[DFRPG] Railroaded

[WindStruck]

Date: Saturday, June 14, 2025
Time: 08:10
Location: The Bowers' Family Restaurant
Weather: pure dreich, och

It's a lovely Saturday morning aside from the fact that it's completely overcast outside and sprinkling. Well, that probably counts for good weather in these parts. It's just getting into summer, after all, and monsoon season is just around the corner, if not here already. It's cool and muggy out.

Here at the Bowers' Family Restaurant, it's humming with activity as all the regular patrons are sitting down and enjoying their food. Whether it's pancakes and waffles, bacon or sausage, fruits and oatmeal, huevos rancheros or regular old eggs, to each his own. The place smells heavenly.

Erin is here on duty already.

Alexander, Brandon, Lillian: whoever posts first is already here as well. The last two are just stepping in.

For whatever reason, you've decided to have a nice meal or coffee here. However, something important is happening in the city later. Namely, the train is supposed to arrive at noon, and unless you are spoiled silly, you'll likely be needing to pick something up from The Yard.

Name: The Bowers Family Restaurant

Description: It's debatable whether the name is meant to be read as "The 'Bowers Family' Restaurant" or "The Bowers 'Family Restaurant'". In any event, most people just call it Bowers. The restaurant is renowned throughout the city and, honestly, beyond as a place that serves good food even in these troubled times. Really good food. To be clear, it isn't some big, fancy, five-star restaurant. It's more a hole-in-the-wall diner. With, and this must be stressed, really good food. The restaurant has a spacious floorplan and a warm, even cheery atmosphere, and is often regarded as a place where people can go to enjoy themselves for a bit, despite the trials of the world.

Aspects
Best Food in the City...And Probably Further.
Family Owned and Operated.
Spacious Floorplan, But Still a Restaurant
Just A Few Blocks From the House.
Gets Busy Around Dinnertime.

[Woodsman]

Alexander is sitting at the counter, cradling a steaming cup of black coffee as per usual. He rubs his eyes and takes a sip, setting it down with a quiet sigh. He'd spent a good portion of the night awake, patrolling around the city and keeping an eye out for anything unusual. It had been a quiet night, fortunately, but that didn't make Alex any less tired.

Still, the train was coming in later today, and Alexander was in desperate need of medical supplies. That was something to look forward to. He had been running low, and with monsoon season gearing up, he'd need more when the floods hit.

"Can I get some bacon and eggs?" he asks one of the Bowers as they pass by. The usual, of course."

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin was bustling about the kitchen area, as per usual. She was visible; the "kitchen" was really just the area of the restaurant with all the stoves and and cabinets and stuff, sectioned off from the dining room by nothing more than a counter. People could walk right up and watch their meals be cooked, if they wanted to (and a few counter-side seats offered a good view for those who wished to do just that). She went about her business cheerily. It was a good day, as far as she was concerned. The weather was not quite as bad as it could have been, the train was coming into town (and they were due for a restock), and...

...

...Huh. Well, good things were supposed to come in threes, so she supposed she had something to look forward to!

(And that right there was all you needed to know to understand the outlook of one Erin Bowers).

[inirlan]

Brandon was sitting in a corner - back to the wall and with a view of the main entrance. As he blearily eyed some coffee-stained study notes, nursing a big cup of coffee - or sugar cream with coffee flavor if you wanted to use the term his friend Ashley used to qualify how he liked his coffee - and munching his hearty breakfast.

Both cream and sugar were an expensive extra these days, especially this shortly before the next resupply, but it was a creature confort he was willing to pay. Some might call it childish, but he couldn't stand black or sugarless coffee.

Hm... The supply train would come in today, wouldn't? The influx of goods and the chance to export your own ones always made these occasions a flurry of activity. You didn't always get what you wanted, but it was the best way to get your hands on some scarce goods. He himself intended to pick up a few things, he was running low on his stock good, sturdy fabric for one. His personal coffee stash had also been considerably drained by some recent all-nighters.

As bacon and caffeine slowly banished the forces of Morpheus, he adjusted his duster and looked out of the nearest windows with an annoyed gaze. The weather was positively miserable. If his parents were to be believed, the region used to be dry and sunny. With days like these, it was hard to imagine.

[The_Snark]

After near a hundred years, Lillian Stone considered herself a pretty fair cook - but even she had to admit that the Bowers place made the best eggs in town. Privacy was all well and good, but sometimes you woke up craving an omelette. Normally she made a habit of only showing up at odd hours: late in the evening, or the middle of the afternoon slump. Most folks round here avoided her, and she liked it that way, but the ones running the restaurant were decent sorts and didn't need her darkening their doorstep at rush hour.

Besides which, it was hard to look properly witch-like while sitting in a booth eating pancakes, or what-have-you.

Today was different. Today was the day the train got in, and a leak in the kitchen made breakfast at home a hell of a lot less appetizing. A nice bite to eat in town, then she'd pick up what she needed to patch up her roof. (Again.) Should go smooth. Leaving the house was always a bit of a risk these days, but it couldn't be helped. She stepped over the threshold and gave the room a quick once-over, her expression set in a more-or-less permanent scowl. Crowded morning. Odds were she wasn't the only one killin' time until the train got into town. Well, she'd figured that would happen when she set off this morning. She could deal with some staring, muttering and get-thee-behind-mes. Problem was, it didn't seem like there was an empty booth in the house right now...

[Quellian-dyrae]

The siblings were in their kinda default configuration - Erin cooking (of course), Corey manning the register, Ashley waiting tables, and Elizabeth and Danny moving between kitchen and tables as necessary for sous chef jobs, cleanup, and whatever little tasks needed doing. Erin and Corey took counter orders depending on which the patron was sitting closest to. It wasn't how they did it all the time, they traded jobs around largely as whim struck them, but it was their go-to approach on an average day.

Erin cast Alex a slender grin and just passed his typical plate of eggs over to him. She knew his order by this point, and also knew there was very little reason not to get started on it once he had ordered his coffee. "Oh, hey, any word on people for the thing?" she asked. "The thing" in this case was...not so much a tradition, quite, but a little event Erin liked to try to do when the train came in. They usually set up a stand to serve some soups, stew, and chili in bread bowls, and they'd get some of the less financially stable folks who came around set up with some thermoses of soup and bags of bread bowls to go into the crowd to sell it. They got free food and a cut of the profits, so at the end of the day they had a bit more cash on hand to buy what they needed, and it usually came out to a net gain for the siblings too, despite the occasional loss of a thermos of soup and a bag of bread bowls.

(There was some security built into the premise; people were sent out with about ten bowls worth of supplies, and to get a refill, they had to come back to the stand and turn in the restaurant's cut of the money earned. So it was usually better in the long run for them to just be honest and do it right, but still, some people were desperate enough that they'd take their ten bread bowls and soup and go. Erin accepted it as part of the cost of doing business. Besides, if they were that desperate to get some food to their family, she wouldn't begrudge them that.)

'Course, the big point was getting people to do it who could use the extra money, and ideally who could be trusted not to run off with the food or the money. Which all made Alex a pretty good source for helpers.

Erin did, admittedly, tense some as Lillian Stone entered the restaurant. Not so much because of Stone's reputation - Erin was stubbornly convinced that it was just people saying nasty things about the poor old lady who lives alone on that ranch - but...she had noticed a certain correlation between Lillian being around and something spooky going on.

Still, she gave her a friendly wave as she entered.

[WindStruck]

Two people were sitting at a booth near the door casually enjoying a conversation with some breakfast. The one facing the door subtly pointed, and the other began to turn her head before just thinking it was a bad idea to look. They picked up their plate and drink and skedaddled over to a different booth with another couple.

Did the two pairs know each other? Maybe not, but if the others didn't know of Lillian's reputation, they sure as heck would through hushed whispers. In fact, the restaurant seemed to get a bit quieter.

On the bright side, there was now an empty table for Lillian after all. How thoughtful.

[Woodsman]

Alex nods and gives Erin a smile, taking his plate. "Yes, I've managed to drum up some support at the church. About the same number as last time, so we're in good shape." The church tended to attract the poorer folk who were down on their luck and needed a bit of work, and so there was usually a good number of volunteers for Erin's "thing" as she called it. Alexander was willing to lend a hand as well, as usual.

The hair on the back of his neck pricks up when Lillian enters. Hearing the commotion, he turns around to see her enter and another couple scurry out of a booth to join another. Alexander frowns and turns back to face away from the entrance, looking rather concerned. He'd heard quite about about the Stone woman, but he'd never met her face-to-face. He says nothing to Erin, though, especially as he catches her wave. If Stone was welcome in Erin's restaurant, then Alexander wouldn't cause any trouble.

[The_Snark]

Good manners dictated that Lillian wait a few seconds before taking the freshly-opened booth, so as to make it a bit less obvious that she'd just chased the previous occupants out. Scarin' folks was one thing, rubbing their faces in it something else. Fear had a way of fermenting if you overdid it, turning into something nasty and slinky and strong. Witch-hunts and angry mobs had been going out of style since before she was born, but the Stone family had stories, and the way things were these days she reckoned they were due to backslide. You couldn't be too careful.

Once seated, she cast her eye around the diner until she found one of the waiters and settled it there. A good waiter knew not to make eye contact until they were ready to handle you, but they'd notice for sure; a bad one would slip up, and then they'd have to come over or look like they're ignoring you apurpose.

(A really bad one wouldn't see a thing, but if you had one of those you were plum out of luck.)

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Awesome! Thanks so much, Alex," Erin said with a bright grin, chattering along while she rolled some dough together that would become some of those eventual bread bowls. "So, how've things been? The church getting on okay? Anything interesting happening?"

[Woodsman]

"Things have been quite well. Nothing very exciting has been going on," Alex says with a small smile. "I'm quite grateful for that of course. Haven't had to patch up many people lately either, which is always a blessing. How have things here been? Hopefully you and your family have been keeping out of trouble?"

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Things have been good!" Erin answered cheerily.

"If you don't count the roof leaking, a spare tire being stolen, and the electricity being out again," Elizabeth chimed in, deadpan.

Erin's smile didn't waver. She didn't. Day-to-day annoyances rolled off her shoulders like water off a duck.

"And um...well, we've been trying to, anyway! Some more than others, maybe..."

"It was one time, it'll grow back, and he deserved it," Danny challenged immediately as he walked over. "Two Apollos and a Poseidon for table seven."

(Yes, all the "combos" the restaurant offered were named after Greek gods. Yes, it was all Erin's fault.)

Erin nodded and went to work, although the cooking didn't appear to distract her from the conversation at all. If anything, the conversation distracted her from the cooking. This could generally be considered a good thing. See, when it came to food, supernatural inspiration didn't mean you could take a potato, half an onion, and some sprinkle cheese and somehow whip up a five star dinner. The ingredients still mattered. But Erin wasn't exactly the recipe-following type. She had the tendency to almost randomly (and sometimes even accidentally) try new things, toss in something that she thought would be good, and just generally "experiment". You rarely got exactly the same meal twice when she was cooking.

It was just, whatever random twists she added to the dishes? Usually wound up being exactly what the person was in the mood for. You order a hamburger, and she just kinda arbitrarily cooks it just the way you like it, puts on exactly the right vegetables and condiments (in exactly the right proportions), and if you ordered fries on the side because you didn't realize they served onion rings, she'd accidentally put onion rings on your plate anyway because she was chatting with someone while serving it up.

It wasn't mind reading. It was inspiration.

"Anything in particular you've got your eye on when the train gets in?"

Ashley...had been just walking over to Brandon's table, shifted towards Lillian as she sat down, but Corey caught her eye and gave a sort of "go ahead" nod in Brandon's direction, slipping out from behind the counter and grabbing a pad and a pencil. "Welcome to the Bowers, Ma'am. What can I get you?" he asked, leaning in and bringing the pencil up to write down her order.

And conveniently bringing him close enough to say, softly enough that it shouldn't go overheard over the general restaurant din, "Please tell me you're just here for a meal." The trepidation in his voice was unmistakable.

With her brothers covering the tables, Ashley was free to head over to Brandon's, taking a seat opposite him and curiously leaning over to try and get a look at his notes, upside-down though they were. "Heya. Sorry I didn't really have time to say hi earlier. Whatcha reading?"

[Woodsman]

"Well, as long as you haven't been to the hospital recently, I suppose I can't say too much," Alex says rather seriously, though there's the hint of a smile on his face. As worried as he normally was for this family, he had to admire the way they handled things. "I'm picking up some medical supplies. We've been rather desperate for them the past fortnight. It's been a blessing that few people have needed anything, but I'll feel much more comfortable when I'm well-stocked."

[inirlan]

Brandon smiled at Ashley as she took a seat opposite him. As she asked him what he was reading, his expression turned to a small sheepish smile.

"Hi Ashley! Well, finals week is nearly upon us, so I'm trying to cram everything."

As he said so, he spun some of the notes so that Ashley could see their content more easily - World History in this case.

"I really should have listened to you and started studying earlier."

Okay, it wasn't quite that bad, he was a good enough student and had worked all year long. But the eternal foe of the student - procrastination - had still taken its toll and he didn't feel fully confident about the finals.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"No hospital visits in almost three months!" Erin answered proudly.

"Ahhh," Ashley said, nodding, although there was just a hint of disappointment in her voice. "Well, at least it's a fun subject," she said. As far as she was concerned, studying history was like studying fairy tales. Sure, there were some dark or serious bits, but overall, stories of how the world used to be weren't all that much less cheerful than stories about knights and princesses and dragons. "You gonna be at it all day, or are you coming down to the train station when it gets in?"

I'm down to move along to plot whenever. I don't mind continuing to RP, but I am admittedly having some trouble coming up with stuff. What do people talk about in a post-apocalyptic world? :smallamused:

[Woodsman]

Alex raises his eyebrows. "Three months? That's quite an accomplishment," he chuckles, taking a sip of his coffee. "Let's hope we can make it another three months, yeah?"

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Have you met our brother?" Elizabeth asked with a bit of a smirk to go along with the resignedly-amused sarcasm in her voice.

Erin swatted her arm. "I think another three months is entirely doable!" she predicted confidently, before heading into the back to grab a few more potatoes and onions. And some cauliflower. Who even knew what she was planning to do with the cauliflower.

[WindStruck]

As Erin returned to the kitchen, there was a soft knock on the back door.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin looked to the door with slight surprise, before giving a gentle smile and a light sigh. There were a few kids in the neighborhood who came around sometimes when there wasn't enough food in the house, knowing there were good odds they could puppy-dog-eyes some out of the restaurant depending on which sibling opened the door. She went to the door and opened it, but just a crack. It was smart to be cautious, after all.

[WindStruck]

Behind the door was an attractively-dressed woman. Pleated skirt, open-toed sandals, a somewhat revealing and yet tasteful blouse. She was unbelievably beautiful and yet... still decidedly human-like in appearance. Her flaxen hair rolled in waves down to her waist...

Oh damn. This appeared to be Aphrodite.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Sooo...not some hungry kids looking for a handout, then, Erin thought, just a little dumbstruck.

The Greek Gods had been a part of Erin's world for almost two years now. It still came as a shock every time she saw one of them. She immediately opened the door the rest of the way, kinda wishing she had dressed a bit nicer, maybe put on a touch more makeup or styled her hair a bit more. It was a silly thought. Erin was not unattractive by any means, but she could have been dressed up for a formal ball and she'd still have felt plain next to the Goddess of Beauty.

And really, it was probably safer that way.

"Hey!" she greeted the goddess with all the warmth and informal enthusiasm of a friend, before opening the door all the way and stepping aside with a respectful bow of her head. "Please, come in. How may I be of service?" she then offered demurely. The Muses had made it quite clear that Erin was subservient to the Greek Gods and to do whatever they requested of her. She had always felt, however, that balancing the subservience with friendliness was a good approach.

(She also made it a point to invite Aphrodite in, because she managed to remember that thresholds existed but not that they didn't protect public locations, and she still had no idea if they had any effect whatsoever on gods.)

