[IC] The New Mythos: Trials and Tribulations

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Doctor Malsyn
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Re: [IC] The New Mythos: Predator and Prey

Post by Doctor Malsyn »

Once it's become increasingly clear to everyone on the ground that Cheyenne's not budging on this particular issue, Felix eventually receives the contact information required. His question of why she had him make the call rather then conducting it herself is never really addressed leaving the technomage to deal with the awkwardness of talking to people he's never met even once. Detective Nolan is just as confused, and actually hangs up on Felix initially believing it to be a form of prank call. The next dial results in a threat of legal action before after several grueling minutes of back and fourth, somehow someway he's agreed to at least come take a look.

A soul shred of salvation arrives in the form of the HBJ pulling up neatly to the curb.

While that was going on, Kira threw her mystic abilities into action by first trying to find the exact location of that taxidermist. Her mind's eye passes over several streets before coming across what seemed to have been the right place. It's a boarded up location with a sign just above listing it as "Nimrod's Professional and Artful Stuffing." A stained tagline happily declares it's status of being open for over a century, at least before it closed fifteen years prior. peeking around inside the structure reveals it to be kept in a relatively clean state with old trophies and other stuffed animals still in sitting where they've been since the location closed.

Despite appearing on the surface to be largely ordinary, Kira eventually notices that the main storefront's being monitored by modern-looking security cameras, and the door to the staffroom's locked with a fingerprint scanner. It's a barrier that means little to someone like her at this time, and the kitsune merely pushes forward. She notes there was a tripwire on just the other side to catch even a resourceful intruder off-guard. Yet the room she sees is largely disappointing, looking more like a personal living space then someone's secret lair. However, several seemingly innocent spots seemed to be rigged with traps ranging from crossbow bolts to explosive in nature.

Her attention is drawn in the end to a portrait hanging just slightly off the wall depicting an old hunter standing over a slain bear. Something seems to be behind it, but her every attempt to break through seems barred. It'd be Kira's only conclusion that whatever's there had been warded against mystical intrusion, while everything just outside was rigged against a more mundane approach.
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Arkrite
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Re: [IC] The New Mythos: Predator and Prey

Post by Arkrite »

Felix Ian Xavier - Mr. FIX I.T.
Status: Normal
HP: 3


Felix was no longer in a good mood. Calling people he didn't know for reasons he didn't understand made him anxious. It was easier when it was business related, he knew the mask to put on, the act to play. The phone call just left him feeling like a nervous wreck, especially when it started going sideways and he was leaning towards simply nuking Nolan's phone to escape.

He didn't do strangers very well, not without a well defined role he could hide behind.

But with that over he managed to take a calming breath as the Herkimer Battle Jitney rolled up to the curb.

Image
[url=https://cmag_net.artstation.com/projects/W2qd3X]Image belongs to Christopher Mag[/url]

Felix walked up and threw his arms over the front of the APC, hugging it as he mumbled mostly to himself, "I missed you, baby."

With fond pat he walked around to the back of the vehicle. Previously the only way in was a hatch on the top, but as he approaches the back it cracks in half, opening up clamshell style to give easy access to the inside of the vehicle. The actual entry way was a heady sight, as looking inside it was easy to see the inside of the vehicle extended far past what the outside would indicate even possible.

What should have been the size of a delivery van on the inside, was more the size of a semi-trailer and twice as wide.

Inside to the left was a rack that looked like it was the right size for a motorcycle. On the right was metal cabinet about the size of a wardrobe. Nearer the front of the vehicle were six seats looking to have come from various other vehicles, securely installed with seatbelts. The walls, which previously had been solid unadorned metal now have a series of flat screen monitors lining the sides showing an image of outside as though they were windows.

Felix hops inside without hesitation, heading over to the wardrobe which opens itself to reveal a large coat, and a staff seemingly made of electronic scraps with a hunk of crystal attached at the top. A series of robot arms help him take his jacket off and ease the heavy coat onto his shoulders. A few seconds later the coat had been closed, and a faint hum filled the air as it powered up.

Reaching out he snatched up his staff, the crystal glowing with a faint blue-white light.

He lets out a relived sigh, feeling himself relax a little with the return of his gear.

"Okay, if Cheyenne's going to wait it out I say we search the direction the girl ran," Felix says, "Unless anybody has a better idea?"
jmucchiello
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Re: [IC] The New Mythos: Predator and Prey

Post by jmucchiello »

Kira "Foxy" Donal
Dodge: 8, Parry: 8, Tough: 8, Fort: 8, Will: 8, Perception: +10
HP: 2, Form: Human, Condition: Normal

"Okay, I've found the taxidermy shop that closed like fifteen years ago. It's boarded up but there's a really high tech security system inside. Not to mention tripwire and other traps. There a room that's well guarded by traps, like loaded crossbow traps, but I see nothing there. The most curious place is a painting covering a wall that I can't see through. Nope, not even from this side. Given the amount of defenses, a mystical defense isn't out of the ordinary. But it is frustrating."

