Izzarra
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
No OOC thread, discord:  https://discord.gg/FJucygvn 
 

 
 Spoiler: Players and Characters 
Players and Characters
    Player 
 Character 
 Concept 
 
  Izzarra 
  Yume Tsukiyomi  
 Kitsune Shrine Maiden / Spirit Medium 
 
  MechaAce 
  Shroud  
 Regular Human 
 
  Batcathat 
  Rufus Walcraft  
 Alchemist 
 
  Xihirli 
  Counterbalance  
 Boxer 
 
  Esprit15 
  Sarah Stillwater  
 Chronomage / Speedster 
 
  
 


 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 The times change, but the battles don't. Magic flares up to a bonfire and fades down to an ember, but never burns out entirely. The names of the gods and the natures of their worship gain and lose popularity, but humanity always finds reason to give praise upwards. The names given to the enemies crawling up from below change, but the cautionary tales hidden in the stories remain. The heroes who rose to destroy the wickedness have faded into legend, but their call to action still echoes in our ancestral memory.

You have always seen the world a bit differently. Maybe it was in the window of that house. Yes, that one. The one everyone half-jokingly said was haunted. Everyone knew it was just an urban legend, they knew the murderer behind the disappearances had been caught years ago, but people walked past with their eyes averted anyways. You looked long and hard, and you saw something through the window. You didn't know what it was, and still don't wholly. When fact and reason fell short, you turned to mythology. Some of the stories got halfway to explaining what you saw, but other details seemed not to fit. You may have tried to ignore it, to move on with your life. You may have vainly tried to forget what you saw, but it burrowed into the back of your mind like a parasite. It gnawed away at your thoughts, and poisoned your perceptions. You began to see signs of the unnatural, the strange, and the inexplicable everywhere. Not only did the phenomena not make sense, they seemed truly impossible. Hard as you tried, you could find nobody to corroborate your account. It was as if they just weren't seeing the same things as you, as if the world genuinely was different for them. The truth seemed hidden from these people; hidden behind a veil that seemed oh so thin to you. 
 
Charybdis1618
Welcome, friends, to Veil of Smog! Story progression will take place here. The initiating post will come soon.
Charybdis1618
Your life had a rhythm to it. Unusual as it may have been, separate from the mundane lives about you as it may have been, it was yours. You lived in, if not comfortable, at least stable and familiar equilibrium with your world. All that changed three days ago.

Sometimes, the smallest things have the largest impacts upon our lives. In each of your cases, it was a tiny slip of paper. You found it somewhere personal, somewhere private, somewhere secure. Somewhere nobody should have been able to get to, but somewhere you were absolutely guaranteed to find it today. The note said simply "Come to the Jackalope Room at The Smoking Pit in three days, at noon. There, you will discover your fate."

(Please describe who you are, and where the note was found.)
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
In the Olympic mountains west of Seattle there is a small Japanese Tamashigo shrine. The resident shrine maiden is one Yume Tsukiyomi. Most of the time she looks to be a young woman of Japanese decent except she has white hair and jade green eyes, she is in fact not human. The shrine doesn't get much activity so there is no need for a large on site staff. The days are peaceful, tending to the grounds, practicing martial arts, exploring the wilderness, the occasional call to perform various rituals and ceremonies.

While her private room doesn't have special security precautions, she has never had anyone break in before.
The appearance of a note with such a cryptic message is intriguing.
Esprit15
Midnight awakens from her meditation. Sleep was strange for a Hunter. The vast majority of her life could be spent living a mile a minute. She could start her faucet, then get dressed and put on her makeup in the time it took for water to touch her toothbrush if she wanted. But Father Night would not be denied his cut of time, not even from an immortal. And so she long ago learned to enjoy the ancient ritual of waking when Father Day saw fit to illuminate the sky and warm the air. Dawn had always said the ritual was something that kept them human - to take the time to enjoy the feeling of preparing one's self for the day.

And so when Midnight awoke, she breathes in the stagnant air of the apartment and stretches, before taking her time and walking to the kitchen to start the electric kettle. She turns on the faucet and smiles. 1926. That was the first year she lived in a house with a faucet. Her husband then was a stock broker in Spain, and while she had seen them in hotels in the United States the century prior, she never imagined that she would live somewhere where she would  own  one. And now the act of flipping a tap and  water  simply flowed into your house was as common as breathing. She carefully fills the kettle and flicks a switch, and the device instantly begins to heat up. Emanuel was also when she first had electricity in her home. She takes a quarter cup measure and fills the hand grinder with coffee beans, taking care to not spin the handle too quickly. She was a cook in the Hungarian army back when the beans were introduced to Europeans. Thought the drink made with the beans was equal parts divine and vile back then, and quickly became hooked on it. She hated electric grinders though. The noise was excruciating, and there seemed to be something lost in the flavor when the beans were crushed with the zeal the mechanical device employed. When the beans were ground, she poured them in the press, and added the steaming water. She then returned to the other side of the apartment to get dressed for the day.

In the office, Sarah Stillwater was the aloof, formal type. In her last life she had accidentally become the office mother, and absolutely refused to be that involved in the personal lives of her short lived coworkers again. It made hunting difficult, and meant being far more open about her life. That meant lies and tracking lies and the whole thing was so much work that she considered killing off Diana after only three years just to get out of the mistake. So Sarah was instead the woman who wore glasses in the office and was totally wearing contacts outside of work and whose style of dress was so in line with dress code that one would think it was based on her. As she looks at the woman in the mirror, for the first time in a while she notices the subtle scars before they disappeared under layers of primer, foundation, blush, and powder. A claw from a werewolf. Blotches from the draining touch of a ghost. The last vestiges of necrosis from the poisoned blade of a friend. A split lip from a wine drunk celebratory brawl that would have made a Roman blush. And in a moment, it's all gone, beneath a physical mask as much as it was behind a mental one. Her messy hair is in a moment carefully arranged as the stylist recommended: "Office professional. Long enough to look feminine, short enough to be practical. Parted to..." blah blah blah blah blah.

Sarah steps out of the bathroom and warms a pan on the stove, carefully placing two slabs of bacon and enjoying the sizzle as they meat hits the hot metal. When a decent pool of grease forms, she removes the meat and cracks two eggs into the pan, and adds more spice than she would have dreamed of adding to food a millennium ago - that is, a typical amount, if slightly less. While the eggs sizzle, she quickly slices the bacon up and then tosses it back into the pan. After a few seconds, she scoops the eggs out of the pan with a spatula and carefully places them on her plate, and sits by the window to continue watching the sun rise over the city. Father Day was quickly chasing his brother's purple cloak across the blue sky. Soon she would be at work, but for now she could still enjoy a morning meal that required neither farming nor hunting nor garden nor servants. People were always surprised when Sarah spoke fondly of her little studio. And while she  had  lived in bigger and more luxurious, she'd never enjoyed the same combination of luxury and anonymity as she had in the 21st century. It was so... normal for everyone today to live like this, and most had no idea.

Eventually, she reaches into her suit pocket and checks her pocket watch. Hardly necessary - she knew the time of day quite well by the height of the sun and the time of year. But the ritual of checking the time before leaving was something she too found pleasant. She flips open the watch... and her heart skips a beat.

The time was 8:30am. Exactly what she expected.

Not expected was a single, little slip of paper.

Clearly, purposefully affixed to the inner side of the cover.

In a watch that nobody would reasonably pay attention to.

Hidden in a suit pocket.

Hanging in her closet.

Inside her locked apartment.


  "Come to the Jackalope Room at The Smoking Pit in three days, at noon. There, you will discover your fate."  


In the time it would take a pin to drop, Midnight grabs her bow and quiver, stows them in her backpack, and without bothering to clean up her breakfast leaves the apartment. She only pauses briefly to check that the door lock indeed works.
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 In the time it would take a pin to drop, Midnight grabs her bow and quiver, stows them in her backpack, and without bothering to clean up her breakfast leaves the apartment. She only pauses briefly to check that the door lock indeed works. 
 

Do you intend to hang out around The Smoking Pit for the next three days, if you're leaving immediately?
Esprit15
Midnight stops by the Smoking Pit before work to at least get a vibe of the area. Was it a bar, a store, etc? If the former it would presumably be closed at that hour, so she’d then check on it after work.
Xihirli
Leif pounded another nail in under the hot sun. He wiped his brow and took a long gulp from his water bottle.
“Hey! Nartz…Nah… New kid!” The foreman shouted from the ground. Leif scooted over to the side of the roof and looked down.
 “Yeah?”  He called down.
“You old enough to drive yet?”
Leif nodded.
“Then come drive the truck, some of the beams broke. Go get more.”
Leif grabbed his hammer, gathered up the nails, and slid down the ladder.  “On it. How many do we need, and what kind?” 
The foreman handed him a slip of paper. “Give that to Chazz, he’ll help you load up. If we need any smaller than we got, tell Chazz to train you on the saw while he cuts em.”
Leif nodded, slipped the paper into his pocket, and reached for the keys. The foreman tossed them, and Leif fumbled. The keys hit the cement under his foot, partially buried in a layer of wood dust. Leif picked them up and walked to the truck. He slapped the hood to scare off any animals hiding under it and got in.
He tried a few stations on the way over. After the third song where he couldn’t find out if the singers wanted to have sex with a woman or a truck he shut the whole radio off.
Rett’s Builders. He’d had to show up to a volunteer rebuilding after a storm to get in, but he was fitting pretty well. Steady work, a manageable amount of disrespect, and none of the staff said anything if he grabbed a beer from the employee fridge. Though he did want to get to a state where he’d have an easier time getting the T. California, maybe. He’d been traveling in roughly that direction ever since… he shook his head and kept his eyes on the road. Thinking about that just made her flare up.
He backed up so that the back of the truck would be nearest the main building when they were loading. Popping out, he opened the back up.  “Chazz!”  He hollered. The portly man who minded the workshop when the laborers headed out threw the door open.
 “We need these from the shed.”  Leif handed over the list.  “And foreman says if we need to cut some smaller you should show me how.” 
“Which foreman?”
 “Uh…”  Leif shrugs.  “Not Rett.” 
“No **** it ain’t Rett. Rett’s giving a quote for the new mall. Who was it?”
 “Get off my back, Chazz. I don’t know, alright? I’m still learning the names here. Do we need to cut some smaller or what?”
 Chazz spared a moment to glower at Leif. “Yeah, we do. This way.” Then, in not nearly a quiet enough voice, he added ‘bitch.’
Leif pretended he didn’t hear it. Chazz was way less replaceable than him. And Leif was… pretty sure Chazz was HR? It was tough to tell, Leif wasn’t exactly looking for a legally structured spot when he threw his lot in with Rett’s.
“We’re going to load up what we’ve got first, since the small stuff goes in last anyhow,” Chazz instructed. “Fill the truck with eight of the four-by-four-by-tens.” He pointed out some ten-foot-long beams. Leif nodded and hoisted one up, backing away from the wall to get room to balance the beam on his shoulder.

Leif was caked in sweat, but the truck was mostly full.  “Alright Chazz, let’s cut some.” 
	“You really don’t know how to?” Chazz asked, glancing up from his newspaper.
	 “Of course I do. I just haven’t with Rett’s, and I don’t have a damn certificate that says ‘can feed the saw.’ Now come on, let’s get this done.”  Leif nodded to the machine. Chazz sighed and stood.
	“Get three four-by-four-by-fours, we’ll make them into twos.”
	Leif nodded and piled up three of them in his arms while Chazz got the machine going. Chazz took the first one and didn’t explain a damn thing as he set it down and pushed it into the saw.
	Leif was glad he didn’t explain anything – Chazz was liable to slip in a sexist joke or two while he was around, if the older man got to talking for too long. Which might have been alright if not for the overlong apologies. Leif watched the machine to see if anything was different from the saws he’d seen in the past. Everything seemed the same… then his blood hissed.
 	“No… not now…”  Leif mumbled.
	“Something wrong, kid?”
	The world at large quieted so that the shrieking could get louder. The colors all around him molded, brushed together. His skin started flaking off as parts of him died and then recovered in milliseconds. The saw… the saw! Its electronic buzzing filled his ears… and her ear, too. Leif’s left eye turned purple as the yellow face made out of the dead skin on Leif’s poked out and shouted  “SILENCE!”  
	“Whoa!” Chazz said, and lurched backwards. His hand slipped and his arm was headed right for the saw.
	Leif darted forward and grabbed Chazz’s arm before it could hit, but the back of his hand went right into it. His hand lit with burning pain as blood splattered, but he was able to pull Chazz and himself away from the thing.
	“Holy ****, kid! What the hell was that?”
 	“What was what? You slipped… ****!”  Leif said, cradling his hand.
	“The face, and… you’re hurt! Let me look at that.”
 	“No, I’ve had worse. First aid kits are still in the restrooms, right?”  Leif turned his body to put his back in between his hand and Chazz.
	“Well, yeah, but…”
	 “Great.”  Leif speed-walked to the bathroom and kicked his way in. The heavy door slammed behind him and Leif listened for a second to make sure he was alone. He lifted one hand off of the other to see it flawless, without a hint of a nick where a saw had gotten him.
 	“Stay the hell  in  unless you’re going to actually leave,”  he whispered, and wrapped his uninjured hand until he was pretty sure it looked wrapped. He had to finish his shift and get to class, anyway.

That night, Leif met up with Ezana and the gang at the usual place. The night started as it often did – with a hug between Leif and his friend who'd named himself after an ancient Ethiopian King.
"Can't wait to see you in the ring tonight, Counter."
 “Sorry, Ezana, I’m not fighting today.”  Leif shrugged.  “Sweetheart says I gotta stop coming home with a broken nose.” 
“Heh. Yeah, right. I don’t know if I’ve ever even seen you bruise, Counter. Not that you don’t get your **** kicked in half the time.”
 “I said I’m not fighting, Ezana. Just wanted to say hello to the crew.”
 “Fine, I won’t beat your face tonight. Come on, we’re all further in.”
A brawl was already underway between Gristle and Bloodhound, so Leif was at least able to join the chanting audience without too many people calling him out. But shortly after Gristle was carried off of the bloody pavement, Knives (so named because no matter how carefully he was searched he seemed to always be able to pull a knife in his fights) clapped Leif on the back.
“Counter! Whaddaya say? You and me take the next spot and we all have one last hurrah from Counterbalance?”
“Nah, Counter can’t play tonight, his  sweetheart  says no,” Ezana teased.
“Oh, can we not keep him out past midnight either? How about a beer? You allowed to drink a beer?” Knives offered him a bottle, and Leif took it.
 “Yes, Knives, I am. And I’m staying to watch the whole night. Don’t want to miss my boy Ezana making sure you can never hold a knife again, after all.”  Leif took a swig while the guys immediately surrounding him and Knives added in jeers at whichever one of the arguing pair they thought of a clever insult for.
Knives laughed and pulled Leif into another bear hug. He was going to have a lot of those that night. “When I’m stabbin’ ya again and again, I can’t getcha to back down, but now that I wanna scrap you’re chickening out?”
Leif laughed along with the surrounding crowd and ignored everyone who yelled for him to get into the ring.
A fight between Ezana and Knives followed shortly, and at first Knives was getting his ass handed to him, but when he came up from the ground swinging a knife at Ezana’s throat the crowd failed to act surprised. Leif fought his way to the front of the impromptu fight ring made of the bodies of those waiting for their turn to brawl, ready to step in and drag Ezana out if things got bad. They’d all taken a stabbing or two, but Knives could get out of hand fast.
The fights were governed by simple rules: weapons are confiscated, then you’re thrown into the middle of a ring and you fight until one of you falls or quits. Other than that, no real rules. Importantly, the confiscation happened outside of the actual fight arena, so if you “found” a weapon inside, that was all fine. Knives wasn’t seen as a cheat, it wasn’t against the rules to not be searched thoroughly enough. If anything, the others admired his skill at hiding his weapons.
Knives swung his switchblade in a wide arc to get Ezana to back up, and once he had room he lined up for a throw at Ezana’s gut. Leif felt a large hand wrap around his arm and pull him in, followed by a piercing pain right under his ribcage.
Ezana tossed Leif back at the ring, where he was dragged to the back with people shouting: “Get him to Patches!”
Patches wasn’t a scrapper, but they took him into the crew because he’d flunked out of medical school. He charged less than hospitals and asked significantly fewer questions. He was pretty good at dealing with stabbings too, from all the practice he got.
“Alright, give him some room. I’m gonna take the knife out. Leif, get ready to cover it…” Patches handed over a gauze-soaked pad. “...and I’ll wrap it. Ready?”
Leif nodded, and grunted as the knife came back out. He covered up the rapidly-healing puncture wound, listening to Ezana beat the snot out of Knives in the background.
The crowd broke up and the Ethiopian-American stepped out victorious, snatching up his winnings before crouching down next to Leif.
“Standard stab wound fee, one-fifty,” Patches told Leif.
 “Sounds reasonable. Ezana, pay the man.”  Leif nodded to his friend, who chuckled and forked over the cash.
“Sorry, Counter, but I knew you could handle it. And you’ve disarmed Knives the same way.” Ezana meant Leif had used his own torso to hold onto Knives’s weapons, not someone else’s. It worked.
 “Remind me never to go up front again.”
 “Pass,” Ezana grinned, and helped Leif stand. “Come on, I’ll drive you home as thanks for your help.”
Leif threw his shirt in the back of Ezana’s car so that the fighter wouldn’t see that it wasn’t nearly as bloody as it should have been.

Leif didn’t bother hiding the bandages from Aster, who should have just gotten in from their last shift at the bar, he just headed into the bathroom and started unwrapping them.
“Leif, I told you I didn’t want you getting into any fights.”
 “I didn’t… not on purpose, anyway. I just stopped in to say hello to the boys. Knives had a gift for me.”
 “He stabbed you?” 
“Not exactly on purpose, either.”  Leif told Aster what happened, then brushed his teeth and let Aster vent.
“Ezana claims to be your friend and uses you as a human shield? He could have killed you!” At a sidelong glance from Leif, Aster sighed. “Okay, he couldn’t have killed you, but  he  didn’t know that!"
Leif let them keep going and slid open the closet door to find something to change into after his shower.  "Uh... Aster? Why is uh...  this  in the front of the closet?" 
Aster looked up at the funerary gown front and center in the closet. It was big, for a dress of its size, though Leif's measurements had mostly changed since the last time he'd worn it. "Uh... I don't know. I just got in from the bar."
Leif cautiously lifted it up and started moving it back into the back of the closet where it belonged. First the heavy dress... then the separately hung veil.
A card fell out of the veil, and Leif picked it up.
"What's it say?" Aster asked.
 "Come to the Jackalope Room at The Smoking Pit in three days, at noon. There, you will discover your fate." 
Aster looked confused and concerned, and started gathering their key, Leif's key, and the spare to make sure all three were accounted for. "Does this mean...?"
Leif nodded somberly.  "Someone  knows ." 
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 Midnight stops by the Smoking Pit before work to at least get a vibe of the area. Was it a bar, a store, etc? If the former it would presumably be closed at that hour, so she’d then check on it after work. 
 

The Smoking Pit is a combination bar and barbecue joint. It has a palpable air of neglect and apathy. You can practically feel the grease sticking to the seats and tablecloths just by looking at it. Inside, you see a number of hunting trophies hung on the walls. Over the doorway to the rentable private room in the back is a jackalope head, a rabbit head with antlers attached. As you look at it, it feels like it looks back at you, staring into your soul. There are a few patrons, sitting like they never intend to leave their spots. The bartender wears a sauce-stained black apron, and nods quietly as you enter.
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
Yume looks up  The Smoking Pit  on her phone. She steps outside and with the wave of her arm disappears from sight. To the casual observer some branches on trees twitch slightly as an invisible figure hops from tree to tree as light as a sparrow. Wavelets in the Puget sound splash unusually as she crosses over to the city. Drivers are oblivious as she catches a ride atop the occasional box truck.

Eventually she arrives at the bar where she carefully looks around, only the faintest of footsteps to give away her presence.
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Concealment (All Visual Senses), Precise, Passive
 
MechaAce
Fiona was in uniform, laying on a dusty rock, watching some tangos through her scope.  She in Afghanistan, or was it Iraq or Syria this time?  She took the point as they crept up on a small house, colorless and sandblasted.  She kicked open the door and then was in a luxurious study surrounded by antique books.

She looked down and was in a respectable suit, looked up and saw the Shroud was on her face.  The client she was with now had a lizard head and was sucking on the blood of a Chinese woman in a maid uniform. A pistol was in her hand, barking loudly as she tried to put the thing down, but it took sawing at its neck with her combat knife to do it, she had to twist the handle over and over.

Then she was twisting the throttle of her jet-black bullet bike, firing a SMG one-handed at a van in front of her, the open door filled with armed thugs.  The sound of the bullets was drowned out by the roaring of the vehicles.  She caught two with a burst and they fell forward onto the blacktop.  Just two left.

A glowing "2:00" floated in front of her.  She was in bed, at home, laying on her side.  Just a dream.  All the things she'd seen and done over the years have just sunk in deeper, the newer stuff compressing the older ones, a palimpsest of trauma.  The Shroud was laying next to the phone dock... she put her hand on it... and the compact Glock 43 pistol underneath it.  A bit of solid reality after another night of bad dreams.  Something crinkled under it though.  She pulled it off (and onto her face without a second though), saw the folded paper that was definitely not there when she went to bed, scanned over the text... and picked up the gun in a flash, throwing off the comforter.  She was on her feet in a flash, covering the four corners of the room.  Nothing there, whoever did it had come and gone, and had to be something weird.

Before she could think twice, she was creeping down her hall to Mei Ling's room, pistol in a two-handed grip until she let go with one to work the knob.  The small woman was still there, dispelling visions of her having been taken, or left in pieces.  She sank down the wall to sit on the floor and read the note again.  A threat?   An oblique one.  "Well, you have my attention..." she said to herself.

One would think there'd be no going back to sleep after this much of a jolt, but after checking the doors and windows, Fiona managed.

She went about her business normally, not letting on to Mei Ling about anything more than a meeting in three days.  She drove by there the next day, taking a look, and did some online research, reached out to a contact in the police, another former brother in arms to see if there was anything noteworthy about the location or its owner, if it was in anyone's turf.

In any case, it wasn't Fiona Johnson that showed up at the designated time and place, but the masked vigilante known in whispers as The Shroud, a small arsenal under her knee-length coat.
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Izzarra 
 Yume looks up  The Smoking Pit  on her phone. She steps outside and with the wave of her arm disappears from sight. To the casual observer some branches on trees twitch slightly as an invisible figure hops from tree to tree as light as a sparrow. Wavelets in the Puget sound splash unusually as she crosses over to the city. Drivers are oblivious as she catches a ride atop the occasional box truck.

Eventually she arrives at the bar where she carefully looks around, only the faintest of footsteps to give away her presence. 
 

The smells of cooking meat, burning fat, moldering beer, and languishing human fill the air inside. You have to step carefully to avoid sticky or dirty spots in the floor that would show a pawprint. Even when hiding under a table, you feel the jackalope's eyes following you. Somehow, despite being dead, and despite seeming mundane, it stares into your soul.
Esprit15
 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 The Smoking Pit is a combination bar and barbecue joint. It has a palpable air of neglect and apathy. You can practically feel the grease sticking to the seats and tablecloths just by looking at it. Inside, you see a number of hunting trophies hung on the walls. Over the doorway to the rentable private room in the back is a jackalope head, a rabbit head with antlers attached. As you look at it, it feels like it looks back at you, staring into your soul. There are a few patrons, sitting like they never intend to leave their spots. The bartender wears a sauce-stained black apron, and nods quietly as you enter. 
 

Sarah nods to the man as she enters, and takes a seat at the bar. She should have gone home to change. She looked like she came straight from the office. The woman glances at the taps and frowns briefly. Nothing great.  “Afternoon. Can I get… eh, the bock and a menu?”  She didn’t really intend to order any food, but a beer meant she was paying, and paying customers got more service than non-paying.

 “I’m kinda new around here. Nice little place. Owner or worker?” 
Batcathat
 I'm too old for such drama , was Rufus' first thought after reading the small note he had found in the middle of his desk, where it certainly hadn't been the night before. It seemed someone had gone through quite a bit of trouble to satisfy their flair for the dramatic.

Picking up his cane and absentmindedly tapping it against the floor, he read the note again.  Discover your fate, eh?  Dramatic, indeed. But he couldn't deny a growing tingle of excitement at the mystery. It could be a trap, of course. Then again, someone who could enter his home unseen needed no melodramatic charades to do him ill.

He held up the note towards the light, studying it without really expecting to find much. " Jiminy ", he called out over his shoulder.

" What? " The homunculus came out from under one of the tables, where he'd made his... lair? Office? World's smallest man-cave?

Rufus bent down – the cane creaking under the strain – and handed Jiminy the note, which looked like a poster in his doll-sized hands. " What do you make of this? "

" Someone really wants you to come to their birthday party? "

The only response was a noise equal parts annoyed, dismissive and degrading.

" Who sent it? "

Rufus walked over to the window and stared out at the street, as if hoping the mysterious sender happened to be passing by. " That would be the question. I just found it on the desk in my supposedly quite secure workshop. "

Had he been a more accurate simulacrum of a human, Jiminy would have started sweating nervously. Among his many, many duties was overseeing the security of Walcraft House.

Though what humanity he lacked in the sweat department, he made up for in the blaming his subordinates department. " Pike! "

Moments later, the golem in question lumbered into the room. Unlike Jiminy, the golems were human-sized and always walked as if they weren't quite sober. "Ye-ees?"

" Have any outsiders entered the house today? "

"Nh-ooh", replied the golem.

Rufus rolled his eyes. Unfortunately, the golems shared not only the basic materials with a brick wall but also the approximate IQ level. " Might as well ask the houseplants if they've seen anything. " He sighed. " No use worrying about how the message was left for now, there are too many options. "

Jiminy raised an eyebrow. "So what  are  we worrying about?"

In an unexpected feat of athleticism, Rufus grabbed the note out of Jiminy's hands and read it once more. " My fate, it would seem. "

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

If it's not clear, Pike and some other so far unseen golems are the personnel of Walcraft House. The rules specifically mentions golems as one of the examples, so I'm assuming it's alright.
 
Charybdis1618
Yeah, golems are fine. Were a mundane to visit the house, they would assume that Pike was an ordinary, if slow, bodyguard. How tall is Jiminy?
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 Sarah nods to the man as she enters, and takes a seat at the bar. She should have gone home to change. She looked like she came straight from the office. The woman glances at the taps and frowns briefly. Nothing great.  “Afternoon. Can I get… eh, the bock and a menu?”  She didn’t really intend to order any food, but a beer meant she was paying, and paying customers got more service than non-paying.

 “I’m kinda new around here. Nice little place. Owner or worker?”  
 

He speaks, his voice husky from years of inhaling smoke. "Tom. I'm the general manager, so a bit of both. Menu's on the board. We have a special on elk sausage tonight, if you're curious. One bock, coming up while you think about it."
Esprit15
Elk actually  did  sound amazing.  “Think I’ll have to try that.” 

The answer that he was promoted into the role, rather than established it.  “Gotcha, gotcha.”  Her gaze drifts to the jackelope.  “There a story behind that?” 
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 Elk actually  did  sound amazing.  “Think I’ll have to try that.” 

The answer that he was promoted into the role, rather than established it.  “Gotcha, gotcha.”  Her gaze drifts to the jackelope.  “There a story behind that?”  
 

Without breaking the flow of conversation, he scribbles your order on his little pad and passes it behind his back through the window. "Not much of one. Was brought in by a regular of ours. Weird guy, but helluva hunter. I wouldn't doubt that he dropped both the elk and the rabbit himself."
Esprit15
  Both?   Midnight just nods. She had assumed it was just a rare species.  “Who just brings in a mounted animal like that to a bar though? Even a regular. Was he already kind of an odd guy?” 
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
   Both?   Midnight just nods. She had assumed it was just a rare species.  “Who just brings in a mounted animal like that to a bar though? Even a regular. Was he already kind of an odd guy?”  
 

"Not unusual here. Most of this taxidermy comes from our regulars. Except that oryx over the door. That one was me." He beams for a moment. "We're a haven for some local hunters. We buy good-quality meat off you and serve it as a special. Speak of the devil..."

He turns around and grabs the place from the window. Beside two steaming links of sausage, each butterfly-cut and seared on a grill, there is a small mound of macaroni and cheese and a short length of corn on the cob. He grabs a roll of silverware from under the counter.

"Here you are. Enjoy. I'll be around if you need anything else."

With that, he sidles away to take an order from down the bar.

The food is decent. Nothing special in seasoning, but it was clearly made with care. The corn and mac both taste fresh, at a minimum. The sausage is plump and solid, with a nice balance of meat and fat. The gamey flavor of the elk is front and center, without being overwhelming.
Esprit15
 “Haven for local hunters, eh? Well I do enjoy a bit of bow hunting every now and then.”  Midnight takes a swig of the beer before slowly digging into the food. She wasn’t fond of corn - Americans put too much of the crop in their food as is - but she could at least appreciate the preparation. The mild seasoning was nostalgic for the ancient woman. She eats slowly, savoring each bite.

As she eats, she makes note of the other patrons and the animals that have been hunted here. She does her best to memorize faces. Whether anyone (besides her) looked out of place in appearance or behavior.

Eventually, she gets up and goes off in the direction of the restroom. As she steps into the hallway, she places her hand in her pocket, feeling the tick of her pocketwatch. The time between each tick grows longer as she walks in time with it. Two seconds per tick. Ten seconds. A minute. She feels the gears nearly stop as she steps into the bathroom. At this speed a normal human wouldn’t even register her presence as she looked around the bar more closely.
 
 Spoiler 
Using Quickness and HiPS to examine the whole bar. Looking at how many rooms there are, if there’s anything strange about them, if there seem to be any hidden doors, etc.

Let me know what, if anything, I need to roll.
 
Charybdis1618
No one looks out of place per se. Nobody is paying undue attention to their surroundings, nobody watched you go with undue interest. Nobody here at the moment seems overtly magically active. As for the building itself, it seems mostly mundane. The feeling of the jackalope staring into your soul remains even now, but nothing physically bars your entry into the Jackalope Room. It seems like a perfectly ordinary party room, tacky red and white checkered tablecloth notwithstanding. There is a surprisingly large walk-in freezer, but it only contains hanging animal carcasses and ordinary food items. Its cellar storeroom is well-organized. There is nothing like a business office or manager's desk. You're pretty sure Tom noticed the freezer door open briefly, but he did nothing more than push it closed in passing. None of the walls are thick enough to have a hidden door, and the cellar seems to take up the entire footprint of the building.

 
 Spoiler 
Don't bother rolling, it's obvious there's nothing special or untoward about this place or its patrons.
 
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  

 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 The smells of cooking meat, burning fat, moldering beer, and languishing human fill the air inside. You have to step carefully to avoid sticky or dirty spots in the floor that would show a pawprint. Even when hiding under a table, you feel the jackalope's eyes following you. Somehow, despite being dead, and despite seeming mundane, it stares into your soul. 
 

It is at times like this that Yume wishes that it was easier to wear shoes while in her native anthropomorphic form.
She pulls out an ofuda, a specially prepared talisman with Japanese calligraphy, and places it on her forehead and channels some ki into it causing the ink to change into the appearance of a third eye. Then looks at the jackalope again.
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Sight Tag
- Counters Concealment/Invisibility (Vision)
- Counters Illusion (Vision)
- Magical Awareness (Vision)
 
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Izzarra 
 It is at times like this that Yume wishes that it was easier to wear shoes while in her native anthropomorphic form.
She pulls out an ofuda, a specially prepared talisman with Japanese calligraphy, and places it on her forehead and channels some ki into it causing the ink to change into the appearance of a third eye. Then looks at the jackalope again. 
 

There is a minor magical signature to the jackalope head. It is harmless, and would have no effect upon a mundane. It is a sort of communication magic, designed to convey an impression that the head is watching you.
Charybdis1618
The appointed day and time arrives.

Please make a round of Initiative rolls to see who arrives first. Those who scouted the place in advance get a +3. When the order is established, I'll announce when people should arrive. Give us time to have the encounters sequentially.
Esprit15
Midnight takes the day off and around an hour before the meeting, casts her ritual. A simple spell, but it required the sacrifice of time and effort to Mother Earth nevertheless. As she finishes, Arkhermiens lights up like a Yule tree with the characteristic orange-blue of transmutational magic and the gravelly-platinum of temporal magic. She gives the bow a single draw in quicktime, and the string stretches appropriately, rather than snapping like a traditional bow would when drawn at such speed.

Satisfied, she carries the bow over her shoulder today as she makes her way to The Smoking Pit. Maybe if the meeting went well she would have an actual chat with locals about wild game in the area, get some information about what lurks in the woods. That  was  a huge benefit from the last thirty years compared to the prior thousand or two - way fewer people treated her going hunting as something too bizarre. The past few decades after a warming up period, she could just talk to hunters about what they found in the woods, listen to the “Ain’t seen nothin’ like it” stories. And her personal bow would certainly draw eyes. The weapon was once a simple bow made from the heartwood of a single tree, but over the millennia grew to be a composite of wood, bone, and horn. Only a few splinters of the original remained.

She gives the room a once over look before heading into the jackalope room.
Charybdis1618
The main room is abandoned. The barkeep glances you over, then glances at the jackalope without a word.

The doors to the Jackalope Room are closed, with a sign hung from a hook reading "Reserved for private event." Opening the door, the smell of a summer barbecue wafts out. You see plates of ribs, sausage, corn, and roasted asparagus, as well as bowls of pasta salad, potato salad, leafy salad, mashed potato, and baked beans. Pitchers of sangria and lemonade sit in ice bowls at the end. In the head seat of the dining table, you see a single man sitting. He is late middle-aged, his shaggy brown hair streaked with grey. His face is tanned and lined, with a short cropped beard also streaked with grey. He pushes himself to his feet as you enter.

"Welcome. I take it my invitation reached you. Call me Loukas. How may I address you?"

He has a faint accent coloring the edges of his words, possibly Spanish from the trill on the r sounds.
Esprit15
 ”Podéis llamarme Stillwater, Señor Loukas,”  Sarah says as she takes a seat, noting the accent and switching effortlessly to the other language. She flips open the pocket-watch and places the paper on the table in a brusque motion.
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
How we doing with magical auras?
 
Charybdis1618
"αυτό δεν θα είναι απαραίτητο," ("That won't be necessary,") he sighs. "My English is fine. Greek schools teach it too. Anyhow. Welcome. Please eat. The ribs are excellent this time of year. Stillwater, I parsed? Yeah, excuse the means of the invitation. I had to do it that way. I shall explain when all our guests are here. Oh, and please stop trying to read my magic. It will just confuse you."

 
 Spoiler 
 You definitely saw the faint aura about the jackalope head, and could figure out that it was mostly a communication effect as described before. It would have no effect on a mundane. Looking at Loukas, you can see a swirling mist behind his eyes, dancing across the surface of his brain, looking like many things and nothing all at once.
 
Esprit15
 ”You’ll forgive my suspicion when someone sneaks messages into my apartment. Humans don’t like having their privacy violated like that. Given the clientele at our meeting point, you should be more than aware of that.”  She does not end the spell early, both out of prickly spite and because ideally the other guests would not be similarly obscured.
Charybdis1618
Loukas begins loading up a paper plate with a bit of everything from the food table, and pours himself a cup from the pitcher of sangria.

"Believe me, if I could have just called you, I would have. The Fates didn't precisely give me a phone number. But, I'm glad you're here. Are you a local?"
Esprit15
Midnight chuckles and actually grabs some food after that.  “Oh wow. You snuck into my apartment and didn’t even know who I was.”  She takes a small bite from the ribs.  “No, I am not from here, and like you I have my secrets.” 
Charybdis1618
"I did not break in anywhere, but no matter. Keep what you will to yourself. Our next guest should be arriving in a moment."