[WindStruck]

"Erin, darling! It's so good to see you!" the goddess says, giving Erin a hearty bear hug. She steps in from the rain after being invited in. Oddly enough, she carried no umbrella, though she really didn't look damp at all. If there's one thing Erin knew, it was that these gods could simply appear and disappear out of nowhere. Odds are she materialized right at the door before knocking.

"Oh, are you running this little hovel all by yourself? How adorable!" The goddess looked around a bit taking stock of the post-apocalyptic ensemble of utensils, food, and appliances that was the kitchen. She peered over toward the large window where all the customers ate and then at the cauliflower...

[Quellian-dyrae]

"It's good to see you too!" Erin replied cheerily, returning the hug. She didn't give any outward display of it, but inside, she felt a bit relieved. Erin's relationship with the Greek Gods was largely positive, but she'd seen enough of their egos and their tempers that she always tended towards cautious when they arrived until she had a sense of their moods.

Not, it had to be remembered, that those moods weren't subject to change.

"Not all alone. Me and my siblings," she answered, not offering argument on the "hovel" part. Erin wasn't the type to be easily offended, always tended to take things in the best possible light. To her, it probably is a hovel, she figured. Anything less than an extravagant mansion - or maybe one of the big casinos, she reflected - probably counted as a "hovel" to a Greek Goddess.

"Have you eaten? Can I offer you breakfast? Or something to drink, maybe?"

[Woodsman]

"I've patched you all up more times than I can count," Alex grins at Elizabeth, finishing his coffee. "I'm well aware of your brother's tendency to get himself into trouble. I think you could make it at least another month, hm? I certainly have faith in you all."

[Quellian-dyrae]

"A month we can probably manage," Elizabeth agreed, although the sarcasm wasn't completely gone from her voice. She passed by the door to the pantry and she went to flip some has browns, catching sight of Erin giving a hug to...someone she didn't recognize. But a very well-dressed, very attractive someone she didn't recognize.

"Oh boy," she murmured. She wasn't sure the woman was from the spooky side of the street, but she deemed it a not-unreasonable bet.

"I may have to revise my earlier estimate," she said to Alex as she walked back over to where she had been chopping vegetables, her body language noticeably more tense.

[inirlan]

"True, it can be a quite interesting subject, but I tend to know more about the Unseelie Accords than the Treaty of Versailles."

Brandon couldn't help but wince at the disappointment audible in Ashley's voice. She was one of his few friends and he didn't like to disappoint them.

"And I doubt I'd earn myself any points if I mentionned the supernatural conflicts that happened at the same time as WWII."

He had once gone on a rant about Heinrich Kemmler during one such exam... The teacher chalked it up to a vivid imagination and not having studied the material. Both of which were technically true.

"Yeah, I had intended to do go over to the station myself shortly before the train arrived. Do you want me to accompany you there?"



Typical High Schooler preoccupations? In this case, rumors going around the campus, their shared geek hobbies(manga, comics, novels...), class...

[The_Snark]

"Just an omelette," Lillian replied, smiling faintly. It wasn't the most reassuring of expressions; it was the kind of smile that suggested she knew something you didn't. Not that she meant much by it. Habit, that was all.

[WindStruck]

"Oh, the offer's kind," Aphrodite says. "You seem to make the most appetizing dishes with your... new-found talents."

"But..." she says ominously, "I actually came here on business, and I don't have much time. You see, I'm missing something..."

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Yeah if you want, the more the merrier!" Ashley answered, before lowering her voice a bit and adding with a conspiratorial grin, "Besides, if you're there, Liz may actually let me hang out and look around and stuff instead of having to spend the entire time selling soup."

Corey gave Lillian a wan look for just a moment. He could certainly take that to mean there wasn't anything weird afoot, but she hadn't actually confirmed that one way or another. Well, what could you do? "Coming right up," he answered, heading over to the counter to relay the order.

Erin nodded and kinda straightened. She wasn't quite standing at attention, but it was at least suggested in her stance. Find a lost object. Should be easy enough, she figured, compared to some of the things the Greek Gods had required of her in the past. "What's missing?" she prompted.

[Woodsman]

"Trouble?" Alex asks softly, noticing the tension in Elizabeth's stance. If she was nervous about something, there was definitely something afoot.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Dunno," Elizabeth answered. "But I think one of Erin's 'special' friends is visiting."

"What?" Corey asked, just so happening to reach the counter with Lillian's order as Elizabeth was saying that. His sister nodded her head through the door towards the woman Erin was talking to, and Corey let out a tight breath.

[WindStruck]

"Oh, you know. Just a little trinket," Aphrodite says nonchalantly. "We're trying to organize a little festival in Greece. It's coming up in a few days. I just can't seem to find this necklace of mine. It was my favorite."

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin nodded, having no particular idea how she would find it and deciding that she could figure out that minor detail later! "What's it look like, where do you last remember having it, and is it the necklace itself you like or just the design? And is there anything special about it that might make it stand out or something?"

[inirlan]

As Ashley started conspiring, a matching grin appeared on his face.

"I'd be happy to help you with that. Just tell me what to do. It'd be a shame if you didn't get to relax a little."

He also made a mental note to get some soup himself when he was there.

[WindStruck]

"Now now, one question at a time dear," the goddess laughs. "Let's see... a humble little thing. Gold chain, pink diamond, and cut like a rose. I'm sure it's a one-of-a-kind piece.. especially in recent years. It's got a bit of magic imbued in it too. Oh but that doesn't matter so much. It has sentimental value. It was gifted to me by... oh, I shouldn't bore you with the details..."

Aphrodite sighs wistfully. "As for where I last saw it. Well it should have been where I left it. But you see... I think Eris did something with it. I thought I had misplaced it at first and was asking if anyone had seen it. I looked everywhere! But now, all of a sudden, she told me you might be able to find it..."

It doesn't seem she's taking the prank that terribly.. although she definitely seems annoyed.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Cool!" Ashley said. "And you shouldn't need to do anything specific. Just tag along with us when we go. I'll still need to help set stuff up and all, but no one should object too strenuously if I go look around with you."

The Brilliant Master PlanTM in place, Ashley shifted topic. "So, history aside, you about ready for finals, you think? I gotta be honest, I'm just slightly terrified of Geometry," she said with a light laugh.

Erin nodded apologetically, taking in the goddess' description. She was thinking that Eris being involved just...couldn't be good news. Still, it did change the situation from "a teleporting goddess lost her necklace possibly anywhere in the world and has tasked you with finding it" to "the Goddess of Strife set you up with some sort of test or game or something". Which meant it was probably winnable. So, progress, really!

(Or Eris had hidden it in a completely random location somewhere on the other side of the world and simply wanted to drive Erin crazy looking for it because she's the Goddess of Strife. But, you know, that wouldn't be good, so Erin decided not to go with that one.)

"Got it! I'll track it down," she said confidently. "Hmm...could you tell me exactly what Eris said to you when she suggested I might be able to find it?" If this was some sort of game or test or something, Eris might have snuck a clue into her exact phrasing. Long shot, maybe, but worth a try.

[Woodsman]

"So, how much trouble do you think it is?" Alexander asks, leaning in to talk to Elizabeth quietly. He'd prefer to not make things any worse if he could avoid it. "Like, is there any imminent danger? Or are you unsure?"

[WindStruck]

Aphrodite shrugs. "Uhm.. I think she said... 'I bet the Muses' pet might know something.' Which I assume actually means she knows where it is but is playing some game with you to get it. ...so you haven't seen Eris?"

[inirlan]

Ah, Math related topics, the bane of most of the sane parts of the student body. Of course, you could argue that most people meddling with magic were often an excentric bunch.

"Hm... I'm not too worried on that front, geometry comes in pretty handy in a lot of ritual magic, and I often use it when it comes to etching patterns to properly collect and channel the energies involved."

His answer had been a bit quieter, and before he continued he looked around to make sure no one was listening in on him. There was no rigidly enforced mascarade, but just babbling about these things in public was a good way of getting labled as a loony - and he thought that both of them were better off without such a reputation.

"Anyway, I promised you to let you quiz me about a topic concerning the supernatural world next time we had a bit of time in front of us. Want to take a swing at it right now?"

[Quellian-dyrae]

"I don't think so. It's just kinda...who knows what they want her to do? Most of the time they just want her to like paint something or sculpt one of them or something. But you never know."

"She should just give the stupid lute back to them and be done with the whole thing," Corey grumbled. "Omelet for the woman at table 3, Liz."

"Mhm," Elizabeth answered distractedly, going about preparing it. "You know more about all this...religious stuff, right Alex? Do you recognize who she's talking to?"


Erin shook her head. "Mm mm. But don't worry, I'll find the necklace," she assured Aphrodite with a firm nod.


Ashley gave a bright grin at Brandon's offer. "Okay, so," she said, also keeping her voice a bit low, "How do you, like, recognize is someone has magic, or supernatural powers, or stuff? Is it possible to do without magic of your own? Like...I know I would never have guessed with you and Erin, but then like, your stuff is mainly in items, right? And she has that weird lute thing. So I don't know if that kinda changes things."

[Woodsman]

"I'm not entirely familiar with, er, Erin's religion," Alex says, grimacing a bit. It was a tough pill to swallow still that other gods were active and running about the city on occasion. He leans over to glance through the door and see who Erin is talking to, hissing in a breath. "Well... I'm not sure who it is. I have a guess, but whether or not that's a good or a bad thing remains to be seen," he says softly. "We can ask Erin for details later. Let's just not make a scene right now."

[WindStruck]

Aphrodite sighs with disappointment. "Well then, I see..."

Just then, a car horn sounds in the street in front of the diner. It grows louder as the driver repeatedly honks. A beat up 2001 Chevrolet Silverado with a large truck bed, towing a moderately-sized trailer pulls up with a grinding halt in front of the doors, honking one last time.

"Hmm. I bet that's Eris now. I'll leave you to it," the goddess says.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Elizabeth nodded, and was just reaching for an egg when the truck pulled up, honking.

"What is his deal?" Corey muttered, starting for the door.

Erin regarded Aphrodite with a curious tilt of her head at the suggestion, before nodding and heading back into the main room in brisk stride. "I got it," she told Corey, slipping past him to head outside.

She hadn't expected Douglas for a couple more hours yet, and definitely hadn't expected him to come up honking like a maniac. It was unusual, and in this world, you learned to pay attention to stuff like that if you wanted to live. So she approached with more than her usual caution, casing about before she actually stepped outside.

Awareness (or Investigation? Whatever, they're both the same): [roll0]+3. Average

[WindStruck]

A spry, middle-aged looking man, maybe 50 or 60 years old with greying hair, hopped out of the truck. Not before turning off ignition though. He jogs over to the front door, raising a friendly hand to Erin. It did appear to be a person she knew.

"Erin, good to see you! I've got an important announcement to make!"

The man squeezes past her through the door. Most of the patrons' attentions were focused on the man who entered. He removes his cap, raises his arms slightly, and says loudly, "Got bad news everyone. The train's already here! I confirmed it on shortwave. If we don't hurry, there'll be no more good pickins."

The diner soon erupts in conversation, some excited, others worried, still more annoyed. Some people immediately stand up to head outside, while others make hurried attempts at finishing their meals.

[inirlan]

Brandon remained silent for nearly a minute, brainstorming on how to answer that question.

"Well, that's tricky, because you need to know about the specific tells for each kind of supernatural thing. Your sister is easy to guess, she's marked as the chosen of a supernatural power, once you know what to look for it practically screams at you. You must have picked that up, no? ?"

Honestly, Erin was easy, you don't get more obvious than the chosen of a supernatural power - those heralds are suposed to be extremely easy to recognize. Now, as for everything else... There was so much ground to cover to have an accurate response...

"Now, magic users... In the olden days stray magic tended to make them appear more like the wicked wiches of story and generally make them feel untrustworthy. With the evolving times and changes in cultural psyche, this has moved to making them a techbane. My gifts are too focused and narrow to elicit such a response on a noticea-"

And then he overheard that the train had already arrived. Bolting out of his seat, Brandon haphazardly threw his notes back in his messenger bag.

"Well, time to get going, wouldn't want to miss the train, would we?"

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Hey, Douglas," Erin returned brightly, giving him a quick hug when he reached the door. When he made his announcement, she got an excited look on her face. "Oh! Okay then!" she said, before launching into a flurry of suggestions, instructions, requests, and orders, springing into action to direct her siblings and their customers alike (and, if they allowed it, she would totally deputize Alex and Brandon as staff to assist with the process), quickly organizing things so people who still had food could get it transferred to to-go boxes with disposable utensils, the people who wanted to go with Douglas got their cheques and could make their way to his van, anyone who had placed an order and hadn't received it yet got it, and her siblings had a plan of action for anyone who wasn't going (specifically, Erin, Ashley, and Corey would go with Doug now, while Elizabeth and Danny would tend to any remaining customers and meet them later once everything was closed down and the soup and bread bowls were all finished).

Presence to organize folk! Because why not. [roll0]+5. Great

[Woodsman]

Alex sighs and stands up. Of course the one day he needed medical supplies, the train would come early. He closes his eyes and offers a quick prayer, hoping what he needed would be there still, before moving about and helping Danny and Elizabeth finish up their work.

[WindStruck]

Douglas helps clean up a bit and takes a swig of coffee. People start piling in the truck bed and trailer. Douglas also offers seats in the truck to a few of his close neighbors, including Erin.

"Is that everyone?" he calls.

[Woodsman]

"I could use a ride," Alex says, climbing up into the truck bed with everyone else. "I need to make sure I pick up the medical supplies."

[WindStruck]

The people finish getting in the truck, its bed, or the trailer, and Douglass starts up the engine again, waving to Erin's remaining siblings before driving off. First he makes a few quick stops in his neighborhood, and more people pile on. Some load up goods they prepared waiting outside. Scrap metals, some bags of vegetables, wood scraps, even some drums full of water. By the time they're done, the ride is fairly crowded. You don't know most people you're with.

Douglas drives the truck down the nearly empty streets. You don't see people with a car all to themselves anymore. If anything, it's a sight similar to this where a vehicle is getting the maximum amount of efficiency squeezed out of it as possible. It's a good thing anyway, since none of the street lights worked in this area. A dozen odd detours avoiding some banks of built up sand and crumbling roadway, and you all reach the outskirts of the rail yards in about 15 minutes.

Date: Saturday, June 14, 2025
Time: 08:44
Location: The Albuquerque Rail Yard
Wind Chill: yes

Douglas finds a place to park not too far from the main gates. People start climbing out of the truck. Those not actually riding inside the cab now have the pleasure of feeling damp and cold from the artificial wind. Unless they had umbrellas or raincoats or something. The truck owner gets out himself for a bit, lighting a cigarette.. and now he's toting a shotgun. He stays with his truck.

Back to the rail yard, as far as crowds go, it seems there are significantly less people here than normal. Not everyone gets a ride here or even receives word through radio. Some people like the church goers who sell soup aren't there at all yet. Not all stalls are present yet, and some of the ones that are look like they're still hurrying to get set up.

The lucky few who came to wait hours before the train arrived seemed to have fate on their side... at least at first. There is a noticeable plume of smoke coming from somewhere further behind the train (normally there isn't one) and the crowd in general seems agitated.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin hopped off the truck and set about helping people down, making sure everyone got off with everything they gone on with, and so on. Partially just to be helpful, but also because it gave her a chance to see each person up close, in case one of them might have been wearing Aphrodite's missing necklace. Was it a long shot? Well, yeah. But you don't find anything if you don't look.

In any event, once everyone was off the truck (unless, you know, by some miracle somebody actually was wearing the necklace), Erin approached Brandon and Alex. "Hey, guys, can I ask you a favor?" she asked. "I got a visit today from one of my, you know, sponsors," Erin wasn't...really the best at the whole masquerade thing. She knew Brandon was clued in at least in the general sense and that Ashley had probably shared at least some details with him. She had told Alex the whole story. Even so, name-dropping deities wasn't a habit she wanted to get into. At the very least, it just seemed crass. "She's looking for something. A necklace. A pink diamond cut like a rose on a gold chain, but it's supposed to have some magic to it. She thinks I'll be able to find it, which...would normally seem unlikely, but I'm working on the assumption means that it's probably somewhere I'll wind up crossing paths with it. But, you know about this magicky stuff, right Brandon? I was wondering if you might be able to like...sense it, or something?"

