Monsters and Men Table 2 (Inactive)

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"Fair enough. He seems very brave, despite his obvious fears. It is easy to respect that. I will need to make some telephone calls, do you have one here if could barrow. It'll need to be a landline; mobiles tend not to react well to the presence of wizards."

If such a phone is available, she'll call up the appropriate relays, giving her passwords as appropriate in order to get through to Luccio, or someone in the Wardens that can deliver a secure message. She'll inform her two deaths representing potential violations of the First Rule, and state that an investigation is underway, with a suspect in custody. She'll describe as well the seemin accidental nature of the deaths, and the mitigating circumstances. She will be in touch with the results of the investigation, as to determine the next step, be it a request to discharge the arrest, or invoke a tribunal or trial.

From reading the books, I'm not sure how the White Council would react to an accidental death by magic. The law doesn't really differentiate, but then, the purpose of the law is very distinctly designed to address intentional killing, and the addictive factors of black magic. Accidental death seems altogether another thing. If it was Dresden, of course, I could see them ruling towards guilty just to spite him, but with another Warden, one with a solid track record, I don't think the bias would be there. There would probably be a few Letter if the Law types, but given the number of level heads on the council, I don't see them swaying the vote. Of course, all of this reasoning goes to suppose that the deaths were accidental, and that we'll not discover Set mixed up in other dark magic.

Kishan eventually reaches Warden Ilyana, a young Warden from Russia.

Luccio is currently indisposed, but I will convey your situation to her. Do not let your sympathy make you weak, Kishan. Regardless of the nature of the death, it is, perhaps, that this is not the time to be distracted by the fate of one practitioner.

I think the trial and sentencing would be largely up to the Warden on site. I can imagine there being a sort of probation or Sword of Damocles exception for something like this, but that would require your continuing attention to the situation. Young Ilyana doesn't think you have time for that.

"Thank you for the advice, Warden. However, it would be irresponsible to allow the state of our resources to determine the verdict. It is best to let the facts speak for themselves. As I stated, I will provide an update with the results of the investigation when ready.

As the Americans would say, "It's your funeral." She says and rings off.

"So," Jarrod said, turning to Odd John. "You said something about beer?"

"John has an excellent microbrew. Just about the only beer he'll drink, come to think of it."

Edit: Ignore this if it sounds OOC for John or you don't want me to insert stuff like this...I thought I remembered reading something about him being a brewer and paranoid of drinking stuff from other people but I can't find it now, so maybe I was wrong.

Edit 2: Okay, found the contrary.

"Hope you like Harpoon Stout, because I think that's all we've got."

"What else do we need?"

Kishan steps back from the phone with a slight look of consternation on her phone.

The council's tendency to assume the worst is infuriating at times, especially from such a young Warden. 'Better safe than sorry' is fine when your fighting a war, but they seem to constantly forget that these people are also the people we are supposed to be protecting, not to mention where our recruits are supposed to come from. No wonder that an ignoramus like Drachmen would think us fanatics.

She come back to the group, looking serious. "None for me, thanks; I'll need to keep my focus. Could someone help me lift the bodies out of the van? I would like to examine them; a bit of a magical autopsy, so to speak. Is there a place I might do so? I am guessing bodies in your customer spaces would be less than convenient..." She takes a look at Set, still quiet and withdrawn. "Perhaps someone would volunteer to keep an eye on our "guest?" If not, I can create a secure space, though since he came voluntarily, I would rather not use a binding unless there are no other options."

looks at the Warden

"Are ya sure? I think there's some box wine left in the fridge."

doesn't wait for an answer (and he's obviously lying- there's no box wine in the fridge)
There is a bottle of prosecco and some fresh squeezed orange juice

"Follow me, I'll set up a table and a lantern in the basement."

proceeds to do so, in a basement storage room that's had its wiring removed

"One at a time or both at once?"

"Both is fine. This shouldn't take long."

She'll wait for someone to volunteer to watch set before going down, unless of course no one volunteers, in which case she'll need to resort to plan B.

to Set, speaking formally

"Should you accept these offerings," waves at food and drinks he's laid out "I will consider you bound by the Laws of the Household, according to the old ways."

eyes Kishan

The boy takes a bit of bread and holds it out toward John. You would wish that there be bread and salt between us? That we would be friends?.

"I offer you hospitality and guest rights until I give you fair notice. Let friendship come if it may."

I believe that we shall be friends before Warden Kishan must take my life, Mr. John.

