The Black Shingle Fiasco II: Electric Boogaloo

[Marlowe]

Avita draws back her notched arrow and his through the door on the heels of the others, sweeping her arrowhead around to cover the sides of the door and then above the doorjamb.

Then relaxes a little, mutters "...sweet" and sidesteps to put her back against the wall next to the remains of the wardrobe.

"Todesganger", she says clearly. "Go to the wardrobe-that's the big wooden square thing with the doors-and open it for us."

She slides her arrow back in her quiver and draws the detect magic wand, crouching a little. "I got less than half a minute on these Summons, got to make them work for it. Now-" She casts detect magic again, sweeping the room, and especially the burned patch on the floor for auras. "Let us see what we have."

[Marlowe]

Spoiler: Oh right. Spellcraft.

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(1d20+2)[5]

[unless some threat appears she'll probably start swinging detect magic around the house for the next little while.]

[Kaptin Keen]

See? I told you I could have gone around, says Rakash, indicating the window.

Then, he sets about rummaging around the room for anything of obvious value. Also, what was in the mug?

Spoiler: Rolls

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I invested effort in locking the rear door, but the bug-guy is going to come crashing through that window any minute now, right?

Regardless, rolls:
Appraise (untrained): (1d20+2)[17]
Spot: (1d20+2)[8]

And in case Fion is watching:
Sleight of hand: (1d20+12)[31]

[Kushina43]

Sarim steps into the room and gives a cursory survey. "Hmph, no one in here? Bah, was expectin' a fight." He glances at the burn Avita is investigating, but then turns his attention to the window and looks outside at the back garden. "Don't look like tha' thing can sneak up on us like this."

Spoiler: OOC

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Spot: (1d20+2)[18]

[Blackhawk748]

Fion isnt an investigator and he's not great at looking for hidden things. So he does the only thing that he can: he looks under the bed.

[rax]

"If Parker or someone else was trying to dispose of evidence, they picked an odd way to go about it," Sarrazin offers with regards to the burnt floor. "This house must have fireplaces and stoves aplenty that would be better suited to burning paperwork."

Moving closer to inspect the burn marks, he tries to make an educated guess as to whether they could be from the otherworldly beast's acidic excretions. It seems unlikely that it was conjured directly onto the door and it would make sense, he reasons, for there to be marks at the point where it was summoned.

Once he's inspected the burn marks, Sarrazin makes his way to the cabinet next to the bed and begins to rifle through it, looking for anything of interest to the case.

[YossarianLives]

The owlbear lumbers over to the wardrobe, dragging its claws on the floor, and pulls it open, nearly wrenching the doors off their hinges. A heterogeneous pile of gnome-sized clothes spill out, from blue guard uniforms to luxurious silk robes, but there seems to be little that is pertinent to the investigation at hand.

Rakash begins to loot the room. Besides the clothes there is little of value to be found, and the mug is empty. The bed sheets are well-made, and the pillows seem to be stuffed with genuine feathers. Or, that's what you would have said, until Fion peeks under the bed and drags out a large brown sack stuffed with gold coins. Over five hundred, by the look of it, nearly all minted in Senra.

Avita and Sarrazin examine the burn on the floor. There is no trace of magic surrounding it, and the ash and blackened wood would suggest that the damage was done by fire. The bedside cabinet, a fine piece of furniture lined with carvings of flowers and snaking vines, is mostly empty - a pocket handkerchief, the complete works of a local playwright, a deck of playing cards, and an ornate bronze dagger. It looks old, very old, weathered by the passage of time. Tiny runes cover the blade, which is still sharp, and the pommel is masterfully wrought in the shape of a scowling human face.

While the others are searching for clues, Sarim watches from the window. Parker's back garden is simple but beautiful, clearly the result of hard work and maintenance. A narrow dirt path winds through it, passing flower beds, hedges carefully trimmed into smooth rectangles, a few decorative rocks, and a small apple tree. It is at the end of the path, brushing up against the neighbouring house, that the cloaked figure waits, motionless. Sarim catches a glimpse of something beneath the thick fabric, metal reflecting the fading sunlight.

