It was the only news story any of the local channels would talk about. Not politics. Not the newest Hollywood scandal. An explosion at two in the morning just south of downtown. Three dead and many more injured. No power or water for a city block. Only a ruin left behind, something not even worth calling a building. It was the kind of thing that people would talk feverishly about for days and then completely forget about just as quickly. Except this was different, at least to some. Because to those who could see what only the Awaken see this was no ordinary explosion. Something magical happened here. Magical and dangerous. Something that needed to be contained. Maintained. Investigated.
Only a few hours had passed since the first news coverage had started to spread. The fire had already been extinguished but the police and firetrucks remained as the clean up continued. Several news vans continued their coverage from what the police considered a safe distance in front of the building, the general public standing and gawking nearby. But every second that went by the story became less fresh, less interesting. It was only a matter of time before all that remained would be the remains of the building itself.
List equipment and any spells you have in place in your first post. You can come at this scene however you like and if you have any questions you can post them here. Good luck!
Every single news-attuned gadget he had, from the flat-screen TV to his cellphone babbled of one thing only - the exploded building downtown. Now, this event was concering for two reasons:
First, he felt, on some level, that magic was at work. Since half of the West Coast is not presently crawling with Abyssal manifestations, it was safe to assume it was just a little spell here and there, but that means a plan and subtle work.
Second, blowing shit up was his domain. Whoever did that, tresspasses - and will be dealt with accordingly.
Shodan is in no hurry, though. Before he heads to the scene, the Obrimos spends some time with his laptop to scour the local news sites, blogs, Twitter and all the other places where people congregate to gossip. Most of the info will be bullshit, for sure. But maybe, just maybe, there will be some truth to it as well.
22 successes
Date
Action
Roll
Result
2019-01-22 10:04:03
[08] Shodan rolls 8 to Sniff out the news (Wits 3 + Comp 4 + Eq. bonus 1 (laptop)) (10 Again)
8, 7, 7, 1, 1, 3, 9, 1
2 successes
2019-01-22 10:04:03
[07] Shodan rolls 8 to Sniff out the news (Wits 3 + Comp 4 + Eq. bonus 1 (laptop)) (10 Again)
10, 5, 5, 8, 7, 1, 8, 1, 9
4 successes
2019-01-22 10:04:03
[06] Shodan rolls 8 to Sniff out the news (Wits 3 + Comp 4 + Eq. bonus 1 (laptop)) (10 Again)
4, 8, 10, 9, 9, 2, 9, 3, 2
5 successes
2019-01-22 10:04:03
[05] Shodan rolls 8 to Sniff out the news (Wits 3 + Comp 4 + Eq. bonus 1 (laptop)) (10 Again)
8, 1, 3, 6, 10, 4, 9, 7, 8
4 successes
2019-01-22 10:04:03
[04] Shodan rolls 8 to Sniff out the news (Wits 3 + Comp 4 + Eq. bonus 1 (laptop)) (10 Again)
10, 2, 4, 4, 10, 5, 1, 3, 1, 7
2 successes
2019-01-22 10:04:03
[03] Shodan rolls 8 to Sniff out the news (Wits 3 + Comp 4 + Eq. bonus 1 (laptop)) (10 Again)
5, 10, 9, 4, 9, 7, 10, 1, 5, 1
4 successes
2019-01-22 10:04:03
[02] Shodan rolls 8 to Sniff out the news (Wits 3 + Comp 4 + Eq. bonus 1 (laptop)) (10 Again)
2, 2, 1, 10, 7, 6, 2, 5, 6
1 success
Just before heading out, Shodan weaves himself some Prime lenses. With that, all the residual magic should stand out like the pope in a brothel.
3 successes
Date
Action
Roll
Result
2019-01-22 10:14:33
Shodan rolls 6 to Supernal Vision (Gno 3 + Prime 1 + HS 2) (10 Again)
1, 3, 8, 2, 10, 7, 8
3 successes
He arrives by bus, all inconspicous like, and takes in the sights. Also, he waits for the other mages to show up - no way he's the only one th hear about this.
Equipment: Plain clothes appropriate for the weather; smartphone; laptop conveniently stashed in a backpack; a box of matches)
Multicolored copper bracelet with intricate loops winding around her right wrist.
Nimbus
The sweet, fragrant smells of roses mixed with lilacs emanate from her as she casts magic. The scent intensifies, bordering on intoxicating, when Life magic is cast. When Aurora casts Vulgar magic, the scent takes a nasty turn, to the putrid, nauseating odor of a rotting corpse. The stronger the magic, the more those around want to retch at the smell.
