Who Ya Gonna Call? [nWoD] [IC]

[Tome]

21:21 PM, 21st June, 2010.
Battersea Park, London (51.482521,-0.156696 on Google Maps).

It's the longest day of the year, and the sun has only just set. As the shadows grow and merge together, London is unusually quiet. It's been a long, hot day and most people are far too tired to be out and about, for once. The forecasts are saying something about a record heatwave, and they may be right for once.

Battersea park is deserted, and the Thames, for the moment, clear of traffic. The birds nesting in the trees sing their sweet songs... before falling unnaturally quiet. There, in the river, something moves.

=========================================

Yes, I do have an exact location for where this is taking place.

I've changed the weather around a bit, to suit the plot. Assume that it has, in fact, been really really hot. About 39C or so.

Six of you are in the river, two are nearby on the banks.

[Edge]

The sun sets, and you wake. You know that tonight will see little done - it's the shortest night of the year, and you will need to feed quickly or risk going hungry for another night.

But you fail to wake where you slept. This isn't Amy's Basement!

You're underwater, somewhere. The river is murky, and smells heavily polluted. Above, you can make out the surface. The sun has set, fortunately. Floating in the water nearby are more bodies - no, people! They're still alive, or at least ambulatory!

Dominic flails around for a moment, the Man panicking as it forgets for a moment that it can no longer drown. But then reason reasserts itself, and Dominic takes a moment to collect himself and review the situation.

After a quick judgement, he kicks his way over to the nearest figure, grabs them, and heads towards the surface of the river.

=============================

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Spend 1Vitae to wake. Will take me through the next four days thanks to Coil of Blood 1.

Spend 1 Vitae to gain +2 Strength this turn.

Roll to surface: 4 (Strength) + 2 (Athletics) - 2 (Difficulty for self and other)
(4d10)[1][10][5][9](25)
===============
Health: 8
[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]

Willpower: 6
[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]

Vitae: 5/11

[Malfunctioned]

Life returns to your body, your eyes open and you draw another breath. Or you try to, at least.

You're floating in a river, the surface hanging above you. Dim light shines down, and you know that the sun has set. The waters are murky and polluted. You need to get to the surface, to breathe!

Trent blinks quickly, attempting to get a grip on the situation. He attempts to swim to the surface to grab a breath, hoping to grab enough air to return under to help out of the other bodies.

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(3d10)[9][8][8](25)
If I make that one then this to return and pull up another.
(2d10)[4][2](6)

[Edge]

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Correction: the +2 Strength is for that dice pool only. Also, rolling again for the 10 I got.
(d10)[2]

[Nerd-o-rama]

Joe's eyes pop open, his strange vision fading from his mind a bit - but just a bit - and he winces at the sting of the polluted water. To his credit as a detective, even as his reflexes force him to panic and struggle in the direction of buoyancy, his not-quite-bullet-pierced forebrain is making a note - why are there so many people floating in this river?

To his credit as a human being and former policeman, his next rational thought is to try and support one of them as he frantically kicks upward.

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Let's goooo two successes!

Strength+Athletics: (3d10)[1][3][4](8)

Well ****, at least I have extra lives.

[Chineselegolas]

Maybe the decision to walk it wasn't a good one. It's hot, even by your standards. Wasn't England supposed to be cloudy with lots of rain?

You're walking through Battersea Park, right along the the path that borders the Thames, heading for Chelsea Bridge. According to your map anyway. It seems quiet, save for the birdsong. Then that stops as well. Something isn't right.

You see something splashing in the river, and you get a familiar chill down your spine. Looks like you might need that gear sooner rather than later.

Undoing his coat to allow a bit more breeze through, regretting the nature of his clothing to conceal his holster, Roger shook his head and folded the map back up, returning it to his backpack, tucking it beside his goggles. At hearing the splashing, he turned and moved to the barrier, peering over at what was making the noise, his hand reaching under his coat for reassurance as he felt the chill.