(Counterbalance, you're up.)
Xihirli
Leif glances around outside of the Smoking Pit before stepping in. He eyes nearly everyone around him nervously and asks "uh... I'm looking for the Jackalope Room?"
And entering into it he looks Loukas and Midnight up and down before clearing his throat.
 "You two would be the ones who snuck into me and my partner's apartment?"  He accuses.
Charybdis1618
Loukas nods, entirely unsurprised, and sets his plate down to extend a hand. "Like I said, I didn't sneak in anywhere. I simply arranged for a message to be delivered. My apologies for the concern. Call me Loukas. Would you care for some lunch? I'm always fond of their potato salad."

He gestures to the table.

"Also, how can we address you?"
Xihirli
Leif looks distrustful, but sits down.  "Yes, I'll have what you're having,"  he assents.
 "My name is Leif, who am I speaking to?" 
He absently wonders if he should insist on swapping meals with this man once their lunch arrives.
Esprit15
 “You know as much about this guy as I do,”  Sarah says, having finished the rib. She looks over the new arrival for magic auras and effects as she sets down the bone.  “Sarah Stillwater. I take it  kýrios Loukas  here sent you a cryptic missive as well.” 
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Xihirli 
 Leif looks distrustful, but sits down.  "Yes, I'll have what you're having,"  he assents.
 "My name is Leif, who am I speaking to?" 
He absently wonders if he should insist on swapping meals with this man once their lunch arrives. 
 

(There's a table full of food and drink already, which he's visibly eating now.)
Xihirli
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
  “You know as much about this guy as I do,”  Sarah says, having finished the rib. She looks over the new arrival for magic auras and effects as she sets down the bone.  “Sarah Stillwater. I take it kýros Loukas here sent you a cryptic missive as well.”  
 

 "That's right."  Leif picks up a plate of potato salad and forks some up.
 "Really gave me and my partner a scare, too. Why  are  we here, Mister Loukas?" 
Charybdis1618
"Tell them I apologize, and would have been less dramatic if I had the option. As to why you all came here, I will discuss that as soon as we all have arrived. I suspect the next will be a bit. Tell me, Lief, are you local?"
Xihirli
Leif nods.  "I am. Making do the best we can. I work in construction and take night classes to become an electrician. My partner is a bartender. I've been living here for... two years now. Which is a big deal for me." 
Charybdis1618
Loukas smiles broadly. "This bodes well."

Turning back to Midnight, he asks "Is that a real bow?"

Assuming Midnight looks at Lief with the magic gaze, she sees a watchspring where the heart should be. A spectral hand, nearly translucent, keeps winding the spring tighter and tighter, even as it uncoils to drive the gears of the body. She sees the spring release fully, and the body springing into motion.
Esprit15
She moves the bow to her lap.  “It is. I thought I might chat with some of the locals about good places to go hunting after this meeting.”  Arkhermiens, as mentioned before, appears to be composed of several different materials.

She notes the effect of the magic in the newest arrival.   You’re an interesting one. A different kind of immortal. More cursed.  
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 She moves the bow to her lap.  “It is. I thought I might chat with some of the locals about good places to go hunting after this meeting.”  Arkhermiens, as mentioned before, appears to be composed of several different materials. 
 

Loukas visibly swallows his excitement. "As it happens, my day job is an independent hunting guide. I also prefer a bow. I've never seen one like yours, though. May I ... no, no, after we're done here."

He fishes in a pocket of his jacket and passes over a business card. It says "Loukas Ingram, Hunting Guide" over a stylized sihlouette of a young woman drawing a longbow.

(Rufus, you're up.)
Xihirli
Leif squirms a little under Sarah’s gaze and responds to Loukas being a hunting expert.
 "Have we been invited here to hunt something? Someone?" 
Charybdis1618
"Not yet. Not precisely. There will be plenty of that down the road. The Fates have something big in mind for all of you."
Batcathat
The taxi stopped right in front of the Smoking Pit and Rufus Walcraft stepped out. Considering how the invite had been delivered, there seemed to be little point in a stealthy approach. He put down the old-fashioned doctor's bag he was carrying on the ground and leaned against his cane as he pulled out his wallet and paid the driver.

 " Are we there yet ?"  The muffled voice coming from the doctor's bag was barely audible, but still far too loud.

" Hush ", Rufus commanded as he picked up the bag again. " Someone might hear. "

 " Pah. Just say you were talking to your favorite grandchild when you lost your gosh darn cellular phone. "  

Rufus rolled his eyes, ignored the homunculus and studied the building ahead of him. Despite decades in the city, he couldn't remember even passing by the Smoking Pit earlier. Didn't seem like he had missed much.

He pushed the door open with his cane – resisting the temptation to transform it for a more dramatic entrance – and stepped into the establishment. As Rufus' eyes swept across the room – and through the walls to the adjacent ones – he saw several people gathered in one of the rooms and walked towards it without pause.

 " Hey! Something smells good " , said the bag.

" You don't eat.  Or talk in public  ", Rufus replied under his breath, though as he opened the door and stepped through, he did have to agree that the smell was rather tempting.
Charybdis1618
Loukas, already facing the door, smiles as he puts his plate down and extends a hand. "Welcome! I am Loukas. Thanks for accepting my invitation. How may we address you?"
Batcathat
Taking just long enough to make it awkward without being  obviously  impolite, Rufus placed his bag on the floor and opened it slightly, before leisurely walking over to Loukas and shaking the outstretched hand. " My friends call me Rufus. " His eyes narrowed slightly. " Then again, my friends rarely invite me with vaguely threatening commands. So perhaps... "

"  Could've ended that sentence after "my friends rarely invite me " ", interrupted the still somewhat muffled voice from the bag.

Rufus cleared his throat. " As I was about to say... perhaps I am mistaken about what sort of relationship this is supposed to be, Loukas? "
Charybdis1618
"The Fates rarely respect human customs and concerns when they urgently need something. My apologies. I hope the lot of us can end up being friends, but we can settle for colleagues. Now, how about some food? The ribs are always lovely this time of year."
Xihirli
 "Leif,"  Leif introduces himself briefly.
 "You keep talking about 'the fates.' Are you a... Greek Neopagan?  
Esprit15
Midnight suppresses a snicker.  ”Most likely. He  does  claim to be from Greece, so he has more claim to it than the kids today calling themselves that at least. Sarah Stillwater,”  she says, a small pile of ribs having formed where you all swear there was only one moments ago.  ”Who’s the little voice?” 
Xihirli
Leif stiffens.  "No one!"  He says defensively, then swears.
 "I mean, what do you mean?" 
Esprit15
Sarah points with a bone.  “Bags don’t talk but his does.” 
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Xihirli 
  "Leif,"  Leif introduces himself briefly.
 "You keep talking about 'the fates.' Are you a... Greek Neopagan?   
 

"Halfway. I am Greek, as Sarah pointed out before. The relationship is a bit different when you can directly interact with the magical side of the world. Also, I think we can ignore the voice. Were we mundane, I doubt we'd have heard anything. Will it shut up if you feed it, or just demand more?"
Batcathat
" Yes, if we ignore the voice, it will shut up and not be turned into the world's smallest scarecrow. "

A small hand reached out of the open bag and slowly raised its middle finger in the general direction of Rufus.

He sighed. " Right. I apologize for the... distraction. Perhaps we could get to the business of our fate? "
Xihirli
 "I would like a few more distractions before we get to our fates,"  Leif suggests.
  It is not as though mine is happy  
Charybdis1618
"We'll get to it soon enough."

(Shroud, you're up.)
MechaAce
Fiona had staked out the place an hour or so before the appointed time, sitting in her van (which was displaying signs from the local cable company) and watching people go in… and not seeing any other cars full of thugs or gangers lingering in alleys.  Or snipers on rooftops.  Old habits die hard.

She walked across the street and pulled the Shroud over her face as she entered, giving the main room the once-over before proceeding to the Jackelope Room, giving thru stuffed head the once-over.

The Shroud’s masked, trenchcoated form filled the doorway for an attention-getting moment, her hands at her sides, curling and uncurling as if wanting to grip something.  She moved past it quickly and to an open spot on the table, standing over it, gripping the edge.

Noting the diverse people present and not seeing any disguised vampires or lizard men there or nearby, she says “It appears a number of invitations were sent out… but for what?”
Esprit15
The white haired young woman dressed in capris and a matching jacket waves back. Her presence is odd - she looks both human and inhuman to the Shroud.  Very  supernatural.  “Not sure. Though I’m beginning to see some common threads between our  eclectic  ensemble besides just living here. Are you… okay?”  she looks at the woman’s hands as she grips the table.  “None of the food bites, and you seem like you need salt, meat, and water.” 
Charybdis1618
The more perceptive among you see Loukas' eyes widen, and his mouth form the words "Oh, no, not again." He quickly composes himself, though, and smiles warmly as hr extends a hand.

"Welcome! You can call me Loukas. Thank you for joining us. Please, eat, drink and be merry. Or, at least the first two. How may I address you?"
Charybdis1618
Also, sorry Midnight, should have given the description for Rufus when he entered. Assume you got this at the appropriate time.

An entire workshop's worth of tools, resources, and experience is folded tightly inside Rufus's skull. You see the calluses upon his hands limned with tiny sparks, and can see echoes of various substances splashed and spilled upon them. As you try to meet his gaze, his glasses catch your attention every time. They do, indeed, let him see clearly, but far more so than any mundane lenses ever could. His cane looks like a workshop rolled tight into a cylinder. It is the baton with which he conducts an orchestra of substance and material, weaving properties in and out of each other.
Xihirli
Leif puts a hand on Loukas's back in a way that he hopes is calming, but the true purpose is to get into a position to restrain Loukas if necessary.
 "What do you mean, not again?"  Leif asks, his hands also worn and callused from use.
Charybdis1618
"Oh, I've seen that artifact about before, that's all. It has a way of finding new bearers."
MechaAce
 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 The more perceptive among you see Loukas' eyes widen, and his mouth form the words "Oh, no, not again." He quickly composes himself, though, and smiles warmly as hr extends a hand.

"Welcome! You can call me Loukas. Thank you for joining us. Please, eat, drink and be merry. Or, at least the first two. How may I address you?" 
 

“Men call me… the Shroud” she says with a dramatic rumble in her voice, taking his hand and giving a quick, firm shake.

She sits and takes a glass of the lemonade and puts a straw under her mask.

“It does” she says to the latter remark.  “We should speak of it more…”
Xihirli
 "Are we talking a Sauron's ring situation?"  Leif asks, looking distrustful of this "the shroud."
Everyone else used actual names.
Charybdis1618
"Usually no ambitions of world conquest. I am hoping that still applies. The thing is not sentient in the strictest sense, but it does have a way of shaping its wearer. Are you the one who showed up in the National Enquirer a few months ago, cutting a gangster's uzi apart?"
MechaAce
 
 Originally Posted by Xihirli 
  "Are we talking a Sauron's ring situation?"  Leif asks, looking distrustful of this "the shroud."
Everyone else used actual names. 
 


 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 "Usually no ambitions of world conquest. I am hoping that still applies. The thing is not sentient in the strictest sense, but it does have a way of shaping its wearer. Are you the one who showed up in the National Enquirer a few months ago, cutting a gangster's uzi apart?" 
 

“It was the industrial grinder that cut up the Uzi, I just pushed it in there.  Instead of his head.”

She turns her gaze towards Lief.  Is it just cheesecloth in those blank white eyeholes or something more?  “Some supernatural people… and *things* are tied up with organized crime. The cops don’t see it or even want to think about it.  I’m doing what needs to be done about it. That’s why the mask.”

Another sip on the straw and she looks around the table.  “I’ll give this much.  This…” She touches the loose bottom of the black cloth “Let’s me see through monsters’ disguises.  And yes, I know that sounds like literal insanity, but no one here is perfectly normal, are they?”  That comes off as an earnest question, not a challenge.

“And I’m not the first.  Think about that masked man with the silver bullets in the old west.”
Esprit15
  Monsters tied up in crime… You don’t even know the half of it.    Sarah chuckles.  “Kid, if you could tell me about something supernatural that you’ve seen that  surprises  me then I would be genuinely impressed. But you are right that everyone here radiates some kind of magic, be it innate or in artifacts.”  She turns to Loukas.  “And if our host could explain what we are doing this establishment at all, I think everyone would be appreciative.” 
Batcathat
" Indeed ", Rufus agreed. " I'd say time is money, but when you can create gold out of garbage, that starts to feel like an understatement. " He absentmindedly tapped the floor with his cane, briefly considered turning it to gold to underscore his point, but the idea of making the floor suddenly both heavier and softer seemed architecturally unwise. " Not that I mind some good food and... interesting company, but I'd rather know  why  I'm having the pleasure. "
Charybdis1618
"Give me enough time to refill my cup, and I shall explain as best I can."

(Yume, you're up.)
Charybdis1618
When Midnight looks at Shroud, she sees the reason for the synecdoche. It looks as though the Shroud itself is the visor in some sci-fi style helmet, which connects flush with the body armor covering the rest of the body. The armor is smooth, far too featureless to be any modern manufacturing, and translucent. Peering a bit closer, she can see a data readout projected on the inside of the visor, feeding information, tactical data, and aim assistance to the wearer. Through the chest piece, and through the also translucent torso, she can see a small purple starburst in the heart. Trails of the purple phosphorescence run from the starburst up to the helmet and out to the limbs, evidently just barely powerful enough to keep everything functioning.
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
Yume debates between showing up in street cloths or her shrine robes. The robes tend to draw attention as they are very much out of place in Seattle. In the end she decides to wear wear the enchanted robes in case this is some sort of trap along with a modern looking Haori to look slightly less conspicuous and to help hide Nyoiyari, her weapon, that she tucks into the back of her hakama belt.

She returns to the The Smoking Pit taking a slightly different route then last time then dropping invisibility and slipping on her sandals behind some trees near the restaurant.

Entering the establishment with a bow to the proprietor she holds out the note with both hands and speaks with a thick Japanese accent.
  "Hello, I have invitation."  
Charybdis1618
Loukas puts down his cup and turns towards the door.

"Welcome! With your presence, our group is complete. May I offer you some food? Also, how may I address you?"
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
Bowing again   "Tsukiyomi Yume..."   She stops remembering that here they put the given name first   "eto ... I mean Yume Tsukiyomi, at your service. Some lunch would be nice."  
Xihirli
Leif squints up at Yume.
 "Are those cat ears or part of your hair?" 
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
  "Cat ears?"   She reaches up and checks the top of her head and any trace of animal ears disappear. She pulls her hair aside to show that she doesn't have animal ears.   "No I have normal human ears."  
Esprit15
Sarah’s expression immediately sours when the definitely-a-human walks in.  “What is  that thing  doing here?”  Her grip on the bow tightens as she glares daggers at the newest arrival.
Charybdis1618
"She's about as human as Lief. Mortality's a rather big part of being mortal. Now stand down, all of you. Sit with us, and eat. You are all wondering why you have been called here, I assume."
Xihirli
 "I... resent the implication that I'm not a human. And I still  age . Also... I am perfectly ordinary."  That last part wasn't very convincing.
  I mean, I MUST still be able to die of old age, or why would she bother getting passed from one generation to the next?  
Charybdis1618
"None of us would be here, now, in this room, were we truly normal. We each have seen the unnatural side of the world, amd we have each found our place among it. We each have our unique gifts, and we will each need them in the coming days. The Fates have shown me an upcoming disaster. The city of Seattle, and possibly areas beyond it after, will soon face a major threat. There are some in this city who can see it, and a few of those who might be able to fight, but none of them will prevail. If I weave a five-stranded braid of mixed fibers, it may anchor the city in the upcoming storm. So, I sent my spirits forward to find me the strands. They brought me you five."
Esprit15
The look doesn’t leave Sarah’s face.  “He’s human, just cursed by a spirit. That is a far cry from…”  she looks Yumi over quickly again,  “a kitsune witch. Different beast entirely. I indeed  do  know my place in the world, and it’s on the other side of a blade or arrow from things like  that. ” 

The woman pinches the bridge of her nose and thinks.  “Fine. If it’s what the Weavers of Fate have chosen, far be it from me to stray from their designs. So what disaster approaches?” 
Batcathat
Jiminy's head popped out of the doctor's bag. " Hey, I resent 'thing' being used as an insult. Some of us are perfectly happy being things, you... " A glare from Rufus silenced the homunculus, who grumbled and disappeared back into the bag.

After eyeing the bag for a few seconds, Rufus took a seat and started helping himself to the food. " I'm not much for fate, I hope you have something more solid than vaguely threatening metaphors? "
MechaAce
The Shroud's face is completely covered yet somehow gives the impression that she's lifting an eyebrow at Sarah's outburst.  Certainly she'd heard that sort of thing before, but with ethnic or tribal issues instead of supernatural ones.

There's a lot of strong personalities here though, and, it seems, no time for an argument.

"Yes, what's the mission?  Is this a literal disaster or a figurative one?" she asks.
Xihirli
 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 "We each have our unique gifts." 
 

 "That's where you're wrong, Loukas. I don't have a gift."  He nods to Sarah when she calls him cursed.  "She's right... about the curse thing specifically, though I like to keep. it private. The idea that... my curse could help someone? It's... no, I don't think you got the right guy." 
He looks pointedly at Sarah.  "However. I will not be allowing anyone here to get hurt." 
Charybdis1618
"Name it what you will, but it does set you apart from the mundane, and it does give you unique capabilities. My own gifts drive me insane at times, but I harness them nonetheless. Also, please take any fighting outside. The owners will be angry with me if the place gets damaged."
Esprit15
 
 Originally Posted by Xihirli 
  "That's where you're wrong, Loukas. I don't have a gift."  He nods to Sarah when she calls him cursed.  "She's right... about the curse thing specifically, though I like to keep. it private. The idea that... my curse could help someone? It's... no, I don't think you got the right guy." 
He looks pointedly at Sarah.  "However. I will not be allowing anyone here to get hurt."  
 

 “Being unkillable is an extremely rare and valuable ability, sourced from a curse or otherwise. It could definitely be used in saving lives.”  She doesn’t seem to mind the low level threat, though she does note it.

 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 "Name it what you will, but it does set you apart from the mundane, and it does give you unique capabilities. My own gifts drive me insane at times, but I harness them nonetheless. Also, please take any fighting outside. The owners will be angry with me if the place gets damaged." 
 

 “I’ll forego fighting at least until this job is finished. As I said, far be it from me to deny the Weavers of Fate. But what is this disaster that you brought us here to prevent?” 
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
  "Witch?"   Yume has to spend a few moments looking up the translation on her phone.
  "No, I am not witch. I am a Miko, a priestess."  
Esprit15
She shrugs.  “Most miko,”  she says, gesturing to the fox girl,  “don’t perform the kind of magic you’re capable of. Hence - witch. Or maybe you prefer 妖術者. Most people translate witch as 魔女, which doesn’t have the right connotation for something like you.” 
Batcathat
Having learned a long time ago not to get involved in other people's arguments and occasionally managing to stick to it, Rufus focused on the food in front of him, while keeping his ears open and his cane within reach.

" Did Mister Mysterious say he is insane? " Jiminy said, now from under the table.

Rufus took a few seconds to swallow his food. " Technically, I believe he said he is insane at times. " He dabbed his mouth with a napkin. " I suppose time will tell whether this is one of those times. "
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
Unable to fully articulate what she wants to say in English, Yume switches to Japanese as it appears that this person also speaks it:
   "&lt;If you are referring to these ...&gt;    She holds up three paper talisman    &lt;... there are plenty of miko that can use ofuda, I am just taking my training to the next level so that I can become an onmyōji.&gt;"   
 
 Spoiler: Vocabulary 
miko (巫女): shrine maiden
ofuda (御札): talisman made out of various materials such as paper, wood, cloth, or metal
onmyōji (陰陽師): yin-and-yang master
 
MechaAce
The Shroud looks between Yume and Sarah, those blank eye holes of the mask still unsettling.  "You don't get to pick who's on your squad, but you've got their back and they've got yours or everyone is dead.  That's how it's going to be."  Not delivered as a threat at all, but a firm statement of fact, and one she's clearly experienced before.  "Weird, fateful events brought this to me..."  She touches the end of the shroud again.  "And more of them brought me to all of you."  A gloved hand gestures to encompass everyone.  "So whatever this threat is, we're all stuck in together until it's dealt with."  She's speaking line an officer of some sort, that's for sure.
Esprit15
 &lt;Hm, and how often is it that a kitsune becomes a miko? Last I recall your kind tended to be tricksters and scammers, not divine caretakers. Certainly the ones I dealt with were.&gt; 

She doesn’t seem to pay Shroud’s words any mind. She’d dealt with cops, constables, and military before, and Shroud clearly had that sort of mindset. Arguing just got them riled up. Smile, nod, maybe give a ‘Yes sir’ if they were really belligerent, and go along with your day. Either way, a situation had to be dire for her to work with a monster, and youkai absolutely fell into that category, no matter how human they presented theirselves. A tough talking vigilante wasn’t going to bully her into changing centuries of distrust.
Xihirli
 "You sound like a European talking about the Romani,"  Leif tells Sarah flatly.
 "Now what is this important mission?" 
  Fate,   he thinks.   Cold, eternal beings deciding how my life should go. Why does that sound familiar?  
Esprit15
 “And you sound like someone who would invite a vampire into his house because it told you that it’s a bit chilly outside,”  she says dismissively.
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
Yume jumps to her feet knocking over the chair, furious at the implication. Her furry ears pop out along with three large fluffy tails. Her pupils narrow into slits, and her teeth get a little pointy.
Unfortunately the overall impression is only slightly more intimidating then an angry kitten.
In English:   "I am a Zenko NOT a YAKO!"  
Then her face goes bright red as she realizes that her ears and tails are out.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
There are two common classifications of kitsune:
- Zenko (善狐) are benevolent celestial foxes.
- Yako (野狐) are mischievous or even malicious.
 
Batcathat
After finishing a sausage, Rufus picked up his cane and tapped the handle against the table. A pair of sound-proof earmuffs appeared seemingly out of nowhere and Rufus put them on.

" Someone please tap me on the shoulder when we're finished screaming and can get back to the horrible fate apparently awaiting us ", he said a little too loud and reached for another sausage.
Esprit15
Sarah picks up a drink as the girl begins shouting and takes a sip. Three tails… hm, a younger one, but she still does have the silver color of a zenko, and Yume wasn’t radiating any illusory magic at this point. Sarah’s distrust gives way to, if nothing else, a desire for quiet.  “If you are then you understand why one who has dealt with the latter is skeptical of someone claiming to be the former. I’m willing to judge you by your actions for now though. As our host said, the Weavers of Fate have chosen to unite us for some deeper reason. It would be boastful of me to think that my own desires should supersede that.” 
Xihirli
 "Well, I hope we can all be civil going forward then,"  Leif insists, offering a comforting hand to Yume.
Then:
 "Wait, are vampires real?" 
Esprit15
Sarah gives Lief a knowing smile.  “Got it, you’re new to this. Actually - who all here is new to this side of the world? The zenko obviously is old hat, I’m experienced, the alchemist is clearly familiar with a bit. Shroud girl, you tussled with anything scarier than a mobster? Or anyone that didn’t die from things that ought to have killed ‘em?” 

She also lowers her collar to Lief, revealing two different bite marks. One appears human save for large canines, and one looks more like a large dog bite with some nasty scarring around it, almost like an acid burn.  “I’ve been bit by a  lot  of things, kiddo. None took, thanks to some friends.” 
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
Yume picks up her chair, gathers her tails in her arms like she is hugging a large stuffed animal, and pouts.
Charybdis1618
Loukas sighs. "We'll have time to exchange history later. Specifically, I propose a team-building exercise. Let us all meet in an abandoned quarry outside of town I happen to know. We'll take turns showcasing our individual talents. I have used it for these purposes before. To answer the more broad question, I have no answers yet. The Fates are less than forthcoming at times about their reasons. All I know is that I must assemble a team of  disparate  and  unique  gifted individuals, and that this will be essential to avert an oncoming disaster. Something big, something more dangerous than the usual monstrosities creeping through the shadows."

Looking around, and seeing the reactions, he grits his teeth and adds "I get it. Fine, I'll lay it out. I am a direct descendant of Cassandra of Troy, and I have inherited both her gift and her curse. Everything I learn, everything revealed to me, comes out fragmentary and piecemeal. Half the time what I see only becomes true by technicality, or in retrospect. It's why I can't just predict the lottery numbers. It's why I couldn't just predict who you would be and give you phone calls. And, it's why I can't tell you more than what I have. I don't ask for blind faith. I don't ask you to take a risk I haven't personally taken a hundred times over, or to trust me implicitly. I don't ask you to immediately become best friends. All I ask is that the lot of you give this a chance, and maybe see what Fate has in store for you. It may be the most significant piece of your lives. Yes, even you Yume. Can I count on you all to be at the quarry at least?"
Esprit15
Sarah shrugs and smiles.  “I doubt that. But I have all the time in the world, and this is exactly the kind of thing I moved here for.”  Cassandra.  The  Cassandra... She was pretty sure she had been living to the north back then, and only heard about the poor seer through second hand stories.

 “That doesn’t answer the question of  how  you contacted us or why your power doesn’t read normally.” 
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
  “That doesn’t answer the question of  how  you contacted us or why your power doesn’t read normally.”  
 

"I had my spirits carry a message to the most likely subjects of the vision. They can interface with the Fates more directly, and can sometimes use information I cannot. I wrote out the notes, and told the spirits to make sure you would find them. Apparently they decided to be dramatic about it. As for your magical detection, it fails on me for the same reason I can barely pick up on you. Remember, you caught me by surprise, when none of the others did. Your powers have something to do with time, right? Something affecting its normal flow? Temporal powers get messy when they interact with each other. Think of it like a microphone picking up feedback from its speaker. I doubt I have earned anybody's trust with this, but have I at least assuaged your suspicion?"
MechaAce
[QUOTE=Esprit15;25793064]Sarah gives Lief a knowing smile.  “Got it, you’re new to this. Actually - who all here is new to this side of the world? The zenko obviously is old hat, I’m experienced, the alchemist is clearly familiar with a bit. Shroud girl, you tussled with anything scarier than a mobster? Or anyone that didn’t die from things that ought to have killed ‘em?” 

“ Yes .” The Shroud says with conviction and a little distaste.  “To both.”  She leaves it hanging at that for the moment, perhaps for an air of dangerous mystery, or she doesn’t feel like taking about it.

Turning to Loukas, she says “I’m in” in the same mix of conviction and distaste.  “All this is too big for anyone to know the whole of, so I’m game.  Will you be as straight with us as you can as soon as you can?”
Charybdis1618
"I will do my best, and tell you what I can. I can offer some guidance as well, but by nature that will be rather limited. For those who feel comfortable doing so, can we exchange phone numbers? I only get spotty coverage when I am at home, but I can arrange for more frequent trips into range of cell towers from now on. As for the quarry, does Saturday work? I won't have a client that day."
Batcathat
Luckily, Jiminy had poked Rufus' leg as Loukas started getting to the matter at hand, so the earmuffs came off in time for Rufus to hear the a mostly-complete stranger suggest meeting in an isolated location he "happened to know". Seemed very safe.

Still... " Consider my curiosity piqued, oracle. " He stood up and grabbed his cane. " I will be there on Saturday. "
Xihirli
 "I don't like the idea of the Fates,"  Leif says, crossing his arms.  "Cold, distant creatures, capricious and often cruel, just deciding how our life should go. But... alright, I'll be there Saturday. As long as 'showcasing our individual talents' doesn't just mean injuring me." 
Leif looks to the disturbed shrine maiden.
 "I ah, hope you're not too terrified." 
Esprit15
 “Good,”  she says to the shrouded woman.  “It’s always best to only have one greenhorn on a hunt. Most people for them to learn from, least people for us to have to correct for.” 

Sarah eyes Loukas with gentle but clear suspicion.   “I remain a skeptic, but far be it from a descendent of Cassandra to be a convincing oracle. You have my interest, Mr. Loukas.”  The woman seems to flick out of existence for a sliver of a second, only to reappear handing a paper with a number on it to Loukas - looks like a waitress’s order slip.  “My apartment phone. I don’t keep a mobile phone on me.”  She always forgets to charge them, they’re a tracking issue, and she didn’t trust screens that you could click on after eighty years of being told ‘Don’t touch electronic screens with your fingers!’

She looks with a little sympathy to Leif.  “The Fates aren’t  cruel , but they  are  uncaring about individuals in the grand tapestry of history. Most of us will only be a few stitches to them. Do you cry over a cut fiber when you hem your clothing? Are you  cruel  to every blade of grass you have trod upon during a hike?” 
Charybdis1618
"You are right, of course, which is why we must look out for ourselves and each other. As long as I get to fulfill the prophecy, I am content."
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
  "Saturday is fine, I don't get many people at my shrine."  
Charybdis1618
(If anybody needs to take care of any business before the meeting at the quarry, please do so before Saturday. If it doesn't need to involve the other players, you can do so on your Individual RP Discord channels.)
MechaAce
"Saturday" the Shroud says, nodding her head once.  She reaches into her pocket and produces a black Sharpie, writing a local number on a napkin and then turning it around for everyone else to see.
Batcathat
Rufus nodded to each person in the room one by one. " I suppose we will meet again. " He turned to Loukas. " If nothing else, the food was quite lovely. Thank you. For that. "

He tapped the cane against the table and a small stack of business cards appeared, one for each of his new... acquaintances. On closer inspection, the "cards" are actually very thin sheets of gold with the name  Rufus Walcraft  imprinted, along with the address and phone number of Walcraft House.

Without another word, he turned around and left the room, stopping briefly to pick up the doctor's bag once again containing the homunculus.

 " I get to pick the music on the way back. " 
Charybdis1618
Loukas holds up a card and sighs. "Of course that gauche manor would have to belong to him. Oh well. I'm glad he's on our side. This is a lot of energy..."
Esprit15
Sarah looks at the card thoughtfully, the magical aura slowly fading as her magic viewing spell ended.  “Interesting. I’ll most definitely visit it in the coming days.”  The woman finishes another drink and makes small talk with anyone that asks before excusing herself to see if any of the regulars were interesting in talking to a new person about the local hunting.

When she gets home, she locks the door and untenses slightly.   Why by the Great River is a  youkai  working with us? Why was it  fated  to work with us?   She frowns as she begins to consult books and scrolls, half paying attention as she maps out different ways to direct magic during the ritual. She writes up a list of reagents to collect - some purchasable, some to be foraged, some of which she kept quantities of due to their obscurity.

She looks at herself in the mirror before bed.  &lt;It’s a zenko, Midnight. They’re friendly,&gt;  she says in a dead language. She washes her makeup off for the day, blemishes and scars becoming more visible.  &lt;And you have worked with monsters before. You’ve  befriended  more than a few. You can’t judge her before she has acted against people.&gt;  The reflection does not speak back, but the scars on her face tell their own story.  &lt;Even  friends  can turn on you,&gt;  hisses a blotch of skin.  &lt;A monster will lie with the ease that you draw a bow,&gt;  smiles the scar that she showed Lief earlier.  &lt;A moment’s hesitation…&gt;  hums the thin slash running from her eye to her mouth.

Midnight splashes her face with water and returns to her spell schematics. It is not her job to question the will of the gods. Her job is to protect people. If that means killing, so be it. If that means working with monsters, so be it.
Xihirli
Leif accepts the card.  "You realize I'm going to write this down on paper and sell this,"  he says to Rufus.
 "I just don't want you to feel insulted later if you find out." 

He finishes up half a day at work and heads back home. Aster is out on their shift tending bar, so he writes a note  not enemies... yet. Might have to push weekend plans  and passes out.
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
The kitsune enjoys eating more smoked meat then what many would consider ladylike.
Afterwards she bows   "Thank you for the meal."   and with a wave of her arm simply vanishes from sight.
MechaAce
The Shroud heads out in the middle of the crowd, neither first nor last and drives back to her lair to stow her van and the most illegal parts of her arsenal.  When she got to her actual home, she started by raiding her fridge for some of Mei Ling's noodles... she hadn't touched the BBQ, though it certainly smelled good.  Lifting the shroud to take a quick drink of water was the only thing she'd tried for eating with it on, and she wasn't about to show her face to a bunch of strangers who were involved in the supernatural.  Naturally, her maid caught her in the act, offered to make something fresh and was angling for details of the mysterious meeting.  "It was mysterious, with mysterious new people, but we're having a party on Saturday.

She went about her usual business until Saturday, though she did do a little Google Earth searching about the quarry for good spots to snipe from, condition of the roads and such.
Charybdis1618
The roads to the quarry have all washed out long ago, but have not gotten too overgrown. A nearby creek bed provides drainage, so it is still dry. A vehicle could drive up and park there easily enough. There is one viable sniper's perch, at the top of the wall cut away to reveal the stone.
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
Yume arrives a little early by jumping from tree to tree then changes into her human form and sits on the topmost flimsy little branch of a hemlock as though she was no heavier then a sparrow.
Charybdis1618
Loukas is already there, heaving a plastic-wrapped package as wide across as his shoulders from the back of an ATV. He is wearing what appears to be a kevlar motorcycle jumpsuit, printed with a forest camouflage pattern.Turning around, he calls "You're early. Mind giving me a ... wait, how are you ... no matter. That will be answered in a bit. Mind giving me a hand with this?"
Xihirli
Leif takes the bus.
He jogs after that, apparently unarmed, to the location and spots Loukas struggling with a package. Leif hops over and helps carry it.
"Where do you want it?" He asks the Cassandra Truth.
MechaAce
The Shroud arrives in a van marked with the water and power utility's logo and has pulled the shroud over her face before parking.  "So far, so good" she says to the others as Lief wrestles the large package into position.  She opens the back of the van, giving a glimpse of a motorcycle and a lot of gun racks, pulling out a soft-sided rifle case and then a more compact box.  "Let's take a look around first" she goes on, revealing the box to have a quadcopter drone.  After unfolding the rotors, she starts piloting it with her phone, sending it forward towards the middle of the quarry.
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Xihirli 
 Leif takes the bus.
He jogs after that, apparently unarmed, to the location and spots Loukas struggling with a package. Leif hops over and helps carry it.
"Where do you want it?" He asks the Cassandra Truth. 
 

"Right in the middle of the stone. Yeah, there is fine. Thanks. One second, while I..."

He hastily unties the rope around it, and pulls away the bottom section of plastic. When Leif sets it down, he pulls the plastic away entirely, revealing a pyramidal wrought-iron statue. It seems mostly hollow, its sides defined by curling patterns of vine and leaf. An orb resembling a flower bud marks the apex. He does not acknowledge the drone at all.
Esprit15
As the Shroud unfolds the quadcopter, a familiar voice speaks up from the van.  ”You train with all of these?”  Right behind her, Sarah can be seen having appeared out of nowhere. She stares at a couple of guns on the gun rack. Suddenly the woman is holding a (thankfully magazineless) M16 and looking down the sights.  “Так  вот о чем  говорил Виктор…”  she says in perfect Russian.  “Он  намного  легче его винтовка Мосина…”  There’s a very faint fondness in her voice as she seems to get lost in thought for a second.

In another moment the gun is back on the shelf and she’s looking at an M1911.  “C’est si petite, mais si lourde… beurk.”  The slide can be heard but the woman seems to disappear in a blur of motion and the gun is replaced back on its shelf.  ”Elle a besoin de l’huile… et je préfère le tir à l’arc.”  In another moment she’s standing in front of Shroud, inspecting a 40mm grenade.  “Parce que c'est plus silencieux qu'un silencieux de pistolet, n‘est pas?”  Every movement, the woman seems to blink from place to place. In the van. At the gun rack. Looking at the bike. Outside by Shroud.

