(IC) New Bedford by Night: WtF III

[Haval]

Before passing out last night Joanna had made some initial efforts to get her **** together through internet research on her phone. Once she was finally up she's focused on her phone as she drinks a lot of coffee.

As she presumably has the number of the cop who tried to arrest her, she'll send him a text now it was daylight and see if she could get an update into the investigation into Finn's murder. Sometimes her family connections could persuade members of the police to tell her things they otherwise wouldn't.

Otherwise Joanna is going to look into the most evangelical seeming local churchs according to their social media presance. If she was really lucky she could find a picture of the priest who had bothered them. If not, she could at least familiarise herself with a list of churches that she could investigate later.

Spoiler: ooc

Show

Joanna has Allies (Police) 1 if that's enough for an update by itself

Roll for googling and social media searches
Intellegence 3 + Investigation 2
(5d10)[6][1][1][4][6](18)
Any 10s
(5d10)[8][6][6][8][2](30)

[Bennosuke]

(OOC: Assuming Blaze is still in the Flesh, going down to the basement and casting his gaze across the Gauntlet, meaning he can't interact with the spirits and they can't see him.)

Down in the basement, Blaze casts his vision to the small well of Essence they had created for the Deep Sea Spirits. The concern that they had left the spirits too long, had been nagging Blaze lately. Sure enough, Blaze finds a number of listless and grey spirits floating around an empty well of Essence. There numbers had dwindled a little; mostly the lesser spirits were gone, leaving only the more formed of the chorus, most of which were wasted and fading.

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

Before falling asleep, Joanna struggles to keep her vision focused as she scrolls her phone looking for updates. Her fingers won't obey her half the time, making each typed search a real struggle. Despite the coffee, after less than an hour, Joanna is asleep despite herself, even managing to leave her phone uncharged overnight.

In the morning, her head is pounding and even sitting up is a bit of a struggle. She shoots a text to Officer Daltrey, the younger of the three police that she had met the other day. He was neither the pock marked fat one, nor the older grey officer who had been in charge, but instead had been the one to drive Joanna to the station and after the craziness of the incident, had been relatively friendly to Jo.

He replies to her inquiry, "Nothing major... most of the locals aren't really complying... though we have a reason to believe he's hiding somewhere in Downtown New Bedford." The Warehouse where the pack lived was in downtown as well. However, Daltrey shoots Joanna a second text that basically tells her that he can't be feeding her information on an active investigation.

(OOC: Technically, Contacts should get you information, not allies, though I'll give it to you here)

[Daishain]

Bear looks around the room, "Right then, where are we at in gathering information on the pure? Any reason to delay matters? What did that pup last night say?"

[Thundercracker]

Blaze shook his head and headed back upstairs.

“Yo guys, I know there’s a lot going on but we gotta take care of those fish in the basement, or they’re all gonna die, or we’re gonna have a bunch of crazy fish spirits in our den,”
Blaze said.

[Haval]

He replies to her inquiry, "Nothing major... most of the locals aren't really complying... though we have a reason to believe he's hiding somewhere in Downtown New Bedford." The Warehouse where the pack lived was in downtown as well. However, Daltrey shoots Joanna a second text that basically tells her that he can't be feeding her information on an active investigation.

To Officer Daltry, 'Yeah, I know the drill. But it's not like I'm going to tell anyone.' Joanna wasn't counting the rest of the pack here. 'And if we keep in touch maybe we can help each other out. If I find him again I'll be sure to call you :)' With no small amount of swearing she will make a point of getting her phone charger from the car while she was eating breakfast.

To Bear, 'He said he wanted to meet other Uratha. Maybe that means the other Pure aren't that great to be around and he wanted to meet someone normal.' At this point Joanna barely wants to talk about it. 'He didn't seem like a bad guy all things considered, but he didn't like me bad mouthing Oakheart. Said we were unpure of all the bloody things. Someone told him that.' And getting to the point, 'I'd say if we're going to go after the big wolf we should do it soon. I don't want any of them showing up here while we're out.'