Suddenly, Avita's scan picks up a powerful burst of magical energy coming from the burned patch of ground. Seconds later, there is a flash of golden light and a slightly transparent figure appears in that spot, hovering a few inches in the air. Humanoid, but very clearly not human, it stands a little over five feet tall. Very skinny, with greyish skin stretched tight over its bones, angular features, and golden eyes like those of an eagle. The creature wears black armour made of overlapping plates, and regards you disdainfully, arms crossed. Sarim and Avita recognize the rod-bearer, Knight-Errant Laelth.

It smiles coldly, and speaks in perfect, unaccented common, its voice unidentifiable as masculine or feminine. "Avita Santiago and Sarim Blackaxe. And with new friends. What are you doing snooping around here?"

[Marlowe]

Avita is in the middle of telling someone; "Pack the knife, someone--it was in Thaddeus's story--just a bit of extra proof-" when she notices the incoming surge of power and raises her voice in a warning. "Attend! Something-the burned patch! Looks like something's coming!"

Laeth's actual appearance, however, causes her to simply shrug. It's not like she was expecting this...but on some level, she was expecting this.

Her lips split in a slanticular grin, showing teeth. Eyes return the Wheeler commander's stare and don't blink at all.

"This idiot again" she stays to the room in general. It is very hard to be especially impressed with someone you've already intimidated. "Well, Pretty-Boy. Congratulations on apparently not being on the verge of getting mobbed and clawed to death by the consequences of your incompetence this time. Rather thought that was your thing. How's the neck?" she raises eyebrows in mock concern.

"And--aren't you supposed to appear in the Dining room? I was just putting checking that on my to-do list! So. Bedroom? Did you and the Captain know each other better than--well, maybe I don't want to know that."

[rax]

Sarrazin quickly pockets the knife, then turns smoothly to meet the new arrival.

"Sarrazin Montayne, at your service. And who might you be?" he asks.

[Marlowe]

Avita tenses a little, and covers it up by setting away from the wall, past Laelth's Projection, and towards the window. She turns her face toward Sarrazin, and waves vaguely at the glowing figure. "Pretty-Boy here is the Knight-Errant Laelth, mate. And he is a Commander, or he claims to be a Commander, or he's the Wally-On-The-Spot who has to sign papers for an actual Commander of the Abyssal forces attacking this city. You know, the enemy."

She turns back to Laelth, still grinning. "So. You can project yourself here whenever you want. And yet you had those stooges of yours doing blood sacrifices to attract your attention. Funny." And then she turns away, moving to join Sarim at the window. "Always like to see a Gnome be the butt of a joke for a change, but still. Little tired to appreciate it. The massed bloody corpses of your troopers made such frelling uncomfortable bedding and those bongos did not stop. I did wonder if you'd become one of them--no. That's a lie. I didn't care."

She's looking out the window now. "So I'm guessing that lurker in the garden's one of your myrmidons, then? Not one of the Bug Brigade?"

[Kaptin Keen]

Rakash isn't terribly knowledgeable about projections and illusions. But he is curious. He draws his dagger, and pokes it where the spleen would be on a human.

.. does that hurt?

He also does a quick circle around the figure, trying to discern anything interesting - visible gear, whether anything is visible in the background, even whether the image changes as he circles it, or remains the same. He will also try to wave his hands in front of Laelth's eyes, to try and find the limits (if any) of his perception through the ... whatever it is.

[rax]

"Knight-Errant," Sarrazin acknowledges Laelth while seeming to ignore Avita's harangue. "It's a pleasure to meet you at last. One hears a great deal about you when travelling in Avita's company. May I ask what brings you here at this moment? Did your man below report our presence, or was it the conjured beast we slew a moment ago?"

[Kaptin Keen]

Rakash looks up at Sarrazin's words, and whispers: My guess is, he's playing for time. He likely has troops descending on us, and doesn't want us to scamper before they get here. Or before we find anything important.

Anything important would likely be more adequately hidden. And since Rakash is deplorably unskilled at searching for such things, he'll try a different approach.

Spoiler: Rolls

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This is a bit of a stretch, but it's the best I can come up with.

If you want to hide something important, you build a secret compartment for it. This compartment, you trap with something deadly.

