No kidnapping goes unpunished

[Sierra]

<El-Cideon> Night passes. Yomi, Nadia and Rena experience the warm, fuzzy feeling of spending the first night in their own home. The next morning, several blocks away, Erin receives two more letters. One is from Grace: "Erin (and friends): You fare well in your travels, I hope? It's been some time since I received any word. I have news of my own this time. (more)
<El-Cideon> "With some effort, I opened a dialogue with Justine Cropp. She was at first extremely reluctant to provide any information about herself or her capabilities, interested only in learning what personal gain there might be in working with the Lodge. (more)
<El-Cideon> "The last exchange saw this diffidence suddenly dissolve, for reasons which are unclear to me. Justine was not interested in elaborating to me personally, stating only that an incoming parcel would explain it. (more)
<El-Cideon> "It arrived at the lodge last night. The messenger has not been waiting patiently and refuses to turn the delivery over to anyone but you. She seems to have no ill intentions and has not caused any sort of disruption, but it's obvious that she does not enjoy staying here." (more)
<El-Cideon> The second is from Myriam is comparatively terse: "Target located. See me. -M"
<Erin> That seems to indicate what Erin's affairs will be whilst dwelling in London today, so she sets the letters aside and makes herself a slight breakfast whilst waiting for everyone else to show up that morning.
<Nadia_Chekova> Outside Erin's house along with Yomi and Rena, Nadia knocks on the door! She could just pick the lock and sneak in, but why bother with friends?
<Yomi> Sleeping in her own bed in a house she co-owns is quite nice, but the place still has a long way to go before it could be entirely comfortable. At the very least until the furniture on the ground floor has been replaced and no longer smells of cats, Yomi intends to visit Erin over breakfast.
<El-Cideon> There's a knock on Erin's door! Who could it be?
<Erin> Normally, the door wouldn't even be locked, Erin being utterly fearless when it comes to random strangers, but in this case it didn't seem prudent while the temperament of her guest was in question. Therefore, she wanders towards it and swings it open. "Good morning! Have you settled in nicely? Did you speak to your neighbours? The people in this neighbourhood are mostly Irish expatriates-"
<Erin> "-but I'm sure you'll fit in well."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Speak to the neighbours? Oh, I suppose we should be nice..." Nadia seems intially surprised and then disappointed as the requirements of politeness make themselves known to her. "Well, no rush..." she shrugs easily. "At least we have those high hedges to keep people away."
<Yomi> "If it's anything like home, the neighbors would smile, and quietly disapprove and gossip behind our backs," Yomi volunteers. "How are things over here?"
<El-Cideon> Rena shrugs. "That would be better than saying unpleasant things to my face and throwing rocks at me."
<Nadia_Chekova> "No one will throw rocks at you while we're around," Nadia promises Rena as she heads into Erin's house. "Are Uliana and Suzume both settled okay over here?"
<Erin> "Oh, I think most would be happy to share a drink or two, and most of the gossip will be about their husbands," replies Erin, blinking. "It's the old lords and ladies who tend to be all snooty about outsiders, and they don't frequent around here, oh no. Ah, they haven't woken up yet."
<Erin> "Anyway! I received some letters today," she adds, bustling back towards the lounge. "Miriam wants to speak with us- it seems she's located our quarry. The Lodge has also received a messenger from Justine, so I'll have to pop down there today and see him."
<Yomi> "And there's Uliana, too. Is she well enough to tell us what happened to her?"
<Erin> "Like I said, she's still asleep," replies Erin. "I thought I'd let her rest for the time being, since we've been on the move for a while, now, but she'll have to get up sometime."
* Yomi shrugs. "I figured you'd wake her for breakfast. Want to visit Myriam for now, then?"
<Nadia_Chekova> "Suits me," Nadia throws in easily, not much caring how they order their activities.
<Erin> "I'll just wake up Suzume, then, and let her know what's happening," replies Erin, heading of to do that.
<El-Cideon> Suzume's stirring just as Erin gets there. She climbs out of bed, nods and mumbles a sleepy "Good morning." There's also a muffled yelp and a thump from the other guest room.
