001a: Grave Tidings

On/Under the streets of Yuggoth
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Joshua
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Re: 001a: Grave Tidings

Post by Joshua »

So, apparently Berkley has more appropriate skills than I thought... (also, I moved this after the previous post... so... sorry for those who read this, and wonder why it's on the wrong page now.)

Cal Grain's place is a simple cottage near the crematorium. It's a simple one-story one-bedroom cottage. The main room (comprising the living room, dining area and kitchen, has been trashed. Someone went through, knocked things over and drew symbols all over the wall. Some in chalk, some in dirt, some in soot, and at least one in blood.

Hawkins can confirm that nothing seems to be stolen. Most items were simply tossed on the floor, or knocked out of the way of the arcane writings. If there is anything missing, it is something like a book or whatnot*. Maybe some of the silverware.

Berkley (who rolled before this) can tell that these are actual rituals. The whole place feels like bad mythos. There are several summoning rituals, although, only the nightgaunt one is recognizable. There's also a lot of divination and knowledge spells, the sorcerer was looking to locate... several specific things. You can copy the relevant symbols down, but you don't know what they mean**. The divination uses the blood, which implies he was looking for something personal.
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*: Grain owns a king james bible and two dime-store novels involving undertakers in the wild west. You have no idea if there were others, but signs point to no.
**: This is one place where you don't have enough experience. However, knowing what to copy down means that if you get a reference, it'll be very easy for someone with the equivalent of a dictionary (Academics: Occult most likely) to figure out.
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Joshua
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Re: 001a: Grave Tidings

Post by Joshua »

(As Miles has already left, I'll double-post.)

"Yeah, I wasn't sure if you'd be able to read any of the writing. It doesn't look like math to me." She will frown as she picks through the room. "What I wouldn't give for my fingerprint registry*. Or a real crime lab. Or my cell phone..."

"So, what can you see?" She will ask, frowning as she walks around one of the few undisturbed rugs in the kitchen area.
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*: Hawkins is a newcomer.
Draylen
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Re: 001a: Grave Tidings

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"Oh! Yes, I had heard that the construction of such a... thing*.. was beginning... what's a cellphone?" He ahems, shaking his head and looking about. "It isnt, math, exactly... but uh, there are elements, equations here. It's some kind of broken geometry in some ways... the symbology, ah..."

He peers closer to one of the broken circles on the ground, and then leans back, frowning a bit. "Oh, just looking at these squiggles pains me. Bother. Have you a, uh, no, wait." He pulls out a notebook from his breast pocket, after tapping in the other for a moment, and begins to transpose the glyphs, trying to avoid changing the annotation too much.

As he scribes them, they seem to him to drift upwards to him, hovering in empty space as he corrects them more properly, trying to have as many properly done components as he can. When he looks back down, he blinks, and laughs. "Ah! Why, this is practically a vector matrix**! That's terribly- um, terrifying."
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*because while they are both newcomers, Berkley is older than Hawkins by incident and accident.
**Hes referring to the glyphs themselves here, once he has them properly notated down, but it's probably as much an interpretation thing as anything else.
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Joshua
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Re: 001a: Grave Tidings

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Hawkins nods and lets his scribe the symbols. "Careful, some of them might have power alone*." Before sighing and pulling up the rug. Yup, the place has a cellar.

"So, uh... I'm guessing whoever did this didn't go underground. I'd just as soon wait for morning and check into it when we do the excavation."
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*: Unlikely, but you can never be too careful.
Draylen
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Re: 001a: Grave Tidings

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"Oh, yes, um, I suppose you're right..." Berkley shakes his head and rubs his eyes, but carefully etches an extra line to each glyph, the same line in every page, before peering at the cellar door. 'ah. Um. a-are you sure? Perhaps he has some notebook, or some indicator as to either where he learned this or where he might have fled to? those would likely be found down, hidden out of sight... b-but, you've een here longer than I have, if you'd prefer to keep out of it without backup, we should get backup for certain."
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Joshua
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Re: 001a: Grave Tidings

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Hawkings sighs and nods. "Pass me the lantern*." She'll open the cellar and descend the ladder after checking.

She'll be a few minutes, but her initial call is "Seems normal, just making sure."
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*: Cel Grain does not have electricity.
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Joshua
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Re: 001a: Grave Tidings

Post by Joshua »

As no one has responded, the scene isn't going to be interrupted.

Hawkings will climb back up after about ten minutes. "It's mostly a root cellar, with a few bits for the graveskeeper, like some extra stoneworking tools. My guess is whoever did the writing, doesn't live here. Which means Cal might be in danger." She will sigh. "No radio... Yeah, this is going to be difficult. Maybe I can get someone to try to track. I suppose, that's all I need tonight Berkley."

"I know it's scary, but Lastfell has a lot of good people in it. Even if they take a bit to find. I don't see you joining the police force, but... perhaps a consultant position might work out."
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Re: 001a: Grave Tidings

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"Of course, Hawkins. I, uh, should probably go and get to the library... get these runes examined by someone, anyway. Maybe they'll prove to be a lead?" Berkley frowns and shakes his head, rubbing his neck. "I am glad to be of use... certainly, I hope you would not hesitate to call if needs arose."
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Joshua
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Re: 001a: Grave Tidings

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Kim will arrive from the graveyard gate and address the Hawkins... "Greetings inspector. I was wondering if I might impose upon your time for a minute? I'm handling a matter of some minor discretion."
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*: Reposted with permission.
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Joshua
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Re: 001a: Grave Tidings

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"Greetings," she* will respond. "Of course... one moment."

She'll turn to Berkley. "Well, if you wanted to check out the library and meet up in the morning, I should be here most of the morning. Or at the 13th precinct** after we finish up here."
She'll clasp him on the shoulder. "You'll get there."

Finally, she'll turn to Kim, and gesture at the inside of the cottage***. "Well, what can I help you with?"
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*: (Reprinting description) The inspector is a fairly attractive brunette with light brown hair in a rather masculine (for Lastfell) crew cut. She wears the uniform well. She's got a simple pistol on a belt, with a billy-club, and presents herself with a strong confidence.
**: The third level has 13 hexagons, the 13th is in the center, 7-12 are in a ring around it, and 1 - 6 form a ring around that (basically, each one touches 2 of the inner ring.) Technincally it's precinct 3-13, but the third level is implied, as that's the one you're on. (Also, levels 4 and 5 don't have a 13th precinct.)
***: (Reprinted) Cal Grain's place is a simple cottage near the crematorium. It's a simple one-story one-bedroom cottage. The main room (comprising the living room, dining area and kitchen, has been trashed. Someone went through, knocked things over and drew symbols all over the wall. Some in chalk, some in dirt, some in soot, and at least one in blood.
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