The Found Arcana - Chapter 10, X marks the spot Options

[Jack_Spade]

2351h: San Angelo Hospital

The paramedic replied: "She was tossed through the front window. No doubt about it."

2354h: Some 20km west of San Angelo

Gladius stopped Mato with a hand on the shoulder from walking out of cover.
"Careful, the shards on the hyperconscious level can see you. They are comparatively weak - no magnification, so likely about the same strength as their creators.
We can certainly take them out, but that would call down a much stronger reaction - from both sides within seconds.

If you want to move about let me disguise your aura first so you look like a random rodent."

Mato's scan showed razor wire on top of the fence and faint metallic signatures in the ground - likely sensors and/or landmines just behind the fence.
100m down the fence, he could make out road and a gate.

[Thanee]

"Yeah, they are fairly normal in strength. Not like that plant spirit at the apartment. I totally agree that 'taking them out' would be bad. For once, it immediately informs the conjurer, that something is wrong here. And given that they are willing to have four spirits guarding this area 24/7, which also costs quite a few resources over time, you can imagine what happens, once one of them gets disrupted. But also, please keep in mind, that these are sentient beings. Think of them as security guards. Would you just 'take them out', if they are inconvenient? Surely, we can find a better way here."

[Gilga]

I nod, "I see, I see, so they must have made a sudden break to avoid a collision, though I saw no record of any other vehicle present."

[Tecumseh]

Mato nods to Gladius. "Okay, make me a field mouse," he says.

I would never say that to Bobby, he thinks to himself.

Once the illusion is complete to Gladius' and Raven's satisfaction, Mato will start walking down the length of the fence toward the gate. There he'll examine the lock and the sensors nearby - especially in the road - to see if there's a dead spot that might offer a place to slip inside.

He also does a quick scan to see if there are any Matrix objects connected to the farm or gate, or if there is anything running silently, but he doesn't do a great job of it.

Intuition 6 + Computer 2: 8d6t5 1 hit

[Jack_Spade]

2354h: San Angelo Hospital

The paramedic shrugged: "Could be a the driver had a sudden stroke and wrenched the steering wheel around. It happens.
We'll never know since the car's battery cooked off and burned everything inside to a chrisp.
So thanks for the chocolate, I've got to go back to work."

2355h: Some 20km west of San Angelo

[ Spoiler ]

Manascape: 18d6t5 6

Gladius needed two castings, as he wasn't satisfied with the first try. Raven noticed the power focus around his neck again: It looked like a very ordinary piece of rock, unworked and raw - not at all in line with it's force.

Mato found the fence in some disrepair. There were several pieces that looked rusted enough to be parted with a little force. Though the metal in the ground behind it turned that into a very dangerous idea.
The gate had an obvious signal and didn't seem to be slaved to anything, making a hack against it pretty trivial. Though an opening gate would be pretty obvious for the watchers in the astral.

But mato noticed something else: another irrigation ditch and a duct about 30 cm across that let directly beneath the fence into the closed of area.

[Gilga]

"Thank you for your time and patience." Can I ask one last question Did she leave alone? or did someone came to get her?

I update the team
>> A few pieces to the puzzle, the paramedic that treated Arione says that there was some sort of fear effect that made it difficult to approach her, and then she smiled, and it vanished. Arione looked like she was in shock; she sat silently and did not say a word until they arrived at the hospital. She was not examined by a mage and was likely tossed through the windshield.

Now, I am not saying it is impossible these guys are super talented but to use the heal spell to such mastery she needed to overcome massive pain and background count from the intense emotions of the accidents and since she was covered in blood I suspect it did not happen imminently. Impossible to know with mages there are so many possibilities so all in all it still does not compute to me - but it is strange that there was no police investigation there are just too many coincidences, like the perfect healing, the battery, a driver error, the foreboding feeling there is something there.


I text the doctor >> Hi, can we meet? I am investigating a cold case, and you are the doctor that treated the patient. A car accident where the driver drove into a ditch, the battery exploded and the only survivor managed to be tossed through the windshield and arrive at the hospital in perfect health. Two people burned in that car; any chance you give me a few minutes if you remember the case? I'll appreciate it greatly. Perhaps there is something that was missed.

Emma Miller, Private Detective.

[Jack_Spade]

2354h: San Angelo Hospital

The paramedic turned to go: "No idea, as far as I know, she walked out alone."

