Paladin

"Its a neuro toxin. It would paralyze an elephant. It's not widely available on the streets. They think it might be designer, they have a lab taking a look at the structure for signs of engineering. They found traces of cardiac tissue in the sample as well.' You can hear him flipping through a folder or possibly files. "The kid's name was Brian Metuzack. He was reported missing about 3 days ago. They're running the tests now to see if we have a match but that's just a formality. The kid was found with a single puncture wound over his heart. The tox screen found traces of the same drug as you brought me. He was found floating near the Tacoma docks."

"Drek. That doesn't give me much to go on. Did his parents see or here anything funny? A black van was spotted by locals when the kid was unloaded and taken into the site of the ritual. Had he mad any new friends or enemies lately?"

Paladin

"I'll send you a copy of the file including the interview notes collected so far. There are photos and the autopsy report. I am putting my hoop on the line here so make this pay out for me."

"Will do. Thanks bud." Paladin waits for the file to come over the line, then says, "I'll call you when I have more to go on."

Bakatare follows Onna's lead, moving in and kneeling down again inside.

"I humbly beg your forgiveness for this abrupt appearance. There are several spirits that have been conjured and loosed, spirits that drive others to kill with little regard for life. We have found several items that are related to those who summoned them. We need to find these people, to stop them from killing more innocents with this profane ritual. Such spirits were not meant to be summoned, and can serve no good purpose."

He offers up the two items, the vial of blood and the syringe.

"Normal methods of diving and tracking those that completed the ritual cannot track without better traces, but Onna has mentioned in the past your ability to see that which others cannot, or choose not to."

Paladin

The icon pops up showing that you received the files from Ralph. You access the files and the first thing you see is a photo of young teen. His hair is a sandy blonde and his skin a healthy tan. He looks about 14 or so. You begin to skim through the files and notes from the interview. He went missing sometime after school on last week on Monday afternoon. There are statements from teachers and students that saw him in class and through out the day. He was an above average student with a fairly typical circle of friends. The body was discovered early this morning by a docker worker doing routine maintenance on the pylons.

The first significant thing of note is that after classes let out he was seen getting into a small Toyota Elite, dark blue in color. They have a rough description of a young man with short blonde hair driving the vehicle. His parents were told he was attending an after school event, a study group with some friends. It seems once a week or so Brian had a study group but was in fact going places with "Adam". His friends have little information on Adam, only that he was a close friend of Brians. The detective followed an angle of sexual predator or possibly homosexual relationship but there was evidence to support that Brian was heterosexual. She hasn't ruled out a sexual predator.

The Metuzack family are long standing employees of Transys Nueronet. The father, Daniel, works as a researcher in their software division. The mother, Susan, is a low level administrative assistant. She works under a mid-level manager in HR. Neither has any criminal record. The detective notes that their distress seems genuine and sincere. The family seems stable and healthy. Interviews with neighbors and co-workers revealed nothing out of the ordinary.

A search of Brian's room turned up a matchbook of a club called Body Bag. It's located in Tacoma. The club is known for its alternative members. Its a haven for the S&M crowd and their groupies. She attempted to conduct interviews at the club with minimal success. She is certain more is known but is currently trying to develop a lead or contact into the club scene.

Paladin takes a deep breath as he hangs up the phone. Alright, now we got some leads we can work with…

Stepping back into the house, Paladin looks over at Murrey and Immortal with a look on his face that just screams ‘I’ve got something.’

Without a word he hands over a chip to each of them. “This is the data on the victim used during the ritual. Lone Star is tripping over themselves trying to figure out what happened to the kid. You’ll notice there are two key things mentioned in the file. One is the fellow named Adam. I have a feeling that is the blonde guy that Izzy spotted. The one in charge of the group. The second bit of info there is the night club. Who wants to go stake it out and look for dark blue Elites?”

