(Skeleton Keys) Skin and Bones

Mar 14th, 2014 02:46 PM

Rain fell, crashing against David's umbrella as he coasted the rest of the way to the back entrance of Cedar Fields. Burdened with his usual satchel, it was also joined with a black bag containing a specific assortment of instruments. David was not here at the beck and call of Cedar Fields and the needs of its clients tonight. Tonight, he was here for the needs of a different client entirely.

Letting his bike come to a rolling stop, David hefted it up and used his free hand to open the door. Once opened, he shuffled inside and locked the door behind him. He expected Teodor Raluca to come as well, but years beneath the thumb of his fastidious sire taught him to dot his I's and cross his T's. With David's pea-green bike set aside and out of the way, the Mortician headed to the preparation rooms.

By now, the Shadow knew Cedar Fields nearly as well as he knew the Chapter House. It was a home away from home away from home and he felt comfortable within its walls. Looking at his bag of instruments for his Visual Autopsy, David ran his hand through his hair shaking out the drops of water that still clung to it.

For the Mortician, the affair's story only led to more questions. The sarcophagus didn't strike David as period. Burials in the medieval period were spartan unless they were part of the Church, in general. Respect for the dead even dipped as religious mores changed. In a way, this was a question that took hold of David's imagination; he hoped that he might be able to find an answer.

Satisfied his tools were fine, all that remained was to wait for the rest of the volunteers to arrive.

OOC

Beej Teodor Raluca Wolven Pryde

Mar 15th, 2014 02:00 AM

An old Indian motorcycle pulled through the parking lot and round to the rear entrance of the funeral home. It parked not far the door, under an overhang that was perhaps not a proper parking spot but it was out of the rain. The driver was a small figure who climbed off the bike and un-clipped a wrapped bundle from seat behind him and took off his helmet. To most eyes it was a small old man with flattened helmet hair and a thick bushy beard and rain spattered black pants and worn leather jacket.

Walking up to the back door, Teo ran his hand through his hair twice before pulling off his jacket. Tucking it and his helmet under his arm, he unwrapped the plastic cover of the bundle and then slipped on his new cassock. Properly attired for the evening, the monk unlocking the door, entering and locked it behind him again.

He had been to the funeral home once before at the behest of the Grand Wyrm so while he was not completely unfamiliar he was was not adroit at navigating the building either. It took him several minutes of 'poking around' as they say to find his fellow Dragon. "Good evening." Teo said with his usual cheerful manner. "I am at your complete disposal tonight sir. As much if this is unfamiliar to me, guide me where you wish me."

**Martha Villiers** · Mar 15th, 2014 01:10 PM

Martha had waited for her fellow investigators within the confines of the Cedar Fields.

She waited at the top of the stairs, dressed in her school uniform and clutching her cane tightly.

Having made preparations with equipment ready for David and others...including grease-proof paper and rubbing wax. You never know...was her motto.

Nodding respectfully, she silently greeted David and Teo.

Mar 16th, 2014 01:08 PM

“Good evening, sir,” David welcomes Teodor with an outstretched hand. A certain quiet, calm confidence exuded from the Shadow as he clasped hands with the Monk. One that he embodied only once before, at the interviews for his Survey. “Thank you for your assistance,” the Dragon tells Teodor. Here, at Cedar Fields, where solemnity was King, David was its majordomo.

Gathering the rest of his materials, items gathered from within the confines of the preparation rooms, David led Teodor to the stairs where at the top, Martha waited. David's once free hands were laden now with boxes labeled protective gowns, latex gloves, as well as David's clear face-shield which hung from his finger tips.

The Mortician, however, paused and inclined his head towards the Grand Wyrm in a similar silent, respectful greeting.

Once the pair of Dragons have joined their Grand Wyrm; David allowed Martha to take the lead towards their Guest.

Mar 19th, 2014 01:21 AM

After shaking the man's hand Teo followed up behind the Supplicant. "Good evening Grand Wyrm." Teo said quietly when he saw Martha.

Teo will follow quietly behind Martha and Regan to the 'guest.'

**Martha Villiers** · Mar 19th, 2014 05:52 AM

Martha nodded a greeting to meet those offered to her. Taking care, she made her way to the Guest.

She was, however, anxious. There had been one attempt to steal the Guest and she suspected there may be another.

To this end, while she made her way carefully to the resting place, she was alert and attentive to threat...watchful of the shadows...

OOC: Martha is making use of Danger Sense and Auspex 1 to improve a sense of hearing to help detect any emerging threats.

Mar 19th, 2014 05:00 PM

In a language long dead, a prayer tumbled from David's lips as he passed through the threshold and into the room where the Guest lay in repose.

<<”I have come, I have advanced hastily. I cast light upon the deceased's footsteps. I am hidden, but I cast light upon his hidden place. I stand up close to the Tet. I stand up close to the Tet of Ra, I turn back the slaughter. I am protecting you, O Osiris.” >>

Expanding his vision, The Mortician's gaze settled upon the Guest's resting place, making sure all was in place. His gaze did not waiver as David set his items down and removed his blazer, quickly rolling his sleeves to the elbows and sliding on a pair of latex gloves. It was as though the Dragon was connecting, in some way, to the sleeping Ba.

Finally, and in English, the Mortician asks, “Please follow my lead. Sir,” glancing to Teodor, “if you would take notes. Ma'am,” his gaze pivoted to the Grand Wyrm, “I would appreciate your insight.” The Mortician thanked Osiris that he had a pair of dieners for this, he knew there was quite a lot of work to be done and in a short time. The Torpid were hot potatoes, true, but this one seemed more so than most; at least from Martha's posture.

