Home sweet home

[Sierra]

<El-Cideon> It is now mid-May. You arrive in London full of new information about the late Doctor Ivo and Roscoe Elgin, as well as about your [now significantly less] mysterious German companion. It's a warm spring day, only slightly ruined by a light mist of rain outside, as you arrive at Erin's residence to collect your thoughts.
<Erin>  "Finally, home!" announces Erin, guiding the group to a house enshrouded by tall, unkempt hedges. The lawn has clearly seen better days; weeks of neglect have left it in a sorry state. Still, Erin cheers up upon sighting her "Welcome Home!" doormat, and leads the way inside.
<Erin> A quick tour ensues; the entrance leads almost right into a small lounge; a sofa and an armchair provide just enough seating space for everyone, and a small, grinning statue of a leprechaun sits upon the mantle.The kitchen and guestrooms are fairly ordinary (there are only two beds, both singles), though no room is without a crowded bookshelf and, should one care to look, at least one reference to an eagle.
<Erin> Erin briefly ventures into her study to deposit her recovered text; a glimpse inside reveals half of it to be dominated by a large desk, equipped with a typewriter, voluminious quantities of paper, and assorted odd-smelling pouches which she insists are vital to her spellcasting. A dusty set of chemistry tools- beakers, vials and the like- are packed away in a corner, but she seems as well-equipped as any scientist.
<Erin> "There's not much in the pantry at the moment," says Erin, reappaearing in the lounge with a tray and a pot. "But at least we can have some tea." Her familiar flutters onto a perch in the corner, where it nibbles at some seeds.
<Yomi> "Tea would be great," Yomi agrees, claiming the armchair for herself.
<El-Cideon> Rena seems content with a glass of water and sits down on the sofa, idly looking around the room.
<Erin> "I'll take a trip down to the Lodge tomorrow," says Erin, quickly pouring out a few cups. "I can't say we have the same expertise as Myriam, but we certainly have a lot in the way of records and one-of-a-kind texts. Not to mention Grace- if her avatar is able, she may be able to relay to us the counsel of the Ascended!"
<Yomi> "So we're splitting up and looking for leads?" Yomi inquires, picking up the cup offered her and sipping from it.
<Erin> "I didn't say that... although I suppose we would be able to get more done more quickly," replies Erin, settling into the sofa. "Yes, sorry. We're in a rush, of course. I'd wanted to meet Myriam, I must admit."
<Yomi> "And we don't have that much time to deal with Ivo's finances. You wanted to send a sizable donation to that expat in Jerusalem, didn't you?" she asks Erin.
<El-Cideon> "Who?" Rena asks.
<Yomi> "Erin made many friends during her travels."
<Erin> "Uh, yes," replies Erin. "Anonymously, of course. I should be able to handle that whilst we're here. Disguises are so convenient." She glances at Rena and scrunches a little into her chair. "Rena, if you ever do something unkind to someone who doesn't deserve it, you must be sure to apologize properly."
<El-Cideon> "Why? Will that undo things somehow?" She shrugs. "I think lately they have all deserved it anyway."
* Yomi snorts, drinking some more tea.
<Erin> "Sometimes it can," replies Erin. "Sometimes, things cannot be undone, but at the least one must reflect on their actions so they do not repeat their errors. And I must disagree, in part." She reaches into one of the bags they carried in, and produces Elgin's journal. "From this, it seems that Elgin was as much a victim as anyone."
<Yomi> "He gave in to his inner demons," Yomi says with a shrug. "It was quite unfair, yes, but in the end he was simply too weak."
<Erin> "
<Erin> "Inner demons? I'm fairly certain he was acted on by an external force," replies Erin, with a frown.
<El-Cideon> "Avoiding mistakes is good," Rena says. "I am not convinced I've made any recently, though." Not having spent as much time reading as the others, she adds: "What do you mean?"
<Yomi> "Also possible, but doesn't change him being too weak," Yomi easily responds. She grins at Rena. "You've been making an effort lately, it seems."
<Erin> "What does it matter if someone is weak?" asks Erin, frowning. "Do the weak not deserve sympathy?"
<Yomi> "Sympathy? Sure. But calling him a victim is an absolution of his mistakes. What's to stop any of us from claiming to simply being too weak to resist what life throws at us?"
