Chapter 1: Valencia's

Finishing off her second drink, Akari just listens and watches. 'So much politics and posturing.' She thinks, wishing she had ordered that third drink before the staff vacated the room.

Last edited March 19, 2022 9:46 pm

Rolls

Occult - (1d10+3)

(2) + 3 = 5

Carter Bonham

Furmyr

Mar 20, 2022 10:36 am

Silently Carter quickly signed the papers with a shrug. The Alliance had enough information about him to make his life hell anyway, just proper that he would get some secrets of his own after all.

Cpt. Hayden Forrester

Mar 21, 2022 5:14 am

Dr. Avel addresses Cpt. Forrester and mentions having known another man with the same surname. When questioned if there is any relation, the captain nods slowly. "He was my uncle." The man's facial expression and tone of voice don't change at all, as though they're locked in place.

Mar 21, 2022 5:18 am

Luca stops and glances at the napkin that Vidar hands to him. He eyes the statuesque man suspiciously but takes the napkin and gives a cursory examination of the equations written upon it. Nicolette interjects brusquely. "Leave the discourse about magical theory for after the briefing."

Luca turns and dutifully nods to her. He then proceeds to pass an NDA to each of you. The page long document appears to be a standard unilateral non-disclosure agreement, but with one exception. While NDAs are typically civil contracts and breaking them isn't technically a crime, this particular contract makes it very clear that violating the agreement is a breach of national security with legal consequences. Presuming all of you sign it, Luca comes around to collect the papers and place them back into the leather portfolio.

Nicolette again shifts attention to Dr. Avel as he speaks. As he retorts to her earlier remarks, she listens with an expression of silent judgment. Though it seems that she wants to respond, the Rosicrucian leader seems unable or unwilling to engage in a verbal sparring match with the good doctor at the moment. "So long as you adhere to the terms of your release, Dr. Avel, I will accord you every opportunity to do what you were brought here to do."

She looks around the room, addressing everyone. "It's not happenstance that you five were contacted. You are either top experts in your particular fields, or soldiers and killers of some reputation. You each possess skills or abilities that, according to our files, make you appropriately suited to the Alliance's needs. And I assure you all that, as with any covert operation, the secrecy for this assignment is more than necessary." Nicolette pauses for effect. "Some of you have done jobs for the Alliance before, so you understand how this works. For others, this may be a new gig. If helping to fight the Church of Revelations isn't enough of an incentive for you, know that you will be handsomely remunerated for the successful completion of your assignment. If you do not succeed, there will be no payment. In such a scenario, however, you'd likely be dead, so it wouldn't really matter."

Nicolette continues. "Freelance work is potentially profitable but also tends to be especially dangerous. Although I detest the idea of paying contractors to get things done, the simple reality is that a small team of freelancers can often accomplish certain objectives that would be more challenging for our regular forces. Hence why you are here."

Mar 21, 2022 5:38 am

Equinox Inactive for 3 months

LactoseTheIntolerant sent a note to Jomsviking

Arashi Akari

Mar 21, 2022 7:21 am

Akari glances at the agreement form and signs in traditional Japanese script, before handing the signed document back to Luca.

Mar 21, 2022 10:35 am

"I just want to say boss lady, I think it's really great that there is all this top secret spy shit happening. I think it's probably in the top ten coolest things that has happened to me. But..."

Vidar looked to his new colleagues. Each of them even the doctor seemed like soldiers and professionals. Neat haircuts and clothes, professional skillsets that made the law and criminal elements of society tremble. Archetypal scary bad asses all of them. He looked at a combined room of people who only needed go to the nearest piece of modern technology and turn it on to upstage his own expertise. "I find rocks and bits of metal from ages past and write books about them. Where does an archeologist fit in with modern warfare?"