Monthly Spells
Monthly spells done on character sheet.
Pulse of the Living World[POT 6]
Organic Resilience[POT 6]
(PrP Treasure Hunt)
Active Spells: 1/6
[Detect Substance]Bone
Personal Spells: 2/3
Vulgar:
Mana:6/8
WP:3
It was hard to avoid the news of the explosion. It was everywhere! Even at the warehouse with JB working on a new suspension, it was all he could talk about.
And she couldn’t explain it, but it felt, off. Enough for her to end the session early and head to the area to check it out. As a member of the Consilium, a Councilor and a Master, it was important to look into it. She only hoped more had heard and would be coming. If not, she’d place some calls.
The GTO was parked a few blocks away and she walks the rest of the way. Using it as a chance to observe the area, seeing if anything stood out.
Coming up to the scene, she looks around, not removing her sunglasses. Better for watching people and not being obvious. But she did see a familiar face, and moves towards him.
“Glad I’m not the only one here.” She says, “What do you think?”
Aurora has her Dedicated Magical Tool, cell phone on silent, bottle of water in purse. Monthly Rits of Pulse of the Living World(Pot 5) and Organic Resilience (Pot 5)
Nimbus. The sound of rushing wind and flashes of lightning surround Kaze, and his clothes and hair move as if he is in a windstorm.
Monthly Rits
Monthly Rits Spell Cloaks Spells do not show unless scrutinized Transform Aura pot 1 (Aura is as a Sleeper) Organic Resilience (Life Mage Armor 2e) pot 3 ( Armor 2; Defense 2 + Higher of Dex or Wits) Body Mastery pot 1 (x2 rate healing Bash, Letha, Agravated; +1 success on all extended and instant rolls to resist diseases, poisons or drugs; +100 years lifespan)
Scene specific spells: in mini-sheet 4
Scene Specific
(Portrait) Portrait of an Angel
Health:
Mana:
WP:
Armor 3 ( +1 vs Bashing: Kung Fu 1)
Defense 5
Vulgar -1
Active Spells: 3/5
Personal Spells: 3
Spell Tolerance: 3/3 Spell Rolls
[1]Transform Aura[M]
[2] Supernal Vision[D]
[2] Organic Resilience[M]
Key: Potency | Effect declaration if needed | Turns remaining ("M" = Monthly Ritual)
(Bad House) The Return
Health:
Mana:
WP:
Armor 3 ( +1 vs Bashing: Kung Fu 1)
Defense 9 (Dex 6 from Honing the Form)
Vulgar -1
Active Spells: 3/5
Personal Spells: 3
Spell Tolerance: 3/3 Spell Rolls
[4] Honing the Form
[3] Organic Resilience Aurora's Life 5
[2] Body Control [M]
Key: Potency | Effect declaration if needed | Turns remaining ("M" = Monthly Ritual)
Kaze casts protective and detective magic and heads over.
6 successes
Date
Action
Roll
Result
2019-01-22 13:13:00
Kaze rolls 6 to Improvised casting Unseen Shield (Force 3 + Gnosis 1 = HS 2; ruling arcana no manna cost) (10 Again)
10, 8, 2, 10, 1, 3, 10, 10, 5, 10, 7
6 successes
3 successes
Date
Action
Roll
Result
2019-01-22 13:13:49
Kaze rolls 4 to Improvised casting Supernal Vision (Prime 1 + Gnosis 1; ruling arcana no manna cost) + HS 2 (10 Again)
10, 8, 7, 9, 2
3 successes
He parks his truck four blocks away and walks to the site of the explosion, strolling leisurely and taking in the general feel of the neighborhood and it's people, looking for any unconscious expressions of unease among them.
1 success
Date
Action
Roll
Result
2019-01-22 13:31:48
Kaze rolls 4 to pick up a "feel' or observations from "the Street" in the area (Composure 3 + Streetwise 1 + Contacts: Street ?) (10 Again)
5, 1, 3, 8
1 success
He is wearing casual denim blue jeans and a black collar shirt with buttons.
Equipment: Dressed more or less business casual with clean jeans and a black polo type shirt. Smart phone, dedicated magic tool for Life (tattoo), and sturdy walking shoes. Bottle of water and energy/protein bars.
Spells:
Mage Armor 2e Force Pot 6
Supernal Vision Prime Pot 3
Dark shadows scatter in ordered symmetrical patterns traversed by a crackling pallid silver light that wraps Winter in a pleasantly numbing and icy coldness.