To Blaze, 'So we get more essence. Can we do the ritual again? Maybe we could get a rota set up to go with washing the dishes.'

[Haval]

Jeremy

At some, perhaps when she was still drunk the night before, Joanna will go looking for Jeremy. 'Thought maybe I'd ask you first as you're the next 'youngest'.' Joanna will idly make the quote gesture with one hand. 'You're in a tribe aren't you? What exactly do you have to do to join?'

Spoiler: ooc

Show

Leaving this here for whenever GK sees it.

I need to try and get Joanna in a tribe at some point and it might double for GK's aspiration about increasing the pack's standing.

Now

If no one adds anything. 'There's no reason for them to know for certain that we're coming, but they're probably going to expect it. Is that enough of a reason to hold back?'

[Thundercracker]

To Officer Daltry, 'Yeah, I know the drill. But it's not like I'm going to tell anyone.' Joanna wasn't counting the rest of the pack here. 'And if we keep in touch maybe we can help each other out. If I find him again I'll be sure to call you :)' With no small amount of swearing she will make a point of getting her phone charger from the car while she was eating breakfast.

To Bear, 'He said he wanted to meet other Uratha. Maybe that means the other Pure aren't that great to be around and he wanted to meet someone normal.' At this point Joanna barely wants to talk about it. 'He didn't seem like a bad guy all things considered, but he didn't like me bad mouthing Oakheart. Said we were unpure of all the bloody things. Someone told him that.' And getting to the point, 'I'd say if we're going to go after the big wolf we should do it soon. I don't want any of them showing up here while we're out.'

To Blaze, 'So we get more essence. Can we do the ritual again? Maybe we could get a rota set up to go with washing the dishes.'

"Yeah, we need to take care of them, play another set down there to get the Essence they need to survive," Blaze said, "not only did we promise to help them out, they're going to show us where the Idigam Lair is, once we address the Pure. They can't do that if they're dead or insane."

[GKnightBC]

Jeremy

At some, perhaps when she was still drunk the night before, Joanna will go looking for Jeremy. 'Thought maybe I'd ask you first as you're the next 'youngest'.' Joanna will idly make the quote gesture with one hand. 'You're in a tribe aren't you? What exactly do you have to do to join?'

Nodding, Jeremy answers, "I'm a young member of the Iron Masters tribe. We're urban hunters, open to change and progress as it helps us. When I was initiated, we were sent on an all-night hunt through the city - underground, over rooftops, through offices - those that found the prey and brought it back were accepted into the Tribe. We stay in touch through the Internet mainly, but I was sent here when our Pack started gaining renown, to provide what help I could."

[Haval]

Earlier

Nodding, Jeremy answers, "I'm a young member of the Iron Masters tribe. We're urban hunters, open to change and progress as it helps us. When I was initiated, we were sent on an all-night hunt through the city - underground, over rooftops, through offices - those that found the prey and brought it back were accepted into the Tribe. We stay in touch through the Internet mainly, but I was sent here when our Pack started gaining renown, to provide what help I could."

'So no living out in the country? I can get behind that. And the hunting is what I do for work anyway. Just with less..' Joanna makes a claw motion with her hand. 'So what do I need to hunt? Or is it more about the process then the target?'


Now

"Yeah, we need to take care of them, play another set down there to get the Essence they need to survive," Blaze said, "not only did we promise to help them out, they're going to show us where the Idigam Lair is, once we address the Pure. They can't do that if they're dead or insane."

'Well alright then. I don't want anyone starved on my account.'

[Bennosuke]

The pack crosses over, using the monolith gauntlet out on the dock to make their way over to the Hisil. Following the shore down, they make their way to the small Essence well they had created less than a week ago. The scene is as Blaze had recently seen; the chorus of Deep Sea spirits has more than halved, leaving only a handful of the more developed spirits. Those that remain, long scaley fish things with bulbous milky eyes and long hooked underbites, appear emaciated and dull. Though at first they float listlessly about the empty well, the spirits begin to stir and moan as the pack of Werewolves approach. "Uratha," they howl in The First Tongue, swimming faster and faster in tight circles to the border of the well's Essence circumference, trapped like goldfish in a bowl. They are agitated and angry, but is easy to see they are powerless and of no threat, despite any enmity they might hold.