[ +- ] The state of Immortality as I see it

LactoseTheIntolerant says:

Jomsviking sent a note to Jomsviking

Vidar probably thinks he's Immortal, much in the same way I think I am, he took some mushrooms and realized that everything does in fact depend on his existence, even if contradictory to that fact, he bears practically no relevance to anything. To white, Tobler's Law is true, whatever he is a conduit for, created the universe so many Infinitum ago that it has practically no relevance to the current state. With one exception. He is All-Father in a very literal sense.

Where the age range of homosapiens sapience is ~300,000 years it should be given that whatever Vidar is, is older than that.

Does he believe in magic, well yeah but not throwing lightning Bolts perse. We all believe in what would be considered "light" magic to the Norse. Ever drank a cup of coffee? Or had alcohol? Do you bathe? Bandage wounds? Take recreational drugs? Take medicinal drugs? That's all witchcraft. We all also believe in the grey magic. Lying, flirting, hypnotism, psychological profiling, that's word craft. Do I and does Vidar believe in Seidr? That's a hard question to answer. Seidr is forbidden to men, it's not that it is impossible to perform - Odin, Tyr, and Loki perform Seidr in the sagas. But there is a stigma against men performing it, for instance I am called Siedheminn because I know things about people I shouldn't and I can dream of past lives and events with surprising detail.

Is that magic? Sometimes I will get cut in my dream and wake up bleeding from the same spot. Did the brain convince me to cut my skin in my sleep? Or is it that I scratched myself in my sleep and the brain incorporated that into the dream?

What sense am I using when I can detect not just that a person has been traumatized but the type, degree, and severity of the trauma? Is that magic?

I would say that it is supernatural, not everyone has that gift. It is held by extremely few. And no it isn't empathy, feeling has little if anything to do with this particular set of senses. It has to do with being a history buff and psychedelic drugs which I am extremely fond of. When you read enough true stories people begin to resemble the characters. After a while you begin to realize that there are only maybe 64 different personalities that result in a matrix that has a finite number of outcomes. Shakespeare for instance realized this, if you haven't found people you know in person in his works I'd venture to say you haven't read enough of them.

Throwing lightning Bolts is Flashy cool power. But reading people, really knowing who they are at a glance, that's real power that science will never be able to explain. Because while it is certainly based on The Calculus, scientism is not.

Going back to my earlier post. There is no zero, no cosmic balance, some things get colder and more distant, some thing are fusing and getting harder. Those two states account for 2/3s of all things. The rest is potential/inertia. And modern physics is really dropping the ball here because they're looking for 0. And here I am with my pre-Hellenic knowledge that 0, zen, nothing, the void, it's a waste of time energy and willpower to pursue, because they're literally looking for something that isn't there. Further causing a divide because of it, bringing nothing together in the process.

Nothing isn't anything. I can't even say nothing is indescribable without lying to you because nothing as stated, is not. Alan Watts was wrong, Zero isn't God. Zero isn't, end of line.

This leaves all sorts of room for natural phenomenon beyond our incredibly limited aural capacities. And it also virtually guarantees there are supernatural forces at work, not things that defy nature, but rather exemplify it.

As far as finding out what it all means, only you really know Lactose. I took amnesia 6 and cloistered 4 because he has already successfully completed killing The Creator when he cut his silver thread and jumped into the mouth of Kala. Maybe this means Vidar is from a different dimension, maybe it means he is what a God that gives up becomes. I don't know and I'm looking forward to seeing what you tell me it means. Even though, considering the course of history, it's always the same story, different interpretations are always fun.

Dr. Emil Avel

witchdoctor

Mar 21, 2022 1:51 pm

Do tell Clayton I said 'Hello' should you have he opportunity to speak with him. Avel asked the Captain, idylly wondering if Dr. Forrester ever found a suitable candidate for his experiments.
The Doctor scanned and reviewed the NDA documents as they were handed to him. Turning it over, looking at it from odd angles, letting the light shine through it, etc... before signing it 'John Hancock style' with a fountain pen produced from his coat pocket. Freelance work is very profitable, yes indeed, but also deniable.
No doubt that deniability is the major asset for you with our venture. he handed the papers back to her. I'm familiar with running such operations as I suspect you well know, Ms. Pope. I believe since the five of us are likely on board, do let us in on the details. There was an eager, gleeful sparkle in his eyes at the prospect of getting back to doing what he liked most.

