Miren glances at the newcomer from under her hat brim. "As long as you are not the one making this stuff, we've got no quarrel with you, mister."
Watching him steadily, she ventures, "You a friend of Jonathan's? Or another of his contractors?"
Coyote seems to tense up. "Who the f+%~ is Jonathan?"
He fidgets with his cigarette for a moment, then spits on the ground.
"And what do you mean, "contractors?" What kind of psycho corporate s!!+ have you got yourselves messed up in?"
Miren nods as if the cranky man had answered a question. "There are two sources of this goo in the water, too." She points out past the end of the pier.
Coyote waves his hand vaguely in the direction of the pier.
"Ehh... That's a later problem. I'm kinda stuck on the whole thing where some guy you know is enough of a big-shot to have contractors."
He takes the cigarette out of his mouth, pointing it at each of the three members of the group for emphasis.
"Dead serious. I gotta know how much s@$$ you're in. Then maybe we'll fix your little plumbing issue."
Nace sighs. ”Dude, you talk like we’re drug mules or working for Blackwater or something. I’m on the police force back home. I can handle myself. Some old money rich guy is paying us to look for a lost family heirloom, possibly connected to events that took place here a hundred years ago. Lay off the conspiracy theories.”
”And anyway, what could be more authentic to the New England experience than going antiquing?”
"Without conspiracy theories, I doubt this one would have a reason to get out of bed." Miyuku mutters, sheathing her weapon and turning her back to walk over to her companions, seemingly dismissing any potential threat of the newcomer.
”Dude, you talk like we’re drug mules or working for Blackwater or something. I’m on the police force back home. I can handle myself. Some old money rich guy is paying us to look for a lost family heirloom, possibly connected to events that took place here a hundred years ago. Lay off the conspiracy theories.”
Coyote massages his temples with thumb and forefinger as he takes another pull from his cigarette.
"That's not... that's not what I'm talking about. All I'm saying is I don't know this guy from Adam, and I make it a policy not to trust anyone who makes more than I do. I've seen this movie before, man. There's s$+! out there that you do not want to get mixed up in. And yeah, you think you can handle yourself, and maybe you can, but sooner or later..."
He pauses, looking over his shoulder for a moment, almost as if expecting to see someone standing behind him.
"F#$% it," he says resignedly. "Someday you'll understand. Me, I had to learn it the hard way."
Miren sighs softly under her hat brim. "I think... I think... that we are aware we're merely 'splashing around in the shallows' as our client put it. It's also dangerous to hunt predators when unfamiliar with their abilities. But I, at least, was put into the position of having a little knowledge about the odd things I can sense and see. I don't have enough for my purposes, though, and certainly far less than I want. For me, this is an eyes-open opportunity to learn more and maybe to help some people." She raises her head and looks Coyote in the eyes. "IAll of us recognize that there are far worse things than death in these worlds, though. We're at least aware of our ignorance. Which is why it's good to have a sponsor and comrades in the quest, not try to go it alone."
She turns dusky pink and lowers the barrier of her hat brim again, feeling that she's said too much.
Coyote grins and hooks a thumb toward Miren.
"You should listen to the kid. Seems like she knows the score better than most. Whatever you do, though, don't ever forget Rule #1."
He finishes his cigarette and tosses the filter over his shoulder.
"You can't trust anyone. You feel me?"
”I know that as well as anyone. But, for the record, does that include you? I don’t think I caught your name.”
"He didn't give it. Or much else for that matter." Miyuku mutters, going to stand beside Miren.
”I know that as well as anyone. But, for the record, does that include you? I don’t think I caught your name.”
"Hey, you catch on quick. And for the record, I didn't get your names either. I don't blame you, though. A name's a powerful thing, man. Don't want to go around giving people yours, they might not give it back."
"Look, we're in the middle of something important. If you're just lurking around, we should get back to it, and I'd strongly suggest you stay out of our way." Miyuku says, clearly having had enough of the pointless circular banter. "If you think you have something to contribute, playing "Mr. Cool, I know more than you do, call me Mr. Nobody Mystery man" isn't accomplishing anything. Either out with it, or find another park to stalk."
One corner of Mirim's mouth quirks up. "Guess we could call you Strider. Might have an honest reason for hiding yours, legit or not. Guess that makes Miyuku Sam."
One corner of Mirim's mouth quirks up. "Guess we could call you Strider. Might have an honest reason for hiding yours, legit or not. Guess that makes Miyuku Sam."
Coyote grins and lights another cigarette.
"Dig the reference, but I don't think it tracks. I mean, claiming to be a Forgotten King can be a great way to juice up your mojo and all, but I've already got more than I can handle."
He takes a moment to think.
"Call me Coyote. Someone used to call me that a long time ago. "Something something bearer of the the stolen secret fire, knocker-over-er of trash cans at 3 AM" or whatever the f~+@... I don't eat cats, though, that's just regular coyotes. Well, them and ALF..."
He trails off, grimacing slightly.
"Point is, I've been around the block a couple dozen times, and you kids really look like you could use a hand with, uh... stuff."
"Feel free to help out, if you can manage being one of the good guys. Which is, after all, what we are."
Miren saunters more upwind of the cigarette smoke.
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”Admit it - you’re a little curious what’s in this well, aren’t you?” Nace says. ”Miyuku, do you think you can bust those locks? I left my sword in the trunk.”
He looks thoughtful for a moment. ”Who… or what… is ALF?”