:: Waking from her nap with a sheepish grin, she excuses herself to the restroom for about a half an hour. Emerging once more, refreshed after another shower, she collects her bag containing the ritual materials she collected the night before. Pulling out her cell phone, she dials the number to her Talismonger, Jesse. ::

"Hey Jess, it's Moira. I have something important I need to pick your brain over. I'll bring lunch if you tell me what you want?"

"I'll nake the tight club. I know someone that can likely give me the skinny on it and my toys can watch the lot for the Elite."
With that said, Murrey downloads the info onto the computer and adds the name to the roster of the deceased involved with this.
"Say, it cooks like the lops didn't mention this kids magical talent if any, can we find out what he tested in school? If he's a corp kid, he was tested when he was young, he obviously wasn't a random snatch and it would help to know what qualities they were looking for that he had."

Paladin holds up a finger, "Give me a sec."

Dialing his phone, he waits a sec for an answer, then says, "Ralph, one more question. The kid. How did he test for magical ability? The corps all test for that early on, right?"

Moira

"Moira, great to hear from you. That should be fine. Business is slow and I could use the company. Grab some Thai food, anything with noodles will work for me and swing on by."

Paladin

The phone is answered almost immediately by Ralph. "Hold on let me look." You hear more papers being moved around. "According to his file he showed no magical talent during the corp testing sweeps. He did test above average in language and social skills. Looks like they had him pegged as a translator or HR drone."

Bakatare

Sosofu takes the offered items and begins to breathe deeply. The room seems to become still, as if the air were thickening around you. His voice sounds distant and ragged. "I am the vessel. That which holds the poison. I am the blade poised over the throats of the innocent. Others wield me to revenge themselves. Tooth and claw battle. The servants of those long asleep move across the board. The Hungry has a name now and can be shaped." The mana washes over you and scrapes across your skin like needles. The pain washes your vision red and liquid. Sosofu's breathing is now labored and strained. "Speak quickly and ask what you will, the spirits of what was and will be are tormented and will not linger here long." His urgency is written in the tightened cords of his neck muscles.

"Ok, thanks man, sorry to bug you again. I'll catch you later."

Paladin hangs up the phone. "Nope, negative on the mojo."

"So, no obvious traits. That's an odd one. Is it possible these malefactors had used magic to brainwash or convince gim to ho with them?"

:: Moira lets whoever is still left in the house know where she's headed and she heads out to her car. ::

:: Slotting her business directory slot into her NavDat, she pulls up a list of Thai places on the way to Snohomish. Not familiar with that cuisine, she randomly chooses a place that offers takeout. Dialing up the number she places a rather large order. ::

"Um...I need things with noodles. Well...ok, give me 2 of the chickens..Hm? Oh..one hot one mild, 2 beefs, one hot one mild...do you have dumplings? Yeah..that works...give me three orders of that and 2 large cokes. I should be there in an hour. Put it under the name Alice. Yes, thanks."

:: Arriving at the ranch style house, she knocks twice on the door, then a third time after a pause. After hearing the muted "it's open!" shouted, she grumbles and tries to shift the bags and cokes around until she has a free hand. She ends up holding one in her mouth as she opens the door and heads into the front room which serves as a storefront of sorts. Moving through the door in the back, she enters the spacious kitchen where Jesse is cooking up something OBVIOUSLY not intended for comsumption. ::

:: Dropping the bags on the counter, she takes a moment to straighten her blouse a bit and toss her hair back over her shoulders. Her eyes wandering to his perfect backside for a moment before blushing and busying herself with unloading the food. ::

"Heya Jess...I didn't know what you liked so I got all they had with noodles. What are you cooking? It smells awful!"

"Was a spirit of anger and murder released or summoned to slay the innocents? Or was the spirit simply used to fuel a spell?"

Bakatare

Sosfu trembles with effort. His voice comes out harsh and eager. "I was the lense. I was used to bind the others that followed. The servants of stone serpent have mastered the tide that follows in my wake."

