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Full Version: The Found Arcana – Chapter 6 [IC]
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Jack_Spade
Jawsey followed McElroy into the crawlspace - contrary to his anticipation, the place was clean, well lit and not stuffy at all. To his left the massive outer wall showed no signs of damage, to his right he could sense a powerful ward behind which the whole wall was covered with slightly fluorescent lichen. The ward had been created by McElroy since he granted Jawsey the ability to look through the ward on the astral.
When they reached the place where Mato thought he had seen the figure, they focused their astral sight... and found nothing. Absolutely nothing - exactly like they had outside where the watcher had been destroyed.
McElroy spoke what Jawsey had thought: "It seems someone has cleaned this place in the astral just like they did with the watcher. But it doesn't look like they were able to break through the ward or the plants, otherwise the astral bacteria would glow like mad and the alarm would have been engaged."
Gilga
In the meanwhile, AM uses the cameras to find Masha(?) the maid that delivered the cheese/wine to van Der Bloom. If the system has recording capabilities she will backtrace her path and try to see if she finds anything suspicious.
Jack_Spade
AM didn't have to look long. Masha had delivered the stuff with a lot less eagerness than she had shown leaving the basement retracing her steps, she had delivered the food straight from the kitchen, stopping only once to answer a question form Harabia as the actor came out of the spa area. The audio wasn't perfectly clear, but it sounded as if Harabia asked where additional towels were stored. The whole exchange hadn't taken longer than 30 seconds. Unfortunately, Am couldn't be sure that that Masha hadn't put something on the food while she carried it, as her body at times obscured the angle of the camera to the food.
Beta
"Just as well they didn't get through. And they wiped any magic. While we are here, though, we should probably take a look for anything non-magical that could have been left behind. If they just materialized then it seems unlikely, but ... something weird is going on, I vote for paranoia."

With that Jawsey drops out of astral and spends a bit of time examining the area for any physical objects that seem out of place -- or for that matter any physical evidence that he and McElroy haven't already destroyed.

[ Spoiler ]

After looking around, it finally occurs to him "Of course this could all be a diversion to keep us busy, too."
Gilga
AM follows with the person that made the food Masha took from the kitchen focusing on the story of the food to see if she finds any tampering with that.

She texts the team + Cunningham
>> it may be prudent to question Masha and the kitchen crew considering what happened to Van der Bloom, and when it happened.
Tecumseh
Mato agrees with AM that it's probably time to question Masha.

That said, he's somewhat at the limits of what he can accomplish without permission and/or specific instructions. He's not going to barge in on the newly-engaged couple, nor is he going to start terrorizing household staff unless ordered to do so.

He stands at attention, looking good in his chasseur uniform while the magicians do their finger-wiggling.
Gilga
AM instructs Trouble to approach Masha and convince her to give him milk, and tell him about her most exciting deeds of the day. She'll guide Trouble to Masha's current location, according to the camera feed, and instruct him to materialize out of sight so he appears like a normal black cat.

[ Spoiler ]

Jack_Spade
Jawsey scrupellously looked around the narrow area searching for any clue he might be able to find, but there was just nothing to see. So as he sighed and took a deep breath he noticed a faint smell. It took him a moment to place it: Olive oil, real cold pressed oil. He could identify it only as it had been part of one of the entrees of the dinner.

Cunningham replied: <<Yes do that. Such irregularities could mean nothing or they could be part of a plot - and seeing that you are here to prevent any such plots, it would be foolish to stop you. Do what you can for now and then go to bed. I'll take personally watch here at the door, ready to act should anything threaten his Lordship and his fiancee.>>

Masha certainly didn't have to be influenced hard to be nice to Trouble. Milk and a bit of roast beef landed on a saucer and while the girl stroked the cat, she began talking about the day. Nothing particularly interesting appeared - beside her talking about the three new servants and her confiding, that she fancies Jawsey already. She briefly mentioned that she had to bring food to van der Bloom and that she doesn't like him very much. But nothing indicates that she tried to poison or drug him.

