Fantasy The Order of Seven - closed for now

[kase9187]

Jackson listened to Thaddeus, Mouse and Gabriel when the small lad came through with the report. At the mention of binding a vengeful ghost to an object, his eyebrows shot up.

"That means our Muse might not be a simple automaton after all. Someone couldve bound a spirit to the machine, causing it to behave in such a manner."

Suddenly, he had an idea and his eyes widened with an idea.

"Are we sure there was only one key to the Muse? If our adversaries possess a spare key, that could be why they wanted us away from the inventor's residence."

SilverFlight Saturn_moon Naberius Lioness075 YumenoTsukishiro Cashi Dominaiscna The Gunrunner Vacuum MechanicalSnake

 

[The Gunrunner]

Adrianus van de Beenhouwer

Adrianus had received a prick or two on the ride back to headquarters, but it had been given in fair warning. He listened to Gabriel's explanation of his background. "Consultant," he repeated after-the-fact. He muled over the explanation for a moment or two, "A consultant became an agent. How unique." But that would be all he would offer, as Gabriel packed his things away and seemed to consider the case in silence. Adrianus decided against disturbing such silence, as he had a desire to compile his thoughts as well. That is, think of what toys to bring should he encounter the mages again.
I may have just the thing, he thought to himself.
MechanicalSnake

At headquarters, Thaddeus had needed considerable time to rest and recover. A welcome suggestion, as Adrianus had been in similar straights. Even without the injury, there was some homework to do. While the bolt and sigil were inspected, Adrianus was in his room - He looked over beakers and flasks, checked enclosed tanks, inspected the seal for his gasmask, checked air pressure of his bellows. His room was a mess, as always - a rabid collection of half-baked concepts and failed projects. Some of the floor had drawings, some notes, other parts had amalgamations of metal and glass. Much of it junk that had yet to be disassembled, though not all of it. Perhaps that Gabriel could help with these side projects, he mused, before shaking away the idea. He picked up a metal canister, patted its side a few times, and places it into a large cloth kit bag. Soon after tying the string, he heard a knock at his door - "The evidence has been inspected, and your companions will be discussing the case shortly. Your presence is requested." Adrianus grunts, looking about the room one last time. I hope I've not missed anything, he thought, before answering,
"Yes, I am coming."

He hurried to the meeting room, the central hall it turns out. The place was exquisitely designed - Ivory walls, oil paintings, and various treasures.
"Good decor. A shame it is in France." He sat at a long oak table, joining the others, in time to enjoy more introductions. He sighed, drumming his fingers on the table. Their presence would be welcomed, surely, but there seemed to be a new face coming in by the day. Soon after, the case's evidence is first presented by Thaddeus. It was listed out in, seemingly, fine detail. Then the floor is opened to discussion - A few have something to say, Jackson was first to air his predicted conclusion of this mystery. With little to offer, Adrianus peers around the table - Another gander at his companions, such as they were. Luness did not offer much to the talks, content to watch the others for now. The demon, Michael, simply walked about the place like the weird creature he was. There are two new arrivals to the table, who voice their own suggestions. Gabriel suggests the meeting simply end, to progress to the opera. Thaddeus sees fit to spurn the demon's laissez faire attitude, though it is cut short by a knock at the door.

A timid young man comes through the door, waved forward by Thaddeus. Lanky, young, a face covered in freckles - An apprentice, obviously. "Erm, beggin' your pardon sirs and madams...but, the report you asked for, on the glyph found in the inventor's room. I er, have it. T-the glyph is not of a magic authorized by the order. It's a rare form of blood magic that is used to...boost the power of vengeful ghosts. It binds them to an object and increases their poltergeistic powers....meaning, erm, that, they can affect the physical realm much more strongly than normal ghosts..." Adrianus coughed twice, more to gain attention than relieve his throat;
"Vengeful ghosts, blood magic, black-robed mages. I'd dare to say if we suspect our friends of interrupting the opera, we had best prepare an evacuation plan of the audience."
SilverFlight MechanicalSnake Naberius Lioness075 kase9187 Everyone

 

[Vacuum]

Morvan Surcouf
The quiet and contemplative cart ride bought them to the Paris headquarters which Morvan had visited previously. It was well adorned and equipped. They were to meet for a meeting soon enough, but had a short time to themselves. Morvan found the nearest sink and washed his face. The cold sweat that had clung to his face slid away with the cold wave. Morvan took a long deep breath while listening to the water run. His mind feeling centered and control back in his hands, he turned the water off. A light stroll around the facility to get his body moving was lovely. The light reflecting off of odd treasures made damp rays of colored light dance across the walls. Other members seemed to be moving towards the central hall, Morvan didn't want to be late.