The doctor was less forthcoming when he wrote:
<<I'm quite busy and I don't think I can discuss patients history with a private detective anyway.

That said, I remember the incident - very tragic. I was questioned by Lonestar about the same issues that you raised, but as far as I know, nothing came of the investigation as the surviving victim left the state before they could be questioned.

While you are here I'd recommend you get a soycaf and a banana in the cafeteria in the next five minutes.>>

[Gilga]

>> Coffee and Banana seems great thanks.

In response to the text, I get to the Cafeteria to get some soycaff and a Banana. It has been a long day, and I could use caffeine and vitamins. Though I imagine the doctor meeting me there, I don't hold my breath too much. If he does not appear, I'll text him again and try to convince him that Arione is dangerous and that she has done more, but in the meanwhile, I am grateful that there is not much line at this late hour.

[Jack_Spade]

2355h: San Angelo Hospital

AM's banana break turned out to be the right choice. As she set down in the nearly deserted cafeteria, a man in scrubs, sat down next to her along the long table.

"Just to make this clear, I never talked to you and you do not mention my name in any form." He whispered.

"I remember that bizarre case well. Lonestar tried to sue me for not keeping her confined until their investigators arrived. Nothing came of it, since we are a hospital and not a prison. Still, it would be best not to draw attention.

Truth be told I don't think I could have held her even if I wanted. From looking into her eyes you wouldn't have thought she had seen her coworkers just burn to death. She seemed to regard us all more like a nuisance, like mosquitos bothering her and she was about to get a swatter.

She also was in such excellent health that the bio monitors couldn't even find recently healed scar tissue. I've seen that kind of healing only once before: In a study about vampiric regeneration ability. But I doubt that she was an HMHVV sufferer. She didn't respond to UV light and had no other typical allergic reaction that would have been detected by the standard tests."

[Gilga]

I considered it a possibility, and the heal spell seemed a bit over-optimistic to me - at least when considering my performance with the period and the background count of a car crash. Then the doc spells it out for me. "That strangely makes a lot of sense, doctor." I answer, the pieces move into place, but I wouldn't say I like the picture I see. I bite my lower lip, trying to suppress the implications of all this circumstantial evidence.

There is some complication here, but I am uncertain what to do with it as the Doctor says she left before Lonestar, and the paramedic suggested that they took her prints and 'let her go.'

She came to the hospital of her own volition but then took off quite suddenly, right? Do you happen to know what was it that got her to leave so urgently?

[Tecumseh]

Mato walks back to Raven and Gladius.

"This might be as far as we can take it for now," he says. "If this place were truly abandoned then I'd hop the fence and take a look around, but everything about the place says, STAY OUT! Or, alternatively, STAY IN! With what might be mines on the inside, it reminds me of a prison, and the spirits are the guards.

"Ultimately, it might be superfluous. We should let Gladius conduct his ritual to get a sense of where to be and when. How long will that take?" he asks. "Hours, I presume.

"If we need to get in for sure, let's come back with AM and Tamarind. AM can take care of the sensors and Tamarind can scout with drones. The drones can fly over the fence, avoid the mines, and probably escape the notice of the spirits. That's better than anything I can offer under the circumstances.

"Let's head back, confer with the others, form a loose plan, and maybe get some rest while Gladius does his ritual."

[Beta]

Tamarind had been letting AM do the talking, while monitoring the messages going back and forth. It seemed likely she'd gone with the wrong team, but nothing to be done about that currently -- next time she'd at least send an Auntie or two and maybe a Harriet along with the other group.

When the mother and daughter showed up for the cat, she happily passed over Trouble to the girl. Commenting, as much for the spirit as the others "I think this one is trouble. Good luck holding on to them. I have a feeling they might make a break away attempt in a while. But maybe if you give it enough pats and head scritches it will be calm for a while?" The spirit might as well at least get some affection out of all this. And feeling a bit sorry for the girl she added "If it doesn't work out with this piece of trouble, don't give up, you'll find some pet that will work out better. Maybe a dog that you can take for walks on a leash?"

That farm sounded awfully odd. Perhaps she could find some passed history of it on the matrix? Worth putting some time into searching, at the very least.

[Gilga]

I mentally share my thoughts with the team + Gladius.

>>> Guys, from what I was told. There is a sinking suspicion that Arione in the hospital is not the woman that watched her friends die. Her behavior was off, and the wound recovery was highly unusual more a kin to regeneration like vampires or certain spirits than to a healing spell. She flew out of the windshield, bled a lot, and the healing was too good for a plain heal spell. No traces of injury at all. She also had some aura of fear/dread that the paramedic noticed.