Today the woman’s outfit is much less formal than the clothes at the restaurant. A grey T-shirt with a blood drive logo, some black capri pants, and a set of ratty looking running shoes. She again has her composite bow and a quiver of arrows of every material - wood, carbon, fiberglass, and just as many different styles of fletching. Over her shoulder she also has a hiking bag that seems rather full.
 
 Spoiler: Translations - Russian 
”So  this  is what Victor was talking about…”

“It’s  much  lighter than his Mosin.”
 

 
 Spoiler: Translations - French 
”It’s so tiny but so heavy. Yuck.”

”It needs some oil… and I prefer archery.”

“Because it’s quieter than a pistol silencer, wouldn’t you say?”
 
MechaAce
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 As the Shroud unfolds the quadcopter, a familiar voice speaks up from the van.  ”You train with all of these?”  Right behind her, Sarah can be seen having appeared out of nowhere. She stares at a couple of guns on the gun rack. Suddenly the woman is holding a (thankfully magazineless) M16 and looking down the sights.  “Так  вот о чем  говорил Виктор…”  she says in perfect Russian.  “Он  намного  легче его винтовка Мосина…”  There’s a very faint fondness in her voice as she seems to get lost in thought for a second.

In another moment the gun is back on the shelf and she’s looking at an M1911.  “C’est si petite, mais si lourde… beurk.”  The slide can be heard but the woman seems to disappear in a blur of motion and the gun is replaced back on its shelf.  ”Elle a besoin de l’huile… et je préfère le tir à l’arc.”  In another moment she’s standing in front of Shroud, inspecting a 40mm grenade.  “Parce que c'est plus silencieux qu'un silencieux de pistolet, n‘est pas?”  Every movement, the woman seems to blink from place to place. In the van. At the gun rack. Looking at the bike. Outside by Shroud.

Today the woman’s outfit is much less formal than the clothes at the restaurant. A grey T-shirt with a blood drive logo, some black capri pants, and a set of ratty looking running shoes. She again has her composite bow and a quiver of arrows of every material - wood, carbon, fiberglass, and just as many different styles of fletching. Over her shoulder she also has a hiking bag that seems rather full.
 
 Spoiler: Translations - Russian 
”So  this  is what Victor was talking about…”

“It’s  much  lighter than his Mosin.”
 

 
 Spoiler: Translations - French 
”It’s so tiny but so heavy. Yuck.”

”It needs some oil… and I prefer archery.”

“Because it’s quieter than a pistol silencer, wouldn’t you say?”
 
 
 

Even with a loose mask hanging over her face, one can tell the Shroud is scowling for a moment. But she takes a breath and lets it out.  A team is always better than a lone soldier and that's one thing she doesn't have.

Fiona didn't go to the Defense Language Institute, alas, but every special forces soldier picks up a few useful phrases, so she responds.  "Bière s'il vous plaît."

"Since you're curious..."  She puts her hands in her coat pockets and opens it wide, revealing a veritable arsenal in pockets and loops on the inside of the coat, holding a sawed-off grenade launcher, a large, curved knife, various hand and 40mm grenades, magazines of various sizes, a Camelback tube and some tools that are harder to quantify.  A pistol is strapped to her thigh and a SMG hangs under her right arm in some sort of harness rig.  She's wearing a kevlar vest, cargo pants and, it seems, a khaki T-shirt.

"Would you like to compare results then?" she asks, pointing at her bow before putting the drone on hover.  She puts down the gun case and unzips it, revealing an  M110 sniper rifle , likewise without a magazine in the well.  After a moment's hesitation, she offers it up for inspection.  "One of these, at 500 yards?"  She's produced a water bottle from one of her pockets.

 
 Spoiler: Translations - French 
 Beer, please.
 
Xihirli
Leif doesn't seem to notice the drone. He sets down the... pyramid and backs off. He's wearing what was probably once a more blue T-shirt, but has been worn out by repeat wearings and washings.
He knocks on the pyramid and listens for the hollow sound of the iron.
 "Erm...  what  is this?"  He asks Loukas.
Charybdis1618
"I'll explain fully when Rufus gets here. Suffice for now to say it will serve for demonstration purposes. Would you please let those two know before they blow something up?"
Esprit15
Sarah looks at Shroud as though the woman asked her to sprout wings from her ears.  “It’s a  bow . I’m a decent shot but an accurate shot at that distance is beyond me. Or anyone else that you ever meet.” 

She turns and begins walking toward the others. About a second later, the water bottle is ripped from Shroud’s hands as five arrows carry it off, none so much as grazing her hand. Sarah stands about two hundred feet away, another arrow knocked in her bow, and a mischievous grin on her face.
Batcathat
The taxi stopped at quite a distance from the group and Rufus Walcraft got out, again with cane in one hand and doctor's bag in the other. After sending the car away, he strolled over to the people by the ATV.

" Good morning. " His eyes briefly swept over everyone present, pausing briefly on the hovering drone before finally resting on the statue.

" If you'll excuse me ", he said, tapping his cane against the ground and a large, leather armchair appeared next to him. Comfortable looking, if rather worn, it was an exact replica of his favorite chair from the library of Walcraft House. He sat down, grunting in comfort. " Old legs ", he explained, placing his cane across the body parts in question.
MechaAce
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 Sarah looks at Shroud as though the woman asked her to sprout wings from her ears.  “It’s a  bow . I’m a decent shot but an accurate shot at that distance is beyond me. Or anyone else that you ever meet.” 

She turns and begins walking toward the others. About a second later, the water bottle is ripped from Shroud’s hands as five arrows carry it off, none so much as grazing her hand. Sarah stands about two hundred feet away, another arrow knocked in her bow, and a mischievous grin on her face. 
 

The Shroud is a cool customer and doesn't even flinch as her hand is suddenly empty.  That tingle on the back of her neck that tells her she's about to be shot didn't go off.  "Neat trick" she says, the blank white eyes narrowing some.  "But that's still only 70 yards.  The right tool for the right job."  She nods her head towards the sniper rifle sitting atop its case.

Rufus arriving and summoning up a chair draws her attention, letting the "competition" go for the moment.  "I wouldn't get too comfortable, I suspect something's going to come at us from out of that thing."  She gestures towards the large pyramid. "He didn't invite us up for a run-of-the-mill corporate team-building retreat."
Charybdis1618
"The camping trip can come later. I know a good river. For now, we are here for a bit of show and tell. To build an effective team, you need to know who you are, what makes you tick, and what you can do."

He kicks the pyramid with one boot. It doesn't clunk like wrought iron should, but rings like a church bell. The air above it shimmers and coagulates into an oblong vertical mass, translucent and faintly gray. Two smaller masses separate from its sides. Two holes open near its uppermost point, jet-black and vacuous. They seem to stare at each of you in turn.

"These are the spirits that served as messengers, and violated the sanctity of all your homes. Why don't you show us all how you feel about it. I'll go first."
Charybdis1618
The spirit drifts away towards the edge of the stone slab. Loukas produces a modern carbon-fiber hunting bow from the back of the ATV, and slings a canvas quiver over his shoulder. He draws a very mundane broadhead arrow, draws, and fires. It sticks between the spirit's eyes.

"By the blessing of Artemis, I am a very good shot."

He draws a second arrow and fires. It bursts into flame halfway across the stone, and tears a fist-sized hole through the spirit's torso.

"A deadly shot."

He slings the bow over his shoulder, and gestures to the pyramid. "I assembled and enchanted this myself. By the blessing of Hephaestus, I can make manifest the machinations of the supernatural. Simple, by your reckoning, Rufus, but sturdy, you would agree?"

"However," he continues, "As you know, magic can be fickle. It has a way of failing at the moment you need it most." A gunshot echoes off the quarry wall, and the spirit fades away. "The blessing of Smith and Wesson."

(It's a Model 19, for the one of you that cares.)

"Who wants to go next? Leif?"
Xihirli
 "What? I can't punch smoke,"  Leif says.  "Unless you want me to break the machine? Would that even work?" 
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
When she hears the sound of a drone flying in Yume vanishes from sight and hops down to a stronger, more discreet branch.
Charybdis1618
Another spirit coagulates, and drifts out to one side about eight feet off the ground.

"Just try it. Show us what you can do. Ask it to attack, if you want."
Esprit15
 "As I said before, a gun is quite noisy. And ammo doesn't come cheap. A good archer though?"  She gives the arrow a twirl, knocks it, and as soon as she lets go there is a ring of twelve arrows embedded into the ground in a perfectly even circle around her.  "We're always armed. And a gun is too slow for me. I'd be waiting  ages  for the hammer to swing, the round to go down the barrel, the springs to take the recoil, the feed to give me another bullet... I could fire two arrows for every step in the process. For me, this  is  the right tool for the job." 

As quickly as they were loosed into the earth, the arrows are gathered up, as are the arrows from the water bottle, as Sarah joins Loukas and the others.

 "It reacted to an arrow and a bullet. They probably have at least a little texture,"  the woman says reassuringly to Lief. She looks closely at the spirits that Loukas had restrained. What  were  these things?
 
 Spoiler: DM 
More importantly, are they things she could affect with any of her counter magic?
 
Xihirli
Leif watches the spirit.  "Alright, but this doesn't feel right."  He steps up with his fists already moving, three of them landing inside of the spirit, though he had no idea it would even work.
  Think I can punch you, Grandmother?  
 
 Spoiler: PUNCH! 

I will use All-Out-Attack to decrease my defenses by 5 and increase my attack by 5.
 (1d20+15)[ 22 ]  to hit, DC should improve from Multiattack on a single target, +2 for two degrees of success, and +5 for three or more. Naturally this will modify my standard DC of uh... 13? Cuz I have 3 ranks in everything?
 19  to hit.
Multiattack 3. Linked Penetrating 3, Nullify Regen 3. Reversible.
 
MechaAce
"The right tool for the right job" the Shroud says after Loukas demonstrates bow, magic arrow and .357 magnum.


 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
  "As I said before, a gun is quite noisy. And ammo doesn't come cheap. A good archer though?"  She gives the arrow a twirl, knocks it, and as soon as she lets go there is a ring of twelve arrows embedded into the ground in a perfectly even circle around her.  "We're always armed. And a gun is too slow for me. I'd be waiting  ages  for the hammer to swing, the round to go down the barrel, the springs to take the recoil, the feed to give me another bullet... I could fire two arrows for every step in the process. For me, this  is  the right tool for the job." 

As quickly as they were loosed into the earth, the arrows are gathered up, as are the arrows from the water bottle, as Sarah joins Loukas and the others.

 "It reacted to an arrow and a bullet. They probably have at least a little texture,"  the woman says reassuringly to Lief. She looks closely at the spirits that Loukas had restrained. What  were  these things? 
 

“'No matter what a well-trained person does, he never appears hurried'” the Shroud quotes, invoking the Book of Five Rings.  She too heads over to where the target spirits are manifesting.  "But it's the warrior that makes the weapon dangerous.  "You're shooting that bow with your mojo and it works.  Well."
Charybdis1618
"Well, I suppose I can't ask a time manipulator to not be hasty," Loukas sighs. "That's what she can do, I suppose. Well done, Leif. I suspect there's more than main strength at play here. And please don't break the machine. It took a month to forge."

When you struck the spirit, it felt tangible. Not quite solid, but not pure smoke. It was a sensation like moving upstream against a strong river current, with the substance yielding only grudgingly. You suspect that you could block a blow from one such, were you to make the effort.
Xihirli
 "I'm TRYING, it's just not doing anything because I'm  punching ghosts ." 
Leif sticks a hand through the spirit.

 
 Spoiler 
I assume that means a 19 does not hit?
 
Charybdis1618
"Look."

There is a visible dent in the surface of the material, right where you struck it last. It swings one arm-like growth at you, like a clumsy haymaker. You block instinctively, and you deflect the limb. It felt like the stream of a hose for a split second.

"Not purely mundane force, is it? That's why the Fates called you, rather than a boxer I could find at any gym."
Xihirli
 " Still  not sold on the whole fate thing."  Leif backs away from the spirits.

 "Who's up next?" 
Esprit15
 “It’s  far  from all I can do,”  she calls over to the man.
Charybdis1618
"We'll get to you. Yume, you've been quiet. How about you go?"
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
Yume hops down from the tree and approaches with only a faintest rustle of gravel from her footsteps to give away her presence.
Not knowing who had launched the drone, and not wanting to be caught on tape regardless of who ever has the drone, she is a bit suspicious.
The others hear her disembodied voice   "We are being watched."  
Charybdis1618
"We are. I assume our Shrouded friend is making a recording of what transpires here. She will probably analyze the video in excruciating detail later. The woods are friendly."

To Shroud, he adds "I would be interested to see how much of this shows up on the footage. I know from experience that the spirits don't."
MechaAce
 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 "We are. I assume our Shrouded friend is making a recording of what transpires here. She will probably analyze the video in excruciating detail later. The woods are friendly."

To Shroud, he adds "I would be interested to see how much of this shows up on the footage. I know from experience that the spirits don't." 
 

The Shroud dips her chin and produces her cellphone (which is in a military-grade case), turning it to show an overhead view from the drone.  "Yes, among other reasons..  But if you wish" she says to Yume "The footage won't leave this quarry."
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  

 
 Originally Posted by MechaAce 
 "Yes, among other reasons..  But if you wish" she says to Yume "The footage won't leave this quarry." 
 

  "Make an oath to the Supreme Deities."  
MechaAce
 
 Originally Posted by Izzarra 
       
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
  "Make an oath to the Supreme Deities."   
 

"I don't know them.  I'll make an oath on my honor as a soldier, will that suffice?"  The Shroud it being serious here, not flip in the least.  That honor is clearly very important to her.
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  

 
 Originally Posted by MechaAce 
 "I don't know them.  I'll make an oath on my honor as a soldier, will that suffice?"  The Shroud it being serious here, not flip in the least.  That honor is clearly very important to her. 
 

  "A blood oath? Yes, let it be witnessed."  
MechaAce
 
 Originally Posted by Izzarra 
       
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
  "A blood oath? Yes, let it be witnessed."   
 

“I’ve spilled plenty of blood in the service, so that should count.”  The Shroud works the controls on the phone and brings the quiet drone down about 10 feet away from them, showing its view is now a close-up of the dirt.
Esprit15
 “Pretty sure the blood oaths I’ve made all required my  own  blood,”  Sarah chuckles.
Xihirli
Leif steps away from the camera radius instead of asking for a blood oath.
 "Maybe someone else should go?"  He suggests, as Yume does not appear to be in a hurry.
Batcathat
" Very well ", Rufus said and raised his cane. Without leaving the comfort of the chair, he tapped it against the ground.

As if by... well, magic... the ground beneath him rose into a stone pillar, carrying Rufus and his chair upwards. Like a tree with ambitions of becoming a corkscrew, it grew upwards, spiraling around the area above the pyramid, until Rufus was sitting thirty feet above the spirits.

" This should be a safe distance. "

His bag made a doubtful sound.  " Didn't you also say that when we were making the present for Junior's tenth birthday? " 

" Well, yes. But the chance of an explosion that big should be pretty negligible. "

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

As no one disagreed with the answer I got, I'm assuming Rufus lifting himself up like this is an acceptable use of Create, let me know if anything's out of bounds.
 
Charybdis1618
Loukas eyes the growing column warily. The spirit drifts a bit further out into the quarry.
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
With the drone now filming nothing important, two traditional Japanese sandals woven from straw appear on the ground. As if breaking out of a wall of thick fog, Yume becomes visible as she steps into her sandals.

She is dressed in her full miko regalia. No longer wearing the Haori, some of her equipment is now exposed, such as a sheath holding what could be an unusual looking wakizashi tucked into her belt.

Holding a blank slip of special paper about the size of a bookmark for the oath and a kunai in one hand she asks Shroud   "Do you need a blade?"  .
MechaAce
 
 Originally Posted by Izzarra 
       
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
With the drone now filming nothing important, two traditional Japanese sandals woven from straw appear on the ground. As if breaking out of a wall of thick fog, Yume becomes visible as she steps into her sandals.

She is dressed in her full miko regalia. No longer wearing the Haori, some of her equipment is now exposed, such as a sheath holding what could be an unusual looking wakizashi tucked into her belt.

Holding a blank slip of special paper about the size of a bookmark for the oath and a kunai in one hand she asks Shroud   "Do you need a blade?"  . 
 

"Do you frequently have to make oaths like this?" the Shroud asks, shaking her head to Yuma's question as she produces a large forward-curved knife with a black blade, a kukri.  Pulling up her glove, she scratches the point along her arm and holds up the blade to reveal a few drops of blood.
Batcathat
Ignoring the faint sound of voices below, Rufus leaned forwards and looked at the spirits.  Supposed  spirits, he mentally corrected himself. So far Loukas had proven himself a gracious host but a cryptic and frequently unverifiable source of information.

" Take notes ", he said, mostly out of habit. " Initial test for matter interaction. "

The only reply was the barely audible scratch of pencil against paper from the doctor's bag.

As Rufus tapped his cane against the stone pillar below, a branch of lead "grew" out of it, ending with a sphere about the size of a baseball positioned above the spirit.

" Commencing test ", Rufus said with his eyes fixed on the spirits and tapped the branch with his cane, turning it into sand and sending the lead "ball" falling downwards.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

In case anything interesting happens when the ball hits the spirits (or, perhaps more likely, passes through them), keep the power of Rufus' glasses in mind. Not that I really expect them to do much good in this particular case but you never know.
 
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  

 
 Originally Posted by MechaAce 
 "Do you frequently have to make oaths like this?" the Shroud asks, shaking her head to Yuma's question as she produces a large forward-curved knife with a black blade, a kukri.  Pulling up her glove, she scratches the point along her arm and holds up the blade to reveal a few drops of blood. 
 

  "Not often, but what I am, we do should not be on the internet for all to see. Family rules I must follow."  
Yume catches a drip of blood on the paper.
  "Thumb print in blood."  
MechaAce
 
 Originally Posted by Izzarra 
 [TABLE]

  "Not often, but what I am, we do should not be on the internet for all to see. Family rules I must follow."  
Yume catches a drip of blood on the paper.
  "Thumb print in blood."   
 

The Shroud pauses.  "You're asking for a lot of markers for my identity when we've just met... will you do an oath to keep them confidential as well?"
Charybdis1618
"If she actually wanted to find out who you were, I suspect she could do so without such assistance. You raise a good point, though. Perhaps we all ought join the vow to keep each others' secrets. Surely it is the least we can do to establish trust?"
Esprit15
Sarah solemnly raises a hand.  “On my children’s lives, nothing about anyone within this group shall leave this group without express permission of all relevant parties.” 
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  

 
 Originally Posted by MechaAce 
 The Shroud pauses.  "You're asking for a lot of markers for my identity when we've just met... will you do an oath to keep them confidential as well?" 
 

  "Thumb print is traditional for blood oath."  
---
Yume pulls her weapon, with the sheath, from her belt and bows to everyone with it held between her hands as she switches to Japanese for the oath.
   "&lt;I vow to the Supreme Deities that I will never to divulge these secrets else 60 gods will drag my soul through the eight hells.&gt;"   
MechaAce
 
 Originally Posted by Izzarra 
   "Thumb print is traditional for blood oath."  
---
Yume pulls her weapon, with the sheath, from her belt and bows to everyone with it held between her hands as she switches to Japanese for the oath.
   "&lt;I vow to the Supreme Deities that I will never to divulge these secrets else 60 gods will drag my soul through the eight hells.&gt;"    
 

The Shroud nods deeply in return and presses her thumb to the paper.  "One has to be careful leaving evidence around.  The mask isn't just melodrama..."
Charybdis1618
Loukas glances around. "And the rest of you? Are you willing to vow to keep these secrets, and have yours kept in turn? Are you ready for this world to grow more comfortable, and have some companions whom you can truly trust, who can truly understand you?"

To Yume, he adds "Do you have a second one? I'll make an oath, but I'm not part of the five-stranded braid. I shouldn't be included in the group."
Xihirli
Leif glances at the spirits, wondering if he should keep being concerned about them.
 "I thought this was just about sharing the recording." 
But he nods.
 "I won’t share anything about you all, I know the drill. Not my first foray into the criminal world…" 
Charybdis1618
"That is what Yume asked for. Shroud feels like she revealed too much of herself in the making of the oath, what with the existence of DNA tracing, and now wants that information protected by the same oath, but applied more broadly. I sense that none of you will choose to violate this anyway, out of self-preservation if not out of honor, but it's good to have it in writing, so to speak. I do not disagree. Will you please come down from there and join, Rufus?"

 
 Spoiler 
The ball slowed down as it passed through the spirit's form, leaving a wake of distortion like water turbulence behind it. The glasses reveal energy dissipating in the vortices.
 
Batcathat
Still looking at the point where the ball had passed through the spirits, Rufus nodded, even if the onlookers below were unlikely to notice. With another tap of the cane, the stone pillar resumed growing, this time into a slide spiraling down towards the ground.

" If you wouldn't mind? "

After some mandatory grumbling, Jiminiy got out of the bag and started pushing the chair. The homunculus was a lot stronger than his stature suggested and in moments, the chair was sliding down the smooth spiral, only coming to a stop at the rougher surface of the ground.

Rufus looked up at his impromptu creation, the giant pillar looking like a slightly deranged artist's tribute to DNA. " Now that's rather unsightly, wouldn't you say? " With a final tap he let the pillar collapse back into the ground that had formed it and moments later Jiminy landed on the ground, annoyed but unharmed.

" So where were we? "
Charybdis1618
"Well, that speaks for your capabilities. Anyhow. I believe there was an oath paper going around. Swear to keep sacrosanct the secrets of your allies, including their identities, lest whatever fate you believe befalls traitors come to you. Sound about right, Yume? It's not a real translation, of course, but that's the essence of what you want them to agree to?"
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  

 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 "Well, that speaks for your capabilities. Anyhow. I believe there was an oath paper going around. Swear to keep sacrosanct the secrets of your allies, including their identities, lest whatever fate you believe befalls traitors come to you. Sound about right, Yume? It's not a real translation, of course, but that's the essence of what you want them to agree to?" 
 

Yume understands most of what Loukas says and nods.
Esprit15
Sarah simply nods affirmatively.
Batcathat
Rufus rolled his eyes, but nodded. " In sickness and in health. "
Charybdis1618
"Now that we're all bound by fate, honor, blood, and common sense, can you show us what you can do? Besides appearing out of nowhere, which is already impressive."
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
With the bureaucracy complete Yume reaches up her sleeve and pulls out several rectangular pieces of rice paper with Japanese calligraphy written on them.
  "These are Ofuda, they can do many things."  
She selects one and focuses her ki into the paper, it starts to give off wisps of light.
  "This one kills evil spirits."  
She throws it at the spirit, the paper seemingly ignores aerodynamics and flies straight as if it were a dagger.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Routine Check: 15 to hit.
Exorcizing Tag: Damage 5 (Divine Magic), Ranged, Incurable, Affects Insubstantial 2, Limited (Insubstantial targets only)
 
Xihirli
Leif's head snaps to when he hears Yume describe the powers of her weapon. Anticipating the arc of the paper, he runs and throws himself into the path of the spirit-killing paper.
It passes through him and continues toward the spirits.
 "What!?" 
   You accepted me willingly, child... or at least, started to. That is a bond that this paper cannot sever. I protect your body, your body protects me. That is our arrangement.   
 "Damn,"  Leif swears.  "I guess that would have been too easy." 
Charybdis1618
Pointedly ignoring Leif, Loukas asks "And the others?"
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
Yume stares at Leif and pouts as her demonstration is interrupted.
  "This one ... "   she struggles to remember the word   "... goes DO-DOON!!!"  
She charges it with ki and runs off to a large boulder where she casually jumps to the top to place the tag before coming back.

Yume points to one of the Shroud's guns, then off at the tag.   "Shoot it."  
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
When hit it explodes into a large ball of fire, but no loud shockwave boom.
Explosive Tag: Damage 4 (Fire), Ranged, Area (Burst), Diminished Area (15 ft radius), Triggered 2
 
Esprit15
Sarah notes Lief’s desperate attempt to... be hit? So he  definitely  wants the curse removed.  “Say Lief… your curse keeps you from suffering mortal wounds, right? Like a hand rewinding your clock?” 
Xihirli
 "I've never been shot, so I don't now if it would work,"  Leif says.
 "Don't shoot me."  
Esprit15
 “I see. It’s more on the regenerative end than the protective end. So… why don’t you want that? Seems to me that it would be quite useful in your hobbies,”  noting the boy’s hands.
Xihirli
 "She's not controlling me because she's in half,"  Leif explains.  "I don't know how long that'll be the case. It's... a long family history. She's doesn't  just  keep me alive, and any good you think I can do is nothing compared to removing her." 
Esprit15
The woman shrugs.  “I’m not, like,  ordained  or anything but you want me to give it a shot when I’m demonstrating?” 
Xihirli
 "I... hesitantly accept,"  Leif nods.  "Do your thing." 
Charybdis1618
"That sounds liable to get messy if something goes wrong. Are you willing to wait until the end of this, at a minimum?"
Esprit15
She shrugs.  “If Lief isn’t in a rush.” 
Charybdis1618
"Very well. Thank you, Yume. Shroud, would you mind shooting the tag? I would like to see this."
MechaAce
 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 "Very well. Thank you, Yume. Shroud, would you mind shooting the tag? I would like to see this." 
 

The Shroud had been watching and listening, spirits inside people, mystic tags and sanctified blood oaths were outside of her personal experience, but she knew there was a lot of things that fell under that category.  After wrapping her blood draw site with gauze and a pad, she nodded, having been keeping a close eye on the tag.

Moving with startling quickness, she dropped to one knee, drew the rifle she had slung, took aim and fired at the tag!
Charybdis1618
A burst of fire, easily twice Shroud's own height, erupts from the tag. The craggy surface of the boulder cracks under the heat, then shatters as water trapped within flashes to steam.

Loukas whistles. "Now that's some power. While you're at it, Shroud, maybe you can shoot the spirit as well? Show us why the yakuza feared you!"
MechaAce
 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 A burst of fire, easily twice Shroud's own height, erupts from the tag. The craggy surface of the boulder cracks under the heat, then shatters as water trapped within flashes to steam.

Loukas whistles. "Now that's some power. While you're at it, Shroud, maybe you can shoot the spirit as well? Show us why the yakuza feared you!" 
 

"Impressive" the Shroud admits as the tag goes up like an exploding car.  She puts down the sniper rifle and produces a submachine gun with a suppressor on the end, attached to a harness under her coat.  It coughs several times as she sends a burst of 9mm bullets at the spirit itself.
Charybdis1618
The bullets pass through the spirit, leaving small ripples in their wakes. Even though they're not much lighter than the .357 rounds of Loukas' revolver, and have comparable kinetic energy to his arrows, they're having markedly less effect. Far from being disappointed, Loukas looks intrigued.

"Would you indulge my curiosity, please? Try a couple other weapons. When you're done, try my sidearm. If I'm right..."
MechaAce
 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 The bullets pass through the spirit, leaving small ripples in their wakes. Even though they're not much lighter than the .357 rounds of Loukas' revolver, and have comparable kinetic energy to his arrows, they're having markedly less effect. Far from being disappointed, Loukas looks intrigued.

"Would you indulge my curiosity, please? Try a couple other weapons. When you're done, try my sidearm. If I'm right..." 
 

"Don't keep us in suspense then" the Shroud says.  "These are off-the-shelf bullets.  I've made due with the tools I can get."  She picks up the sniper rifle again and tries three rounds from that, then half a cup from an Sig Sauer P320 pistol.  "Everyone get behind something" she suggests as she pulls out what looks like an oversized pirate pistol... an M79 grenade launcher with the stock sawed off and barrel cut down.  She counts down from three and the weapon lets out a "Bloop! as the pressure charge sends a 40mm explosive grenade downrange... it detonates with an impressive explosion!
Charybdis1618
The increasing size and power of thr bullets has only a marginal effect on their damage output, but the combined mass begins to do substantial damage. The grenade finally tears it apart completely. Loukas kicks the pyramid, manifesting another spirit. Loukas' deep brown eyes glitter with excitement. "You're good. I know my sidearm is a major downgrade, but try it, would you?"

He hands her the revolver and a speedloader of extra bullets. They appear to be entirely mundane hollow points. They have little more effect on the spirit than any other bullet. Loukas nods.

"Thought the power would work a little different for you. Look."

Upon closer examination, you see that the front sight is bent slightly. With practice one could adapt to such, but an unfamiliar shooter should have missed entirely. However, it seems you subliminally adapted to the nature of the firearm in your hand, using it to its maximum potential.

"My kit's entirely mundane too. I bought this gun at an estate sale. I loaded the bullets myself. This bow, and these arrows, came from a Sport Authority in downtown Athens. Remember, magic is personal. No two people wield it quite the same, but it will always fit its wielder. I use a bow because of the personal touch and the emphasis on skill. Anything more complex than a single-action revolver, I lose too much connection to the shot, and the magic fails. You, however, use the gun as a means to an end. How does the saying go? 'One mind, any weapon?' So, your magic simply enhances your natural proclivity and skill."
MechaAce
 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 The increasing size and power of thr bullets has only a marginal effect on their damage output, but the combined mass begins to do substantial damage. The grenade finally tears it apart completely. Loukas kicks the pyramid, manifesting another spirit. Loukas' deep brown eyes glitter with excitement. "You're good. I know my sidearm is a major downgrade, but try it, would you?"

He hands her the revolver and a speedloader of extra bullets. They appear to be entirely mundane hollow points. They have little more effect on the spirit than any other bullet. Loukas nods.

"Thought the power would work a little different for you. Look."

Upon closer examination, you see that the front sight is bent slightly. With practice one could adapt to such, but an unfamiliar shooter should have missed entirely. However, it seems you subliminally adapted to the nature of the firearm in your hand, using it to its maximum potential.

"My kit's entirely mundane too. I bought this gun at an estate sale. I loaded the bullets myself. This bow, and these arrows, came from a Sport Authority in downtown Athens. Remember, magic is personal. No two people wield it quite the same, but it will always fit its wielder. I use a bow because of the personal touch and the emphasis on skill. Anything more complex than a single-action revolver, I lose too much connection to the shot, and the magic fails. You, however, use the gun as a means to an end. How does the saying go? 'One mind, any weapon?' So, your magic simply enhances your natural proclivity and skill." 
 

"Or lots of practice" the Shroud suggests with some skepticism, looking  down the bent revolver sight again, clear of anyone or anything else.  "Do most... spirits... get damaged by enough bullets?"
Charybdis1618
"No, it's the Shroud that gives you your name. Maybe you didn't notice, but I guarantee your marksmanship improved after you bonded with it. To answer your question, though. Eventually you can whittle down a spirit with mundane force, but it takes a lot. They're almost pure magic by composition, in addition to being insubstantial. That's also why a direct application of magic affects them more. Which is why my shots made larger holes. Corporeal monsters can usually be affected more. Even if they don't take an injury, they can at least be slowed by the impact. Flammable ones might dislike that grenade launcher. Oh, and before you start melting down jewelry, silver bullets are a myth. They're not actually more effective against anything I know of. Cost me hours in thrift stores to find that out."
Esprit15
Sarah gives one silver tipped arrow a little twirl.  “Still, always good to have a little of the metal on your person. It’s tradition.” 
Charybdis1618
"Tradition. Right. While you're here, your turn. Show us what you've got in your quiver."
Esprit15
Sarah smiles and approaches the spirit.

She gestures to one of the globular spirits, tracing her fingers through the air and beginning a cant in a harsh, unfamiliar language. As her fingers trace through nothing, silvery threads spring from her fingers, forming a runic circle in the air before her.  “Ahg ayet, Pater Noktis, prewzik tod gweohmeg-” 

The conclusion of the last syllable matches perfectly with the drawing back of her finger from the circle. A flash of grey light springs forth from the circle, briefly illuminating the spirit before fading away.
 
 Spoiler 
Countermagic: Necromancy/Spirit/Life - All abilities connected to the manipulation of lifeforce are suppressed. Resisted by Dodge.
 

 “Have to make sure to turn off any weird little abilities first. And then…”  Sarah vanishes.

In her relative time, Sarah steps relaxedly, taking aim at the spirit and then loosing an arrow. As the arrows leave her immediate vicinity, they quickly slow to a near stop, hanging in the air like a brick doesn’t. She continues circling the spirit, loosing an arrow every couple of seconds. Loukas was right that silver wasn’t strictly necessary. But the material enchanted well, and that had its own useful properties for those who had the resources to procure the metal.

The young ones here had potential. Shroud’s prickliness at her skills being attributed to magic was cute. If she could just be broken of that little hatred, Sarah knew where her abilities could be well suited. The old alchemist was yet another one of hers somewhere down the line - not that he needed to know. But that skill he possessed with magic was no joke. There was a dull pang of pride at a descendant finding his way to his own magic. The zenko’s magic was one she had read about but never had the chance to observe practiced by a native user - Overmorrow studied it and taught her what he knew last they had worked together, but that was some centuries back. And the cursed kid- ah, out of arrows. She looks at the thick ring of silver tipped sticks, inching toward the spirit.  “Well that’s enough of that.” 

On the other side of the spirit, Sarah has appeared in an archer’s pose. The spirit, which moments ago was lazily floating in the air, is quite suddenly pin cushioned by a couple dozen arrows.

She vanishes for a moment, and almost instantly the arrows vanish from the first spirit as the other spirit is similarly filled with arrows. This time though it seems that in spite of no magic being incanted, the arrows didn’t care for the semi-intangible nature of the spirit, having stuck into and damaged it all the same.

 “If you want to see some more magic performed, maybe a curse removed, stick around after the show, I hear it will be a roaring good time.” 
Charybdis1618
"By Hera ... I'd hate to be hunted by the likes of you. I've got to see this."
Batcathat
In sharp contrast to the barely polite disinterest he had made abundantly clear for most of the meeting, Rufus was intently studying what was happening. It was not a form of magic he was familiar with, but he made sure to memorize every word, every gesture, every single thing he could observe, while making qualified guesses about what he could not.
Xihirli
 "Curse removed…"  Leif repeats after staring at the display of magic, a force he had once believed to be limited to lingering spirits.
 "I mean… I’m sold, I’ll stick around." 
Esprit15
 
 Originally Posted by Batcathat 
 In sharp contrast to the barely polite disinterest he had made abundantly clear for most of the meeting, Rufus was intently studying what was happening. It was not a form of magic he was familiar with, but he made sure to memorize every word, every gesture, every single thing he could observe, while making qualified guesses about what he could not. 
 

 
 Spoiler 
Indeed it is  quite  unfamiliar, but not indecipherable. You don’t recognize the language invoked, but its syntax is natural rather than carrying the mechanical structures of an arcane language. Put another way: the words appear to be more of a focusing mechanism or prayer, rather than containing power in themselves.

The symbols that she traces in the air are another matter: You can see two repetitions of a character that you  know  for a fact signifies ‘life force.’ Adjoined after it is one that you have seen employed in spells for trapping entities. Following it is another modifier, and another…

It takes you a second to piece together the nature of the spell, though there’s a few ‘phrases’ that elude you: The spell binds the life force of its target to their physical form. While that’s the natural state of most humans, some entities in your research are purported to take jump their soul to other bodies after death, or manipulate their soul around their body. Others still burn souls for nourishment. The spell does two main things. 1) Binds the soul to a vital center in the body. This limits its ability to influence things like healing across a creature’s whole form. 2) Maintains that bind by force after death.

There are many theories about the transmigration of souls, but one purports that resurrection is impossible, or nearly so, because inhabiting a corpse for an extended period of time causes it to self immolate without incoming life energy. This is given as an explanation of why many undead crave the flesh and blood of the living. If that hypothesis is correct, then the spell works by isolating the the soul in a vital center so that it may be treated like a living creature. Destruction of that location then forces the soul to experience death as normal rather than escape. Other binders in the spell seem to speed up this process, overcome specific workarounds… it reads like spaghetti at a certain point, as though it has been modified over time as new situations arose.
 