Walking into the hall with a warm smile for those already seated, Movan found a seat on the far side of the room. Someone else wouldn't have to walk as far now. The meeting started with a quick recap, followed by some input by other members. The new members were interesting. Morvan's mind gave the Persian man, Cyrus, a tense aura, although it didn't look threatening to him. His accent was somewhat unexpected, and Morvan couldn't quite place it. The ghost, Mouse, seemed to shimmer a bit. She drifted away from the group. Understandable.

If the picture of the inventor's daughter matched up with the automaton, then the ritual Morvan had seen was likely an attempt to get his daughter's soul back to the land of the living. In a sense at least. Perhaps he should have communicated this to the group more clearly. His mind focused outside once again, and he readied himself to posit his thoughts. It was quickly rendered unnecessary as the mages seemed to have determined the specifics of the spell. A young man informed them of the spell's true nature, confirming Morvan's suspicions.

"Is there a way to determine if it is his daughters ghost?" Morvan asked. "And if there is, then can we use that knowledge to our advantage?" He glanced at Mouse with a light and encouraging smile. Glancing back and over at Adrianus, his face became one of slight worry. " I cannot help but agree. Their seems to be a large risk to the innocent singers there. Although..." Morvan paused momentarily and felt the fine grain of the lovely oak they sat before. "Perhaps if we know where all the greatest singers in town are, we may have a better chance of protecting them. It would be hard to justify assigning a personal set of bodyguards to each singer there." Morvan's smile faded, his brow furrowing ever so slightly. Thinking of the plan itself almost never happened for him.

Cashi Naberius The Gunrunner SilverFlight Saturn_moon Lioness075 YumenoTsukishiro MechanicalSnake kase9187 Dominaiscna

 

[Saturn_moon]

At the mention of vengeful ghosts, Mouse tensed. Her own experiences with them, be it as someone having had to deal with one or alternatively as one, tended to err on the side of unpleasant. Vengeful ghosts were the embodiment of all things hateful and angry. They were largely driven by their desire for revenge and punishment and would stop at nothing until it had been achieved. Within the Order, ghosts were rarely allowed to take on their vengeful forms unless deemed absolutely necessary.

“I still have my doubts that the automaton could have gone around in the dead of night killing innocent people. Even if it was possessed, it’s not exactly the most discreet, is it?” Mouse responded, masking her concerns behind nonchalance. Turning to the Breton – she assumed he was a Breton based on his clothes – she continued. “A ghost can only stay in their vengeful state for so long before completely losing their humanity and will power. Whichever ghost was involved in this ritual, there is a chance their soul may already be damned. I will need to get closer to the automaton to tell if it truly is being held under the influence of a ghost.”

SilverFlight kase9187 Vacuum

 

[SilverFlight]

"The singers," Thaddeus answered Morvan ( Vacuum ), "Are nearly all attending the Opera gala."
Adrianus' ( The Gunrunner ) practical suggestion made good sense. "You're quite right, I daresay having a few more Order members on the scene might make a world of difference. So then, our team will search for the muse. Mouse and Mr. Gladstone ( Saturn_moon MechanicalSnake ) will try and locate the muse, communicate with the ghost if possible, disarm it's vessel if not. That key would certainly be a good place to start, but I have a feeling that the contents of that box may become invaluable too. We should take it with us. Vengeful ghosts can be satisfied, if we can do that, there may not be a need for violence."
The glyph however worried Thaddeus. "Just...how powerful does that magic make vengeful ghosts?" He asked the apprentice slowly.
The boy adjusted his glasses as he thought. "It would depend on the emotional state at time of death...but, if it was a violent death...the effect would be...exponential."

Thaddeus looked grimly at his team. "Well, there we are then...and on that note, we had better get dressed for the opera."

~*~*~

Crowds made him nervous. Especially human crowds, so after dressing in his fine attire, he made his way out to the courtyard and shifted. There was a ring of gravel aet about the inner wall of the yard, set with obstacles; pits, walls and hurdles. Thaddeus ran it as a wolf, testing his shoulder and trying to rid himself of his nervous energy. He thanked the stars for the fey and their wonderful magic garments. These clothes shifted with him, and would remain as pristine as they were when he put them on, provided he didn't get stabbed anymore.
He cleared a 16ft (4m) trench effortlessly with a single bound and with another he cleared a wall of similar measure, claws scraping against the hard wood. He waited for the others like this, trying his best not to let his discomfort show. Whatever waited for them at the opera...it was going to be a challenge.