Set seems more at ease now, wandering around the garage and almost but not quite touching various objects.

Kishan nods to John as he accepts responsibility, then heads back downstairs to have a look at the bodies. She spends a just staring at the two bodybags, mentally preparing and ordering her thoughts, shedding her previous tension, anxiety, and adrenaline.

When she is done, she pulls a thick piece of sidewalk chalk from the infinite pocket in her coat, and encircles the floor around the table in one continuous circle. She hangs her coat on a nail sticking out of one wall, and places her bangle in one of the mundane pockets. Now without any magic on her person, she stepped inside the circle. Cutting her thumb with her pocket knife, she touches it to the chalk line, and focuses a small touch of her will into it, closing the circle.

A sensation of snapping slapped along her senses, as all the natural and unfocused background magical energies of the world at large instantly vanished. She was alone with the bodies, with no external magical energies to contend with.

Walking around the table, within the confines of the circle she had drawn, she extended her feelings towards the body, opening herself up to feel any hint of magical energy that might linger around the bodies. Given enough time, her senses would hopefully be able to differentiate between any magic they might have been manipulating themselves, and any that might have affected them from external sources. She expected elements of fear to suffuse the bodies, surprise, shock, pain. Those were almost sure to be there. What she needed to find however was the feelings associated with the magic that killed them. Was there malice there? Or fear. Perhaps there would be shock and surprise there as well, as the magic left their control, and expanded beyond their intention. Depending on the nature of their magics, and the strength of their individual styles, she might be able to distinguish whose magic had escaped control, but then that was a pretty tall order, and pretty much a best case scenario. Of course, if they had trained together, or had adapted their styles to work together, then the flavour of each magic would probably feel the same, or too close to be able to confidently tell the difference. The emotions laced into the magic were probably going to be the best she had to go on.

Magic Awareness: 20 + 12 = 32 - Taking 20

Once done with that, she stepped back a bit; still within the circle, but once again preparing herself for what she was about to do.

I hate this part...

Reaching inside, she relaxed a measure of control, and opened her third eye. She was careful to look at nothing but the bodies, as every artifice of mundane reality faded away, and only the bare truth of what lay before her could be seen. Raw truth burned its way into her mind, images she would never forget for the rest of her life - images that would not fade with time, or become pale and comfortable; images that would be just as raw and fresh in her mind a hundred years from now as they were today.

She was looking to see that these were real mortals or wizards, that they were truly dead, and for the nature of the energies that suffuse them, such as murderous intent, hatred, or the taint of unnatural magics, if there was such a thing.

The body most badly burned still scintillates with residual fire magic. Kishan can see both where the fire begins and how it surges back on the the body and consumes it. It would appear that once the body began to burn, the fear and pain created a feedback loop, pouring more power into the circuit and in turn creating more pain.

On the other body, the one so precisely burned, there is another magical fingerprint, and if Set can be blamed for one of the deaths, it is this one. There is no sign of malice in the magic, but a great deal of fear and panic. The bodies are certainly human, and while they are practicioners, they are not nearly so capable as wizards. Their magic dangling like a poor tailor's loose threads.

She finds no aura of anger or dark magic.

When you guys roll an attack or use an effect that requires a save, go ahead and make the roll. I will do the same. That should speed things up. So we aren't waiting to see what a roll is to describe what happens.

So we're rolling our enemy's saves for them?

Yes. In some cases, I will let you know their modifiers. But if not, go ahead and roll, and I will add the modifier and describe what happens. It seems like the same amount of work for you to say, "Make a Reflex (or Toughness or whatever) save DC 23 as for you just to make the save. I'm hoping it keeps things moving. Of course, there will be times when you or I want to spend a Hero Point, but that is ok.

If we're making the roll, and don't know the modifier ahead of time, wouldn't we still have to post the DC and wait on your response to be able to react? I'm missing the part that saves us time. It is 4 am though, it's possible I'm just missing a step.

Latimer has got a point. Whether we make the dice roll or you do makes no difference in game speed. We can only resolve the attack if we know the modifiers.

I have played games where the GM has posted the badguy stats in the Campaign information tab, so that the players can resolve the attacks entirely themselves. It requires a little faith in the players that they will not use OOC knowledge gained from reading the Character Sheet to influence their tactics. However, if they can manage that, it works very well, and I've done it in some of my games too and never really had an issue.