Then she looked to Alex and said with a light laugh, "My other plan was basically just rambling around hoping I'd eventually stumble onto either it or a clue, which, you know, I figure is about twice as likely if I'm walking next to you."

I'm working on the assumption that Erin had probably seen a few manifestations of Guide My Hand over the years she's known Alex :smallamused:. She's probably something like half joking here...but certainly no more than half.

Also, WindStruck, since we're getting into more plot-related territory I believe it's best if I stop playing Corey and Ashley, but if you have no particular use for them I can have them go off on their own so they're out of the way and then you can bring them back in or not as suits you. Didn't want to just do it as part of this post though in case you do have a use for them.

[inirlan]

Brandon wasn't particularily surprised by what Erin told him. She practically had a neon sign reading "CHOSEN OF THE OLYMPIANS" attached to her back for anybody with some supernatural awareness, and most gods - but especially the ones of the Hellenes - were infamous for dropping quests and busywork into the laps of their minions.

"Well, a wizard could propably sense the magic and divine its location from that. I, unfortunately am not a wizard, so that isn't exactly on the table."

He then gave her a friendly smile - he doubted suggesting seeking the help of his family would work out too well for either of them, but he had a great skillset for dealing with this particular problem.

"Magical objects are right up my alley, though, and its effects are easy for me to recognize if I know what I'm looking for. Which leads me to ask, which of the Twelve was it? I don't have mystics senses, so I'm working off recognizing symbols, vague feelings and the like."

The rose was generally associated with Aphrodite amongst the Twelve Olympians, but that wasn't conclusive enough to point towards her. After all, it could also have been something involving Hades and Persephone, Hades was lord of the underworld and of the riches that hid beneath earth and rock.

[Woodsman]

Alex chuckles softly. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I'm afraid that it doesn't quite work like that. It's in moments of dire need where things just so happen to align, not in a search for lost items. I'm more than willing to lend to a hand in any case, though." He frowns, looking out to the crowd. "Something seems to be amiss at the moment though. I feel perhaps I should investigate. Will you excuse me?"

Alex walks towards the crowd of people assembled. "Excuse me?" he asks a nearby person. "What seems to be the problem here? Everyone looks all worked up."

[WindStruck]

A woman mutters, "Looks like the train got attacked. It's been here an hour and they still haven't let anything on or off it yet..."

[Woodsman]

"An attack? Is anyone hurt? Do they need medical attention?" Alex asks, frowning. An attack on the train? That was very bad news. "I'm a doctor if they need one." This was technically true, as while medical schools did still exist, medicine had fallen back to apprenticeships as well. Alex had served as a doctor for many years now. He wanted to make sure anyone who needed help got it.

[WindStruck]

The lady shrugs helplessly. "I don't know. Probably? People tend to get hurt when something like this happens." Just from her attitude, it doesn't seem like she cares Alex is a doctor. But perhaps she had a slight change of heart. "Well if you're so Gung Ho, you might as well tell them yourself. Don't think they'll let you anywhere near, though." She does not appear to be in a good mood.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Okay. Got it," Erin said, nodding. "And it was Aphrodite. Although she thinks Eris might have taken it. Or, Eris was the one who suggested I could find it, anyway. So it's entirely possible that this is all just a prank," she said with good humor. Hey, if the prank the God of Strife played on you was making you run around looking for a necklace, consider yourself lucky, was Erin's theory.

Alex's conversation drew her attention, mainly the whole, "train was attacked" bit. "I'm sure we can convince them to let us through," she said confidently. "Corey, Ashley, stay here, yeah?"

[WindStruck]

As you work closer towards the train, you pass the people who are either just milling about or tending to their stands. The crowd becomes much much thicker as it consists of people stubbornly waiting for news on the train, wishing to make their trades first. Many people have something in their hands. Every couple of yards is an armed guards with either a shotgun or an SMG, riot gear, and otherwise armed to the teeth.

There is no obvious sign of injured people or paramedics within the vicinity. As per usual, the front end of the train has pulled up so that the first cars are accessible. More are further behind beyond the yard, and that is where the smoke is coming from. Between the people and the guards, and the fences, it's pretty much impossible to get there from here.

Final warning about where you have your conversations. Right now people are really close and everywhere. Even if you are trying to talk quietly about it, the people nearest you will still hear it, and it'll also make you look that much more suspicious/serious/weird.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin approached one of the guards, walking up without hesitation and with a somewhat cagey look in her eye. It was confidence that was the key. Erin was a slightly-built, evidently-unarmed young woman. There was no getting around that. But when people acted differently than they looked like they should be acting, the attentive took notice of it. "What's the situation here?" she asked directly, a subtle but clear authority in her voice.

Using Rapport to create a First Impression: More Than What She Seems. Roll includes +1 for Presence Complementing Rapport checks to make impressions. [roll0]+5. Epic

[WindStruck]

The guard Erin approaches has his weapon ready. "Ma'am, I'm going to need you to stand back."

Oh sure she got his attention alright. Was she going to try to pull something? A distraction? Well at the very least, seemed she squeezed some information out of him as he also tried to watch the rest of the crowd wearily. "The situation's under control. The train will be opening shortly after the mayor makes an announcement."

[Woodsman]

"We're sorry to bother you, sir, but I'm a doctor, and I need to know if anyone on-board requires medical attention," Alex says, stepping forward to speak to the guard. "Are you sure there's no one who requires immediate medical attention?"

[WindStruck]

The guard nods. "Everyone on the train is taken care of. There weren't many injuries on this side of the train."

"Damn it. Just be patient, people!"

[inirlan]

Brandon frowned as he considered the situation in front of him. He did get a good read on the guard, which only wet his apppetite to know more. Hopefully it was just an accident - but the armed guards belied that. His money was on supernatural trouble or sabotage.

"Wait, what the hell happened that people over such an area got injured? Did something blow up or something?"

That did fit with what little he could piece together, and maybe he could fish for information...

[WindStruck]

Just then, a figure scrambles on top of the train from the other side, holding a megaphone. Judging from his short-cropped and slightly slicked back hair, mustache, and voice, this is none other than the mayor of Albuquerque, Ron Bell.

"Ahem. Hello fellow citizens," he says, speaking clear and slower than a normal conversational pace, oddly seeming to punctuate each word. Not to worry. This was absolutely normal for the former injury lawyer.

"We apologize for the disruption of the train schedule. As some of you may have heard, the train was attacked by unknown assailants. Currently we are investigating this matter to our fullest capability. Unfortunately, I have some bad news in this regard. About one third of the train has been derailed, and the tracks need immediate repairing."

The crowd murmurs restlessly at his announcement, and he continues still.

"I regret to inform you that only three tanks of gas have arrived. We will have to raise the price due to short supply and to fund the salvage and repair costs."

The crowd grows more agitated still. Someone shouts, "How much is it now?"

After some hesitation, the mayor turns around. Seems there are other people on the other side of the train talking to him. He nods, addressing the people again and responds, "The temporary price for gasoline will be fifty six dollars." This price was absolutely outrageous. Even with the apocalypse and near crumbling of society, gasoline ran roughly $25 - $30 a gallon.

And then he adds, "And a limit of one gallon per household."

With that the crowd nearly loses it. They yell in outrage, they scream obscenities at the mayor and guards, they begin inching closer and some people start flinging things up at the mayor.

"People. Please. Remain calm!" Ron Bell pleads, just ducking under a half-eaten pear. It seems things are about to get out of hand very quickly.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin eyed the guard a bit uncertainly. She was getting the sense that he hadn't meant to say everything he had. But nothing about what he had said had really seemed anomalous. Well, nothing except for how he had specified that there weren't many injuries on this side of the train. Erin couldn't help but wonder, what about the other side?

Which...made it a bit suspicious that that was the side that the mayor came from. She appraised him intently as he made his speech.

Okay, yeah, Erin could admit it. That...that wasn't good. A gallon per household wasn't going to get very far, and paying like twice as much for it was just adding insult to injury. It was no surprise that the crowd reacted like that.

But the thing was, no matter how bad the situation may have been, no matter how suspicious it was, it would be ten times worse if people started rioting.

Fortunately, everyone's attention should be on the front of the train, so hopefully no one would really notice when Erin pulled out of her lute case not a lute, but a horn.

She blew into it, producing a loud, clear note that would soar over the clamoring of the crowd, hopefully drawing their attention and buying a moment of silence - out of surprise and confusion if nothing else.

If blowing into the horn bought her an opportunity to speak, she'd take it immediately. "Everyone, please! I know that's really bad, but if supplies were lost then supplies were lost! If repairs need to be made so that the next train can come in on time, that's what has to happen. It sucks, but we've been through worse, and we've gotten through it by sucking it up and dealing with the problems together, as a community! And that's how we'll get through this too! So let's stop yelling and throwing things and start seeing how we can make sure the supplies that did get through get where they're most needed, and what we can do to help the people who aren't going to be able to get what they need get by until the next train!"

Gonna use Empathy to try and get a read on the mayor during the speech. [roll0]+4. Great

Once the speech is done...yeah, see above. At base, this would be a Presence check to influence the crowd, try and get them to call down, at [roll1]+5. Fantastic

Not sure if I have to make any other rolls for like, getting things quiet enough that I can talk in the first place or whatever, or to avoid anyone noticing something weird about pulling out the horn, but let me know if so.

[WindStruck]

In the chaos, Brandon gets close enough and is able to peer through an opening between train cars. He sees his dad on the other side of the train, along with some of the other advisers the mayor has. He thinks he's seen them before. But one person that stands out is new. She's a tall, blonde, drop-dead gorgeous woman.

Erin's horn blows.

"What was that?" Heinrich asks.

He gets closer to the train, trying to peer between gaps in train cars himself. He beckons the woman to come closer too. They don't notice Brandon, and they disappear from his sight. They're looking through a gap a few cars down so as to get a closer look at Erin.

Interestingly enough, Erin's speech is heard by most people, and the crowd seems to have settled down. Somewhat. They definitely aren't happy, but at least they aren't at critical mass to start a riot now.

Heinrich looks to the blonde. "Not just anyone can talk a crowd down like that. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

[Space Lawyer]

Sarah

Sarah's eyes narrow with suspicion. "Yeah, I am." She rests her hand on her sword's hilt. It doesn't look like she's wearing the necklace, but I'd still like to ask her some questions."

Lore-based investigate via Sight: [roll0]+5

[Quellian-dyrae]

Normally, Erin was definitely an attractive young woman, but viewed through the Sight she looked like she had just spent half a day preparing for a ball - her hair was styled, her face made up, her clothes far more extravagant than...anything she probably actually owned. Nonetheless, she no longer appeared quite human either. She took on the color and texture of pristine marble, like a statue you might find in an ancient Greek temple, the mark of the Muses engraved on her brow and shining like a star. The horn in her hand was also aglow with power, and constantly changing. One moment, it was a horn. The next, a paintbrush. The next, a pen. Then a violin, a flute, a frying pan, a gardener's shovel...

If Sarah continued looking at her with the Sight for more than a second or two, other perceptions would filter in. Flashes of her most pleasant memories would flicker on the edges of her vision. Her favorite song would play in her ears. She would smell and taste her favorite food. The gentle pressure of a warm embrace would enfold her body.

Looking at Erin Bowers through the Sight showed you two things above all: Beauty, and Joy.

[Woodsman]

"Well, that went rather well" Alex says, stepping up to Erin and shooting her a glance. "You'll likely have attracted some attention, though. Let's hope nothing ill comes of this."

[WindStruck]

Sarah has a difficult time concentrating on the girl. One woman lost 2 children. Another man, a liar, a con artist addicted to gambling and money. A pastor who's seen too much and has fought vampires. Another lonely man who's friends and families were lost to the floods, struggling for a reason to live.

This and many more forms of people swarm around, making the whole process nervewracking, but one thing is clear: this girl does stand out from the crowd and heavily influenced by greek gods. Looking just a few seconds is still too much for Sarah though.

She takes 2 mental stress.

[Space Lawyer]

Sarah

Sarah slams her Sight shut, holding her head. Crowds were awful. Still, she got something useful out of it. She says to Jaeger "Yeah, the girl up there is definitely not mundane. Looks like she's connected to the Greek pantheon, specifically the Muses. That horn in her hand is some kind of artifact; looks to be a tool though. I think we should have a conversation with her once this crowd clears off a bit."

[WindStruck]

Heinrich nods and says, keeping his voice relatively low, "Yes, perhaps... I can't help but feel she is related to this. In fact, if our sources are accurate, the artifact was forged by none other than Hephaestus, Aphrodite's former consort."

[inirlan]

Brandon quietly got around the crowd, trying to approach the group containing his father. He might fish for information this way, and if his father could use his hand, he'd gladly provide the help. He'd also prefer to be aware if some mad warlock bomber had attacked the train or something like that. Nasty things like that had to be dealt with ASAP.

As he finally got out of the crowd he managed to approach the group from the side. He got quite far until a guard clearing his throat drew his attention, with an expression that said 'what the hell are you trying to do'? He didn't make a move against Brandon, yet, but he had little doubt that he was ready in case Brandon had a weapon on him. Of course, Brandon didn't have the kind of weapons the guard would expect, but this was neither here nor there, as he was close enough to be heard now.

Brandon just raised his hand and let out a sharp finger whistle to draw the group's attention and then starting waving, before calling out his father - in Latin. Both of them were fluent in the language, and few people understood the language - let alone were able to follow a fluent conversation.

"Hey, Father, over here!"

[WindStruck]

Heinrick Jaeger looks over with surprise as he hears and sees none other than his son, Brandon. "Strange coincidence number two. Or is it three or four at this point?"

He moves closer, getting between the cars, then nods to the guard. <Latin> "Brandon. What are you doing here?"

Meanwhile, the mayor says, "Uh, Thank you Miss, and thank you everyone for your patience. The train will be opening."

He disappears from sight down the back side of the train and the sound of rustling metal doors sliding up can be heard on the front end of the train.

[inirlan]

Brandon looked at his father somewhat sheepishly - this was gonna be a long story.

<latin> "Greetings Father. Well, I was intending to maybe do some shopping, but mostly hang out with some friend of mine. You know, Ashley Bowers? She came by a few times."

He then took a couple seconds to think and tried to condense the story in a quick recap.

<latin> "Anyway, long story short, I was at the restaurant her family owns and then caught a lift when it turned out the train had come early. Anyway, I just learned that her sister - Erin, you know the chosen of the muses who just used her powers in a spectacularily unsubtle way? I mentionned her to you previously, didn't I? - got contacted by Venus and tasked to find a necklace."

Erin hadn't asked him to keep that fact quiet - and even if she did, Brandon wouldn't have kept things secret from his father unless he had a good reason to.

<latin> "Can you tell me what's going on? Are we dealing with mundane or supernatural trouble?"

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin slipped her horn back into her carrying case, since it'd be reverting back to lute-mode shortly now that she was done using it (and people were actually looking at her). "Nothing wrong with attracting a bit of attention if you're doing the right thing," Erin answered Alex with a lighthearted lack of concern, before flashing a slender, confident smirk. "And if anyone tries something bad because I helped the crowd calm down, well...then I know they deserve what they get."

She did notice the two people across the way that seemed to be paying attention to her. She just gave them a friendly smile and a cheerful wave. Erin wasn't really a suspicious sort by default. Oh, sure, she knew you had to be cautious around some people, the world being what it was. It was like, if she ran into two rough-looking guys on an empty street at night, yeah, she'd approach the situation with the level of wariness it deserved. In general, though, she preferred to see strangers as potential friends, not potential enemies.

'Sides, Brandon was talking to them. She couldn't make out what they were saying though, and what few snatches she did catch...didn't sound like English.

[WindStruck]

Sarah has a difficult time following along the conversation. This kid was fluent and talking fast.

"<Latin> Ashley... Ashley? Yes, I think I remember now..." Heinrich affirms, stroking his beard.

