ic Disastrous Delinquency

[Brown Dynamite]

Thaelia scrunched her face as she took the gloves.  Aside from the fact that the gloves she normally put on having a more armored appearance, she was really not all that excited about snooping around.  If one had to take this much caution in their actions perhaps they shouldn't take the action in the first place.  

 

"If we could end up considered as persons of interests would that not make it simpler to simply ask the staff to assist us?  Mind my confusion, but I see little need for the sneaking around in here if we have done nothing wrong.  It seems rather inconvenient"  Although she openly questioned the direction, Thaelia did immediately walk over to comply with the request.  Pulling open the filing cabinets, including the otherwise locked ones with her gloved hands.  While searching for anything that would be of use.

 

Humming a chipper tune to herself as she was drawn into the menial task.

[Blue Rose]

Sam waves in a dismissive gesture at the thought of working with the police. "'Person of interest,' is just the cops' way of saying they think you did it, but don't even have enough on you to call you a suspect. Then they get all in your case and get in your way on everything. Much easier to just avoid 'em and get the job done."

As she speaks, she punches the address from the computer into her phone. "Got a name and address. Myra Ayre was the owner. Apparently, the cat was buried with a ruby pendant, too... and she lives within walking distance. Convenient."

Business complete, she closes out and shuts the computer back down, then takes a look at the file Thaelia found. "Looks picked over. Seems we're on the right track. Alright, let's get all this back the way we found it and go for a walk."

She helps tidy up, and locks back up on the way out. With a moment's pause, she takes the friendly kitten from earlier up. Bringing it along should help them get past the, 'No, really, zombies,' part of the conversation. Then, back out the way they came in and on south, the cat wrapped in Sam's jacket to keep from scaring the locals. She should be able to walk down the street without any random passerby deciding to tail her and stare long enough at her brand to notice anything odd.

[Brown Dynamite]

After being a part of the clean up detail for once rather than the mess making one Thaelia was about to bring up if Sam was planning on taking the cat as a pet, a bit unsure of the dorm's policy on animals.  And if such policy would even extend to the magics that held the creature together.  But the feline seemed to be fond of Sam and vice versa.  Making the matter better of postulating on at a later point in time.  Instead following after the other teen with an upbeat hop in her step.  "Most anything is within walking distance with the proper motivation."
 

[Brown Dynamite]

GM

 

Following the listed address led the girls to a small house whose age was beginning to show.  A white picket fence surrounded the residence.  At least three different coats of paint revealing various states off wear and tear.  With much of the material peeled off.  The grass lacked much in the sign of life as could be expected with Winter, but it was easy to suspect that the time of the year was not the only reason for the various dull shades of green strewn about the ground.  The roof was badly in need of shingle repair with the chimney sitting slightly at an angle.  If a bad enough storm hit the area there was a solid chance of the chimney coming clean off.  The small staircase leading up into the house was falling apart with one step actually in shambles.  Despite the various number of faults the aged home was a testament to the resiliency commonly seen from the homes in the area.  Homes that often found themselves passed from one generation to generation to the next.

[Blue Rose]

At the front fence, Sam stops.

"We don't know who we're dealing with here, so remember, be careful, and be polite. Whoever lives here might have some serious power on hand." Or be crazy. Or both. Why is it that witches are so often crazy? After all, Sam's technically a witch and she's the very picture of mental health.

She scratches her undead abomination friend behind where the ears used to be.

Nothing for it now, save to walk up to the front door and knock.

Then take a healthy step back in case the resident's first reaction is to hurl a fireball at the animated blob of evil mojo on her doorstep.

[Brown Dynamite]

GM

 

After Sam performed her knock and retreat motion it took a good minute before someone came to the door.  Opening to reveal a woman in her mid twenties with dark auburn hair.  The woman was dressed in a blue blouse and dark brown jeans.  She carried a hint of mint and some unknown combination of assorted spices.  The bags under her brown eyes told a tale of a lack of sleep.  She was currently holding a knife with the easily mistakable tinge of blood covering the blade.  A factor that almost sprung the Atlantean into action.  Despite the various foodlike odors exiting the home once the door was opened.