Moira

Jesse throws some small dried herbs into the small pot. A few small pungent fumes waft up from the brew. "Think of it as a house special. It's a wash that I wanted to try to cure animal hides with. I think it will make the hide more receptive to charms laid on it later.......I think." His face screws up over the stove as he peers into the boiling mess. "So what's this important stuff you needed to pick my brain about?"

:: Her smile fades slightly, but she shakes her head as she moves into the kitchen to pick out some plates, chopsticks and glasses. ::

"It's unpleasant. Let's save it until after we eat."

:: She sets the table absently as they chat about their different yet interesting lives. She talks about her last job, the first since her haitus after the disaster in L.A. They talk about his recent trip home, and the unusual talisma he discovered. She tells him the news about being invited to perform at Extassis and teases him by saying she'd invite him, if she thought he could make the grade. ::

:: Just before dinner, she taps her bracelet gently and her ally appears beside her as a small pale boy with a innocent smile. ::

"You're welcome to play with Sheba if you'd like, but stay out of trouble."

:: She smiles softly as she watches the never ending playfulness of her companion. She sometimes saw in him aspects of her lost son and his friendship with the Great Wolf made her feel content. ::

:: Sheba had, quite literally, followed Jesse home once, after a trip into the wilderness for talisma. Jesse believed that Sheba was probably just an incarnation of his totem here to keep an eye on him, and as such, could stay as long as she cared. ::

:: As the meal winds up, their conversation takes a more serious note and Moira begins to formulate how she's going to tell him. ::

"It was bad, Jess. Really bad. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen anything more terrible. So many dead, so much anger and fear and confusion. You know about changlings right? Those affected, for good or ill, by the mana surges?"

Moira

He comes back from the kitchen with a small pot of tea and two cups in the other hand. "I know what the trid spitted out. The hysteria and the riots. None of my regulars were affected. I did a little matrix surfing and saw a ton of info. Some thought it was a disease but most believe it to be linked to the mana rising due to the comet's passing." He sits as he speaks, pouring tea for you both. "I have felt the changes in the spirit realms but nothing that alarmed me. Life always goes through cycles, like the seasons. What does this have to do with whatever happened?"

:: She takes the tea and folds her feet under her bottom as she curls up in the deep cushions of his couch. ::

"Well, like goblinization, society still seems to be adjusting to the changes and just can't keep up. There's scores of ignorant fools raising their pitchforks at the strange things that walk the streets. Last night, I saw something almost as bad as the Night of Rage had to have been."

Moira

His face takes on a concerned look. "I saw nothing on the news feeds. I admit I have been a little absorbed in my work here the last week or so but I felt nothing moving in the world. What has happened?"

"The only difference is, this happened out in the barrens and there was only a single survivor, my current boss. A girl named Iblis. Covered in white fur, she's a shadow decker with ties to Extassis."

"Basically, a bunch of changlings get together and throw these rave like parties for their kind...kinda like a roving community center, that allows drugs and alcohol. Unfortunately, last nights party became a target. Some very dangerous shamans conjured up nasty spirits, Bakatare, the hermetic in our investigation team, thinks they may be Nomads. Then targeted the spirits on the party goers who turned fang and claw on one another."

:: Her voice breaks slightly and she finishes in almost a whisper. ::

"They tore each other apart with their bare hands, half of them defending themselves against lethal violence from the ones they trusted the most. I couldn't think of a more horrible way to die. And everyone died. Apparantly, the only thing that saved Iblis was uncanny ability with a pistol and a heafty bit of spell defense. She's broken you know. I saw it in her...she was forced to kill her own friends, her family. I just can't imagin... "

Moira

Jesse slides towards Moira, draping an arm around her. "Leave it behind you. We all carry what burdens the spirits dole out. We can see the path before us but not it's end. Everything plays a part in our lives. You must trust that the Great Spirit knows what is needed." He brushes her hair back and looks into her face. "Enough. You came here for help so let me help. What is it that I can do in this matter?"

