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PrP BIBF The Bookstore

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  1. #1
    Scourge's Avatar


    Underground Books sat just outside the rectangle of downtown Sacramento, below the southeast corner on the south side of Broadway. It was well enough placed but business could always be better. The manager thought he’d found just the trick.

    The Paradise of Shelesh. A book by a local author, limited publishing. The news would have you believe the books were driving people insane. Inducing fits of hysteria and fear, even…murder!

    Well, if the news could run stories like that to get readers, then so could a bookstore. Most had dropped the title, afraid they might somehow be found liable for… something. Underground Books took the opposite approach. They snatched up every copy they could and were holding… wait for it…

    A MIDNIGHT RELEASE!

    They certainly tried to set the mood. They kept the lights low. They’d put up some Halloween decoration. The store's brick walls and dark wood floors add easily to the ambience. Behind the sales desk, a large stack of books looms ominously. It certainly looked creepy. However, inside there was an excited (even jovial) bustle of people. The store’s crowd was may have been there for morbid fascination but no one really believed. Stories couldn’t drive men to madness.

    The Lost know different. They've heard the stories, read the news, and they were arriving (almost certainly by chance) all at once a little before midnight, with the streets empty and all the buildings dark except for one.

    https://s3-media0.fl.yelpcdn.com/bph...ACOld8IQ/o.jpg

    https://s3-media0.fl.yelpcdn.com/bph...8j35jT2A/o.jpg


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  3. #2
    Gerrit's Avatar
    New Identity
    (Gerrit Jameson)
    Gerrit

    Mien:
    Leathery scars, bruises and scaly scabs cover the whole hairless body. There is a certain symmetry to the disfigurements, the color of the visible skin ranging from pale pink to purple and dark red. Lately patches of dark blue and black - frostbite - have appeared on his skin and some of the scabs have frozen over and crystalized.
    His right hand shows a copper-coloured, wilted and flaky scar, engulfing most of his palm and the inside of his wrist. Next to frostbite and bruised scars it adds a third layer of wounds bore by the Ogre.

    Mantle:
    Contrast seem to grow slightly more stark around Gerrit, the crisp clearness of a winter morning. Sometimes the sound of ice forming or breaking can be heard in a short, brisk snap. When using Contracts a subtle, biting cold can be felt around Gerrit - pins and needles prick both the Onyx and those close to him.

    Crown:
    Solid, thick panes of clear ice symmetrically arranged around his head with fern frost at the base.
    Active Pledges

    Motley Pledge

    Only a result of 10 on a die is considered a success. Should a given die result in no successes, the failure is considered to be a dramatic failure, though the oathbreaker may spend a point of willpower to negate this, making it a regular failure.
    -Until Oct 5th.

    (Harden Mask)Glamour 1 Spent
    1
    PRE

    Stonebones Snowskin

    Sometimes the customers coming into his shop to get an arrangement stayed a while and just gossiped a bit. Gerrit had learned to accept that as part of his service, a way for those people to vent and for him to get some Glamour out of it every now and then.

    And sometimes he even heard something interesting.
    A book turning people insane could be another way for Queen Ann to abduct people, it could pose a threat to the Freehold. Of course, it could also just be a fluke, but Gerrit would rather be safe than sorry. Besides, he didn't really have anything else to do in the evenings. Not like there is anyone here to spend them with.

    He arrived at the bookstore in a dark hoodie and a well-worn pair of jeans, his hands buried deep in his pockets. He didn't know how to feel about the decorations, about how neither the shop nor the people seem to take this seriously.
    Gerrit took it seriously. While he watched the store he hardened his Mask - if stories are to be believed insane people could look behind the mask, so he didn't want to take any chances here.

    Equipment: Wallet with some money, empty backpack.





    Hardened Mask


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  5. #3
    Colonel Worm's Avatar
    The Damn Colonel
    Presence
    (Rakish)
    Summer Mantle
    (Heat Shimmer)
    Strength
    (Surprisingly Strong)
    Status, Contacts
    (Criminals)
    Languages
    (Spanish)
    Colonel Worm

    Mask
    Worm is tall, whip thin, and corded with muscle. He's got more than a few scars. His eyes are blue and wild. His dirty blond hair is often greasy and worn short in the front, longer in the back—what some may call a mullet. There's always a mischievous smile on his lips. His wardrobe is extensive and totally crazy, filled with second-hand costumery and bizarre outfits scavenged from thrift-bins. The clothes reflect his attitude: Colonel Worm loves to make a scene and leave a lasting impression, for better or worse.