Seeing heads break the surface, Roger jumped the barrier and slid down to the waterside, ready to help drag people to safety.

[The Kings Raven]

It's late, but the sun has only just set. Today has been far, far too hot.

You find yourself in Battersea park, trying to cool down. Trying to get things sorted in your head. Inspiration and Mania, so new and yet so familiar, swirl about inside your skull.

And then your SPG spikes. And all the birds suddenly stop singing. A huge spike, bigger than anything you've ever seen before, just came from the river. It only lasted for a moment, but there are more signals from the same place. Not quite so strong, but still bigger than any normal Ghost should be expected to leave.

Transient is a Genius, he has powers beyond that of mere mortal men and with such powers comes responsibility, Obligation. As field agent of the famed Phantom Foundation it fell upon his shoulders and superior mind to guard the pubic against horrors from beyond the grave.

Which is why when his equipment detected the largest spike of phantom energy Transient had ever seen he knew that the smart thing to do was to move quickly in the opposite direction and call for backup. Yet the right thing to do was to travel towards the river. He did make a quick call as he moved, if the worst happened at least the Foundation would know.

And so he found himself watching four people breaking the surface of the Thames. Though Transient was tempted to dive in he’s crazy, not stupid and knew better than to jump when carrying heavy and above all very electrical equipment. Perhaps there was a lifebuoy around, or even some rope.

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Looking for something to throw: Wits + Composure.
(5d10)[1][8][5][9][7](30)

Scanners usually don’t need a roll, but just in case someone is trying to hide: Wits + Computer + Core Modifier
(5d10)[7][6][4][6][3](26)

[Fishy]

Brandon's band was never very successful, but every now and again they would put on a spectacular show, for their standards, and the after party would stretch on to the small hours. This is not the first time that Brandon has woken up somewhere without really being sure how he got there.

It is, however, the first time that it was the ****ing Thames.

Never the most coordinated person, particularly right after waking up, Brandon thrashes through the dirty water in the vague direction of the surface.

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Spending a Willpower point because Brandon's Athletics sucks and I'm not keen on dying before the game starts. (6d10)[4][7][5][2][9][7](34)

[Kythorian]

Life returns to your body, your eyes open and you draw another breath. Or you try to, at least.

You're floating in a river, the surface hanging above you. Dim light shines down, and you know that the sun has set. The waters are murky and polluted. You need to get to the surface, to breathe!

Thomas jerks as he begins to cough to expel the small amount of water he had breathed in, but forces his mouth closed.

Well, I guess this was marginally better than being on fire, and apart from the beginning to drown thing, he actually felt pretty good. Apparently the charred man had been good to his word, though why he had dumped Thomas in the river was certainly strange. Maybe to counter the being on fire thing...Well, he should probably worry more about getting to the surface and figure out what had happened later.

By now he had determined which way was up, and Thomas began to desperately kick towards the surface. As he went up, he saw other people in the water, but he needed to get a breath first. He could return for them once he wasn't drowning himself.

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Str 3 + athletics 2 = 5 dice
(5d10)[7][9][2][8][6](32)

[ninja_penguin]

David Walton, Grimm Navigator

The last thing that David could recall, he had been settling down for a nap to get out of the mid-day heat and settle down to cool off in a place that nobody would bother him at.

Suddenly awake in the Thames, he decided that this was a bit too much of a cool-down. "Bloody-blub" he started to shout, before the thames trying to rush into his mouth changed his mind, and he began to paddle in what he hoped was up.

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I think I'll toss willpower out here to make sure that I can not drown right away as well.

not dying - (7d10)[7][3][6][2][5][2][8](33)

[Tome]

With a flurry of panicked swimming and impromptu cooperation, everyone manages to avoid drowning.

Trent saves Joseph, dragging him by the arm to the surface. Dominic, unconcerned by lack of air, grabs the other arm to help. Roger helps those who make it to shore haul themselves onto the bank. In a few moments, everyone is safe. Tired, soaking wet and confused, but safe. For a moment.

