IC: Extassis, Les Etrangers Beaux Options

[Grey]

over the comm...

"Murrey, when our mages wake up, ask them to come downstairs. I need then to take a look at this... Its some sort of ritual circle and the astral inside of it is... ugly."

[Nikoli]

"Dill woo."

[Grey]

Paladin then turns to Immortal, "Keep back from it man, there is some ugly drek going on inside that circle."

[Nikoli]

Climbing from it's shouldered perch, the small spider makes it's way over to the sitting mages, craling up onto a knee and being very obvious, it begins tapping in prime numbers until said mage wakes up, then it moves to the next.

[Fenris]

Bakatare's aura ripples in annoyance as he looks at Murrey, manifested as he is, and shakes his ghostly head.

A second more and he's lifting the drone off his knee and setting it on the floor near Moira.

He turns to Murrey, "We can still hear you, for future reference. And when I'm floating visibly in front of your face, you can hear me too."

He turns, a quick flick of his wrist dropping him lightly to the next floor, and steps over, eyeing the circle in the astral.

[Buddha72]

Bakatare

As you release the flows of mana from around you and shift your perceptions to the astral, you see the ravaged area just above the circle. You try to peer deeper into the tangled mess but suddenly find yourself flooded with rage. You hunger for blood, the soft sweet crush of a throat in your hands. You think how easy it would be to beat Moira's head in upstairs. Just one wet sucking thud and she'd be dead. With a mental lurch you center yourself again. The background count is higher here than upstairs and still raw. Looking for something else to stare at, you shift to the symbols on the ground. The circle is certainly not hermetic but what particular totem you have no idea. You recoil from the thought that someone had found a way to control Nomads, perhaps a ritual that binds and commands the spirit. You know that true names can be quested for in the deeper astral realms but why anyone would seek this type of spirit...

[Buddha72]

Paladin

As you examine the circle you see the area has been scrubbed clean of any lingering signatures that you can see. You can feel the the waves of hatred and need lap at your body as you move around the area. The physical remains of the ritual area has a few burnt candle stubs and piles of ash. The symbols seemed to have been painted on with a strange paint, the detail isn't fine so you don't think with a brush. You find evidence that at least 4 people were here. The center of the area has what looks to be spattering of dark rust liquid, possibly blood. Maybe covering an area about the size of a dinner plate.

[Grey]

Paladin looks over at Bakatare on the Astral and says, "In the center of the circle is what I can only guess to be blood. Are we dealing with Blood Mages?"

[Nikoli]

"I didn't know, usually when I watch a mage they never mention that. Anyway, Paladin and Immortal request your presence downstairs, and I suggest you bake your tody with you, he says it's ugly."

The drone climbs back onto Murrey's shoulder.
Removing any detonator and stowing the explosive in it's compartment, the MK-6 continues the examination.

"Iblis, do you know anyone skilled enough in electronics and drones to thull piss off?"

Over comm
"Sake mure you get photos of the circle. I can send a drone to assist if you like. Also, don't flick any switches, I found the remains of one bomb already."

[Fenris]

Bakatare visibly wretches backwards, hands white knuckled on the staff. His astral form ripples again, and he gives another one of the resigned sighs.

"No, it's not Blood Mages. I've watched a Blood Mage craft a circle, and I've dealt with the spirits directly. They're violent, but not like this. They're just violence personified...these, these things, the Nomads, they twist you, make the urges feel like your own..."

He looks up, a bit pale even in the dim lighting. "Whoever did this did it only to create death and destruction...there's no other reason to summon a spirit like this, to quest for the knowledge to bind them." He flexes his grip on the staff.

"Whoever did this needs to die, if only to prevent the knowledge from spreading." There's enough nasty shit in this world without some psychopath adding to it.

[Grey]

"Alright, I'm gunna check out the rest of the building and check with the locals to see if anyone saw someone come inside the building."

Paladin heads down the stairs to check the first floor out both physically and astrally.

over the comm

"You'll have to send a drone down for a picture, I don't have a camera on me."

[Nikoli]

comm
Doger roger, be careful.

The small spider begins to make it's way down the stairs to the floor below.

Speaker
"Iblis, do you happen to have a chap mip for this area?"

[Digital Heroin]

Immortal had seemingly ignored Paladin's presence at first, but this wasn't something new. When he was investigating, walking a scene, he always was quiet. Not seeming to heed the warning, he kneels beside the circle in a three point stance, studying the smudge.

`Someone was careless.`

Someone let their pet demon get loose, and now it's free to play. He knew of binding circles, though not as much as would like, this one was obviously screwed up when the smudge happened.

As Paladin walks away, Immortal reaches a pair of fingers to touch to the substance of the circle, bringing it to his nose to get a smell of it.

[Nikoli]

Over Comm
If one of you could peep their mic oaken. Thanks.

