(IC) New Bedford by Night: WtF III

[Bennosuke]

Joanna finds the giant arched red doors unlocked. But they threaten to groan and creak at the slightest touch, their hinges obviously weathered and rusted.

[Haval]

Joanna will look for a quieter way in. Maybe there was a side door or a window around her somewhere.

[Bennosuke]

Please give me Wits + Larceny to find a better way in.

[Bennosuke]

Checking first that the street was still empty, Joanna slides along the side of the building, which goes almost about a hundred yards back. Near the far end of the church, Joanna comes across window looking into some kind of office. The window is at about head height, but has been opened about a third of the way. There doesn't appear to be anyone in the room, and Joanna should be able to climb in without too much difficulty.

She comes around to the back of the building, which contains a small fenced in garden courtyard. Water burbles from a small fountain in the middle of the courtyard. This door is locked, but perhaps Joanna could pick it if she wanted.

[Haval]

The office seemed like the kind of place Joanna wanted to snoop in if she was going to do this. After doing what she could to make sure the room was empty, Joanna will ease the window open and slip inside.

[Bennosuke]

Joanna lets herself into the office relatively noiselessly, helped by the fact that the floors are carpeted. It's a cozy little office space, with a luxurious dark wood desk and a towering wall of stuffed bookshelves. The stench that hung over the church had clearly been fermenting inside; it is almost suffocating. It hangs heavy around Joanna and she can feel it seeping quickly into her hair and clothes. On the desk is a computer, an ancient looking leather bound book, and a handful of elaborately decorated gold paper weights.

The people Joanna had heard in the Church must be nearby, because she can hear voices on the other side of the door, muffled by the barrier.

[Haval]

Joanna is very alert to the voices outiside getting louder or the handle of the door starting to turn but she's come this far. She will get closer to the desk to flick through the old looking book.

---------------------------------

At some point after Joanna returns from her excursion. 'Guys, are we doing this? I don't know if there's a good time to be hunting a giant wolf spirit but if it's got to be done.'

[Thundercracker]

Joanna is very alert to the voices outiside getting louder or the handle of the door starting to turn but she's come this far. She will get closer to the desk to flick through the old looking book.

---------------------------------

At some point after Joanna returns from her excursion. 'Guys, are we doing this? I don't know if there's a good time to be hunting a giant wolf spirit but if it's got to be done.'

“Are we all set with the mercury?” Blaze asked, “we can’t let them stay on our territory, that’s for sure. How are we gonna do this, charge in Hisil overnight and wipe it out while they’re sleeping?”

[Haval]

“Are we all set with the mercury?” Blaze asked, “we can’t let them stay on our territory, that’s for sure. How are we gonna do this, charge in Hisil overnight and wipe it out while they’re sleeping?”

'Well we don't want to be fighting them at the same time. My only question would be what do we do if one of the Pure is there with it? Or if Oakheart is capable of knowing that we're there?'

[Bennosuke]

There's no immediate sign that anyone will be intruding on Joanna's snooping. Walking over to the desk, she finds next to the desktop monitor is a framed picture of a rather homely looking woman in black and white. She's got a heavy touch of the distinctive New Bedford look, including a rather bulbous and neckless head with a receding and thinning hairline, round rheumy eyes and a wide fishy mouth. The book on the desk is an old and worn article, with the spine of the book cracked and falling apart. Written in gilded letters across the front of the tome is "Scriptures from Saint Daigon". The book's paper is yellowed and brittle, and there are strips of tanned leather sticking out throughout the chapters to bookmark sections.

Flipping through the book are a mix of prayers and stories, none of which Joanna is familiar with. But before Joanna can begin studying the text in more depth, her attention is drawn to the door, where the voices have suddenly grown louder and more clear. A man's voice on the other side says, "We appreciate your patronage. Thank you for coming by today, and for everything you do."

**************************************************

Kara frowns and says, "I don't think it necessarily matters what time it is. They might be in The Hisil anytime of day... though I suppose if Oakheart is a professor, maybe she'd be busy teaching during the day." She pauses for a moment before adding, "Maybe one or more of us should go out and scout on the Pure werewolves... or maybe even make some sort of distraction to make sure they don't get involved?"

[Haval]

Joanna will take the book and move towards the wall with the door in it. If possible she'll take cover against the edge of one of the bookshelves or stand in the darkest corner of the room. That she wouldn't be noticed anyway seemed unlikely, but she was Irraka wasn't she?

Spoiler

Show

Going to spend 1 essance on shadow pelt anyway just to see what happens. This roll counts as rote.

