[Dresden Files] Sacramento Occult IC

[IonDragon]

This is the IC thread for Sacramento Occult with the players found here.

OOC:

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Be warned, I'm not fully familiar with your characters yet, so I'm going to draw heavily from the sources I have available. Durring the brainstorming stage of this adventure, I had plenty of big picture ideas, but very few here and now ideas. As such, the first story arc may drop hints heavily as to where I'm headed. Hard to say if it will or not at this stage. I am also planning on keeping this first adventure reletively short, but I'm not all that experienced in PBP so it may end up being longer than expected. Who knows? Finally, I'm going to take a liberty or two with your characters in order to set things up. In my experience this is quite common, but if I state something that is out of line with you feel free to let me know and we'll find a common ground.

The FATE points thing is going to be a little bit more difficult over PBP. Bacially, I'm going to put @YourName

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What aspect I am compelling in that post.

If you post below telling me you do not want that aspect compelled, I will go back and edit my response. To avoid confusion, please post IF THAT IS OK OR NOT. People not being compelled: Please don't post based on that compulsion unless it has
A) Been 24 hours
B) They have given the OK

The basics and combat:

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In out of combat/social settings, I can go back and forth as needed, and posting requirements are lax. I would like about 2 posts/day per player, but there will be days I don't post that often, and I don't expect anything of you that I don't expect of me.

Once the combat system is entered (surprise rounds, rolled init... Or rather the equivalent. I don't know yet), I have a more strict policy. If an action is required of you (for example, it's your turn, or a ready action you've announced is triggered), players have 24 hours from the posted notice. After that, they are automatically listed as 'delay action' or 'decline to trigger', or similar. This way, when they become available, they can take action, but they don't hold up action overly much.

Players who have an intent to interrupt (such as an immediate action) can do it one of two ways. They can announce a prior intent to take the immediate action under xxx condition. If this is the case, notice will be made, and they'll get 24 hours, just like any other time when an action depends on them. Alternately, for those players that check more frequently, they can post the immediate/interrupting action whenever it would be legal to take.

In addition, players can post their turns in advance (say it's player 1's initiative, and you act after him. You post an action, spoilered with something to the effect of "actions in advance". If something changes to make your action a less than wise course, or not able to be applied (your target dies, your movement path that was safe now meanders through 7 threatened squares), I will post notice, and you'll have 24 hours to change it before the actions are actually final.

In cases where you have to be away from the game for a period of time (weekend at grandma's or what have you), you may place your character in the control of any of your fellow players, or another temporary designated proxy. In such case, your character is in their hands.

--Copy pasted from a post by PhoenixRivers RE: The Black Flight D&D 3.5. The same principles will be followed, but I don't know the specifics quite yet on phrasing and combat

@Shirley:

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Compelling THE HIGH PRIESTESS, for Cassandra's Tears.

It's Tuesday. Most people don't like Tuesdays because little of note usually happens on Tuesdays. However, for you it is a good day. You recently worked together to destroy some form of Demon that appeared to be composed of Ham that was plaguing a local meat shop. That was about a week ago though, and things are settled down. This Tuesday, you are sitting in an uncomfortable plastic seat at IHOP enjoying a well earned late breakfast with the rest of the group when suddenly Shirley begins to seize.
Her eyes roll back in her head, and she jerks right out of her seat and onto the floor. After several moments her breathing slows and she opens her eyes. There is the smallest trickle of blood coming from the corner of her right eye and she is smiling.

@Shirley (Only if you chose to accept the compel)

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You saw water, and a boat, or a ship of some kind. You saw a chest or box being lowered onto the deck. Ami was there, and you were about to open it when the vision ended. Inside was something you wanted. No, inside was something you needed. Add the global aspect of THE CLOSED CHEST

[RdMarquis]

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I'll accept the compel.

"Ugh. Ow." Funny how premonitions, dreams and whatnot always seemed to end right before the good part. Still, it was something to tell her friends.

Shirley rose on wobbling knees and held up a hand to the other restaurant patrons she knew would be gawking. Falling over in a public place set off a certain chain of events, and things were rapidly approaching the "oh my gosh, call a doctor" stage.

"It's okay. I'm okay, I just have a medical condition."