Rakash is actually trained in building and setting traps. So Rakash will look for likely places to place a trap - somewhere it's hard to dodge, hard to spot, maybe a poorly lit corner, inside a closet, or high enough to require you to stretch you reach it (might be impossible to reach for a goblin, sadly).
Craft, traps: (1d20+5)[16]

[Blackhawk748]

Fion straightens up as he finds the sack of gold, but before he could say anything that thing appeared in the room. He decided to just remain quite and observe for the moment, but upon learning what it was, he just stares at it with cold anger.

[YossarianLives]

Laelth merely chuckles at Avita's mocking, the image distorting slightly as it does so, and turns its attention to Sarrazin. "A pleasure to meet you, Sir. As the necromancer says, I am Knight-Errant Laelth. Currently in service to Anckor the Bloody, a lord of the Abyss" - Rakash's dagger passes through the projection, but Laelth doesn't notice or chooses not to acknowledge it - "You set off my wards as soon as you stepped through the bedroom door. I came to see who had come calling, but I should have known. Avita has a habit of stuffing herself into places where she is neither wanted nor required." Laelth changes tone, from sickly sweet mockery to a colder, more businesslike voice. "Sir Montayne. I will admit - I have not heard of you before. But I am very glad you are here."

"You see, Avita and Sarim here - along with the rest of the city - seem to be convinced that this whole mess, the Zaghifd, the Pelorite invasion, are somehow my fault. This is a blatant lie. Have I come here at the head of an invading army? Well, yes. But such is life. Nations fight other nations. Cities are conquered. People die. Our two worlds are not so different, you know. But the Zaghifd - the Children? They number beyond count, and every last one would happily see the entire multiverse burn in the fires of never ending war. They cannot be defeated with force of arms alone. We must work together to repel them." Laelth shows a set of pointed, very white teeth. "You seem like a smart man, Sarrazin. But will you allow your ignorance to blind you? Much is at stake here."

[Marlowe]

Avita turns away from the window and begins pacing back toward the door, passing Laelth by the other side. "You know, it's frustrating kow everyone involved in this business is just a wee bit slow. I was saying to our friend the good Captain--what? Day before yesterday morning?--how much more convenient it would be if you'd just turn up in a respectable fashion and explain what you're about; but you. You're that other sort of person, Pretty-Boy. You're the sort that has to get several thousand people killed before they'll even consider announcing themselves."

She digs her gauntleted fingers between the studs of her leathers, flicking black flakes of dried blood and ichor in Laelth's direction. "And will you just look at the mess you've made. I've had no chance to wash and I've still got the blood of your soldiers splattered all over me! These were new not too long ago! Pity, really. I was looking forward to learning more about some of your people. That freaky lady with the six eyes now; she looked intriguing." Her grin becomes a bit more set and her voice a lot more growly.

"Pity you left her to get flayed into a drumskin while you ran like a coward."

[rax]

"War is indeed a constant in all places," Sarrazin agrees smoothly. "But to speak of it as a thing that merely happens? No, Knight-Errant, you know as well as I do that wars come about through deliberate design. Take your attack on Senra, for instance. A surprise attack in the middle of enemy territory on this scale must have taken quite some planning to bring about. I applaud your boldness and ingenuity both," he continues, inclining his head briefly in a respectful nod.

"Yet now you say you wish to treat with us, and you suggest that the attacks of the Zaghifd and the threat of the Pelorites have nothing to do with your presence here. With respect, that seems unlikely at best. Certainly your invasion is being used as an excuse by the servants of the sun god in their attempts to annex the city. And from what I'm told, the Zaghifd were unknown here before you seized the Black Shingle district. So had your master never ordered the attack on Senra, it seem plausible that the good people of the city would still be going about their lives untroubled by any of the crises that currently beset them."

"So, let us speak candidly of the reasons for your invasion. Your forces are not constrained by the natural boundaries of this world - with enough preparation, you could likely have attacked anywhere in this world that you wished. So why attack Senra in particular?"

Spoiler

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OOC: Sarrazin has a theory on why the Wheelers attacked in the first place, and he's trying to draw Laelth out to see if his story matches the theory. So he's playing the "one professional to another" card in order to establish a little rapport.