- Tien 4rd - has it, too, which is why he radically changed his behavior. In any case, both seem to retain their memories and capabilities.

- They did not try to murder Galdius per se - they tried to recruit him like what happened to Arione and perhaps to the 4th.
The warehouse and the apartment are private places in controlled environments, but they are also deeply associated with the murderers - it makes little sense to leave a dead body in any of them. So perhaps they had no intention of leaving a body behind - to get their chief of security... but without humankind inhibitions.

- I was thinking Shedim or perhaps Bug spirits hidden since the happy MITT days, but I am still thinking about it. I'll need to consult my books for it. It is a lot to process based on bits and pieces and still feels a bit of a conspiracy theory rather than an established investigation but we need some working assessment of what we're up against, and there is not much time.

[Jack_Spade]

Gladius responded:
<<It's probably not bugs. They need prepared environments to create perfect mergers. Unless she was taken before the accident, I don't think a bug could have managed an inhabitation in that short time.>>

[Thanee]

Rachel responds to Mato: "I agree, we have gotten as far as we can without risking detection here. And when we do that, we better all be here. Also, maybe the others can dig something up about this place in the 'trix, that could help us. We do not want to misstep here, just because we didn't take the time to think things through."

<< So, that leaves what... Shedim? I only heard of those in stories... and they were never good. >>

[Beta]

Tamarind shares what she'd found about the farm. <<The farm is trapped in a long running border dispute. It had an owner, but she died about six months ago with no heirs so now there is nobody officially allowed there. And there is just a shade of a hint that run went down there about a year ago. So possibly not the first time that something has happened in relation to the ley line you found? Unfortunately I didn't dig up any hints at who was involved in the run, making it harder to get information. But perhaps we can look for any other unusual happenings at that time frame, see if we can put anything else together to give some idea of what that was about, which might give us a hint of what this is about? But we don't have a lot of time, so possibly safest to just assume that we are dealing with something like Shedim, and get on to getting ready for their arrival?>>

[Tecumseh]

Mato starts to head back to the vehicle with Raven and Gladius.

<<I'm not up to speed on all the astral flavors>> Mato comms back.

<<If that's what we're up against, what's our playbook? Will explosions and lots of fire do the trick, or is there something special we need to do to pull this weed up by the roots?>>

Mato doesn't savor the possibility of having to be the bearer of bad news to the client, but he'll do what needs to be done.

[Jack_Spade]

Gladius answered Mato: <<Big enough explosion will take down anything eventually. If we are facing regeneration we need to pour in so much damage that the ability is overwhelmed. Alternatively, finding the correct allergen will temporarily halt Regeneration. Finally, certain magic damage can't be regenerated.
Personally, I like to throw lightning bolts until they stop moving.>>

[Jack_Spade]

Gladius added: <<Let's regroup at the hotel. My shard still needs a bit of processing time. But I'm almost certain that either the farm or the key line will be the target site of the ritualists.

Meanwhile someone could start a search on what is known about shedim and similar shadow spirits.>>

[Gilga]

Trouble:
As much as Trouble would feel amused to be cared for by strangers, the little cat hops off Tamarind's hands and gets out of the hospital, the distraction already done. AM did not need him there. Cat speed is much more than sufficient. "If you run away from security, I can run away from unwanted attention; same thing, right?" he thinks at AM, that think back "Well, perhaps they would have fed you." She thinks back at him "You think?" he answers, feeling doubtful. Either that, or they would have tried to cook you for extra protein. You have a dark sense of humor..., Praise the Trickster for that. she comments and then thinks happy and calming thoughts back, conveying love and empathy to her adorable familiar.


AM:
Once the doctor leaves, I head back to the van, and once there, I stroke Trouble absently as my awareness shifts to the Trix. I take on Galdius'es suggestion - and search the Trix for Shedim or other spirits that have regeneration and can merge with a recently deceased or heavily wounded person. Shadow spirits.

[ Spoiler ]

casting improve logic (or is it intuition?) for the search.
drain: 11d6t5 4
and then searching, trying to educate herself about the threat they may be facing.
Computer search 1: 18d6t5 6
Computer search 2: 17d6t5 4

A knowledge check, if applicable:
Magical theory: 16d6t5 1
Oh, I guess she knows little.