My games where I've tried this were Pathfinder, so when I posted the stats I also posted the Knowledge Skill and DC's required, and gave players free reign to use information from the character sheet if they first passed their Knowledge check. How that would work in M&M I'm not sure, but something similar might still work in the cases of known classes of enemies (such as Fomor footsoldiers and frogmouths, certain kinds of faeries, ghouls, ogres, blackcourt or whitecourt goon level vampires, etc.) For individuals, information would have to be more general, such as Wizards weaknesses are this, general fey weaknesses are this, but specific use of stats for In-Character knowledge wouldn't work.

Closing her real eyes to help her concentrate, Kishan brings closed her third eye as well, ending her use of the Wizard's Sight. She lets loose a sigh, and leans on the table a moment to help her integrate the new vibrant memories of what she has just seen.

So, the first body, the one so badly burned... it would appear that the fire that killed him was primarily fueled by himself. He was working with magic that was more powerful than he would control, or at least more powerful than he could control in his frantic emotional state at that moment. Once the magic started fueling the fire, his pain and fear just kept feeding it until it consumed him.

The second, is more problematic. A third party was most certainly involved, and Set has admitted to being that. It appears to have been an accident still, but what effect this has had on Set may be the determining factor.

With one shoe, she scuffs out a small bit of the chalk circle, releasing the magic, and bringing the ever present sensations of the world's natural currents of magics back into her senses. She reclaims her coat, and straps her golden bangle back about her right wrist, the side used for projecting energy.

She comes back up the stairs and casts her gaze about, checking on the location of all her new companions, and Set in particular.

When she sees the young man, she approaches him, signalling Aaron with a request to come and translate for her. When he is ready, she addresses the boy.

"Set, I have finished my examination the bodies of your comrades. As I have said before, I believe in finding out the truth of matters rather than immediately jumping to conclusions. To that end, I would like to provide you with the opportunity to share with me an accounting of yourself. You have said that this was an accident, and that you have no desire to see anyone harmed while you were attempting your escape. You may be aware, that when a person voluntarily makes use of dark magics, such as using their power to intentionally end the life of another, that a mark can be left upon the person; this darkness creates a temptation, and the more it is acted upon, the more difficult it becomes to resist those temptations. It is for this reason that the Wardens treat violations of the Laws of Magic so seriously; as even a single use of such power can start that person on a path from which it is nearly impossible to recover. I would like for you to share a Soulgaze with me. I think you are familiar with the idea; when our eyes meet, we will see things about each other - you will learn about me, and what makes me who I am, and I will see the same about you. You may even see some of the experiences that define me. If a person has used their power for darkness, that darkness will remain with them, and be evident when we see into one another. If this was an accident, and there was no intent to cause harm, I believe that there should be no mark upon you. If that is the case, it could allow me to clear your name, to declare these tragic deaths an accident. It is no guarantee, but doing this gives you a better chance at life - an outcome where no execution is necessary. If you agree, you have only to look me in the eyes."

Aaron translates, and studies Set's reaction to the idea.

I keep forgetting to use Sense Motive when people say things and such. Take 10 for a 23.

Jarrod took a bottle of the offered alcohol and took a sip. "Not bad," he offered, taking a bigger drink. "So, this your place?" he asked John.

Set slowly raises his chin toward Warden Kishan, his eyes locking into hers.

Kishan feels a familiar sensation as though the floor falls out from under her. Set's soul is a like a cave: cool, dry, several books neatly stacked on a stone, bags of dried goods neatly stacked. A small fire burns in an ancient brazier, casting warm light onto the ceiling and walls. Unrecognizable petroglyphs dot the walls, not filling them but accenting the contours of the wall. Seven small openings branch out of the chamber into darkness. You have a sense of being watched, a burning gaze on the back of your neck. Beyond your ability to perceive, there is something immense. The sandy floor of the cave is flecked here and there with pot shards.

Soulgazes are pretty weirdly described in the novels, I suppose because they are Harry trying to describe something indescribable. There does not appear to be a taint of evil here, of the addiction of black magic, but there is something troubling.

The boy seems scared but not duplicitous

Jarrod took a bottle of the offered alcohol and took a sip. "Not bad," he offered, taking a bigger drink. "So, this your place?" he asked John.

"I set up the first shop, so the owner leaves me to keep the place up. Business-wise, Aaron's more on the ball, but I got a bunch of the local self-employed who trust me to keep their tools in shape. The wuji-wuji stuff I've picked up helps with that, o'course."

takes a deep drink from his bottle, looks at Drachmen and Kishan and Set talking

"You said you're from Chicago. I've heard a lot of big doin's from that way. You get in with any of that?"