 

Most notably the woman had a yellow pendant strown on her neck.  The pendant immediately glowing in the presence of the girls.  Sam could sense the arcane forces pushing out from the pendant.  The magnitude of it was an overwhelming sensation of pressure but it didn't feel threatening to them.  Speaking with a slightly Polish accent the woman placed her hands to her hips before questioning why they were in front of her home, "Yes?"  

 

The woman didn't question the the sight of the undead cat as the question escaped her lips.  Although the skeletal cat had been on edge ever since the resident's appearance.  The cat didn't seem to be afraid so much as being shoo'd away by something.

[Blue Rose]

Whoa.

Yeah, if this lady ever had any more jewelry like that, it'd pack some mystical muscle.

Sam backs away subconsciously at the sudden pressure, but steadies herself. Deep breath. Don't sound like you're afraid she's about to blow you away with a wave of her hand.

"Good evening, mam. We're sorry to disturb you, but we would like a word about Ophelia. Someone broke into her grave, and we believe it might be tied to certain... consequences regarding her neighbors." She pulls back her jacket about the little ball of bones, revealing it to be quite... well, lively isn't the right word, but definitely moving.

[Brown Dynamite]

As Thaelia was completely unaware of the magical forces coming from the jewelry she wasn't sure why Sam had backed off.  Actually lingering her gaze in confusion as her fellow student.  Taking the opportunity to try and figure out if she should be on the defense.  Thaelia would go on to not dance around the subject, "The dead animal companions of the pet cemetary now roam the earth anew.  If you know anything that could be of help it would expedite the process in which I get to punch whomever is responsible for disturbing the grave of your fallen feline friend.  With your assistance I assure you the insult against your home shall be avenged."

[Brown Dynamite]

GM

 

The woman looked between Thaelia, Sam, and their undead companion.  Sighing before rolling her eyes and waving them inside. Following after her, Sam could feel all manner of ancient arcane forces from a number of directions.  Various magical trinkets throughout the house made their presence quickly known to the magically aware teen.  The house smelled like a tea shop, a strong mixture of natural herbs flowing all about only slightly overpowered by the smell of steak coming from the kitchen.

 

Once led to the living room, the two teens found themselves surrounded by a variety of furniture from different cultures.  Each piece older than the two of them combined. With no doubt a value that could be of worth to an actual appraisal.  In fact, ever since they had stepped into the home, neither had noticed anything that looked as if it was bought this decade.  There was a distinct lack of synergy in the aesthetics of how the furniture was arranged.  Almost as if they were simply being held in place with no concern to the actual appearances of the room.

 

At the top of the living room hanging on top of an Indian multi layered chandelier was a stone gargoyle.  The statue was staring down into the room with an expression that was none to pleased.  "I was in the middle of preparing dinner.  Ophelia was my mother's precious cat.  I no like cats.  But mama's precious familiar of course had to get all the attention.  Mama even gave her the eye."  The woman stopped mid conversation and left the room.  Returning with a distinctly aged and very thick leather bound book.  "The eye!  To a cat.  Nonsense."

[Blue Rose]

Okay, crazywitchometer pegged. And here I was hoping for the calm, dignified kind of witch.

It seems finding someone to say, 'Hey, your magic bauble got knicked by baddies. Wanna help stow it away again?' was too much to ask.

Still, no time to give up. Just... gotta be careful not to give out too much information to the crazy lady. Or rather, not let her know they're giving away too much information.

"And warded it, too. Can't believe it. You could use it to do so much more!" A little prodding, and maybe her insane ramblings will yield something useful without her realizing how much she's tipping her hand.

This could end badly if someone with that much juice realized an even bigger prize just got loose.