    Mien
    Worm's mien is quintessential Goblin: he is taller, thinner, and more scarred. His skin is a bright red and his eyes a glaucous white (with no discernible pupils). What little hair he has is also white. His ears and nose are pointed and his hands and feet are approximately doubled in size. His muscles stand out like lengths of rope beneath his skin.
    Colonel Worm

    Mantle
    The air around Worm shimmers and bends with heat mirage, something you might see coming off of blacktop on a 100 degree day.

    3
    PRE

    Wyrd
    ••
    Soldier

    Earlier in the day, Worm had heard about Underground Book's little stunt on the news. Looking at the Goblin, you might think he's not the type to keep up with local interest stories. And you'd be right. But ABC 10 had been on the television in the bar where he was having a drink and, since the bartender was in no mood to talk, the Colonel found himself paying attention.

    Wild stuff. Likely a stunt. But strange enough to warrant a little investigation. If something more than just attention seeking by a small business is going on, then Worm'll be there. If it all turns out to be bullshit, tempers will likely flare, so a little Glamour out of the deal. Either way, not a bad way to spend an evening.

    Worm pulls up outside the store in his pick-up and parks. Gets out, locks the doors (there's some...interesting equipment inside he'd rather not lose), and heads into the establishment. He's dressed in what might be called "cowboy casual": a weird denim vest over a green turtle neck, too-tight jeans (gotta show off his assets), brown cowboy boots, and a tan cowboy hat to top the whole thing off. He's kept a mustache to complete the look.

    Upon entering, he spots Gerrit, mask hardened, and does a double take. Sidles up to his fellow lost.

    "Fancy meeting you here..." he says softly, affecting a southern drawl for the hell of it. "How you been?" Last time the Goblin saw the Ogre, he was beating the shit out of the guy at his own request.

    Equipment: Light pick-up truck, two bowie knives + sheaths (in truck), galloon jug of water (in truck), Advanced first aid kit (in truck), Smart phone (in pockets), two pairs of brass knuckles (in pockets), some cash.

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  7. #4
    Scourge's Avatar


    An elderly gentleman entered the store, giving the rakish Summer a suspicious look. Though the man's outfit was hardly any less weird, looking like a character from the 1920s. A oil black vest with a long oil black coat and oil black eyes. Or maybe it was a costume (except the eyes). There were a couple others wearing them as well, maybe he was just upset at the Colonel not matching the 'theme'.

    Not all were so unappreciative. He catches a woman in a sweater and pencil skirt with dread locks give him a small small when he sees her staring before she takes a sip from a small cup of refreshment the store had out and turns back to the shelves in the mystery section.

    Two employees are also mingling. Wearing high collared cloaks and name badges. The man is wearing a fancy suit the doesn't look like it's been fitted as he moves over to the gentleman to greet. However, it was apparently his choice to do so because the female employee is wearing a normal slacks and collared shirt under her cloak. With the other newcomer covered she makes her way to Worm and Gerrit.

    "Good evening. Is there something I can help you find or are you here for the release?" she asks with a 'customer service' smile and tone.

    Keep in mind Shane/John has travel with limited service for the next couple weeks. So feel free to post around him at present.

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  9. #5
    Gerrit's Avatar
    New Identity
    (Gerrit Jameson)
    Gerrit

    Mien:
    Leathery scars, bruises and scaly scabs cover the whole hairless body. There is a certain symmetry to the disfigurements, the color of the visible skin ranging from pale pink to purple and dark red. Lately patches of dark blue and black - frostbite - have appeared on his skin and some of the scabs have frozen over and crystalized.
    His right hand shows a copper-coloured, wilted and flaky scar, engulfing most of his palm and the inside of his wrist. Next to frostbite and bruised scars it adds a third layer of wounds bore by the Ogre.

    Mantle:
    Contrast seem to grow slightly more stark around Gerrit, the crisp clearness of a winter morning. Sometimes the sound of ice forming or breaking can be heard in a short, brisk snap. When using Contracts a subtle, biting cold can be felt around Gerrit - pins and needles prick both the Onyx and those close to him.

    Crown:
    Solid, thick panes of clear ice symmetrically arranged around his head with fern frost at the base.
    Active Pledges

    Motley Pledge

    Only a result of 10 on a die is considered a success. Should a given die result in no successes, the failure is considered to be a dramatic failure, though the oathbreaker may spend a point of willpower to negate this, making it a regular failure.
    -Until Oct 5th.

