Salted Wounds [IC], a Deep Black Sea game Options

[Luckace]

Around Wraith, the blowing of the wind seemed to intensify: After a few seconds, a howling, twirling, shaping whirl of air, mist and snowflakes seemed to form in front of him, slowly getting more and more concrete.
The rite took a few seconds to fully unfold a creature floating in front of Wraith: A vaguely humanoid body seemingly composed of whirling gusts of wind and grey mist, with large, white wings wings spreading from its back giving it an angel-like appeareance. It had no distinct facial features except for two bright eyes, blue as a cold winter's sky. It radiated a proud, majestic and peaceful aura and showd no signs of hostility, nodding its head slightly in Wraith's direction.
Wraith looked at the spirit awestricken and nodded back - deeper, almost like a bow.

Should anyone get tense at the spirit's appeareance and show signs of taking this spirit for the attacker, Wraith will immediatly make a calming gesture to make sure nobody aims a weapon at his spirit.

[ Spoiler ]

Spirit of Air Force 6 appears with two services (1 net hit, +1 through "spirit affinity"), optional powers: elemental attack, fear

[Jack_Spade]

The blinking light doesn't seem to be attached to anything. And as both Nova and Anna are getting closer, the light vanishes, only to appear about 50 m to the East, blinking even quicker the morse code for SOS. It stopped and a few seconds later began to blink 50 to the West.
Eliza's voice found their way to the team's comms:
<<Could someone tell me what is going on there? The van's sensors can't pick up what you are looking at.>>

[Gilga]

Anna texted >> No idea what it is... Seems like a flashlight - but does not behave like a human. No point in going close, but perhaps we can morse back to it? Does anyone know morse code?...

... and be vigilant, the spirit may still be here.

[Thanee]

"It is clearly just messing with us. Can you see if there is any magic going on? If not ..."

Nova stopped moving and readied her rifle, aiming at the light.

[ Spoiler ]

Taking Aim action (up to four times), while waiting for an answer from Anna.

[SquirrelDude]

Sharkboy lowered his guard, and crossed his arms in confusion. This wasn't exactly what he was expecting when Anna came back worried."If Eliza can't see it, then it's probably magical, right? So would the mages please explain what it is or what it is trying to do? It certainly doesn't look threatening. Is it warning us? Telling us to go away?"

[Jack_Spade]

Eliza replied: <<Be careful. There have been rumors of critter attacks. Don't get separated.>>

Meanwhile the "Angel" floated gently above the ground, staring in the direction of the light - not threatening, but vigilant.

[Gilga]

She said, "I never met a spirit that was fluent in Morse code..." She activated her laser sight and repeated the pattern.

[Luckace]

"We can't all go scout and leave bnc alone in the van, while she's jacked-in. ", Wraith's voice echoed through the team's comlink.

Someone is calling for help - or luring us into a trap. I can't ignore it nonetheless. Lord, help me distinguish between the two.
Find the source of that light and tell me about it.

He followd the rest of the team, but continuosly listened for sounds and looked around and over his shoulder (with his astral sight as well) and made sure not to walk to far away from the van and the team's decker. If they've already gone too far ahead to join them and still be in proximity of the van, he'll fall slightly back so he can still keep an eye and on the van.

The mage's body language shows that he's exhausted, but other than that, he seems to be all right.
In his hand he raises the cross-wraistband.

[ Spoiler ]

So everyone else except bnc already went into the graveyard, right? How far did you go ahead?

As soon as the time allows it: Assensing: 7d6t5 5 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
Perception (visual): 8d6t5 3He'll use his vision-magnification to zoom in.
Perception (visual): 9d6t5 2 Sorry, 9 die is audio, and not (naturally) visual again. Accidently used autofill.

[Volker]

Cursing loudly, bnc moved the drone back to offer a minimum of protection for herself. A protection that won't do against a spirit, even if it's not a powerful one. They not only defied me openly, but also left me back to die. Awesome ... Where are Krestov and Slob? I want them back...
No, you couldn't trust them anymore than these morons.
Could you?