When vulgar magic is cast, the frequency of the oscillation of the dark fluid surges until the shadows arrange themselves in a solid black halo around Winter's head, the white light darkens into a fiery black sunlight and his eyes are set ablaze with vivid incandescence.
The wheels of the Mustang crawl to a stop, popping with a screech against the concrete of the parking lot a few blocks away from the smoking ruins.
You couldn't tell the Obrimos apart from the crowd of white-collar professionals that fueled the traffic at this hour. And that's how he wanted it. He looks around, carefully assessing the situation. He fishes an Id card from his wallet, after a few well chanted lines, his fingers brush against the surface of the card, superimposing the supernal over the lie.
He cuts through the crowd, calling the attention of the first officer he sees. "I'm Detective Jonathan Winters from the Office of the Mayor. How's the situation?", he spews a half-assed lie without showing his card.
4 successes
Date
Action
Roll
Result
2019-01-22 14:33:10
Winter rolls 6 to Perception (10 Again)
5, 10, 10, 8, 2, 9, 1, 7
4 successes
2 successes
Date
Action
Roll
Result
2019-01-22 14:38:24
Winter rolls 6 to Ephemeral Image imp (10 Again)
10, 5, 2, 1, 4, 8, 1
2 successes
1 success
Date
Action
Roll
Result
2019-01-22 14:40:19
Winter rolls 5 to Expression roll to alter the card (Int + Expression + suxx from Eph image) (10 Again)
The internet was a dark and twisted place, with many rabbit holes and red herrings that distract even the most experienced of users. Fortunately for Shodan he is more experienced in the digital world than most, and nothing is ever truly deleted from the internet. His fingers traced effortlessly over the keyboard and in one of the web's dark spaces he found a video that someone had tried their best to erase. It was a grainy cellphone video of someone wearing jeans and a dark grey hoodie with the hood pulled tight walking away from the building a mere thirty seconds before the explosion took place.
As Kaze looked out into the crowd he could see that the public was shaken...and interested. Nothing like this had happened before and it had stolen the heart of the community, at least until the next act of usual city violence. Everyone but a woman standing to the side, holding a child close to her chest, who appeared clearly relieved about something.
Years of experience had trained Winter's eye, allowing him to notice what would normally appear innocuous. The majority of officers on location were from the Sacramento Police Department, with some assisting from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office. Sacramento Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services were nearby, treating the wounded and preparing the dead for transport to the county coroner's office. The officer he approached was Sacramento PD. But near the entrance of the building were two men who definitely were not with any of those departments. They were both dressed identical: black suit, white shirt, black tie, and black sunglasses.
Maybe Winter was distracted by the men in black suits, because his lie fell flat. Uncomfortably flat. "Office of the Mayor? Sir, impersonating an officer is a misdemeanor offense subject to up to a year imprisonment or a $2,000 fine. Now, I'm too busy right now to arrest you, so unless you've got some actual identification I'm going to need you to step back and remain with the general public." It was a stern warning, but a warning nonetheless.
Before he's able to answer the woman, Shodan spots two familiar faces - Kaze and Winter, the latter of which apparently fails to convince the officers of... something. Deciding that waving towards him'd severely impact his choices of cover in the future (and that the distance is too great, anyway), the Prime Mover tries to get the attention of the Arrow. Only when the three are together (or when Kaze makes it clear he's flying solo for now), Shodan speaks.
"What I think?" He says "What I think is that we have a group of homegrown Awakened terrorists on our hands. Here, let me show you" He pulls up his cellphone with a copy of the grainy video saved. Upon request he'll send it to the other mage/s/ "That's our perpetrator. Now, someone tried very hard to pull it from the Web. But they didn't foresee running into the best haxxor out there, at your service" He flashes a brief, playful grin. "Now you may notice the lack of tentacled horrors from Abyssal space, which leads me to believe there's actually very little, if any, Vulgar tricks in the area. Someone specifically knew what to do to blow up a building. At least, that's my working hypothesis" He shrugs.
"Now, detectives" Shodan says after a brief pause "I don't know about you, but I'd love to sniff around behind that police tape. I can be real quiet when I want to, you bet no one will see me there"
It had taken a while, a good long while, days in fact. But Langdon had finally refined down his twitter feed to be useful information and not the endless insanity of Sleeper politics. Maybe its a good thing that the vast majority of humanity couldn't wield magic. Yet at least. Surely the Ladder has plans.