<Erin> "Er..." mumbles Erin. "Just a moment. There's some breakfast laid out in the kitchen," she notes, before rushing off to check on her other guest!
<El-Cideon> Uliana is on the floor, in a tangle of bedsheets, panting and sweating. She looks up at Erin. "I thought for a moment I was on fire again," she says, her English thickly accented. Something about her voice sounds damaged, slightly hoarse, but Erin would have noted this as normal for the woman. "I am awake now?"
<El-Cideon> Suzume peeks in briefly, then makes her way to the kitchen to greet the others. "Good morning," she says with a bow. "How is your new house?"
<Yomi> "Warm," Yomi responds, waving Suzume in.
<Erin> "You're awake, and everything's fine! You're completely safe here," she notes, helping Uliana up off the ground. "Are you feeling well now?" she adds, putting a palm on her forehead. "Because it is a remarkably nice day today, the likes of which is rare in England, and it would be a shame to spend it indoors."
<Nadia_Chekova> "It's strange to have a house after so long going between hotels," Nadia admits. "But I like it. It has character!"
<El-Cideon> Uliana nods. She feels warm, but that too is normal for her as far as Erin can tell from the past few days. She doesn't show any other signs of being physically ill, at least. "Yes," she says. "I have spent too long indoors."
<El-Cideon> "It is a nice house," Rena says. "I will be sure to keep this one clean. Father's became a terrible mess after he died."
<Yomi> Then don't kill your housemates and let it become a mess, Yomi can't help but think at that.
<Erin> "Alright, then. There are some fresh clothes in the dresser, and breakfast in the kitchen whenever you're ready," offers Erin, before leaving Uliana to it and heading back to join the others. "I think she had a bad dream," she notes. "But she seems otherwise healthy and lucid."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Is she up to coming with us? Since it was Myriam who told us about her in the first place we could introduce them," Nadia suggests. "Actually, didn't Myriam say she felt like Uliana could sense whatever magic she was using? I wonder if she might even recognise Myriam that way?" she hums thoughtfully, leaning on Erin's counter in the kitchen.
<Erin> "I don't see why not, really," replies Erin. "She seemed well, and I do think she should go out, you know?"
<Nadia_Chekova> "A bit of sun and fresh air will surely do her good," the brunette agrees with a nod. "So, Myriam and then the Lodge? Or the other way around?"
<Erin> "Well, I suppose I shouldn't keep Justine's man waiting too long..." admits Erin, with a shrug. "I believe he's dropping off the other bracelet, actually. Although I did think it was strange how he will only give it to me."
<Nadia_Chekova> "I hope it's not cursed..."
<Yomi> "Do you know how to break curses?" Yomi asks Suzume curiously.
<El-Cideon> "Well, some," the Japanese girl says, bustling around the room pouring tea for anyone who wants any. "It depends on the curse."
<Yomi> "You might be in luck, then, even if it's cursed!" Yomi tells Erin with a bright grin. "Let's go?"
<Erin> "I'm sure she has nothing against me," replies Erin, frowning. "I doubt she'd go to all this trouble for something like that."
<El-Cideon> So the group sets out across London, to the Lodge. Uliana's donned a plain, blue sleeveless dress. She rubs her arms, hugs herself tightly as you walk through the city, looking around her constantly with an odd expression. "There's so much sky," she says as you arrive at the Lodge. "I am not used to seeing it any longer. Sometimes I feel as though it will crush me."
<Nadia_Chekova> "You'll get used to it again soon, I'm sure," Nadia tries to reassure the Russian woman. "Isn't the fresh air nice after so long in that dank little room?"
<Erin> Eventually it will, Erin muses, when London is struck by one of it's characteristic rainstorms.
<El-Cideon> "Yes, it is." She breathes deeply, then wrinkles her nose a little. "Even if cities smell too much of cars and smoke. I am not used to that either. I have not thanked you all, have I?" she says as you walk up to the Lodge's front door. "I was sure I would be kept there forever as penance. The Lord must have sent you to show His mercy."
<Erin> "I don't believe there is a need to hold yourself responsible for actions committed by another," notes Erin, pushing the door to the Lodge open. "I'm just sorry that mercy was so long in coming."