Saturn_moon YumenoTsukishiro Vacuum MechanicalSnake The Gunrunner Lioness075 Dominaiscna Cashi Naberius kase9187

 

[kase9187]

Jackson listened as the meeting concluded. He'd never liked operas anyhow, they just weren't for him.

'I can tolerate it, especially since this is of dire importance,' He thought to himself. 'After all I did before, with less on the line.'

As he thought of his previous experience, anyone watching him might've noticed his face darken just the smallest bit. Like something was annoying or bothering him, but not much.

..........

Jackson was split between doing two things; Practicing his gunplay with training bullets, or going to the library to read up on Vengeful Spirits in preparation for what might come.

He was standing in the hall, leaning against the wall debating it, not isolated from any passerby.

SilverFlight Naberius Lioness075 YumenoTsukishiro Saturn_moon Cashi Dominaiscna MechanicalSnake Vacuum The Gunrunner

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Luness LaFrae	Equipment: Knapsack, Medicinal Pouch, Throwing Daggers, Twin Daggers

As the others continued to discuss the investigation, Luness noticed the team demon meandering about the room. As someone who was more keen on action than discussion, Luness kept her wandering mind busy by watching the demon mock Jackson, which had Luness grimacing in an attempt to conceal her snicker.
Her right ear twitched when one of the newcomers spoke, though. The accent was not one she had heard before and the man had her rapt attention while he spoke.

Intrigued that he specialized in communing with the dead and then spotting the other newcomer, Luness raised an eyebrow, but kept quiet. She leaned back in her seat and merely absorbed the information dump that came from this discussion.
At the mention of the ghost potentially being extraordinarily powerful, Luness sighed. With her inability to touch silver and most components made to fight other Tainted types, Luness had a feeling she might be of little aid in this next stage of the investigation. At the very least, she could perhaps protect some of the singers during the likely fight that was going to come out of this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luness fixed the cuff of her sleeve, folding her sleeves back once over to accentuate her look. She had another vest on, but this one was crimson and her white undershirt was tucked into black slacks. She had her formal black shoes on, a pair that a man would wear in these times, but Luness had never really cared too much to mind the social expectations of how she should be dressed. Even more so since she had become a Tainted.
Turning a corner, Luness straightened her crimson bowtie and then tucked a few loose strands of her behind an ear, sighing at the fact that she had to put her hair up in a tight bun instead of the usual ponytail she preferred.

Pausing just in the courtyard, Luness glanced over to watch Thaddeus run through the obstacle course. Luness felt as if it was probably safe to assume the werewolf was anxious to some degree. It seemed common practice for werewolves to have far more energy than her own kind did and she had definitely been left in the dust by a few even after she became a Tainted herself.

Since it seemed nobody else was out there with them yet, Luness decided this was her best opportunity to get to speak with the werewolf. Based on his dossier, he definitely had been a Tainted longer than she had. She could only hope he would have some useful advice to impart on her, even if he was a werewolf and she was a werecat.
Stepping away from the headquarters' entrance, Luness made her way over near Thaddeus and called out, "Thaddeus, I don't believe I've had the chance to formally introduce myself to you since the recent incident."
Stopping while giving the werewolf a few meters of distance, Luness hesitated to move any closer. Instinctively, she felt awry around any werewolf since she had spent her life training and then killing such kind, even her own kind. She rubbed the back of her neck at this thought and then forced herself to continue speaking.
"I'm Luness LaFrae, just got assigned to this team pretty recently. I joined The Order not too long ago and this is actually my first mission. Any words of advice for working with The Order or..."
Trailing off, Luness glanced back at the headquarters' entrance to see if anyone had approached. Seeing no one else, Luness returned her gaze to Thaddeus and added, "I'm also fairly fresh to being a Tainted. I don't have nearly as much experience with it as you. Any particular advice you could offer?"

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Nearby: kase9187

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

It was the first time Cyrus heard so many words come out of the ghost's mouth, and it irked him that he mostly agreed with her assessment of the situation. From an assassin's point of view, something as specific as cutting out vocal cords was more than mere killing-- it had intention. Yuan qi. There was mostly likely a grudge involved. And from what he knew about automatons (which wasn't a lot beyond the mandatory manuscripts Thaddeus had him study), those soulless creatures wouldn't go beyond their creator's commands, so either the singing automaton's inventor added something malicious to his commands, or a vengeful ghost had its way with the steel shell to enact gruesome acts of murder.

