(PRP TH) - Treasure Hunt!

**Belle** · Dec 10th, 2021 11:00 PM

Belle's determination carriers her slowly but steadily up the makeshift climbing wall. Again, while cradling an unconscious owl, whose weight is less a problem than her loosey-goosey body. She makes some fairly good progress until Corn drops the straw that breaks the Mystagogues' back.

Ghost!

Belle is no coward; Belle would walk through fire for any of her friends here in Sacramento even after knowing some of them for barely a week. But when it came to ghosts...even Warlocks have their limits.

"Distance...yep. Definitely keeping that. Do your Necro thing, boss!." She talks a little fast, perhaps a byproduct of scrambling down a rock ledge with a downed owl/Shaman. But she's clearly eager to refocus on locating Aurora's fallen belongings. She tracks them down a lot easier now that Corn's crystalline lights are illuminating the cavern. After shifting Aurora's belongings into better light, she stands over them while now cradling Owlraura in one arm while wielding her knife in another. "Think you'll be needing your gun back? If so, just let me know." The novice becomes the mama bear...or owl in this case.

2 successes

Belle's currently going to focus on preventing Corn from getting surprised by the downed Banisher or any new spooks

stats

**Aeolus** · Dec 12th, 2021 11:02 AM

Corn looks at the remains in the makeshift coffin and even in the pale light he can tell with relative certainty that the body belonged to the ghost. The corpse was relatively well conserved and although there were signs of slight mummification and decay there were enough features discernible to have your mind fill in the blanks and come to the conclusion that they're the same person. They also wear the same things: a white gown, almost stereotypical for lonely (not to mention ghostly) women of yesteryear. In all its simplicity there was a sense of purity and respect in the way she was dressed for her final rest. The only difference was that the body had a necklace with a silver locket laying on its sunken chest, whereas the ghost had nothing of the like.

Once Corn addressed the woman directly her longing expression was replaced by confusion, which turned back to a knowing sadness as soon as he mentioned he was a Mage. She listened to his request and for a while she didn't react further to the Moros. Finally, she looked down at her body and realization spread over her face. She slowly looked back at Corn and nodded wistfully. Some more moments passed, her features contorted in concentration. The Moros' question seemed simple, but maybe it posed a similar conundrum to ghost as questions like 'what's the meaning of life' did to humans.
Then she reached out with her right hand and looked at Corn expectantly. A soft humming could be heard.

The warlock decided that caution was the better part of valor and backed off again. Then again, without being able to see or talk to ghosts she would probably only use up space up there. And gathering Aurora's discarded stuff was important too. Yeah.
Then Belle stood guard and waited. The intruder was still fast asleep - helped by the fact that both conscious Mystagogues were relatively quiet - and she could not make out any other noises in the dark. Maybe Crypto hadn't sold them out, after all. Or maybe he knew just the limit to make two betrayed parties think that.

She was unconscious, but Aurora 's soul was still reacting to what had happened this evening. It was like she was dreaming, a memory of the Primal Wilds stretching out in every direction. She couldn't clearly make out whether she was a human or an animal in her dream, but one thing she clearly felt: this was correct, natural. She explored her surroundings, reveling in her vitality and her freedom when suddenly the sky darkened. It was TheAbyssTheSeersIt'sTheRealityWarAllOverAgain, here to take her away and undo her. Her muscles hurt, but compared to the throbbing black pain of containing the Abyss it seemed like a minor irritation.
The sky was pitch black by now and then a silver moon opened up like an enchanted eye. As if Fate had its attention turned back to her, wanted to take her back to the way things were, wanted to make her Faye again. Was this possible, even though things had calmed down? Was this a prophecy or a meaningless dream?
Neither wings nor legs were able to carry her away from this nightmare - maybe it was time for her to look more deeply into what had happened to her.

**Corn** · Dec 12th, 2021 06:00 PM

As realization that indeed, that was the ghost of the woman their 'host' thought he loved so ... he trapped her between life and death in an empty tomb like a possession and trophy became much harder to deny, Corn greeted his teeth.
"Possessive, necrophiliac motherfucker!" Corn swore loudly before he got hold of himself - he didn't swear often and certainly not in front of ghosts about their ... lovers? Captors? Corn tried to think of a different explanation of why the ghost is here than pure hubris of her husband and refusal to let her go - in eternity.
Perhaps she was there because she was linked to her corpse... he didn't know enough to make theories.