<Nadia_Chekova> "He does work in mysterious ways..." Nadia hums a little, still really not sure what to make of religion in a world where she knows the things she knows. "But it was more than just charity, since we need to learn about the demon that possessed you."
<El-Cideon> "It was my weakness that allowed the devil to work through me," she replies to Erin, with some heat. "I am only relieved to have a chance for redemption."
<El-Cideon> There are a few novices loitering around the Lodge's entryway; no one Erin personally knows, but someone seems to recognize her and leaves saying they'll find Grace for her.
<Erin> "I won't discourage you. I just hope you can forgive yourself as well," replies Erin, after a moment of thought.
<El-Cideon> "It is not my place to grant forgiveness," she says firmly.
<El-Cideon> Shortly, Grace arrives. "Erin!" she says with a smile. "So you are alive after all. I hadn't heard anything since the letter from Japan. I was becoming worried." She walks right up and embraces her old friend.
<Erin> "Ah, I'm sorry! I'm still here despite the best efforts of a few- I kept expecting that I would arrive home before any second letter, don't you know?" she replies, returning the hug.
<El-Cideon> "Well, isn't that the way of things? It's not a proper vacation if you don't arrive before your own postcard. How is everyone else?" She looks over the rest of the group. "You have new friends, if I'm not mistaken?"
<Nadia_Chekova> "Hello, I'm Nadia," Nadia smiles at Erin's cult leader. "Erin talks about you all the time!" she adds gushingly.
<Erin> "Ah, these are my compatriots- us girls against the world, it seems," she adds, smiling. "Everyone, this is Grace, my mentor, as I'm sure you've guessed. I told you about Yomi, Nadia, and Rena, didn't I?" She nods at the women in turn. "Don't worry. It was all good things."
* Yomi bows upon her introduction. "A pleasure."
<El-Cideon> "That must be very tiring," she replies to Nadia with a good-natured smile.
<El-Cideon> Suzume also bows and introduces herself, otherwise not wanting to intrude on the reunion. Rena seems content to let others introduce her. Uliana's busy looking at the architecture; the main hall is quite large, with a glass-domed ceiling.
<Erin> "Ah, and this is Uliana Petrova," she adds, glancing at the Russian girl.
<Nadia_Chekova> "Oh, no, not at all," Nadia politely waves off Grace's concerns. "It's always interesting to hear about the things Erin's learned here. And I think you've helped us a few times on our travels after correspondence with Erin, so that's appreciated as well."
<El-Cideon> "Hello, Uliana. You are recovering well from your long ordeal, I hope?" Grace sounds as polite as one possibly can while knowing how awkward it is to ask about twenty years of imprisonment.
<El-Cideon> "I am unsure," the Russian woman says. She still maintains her protective, closed-in pose. "I am unused to the things I see around me. I outlived the world I knew."
<El-Cideon> "Er...Well, everyone here would be glad to help you get back on your feet. If you need something, you only need to ask." Grace turns back to Erin. "You have a visitor. She's been in my office again this morning, harassing me. 'When will Erin arrive? when can I go back home?'"
<Erin> "There's always a chance for a fresh start," insists Erin. "You just need to find something to ground you, I think. Like a hobby, or a job, or something like that. Before you know it you'll be fitting right in- oh, it's a she? I wonder if it's that dreadful woman..." mutters Erin, shaking her head. "Well, let's send her on her way, shall we?"
<El-Cideon> Grace nods and leads you through the halls of the Lodge to her office. Sitting in the armchair across from Grace's desk is someone you recognize--Justine's young flunky, snub-nosed, round-faced, disapproving of everything she sets her eyes on. "Finally," she says, standing up. She walks right over to Erin then shoves a wrapped package and a thick envelope into her hands.
<Erin> "Ah, thank you," replies Erin, reaching to slip open the envelope. "I hope you weren't kept here too long," she adds, relentlessly polite. "But I'm afraid I was out of the country on an extended trip. It's fortunate I returned now, really."