Aaron looks on curiously, having heard a lot about how profound and intimate an experience the Soul Gaze was from his practitioner friends. He looks closely, expecting some kind of fireworks or sign of it working, but just sees two people staring into each others' eyes, an awkward sight from the outside looking in.

"Did it work?" he asks the Warden, just to be sure. "I thought it would be...flashier."

"It worked. Thank you for trusting me, Set."

I always have to wonder what he saw...

"I need some time to meditate on all I've seen today. If you'll excuse me..."

Kishan wanders off a bit, but not too far. She helps herself to some of the coffee, and then finds a comfortable place to sit down. After a moment she starts staring off at nothing, apparently either lost in thought, or meditating as she suggested.

So... what have I learned...

The first body was clearly an accident; the fire that consumed him came primarily from himself, and so it can easily be ruled an accident. But what of the second?

He was killed by another, but by using magic fueled by neither malice, anger, or hatred. The circumstances of the death would again indicate that while Set is likely at fault, it still bears every appearance of an accident. So, why to I feel reluctant to just proclaim it so? The Soulgaze. There was something odd there; something ancient, more than human... That presence... whatever that sensation was, it felt massive. Could he be possessed? Or carrying another presence like one of the Knights of the Blackened Denarius? You would think that if something that evil were present in his mind, it would be obvious. But then, I've never met one them, and as they are said to be so cunning perhaps they might be able to avoid detection through a Soulgaze... Or perhaps I am just letting my paranoia run away with me. I've not been in America that long; perhaps the stress of the move, and the strangeness of these American people, or the new responsibilities as a Regional Commander; maybe its all just making me see threats where none exist.

So, what should I do. I believe that the deaths were an accident, and that one at most could be ascribed to him, so I honestly feel that a death is not warranted here. And yet I feel reluctant to discharge him altogether. That would generally indicate the Doom of Damocles as the most appropriate sentence. As long as he keeps his nose clean, he'll be alright. I just need to be sure that I'd not be letting something dangerous loose - that presence... scares me.

Kishan turns her gaze from the empty point from which she was staring, back towards 'Set.' She waits while people shuffle about, having their conversations, waiting until only the young man can be seen within her field of vision. Then she opens her third eye again, the second time this night...

Wisp will stay with the conversation. Though he's interested in what the warden is doing, it unnerves him a bit. The mention of Chicago intrigues him. As he listens, he pulls out a pack and looks at John, "Mind if I smoke?"

"Whatever you heard was probably true in some form or another," Jarrod said, taking another drink. "I was a member of the Chicago Special Investigations, so I was some of it. Dresden is pretty much the only Warden with my automatic respect."

*Twitch*

Aaron cruelly photobombs Kishan's use of the Sight.

"I've heard of him, but not much more than rumors."

"Is it true he racks up millions in property damage on a daily basis, and Chicago has a dedicated "Dresden fund" they use to clean up his messes?"

Kishan turns her gaze from the empty point from which she was staring, back towards 'Set.' She waits while people shuffle about, having their conversations, waiting until only the young man can be seen within her field of vision. Then she opens her third eye again, the second time...

Kishan soon realizes she is going to regret this decision for a long time.

Under the sight, Set is a mess. Half of his face is burned by fire or acid, like a Batman villain, except that instead of fire or acid, he is eaten up with guilt. His head is full of tiny scars. He looks like the survivor of multiple brain surgeries. Worst though, is the rest of him. Beneath his skin is a web of something roiling, as though his blood boils with parasitic worms. She realizes that something similar was working in the bodies she just examined, but it only seems significant when magnified as it is here. There is power in the boy, but it is not all his power. It is the power of the Fallen. But it is not like the taint of a coin. More like an overlay or infestation. His self and soul are bright, but wrapped in this scaly, wormy web.

to Jarrod

"I heard Summer and Winter Courts have been dueling there. That's enough to keep me far away."

to Wisp

"Wisp, you said? Wisp, smoking in the garage or like that is fine. I'd prefer not in the rooms upstairs. The owner is peculiar about that. Though he leaves it up to the tenants for their own rooms. Not that we have many tenants yet."

to Kishan

"Did you get what you needed?"

in general

"Anyone need another round? Or something more substantial? I picked up some fresh bread this morning and there's cheese or peanut butter. And we can move inside where's it more comfortable. There's a whole dining room set I took in from some folks leaving town. It might be more suitable to the discussion we're gonna' need to have about these Fomor."