The cameras are likewise inconclusive as the kitchen isn't monitored just like most of the other rooms except for the corridors.
Gilga
Only on team channel >> Trouble does not suspect Masha, she did not confess to poisoning Bloom, and her aura seems too relaxed for someone participating in a conspiracy.
[ Spoiler ]
Gilga
In the meanwhile AM goes back to the broken vase and times it in correspondence to the incident with Van Der Bloom and the looped sensor.
She looks again at the mercenary that apparently broke the vase to see if anything strange has happened there and examine the responses of people to the incident trying to see something that does not fit.
Beta
Jawsey relays his finding to the team and McElroy "A faint scent of fine olive oil. Perhaps one of the diners was here? Else someone was splashing around olive oil for reasons that are beyond me."
Jack_Spade
AM found to her frustration that the dinning hall also hadn't been surveilled - but there was something interesting nonetheless: The MET2K contingent had arrived at precisely 1930h, carrying with them the locked container for the ring.
They had waited in an orderly formation inside the entrance hall. At about 1943h - about a minute after Invictus had left the dinning hall - the mercenary holding the container had opened it and inspected its contents. The officer with him had apparently admonished the man immediately to close the container. Apparently the mercenary expected disciplinary measures, because he looked really uncomfortable and a bit confused. More important, this was the same man who had broken the vase inside the dining hall. All in all, this certainly hadn't been this man's evening.


McElroy turned to Jawsey: "Interesting. You have a fine nose, I didn't register that. Well done. Although not much we can do about it right now."
Gilga
AM shares her findings with the team >> I am beggining to think that Invictus is up to no good. He probably had line of sight to the ring, and cast the spells on it. The guard may have been influenced magically - I have no proof but his behavior is very strange. I am still missing the pieces - it feels more like he wanted to ruin the party than to steal anything. Perhaps a rival Pike? I am thinking about this. Jawsey - can you assense the guard that broke the vase? I can bless you if need be.
Gilga
Following, AM gave up the camera feed for the time being, and left to question Masha. Texting on the way>> Mato, Jawsey you might want to join me for that.
Tecumseh
Mato agrees.

"I'll hang back so it doesn't look like an interrogation. Masha might be more receptive to a fellow maid.

"Afterward, maybe I can talk to the MET2K merc. He might be willing to level with me."
Beta
Jawsey asks Copper Woman for one more favour "please go look for this man" he transmits what he saw of the soldier's aura, an let me know where he is. He should be alone the edge of this property, but he might not be where he aught to be. After that you are free to depart with my thanks."

After that he headed off with AM to talk with Masha. "I talked with her a bit at breakfast. Just a bit of repartee, or possibly flirting depending on how she interpreted it. So I can probably be a somewhat sympathetic presence. Can you have Trouble watch her aura while we talk? I'm going to leave some loopholes for a guilty person to hide in, but if she is it should be apparent in her emotions "

When they find Masha, Jawsey does an initial aura reading of her, then explains "we are here to try and keep you out of trouble, heading off your getting blamed for something you didn't do. We need to know who prepared the tray for Van Der Bloom, did you put it down anywhere on the way, and did you talk to anyone on the way to his rooms? Obvious from these questions, yes, someone tampered with his tray. No harm done, but it isn't acceptable of course. It doesn't make any sense that you would do it, too obvious. But maybe you saw something without even realizing it at the time."
Gilga
"Trouble says she fancies you, I'll try not to interfere."
Jack_Spade
Masha was on her way to her quarters when Jawsey and AM caught up to her. She smiled when she saw him. While Jawsey explained, her expression grew darker, but she didn't become hostile: "The cheese was already prepared on a plate and marked for van der Bloom. All I did was take it from the walk-in-fridge. One of the cooks - I think Tim - was in charge of preparing the cheese. But as far as I know, he just prepared the whole batch for everyone this afternoon.
The Duchess' bodyguard was even in the kitchen around 1800h, checking and tasting everything ahead that would be served to the Duchess. La Croix was furious, took it as an insult to his kitchen.
In any case, I'm certain that no-one put anything on the cheese between me fetching the plate from the freezer and delivering it to van der Bloom. Even if that guy is creepy like heck."


All signs pointed to her speaking the truth, a verdict that Trouble also ascertained.

Masha smiled at Jawsey: "Quite a bit of exitement for your first day. If you don't mind, I'll be going to bed now. There's a lot to do in the morning." She winked. "On boxing day it will be a bit more relaxed with free time for the servants."