As precaution, she starts the van's engine. If the shit hits the fan and she's left alone, she'd at least give those fuckers a hell of a show.

"What the frag is so incomprehensible 'bout the words "Stay where you are"? Get your asses right fucking back NOW. I can morsecode N O W if that's what lures you but will you morons not split the fragging group in a danger zone and leave your god-damn rigger behind? The one who's job it is to scout and who told you that she's gonna fragging scout? Has anyone of you ever even done that frigging kind of job before? Who the frag pays 200,000 euros to undisciplineed show-offs??"

Suddenly, a thought strikes her, sending a chill through her spine.

[Gilga]

Anna texted bnc separately >>bnc, get out of VR. I raced to my body the first sign of a possibly hostile spirit.
Spirits go through nonliving objects and bullets do not. Also, calm down... Stress is very visible, and some spirits even feed on it. You may be doing the analog of showing fear to an angry dog. We are professionals and within eyesight of each other.

She felt alive... it was scary, but somehow she liked the danger, the fog, and the cemetery. It was perfect!

and for everyone to hear...
>> bnc, turning wireless laser sight and giving you marks... Ask it what it wants... We are not far. Basically, where we started.

[Volker]

bnc responded on Anna's private channel. "No, I won't. I can pop up the doors any second and shoot the spirit wherever it is. But offline, I'm defenseless. It's your fragging duty to deal with the spirit and mine to scout, not the other way round. We agreed on that. Can you please for once act as a shadowrunner and not as a headless impulsive child? Deal with the fragging spirit so I can do my work. And keep an eye on the others. I'm not sure whose side they are on."

[ Spoiler ]

I have no fucking clue what you meant the the message on the team channel. I can see words, but they don't make any sense to me.

[SquirrelDude]

"Ms. Black, do you still see the spirit that got you so worked up? If not, I'm going to head back to the Van and get some water before I need to run back out before chasing ghosts again." Although his emotions couldn't really care over subvocals, it was plain as day in his body language if Nova was still around. His next bit of venom would be for the decker.

"Skinny bitch. Sorry we went out to aid your employee when she cried big evil spirit in a graveyard. Next time we'll just let her die and then have it come attack us without any warning because none of us can see it. Stop complaining and giving orders and bring up online translator for morse code or whatever the stupid lamp is flashing in."

[Jack_Spade]

The angel replied to Raph:
"It is a blighted demon spirit, that lures travelers astray. Once upon a time it lured them into marshes to drain them of their life and soul. On your command I shall destroy it."

[Gilga]

She replied subvocally "The Angel sees it... but I would still like to talk to it before turning to violence..
She peered into the astral trying to locate the spirit if she does she asks: "What do you want?"

[ Spoiler ]

I figured that if bnc knows morse she can speak to the spirit using Anna's laser sight. Anna gave her marks, and turned it wireless so that bnc can speak to the spirit. http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?show...d=1341860&#
Assensing: 12d6t5 3

[Volker]

"I don't have employees, and what you followed is a random light unknown to us. We're not here to play hero, but to complete a task.
If you can't stick to plans, you're dangerous to us. As a muscle, your task is to protect the group, not run off chasing ghosts. If you get a professional's pay, act like one! Same for Anna and Nova. I don't care whether I give the commands or someone else does, but you can't just run off as it suits your prehistoric instincts, fishbone.
Now, either you take command and responsibility or you let me do my job as rigger, decker and the only one with brains around and return to the fucking van alongside Anna who has no reason whatsoever to follow any unknown flashlights, dark monster spirits or whining orphans. Can you do that?"

[ Spoiler ]

There's no reason whatsoever to assume that the spirit knows Morse code. SOS ist just ...---... About everyone knows that although hardly anyone else knows any other signs. 10 year old scouts can do SOS. It'll just be a trick the entity picked up.