"Yeah, from what I heard, it got pretty wild. Storms and other crap going haywire," Jarrod said, shaking his head in exasperation. "But yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if they did have a Dresden fund for all the crap he does."

At the mention of a better place to talk, he was quick to give his endorsement.

Aaron fights back a growing sense of vague unease that's been getting tronger since the docks. He can't quite place it on anything specific, but a sense of impending doom grows stronger by the second.

"Is something wrong?" he asks as he studies Kishan's face.

Sitting off to one side, looking comfortably seated until just now, Kishan suddenly lets loose a stifled scream. She is still looking at the boy, her eyes wide and somewhat panicked, but turning her head as though she is having trouble taking her eyes off of him...

S&%~. That's a yes." Aaron moves in, and crouches in front of her.

"Hey. HEY! Snap out of it." he yells, waving his hand in front of her face.

At hearing the comment on smoking, he nods. "So, perhaps I can help with the tennant situation. I haven't found a more permanent place yet. My current digs are... less than optimal." It's at this point that the non-responsive Warden becomes an issue.

Since eye contact seems to be the issue, he steps up and whips off his jacket to hold it between them and cut the gaze. A red foam ball pops out and bounces across the room.

Was that your clown nose? Part time job on the side?

Her vision of Set cut off, Kishan snaps her eyes shut with a shudder. She gasps a few times, and she squeezes her eyes shut like she cannot close them tightly enough.

"Ah, god. No, no, no. Gah. गधे कमीने!"

She continues to keep her eyes squeezed tight, struggling to close her third eye.

"Gah; no. The boy... 'Set'... he is... infected... I looked, with my wizard's sight... I shouldn't... There is something with him. कमीने. A Fallen! One of the g*+ d!%n Fallen is riding with him! He needs to be contained! Don't let him run!"

She starts struggling to her feet, but has trouble, as though the strength has left her muscles. Even halfway to her feet as she is, she reaches into her coat with her swordarm. Though previously unseen, those now close enough see her hand reach into the coat's lining, and disappear as though it was the surface of a pool of water, instead of a vertical silken sheet. The handle of her rapier-like sidesword appears with her hand as she draws it back out.

Aaron's eyes turn to slits, and his face contorts in rage.

"Is that what I sensed? One of those THINGS?"

Aaron's previous compassion for the child disappears, and he swiftly moves over to Set before he can get up. He kicks him over and places his boot on his chest, pinning him to the ground, Balmung appearing in his hand as he does so.

Grapple: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23

"Move and you die. I won't make the same mistake twice when it comes to your kind."

"Is there any way to get it out of him, or is he a lost cause?" he directs at Kishan, not taking his eyes off Set for even a moment, all senses straining for any sign of him fighting back.

"I don't know, but don't hurt him! The Fallen are immortal and can't be killed like that; you might just set it loose!"

Finally managing to get to her feet, Kishan stumbles after Drachman.

"Don't hurt him, he might still be innocent. The thing in him might be there against his will. It might even have cause the accident that killed his friends."

Despite her own admonition not to hurt the boy, she has her own blade drawn and fully in hand as she approaches.

"We might not have a choice. The Fallen are fast, strong, and deadly. If he fights back, I don't know if nonlethal methods will work."

"Our best bet may be just not giving him a chance to transform."

Things suddenly went to hell in a handbasket at the drop of a hat. Without warning, the Warden -Kishan- started screaming after staring into the kid's eyes. Next thing he knew, the Set was tackled and weapons were being drawn. "Whoa whoa whoa, everybody calm down!" he yelled, jumping up and rushing over. "What the hell's going on now? I thought we were going to have a trial or something?"

"He has a DEMON inside him!" Kishan responds slowly, drawing out the word to highlight the significance of the thing. "The Fallen are those old servants of the White God, the creatures many call Angels. The Fallen rejected their God, and everything that faith demanded of them. There is no limit to what they are willing to do, and no understandable logic that will explain their methods. Whether the boy is a willing participant in this, or unwitting mule remains to be seen, but we cannot take chances!"

"In simplest terms, the kid is demon possessed. I trust Set. I don't trust the thing inside him. They're treachery incarnate, and deadly with it."

John, HOSPITALITY. I DEMAND GUEST RIGHT. YOU HAVE OFFERED ME HOSPITALITY, and may not allow that I be injured

Still in Arabic. Set does not move or resist.