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
Yume comments on the display of archery in Japanese.    "&lt;Fast&gt;"   
She holds her sheathed weapon in front of her.   "Silver is good, but I like Hihi'irokane."  
Esprit15
 “I’ve heard legends about the material, but never had the chance to work with it,”  Sarah says, admiring the weapon. She  could  take— no, these are allies.  “Does it enchant more easily, or have any other properties that make you prefer it?” 
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  

 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
  “I’ve heard legends about the material, but never had the chance to work with it,”  Sarah says, admiring the weapon. She  could  take— no, these are allies.  “Does it enchant more easily, or have any other properties that make you prefer it?”  
 

Unable to explain all of the specific details of Hihi'irokane in English she settles for saying simply   "It cuts spirits."  

Yume draws the unusual blade, in this form most might mistake it for an unusual wakizashi. It has an engraved crimson metal blade that doesn't reflect light normally, a black lacquered handle that is not wrapped like most Japanese swords, bronze guard, and a bright red silk tassel. While performing a flourish the handle magically extends in length until it becomes apparent that this is a polearm rather then a sword.
  "This is Nyoiyari, my ko-naginata"  
Esprit15
 “Sounds very useful. Similar to my own enchantments. Though I don’t pull off such impressive transformations on my own weapons. &lt;’Nyoi’ like with the characters for a monk’s scepter? An honorable and impressive name for a weapon.&gt; If this partnership proves fruitful, maybe it would be worthwhile to exchange a bit of weapons knowledge.” 
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  

 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
  “Sounds very useful. Similar to my own enchantments. Though I don’t pull off such impressive transformations on my own weapons. &lt;’Nyoi’ like with the characters for a monk’s scepter? An honorable and impressive name for a weapon.&gt; If this partnership proves fruitful, maybe it would be worthwhile to exchange a bit of weapons knowledge.”  
 

   "&lt;It is named after the Monkey King's Compliant Pole as the Nyoiyari can also change length, though not to the same extent.&gt;"   
Esprit15
Sarah nods. East Asian mythology was not her strong suit.  “Fascinating,”  she says as she looks over the weapon. Spring almost certainly knew about the material, but whether the Season knew where to procure it was another matter.  &lt;Is it mined naturally, or is there some transmutation that it undergoes from a more mundane metal?&gt; 
Xihirli
 "Isn't that the power pole from Dragon Ball?"  Leif asks, probably not  on purpose  saying the most frustrating thing possible.
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  

 
 Originally Posted by Xihirli 
  "Isn't that the power pole from Dragon Ball?"  Leif asks, probably not  on purpose  saying the most frustrating thing possible. 
 

Growing up in a magically hidden temple Yume has almost no exposure to popular culture an doesn't understand the reference.   "Dragon Ball?"  
Charybdis1618
"A children's show ... loosely inspired by Journey to the West. So, yes, in a roundabout way. Had a terrible Greek dub. My-"

He cuts off suddenly and averts his eyes.
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  

 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 He cuts off suddenly and averts his eyes. 
 

Yume raises an eyebrow.   "What?"  
Charybdis1618
"Never mind, it's unimportant. Leif, you volunteered to let her try to purge your ghost? Are you sure you wish to go through with this?"
Xihirli
 "Absolutely,"  Leif says.  "I didn't realize... I didn't think there were peopl who  could  remove her."  He looks around.  "Should I... sit down?" 
Esprit15
Sarah stows her bow.  “Either or. It shouldn’t hurt.” 

When Lief has situated himself, she again traces the same symbols as earlier, and the silvery-white characters float in the air before her.  “Ahg ayet, Pater Noktis, prewzik tod haylogweoh apa tod ghwemo!”  As the incantation finishes, Sarah points a finger to him and a small beam of light flies out toward his chest.
Charybdis1618
Leif's body is limned in light for several moments. He twitches once, then all his joints straighten. A thin wisp of smoky vapor escapes his mouth like breath on a cold winter's day. The smoke begins to swirl and thicken. Two small holes open, and seem to stare at the lot of you. A voice echoes in the back of your minds, fading as the wisp drifts away to the north.

"Insolent child! You wish me gone? I shall find a new vessel. One that appreciates me. And I shall show you what you are missing out on..."

A minute later, a roar echoes through the woods. It sounds like a bear, but with an unearthly timbre that resonates in your bones and your psyche. The bear in question ambles out onto the top of the one wall, glaring down at you. It leaps from the wall and lands amidst you. A fall of nearly forty feet should have injured it. Instead, it lands on all fours with just a small bending of the knees to absorb the impact. A malign intelligence behind the eyes glares around at all of you.

[PLEASE ROLL INITIATIVE]
Xihirli
Leif stares at the ghost, trembling and keeling over a second.
 "****... you..."  he manages, then fully vomits, heaving.
Esprit15
Sarah smiles.  “Oh  hell  yeah!”  A barrage of arrows fly at the bear as the archer vanishes from sight.
 
 Spoiler 
All Out Attack: Take a -5 to Defense for a +5 to attack rolls

Arkhermiens
Attack:  (1d20+12)[ 23 ]  Crit on 18-20
If Crit:  (1d20+12)[ 30 ] 

Toughness DC 18
If Attack succeeds by 2 DoS, DC 20
If Attack succeeds by 3 DoS, DC 23
If attack crits, +5 DC

Stealth (Hide in Plain Sight):  (1d20+10)[ 26 ] 
 
Xihirli
Leif snarls as bile drips down his chin.  "You ruin my life, you fill my sister's head with lies, and you dare say I don't appreciate you."  He sprints up to the bear, heedless of the danger to himself, and brings up a foot to kick it in the face. Then his eyes pop open like dinner plates.  "Wait. ****." 
 
 Spoiler: Attack! 

Gonna try "go to sleep"

RECKLESS ATTACK! All out, -5 to defenses going down to... 1? I believe?
Aaaaaand  (1d20+12)[ 23 ]  attack:
Multiattack 3. Linked Secondary Effect (Stunned) 3, Weaken Strength 3. Reversible

So each degree of success improves my DC by... 2? And my normal DC is 18.
The M&amp;M book is so crazy hard to search through.
 
MechaAce
The Shroud has a powerful handgun suitable for defense against bears... sadly, she doesn't have it on her person at the moment.  Instead, she sweeps up the sniper rifle, dashes to the side to line up a shot clear of Lief and sends a 7.62mm round towards the center of its mass!

 
 Spoiler: Attack! 
 11 to hit.
 
Charybdis1618
Leif's punches and Sarah's arrows stumble the bear. A similar vapor drifts out of its pores, coagulating in the air above. Shroud's bullet puts the wounded bear down for good.

Apparently done talking, she drifts over to the remaining spirit of Loukas' and merges with it. Its eyes open, and glow like embers.
Batcathat
The bear was dead before Rufus even had time to react and now he was once again facing a spirit, presumably a considerably more dangerous one than Loukas' little demonstration targets. Rufus hadn't worked much with spirits before this far too spirit-heavy day – too unreliable – but he suspected it was unlikely to be easily trapped.

Still, only one way to learn.

" Recommencing test ", he mumbled under his breath as he jabbed his cane into the ground. Moments later, a pillar out of pure diamond shot up from the ground under the spirit, attempting to trap it. The material was most inconsequential, of course, but there was the matter of style to consider.
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
With a small flourish Yume launches a series of thrusts at the spirit with Nyoiyari, the haft extending and retracting with each jab to cover the distance to the target.
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
 (1d20+5)[ 22 ] 
- Damage 5 (Piercing, Slashing, Bludgeoning)
- Multiattack vs single target (increase the attack’s resistance check DC by +2 for two degrees of success, and +5 for three or more. This circumstance bonus does not count against power level limits.)
- Penetrating 2
- Improved Critical
- Affects Insubstantial 2
 
Charybdis1618
Loukas dashes forward and kneels before the pyramid. Without looking up, he shouts "Keep her off me. I've got to disable this before she gets control of it!"

[BACK TO THE TOP OF THE ORDER]
Esprit15
A barrage of arrows assaults the spirit from every direction.
 
 Spoiler 
All Out Attack: Take a -5 to Defense for a +5 to attack rolls

Arkhermiens
Attack:  (1d20+12)[ 18 ]  Crit on 18-20
If Crit:  (1d20+12)[ 25 ] 

Affects Insubstantial 2, Indirect 4, Penetrating 3

Toughness DC 18
If Attack succeeds by 2 DoS, DC 20
If Attack succeeds by 3 DoS, DC 23
If attack crits, +5 DC

Stealth (Hide in Plain Sight):  (1d20+10)[ 25 ] 
 
Xihirli
Leif shakes his head sadly.   She's going to corrupt something else if we get her out of the spirit. Maybe the artifact, maybe one of them... but it won't stop. In me, at least I'm used to stopping her.  
He leaps into the spirit, eyes and mouth wide to reabsorb her back into himself.
 "Get her back into me! We need to contain her!"  He shouts to everyone.
 "Come on, Grandmother... you always said our fates were intertwined, you'll never get your destiny without me." 
Charybdis1618
She wriggles like a spectral eel, but your words are true. She can no more deny the bonds of fate than any other, in the end. Leif asserts his ironclad will and forcibly drags her back within the fleshy walls of her eternal prison.

[END COMBAT]
Esprit15
Sarah slows down, reappearing amongst the group.  “Well,  that  did not go as planned.”  More tinkering with the spell would be required. Something to prevent repossession by the spirit? But then she would have to chain it off of the target to the spirit as it was exorcised. Or maybe it would be more prudent to tackle it like a curse…? A problem for later.

She approaches Lief and bows her head.  “I’m sorry. Please forgive me for my failure, Lief. I’ve never encountered a spirit quite like the one possessing you, and I put everyone here at risk by not taking all appropriate precautions in removing it.” 
Batcathat
Lost in thought, Rufus walked over to the diamond pillar and leaned against it, watching the others through their faceted reflections. " Still... " He leaned back and tapped the pillar with his cane, shattering it into specks of light. " ...a rather informative experience nonetheless. "

He walked back to the others and sank back into his chair with a rare smile. " And I must admit, more entertaining than another day at the office. "
Charybdis1618
Loukas stands, holding a piece of the pyramid in one limp hand. "That was a bit more intense than the demonstration I had hoped for, but all the better for it. Each of you saw how the others handle a threat, and what you can do individually. Together, you will achieve spectacular things. It is written in the stars."
Xihirli
Leif sighed and, defeated, sat on a stump.
 "...Yeah. I guess. So... we've all seen each other fight. What's next?" 
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
Yume sheaths Nyoiyari, its handle shortening to that of a sword.
She struggles with the English vocabulary.   "Your Grandmother is a spirit with purpose. She must be made full before she can move on. Prayer and rituals might not be enough."  
Charybdis1618
"Now, you return to your ordinary lives for the moment. Keep eyes out, and keep in touch with each other. I'm sure a monstrous incident will soon cross your radar. When it does, you should gather each other and face it as one. I cannot always be there to help you directly, but I will always be happy to offer guidance or insight where I can. You have my cards. May Artemis walk with you, my friends."

[END SCENE]

(Say any last-minute things you need to, but we should move on. Let's have a few days' timeskip, during which I want everyone to describe their investigative efforts. We can start the first proper mission thereafter. I can't wait for this!)
Esprit15
Without any clear leads, Sarah spends her days working and keeping an ear to the ground. Some evenings that means trading hunting stories at the restaurant with the guys. Others are more investigative - reading about local missing persons, odd goings on in the news, etc.
Xihirli
Leif returns to work as well, and those he works with as well as his partner put together that he seems more... defeated. Like there was a hope that is now gone from his life.

 "What's that one idea from like... every Greek Myth?" 
"Zeus will f-"
 "Not that one. The uh... oracle ones. Like Oedipus, or Hamlet." 
"Hamlet isn't a Greek Myth."
 "It might as well be." 
"Uh... it's finding your destiny on your path to avoid it. Though you're thinking of the Scottish Play."
 "Thought so." 
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
When she is not tending to her shrine, Yume patrols the forests surrounding the city keeping an eye on places that are likely to harbor dangerous spirits.
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Sight Tag
- Counters Concealment/Invisibility (Vision)
- Counters Illusion (Vision)
- Magical Awareness (Vision)
 
Batcathat
Having decided he clearly doesn't know enough about them, Rufus spends most of his free time over the next few days in his massive library, reading up on spirits and related phenomenon.
MechaAce
  The Shroud  

Spirits were definitely new to the Shroud, at least the kind that poured out of someone and got hostile.  "I'll be in touch" she said after packing up her gear and hiking out.

If something monstrous was going to happen, it stood to reason that it would be someone or something new.  The Shroud took to the streets and rattled some cages among the bottom feeding scum, looking for information about someone or something being smuggled into the city, something out of the ordinary.
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Batcathat 
 Having decided he clearly doesn't know enough about them, Rufus spends most of his free time over the next few days in his massive library, reading up on spirits and related phenomenon. 
 

The books are frustratingly light on details, but seem to agree on a couple things. Firstly, spirits are constructs of magic. However much they may resemble a person, they are not people in truth. Concurrently, they cannot grow or develop in the same way people can. Their nature is an intrinsic part of their being. Finally, and most importantly, they cannot be directly seen by mundane folk. There is no trustworthy information about fighting them, although Shroud's bullets passing through cleanly seemed fitting.
Charybdis1618
Shroud finds the lead first. She walks past a newsstand, laden with tabloids and gossip magazines, and a shiver runs down her spine. Some instinct drew her eye to a tabloid bearing a crude photo edit of a shadow on a bedroom ceiling, paired with a photo of a man in a straitjacket. The headline blares "SANDMAN TURNED EVIL?"

The article is mostly hyperbole and speculation, of course, but does have a basis in fact. A cursory investigation reveals that the man in question, one Jeremy Villareal, has indeed been checked into a nearby hospital for observation following what was officially termed a psychotic break. He claimed something invaded his mind during his sleep and started eating his mind. He claimed that his neighbors were also being afflicted.
Xihirli
 "Wait, is Sandman supposed to be good?"  Leif asks as he opens the copy sent to him.
"At least neutral."
 "I think I’ll check this out…"  Leif texts the others to meet him at the hospital.
  I doubt he’ll want to talk to strangers. Are any of you good at getting into places you’re not supposed to be?  
He sends it into the group chat, that he of course ruined by not having an iphone, and resolves to head there right after work.
Esprit15
Sarah comes home from work to a blinking light on the phone’s receiver, and after listening, heads to the hospital.

A dream eating monster? That could be… well, a lot of things. A mo or baku would make sense - after all, if a kitsune were here, why should other eastern beings be absent? A mer was also a distinct possibility. She begins making a mental list of what details to ask about in order to narrow down the type of being or effect involved.
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
Sandman? It takes a while on the internet for Yume to sort out the correct contextual meaning of the name.
There are plenty of beings from her homeland, evil kitsune being one of the most well known, that can take over somebodies body. However, this appear to be something else entirely.
She heads out to join the others.
Batcathat
Regardless of the situation, Rufus Walcraft believed wholeheartedly in reading up before jumping in, so after seeing the article, Rufus started going through his library for any usable information while Jiminy did the same on the internet – even using a keyboard almost as wide as he was tall, the homunculus was significantly faster on a computer than the alchemist.

" Have you seen these remote controlled cars? They look just like real ones and... "

" Focus, Jiminy ", Rufus interrupted from the library.
MechaAce
  The Shroud  

Having come up with a lead (even if not the one she'd expected, after forwarding it to the rest of the group, the Shroud starts checking on Mr. Villareal's neighborhood for police reports and hospital admissions.
Charybdis1618
The reports are haphazard, but after some legwork and a few minor bribes, the pattern becomes apparent. Several residents of the apartment complex reported home invations or robberies at various points over the course of the last two months. In all but one of the instances, the police had found no evidence of a break-in. Two other residents had reported to hospitals citing nocturnal headaches and insomnia. One other had had a brief stint in the same hospital as Mr. Villareal, claiming a stroke.
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
Yume arrives at the meeting location, she doesn't have any information to contribute at the moment, but she has an idea on what she could to do next.
Batcathat
Rufus stepped out of a taxi, cane in one hand and doctor's bag slash homunculus house in the other. Walking towards the hospital's main entrance, he looked around for the others. Although he didn't like admitting it, he felt quite out of his wheelhouse.

" Let me out, I'm getting seasick in here ", Jiminy said from the inside of the gently swinging bag.

" While I'm sure a lot of the doctors here would be delighted at the chance of dissecting you, I do not think we shall give them that pleasure today. Also, you are physically incapable of getting seasick. "
Charybdis1618
As you gather beneath a nearby tree to debrief, any of you with some sort of supernatural sense feel a chill run up your spine. Those without feel nothing.
Esprit15
 “Do we want to send a couple of us in an official capacity, while some more of us go sneaking around?” 
Xihirli
 "I’ll volunteer in the sneaky part, too autistic to lie,"  Leif said.
He stares up at the building.
 "If I knew which window was his I bet I could climb it." 
Batcathat
Rufus nodded at Leif's comment. " Yes, playing to our strengths seems prudent. I am too old and too... voluminous to sneak, but I have been told I seem like a very honest person. "
Esprit15
 
 Originally Posted by Xihirli 
  "I’ll volunteer in the sneaky part, too autistic to lie,"  Leif said.
He stares up at the building.
 "If I knew which window was his I bet I could climb it."  
 

 "I can probably find it and wave you in,"  Sarah offers.
MechaAce
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
  "I can probably find it and wave you in,"  Sarah offers. 
 

"Something's not right here, that's for certain" the Shroud says, standing in the shadows.  "We could send a drone to look through the window first..."
Esprit15
The plainly dressed woman looks to the shadowy member of the group.  “Send a drone if you want. But there’s people working there right now, so I’m going to assume whatever there is isn’t actively harming people right now.”  Thinking some more though, she shakes her head.  “Actually, I think just being normal is the best bet first. What if Rufus and I go in. I work for the city, he’s an expert in the obscure. We ask if we can speak to Jeremy, just ask a few questions. Worst that happens, they say no. We’re not asking them to disclose any PID or violate HIPAA, just allow us to speak to a patient.

“Meanwhile, Shroud can do recon, Yume can sneak more effectively than I can since she actually turns invisible rather than just moves quickly. If Shroud finds something strange, she and Lief can investigate that.” 
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
  "If it attacks sleeping people, then we might not find much in the day."  
She pulls two slips of special paper that are about the size of bookmarks from her large sleeves. Focusing her ki the ink moves around on the paper forming a stylized cyclopean eye on each slip.
Yume places one on her forehead where it mystically stays in place. She offers the other.   "If you wear this on your head you can see what is real and unseen."  
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
She can maintain one for herself and one for somebody else.
* Sight Tag
- Counters Concealment/Invisibility (Vision)
- Counters Illusion (Vision)
- Magical Awareness (Vision)
- Counters Concealment/Invisibility (Vision), Affects Others Only
- Counters Illusion (Vision), Affects Others Only
- Magical Awareness (Vision), Affects Others Only
 
Charybdis1618
As Yume's tag activates, she suddenly feels the same creeping unease that Shroud described a moment ago. As she looks around, however, she cannot see anything amiss, nor anything magically active about besides her companions and Rufus's bag.
Batcathat
Rufus nodded as Sarah spoke. " That sounds like the beginnings of a plan, at least. "

He held up his cane to the coat he was wearing, quickly transforming it into a white coat radiating a sense of vague authority. It could be that of a doctor or perhaps a scientist of some sort. Even if he had to resort to playing himself, it had a sense of gravitas the usual wardrobe of a wealthy antique dealer lacked. Rufus liked keeping his options open. " Shall we get started? "
Esprit15
Sarah nods, leading the antique dealer in.  “Stay safe you all. Remember: Running is always an option if things get dangerous.” 
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
Yume is surprised at what she was able to pick up with the tag so suddenly.
  "Perhaps we will find something now."  
As none of the others appear eager to use her other Talisman she slips it back into her sleeve in case it is needed later.
She checks for observers, steps out of her sandals, and with a small wave of her arm vanishes from sight.
Xihirli
Leif nods and starts walking away from the building, trying to find a good distance from which to circle and case the place without looking like he was doing that.

 
 Spoiler 
Checking out the exterior of the building. Is there a fire escape? How many stories? Multiple exits, that sort of thing.
 
Charybdis1618
[Pictures and the internet have stopped being helpful, so I'm invoking artistic license as of this moment.]

The brownstone edifice is six stories tall, with a pointed tower rising another two stories above the building proper. Fire escapes crawl up the protruding wings like black kudzu. Besides the main entrance and the emergency entrance, there seem to be a few side doors around the building. Other freestanding buildings in similar styles dot the grounds, around which tree-lined sidewalks wind between patches of lawn.

The doors open to reveal a reception office as busy as any metropolitan hospital. There are about ten patients in line at each of the five reception windows. None of the people here are magically active.
Esprit15
Sarah rolls her eyes and waits in one of the lines.
Charybdis1618
After half an hour of standing in line, listening to various people complain about their various problems with various degrees of irritation, you finally reach the window. The receptionist has their face almost entirely hidden by a large floppy hat.

"Are you a returning patient?"
Esprit15
 “No. Sarah Stillwater. I work for the city. This is Rufus, a consultant of ours. We were just hoping to do some follow up on a news story regarding a Mr. Vilareal, if he is willing to speak to us.”  The woman’s tone is starkly different from how most of the group has seen her - the formality of a subordinate in a grander system combined with a hint of the eagerness of a journalist following up on a scoop.
Charybdis1618
"Right. Villareal ... yes, he's taken part in a sleep study on the psych department's orders. I'll let the sleep clinic know that they're getting a visitor. Talk to their receptionist to arrange a meeting. Anything else?"
Esprit15
Sarah looks to Rufus if he has anything to add, gives a  “Thank you,”  and heads toward the sleep clinic.
Xihirli
Twenty minutes pass and no windows open up, so Leif decides to get up to the fire escape, getting ready to go into whichever floor is indicated.
Batcathat
Rufus merely nodded towards the receptionist. Silence was rarely his first choice, but with how many unknowns there were about the situation, it seemed wise to play it close. He even made sure to actually use the cane to walk – a man who needs help to walk isn't much of a threat, the same can't be said about a man who just happens to carry a very big stick.
Charybdis1618
The maps are less than helpful, but you eventually make your way to the fourth floor, east wing. A receptionist desk stands in front of a securely electronically locked steel door.
Esprit15
 "Sarah Stillwater, the front desk should have let you know that I was coming here." 
Charybdis1618
"Right. Which department are you with? And what's your business with Jeremy? He has no visitors scheduled today."
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
After rapidly growing impatient watching the others standing in lines, Yume goes back outside. With no regard for human privacy she scouts the exterior of the building walking up walls and window ledges under the cover of invisibility, looking into each window on each floor checking for anything magical or unusual.
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
* Sight Tag
- Counters Concealment/Invisibility (Vision)
- Counters Illusion (Vision)
- Magical Awareness (Vision)
 
Charybdis1618
There's a couple rooms with some magical signatures visible through the window. Most of these can be traced to an occupant with a signature about them, or ambient energies. A few rooms, however, have a stronger signature with no discernable source.
Esprit15
 “Ah yes, sorry about that. The news only broke this morning. Honestly today was my off day - I got the call from Nichole to follow up on Villareal’s story and headed this way. Maybe she wanted it to be a sorta surprise inspection type deal,”  she says. Dropping her boss’s boss’s name  might  backfire at the office later, but better to ask forgiveness than permission. And it would probably never get mentioned if everything went smoothly anyways.  “Human services department, by the way,”  she says as she rummages through her bag for an ID.  “Guess they thought it might be a patient welfare thing or something. We honestly just need to speak with him and confirm that everything is on the up and up.”  Finally she hands the woman the ID card.
Charybdis1618
She types a note into her computer. "Speak to Dr. Kohler first. He's under observation. Find Dr. Kohler at his second desk, which is to say, the nurse's station. Have a good day, Ms. Stillwater." She half smiles in the way one does when not expecting the other party to get an inside joke. The door lock buzzes, and a light over it flicks to green.
Esprit15
 “Oh great,  that  type of doctor,”  Sarah mumbles back, very much getting the joke. She heads to the nurses’ station.
Xihirli
 "See something, Yume?"  Leif asks when the Kitsune is near enough for him to communicate with her without shouting.
 "I just see a wall." 
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
After finishing her invisible jaunt around each floor of the building she finds a place to reappear before coming over to Leif.
  "I found some rooms we should check."  
Charybdis1618
[Yume and Leif, please give me Investigation to hunt down the specific sources of the signature]

You arrive as the sleep ward is preparing for lunch. A pair of nurses moves from one cluster of patients to the next, recording responses on a clipboard. Their standard-issue scrubs are immaculately clean, but rumpled. Other nurses either sit behind a desk or move about attending to various duties. The patients all wear knee-length gowns with a checkered pattern, like a simulacrum of pajamas. In lieu of shoes, they wear socks with rubber grips on the soles. None have watches, and there are no visible clocks. Unease and exhaustion mix in the air like competing perfumes, condensing into a steady drip of idle chatter. The nurse at the seat of the desk nearest the door turns in his office chair to look at you. With a faint Southern drawl coloring his words, he asks you to please hand over any watches, cell phones, or other electronics.
Esprit15
Sarah hands over a slightly chunky looking flip phone, fully turning it off before handing it to the nurse. Rufus would likely recall that she  does  keep a pocket watch in her right pocket which she does  not  hand over.
Batcathat
Rufus raised an eyebrow at the request, but as it didn't seem like the right time – or lack thereof, given the setting – to start an argument, he unbuckled an old and rather expensive watch from his wrist and handed it over.

" I do not have a cellular phone ", he preemptively answered the obvious question. " I suppose I am a bit old-fashioned. Or perhaps just old. "
Charybdis1618
"Makes it easier for us, then. These will be returned to you when you leave. Thank you. Who are you here to see?"
Esprit15
 “Mr. Villarreal,”  she says simply.
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  

 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 [Yume and Leif, please give me Investigation to hunt down the specific sources of the signature] 
 

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Investigation:  (1d20+2)[ 17 ] 
 
Xihirli
 
 Originally Posted by Izzarra 
       
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
After finishing her invisible jaunt around each floor of the building she finds a place to reappear before coming over to Leif.
  "I found some rooms we should check."   
 

 
 Spoiler: Investigation 
No ranks, can't try.
 


Leif, unable to detect magic at all, follows Yume to the best of his ability, as he could not wall-crawl.
 "I don't understand what's foxish about walking on walls." 
Charybdis1618
"Villa ... oh, yeah, him. He's under observation for the moment. Should be out in an hour or so. Why don't you have a seat? There's plenty of chairs in the common room. Dr. Kohler will come speak to you first when he's ready."

He gestures to the room behind you. A few of the patients are glancing your way intermittently, but none pay too much attention yet.
Esprit15
Sarah looks at the nurse for a second before giving a nod.  “No worries. I’ll speak with some of the other patients in the mean time.” 

If not outright told not to, she asks those present about the quality of their conditions, how they are treated by doctors, anything unusual that has happened in the past week. She doubted that Villarreal was particularly special in his experiences.
Batcathat
As Sarah talked to the patients, Rufus walked around seemingly at random, looking for traces of anything supernatural or otherwise off.

" C'mon, just let me out ", said the voice from his bag. " I'll sneak it there, find out everything. "

While seemingly admiring the cheap artwork on the wall, Rufus covered his mouth and quietly replied. " The thought did occur to me. Then it occurred to me that the hospital staff might be slightly alarmed, should they discover a garden gnome crawling around in the ceiling. "
Charybdis1618
The patients exhibit a variety of mental states. Some are too tired to do more than acknowledge you. Some are too energetic to sit still, and talk your ear off about everything and nothing. Some seem normal, but say relatively little. They are here with varying degrees of acceptance, as you quickly find out. Still, none of the complaints rise further than "I want to go home," "This is boring," or "Hospital food sucks." Evidence for the last claim is brought around on an aluminum cart as you wait. Some complain of bad dreams, of course, but that hardly seems out of place here.
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  

 
 Originally Posted by Xihirli 
 Leif, unable to detect magic at all, follows Yume to the best of his ability, as he could not wall-crawl.
 "I don't understand what's foxish about walking on walls."  
 

Yume carries a conversation while invisible and running up and down the building.
  "Wind Step? It is not from what I am. It is with ki. They do it in movies some times but it looks funny on screen."  
While she may be sorely lacking in exposure to popular culture Yume has seen a few movies and has no idea that they use wires and harnesses to achieve the movie magic.
Charybdis1618
After about half an hour of interviewing patients, a man with Dr. Kohler embroidered into his lab coat sidles over. He's a surprisingly tall man, well over six feet, with a slender frame. His pale skin is bleached from a career of fluorescent lights and late nights. He sits in a chair opposite yours, and readies his clipboard.

"I'm Dr. Kohler. Who might you be? And what, precisely, is your business with Jeremy?"
Esprit15
 "Sarah Stillwater. A pleasure,"  she says, offering her hand to the doctor. Should he take it, her grip is firm, though only as aggressive as that of the man she shakes with.  "I work with the Seattle Human Services Department. I'm doing a follow up after we heard about Mr. Villarreal's story in the paper. Not every day a patient's panic attack is newsworthy. So I'm doing a preliminary once over to make sure there is nothing egregious or deserving of finer scrutiny. This would of course include interviewing patients about their living conditions and treatment by staff, and seeing them myself. Ideally I would also be speaking to the patient in question."  She gives the smile of a bureaucrat.  " Hopefully  there is nothing to report and I can tell my boss that the tabloids were having an especially slow day.

"Mr. Walcraft here is a consultant of ours, and more of a subject matter expert than myself,"  she adds, gesturing to the man.
Charybdis1618
A brief flicker of fear crosses his face, but quickly hides behind the professional façade. "Of course. Mr. Villareal had no record here, or in any psychiatric facility we had access to, before this incident. I'd be happy to introduce you to him in about *quick glance at watch* 24 minutes. He has an odd tendency to sleep for around an hour, then wake up screaming and clutching his chest. His heart rate and blood pressure spike then, but the EKG shows no cardiac issue. Just to be safe, we put him on a low-sodium diet anyway. During his active times, he interacts with the other patients minimally. He seems lucid, or as much so as anyone so sleep-deprived can be, but complains of sleep paralysis and nightmares. We have him on 20mg Lexapro, which has a marginal effect. Now, Mr. Walcraft, what is your specialty?"
Batcathat
Rufus leaned back into his chair. " I know much about many things, doctor Kohler. " His smile gave the distinct impression that he knew how smug he sounded, but did not particularly care. " But in this particular case, miss Stillwater has asked me to consult in regards to non-standard causes for sleeping disorders. I am the sort of person who  does  look for zebras upon hearing hoof-beats. It does sound like the standard procedure has been rather less than helpful so far, yes? "

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Yes, Rufus is basically doing his best Gregory House impression, though with his own slightly condescending formality in place of House's hostility. 😏
 
Charybdis1618
"Well, it's hardly an exact science. The research is very much in its infancy. We have an fMRI scheduled for *checks clipboard* two days out. It might tell us something about his brain activity, if we're lucky. Until then, we're keeping him under observation."
Charybdis1618
What is Shroud looking for during recon? And how?
Esprit15
Sarah smiles politely as the experts have their exchange.   Couple of HIPAA violations telling us his current symptoms and treatment. Wonder if I can prompt a major one by the end of the visit? Just to have in my back pocket. 

“Hm. Precise… And were these the same symptoms that he complained of when he arrived?” 
Charybdis1618
"Yes, more or less. The sleep paralysis seems to be worsening as time goes on, but the stress response is plateauing."
Batcathat
" As promising as the fact that he seems to be getting more used to getting scared half to death sounds, I'm sure you and your colleagues would like to get back to making sure he doesn't get worse quite so quickly, doctor Kohler, so perhaps we could see the patient now? "
Xihirli
Leif nods and, noting where Yume detects the magic, opens one of the windows connecting to the fire escape.
 "Come on, let’s go in." 
Charybdis1618
"Come to the observation window with me. If we hurry, you may get to witness the next attack."

Leif and Yume walk room to room, finding the rooms she identified earlier. For the first couple, no one stops you. When you walk in, you quickly track down the source of the magical signature. A fine, powdery dust, looking almost like ash, accumulated on the lip of an air vent.

As you walk towards the third, a security officer stops you. "Where's your visitor badge?"

[However you respond, roll appropriately please.]
Esprit15
 “Sure, lead the way, Doctor.”  Wow, that was faster than expected. Most people need a  little  prompting before they do something that would get them as disciplined as…   Sarah pauses for just a moment… Something  was  off.   He  is  too lax. He’s  eager  to show the man off to us.   Sarah’s heart begins pounding, anticipating… something. Whether this man was a thrall or their culprit was hard to tell. She shouldn’t abandon Rufus, but without her bow here she was less than useful.

The others. Yume would be walking the halls invisible. The others would be looking for a way in. The commando woman especially was likely to have something to get them out of a jam if this turned out particularly bad.

At worst she could improvise something.

Right?

 “So how long have you been with the hospital, doctor?” 
Xihirli
 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 "Come to the observation window with me. If we hurry, you may get to witness the next attack."

Leif and Yume walk room to room, finding the rooms she identified earlier. For the first couple, no one stops you. When you walk in, you quickly track down the source of the magical signature. A fine, powdery dust, looking almost like ash, accumulated on the lip of an air vent.

As you walk towards the third, a security officer stops you. "Where's your visitor badge?"

[However you respond, roll appropriately please.] 
 

Leif reaches into his pockets and, hoping that Yume has some illusion that will help him, pulls out nothing whatsoever.
 "I’m checking out a suspicious substance that was found in the building,"  he says as calmly as he can manage.
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
Yume observes Leif pull nothing out of a pocket. She may not go around causing problems like the yako, but she is still a kitsune and does enjoy watching humans get themselves into silly problematic situations. She waits a few seconds as the security guard reacts and Leif starts to sweat before acting.

She pulls an ofuda from her sleeve, charges it with ki, and throws it at the forehead of the guard to make him fall asleep.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Invisibility makes the target vulnerable to your attacks: active defense ranks are halved (round up fractions).
Not sure if the security guard falls under minion rules so I will roll.
Attack:  (1d20+5)[ 23 ] 
Sleep Tag: Affliction 5 (Resisted by Will; Fatigued, Exhausted, Asleep), Ranged
 
Charybdis1618
The guard looks more confused than startled for a moment. He reaches up, pulls the ofuda off his forehead, and looks at it, one eyebrow raising. The effect overwhelms his mind a moment later. His eyes roll back into his head, and his knees give way.
MechaAce
 The Shroud 

 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 What is Shroud looking for during recon? And how? 
 

The Shroud wouldn't admit it, but hospitals of this sort are on the edge of her comfort zone, having spent some time in one after returning from her service.  One can't do what she's done without it leaving a mark.

So for the moment, she's using her drone from her van, checking the roof for anything amiss, strange protrusions, ritual spaces, things like that, then lowering it to sweep across the windows... and then trying to keep an eye on the team through any, starting with Rufus, who would need the most physical backup.
Xihirli
 "I don’t think we can count on the next one to be so hesitant. How about we grab some of that powder and get out of here?"  Leif suggests.
Charybdis1618
Dr. Kohler taps his badge to a reader, and opens a steel door for you. One wall of the room beyond is dominated by a wide bay window, apparently darkened. A press of a button under it turns the window clear, revealing a dimly-lit hospital room beyond. Spike soundproofing foam covers the walls and ceiling like stalactites. Three standard hospital beds sit against the opposite wall, made up with stark white sheets. Two sit empty. The center one contains a man you recognize as Jeremy Villareal from the picture. Dark circles sit under his eyes, reaching down nearly to his shaggy mustache. His close-cropped salt-and-pepper hair has evidently receded recently, from the variation in the skin tone of the scalp. His gown is rumpled and sweat-stained.