He continues listening to Brandon. As for Sarah, it's a mishmash of something about his friends and probably wanting to buy something, he took an elevator here before the train.. no wait. Something about a sister and... ok, you're lost. He talked about her before? Ah, but you do pick out Venus, and a necklace...

The man is in thought for a moment. "<Latin> It really is not a good idea to get civilians involved in this.. but it seems the girl is already neck-deep in this. Yes, I think we should have a talk with her. See what she knows. You'll bring her over this way, yes?" He notices Erin waving their direction with a charming smile. He couldn't help but send a timid wave and smile back. Sarah thinks she got the meaning of what he said.

[Space Lawyer]

Sarah

"Hey, you know what sounds really suspicious and tends to make you memorable? Speaking fluently in a dead language. If you're aiming for privacy, how about we just go somewhere else?"

[WindStruck]

Heinrich smiles and nods. "I know you are new here and must be paranoid, Miss Valentine, but surely there's nothing wrong speaking German with my boy, is there?"

He leans in closer to her and whispers, "A bit of tact and misdirection works wonders too."

[inirlan]

<german> "Yes, nothing wrong with that!"

Brandon couldn't help but pipe up at his father's remark about speaking german with a smug grin. He had originally used latin because he had pegged the woman as someone with ties to the white council, so he assumed she spoke latin. Otherwise he'd have stuck with german.

"Besides, most people can't tell German from Spanish from Italian from Esperanto, let alone follow the conversation, so can you blame us for taking advantage of that in order to have a little private conversation?"

He then realised he hadn't introduced himself or been introduced to this women - at least that he could remember of. Something he intended to quickly rectify, performing a bow a scrape while introducing himself.

"Ah, where are my manners? I am Brandon Jaeger, at your service!"

Once introducting was taken care of, Brandon took off to fetch Erin. And maybe Alexander as well.

[Space Lawyer]

Sarah

"Sarah Valentine, Warden. Pleased to meet you." Sarah says, her tone too cool and curt to match her words. There were no -ill-feelings; it is just how she is.

[inirlan]

Once that was taken care of, Bradon took off in Erin's direction. Well, not directly - he wanted to be somewhat discreet after all. Retracing his steps to approach Erin from the side, in order to avoid attention. In so far as you could avoid attention around Erin, especially with her latest performance.

"Okay, long story short : my father would like to talk to you. Apparently whatever you got thrust into is connected with something he's currently dealing with. Oh by the way, he is a full-blown White Council Wizard, unlike myself... And he's got a Warden with him. So we're probably dealing with something big."

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin gave a kinda surprised blink. That sounded very...important and official and stuff. She wasn't entirely certain what in the world Brandon was talking about, but words like "White Council" and "full-blown Wizard" and "Warden" were at least sufficient to communicate to her the weight of the situation, if perhaps not the specifics.

"Oh, that's your dad?" is what she said out loud, with a bright smile. She looked like she would have waved to the guy, if she hadn't already.

Erin's priorities...maaaaaayyyyy have benefitted from a bit of straightening.

"So, let's go see what the situation is, yeah?" she suggested, before heading towards the Wizard and the Warden. Erin was not the sort to beat around the bush.

[Woodsman]

Alex frowned. Whatever this was, it sounded serious if something called a "Warden" was involved. Wizards, though? White Council? That was also peculiar. But then, given what he'd seen over the years, he supposed it wasn't out of the realm of possibility. He followed along Erin, figuring she could use a bit of a guiding hand in this regard.

[WindStruck]

Heinrich waves the nearby guard away a bit to make room for Erin to get much closer. You all can effectively hop on and get over the connectors between train cars. However, he notices Alex. He's a bit perplexed at first, wondering why this other person came along, but then again, he remembered that Alex had been standing next to Erin for most of the time.

"Ah.. are you the young lady's father?" Heinrich asks.

[Woodsman]

Alex grimaces. This was not an infrequent question for him. While he had looked out for Erin's family for years now, he never considered himself her father. "No. More of a guardian," he says, which is true. "I'm well aware of the situation, though. Or at least, as aware of it as she is."

[WindStruck]

"Hrm.. I see... well if you're her guardian, come with me," the wizard says. He leads the group past the scurrying staff members and into the back of what looks like an armored car. It's not running and no one's in the driver seat at the moment. It's got seats inside and seems somewhat claustrophobic. Once everyone is in, he shuts the back door.

"Well this is the closest we can have for a private conversation," says Heinrich, eying Sarah. "Anyway, I'm Brandon's father, Heinrich Jaeger. Perhaps you have heard of me as the mayor's 'special security adviser'? But that is more like a front. I'm also member of.. a special organization. Let's just say it's kind of like the police of the supernatural world..."

The man shifts a bit bashfully.

He turns to Erin and continues, "In any case, our circle has uncovered a powerful artifact. We believe it was a piece of jewelry which once belonged to Aphrodite. Or Venus, if that name seems more familiar to you. Terrible things could happen if it fell into the wrong hands. Now Brandon here, he says that.. you have something to do with this, correct? Could you tell me who you are and what exactly happened?"

[Quellian-dyrae]

"He's about as close as you get, though," Erin said with quiet affection. If you pressed her for it, she'd probably have called Alex her mentor. It wasn't really precise either but...well, he was the one who had showed her that it was possible, in this world, to live for more than yourself. That meant more to her than most knew.

She followed along without any qualm. After all, it was Brandon's dad. Now, Erin didn't know Brandon especially well, but he'd been hanging around with Ashley long enough that she was perfectly comfortable with him. Besides, it's not like earning Erin's trust was all that difficult a thing to do.

"My name's Erin, I'm...I mean, really, I'm a chef, but for what I expect your purposes are, I'm kinda, um...I mean, it's a bit hard to explain. I guess you could say I'm kinda like an...errand girl, maybe? For the Greek Gods? I'm not like a priestess or anything, but I do jobs for them. Mostly artistic stuff. I write songs about them, or make paintings or sculptures, stuff like that. The Muses kinda...did some magicky thing to make my artwork more inspired, and it kinda gave me superpowers as a result. Or maybe they gave me the superpowers and the inspiration's a side effect. I'm not really clear on the technical details."

"Anyway! Point is, they did the magic stuff to me, and gave me a magic item to help focus it, and in return I create artwork for them, and occasionally do odd jobs and stuff for them. It's fun! Usually. Mostly. But, so, today, Aphrodite came down to my family's restaurant, and she told me she was looking for this necklace of hers'. She didn't say it was super-powerful or anything, mainly just had sentimental value, plus a little bit of magic. But I mean, I guess a goddess might have a different view of what counts as a 'little bit' of magic than other people, maybe. She said Eris told her that I might be able to find it, so I've been looking around for it, but I mean, it's kinda been needle-in-a-haystack so far. But if you guys have some leads, that'd be super! I promise I won't let it fall into any wrong hands, I'll just give it back to Aphrodite."

I kinda wonder if being that forthcoming qualifies as a Self-Compel on Erin's A Mutually Beneficial Solution Aspect. My sense is that getting everybody on the same page here is a good thing, not a complication, but who knows? :smallamused:

Gonna try and Empathy a read on Heinrich: [roll0]+4. Superb

And Rapport to create a first impression - Good-hearted and Trustworthy: [roll1]+4+1 (Presence Compliment). Good

[WindStruck]

Heinrich listens to Erin patiently, nodding occasionally. "Marked by the Muses... I see... and they want you to create art. Do you know their motives in this?"

He continues listening to her casual rambling. "So Eris has something to do with this?? She said you might be able to find it but.. you've heard nothing else?"

rapport: 1

Trying to read Heinrich, it seems he thinks you are quite likable and might be able to trust you. You don't think he's trying to pull something on you... honestly, you think he might actually seem fascinated with your unique situation. Once Eris is mentioned, it's obvious he seems much more worried.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"I mean...I think for the Muses themselves it's just kinda doing what they do. Inspiring artists. My...sense is that this is a bit 'above and beyond' how they'd normally go about it, though. Like, the Muses basically just told me to use their blessing to create art and beauty wherever I can. It's the gods themselves that usually ask me to do the Greek-God-related art. So my sense is that part of it is to kinda, you know, make them a bit more visible to people? I don't know if that actually matters to them..."

"And nothing concrete, no. I mean, Aphrodite suggested the same thing, that since she suggested it, it probably means she's involved. But beats me why she would be. I mean...she's the Goddess of Strife, right? If she like, stole the necklace and hid it, I don't know that she'd need a reason other than pranking. But, that's just speculation."

[WindStruck]

Heinrich sighs. "Yes, I know the goddess's portfolio... perhaps you heard of the Trojan war? How her simply tossing a golden apple into an Olympian gathering caused it? And she wasn't even trying. You don't know this, but World War I was caused by Eris. She manipulated damn near every country on the eastern hemisphere into an alliance, then set the whole thing off with an assassination. It was like setting up a bunch of dominoes and then knocking them down..."

He shakes his head, exhaling once more. "If there's one thing I know, it's that she's dangerous. And I can't help thinking we are being led into some kind of deadly confrontation.. as are you, Erin. You were specifically brought into this. Does she like you? Perhaps you will be made out as a hero of sorts. But more likely that not, you are being toyed with..."

"Still, I'm not sure what your role in this is. It seems far too dangerous to bring you along in our own investigations."

[inirlan]

Brandon sighed when his father mentionned Eris' involvement in WWI.

"Yeah, it's knowing things like that that make World History exams a pain in the ass."

[Woodsman]

"I sincerely hate to tell you how to do your job, Mr. Jaeger, but if Erin is in as much danger as you claim, would it not be safer to keep her under your watch?" Alex asks, folding his arms across his chest. In any case, he knew very well what was going to happen regardless of what Heinrich said-- Erin was going to get herself involved. And if this man could offer any amount of protection, Alex wanted to make sure she was safe.

[Quellian-dyrae]

A flash of horror crossed Erin's face at the mention of Eris' involvement in World War I. She actually did know the apple thing...not so much the Trojan War (Wasn't that the one with the horse?), but World War I...

It was like, Erin knew that the Greek Gods were, well, gods. She understood in the general sense that that meant they were really powerful and stuff. But something like that...

If Eris was involved, and intending anything on even a fraction of that scale, then Erin would have to do whatever she could to stop it. She had been charged with adding joy to the world - and sometimes, that meant preventing as much pain and strife as possible.

...Thinking about it that way, she realized Eris probably didn't like her very much. That actually bothered her, if she were honest.

She got a sour look on her face, then, at the talk of it being too dangerous for her. "Um, I did mention the superpowers right? I can deal with danger. Besides, I'm going to be looking into this, one way or another, so it makes sense that we work together and share information rather than operating independently and having to retrace each other's ground, right?"

[WindStruck]

Heinrich Jaeger just frowns and shakes his head. "This is far too risky for you," he says. "You might be able to talk down a crowd, but vampires... that is a completely different matter."

"We don't have much in the way of leads anyway. Not at the moment. Our contacts in Santa Fe still haven't called in, as of this morning. I fear the worst for them. And perhaps there is something to find at the other half of the missing train, but if the necklace was there, it's already long gone."

"Perhaps your guardian is right. Now that you've caused a seen and have been seen talking with us, perhaps it would be safer if you stayed at our residence. I'm sorry, I did not get your name, Mister..?" he asks Alex.

[Woodsman]

"Alexander Wellington," Alex says, offering Heinrich his hand and a polite smile. He raises his eyebrow at the mention of vampires. "I hope we can get this business sorted out rather quickly. If I can be of any assistance, please, just ask."

[Quellian-dyrae]

"I've fought vampires," Erin said bluntly. "One of them tried to put some sort of sadness-whammy on an old classmate of mine. I forced it out. I'm not afraid of vampires."

Her voice softened when she said, "Listen, I appreciate that you're trying to protect me, it's really sweet and all, but I was given a task by the Goddess of Love. I'm not going to forsake it. And if Eris is behind this and her intentions are more serious than we know at the moment, then that just makes it even more imperative that I do my duty. I get that it's a risk - but it's a risk I'm willing to take."

[Space Lawyer]

Sarah

"You don't have to be afraid of vampires, but you certainly shouldn't take them so lightly. They aren't amusing villains with nifty powers. They are demon-ridden monsters that will kill you, enslave you, or turn you into one of them for any reason or no reason at all." Sarah sits with tense posture, arms crossed. Had these people missed that there was a war on? She would have to have a talk with Jaeger about that.

[WindStruck]

"Precisely," Heinrich says. "Ah yes. And this is Sarah Valentine. Also an associate of mine.. I can assure you, she's fought more vampires than you, and she knows her stuff. Your courage is admirable but.. they can be quite a fierce and cunning foe. Once they have you in their sights, they won't stop until you're dead."

[Woodsman]

Alex nods to Sarah before turning to face Erin. "Mr. Jaeger is right, Erin. If vampires are involved, you could be in great danger." He looks to Heinrich. "What makes you think vampires are involved? I thought this was Eris' doing? Does this matter involve a greater scope than the Greek gods? If so, I think it fair to precisely explain the dangers involved." Alexander frowns. "In any case, Erin is in grave danger regardless of what we do. If Aphrodite herself assigned Erin to this, then Erin is responsible for completing the task. And you know how the Greek gods tend to treat those who... disappoint them." Alex looks again to Erin, "Not to say that you will, of course. I just fear that you're caught between a rock and a hard place at the moment."

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin look at Heinrich, then at Sarah, then at Alex, and gave a short, kinda amusedly-exasperated sigh. "Never said they weren't dangerous," she said. "Just that I could take 'em. Look, don't get me wrong, I'm a big, big fan of everyone working together to achieve a common goal. Any advice, support, or assistance you're willing to give me, I'd really appreciate, and I'd be more than happy to help your investigation however I can. I mean, this seems like it's actually a pretty serious matter, so it makes sense that we work together to solve it as quickly as possible. But I'm not just going to hole up and hope everything goes okay. That would be leaving you two right in the path of the vampires or whatever else might be involved, and that would be exposing you to too much danger."

[WindStruck]

"Well, we stumbled across the necklace in peculiar circumstances. It makes me think perhaps Eris planted it in plain view... afterward, however, the Red Court was after us. It was as if they knew we had it, and we later confirmed they were indeed after the artifact. At the time, we didn't really know a goddess was looking for it, though. We were trying to bring it here, where it would be relatively safer, but we were facing opposition from the Reds the entire time..."

Pondering more on what Alex says, Heinrich finally says, frustrated, "Damn it, I guess you are right. Either way Miss Bowers will be in trouble. So I guess whatever you do is your choice." He looks at Erin expectantly.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Wait wait wait, so you guys actually have the necklace? Or...had it? And, what, now these, uh, Red Guys have it?"

...

"And, um, who are the Red Guys? I thought the vampires were the bad guys?" Erin's experience with vampires had been largely limited to the White Court, and even then, she just considered them "vampires". She...pretty much knew squat about the various vampire Courts.

[WindStruck]

"As far as we knew, the necklace was on route here on the train from Santa Fe. Or at least, it was supposed to arrive discreetly. But then the train came early for some reason, and only half of it at that... the necklace isn't on the train. Or at least this half."


He sighs at Erin's sheer lack of knowledge of the vampires. "There's 4 different kinds of vampires we know of. Two types feed on one's soul. The other two feed on ones body, or blood. The one you encountered seems to be from the White Court. Emotional vampires. However, the ones we are currently at war with are the Red Court. Hideous, bat-shaped beasts that take the guise of humans under a facade of flesh. Their stomachs are full of blood and their weak point, and their saliva is a highly addictive and debilitating venom."

[inirlan]

Brandon decided to pipe at this point, adding to his father's quick description of the Red Court - after having shared his father's sigh at Erin's lack of knowledge of what she was dealing with. Brandon also noted that his father didn't mention that the White Court tended to be an ally of convenience in the war against the Red Court.

"Reds also don't like sunlight - although older and more powerful ones can ignore some of its effects when they are under their fleshmask - and like most magical beings, entering a home uninvited saps them of their strength."

He then scratched his chin, getting a good look at Erin, trying to guess how she'd handle a physical fight.