[Thundercracker]

The pack crosses over, using the monolith gauntlet out on the dock to make their way over to the Hisil. Following the shore down, they make their way to the small Essence well they had created less than a week ago. The scene is as Blaze had recently seen; the chorus of Deep Sea spirits has more than halved, leaving only a handful of the more developed spirits. Those that remain, long scaley fish things with bulbous milky eyes and long hooked underbites, appear emaciated and dull. Though at first they float listlessly about the empty well, the spirits begin to stir and moan as the pack of Werewolves approach. "Uratha," they howl in The First Tongue, swimming faster and faster in tight circles to the border of the well's Essence circumference, trapped like goldfish in a bowl. They are agitated and angry, but is easy to see they are powerless and of no threat, despite any enmity they might hold.

“Greetings, we promised to provide Essence, and we will,” Blaze replied, “let me gather the pack.”

He turned to the others.
“Guys, we promised to feed them, we’ve gotta keep our word,” he said.

[Haval]

Joanna looks guilty at the state of the spirits, 'Then let's get to it, and I'll try to pay attention this time. Maybe I can have a go at this myself at some point.'

[Daishain]

Bear simply nods in agreement and moves to his place in Blaze's ritual. It felt like the pack was juggling too many balls these days. Too many obligations to fulfill all at once. Still, these things were necessary.

[Bennosuke]

The Deep Sea Spirits gather in the grotto around the Uratha, curious to see if they will be provided with more Essence food. As they swim/float around the pack, several of the smaller spirits moan and whimper, desperate for more food.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Alright, so the last time the pack did this they were actually in the Flesh and played music as part of the rite... see the 2nd IC thread around page 31-32. But seeing how I messed that up and had the pack cross over to see the deep sea spirits.... well I'm just going to expand onto our prior rules.

So the pack has two options here. They can simply just drop some Essence, each character choosing to literally vomit up some Essence to fill the Well. Alternatively, the pack can return to the Flesh and perform the rite again. The rite will require each character to roll Presence/Dex + Expression, and I will need 5 Essence from the group as a whole, however you want to distribute that. If the pack can get another 13 successes and give the 5 Essence, they can turn this Well into a true and permanent locus

[Thundercracker]

The Deep Sea Spirits gather in the grotto around the Uratha, curious to see if they will be provided with more Essence food. As they swim/float around the pack, several of the smaller spirits moan and whimper, desperate for more food.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Alright, so the last time the pack did this they were actually in the Flesh and played music as part of the rite... see the 2nd IC thread around page 31-32. But seeing how I messed that up and had the pack cross over to see the deep sea spirits.... well I'm just going to expand onto our prior rules.

So the pack has two options here. They can simply just drop some Essence, each character choosing to literally vomit up some Essence to fill the Well. Alternatively, the pack can return to the Flesh and perform the rite again. The rite will require each character to roll Presence/Dex + Expression, and I will need 5 Essence from the group as a whole, however you want to distribute that. If the pack can get another 13 successes and give the 5 Essence, they can turn this Well into a true and permanent locus

Blaze

“Greetings Deep Ones,” Blaze said, “we are here to fulfill our end of the bargain. We will conduct a ritual to turn this into a permanent locus you may feed from. If you can assist us in this, it will help all of us. If not, please do not interfere.”

With that, Blaze started setting up his kit and making sure the various objects and furniture in the room so not cause the energy flows to oppose one another.

Spoiler

Show

presence + expression +2 (10d10)[7][4][7][2][6][7][2][9][10][2](56)
10 again: (10d10)[2][9][4][7][5][9][8][10][9][9](72)

[Haval]

Joanna will do what she can to assist Blaze.