"He can't see you," Dr. Kohler assures you.

As you watch, his shoulders twitch once. His eyelids flutter open, and seem to stare wildly at the ceiling. His limbs convulse once, then freeze in their contorted positions. His back arches, lifting his hips and chest off the mattress. You see a thin shape, almost like a wisp of smoke, creep out of his left ear. As it coagulates into a cloud over him, about the size of a motorcycle, you can see where Japanese folklore got their idea from. The figure does sport a bulbous, nearly round body supported by spindly limbs. There seem to be no joints anywhere, every piece of its round form bending wherever needed to move it as it desires. Its head is nearly round, with two blank eyes like moonstone orbs. It leans down over Jeremy's face, and a tendril extends from where its mouth should have been. The tendril forces its way down Jeremy's throat, but he cannot seem to retch as he so desperately wants to. After a moment, the tendril withdraws, and the creature scurries up the wall and disappears into an air vent high up the wall. Too late, you notice that Dr. Kohler was watching you intently the whole time.

As Leif and Yume get the grate of the ventilation duct, Leif finds himself face-to-face with what looks like a thick smoke cloud. Two blank white eyes stare into his soul. A limb extends forward, seemingly from the center of the head, and grabs at him.
Esprit15
Sarah watches the baku go at its work, equal parts transfixed and unable to do anything to the glass. As the creature climbs away into the vents, Sarah has a stony look on her face, as though she just bore witness to a crime. Her voice is level.  “I’m going to need the security video of that room, Doctor. I don’t know  what  I just saw but it is certainly evidence of  something  against code.” 
Much as she  wanted  to fight here and now, she lacked her bow.  “The door, please.” 
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 Sarah watches the baku go at its work, equal parts transfixed and unable to do anything to the glass. 
 

(Are you actively attempting to mask your reaction? And is Rufus? If so, please roll Deception.)
Charybdis1618
"Oh, certainly. Leave an email with the desk, they'll get it forwarded to you. Mr. Villareal is about to receive his lunch. Will you want to speak to him then? It's usually one of his more attentive times."

Dr. Kohler is all professional smiles as he pushes the door bar with the edge of his clipboard, opening it back into the hall.

"Will you require anything else from me? I must review the medication distribution for our somnambulation study group."
Xihirli
 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 As Leif and Yume get the grate of the ventilation duct, Leif finds himself face-to-face with what looks like a thick smoke cloud. Two blank white eyes stare into his soul. A limb extends forward, seemingly from the center of the head, and grabs at him. 
 

Leif reels back and brings his hands together, clapping then inside of the smoke cloud to disperse it.
 "Yume, I think I found Sandman." 
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
Unsure of the exact nature of the smoke cloud, Yume pulls a slip of paper and charges it with ki to try to bind its movement.
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Invisibility makes the target vulnerable to attacks: active defense ranks are halved (round up fractions).
Attack:  (1d20+5)[ 17 ] 
Binding Tag: Affliction 5 (Resisted by Dodge; Hindered and Vulnerable, Defenseless and Immobilized), Ranged, Extra Condition, Limited Degree
 
Esprit15
 “Yes, that sounds good. Here,”  she says, taking out a business card. On it work contact info - name, office, extension, email. In pen as well was the requested period of time that the video must cover - from the moment they stepped in, through the next hour. When did she write that down?  “Where would you like us to wait for him to wake up?” 
Charybdis1618
"He's currently awake. The paralysis should fade in just a minute. He'll be lucid enough to answer your questions in another minute."
Esprit15
 “Ah…”  there is just a touch of concern in her voice at the mention of paralysis. The woman head to the door to speak to the victim. And possibly give the room a quick look over.
Batcathat
Rufus simply nodded at the doctor and followed Sarah. Behind a mask of detached professionalism his mind was working overtime to analyze what he had seen. There was also the question of how much doctor Kohler's knew and what role he played in what was going on.

Not to mention the fact that his bag was starting to slightly move, as if someone inside was getting bored.
Charybdis1618
Jeremy has cranked the back of the hospital bed up into a sitting position. You enter just after the attendant with the food tray. He pulls the plastic closh off, and sighs at the scratched plastic plate underneath.

"Salisbury again. I wish you people would find something else that went with rice. Oh, who is it this time?"

His eyes don't quite focus on you, and he makes no effort to hide the rasp in his voice.
Esprit15
 “Sarah Stillwater, Human Services Department,”  she says for the unpteenth time today.  “My boss saw your story in the newspaper and sent me to do a checkup on how the hospital was handling its patients.” 

She looks to make sure an attending nurse isn’t present.  “If it’s alright, would you mind discussing your treatment since arriving here? Only what you feel comfortable sharing.” 
Batcathat
As he wasn't sure what his role in this particular play would be, Rufus just took position next to the door. As he appeared to be absentmindedly moving his cane around, he transformed the door's hinges into solid lumps of metal – though taking care to keep their outside appearance the same.

That should keep out any unexpected visitors. Well, any unexpected  human  visitors, at least.
Charybdis1618
"You got it boss. They've done what they can. Which isn't much. They've had me on a dozen different pills, all of which helped a little, and none of which helped enough. They feed and water me enough. Food's ****, but it sure beats an MRE. I let them get measurements and observations and whatever else they want, and they can write it off as research expenses and not charge me as much. If I do ever get out of here, at least I won't be completely broke. I'm just lucky the attacks started after I set up direct deposit on my pension checks. Otherwise I'd really be ****ed. I've always had nightmares, mind you. Desert Storm was hardly easy on any of us. I woke up miserable when they hit, but at least I slept. This is different. The nurses keep up their bull**** smiles, but I can tell they're losing hope for me. God, what I wouldn't give for a beer, though. You want something for your report? How about 'He still thinks they're better than the VA hospital?' That sums it up alright."

He downs the salisbury steak and rice quickly, and knocks back the small cup of orange juice like a whiskey shot.
Esprit15
Sarah nods, taking mental notes.  "Good good. Thank you. My father served as well, so I can empathize to a certain extent. Nearly enlisted myself, but I couldn't pass the swim test."  The woman gives a gentle smile.  "You mentioned research expenses though?"  she asks rhetorically.  "What where you informed of with regards to the research?" 
Charybdis1618
"Doc told me that he's seen sleep paralysis before, but not like mine. If I agreed to be a guinea pig, they could publish  a paper, and it'd save someone else from going through this. Also mentioned the cost savings. I signed what they put in front of me. Don't know the specifics behind it, beyond the phrase 'lack of REM' sleep and such."
Esprit15
 "Great..."  She fishes into her pocket and hands the man a business card.  "Please let us know if you ever come to regret that. Voluntary patient experimentation is a... well, a fraught field. Lot of unscrupulous types who would take advantage of a veteran who just wants to get back to his life. Just because you signed something doesn't mean you lack rights.

"That said, have all your treatments just been medications? Or have there been others as well? Physical therapies, exercises, et cetera?" 
Charybdis1618
He puts the card on his bedside table after a quick glance.

"They gave up on physical therapies pretty quick. I just don't have the strength for any sort of exercise anymore. Same with counseling. I just pass out halfway through describing-"

A yawn cuts off the back half of whatever he was going to say next.
Esprit15
Another gentle smile.  “I understand. Insomnia is terrible. I’ve definitely battle sleepless nights before, though nothing like what you’re enduring right now.”  She looks back to the door and Rufus, nodding her head over to the glass and then pointedly closing closing her eyes for a second before popping them back open.

Sarah turns back to the man and leans down by his bed. Her next question, the voice is lower. More serious.  “ Are you  sure  there’s nothing else that you have seen that you wish to bring up with us? Anything unusual, or that made you concerned for your safety? Periods of lack of responsibility. Odd things doctors have said to or around you.

“Stuff where you fear retaliation if you brought it up and they found out. ”  She scans his face not just for honesty in a response to the question at download on set
Charybdis1618
He sighs. "I definitely get the feeling that they're letting the **** play out for observations. No one's said much around me, and I don't understand enough of the medical terms to know what they are saying. Doc keeps asking me to describe what I see. I can barely remember when I wake up, and it changes every time. No idea what he's getting out of it, but he keeps asking. Otherwise, nothing untoward. Nurses catch me when I pass out in the shower. It's happened once. Like I said, this sure beats my last stint in a VA hospital."
Batcathat
Rufus raised an eyebrow and interrupted the conversation for the first time. " So what  do  you see, Jeremy? " He gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile – thankful that his customers rarely required much hand-holding, as he was already losing patience. " Anything you remember can be helpful to give us more insight. "
Xihirli
Leif starts slapping into the smokey sand man creature, beating it down like a child hitting a sand castle trying to make it back into flat earth.

 
 Spoiler: ATTACK! 
22 to hit, Multiattack 3. Linked Penetrating 3, Nullify Regen 3. Reversible.
 
Charybdis1618
"Various creepy stuff. Sometimes it's straight out of a movie. Did you ever see  Alien?  A bit before your time, but a classic. You know what a xenomorph is, though? Like the facehugger. Or it'd be Freddy Kreuger leaning over me and stabbing me in the chest, while leering right in my face. Other times I can't recognize it. Maybe a person, maybe some distorted figure, maybe a blob. Always the same effect, though. Something leaning right in my face and a sharp pain in my chest. I can't breathe, and I swear I feel my heart stopping. Then I wake with a start. Does being able to scream count as progress? Means I'm not completely hyperventilating anymore."
Charybdis1618
Leif's palms connect with the oddly smooth face, right between the eyes. He feels rather as if he stuck his hand into a bowl of lukewarm pudding, not quite cold but definitely far from warm. The thing rears back, its head notably concave at all three strike points. It pulls itself out of the vent entirely, and skitters out onto the ceiling of the room. Its four stumpy limbs don't have fingers per se, simply bifurcating down the center to splay on the ceiling. Its mass seems to put no strain on the ceiling's drop tiles. The limbs bend smoothly, as if made of rubber. It contracts, then bursts with a shower of translucent dust. Where it lands on you it instantaneously dissolves into your clothes or skin. You feel fatigue stealing over you, as if you had intended to go to bed an hour ago.

(Will saves, both of you, please.)
Esprit15
The monster hunter smiles at the mention of  Alien . She was out of the loop on so many things, but that managed to be one of the areas of pop culture she managed to never be more than a year or two late on. She loved how much people liked to examine encounters with the supernatural. She also knew one writer on the staff of the film who had been a long time friend since well before the world’s first film was ever run through a camera.  “Some say that if you have recurring dreams, it means something is troubling you. Maybe it’s not the specifics of the dreams he wants, but whether there’s a pattern. Which given you saying that being stabbed in the chest is a recurring nightmare, seems to be the case.”  It was certainly in line with the baku crouching over him to feed.  “You  don’t  ever have any physical injuries after a nightmare though, right? Just the mental exhaustion?” 
Charybdis1618
"Nothing actually sticking out of my chest, if that's what you mean. It does hurt, and I can usually hear the EKG beeping. So, I don't know for sure."
Esprit15
 “Odd. What do the doctors say when you bring this up? Do they do any examination?” 
Charybdis1618
"It's a hallucination that comes with the sleep paralysis, and a stress response. Apparently. Of course it feels real to me. That's to be expected with such things, I guess. I never had heart problems before, but I guess it can happen to anyone."
Esprit15
 “When  did  you start experiencing the symptoms that brought you here? And do you know if anyone around you has experienced the same thing? I’m just kinda curious about your case myself, now.” 
Charybdis1618
"About a month ago, I think? At least a few weeks before I checked in. We all lose track of time in here. It was infrequent, at first. I thought it would pass, but it didn't. I thought it might have been mold. I told my landlords. They didn't do anything, of course. I sometimes heard other people screaming through the walls, but I know for a fact some of that was fighting or watching tv or whatever. Nothing showed up on my chest x-ray, though. Pretty sure this place doesn't have mold."
Batcathat
Rufus nodded to himself. " Right. Someone should check your building for... mold. "
Charybdis1618
"If you'd put a foot up my landlords' rears, I'd consider it a personal favor."
Esprit15
 “I  am  a humble civil servant,”  Sarah says with a feigned curtsy and a smirk.  “That’s rather unusual though. Have you and any of your neighbors discussed your experiences? If it’s affecting your apartment block that seems like it might be something wrong with where you are living.” 
Charybdis1618
"No idea, but it wouldn't surprise me. Most of my neighbors are *******s. Don't really talk. Here's my address."

He grabs a pen and notebook from the drawer in the bedside table, and scribbles on the back page. When you take the torn out page, the writing is so shaky that you can barely read it.
Esprit15
Sarah turns and hands the paper to Rufus.  “I believe that’s more your area than mine,”  she says with a wink.
Batcathat
Rufus took the note, only looking at it briefly before folding it and putting it in his coat pocket and turning his attention back to the patient. " Is there anything else of note? About your... illness or your treatment? "
Charybdis1618
"Nothing comes to mind, no. What do you think it is?"
Charybdis1618
As the dust sinks into your skin, both of you feel tiredness stealing over your minds. It feels as though you haven't slept in a day, maybe two. As your eyelids grow heavy, you see a tendril extend from its head, thickening into another limb, flicking forward like a tongue lapping hungrily at an enticing meal. Now you see where the mythology got the idea of a tapir-like snout.
Xihirli
 "Ohhh no..."  Leif stumbles, fear and adrenaline utterly failing to kick in.  "We have to... we have to..."  He begins stumbling away, falling to one knee at one point as he tries to flee from the sand tapir.
Batcathat
Rufus rubbed his chin, seemingly deep in thought. " There are several possibilities. I think we shall have to investigate a bit further, but I do not doubt we shall be successful. " He considered a reassuring smile, but his granddaughter had cautioned against attempting any more of those.
Esprit15
 "I'm no expert, so it would be a little irresponsible for me to speculate. But you might consider having your apartment looked at for things that might affect the sleep of other residents. Or just talking to your neighbors, comparing stories." 
Charybdis1618
As Leif and Yume fall back to the hallway, the sandman makes no effort to pursue you.

Rufus and Sarah both see a shower of fine, almost translucent powder cascade out of the vent. It swirls about the room, carried by the various small breezes, saturating the air almost instantly. Jeremy breaks off mid-sentence and slumps down on his pillow with a rattling snore.

[Both of you, please give me a Will save against its sleep effect.]
Esprit15
Sarah looks up at the dust, a heavy feeling filling her eyes.  "Well that can't be good..." 
Charybdis1618
Sarah sways on her feet as what feels like a year's worth of sleepless nights catch up to her all at once. Rufus blinks the tiredness from his eyes. As his eyelids reopen, he sees the creature climbing out of the air vent, compressing into a narrow tendril, and sliding down Jeremy's throat. Despite seeming far too large, it fits easily into his body and is soon gone. Jeremy snores again, the tension seeping from his face. For the moment, he is at peace.
Xihirli
Leif falls into one knee and one hand, looking at Yume.
 "We sure find the others. Or failing that, take a nap." 
He slowly pulls himself to his feet.
 "Those things are… they get right around all the things that make me hard to put down. Grandmother won’t let me die, but she won’t do a thing to keep me awake." 
Charybdis1618
I'll assume Shroud saw through her scope the thing shower Leif and Yume before retreating. She now sees them both half-asleep.
Batcathat
" Are you alright? ", Rufus asked Sarah before turning back towards the now sleeping patient. " We should leave. The question is, do we bring him? "
Esprit15
Sarah yawns.  “Yeah, just… Need a nap suddenly.”  And to concoct a ritual to grant immunity to somnolant magic for the group. She shakes her head, trying to blink back fatigue.  “I don’t think we can get away with abducting a patient from the hospital. But we have useful info to go on. Let’s go meet the others.”  She heads to the door to leave.
Batcathat
" I think we could find a way. " To underscore his point, Rufus tapped the floor with his cane and wheelchair appeared out of nowhere. " But I suppose keeping this poor fellow around and unharmed may be more trouble than it is worth. " The wheelchair vanished as quickly as it had appeared and with another tap of the cane, the hinges of the door became functional once more.
Charybdis1618
On your way out, the attendant returns your cell phone and watches. They also offer you a CD in a paper envelope that says "Observation Room 1325-1425." Dr. Kohler gives you a wave of farewell, barely looking up from his clipboard.
Esprit15
Sarah gives a tired wave, thanking them for the video. Unless otherwise stopped, she heads out of the building to regroup with the others.
Xihirli
Leif stumbles out the fire escape and gets to the ground by falling off of it, landing hard on the concrete and screaming as sallow yellow smoke burst from his body, running over him and repairing the damage.
 "That idea… seemed better in my head." 
Esprit15
 “By Father! What happened to you?”  Sarah asks Lief as they rejoin.
Xihirli
 "Evil Sandman got me,"  Leif answered, peeling himself off of the cement.
 "Was afraid I'd fall asleep right then and there, wake up cut in half." 
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: Fatigued
 
 
 
  
Yume jumps out of the building and glides softly to the ground. After finding a safe spot to become visible she reports to the others.
  "Found something hiding, dangerous, need sleep."  
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Izzarra 
 Yume jumps out of the building and glides softly to the ground. After finding a safe spot to become visible she reports to the others.
  "Found something hiding, dangerous, need sleep."   
 

After everyone's taken their respective nap, where would you all like to meet and debrief?
Esprit15
 “It looked like a baku when it crawled into him. Let’s all take an hour or two to sleep off this and then meet at Rufus’s shop.” 
Batcathat
" Very well ", Rufus said with a rare smile. " You youngsters get some sleep and then you're welcome to Walcraft House. " He turned to his bag. " Jiminy, have one of the golems put on a kettle. "
Xihirli
 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 After everyone's taken their respective nap, where would you all like to meet and debrief? 
 

 "Uh... the mansion sounds good,"  Leif said, smiling to Rufus.
  Been a long time since I've seen a mansion.  
Charybdis1618
You all go your separate ways to rest and recuperate. Your dreams are odd, distorted, but nowhere near as horrific as Jeremy described. You see evidence of restless sleep about you, but you slept all the same.

(Rufus, when people arrive, what do they experience? Thereafter, we can have our meeting.)
Batcathat
As far as buildings go, Walcraft House was imposing and impressive but distinctly not cozy or welcoming. A rather unusual approach for a place of business but then neither the goods nor the customers were very usual themselves. No sign advertised the establishment but welcome visitors found the entrance unlocked, while unwelcome visitors usually did not find the entrance at all.

To the casual observer – not that it had many of those – the public area on the first floor would look mostly like an odd combination of upscale flee-market, antique bookstore and chemistry lab, with tables and shelves packed with a wide range of items, arranged according to some incomprehensible system. Some were outright magical, many simply mysterious or just peculiar.

In the corner of one of the first rooms was Rufus' desk, similarly covered by various items that happened to catch his interest or were assumed to impress one customer or another. Next to it was a coffee table surrounded by chairs, where a golem was in the middle of setting the table with tea and cookies.
Esprit15
After she wakes from her nap, Sarah takes some time to recreate her arcane vision. She  would  be visiting the shop of an alchemist, after all. It only made sense to do at least a little perusal of the wares with an eye for what she was looking at. Plus it would give her a chance to observe if any of them had lingering effects from the encounter with the baku. It wasn’t as though the time spent would leave her later than the others, after all. She could be there in moments.
 
 Spoiler 
Arcana:  (1d20+15)[ 33 ]  DC 18
 

A faint, blue glow appears to match her irises as the cant completes. Satisfied, the monster hunter briskly walks toward the shop.

***

The door opens, and the familiar figure of Sarah enters, bow bag slung over her shoulder.  “Nice business you have here, Rufus,”  she says as she begins to browse the shelves.  “How long you been selling magic items to folks? Nothing too dangerous, I hope.” 
Batcathat
" Nothing  too  bad, I assure you ", Rufus said with a slight smile that could mean just about anything. " Well, not to anyone who couldn't handle it, at least. " He paused, slightly adjusting the position of a statue in shape of a rather goofy-looking demon. " I started collecting years ago, the business sort of grew out of that. "

He waved towards the table where the golem was attempting to slice a cake using a knife clearly meant for hands half its size. " Please, have a seat and something to eat. "
Esprit15
Sarah takes the cake but not a seat.  “That  is  what they all say,”  she says with a smile as she examines a statue whose eyes seem to glow the color of a mother’s concern. World’s most unusual crib monitor?

The cake  was  good, if a bit sweet for her tastes.  “  Any symptoms since we got away? I slept like the Night itself swept over me.”  
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
Yume meditates to recover.

When she arrives at the Walcraft House she bows and politely slips of her sandals.
Charybdis1618
(We don't need to do everyone's arrivals this time. Let's call the meeting to order.)
Esprit15
 “So I  did  get my hands on security footage from the incident,”  Sarah says, taking out the CD,  “if anyone wants to take a look over that. The two things to watch for are whether the creature appears on camera, and also what, if anything, the doctor gets up to leading up to our arrival. He seems suspicious, definitely someone to follow up on. We also might want to check on the apartments that the victim lives in. There may be more victims there that just haven’t made the news.” 
Xihirli
 
 Originally Posted by Batcathat 
 As far as buildings go, Walcraft House was imposing and impressive but distinctly not cozy or welcoming. A rather unusual approach for a place of business but then neither the goods nor the customers were very usual themselves. No sign advertised the establishment but welcome visitors found the entrance unlocked, while unwelcome visitors usually did not find the entrance at all.

To the casual observer – not that it had many of those – the public area on the first floor would look mostly like an odd combination of upscale flee-market, antique bookstore and chemistry lab, with tables and shelves packed with a wide range of items, arranged according to some incomprehensible system. Some were outright magical, many simply mysterious or just peculiar.

In the corner of one of the first rooms was Rufus' desk, similarly covered by various items that happened to catch his interest or were assumed to impress one customer or another. Next to it was a coffee table surrounded by chairs, where a golem was in the middle of setting the table with tea and cookies. 
 

 "Oh, okay. Glad it wasn't just us, mansions are just like this,"  Leif said as he entered, noting the daunting, offputting nature of the place.
He certainly wants to watch the security video, and does so carefully.
 "I don't know if your oracle powers got the right person, this thing seems custom-made to just straight-up ignore my ability to not die,"  Leif tells their Cassandra.
Charybdis1618
(Loukas isn't here)

The video starts off showing the room with only Jeremy in it. He twitches and arches exactly as you described. The baku us not visible on the screen, but knowing what you know, you can trace his sight line to where it presumably is exiting his head. A nurse enters, seemingly rushing in to come to his aid. She pauses by the bedside, then seemingly goes limp. She falls across the bed sideways. You can see her chest rising and falling evenly, as of somebody in deep sleep. When the video is finished, you notice the timestamp is for the previous day.
Esprit15
Sarah frowns as she looks at the video's time stamp, analyzing every frame of it as it moves across the screen. It was curious - clearly they wanted to hide something that happened today. But if the baku didn't show up on camera, what  were  they hiding? And yet they also were willing to show the nurse being knocked out. A threat? It was hard to say.  "Hm. Bastard tried to lie to us, as expected..."  Then, she smirks and gives a small laugh.  "Of course, he wound up giving us even  more  evidence of strange goings on at the hospital. Hey Spec Ops,"  she says to Shroud,  "I've got a spell I  was  planning to start researching tonight, but I feel like a stakeout and possible break in is higher priority. You interested?" 
Batcathat
Rufus rubbed his chin as he watched the video. Clearly there was any number of unknown variables at play here, which annoyed and excited him in equal measure. " Perhaps those of us... less suited for espionage should go and acquaint ourselves with Mister Villareal's home and his neighbors, it seems quite likely that there are more victims among them. "

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Not sure whether splitting the party yet again is a good idea, but this does seem like the best choice in-character, at least.
 
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
Yume silently absorbs the information presented by the others.
MechaAce
 The Shroud 

 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 Sarah frowns as she looks at the video's time stamp, analyzing every frame of it as it moves across the screen. It was curious - clearly they wanted to hide something that happened today. But if the baku didn't show up on camera, what  were  they hiding? And yet they also were willing to show the nurse being knocked out. A threat? It was hard to say.  "Hm. Bastard tried to lie to us, as expected..."  Then, she smirks and gives a small laugh.  "Of course, he wound up giving us even  more  evidence of strange goings on at the hospital. Hey Spec Ops,"  she says to Shroud,  "I've got a spell I  was  planning to start researching tonight, but I feel like a stakeout and possible break in is higher priority. You interested?"  
 

"I'm interested" the Shroud says flatly... or tries to, having not contributed much at the hospital, she is a little eager to do so now.  She was standing with arms crossed in a corner, sparing only a glance or two at the many arcane artifacts around. "Maybe the video's not a warning, but an advertisement.  This thing's hard to trace, hard to stop and if someone died from it, it'd look like natural causes.  They might think they can sell its services.""


 
 Originally Posted by Batcathat 
 Rufus rubbed his chin as he watched the video. Clearly there was any number of unknown variables at play here, which annoyed and excited him in equal measure. " Perhaps those of us... less suited for espionage should go and acquaint ourselves with Mister Villareal's home and his neighbors, it seems quite likely that there are more victims among them. "

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Not sure whether splitting the party yet again is a good idea, but this does seem like the best choice in-character, at least.
 
 
 

"Call for backup if you need it."
Esprit15
 “Hm, that’s a good point. Or a cry for help? ‘Please have a reason to come back to get the right information, this thing is dangerous and it’s impossible to broadcast proof.’ Which  also  inclines me to want to finish that spell. Need a way to shrug off sleep… Doc, do you have anything like that around here? It would take me a dedicated day to put together a ritual for here. Not sure if you can do it any faster.” 
Batcathat
Rufus looked around the shelves as he pondered the question. " No, nothing on hand, I think. I could brew something, of course, but that would also take a little while. "
Xihirli
Leif walked up next to Rufus.  "I'll go with you,"  he said.  "I'm not the most social, but I don't draw attention and I don't need to bring any weapons to back you up if things go sideways." 
MechaAce
 
 Originally Posted by Batcathat 
 Rufus looked around the shelves as he pondered the question. " No, nothing on hand, I think. I could brew something, of course, but that would also take a little while. " 
 

"Something... magic?"  One can almost see the Shroud's lips turn down at that word, even through her mask.  "I could get some go pills, but those can mess you up... not as much as what this thing does though."
Batcathat
" Quite magic, yes. Few things in this world are completely safe, but something of mine has less unpleasant side effects than methamphetamines, at least. " He smirked. " Or so I've been told. "

He turned to Leif. " You are welcome to come along. I'm happy to do the talking and leave the people punching and assorted violence to you. "
Charybdis1618
As the discussion continues, you hear the door open. You see a tight bun of gray hair over the table and other furniture between yourself and the door. The middle-aged woman attached to it sports, as Rufus can guess, a medium-length mauve woolen coat over a professional pantsuit. She does not immediately request your attention, content to simply peruse the shelves for the moment.
Esprit15
 “I’ll see about getting some preliminary preparations done then. I’ll meet you here at sundown. If there’s nothing else though, I have work to do.”  Unless someone  does  stop her, Sarah heads out of the building, beginning to plan the ritual.
 
 Spoiler 
Will take 20 hours to research in total, not sure how much time I can get before sunset.
 
Xihirli
Leif leans next to Rufus and whispers, not even a little quieter than his usual voice,
 "Is she supposed to be here?" 
Batcathat
" That's the question, isn't it? " Rufus said quietly to Leif, before standing up, grabbing his cane and walking over to the woman.

" Professor Foghath, always a pleasure ", he said, lying twice in five words. The  former  professor was often a profitable customer, but almost as frequently a problematic one. " What can I help you with today? "
Charybdis1618
"Ah, Mr. Walcraft. Mostly browsing today. This place has always been a breath of fresh air to me, away from the hidebound strictures of academic establishment. I see you have company, I'll leave you to them. When you have a minute, though, I'd like to show you something I acquired."

She pushes some dust off the top of a bell jar, even though it visibly contains nothing.
Batcathat
" Of course, professor. Feel free to look around, I am sure there might be a thing or two of interest. We acquired some wonderful urns from the Miskovsky collection. " He turned towards the homunculus, currently crouched beneath the table, looking demonstratively bored.

" Jiminy! Please show professor Foghath around. " Translation: Keep an eye on her.
Charybdis1618
(Please make Jiminy roll Insight.) She makes polite conversation with Jiminy as he walks along the tops of displays, inquiring after details a few times. She pauses by the bookshelf, as she often does. She is definitely paying no attention to your guests. (You can continue to talk freely if you need to discuss anything more.)
Charybdis1618
The Professor is certainly in no hurry. She walks casually from item to item. Jiminy notices that she asks the kind of open-ended questions that will readily lead to a long explanation, or at least conversation. She also inquires after some items he remembers describing to her before.

Sarah can get the beginnings of the ritual done in the few hours before sundown. She'll be able to lay out some framework at a minimum. What's everyone else doing before then?
Xihirli
 "Can you still go, Rufus, or do you need to close up shop first?"  Leif asks.
Batcathat
" I suppose I should check in with my... esteemed customer first. " Rufus sighed. " There's a quite decent pub across the street. You can go there and get something to eat or drink – tell Alfred to put it on my tab – and I will pick you up once I have dealt with Foghath and closed up. "
Charybdis1618
When you approach her, she is standing by the window, leafing through a replica ancient text. You're not sure if she actually understands enough Persian to exteact meaning, but she seems to appreciate it nonetheless. You notice her glance out the window a few times.

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Walcraft. I've been abroad lately, and stumbled into lovely little curio shop in the back streets of Dublin. Such a long, storied history in that place! Anyhow, I saw these, and I thought of you before any other. Two things, really. The first you may consider a gift. The second, a proposition."

She pulls from under her coat a long, slender package, like if an umbrella were wrapped in brown paper. Unwrapping it reveals an elegantly carved walking cane, slender but sturdy, some sort of wood stain bringing out the writhing textures of the grain of the ancient oak. The brass knob affixed to the top is significantly newer, showing fewer signs of wear or tarnish.

"The shop owner let it go for a song, after I pointed out that it was supposed to have been a sword cane originally. He lost the blade. Accidentally sold it separately. It's not magic to anyone but a Druid, and they'd say the same of the mistletoe in the top of my backyard tree."
Batcathat
" Thank you, professor. It is quite lovely. " It was, Rufus might even have been touched if not for the advertised  proposition . He studied the cane carefully, as if deep in thought. " If I may be so blunt, what is it that you wish to propose? I must warn you, I am too old to get married again. "

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

In regards to Rufus studying the cane, keep his vision powers in mind (though I suspect something that can detect magic would've been more useful, I should really try to add that at some point).
 
Charybdis1618
The cane is, indeed, entirely mundane as far as you can tell. There is a hollow down the center, which could reasonably hold a short blade.

"Yes, well, I found a second item there as well. There was a birdhouse tucked away on a back shelf. It's terribly built, but take a look nonetheless."

She pulls an airtight bag from her purse. It contains a tiny birdhouse, maybe half a foot to a side. It couldn't hold anything larger than a hummingbird, in your estimation. The bottom of the interior seems to be growing some sort of bright green moss. It almost seems to wriggle through your monocle.

"Yes, it's alive. Had no sunlight, no nutrients of any sort, and it lived. I can tell it's magic, but not much more. You've got more raw power than I could ever hope to achieve. Help me study this, and let me publish, and you'll have a chance at fame. If my suspicions are correct, this might solve world hunger or something similarly significant."
Batcathat
" You certainly don't aim low, professor ", Rufus said habitually as he studied the mossy birdhouse. Whatever it was, it was certainly fascinating, if in a less urgent way than, say, nightmare spirits. His fingers was practically twitching at the thought of taking it to the lab and having a closer look.

Of course, any collaboration with the former professor Foghath was fraught with potential problems. Still... while Lillian Foghath may be proud and ambitious enough that Lucifer might suggest she tone it down a bit, she was a – currently disgraced and somewhat corrupt – intellectual, not a villain. Her end goal was more likely getting the first ever Nobel prize in magic – Rufus' credit presumably mysteriously vanishing along the way – than world domination.

Ah, no use to try and justify a decision already made. Foghath could have the credit if the came to it, as long as Rufus could have the  knowledge .

" Very well. You have a deal. " He paused, resisting the urge to just run straight for the lab. " But I am afraid I have some very urgent business to attend to. Could we perhaps schedule something for... " How long was dealing with the current mess likely to take?  "...next week, maybe? Believe me, I would like nothing more than to start right away, but I'm afraid this is of vital importance. "
Charybdis1618
"Of course. On your own time. A million thanks. Could you store it in your laboratory? I'm afraid I'll kill it accidentally. Also, I'll reach out to those people in the Biology department who will still talk to me. I'll obtain some mundane equipment for the analysis. My number changed, here's my new card. Have a nice day, Mr. Walcraft."

She closes up her bag and walks out the door. A ride-share service picks her up barely a minute later.
Batcathat
" You as well, professor Foghath ", Rufus replied as he took both the birdhouse and the card, suddenly feeling a lot friendlier towards his questionable customer. Ah, the miracle of mutual interest and magical moss. " I will take good care of it. "

Meanwhile, Jiminy had gotten his hands on the new cane and was about to attempt to pole vault over one of the displays when Rufus waved him over and handed him the airtight bag. " Take this to my lab and place it in one of the secure containers. I want you by it at all times until I say otherwise and alert me about anything unusual, I do not want to risk neither thievery nor some sort of green goo scenario. "

" Aw, c'mon ", the homunculus complained. " I wanna come with to the haunted house. Can't the golems look after it? "

Rufus gave the golem clumsily attempting to clear the table a skeptical look. " I barely trust them with my fine china. I'm not going to trust them with  this . "

With that, Rufus grabbed his cane and headed across the street to find Leif.
Xihirli
Leif heads into the bar and finds a quiet corner to drink in, figuring he’d try some of the expensive **** rich people drink.
After one sip of something called a "rosé" he switched back to the cheap beer brand he was used to.
Charybdis1618
Night falls over Seattle. Islands of light push up through a sea of endless darkness, the quavering penumbra for all the world seeming like a shoreline. People love to claim they no longer fear the dark. They think they have evolved so far past their primal fears, but keep the lights lit nonetheless. Still, the wheels of civilization turn continually nowadays. To keep up, the people must swim through that endless black ocean, scurrying from light to light.

Leif and Rufus find the apartment building Jeremy referred you to. It's one of a dozen similar high-rises in the area. People sit on a few of the fire escape landings like makeshift balconies. A bucket and cardboard sign sit near the mouth of the alley, presumably the seat of a homeless person. Its occupant is nowhere to be seen. The office on the ground floor, near the front door, has a "Closed" sign hanging from a suction cup behind its glass. You can hear the sounds of a television through the closed door.

Yume, Shroud, and Sarah find the hospital only slightly less busy at night. There are fewer visitors, but patients still arrive and leave regularly.
Esprit15
As night falls, a chill fills Sarah’s bones. Thousands of years had yet to really catch up to the last two hundred. She remembered when mankind was just starting to experiment with truly vanquishing Father Night. Sara had heard about the advances being made back on the continent while she was on a Dutch trading ship in Asia and scoffed at the time. Lightning being confined to glass jars? She had not even heard of magic so powerful and yet some men in England and France were claiming to have done so. It repulsed her at first. Night was a constant. You could not turn it back anymore than you could the tides. To  try  beyond just lighting a fire was something akin to blasphemy.

And now, despite the discomfort at the contrasting light and shadow, it was as normal as her electric kettle. She breathes in the cool, wet air.  “Yume, how many people can your talismans hide at once? I feel we should stick together, lest we get ambushed alone.” 
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
Being closely related to the things that go bump in the night, and having better night vision then a cat, Yume is unfazed by the darkness.
  "Ofuda is not making me hide. It is something many yokai know to do ..."   (she struggles with her limited English vocabulary trying to say "innately")   "... within themselves. I could make one to hide you, but it will take time."  
Esprit15
 “Hm, if you want to do that for Shroud while I cast a spell, that might be helpful. Meanwhile she can scout the perimeter.” 
Xihirli
Leif decided to ignore the CLOSED sign. He went up to the office door and rapped. Loudly.
A lack of answer was not about to deter him from continuing.
Charybdis1618
There is no immediate answer. The second flurry of knocks brings a shout of "Can't you jackoffs read? We're closed. Come back in the morning!"
Batcathat
" Our deepest apologies for disturbing you, but it's an urgent matter ", Rufus said, pausing dramatically before continuing. " We have reason to suspect the tenants may have been exposed to a serious disease. It is quite frankly a matter of life and death. "
Charybdis1618
The door creaks open. You see a man whose clothes look inside-out at a glance. A whiff of something burned carries out the door.