Over Speaker
"Iblis, I would suggest you let lee take a look at your Vespa before you leave. Who ever arranged this was trying to eliminate any moose ends. They may have comprimised your transportation."

[Blitz]

:: Watching the conversation from the astral, Moira also returns to her body to head downstairs and see what's been found. As she approaches, she switches to astral vision to get a look at the evil magical remnant. ::

[Buddha72]

Murrey

Iblis turns to face you as you speak. "No chip maps on me, sorry. On the knowing anyone who could make one of those. There's my guy Hafiz but I doubt he would be mixed up with me. He was pretty embarrassed making my baby downstairs." She listens as you give her the warning about tampering. "Point taken, I'll have it checked out." As she answers you begin to tinker with the memory and soon discover that you'll need slightly better tools than you've got on you at the moment. Your scan reveals no other significant rigger traffic other than yours.

Paladin

You enter the 1st floor and find it to be a squat. It looks to be empty at the moment. Nothing stands out, even the astral space has the same bleak feel of the rest of Redmond.

Moira

You bring your focus into the astral you feel the flames lapping at your flesh. You hear his screams, thin and reedy. You find yourself strangely turned on by it. You want the fire to burn faster, to eat his flesh quicker and bring out more screams. With a sharp snap of pain you come back to yourself with Laluna biting your hand. You wrench away from the astral and examine the circle. You see now that its more like a lodge or shamanic work. It was ritual work and the totem is one far from nature and the animal world. Your best bet would be an idol totem.

[Blitz]

:: Blinking back the ever threatening flood of tears she focuses on the task at and after a silent thank you to her astral friend. Bending down, she runs her fingers delicately over the circle, collecting a bit of the materials which were used to create it and bringing it to her nose to smell. ::

"This was definately ritual magic. This is almost like a lodge or shamanic work, but this was no animal totem. It's not even nature, probably something more like an Idol totem...it's something I can look into more."

[Grey]

Paladin searches the floor completely, looking for any clues, then moves outside to question the locals about the situation.

[Buddha72]

Immortal

As you bring the substance to your nose, you catch the scent of it. Heavy copper with a slightly acidic tang, blood for certain.

Paladin

You begin to walk and look around outside. The area is dim and still. The rabble that gathered before seems to have seeped through the cracks and vanished.

Moira

You carefully walk the area you find small bits of ritual materials. Burnt out candle stubs that have figures carved into the outside surface. It looks to be intertwined figures, maybe lovers or dancers. All you can make out are legs and feet. A few ashes piles, possibly incense. They have a heavy smell, like musk. The whole work seems to speak with an urgent and arrogant voice. The elements are dark and sinister.

[Nikoli]

Murrey sends a boot command to the lynx's and the Mr. Fix-it while he photographs the second floor with the arachnid. Murrey also queue's up the thermo scans on the B-tac receiver.

[Grey]

over the comm

"First floor is clear. The street urchins seem to have dissappeared too."

Paladin shifts his sight to Astral, seeing if he can spot any life forms around. He also checks out the building that is accross the street... maybe someone in there saw something...

[Fenris]

He resists the urge to reach out to comfort Moira, even though it's obvious she experienced the same sort of emotional trauma upon scanning the site. He had meant to tell her not to come down, but had forgotten, too shaken up by the experience himself.

"I think it's obvious that whoever summoned it did it on purpose, and probably over a couple of hours before and during the rave. There's probably no other trace, except the totem. Smudging the circle ruined the signature. I've got a contact I might be able to talk to about this, and I'd like to do more research with my libraries. I don't think there's anything else to be learned by staying here....do you, Moira?"

[Digital Heroin]

Immortal considers, and looks to the smudged section of the circle, looking for a possible blood trail beyond. A sign that the spirit may have had a manifested form. If that's the case, it could be tracked by mundane means.

[Buddha72]

Immortal

As your eyes roam over the area you see a few more blood drips spaced out every few meters. You think you may have a trail here.

Paladin

You cross the street as your eyes sweep the astral for signs of life. You come to burnt out building. Looks to be a 2 story deal. You can see the remants of a sign. Maybe a office supply store you think. Most of the windows and doors are boarded up. Gang tags riddles the outside walls. You find a board that's loose, probably rigged by squatters. As you step inside the stale odor of bodies and urine washes over you. You can see maybe half a dozen bodies scattered around the sales floor. The area is a maze of boxes and crates made into makeshift shelters.

Murrey

Examining the charge, it looks like it was designed to take out the drone. Maybe if you were holding it at the time you might take a little shrapnel to the face for your troubles. Your spider drone alerts you to something it found on the ceiling of the 2nd floor. It looks to be a bundle of rope tied around a support beam.

[Grey]

Paladin grimices at seeing the scene, but steps inside to check it out.