[Brown Dynamite]

GM

 

The woman was not baited by Sam's silver tongue.  If anything she was incensed by the very proposition.  "Do so much more?  Do not dare insult with such petty trickery girl.  How I know you didn't steal eye yourself?  Just wanting learn secrets of family heirloom.  Bah!  Of course I could do so much more! "  For a wild she looked wild eye at Sam almost as if the very idea of wringing the girl's neck would bring her to some sort of therapeutic conclusion.  Before finally taking a moment to breathe.  Leaving the old tome, which had been opened during her rant, within the girl's reach she walked onto an antique chair and began to comfortably sit down.

 

"Next time I read mind.  Now out with it what is you want?  Just visit to tell me of thievery and magical affront to nature?"  Rolling her hands expressing for Sam to speed up with the gist of their needs.  Pointing at the skeletal cat during her affront to nature part of the question.  Sam's prodding had left her less accommodating of a host.  But clearly not to the point of outright kicking them out of her home as she stopped to listen to what they were expecting from her.

[Brown Dynamite]

Thaelia was no longer paying attention to the exchange and instead settled on reading the open boo in front of her.  She probably should have stopped to ask if it was alright, but the woman already seemed all over the place.  So rather than rile her up with a question she simply acted.  Figuring Sam would be able to smooth over any issues that rose up that didn't also require for her to punch something really hard.  Which was more her speed when it came to taking the lead anyways.  Humming to herself despite the tense atmosphere the Atlantean noble was enveloped in whatever she was reading.

[Blue Rose]

Crap.

 

That didn't work.

 

Sam's eyes shift towards her friend now perusing the eldritch book of unknown unknownness (always a good idea), and picks a different route.

 

Stall.

 

If some useful information drops from that, good.  If not, maybe the book will turn up something eventually.

 

"If I had stolen the Eye, I would not be so quick to resorting to a face-to-face conversation with you about it.  In fact, I would probably resort to trying to steal the information from you instead; that is what thieves tend to do, after all."  If they actually know what the mark is.  "I did not, and I will not.  I wish to learn, and to prevent its power from being abused."

 

Sincerity.  If you can fake that, you have it made.

[Brown Dynamite]

GM

 

"Stealing from me would be a foolish endeavor."  The woman's eyes settled on Sam for a moment.  Taking the teen's  explanation in earnest.  "The eye of Kh'arshr.  Was once a literal eye.  Golden pendant shell covers the more unpleasantness.  Every time someone in clan passes away their remains have been consecrated.  Their magic is channelled out of the body into the eye.  Is tradition and heirloom.  The power of generations of witches in one item.  Is very tempting for those who wish to abuse its magic."

 

She cackled, the woman literally cackled after her explanation.  Tossing her head back as if some sort of hilarious inside joke had been shared between the two of the.  "A tracking spell could be done easily.  Outside of ridiculous cat's grave is not protected from those wishing to scry.  With my essence connected to it.  If you wish to save trouble and retrieve for me.  Well then, thank you dear."

[Brown Dynamite]

Thaelia piped into the conversation suddenly, instead of pulling Sam aside to inform her of the information she found exclaiming.  "Harm none.  The eye is not a weapon.  It...heals.  The inscribed runes of the pendant are concentrated solely on healing magics.  It is a panacea.  An actual panaceum." Also known as a panacea or a panchrest named after the Greek goddess of universal remedies.  "Panaceas are items or potions that could heal all diseases and injuries. Some say they could even ignore the disease that was time.  Granting eternal life."

It was easy to see why someone would covet such power. Especially if it was fueled by the witch's family line. And while the magic did sound exceedingly impressive. It wasn't some sort of weapon of mass magical deviation. It did bring the demigoddess with some understanding of what the witch found so humorous. It wasn't the sort of magic easily abused either.  As it was a power guarded by an entire family line.  Raising a few questions as to what the thieves were intending to do with it.