The air is hot and still, and the birds remain silent. Something still feels off, but no obvious threat presents itself.

====================================

Everyone survived. Yay!

Not that I expected any of you to actually drown. This time.

I'll give you a few moments for introductions before we move on to the next bit of panic.

EDIT Oh, and can everyone who was in the water make a quick Stamina+Resolve roll to resist poison? Except Dominic, he's fine.

And can all the Sin-Eaters make a Wits+Occult+Psyche and a Wits+Composure roll as well whilst we're at it.

[Edge]

Dominic helps haul Joseph on to land, and staggers forward a little to get himself away from the water. He stands up straight, extending to his not inconsiderable full height. His hair, which normally would be greased back, hangs soaking and limp from his scalp. Likewise his clothing, all just expensive enough to (under normal circumstances) be impressive is completely ruined, aside from his watch, designed to be water resistant. Despite his bedraggled appearance and all-too pale complexion, his steely eyes retain their piercing quality.

He tries to speak, but only water expels itself from his mouth. For the next few moments, Dominic tries to make a good show of coughing and spluttering.

[Kythorian]

Upon reaching the surface, Thomas spends several moments coughing to try and clear his lungs and focusing on staying above water. By the time his coughs die down, he looks around and finds that everyone has already made it to the surface and some are already making their way to the shore.

Thomas joins them, quickly swimming to the shore and dragging himself a couple of feet out of the water. There he slumps back and watches as the others emerge, looking at them as carefully as he can in the dim light between his own continued coughs.

Once the last one makes their way to the shore, he says in a voice that appears more annoyed than anything, "****...So who the **** are all of you, and what were we doing in the river?"

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Description

Thomas is a slightly above average height young man with sandy blond hair and dark brown eyes. His most distinctive feature is a large, but old looking, burn scar which spreads from below his shirt up across the left side of his neck and face. The worst of the burn covers his left cheek from between his jaw across the left edge of his mouth and the edges of his ear. It reaches to just above his temple about three or four centimeters above where the hairline on the left side of his head used to begin. No hair grows in that area now, and his close cut hair does nothing to cover the fact.

Apart from his burn, his skin seems fairly pale, and it is clear that Thomas has had his nose broken multiple times. Thomas is also fairly muscular, though not so much that he would particularly stand out.

[Fishy]

Brandon flounders his way to the shore, and hauls himself out. The rocker is tall and lanky, with curly black hair just a shade too long, several day's stubble on his chin, and a standard-issue black T-shirt with ironic white text. ("Magnets: How Do They Work?")

As he drips, he slowly becomes aware of his surroundings- and then the waterlogged, circuitboard-green guitar hanging around his neck. "Oh no. No no, no," he frantically mumbles to himself, and throws himself into a frenzy of adjusting knobs, plucking strings, and turning the device over and over, looking for cracks and dents.

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Resist poison: (3d10)[5][5][5](15)

Brandon will spend a point of Mania to Understand Technology, and check the Gibson for water-damage. Any Geniuses present automatically detect him channeling Mania.

[Malfunctioned]

Trent crawls onto the bank, his blond hair hanging slightly over his face. The only clothes he wears are a dull green t-shirt that is ripped in various places, a pair of pale jeans and ruined converses, none of these items of clothing had probably encountered water in the last couple of months until now. He looks over to Joseph.
"You all right mate? Haven't seen you in a while."
He coughs loudly, spraying water onto the grass in front of him.

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[rollv=Stamina+Resolve]4d10[/rollv]
[rollv=Wits+Occult+Psyche]1d10[/rollv]
[rollv=Wits+Composure]4d10[/rollv]

---

* post roll count doesn't match database

[Malfunctioned]

(Damn roll things)

Stamina + Resolve (4d10)[10][7][3][3](23)
Wits + Occult + Psyche (1d10)[9]
Wits + Composure (3d10)[6][8][9](23)

[ninja_penguin]

David Walton, Grimm Navigator


David just sputtered for a moment or two, looking at the assembled group of people, the Thames, and rubbing the top of his head looking bewildered. He turned toward Bradon as he felt the now semi-familiar feeling of mania being channeled, and extended his mechanical hand for a handshake. "I don't think I've had the pleasure." David said.