The MET2K soldier was outside, manning the entrance gate together with one of his colleagues.
Beta
"Thank you so much. It sounds like almost anyone could have done something to it while it was in the fridge, but it would have been gutsy to do that with so many people around."

Then he lets his 'official' face and and voice fade into something more personal "It has been a busy and interesting day. Made easier by a pleasant start at breakfast. We'll let you get to bed now. Sweet dreams, and maybe we'll see each other tomorrow."

He headed toward the doors and let the others know "My spirit says he's guarding the main gate. Interesting that he is at such a critical spot, again."
Gilga
"Let's go question Tim, and the other kitchen stuff... a guilty person may try to escape or be nervous or something.
Beta
"Kitchen staff might be headed to bed? They are probably the first ones up in the morning. I mean, it could be Tim, but it seems to me that it was more likely someone dosing it while it was in the fridge. It would be pretty stupid to dose something that people know you put together -- then again, if there were no stupid criminals KE wouldn't make any real arrests, so it isn't impossible. Still, I think the Merc is more time sensitive. Mato, what do you think?"
Tecumseh
"I'd say that the smell of olive oil does suggest some kitchen involvement. The merc isn't going anywhere - not to bed at least - so I'd try to find Tim first.

"Masha said that the plate was prepared with van der Bloom's name on it. If we're swimming upstream then Tim's the next stop. Now, anyone could have entered the fridge, seen the label, and then tampered with the cheese. Jawsey's right that it would be clumsy for Tim to be so obvious about it. But, like with the merc, it's possible that Tim wasn't in his right mind, that he didn't know what he was doing until after it was already done. Maybe in his mind he was seasoning it. He might have done it under the influence.

"Let's see if we can find him."
Beta
"That all makes good sense. We might have to ask around to find him, I never looked at him astrally so I can't send a spirit to search for him. Unless Ana or Trouble had asensed him? Or maybe Ana can find room assignments in the matrix?" As Jawsey talked, he was however already turned toward the staff quarters.
Jack_Spade
Finding Tim wasn't hard, AM only had to look up his room - and as it happened, it was on the same floor the team already was at.
Knocking at his door, revealed that Tim was on his way to bed. He wore his pyjamas and looked pretty exhausted:
"Yes, what is it?"
Beta
Jawsey opened his astral sight, then asked point blank "Did you do anything to Van der Bloom's cheese plate?"

[ Spoiler ]
Jack_Spade
Tim frowned: "What do you mean? Spit on it or something? No, the guy might be a creep, but stuff like that is not worth my job."
His aura showed signs of agitation, but not of deception.
Beta
"Someone messed with it. While it was in the fridge would be the most likely time; did you notice anyone around the kitchen who didn't belong there, or anyone in and out of the fridge who wouldn't normally need to be?"
Jack_Spade
Tim frowned, his tired look being replaced by concentration. "I was pretty busy. I remember Mrs. Komarova checking everything - and annoying the Chef. He was pretty close to attacking her with the rolling pin. That pulled nearly everyone's attention. Even a gorilla could have sneaked in while that was going on. Croix screamed loud enough that you must have been able to hear it from outside the kitchen.
But that smug cybord didn't flinch - just kept on sticking her metal fingers in every pot."
Tecumseh
Mato looks at Jawsey a little sideways. He had expected a little more tact when opening the questioning with Tim. Maybe an apology for the late hour, maybe some gentle assurances that everything was fine and we're there as friends... but no, Jawsey drops the GUILLOTINE first thing.

It's late, maybe Jawsey is tired too, Mato thinks to himself. He can get cranky without his beauty sleep.

But Tim talks all the same, and makes some good points about the distractions in the kitchen.

"What about olive oil?" Mato asks, changing directions and trying to sound more curious than accusatory. "Does anyone have a special penchant for it, guest or staff?"
Jack_Spade
"We use it to cook, obviously, but some of it is also used in the Spa for Roman massage. And I think the spirit uses it for its hair - whyever he needs that. Habit would be my guess.
It's definitely more of a male thing to do. Personally, I think oil goes rancid to quickly for that to be a good idea.
You have to wash and reapply practically everyday if you don't want to smell like a dumpster."