[Blue Rose]

Oh, even healing could be dangerous.  The cat in her arms is harmless enough, but the gorilla they saw earlier?  That's nothing to trifle with.  'Zombie army' seems well within the eye's power.  And how does this tie into the candy cat?  A different power source?  Or creative application of the same?  And nigh immortality is not to be taken lightly.

 

And there must be a reason the eye went to the cat instead of the crazy witch.

 

Still... it's a less dangerous mystical super relic.  Though you'd think with that sort of mojo, it could afford some more vowels.

 

But, the crazy witch is now well-aware the eye is out there.

 

They could just leave her to it, let the thieves get wiped out by whatever it is she can do, and be done with it, but that leaves too many variables.

 

They could promise to retrieve it and instead squirrel it away somewhere, but the witch could probably track both it and them.  Note to self: Don't leave any stray hair.

 

Retrieve it and let the league know to put the crazy witch on a watch list, maybe?

 

Right now, information is the most valuable resource.  And the most to be found will come by playing delivery girl.

 

"That's quite the favor to ask, especially with me going up against who-knows-what to get it back."  She leaves the, 'What's in it for me?' implied.  How the witch answers should be... telling.

[Brown Dynamite]

GM
 
The witch pointed at the undead cat.  "I bring back pet.  Fully, or in more sustained form.  Magic used to bring back was amateurish.  Your cat will go boom in a few hours."  Her hands moving in an explosive manner.  Acting out the reference.
 
"Also witchling, you said you wanted to help.  This is helping."  Afterwards her head snapped to Thaelia focusing in on the Atlantean.  "Almost correct.  To say is not weapon.  Is true and not true.  But magic relies on user.  This no different.  Too much of good thing is bad thing.  Overhealing and cellular degradation for example.  But more troublesome, if cat and cemetery are amateur patchwork job.  Think of what they bring back with real power?"

"But I have dinner to prepare. Cannot retrieve my pendant myself. It is maddening, but still trifling concern.  Dinner more important.  Assumed you two witchlings would want to stop such sloppy magic use. Perhaps I have misgivings?"  Having apparently deemed the pair witchlings the irrational witch seemed pleased with herself on that last counterpoint.

[Blue Rose]

"Boom?" Sam swallows, hard. She probably shouldn't get that attached to the critter, but she can't just let him... her... the cat just... boom. Also, she will definitely need to take the cat to a veterinarian to sort out pronouns. Does Claremont have a vet? Probably. Or at least one on call who won't freak out at a skeleton cat.

She regains her composure, though. "Very well. We'll recover the eye. Would you be willing to keep the little one... stable while we are away? I would rather not charge in blindly, and information tends not to come quickly."

She doesn't really react one way or another to being called a 'witchling.' It's accurate enough, after all, and the crazy witch can probably sense magic just as well as Sam can, if not better.

[Brown Dynamite]

GM

 

The witch waved Sam closer.  "Fine, fine.  I watch remains.  Keep alive.  No boom.  Simple magic I can do.  You bring back eye."  The witch replied her tone practically shooing them from her house so she could resume the preparations for her meal.  Apparently whatever circumstance that had kept pulling her to the kitchen was serious enough in her opinion to warrant delaying any personal pursuit of the heirloom.  It did nothing to stop the frightful look on her face as she talk.  Making it ever clearer that she was still an eccentric.  Whether a dangerous one or not, wasn't quite so open ended.

 

The skeletal cat was hesitant to leave Sam.  Having apparently grown very much attached.  But the witch managed to lure it away after rolling her eyes and conjuring up a cat toy for it to chase around the living room.  A clay mouse that ran around the living room much like the real thing.  Giving the feline a distraction to chase around with all the joy in the world.

[Blue Rose]

Though Sam gives every indication of complying with the shooing, so as not to anger the crazy witch, she stands just enough ground to point one last thing out.

"Before we begin, we will, of course, require the tracking spell, she reminds."

If that is to be later, it will be later, but the sooner they get that information, the sooner they can get to work. Casing unknown and possibly inexperienced mages with a superrelic of not-entirely-clear capabilities is not a task to be taken lightly. This certainly isn't a time to go kicking down the door and beating people up.