<El-Cideon> "Father always said they did. But he said a great many things which made no sense to me."
<Erin> "But he was a victim! He was clearly possessed by- I suppose you could call it a demon, if you call it anything- and he surely had no idea what was happening to him. His 'mistake', putting it that way, was not being strong enough to resist. I cannot hold that against the man. I'm not sure I would be, in his situation."
<Yomi> "What about the widow that tried to summon her dead husband, after a demon took advantage of her grief and desperation? Is she just a victim as well, and not truly responsible for all the deaths she brought on?"
<Erin> "That is a different case. She chose to summon a demon. She chose to follow that path on her own. It as not as though she was forcibly compelled to her path, as I believe Elgin was."
<Yomi> "He could have chosen to end his life rather than surrender and be the vessel to unsealing an ancient evil, his path littered with corpses. Death before dishonor covers this quite nicely."
<Erin> "You assume he knew what was happening to him, or was even capable of such by the time he was aware, if he ever was."
<Yomi> "He wrote that it caused him great pain to resist, not that it was impossible," Yomi counters. "In this situation, I know what I would do."
* Ayane (~daniel@95.146.2.21) has joined #HometownHeroes
<Erin> "It was an infliction of the mind, not the body. Ones thoughts become muddled; they revert to basic instincts despite all hope of reason. In that case, even attempting to slay himself would be seen as running, and likely would invite the same pressure." Erin pauses. "Besides, not everyone can be as strong as you. The will to cling to life is strong."
<El-Cideon> "I think I might reconsider a great many things if the alternative was dying," Rena admits.
<Yomi> "You act as if I'm the exception, here!" Yomi exclaims. "Excuses can be found for just about any cowardly, weak or downright evil behavior, and your distinction between Missis Willis and Elgin is hardly better than semantics, as we have no true idea of the extent of compulsion exerted on either until they fell in line.
<Yomi> There must come a time when people take responsibility for their actions rather than abolish it."
<Erin> "Willis used a tome to summon a demon on her own! Elgin stumbled across something he could not suspect, and was dominated by something he could not resist! It isn't even a matter of making his own choices..."
<Yomi> "Didn't the demon hand her the tome to reanimate her husband, not the other way around? And Elgin clearly resisted for a time, he just found it too painful to keep at it!"
<Erin> "No, they called the demon for information," replies Erin, frowning. "Elgin could not possibly have known the consequences of his actions, either. For someone who knows naught of magic or demons, the choice between 'go here' or 'suffer intense torture' would hardly be a difficult one."
<El-Cideon> Rena just sips at her drink, looking from one of you to the other as you talk.
* Ayane (~daniel@95.146.2.21) Quit (Quit: reboot -=SysReset 2.55=-)
<Yomi> "I don't know about that," Yomi says thoughtfully. "I still think that loss of control and suffering intense torture for disobedience is so clearly a hostile act that you don't need particular knowledge of magic or demons to wish to resist or end your existence. But that is beside the point, I suppose.
<Yomi> Assuming I accept your distinction between these two examples, what would the victim status confer on Elgin, beyond a few shed tears in his memory?"
<Erin> Erin pauses for a moment, and then just sighs. "Nothing more on Elgin himself. He is dead and gone, beyond salvation. It was no more than a thought, but... there are two things." She extends a finger. "First, can you really say Nadia has avenged her mother? If a maleficient being was forcing Elgin's actions, under either duress or total control..."
<Yomi> "We can say that she had destroyed the agent of that being, the one wearing Elgin's skin and being directly responsible for that murder."
<Erin> "Indeed. But it seems unlikely to me that that being itself was destroyed. After all, it must have possessed him, or manipulated him somehow- would it need to tie it's life to his?"
<Yomi> "Several options exist, depending on the method of possession. If it was parasitic, we have assuredly destroyed it, but there might be others at the site in Russia Elgin traveled to. If it was manipulation from afar, there is really no way of knowing. And there is always the possibility that Elgin was being possessed by a fraction of that being of fire being sealed away, I suppose?"
<Erin> "Save travelling to Siberia ourselves to learn exactly what occured, we can't confirm any particular possibility on our own. And the risk is clearly far too high. My thought was that it was some parasitic being, indeed- but an incorporeal one, which would try to find a new host with it's old body destroyed."