Before breaking contact she also checks any floor above the store and tries to determine if there's a basement. Perhaps she can go over or under the barrier. Either way she would also go around the barrier to determine how big it is.
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Doctor Malsyn
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Re: [IC] The New Mythos: Predator and Prey

Post by Doctor Malsyn »

From what little she can probe at the warding, it seems to lead to a space under the store, of about the same size as the main floor. Likely a basement that was hidden and modified for the serial killer's own purposes.
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Flynnarrel
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Re: [IC] The New Mythos: Predator and Prey

Post by Flynnarrel »

Phillip Dremmin
CND: Injured 3 | HP:2
Array Settings wrote: Blood-Drinker Array: Potence
Auspix Array: Detect Rats(Mental), Ranged, Radius, Extended, Accurate
Vampire Array: Animalism


Phillip will mentally cast about the area for rats and mice, seeking to sway them to his power and use them to take a look inside so as to supplement the fox-girl's assessments.
"Something pithy this way comes."
jmucchiello
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Re: [IC] The New Mythos: Predator and Prey

Post by jmucchiello »

"Definitely a basement." Kira says. "So what's the plan?"
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catsi563
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Re: [IC] The New Mythos: Predator and Prey

Post by catsi563 »

Cheyenne
HP: 3; Condition: Huntress
He lets out a relived sigh, feeling himself relax a little with the return of his gear.

"Okay, if Cheyenne's going to wait it out I say we search the direction the girl ran," Felix says, "Unless anybody has a better idea?"
Cheyenne lands right next to Felix as soundlessly as 380 pounds of muscle can after a three story drop.

'None lets go." she said as she climbed into the shotgun seat.

when everyone was in and they were on the move she looked at Felix and deadpanned "Did you just hug this thing?"
Last edited by catsi563 on Sun Jul 10, 2022 5:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Arkrite
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Re: [IC] The New Mythos: Predator and Prey

Post by Arkrite »

Felix Ian Xavier - Mr. FIX I.T.
Status: Normal
HP: 3


"Of course I hugged it," Felix says, giving Cheyenne a questioning look, "You don't hug your motorcycle?"

He waits for a moment then shrugs, "The Herkimer Battle Jitney is an armored personal carrier, it's whole existence is bound to protecting people and moving them around. Putting itself between us and danger. And when I asked, it came to help us."

"I like positive reinforcement to let it know that I appreciate that,"
Felix says, as if this is a perfectly reasonable statement.

"By the way, did you get those pictures of the writing on the shell?"

While they're waiting he sets up a quick search of the area to try to track which direction the girl went after she left the camera, but he wasn't expecting much success. It was a long shot that they'd find anything, but it made sense to try until Nolan showed up.

After Nolan had arrived, and Cheyenne had her chance to drop off the evidence, he turned the Herkimer Battle Jitney towards the deadly hideout of what might just be a serial killer.
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catsi563
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Re: [IC] The New Mythos: Predator and Prey

Post by catsi563 »

Cheyenne
HP: 3; Condition: Huntress
"Of course I hugged it," Felix says, giving Cheyenne a questioning look, "You don't hug your motorcycle?"
the look she gave him was one raised eyebrow shy of biting
He waits for a moment then shrugs, "The Herkimer Battle Jitney is an armored personal carrier, it's whole existence is bound to protecting people and moving them around. Putting itself between us and danger. And when I asked, it came to help us."

"I like positive reinforcement to let it know that I appreciate that," Felix says, as if this is a perfectly reasonable statement.
this elicited a fairly out loud roll of the eyes and shake of the head in a why do i have such a weird best friend manner
By the way, did you get those pictures of the writing on the shell?"
She pulled out her phone and quickly swiped the pictures shed taken of the shell and the writing on it, pics taken from several angles to insure felx had all he needed.
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Arkrite
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Re: [IC] The New Mythos: Predator and Prey

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Felix Ian Xavier - Mr. FIX I.T.
Status: Normal
HP: 3


Felix takes the time waiting for Nolan to search around.
He was confidant that everybody would be pushing to go to the taxidermy house as soon as they weren't tied down waiting, and Felix agreed. But they were waiting, and there wasn't any point in wasting that time.

He walked through the area that the girl had ran trying to guess what way she might have run. He kept himself open to the magic in the area but he didn't expect much luck in that regards.

On the other hand he had another thought in mind. The girl had big antlers, and there was a chance she wasn't very used to running around with them. And in a panic, running for your life?

He looked along the walls about the height he'd expect for the antlers to hit the wall, or catch on corners, if she was walking on two legs, or if she ran on four.

It was a long shot, but at this point he was playing the long odds.
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Doctor Malsyn
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Re: [IC] The New Mythos: Predator and Prey

Post by Doctor Malsyn »

While the team sets themselves up to somewhat expand their search area, a tan car about five past it's prime rolls up to deposit a short red-headed man on the cusp of either being a dwarf or just a very short human. He grumbles without bothering to look up at Cheyenne, only taking out a black satchel from the backseat of his car. Harsh words address her as he checks his gear. "I'm only doing this because I still owe you a favor for what you did to help out with Dinozzo. You said it was on the roof? Hell, You know I hate heights."