Tim replied
Tecumseh
Mato nods. He suspected as much but he hadn't wanted to ask Tim a leading question.

<<Does that scan?>> he comms AM and Jawsey. <<If the spirit dematerializes and then rematerializes, would the olive oil 'follow' it?>>

<<I think we have enough to ask Invictus some questions - delicately, as he's a guest - if we run into him. But let's give him the benefit of the doubt for now. He allegedly owes the Duke a big favor, and it's possible that he's acting in the Duke's interests.>>
Beta
"Thank you very much, Tim." Jawsey gave him a warm smile. "You've been a great help, we'll let you get to bed"

Once they had walked away he explained to the others "I was asensing him to look for emotional reaction -- why I was abrupt -- and his reaction seemed clean there. I'd say his words were his honest reaction. Invictus I could try and send a spirit to find, although I don't know how he might take that. If we don't have a lead on him right away then I'd vote that we go talk to the mercenary. Having someone of suspect state of mind being half the guard at the gate doesn't fill me with confidence."
Gilga
AM responds I honestly don't know... He seems to have a realistic form kind of like Trouble, and unlike the form of our common spirits, perhaps we can experiment with Trouble?"
Tecumseh
Mato, once again, momentarily wonders about the life choices that have led him to a discussion about dunking a spirit familiar in olive oil to experiment whether the aromatics (including alcohols, aldehydes, terpenes, esters, acids, etc.) would persist beyond the dematerialization and rematerialization of astral entities.

I could be in my underwear, watching trids, sitting on a fat bank account full of insurance money, he thinks to himself. But then I'd be watching stories about adventures instead of having them myself... How else would I beat the drek out of the daughter of a AAA CEO, then put her back together?

"Let's table that one for a moment. Let's go check in with the merc, see if we can find any trace of that drone we think plunked the camera with a looper round. And keep an eye open for Invictus while we're at it. I presume it doesn't sleep, so it may be up and about, wandering the hallways."
Jack_Spade
Finding the Merc was no problem - he still was outside on his post. He didn't look happy - and neither did his colleague - and it didn't look like the sandwitch waggon would come by at their post anytime soon...
Beta
Jawsey tells the others where the Merc is, but adds "give me a couple of minutes to flit over there astrally before we hike down to the gate. It isn't that far, but it isn't that close either."

Then he finds a place where he can lie down briefly, and sends his astral off to carefully inspect the aura of the mercs, and then to look around the gate area for anything else -- there is no reason to expect anything else there, but if the known intrusion is the thin edge of something bigger, the 'bigger' part would likely need to come through the gate.

aura reading on merc: 13d6t5 4
asensing around the gate: 11d6t5 2
Jack_Spade
The quick check revealed no magic in the vicinity, but the Merc had the faintest trace on his aura, revealing, that something supernatural had come in contact with it some time ago.
Gilga
AM asks Van der Bloom "Can I inspect your flying drone? I know it is not part of the network, and we did hear a drone sound. Perhaps your drone was accidentally around?"
Beta
Jawsey tells the others what his astral scouting had found, and suggests "Going down in person may be useful. We may be able to press his memory for _anything_ that could tell us when he was impacted by magic. But let's grab some warm clothes and use the Segways, no need to make this a long cold hike in the dark."
Jack_Spade
Van der Bloom was visibly uncomfortable at that request: "No, I don't like other people to handle my drone. But I'll take a look myself."
He unfocused his eyes for a moment and replied a few seconds later: "It doesn't look like my drone has left this room all night."

The segways stand ready and fully charged to be used.
Gilga
AM runs a quick double-check checking if she sees any drone before the looping of the sensor, as well as to verify what Van Der Bloom tells her.
Jack_Spade
None of the perimeter sensors had caught anything beyond the faint sound recording they had found earlier, AM was nearly sure about that.
Tecumseh
Jawsey returns from his assensing and mentions that the mercs are hungry. Mato nods at that. "To the kitchen," he says. "They're probably cold too."

There, he prepares a quick meal of melted cheese on bread, plus cups of hot chocolate. He stacks them on a silver platter, covers them with a lid to help keep them warm, and then trusts in his cyberarm to keep everything balanced.