<Yomi> "In that case, our best bet would actually be to travel to Siberia after all," Yomi admits, frowning. "I can't sense that brand of... whatever they are, and if neither could you nor Justine, then it must avoid magical detection as well. If we can't even sense it, we couldn't possibly hope to contain it without more information."
<El-Cideon> "Where is Siberia?" Rena asks. "I was never interested in geography."
<Erin> "It is on the western side of Russia," replies Erin. "As far as I know, it is an incredibly cold, hostile place; frankly, I can't imagine anyone why anyone would want to go there."
<Erin> OOC: *eastern
<Yomi> "We'll probably conquer it eventually, the way things are going," Yomi muses. "I can't quite tell why we would want to, either."
<El-Cideon> Rena frowns. "Why would we want to conquer Siberia if it's so cold?"
<Yomi> "Oh! Not us, but Japan!" Yomi elaborates for Rena's sake.
<El-Cideon> "Ah."
<El-Cideon> Rena apparently has no opinion on the machinations of global empires, and finishes up her glass of water.
<Yomi> "I don't really get involved much in politics, but that's how it will go where it comes to Russia," Yomi states, placing her own now-empty cup of tea back down.
* Ayane (~daniel@95.146.3.187) has joined #HometownHeroes
<Erin> "It is possible that we will run into someone else in a similar circumstance to Elgin," remarks Erin, after a brief pause. "That is, controlled or possessed by some entity; perhaps with their mind warped in a similar fashion. Should this happen, I would want to try and... well, contain that person."
<Yomi> "How?"
<Erin> Erin scratches her head. "I.. don't know... there's probably a spell or.. the old-fashioned methods."
<El-Cideon> "What are the old-fashioned methods?" Rena wonders.
<Yomi> "My concern is also drawn from your suggestion that it could be an incorporeal parasite, in which case even trapping the host would not do much good. But I suppose that if you can overcome this matter, I could attempt containment."
<Erin> "It may free the host from it's control, so I can't say it won't do much good. Actually, I was suggesting this in the hopes that this could be achieved, as well as to try and study such a being in order to better counteract it."
* Yomi is clearly dubious but doesn't object.
<El-Cideon> ----------------

[Sierra]

<El-Cideon> The Lodge is unassuming enough from the outside. An old brick building in a quietly respectable neighborhood, well-maintained but nothing that draws attention to itself. The inside has seen considerable refurbishment since Grace and her sect took over, though. (more)
<El-Cideon> The foyer is a circular colonnade with a glass-ceilinged roof; zodiacal signs ring the edge of the glass dome. It's nice looking, but not *too* fancy--sometimes a little show of splendor is good for getting someone's attention, as long as it's so flashy they can't concentrate on attaining enlightenment. (more)
<El-Cideon> You see Grace inside as soon as you enter. She's speaking with a gaggle of initiates, but dismisses them as soon as she notices you. She's pretty in an earthy sort of way, short blonde hair, dazzling green eyes, fair complexion. She embraces you with a smile. "Erin! I hadn't heard anything for some time. We were beginning to worry."
<Erin> "I was caught up in something hectic, and never quite found the time to send you something," replies Erin, enthusiastically returning the hug. "You wouldn't believe what happened!"
<El-Cideon> "I'm sure it must be fantastically exciting if it didn't even leave you time to write. Tell me all about it?" she says, starting to lead the way to her office. You pass through familiar hallways, by study rooms, lecture halls, and a library. There's lots of soft, dispersed lighting from behind frosted glass, and heavy carpet muffles footfalls.
<Erin> "Our guess was right, you know, and we weren't the only ones who had suffered a loss." Erin easily falls into step; so many hours have been spent in this place that it's like a second home to her. "I met two others in Instanbul; an oriental demon-slayer looking for a sword, would you believe it? And a Parisian, um, acrobat, seeking out a stolen heirloom."
<Erin> "The short version... we ended up persuing a group of German soldiers throughout Africa. All throughout, they were seeking relics of the past- religious articles, historical idols- and taking them by force and guile. Eventually, we were able to catch up with them in Capetown. Ah, do you know the name Justine?"