Regardless of that, news of the explosion reached him soon enough. A weary sigh carried Langdon out of his small chaotic apartment. Messenger bag across his back, holding his ritual tool (a knife), a notebook and a pen. Anything else can easily be called..presumably. And Langdon needs to get there quickly. If the lunatics are back then action will need to be taken. Calling Alastor and trying to keep any Sleepers away and alive. A brown glyph hangs around Langdon, the result of a monthly ritual he undergoes to always be ready. Alongside it a grey glyph seems to slice into reality itself,
Spotting Aurora Langdon shifts and walks towards the Thyrsus. Noticing the Libertine from Consilium Langdon nods to both of them.
"Anyone else here yet? Last time there was this sort of thing it went south very quickly." Then Langdon got to feel what being a murderer feels like.
Langdon has his ritual Matter 4 Armor up and Legacy Attainment of Space Sight.
Equipment: Dress slacks and a button down with rolled up sleeves. Messenger bag, ritual tool, notebook, pen, phone(vibrate)/wallet/keys
M:10/13
Multicolored copper bracelet with intricate loops winding around her right wrist.
Nimbus
The sweet, fragrant smells of roses mixed with lilacs emanate from her as she casts magic. The scent intensifies, bordering on intoxicating, when Life magic is cast. When Aurora casts Vulgar magic, the scent takes a nasty turn, to the putrid, nauseating odor of a rotting corpse. The stronger the magic, the more those around want to retch at the smell.
Monthly Spells
Monthly spells done on character sheet.
Pulse of the Living World[POT 6]
Organic Resilience[POT 6]
(PrP Treasure Hunt)
Active Spells: 1/6
[Detect Substance]Bone
Personal Spells: 2/3
Vulgar:
Mana:6/8
WP:3
From behind sunglasses, she spots Kaze. And then Langdon. She hadn’t seen him in a while, and wondered what he’d been up to.
She looks at the cell phone and the video.
“This is concerning, to say the least.” She mutters. “Good thing you’re on our side then, nice grab.” She compliments. “Is there anyway to clean it up and see if there is any clues? A car leaving, or something? A lack of vulgar is a good thing, cause I think we’d have a larger problem on our hands if there was.” They’d prob need all hands-on deck for that one.
Nodding, “We need to get in.” she looks around, “But it won’t be easy.” She could get them in, in, well, a different form. But she didn’t want to use magic in a place already teaming with Sleepers. “I can turn on the charm and see if I can draw attention away, come up with some story about being a student journalist or something. Help get you guys in there.” And while she wanted in there too, sometimes her skills were best used elsewhere. “Then find my own way in.” she’d always wondered what it’d be like to be a bird.
Nimbus. The sound of rushing wind and flashes of lightning surround Kaze, and his clothes and hair move as if he is in a windstorm.
Monthly Rits
Monthly Rits Spell Cloaks Spells do not show unless scrutinized Transform Aura pot 1 (Aura is as a Sleeper) Organic Resilience (Life Mage Armor 2e) pot 3 ( Armor 2; Defense 2 + Higher of Dex or Wits) Body Mastery pot 1 (x2 rate healing Bash, Letha, Agravated; +1 success on all extended and instant rolls to resist diseases, poisons or drugs; +100 years lifespan)
Scene specific spells: in mini-sheet 4
Scene Specific
(Portrait) Portrait of an Angel
Health:
Mana:
WP:
Armor 3 ( +1 vs Bashing: Kung Fu 1)
Defense 5
Vulgar -1
Active Spells: 3/5
Personal Spells: 3
Spell Tolerance: 3/3 Spell Rolls
[1]Transform Aura[M]
[2] Supernal Vision[D]
[2] Organic Resilience[M]
Key: Potency | Effect declaration if needed | Turns remaining ("M" = Monthly Ritual)
(Bad House) The Return
Health:
Mana:
WP:
Armor 3 ( +1 vs Bashing: Kung Fu 1)
Defense 9 (Dex 6 from Honing the Form)
Vulgar -1
Active Spells: 3/5
Personal Spells: 3
Spell Tolerance: 3/3 Spell Rolls
[4] Honing the Form
[3] Organic Resilience Aurora's Life 5
[2] Body Control [M]
Key: Potency | Effect declaration if needed | Turns remaining ("M" = Monthly Ritual)
Kaze smiles and heads over to where Aurora and the others, except Winter, seemed to be gathering.
He listens to what the others say and looks at the video, nodding.
"One thing," he says softly, glancing to Langdon, "I wasn't there, but we had a building fire that was a hunter trap to bring people like us into the building, and then they used magic, like as a construct. So...this could be a trap, and the magic, could still be hunters." he says quietly.
He pauses, "Getting in shouldn't be too hard. It might actually end up being too easy."
Draft this Post
22 successes 
Striking Looks
Presence
Gnosis
Presence
6 successes