"Anyway, they are also superhumanly strong and fast. So... Unless you are also an artist when it comes to swordsmanship, I'd avoid getting close to them."

[WindStruck]

Heinrich adds, "I suppose I should also point out that not all the vampires are... 'bad'." He lifts two pairs of fingers into the air to gesture quotation marks. "We're only at war with the Red Court, anyway. Right now our general policy is as long as the others aren't causing too much trouble we don't interfere... it's not to say it's always the morally right choice, but we really don't have the time, resources, or manpower to meddle in everyone's affairs..."

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin's face twisted a bit with disgust at the description of the Red Court vampires. "Charming," she said sourly, taking in the tactical data. Yeah, not the sort of things she'd like to get close to. Fortunately, she had the Tool for that.

"So, the theory is, the train got attacked or something on the way, probably by the, um, Red Court Vampires...is there a particular reason we believe it's them, by the way? Or mainly just because they're at war with...uh...who are they at war with, exactly? Um, anyway, so they presumably hijacked the train, disconnected the back half, and absconded with the necklace. So...smart next move is to try and find the other half of the train, and search it for clues?"

[WindStruck]

"That's the idea. If not the vampires themselves, perhaps lackies. It's just as likely due to their aversion to the sun. They do have mortal human followers too, you know."

"They're at war with us. The White Council. I suppose I shouldn't speak of it, but you're only going to get more involved and confused otherwise..." Heinrich strokes his goatee, perhaps a habit of worry.

"And the rest of the train wasn't merely disconnected. It was completely blown off. The entire back rigging is ripped to shreds. Anyway, yes, I suppose going over to find what's left of the other half of the train is a start. I would hesitate to call it a smart move for you to go there, though... will you be heading there anyway?"

[inirlan]

"Long story short, the White Council is an organization of the most powerful human magic users, tasked with governing and regulating human magical use. It's OLD. It existed before Rome was even founded. It's also basically the next best thing Humanity has as a representative in supernatural affairs."

[Woodsman]

Alexander shuddered as Heinrich described the Red Court. "I've tangled with the Red Court rather frequently," he admits. "They're a nasty lot, but for some reason they have trouble dealing with me. My touch can physically harm some of the weaker ones even. If you're at war with them, perhaps we can help each other," Alex offers. "In any case, I think it prudent we join your search. Erin will be safer that way, and she was officially deigned to retrieve the necklace."

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin nodded slowly. It was kinda a lot to take in. "Okay, I think I get it," she said. "And I mean...unless you have another lead. Like, if there's a Red Court gathering place or boss or something nearby, where they might have taken the necklace, it might be a better way to go than trekking along the railroad tracks until we find the train. But if this is our only lead..." she finished with a shrug.

She gave a little smile when Alex offered to join the search. Okay, yes, part of her didn't want him going into harm's way, but that wasn't really the way Erin's thought process worked. Alex could handle himself, she knew, and he apparently had experience with these Red Court vampires. So she skipped right past the whole worrying and wringing her hands stage and jumped straight to assuming he was invulnerable and the two of them doing the superhero bit together would be awesome. Do unto others, and all that.

"Or, hey, you guys do magic and stuff, right? Do you have any way to track it down? Like, um, can you look in a crystal ball and see where the necklace is, or something?"

I promise her first skill point from advancement will go into Lore :smallbiggrin:.

[Space Lawyer]

Sarah

"We aren't that good - well, at least I'm not - but there are ways of tracking it. It is easier the greater connection we have to it. Something that powerful should also cause a certain degree of perturbation that would allow us to guess at its general location just through figuring out where the disturbances are centered. If nothing else works, we can simply throw you on to the trail, Erin. You've been given the destiny to find it, and that means you'll likely come in to contact with it somehow. Never discount the value of sheer coincidence."

[WindStruck]

"Since we are at war, any known gathering place or boss of theirs is taken out as quickly as we can manage. Well, except for their known strongholds which are unassailable..."

Heinrich exhales. The naivety of this girl... "Unfortunately, we don't have any intel on known bosses or hiding spots. We're always working on it, mind you, and surely there are bound to be several in this city. Perhaps with this recent activity, we can track down another one. Maybe even by trying to find the necklace."

He chuckles at Erin's conception of magic. "It's not that simple, my dear. As Sarah said, we need connections to the artifact. Perhaps a picture of it.. or a sample of rock which came from the same vein.. things related to Aphrodite herself or Hephaestus might also help, to a degree. Anything could potentially help as long as it holds significance. But in any case, such rituals take time and preparation."

[Quellian-dyrae]

"A picture, huh? I could draw a picture. I mean, I haven't seen the necklace itself before, but Aphrodite gave me a decent description of it. But I don't know if that would work. Otherwise...I can't really think of any better options than go down the railroad and try to find the other half of the train, see if we can learn anything there."

[WindStruck]

"Yes, I suppose that may be the only option..." Heinrich says. "Say, actually... you mentioned you have a phenomenal ability with art, thanks to the muses? Do you think you could make a small portrait of her? Maybe add the necklace too. Just.. whatever comes to mind, I suppose. It doesn't have to be perfect, just as long as you get Her looks down..."

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin gave a bright smile. Although she enjoyed doing the "superhero bit" as she called it, her art was always her true passion, and being able to use it for something practical was always a joy. "Sure! Got a piece of paper?"

[WindStruck]

Heinrich half throws his arms up helplessly. "Afraid not."

Just then, the back door opens. Why, it's the mayor! ...accompanied by his other staff. A middle-aged, Hispanic-looking man with grey hair, a thin, balding, pencil-pusher looking guy with glasses, and another suave brunette wearing a bullet proof vest, gloves, a pistol and sub-machine gun.

"Oh there you are. Wh-" He looks at everyone in the armored car. "What the hell are you doing now? Who are they?"

"Ah, Mr. Mayor. Certainly you haven't forgotten the young lady that saved your bacon?" he says, gesturing to Erin.

"Oh... Right. Thanks for that one, kid." After an awkward pause he asks, "So is this, uh... related to your 'thing'?"

Heinrich nods. "We were just about to leave. Have a piece of paper?"

The mayor looks at him for a second. Then back at the others with him.

"I might have a business card..?" the greying man says.

"Anything bigger?"

"Here!" the geeky guy says, tearing off a sheet from a small legal pad.

"I guess that'll do. Thanks." Heinrich gestures for Alex, Brandon, Sarah, and Erin to follow him. He hands the sheet to Erin. "We're going to have to catch up to the salvage team," he says aloud. "These folks will help."

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Sure thing!" Erin answered the mayor, casual as if she had passed him on the street and alerted him to the fact that he dropped something.

"Thanks," she said, taking the paper and...slipping it into her bag as Henrich bade them to follow, hopping out of the car and heading along after. She'd sketch Aphrodite once they were at their destination or stopped for a rest.

[WindStruck]

Heinrich leads the others to a corner of the train yard. There's an old, beat-up, military-looking jeep sitting there. You assume other cars might have been left there as well, but they're gone now.

"I'm afraid this will have to do. Erin? Will your drawing take long?"

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Shouldn't take too long," Erin said. If there had been anything resembling proper roads and stuff, she'd have said she could just draw on the way, but she expected the ride on the jeep would be bumpy enough to be...problematic. And, even discounting any magical benefits to a more precise sketch (and the fact that she only had one sheet of paper), letting a drawing of the Goddess of Beauty get messed up by a bumpy car ride didn't seem wise.

So Erin took out the paper and her Tool (which she transformed into a pencil, which would shift through various colors as she drew), leaned on the hood of the jeep, and commenced to sketching. She was doing it from memory, but then, Aphrodite was the sort of person whose appearance was not easy to forget. She added her best guess as to the necklace's appearance based on Aphrodite's description.

Performance: [roll0]+5+2 for Artisan's Tool. Fantastic

...I'll be honest, I was hoping that'd be higher just for the cool points, but whatever :smallamused:.

[WindStruck]

Heinrich remarks at the small picture of the goddess. "That's quite impressive. I think it will help. Now then..."

"I've got some work to do. As a matter of fact, I had already been working on a method to try to track the necklace from anywhere - just in case." He looks to Erin with a wry grin. "Let's just say magical stuff."

"And Brandon? I think you'd better get back home and hang low for a while till it's safe. I'll send your teachers a note or something."

The power of the plot compels you!!

[inirlan]

"Hang low? No way in hell I'm going to keep my head down while all this is going down and I can help! I may be the least magically talented in the family, but I got big bag of tricks up my sleeve!"

He was a walking arsenal, loaded to the brim with nasty and lethal magical items. His lightsabers were his personnal favorite artifacts - and he had fought red court vampires in the past. Quite succesfully, too! Not to mention that he had his "holy hand grenades of antioch" potions, which would ruin the day of any vampire cought in the splash radius.

Besides, he couldn't let Erin go into this mess alone, she'd get killed! Yes, she was chosen by the Muses, but he didn't really thrust her chances against one of those bastards. A white court vampire... maybe. If he was certain said vampire wouldn't try to use hand to hand combat.

"I would like a note for my teachers though, what with me being too busy saving the world to study and all that."


Using the Compel mentioned by the GM. Can't let sleeping dogs lie!

[WindStruck]

Heinrich grits his teeth and growls, "Brandon..."

Uh oh. Brandon knows that look and tone. His dad isn't just going to leave it at that!

Empathy: [roll0] + 2

Battle theme: ♫ (http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/368469)

Everyone roll Empathy (social initiative) if you will be joining this.

If not, please state so.

Brandon gets a fate point and must participate.

The rules: No consequences beyond moderate allowed. Please no mind-control hijinks. :smalltongue: I don't think it will end well.

The stakes? If you "win" you convince Heinrich to let Brandon go without further incident. Any and all social consequences received in this fight vanish by the next scene. All participants get a fate point.

If you "lose", well, there's a huge shouting match, Heinrich storms off and is of no more help for now (on top of having longer lasting social consequences most likely), and Brandon is equally upset, continuing on the adventure with social consequences as well. All participants also get a mild social consequence if they haven't gotten one already.

Alternatively, each of the other PCs that initially got involved can concede and bow out at any time. There will be no rewards for doing so, however.

I'm just going to rule here and now that you can, say, have social consequences and physical consequences at the same time. So it's not like being in a terribly foul mood will make it so you get knocked out easier, but the social consequences could still potentially be tagged, giving you a disadvantage in the fight due to morale regardless.

Further clarification: If any one PC is "taken out", the shouting match commences.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin could see that this had potential to escalate. A father's protectiveness pit against a son's courage could lead to some impressive arguments.

Erin wasn't the sort who discouraged people from helping if that's what they wanted to do, though. Oh, she'd want them to know the risks and make an informed decision, but Brandon probably knew more about what was going on than she did. If he felt he could help, who was she to gainsay him? Ashley had told her about the event that had happened at their school that day. Brandon could hold his own, based on her sister's assessment.

"Don't worry, I'll keep him safe," Erin said gently. "Promise."

Rapport Attack on Heinrich. +1 for Mark of Power, and I'm Tagging that First Impression Aspect I had created, Good-hearted and Trustworthy. Specifically, the fact that his impression of her is that she's trustworthy makes it easier for her to convince him that he can trust her to keep Brandon safe. I'm assuming I'll be using it as an Improve Roll, but if the roll comes up as -3 or -4, I'll use it to reroll instead. For now, though, I'm just adding the +2 in directly, because it's the most probable use.

If I impose any Consequences with this attack, Brandon is welcome to use the free first Tags.

[roll0]+7. Epic

[WindStruck]

Heinrich regards Erin for a moment. Her words seemed so soothing and confident. But still. He knew otherwise.

Lore: [roll0] + 5
Invoking aspect: I've seen too much for a further +2 to the roll. Heinrich successfully defends!

Fun facts :smallcool:

I've drawn up a rough char sheet for Heinrich. He's actually of significantly more power than any one of you.
He has aspects and refresh. And by extension fate points.
He also got one for being "compelled" into this conflict.

The seasoned German dismissively shakes his head. "Girl," he begins, "I've seen a lot of things out there you haven't even dreamed of. Things that if you did, would give you nightmares. Having the interest of some gods may certainly grant you some protection, but you have no idea what we are dealing with."

[WindStruck]

"As for you, young man," Heinrich turns to Brandon. "That's enough attitude and fooling around." He crosses his arms with a stern expression on his face.

Presence! [roll0] + 1

There's nothing like the age old piercing gaze of a parent that can be totally intimidating to young children but is utterly ineffective at "winning arguments". Well, unless they happened to have a superb Presence skill. :smallconfused:

[Space Lawyer]

Sarah

Sarah leans back and gives a snort. If these people thought they could just sway a wizard of Heinrich's skill and power so easily, they had another thing coming.

[inirlan]

"Father, as you said I am a young man, not a child anymore, I should get at least some say in what I'll do."

Unfazed by his father's "death glare of doom™", Brandon bulldozed on, setting out his arguments for why he should be allowed to go.

"And, I am not helpless. I have faced down red court vampires in the past. As you well know, they did not get to walk away. I am one of the best artificers you know and I never leave home without my creations."

As he said this, he discreetly produced a cylindrical object from within his outfit - one that looked suspiciously like a lightsaber hilt from Star Wars.

[roll0] + 0 (Rapport 0 ho!)
Spending fate point to invoke "My Trusty Lightsaber", using it to show that he can defend himself. +2

[WindStruck]

What Brandon said was something very true, and Heinrich knew it. Still, he tried to reason a way out of it.

"This is different, Brandon. It's not going to be you jumping a couple Red Court mooks trying to snatch a victim in an ally! If you get involved in our affairs, there is no doubt you also become a primary target!"

Defense vs a 7 (using lore) from Brandon's roll.

rapport: [roll0] + 3

Heinrich gets 2 stress and a mild consequence.

Despite that argument, the wizard couldn't help but get a Sinking Feeling that maybe Brandon was already a target anyway.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin responded to Heinrich's claims with a smirk. It wasn't the first time she had been underestimated. It wouldn't be the last. But it still nettled her. Why did so many people seem to want to insist that she wasn't basically a superhero? "Sir, all due respect, you don't know me. You don't know what I'm capable of. I may not call fire and lightning from my hands, or shoot a giant gun, or wield a big sword, but Joy can be a formidable shield and a powerful weapon if need be. Aphrodite herself tasked me with this mission; don't think for a second she didn't have a reason for it."

"No, I've never fought one of these Red Court vampires, probably. Or if I did, I didn't know that's what they were. But I've pacified a minotaur with my powers, and it wasn't just standing around saying 'moo' while I did it."

"And um, by the way? I don't get nightmares."

Compelled to burn the round showing of her confidence rather than contributing anything useful to the discussion. No mechanical action.

[WindStruck]

Heinrich rolls his eyes at Erin's claims. What she was saying just seemed so outlandish - even for the wizard - that he wasn't sure if it was actually true. But besides, they had already established she had a bunch of greek gods watching over her. This wasn't about Erin. It was about Brandon.

"Brandon, please just listen to me. Even though you can hold your own against a few enemies..." he concedes, "You'll be diving head deep into this war. Our enemies are ruthless and cunning, and there's only so much I can do. Sooner or later, you'll just fall into one of their traps and then... then you'll end up like the others..." his face was grim, fraught with worry.

Rapport: [roll0]+3

I will try to make another maneuver: Maybe this is a bad idea

[Space Lawyer]

Sarah

"Heinrich, you need to let the boy go. If he has already dealt with vampires once, he might be prepared to handle this. If necessary, I can keep an eye on him. It is better that than having him flee from your house unwatched or having to cast a barrier just to keep him in."

[Woodsman]

Alex sat by and watched the confrontation unfold and listened intently. He understood all too well both sides of the argument, and thus decided it was not his place to pass judgement.

[inirlan]

"Father - I know it's bloody dangerous and making myself a target is foolish. But I AM already a target merely by being your son! Or have you forgotten that the first time I killed a vampire - the first time I killed anything, the first time I swung a blade at a being with intent to hurt it - was to slay a vampire who had gone after our family in order to hurt you?"

Defense roll : [roll0]
Attack roll : [roll1]
Using the tag to get +2 to the roll to try to convince him. I'd like to base it of the skill responsible for swordfighting, but that's your call.