Mar 23, 2022 9:06 pm

Nicolette clears her throat and waits until all eyes are on her. Standing at the front of the room, she seems at ease with public speaking. Her eyes take in all of you before she commences. "Six nights ago, Alliance forces, in cooperation with American special operations units, penetrated deep into Revelationist-held territory in Mexico. These forces were under orders to locate a facility near the city of Guadalajara, in the Mexican state of Jalisco. According to intelligence, the facility is a former military base-turned-weapons lab." She pauses briefly. "It's been known for years that the Army of Revelations conducts all manner of experimentation and research, most of which is into new forms of weaponry. Some is mundane technological weapons development. Some is occult in nature. Regardless, we estimate that the Revelationists have many such facilities scattered throughout the world. It's such places that produced the Crusader JX-Ts and other advanced fighting vehicles that the Alliance has had to contend with."

"This lab was different, however. The Alliance had good reason to believe that something was happening in that lab; something beyond the Church's standard, already inhumane research. It was believed that experiments of an all-together different variety were being conducted in Guadalajara. As such, our forces went in to collect and destroy what we could. It was a costly operation. A lot of good soldiers lost their lives that night."

Nicolette reaches into her blazer and pulls out what appears to be a small black digital recorder. She holds up the device and presses a button. "This recording is one of the only things that made it out of that lab."

Audio File

OOC:

Let me know if any of you can't listen to the file. I may need to adjust some of the settings.

LightOfMidnight

Mar 23, 2022 9:40 pm

'Well that sound delightful.' The sarcasm is clear in Rylani's as the recording finishes.

'So there is a supernatural creature on the loose, and a woman who is host to a human creature hybrid. On top of that, the Church is looking for a way to track down people of a specific bloodline, and are desperate enough to resort to genetic experiments? Anything I have missed?' The feral looks around the room trying to read everyone else's reaction to the information they have just learned.

'So what's the target. The cryptid? Casandra? Both? Or looking into this.. l line they mentioned?'

OOC:

Loving the recording btw

Last edited March 23, 2022 9:56 pm

Mar 23, 2022 10:44 pm

Vidar listened attentively to whoever was speaking. Unbroken eye contact and on the edge of his seat. He smiled, or rather smirked, when Nicole met his gaze. His interest was unambiguous as he quickly checked out her figure nodding admiring the pose and cut of her clothing. When directed he likewise stared directly at the device playing back the recording, again unblinking fully focused.

So too with Rylani although he maintained a professional composure there. No smirk just straight laced face, even though he still gave her a quick look up and down. He still hung on her words.

"L line is a reference to Scandinavian genetics, at least in terms of lineage. But that particular field is outside my expertise. Based on the description it sounds like they're attempting hybridization of the Chupacabra with various mammals. And producing successful results which is both alarming and kinky."

Dr. Emil Avel

witchdoctor

Mar 24, 2022 4:53 pm

Avel sat for a moment as the others spoke, wheels obviously turning inside mind. The limited information resulted in scant few answers but a multitude of questions.

Why? Avel asked Pope directly. Why is this of such interest to you or finger quotes 'the Alliance' that you need to assemble an 'off the books' team to handle it? The recording may be all that survived the raid but there's more information you've yet to disclose... The Church regularly employs the use of monstrous things as shock troops, air support or population control but something about this is unsettling enough to warrant special attention. Yes?. Avel pursed his lips looking around at the others for potential validation. Is this a simple mop-up operation to terminate this C-93 and the escaped woman or is this a recovery mission for one or both before the 'R' mentioned in the recording recovers the targets? Or are there other possibilities on the table?