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"Feel free to help out, if you can manage being one of the good guys. Which is, after all, what we are."
"I gotta ask, was that supposed to sound suspicious?"
"Who… or what… is ALF?"
"An unspeakable entity of great and terrible power, borne to Earth across the great void from a distant galaxy. And when the stars are right... But that's not important right now. What's this about breaking a lock?"
The lock is rusted enough that one good hit could likely break it
Nodding, Miuyku draws her sword and strikes with a swift slash across the rusted lock.
The lock snaps, and the lid jumps slightly. There is a sudden clattering sound that emanates from inside the well, as if a lot of metal went sliding down the cobbles
Miren holds her breath as she listens.
Miren holds her breath as she listens.
[dice=Miren Perception]1d20+8
[dice=Phantom Perception]1d20+0
Phantom Miren whispers in Miren’s ear
The small phantom’s hand points out to the pond.
[dice="Perception]1d20+8
The hairs on Coyote’s neck stand straight out. His eye is drawn to the pond. There are two patches of oily darkness far out in the twilight pond. One seems to be heading towards shore. The surface of the pond seems disturbed somewhat, as if a large fish swims below the surface. Coyote gets that creepy feeling he always gets when he’s dealing with a deader. This one feels a lot like Vancouver.
Dead people... where the dark spots are? Are they like you? We can't see them unless they want? Miren murmurs back. Stay close...
The small ghost girl shudders
“Not like me. They were trapped under the water. Now they come for us”
Coyote sighs, rubbing his forehead with one hand.
"Yeah... This could go one of a few ways."
At first, Miyuku fails to notice the change out on the lake, however seeing Miren and Coyote's reactions, her gaze focuses on the dark spot approaching the shore. "Hope you're as good in a fight as you are with snappy banter." she says to the newcomer, her shadow-piercing eyes never leaving the rapidly approaching black spot as she once again draws Kagekiri, her other hand drawing her Glock as she slowly moves to stand at the front of the group.
As the party watches, the black spot fades from the pond, but the ripples grow larger. suddenly, something emerges from the water. A skeletal greyish form is limned in the near darkness. It is dressed in tattered rags of clothing, but enough remains to see that they are of a style a century in the past. Lank weeds wrap around the figure, dangling from the arms that reach out toward the party. a last gleam of light from the setting sun catches a gem on a ring on one of the thing's withered hands, making it sparkle.
How many? Just that one? Come help me, yázhí
Nace moves his hand to his Barretta “Soul Shot” as he curses under his breath.
28 Nace
26 Coyote
16 Miren {Etheric Tether}
16 Sarah Theroux
13 Miyuku
The drowned greyish undead shambles towards the group. Although uncoordinated, the thing seems to move with sentience. An old rusted manacle with a length of chain is attached to its left ankle
Coyote holds out a hand to the rest of the group.
"Hold up a second. I'm gonna try and see if I can figure out what she wants. If the answer is "brains," go ahead and light her up, but if not, maybe there's another way to deal with this."
Miyuku shares a look with her other companions before shrugging. "Uhm...good luck with that?"
"It might be Daniel or Sarah Theroux, if a name can reach it," Miren chimes in. "We were looking into the mystery of their disappearance here."
Nace studies the creature and tries to figure out what it is.
(if applicable)
Coyote reaches out mentally, but surprisingly his probe is stopped at the gates of the thing’s mind. It either has no mind, or a well-shielded one. It’s impossible for him to tell which
Coyote concentrates and his mind reaches out. He feels a conscious mind lurking within the grayish sodden flesh of the undead woman. She isn’t mindless
"Well? Anything with your 'Vulcan Mind Meld?' she takes 2 more steps, I start firing." Miyuku says, never taking her eyes off the advancing figure.
Coyote reaches out his other hand toward Miyuku and makes a halfhearted "shushing" motion as he addresses the undead woman.
"Sarah? That's your name, right?"
Coyote's mind suddenly sees a vision. A young woman in clothing a hundred years out of fashion struggling against a man dressed in old farmer's overalls. The man looks crazed, and subdues the woman, placing her on the shore of a pond. The details looks slightly different, but it looks to be the same pond they are standing by now. The man chains the woman hand and foot to a long chain that trails out into the water. A man lies next to the woman, unconscious, with a bleeding gash on his head. He is also attached to a chain leading into the water. The woman cries out
"What are you doing? Nathan, why are you...?"
The overall-wearing man turns to her, an evil grin on his face. His eyes glow red
"Your suffering is sweet honey on my tongue, girl. Your screams will feed me on my journey into this new land I find myself in. I will feast as I did when I rode my Norse meat puppet in days gone by"
The man lopes away towards a well. There he turns the well crank, as if seeking a pail of water. The chain about the woman goes taut and suddenly she begins slowly moving down the beach towards the dark water of the pond. The man also begins to move.
"No! NO NO!!!" The woman screams as the dark waters envelop her. She thrashes and screams underwater, but not for very long.
Coyote is jerked back to the present. He sees the woman standing next to him as she looked in his vision. The creature from the pond advances. The woman whispers in a dry voice to Coyote
"That is not me, but I am bound to it. Kill this revenant and I shall be free. Beware my husband, he will be along shortly"
Coyote lets out a long breath.
"Ah, s%+*... trapped in your own corpse for a hundred years. That's rough," he says softly.
He takes a few steps back and nods to Miyuku.
"All yours. Sounds like you'd be doing her a favor. Also, we're gonna have company soon."