Professional despite his gripes, Nolan get's to his own tedious work.

Ratty scouts heed Philip's calling, taking a bit of time to transmit their findings along the ground. Most of their comments aren't especially helpful, mostly consisting of warning their master of poisoned food on mousetraps. Something seems to be directing their attention away from the shop's locked location, though with some prodding he has a few of his scouts chew their way into the living space. They claim to be smelling a variety of strange things, strange plants along with an undercurrent of gunpowder and that of a lone human. One claim to have found something interesting, only to be cut off by a bolt impaling it into a wall. The other rats seem to take this as a que to flee.

Before Felix wandered too far off, Philip joined him in hopes of finding any sign of that shot caught on film. A search which proves to be strangely fruitless, as nothing in the area seems to match that of a bullet-hole. The technomancer has a little more luck in his own search, finding skuff marks above his height just on the inside of an alley off the main road. He follows them for a little ways, before loosing track some ways off. His best guess would be the girl trying to loose her pursuer, but where she hoped to loose him in a city is hard to say.

Eventually the duo regroups with the three girls, and the five in turn are joined by Cheyenne's contact. "Got it bagged and tagged," He frowns, holding it up to look closer. "Interesting that you called me out here for this. I have a second one of these in a box from a few weeks ago. 7mm Rem, best I could tell. Good for hunting large game out in mountains. Not exactly what you expect to see laying around some old lady's house, especially one that hasn't actually been shot. Still have no damn clue what the markings are meant to be though."

Seeing Felix struggle to take a good luck at the picture on his phone, he just hands the baggie over. "Here, see for yourself."

With the casing in hand, Felix can easily catch the remnants of some form of enchantment. The letters themselves might as well be gibberish, but he'd almost swear to have seen something similar in a video game somewhere. If he uses any form of imaging software on it, he comes up with a few pings for germanic runes, but he can't trace the meaning.
Am I dead? Am I alive? The answer may surprise you!
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"What a week, huh?" "Doc, it's only Wednesday."
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Arkrite
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Re: [IC] The New Mythos: Predator and Prey

Post by Arkrite »

Felix Ian Xavier - Mr. FIX I.T.
Status: Normal
HP: 3


Felix was feeling a little conflicted about his failed search. One one hand he was disappointed he couldn't figure out where she'd got to. On the other hand at least he felt fairly confidant she got away.

Making his way back he waited with the others while Cheyenne finished talking to Nolan, keeping quiet until he was handed the brass.

"Wait... no... but it would make sense. Was that the old lady who died of a heart attack?" Felix asks Nolan before looking at Kira and Phillip, "Did anybody mention hearing a gunshot when the attack happened here?"
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Doctor Malsyn
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Re: [IC] The New Mythos: Predator and Prey

Post by Doctor Malsyn »

"Yeah, the only thing the coroner could come up with was just good ol' fashioned heart failure. Like not even turning into a... whatever she was would get stop the pains of just getting old. Nobody ever heard anything like a gunshot there, we asked around. Quiet neighborhood even by Mirum Urbem standards." Nolan offered with a shrug, misunderstanding Felix's question.

Philip would recall that his witness was deaf, even if there was sound he wouldn't have heard.
Am I dead? Am I alive? The answer may surprise you!
------------
"What a week, huh?" "Doc, it's only Wednesday."
Flynnarrel
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Re: [IC] The New Mythos: Predator and Prey

Post by Flynnarrel »

Phillip Dremmin
CND: Injured 3 | HP:2
Array Settings wrote: Blood-Drinker Array: Potence
Auspix Array: Detect Rats(Mental), Ranged, Radius, Extended, Accurate
Vampire Array: Animalism


"The only person I know of that witnessed anything was deaf." Phillip says with a shrug.
"Something pithy this way comes."
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Arkrite
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Re: [IC] The New Mythos: Predator and Prey

Post by Arkrite »

Felix Ian Xavier - Mr. FIX I.T.
Status: Normal
HP: 3


"But the rest of those kids that were there live in the area, the corner store was open, the shot happened up there, and nobody even mentioned it?" Felix asks, "People tend to talk about gunshots unless they're in a really bad neighborhood were it's considered normal."

He shakes his head, "Doesn't matter, I've got a theory that would explain the lack of noise, lack of a bullet or impact site, and why a bullet casing would be found next to a heart attack victim."

"They were using a Caster,"
He says, to himself crossing his arms like that statement means something.

Looking at the others, he sighs realizing they probably had no idea what he was talking about, "Okay so, the reason nobody heard a gunshot, and we can't find bullet holes, is because they didn't shoot a bullet. They shot a spell."

"Maybe they are a mage, and the gun and bullets are their focus. Or it could be that they have no magic themselves but created these bullets through some kind of ritual. Or- Well, it doesn't matter,"
He drags himself back to the subject at hand, "A spell doesn't use gunpowder, so no bang, a spell might or might not leave a mark depending on what was cast, and it could stop somebody's heart if the right spell was used."
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