    1
    PRE

    Stonebones Snowskin

    Running into Colonel Worm was..
    There was a lot of emotion bubbling beneath a skin of ice. There was a whole lot of shame, for allowing basically a stranger to see him like he had. There was a smidgen of anger, just because that's what his Ogre blood claimed. But there was also a heartfelt gratitude, a sense of comradery. This Wizened showed up and barely asked any questions when Gerrit was at his lowest. That earned the Goblin a respectful nod. "Hello. Thank you, I'm much better."

    failure


    Maybe it's because he had been telling this lie so often lately, but his words weren't really convincing. Fortunately, the setting lent itself to a quick change of topics. "I'm as surprised to see you here as you must be. I heard some.. interesting stories about the place and the book on sale." And the Ogre just left it at that. Chances were Worm had heard much of the same things,

    Then they caught the attention of a saleswoman. Gerrit returned her smile with gusto - maybe it didn't look as forced as it felt. "Good evening. Thanks, I was wondering about this book." He dropped his voice a bit, trying to act like a simple curious customer. "Is it true what they say about it?"


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  11. #6
    Colonel Worm's Avatar
    The Damn Colonel
    Presence
    (Rakish)
    Summer Mantle
    (Heat Shimmer)
    Strength
    (Surprisingly Strong)
    Status, Contacts
    (Criminals)
    Languages
    (Spanish)
    Colonel Worm

    Mask
    Worm is tall, whip thin, and corded with muscle. He's got more than a few scars. His eyes are blue and wild. His dirty blond hair is often greasy and worn short in the front, longer in the back—what some may call a mullet. There's always a mischievous smile on his lips. His wardrobe is extensive and totally crazy, filled with second-hand costumery and bizarre outfits scavenged from thrift-bins. The clothes reflect his attitude: Colonel Worm loves to make a scene and leave a lasting impression, for better or worse.

    Mien
    Worm's mien is quintessential Goblin: he is taller, thinner, and more scarred. His skin is a bright red and his eyes a glaucous white (with no discernible pupils). What little hair he has is also white. His ears and nose are pointed and his hands and feet are approximately doubled in size. His muscles stand out like lengths of rope beneath his skin.
    Colonel Worm

    Mantle
    The air around Worm shimmers and bends with heat mirage, something you might see coming off of blacktop on a 100 degree day.

    3
    PRE

    Wyrd
    ••
    Soldier

    "Much better, huh?" The Colonel asks in turn, smoothing out his mustache as he does so, looking at the Ogre closely like some gumshoe of yore. "If you say so, bud," he finishes, not pushing things further, though it's clear that Gerritt is putting on a show. Anyway, this is not the place for heartfelt discussions, even the Goblin can see that. Besides, who is he to pry?

    Spot a Lie, 1 success


    "You and me both," he says to Gerritt absent-mindedly, eyes taking in the crowd. Worm catches the old guy's sour look and offers him a big smile, seemingly oblivious to his disapproval. Nods in appreciation of the dude's whole 'fit. The Goblin's kind of people. Know how to make a statement. "Seems we had the same idea..."

    Likewise, he spots pencil skirt's regard. He knows what that little smile means and throws her a wink. So, if this doesn't pan out, the night's not a total wash...

    Sales-lady! "Yellow," he says, jovial as always. "Yeah, what my pal here said..." sticking a thumb at Gerritt, letting him take the lead.

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  13. #7
    Scourge's Avatar


    “Yellow?” There was a few seconds of fear in her eyes that he might be seriously asking for help finding a yellow book but also acceptance. You suspect she’s gotten that kind of request before. Which might be why she looked relieved when Worm confirmed he wanted to know what Gerrit did. The woman took a deep breath.

    “It’s true. You can look it up in several of the local newpapers, including the Sacramento Bee. People that bought the book set fire to their copies. Arson to their own homes. They claimed that they were overcome by a mortal dread before they could even read it.” There was a practiced tone to her voice. Even trite. Trying to be creepy but you can tell her heart isn’t really in it. It’s the false cheerfulness of a customer service worker directed towards fear and falling short.

    “The owner will be giving opening comments and taking questions in,” she checked her watch “A few moments actually.”

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  15. #8
    Gerrit's Avatar
    New Identity
    (Gerrit Jameson)
    Gerrit

    Mien:
    Leathery scars, bruises and scaly scabs cover the whole hairless body. There is a certain symmetry to the disfigurements, the color of the visible skin ranging from pale pink to purple and dark red. Lately patches of dark blue and black - frostbite - have appeared on his skin and some of the scabs have frozen over and crystalized.
    His right hand shows a copper-coloured, wilted and flaky scar, engulfing most of his palm and the inside of his wrist. Next to frostbite and bruised scars it adds a third layer of wounds bore by the Ogre.

    Mantle:
    Contrast seem to grow slightly more stark around Gerrit, the crisp clearness of a winter morning. Sometimes the sound of ice forming or breaking can be heard in a short, brisk snap. When using Contracts a subtle, biting cold can be felt around Gerrit - pins and needles prick both the Onyx and those close to him.