"What the hell are you talking about? I've gotten no reports on the matter. Plus, it's the tenant's responsibility to maintain their own hygiene."
Batcathat
" Of course, I certainly wasn't implying you are in any way responsible for the situation. You clearly run a very tight ship, as they say. " Rufus created a fancy – though not golden, this time – business card for  Dr. Rufus Wallington, M.D, Ph.D  in the palm of his hand before reaching into his pocket to "retrieve" it and handing it to the man. " Though it would be of great help to us... " He theatrically lowered his voice. " ...and to be frank, the people of this city, if you would let us have a look around. "
Charybdis1618
(Excellent BSing. Please roll the appropriate check.)
Charybdis1618
"Is it Jameson? It's Jameson in 2124, isn't it? You can smell his **** from the hallway. Degenerate drunk. Come on, let's go."

He shrugs on a stained jean jacket and stands, tapping the carabiner on his belt where the ring of keys hangs. His dented metallic coffee cup empies in one pull and clatters against the desk.
Xihirli
Leif isn’t excited about the precedent this sets for his OWN apartment, but follows with a glance around just in case there’s a body or something nearby.
Charybdis1618
He leads you to the elevator, scowling at a tenant until they choose a different one. The floor 21 button takes a few presses to activate, but eventually the elevator starts rumbling its way upwards. The caretaker walks down the hall a ways to 2124, and knocks sharply. "Jameson! Mark Jameson!"

After precisely 30 seconds, he slides a key into the lock and twists it open. The door swings open a crack, then stops as a thin chain pulls taut. He leans against the opposite wall and does nothing further.
Batcathat
While the caretaker was clearly biased in the matter, this Jameson was as good a starting point as anyone else. Having the deeply unpleasant caretaker quite literally looking over their shoulders wasn't ideal, but Rufus felt vary of pushing the issue. Not that they couldn't get in another way if he threw them out, but it could draw some undue attention from mundane authorities and hostile spirits alike.

A chain was no problem, of course, but the question was how their uninvited companion would react. Humming to himself, he used the grip of his cane to pull at the chain, seemingly just examining it but actually transforming the metal into a much, much less sturdy one.

Seemingly pleased with what he had found, Rufus pulled at the door handle as hard as he could.
Esprit15
(Assuming that abilities have been clarified)
Sarah still opts to take a little time to cast her arcane vision spell. Without sleep immunity, she wanted as much information as possible about her surroundings.
 
 Spoiler 
DC 18:  (1d20+15)[ 32 ] 
 

Within half an hour, her eyes shimmer with a faintly blue hue to those who are more perceptive.  “Shroud, suggest you circle back and sneak in some other way. Yume, invisible with one of us.”  With that, Sarah walks in to the front doors of the hospital.

 “Hello, my name is Sarah Stillwater, I was here earlier. It seems there was a mixup in the security footage I was given. May I speak to someone in security?” 
Charybdis1618
"Uh ... sure. Security office is through that door to your right. Go down the hall three doors, it's on the left. Big sign. Can't miss it."

The guard behind the desk looks up from the bank of monitors as you enter. "What brings you here?"
Esprit15
Sarah hands the man the disc.  “I came here earlier and requested some security footage of an incident that I observed. I was instead given this footage from several days ago.” ​
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 Sarah hands the man the disc.  “I came here earlier and requested some security footage of an incident that I observed. I was instead given this footage from several days ago.” ​ 
 

"I see. Can I see that card again? For the paperwork on my end. Yeah, lines up with the log. Now, what time and which location did you need the camera footage for? Right. One minute. Can I send it to an email? I'm out of blank CDs at the moment. Speaking of, I'm just going to wipe this one. You were authorized to receive some footage, so getting this one is a minor incident at most. Still, I do need to remand it. You have no other copies?"
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Batcathat 
 Seemingly pleased with what he had found, Rufus pulled at the door handle as hard as he could. 
 

The door swings open with a sharp snap. The smells of stale beer and decaying food waft out. Stepping in, you nearly walk into a stack of pizza boxes as tall as you, teetering precariously out of the doorway to the kitchenette. The living room to your right is a maze of bottle and can piles. Clouds of fruit flies condensate above the glass and aluminum mountains, occasionally raining down a fly descending to feed. The TV silently flickers a soap commercial at the cobweb-strewn rear wall. The apartment's occupant is nowhere to be seen.
Esprit15
 “Nope,”  she lies. Lowering her voice, she adds  “Although, I did notice an incident on that disc that was concerning while watching it initially.”  She looks around the room and pushes the door closed.  “Have you noticed anything unusual going on at this hospital, sir? Or been requested to do anything that you thought was against protocol?” 
Xihirli
 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 The door swings open with a sharp snap. The smells of stale beer and decaying food waft out. Stepping in, you nearly walk into a stack of pizza boxes as tall as you, teetering precariously out of the doorway to the kitchenette. The living room to your right is a maze of bottle and can piles. Clouds of fruit flies condensate above the glass and aluminum mountains, occasionally raining down a fly descending to feed. The TV silently flickers a soap commercial at the cobweb-strewn rear wall. The apartment's occupant is nowhere to be seen. 
 

Leif, having a thought about establishing a timeline, tries the remote to see if the TV will pause. Depending on the TV, it might say how long it’s been playing.
"How long has it been since you last saw the tenant?"
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 “Have you noticed anything unusual going on at this hospital, sir? Or been requested to do anything that you thought was against protocol?” 
 

"No, no requests of the sort. A few more of my people than usual have been slipping up, but I suspect that's just because we've had a recent round of hiring. Speaking of, we're still hiring, if you know anyone interested? We'll pay you through training."
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Xihirli 
 Leif, having a thought about establishing a timeline, tries the remote to see if the TV will pause. Depending on the TV, it might say how long it’s been playing.
"How long has it been since you last saw the tenant?" 
 

The TV is live. It seems to be some cable channel showing a game show rerun, per the guide.

"He turned in his last rent check at the beginning of the month. Guy keeps to himself, otherwise. If he had friends, he might have generated a noise complaint once in a while."
Esprit15
 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 "No, no requests of the sort. A few more of my people than usual have been slipping up, but I suspect that's just because we've had a recent round of hiring. Speaking of, we're still hiring, if you know anyone interested? We'll pay you through training." 
 

The bureaucrat raises an eyebrow.  "You say 'Slipping up.' In what ways? And whom?"  Her eyes drift to the monitor(s) in the room. Was there anything interesting happening on-screen?
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 The bureaucrat raises an eyebrow.  "You say 'Slipping up.' In what ways? And whom?"  Her eyes drift to the monitor(s) in the room. Was there anything interesting happening on-screen? 
 

"You know, rookie mistakes. Forgetting to sign off a check they actually did, using the wrong code, doors not locking properly. Basic things everyone messes up once in a while, especially when they're new."
Esprit15
 “Uh huh… Humor me for a second. I want to show you something on the video I was given.”  Her eyes glance up to the air vents in the room every few seconds, just in case.  “It looked like more than just rookie mistakes.” 
Xihirli
Leif checks out the guide to see what’s circled for this channel. It would be fair to assume that the time of disappearance was after one of the circled shows’ start.
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
  “Uh huh… Humor me for a second. I want to show you something on the video I was given.”  Her eyes glance up to the air vents in the room every few seconds, just in case.  “It looked like more than just rookie mistakes.”  
 

He watches the recording impassively. "Looks to me like the nurse saw a bed, and tiredness won. What's your point?"
Esprit15
The government worker raises an eyebrow.  “How long have workers been falling asleep on the job like that? And are workers being allotted the appropriate amount of time between shifts?” 
Batcathat
Rufus looked around, seemingly inspecting the apartment but actually using his glasses to look through the walls into the apartments above, below and next to the one they were in. Perhaps there was some entirely mundane reason for Mark Jameson not being home, but if it was connected to their mission, he might not be the only one.
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 The government worker raises an eyebrow.  “How long have workers been falling asleep on the job like that? And are workers being allotted the appropriate amount of time between shifts?”  
 

"Everyone's offered overtime as standard, but nobody has been forced to take it. They're still held to the rolling work limits as required. We're short at the moment. Half our guards transferred to other facilities."
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Batcathat 
 Rufus looked around, seemingly inspecting the apartment but actually using his glasses to look through the walls into the apartments above, below and next to the one they were in. Perhaps there was some entirely mundane reason for Mark Jameson not being home, but if it was connected to their mission, he might not be the only one. 
 

There is no visible magical signature on the walls or air vents, but there seems to be a fog hanging heavy in the air. It occludes the magical x-ray vision effect, leaving only silhouettes and vague shapes visible. However, opening the bedroom door you quickly find Jameson. First the smell of evacuated bowels washes over you, underwritten with something more discomforting. The magical fog grows heavier too. In the tiny bathroom off the bedroom, you find Jameson himself flopped on the tile floor. He is morbidly obese, and morbidly pale. His shaved head still glistens with sweat. The smell of morbidity claws at your sinuses. You can see unidentifiable fluid running in the grout of the tiles, long since solidified. His chest seems oddly convex, as if his ribcage buckled from the inside.
Esprit15
She nods.  "Interesting. Any particular reason? I'm not very familiar with hospital work, but this all sounds... well, way more ramshackle than I would have expected." 
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 She nods.  "Interesting. Any particular reason? I'm not very familiar with hospital work, but this all sounds... well, way more ramshackle than I would have expected."  
 

"We're an independent security contractor. Bracken provides services to many facilities in Washington and parts of Oregon. The hospital can give marching orders, of course, but otherwise has minimal involvement."
Esprit15
 “Thank you. Anyways, it should be about 1pm earlier today. I’ll need the hour before and the hour after for the sleep clinic, including the observation room and any other associated rooms,”  she says with forced politeness. Oh  great,  an independent contractor. The word was new but the practice was old. Whether it was numeri in Noviomagus Trevirorum or G4S workers in London, the most useless people to run into were always the guys who weren’t from the area, didn’t want to be there, and nevertheless had exactly the wrong amount of power for their job.
Batcathat
" Oh dear ", Rufus mumbled, discreetly creating a heavily perfumed handkerchief and holding it up to his face, hopefully masking at least some of the smell. After walking over to the body, Rufus knelt next to it, with some effort – even if he was practically underfed compared to Jameson.

Turning his head towards caretaker, he said: " We have to notify the authorities and check for possible contagions, perhaps it would be best if you waited in your office? " He paused, trying to find a good argument. " It is important to show that you are in charge and in control of the situation in times of crisis, wouldn't you say? "

Mostly as a formality, he felt for a pulse or any other sign that Jameson was alive.
Xihirli
Leif paled and tried not to breathe through his nose as he rushed into the room with the body. He looked for any blood, any sign of foul play, though he decided not to touch the body.
Since that was a great way to get his DNA all over it.
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Xihirli 
 Leif paled and tried not to breathe through his nose as he rushed into the room with the body. He looked for any blood, any sign of foul play, though he decided not to touch the body.
Since that was a great way to get his DNA all over it. 
 

The room is in disarray, but in the way neglect tends to create. Nothing seems recently broken, tossed about, or otherwise indicative of violence or foul play.

The caretaker says "I've got to write him off the lease anyway. And write up an incident report. You'll call the cops when you're done? Also, this card good for contact info?"
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 “Thank you. Anyways, it should be about 1pm earlier today. I’ll need the hour before and the hour after for the sleep clinic, including the observation room and any other associated rooms,” 
 

"The observation room doesn't have coverage. I can get you the hallway outside the room this other recording came from. One second..."

He pulls up the recording you showed him again, and checks the camera ID. "I'll wipe this recording and copy the ones you need onto the disk, ok?"
Xihirli
 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 The room is in disarray, but in the way neglect tends to create. Nothing seems recently broken, tossed about, or otherwise indicative of violence or foul play.

The caretaker says "I've got to write him off the lease anyway. And write up an incident report. You'll call the cops when you're done? Also, this card good for contact info?" 
 

Leif nodded, happy to hear that the caretaker was leaving. The next thing he was searching for was the sand from the hospital room.
 "Let's see if our little sandman is upgrading to boogeyman..." 
Esprit15
 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 "The observation room doesn't have coverage. I can get you the hallway outside the room this other recording came from. One second..."

He pulls up the recording you showed him again, and checks the camera ID. "I'll wipe this recording and copy the ones you need onto the disk, ok?" 
 

 “That will be fine. Can I see the segment you’ll be putting on first? Not the whole thing? Just enough to know you’ll get the right time.” 
Batcathat
" Yes, yes. We will contact the proper authorities ", Rufus said, gesturing in a half-reassuring, half-dismissive fashion towards the caretaker. Looking at the body, Rufus wondered whether they should actually call the police to handle to body if nothing else, or if it would be better if it just... disappeared.

After using his cane to pull himself back to his feet, Rufus stepped closer to Leif and lowered his voice, in case the caretaker was still in hearing range. " There is something in the air, I can't get a good look at the other apartments. I don't know if our dearly departed here is the only one. "
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
  “That will be fine. Can I see the segment you’ll be putting on first? Not the whole thing? Just enough to know you’ll get the right time.”  
 

"Oh, sure. Here, pull up that chair over there."

The insulated room camera shows you and Rufus entering the room, talking with Jeremy for a bit, then him falling asleep suddenly. Both of you also sway on your feet a bit, and walk more slowly out of the room. The hallway camera shows Dr. Kohler going in the observation room briefly once you began talking to Jeremy, but leaving again a moment later. He does so again towards the end of the hour's window of footage. Otherwise, a few people pass the door of the room, but none of them stop to listen or attempt to enter.
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Xihirli 
 Leif nodded, happy to hear that the caretaker was leaving. The next thing he was searching for was the sand from the hospital room.
 "Let's see if our little sandman is upgrading to boogeyman..."  
 

The room itself is devoid of the remains of the particulate sand that you remember from the hospital. However, looking into Jameson's mouth you see some sort of translucent powder has caked into a slurry from the moisture of the orifice.
Esprit15
 “Thank you. That’s the right segment. An hour before and after it and I can be out of your hair.” 
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
  “Thank you. That’s the right segment. An hour before and after it and I can be out of your hair.”  
 

He raises an eyebrow.

"You were approved for the other footage, so clearly you're authorized to have this. I'm copying it now. That said, why? Nothing here looks suspicious or out of the ordinary."
Xihirli
"Rufus, can you conjure me up a pair of gloves?" Leif points out the powder.
"I think that’s important but I’d really rather not leave my DNA and fingerprints everywhere."
Batcathat
" Good idea ", Rufus said, with the tone of someone not really expecting anyone but himself to have them. Creating two pairs of rubber gloves, he put on one pair and handed the other to Leif. " If you would be so kind, save me a sample ", he added and created a few small, plastic bags.

" Let me know if you find anything interesting, I'll go see if any of mister Jameson's neighbors are at home and... " He cleared his throat. " Well, alive. "

Rufus headed out of the apartment and knocked – firmly but politely – on the door across the hallway. As he did, he remembered the gloves on his hands but decided to keep them on, whether as a prop for a conversation with a live tenant or something else.
Charybdis1618
The fog seems to permeate only Mark's apartment. The adjacent ones are clear enough to see into. The neighbors above him are doing something midway between a Satanic ritual and a sex act. The other apartments are unoccupied. No corpses are visible.

The paste comes away from Mark's lips and gums easily enough. As you break a larger clump, the dry powder exposed to air seems to evaporate. The saliva-moistened outer layers remain.
Xihirli
Leif stuffed all he could of the powder into the plastic bags and, while he had the gloves on and no one else around, checked the body more thoroughly for wounds, disrobing (and then rerobing) the body where he had to.
Charybdis1618
The silky bathrobe over his body unties easily enough. Looking closer at his chest, you can see jagged wounds where the broken ends of his ribs poke out through the skin. By the looks of it, most of his blood pooled in his chest cavity. His skin otherwise appears clammy and pale.

(Please roll a Strength check to turn him over, if you want to do so. For more detailed medical analysis, roll appropriately.)
Batcathat
" Oh my ", Rufus exclaimed. The missing neighbours could mean anything from disintegration to simply not being at home. He couldn't even begin to guess the meaning of... whatever the upstairs tenants were up to, but some sort of connection to whatever had left one of their neighbours at the hospital and another one dead seemed quite likely.

He noted the position of the people on the floor above before walking back into Jameson's apartment and finding the corresponding position, making sure to stand a little bit to the side rather than right below it.

" Let's meet the neighbours, shall we? " Rufus raised his cane towards the ceiling, turning that part of it – and the floor of the apartment above – into cotton. No need to make their landing more painful than necessary, after all.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

I'm not sure how much of the ceiling/floor Rufus is capable of transforming (how much does something like that weigh?) but the idea is to affect an area hopefully large enough for the people above (considering the sex act part, I'm assuming they're fairly close together) to fall through, but not much more than that.
 
Charybdis1618
A basso shriek echoes through the apartment. Two people fall through the cotton-ified ceiling, landing with a loud thump in front of you. The one currently capable of standing hastily drops his oddly curved ceremonial knife and covers his crotch. The other, apparently the sacrifice victim, appears to actually be male under the thin white dress and long blonde wig. The cuts over his body are superficial, and have all closed by now. He mmphs in pain with the impact, in spite of the padding, straining against the leather bindings about his wrists and ankles.

Offering groans out "I knew we should have used the other room."

Knife blushes profusely, and says "Sorry, folks. I didn't realize the floor had weakened." Suppressing a retch at the smell of the room, he adds "Can we get changed before we call maintenance?"
Batcathat
" Of course ", Rufus said out of a polite reflex despite the absurdity of the situation. He half-turned away, not only to preserve whatever modesty the visitors had left but to hide his own confusion.

In Rufus' rather expansive experience with untruth, effortlessly slipping into a lie after falling through the floor mid-coitus was beyond the capacity of most people. So likely either an honest man or a very dangerous one.

He cleared his throat. " Since you happened to drop by, would you mind answering a few questions? We are investigating a potential health crisis, I'm afraid. "
Charybdis1618
Knife blushes harder. "I'd really rather get us changed first. You know where we are. We'll wait for you."

Sacrifice adds "The mood's rather ruined anyway."

Knife starts for the door, pauses, looks down, and adds "Is it safe to steal a towel from that bathroom? I'll return it when you come by. Also, what's that smell?"
Esprit15
 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 He raises an eyebrow.

"You were approved for the other footage, so clearly you're authorized to have this. I'm copying it now. That said, why? Nothing here looks suspicious or out of the ordinary." 
 

Sarah frowns and stands fully upright, what little her frame allows. She looks around the room with frustrated disinterest and sighs. His whole workstation was slightly sloppy in little but irritating ways. Not the dirt of a place that is lived in, but the clutter of apathy. Laxness. Her gaze returns to the security guard and she gives an annoyed click of the tongue. The security guard had annoyed her with his dismissiveness for a while now, but the question was enough to just push her over that little ledge necessary.

 “Frankly? If you think nurses, doctors, and guests passing out is ‘Not suspicious or out of the ordinary,’ then you don’t deserve to wear that security badge. Your  duty  to this facility is to ensure the health and wellbeing of every person in it through your monitoring of behavior. That extends not just to suspicious behavior of outsiders, but uncharacteristic behavior of residents and fellow employees. That anything less is permitted of you is a disgrace to the hospital, your organization, your profession, and  least of all, you.  I want this footage because I am doing  my  due diligence as an instrument of the city in monitoring for signs of malaise.

“Unlike some, I do not sleepwalk through life, seeing things happen that are someone else’s problem to solve,”  she says with a tone of definitiveness. Her eyes stare into the man as she talks, two bright gems of icy blue.
Batcathat
" Of course. We can wait a little ", Rufus replied, carefully avoiding eye contact. Or contact with any other parts of their bodies, for that matter.

" I think I saw some clean clothes over here ", he said as he walked out of sight long enough to create two matching lime green jogging outfits. Whatever these two had done, making them dress in anything from this apartment seemed like something punishable by the Hauge. " Here you go. "
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 Sarah frowns and stands fully upright, what little her frame allows. She looks around the room with frustrated disinterest and sighs. His whole workstation was slightly sloppy in little but irritating ways. Not the dirt of a place that is lived in, but the clutter of apathy. Laxness. Her gaze returns to the security guard and she gives an annoyed click of the tongue. The security guard had annoyed her with his dismissiveness for a while now, but the question was enough to just push her over that little ledge necessary.

 “Frankly? If you think nurses, doctors, and guests passing out is ‘Not suspicious or out of the ordinary,’ then you don’t deserve to wear that security badge. Your  duty  to this facility is to ensure the health and wellbeing of every person in it through your monitoring of behavior. That extends not just to suspicious behavior of outsiders, but uncharacteristic behavior of residents and fellow employees. That anything less is permitted of you is a disgrace to the hospital, your organization, your profession, and  least of all, you.  I want this footage because I am doing  my  due diligence as an instrument of the city in monitoring for signs of malaise.

“Unlike some, I do not sleepwalk through life, seeing things happen that are someone else’s problem to solve,”  she says with a tone of definitiveness. Her eyes stare into the man as she talks, two bright gems of icy blue. 
 

"Look, lady, I don't know precisely who you are, but there's nothing I can do about the nurses' work schedules or job controls. Take that up with HR. Now here's your recording. Anything else you need?"
Esprit15
She brusquely takes the recording.  “Wrong, wrong,  wrong . There are a myriad of people you could speak to, actions that you could take, but that would fall outside of your job description. That would require doing extra work. Raising concerns to people outside of your chain of command. Caring about something other than a paycheck.

“No, there is nothing else that you will do to help me because if there were, you would have already done them. Enjoy your continued sleep.”  Irritated, she vanishes from the room, a suddenly shut door punctuating the last word.

Sarah walks through the hallway quickly, residents, guests, and employees frozen in a moment of time. She takes a breath. The raging thoughts of ‘Useless’ and ‘Lazy’ simmer and fade slowly over the course of several perceived minutes, and in another quarter second she’s turning over the words he said in her head. If he wouldn’t speak to HR, she would. There wasn’t just the question of slaying the baku, but where it came from. More information to be gathered. She steps into an empty restroom and turns on a faucet. The outside world begins to speed up, the water from the sink going from a strange, rapid trickle to a standard stream. She splashes the cold water onto her face and takes a final deep breath, looking in the mirror. Midnight was a Hunter. A warrior. A protector. She knew her duty. Whether or not others did theirs, she would do hers.

Three seconds after the door to the security guard’s room closes, she emerges from the restroom and makes her way to the HR department. Hopefully they would have a skeleton staff at night at least.
Charybdis1618
(Please roll Investigation to actually find it. The posted maps of the hospital are less than helpful in locating anything not specifically there for patients.)
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Batcathat 
 " Of course. We can wait a little ", Rufus replied, carefully avoiding eye contact. Or contact with any other parts of their bodies, for that matter.

" I think I saw some clean clothes over here ", he said as he walked out of sight long enough to create two matching lime green jogging outfits. Whatever these two had done, making them dress in anything from this apartment seemed like something punishable by the Hauge. " Here you go. " 
 

They both slip on the summoned jogging outfits and hastily leave, one making a comment about what to say to maintenance when they get back upstairs.
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 (Please roll Investigation to actually find it. The posted maps of the hospital are less than helpful in locating anything not specifically there for patients.) 
 

You eventually find a suitable map. The Human Resources office is currently unoccupied and locked.
Xihirli
Leif gripped the body and, holding his nose, tried hauling it over to get a better look.

 
 Spoiler: STRENGTH 
4, 10 if athletics applies.
 
Charybdis1618
It takes some hauling, but his massive bulk eventually turns over. The robe falls away from his broad shoulders, revealing skin sickly pale where it is not darkened with pooled blood. The ribs of his back are also evidently broken, but do not pierce the skin.
Xihirli
Leif puts the man’s clothes back on and rolls him back over before he heads out and sits outside of the room, staying put so that Rufus could find him.
Batcathat
" We  did  have a few questions ", Rufus mumbled, mostly to himself, as the neighbours slunk away. Though looking at the hole in the ceiling that led straight into their apartment, he supposed that he could wait until they got home.

For now, he walked over towards Leif. " Found anything interesting? "
Esprit15
Honestly, yeah that tracks. Hm, where else… Oh, of course. The nursing staff themselves. Sarah tries to flag down a nurse who doesn’t seem to be in an immediate rush.
Xihirli
 
 Originally Posted by Batcathat 
 " We  did  have a few questions ", Rufus mumbled, mostly to himself, as the neighbours slunk away. Though looking at the hole in the ceiling that led straight into their apartment, he supposed that he could wait until they got home.

For now, he walked over towards Leif. " Found anything interesting? " 
 

Leif described the body’s state of decay and injury.
 "Maybe I should have brought a camera, I didn’t expect to do… forensics."  He looked rather shaken, in fact.  "It uh… I haven’t seen many dead people. Is it more normal for you?" 
Batcathat
" No, not particularly. Dead bodies are thankfully quite rare in the antiques business. There may have been the occasional body in my... " He made a vague gesture with his cane. " ...other pursuits, but I would not say it's normal, no. "

" So what should we do with... " He gestured towards the body. " ...all this? We could alert the regular authorities and see what they can find or we could deal with it ourselves. "
Charybdis1618
You hear the two enter their apartment upstairs. The rustle of clothing filters down through the hole. You're reasonably sure they're looking at the hole in their floor without being visible to you.
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 Honestly, yeah that tracks. Hm, where else… Oh, of course. The nursing staff themselves. Sarah tries to flag down a nurse who doesn’t seem to be in an immediate rush. 
 

After another few minutes, she finds a middle-aged woman in scrubs at a water fountain. She notices your approach, and spares you a brief smile.

(Please roll ... whatever it is instead of Arcana. Yume, assuming you're there and you have a similar effect, can do so as well.)
Esprit15
 “Sarah Stillwater. Human services,”  she says with a similar smile.  “I’m actually here doing a little bit of follow up on some safety concerns reported here. Do you have a moment, or could you point me to someone who does?” 
Esprit15
(Oh damnit forgot my roll - Investigation:  (1d20+5)[ 14 ] )
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 (Oh damnit forgot my roll - Investigation: [roll0]) 
 

(**** it, I'll run with it. You've got the seeing magic enchantment active.)

She looks tiredly at you. "I've got twenty minutes of break left. Was going to get coffee. Join me, and we'll talk on the way. How can I help you?"

As you look at her, you see a faint spark of magic in her chest. It's subtle, even weaker than Shroud's, but definitely present. It looks like a flickering candle flame, sputtering in a heavy wind but refusing to leave its bearer in the dark.
Xihirli
 "Holes to spy through?"  Leif hisses in his trademark just-as-loud-whisper. He points up to Rufus and moves for the stairs, intent on paying a visit to their dead body’s upstairs neighbors.
Esprit15
She walks with the woman.  “While I was here earlier I noticed something unusual and asked for security footage for review. Unfortunately, the people in security gave me the wrong footage so I had to come back here tonight. I talked to security and some of the things they said they saw alarmed me, so I’m following up more. Have the workers here been getting enough time off to rest? Several people have been seen and filmed falling asleep on the job.”  She observes the magical essence in the woman, curious. Was her magic blood, or learned?
Batcathat
Rufus considered sticking with the hole for upstairs communication but it did not seem very dignified and this entire affair had lost so much dignity already, so with a sigh he followed Leif up the stairs.
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 She walks with the woman.  “While I was here earlier I noticed something unusual and asked for security footage for review. Unfortunately, the people in security gave me the wrong footage so I had to come back here tonight. I talked to security and some of the things they said they saw alarmed me, so I’m following up more. Have the workers here been getting enough time off to rest? Several people have been seen and filmed falling asleep on the job.”  She observes the magical essence in the woman, curious. Was her magic blood, or learned? 
 

She's got a spark of her own, upon closer examination. It fuels the drive and determination behind her chosen career path. Most people her age would have burned out years ago.

She steps to the back of the line at the coffee counter. "Sarah, hi, I'm Pia Marlowe. Oh, we get time off, alright. Then someone twists an ankle, or catches a cold, or gets knocked up, and I'm getting a call asking me to take an extra shift. They're ok about respecting scheduled requests, but otherwise... Anyway, yeah, we're all tired, but it's no different than the last two hospitals I was at. Moved when my husband's factory closed down. Both times."
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Batcathat 
 Rufus considered sticking with the hole for upstairs communication but it did not seem very dignified and this entire affair had lost so much dignity already, so with a sigh he followed Leif up the stairs. 
 

They open the door at your knock. Both are wearing ordinary clothes by now, and looking not too much the worse for wear for their adventure. A worn dining table dominates the small kitchen, bearing four mugs of coffee and two folded sets of lime-green workout clothes. Both men sit down. The one you recognize as Sacrifice speaks up first.

"Now that we're a bit more comfortable, how may we help you?"
Batcathat
" Right... ", Rufus said as he sat down opposite the tenants. " As I mentioned, we are investigating a potential health crisis. We believe at least two of your neighbours have been affected, perhaps more. Have you been feeling anything unusual lately? Or perhaps noticed something unusual in the building? "
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Batcathat 
 " Right... ", Rufus said as he sat down opposite the tenants. " As I mentioned, we are investigating a potential health crisis. We believe at least two of your neighbours have been affected, perhaps more. Have you been feeling anything unusual lately? Or perhaps noticed something unusual in the building? " 
 

"Unusual how? Chuck had a cold last week, but he got over it in a couple days. I manifested symptoms a bit later, but same deal. We haven't seen more of our neighbors than usual looking sick at all."
Esprit15
 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 She's got a spark of her own, upon closer examination. It fuels the drive and determination behind her chosen career path. Most people her age would have burned out years ago.

She steps to the back of the line at the coffee counter. "Sarah, hi, I'm Pia Marlowe. Oh, we get time off, alright. Then someone twists an ankle, or catches a cold, or gets knocked up, and I'm getting a call asking me to take an extra shift. They're ok about respecting scheduled requests, but otherwise... Anyway, yeah, we're all tired, but it's no different than the last two hospitals I was at. Moved when my husband's factory closed down. Both times." 
 

 “I know that pain,”  Sarah says with a smile as she thinks of the impossibly large amount of times she has had to move.  “And has there been any uptick in those call ins from injuries? Like I said, I’m following up on having seen footage of multiple employees falling asleep on the job.” 
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
  “I know that pain,”  Sarah says with a smile as she thinks of the impossibly large amount of times she has had to move.  “And has there been any uptick in those call ins from injuries? Like I said, I’m following up on having seen footage of multiple employees falling asleep on the job.”  
 

"Not from incidents at work, no. There have been more of late, but they're all from personal stuff. Every nurse has probably stolen a nap at some point, though. It happens."

"Mocha. Large. Double Shot. Thanks." Pia pauses at the counter for a moment and glances at you.
Esprit15
 “Light roast, black,”  she says.  Sade kahve  was in her opinion the  only  correct way to drink coffee, and in a country where 90% of coffee beans are done the dishonor of being burnt to hell and back, it was just the safe order at most shops. Sarah watches the woman with fondness, or more specifically, watches the flame of her magic within her.  “I can understand that. But you always seek out a safe spot, right? It never suddenly overwhelms you?” 
Batcathat
Rufus shrugged. " It could be almost anything, we are dealing with a potentially new pathogen and the symptoms are not entirely clear. Do you have a lot of contact with your neighbours and have you seen them a... normal amount lately? "

" And have you been sleeping well? Any nightmares or other unusual phenomena? "
Xihirli
 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 "Unusual how? Chuck had a cold last week, but he got over it in a couple days. I manifested symptoms a bit later, but same deal. We haven't seen more of our neighbors than usual looking sick at all." 
 

 
"How well do you know your neighbors downstairs?"  Leif asks, not outright accusing them of poking holes in their floor to pour poison down, but thinking it.
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
  “Light roast, black,”  she says.  Sade kahve  was in her opinion the  only  correct way to drink coffee, and in a country where 90% of coffee beans are done the dishonor of being burnt to hell and back, it was just the safe order at most shops. Sarah watches the woman with fondness, or more specifically, watches the flame of her magic within her.  “I can understand that. But you always seek out a safe spot, right? It never suddenly overwhelms you?”  
 

"Not sure what you're getting at, but yeah."
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Xihirli 
  
"How well do you know your neighbors downstairs?"  Leif asks, not outright accusing them of poking holes in their floor to pour poison down, but thinking it. 
 

"Never seen that guy before, though sometimes when the wind is right I catch a whiff of something from his windows through ours. Always smells like a gym sock."

"As for nightmares, I don't know, I guess once in a while? Not sure it's more than usual, but yeah, it's happened here and there. Is that really a symptom of something?"
Esprit15
Sarah nods and takes a breath, as though she was indeed getting to the point.  “While speaking to a patient, I and a colleague both noticed an unusual feeling of fatigue overcome us at the exact same time. Anything like that happen to anyone here?” 
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 Sarah nods and takes a breath, as though she was indeed getting to the point.  “While speaking to a patient, I and a colleague both noticed an unusual feeling of fatigue overcome us at the exact same time. Anything like that happen to anyone here?”  
 

(Don't bother with Insight, you saw her react and quickly hide it.)

"Well, sometimes tiredness can be contagious. Humans do communicate through pheromones a bit, you know. Kind of how yawns are contagious."
Esprit15
 “True, but we felt the feeling before looking at each other, and the onset was at the same time. That’s not pheromones.”  She watches the younger woman softly. Her magic was quite mild, possibly untrained at that. Raw talent like that should be cultured. Nurtured. She lowers her voice a little.  “And it doesn’t solve the  other  problem - the creature my colleague saw in the corner of his vision.”  Her gentle look stiffens a little.  “You’ve seen it too, haven’t you?” 
Batcathat
This was starting to seem like a waste of time. " Unless my colleague can think of anything else, I think that might be it. " He pulled out a few business cards more business cards for Dr. Rufus Wallington and handed them over. " Please call if you can think of anything else or anything changes. And yes, nightmares can be part of the symptoms. Feel free to spread them to more of your neighbors if you meet them. "
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
  “True, but we felt the feeling before looking at each other, and the onset was at the same time. That’s not pheromones.”  She watches the younger woman softly. Her magic was quite mild, possibly untrained at that. Raw talent like that should be cultured. Nurtured. She lowers her voice a little.  “And it doesn’t solve the  other  problem - the creature my colleague saw in the corner of his vision.”  Her gentle look stiffens a little.  “You’ve seen it too, haven’t you?”  
 

She glances back and forth quickly, then drops her voice. "I didn't tell anyone about that. I didn't let it affect my rounds or quality of care. You have no proof."
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Batcathat 
 This was starting to seem like a waste of time. " Unless my colleague can think of anything else, I think that might be it. " He pulled out a few business cards more business cards for Dr. Rufus Wallington and handed them over. " Please call if you can think of anything else or anything changes. And yes, nightmares can be part of the symptoms. Feel free to spread them to more of your neighbors if you meet them. " 
 

"Should we cover up the hole, then? Prevent airflow and all? If you don't know how it spreads..."
Xihirli
 "What hole?"  Leif asks, as nobody had mentioned one yet.  "Are there any holes in this apartment? Do you know why?" 
Esprit15
 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 She glances back and forth quickly, then drops her voice. "I didn't tell anyone about that. I didn't let it affect my rounds or quality of care. You have no proof." 
 