<El-Cideon> "Oh yes. Name derived from the Latin word for 'just.' Unless you meant more specifically?" Grace arrives at a wooden door, which she soon unlocks with a key. She's usually not this security-conscious; sure, she'd lock up for the night when everyone was gone, but she usually wouldn't bother doing so while she was still in the building.
<Erin> It's hardly surprising, given that a bold thief has already gatecrashed the premises once. "No, I'm talking of a mage residing in Capetown. Her partner had arranged some sort of deal with the Germans prior to our arrival, which she wished to renege on." Erin stops beside Grace, and rests a hand against the wall. (More)
<Erin> "To that end, she enlisted our help, and we plotted a means to ambush these men. In the end, those responsible for orchestrating these thefts perished."
<El-Cideon> Grace opens the door and enters. Inside is a desk with a wall of books behind it and a few cozy armchairs before it. Grace sits in one of these and motions for you to take the other. "I'm afraid it's not a corner of the world where I have extensive contacts. Is this Justine someone we would want to bring into the Lodge?" (more)
<El-Cideon> "I'm sad to see you had to arrange or participate in what sounds like a violent encounter, Erin. No, you don't need to apologize. I trust you; I'm sure you wouldn't resort to such methods unless the circumstances dictated no other possibilities."
<Erin> "I don't think it is possible. She dabbles in black magic, and views sorcery as nothing more than a tool. Her interests lie within the political sphere, I believe; her grip on Capetown is strong enough to control the police," responds Erin, taking a seat and heaving a sigh. "I can't say it's been the only one," she murmurs. "There was an incident in Zanzibar as well..."
<El-Cideon> "Oh? You were there? I've heard rumors of...something happening there. The details are not clear. There are many wild stories. Something about a mansion burning down. As for this woman, well, I'm disturbed, but what you've told me is all the more reason to reach out. If she can be reasoned with, at least."
<Erin> "She can certainly be reasoned with, but it will always be on her terms," replies Erin. "In Zanzibar, a widow sought to ressurect her late husband. To do so, she sought the aid of demons and instigated a ritual that would consume the souls of the living. In the end, her spell was interrupted, and she was slain by her own creation. So many died..."
<El-Cideon> "Demons?" Grace looks both surprised and appalled. "I knew such things existed, but it's different to hear about them firsthand. I'm sorry you had to experience all these terrible things, Erin. There are times I wonder if we here could be doing more to prevent them. The world can be a brutal place outside our little sphere of civilization."
<Erin> "Already we've seen two copies of the Pseudomonarcha Demonomicon," says Erin, withdrawing the tome they kept and placing it on the desk. "I destroyed the first, but what if they are more common than either of us think? That Yomi... in Japan, apparently, demon-slaying is a full-time job, and I even spoke with a demon in Germany myself! To deal with such entities, one must understand them-"
<Erin> "-but don't we preach that understanding leads to empathy? Can I truly afford to emphasize with such creatures?" She gives a wry snort. "I can almost understand the merits behind the inquisition."
<El-Cideon> "Please do not even joke about that," Grace says seriously. She eyes the book as though it were a spitting viper, eventually leaning in to take a careful look through its pages. "There are forces in this world that mean nothing but ill for mankind," she says sadly. "Empathy is important to distinguish us from them, but even I have to admit that there are times when proper judgement dictates we keep a safe distance." (more)
<El-Cideon> "Those we rely on things such as this--" she taps the cover of the book, "--are sad, lost souls. They are being taken advantage of, sometimes by outside forces, sometimes by their own base desires, and denied enlightenment as a result. You need to be cautious ind ealing with them." She suddenly sounds very tired.
<Erin> "Caution is the watchword of the day. A bullet can put a forcible stop to their activities, should they threaten the innocent. But I don't think I'm strong enough to know when it's necessary. I feel that if resorting to violence becomes frequent, it will begin to overtake my thoughts."
<El-Cideon> "You'll always be safe here, at least." She sighs. "Or I would like to think so, despite recent evidence to the contrary. Did you retrieve what was taken? Or does the road still call to you? Do you still travel with these others you met? Your companions sound...colorful. Tell me about them?"