Last edited March 24, 2022 9:18 pm

Mar 24, 2022 6:23 pm

Nicolette looks to Rylani and nods as she speaks. "Your summary of the main points is accurate, Miss Noah. The recording indicates that the Church captured or summoned a creature and made attempts to hybridize it with other organisms. They only seemed to achieve success with dogs, horses, and, unfortunately, humans. Both the creature, C-93, and the human subject, C-93-H, apparently escaped and their current whereabouts are unknown."

Nicolette glances around the room. "We believe that we have identified the woman known in the recording as C-93-H, or Cassandra Briers. About eighteen months ago, an American soldier named Cassandra Marie Briers disappeared during combat along the Mexico-Texas border. She was a corporal in the United States Army. She vanished in the midst of heavy fighting in El Paso between the U.S. military and Revelationist forces. Most of her platoon was slaughtered, though her body was never specifically recovered, and so she was later classified as Missing In Action. Aside from sharing a name, we have other reasons to suspect that Cpl. Briers and C-93-H/Cassandra are the same person. A number of psychic and oracular assets within the Alliance have confirmed that it's her. However, as you know, seers and witches don't deal in hard data. They can only offer gut feelings and vague visions, so there is no absolute guarantee that it's her."

"We estimate a 98.3% likelihood that they are the same individual," adds Luca. It's the first time that he's opened his mouth this evening.

Nicolette continues. "If we're correct, it means that Cpl. Briers was abducted by the Revelationists, taken to the Guadalajara facility, and experimented upon in a most grotesque fashion. It also means that she has gotten free and is now in hiding somewhere in enemy territory. Your assignment is to locate Cassandra Briers and bring her back to the United States. Back to Alliance holdings. Consider it a rescue operation of sorts."

The Rosicrucian turns her attention to Vidar. "The Alliance and U.S. intelligence community have yet to determine what the 'L-Bloodline' might be. Modern medicine has no existing scholarship about an L-Bloodline. I'm not certain if there is any connection to Scandinavian lineages, but that may be an avenue for us to consider. The experiments conducted in Guadalajara went under the codename 'Project Laguz.' Laguz being the Elder Futhark rune meaning 'water' or 'ocean.' I don't doubt that Dr. Tyrz could expound on the rune some more for us. We do know that the original creature in question, Cryptid-93, has some connection to water. Perhaps the L-Bloodline is the 'Laguz-Bloodline', but that's pure speculation. The truth is that we don't know."

Luca also pipes in. "Not much survived the raid, but what little information was salvaged indicates a combination of technological and paranormal processes. There is evidence of advanced genetic engineering, as well as occult rituals and formulae from a number of magickal traditions, including Aztec and Norse. Mystical syncretism isn't unusual for the Church. The Revelationists have shown themselves willing to steal and combine various forms of occultism to achieve whatever works. They're magpies of magic."

Mar 24, 2022 6:30 pm

"Dr. Tyrz," says Nicolette. "You asked earlier why the Alliance would be interested in someone with your expertise for this mission. Well, before you all embark on your assignment, there is material that needs to be analyzed by you and Dr. Avel. Some of the information recovered from Guadalajara includes schematics, scientific research, and writing samples that appear to be Norse. You two would be best suited to studying this information, which might provide more insight into what the Church is trying to do."

When Dr. Avel presents his questions, Nicolette listens patiently and responds. "You're correct that the Church has fielded monstrous beings in the past. The Shaitan and the Arisen being two examples. But the supernatural units used by the Church tend to be deployed for very specific situations, and they frequently suffer from major weaknesses that we can exploit. In the case of the Shaitan, while they are effective against infantry forces, they are easily dispatched by armored units or artillery fire. Likewise, the Arisen are zombified soldiers who lack critical thinking, initiative, and adaptability. Thus, they can be readily outmaneuvered by living combatants; this is why the Church often uses Arisen as disposable canon fodder rather than valuable tactical assets. The Church has also been known to magically summon supernatural creatures, though nearly no supernaturals in their right mind will serve Leviathan willingly." Nicolette's already stern-looking face grows slightly more dire. "The Alliance is concerned that Project Laguz is the Church's attempt to breed new inhuman soldiers to add to its ranks. Currently it costs the Church mystical resources to bring forth the Shaitan and raise the Arisen. The ability to easily or quickly replenish supernatural units would be disastrous for the war effort."