( Saturn_moon , Naberius , SilverFlight ) Vengeful ghosts. As if he hadn't had enough of those to last a lifetime. Without meaning to he glanced at the waif floating a ways away from the rest of the team. He scoffed, listening to her talk about her own kind. It didn't help that the demon from earlier somehow chose to play a prank on him. Not that he cared -- there were worse things out there than demons -- but its actions atop fatigue from the past few days was close to breaking his good graces. "I suppose it takes one to know one," Cyrus muttered. He then addressed the gathering by saying, "While I can somewhat determine the influence of ghosts over a place or an object, Mouse can do it better. After all, they are yī qiū zhī hé -- racoons of the same hill. I can go with both Mouse and Sir Gladstone as backup in case something unfortunate happens. But I leave it up to your discretion, Thaddeus-sifu. Either as shield or blade, I am at your disposal."

-------------------------------------

Uncomfortable in the presence of such finery, Cyrus sought the quickest way out and towards the highest point of the mansion. Parviz had always recounted tales of assassins scaling the greatest of heights as part of their preparations for a job. With a bird's eye view, they could see where their target would go, where best to strike, and where the easiest escape route was. More than that, the air up there was fresher, cleaner, which helped clear his mind and settle the shadows within. As he turned a corner, he met up with the one other familiar face among the team.

( kase9187 ) "Xin sang, it has been a while," Cyrus greeted with a deep bow, as befitting his elder in the Order. "Do you still rely on those unreliable contraptions of yours? What do you call them... Firearms?"

 

[kase9187]

Jackson looked up as Cyrus approached. He nodded as he walked up.

"It really has been. Staying out of trouble I hope?" He asks, leaning a bit on the wall more than before, but only slightly.

"And yes, I do. Sometimes the tools we use are more reliable than people, eh,?" He shrugged, the comment carrying a bit of weight.

YumenoTsukishiro

 

[Saturn_moon]

When the rest returned to their rooms to get dressed for the evening’s events, Mouse chose to spend the time exploring the halls of the Paris Headquarters instead. Although considering she was doing so while invisible, some might counter that “haunting” would have been a better term to use. Clothes were of little interest to her, mostly because she couldn’t even wear them in the first place unless they had been enchanted with fey magic, but also because she cared very little about the kind of impression she made. When one had lived as long as she had, they would quickly realize how little everything mattered. It was funny how time alone could change one’s perspective so drastically; Like leaving a shawl out in the sun for too long and returning to find that the fabric, once a vibrant marigold yellow had now faded to a dull, unexciting, pastel.

The rest of the building, much like the central hall they were just in, exuded all the opulence and grandeur the French aristocrats of the eighteenth century were well known for. How indulgent. Mouse thought as she passed yet another portrait, this one of a woman dressed in glittering jewels from head to toe. It was no wonder the people revolted. Passing by a window, she looked down and noticed Thaddeus deftly making his way through the obstacle course in the courtyard in his wolf form. It was certainly an interesting spectacle to behold and she watched unabashedly from her place. Only when he was joined by the other werebeast did she continue on, seemingly taking steps but making no imprints on the carpet.

There was no arguing that the team she had found herself a part of was quite the motley crew. From her brief experiences with them, Thaddeus was fine. However, people were rarely fine and those who appeared so often held secrets beneath this demeanor. The demon walked around like he had a pike up his arse, but honestly, who could blame him? She’d lived for just over four hundred years (or had it already been five?) and already she felt like she might go insane. What more several thousand? The inventor of the group was impatient but eccentric which made him mildly entertaining and of course, there was Cyrus who was downright intolerable. Everyone else was but a fly in her peripherals. While it was not ideal, she was already on rather thin ice with the Order and as such had little choice but do her best to work with them.

"I suppose we can only wait and see how things will go tonight."

Cashi Dominaiscna kase9187 Lioness075 MechanicalSnake Naberius SilverFlight The Gunrunner Vacuum YumenoTsukishiro

 

[Vacuum]

Morvan Surcouf

Nerves crept through Morvan's veins at an agonizing pace. He was not well-prepared to deal with vengeful ghosts, though perhaps if this one had a physical vessel he would manage. Hopefully they would have a more concrete plan by the time they got to the opera. Nothing to do now but prepare. Breaking from the meeting everyone went off to get ready. Morvan had already had some clothing and materials sent for, and slowly changed in a private room. Letting each silver link of his chain settle into place on his tights. He concealed the chain wrapped around his thigh with loose pantaloons that tucked into his knee high boots. Over his dress shirt he buttoned up a black vest with fine Breton style embroidery.
As Morvan glanced at a mirror to assess his look, he was struck by a cold flash. He thought he saw the depths of the ocean flowing behind his eyes, some otherness lurking within. He stared himself down, running over every detail, making sure nothing was altered.