<Erin> "I did indeed! After the events in Capetown, I learned the location of the Journal. I brought it with me, in fact, and as indeed my travels have not ended, I would leave it here until they are done. Yomi and Nadia helped me, and I can hardly abandon them simply because I've got what I wanted..."
<Erin> She smiles to herself, and props up her chin. "They are harder women than me, I think. Nadia lost her mother when her heirloom was stolen, and she was driven was much by revenge as a need to recover it. She's... talented, in many things. It doesn't matter where we were, she always had a talent for getting along with people and ferreting things out.
<Erin> "And as I said, Yomi is a demon-slayer. She possesses a great focus and strength of will on that topic, and is a very stoic individual. I can't help but think she's been as affected by recent events as me, though. Or perhaps I simply hope she has. I don't want to think anyone can see the carnage I have and be so inured to it that they simply carry on."
<Erin> "There was also a third Rena, a.. it's difficult to describe. We met her in Mecca, where she was the kept woman of a collector there, but.. well. She thinks like a child- no, more simplistically. It is as though she has no experience of the world, no ability to learn. This might shed a bit more light on the topic,-" she adds, handing over a certain folder containing the information they had on the girl.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+14
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+14 and gets 27."12 [1d20=13]
<El-Cideon> Grace takes the folder and quickly scans its contents. "Alfred Linden?" she says with a raised eyebrow. "Interesting. Very promising young biologist, disappeared during the Great War. I'd assumed he was a civilian casualty. Where did you find this?"
<Erin> "In Germany," replies Erin. "In the home of Kaspar Ivo, the one who orchestrated the thefts I spoke of; he died in Capetown. I also found the journal there, as well as some information on his other projects- which are all equally disturbing, I must warn you."
<El-Cideon> Grace wrinkles her nose in distaste. "I know about Ivo. He made several overtures for occult information, all of which I rebuffed due to the loathsome ideology with which he aligned himself. It does not surprise me considerably to know he was responsible." Grace pauses and reads at length, occasionally asking minor questions but mostly keeping her thoughts to herself as she does so. She has tea and a light lunch brought in for you, meanwhile. (more)
<El-Cideon> She has tea and a light lunch brought in for you, meanwhile. (more)
<El-Cideon> She has a very sober expression on her face by the time she's done. "My heart goes out to this young woman, no matter what she's done. Straight from an object of curiosity in a Nazi laboratory to foreign captivity. I can't imagine what that would do to someone's mind. She sounds greatly disturbed. I don't like to think that anyone is innately flawed, though. The basis of the Lodge is providing enlightenment, after all. Tell me honestly, what do you think her prospects are?"
<El-Cideon>  after all. Tell me honestly, what do you think her prospects are?"
<Erin> "She is inquisitive enough; I can't count the number of times she's inquired about things that would seem ordinary to you and me," replies Erin, frowning. "She wants for little and seeks to gain it in the most direct manner. If something bothers her, she is likely to simply walk away or attack it, as you can see," she adds. (More)
<Erin> "She cannot function independantly, and is remarkably obedient, I feel. She's entirely lacking in self-consciousness, as well. She clearly needs some form of guidance and instruction, and it must be from someone she likes and respects, or might wish to emulate- which has created a dillema for me." (More)
<Erin> "On the one hand, she clearly has an attachment to us, most strongly seen in Yomi, I would imagine. If she accompanied us as we travelled, I'm sure it could have a positive effect on her, and pave the way to her finding her own.. wants? A niche, perhaps?" (more)
<Erin> "But on the other hand, as you've seen, our travels could easily lead us into more pressing situations; violence, espionage, deception will all make an appearance, I believe. I think she's had enough of that in her life and could do with a more ordinary existence for a time." (More)
<Erin> "Furthermore, she doesn't grapple with ethics or morals, as we might. She's certainly very strong, and a cynic might point out that by taking her with us, we're simply trying to use her for our own advantage, whatever other qualifiers we might add. She would hardly object, but it somehow feels wrong..."