She flashes a toothy grin.  “And  yet  I still knew.”  Sarah chuckles.  “Don’t worry Miss Marlowe, I’m not after your job. You’re short staffed enough as it is here - stealing someone as  capable  as you is just adding more cracks to a leaking dike.

“No, what  I  am here for,”  she says, pausing to take a sip of coffee,  “is to help. And the more I know, the easier it will be for me to do so. Shall we talk somewhere that we won’t be overheard?” 
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Xihirli 
  "What hole?"  Leif asks, as nobody had mentioned one yet.  "Are there any holes in this apartment? Do you know why?"  
 

"... the one we fell through a bit ago. Should we put a tarp over it or something until maintenance can come patch it? They'll probably find a way to make it our fault, and get out of paying for the hotel until it gets fixed. They know we can't afford to fight it."
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 She flashes a toothy grin.  “And  yet  I still knew.”  Sarah chuckles.  “Don’t worry Miss Marlowe, I’m not after your job. You’re short staffed enough as it is here - stealing someone as  capable  as you is just adding more cracks to a leaking dike.

“No, what  I  am here for,”  she says, pausing to take a sip of coffee,  “is to help. And the more I know, the easier it will be for me to do so. Shall we talk somewhere that we won’t be overheard?”  
 

"Sure. Come with me. We'll have to be quick, though. My break ends in a bit here."

She leads you back through the lobby and down a few halls. She pauses by the gift shop, currently closed.

"Now. If you're telling me that wasn't just a tired brain seeing something, if you're telling me it's real, that means our hospital is infested with something. Something that can fit through the ventilation ducts, and can get past our air filtration system. Something that looked too big to be a rat. I hope."
Batcathat
As Rufus eyed the hole in the floor, he couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. It had perhaps been a  tad  over-dramatic. He could fix it as easily as he had created it, of course, but while the tenants didn't seem to be the smartest ones in the building – even if it was a little unclear how many were left alive to compete for the title – they probably wouldn't buy him as the World's Fastest Carpenter.

" You know what? " He said, as if suddenly realizing something. " We have a rather generous budget for dealing with the potential health crisis, so give us a call once you get the bill. I'm sure we could justify it as quarantining you and, eh, shoring up the building to minimize the risk of further spread of any potential pathogens. "
Esprit15
 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 "Sure. Come with me. We'll have to be quick, though. My break ends in a bit here."

She leads you back through the lobby and down a few halls. She pauses by the gift shop, currently closed.

"Now. If you're telling me that wasn't just a tired brain seeing something, if you're telling me it's real, that means our hospital is infested with something. Something that can fit through the ventilation ducts, and can get past our air filtration system. Something that looked too big to be a rat. I hope." 
 

Sarah’s face betrays her amusement. Finally, someone who took these things  seriously .  “What I’m telling you, Miss Marlowe, that there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in  your  philosophy."  Her voice lowers slightly, and the amusement leaves her bright blue eyes.  "You were honest one touch with me, let me be honest one touch with you. I  do  work for the city. My business card's email and phone number are both real. If you call, I will answer; if you send an email, I will respond.

"My  officium  is not bureaucracy. It is in dealing with things like the strange little creature running around in these walls. Much like you, it is in making sure that everyone in this hospital gets to go home and see their families. The more help I get in smoking out this baku and learning where it came from, the less risk there is to patients, staff, and guests."  She watches Pia carefully. Introducing normal people to the supernatural was always a fraught practice, and in all these years she still never quite learned to figure out which people respond well and which ones did not. Neither strength no education nor arcane affinity nor courage nor station indicated anything more than which kind of positive or negative reaction they would have. If someone like Pia reacted negatively, it would be disbelief and treating Sarah like a crazy person. If positive, she would take it all in stride, dismiss her own abilities, but ask how she could help. As if it would indicate anything, she pays more attention to the magical candle flame burning inside the woman.
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 Sarah’s face betrays her amusement. Finally, someone who took these things  seriously .  “What I’m telling you, Miss Marlowe, that there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in  your  philosophy."  Her voice lowers slightly, and the amusement leaves her bright blue eyes.  "You were honest one touch with me, let me be honest one touch with you. I  do  work for the city. My business card's email and phone number are both real. If you call, I will answer; if you send an email, I will respond.

"My  officium  is not bureaucracy. It is in dealing with things like the strange little creature running around in these walls. Much like you, it is in making sure that everyone in this hospital gets to go home and see their families. The more help I get in smoking out this baku and learning where it came from, the less risk there is to patients, staff, and guests."  She watches Pia carefully. Introducing normal people to the supernatural was always a fraught practice, and in all these years she still never quite learned to figure out which people respond well and which ones did not. Neither strength no education nor arcane affinity nor courage nor station indicated anything more than which kind of positive or negative reaction they would have. If someone like Pia reacted negatively, it would be disbelief and treating Sarah like a crazy person. If positive, she would take it all in stride, dismiss her own abilities, but ask how she could help. As if it would indicate anything, she pays more attention to the magical candle flame burning inside the woman. 
 

She blinks once, carefully maintaining professional decorum. "A ... what? And why has nobody else seen it? Oh, god, you're not a real government employee, are you? But you've got credentials that will check out. Who are you with? Illuminati? New World Order? Reptilians? Some anti-reptilian group? Wait, is the thing a reptilian? That would explain ... most of what it would need to do, right? I guess I just got lucky to see its true form. Do I need to get a bulletin board and some red string? It would look better than the last painting I made."
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Batcathat 
 As Rufus eyed the hole in the floor, he couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. It had perhaps been a  tad  over-dramatic. He could fix it as easily as he had created it, of course, but while the tenants didn't seem to be the smartest ones in the building – even if it was a little unclear how many were left alive to compete for the title – they probably wouldn't buy him as the World's Fastest Carpenter.

" You know what? " He said, as if suddenly realizing something. " We have a rather generous budget for dealing with the potential health crisis, so give us a call once you get the bill. I'm sure we could justify it as quarantining you and, eh, shoring up the building to minimize the risk of further spread of any potential pathogens. " 
 

"We appreciate that. Is there anything else you might need from us? If so, you know how to find us."
Xihirli
 "Do you know who else might be sick in this building? Anyone you usually see out and about strangely missing?"  Leif asked.
Maaybe these people weren’t evil.
Esprit15
 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 She blinks once, carefully maintaining professional decorum. "A ... what? And why has nobody else seen it? Oh, god, you're not a real government employee, are you? But you've got credentials that will check out. Who are you with? Illuminati? New World Order? Reptilians? Some anti-reptilian group? Wait, is the thing a reptilian? That would explain ... most of what it would need to do, right? I guess I just got lucky to see its true form. Do I need to get a bulletin board and some red string? It would look better than the last painting I made." 
 

 "A baku. A somniuvorous creature. Most people can't see them. You're one of the few that can without training, it seems. I don't think I can give you a full lesson on the field in the span of your break, so let's save that for another time,"  she says, relieved. Curiosity. That was a good response. She fishes out a business card, handing it to Pia as she continues.  "I'm not sure what you mean by 'real' in this context. I work in an office, field questions, go on inspections. I just happen to have chosen a job that gives me a lot of leeway in how and when I spend my time on the clock. There's an incident in an apartment complex that left a man experiencing nightmares and panic? That's  absolutely  the business of HSD. And what better place to start than with talking to him?"  Sarah looks up thoughtfully.  "As to your guesses - defunct, no, a racist rebrand of older conspiracies, and not if you value your sanity, respectively.

"There are dark forces in the world, but I am not of them. I'm human, and want the best for human society, whatever shape it may take." 
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
  "A baku. A somniuvorous creature. Most people can't see them. You're one of the few that can without training, it seems. I don't think I can give you a full lesson on the field in the span of your break, so let's save that for another time,"  she says, relieved. Curiosity. That was a good response. She fishes out a business card, handing it to Pia as she continues.  "I'm not sure what you mean by 'real' in this context. I work in an office, field questions, go on inspections. I just happen to have chosen a job that gives me a lot of leeway in how and when I spend my time on the clock. There's an incident in an apartment complex that left a man experiencing nightmares and panic? That's  absolutely  the business of HSD. And what better place to start than with talking to him?"  Sarah looks up thoughtfully.  "As to your guesses - defunct, no, a racist rebrand of older conspiracies, and not if you value your sanity, respectively.

"There are dark forces in the world, but I am not of them. I'm human, and want the best for human society, whatever shape it may take."  
 

"Train... what? Oh, never mind. What can I actually contribute to this effort? I'm just a nurse, even if I could see it."
Esprit15
 “For now, just pay attention. Call me if you ever see it. Let me know what you see. Let me know if anyone is injured in an attack, or if things otherwise just get worse.” 
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
  “For now, just pay attention. Call me if you ever see it. Let me know what you see. Let me know if anyone is injured in an attack, or if things otherwise just get worse.”  
 

She types something on her phone briefly, then raises an eyebrow. "Refuse to believe that a group of powerful people can influence events and perceptions of the public at large to maintain their power, solely on the grounds of association with certain racist people, but accept that a dream eater from Japanese myth that looks nothing like what I saw is terrorizing this hospital. Pay attention, but not too much attention. You got it. Anything else?"
Esprit15
 “No, there’re absolutely people doing that, just not lizard people.  That  particular conspiracy was just someone laundering old bigotries against people. One could call it its own conspiracy, actually.
 
 Spoiler 
Trying to as apolitically as possible explain that is quite difficult, but I’m happy to just push past it rather than dwell.
 

“Regardless,”  she says, checking the time,  “I think that’s all I can give you to do on your break given my own lack of information. I do hope to speak to you again outside of the hospital. I have some additional questions for you.” 
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
  “No, there’re absolutely people doing that, just not lizard people.  That  particular conspiracy was just someone laundering old bigotries against people. One could call it its own conspiracy, actually.
 
 Spoiler 
Trying to as apolitically as possible explain that is quite difficult, but I’m happy to just push past it rather than dwell.
 

“Regardless,”  she says, checking the time,  “I think that’s all I can give you to do on your break given my own lack of information. I do hope to speak to you again outside of the hospital. I have some additional questions for you.”  
 

"I see. Well, my next day off is day after tomorrow. I'll be downtown that afternoon running errands. I'd be happy to meet you at a tea shop I know. I'll email you the address after work. Speaking of, I'm nearly out of time. We'll resume this then."

 
 Spoiler 
Yeah, I know. The thematic point here is that some people with magic who don't have enough of a framework to understand why they're seeing the world differently often devolve into conspiracy types to retain their sanity. It's better than assuming they're schizophrenic, especially if the other symptoms don't manifest.
 
Esprit15
Sarah nods.  “Sounds good. And stay safe.”  She parts ways from the nurse. And now… hm. With a set of eyes on the inside, there was far less reason to stick around here.

When nobody is around, she speaks up, in Japanese.  &lt;Yume, anywhere you want to scope out?&gt; 
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Xihirli 
  "Do you know who else might be sick in this building? Anyone you usually see out and about strangely missing?"  Leif asked.
Maaybe these people weren’t evil. 
 

"I don't think so? No, the few we see regularly aren't precisely-"

"What about that one maintenance guy?"

"Oh, right, Chuck! Don't know his last name or anything. He came through here two weeks ago, I think?"

"19 days."

"Right. Anyway, he was replacing the smoke detector. He looked sick." He gestures to the ceiling of the kitchenette.

"Sick how?"

"Not like a cold or anything. He looked ... drained. Like he wasn't all there, you know?"

"Distracted?"

"Distractible."

"Is that why he dropped it initially?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Why did you let him do the work, then?"

"It's a smoke detector, Jimmy. You just mount it. I could have done it myself, but he was providing it anyway."
Batcathat
Rufus sat up slightly.  Finally  they might actually be coming up with something useful. " This Chuck... is he a regular maintenance man for the building or did he work for some contractor? "

As he spoke, Rufus slightly adjusted his glasses and focused on the smoke detector in question, in case it rather than the unfortunate Chuck was the source of things.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

All-Seeing Eyeglasses, activate! 😛
 
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Batcathat 
 Rufus sat up slightly.  Finally  they might actually be coming up with something useful. " This Chuck... is he a regular maintenance man for the building or did he work for some contractor? "

As he spoke, Rufus slightly adjusted his glasses and focused on the smoke detector in question, in case it rather than the unfortunate Chuck was the source of things.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

All-Seeing Eyeglasses, activate! 😛
 
 
 

 
 Spoiler 
 There's nothing magical about the smoke detector. If any of its effects could be argued to detect radioactive material, claim so now.
 


"I'm not sure. He doesn't talk much. He's around all the time, at least."
Batcathat
" Very well, perhaps we should check up on this... Chuck. " Rufus stood up, looking around as if a clue might have manifested itself in the last minute. " Can you think of anything else that might be of help? If not, perhaps it is time to leave you to... " He cleared his throat. " ...what you were doing. "
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Batcathat 
 " Very well, perhaps we should check up on this... Chuck. " Rufus stood up, looking around as if a clue might have manifested itself in the last minute. " Can you think of anything else that might be of help? If not, perhaps it is time to leave you to... " He cleared his throat. " ...what you were doing. " 
 

They quickly exchange glances.

"Nothing comes to mind, at least not regarding the symptoms you described. Thank you again for agreeing to help with the floor. I really don't know how that happened."
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  

 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 When nobody is around, she speaks up, in Japanese.  &lt;Yume, anywhere you want to scope out?&gt;  
 

Sarah hears a whisper   "&lt;Perhaps we should check if there are dark places where something could hide under this building.&gt;"  
Esprit15
 &lt;A basement of some sort, perhaps? Should be doable.&gt;  The huntress heads to a stairwell to try and find one that leads lower down.
Charybdis1618
The primary basement is a brightly-lit area, used mostly for storage of larger resources like scrubs and bedpans. No one pays attention to you as you pass. The few people down here are too busy fetching whatever is needed or stowing laundry carts. You soon find a door lacking an exit sign, labeled "Utility." It is locked.
Esprit15
Sarah frowns.  “Chotto matte kudasai…”  Sarah says as she takes a pair of bobby-pin out of her hair. She kneels down by the lock, and her body seems to blur as she spends a few seconds fiddling with the lock.

From  her  perspective, sounds fade away as time slows. She goes about bending one of the pins into a roughly key shape, pressing lightly on the inside of the lock. Using the other pin, she begins pressing on the pins of the lock.
 
 Spoiler 
Not sure whether I should take 20 (for a total of 15 after penalties) or roll a couple times, so doing both. Assuming a pick attempt takes 1 minute, she can make thirty attempts in six seconds.
 (1d20-5)[ 5 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ 2 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ 15 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ 8 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ 4 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ 8 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ -3 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ 14 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ 12 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ 11 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ 4 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ 3 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ -2 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ 11 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ -3 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ 15 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ 2 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ 6 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ 8 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ 6 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ 0 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ 1 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ -1 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ 7 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ 4 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ 5 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ 2 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ 5 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ -3 ] 
 (1d20-5)[ 6 ] 
 
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 Sarah frowns.  “Chotto matte kudasai…”  Sarah says as she takes a pair of bobby-pin out of her hair. She kneels down by the lock, and her body seems to blur as she spends a few seconds fiddling with the lock. 
 

The lock clicks open after a while. The bobby pin breaks from the strain thereafter. The stairs beyond lead down. This building's subbasement is dimly-lit, due to half its light fixtures being burned out. Electrical panels whine, massive HVAC motors vibrate, and water pipes rumble all around you. The smells of dust and various machine oils hang heavy in the air. A few shelves of tools huddle against one wall, at the extreme edge of the lit floor.
Esprit15
Sarah grabs whatever the sharpest, most brandishable tool is and begins to look around the area. Signs of a nest or other animal activity are her main goal. She searches quickly, but not as though in a rush.
 
 Spoiler 
Let’s say ten times as fast as a normal human. One minute per six seconds.
 
Xihirli
 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 They quickly exchange glances.

"Nothing comes to mind, at least not regarding the symptoms you described. Thank you again for agreeing to help with the floor. I really don't know how that happened." 
 

Leif takes out his gas station phone and starts pushing buttons, calling people he knows who might have met Chuck.
 
 Spoiler: Investigation 
17
 
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Xihirli 
 Leif takes out his gas station phone and starts pushing buttons, calling people he knows who might have met Chuck.
 
 Spoiler: Investigation 
17
 
 
 

A guy who knows a guy who manages a nearby hardware store knows the maintenance man known as Chuck. His real name is James Charles Han. He has a standing account with the store to expense tools and materials for jobs. He rents a ground-floor apartment in this very building, which (allegedly) is the only one in the place whose door hinges don't creak.
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 Sarah grabs whatever the sharpest, most brandishable tool is and begins to look around the area. Signs of a nest or other animal activity are her main goal. She searches quickly, but not as though in a rush. 
 

There's a large metal file that's shaped almost exactly like a dagger you wielded several hundred years ago. Nothing looks like a nest, as far as you can tell. Of the dirt and dust in the corners and under various objects, some look a bit like animal droppings. None of it shows up as magically active.
Esprit15
She was a bit rusty at hand to hand, but an impromptu dagger beat nothing at all. She thinks for a moment… Are there any air ducts? The creature was last seen in the ducts.
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 She was a bit rusty at hand to hand, but an impromptu dagger beat nothing at all. She thinks for a moment… Are there any air ducts? The creature was last seen in the ducts. 
 

Not only is there an air duct, for all intents and purposes there are all the air ducts! You can tell from a diagram posted nearby that the massive motors here drive the ducts that provide ventilation to the entire building. The intake vents are nearby, their filter banks visible on the wall. The exhaust stacks are on the roof. Their filter banks are accessible from the top floor, it seems.
Batcathat
As Leif was preoccupied with his phone, Rufus leaned against the wall of the stairwell, restlessly tapping his cane against the floor. By the time Leif was finished, several fist-sized diamonds were inlaid into the floor.

Rufus briefly considered leaving them as a reward for someone who actually paid attention, but with a final tap the floor was transformed back into remarkably non-precious stone. " Did you learn anything about our mysterious Chucky? "
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 She was a bit rusty at hand to hand, but an impromptu dagger beat nothing at all. 
 

If you want something throwable, so you can use your ranged attack, you can give me a Perception check to keep looking. I assume Yume's weapons are compact enough for her to have them ready to hand.
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
Two sandals appear on the floor and Yume steps into them as she becomes visible. She covers her nose with her sleeve as the industrial smells offend her sensitive senses. Such mechanical contrivances are beyond her understanding and experience.   "&lt;Lots of hiding places down here.&gt;"  
Esprit15
 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 If you want something throwable, so you can use your ranged attack, you can give me a Perception check to keep looking. I assume Yume's weapons are compact enough for her to have them ready to hand. 
 

Sarah makes a quick search around the room for something more useful than the knife.
 
 Spoiler: Perception 
Though I don't think that matters since her ranged attack bonus is archery specific -  (1d20+10)[ 11 ] 
 


 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 Not only is there an air duct, for all intents and purposes there are all the air ducts! You can tell from a diagram posted nearby that the massive motors here drive the ducts that provide ventilation to the entire building. The intake vents are nearby, their filter banks visible on the wall. The exhaust stacks are on the roof. Their filter banks are accessible from the top floor, it seems. 
 

Sarah looks over the diagram. She was hardly an HVAC technician, but she'd seen enough diagrams in her life to be able to at least make heads and tails of it. Lief had run into something near the observation room... This central duct is connected to the furnace and so would be way too hot for anything without an affinity to fire...
 
 Spoiler 
Not gonna ask you to draw a whole diagram of the layout, but would she be able to narrow down a section of the hospital that the creature would be more likely to hang around? Most duct systems are roughly tree-like in shape, so narrowing it down to a wing is probably the best she could do. Or any other areas that the ducts run through that seem like places nobody would usually go that would hence make a good hiding place, in case it doesn't actually hide in the ducts?
 

 &lt;Miss Yume, I do believe this creature is one of  your  region's youkai. I am curious,&gt;  Sarah asks as she looks over the diagram,  &lt;know you anything about baku that might assist us in this endeavor? Whether they are cooperative with humans, perhaps? I found the doctor's behavior earlier today to be rather unusual, but whether that was out of secrecy or he himself being a victim is difficult for me to say.&gt; 
Xihirli
 
 Originally Posted by Batcathat 
 As Leif was preoccupied with his phone, Rufus leaned against the wall of the stairwell, restlessly tapping his cane against the floor. By the time Leif was finished, several fist-sized diamonds were inlaid into the floor.

Rufus briefly considered leaving them as a reward for someone who actually paid attention, but with a final tap the floor was transformed back into remarkably non-precious stone. " Did you learn anything about our mysterious Chucky? " 
 

Leif nodded.  "I learned he lives on the first floor of this apartment." 
He heads for the stairs.  "Nothing more specific than that, we might have to trial and error it… or go ask the landlord about James Charles Han, but I don’t like that guy." 
Charybdis1618
It's unclear exactly where the baku would want to hang around in the vents. That said, you can reasonably assume the flow would be heavier towards the main branches. Also, the ducts converge downstream at the exhaust plenum, where the filter bank is indicated. If you wanted to "go with the flow," so to speak, you'd end up there. Yume, go ahead and offer what you have.
Batcathat
Rufus nodded. " Yes, while I am sure our friend the cantankerous caretaker would have many colorful things to say about Mister Han, I think we'll make do on our own for now. Let's go to the right floor and I will have a look around ", Rufus said, tapping his glasses before heading for the stairs.
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Batcathat 
 Rufus nodded. " Yes, while I am sure our friend the cantankerous caretaker would have many colorful things to say about Mister Han, I think we'll make do on our own for now. Let's go to the right floor and I will have a look around ", Rufus said, tapping his glasses before heading for the stairs. 
 

There are no other blatant examples of magic. Not even a flicker of the supernatural hides behind any of these doors. Of course, there are plenty of the basic rituals sold in artificially aged books begging to be called tomes, with factory cut crystals and mass-produced candles, plastic jars of common herbs and smoke calling itself incense. None of it shows any sign of the flows of energy indicative of actual magic. You might have caught a glimpse of something at one point, but focusing on the point thereafter shows nothing.

Before you need to knock, you can see through the wall that Chuck is not home at this time.
Batcathat
" No one's home. " Rufus paused, tapping the lock with his cane without actually doing something to it. " Should we... take a look? "

The burgling mentality was remarkably easy to slip into, Rufus noted not entirely displeased.
Xihirli
Leif nodded.
 "Yeah, something forgiveness, something permission."  He looks around to see if anyone’staking an interest.
Charybdis1618
One person is entering their door down the hall. They seem to have not registered your presence, let alone cared what you were doing.
Batcathat
After placing himself between the door and the person down the hall – better safe than sorry and all that – Rufus once more tapped the lock with his cane, this time turning the entire mechanism into rubber. Should hopefully look real enough at a glance and keep the shape in case they needed to turn it back while being a bit more cooperative.

" That should do it ", Rufus said, taking a look around before pulling at the door handle.
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Batcathat 
 After placing himself between the door and the person down the hall – better safe than sorry and all that – Rufus once more tapped the lock with his cane, this time turning the entire mechanism into rubber. Should hopefully look real enough at a glance and keep the shape in case they needed to turn it back while being a bit more cooperative.

" That should do it ", Rufus said, taking a look around before pulling at the door handle. 
 

The deadbolt bends easily, and the door opens. The kitchenette off the entryway dining room smells like disinfectant more than any sort of food. Every pot, pan, and cooking utensil hangs on a dedicated, perfectly-spaced hook, but very few of them have any signs of wear. The short hallway to the living room beyond has two parallel mirrors hanging where paintings would normally be, giving the illusion of a spacious and well-lit area. The living room beyond is immaculately clean, its carpet seemingly freshly vacuumed. The faint smells of carpet shampoo and lemon scent hang in the air. The television on the far wall is decent The flowers in the small vase on the coffee table are beautiful, perfectly arranged, and blooming. Please roll Investigation to find some actually useful information.
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  

 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
  &lt;Miss Yume, I do believe this creature is one of  your  region's youkai. I am curious,&gt;  Sarah asks as she looks over the diagram,  &lt;know you anything about baku that might assist us in this endeavor? Whether they are cooperative with humans, perhaps? I found the doctor's behavior earlier today to be rather unusual, but whether that was out of secrecy or he himself being a victim is difficult for me to say.&gt;  
 

  "&lt;We never saw them in Temple Hanging in Air where I grew up. It is unfortunate that what little I know appears to be incorrect.&gt;"  
She examines the size of the vents.
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
If she changes into her fox form, about the same size as a house cat, could she run through the vents?
 
Xihirli
Leif looks around and helpfully says:  "Well if he’s dead it happened like ten minutes ago. I’ve never seen an apartment this ****ty with this much pig lipstick." 
 
 Spoiler 
6 for investigation.
 
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Xihirli 
 Leif looks around and helpfully says:  "Well if he’s dead it happened like ten minutes ago. I’ve never seen an apartment this ****ty with this much pig lipstick." 
 
 Spoiler 
6 for investigation.
 
 
 

A very apt metaphor, as it turns out. A bit further digging reveals the truth. The kitchen is immaculately clean because it never gets used. The garbage can in the kitchen closet is stuffed with broken-down takeout and frozen meal boxes. The fridge is stocked just well enough for him to cook something for a guest, but that's about it. You find the stash of, ahem, adult videos in the back of the entertainment center's cabinet, behind the DVDs of Schindler's List and Reservoir Dogs. The bedroom is a disaster. Even the clean clothes are stained with various substances in various places, mostly of the kinds one would encounter in his line of work. He owns entirely too many mechanic's jumpsuits, none of which are hung up appropriately and all of which are rumpled. The bathroom off the bedroom is filthy, as if it hasn't been cleaned in months.
Esprit15
 &lt;A shame. Maybe it’s a recent local variant. Feeding on human dreams, it makes sense that they could be shaped by local culture somewhat,&gt;  she says as the kitsune as it crawls into the vent.

 &lt;So what  does  bring a kitsune to the United States? If I remember correctly you should be in your third century - older than this country.&gt; 
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
  "&lt;I don't know how old I am, I only remember being able to take human form for about 24 years, before that I don't have many distinct memories. I was assigned to come here to be the priestess of a local shrine in the mountains, though it doesn't get many visitors.&gt;"  

Yume claps her hands together twice and begins to shrink into her robes. A small white fox with jade green eyes and three tails steps out of the robes. She begins sniffing the entrance to the ducts.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Accurate (Smell)
Acute (Smell)
Tracking 1 (Smell)
Perception  (1d20+8)[ 25 ] 
 
Esprit15
 &lt;Hm. Before that is it just the vague memories of a natural fox?&gt;  she asks, unscrewing the screws keeping the vents in place.
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
Yume's voice sounds hollow and disembodied when she is a fox.
  "&lt;Being chased by humans, playing in the snow, hunting mice. They don't taste that bad actually.&gt;"  
Esprit15
 &lt;I have to be in the mood…&gt;  the humans says absentmindedly, before catching herself.  &lt;Curious. So that suggests you only truly gain full awareness after so much time being alive, and what you experienced before is more like a dream. I suppose in a way that would make Rufus and I the senior members of this team, at least in terms of experienced years.&gt; 
Batcathat
" Well, this is certainly... " Rufus paused, trying to think of a poetic way of putting it but coming up empty. " ...quite disgusting. " He poked one of the jumpsuits with his cane, careful as if it might bite him. " And while it might tell us more than we ever wished to know about Mister Han's personal habits, I don't see anything that might actually help our investigation. So I suppose the question is, what do we do now? "
Xihirli
 "Meet up with the others,"  Leif suggests.  "See if they’ve found any leads that we can connect to ours. Though I think… I’d like to talk to Han at some point." 
Batcathat
Rufus frowned – leaving without more satisfying answers than this was against everything he stood for – but eventually nodded. " I suppose that might be the wisest course of action. Let's get back to Walcraft House and try to get hold of the others. " He looked suddenly worried. " Not to mention that I should really check in on Jiminy and that mysterious moss. "
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  

 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
  &lt;I have to be in the mood…&gt;  the humans says absentmindedly, before catching herself.  &lt;Curious. So that suggests you only truly gain full awareness after so much time being alive, and what you experienced before is more like a dream. I suppose in a way that would make Rufus and I the senior members of this team, at least in terms of experienced years.&gt;  
 

  "&lt;I am not good a judging human age yet but you are probably right. I have not been on my own for very long.&gt;"  
After sniffing the interior of the ductwork in the basement level.
  "&lt;It smells like the baku doesn't come down here often, I can go up in these to the other floors, but it could be dangerous if I run into it while on my own.&gt;"  
Esprit15
 &lt;Hm, what if I knotted a little leash to pull you back with?&gt;  Sarah asks.  &lt;In case it knocks you out. Shrinking size is a little beyond my field of expertise.&gt; 
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
  "&lt;Leashes are for dogs, besides I don't think it would work if I have to go around a few corners. If we could find something that the baku is truly afraid of I could carry it through the vents and flush it out into the open.&gt;"  
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Izzarra 
   "&lt;Leashes are for dogs, besides I don't think it would work if I have to go around a few corners. If we could find something that the baku is truly afraid of I could carry it through the vents and flush it out into the open.&gt;"   
 

(The mythos has no indication of what they fear, given that they're supposed to eat nightmares. Could be an avenue worth exploration.)
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
Yume scouts the vents on the basement level only without climbing to the other floors in order to get a grasp of what they are like then returns to Sarah. She reverts to her humanoid form and begins putting her cloths back on, she doesn't appear to have any concept of modesty.
  "&lt;Bakus are night monsters, most night monsters don't like sunlight. Perhaps we should try driving it out with an exorcism and bright light. I will need to prepare a Gohei to do a exorcism.&gt;"  
Esprit15
 &lt;Apologies, I didn’t mean to insult,&gt;  she says as the idea is shot down.

 &lt;Sounds good. May I observe your research? I’m curious to study other magical styles,&gt;  she says as the kitsune shifts back to humanoid form.
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
  "&lt;Exorcism rituals are not secret techniques, I can show you. We should check with the others. Humans have made lots of interesting things perhaps they have a way to make sun light.&gt;"  
Esprit15
 &lt;Sure, I’m just not familiar with kitsune practices for them specifically,&gt;  she says as they head back up.  &lt;I’ve seen some pretty bright lights. Maybe Shroud has a tool for making it.&gt; 
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Batcathat 
 Rufus frowned – leaving without more satisfying answers than this was against everything he stood for – but eventually nodded. " I suppose that might be the wisest course of action. Let's get back to Walcraft House and try to get hold of the others. " He looked suddenly worried. " Not to mention that I should really check in on Jiminy and that mysterious moss. " 
 

As you return to Walcraft House, you feel a tingle up your spine on your approach to the door. You see a box van across the street with an independent electrician's logo on the side, parked perfectly to be able to see your house.
Batcathat
" Hold up a moment ", Rufus said to Leif, as he started patting his pockets as if searching for something while attempting to glance towards the box van as casually as possible.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

As always, the glasses are analytical, microscopical  (is that a word? 🤨) , can see in the dark and penetrate concealment.
 
Xihirli
 "Need me to punch a few faces?"  Leif asks, noting the spy van.
Charybdis1618
The van does, indeed, contain a variety of tools and spools of wire. Two people sit inside it, drinking coffee and looking impatient.
Batcathat
" Perhaps ", Rufus said, narrowing his eyes towards the van. " Though after the whole mess with the mid-coital neighbors, perhaps we should be a little more discreet. We are near my place of business, after all. "

Rufus walked over to the van and tapped the back door with his cane, turning the entire locking mechanism into rubber before pulling the door open. " Let us start by asking these gentlemen what they are doing here. If we are unsatisfied with their answers,  then  you may punch a few faces. "
Charybdis1618
One of the two men looks over at you, barely-disguised irritation crossing his face. "What? I told the previous one of you, we'll be gone within the hour, if these people will just go home. The meter is paid up. Stupid late-night contracts..." His grumbling fades into an irritable slurp from his coffee cup.

"Think we can bill for this ****e, Martin?"

"I wish. Wait, you're not a meter maid. Sorry to go off on ya."
Xihirli
 "Afternoon, gentlemen,"  Leif says, and looks through the vehicle to see if there's any equipment that electrician should not have.
 "A bit of a skeleton crew?" 
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Xihirli 
  "Afternoon, gentlemen,"  Leif says, and looks through the vehicle to see if there's any equipment that electrician should not have.
 "A bit of a skeleton crew?"  
 

"We're all that should be needed for this gig. Just rewiring a switch that the dumbass contractors put in upside-down. We have to wait for the inhabitant to leave for the night, though. He's asthmatic and nearly 90, so kicking up drywall dust isn't exactly a good idea. He should have gone home two hours ago."

Nothing seems immediately out of place. You can roll Perception to look more closely if you want.
Charybdis1618
Nothing in the van looks out of place for an electrician. That said, the two men aren't lying, but they're definitely on edge. They know something's wrong with this situation, but can't tell what precisely.
Xihirli
Leif glances at Rufus for permission, then says,  "Well, if you're waiting, would you like to come inside?"  He points to the shop.  "Maybe we can make you some coffee." 
Batcathat
Rufus rubbed his chin in thought. The electricians did not appear to be a physical threat. Or if they were, they were skilled and/or powerful enough to hide it this well that the charade would hardly be necessary. If they were sent to gather intelligence, better to keep them close enough to see exactly what they saw. At worst, he would be doing a good deed for nothing. " Yes, why don't you come inside for a bit? My establishment is right over there and certainly more comfortable than this... vehicle. "

Leif might actually have a head for more than beating people up. Good to know.
Charybdis1618
"I suppose it can't hurt, if we're not keeping you two up. We can see the sidewalk from your window. We'll see when he leaves. I'm Martin, by the way. He's Kris."
MechaAce
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
  &lt;Sure, I’m just not familiar with kitsune practices for them specifically,&gt;  she says as they head back up.  &lt;I’ve seen some pretty bright lights. Maybe Shroud has a tool for making it.&gt;  
 

The Shroud had been lurking in the basement as they investigated in ways she couldn't easily assist with, the blank eyes of her namesake sometimes visible in the darkness.  She moves up the stairs behind them, covering the rear.

"Yes" she replies tersely.  But after a moment, she goes on.  "A UV light bar if you know where they're going to be or LED flashlight if not.  I've seen it will do the trick in the past."
Xihirli
 "Not at all, we’re waiting for someone too."  Leif led the way in.  "Rufus, where’s your coffee maker?" 
As soon as Leif could get alone, he texted the group saying   there’s an electrician van out by the shop. Can anyone check it for surveillance equipment?  
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Xihirli 
  "Not at all, we’re waiting for someone too."  Leif led the way in.  "Rufus, where’s your coffee maker?" 
As soon as Leif could get alone, he texted the group saying   there’s an electrician van out by the shop. Can anyone check it for surveillance equipment?   
 

(We can assume that the ladies were already on their way back by the time this was sent. Go ahead and button up anything you need from the hospital before leaving and getting this.)
Batcathat
Normally, Rufus would have replied that he had staff for that sort of thing, but having the golems seen by the electricians was probably an unnecessary risk even if it meant suffering through some indignities. " There is a kitchen at the back of the shop, I believe it has a coffee maker. "

Turning towards the electricians, he made a gesture towards the sitting area where the group had tea earlier. " Welcome to my store, gentlemen. Please have a seat. "
Charybdis1618
Kris smiles tiredly. "This is nice. Thanks. I wish the clients liked us as much as randos."

Martin adds "Remember Mrs. Johnson? She made us cookies."

"I remember nearly crapping my pants after eating two."

Martin gives him a scolding glance, but says nothing.
Esprit15
 
 Originally Posted by MechaAce 
 The Shroud had been lurking in the basement as they investigated in ways she couldn't easily assist with, the blank eyes of her namesake sometimes visible in the darkness.  She moves up the stairs behind them, covering the rear.

"Yes" she replies tersely.  But after a moment, she goes on.  "A UV light bar if you know where they're going to be or LED flashlight if not.  I've seen it will do the trick in the past." 
 