:: She blushes as he looks at her and smiles sheepishly, her nervousness making the transition of conversation easier. She slips away from him and retrieves her bag and pulls out the small baggies that contain the ritual bits she collected. ::

"Well, for starters, I want to find out what kind of shaman we're dealing with and figure out something about what kind of ritual they conducted. These were used as materials, and no one knows more than you about this sort of thing."

Moira

He takes the bag and moves back through the house towards the yard in the back. He motions for you to follow. You both exit into the area. You feel the tingle of the astral energies of his lodge wash over you. He moves to the center of the design laid out by the rocks and plants. He empties out the contents onto the ground. He begans to examine them closely. "These are shamanistic. They look to be idol oriented. Very strong and focused. My bet would be the Adversary. Not many of them around here. They don't normally play well together. They must have a powerful individual in their midst to keep their egos moving as one. These are ritual materials. I can see several different themes here, at least 2. What more are you seeking?" His face turns towards you open and honest.

:: She smiles to herself as she sits on a rock. ::

"That's precicely what I thought. The ritual area REAKED of arrogance. I need to know about what they are doing and how they can be stopped."

Moira

Jesse takes a deep breath. "The elements I see here seems to be about control. No surprise there but this seems to go beyond the normal emphasis their magic would have. It was about control. What can you tell about Nomads?"

"Id never heard of them before. I was hoping you might know something."

Moira

"I hate to disappoint but I have never heard of them myself. I would need to know more about the spirit to better understand the ritual." He places the items back in the bag. "Do you know why they attacked the rave?"

"We believe it's modivated by bigotry really...people targeting changelings. Though, there could be some underlying reason, but there's little else linking the victims, and the crime seems so hate driven."

"Who sought revenge? What wrongs were done to them?"

Immortal had been in a half medidtate, half sleeping state throughout the goings on around him. Battlefeild rules: when on downtime, you catch sleep. That didn't mean, however, that he wasn't paying attention.

When Paladin mentions the club, and a potential stakeout/recon situation, his hardened eyes flit open.

`Club sounds like a good deal. Count me in on investigating it.`

"Alright. Lets wait for our missing mojo slingers and see what they dig up. After that we'll head out."

Moira

"Well, there's not much more I can tell you at this point except for be careful. The followers of the Adversary have an alarming tendency to go toxic and lose themselves in the darker side of the idol they worship."

Bakatare

Sosofu's body begins to spasm and his voice sounds ragged and bloody to your ears. "The once former Prince has reached out, his hands stained with blood of years past. The weight of the years, the war is eternal. The sleepers have risen again!" The last is sound in a hoarse scream as he collapses. Blood flowing freely from his eyes and ears. The old woman who met you at the door comes running into the room, screaming at you to leave. Onna moves forward and grabs your shoulder, pulling at you to follow her. The woman hovers over Sosofu, still screaming. "We must leave now." Onna's voice is low and fierce. You retrace your steps back to the entrance.

Nothing's ever simple.

He offers his apologies as they leave, but the words seemed useless even to him.

He transfered Sosofu's words into the pocket secretary exactly as rendered, silently watching the information scroll across the inside of his lenses as the Seattle scenary streaked by the cab window. Perhaps Moira's investigation would yield something to gel all the information they had. It looked, however, like the situation went far beyond a simple hate crime.

:: She stands and brushes off non-existant dirt from her belly and rear. ::

"Do you think I can peruse your libraries and see what I can dig up on these Nomad spirits?"

"While we wait for Bakatare, I'll be in the workroom doing a few things. Give me 30 minutes please and do your best not to inturupt."

Paladin walks to the back of the house and closes the door behind him. A few minutes later, strange herbal smell waif out of the room. Anyone near the door can hear a low meditation chant as well.