And then, ghost made some movement, looked at him and a noise started.

failure

Corn didn't understand the ghost or what she wanted him to do any more than she understood him.
"I don't understand what you want from me." he told her. I honestly hope she doesn't want me to touch that necklace, he thought, about the item they came to retrieve. Even if it was just a cursed item that bound your lover in this world, it would be safer in the possession of the Mysterium - as long as a ghost didn't follow it - but he didn't like the idea. He would do it, but he didn't like the idea regardless.

Empathy roll-1 to understand the ghost

**Belle** · Dec 14th, 2021 12:02 AM

Belle hears Corn swear and she can almost feel the righteous indignation in his voice. Damn! And I thought Aurora was scary! Still, she was confident that he was angry for a good reason, and not at risk of blowing up the cavern. She couldn't say she'd be as confident if she herself was in his shoes. "So, ghost is friendly?" So far it wasn't poltergeisting them. "I'll follow your lead, but I think we have to wrap this up soon." She thinks she can clean up any trace magics that would lead their trespasser friend from following them. And she had a few items to examine herself. "Maybe try and impress that we can use the Choker to help give closure?"

[mta] Based off of Belle's Space 3, would she know how many uses of Destroy the Threads she would need to sever sympathetic ties between the three Mystagogues and the Banisher? [mta]

PRP-Treasure Hunt stats

stats

**Aeolus** · Dec 14th, 2021 09:45 AM

Maybe it was because she was dead, removed from human emotions or maybe the Moros' assumptions blinded him to her intentions - they ultimately failed to communicate and a few moments after Corn told the ghost he didn't understand her she retorted back to looking longingly. Her hand, once outreached in a tender invitation, sank back into her lap. She probably has written off the Necromancer as much as he has written off the ghost.

Belle meanwhile was giving moral support from below. Between the two of them, she knew who was better equipped to deal with the spectral situation. The Mastigos rather played off of her strengths: her studies of Space. Given the little time they've spent together (and if one added darkness, knockouts and the Abyss) there was little connection to be had between the Mystagogues and the intruder. She could do it, but it'd take a few moments to check off every member of the small expedition.

Belle knows that the connection is encountered. 1 success should be enough - the target's Composure (3) is subtracted from the pool and she'll either have to take (-4) for target factors (if she wants to target all three Mystagogues in one casting) or cast the spell three times (risking Paradox with each roll). Either way, you can make all the rolls you want in one post (except if you somehow get such a bad Paradox roll that you need me to step in and narrate).

**Corn** · Dec 15th, 2021 10:47 AM

Corn addressed the ghost again. "Is the necklace important to you? " He asked. "And ... do you want to be released from this place?"

**Belle** · Dec 16th, 2021 05:54 PM

With Corn working on negotiations with the unquiet dead, Belle goes about unweaving sympathetic connections to make sure there would be no unforeseen reunions with their trespasser...

failure

2 successes

1 success

failure

Rather than throw her chances to the Abyss, she decides to focus on each individual friendly Mage. As she wills her Space knowledge she stares reality in the face...and it snarls back at her in response. Dammit! This is a lot! Not too much, at least not that she'd admit it. But it was a lot. But she's at least secured one severed tie: Corn. Belle wasn't about to endanger someone with a family. And she trusted her own Occultation defenses to assist with sympathetic traces.

Casting over time per ST. Let me know if there's anything I missed. Applying the initial suxx to Corn, unless the two suxx could be applied to more than one, in which case she'll apply them to Corn, then Aurora.

PRP-Treasure Hunt stats

stats

**Aeolus** · Dec 19th, 2021 02:53 AM

It took a few moments for the ghost to register Corn talking again. Slowly she looked at him with a hopeful expression at first, then: understanding. The sad longing crept back into her features. Reflexively her hand went up to her throat, feeling for a necklace that only burdened her mortal remains. The ghost shook her head and those were her quickest movements yet.
The second question? It was mostly met with this expression of longing, but after a while the woman also gave the Moros a decisive nod.

Belle meanwhile did some magical house-cleaning and decided to dip her toes into the Abyssal pool the other Awakened had been splashing in for the last hours. And her first attempt even yielded some success! She was certain that it was all but impossible for this intruder to connect with Corn via sympathetic casting. She also felt its bite, however: like little papercuts along the insides of her eyes it burned as she tried to maintain the integrity of her imago but ultimately failed. The extortion made her feel a bit dizzy, as if Space itself almost turned on the Warlock. She got this under control, though. She might not be with her family anymore, but she was very much able to hold her own.
Plus, the other guy was still fast asleep, so it's points for the home-team across the board!