OOC:

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David is a slightly taller man with green eyes and brown hair. He sports a general bit of stubble as if he always is walking around with a 5-o-clock shadow, and wears a lighter long-sleaved coat, despite the heat. His left arm is perfectly normal, but the hand you can see from his coat is a mechanical replacement that doesn't seem to make sense. It has the general hand shape and jointed fingers, but an excessive amount of exposed wires, rods, and gears can be seen inside whirling and twirling about seemingly on their own accord as the fingers move restlessly.

Poison resist - (6d10)[4][9][3][3][9][3](31)

[The Kings Raven]

Recognising the feeling of Mania Transient heads to introduce himself to his Peers. “My name is Transient and I wish I could introduce myself without dire warnings but your appearance coincided with a massive surge of PKE centred upon the river not far from you're point of origin.”

“If you have any Katastrofi or Prostasia keep it close to hand, even if your abductor doesn't return most of the people dragging themselves out the river share their bodies with something much stronger than the average ghost.”

“If I may, I have experience in these matters”

With that Transient lowers his goggles and turns towards the nearest of the “Phantoms” climbing from the river. “I am Transient of the Phantom Foundation”. I know you are of the afterlife, what are you're intentions?

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Ah the customary cross splat suspicions. Fortunately Transient is wearing mind-reading goggles which, if this roll goes well, should prove we're all on the same side. Or at least not planning to kill eachother at the first opportunity.
Wits + Academics + Speciality + Core Modifier. To resist: Resolve + Power Stat.
(7d10)[10][4][8][9][9][5][10](55)
Ok, I wasn't expecting that. It was only supposed to be a lie-detecting scan to prove we didn't need to fight lol. Technically this means that I could do a deep mental scan without permission but feel free to ask me OOC not to.

Transient has a tall and narrow, some might say slightly undernourished build atop which he wares the customary grey uniform of the Phantom Foundation. Of course the uniform isn't particularly noticeable compared to the Wonder of electric generators and control circuitry he wares on his back. Facially he has receding back hair and a neatly trimmed moustache.

[Malfunctioned]

"Phantom?"

A few images and memories bubble to the surface. A large theatre, the crowd consisting of hundreds of copies of himself. The man made of mirrors bowing and beckoning to Trent to come onto the stage. The contract that he signed with a quill too large to be anything but a prop. Trent knew their importance but couldn't quite place them.

Something spoke from inside his own head, in a voice that sounded like glass being broken.
"No we are not a Phantom. We are so much greater. Just let me show you."
Trent ignored the voice, pushing it the back of his mind.
"What the hell are you talkin' about?"

[The Kings Raven]

“I am talking about you. Both of you.”

“I can see you're breathing and you're still giving off more PKE than any ghost I've met. What are you, what are your intentions and what is your relationship to the man formed of mirrors?"

[Malfunctioned]

"Of course I'm bloody breathing! I bloody alive aren't I?"

More images cross his mind. The syringe entering his arm. The pain as his heart gave out. The man made of mirrors so close to his face that he could see his own reflected hundreds of times. There was a weight in his pocket, he reached a hand inside and drew out a small hand mirror. He stared into it briefly and then dropped it onto the floor as he recoiled in horror.

What could of happened to his face to have it damaged like that? How could he ever get another job when injuries such as those? He tentatively picked it up and looked again and tried to touch his wounds but he found none, only the smoothness of his own skin. Then the reflection spoke. The voice rang out, but only inside his own head.

"Do not fear me. I am the Shattered Thespian. I saved you. We are one."

"I don't know what the hell I am. Or who the Shattered Thespian is."