As for Defense... Let's call it discipline, +3.

[WindStruck]

Heinrich looks at Brandon with a stoney glare. "Do you also remember what led up to that? Who thought it would be a grand idea to have a barbecue after sundown, when half the staff were off duty?"


Rapport: [roll0]+3

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin gave a little sigh. Her offended pride wasn't helping. "Listen...Mr. Jaeger, I mean, you know Brandon better than I do, but...it sounds to me like his mind's pretty made up, you know? If you force him to leave, and he decides to come after us anyway? To sneak out and tail us alone? That would put him in way more danger than if he just came with us. I know it's your instinct to protect him, but...we can't always keep the people we love away from risks. Sometimes, we just have to accept that they're going to be at risk and do everything we darn well can to help them get through it."

Figure I'll just post this while I have a chance.

Rapport+Marked By Power: [roll0]+5. Fantastic

[WindStruck]

Heinrich sighed. He knew the girl was right. And Brandon was right. Despite what happened that fateful night... regardless of who's fault it was, the fact was his family was being targeted regardless, and Brandon had saved the day. And quite frankly, he knew he needed all the help he could get. If this mission failed... it wouldn't matter how hard he tried to protect his family.

"Alright... Fine. Go along and help Erin. And Sarah?" He gives the warden a tired look. "Make sure you keep them safe."

Heinrich begins walking back to where the mayor was. Seemed he needed to go there anyway. But he turned around. "...do you all know where to go?"

Brandon and Erin win a fate point. (In addition to Erin's compel).

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin gave a little smile, glad that a compromise could be reached. "Um...follow the train tracks?" she more asked than said. She honestly wasn't certain here.

"And, uh, actually, before we head off, could I real quick go let my brother and sister know what's going on? They get worried if I vanish mysteriously for hours at a time." She said it with just a hint of deadpan amusement. The words "for some reason", though not spoken aloud, seemed to be hanging in the air.

[WindStruck]

"Yes, more or less. The roads in the city won't always follow the tracks at first, but near the outskirts of town you'll find that there's actually a service road which runs near it." Heinrich points in the direction, vaguely north. If you're particularly attentive, you might notice his hand trembling a little.

"Anyway, take your time. Get your affairs in order before you set out," he says as if Erin were preparing her will. "You're adults. You do what you need to do. Take care, alright?"

The wizard turns around and walks back with a slow gait. Almost like he's limping.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Hey...it'll be okay! Don't worry!" Erin called after him with gentle confidence. She may have put on a lot of bravado, but fact was, Erin was a true optimist, and honestly did believe that everything would be fine.

"Alright, I'll be right back!" she said to the others, and if there weren't any objections, she'd hustle off to inform her siblings of what was going on, endure their reactions to it, and after some words to hopefully set Corey's mind at least somewhat at ease and impress on Ashley that this wasn't something she should get involved in and a couple quick hugs, head back to the group, ready to go.

[Woodsman]

Alex stands slightly off to the side, arms folded across his chest. He watches Heinrich limp off with a concentrated look on his face. He understood the man's intentions, but they all had a point. Brandon was going to have to fend for himself sooner or later. Alex was intensely curious about all of this magic business, though, but decided not to further press it at the moment. That could wait.

"Are you all set then?" he asks Erin. He figured she was, but he always knew to ask.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Yep! Good to go if you guys are!" Erin said brightly, before looking to Sarah with a big grin. "Oh! Welcome to the team, by the way!" When exactly Erin, Alex, and Brandon had become "the team" in her head was a matter for debate, but whatever.

[Space Lawyer]

"Alright... Fine. Go along and help Erin. And Sarah?" He gives the warden a tired look. "Make sure you keep them safe."

"I'll do my best, sir. They seem to at least recognize that this isn't a game, so they're ahead on that count."


[COLOR="#09bafd"]"Oh! Welcome to the team, by the way!"

Sarah nods. "Riiight, team. I suppose that is one way to look at it."

[Woodsman]

"Well, if we aren't a team, then what are we?" Alex asks, a slight grin on his face. "In any case, we should probably get going. If no one has any objections, I'll take the driver's seat," he says, opening the door.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin nodded, getting into the back seat. (She had four siblings. She had given up trying to call shotgun years ago.)

"So, what's being a Warden like?" she asked Sarah, just for some friendly small talk.

[inirlan]

"Alright... Fine. Go along and help Erin.

"Father, I promise to do everything I can to come back and to avoid needless risk."


Sarah nods. "Riiight, team. I suppose that is one way to look at it."
Brandon shrugged and answered with a sly grin on his face.

"Well, it's that or we call it an adventuring party. But unlike in D&D we'd be risking our own life and limb."

His father had made it clear that this would be dangerous and that he shouldn't underestimate the dangers they'd face. Part of him wanted to argue that he'd probably faced worse in D&D when he went through the Temple of Elemental Evil, but he wisely avoided mentioning that.

"Still, we're working together towards a same goal, feels like a team to me."

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Ooh, yeah, that's good! I like party even better!" Erin said cheerily, evidently taking Brandon's suggestion at face value.

"People have fun at parties," she explained with a sage nod.

(Yes, Erin knows there are multiple definitions for "party". She works in a restaurant, after all. It's just that she's, you know, Erin.)

[Space Lawyer]

Sarah

"So, what's being a Warden like?"

Sarah blinks rapidly. "Used to be a bit like any other job I suppose, though with less paper-pushing and more magical combat. Now though, I'm a soldier in a magical war that we're losing. Everything we do has taken on a harder edge, knowing that this might be the final thing that tips the scales against humanity. This is all I've ever known though. I was raised to be a combat wizard, to be a Warden. I'm not sure what I'd do if we win." She looks surprised at how forthcoming she was.

[WindStruck]

You all get into the car. Alex starts it with little difficulty. Following the streets near the tracks as best you can, you eventually arrive on the outskirts of the city after having to turn around once. Sink holes tend to make you do that. There's a small, unceremonious checkpoint at the edge of the city, where a guard does little more than take a good look at you guys and ask you what you're doing.

He's not sure to believe whatever you tell him, as to say the least, you're somewhat of a motley crew... two teenagers, a comely fellow that didn't look like he was on official business at all, and a pretty blonde. He does recognize the car, however... either way he waves you through.

You then pass through a part of the Shanty Towns. It seems you are driving on the one and only road which is actually well-maintained. It also sticks closely to the tracks. In general, the people around here just stay the hell away from the train and this road. There's a distinct smell... like something earthen and rotting... also probably fecal.

Through the tall grasses that have begun to grow, Erin thinks she spots a body. Was probably definitely not an animal!

Brandon, who was curiously eying the Shanty Towns perhaps too much, was positive that he saw someone staring at them before they quickly ducked into a tent.

Alex is too busy concentrating on driving, and Sarah seems to listlessly be in her own world, thinking of the mission at hand...

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin chattered on as they drove, initially just peppering Sarah with questions about the war ("Wait, why are we losing? Can I help?"), but as the drive went on she'd ask more about what (if anything) Sarah liked to do outside of the Warden stuff, ask Brandon about that vampire fight he had alluded to and what it was like being part of a magical family, chat with Alex about some of their usual conversation topics...you know, just making small talk and trying to get to better know the members of the group team party(!) that she didn't know as well.

Not that her chatter in any way kept her from looking around as they drove. Erin actually got very few opportunities to leave the city. And, okay sure, it wasn't exactly a scenic tour, but still! It was different, so that was fun! And-

"Was that a body?"

[Woodsman]

As soon as Erin asks about seeing a body, Alex presses on the brakes. He had been concentrating on driving, half-listening to Sarah's explanation. Frowning, he turns back to look at Erin. "What was that about a body?" he asks, looking very much concerned.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"I thought I saw a body," Erin answered, pointing off into the tall grass and squinting to try and get a clearer look now that the car had stopped moving.

[WindStruck]

You can't see a body from where you are anymore. Perhaps if you get out and move closer to where you thought you saw it?

[Space Lawyer]

Sarah

Sarah does her best to explain the war between the vampire courts, the White Council, and basically every supernatural nation to a degree. She had heard it had all started with business involving some wizard named Dresden out of Chicago, but that might as well have been ancient history. The important thing was fighting for survival now.

She pauses and looks around intently when Erin mentions the body, hand on her sword.

[inirlan]

Brandon kept looking in the direction he had spotted the observer earlier, hoping to see if they emerged once more.

"Careful, I think I saw someone staring at us. Might have been a curious person observing our vehicle... Or it was a lookout. If you want to investigate the body you saw, let's do it now and do it quick."

[Quellian-dyrae]

"I mean, I'm down if you guys are," Erin said. A mysterious body, a possible lookout...look, Erin liked to think the best of people, but she'd lived in this world long enough to know a Very Probable Trap when she saw it.

Flip side...heck, she was blessed by the Greek Gods. Alex was a skilled swordsman. Brandon was a master artificer. And Sarah was an experienced battle-mage. If anyone was going to get caught in this trap, it was probably for the best that it be a group like theirs. They would be able to get out of it.

If none of the others objected, Erin would open the door and climb out, heading cautiously for where she saw the body, casing about warily with every step. She drew her lute from the bag slung over her shoulder, figuring it best to have it ready just in case.

[Woodsman]

Alex opens the car door and steps out, watching as Erin moves onward. "Be careful," he murmurs to Erin. He looks around, trying to keep an eye out for any possible threats.

[roll0]+0

[Space Lawyer]

Sarah

Sarah gets out of the car, eyeing the surrounding suspiciously. This would be the perfect place for an ambush; they were isolated, and in an area where an enemy could have easily prepared. "I'll stay with the car right now. If anything goes wrong, get back to the car as fast as you can."

[inirlan]

Brandon just left the car, and quickly decided that he'd accompany Erin. Checking that his Rosette was still around his neck and fully charged, and that he had his toys all within quick reach, he briskly followed Erin.

"Well, I can't in good conscience have you go alone, can I?"

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Hey now, you can't protect me, I'm supposed to be protecting you!" Erin answered in a teasing tone, although she wasn't serious, and the grateful look she cast him as she said so showed it.

[WindStruck]

Erin and Brandon find the body about fifty feet behind the car, lying between the road and the tracks. It is indeed a person, and someone that doesn't look clean or well-off either.

You aren't sure if the person is alive or not unless you really get close, though. Do you touch them?

Meanwhile Sarah and Alex don't spot anything...

[Quellian-dyrae]

Okay, indecision is bad for PbPs. Time to do something even if it's wrong.

Erin...kinda knew she probably shouldn't, that the risk was high and the chance that the man actually needed help that they would be able to provide small, but...well, she'd rather believe the world could be a better place than it had proven itself to be over her life, and the first step towards making it so was to act the way she would if it was. So Erin stepped forward, her Tool held in one hand, and kneeled down to check the man's pulse, look him over for injuries, and try to shake him awake. "Sir?"

Investigation? [roll0]+3. Great

[WindStruck]

Erin gets much much closer, and she smells beer. The man has a pulse, albeit kind of slow you think. Upon further investigation, she doesn't find any significant wounds, but does notice the person is face down in a pile of vomit. Trying to shake the person awake doesn't really do anything.

Who would have thought. A drunk person out stone cold in the worst part of town?

[Quellian-dyrae]

"He's...drunk," Erin said with a sigh, before looking to Brandon. "Here, you think between the two of us we can get him to one of those buildings?" she asked, slipping her lute back into its bag and bending down to get a grip on the guy and toss one of his arms over her shoulders.

I mean, Erin'd want to get the guy to shelter, but unless there's something worth playing out as a result, I'm more than happy to gloss over the details and move on.

[inirlan]

Brandon cocked an eyebrow and looked at Erin as she suggested carrying the drunk off somewhere over to the buildings.

"He's just drunk. Besides, I doubt any of those buildings are his home, and I doubt many others here would accept him until he's sobered up. Why bother?"

He intellectually knew that the man was most likely in a difficult place and all that... But he had little understanding for that kind of wanton drunkeness.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin looked up at the artificer, blinking in confusion. "Be...cause he needs help," she said, not seeming to fully comprehend the question. "Worst case for us if we try to help him, we maybe lose a bit of time finding somewhere sheltered for him to sleep it off. Worst case for him if we don't is, I dunno, he gets robbed, or sick, or...I mean, why wouldn't we bother?"

[Space Lawyer]

Sarah

Overhearing the conversation, Sarah relaxes. She was fairly sure Erin could accurately identify someone as being drunk, and drunk men passed out in a field weren't particularly good attractions for or participants in an ambush. She walks over to take a look at the man.

"Erin is right, in her own way. It isn't likely that anybody will take him in, but we might as well find somewhere to put him where he won't get rained on or accidentally suffocate in the mud."

[inirlan]

Letting out an exasperated sigh, he dropped his shoulders and decided that it wasn't worth to bother to argue.

"Fine, fine, I won't argue with you about this."

[WindStruck]

So, you three pick up the man... in the nearby vicinity there's several tents. Neither look that appealing, although in front of one, someone came out who wasn't there before.

A little further away, however, is a worn, dilapidated-looking shack... Alex would probably recognize it as a TuffShed.

Or maybe these things in the immediate surroundings don't suit your fancy.

Where do you take him?

[Quellian-dyrae]

Unless any of the others had any better ideas/particular preferences, Erin nodded towards the closest location that appeared sheltered from the elements and...reasonably likely to be unclaimed. She did have her priorities. Getting the guy somewhere that he could hopefully-safely sleep it off, yeah, that was worth doing, but she wasn't going to pretend they had the time to find some perfectly comfortable location for him. You did what you could.

[WindStruck]

There aren't many solid surfaces around here, save for the small shack. You bring the man there and rest him against the side.

Meanwhile the person who recently exited their tent is still watching you...

(In fact, with a good alertness roll, you'd also see there are more people now who seem to have their eyes on you.)

Well in any case, you've taken a 5-minute detour from your quest to save the world and "rescued" a drunk hobo. What's next?

[Quellian-dyrae]

With the drunk hobo valiantly rescued(!) Erin...hopped back into the jeep. "Okay, sorry guys. Should we continue?"

[Woodsman]

"Yes, we should be on our way," Alex says, climbing back into the Jeep. He had made sure the man was propped up properly in such a way that if he vomited, he wouldn't choke on it.

[WindStruck]

The four of you get going along the road again. You travel for what seems to be about an hour without any incident... In the distance, what appears to be the train lies up ahead, complete with the tell-tale smoke of things burning that probably shouldn't be...

In addition to the smoke, Erin and Brandon notice that not only the weather has cleared up nicely, but there are somewhat large birds circling off a bit to the west, further along the road.

Alex seems to have gone into a daze while driving, listlessly keeping his eyes on the road immediately in front of the car.

Sarah also sees the smoke and the birds. But down the road, looming in the distance, something definitely seemed off. It was hard to tell exact distances, but it seemed like there was some kind of a dark patch on the road, maybe near the train? And something shiny caught her eyes.

[Space Lawyer]

Sarah

"Stop the car!" Sarah says, calmly yet firmly. "Something is wrong. We need to approach on foot from here."

[Woodsman]

Alex perks up a bit, Sarah's comment jolting him out of his daze. He stops the car as asked, though he's a bit confused. "What is it? What's going on?" he asks.

[inirlan]

"Well, we're at the site of the attack. Daylight percludes actual red court vampires being about, but nothing stops them from having minions plan an ambush."

[Quellian-dyrae]

"So what's the best approach?" Erin asked, looking mainly towards Sarah. She may have been confident, but she wasn't stupid. Walking into a maybe-ambush-or-who-knew-what without a plan of action was not a winning move, so given the situation she deferred to the one with the most experience in this sort of thing.

[Space Lawyer]

Sarah

"We'll need to move forward under cover. Stay to the side of the road and keep close to anything that can shelter you."

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin nodded, getting out the jeep and taking out her lute. She'd hold for the others, but if everyone was good to go, she'd begin the advance, moving as stealthily as she could. She had no qualms about taking point.