<El-Cideon> "I would never believe that you were trying to exploit someone, Erin," Grace says. She looks lost in contemplation for a moment, then: "What kind of 'ordinary existence' would you suggest for her, if you felt that to be the best option? If she is genuinely attached to you and your friends, I would suggest that severing that connection is not for the best unless you can think of a good answer to that question." (more)
<El-Cideon> "I would ask that you do what you can to see to her moral education if you continue to travel with her, but..." She looks at the journals. "That has been attempted before. It might be that she simply doesn't respond well to teachers. Perhaps friends would be more effective? Whatever the case, there are things she will have to understand to live a normal life."(more)
<El-Cideon> "I am not certain how to advise you to see that she understands these things, save that her nature and her situation demand a novel approach."
<Erin> "I believe she will take her cues from those she is friendly with," replies Erin, with a nod. "So it would be important for us to conduct ourselves well at all times. It's because of that, that I'm not sure I could be a good mentor in this regard."
<El-Cideon> "In my experience, Erin, you have never conducted yourself in any manner but conscientiously, and I have confidence that you will continue to do so. Your humility does you credit, though."

[Sierra]

<Erin> "Travelling has certainly not bolstered my ego," replies Erin, as her eyes wander around Grace's office. "Seeing the world is a humbling thing in many ways, but I must continue to do so. Much more is at stake, I believe, than a few of our possessions. I doubt you've heard of him, but do you know the name Roscoe Elgin?"
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+14
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+14 and gets 32."12 [1d20=18]
<El-Cideon> "I've encountered the name on occasion, though never the man. Mentioned in association with the geographical society, occasionally contributes to scientific journals, that sort of thing. What is this about?"
<Erin> "I wish I knew exactly what it was. When I encountered him, the man was Ivo's right hand, and mage far beyond our powers; he could rain about with fire, or freeze you in your tracks! He seemed utterly inhuman, as well; cold, unfeeling, single-minded on his task and unconcerned with the destruction he must wreak to get it." (More)
<Erin> "After he died- we learned so much only after the deaths of these men- we found out that Elgin had travelled to Siberia, where something changed him. Something had got into his mind and taken it over, transforming the naturalist into this... being."
<El-Cideon> Grace sighs. "Well, possession by supernatural forces isn't unheard of even these days. And the behavior you describe doesn't at all resemble the reputation I know. What do you think this 'something' was?"
<Erin> "I can barely guess, save that it was not a demon. All I have to work from is his behaviour, and-" In sparse detail, Erin quickly describes her experiences in shifting from one world to another, and the broken tombstone she found there. "It held great power, but to what end, I do not know."
<El-Cideon> "How do you know it was not a demon? This mysterious force certainly sounds as though it acted with complete disregard for human life or morality. As for this other world...moving so easily from one place to another as you did takes great skill. There are few who could do this even with considerable preparation. And a simple object enabled you to do this?"
<Erin> "It is a combination of the object and the right position. I suppose there most be areas closer to other worlds than others?"
<El-Cideon> "Well, there are locations around our world where other spaces are, for a better word, closer. More accessible. What do you think their interest was in going to this place was?"
<Erin> "The tombstones, I think, are sealing something, and Elgin wanted to free it. Whatever it is, Ivo seemed to believe it possessed enormous destructive power."
<El-Cideon> A frown. "Well, the available information is rather vague, but I agree that all of this is far from comforting. Are you going to continue investigating, or do you believe the death of these men resulted in the end of their project as well? Where would your search take you next, if you continued?"
<Erin> "Paris, most likely," replies Erin. "Ivo and Elgin are dead, but I cannot shake the feeling that the force that possessed Elgin will not be stopped that easily. On a more concrete level, one of their assistants is likely to have the will and the way to continue these projects in their stead, so it is she was must track down. The... Countess Masha Konstantinova."
<Erin> "She is also the last known holder of Nadia's heirloom, and we were considering searching her out in Paris."
<El-Cideon> Grace nods. "A Russian?" she says with a raised eyebrow. "An interesting collection of helpers for a Nazi scientist."
<Erin> "I don't really know anything about her. Time is of the essence; a demon claiming to have some vision of the future claimed that a work of great destruction is likely to be completed within the next month, and I know of nobody else who might be able to make it happen. It is difficult to avoid heeding it's warning."
<El-Cideon> "A demon? You spoke to such a creature? How can you be sure that anything it said was true?" Grace shakes her head. "I have to admit, Erin--in this short time, you've seen and experienced things I know only from study. I don't know whether to be envious or feel sorry for you."