Spoiler: ooc

Show

Presence 3 + Expression 3 + Expression (Bass) 1?
(7d10)[1][3][10][3][3][4][5](29)
Any 10s
(7d10)[7][1][3][1][8][7][3](30)

[Daishain]

Bear lends his own efforts, pushing large amounts of spiritual energy for Blaze to guide where it needed to be.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Presence+expression (6d10)[4][2][4][3][8][5](26)
ten again (6d10)[5][5][5][7][2][1](25)

[GKnightBC]

Jeremy lends his efforts to the mix, putting some of his own energies deep into the ritual to help bolster their carving out a new locus for the spirits.

Spoiler: Ritual music

Show

He'll put in 2 Essence as well
Presence+ Expression(Keyboard) : (4d10)[10][4][10][10](34)
If Patient helps (2d10)[4][9](13)
Any tens: (6d10)[10][10][7][10][7][3](47)

[Bennosuke]

Though somewhat improvised, the song the pack plays is familiar enough, and this time comes more easily. During the performance of the Rite, Jeremy seems to find a groove that most musicians only dream of attaining, a completely in-the-moment zen state, his fingers playing across the keys to produce an auditory allusion of waves crashing on the beach and deep things lurking underwater. It is a virtuoso performance perhaps similar to Manzarek's in Riders on the Storm, and as Jeremy plays, he can feel the growing loci almost tune itself to his frequency.

When the rite is done, the basement is filled with the smell of deep and stagnant salt water, and the temperature seems to have dropped by a good twenty degrees. The walls of the basement are wet, and the floor is puddled in brackish dark puddles. The tank itself is now filled with black waters that seem to suck up light like a black hole. Fingers of kelp float deep within the tank, occasionally rubbing ominously against its walls.

(OOC: Congratulations, the pack has now built a level one loci in their basement)

[Daishain]

Bear nods, "Well done everyone." He claps a hand on Jeremy's back, "Especially you, really getting the hang of this eh?"

He looks to the newly created locus, "That's one promise handled. It will be interesting to see how much fallout there will be from it."

[GKnightBC]

Bear nods, "Well done everyone." He claps a hand on Jeremy's back, "Especially you, really getting the hang of this eh?"

He looks to the newly created locus, "That's one promise handled. It will be interesting to see how much fallout there will be from it."

Still a bit stunned by the smoothness of the music he produced, he nods weakly, "It was like someone put their hands on mine and showed me how to play perfectly. I could almost see and scent each chord as it wove into the ritual, twining Essence like threads into a tapestry of sound and power. Glorious! Even now, I feel the node's pulse in my bones. I need a drink." He staggers a little as heads upstairs to get something grounding.

[Haval]

He looks to the newly created locus, "That's one promise handled. It will be interesting to see how much fallout there will be from it."

'We'll work that out if anyone gets mad at us. We just have to find out what they want.'

[Thundercracker]

Bear nods, "Well done everyone." He claps a hand on Jeremy's back, "Especially you, really getting the hang of this eh?"

He looks to the newly created locus, "That's one promise handled. It will be interesting to see how much fallout there will be from it."

“Right now I’m planning to tell anyone who complains that the Deep Ones made a trade, and gave up a lot, and if other spirits want a locus to feed from, they need to agree to do something just as big for us,” Blaze said, “there are a few loci in the area we could shape to feed specific types of spirits too, if anyone comes up with a payment big enough to warrant us doing it.”

[Haval]

“Right now I’m planning to tell anyone who complains that the Deep Ones made a trade, and gave up a lot, and if other spirits want a locus to feed from, they need to agree to do something just as big for us,” Blaze said, “there are a few loci in the area we could shape to feed specific types of spirits too, if anyone comes up with a payment big enough to warrant us doing it.”

'I suppose the question is, if someone is pissed off at us for this, are they going to compain about it to our faces? Maybe it'd be worth hanging out over there ocasionally to see if anyone's wants to talk to us.'

----

Joanna will take some time later in the day to look at local churches online. Ideally she would like to know where the priest who had led the demonstration was based. Perhaps his photo was online somewhere. If not, she work out a list of all the local churches so she could visit them if neccessary.

Spoiler

Show

So the balding priest was from here. Joanna missed when he came to the warehouse in person but she's seen his face

https://forums.giantitp.com/showsing...&postcount=944

If there's actually a Church of Daigon on Google Maps maybe it'll be easy to find.