The student slumped in her seat and pushed aside the half eaten meal. "Okay" aside, she didn't feel like finishing what the guy in charge of menus had chosen to call a "2 by 2 by 2". Shirley wiped the blood from her face with a sleeve, then launched into an impression of the villain from Casino Royale.

"Weeping blood comes merely from a derangement of the tear duct. Nothing sinister." She giggled. "Seriously though," Shirley whispered. "I have something to tell you..."

[ninja_penguin]

Ami Nakamura

Ami slowly unfroze, having been half out of her seat from Shirley's episode until everybody's eyes turning in their direction stopped her. She wilted back down into her seat as Shirley stood up under her own power and sat back down.

Ami blinked in confusion as Shirley's reference went straight over her head, glancing down at the remains of a demolished stack of strawberry-banana pancakes. "So your, um, condition again?" Ami said a little nervously as her eyes flicked toward any other customers who was still paying the group any attention. "You sure you're okay? What with the..." Ami waved a finger at her own eyes.

[RdMarquis]

"Now that you mention it, my head does hurt a little." She massaged her temples. "But that's probably because I banged my head on the floor."

And usually, chronic seizures would be serious. In a mundane person, such a condition carried the risk of severe brain damage. But Shirley wasn't mundane, doctors couldn't find any problem with her (though that didn't stop her primary care physician from prescribing half a dozen types of pills for her to not try).

It had been years since her first vision, and overall, Shirley had begun to take her condition in stride. "I'm okay. Really." No one seemed to be listening, although a few old ladies were looking in her direction and muttering among themselves.

She frowned, remembering her vision. "Ami, are you looking for something?"

[ninja_penguin]

Ami Nakamura

Ami frowned as well, eyes flicking back toward the pancakes. She stuffed down another mouthful, chewed thoughtfully, and swallowed. "I don't think I'm looking for something. Wait." she said, eyes widening. "Is this one of those things were I'm going to end up needing to find something to make me guess it, right? I didn't drop my keys again, did I?"

[Codac]

Richard was quite startled when Shirley started to seize. Sure he knew of Cassandra's Tears but had never actually witnessed it. After realizing what was happening he looked around the diner to see how the other patrons were reacting. Most of them just went back to there meals after seeing that she was fine.

Richard then went back to eating his pancakes and listening to the conversation.

[RdMarquis]

"Maybe. I dunno." Shirley sat back and folded her arms.

"In that premonition I just had," Her voice lowered to a whisper. "you were at the docks. There was a chest being on board someone's boat and you were about to open it."

She smiled. "Are you a treasure hunter, or something?"

[Archaicwonder]

Dane had frozen when Shirley started seizing. He wasn't really comfortable surrounded by this many people, and something out of the ordinary happening only made him tense his shoulders and face more. His eyes became squinted slits and his lips screwed up in a grimace.

When the conversation moved to treasure hunting he turned his face back to Shirley and cleared his expression.

"I thought Treasure Hunting was something out of a movie, people still do that?" he asked quietly to Richard.

[Codac]

"Yeah, people still do it mostly underwater salvaging ships." Richard replies softly not wanting to interrupt the others' conversation.

[ninja_penguin]

Ami Nakamura

"I don't ever really, um, intentionally hunt things." Ami said nervously, unhappy to be the center of attention. "So, should I not be going near the docks anytime soon then?"

[RdMarquis]

The girl toyed with one of the laces on her hooded sweater and tried to think. "...No. I don't think so." She said finally. "At least, I didn't see anything bad happen to you after you opened the chest."

Shirley steepled her fingers. "I mean, it could be construed as a warning, but so could many of my visions." She turned toward the others. "Do you think it's worth looking into?"

[Archaicwonder]

Dane turned his blue eyes away from Ami and toward Shirley.

"I'd say that we ought to look into it, we wouldn't want someone to get hurt."

[RdMarquis]

"So, where do you think this dock is? I live in Davis most of the time, so I really don't have an idea of where you would put a boat."

She paused for a moment. "Or rather, hide a boat. I had the feeling that whatever this thing is, it's important to whoever put it in a chest."

[Codac]

"Did you see what kind of boat it was." Richard asked trying think of the places the boat could be.