"Quickly, now, before it gets cold," he says. Mato is likely faster than the Segways but he uses them for AM and Jawsey's comfort. He'll let them join the conversation or stay back as they see fit.

Outside, he finds the mercs looking unhappy.

"Hoi chummers," he says with faux familiarity. "Things wrapped up early inside so I'm off duty sooner than usual. Thought I could spread the holiday cheer." He shares the cheesy bread and the hot chocolates, taking the lid off the silver platter with a bit of flourish. "Merry Christmas.

"Plus I figured that you could use a pick-me-up after the tough break inside. Hamington really lost his cool. 'Huns', 'vandals', he was laying it on pretty thick. It struck me as unprofessional. I thought you were very diplomatic about it."

Mato sips some chocolate to let his false camaraderie sink in.

"What happened inside?" he asks the merc who knocked over the vase. "Was it unconscious? Did the vase seem like something else?"

Jack_Spade
The two men looked up, hands on their weapons, but relaxed as they recognized Mato. They became even friendly, when they spotted the food.
"Thanks Mate", the merc said, who hadn't caused the snafu.
His colleague was a bit more reserved, but the hot drink and the savory snack got him to talk:
"I really don't know what happened. It was... like a reflex. You know? When the doctor tests your knee with his little hammer. It felt like that, suddenly my arm was outstretched. The funny thing is, I even had thought that this was a particularly stupid place to put an antique and without a protective cover."

His comrade looked up at that: "Yeah, that was peculiar, especially since it was the only such piece in the room, everything else must have been removed for the party."
The merc frowned: "Now that I think about it... I was carrying the ring after we removed it from the armored transport box. And suddenly I had it open in my hand as well. I'm sure I'm going to get my ass chewed for that as well. Maybe I should get myself tested for scizophrenia, or something."
Tecumseh
Mato nods along sympathetically.

He doesn't want to divulge that the merc might have been under the influence of magic. It might help the man's mental state, but at this point it doesn't seem like it would advance the investigation. But maybe AM or Jawsey have a line of questioning that they'd like to pursue.

He comms AM and Jawsey:

<<I hadn't noted the placement of the vase or thought anything of it. Did anyone get a good look at it? Was there anything suspicious or unusual about it, as something that might have been placed there specifically for the purposes of being broken?>>

<<AM, are there any camera feeds about the placement of the vase? In term of whether it was moved there recently or if the placement seems intentional?>>

<<I'm still at a loss for what the goal was or what might have been accomplished by the distraction, or if it was just collateral damage, the byproduct of some other effect.>>
Gilga
>> checking.
AM checks the camera feeds and tries to figure out who could have exploited the opportunity to cast the spells on the ring and influence the guard.
Jack_Spade
The cameras didn't catch anything suspicious - which is suspicious in its own right, since Jawsey and AM saw Invictus leave the ball room incorporeal through the closed door, after he had been there, watching the test runs.
Another thing, now that she is looking for it: A lot of other valuable things from the ballroom had been transfered to other parts of the building, but apparently not the vase.
Gilga
AM tries to see what the Duchess' bodyguard was doing during the mayhem and tries to figure out where she is right now. AM sends Trouble to search for Invictus.
She leaves her position to look into the camera that was shot with looper round. She'll insepct the camera, and try to find evidence as to what has shot it, as well as any tracks, hints left behind.

>> I don't know what distraction it was, but I suggest we secure the assets. Pyke and Duchess make sure they are with us, and then the ring, and let's try to find Invictus. I am going to inspect the camera shot by looper round, perhaps I can find some physical tracks. If you can secure me please do.

[color=orange]>> Cunningham do you know where Pyke and the Duchess are? I am beginning to worry.
Jack_Spade
During the breaking of the vase, AM remembered, the bodyguard of the Duchess was right next to her, keeping an eye on things. Afterwards though, AM wasn't able to see her on the feeds. But then, Katya was able to use all kinds of cybernetic gadgets, including her Ruthenium Polymer cloaking.
Cunningham replied: <<I'm very sure, both Sir Pike and the Duchess are still in their chambers.>>

Trouble went of to search for the spirit with her power. 10 Minutes went by until she came back to AM: "I think I know where the spirit is. He is up on the roof where the big glashouse sits."
Gilga
[ Spoiler ]
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