That, and her new cat playing is adorable.

Soot is so going to freak out.

[Brown Dynamite]

"That is a most excellent reminder."  Thaelia stated pressing her hands together.  Having forgot about the tracking spell herself.  In her rush to comply with the request to leave.  She wasn't being as cautious around the witch as Sam was.  No, for her part Thaelia was being cautious around all the antiques in the room.  Knowing the likelihood of her accidentally breaking something was gradually increasing the longer she stood there.  Even as she tried to read the tome for any other relevant information on the eye they didn't know.  Coming to a hitch in that not every passage was in a language she understood.

 

But everything she found all seemed to reinforce the idea of a healing eye.  Closing the book and forcing dust to fly all over the place the Atlantean demigoddess took her place next to Sam.  "We shall vanquish the fiends and recover the treasure."  The call to adventure clear in her tone that Thaelia was clearly living in the moment with the whole affair.  

[Brown Dynamite]

GM

 

"Ah.  Tracking spell."  The witch waved her hands and out from a cupboard two feathers flew out.  Stabbing the feathers into her arm she would stare absent mindedly as the blood rose up out of her body taking the shape of small slavic symbols.  A powerful gust would blow from the witch.  Her eyes glowing in an effulgent violet light.  Flashing brightly almost blinding the onlookers before it died all of a sudden.

 

Handing one of the two feathers to Sam, the witch made sure to keep the other for herself.  "Hold feather.  Fluff points to eye.  Follow tail end of feather and you will find thieves.  Is how you say, scrying on the go?"  She gave a satisfied nod.  Clearly pleased with her experimentation in modernizing the lingo.  It still came down with walking through the streets holding onto a feather though.

[Blue Rose]

Blood magic. Of course it's blood magic. What's she sacrificing it to? she wonders idly, not particularly perturbed by the notion. She's seen worse, on the comparatively decent. Heck, some might say she is worse.

Sam eyes the two feathers, then takes her one, giving the witch the slightest of nods.

One to track the eye, given to the courier. One to track the courier, so that when the job is done, she can confront the courier before they can get any ideas. Savvy.

"Thank you, ma'am. We will start the search immediately."

With a slight bow, a gesture that might actually be appropriate with someone as old school as this old crone, she withdraws, and turns the conversation towards her friend.

"We case our mark and recover the treasure. Once we do that, they may not be dangerous to need any vanquishing."

[Brown Dynamite]

GM

 

Following the trail led the girls to the Northern reaches of Herge St.  Almost reaching Lantern Hill they found themselves just outside an aged Victorian styled manor.  Time had torn away at the white paint job of the estate.  The once azure shingles on the roof had taken on a murky green color.  Some of the windows had baseball sized holes from local youths partaking in  the occasional catch.  And the mailbox was barely upright.  Clearly the residence had not seen the best of days.

 

Experienced break in artist that she was Sam was able to quickly case the outside of the home.  Noting the fact that despite how abandoned the manor looked the walkway to the front door was well maintained.  And the fact that the feather was pointing them forward further clued both girls to the fact that someone had to have entered the home recently.  Behind them the sky was beginning to show signs of darkening as they neared sundown.

[Blue Rose]

As they get close, Sam raises a hand to slow her friend down, instead taking a hard turn to circle the mark, surveying the area carefully. When she has a bead on the score, she stops and huddles close.

"Feels like two witches, not that strong, plus the eye. All on the second floor. I can't find any wards or anything. They don't seem very experienced. So, here's the plan; I get us up to the attic. I'll scout ahead solo, get some information and if I can't knick it and go, then I'll clear the opportunity, and when you get the signal... You can break through a wood floor no problem, right? 'Cuz if we do this right, it's gonna be a smash and grab; you come down right on top of the eye, snag it, dive to the shadows, and I get us both out of there."

At that, if there are no questions, she offers her hand to 'port the pair to the attic.