<El-Cideon> "Long enough," she says, watching Erin. The envelope contains a wad of cash--British pounds--and a handwritten letter which contains the following:
<El-Cideon> "I write to you from my home. My headquarters is presently being refurbished to repair the destruction wrought by a stray madman who forced his way in, demanded any and all possessions left by our unfortunate Nazi visitors, and unleashed an unholy arcane fury when refused. He caused considerable property damage, killed several of my men, and all in all disrupted my organization in quite unacceptable fashion. (more)
<El-Cideon> "Thank you once again for involving me in your affairs. It is evident that in the eyes of whatever power opposes you I am now an adversary. This leaves me with little choice but to assist you until this mysterious entity is eliminated. As I am loathe to leave my personal affairs unattended, this amounts to offering you what small material assistance I can spare. (more)
<El-Cideon> "This presently includes: the sum of cash included in this envelope, to be used to fund your wanderings; the trinkets carried by Elgin at the time of his death, which you should already have if you are reading this; and the services of my bodyguard, Hazel. (more)
<El-Cideon> "I acquired her last year after repeatedly seeing her dining or riding alone at the country club. She was a sufficiently pathetic sight that I thought she could benefit socially from travelling within my circles. (more)
<El-Cideon> "Certain deviant predilections quickly became apparent, however; I could tolerate her as long as these remained unvoiced, but she couldn't resist declaring her feelings in the wake of the attempt on my life and it is now entirely too awkward to have her by my side. No good deed goes unpunished, as they say. Had I known what I was inviting into my presence, I would have saved myself the embarassment. (more)
<El-Cideon> "But perhaps you will have sufficiently fewer compunctions to make use of her. She does have some skill with firearms and admittedly was of help in repelling the intruder. I have instructed her to follow your orders. However she may complain, she is obedient. Send her back if you wish, though I don't know what I could do with her at this juncture. -Justine"
<Erin> "Justine is a very giving woman," notes Erin, with a wry grin. She passes the letter to Yomi for a moment. "I'll need to send her my regards for these gifts."
* Yomi scans it, pausing and having to reread a segment midway through it. "I suppose this supports the theory that the possession can jump bodies?" she comments on the one part of the letter she actually can in present company.
<El-Cideon> "It wasn't the same man as last time," Hazel confirms. "Since you shot him in the head and all. He was some local. No one important. Anyway, the box has anything magic we found on Elgin."
<Erin> "That would complicate matters severely," notes Erin, grimacing. "It might come here, in some guise. I don't think our acolytes are ready for that sort of thing," she adds, glancing at Grace.
<Nadia_Chekova> "Really?" Nadia leans over to take a look at the letter herself. "So, we think the stray madman picked up what was possessing Elgin? What's to stop someone else being possessed after you killed this one?"
* Yomi passes the letter along. "Did he happen to use the same magic as Elgin, come to think of it?"
<Erin> "We don't know how the mechanism works, but if it can be passed on, then the only option would be to restrain the possessed until a more permanent solution can be derived. That is, assuming it would not jump until it's host has perished..."
<Yomi> "Uliana and Suzume might be able to come up with something. We're not entirely out of options just yet."
<El-Cideon> "I don't know about that," Hazel snaps at Nadia. "I just follow orders. Anyway, it was nasty stuff, whatever he used. A few of the guards got shredded in an ice storm. Couple others, he did something to their heads and they ran off screaming. Like before--like Justine's magic, but stronger." She sounds pained by the admission.
<Nadia_Chekova> "They're our best chance," Nadia sighs and nods in agreement with Yomi, ignoring Hazel's snappishness. "At least it doesn't seem to have much guidance in who it possesses next, otherwise it would have went for one of us or Justine's men instead of a random local."
<Erin> "It went for Justine's place, I thought," replies Erin, frowning. "I suppose Elgin would have known of it himself as it is, but I can't discount the possibility of another appearing here or finding us in the future. In actuality, that is something of a blessing- at least it may come after those better equipped to deal with it, instead of uninvolved innocents."
* Yomi nods at Nadia. "There must be some restrictions upon this power of possession that we should be able to use to our advantage, if we find out more about them."
<El-Cideon> "Yeah. It was looking for Elgin's things. Better you people have them than Justine."
<Nadia_Chekova> "With how much we move around it'll have a hard time catching us, anyway," Nadia adds cheerily.
