Blackstaff Investigations
Blackstaff Investigations is the Emerald City business office/home of private investigator Christopher Daye. The narrow, three-story building is an office on the ground floor, living space on the second, and the top floor holds a library/workshop.
Location and Appearance
The office front looks much like any other along the business crowded street in the south side of Emerald City’s Bridgepoint neighborhood, nestled between an old drycleaner’s shop and a recently opened vap-shop. A sign, hand painted on the inside the windowed front reading Blackstaff Investigations , stands out against the drawn black-out drapes used to keep out curious stares. The multiple locks on the door serve as a mundane deterrent, while unseen runes along the frames of the door and windows alike provide a more substantial protection against unwanted intrusions of various types.
Inside the office, the first thing one sees is a worn wooden desk with an old computer monitor, business phone and chair, which depending on the time and day, a young college girl with an open book and pad sitting behind it. Looking around, the office it a lot cleaner than one would think with a few newspaper clippings and photos dot the walls alongside a mandatory fire escape plan. A few chairs sit around the front with a coat rack and coffee machine nearby, a coffee table with a short stack of old magazines sits in the middle of them.
Behind the front desk are several filing cabinets, and a small sink and fridge can be seen across from a door with a frosted glass window. Next to the door, a small hall leads to a set of wooden stairs lead up to the next floor and a securely locked back door. Inside this door is a smaller inner office with its own worn wooden desk and chair, almost mirroring the desk out front. Another filing cabinet sits in the corner and coat rack sit on opposite corners. Several more photos and a few certificates hang on three of the walls, while a large corkboard cover the last.
Significance
This building multitasks as Christopher’s office, home, and magical workspace.
Clients, or those seeking help can stop in when the office is open, calling ahead if needed. Personal acquaintances can call on Christopher here after-hours as well.
People
Cleaning is done by small fey creatures (usually brownies and fairies), but only while no one is around due to the stipulations of their contract. In return these creatures are allowed to reside within the building premises, they are also provided milk and honey which the enjoy as a treat.
In the library on the third floor, a phantom takes pride in maintaining the order of the shelves. In the middle of the shelves sits a real skull, covered in small intricately carved runes and glyphs. This skull is the resting place of Morrowind, the spirit of the skull’s original ‘owner’. Christopher recovered her from a necromancer’s lab before it was destroyed.
Sometimes the front desk is manned by part-time college student, part-time secretary, part-time werewolf, Lark Williams. Lark is a student at ECU, studying for a business major. Christopher helped her after becoming a werewolf, though unable to completely undo the curse he was able to help her bring it under some control. On nights when she wouldn’t be able to control herself, Christopher has a containment circle set up in his workshop.
History
Christopher took over ownership of the building only a few years ago, just after leaving his employment with his previous investigation firm.