Murrey calls Bili up on the house telecom while waiting for folks to return, after she answers and the mild pleasantries ensue,
"Hey there Bili girl, thanks for the info on Extasis. Gotta'nother club related question for you. I know mome of your clients are a little sore rough, know anything about a joint called 'Body Bag'? I know it's a Fetish Club, but I need alittle more info, like style, etc that would blend well without screaming poser."

Moira

Jesse stands and heads back into the house. "Feel free. Hopefully you'll find something you can use." He takes you to his study and leaves you with some fresh tea. "I need to get back to working on the wash but holler if you need anything else."

Murrey

"Good lord, you are all over the club scale lately. You went from Extassis to the Body Bag. Sheesh. " She shakes her head with a sarcastic smile plastered on her face. "Fetish club is putting it mildly. Its the real deal. You need to sport some serious fetish wear to blend in. The club is known for its live shows and the groupies it draws. If you're a top and need a slitch for the night you head there. The owner is a Madam Yin, she use to be huge in the S&M scene. Did a bunch of nova-hot leather films back in the day. She's minor royalty in that crowd now and opened up this club. She seems to be doing well for herself. Anything more specific you need to know?"

"Of course, what brand or stores should I avoid if I don't want the cold shoulder. I'm not hooking to look up, just to not be shut out."

Paladin grins, "Yeah, Murrey can go as my slave. You could tell people you talk like that because I smack you around too much."

Smirking back at Paladin, "You wish big boy, lut you's ball in love and I'd fall asleep."

Immortal strikes a match, and lights up a fresh cigarillo.

`Don't even be looking my way for a slave. Hell, I ain't much gonna get along with that crowd anyway. They enjoy pain, I'll be too tempted to shoot 'em...`

Murrey

Bili chuckles at the side conversations. "You want to go to Snow's Erotic Apparel, I'll send you the address info. It's in downtown near Capital Hill, right on the edge actually. He has decent stuff that should get you through the door with no problem. He's prices are pretty fair too."

"For starters I want to just case the joint. We'll look for the car or the van and see who goes to it at closing time. We'll keep an eye out for anyone that Izzy spotted going into the crime scene. Bakatare can check things out on the Astral for us.

If the first night doesn't get us anywhere, then we'll start worrying about going inside."

"Thanks Jili, that sounds like it'll do the bob." Murrey disconnects the call and faces the others.
"Sounds good. With my gear, we can have a pew vantage foints that don't look to obvious. We gotta see the people, vehicles are too disposable to trace easily."

:: Moira immerses herself in his extensive research library for several hours before she's satisfied that she's discovered as much as she can from that avenue. Stopping in the livingroom to say goodbye, she heads out into the night. Briefly, she looks up and is slightly dismayed, though not surprised that the moon is obscurred by the typical overcast Seattle night. ::

:: Arriving back at Iblis's home around 7pm, she heads up to the front door and rapps on it lightly. ::

Paladin opens the door and smiles, "Welcome home. How did things go?"

:: Moira sighs as she plops into the furry couch. ::

"Not much that's new. I confirmed my suspiscions that the type of shamen we are dealing with are Avasary Shamans...however, it's extraordinarily rare for such to be capable of working together, which indicates the leader would have to be a VERY strong personality to keep them working together. Advesary shaman's are also very likely to go toxic due to their dark nature."

"As far as the Nomad's, the only thing I could find in addition to what Bakatare already shared was that they feed off the essence of their victims until they double their original power, then split like cancer cells. The more people the better. The scary thing is thinking of how many of those things multiplied during their feeding."

Immortal perks up a touch when she mentions shamans, in the plural sense. Smoke trailing from his nostrils, an almost draconic smile crosses the hardened elf's face.

`Shamans, now those I can deal with. Don't matter how much mojo you can sling when you're dripping white phos...`

Anyone thinking he was underestimating the power of mojo was dead wrong, he just had an edge few knew of.