[RdMarquis]

"Sorry." Shirley shook her head. "I couldn't tell you much about what it looked like. It had a deck and it floated on water." She laughed. "Something like a crane was lowering our mystery box onto that deck."

[Aagon]

James had not exactly been excited about breakfast at IHOP, but Ami had talked him into it. Still, he was glad he was here now. Things had been boring since the demon and he had far too much time on his hand to wonder if his master had any plans for him. James wondered briefly if they were risking creating a self-fulfilling prophecy, or if they would change her vision by going to find the box...but really James had thought about this before without a satisfactory answer. He shook himself out of his reverie.

"There's still some shipping along the waterways. I imagine it wouldn't be too hard to find out where there are cranes for loading and unloading boats."

[IonDragon]

@Shirley

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The chest was smallish and made of metal bound wood. It looked like it had been down there for a long time.

The waitress who brings the check (an older white woman with her graying hair in braids) makes it a point to express deep concern for Shirley's well being, which completely vanishes the moment she is confirmed to be quite alright.

EDIT: That link wasn't supposed to be there. Just goes to show you shouldn't post when you can't see what you're doing.

[ninja_penguin]

Ami Nakamura

Ami holds up her hand, two fingers extended to indicate that she was covering the cost of her and Jame's pancakes. When she gets the bill, she pulls out a small pile of one-dollar bills and assorted change and starts counting out what she owes.

[Aagon]

James winced internally when Ami started counting out her money. He hadn't actually meant to force her to pay for his breakfast, but it was too late now. Instead he smiled and said "Thanks - I'll get you next time."

[Codac]

Richard looks at the check then pulls out his wallet and puts the money plus tip on the table. Rubbing the back of his neck he stands up.

"Meet you outside I need a smoke." he address his companions then walks out off the building. When he gets outside he pulls out his pack of cigarettes lights one and takes a drag sighing.

[RdMarquis]

"So, where are these waterways?"

Shirley was still staring into space. "And more importantly, how do you think we would find this boat? I think the chest has been hidden for a while." She stood up to leave.

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Sorry this took so long. Today was the first day of summer classes, and it took me all day to get books and everything.

[Archaicwonder]

Dane reaches into a pocket in his cargos and puls out a couple bills. He gets up to follow everyone, while checking the immediate area out. He grabs a few napkins and wipes at some syrup he spilled on himself, then follows Richard.

"I don't need to smoke, but I feel lousy if I don't get my second hand pack a day..."

[IonDragon]

@Ami

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SOMETHING IS AFTER ME

It can never be just one thing. Stepping through the foyer, Ami takes out her phone just before it starts to emit static. Not ringing, just choking out static.

[ninja_penguin]

Ami Nakamura

(taking the compel)

Ami stared puzzledly at her cell phone. The thing didn't work. Hadn't work for years; it had burned out when Ami's powers started showing up, but she'd always kept it around for the therapeutic clicking noises it'd make if she really needed to make it look like her attention was elsewhere. She gave it an experimental twirl around it's antennae to make sure it wasn't about to burst into flames, then cautiously flicked it open in her hand.

[IonDragon]

The screen is off, and it is not showing any signs of being active, yet static continues to spew from the speaker.

EDIT: Don't forget to take your FATE point.

[ninja_penguin]

Ami Nakamura

"Has this happened to anybody else?" Ami said, looking toward James and Shirley. "This should be gutted, I blew it out ages ago."

[IonDragon]

As she exits the second set of doors, leaving the building completely the static stops. The phone quite normal once more.

[RdMarquis]

"Uh, no." Shirley shakes her head. "Not outside of a scary video game."

She suddenly felt worried. "That cell phone isn't on, is it?" The student turned around and looked back inside the restaurant.

"Does anyone want to go back inside and look around? Maybe see if a monster leaps out at us?" Shirley laughed weakly.

[Aagon]

James was far more startled by Ami's phone ringing than he had been by blood running out of his friend's eye. He stared at the phone for a long moment. "That shouldn't be possible, that phone should have been fried long ago." He paused. "Let me take a look." He reached out and took the phone and studied it carefully.

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Lore check: [roll]4d3-8)[/roll]

[Aagon]

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Lore check: (4d3-8)[0]