Dex 2 + Stealth 2
(4d10)[2][6][2][2](12)
Rote reroll for anything that isn't 8-10
(4d10)[9][8][10][6](33)
9 or 10 again for Moon Kissed Stealth
(4d10)[7][7][5][6](25)

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To Kara, 'Not a bad idea. I suppose I'm worried about some Uratha trick that I don't even know about that means they'll know we're there.' Joanna assumed the others would know for sure. 'If someone's actively trying to distract the Pure over here maybe it's enough to be somewhere with witnesses. Or does anyone think Oakheart might try anything when she's out in public anyway?'

[Bennosuke]

The door to the office opens inward, with Joanna staying up against the behind a protuberant bookshelf. Padded foot steps as a hunched toad-like man in a grey approximation of priest's robes waddles into the room. His back turned to Joanna, she is allowed just enough time to either duck behind the desk before the man sees, or perhaps through the door before it closes.

The call the priest toad-like, is maybe too polite a description. His bald skull is more flat like an amphibian's, the cartilage of his ears almost vestigial nubbins. He walks with a slumped almost shambling posture, bent over at the hips and crouched at the knees, reminding Joanna more of the creatures that had attacked the warehouse than of a healthy normal man. In fact, he looked more like the offspring of such an abomination, had it mated with a human, or perhaps like a man on his way transforming into one of the abominations!

Though his hands were rather large, his fingers appeared short, due to the thick webbing that spread between them, and in one hand he clutched a comically large check. Though Joanna could not make out much, there sure were a lot of zeros on it!

(OOC: Joanna is down to 8 Essence. Three successes. She keeps the book)

************************************************** *****

Kara looks to Blaze and Bear, her fellow seniors in the pack to weigh in on this.

[Thundercracker]

Blaze

“You don’t think they sleep at night?” Blaze asked.

[Haval]

Joanna didn't want to think about what might have happened to produce someone who looked like that. Even if it happened a few generations back. She'll go through the door before it closed.

---------------------------------------------------------

'Sure they sleep. Do you think there's any chance that one of them might stay up late just in case one of us decides to snoop around the college?' Joanna shrugs 'But if you're not worried I'm not worried.'

[Bennosuke]

Kara shrugs, her expression meant to communicate their uncertainty. "They're Werewolves," she says hesitantly, "aren't we designed for nocturnal activity? I feel like we'd at least want to be sure they were asleep before we started a fight with their Totem."

************************************************** ***********

Joanna rushes through the door before it swings shut behind her, still clutching the book. She finds herself standing in a spacious hallway that is probably behind the alter. Lining the curving walls are series of framed paintings and photos. Down the hallway, a couple are walking away; probably whomever the Priest had been talking to, and who provided him with the impressive check. Based on their frames and their gait, the man and woman are likely close to elderly. They don't seem to notice Joanna as she rushes out into the hallway.

[Haval]

'So we get someone to do the scouting. I'll do it I have to. The rest of you actually have experience fighting when it matters.'

---------------------------------------------------

With the book under one arm Joanna will follow the elderly couple. She will slow down a little and try to act like she belongs here. Perhaps the pair were heading to an exit, but Joanna is open to more snooping if she finds something interesting before that.

[Bennosuke]

Again, Kara turns to Blaze and Bear for their opinions.

***************************************

Joann follows the elderly couple out of the hallway and into the main aisle of the congregation between the rows of pews. Quickly glancing around, Joanna sees that despite the impressive architecture and well maintained wood of the pews, the church is overall austerely decorated. Other than a few gilded ivory crosses, was minimal Christian iconography. There were also some occult looking sigils that were not specifically meaningful to Joanna, though studying them made her immediately uneasy. Despite some burning incense, the reek of fetid ocean detritus was still heavy here.

Joanna would have to stop and turn around to study the alter... though of course sticking around could be dangerous.

[Haval]

Joanna doesn't know what to make of the sigils but will take a few pictures of them with her phone while she was here. She will also take a closer look at the alter.

[Thundercracker]

Blaze

“More info can’t hurt man, I can find out Oakheart’s schedule, we can go when she’s teaching or out on the ocean,” Blaze said.

[GKnightBC]

Jeremy adds "We haven't had a result from our planted 'bug' yet, so we may just have to wait. Maybe we can stir the pot a bit and disturb those fish-folk at prayers."

[Bennosuke]

Kara raises an eyebrow at Blaze and says, "Knowing Oakhearts' schedule is a good idea, but that only takes care of one of the three... unless the other two are like her TA's or something."

(OOC: Assume Blaze is gonna hack the school network to find out Oakheart's teaching schedule? Wits + Computers -1)

******************************************

Joanna takes a moment to snap a few pictures with her phone. After the third or fourth, she hears the door to the office she had just left open.

[Haval]

'Oakheart's obviously out on the water for reasons that have nothing to do with teaching. If Corey and the other one aren't TA's there's a chance they're in the class just to have an excuse to be out there.' Joanna mused. 'But you're right and it would be nice to know for certain.'