I don't know if a Diplomacy check is needed, but here's one just in case: (1d20+19)[36]
and Sense Motive to try and catch any obvious lies: (1d20+5)[16]
and Knowledge (the planes) to see if Sarrazin has any prior knowledge of Anckor the Bloody: (1d20+7)[15] or the Zaghifd (1d20+7)[12]

[Blackhawk748]

Fion tightly grips the hilt of his sword, letting Sarrazin do the talking. There were a fair few things hed like to say to this demon, most of which involved various cries for vengeance before he removed its head from its shoulders, but it was a talker. So he'd let Sarrazin talk it into its own grave.

Spoiler: Knowledges

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The Planes (1d20+9)[27]
Religion (1d20+9)[25]

[YossarianLives]

Laelth smirks. "If what you want is answers, I am happy to supply them. I always have been." The smirk snaps to a tight-lipped grimace. "If you recall, during our previous meetings we were both a little short on time." Laelth turns to Sarrazin, inclining its head respectfully.

"Moving a force this size to the Material Plane is not as simple as you make it sound, Sir, but you are correct. Our reasons for striking here are simple: Senra is a plump tunge fruit, sweet, juicy, and ready to be plucked. We have spies. We know this city's military is weak, its leaders corrupt and decadent. But. We do not come here merely to pillage, destroy, enslave - what your people think of when they hear the word 'demon.' It cannot be denied that many of us still hold a passion for such activities, but the same can be said of any race. Now, my master merely wishes to prove to the multiverse that we are capable of more. And taking Senra is the first step to accomplishing that."

"Today, tens of thousands dwell here in terrible poverty. Easily preventable diseases runs wild. And the government sacrifices its citizens' rights to appease a dogmatic religion. But when we have conquered the city, we will establish a new order. One which ensures equality, justice, and prosperity for everyone. No more starvation, no more oppression. Never again will the hard work of commoners be exploited to pad the pockets of the nobility. Senra will be one part of a vast, inter-dimensional empire. This will be the staging ground for Abyssal trade and diplomacy throughout the Material Plane. It will take time," it admits, "there will be struggles. But if we are successful - it will bring about a new era of peace for our worlds and beyond." For a moment, its composure is broken, and Laelth continues, quieter. "The Zaghifd were an unfortunate side effect, but they would have attacked, sooner or later, regardless."

But soon, Laelth's smugness has returned. "What do you say? Will you help me?"

Spoiler: Sarrazin's Knowledge Rolls

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Sarrazin has never heard of the Zaghifd before this meeting, but Anckor the Bloody sounds familiar. Often regarded by demons and demon-worshipers as the patron of warriors and generals. He is known to control vast swathes of land in the Abyss, far more than any other arch-demon.

Spoiler: Fion's Knowledge Rolls

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Fion quickly recognizes Laelth's species: an Ena'Qaeral'l, the cousins of the lesser winged Qaeral'l. The Ena are, as demons go, intelligent and cultured, often making up the aristocracy of Abyssal society. But that is not to say they are weak or soft. The Ena'Qaeral'l seem to possess an instinctive knowledge of martial combat and swordplay - by adulthood, even the most feeble of them are competent fighters and can channel mystical powers through their blades and accomplish feats that should be impossible.

[Marlowe]

Avita taps a cold iron finger to her cheekbone. "Well. I'm convinced. Let's betray everything we've ever stood for one the word of an errant spindle-sayer. Heh." The laugh is a quiet one. She raises her hand in a gesture of dismissal.

"These are big huckery ambitions for one who has been running, ducking, pleading and covering his soft little bottom every time we've met him. Tell, me, Pretty-Boy, why are you a Knight-Errant? That title means "mercenary, but with family." Who were you working for before you sold your lips to Angora the Whatchamacallit and how did you screw that up?"

She keeps an high on the edges of the burned patch Laeth is standing in, looking for signs of smolder. And continues to try to analyse his projection.

[Marlowe]

Spoiler: Spellcraftiness

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(1d20+2)[20]

[This message was too short. And now it isn't]

[YossarianLives]

The demon shifts its hands to its hips, looking down its nose at Avita, apparently contemplating whether to answer. Eventually, though, it shrugs: "I am the youngest of forty-four children. I could have taken up a position playing servant to one of my older brothers, but I chose to become an adventurer. Sought my fortune on the open road. I spent some time working as a lowly mercenary, but soon I took up a position in the army of the Great Anckor." Laelth smiles slightly. "Other demons look up to my kind. We are natural leaders. It didn't take long for me to become one of Anckor's captains."