    Crown:
    Solid, thick panes of clear ice symmetrically arranged around his head with fern frost at the base.
    Active Pledges

    Motley Pledge

    Only a result of 10 on a die is considered a success. Should a given die result in no successes, the failure is considered to be a dramatic failure, though the oathbreaker may spend a point of willpower to negate this, making it a regular failure.
    -Until Oct 5th.

    1
    PRE

    Stonebones Snowskin

    This was concerning, even though the clerk wasn't believing the pr stunt herself. That also meant that she won't be giving them any other useful information right now. "I see. Thank you." He didn't bother acting up the intrigued costumer anymore, but he gave her a polite smile before regarding the Goblin again.

    Gerrit frowned and took a step away from the woman. "So maybe we can ask this owner a few questions then?" There was no way for the Colonel to know (considering this is their second time running into each other, really), but the Ogre was tunneling onto this new problem quite a bit. Stories had power, if you could believe the cautionary tales the Lost have been telling each other ever since. He looked at CW and it was only now that he noticed the colorful outfit. He probably could keep the surprise as well off of his face as some of the customers. "Uh, I-" The Stonebones might be a little less flexible than others, but maybe this was why hanging out with the Wizened wasn't that bad for him in the long run.

    He cleared his throat and looked around for the owner again, trying to get his thoughts back on track. "So do you think we should buy one of those books? All of them?" He was not sure whether he could afford that. Or if it even was necessary. Easy now, take one step at a time.


  16. #9
    Colonel Worm's Avatar
    The Damn Colonel
    Presence
    (Rakish)
    Summer Mantle
    (Heat Shimmer)
    Strength
    (Surprisingly Strong)
    Status, Contacts
    (Criminals)
    Languages
    (Spanish)
    Colonel Worm

    Mask
    Worm is tall, whip thin, and corded with muscle. He's got more than a few scars. His eyes are blue and wild. His dirty blond hair is often greasy and worn short in the front, longer in the back—what some may call a mullet. There's always a mischievous smile on his lips. His wardrobe is extensive and totally crazy, filled with second-hand costumery and bizarre outfits scavenged from thrift-bins. The clothes reflect his attitude: Colonel Worm loves to make a scene and leave a lasting impression, for better or worse.

    Mien
    Worm's mien is quintessential Goblin: he is taller, thinner, and more scarred. His skin is a bright red and his eyes a glaucous white (with no discernible pupils). What little hair he has is also white. His ears and nose are pointed and his hands and feet are approximately doubled in size. His muscles stand out like lengths of rope beneath his skin.
    Colonel Worm

    Mantle
    The air around Worm shimmers and bends with heat mirage, something you might see coming off of blacktop on a 100 degree day.

    3
    PRE

    Wyrd
    ••
    Soldier

    "You know, like...hello? Like Yellow rhymes with..." He grins, cheerfully bemused. Looks between the woman and Gerritt. "Yeah, I heard about that," he responds. After all, he had. On the news. Like she said.

    He leans in a little closer to the woman and keeps his voice down, "What do you think, though? Is it all just a stunt? Drum up sales, right?" He says, half-joking and conspiratorial, wiggling an eyebrow. The attempt to get chummy with the staff, however, falls flat.

    Carousing, failure


    "Um, 'scuse me for a second," Worm says, turning toward Gerritt, happy to put the increasingly awkward situation on hold for a moment.

    "Yeah, let's hear what owner dude's got to say about it and then hit him up afterward." Maybe they ask him some questions. Maybe they buy a book? Or all of them? Maybe they beat him up and steal the whole lot? All depends. On things, etc.

    Looking back to the sales woman, once again keeping his volume low, "So...what's up with the steam punk gear?" he asks with a pointed glance at the crabby old guy from earlier. Maybe it's a weird question from the urban cowboy. But who cares?

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  18. #10
    Scourge's Avatar


    “Ah,” she smiles and laughs politely at Worm’s yellow ‘joke’. Though his asking about it all being a stunt seem to make her uncomfortable, with her smile becoming fixed. If anything, it becomes even more with the rakish wink and waiting uncomfortably while they have their aside.

    “Management wanted to encourage people to get into the spirit of things. The Paradise of Shelesh is apparently set near the beginning of the century. They have this whole thing planned where...”

    Before she can say more deep vibrations penetrate through the space. The ringing of a gong passes through the shelves and it feels like it carries their words as it reverberates against the walls and through the Changeling’s bones.

    The lights go out completely, plunging the shop into pitch black.

    A dark hooded figure rises from behind the counter with a ghostly light shining from a lantern in its hand. A single excited scream with a hysterical edge comes from somewhere in the crowd.

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