Leaving his room after a five-minute search, Morvan felt calm again. A short relapse of misvision perhaps, but nothing compromising. He walked through the halls again, light from the courtyard shining dimmer as evening approached. Glancing out he saw Luness and Thaddeus. She seemed to be opening up a bit, it would probably be best if he didn't taint it with his all too human presence. Odd way to dress for a woman though, perhaps to be expected from such an unconventional team. Morvan then saw two men up ahead, Jackson and Cyrus, their comfortable demeanours suggested they knew each other. "Perhaps I will let them catch up" he thought to himself, turning into a lavish looking lounge. He admired the pristine pattern of a large couch before slowly letting himself down onto it. He let himself relax, and whistled a slow sailor's ballad, letting it echo back over him. It sounded somber without shipmates to sing along and harmonize with him. If only he could feel comfortable out on the ocean again. Feel free amongst the waves.

Mentioned: SilverFlight YumenoTsukishiro kase9187 Lioness075

 

[The Gunrunner]

Adrianus van de Beenhouwer

The Dutchman had been sitting at the table, watching Thaddeus coordinate the team towards their plan. It rubbed Adrianus the wrong way to have a werewolf act as some form of team leader. He sighed and mentally shrugged, figuring it is better than one of the vampires do it. The wolf asks about the threat of the ghost, and the answer is less than reassuring; "It would depend on the emotional state at time of death...but, if it was a violent death...the effect would be...exponential." Wonderful, Adrianus thought. Thaddeus then excused the room. They had time before the opera, and for Adrianus that would be a good thing. A very good thing.
He had some tools to prepare.

-------------------------------------------

Adrianus was hunched over a desk in his room, a notebook layed open by his side and a boiling flask which held all of his attention. The fumes along caused a discomfort if his face got too close - His nostrils would burn, his eyes water, the lungs feel as if attacked by hot peppers. It was the reason he was smiling - widely. The fumes traveled along a tube into a metal cylinder, and his hand ached from squeezing a manual pump. Though soon the job is done. Satisfied, Adrianus grabs the container from his desk and shoves it to the side. Next he took up the kitbag from the floor, and rested what lies inside for inspection. It was a frankenstein of metal and leather, with a wide barrel of oxidized stain on the metal. It was heavy and inconvenient to carry - parts of it needed to be kept in the kitbag for transport - but when it worked, there was nothing quite like it.

The opera was not to happen for much longer. Adrianus hoped to ensure he is fully prepared - whether they be tainted, or no. He was caught off-guard at the hotel, and his pride was somewhat bruised over the cut to his neck, and he had the intention of remedying the insult. The thought causes a stinging sensation under the stitches. He hisses through his teeth, almost reaching to touch the spot. You'll have your ways, and I'll have mine. It'll be a matched fight. The seals were secure, the folded stitching was airtight, and ammunition plentiful. A matched fight, but not a fair fight, he thought.
SilverFlight Everyone

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

"The tools we use are only as good as the ones who wield them," Cyrus said, slipping a single throwing knife between his fingers and bringing it up to his face to examine it. "We have a saying that somewhat comes close... qiānjūn yìdé, yī jiang nánqiú. An army is useless without its general, much like a tool is useless without the right wielder. Saying that, I'm the worst person to ever try wielding one of those fiery contraptions you so love.

"And yet... sometimes one can place greater trust on those tools than the people around them."

Cyrus slipped the knife back within his sleeves, his lips easing into a smile. "But enough about that. I want to apologize for not making it in time for the initial investigations. We ran into plenty of... complications. Getting partnered with a gui was the least of my problems. Suffice to say that she led us to more trouble than we could handle. Hopefully we can make it up with tonight's excursion to the opera."

A somberness shadowed Cyrus' eyes. "If the ghost of the inventor's daughter is indeed involved in this unwillingly... then I would like to send her off peacefully. And if corruption has taken hold of her... then I hope my blade would bring her peace."

kase9187

 

[kase9187]

Jackson's expression darkened for just a moment before returning to his neutral calm. He waved his hand at Cyrus's apology.

"You need not worry, my friend. I wasnt exactly punctual myself. I only showed up when the others were under attack, like the werecat."

He nodded at Cyrus's grim determination. "I would hope for nothing less. Your skills will be invaluable, I'm most certain of it. And I hope we can put this debacle behind us, because I'm sure the Anti-Order goons won't make this easy..."

"... Impotent scum-lickers." He muttered underneath his breath, and Cyrus would've easily made the connection that he was cursing these Anti-Order insurrectionists.

YumenoTsukishiro