The gloved guy said “she” needed a lot of whatever they were making.
• Cassie could only see the people’s hands. One person’s were well manicured. One person’s she described as looking like Lorne’s, but gray. One person had young hands that were wearing rings. One of the rings was plain gold on the right middle finger. Another was a class ring from Collingswood.

The lion that Derrick had in his possession when he died is a replica of a larger, nearly life-sized statue of Heracles and the Nemean Lion at the Paragon Museum of Art. Security tapes from the museum show Derrick in the museum the night that the gift shop was robbed.

The Paragon Caper mentioned vandalism of the museum gift shop in an article. The article also mentioned Steel Canyon Scraper “scratchitti art.” A clenched fist and the phrase “Fortes fortuna adiuvat” was found on a sheet of plexiglass in one of the construction sites in Steel Canyon. Translation: “Fortune favors the bold,” though “brave” and “strong” are equally viable interpretations.

According to Outcasts in the area, Derrick was with other “capes” when he died. They left him for dead just before we arrived.

Derrick had no medbadge. Someone threw a medbadge, presumably Derrick’s, into his open grave at the funeral. After the funeral, Jenna and two guys were witnessed approaching Sonia. Sonia said something like “Not now, Jenna.” Jenna said “We won't wait forever.”

Items found in Derrick’s apartment:

• Birthday invitation: Alyssa Ballian, 18. RSVP to Jenna. No last name or number
• Number on the wall: 4269 – The sewer number in Steel Canyon
• A map of the sewers.
• Money and a nice watch in the oven
• Lockbox in the vent
• SD card in the desk

Cassie did a reading and saw the Skulls saying “Forget the shit she said” and grab the “good stuff” before setting fire to a pile of books and papers on the floor and a trash can and escaping with electronics and small appliances they might be able to sell.

From the SD Card:

• Photos
• A file of phone numbers: mom, dad, and entries marked Caerus. Instead of numbers those entries appear to be a username and password.

From the lockbox:

• Derrick’s Journal
• A photo of Derrick and Sonia

Names:

• Jenna (Last name unknown, but not Ballian) – The stringy red-head in the photos.
• Alyssa Ballian - The other girl in the blue jacket, who looks similar to Jenna - Daughter of Bridgett Ballian, who was sister to Detective Heidi Abramsen
• Heidi Abramsen – Detective Heidi Abramsen – Formerly known as the hero Grigora – Roughly translates from Greek to “quickly.” Jenna’s aunt.
• Sonia Guttierez – The brunette in the photos – Derrick’s girlfriend?
• Heph – Hephaestus?
• Heraclea

Thoughts:

• Was Derrick trying to join this order? Why?
• Maybe he was undertaking the trials.
• Death could be accidental, but why leave him? Why the cover up?
• Don’t trust Troy.

Things to do:

• Scour King’s Row. Locate, among other things, Derrick’s missing computer.
• Username and password… to what?
• Discover the identities of the remaining people in the photos
• Talk to Derrick’s parent’s?
• Find Sonia – If she was close to Derrick, maybe a weak link?

[Lauren Lombardi]

A collection of snippets from random articles about Detective Heidi Abramsen:

About five years ago she was promoted to a position as a metahuman liason - “due to her experience with metahumans,” the newspaper article about the promotion cites, but doesn’t go into more detail. There’s also an entry in a long list of graduates from Paragon City high schools of a Heidi Abramsen graduating from Delmont High (home of the Spartans) in 1987.

From her police record: Commendations for her involvement in stopping several armed robberies - early in her career the criminals were armed with mundane weapons, but after her promotion the weapons were more often of the meta-human abilities type. She also received a citation two years ago: violating the Miranda warning rights of a suspect.

Article from May 2nd, 2003 from the Paragon Sentinel:

Hero Turns in Cape, Picks Up a Badge

Like most citizens of Paragon City, Heidi Abramsen will never forget the Rikti invasion of last year.

When the Rikti portals opened around Paragon City, Abramsen was among the first to answer the calls for help. Patrolling under the name Grigora, Abramsen was one of the caped crusaders Paragon City is famous for. Gifted with super speed since she was a teenager, the statuesque blond was famous for rushing in and out of danger before most of the bad guys knew what was happening. As Grigora, she was unstoppable.

Until, in the middle of a terrifying battle, Girgora’s luck ran out. Caught in a cloud of burning debris, the speedster was trapped under a steel girder, shattering her right leg. The battle raged around her for hours - according to the doctors who treated her, Abramsen has her unflinching willpower to thank for her survival. A lesser person would have easily succumbed to the unimaginable pain and given up. The leg had to be amputated, ending the speedster’s career as Grigora.

Abramsen’s losses didn’t end with her leg and her vocation, unfortunately - her sister, Bridget Ballian of Steel Canyon was among the many civilian casualties of the invasion.

A year later, Abramsen understandably avoids talking about the invasion. But this intrepid citizen has hardly been taking it easy for the last year. After undergoing grueling physical therapy to learn how to use her new prosthetic limb, Abramsen chose to re-dedicate herself to protecting the safety of Paragon City. This Sunday, Abramsen will be one of 50 new recruits to graduate from the Paragon City Police Academy, proving once again the department’s motto, that not all heroes wear capes.

[Lauren Lombardi]

From the Paragon Whisper (a gossip rag), March 1947:

CLIMBING MOUNT OLYMPUS -- There's a modern-day pantheon in Paragon City! Word has it that the trendy Heracles Adventurers Club actually goes so far as to give its members secret names taken from mythology! The leader, always given the title of Heracles, doles out those names based on personality and superhuman powers alike. Hey, fellas, what do you think the odds are that we could see a Heraclea someday? Failing that, how about teaching us the secret handshake?

[Mia Cobol]

I found this in a compendium of lore on magic items at a local magic shop I frequent. There is word of a Heracles Club being in possession of a golden sash that has a single thread of the girdle of Hippolyta woven into it. Yes, that Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. The girdle was supposed to have granted amazing strength and speed to it's wearer. It's rumored the sash gives the wearer a small portion of that power. Might be a weakness. Could be just rumor that doesn't pan out.

[Mia Cobol]

Find Sonia – If she was close to Derrick, maybe a weak link?

I'm currently working on this, Lauren. I'll let you know if I make any progress.

[Mia Cobol]

Okay, update.

Lauren and I tracked down Sonia and she was less than helpful. We were able to glean some information from her and another guy though.

Jenna's last name is Manson and she's something of a daredevil. She is also a Collingswood legacy case, meaning she has some connected and very probably rich parents. She's been kicked out of Collingswood more than once and is always back in school by the following Monday, despite failing her classes.

Troy has been showing up to Collingswood for the last few weeks, to the point that the guy we spoke to believes he and Sonia are dating.

Sonia definitely knows more than she's telling us and I did leave my phone number with her in case she changes her mind. I'm not holding my breath on her calling though.

[Lauren Lombardi]

We should probably update Herrera, at least to the fact that Abramsen is responsible for compromising evidence and switching the lion found on Derrick. Perhaps he knows someone at PPD we can trust with relatively certainty.

I think we need to hit King's Row ASAP. Too much time has passed already. Anyone up for tonight?

((Although not really. There's an NSO tonight, but wonky-time is good.))

[Eric Alpaith]

Sure, I'll help out with King's Row

[Eternal-Equinox]

Hey if I'm around and you need an extra pair of hands or eyes let me know. Like I said I'm kinda new to this thing and jumping in, in the middle but I'd be happy to help out.