A cursory examination, revealed what everyone had known already: the body was gaunt, with tight skin and was desiccated. A wound to the chest and sternum seemed to have placed the Elder into Violent Torpor, rather than the peaceful Torpor his line guides others into. David's knowledge of Latin underscored that 'Plus Ultra' meant 'Further Beyond.'

“I have a feeling,” David tells the others, “that much of this is field Kabuki. I suggest that we disregard anything we see here as true.”

Putting on his clear face-shield and removing a pair of sliding caliphers, “Castellan, would you please note down the following measurements?” Precise in his movements and straight backed, he began his external autopsy of the 'Spanish Elder.' Wondering, somewhere in mind that if he isn't Spanish... then who is the Guest they have? The Measurements, the Mortician hoped, would shed light on the elder's true ethnicity.

The jawbone, for instance usually held useful clues.

Int + Inves + Spec + EQ ext ; 13 Successes

David drew his lips into a thin line, as he finally set his tools down nearby. He considered the burial arrangements knowing that something wasn't quite right, but not able to put his finger on it.

Int + Occ + Spec ; Fail

“Why,” David murmured half to himself and half to the Guest, “did they spend so much effort into bringing you here?”

Auspex 1, Heightened Senses: Sight

Mar 19th, 2014 07:59 PM

~~As Regan beings his examination, Teo quietly reminds him there are booby traps in the interior of the sarcophagus and be mindful touching the sides.~~

Studiously following his instruction, Teo scribbles down figures as his cousin dictates them.

Taking Regan's statement to heart, he looks over the 'guest' and his 'housing' again.

1 suxx Acad (anything not spanish about him?); 2 suxx perception (are there more traps)?

At David's question Teo could think of several. Several involved diabliery, others involved rituals involving blood magic and wyrm nests. And what is hidden in the compartment?

**Wolven Pryde** · Mar 22nd, 2014 02:28 PM

If Teodor Raluca wants to tell David Regan something, then he needs to tell him.

For more information, see Knowledge Transfer

While Investigation and an Autopsy spec might be applicable in this sort of work, I'm ruling that the actions that David is describing and his intended results fall more inline with Intelligence + Medicine + his applicable specialty + equipment... which means you actually shorted him one die each roll. Still plenty enough successes to pull the relevant data though, so let's move on

Without physically removing the armor, only having the dessicated head to work with at the moment, there are only a few tender morsels of information the measurements can give him. But David is competent and thorough in his work.

While he works, Teo only gets the general sense, as David mentioned, that the entire setup, with the sarcophagus composition and armor and everything - just feels manufactured.

As David examines the data, he can only corroborate this.

The measurements of this torpid elder's features: cheek, brow, jaw, are consistent with an adult. Caucasian.

Female.

Mar 22nd, 2014 04:53 PM

Pacing away from the sarcophagus, David poured over the figures and notations once more. Just to be sure. But David was confident in his data: no prognathism, retreating zygomatic bones, and a narrow nasal aperture. The revelation wasn't wholly unexpected, but the extent of it was. Seeing it in the handwriting of the Tsimanu, crystallized David's hunch into near-fact.

While it answered one question, like weeds in the pavement, three more questions took its place.

The sound of paper as it fell back into place lanced through the air. David's dull-brown gaze went to the costumed elder in the false sarcophagus and the dual questions of Why and Who rung in his mind like an alarm bell.

The Mortician's serious attention went to Martha first, and broke into the pregnant pause, “The measurements taken of the Torpid Elder are consistent with three things.” David vocally underlines the word consistent, the science was imperfect, after all. “Our guest is an adult, Caucasoid, and female.”

After glancing towards Teodor, David's scrutiny fell, once more, upon Their Lady of Cedar Fields.

"It's my opinion that if we answer the question of why, the question of who," David theorizes quietly, "might resolve itself."

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2014-03-19 16:48:13	[06] David Regan rolls 8 to Intelligence 4 + Investigation 2 + Autopsy Spec + EQ 1 (10 Again)	10, 6, 5, 5, 5, 6, 10, 2, 7, 2	2 successes
2014-03-19 16:48:13	[05] David Regan rolls 8 to Intelligence 4 + Investigation 2 + Autopsy Spec + EQ 1 (10 Again)	5, 5, 3, 1, 9, 3, 1, 8	2 successes
2014-03-19 16:48:13	[04] David Regan rolls 8 to Intelligence 4 + Investigation 2 + Autopsy Spec + EQ 1 (10 Again)	4, 4, 1, 5, 6, 3, 1, 7	failure
2014-03-19 16:48:13	[03] David Regan rolls 8 to Intelligence 4 + Investigation 2 + Autopsy Spec + EQ 1 (10 Again)	7, 10, 2, 3, 8, 8, 8, 4, 9	5 successes
2014-03-19 16:48:13	[02] David Regan rolls 8 to Intelligence 4 + Investigation 2 + Autopsy Spec + EQ 1 (10 Again)	5, 6, 5, 2, 5, 9, 9, 1	2 successes
2014-03-19 16:48:13	[01] David Regan rolls 8 to Intelligence 4 + Investigation 2 + Autopsy Spec + EQ 1 (10 Again)	1, 4, 3, 3, 9, 7, 10, 1, 6	2 successes

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-03-19 16:52:25		David Regan rolls 8 to Int 4 + Occ 3 + Spec (Ancient Funerary Rites) (10 Again)		5, 4, 2, 1, 7, 7, 7, 2		failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2014-03-19 19:56:28	Teo rolls 5 to Wits+Comp (any more traps?) (10 Again)	4, 3, 7, 10, 9, 2	2 successes
2014-03-19 19:55:59	Teo rolls 5 to Int+Acad (Anything not Spanish about him?) (10 Again)	2, 8, 1, 6, 1	1 success

(Skeleton Keys) Skin and Bones

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