[Fishy]

Once he catches his breath, Brandon puts down the guitar for long enough to shake David's hand- if it started acting up, he could tweak it back into working order later. Probably.

"Being dumped in the ****ing river? Don't know if I'd call that a pleasure, mate. Brandon," he offers, and then seems to notice the mechanisms whirring between his fingers. "... What?"

Transient's explanation doesn't really help, either. "Katastro-what?" Come to think of it, weren't they a band?

[Nerd-o-rama]

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Aaaaah so late.

Stamina (2) + Resolve (2) = (4d10)[7][8][7][6](28) (Success)
Wits (3) + Composure (2) = (5d10)[2][3][6][1][4](16) (Failure)
Wits (3) + Occult (-3) + Psyche (1) = (1d10)[9](9) (Success)

Coughing and sputtering, Joe manages to mutter out a thank you before wandering back to the bank for a second and looking for something - which is fortuitously floating within reach. As he calms down his breathing, the slight, dark-haired man lies on the bank and wrings out the hat he just retrieved from the water. It was likely to survive, though the same could likely not be said for his suit.

Turning around, he has several questions, but starts with one addressed to the strange man with the scientific-looking equipment. "PKE?"

[Kythorian]

Tomas glances between Trent and David as they ignore him and shrugs to himself. Typical, if annoying. And at least they seemed to be ignoring each other as much as him, for the most part. He leaned back on his arms on the bank of the river and continued watching for a few more moments, hoping something would happen that would make all of this make sense. Certainly the guy with the robot arm wasn't making any more sense than anything else. Maybe he was actually dead, and the afterlife was just much weirder than he had imagined.

He perked up when Transient showed up and started talking. He seemed like he might know something. But as he said his bit, Thomas just grew more confused. PKE? Katastrofi or Prostasia? What the hell was he talking about?

It was when he mentioned a ghost sharing bodies that Thomas noticed it. The crackle of flames in the back of his mind, which Thomas immediately realized had been there since he had awoken in the river, but had been too preoccupied to notice. But now it rose from the faintest sound of a distant camp fire to...was that laughter? It sounded like the sound the charred man had made when he had laughed, actually, but still didn't tell him anything.

After listening to Trent and Brandon, Thomas says, "Don't really know what the **** you are talking about, but my intentions are to figure out what the **** is going on. What do you mean share our bodies with something stronger than a ghost? Ghosts don't share bodies...I have heard of them possessing someone, but I'm not convinced that isn't a legend, and I'm certainly in full control of myself. Either **** off or explain what the hell is going on.

Thomas pulls out the soaked pack of cigarettes from his pocket and curses under his breath as he drops them beside him.

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Resolve 2 + Psyche 3 = 5 dice for resistance pool
[roll0]

thats weird...my roll didn't work. Ok, attempt 2:
[rollv]5d10[/rollv]

[Kythorian]

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Since apparently it doesn't like letting you edit and do a roll(i assume)..lets try this again:
(5d10)[6][3][2][8][10](29)

[Chineselegolas]

Hearing Transient declaration of ghosts, Roger stepped back from the others, checking his pistol was still in place beneath his coat before grabbing a pack of only slightly damp cigarettes out, offering one to Thomas.
"You seem to know a lot about ghosts, but i've never heard of Katastrofi or Prostasia, so I'll ask you this" turning to look up at Trasient, "Who is the Phantom Foundation" as he started to make his way back up to the walkway

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(2d10)[1][6](7)
And the only chance of me succeeding is exploding 10 again so may as well roll it all and hope for the best
(4d10)[5][9][3][2](19)

[Kythorian]

Thomas stands up as he sees Roger offer him a cigarette. He accepts it and nods his thanks to the man, then sighs as he remembers the thugs taking his lighter. Maybe they had dropped it beside him after they set him on fire, but he had been a little too preoccupied to notice. Certainly whoever had dragged him here had not bothered to return it to his pocket.