<Erin> "Perhaps you could be grateful?" replies Erin, arching an eyebrow. "After all, the more I see, the more it confirms that our studies have merit! When all this is done, I assure you, you'll have nobody more dedicated to this path than me."
<El-Cideon> "Oh, don't take it the wrong way, Erin. I simply don't like seeing you in danger and can't help but regret somewhat that I may have had some role in putting you in harm's way. I *am* grateful for your friendship and assistance--that's why I worry."
<Erin> "I have learned just about every protective charm I can," replies Erin, steepling her fingers. "If it means that I will be in the right place at the right time to prevent another tragedy from occuring, then neither of us should have any regrets."
<El-Cideon> A nod. "Of course, and I will do anything that I can to help. Kasper Ivo was loathesome enough in life. I wouldn't wish to see his schemes prosper even after his passing."
<Erin> "I'll leave behind copies of the notes I've made on their work," replies Erin. "If you could try and look into some of the more esoteric aspects of it, that would be grand." She coughs to herself. "I know we're not exactly overflowing with resources, and what I have at hand seems to be sufficient for our needs. How have things been in my absence?"
<El-Cideon> "Superficially? As they've always been. I've been beside myself with paranoia since the count's diary was stolen, however. I keep returning to the fact that no one outside the lodge should have known of its existence, and concluding that someone among us spread word of it." (more)
<El-Cideon> "Ivo had made requests for information before--always rebuffed. I've been wondering if someone we count as friend and fellow scholar alerted the doctor to your studies--for ideological reasons or personal gain, I don't know which. I have no proof of any of this, but the suspicion gnaws at me and I find myself keeping everyone at arm's length and always watching for signs of betrayal." (more)
<El-Cideon> "It makes me feel quite the little tyrant, sometimes, worrying so about threats from my own flock."
<Erin> "But only the our innermost confidantes would have known, it wasn't a topic we introduce to neophytes," replies Erin, her lips twisting to a frown. "It's hard to believe someone willing to betray us is so close at hand. I made no secret of my return, either..."
<El-Cideon> Grace sighs. "Well, this conversation at least is between the two of us. No one should know where you're going next. And I am observing our friends to determine who might've betrayed our secret--feeling quite boorish and overbearing doing so, but I'm afraid it is necessary." (more)
<El-Cideon> "If I determine that there is an outside agent within the lodge, then...would you assist me in confronting this person? I don't intend an interrogation, just a straightforward conversation between concerned equals. But I would appreciate having you with me, as a friend and to explain to this person exactly what manner of harm they've caused."
<Erin> "Of course! I'm afraid you might find me full of admonishments, however," replies Erin. "I won't be in London long, either. It is still safe to leave the journal here, correct? If we take the proper precautions, then surely nobody could steal it a second time."
<El-Cideon> "Of course. They will have to go through me to get it this time." Grace stands up and walks to a painting on the wall, which she removes to reveal a safe. "Look at me now," she says, sounding mildly embarassed, "keeping a secret safe like the leader of some spy ring. It should be secure here, at least. What do you plan to do with...that?" she says, pointing to the demon-summoning manual.
<Erin> "I don't intend to summon any demons, if that's what you're asking. Heaven help us if the situation becomes dire enough to consider it, as hell most certainly will not," replies Erin. "But I will study it nonetheless, to better know them should they raise their ugly heads again.
<Erin> "
<Erin> OOC: grr
<El-Cideon> "Very well. I trust you well enough to know you won't get in over your head--at least, moreso than is already unavoidable. I probably do not need to tell you to be careful, but I must do so anyhow."
<Erin> "I may rewrite it later, once I have time," adds Erin. "Nobody needs to know how to summon these demons, but a book of exorcisms and advice on how to dispatch them could not go awry."
<El-Cideon> "Yes. I had not anticipated training a corps of exorcists when I founded the lodge, I must admit. The path to enlightenment is a rockier one than expected."
<Erin> "We may not be able to force humanity to accept our teachings," murmurs Erin. "But we can at least prevent dark forces from enroaching on our collective soul."
<El-Cideon> Grace nods. "A modest victory is better than none. It's an arduous task we've chosen to undertake here--one can't expect to reform civilization in a day. Setting a good example for others to follow is a good start, at least."
<El-Cideon> ~