[Woodsman]

Alex would be right behind Erin, slightly nervous. It had been a while since his last fight, and he'd been feeling a bit rusty. But knowing that he was with others for once was certainly a blessing and he took a moment to thank the Lord for that.

[inirlan]

Stealth? Uh... Well, usually he drank an invisibility potion if he needed to be stealthy. His gut told him that he should take point, as he had the weapons and protection to deal with any **** that might ambush them... But he was terrible at sneaking. The more he tried to be silent and unseen, the more likely he was to sneeze or accidentally kick something.

He therefore half-heartedly decided to form the rearguard on their little advance, hoping to scuttle the group's attempts at sneaking.

[WindStruck]

So normally the landscape would be somewhat baron: lots of dirt, spotted frequently with small grass clumps and less frequently with random steppe bushes.

Since the apocalypse, however, most of the landscape is green, and there are many many bushes to provide cover.

Erin: [roll0] + 2
Brandon: [roll1] + 0
Alex: [roll2] + 0
Sarah: [roll3] + 0

(Last post I botched all the roll syntax. Deleting previous post and trying again!)

[WindStruck]

The four of you creep up along the side of the road, carefully stepping over small plants and other loose obstacles, and weaving between the shrubbery while staying low. You first come to the front of the train. The very tip is what's left of what must have been some kind of gas or propane tank. It hangs off the tracks slightly... certainly whenever this happened it threatened to derail the entire back end of the train, but luckily it didn't. From what's left, there definitely was a fire here, as indicated by the smoke, but now it's only smoldering.

The next sections of train are more tanks, though luckily they appear to be intact. Now that you are much closer, you can see that the dark patch on the road seems to have been some kind of explosion. Around that patch is what's left of a vehicle. In fact, you all end up stepping around a charred tire and then part of a car chair. Further down seem to be what's left of the salvage team. One car is flipped over on the opposite side of the road, which had slid down a decline. Another appears hastily parked (or crashed) near the train.

Now as you continue, you get to more storage cars. They all appear to be open, and to say the least, look ransacked, given the amount of boxes and objects contained therein which are strewn about. You're near where that explosion on the road took place now, though you haven't found any bodies or people just yet... though now that you are so close, those birds definitely do look like vultures. Or buzzards. Same difference.

But wait. You think you hear something. Freezing in place briefly, you all listen and definitely hear some signs of activity in one of the train cars! A little scraping, a few clinks like some objects made contact with each other.. sounds like someone is rummaging around in there. You creep up and notice... well, this most likely isn't what you would have first expected. Probably not even the second or third times, even.

In the train car, you see what appears to be a girl. Maybe twelve to fourteen years old? It is painfully obvious that she is Native American, however. For starters, her hair is long, black, and straight, and her skin is that tanned, coppery color. She wears a light dress emblazoned with the typical patterns one would expect, and it's complimented with jewelry of turquoise, silver, and other precious stones, moccasins, and a dainty twine band around her head, complete with some beads and a couple feathers to boot. Oh, and she also has a bow slung over her shoulder and quiver full of arrows.

You all get a good look at her, save for Brandon, who just upon getting into view, was totally distracted, and stumbles over one of the small boxes laying around. The noise makes the girl jump, and she instantly turns to you. She begins reaching for her bow, but she looks quite terrified.

Ball is in your court. You have the option to act/talk first, but I guess if there's combat, we'll roll initiative as normal. Also I dropped a hint there for you. I will say nothing more.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin gave the woman a gentle smile, holding her free hand up peaceably. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," she said. Her eyes darted quickly over the woman's jewelry. Hey, you never know.

[WindStruck]

Erin's friendly demeanor does seem to put the girl more at ease, but as she takes a step back, it's obvious she still doesn't trust you.

[Space Lawyer]

Sarah

As friendly as possible, Sarah says ""Hands off the bow. No need for violence, right?" She makes sure her sword is in full view, but doesn't make a move to draw it. "What is your name, and what are you doing here?"

[roll0] +2

[WindStruck]

After a slight pause the Native American girl says, "My friends call me Solstice," in a quiet, velvety tone.

"I was... hoping to find something useful in this train."


Rapport: [roll0] + 4

To oppose being read by empathy, I believe.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Erin," she introduced herself. "You been here long? We were kinda concerned there might be, um, dangerous people about. You haven't had any problems, though?" she asked, casual as if she were asking for a suggestion on what to order at a restaurant.

[WindStruck]

"I have," she admits, which probably has a lot of bad implications until she adds, "After the train was attacked, I came to investigate. But there were already men here searching for something. They seemed quite ill-tempered."

"I watched them for a while, but then more people came. The first group ambushed the second. Soon afterwards, they left. I'm not sure if they found what they were looking for."

[Woodsman]

"Could you describe what these groups were like? What they looked like, how they acted, any weapons they might have?" Alex asks gently. "I'm sorry that we're probing you so heavily."

[WindStruck]

"They seemed like a gang of ruffians to me," she says. "Dirty, scraggly, crude... Most of them had guns, but their leader can apparently conjure balls of fire."

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin paled slightly. Well...that explained what happened to the salvage team, which is what she had been figuring to ask after next. Gods...

"Thank you," she said softly. "For answering our questions."

She looked to the others. "We should...check to see if there are any survivors, right? And then...I don't know, I guess search the train or something?" Erin could admit it, it was a little hard to stay focused on the "find a necklace" mission when a bunch of people had just been attacked and presumably killed. Someone evidently throwing fireballs was likewise deemed less important in the grand scheme of things, although in any other circumstance, Erin would have been a bit amused at how matter-of-factly the woman had related that little detail.

[WindStruck]

"There are none," she interrupts in a deadpan voice. "They made sure of that. What is it you are looking for?"

[inirlan]

"Balls of fire you say? That's not really what I was expecting..."

That... Didn't fit what he expected of a red court attack, at all. And it made things far more complicated. Even a shoddy spellcaster could whip up a mean death curse in a pinch. Scratching his hairless chin, he turned to Sarah.

"How sure are we of the red court's involvement in this, again?"

[Woodsman]

"Sounds like a wizard type if there's balls of fire being thrown about," Alex says, folding his arms across his chest. "But couldn't the Red Court be involved too? Sounds like there are a lot of factors at play here."

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin winced at Solstice's answer. That...that hadn't been necessary.

Whoever these people were, vampires or not, she'd see them face justice for what they had done.

She considered Solstice's question a moment. The woman seemed forthright enough, if on the vague side. Still, they were strangers; playing things close to the vest was generally good sense.

Well, to some degree, anyway. Although Erin favored a more open approach. Sure, it was possible that Solstice had some sort of ulterior motive or something, but Erin felt the potential benefits of answering her question outweighed the potential detriments.

"It's a necklace. A pink diamond, cut like a rose, on a gold chain. It belongs to a friend, an heirloom." She didn't go into further specifics. Some information was best kept to oneself.

[WindStruck]

Solstice listens to the description of the necklace with some interest.

"A friend..." she repeats, giving Erin an odd look for just an instant.

"It sounds like you are going up against vampires, warlocks, and gunmen. Perhaps I could provide some assistance?"

[Space Lawyer]

Sarah

"Definitely a spell caster of some variety." Sarah was loathe to apply the title of wizard to anyone not of the White Council; it sullied the title. Only a few, such a Kemmler and Cowl, could properly lay claim to that title while standing outside. "As for the Red Court's involvement, I'd still say we're quite certain of it. Maybe not with this particular incident, but they'll still show up somehow." The bloodsucking demons seemed to always be behind it these days.

[Woodsman]

Alex tilts his head somewhat. "Why offer your help so freely?" he asks Solstice. "I'm not opposed to your help, of course, just curious as to what stake you have in this."

[WindStruck]

"Well I never said my help would come so freely, did I?" the girl asks, making a point. "But... I think we may be able to help each other."

[Quellian-dyrae]

"That's fair," Erin said. "What is it that you need help with?"

[WindStruck]

Solstice begins, "Well you see... I..." and then she sighs. Her placid demeanor wavers and she looks away from everyone. "...I've been trying to get into the good graces of my mother. It seems like nothing I ever do is right or good enough for her. You.. I don't know if you can understand what it's like..."

[Woodsman]

Alex frowns. He'd had a similar experience in his life as a member of the Catholic Chruch. At times it felt like nothing he did would ever be good enough. But that surely wasn't reason to stop trying. "And how might we achieve that?" he asks softly.

[WindStruck]

The girl sits down on a box, staring at the floor of the train. "It can't be a coincidence that we just met here. The truth is, you wouldn't want to help me... because what I seek must be the same thing you and those men are searching for."

The girl exhales discontentedly again and mutters something unintelligible. Probably a different language, but definitely not Latin. You don't recognize it.

"I suppose there is no point trying to hide it any longer."

The visage of the Native American girl melts away. Instead you see an unbelievably beautiful girl with flawless ivory skin. Her hair is about the same length and style but fiery red, like the color of carrots, and a little wavy. It's the kind of hair movie stars spend hours in the dressing room to achieve.

Her clothing morphed from cotton and crude blocky patterns to gossamer silk and intricate golden embroidery. From moccasins to dainty sandals. What might be disturbing (if an abrupt transformation like this already wasn't) is that when she looks at you again, the pupils of her green eyes are feline-shaped. Overall, if you had to guess, she still appears fairly young. Anywhere from 12-14.

Her cheeks are somewhat flushed, and after an awkward moment of silence she mutters, "It would be a lot easier if I could just lie to you..." But she shakes her head, trying to dismiss the idea and her anxiousness.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin...kinda blinked at the girl's transformation. Okay, sure, she had kinda assumed there was something supernaturaly about her. She hadn't acted like a normal girl of her apparent age, what with the bow and the talking casually about people throwing fireballs and the being out here all by herself and stuff. But still. She hadn't been expecting...that.

It's not the world you used to think you knew. Accept it and move on, she told herself. It was something of a mantra.

"Nah, lying usually causes more trouble than it's worth," Erin replied with a smile, not entirely sure why the girl felt she couldn't lie to them, but perfectly happy to encourage it. "So, why are you looking for it, exactly? I mean, we need to get it back to its proper owner, but if your need for it is like...temporary and stuff, there's no reason we can't help each other!" Erin was a big fan of the whole "work together to achieve mutually beneficial results" thing.

[Woodsman]

Alex is thoroughly confused. A child? What was a child doing here? But... clearly not a human child.

"First question, what are you?" Alex asks, stepping forward. He was unnerved, but he couldn't let that control him. "Second question: Are you after the necklace as well?" He looks to Erin, a frown on his face. He desperately hopes he could resolve this peacefully, but he wasn't sure how well their goals would align.

[WindStruck]

Solstice looks at Alex to answer his question first. "I am a Sidhe. One of the Fae. Although from what I'm told, I am so young and powerless that I barely even count... I may as well just be a pixie."

You think you hear a rustling. But maybe that's just the wind or loose items shifting.

Then to answer the other questions in a fell swoop, she says, "Some days ago, we heard quite a powerful artifact was in the area. A necklace which once belonged to a god. So, my... contacts had been keeping an eye out for it, hoping for an opportunity to acquire it. I just thought something like that would have been a splendid offer for my mother... And who knows? Maybe I would have been absolved of all my debts..."

Now you definitely think you heard a small giggle coming from somewhere.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Oh," Erin said, a little blankly. She didn't really know what a sidhe was. Fae...she was vaguely more familiar with the term, from a folklorish sense anyway. "Like, elves and stuff" would have been her explanation. Pixies were a type of fairy though, weren't they? Fairies were fun, Erin liked fairies (again, folklorish/popular-culture standpoint - she'd never met an actual fairy, she was basically going by Tinkerbell). "Well, I mean, the goddess who actually owns it kinda wants it back, so...but, honestly, that's probably for the best. I mean, it seems like there are some dangerous and powerful people involved, so it's probably best that you don't get tangled up with them. I'm sure your mom wouldn't want you to get hurt!" Yes, she had just unironically ascribed human thought processes and motivations to a Fae.

Oh, Erin...

[inirlan]

Brandon winced at Erin's statement that Solstice's mother wouldn't want her to get hurt. Even the Seelie Court was terrible and callous by mortal standards once you scratched beneath the surface.

"That depends entirely on the fae we are talking about. What I've heard so far makes me believe that Solstice's mother wouldn't be too bothered if she were to be exposed to mortal danger."

Brandon didn't even hear the giggle as he was fighting between the instict of giving the girl a reassuring pat on the head and readying his weapons. After all, her goal did seem to run counter to their goal...

"Still, doesn't you goal seem incompatible with the task asked of my companion by the Dodekatheon?"

[WindStruck]

"I wouldn't think my mother as so callous. She must love me.. Perhaps her daily affairs just make her weary.. and my shortcomings.." Solstice sighs wistfully.

She stands once more and says, "In any case, I would hardly say the necklace belongs to her if she has been so utterly unaccountable for so many millennia. There is quite a distinct difference between owning something and merely formerly having possession of it."

"But I concede. Perhaps this was a fool's errand..."

The giggling starts again, and a pixie about six inches tall flies out of a box from somewhere in the back of the car. Overall he's a cute and beautiful little thing with frizzy goldenrod hair, orange butterfly wings, and his tiny body is haphazardly wrapped in what seems to be some long, yellowing leaf of vegetation.

♫ Appropriate theme song? ♫ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXg35Kv7oyw)

"Oh, Solstice. You should have known it was from the beginning!" He grins at the sidhe girl while she looks back at him, a mix of disappointment and apprehension on her face.

"How much did you really think information like that was worth? And even if you found it, guess what! It would have been mine before you even set foot in Faerie!"

Solstice emits and exasperated sigh and looks away from the pixie. "This... isn't something we should be discussing around them."

"Well you liked talking to these mortals and telling them about all your problems, so I guess this is fine, right?"

The pixie turns to face the rest of you. "Hey, do you want to know something funny? She has to do whatever I tell her to! Dance, Solstice!"

"Jesper, please... do I really have to?"

"You will dance! Because I command it!"

Jesper points a little finger at Solstice and it seems like she's overtaken in the mood to dance! Well, if she were a puppet wildly twisting, bouncing, and dangling about by its strings.

"Please... stop..." she wails, eyes watering and cheeks flushing bright red. The pixie is overtaken by a fit of hysterical laughter, and considering his size, the annoyance factor is approaching the territory of nails on chalkboard.

"Pizza! Not until I get my pizza!"

[Quellian-dyrae]

As it went, being compelled to dance wasn't exactly the most terrible of compulsions - Erin herself had used that play before. Still, that was against a couple really big, mean thugs who deserved it. Not a girl who was just trying to get her mom a present. (Erin tended to look at things in a positive light.)

"Hey!" she challenged the pixie with a firm frown. "Not cool little dude! She said she didn't want to!"

[WindStruck]

"So?" Jesper asks. "She owes me a lot! Even more after I told her about that bauble!"

"As long as her debts are unpaid, she belongs to me!" the pixie cackles with glee.

[Woodsman]

Alex is rather appalled to see another creature being forced to act against its will. His face turns into a grimace as he watches. "How can her debts be repaid?" he asks, eager to see this end quickly. The thought of one being owning another was also anathema to him, and something he desperately wished to see set right.

[WindStruck]

Solstice abruptly stops dancing and nearly knocks over a box after losing her balance.

Jesper looks at Alex greedily. "Oh, you want to purchase her debt? Maybe you could make better on your payments... let's see..."

He smiles and his grin grows wider by the second. "Pizza! I want pizza every day!!" The pixie bounces up and down excitedly, clapping his hands and kicking his feet together.

Solstice says, "W-wait.."

[Woodsman]

"Perhaps if you told me what her debts are, we could come to an arrangement," Alex says slowly and carefully. "After all, how do I know they're worth pizza every day?" The fact that pizza was an acceptable payment for this pixie was something of interest, but that could be figured out at a later time.

[inirlan]

Brandon grit his teeth as he saw the pixie's action. Both of them were fae, true... But something about the situation was triggering his big brother instincts he never got to use before. Part of him wanted to just nuke the pixie into oblivion, but he decided against this course of action. For now.

"Well, the debts of the fae or held by them are pretty constraining."