Laelth changes tone. "I do not begrudge you for being doubtful. I would be too. But I have proof. I can show you the threat posed by the Zaghifd first hand."

Spoiler: Crafting of the Spells

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Avita is not familiar with the spell being used. But it's clearly not some kind of projection - you aren't seeing a physical or spiritual manifestation of Laelth, just an insubstantial image. An illusion.

[rax]

Sarrazin gives Laelth a cold smile as he answers. "Well, that's quite the stirring tale, Knight-Errant, but I'm sure you're wise enough to see how such promises might sound less than convincing considering the circumstances. So far all your lord has to show for his noble plans is a surprise attack on a peaceful city, whose citizens I saw your compatriots slaughter with abandon when you broke through the Black Shingle wall. And not just soldiers, mind you, but the young, the old, and the infirm. These are not the actions of a peacemaker, but they are fully compliant with your master's reputation as a conqueror and warlord. So, assuming I'm willing to entertain the possibility that you're telling the truth - what proof can you offer that Anckor the Bloody has sent you here to be his heralds of a new age of peace and prosperity?"

"As for the Zaghifd, you just changed your story from them having nothing to do with you to them being "an unfortunate side effect" of your invasion. That tells me you know why they are here in the first place. So, if you need our assistance as much as you claim to, I suggest you tell us, right now, why the Zaghifd arrived on your coat tails and how they're getting here. Then - perhaps - we can move on to you showing us just how much of a threat they pose."

Spoiler: OOC

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Any time Avita wants to interject with information she has about the Wheelers and the Zaghifd, please feel free to do so. For instance, I checked the original IC thread and Brin's account of life under the rule of the arch-demons doesn't exactly match up well with Laelth's claim that he's here to make life better for the poor and oppressed.

Speaking of which, how about another Sense Motive check to see how much of his own propaganda Laelth believes: (1d20+5)[7]

[Marlowe]

"It's also inconsistent with what we might call the observed facts", chimes in Avita, picking bits of lint off her bowstring. "Since the breach between the Planes was opened up by some Doomweasel on our side some time before you lot raised your snouts to our attention. And your army has all the feel of a hastily-thrown together pack of hirelings and downtrodden vassals. And you yourself, Pretty-Boy, you proud, pussiant planeswalking soldier of fortune-"

She gives a bright, toothy grin. "-You're so new at this you got yourself bullied and browbeaten by a simple temple girl. No, this is no grand design to build a better future spanning the Abyss and the Material and put to rest ancient and entirely justified prejudices; this is an opportunistic grab for glory and the notice and favour of Angela the Barmaid, or whatever."

The smile drops. "But something else noticed you as well. The Handymen. Or whatever's behind them". She goes back to checking her bowstring, taking her eyes off Laelth. "They are not many creatures, are they? They're parts, or fingers, or feelers, or psuedopods-of someTHING. Something from outside. That about right?" Her eyes flick back at Laelth.

[YossarianLives]

Laelth grimaces, clearly expecting you to be more amenable. "The road to paradise is paved with struggle and suffering. Are my people perfect? No. But no worse than yours, all things considered. I have already clearly explained our reasons for invading Senra, yet you choose not to believe them. Consider this: what other possible reason could we have for trying to conquer this city? It should be obvious this is not just a raid - we would have cleared out months ago, had that been the case. We are here to stay."

Laelth whirls around to face Avita, meeting her gaze unblinkingly. "I wish I could tell you what the Zaghifd are. I'm not withholding information - we just don't know. No one does. They're not new or mysterious. The bastards have always been there, scurrying around their flesh-tunnels and beating those drums. Even the most ancient histories speak of them as an ancient force, intractable and impossible to reason with." Laelth pauses, uncertainty visible on its face for the first time. "That is what makes them so terrifying. Even the most base creatures are trying to accomplish something - eat, survive, reproduce, repeat. But the Zaghifd just stagger around, clawing whatever gets in their way. They don't even seem to mind when you kill them."