[Gilga]

>> Please, turn off sarcasm for a moment... There seems to be a sapient entity living close to the hideout,
it may have seen Kerstain. It may have useful information, so it is worth to give communication a chance. It would only take a few moments."

[Thanee]

"Child, there is a potential threat in close vincinity to our area of operation. We have to make sure, that it won't be a problem. Besides, we are just a few steps away from the van, in case you cannot see us," Nova replied to the little outrage of their decker.

"So, put your mighty brain to work and do your scouting, there is no reason to interrupt that. In the meantime, we will figure out what this thing is and how to deal with it. Maybe it is harmless, maybe it is not. Either way, it is not smart to do nothing about it."

[Luckace]

"bnc, calm the frag down! I'll do rearguard and watch the van." His pace slowed down.
"It is not harmless.", Wraith replied at Nova's loud thinking. "That vile spirit has been using this trick for ages: luring people away and then feeding on them."
He seemed to strongly oppose the idea of communicating with it. "Had it met Kerstin, one of them would likely be dead now. There's no use in reasoning with this demon. I say it has to be destroyed, then we can move on."
I won't have a demon defile this holy place!

[Volker]

“By now it's roughly a hundred meters from us. If a spirit manifests here and you're out there, I'm dead before you're halfway back. I didn't say ignore it but "stick together". As it's a magical threat, I'd have the mages decide but if they want to go there in meatspace, don't leave anyone behind.
So, Wraith, Doll, shall we geek that evil sucker - and how? - or do you wanna talk to the vile demon? Do you want me to scout out accompany you?"

[Thanee]

"It is good to be on your guard. But this is borderline paranoid," Nova said.

"I can still see the van. Surely, I won't let myself get lured away by that sucker. So, yes, we are 'sticking together'. Don't you worry."

"Anyways, until it shows up in meatspace, it is for you to deal with it," she added, obviously refering to Anna and Wraith in that last part. "Can you say, what it is actually doing right now? Is it just lurking there? Can't you figure out how strong this spirit is? Is this just a nuisance or a real danger?"

[ Spoiler ]

Nova is about 30~40m away from the van, no more. She is holding her rifle ready, scanning for threats.

[Volker]

"I know a big deal about paranoia and not wanting to be left alone unable to move while there's a huge and terrible dark spirit about does not fall under the category. Wanting my chummers to operate in an organized manner, doesn't either. For scouting, you need one or two. You can't just all go about and run off into the storm because you saw a light flashing, seriously. Maybe you fail to realize the danger I put myself in when I leave my body to provide you with airborne fire support and the freaking ability to scout better than any of you can. At least we need to properly communicate and divide our forces reasonably, not everyone on his own."

[Thanee]

"Agree about coordinating our approach a little better. Either way, I cannot do anything here, it seems, so I will just head back to the van now."

Nova moved closer to their vehicle, so she is no more than 10m out, gun still at the ready and watching the surrounding area.

[Jack_Spade]

As Anna looked into the Astral she could make out the flashing point of light - and the groteque form of the 20 armed cephalopod sharing space. As the flashing lights stopped she could see that the thing was now wholly astral again - and just like that it moved with astral speeds past her and vanished inside the van.

[Gilga]

>>It is dashing for the van! bnc get out NOW!
She summoned a spirit of her own, and instructed it to fight the dark spirit.

[ Spoiler ]

Summon F5 (Man): 12d6t5 4
resist F5: 5d6t5 3
drain: 11d6t5 0
1 service, 6 drain.

[Jack_Spade]

[ Spoiler ]

I'll need new ini rolls for all of you. Anyone who isn't astrally perceiving starts the round surprised with -10 to ini

Spirit: Ini: 10+4d6 23

Moves inside the Van and spends his first complex action with materializing over bnc

Raph is now 10m away from the van as per his description.
The rest of you I place at 30m