So he begins ask Roger for a light, but cuts off as he hears the words, "Just concentrate on calling my lighter." emerge from the sound of flames which still persisted in the back of his head. Thomas frowns to himself, but looks down at his hand, surprised to find a burn scar in the shape of a four pointed star on the palm. But that kept his attention for only a moment, and Thomas hesitantly focused on the memory of the lighter the charred man had burnt him with. Immediately it appeared in his hand.

Thomas muttered to himself, "That is ****ing awesome..." before shaking himself and looking back up at the others as he lit his cigarette.

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Oh...and for any sin-eaters, the book says that keystones are recognizable by any other sin-eater because of the almost palpable aura of death around them. This might be especially interesting since none of us have any idea what that actually means.

[Nerd-o-rama]

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Not even going to roll against the goggles, just consider this whole narrative audible I guess.

Joe has, thus far, been sitting back taking mental notes. Five 'victims', three rescuers who didn't seem to know each other. One scientific researcher using unfamiliar terms, one man with a sophisticated prorthetic, one American. The others from the river were harder to peg, but the tall man and the thin man looked familiar somehow. He'd need to get depositions from everyone...just as soon as everyone calmed down.

These thoughts run through Joe's mind, along with the strangely out-of-place feeling of amused curiosity sitting behind his mind somehow, helping him to keep his own cool.

That is, until Thomas calls forth his lighter, and his emotions are supplanted by fear at the sense of the death he just avoided, while those that aren't his become delighted, childlike wonder at the sight of a friend - or rather a literal kindred spirit, but the Blood-stained Innocent has a fairly simple view of things.

While Joe is struggling to reconcile this, he asks Thomas a question. "Did a strange person just give that to you?"

[The Kings Raven]

And so Transient found himself in the centre of an inquiring group. Their confusion was genuine enough and their intentions were honest: figure out what is going on, he could respect that. Transient raised his goggles: it was time for exposition. First his fellow Genius.

“It's Katastrofi. This must be the first time you've met another like yourself, when we have a moment we'll explain everything and introduce you to our little community. We never leave one of our own ignorant of themselves, you can depend on that.”

Next he turned to Tomas and the other Sin-Eaters. “You're quite right. Ghost's don't share, they possess and it is no legend. I have seen it with my own eyes. PKE is the standard measure of phantom energy and the three of you are brimming with it but I'd hypothesise this is no possession. Three phantoms, each should be easily capable of taking control and none have made the attempt. I know phantoms and that is unusual enough to say they simply can't take control, I'm certain of it.”

“I was able to detect something in regards to a contract on sorts.” At the word detect Transient makes a quick gesture towards his goggles. “A metaphysically binding contract would explain the phantom's passive behaviour so, ahem, congratulations. The three of your have a working partnership with a powerful being. Scepticism is natural but in the spirit of rational enquiry I would recommend that introductions with you're new partner in order. If you keep an open mind you will see that I am correct.”

Finally Roger had asked a question. In response Transient quoted the official line:

“The Phantom Foundation is a particular scientific institution dedicated to the study and when necessary banishment of all things undead.”

Transient handed over a business card with contact details should anyone wish to hire the Foundation's services in banishment. He hoped this line of conversion wouldn't go to far, it was a delicate balance remaining pubic enough to get hired yet not public enough that havoc inducing mortals didn't beet down the doors demanding to talk with deceased loved ones.

[Chineselegolas]

"My line of work is somewhat similar, perhaps we can discuss details at a later time time" Roger replied, taking the card and tucking it into a pocket.
Swinging his bag onto on arm, he then opened it, removing his goggles, trusting that the appearance of Transients goggles they were much more normal. Putting them on his forehead, and putting his bag back on his back, pulled them down and flicked on the Etheric filter and looking over those still down at the river-side.
"I will agree with ghosts not sharing. They find something and latch on, making it theirs, causing all sorts of problems."

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What do I see when I look at the Geist? Do they have a presence in the Twilight?