He then turned to Solstice and extends a hand to help her up.

"That being said - how in the name of Gary Gygax's beard did you end up with multiple debts owed to this guy? And do you happen to know if your debts would default to someone if he were to have an accident? Because that'd be something to be wary of."

[WindStruck]

Solstice asks, "Who??" Deciding to just ignore it and assume it was a really important being, she says, "Well, you should know how it is. I was much younger and far less experienced - even than him. I had nothing to my name, knew nothing of import anyone might bargain for. I took some risks... Not truly knowing how perilous they were... they did not pan out well. I think you could even say we were.. 'friends'..."

Well, maybe you don't really know how it is. Could anyone even imagine growing up in a society as cunning and ruthless as the Fae's? She sighs wistfully. Then she asks, "What do you mean an accident?"

It was a good thing the pixie was too preoccupied with Alex and shouting about pizza. Because inquiring about details so you can bump him off right in front of him is probably not a smart thing to do.

[WindStruck]

(Sorry forgot that maybe I should respond to Alex too)

Jesper says, "She owes me a lot! The location of a necklace this powerful is already worth a fortune! Then there's the time I showed her all the Ways around the Nevernever. Or when I found a pretty gem she was supposed to deliver as a payment or her mother really would have punished her."

He looks over to Solstice. "Or hey, do you remember that time you trespassed on that troll's bridge and I had to talk her out of eating you?"

She looks back over to the pixie. "I don't think she would have.."

"Winter!! Hello?? We're at war! The only reason you weren't killed on the spot is because you were some child making deliveries!"

Solstice sighs and looks back over at the others. "Is pizza hard to come by? I don't know if providing pizza to this little weasel every day for the rest of your life is worth it." Jesper scowls at her and sticks out his tongue. "And I'm not even sure if he intends to continue getting his pizza after you die as well. But besides, it's not like you will solve anything. Even if you manage to buy all the debt, that just means I owe you..."

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin...was having a little bit of trouble following along here. Debts? Why did debts mean she had to dance? What kind of debt got paid off by a lifetime supply of pizza? Most of what the pixie was saying sounded more like favors than anything.

I think you could even say we were.. 'friends'...

Suddenly, it became clear to Erin. This Jesper joker had acted like he was this girl's friend, done favors for her, and then suddenly demanded she pay him back for all of them! And used some sort of...magic to enforce it! That was awful! Despite herself, a certain fury began to build up in Erin.

Fine.

Very well.

Jesper wanted pizza?

She would give him the best pizza he had ever tasted!

...

...

...Okay, she could admit it, that resolution would have felt much more ominous and threatening if thunder and lightning had crashed in the background when she made it.

"Okay, this sounds like a subject that warrants additional discussion in a more suitable environment," Erin said. "Jesper. I don't know if you've heard of me, but I'm Erin Bowers. Head chef at the Bowers Family Restaurant. Or perhaps it would be more meaningful to you to say, Muse-inspired chef of the Bowers Family Restaurant." Her voice was leading.

"I don't want to toot my own horn too much, but let's just say, I have ideas for pizza recipes that humankind doesn't even know are possible. There are things that I can do with cheese that would... Anyway. Here is what I am offering. You and Solstice make your way into town, and head over to my restaurant. We still have to find this necklace, but hopefully we'll be back in time for dinner. If not, though, Solstice, you can tell any of the people that work at the restaurant that I told you to tell them to let you stay in my room until I get back. They'll take you to a place to stay."

"Once we get back, I'll make us all an amazing pizza, and you, Jesper, will be allowed one slice for participating in the discussion, and maybe more depending on how things go. Does that sound fair?"

[WindStruck]

Solstice says, "You want me to.. go to your human city, convince strangers I can enter your home uninvited.. and just wait?"

She exhales and shakes her head. "No. I offered you help before. Perhaps under different pretenses... but this time I insist that you accept it. If you are indeed planning on providing my friend with pizza on my behalf, I should start working to pay for that immediately. Not only should that improve your chances of accomplishing your goal safely, but hopefully you will be done quicker.. and the sooner he gets his pizza..."

The pixie beams. "Hey, great idea, Solstice!"

"I just need assurance from you that you will provide Jesper with pizza at your earliest convenience.." she thinks for a bit and adds, "on my behalf." For a Fae, she sure did not seem like she had this deal-making stuff down completely.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin blinked. That...was not quite what she had been aiming to get across.

She didn't like this whole talk of debts and payments. That wasn't how Erin liked to work. Sure, there were some things you did for payment. Of course. But then there were some things you did...because people needed help, and you could help then. When Erin came across those people, she tried to do what she could to aid them. Not in expectation of payment, just because it was the right thing to do.

"I...no, you don't have to pay anything. I just want to...have a discussion. On your situation. Over pizza. That's all."

"As far as you helping us...I mean, you're really young. I know you want to believe you can help, but I don't feel comfortable putting a child in a dangerous situation like this." Erin tried to be encouraging, but still, there were lines.

[WindStruck]

Solstice looked at Erin curiously as she made her first suggestion. "So.. you merely wished to invite us to your home as guests... and possibly discuss the topic of debts and pizzas there. I think that could be arranged."

But when Erin called her a child, it was almost like her hair bristled up. Solstice retorted, "I get called that a lot by my own people, and rightfully so. But you? If you wandered into my home, you would be about as helpless as a blind and deaf babe."

She locked eyes with Erin, scornfully staring her down before a rather uncomfortable feeling overtook her. She turned to look at someone else. "I may be young, but I can take care of myself..."

"Barely," Jesper comments, falling into a fit of giggling.

Solstice looks over at the pixie and says, "You aren't helping."

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Um," Erin said, trying to figure out how to get her point across without offending the girl (while her own kinda demeaning retort just rolled right off her shoulders). "Look...I don't know how it is for the, um, Sidhe? But we humans kinda have a...thing about letting letting kids do dangerous stuff. I'm sorry, I just wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something happened to you. I mean, you're like, what, twelve years old, maybe? That's just...you're too young to be put at risk." She looked to the others for support.

[WindStruck]

"Oh, I see..." Solstice says somewhat disheartened. "So that is how old I look to you.. but I have been of age for nearly as long. Thirteen, the age when we are fully responsible for our actions. And twelve years hence by the coming Summer."

"Bah! I'm way older than that," Jesper brags. He looks at the others. "I'm way, way older than all of you! I remember when there weren't even things like cars and trains! And cities weren't so big! And... and.. there were even people who would leave food out all the time..." He looks so sad now.

[Woodsman]

Alex sighs and folds his arms. "You know, when I woke up this morning, I didn't think I'd be entering an entirely new world." He looks at Sarah and Brandon. "Well, what do the two of you think we should do? Any ideas?"

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Oh," Erin said, a bit blankly. Huh. "I...didn't realize that. Okay then, I mean, if you're not actually a child, you just look like one, then I suppose it's okay."

Erin was generally trusting and not exactly the most informed about the supernatural community, but she wasn't dumb by any means. She assimilated and used information she learned, and she was quite socially savvy. In some manner, Jesper had gained a measure of influence over Solstice's actions by acting like a friend and helping her, with that help actually putting her in some sort of, best Erin could tell, supernatural debt. That entire premise was...reprehensible to Erin. But she wasn't sure if that was something that only happened between sidhe, or a power they could use on others.

Erin was more than happy to help people out of the goodness of her heart. But she would not be beholden to anyone. "But I will hear no talk of debt. If you choose to do this, it must be because you wish to support our cause. If my friends agree, I am happy to accept and grateful for any aid you wish to offer freely - but we will not accept assistance that comes with strings attached." She spoke firmly, but gently...although her voice hardened when she looked to Jesper and added, "And that goes for you too."

[inirlan]

Brandon scratched his chin at Alex's question.

"Well, I'm kinda puzzled. I'm unsure if she's a changeling, a changeling who became one of the fae or was born as a fae child. Although I haven't heard of fae children before. Still, appearances can be quite deceiving when dealing with the fae and changelings, so it's entirely believable that she's 25. And while fae can be quite tricky, you can normally trust them if they give their word - thrice and only as far as the word of the agreement."

[WindStruck]

"The talk of debt, of favors given and received is inescapable for my people, Erin," Solstice says, pronouncing her name with a somewhat unsettling tone.

"I could not bear the thought of leaving my obligations unfulfilled, and I would certainly expect any self-respecting individual to repay what they have received. Whether or not I support your 'cause' is irrelevant. If for whatever reason you wish to provide Jesper with pizza and he accepts, that means he must give you something in return."

The pixie licks his lips, daydreaming about pizza, and he says to her, "Why are you bothering explaining this to them?"

"It seems they are rather ignorant of our customs."

"You're very bad at this, you know that? The less mortals know what they are getting into, the easier it is to get leverage over them!" He crosses his little arms and either doesn't realize or doesn't care he's openly talking like that in front of you.

"I see... but that makes it hard for them to trust us and make deals, does it not?"

[inirlan]

Brandon crossed his arms as he looked at the pixie.

"Well, being deceitful makes repeat deals much harder. Not to mention that while some of us are unfamiliar with the customs of the Fae, you are also in the presence of a Warden of the White Council and an Artificer related to a member of the White Council. So Solstice's behaviour is earning her bonus points. Yours? Not so much."

[Quellian-dyrae]

"This, I can understand," Erin said. "It...seems like a custom that discourages altruism, which is kinda sad, but I can understand fair payment for services rendered. What is not acceptable, to me, is to act like you wish to do a favor, when you actually intend to receive a payment. And to use supernatural compulsions to enforce such debts, as Jesper did to you, seems to me to be morally abhorrent."

"But, you've been nothing but straightforward with us, so that's great! So, if you absolutely require an equal exchange of favors, then...yeah, I mean, you help us in exchange for our helping you with Jesper, and I'll offer Jesper a really good slice of pizza in exchange for him agreeing to sit down and talk with me afterwards, seems...reasonable enough, I guess? If it's okay with you? And the others?" Erin could admit it, this idea of bartering for favors seemed...totally alien to her. But she was trying!

[WindStruck]

The pixie frowns at both Erin and Brandon at first. "Hey, I've done everything fair and square! You can ask anyone!" He looks rather peeved.

Solstice sighs and interjects into that conversation. "Believe me when I say whenever Jesper had provided me aid, I knew full well that a payment was due. For the most part... I suppose you could say we are friends, in that we manage to do favors for each other. Though he is by a large margin ahead..."

Thinking of what else Erin also said, she looked between the pixie and the others and says, "I... I apologize for appearing so distressed when we all first met. It was just so terribly embarrassing. It's bad enough being in someone's debt. And rarely does a pixie hold such power over anyone..."

He just sticks his tongue out at her with a mischievous grin. "Don't worry, Solstice. I'm sure after a few centuries you'll have a whole slew of people under your thumb."

They listen to Erin as she explains the "deal" more.

"So you'd like to exchange a slice of pizza for a few minutes of our time later? That sounds like a great bargain, doesn't it Solstice?" He winks at her. Of course Jesper clearly remembered that the talks would also include more pizza.

[Woodsman]

Alex sighs, "It would seem that we are at an impasse. What should we do next then? Do we go back to the city and report what we've found? Or do we continue on in hopes that we might find someone who knows a bit more? The sooner we find this necklace, the better, but it seems as if we're floundering at the moment."

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin...couldn't quite say she was convinced, but debating the matter didn't seem like it would go anywhere, so she just gave a noncommittal nod and turn to Alex. "I guess we should at least take a look around, right? They may have left a trail or something, maybe? Or at least, we can see if there's any other clues around here."

Unless anyone had any better ideas, she'd proceed to searching about.

Investigation: [roll0]+3 Mediocre

[inirlan]

Brandon shrugged as he moved to also snoop around.

"Well, looking for clues can't hurt."

[roll0]+0

[WindStruck]

Solstice watches as the group looks around. On the outset, Sarah and Erin seem to do little more than walk by the cars, scanning everything. So many boxes, so much overturned stuff, it was hard to even know where to look for anything.

Brandon does something similar but glances toward the ground. There's a lot of spent bullet cartridges in one particular area. From there he notices a whole mishmash of footprints. They seem to be from multiple people and all seem to be going this way and that.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin let out a tight breath. Searching the entire train would take ages, and probably not tell them much other than what was originally on the train. The more she looked, the more she was forced to admit what she knew in the back of her mind. Finally, after steeling herself, she moved to the site of the battle. With any luck, the defenders had brought down at least some of the attackers, and maybe they would be carrying some clues as to where they might find them.

Let's try Investigating the battle site. [roll0]+3 Good

[WindStruck]

Looking somewhere between where all those bullet casings were and the car crashed into the train, Erin finds the first body hidden under the train. Probably hiding or looking for cover. But it's not shot, more like... charred. She's not entirely sure but she wouldn't have thought this was one of the attackers.

Noticing the vultures circling not too far away and an overturned car on the other side of the road, down the hill, Erin goes over to look at that. Here she finds three more bodies, who appeared to be soldiers. There's also quite a few bullet casings around them, and it seems maybe they were trying to take cover and have a fire fight here, but clearly they were shot to death. Oddly there are no guns here. Someone must have taken them.

Further examining this area, Erin also notices more footprints in the damp dirt. They're pretty hard to make out, but it definitely looks like there were people who walked to and from the train.

[Woodsman]

"Any luck finding anything?" Alex calls out to the searchers, having to decided to keep a lookout for any trouble.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin sighed and went back to the others. "Nothing. Only dead as best I can tell were soldiers. The bad guys took their guns, apparently." She gave a kinda helpless shrug. "I don't know that there's much useful here. Maybe we should head back, see if Brandon's dad got anything off the wizardy end?"

[WindStruck]

Solstice asks, "Do you wish to go after those people? I saw where they went."

[inirlan]

Brandon's keen sense of investigation found a lot of nothing, so he was grateful when Solstice offered to provide them with a lead.

"Well, if the thing we want isn't here, odds are we'll find it with them. Unless someone has a better idea, let's follow your lead."

[WindStruck]

Solstice looks at the group expectantly. "...so you would like my aid now? Perhaps I could provide it when I saw fit. Then we shall work out the details during your invitation?"

[Woodsman]

Alex looks at Solstice somewhat quizically. "Are we going to argue about this? People could very well be in danger if this artifact is as powerful as I think, and the more time we don't have it in our possession, the more likely it is to fall into the wrong hands."

[Quellian-dyrae]

Erin gave the young sidhe an exasperated look. This was incredibly frustrating. Fortunately, as much as Erin believed in doing what you could to help others, living in a world where everyone was struggling to survive meant she was more than used to dealing with people who were just out for themselves. "Yes, we would like to know where they went. I would be willing to offer a future favor of commensurate effort and value in return for that information," she said, with a sort of formal politeness.

[WindStruck]

"Very well then," Solstice says. Erin's not sure, but did she feel a little tingling in the back of her neck for a second?

"Those men were driving a vehicle. When they left, they went that way," she said, pointing a direction somewhat northwest. Apparently they did not follow the road.

She walks up the road a bit. "Here is where they started." It seems on close inspection, now that you are focused on one small area, you notice a few drops of blood.

Sarah kneels down to sample it with a small cloth. "Dang. It's not fresh."

From here and off the road, you can see now that there are tire tracks in the soft, damp dirt. They're going in roughly the direction Solstice pointed.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Thanks," Erin said to Solstice, sincerely. She may have found the fey idea of favors annoying, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to show proper gratitude. "What do you think guys, follow the tracks?"

[Woodsman]

Alex nods, "Yes, let's follow the tracks. We don't have any other leads at the moment, so we might as well."

[inirlan]

... How in the name of Christ did they miss those tire tracks? Granted, they couldn't have been sure it was the people they were looking for without Solstice's confirmation, but still...

"If the blood isn't fresh enough for tracking spells, that is our only lead. At least we have a clear track to follow. Of course, they are probably aware of this, so we'd need to keep our guard up."

[WindStruck]

Solstice continues staring, her eyes following where the tracks lead. Then she turns to you all again. "I'm not certain where they may be now... but perhaps I have an idea..."

"I can take a shortcut. And you lot will follow the tracks?"