Int 3 + Investigation 2
(5d10)[10][10][1][10][10](41)
Any 10s
(5d10)[1][6][5][4][8](24)

[Thundercracker]

Blaze

“Worse comes to worst, we could always conduct a supplication ritual,” Blaze said, “I’d want to get something in exchange for that though, we can just be giving them out like candy. Same with the loci.”

[Haval]

Blaze

“Worse comes to worst, we could always conduct a supplication ritual,” Blaze said, “I’d want to get something in exchange for that though, we can just be giving them out like candy. Same with the loci.”

'Fair enough. I feel like the less people who are mad at us at the moment the better.'

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

At some point during the morning Joanna will tie her hair back and change into the set of clothes she wears when she's trying to look like someone else. In this case someone who might plausibly be a student at the college. It was unlikely that anyone involved with the church had been at the gig last night but it was possible that someone had seen her with the others from a distance.

Since the angry mob had shown up at the warehouse she had intended to get a closer look at their church even if they don't react well to her being there. She won't hide where she's going just in case but won't object if anyone else wants to come along.

[Bennosuke]

Joanna (and anyone who decides to join her) marches out of the factory and down the cobblestone street towards the Church of Saint Daigon. Following Google Maps, she finds herself winding through the older parts of the downtown New Bedford away from the more downtrodden residential apartments and towards the hilly neighborhood of larger old brick and stone colonial buildings. As she goes, the clean scent of salty sea breeze gives way to something familiar; noxious and fishy and rotten. The smell grows stronger and stronger as Joanna follows the GPS and gets closer to her "destination".

Arriving at The Church, Joanna stands before an old gothic style church made of large blocks of grey stone with pointed arched windows and three red doors to enter. The building seems to be undergoing active construction, as an additional wing of the church is surrounded by steel gaffing and covered in tarp. Now that Joanna is standing directly in front of the building, studying it, there is a strange and uncomfortable sensation in her gut as if there is something very wrong. The fishy odor has built to a near intolerable volume, overwhelming his nostrils and shoving itself down his throat till Joanna's eyes water.

The doors to the building are closed, and only Joanna's heightened hearing would allow her to hear any movement from inside.

[Haval]

Joanna is forced to work hard to prevent her disgust at the smell from showing on her face. Before looking for a local or a way in she'll take the opportunity to see what the Church looked like on the other side of the Gauntlet.

Spoiler

Show

Can Joanna hear anyone inside?
Wits 3 + Composure 3 + Hishu 1
(7d10)[4][8][5][9][2][5][1](34)
Any 10s
(7d10)[4][10][8][5][4][3][5](39)

[Bennosuke]

Her sense of smell overwhelmed by the pungent odor of sea-rot, Joanna pushes her heightened ability to hear. Foot falls. Heavy and lumbering. Maybe two... or three pairs. Not the same as the sea abominations that attacked, but similar

Shifting her attention, Joanna then casts her sight across the Gauntlet. She finds herself looking around a strange part of the spirit scape. Though this is not a barren, there seems to be a significant lack of spirits floating around these parts. Despite the available coagulated Essence that sticks to the ground and some of the nearby buildings, it is as if the spirits are actively avoiding this area. Around Joanna are a series of decrepit and toppling stone buildings with cyclopean architectural design. These are the common structures of New Bedford in the Hisil, though these buildings are spread farther apart and appear particularly ancient. They are gathered in an almost spiral pattern moving out from the structure that is obviously the Shadow-version of the Church. It appears as a towering building of an obsidian-like black stone with skeletal pointed towers and bulbous domes. The Church is of an incredible size, appearing more like a medieval castle, and staring for too long at it's massive structure begins to make Joanna dizzy and her head throb as if she were being choked unconscious.

[Haval]

Let's stop looking at that. Given what the Church apparently worshipped it was only appropriate for it to look like that, but it didn't seem actively threatening. Joanna will wait till the sound of anyone moving about didn't seem actively close and then will try the main door.