<Erin> "I should hope so, Elgin hadn't had any signs of being able to ignore distance," notes Erin, deciding to finally unwrap the package and take a look at Justine's backhanded gifts.
<El-Cideon> The package contains two things: one is a familiar blue bracelet--"That's mainly what he was yelling at us about before he attacked," Hazel points out--and a long wooden box. Inside is a machete with a grimy, rusted blade.
<El-Cideon> "Found that thing on Elgin too. Put it in a box because no one likes carrying it. Doesn't feel right."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Doesn't look very impressive," Nadia mutters as she looks at it, but she's smart enough not to pick it up.
<Erin> "Can you get this knife identified, Grace? And I suppose we'd better keep the bracelet with us for now..."
<El-Cideon> There is also a small note from Justine describing her deductions about it. (OOC: loot post)
<El-Cideon> "No need," Hazel says. "There's a letter in there. Justine took a look at the thing before sending it."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Well, we can't dispute that she knows her magic," Nadia allows, looking up at Hazel. "So, you're joining our merry little band? I'm sure there's some sort of moral or meaning in everyone involved in this secret war being a woman, but I couldn't really say."
<El-Cideon> "Justine told me to do what you said, so that's what I'm going to do. I don't have to like it and I don't have to be your friend, but if Justine says help, I'm not going to argue."
<Erin> "We don't really have any particular tasks that would make use of your talents right at the moment, save guard duty," notes Erin. "Are you experienced in fighting demons, or other such supernatural beings?"
<El-Cideon> "Well, I shot up the man that came for Justine, and he sure wasn't any normal person. That, uh...that was my first time shooting anything other than a target range. But I'm alive and most everyone else who tried to stop him isn't."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Good enough for me," Nadia shrugs with a little grin. "More people between me and the horrible monsters is all I can ask for."
<Yomi> "That makes you qualified to shoot demons," Yomi agrees.
<El-Cideon> "What makes you think I'll be in front of you?" she says to Nadia.
* Nadia_Chekova just smiles. "I'm faster and sneakier than you are."
<El-Cideon> "Huh. I'll believe that when I see it."
<Erin> "That sounds like a paradox."
<El-Cideon> "A what?"
<Erin> "A contradiction. After all, if you see Nadia sneaking about, she's not being sneaky enough, see?"
<El-Cideon> "Well, yeah, that was my point--oh. I see."
<Yomi> "You ruin it by explaining things," Yomi complains. "And anyway, let's not have contest about who runs away from the demons better, shall we?"
<Nadia_Chekova> "Very clever wordplay," Nadia agrees dryly. "And of course, with Yomi and Rena's swords and now Hazel's guns, surely no demons will threaten us now."
<Yomi> "Except the communist demon, if he's evil."
<Nadia_Chekova> "He never bothered us after he got his snake, did he?" Nadia asks, fully vindicated in her decision to hand it over as soon as Yomi started wetting herself at his sheer demonic potency.
<Erin> "He didn't bother us beforehand, either," notes Erin. "Anyway, ee have an appointment with Myriam that we really must keep. I'll drop by later, Grace."
<Yomi> "He never bothered us before it, either. That entire meeting was just too weird."
<El-Cideon> Grace nods. "I wouldn't mind speaking to you more later if you have time. Take care for now."
<El-Cideon> Hazel makes her way back to the hotel she'd been using, telling you where to find her but not sounding too displeased to be leaving your company. Everyone else hops a train out of the city proper; it's a ten-minute walk from the last stop to Myriam's estate, secluded as it is along a small country road. (more)
<El-Cideon> "Who is this person and what do we see her for?" Uliana asks as you walk down the drive towards the mansion's front door. "This is all to stop the demon who took control of me?"
<Yomi> "We're working towards that end, yes. Myriam is the one who let us know about your situation in the first place."
<Erin> "We are attempting to track down those who have allied themselves with that demon in the past at present, as well as to defeat that entity as well."
<El-Cideon> "I thought it certain divine influence guided you to me. I could not imagine why else anyone in the outside world would remember or care about me." She nods. "It is a relief to be in the company of those willing to do the Lord's work and destroy this monster."