-----------------------------------------------------

Joanna isn't especially worried about being found by one of these people, as being Uratha had made her blasé about the possibility of threats to her personally. Not being seen was still tidier though so she will find a place to hide. If she's not hiding behind the alter she will move herself to the wall by the door that she had used to enter the room. She just had to be quiet.

Spoiler: ooc

Show

Can't use Shadow Pelt again

Dex 2 + Stealth 2
(4d10)[6][10][7][2](25)
Any 9 or 10s for Moon Kissed
(4d10)[5][1][7][10](23)

[Thundercracker]

Unable to find out what Oakheart's schedule is, Blaze decides to roll a joint and smoke it until he feels some kind of inspiration to try again.

Spoiler

Show

Can Blaze try to code up a tool to assist him here?

[Bennosuke]

Joanna decides to act just a little two slowly. She was just a little bit too far down the aisle away from the stage. Hearing the priest's footfalls now growing louder down the corridor, and with the stolen book still in hand, she instead dives into a row of pews, hiding behind the bench.

From there she watches as the Priest wanders into the arched hallway. He shuffles up to the alter, pausing for a moment, a look of disgust crossing his flattened bulbous face. He actually sniffs at the air... was he sniffing for her Dissatisfied, he begins arranging things behind the alter. He begins to go about a series of chores; lighting votive candles and cleaning wax off of holders and the like. It seems like he is going to be at his duty for a little bit. But as he does, he keeps sniffing at the air, seemingly perturbed by some scent he keeps catching.

(OOC: Joanna remains hidden but probably shouldn't stick around. She can escape the church now without having to roll again, but if she wants to stay and do anything, you'll have to roll for it.)

************************************************** ***********

After about an hour of messing around in the back walls of the University's server, Blaze is still not able to discover Professor Oakheart's schedule. He can continue working at it, though with each attempt he will spend another hour, and each subsequent roll will be at a further -1 modifier.

[Haval]

Joanna has the urge to tap the priest on the shoulder just to see his reaction but will elect to leave without being seen. Hopefully the book was actually important to them.

Spoiler: ooc

Show

Can I have Wp for Lone Wolf?

----------------

Back with the others Joanna will spend some time flicking through the book to see how much of the content she actually understood.

[Bennosuke]

After a second hour of banging his head against the computer, Blaze is able to finally gain full access into the U-Mass server's scheduling system. By now it is early afternoon. In general, it looks like on some days Oakheart teaches some classes in the morning, other days she teaches in the afternoon. She takes administrative time otherwise, and on Fridays, she takes her advanced classes out on the water for a full day of teaching and research.

As it happens, she IS teaching class this afternoon, and tomorrow will be Friday as it happens. However, that says little about what the other two Pure are doing.

This information is quickly shared with the other Anchor Wolves, unless Blaze has a reason to keep it to himself.

************************************************** ***

Joanna is able to stay low and exit the church without anyone noticing. She keeps the book tucked under her shoulder, held tight like a sacred present.

(OOC: Very fair. Updated Joanna's character box, she is up to 2/5 WP)

The book itself is rather dense, filled with a number of ledgers, and hand written scribbles that are hard to decipher. Worse, some of the pages and many of the margin notes are written in a stylized cursive that looks eerily similar to First Tongue sigils, but is not immediately decipherable.

(OOC: A Resolve + Academics/Occult roll will be needed to gain information after an hour of researching the tomb)

[Haval]

Joanna will spend some time with the book.

Spoiler: ooc

Show

Resolve 2 + Academics 1
(3d10)[5][7][9](21)
Any 10s
(3d10)[6][6][3](15)

[GKnightBC]

Joanna will spend some time with the book.

Jeremy offers to help out, curious as to the encoded notes (Presuming this is back at the den).

Spoiler: Bookish Work

Show

Resolve + Academics (4d10)[5][4][5][1](15) Tens (4d10)[3][8][9][9](29)

[Bennosuke]

Together, Jeremy and Joanna spend about an hour together (though Jeremy is not particularly helpful). The unavoidable discovery is the continued references to Diagon... also occasionally spelled Dagon. Though the book had been stolen from "The Church of Saint Daigon", the priest's book seemed to mostly refer to Diagon as some sort of monster, or even a god under the sea. Other names that seemed to be synonymous with Daigon were "The Drowned One, The Slumbering God, The Eternal Hunger".

[Haval]

Joanna will have told Jeremy everything about where she'd been. 'The good news is that their security is ****ty. I think the head guy could smell me but it wouldn't be that hard to get back inside there if you ever wanted to take a look around.' On the book, 'Why in the hell would you want to worship something like that?'

She will also make Blaze aware of the book. 'So, I had a look around their church while I was out, and I think I stole a copy of their bible. I think we might have better things to do then read through this properly right now but how are you at reading First Tongue?'