Belle well first of all, Space is one of Belle's ruling Arcana, so there is no Mana cost for improvised spellcasting.
Second, since you've already cast Ranged Blow this scene (friendly reminder to update your stats!) you'd start your first Paradox check at 1, not a chance die (1 Base, (-1) for spell level, (+1) for the second vulgar spell cast this scene)). The second casting of DTT has a Dox pool of one (which you did correctly) and the third casting has a pool of two (which again you did correctly; but just to be safe: this pool increases only every two vulgar spells).
Also, don't forget that success in the Paradox roll reduces your spellcasting pool, even if you take the bashing.

Tl;dr: the second Paradox check would be a success too. If you want to take the backlash update your health (along with all the other outdated and messy stuff; dm me if you want me to look over it

)

Corn you can make another (Wits + Empathy - 1) roll.

Success

**Corn** · Dec 19th, 2021 09:52 AM

2 successes

Corn understood the longing of the ghost. She longed for her lover to return. And she would be waiting for him in eternity. Is there any greater suffering than to forever wait for the person you love? He is not coming back. She is trapped here, an echo of the person she was, created from ephemera and a man's hubris.
How... treacherous.
This was not just unnatural and an act of Hubris. Corn could understand being possessive, but being so possessive as to damn the woman you supposedly love to wait for you forever? Unable to move on to Afterlife?
Corn needed those moments to clear his head. Being angry wouldn't help.

There were, as usual, many things he wanted to say and ask the ghost. But this time, he had to prioretize. Ask information first, give her the bad news later. The Banisher (that Corn has realized he was probably not a banisher as Banishers don't stop to talk nor ask for magic items - they attack mages, they don't bargain or rob them)... could the Banisher know more?

"Did you have children? Relatives? Anyone that knows you would be here?" Not that he was giving such a necklace to an unaffiliated mage, even if he was related to her.

Then, after giving the ghost a moment to register the question, he added.
"I have bad news for you, my lady. Brace yourself. The one you love has passed from this world and moved on, to the afterlife. He is waiting for you there." Corn ... lied? He doubted this mage would be in a nice place in the afterlife. But how can you tell a ghost that her lover was a monster?

**Belle** · Dec 20th, 2021 08:07 PM

Damn! Why is it always the eyes?

Belle feels the Abyss peeling away at the invisible strings that connect all living things. But it's not the pain she fears...it's the rumbling voice that creeps into the back of her mind as she pushes and gives, and gives and pushes.

Why bother with the Abyss? You know the best way to make sure none of this goes back to your friends.

She shakes her head, trying to quiet Pandemonium's call to just let loose and let blood spill on the tunnel floor. No! You're better than this. I'm not the demon! In the glowing light she hisses like an angry viper as her darker impulses are released into the ether through clenched teeth.

It sounds like Corn's making some progress with his spectral visitor. Belle sighs in relief. Got to hand it to ya, Family Man: you really do know how to de-escalate. Guess it came with the territory?

She maintains her vigil with the unconscious Owlraura, eyes keen on covering Corn's flank while he wraps things up.

Gosh, I need to remember my strengths and my weaknesses! Stats should be updated now

stats

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-12-10 22:59:14	Belle rolls 5 to Detect Potential Ambush (Wits + Composure - Reduced Darkness + Danger Sense) (10 Again)	8, 3, 8, 5, 1	2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-12-12 15:44:34	Corn rolls 3 to Wits + Emp -1 (10 Again)	1, 2, 6	failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-12-16 17:40:27	Belle rolls 1 to Paradox: Destroy the Threads (-1 from Spell; +1 from Gnosis) (10 Again, Chance)	8	failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-12-16 17:43:36	Belle rolls 2 to Improv Cast: Destroy the Threads (Space 3 + Gnosis 2 - Target Composure 3) (10 Again)	10, 6, 10, 2	2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-12-16 17:44:24	Belle rolls 1 to Paradox: Destroy the Threads 2 (-1 from Spell; +2 from Gnosis/Again) (10 Again)	9	1 success

(PRP TH) - Treasure Hunt!

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