 ”Bikuri shi ta!”  Midnight exclaims as the masked woman sneaks in out of nowhere, brandishing her file at the woman for a second. After recognizing the ally though, she chuckles and tosses the file to the side.  ”Oh, hey, welcome to the party. Find anything of note down here?” 
Batcathat
Rufus raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. " In any case, if you'll excuse me for a moment. "

With a sort of half-bow towards the men, Rufus turned around and headed for the stairs leading up to his laboratory. He was rather anxious to check up on Jiminy and the mysterious moss before either one destroyed the other.
Xihirli
 "I’m a construction worker,"  Leif tells them.  "Taking night classes, though. Hoping to get my electrician’s license. Would you say it’s hard?" 
Charybdis1618
Jiminy has set up the birdhouse under a bell jar in the center of a counter. He uncoiled a spool of solder wire around it, mimicking a razor wire fence. Four small electric tea lights sit on inverted drinking glasses like spotlights on watchtowers. A piece of masking tape on the bell jar has the words "Fort Knocks" written on it in a shaky hand. Jiminy himself sits on a roll of scrap leather, and glances over his shoulder as you enter.
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Xihirli 
  "I’m a construction worker,"  Leif tells them.  "Taking night classes, though. Hoping to get my electrician’s license. Would you say it’s hard?"  
 

"It's a lot of memorizing stuff at the beginning. Once you know how to not shock yourself, the rest comes easier. Back in my day you had to do the math, but now even a cheap multimeter will do it for you. Which company are you with? We might have contracted for them before."

They make polite conversation about professional matters. They've definitely contracted for your company before, and largely share your opinions on the higher-ups.
Batcathat
Rufus barely supressed a smile. " Good to see you are taking this so... seriously. " He walked over to counter turned fortification and peered at the mossy birdhouse. " Have you noticed any changes? "

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

I know I've played Jiminy previously, but in this case I suppose it's better to have him as a regular NPC, since I don't actually know what's been going on. 😛
 
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Batcathat 
 Rufus barely supressed a smile. " Good to see you are taking this so... seriously. " He walked over to counter turned fortification and peered at the mossy birdhouse. " Have you noticed any changes? " 
 

"Nothing in the moss itself, no. A rat got in, and started trying to climb up the table. I can't tell if it was magic at all, but I wasn't about to find out. I drove it off, then set this up. Y'know, just in case it snuck up on me and ate me, the moss would still be safe."

 
 Spoiler 
 If your image of Jiminy's personality would be different to this, let me know and we can work out a retcon.
 
Batcathat
" Good to know ", Rufus said and rubbed his chin in thought. " But just to be safe... "

With three taps of the cane, Rufus created first a large gong next to Jiminy, then a matching hammer and finally a thick cube of pure diamond around the entire workbench.

" That should keep any mundane threats out, at least. I'll be downstairs, signal me with the gong in case anything happens. Or if the moss starts looking unhealthy, it might require oxygen more than you do. " He paused, feeling a  little  bad. " And think about what reward you might want for your... dedication in this matter. No, I still will not make you a, quote, 'voluptuous secretary'. "

With that, Rufus headed back downstairs to see to their impromptu guests.
Charybdis1618
Kris looks up at you as you approach again.

"So, are you an antique dealer? This stuff looks cool, but I can't hardly tell what half of it is."
Batcathat
" Something like that, yes ", Rufus said, looking around the shelves. " I am something of a specialist in acquiring particularly peculiar items. "

He turned to Leif. " Would you mind trying to get a hold of the others and see when they'll be here? As much as I appreciate the company of our new friends, I believe we do have some work to do. "
Charybdis1618
(I'll assume Rufus engages them in polite conversation. Leif, I want to hear how this phone conversation goes.)
Xihirli
 "Of course, he doesn’t fire his darling nephew, but for reporting the incident  I  get to talk  to the cops,"  Leif finishes as Rufus comes down.
 "Hmm? Oh, sure." 
Leif walks to get some privacy and stops when he spots a rotary phone.
 "Hey, just like back home."  And Leif, with practiced ease, got it set up and put in a number.
 "I’ll call… Yume,"  he decides, and does.
 "Hey, where are you at? Could we get an ETA, or do you need help?" 
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
  "We will be there soon."  
Xihirli
That sounded a little ominous to Leif, but he returned to Rufus with a shrug.
 " They’ll get here when they get here, I guess." 
Esprit15
 “Are we heading back to Rufus’s shop, then?” 
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  

 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
  “Are we heading back to Rufus’s shop, then?”  
 

  "Yes, we shall go there now."  
Charybdis1618
You're able to get back to Walcraft House quickly enough. You see the van across the street, as described. The latch on the back door is still rubberized, thanks to Rufus, and opens with a gentle tug. Inside, you see spools of wire and racks of tools covering the walls.

(Give me Investigation to search the van, please.)
Esprit15
Sarah looks around at a fairly normal speed.
 
 Spoiler 
 14  in the Discord
 
Charybdis1618
There's a noteworthy absence of evidence of malfeasance. No murder or burglary kits are readily apparent, nor in any reasonable hiding spot. However, you do find a printout of a work order taped to one wall. The work order calls for the electricians to fix an improperly installed light switch in an office above the store across the street from Walcraft House. The special instructions warn that the owner is "nearly 90 years old and has asthma," and so they should wait until he leaves to do the work. They will know he is gone when the light turns off. Checking from the street, there is one office window with a light still on.
Esprit15
 “Hm. Weird,”  the woman says as she puts the paper back.  “Late night job I guess,”  she adds with a shrug, looking off at the lit room. Though… hm. Would they have left their vehicle unlocked if they were working?

As she hops out of the truck, she mumbles.  “ Ninety with asthma and still runs a business? Some people  relax  in their final years…  Wires, papers, no surveillance equipment. Probably. Though maybe we ought to check what their friends are doing in the building over there?”  She gestures to the room with a light on.
Batcathat
Rufus tapped a button on a practically antiquated intercom that connected him to room where the golems did whatever it was they did when not busy with their duties. " We are expecting more company in a little while and I suspect we might be expected to feed them, so go see what you can throw together. " Looking at their unexpected guests, he lowered his voice.  " And make sure you do not come into the shop until I tell you to. " 
Xihirli
L "Just how many servants do you have?"  Leif asks Rufus, shaking his head with a chuckle.
 "If you’re ever feeling burdened under the weight of too much money, let me know." 
Batcathat
" Never quite enough of them to be useful, it seems like ", Rufus replied with something close to a smile. " As for money, it is rarely a problem. "

Carefully placing his back to the guests and lowering his voice, Rufus tapped his cane and a thick wad of bills – though closer inspection would reveal them to be genuine four-and-a-half-dollar bills, with Rufus and Jiminy depicted on either side. " One way or the other. " With another tap, the money disappeared.

His favorite grand-daughter had once compared Rufus to a stage illusionist and sometimes he had to admit she might've had a point.
Charybdis1618
The one called Kris has stood up, and is now peering at an antique drafting desk. He just barely stops himself short of reaching for its power switch.
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: Invisible
 
 
 
  
Yume finds a safe place to go invisible and runs up the outside of the building to take a peak into the apartment.
Esprit15
Sarah meanwhile quietly sneaks in.
 
 Spoiler 
Stealth:  (1d20+10)[ 26 ] 
Hide in Plain Sight
 
Charybdis1618
No one notices Sarah as she climbs the stairs. There is one person, possibly in an altered state, sleeping across the stairwell, but she's able to step over him easily enough. The door is locked. Yume, as you look through the window, you see that the small apartment is completely unoccupied.
Esprit15
Sarah sighs quietly as she steps over the unconscious man. Trying the door but finding it locked, she reaches for her Bobby pin, but remembers that it broke earlier at the hospital.  “Hmmm, do you…”  she mumbles toward the unconscious man as she checks his form for keys to the door. If he’s supposed to be here, he should have some to the room.
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
 Sarah sighs quietly as she steps over the unconscious man. Trying the door but finding it locked, she reaches for her Bobby pin, but remembers that it broke earlier at the hospital.  “Hmmm, do you…”  she mumbles toward the unconscious man as she checks his form for keys to the door. If he’s supposed to be here, he should have some to the room. 
 

His keys are in an outside pocket of his jacket. None of them fit the door.
Esprit15
Sarah places the keys back in his pocket.  &lt;Let’s find the others before messing with this even more. Last thing we need is one of us falling victim.&gt;  Sarah makes her way to Rufus’s building.
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
With noting interesting to see in the apartment Yume jumps down and meets back up with Sarah.
Charybdis1618
The two of you enter the shop, and see the electricians from the van inside. One is currently inspecting Rufus' wares. They both look over as the door opens.

"Your friends?" asks Martin.
Esprit15
 “Yeah, or at least acquaintances. You all taking a break from the job across the street?”  she asks, looking the men up and down.
Charybdis1618
"Waiting for the owner to go home so we can start. The work order said we needed to wait for him to turn off the light, and not to disturb him at all. We've been waiting. Mr. Walcraft here has generously offered us hospitality for a bit, while we wait."

They look the part of electricians. Both are wearing worn canvas overalls and long-sleeved button-up shirts, stained from years of use. One is clean-shaven, the other has a short-cropped wavy beard. Neither one shows any sign of recognizing you or Yume as out of the ordinary.
Esprit15
 “What about your friend? Get so bored he fell asleep?” 
Charybdis1618
"No, Mr. Rufus' coffee is far too good for that. We're happy to ... well, we're perfectly willing to go back to the van if you need the shop, though. What kind of an old man keeps these kinds of hours?"
Esprit15
 “No, the passed out guy in the apartment,”  she says, gesturing across the street.
Charybdis1618
"Don't know who that would be, but let's go take a look, then. Kris, get the radio from the van. We may need to report this, if something's gone wrong."
Batcathat
Rufus raised an eyebrow at the conversation, before turning towards Sarah and Yume. " Is that something that might require any...  specialized  attention? "
Xihirli
Leif stands up as well, looking curious.
   It’s that Sandman again, I’m sure of it. And as I recall from the last time I "fought" it…  
 "We should all stay together. If he’s knocked out, someone might have attacked him." 
Esprit15
 “It may,”  Sarah says as she heads toward the door.
Charybdis1618
Martin and Kris exchange an uneasy look, then shrug. They head for the door, and return to their van. Kris reaches through and grabs a small black radio. They wait for Sarah to take the lead back to where she found the person. Martin glances up at the still-lit window.

"If he was leaving and fell down the stairs or something, wouldn't he have turned the light off?"
Esprit15
 “Dunno, the keys in his pocket didn’t open the door…”  Sarah says absentmindedly as she takes out her bow and assembles it.  “Whole thing smells weird.”  As the group enters the building, Sarah knocks an arrow and takes point.
Batcathat
Rufus followed the others into the building, clutching his cane in one hand and the Lucky Loonie in the other, while trying to divide his attention between looking ahead of them through his glasses and keeping an eye on the workmen. He wasn't sure whether they were ignorant bystanders or somehow involved, but either could be trouble.
Charybdis1618
The unconscious person is still there, lying across the stairs, just as you left him. A thin river of drool has begun to roll down the stairs from his slack jaw.
Esprit15
 “Yume, check him for injuries, anything else that may be wrong with him. Shroud, watch entrances, including anything in the ceiling. Rufus, assist Yume in any way she needs. Lief, keep the workers safe.”  Sarah for her part does as she instructed Shroud to do, thoroughly over the course of a second scanning the ceiling for any means of entry before moving down the walls. She makes a point to still  move  at a normal rate, so as to not spook the workers.
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Esprit15 
  “Yume, check him for injuries, anything else that may be wrong with him. Shroud, watch entrances, including anything in the ceiling. Rufus, assist Yume in any way she needs. Lief, keep the workers safe.”  Sarah for her part does as she instructed Shroud to do, thoroughly over the course of a second scanning the ceiling for any means of entry before moving down the walls. She makes a point to still  move  at a normal rate, so as to not spook the workers. 
 

Yume: Medicine check, please. You can gain whatever benefits Rufus' Assistance can offer.

Shroud: Perception, please.

Leif: Please briefly describe how you go about guarding them. They also glance at the ceiling and behind them. They're willing to follow your lead. Martin does take a moment to ask "Who  are  you people? Is that a bow?" Kris adds, mostly to himself, "That's one way around gun restrictions, I guess."

Rufus: Help as you wish. I'll adjudicate the rolls as necessary.
Xihirli
 "Let's head inside and get to work,"  Leif suggests.  "Get this done together. Everyone stay within my sight line." 
 
 Spoiler 
Gettin' them in and out as quick as possible, hoping that my background in carpentry will also let me safety inspect the stuff they're working on.
 
Batcathat
As much as he did not like being ordered around, Rufus admitted that perhaps miss Stillwater was a... tad more experienced than him in situations such as whatever this was. So he nodded and walked up to the person on the ground and leaned forward. He was no physician, but a scientific mind could go a long way – especially when accompanied by magical glasses.
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
Yume takes a look at the man.
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Treatment:  (1d20+2)[ 19 ] 
 
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Izzarra 
 Yume takes a look at the man. 
 

He seems to be passed out drunk, from all physical signs. However, his breath smells nowhere near as strongly of alcohol as would be expected for his current condition. Rufus' x-ray vision confirms that his heart is still beating. His breathing is shallow, but his airways are clear.
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
Yume's nostrils flair as she sniffs the air around the man.
  "Looks like too much drink. Doesn't smell like too much sake. Maybe drugged?"  
Esprit15
Without looking, she speaks to the men.  “Your friend here have any vices?” 
Charybdis1618
Kris nudges him with the toe of a work boot. "I don't know this guy. Do you, Martin?"

Martin glances down. "I don't know him either."
Esprit15
 “Wait, he’s not your friend  and  he’s not your client?” 
Charybdis1618
"Doesn't look 'nearly 90' to me, and I don't recognize him."

"The order came through the website, though. No one ever met the client in person."

"The down payment cleared, though. We wouldn't be here otherwise."
Esprit15
 “Should the door have been left unlocked? When we checked in him before it was locked and we couldn’t get in…”  Easing her grip on the bow and arrow, Sarah walks up to the door to knock on it.
Charybdis1618
"It said the key would be left under the doormat."
Esprit15
She checks under the doormat.
Charybdis1618
You find the key there, as expected. When you insert it, the door is unlocked. You distinctly remember it having been locked when you checked the previous time. The door swings open with a faint creak of hinges needing oil. The lights are on overhead, revealing a neatly-kept office space. On a table to one side of the office, you hear a faint hiss of steam. A drip-brew coffee maker sits, with a fresh pot still releasing steam. A small index card has been folded to stand, bearing a message.

"Drink up, friends! Thanks for being willing to work late. -John"
Esprit15
 ”Huh, looks like he just forgot to turn off the light…”  While she’s out of view, she does a thorough search of the office for any signs of… well, anything. Signs that a baku might reside here, signs of break in, etc. Maybe the old man  did  leave the light on by mistake but it just seemed to weird.
 
 Spoiler 
Quickness 8
Perception:  (1d20+10)[ 16 ] 
 
Charybdis1618
There's no sign of the baku, to be sure. There's a potted plant in front of the only visible air vent, which would obstruct the view from it. There are no other immediate signs of malfeasance. Nobody and nothing visibly hiding anywhere, no signs of a break-in. You quickly spot the erroneous switch in the wall opposite the door, next to a bookcase.
Batcathat
Stepping into the room, Rufus took a look of his own through his glasses.

" Unless there is more to do here, perhaps we should put the passed out gentleman to bed and get back to the actual business at hand? "
Charybdis1618
Nothing seems immediately awry, physically. There are no hidden assailants in the vents, in the walls, or anywhere else. Nothing here seems physically dangerous. Your eyes are drawn to the copy of the work order printed out on the desk. It says nothing about the owner being elderly, asthmatic, or anything of the sort. It states that the light will be left on for them, and the key left under the mat.

 
 Spoiler 
(Please make an Expertise: Magic roll)
 
Xihirli
Leif nodded.  "Yeah. Come on boys, let's finish up the job here so you can all go home. Don't want you getting in trouble, or getting caught up in anything." 
Esprit15
 “You don’t find this odd?”  Sarah asks.
Charybdis1618
(Rufus, take a Hero Point, by virtue of your convenience to the situation.)

Rufus, you would most certainly find this odd, but your glasses happened to slip at exactly the wrong moment. By the time you have them back in place, and look more carefully at the magical side of the world, it's too late. The layer of illusion covered the entire rear wall, so uniformly that it did not stand out as an anomaly at first glance. Just as Kris has unscrewed the second screw of the erstwhile switch, the lights flicker off. When they come back on a second later, all of you at first think you have been teleported into a tropical hedge maze. Walls of tangled, colorful vine crowd close around you, with a gap leading out of the small space you currently stand in. A closer look shows them to, in fact, be tangled curtains of wires. Kris and Martin seem to not have noticed anything different about the room, focusing on their work.

The wires are quasi-illusory. While you could probably walk through one if you tried, you get the feeling that it would be inadvisable to do so. They are magically active enough to block Rufus' x-ray vision. Additionally, it seems like a faint haze hangs around Kris and Martin, occluding their peripheral vision.

A chuckle echoes through the room, reverberating off the insides of your skulls. It's simultaneously shrill and bone-shakingly deep, malicious and innocent, familiar and alien. Once again, Kris and Martin seem not to notice anything unusual.
Esprit15
The huntress scowls as the voice fills her head, and her bow is drawn instantly. She peers down the open space and thinks for a minute whether to loose an arrow at the illusory walls, but decides against it. Odds were high that the walls were not  retaliatory  to damage, but she wasn't sure whether the workers could actually perceive them, and releasing an arrow that just embeds into a wall would probably just make the situation more dangerous and confusing to the poor men.

She settles on a safer course of action.  "You all heard that, right?" 
Batcathat
Rufus groaned, his brow furrowed. " Unfortunately yes, miss Stillwater. " He held his cane tightly in one hand, adjusting his glasses with the other. " Any idea of what we are dealing with? "
Xihirli
Leif freezes at the chuckle, a and looks about with paranoia trying to find the source.
Esprit15
Sarah looks at the quasi-illusions and replays the scene that played out before her. She had time to think. All the time in the world. What  happened  here? In her mind, she explores a library of notes, instruction, and memories. Illusions. Unconsciousness prey. The inconsistent messages. The obscuring haze. As though playing twenty questions with herself, each detail strikes off dozens of possible answers, but there had to be something. A clear hint.

The  laughter .

  It's toying with us,   she realizes.   It's a creature that  enjoys  trapping prey. Like a will-o-the-wisp.   Her grip on the bow tightens. She  hated  dealing with this type of creature. Powerful, dishonest, and intelligent enough to make the first two dangerous.

As she speaks, Sarah is visibly tense. Her voice is slow, flat, and precise.  "Touch nothing. We are in a trap. Some sort of predatory spirit. A fae, in most of your frameworks. A youkai in Yume's... Don't believe a word it says, if it speaks to you. They enjoy false truths. The repairs were the trick, which is why the message was inconsistent. There's no old man with asthma who lives here. Or at least there likely isn't now." 

She scans the room, ready to loose a barrage of arrows at any non-human that shows up unexpectedly.
Charybdis1618
With Sarah's warning, nobody is caught unawares when the wire hedges rustle all about, and three small nearly-humanoid figures emerge. Each one would come up to Lief's waist if it stood upright, rather than leaning forward and extending their arms. Their flesh is rubbery and matte, respectively the same red, blue, and green of some of the wires. Their faces are only slightly featured, and the features present seem to shift subtly when you look away and back. Their eyes are far too small, and glow, almost precisely mimicking a smoke detector's blinking LED. The giggle sounds again, echoing in all your heads. All three shallow mouths quirk upwards, in a gross parody of a human smile. Red and Blue lumber towards the lot of you collectively, while Green moves towards Kris and Martin.

[Please roll initiative. I'll make a post with the initiative order and such tonight.]
Esprit15
Sarah scowls and in a moment, vanishes. Suddenly, an impossible number of arrows fly toward the creatures from breaks in the “foliage” at every angle. It’s as though she’s everywhere and nowhere all at once.
 
 Spoiler 
Move: Hide in Plain Sigh
Stealth:  (1d20+10)[ 28 ] 

Action: Arkhermiens (Bow) - All Out Attack (5) - Multiattack (3 Targets)
Attack (Red):  (1d20+9)[ 21 ]  Crit on 18-20
Crit confirm:  (1d20+9)[ 18 ] 

Attack (Green):  (1d20+9)[ 21 ]  Crit on 18-20
Crit confirm:  (1d20+9)[ 11 ] 

Attack (Blue):  (1d20+9)[ 24 ]  Crit on 18-20
Crit confirm:  (1d20+9)[ 21 ] 

Resistance: 18 Toughness (23 on Crit)
 
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
Unsure of what is in front of her, Yume decides to try to restrain these things. Pulling out a paper tag she imbues it with ki and throws it at the nearest one.
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
 (1d20+5)[ 24 ] 
Binding Tag: Affliction 5 (Resisted by Dodge; Hindered and Vulnerable, Defenseless and Immobilized), Ranged, Extra Condition, Limited Degree
 
Charybdis1618
The arrows and tags fly true. Red and Green both collapse with an arrow through the neck. The bodies crumble into powder that suspiciously resembles plastic dust. Blue's limbs and head go limp, although it remains upright.

As if from across a field, carried by a gentle breeze, and seemingly slowed without taking more time, you hear Kris asking "Where's the multimeter? I thought you had it." Martin responds "Is it in the other bag? Oh, that one's by the door."
Xihirli
On the back of Leif’s neck, he feels a tingling and a sensation that something was going to go wrong with that bag.
 "I’ll get it."  And he moves to do so.
Charybdis1618
As you head down the corridor of wire walls, it split after a few feet. You can see both the left and right branches leading to further junctions as well. Welcome to the maze. Please roll Investigation to navigate it.
Esprit15
For a second, Sarah thinks to just quickly explore the maze, but stops herself.  “We are almost certainly not alone in here. Stick together.”  She collects her arrows and has another one knocked and half drawn as she takes point.
 
 Spoiler 
Investigation:  (1d20+5)[ 16 ] 
 
Xihirli
Leif turns back and yells:
 "Second thought, I could use a hand!" 
He puts his hand on the right wall, ready to lead the way with the right-hand rule.

 
 Spoiler 

I don’t want to go in just yet, but I’ll do investigation to see what I can figure out from the entrance.
 (1d20)[ 19 ] 
 
Charybdis1618
The wire wall feels oddly smooth under Leif's touch. Its texture more closely resembles a solid wall with decorative, raised filigree than a bundle of individual wires. After a few seconds a tingle runs up your fingertips. You've taken enough classes to know what electrical charge feels like, and pull your hand back in time to avoid more than a minor spark.

When your backs are turned, you hear a faint, plastic-y clack behind you. You see another pair of those LED eyes peeking out from the wire wall. Your brawler's instincts whisper in your ear. Despite their featureless roundness, those eyes seem for all the world like they look eager, if not impatient.
Batcathat
Rufus peered at the wire wall, half intrigued and half annoyed at something so – at least for the moment, he reminded himself – incomprehensible. Though under the circumstances, their purpose was unlikely to be pleasant.

" If you don't mind, I could use a change in scenery ", he said as he tapped the floor with his cane. Where it hit the ground, marble shot out along the floor, quickly spreading to the walls and ceiling, covering wirey walls and creepy eyes alike in a thick layer of stone as far as possible.

How much protection it would actually offer was uncertain, but at least it changed the vibe from hellish labyrinth to bargain-basement Roman temple.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

To be clear what Rufus is doing (or attempting to do, anyway) is covering every surface he can in marble, using Create.

And in case he can learn anything about the labyrinth from where he is...
 Investigation :  (1d20+13)[ 22 ] 
 
Xihirli
Leif hums.
 "I wonder if I could brute force my way through the walls?"  He suggests.
 "It’s hurt, but Grandmother won’t let me die." 
Charybdis1618
You can feel it partially working. Whatever magic conjured the walls also prevents their direct transformation. However, a thin veneer of marble rises from the floor to cover the walls. An experimental touch reveals only cold marble.

Off to your right, you hear a faint crack, far fainter than the splitting of marble should have been. A new pair of LED eyes, yellow this time, looks out from a small hole in the ceiling.
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Xihirli 
 Leif hums.
 "I wonder if I could brute force my way through the walls?"  He suggests.
 "It’s hurt, but Grandmother won’t let me die."  
 

You're welcome to try on your next initiative pass.
MechaAce
 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 You can feel it partially working. Whatever magic conjured the walls also prevents their direct transformation. However, a thin veneer of marble rises from the floor to cover the walls. An experimental touch reveals only cold marble.

Off to your right, you hear a faint crack, far fainter than the splitting of marble should have been. A new pair of LED eyes, yellow this time, looks out from a small hole in the ceiling. 
 

The Shroud had been bringing up the rear, she'd anchored more building entries than she liked to remember and knew the drill well, her suppressed SMG out, covering the corners and the ceiling, so quiet it was hard to recall she was there unless she was directly in sight.

"Contact up" she said tersely.  Her APC9K coughed several times as she put a burst between those glowing yellow eyes.  Maybe enough of the little guys going down would get the boss's attention, this didn't feel like the entirety of an ambush.

 
 Spoiler 

Initiative 24
To hit: 21, Multi-attack, damage 3.
 
Charybdis1618
The eyes blink out. The crack seals, also closing the holes the bullets left. Looking around, you can see other cracks in this room.

[BACK TO THE TOP]
Esprit15
Sarah begins to just barrage the cracks with arrows.  “Go do whatever it is you need to do, we can keep them at bay!” 
 
 Spoiler 
Multiattack - Let’s say another 3 targets
All Out Attack (5)
Attack:  (1d20+9)[ 22 ]  crit on 18-20
Toughness: 18 (23 on crit)

Attack:  (1d20+9)[ 17 ]  crit on 18-20
Toughness: 18 (23 on crit)

Attack:  (1d20+9)[ 29 ]  crit on 18-20
Toughness: 18 (23 on crit)
 
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
With the threatening figures being held at bay by the others, Yume places an ofuda on her forehead and takes a closer look at the maze that has appeared.
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Sight Tag
- Counters Concealment/Invisibility (Vision)
- Counters Illusion (Vision)
- Magical Awareness (Vision)

Perception:  (1d20+8)[ 20 ] 
 
Charybdis1618
The appearance of the wires is illusory, but there is a semi-solid surface under each. It would seem to be some sort of magical field, charged with electricity. As you saw, touching one can cause a shock. One could theoretically jump through one, but it would be extraordinarily painful. A wall could possibly be dispelled, but it would only create a small hole, and one that would close up shortly thereafter.
Batcathat
" As I fear my usefulness at combating mysterious monsters is somewhat limited ", Rufus said, his voice only betraying the slightest tremble but his right hand gripping his cane far harder than was strictly necessary. " I suppose I might as well head into the great unknown, as it were. "

" I'd ask you to wish me luck ", he said as he started walking into the maze, twirling his Lucky Loonie between his fingers. " But I prefer to make my own. "

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

I'm not sure how far the marble stretches at the moment, but if Rufus moves far enough to reach the end, I'd like to use my standard action to create more of it in front of him.

Oh, and he's not actually using the Lucky Loonie (at least right now), just trying to look cool. 😎
 
Charybdis1618
Between Sarah's speed and the Shroud's nudges of instinct, those two are able to keep the eyes from looking at them too long. The marble facade soon crumbles away, but their shots dissolve into the wire walls. Nothing jumps out at them.

As if from far away, you hear Martin say "Sounds like thunder. Hope we can get back before it rains on us."

Rufus, Yume, and Leif turn the first couple of corners safely, the marble cladding keeping ahead of you. Around the third corner, I'll need a Perception check from each of you.
Xihirli
 "Stay close to me, in case something hits us!"  Leif instructs the other chargers.

 
 Spoiler 
Reminder that I have Interpose and will use it to prevent others from injury.
 
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Perception:  (1d20+8)[ 14 ] 
 
Charybdis1618
Yume was fast enough to notice that the crack between two panels in the marble "floor" is slightly larger than expected, and get out of the way. Rufus did not notice, and was surprised when a tangle of wire threw aside the panel and lashed out in all directions. Leif saw, and managed to jump in the way to take the hit himself. The wires don't quite hurt, but they wrap about your ankles and up your calves. Please make a Strength check to break free. If it doesn't succeed, the others can help you.
Xihirli
Leif kicks the wires powerfully, ripping through them.
 "No worries everyone."  
Charybdis1618
The three of you take a few more twists and turns as you move past the wire snare. It seems to be taking you a much longer distance than you'd have expected to fit in this room. You eventually arrive near the coffee maker, still bearing its cheerful sticky note.

Sarah, Shroud, a pair of eyes peeking down from the ceiling does not retreat when you both shoot it. Rather, the ceiling panel falls, and an amorphous blob resembling white molten plastic falls through the crack you opened up. As it lands on the floor, four legs and a head emerge. The head grows small, pointy ears, which immediately flatten. The eyes light up like a fluorescent bulb. A muzzle extends, then splits into a mouth full of jagged saw-like teeth. The wire wolf makes no sound, but somehow a growl resonates in both your souls. Please make Will saves. I'll roll it into initiative in a bit.
Batcathat
" Not that I mind a good cup of coffee, but I must admit I was expecting something... a little bit grander at the end of this mysterious, magical and bloody miserable maze. " Rufus raised his cane and gave the coffe maker a little tap with the level of care usually reserved for handling live explosives.
Charybdis1618
Nothing explodes. There's clearly a bit of magic suffusing the coffee itself, but only a touch.
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
 
 Spoiler 

 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 Please make Will saves. 
 

Will:  (1d20+5)[ 18 ] 
 
MechaAce
 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 The three of you take a few more twists and turns as you move past the wire snare. It seems to be taking you a much longer distance than you'd have expected to fit in this room. You eventually arrive near the coffee maker, still bearing its cheerful sticky note.

Sarah, Shroud, a pair of eyes peeking down from the ceiling does not retreat when you both shoot it. Rather, the ceiling panel falls, and an amorphous blob resembling white molten plastic falls through the crack you opened up. As it lands on the floor, four legs and a head emerge. The head grows small, pointy ears, which immediately flatten. The eyes light up like a fluorescent bulb. A muzzle extends, then splits into a mouth full of jagged saw-like teeth. The wire wolf makes no sound, but somehow a growl resonates in both your souls. Please make Will saves. I'll roll it into initiative in a bit. 
 

The Shroud's gun barrel follows the blob down as it falls and morphs.  It's hard to take it in... but hopefully not hard to take out!

 
 Spoiler 
 (The Shroud) Request: [1d20+5] Roll: [14] Result: 19
 
Charybdis1618
New round, down initiative order. Those in blocks, no need to wait.
Esprit15
The monster hunter doesn’t so much as flinch at the growl from the creature. She’d long since lost a sense of fear at the unknown. A barrage of arrows flies from every direction toward the monstrosity as the woman vanishes from sight.
 
 Spoiler 
Arkhermiens
All Out Attack - +5 attack, -5 defense
Attack:  (1d20+12)[ 32 ]  Crit 18-20
Multiattack - Single Target
Toughness Check: 18 (20 on 2 DoS, 23 on 3 DoS, +5 on crit)
Penetrating 3, Affects Insubstantial 2, Indirect 4

Stealth (Hide in Plain Sight):  (1d20+10)[ 25 ] 
 
Charybdis1618
The wolf falls, with several arrows sticking out of it. Although its howl failed to rattle you both, it managed to distract you just long enough. Five cracks in the walls open, and nearly identical wolves step out. They all seem sculpted from the same red plastic. However, you can see a column of numbers etched in white in their chests, resembling a serial number. One numeral near the center of the number column is printed slightly bolded.

(The number they're denoted with in initiative order is the unique number each wolf shows.)
Charybdis1618
With only one target readily available, both 1 and 2 take bites at Shroud.

 
 Spoiler 
 Nat 1 and 17
 
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
Yume examines the coffee maker.
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Investigation:  (1d20+2)[ 18 ] 
Counters Concealment/Invisibility (Vision)
Counters Illusion (Vision)
Magical Awareness (Vision)
Accurate (Smell)
Acute (Smell)
 
Charybdis1618
 
 Originally Posted by Izzarra 
       
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  
Yume examines the coffee maker.
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Investigation: [roll0]
Counters Concealment/Invisibility (Vision)
Counters Illusion (Vision)
Magical Awareness (Vision)
Accurate (Smell)
Acute (Smell)
 
 
 


The device itself is unaltered. The coffee contained within carries a drop of magic. Surprisingly, given the folklore of the fae, there is no charm laid upon the coffee. There is no evidence of mind-control, binding, or any other effect. Rather, it's a simple rejuvenation spell. It will energize a consumer, and soothe any aches, pains, or gaping wounds.

[There's 4 cups' worth in the pot, and mugs. Anyone who drinks a cup will be targeted with Healing 5.]
Batcathat
Rufus looked back and forth between the coffee and the kitsune. " Assuming you are indeed deducing and not just deep in the throes of a caffeine addiction, did you learn anything useful? To put it in the language of a diminutive associate of mine... coffee good or coffee bad? "
Charybdis1618
(Executive decision: we're moving on. I'm assuming that you'll report the coffee is enchanted but innocuous, nobody will want to chance it anyway, and you'll move on. I'll assume that Shroud and Sarah can clean up the wolves. If anybody has objections, message me and we'll figure it out. Otherwise, we'll move on to the final encounters of this segment in a bit. Thanks for your patience, friends.)
Charybdis1618
Leif, Rufus, and Yume don't have to walk far. The other opening in the wire wall is shaped exactly like an arched doorway. Through it, they can see the worn canvas tool caddy, sitting by the door to the hallway. The overhead light seems a bit brighter in here.

Sarah and Shroud drop the last of the wire wolves. Nothing more stirs. Kris and Martin seem to be moving in slow motion, still oblivious. The air hangs heavy and close, like a storm about to break.
Batcathat
Having had his fill of things not being what they seemed and then some, Rufus took a good look around through his glasses, with his cane slightly raised and ready to trap, transform or just thump anything out of the ordinary.
Esprit15
Sarah recovers her arrows and nocks one in preparation for more danger.  "If the coffee is indeed safe, a cup of it might be restorative to the man downstairs." 
Xihirli
 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 Leif, Rufus, and Yume don't have to walk far. The other opening in the wire wall is shaped exactly like an arched doorway. Through it, they can see the worn canvas tool caddy, sitting by the door to the hallway. The overhead light seems a bit brighter in here. 
 

Leif steps through the arched doorway and looks inside the tool caddy, picking it up and looking through it.
 "The workers didn't come in until we brought them here, so whose is this?" 
Charybdis1618
The arch closes behind you as you look at the bag. The lamp in the ceiling flares, then the bulb breaks. A bolt of lightning arcs down, splitting in two as it descends. One bolt arcs towards each of the groups. You feel the static building up around your skin, like a field of needles being driven ever deeper into your flesh. A flash of pain arcs across every nerve in your body. Once you blink away the aftershock, you see a mass of crackling white-hot energy hovering approximately chest height in the center of the room. It is now the only source of light in each of your rooms. Its flickering, crackling light throws a tangle of shadows across the floor and walls, obscuring their precise locations.

(Everyone please give me a Toughness save against the lightning pulse, then roll initiative.)
Xihirli
Leif grits his teeth and pushes through the pain, aiming to break that lamp in case it had another charge in there.

 
 Spoiler: Rollz 
Toughness 17, Initiative 10.
 
Izzarra
      
     Yume Tsukiyomi    
Kitsune Shrine Maiden
Conditions: None
 
 
 
  

 
 Originally Posted by Charybdis1618 
 (Everyone please give me a Toughness save against the lightning pulse, then roll initiative.) 
 

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Toughness:  (1d20+5)[ 13 ] 
Initiative:  (1d20+2)[ 5 ] 
 