[Jack_Spade]

AM found a surprising amount of information on Shedim, also called "The Walking Dead".

Those shadow spirits had first appeared through the Watergate Rift. These spirits look on the astral like jellyfish, are unable to materialize and can't last on our plane very long in their natural form.

What makes them so dangerous is their ability to possess dead bodies or the bodies of projecting mages who foolishly left them unprotected. Their regenerative abilities return even badly decayed or mutilated bodies back into pristine health. Worse, the spirits are able to access the memories of the deceased.

Normal Shedim seemed to be content to use their abilities to cause havoc and destruction, seeming only interested in killing the living.

There seems to be another class of Shedim, so called Master Shedim, who posses not only greater intelligences but also the abilities of sorcerers. The only think they can't do is actually summon other spirits. But there are accounts of Master Shedim using various kinds of rituals to modify vessels to enhance the abilities of their fellow possessor spirits. Those Master Shedim are very adept at infiltrating human society and seeking power and influence.

In recent years there was a noticeable shift in Shedim behavior: Instead of causing widespread havoc, they became much more cautious, turning from crazy axe murderers into secretive serial killers that spread fear within communities.

A prevalent theory surmises, that somehow Shedim access to our plane has been cut off, preventing new Shedim from coming here. Not even the astral rift power that the Master Shedim possess seems to be able to overcome this connection loss. The only reliable way for them seems to be teaching mortal mages techniques to summon Shedim and hoping for them to lose control of their summons.

That is easier for the Master Shedim than one might think: Beside compulsion powers and mind manipulation spells, they also know how to prey on human weaknesses, hubris and selfishness.

AM remembered little of the magic theory on this topic, but knew that Shedim were very dangerous, as their only apparent goal was the complete annihilation of every living being on earth.

[Gilga]

I compiled a summary of what I discovered in the search and sent it to the group.

>> Ahm... Well, Shedim fits; Master Shedim fits better as they are almost full mages. Which I suspect can also regenerate drain, otherwise, I am uncertain how they can bind F12 magnifications in Psionic terms. The drain alone would be hazardous to almost anyone, but regeneration may take the sting away if they don't stay dead then there is not much of a risk.

My next search is "How to kill a Shedim." figuring out it would be useful to know just in case Iktomi is not playing us, and they really are Shedim because all the evidences are circumstantial.

[Tecumseh]

<<We need to break their shells>> Mato agrees. <<Do damage faster than they can mend it.>>

<<The good news is that I'm guessing that the IV is not a shedim. He is almost certainly being used for his summoning skills. As his father said, the IV 'is very talented where conjurations are concerned.' But, based on what AM found, he'd lose that if a shedim took his mortal coil. So that suggests that Victoria is either compelling him magically - which I doubt since he would eventually be able to shrug it off, if only for a moment - or the old-fashioned way: mentally and emotionally. I don't know about Phillip.>>

<<So we have to take Victoria out, but we have to do it surgically to limit collateral damage. That makes it more challenging.>>

<<Let's see what Gladius', uh, shard comes up with. Meet back at the hotel.>>

[Beta]

<Best to assume that they are the types of magicians who carry defensive spells, like encouraging bullets to curve away. Best to assume that they will be hard to hit that way, and be pleasantly surprised if they actually cooperate with being shot. >

Tamarind enjoys a quick day dream of commanding a fleet of flying drones auto-firing fragmentation grenades, melting away their quarry. <Explosions, or any area of effect I guess, would be nice, but I don't think we are well equipped on that front. But perhaps we could get our hands on some or tear gas grenades? I'm not sure what is available in the stores here, we can see in the morning if we still have time. In the meantime, anyone have anything on that front to at least soften them up some? If anyone does have anything, especially if it is hard to shut down with magic, please chime in.>

[Thanee]

<< How about this as a working theory: Victoria is dead. She died in the car crash, which was caused by a Master Shedim, who might have just manifested in front of the car, which could have been enough to spook the driver. Victoria was thrown out of the car and died there. The Shedim then took control of her body and cooked the battery to burn the evidence and her two colleagues. The Shedim probably couldn't leave before the rescue squad arrived, so it played along as far as necessary. >>

<< The big question is... how are the other two being controlled? I really doubt, that there is no magic involved here, since they cannot be that dumb. In fact, they are supposed to be really smart. They would not do this without being forced out of their own control. So, assuming there is just the one Shedim, maybe some really big manipulation spells, that they cannot shrug off over time, quickened perhaps? >>