Again, Luca pipes in. "In regard to the 'R' mentioned in the recording, we think this is in reference to an individual named Rainer Kreighoff. Are any of you familiar?"

OOC:

All of you may make a Difficult Intelligence Test (1d10 + Intelligence) to see if you know anything about Rainer.

For context, all of your characters know about shaitan and Arisen.

The shaitan are gigantic, house-sized monsters that tend to look like blobs of flesh with lots of tentacles, mouths, and eyes. They are Lovecraftian horrors that rely on crawling or floating for movement. They are not a species, but rather, spirits believed to be summoned from the same reality as Leviathan. Once summoned, these spirits possess animals or plants and mutate them into giant monsters. The shaitan can shrug off small arms fire and excel at hand to hand, so they get deployed against infantry units on the battlefield.

The Arisen are just what they sound like: dead soldiers whose corpses are raised to fight for the Church. They are unthinking, undead automatons controlled by a priest of Leviathan.

Mar 24, 2022 8:31 pm

OOC:

Does he know of him?

Rolls

Intelligence - (1d10+3, RA)

(2) + 3 = 5

Carter Bonham

Furmyr

Mar 24, 2022 9:07 pm

Carter is barely able to hold back a laugh. He was well on his way to the Mexican border when he was recruited and dragged back here. And now the mission is heading in that direction. The thought is enough to distract him from the conversation for a small moment. He don't know how much he missed, but he catches the name Rainer. He leans back and thinks on where he might have heard the name before.

OOC:

The recording worked like a charm once I got home.

Last edited March 24, 2022 9:08 pm

Rolls

Intelligence - (1d10+3, RA)

(6) + 3 = 9

LightOfMidnight

Mar 24, 2022 9:42 pm

Rylani's lips pull back into a snarl at the mention of shaitan. The spirits that aided her were guides, friends and allies, though other feral may disagree, but the spirits that formed Shaitan, they went against nature, corrupted it in her eyes.

'As much as I am all for less Shaitan being called up in the world, I do not like the idea of resource cheap soldiers, when they are on the opposite side. I will help track down Casasndra. That is what I am good at after all. She tips her bottle before sipping from it.

'Still, always good to gather more information before heading into the unknow. Do you have any idea was C-93 is? While Dr. Tyrz here suggests Chupacabra.. you say they may be aquatic? Forgive me I am not knowledgeable on the creatures of South America. My targets tends to be more... humanoid.'

Rolls

Int - (d10+3)

(8) + 3 = 11

Dr. Emil Avel

witchdoctor

Mar 25, 2022 6:48 am

Avel digests the information provided by Ms. Pope and her assistant as the others ask their questions. I would be willing to lend my considerable expertise to the analysis of the recovered materials and documentation from Guadalajara. Perhaps between Doctor Tyrz and I, we can shed more light on the subject. I cannot speak to his willingness, however. Given the multidisciplinary efforts of these Revelationists, we may also need someone from your field of expertise, Ms. Pope. I'll admit my finger quotes Abracadabra is a little rusty... the Doctor smirked at his own joke; his wheezing mirth fading under Pope's stern gaze.

I would also assume that time would be of the essence in rescuing C-93-H, Cassandra Briers, given her state as both a fugitive-in-hiding behind enemy lines and carrying a fetus of unknown nature? Yes? Avel asked, finger stroking his chin as he thought, planned and schemed. Has there been any contact with her since the escape or will this be a search and rescue?

Rolls

INT - (1d10+6, RA)

(4) + 6 = 10

Mar 25, 2022 9:00 am