"You aren't going to trust me, no matter what I say. I should have seen that earlier. Still. There is a small island several miles down the coast from here. Crab Island, the locals call it. They say it is cursed, the domain of an ancient entity known as "The Crab King." Whether it is cursed, I cannot say, but something did dwell there. Did being the operative word. Meet me there tomorrow night. I will explain everything - and you can see the threat posed by the Zaghifd first hand." The image flickers, starts to fade, then vanishes altogether. The last you see of Laelth is those large golden eyes.

[Marlowe]

Avita clicks her tongue. "City this size, and yet it's us that has to go everywhere, see everyone,
do everything. Like I said, Gentlemen; welcome to Team Idiot."

She shoulders her bow. "I think he's lying about wards on the door. Wards--I think--are generally Abjurations and I only picked up a Conjuration aura from the critter-binding spell. I grant you I've spent more time developing my winning personality than magical theory, but think I should've spotted that. No, I think our lurker in the garden heard a disturbance and had a way to contact him. And that suggests he has more friends near."

She puts her hands before her and drums her fingertips together. Cold iron gauntleted fingers clicking against pale bony ones. "Not that I don't think you fine gentlemen can't handle whatever's coming...but first things first; let's give that library a damn good ransacking."

She picks up the book of plays from the cabinet, and then moves to head out the door. "Coming, everyone? There might be troublesome stuck shelves."

[rax]

"An interesting chat, though ultimately not very fruitful," Sarrazin says with a shrug. "Laelth's fear of the Zaghifd seems genuine enough, though. As for the motive behind Anckor's invasion, I find it hard to countenance that there are "noble" motives behind it. As I recall, he controls more territory in the Abyss than any other arch-demon. Some demons even see him as a sort of war god, so a more likely motive is simply the desire for further expansion. But considering Laelth's fear of the Zaghifd and, as Avita pointed out, the rag-tag nature of his army, there's another option - this is less an invasion than a migration. It may be that the Zaghifd are driving Anckor's forces before them, which would also help explain why they fight with such ferocity - there's no going back for them, they must win here or die."

"Sarim - has the watcher outside moved? Or is there any sign we'll be getting company soon? If not, I agree with Avita. Let's see what Parker was up to in his library."

[Blackhawk748]

"I agree Sarrazin, this has the reek of desperation about it" Fion says as he follows Avita to the library, bringing the bag of coins with him. "This army has no discipline and that Laelth is an Ena'Qaeral'l, which are a form of nobility from the Abyss, so his tale has even less credibility as i doubt a creature with that much power would strive for 'equality' of anything. In any event, i did find this sack of money under his bed. Im unsure how much he was paid, so i cannot know if it is evidence or not."

[Marlowe]

Avita takes out her wand and scans the library with Detect Magic before stepping through the doorway.

Spoiler: Spellcraftitudes.

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(1d20+2)[17]

"Ah, glad someone knows something.", she rasps. "The money, I'm guessing, is Captain Parker's emergency fund. Whether it came to him honestly is another matter."

[YossarianLives]

Even upon closer examination, the darkened library does not immediately reveal any secrets. The entire thing is packed with books and papers of all kinds, stacked on shelves, pinned to the wall, left in disordered piles on the floor. To thoroughly read everything would take days, weeks. There are old books, new books, paperbacks and thousand-page tomes bound with leather. Most are written in common, some in gnomish, a handful in more exotic tongues like elvish, dwarven, and even draconic.

You are, however, able to more closely examine the maps and graphs on the walls: many are of Senra, its various districts, and the surrounding countryside. Nothing out of the ordinary, they seem to have been bought from a store. Some are hand drawn, the spindly scrawl you recognize as Captain Parker's sketching tunnel systems and some kind of island. A few are clearly written by someone else, detailing vast landscapes, and marked with Abyssal runes. Others still allude you, and even after minutes of staring straight at them, you can't figure out what they are supposed to mean. Just a jumble of meaningless shapes and numbers.

Eventually, though, you find a cluster of crumpled pages that seem to be the instructions for a ritual. It's all there: fresh blood taken from a willing sacrifice, a variety of charms and talismans, a long and complicated incantation to be repeated thrice. All of this to be performed when the second moon is at its fullest. The thing you're missing is what the ritual is actually supposed to do.

Avita continues scanning with her wand, but discovers no traces of magic within range - other than what is still lingering around the burn mark in Parker's bedroom.