Spells
peer across, second sight, organic resilience
Phoenix moves up the stairs and takes the lead. Guru follows. Anima holds his position while the Apostate and the Arrow make their way passed. Behind him Kaze Aurora and Naga clump together, mounting the stairs last.
The upper floor sports two bedrooms (one at the back and one at the front) and a small bathroom / toilet. Thick webbing and dried mucous cover the walls. The doorway to the back bedroom is blocked by a shrunken sac that, disturbingly, had the rough outline of a human form.
A hole in the wall served as an entry into the back bedroom. Next to the hole, ruined insulation and the materials of an internal wall had been piled up neatly and covered in a layer of webbing.
A rancid stink seemed to seep from the front bedroom.
Holes in the ceiling offered a glimpse into the attic space but the light was too dim to make out much more than webbing and mucous.
The attic was reached by a set of pull-down steps. The steps lay in a crumpled heap, buckled uselessly from some great weight or bulk.
A nod to Phoenyx and she took up her assigned position in the party. Naga's pistol continued to be held with practiced safety measures. Keeping her eyes peeled for movement around them, she didn't look directly at Kaze, but she did softly respond to him.
"I'm sure I can remember that, yes."
As they entered the second floor, the Warlock gave a concerned glare at the empty human-shaped sac. So many holes in the building, the creature could come at them from anywhere.
It seemed like a good place to map the house again. A quick phrase in the High Speech, as hushed as was possible, and the rote was cast. The golden glyph came and went in the passage of a few seconds. Naga checked the attic, to be sure the cocoons were in the same position as last time, and scanned for any other changes to the magical diorama in her head.
1 success
He looked around at everyone getting a quick headcount and following Phoenyx's lead. Left flank, right flank, trust the others to guard the rear, made sense. As they reached the second floor clearing the immediate area he got an answer to his thought.
No, not breeding. "Feeding." he whispered softly, at least they knew their fate if they got stuck. He did his best to avoid the webbing, supernatural grace assisting in this endeavor as they went room to room, the silence of the house was starting to unnerve him. It shouldn't be this quiet, there's no way the spider here didn't sense the disturbance in its nest. Eyes floating to Anima to see if he'd seen anything as the smell of desiccation hit his nose.
He looked to Phoenyx and pointed up at the hole to the attic. "Up and over? We got any light?" He could make it so he could see in the dark, he likely could slip the webbing if he needed to but he didn't wanna push it with magic, not here, not now. Practical solution would be the best.
The human like sac was noted, but not much thought given to it. Whatever it had been, it didn’t look alive anymore. So maybe whatever was here liked the taste of people? Now that brought a shudder.
Now that was odd, and she points to it, “Why neatly pile the materials from the wall?” or was she the only one who found that weird as fuck.
And that smell. That was not a pleasant smell, and her mouth twisted in disgust. Yuck.
“Well, we’re not using those.” And she wasn’t good enough with Matter to help that.
Looking to Guru, “Might be better to try and get a peek up there before blindly going up. Who knows it whatever were looking for is laying in wait to pick off whoever goes up first. But you know, just a thought.” Cause a smart creature would lay and wait, bring them to it. “Anyone seen Men in Black? Remember how Will Smith drew the creatures attention to him, and evened the playing field? Wonder if we can do that with the sacs it has laying around. If it’s laying eggs, killing those eggs could draw it out.” Then a shrug. She didn’t like going into a trap.
Tense moments pass as the group remain, poised and alert, no one moving or willing to make the first move. The air was heavy with the sickly sweet rancour wafting from the front bedroom.
Naga casts her spell a second time: her senses sharpen and distort, wrapping around the space occupied by the house. The Warlock feels the subtle vibrations of the shifting building. She senses the wind's caress as it moans through the soiled and thickened curtains in the back bedroom.
In the attic something moves. One moment, nothing. Then her senses ping as a hulking presence shifts and seemingly steps from one side of the attic space to the other (toward them). And then... nothing. The moment of horror is jarring, and she finds herself thinking of quotes from old, half remembered movies... "The Jungle came alive and took him."
Sorry for skipping over people but we are slowing down here.
Pheonyx looks around. Aurora's point was creepy, but dealing with certain death was a little more important. "Not sure about movies. It's time to let it know we're home. Everyone aim at the hatch. No need to go up ourselves."
The Arrow reaches out to the crumpled wood, aiming to move it up into the hatch and bang it with some sound.
Paradox
Telekinesis
As per Telekinesis, Phoenyx casts the spell with Forces 4 for a prolonged duration.
Equipment: 1 pair of knives (one magical tool, one mundane), Pistol (Beretta M92, +2 lethal), Reinforced Leather trenchcoat (1/0), Cellphone.
Spells: Supernal Sight (Pot 6, cloaked), Organic Resilience (Pot 3, Cloaked), Sound Control Pot 4, Telekinesis Pot 2
Kaze has his assignment. He watches the rear. He suspects by the sound of things that everyone else is narrowly focused on the opening to the attic. Which is probably where the threat is, and where it will come from, but having everyone looking in just one direction is just asking for a nasty surprise.
So he watches, scanning up to down, left to right, not letting his watch focus on just one point, keeping his point of focus moving and keeping alert and ready to react instantly!
2 successes
Spells
peer across, second sight, organic resilience
The Shaman agrees with their plans to draw the creature out. If it comes through the hatch it will be subjected to a torrent of fire. But the problem with Problem with spirits is they rarely behave as you expect. His vision stays active beyond the Beyond this fallen world, what if it’s shadow. If the bug shows itself there in an attempt to jump out at them from another angle he’s ready.
2 successes
Naga took a breath, her grip on her revolver shifting slightly. "It's moving up there," she hissed to the other magi close to her. Her eyes were on the ceiling. "Coming towards us. It must know we're here. Feels like it..." she paused. "...vanished? Maybe it went into the spirit world?"
The Warlock used her 360 degree vision to keep watch. Wherever it was now, it might appear from any direction.
Perception: 2 successes
Equipment: Smartphone, iron coin (magic tool), light revolver.
Spells: Third Eye (Mind Sight) imp. ritual Pot 6; Misperception (2E Mind Armor) imp. ritual Pot 3; Imp. Omnivision Pot 4