<Nadia_Chekova> "It was only because we met another who was possessed by the demon that we became involved at all," Nadia tells Uliana. "It might be helpful for you to read his diary, actually, and compare his experiences with your own - we have it back at Erin's house."
<El-Cideon> Uliana nods. A knock at Myriam's front door summons her imposing assistant, dressed as always like a bouncer ready to throw out unwelcome patrons from a classy restaurant. "Ah, good. We've been expecting you."
<Erin> "Good afternoon. Is Myriam able to see us now, then?" asks Erin, clasping her hands.
<El-Cideon> "Quite. Follow me, please." He holds the door open to let everyone inside. There are again two large, strangely-hued dogs lounging about the foyer, watching intently as you pass by. (more)
<El-Cideon> He leads you down the central hallway of the mansion, down which you'd partly traveled last time, the one lined with lush, nineteenth-century paintings with scenes out of mythology, fairies and knights abundant. At the end of the hall, he turns left down another, then takes a door immediately on his right. (more)
<El-Cideon> You find yourself in a room lined with mirrors along every wall--even the door is one, you see once the man closes it. The floor is patterned in golden-hued hardwood. It'd be a good place for a ball, though the stone pedestal in the center would be strangely out of place for such. Myriam stands by it, turning as you enter. "You have more friends this time, I see. Amassing your own little armry?"
<Erin> "Apparently, we are at war, so I suppose it is appropriate to call it an army."
<Yomi> "It does feels that way at times," Yomi echoes Erin, bowing in greeting. "How have you been, Myriam?"
<El-Cideon> "I suppose we are, alas. Secret wars can be some of the most vicious. And well enough, Yomi." She gestures to the luxurious room around her. "You know, I endure. Introduce me to your new recruits?"
<El-Cideon> Uliana's eyes widen as she looks at her. She points. "You! You were spying on me!"
<El-Cideon> Myriam shrugs. "Only for your own benefit."
<Nadia_Chekova> "That's Myriam, Uliana," Nadia sidles up to the Russian, "She was doing that to find you so that she could tell us where to rescue you from."
<Erin> "You know of Uliana, and this is Suzume, a Japanese priestess who was under the sway of a rather arrogant demon, until quite recently," states Erin, keeping introductions simple.
<El-Cideon> "Pleased to meet you, Suzume. And I assure you it was for a good cause, Uliana," Myriam says. "I only seek to confound the wishes of the force that took your old life from you." This seems enough to quiet the Russian, and Myriam continues. "Now...What shall we speak of first? Clearly we both have news."
<Erin> "While our personal affairs have had their ups and downs since we last spoke, we've not so much to tell when it comes to our greater concerns that is not self-evident," notes Erin, glancing at Uliana. "Can you tell us what you've discovered?"
<El-Cideon> "I can tell you that this countess of yours has a powerful will. Only once was I able to break through her protections to see her from afar, and at that time she was still on the move. It was enough, however--there was a soldier near her, standing by as though guarding her, and I have since focused my efforts on her. She lacks the discipline to shut me out as the countess does, and I have been able to follow them through her." (more)
<El-Cideon>  follow them through her." (more)
<El-Cideon> "They have taken up residence in a bunker. Several floors underground, I believe, and well-stocked with armed men throughout. They're not taking any chances losing her as they did Ivo. The countess's minder, this Lieutenant Scheer, leaves her charge rarely, but has surfaced and gone to town on occasion." (more)
<El-Cideon> "I believe I have pinpointed their retreat with some accuracy, along a forested road near Dresden. More than once I have also witnessed the Lieutenant practicing her Russian with the countess. Various snippets of conversation make it clear their target lies deep within the Soviet Union--Moscow--and that the countess looks forward to the completion of their mission for very personal reasons."
<Nadia_Chekova> "A strike back at the Revolution that ousted her?" Nadia asks. "And hundreds of thousands of innocents. How close are they to beginning their attempt?"
<Erin> "I'm sure she will enjoy detonating herself, as well," mutters Erin, disheartened. "Do you have any idea what artifacts they intend on using to fuel their weaponry?"
<El-Cideon> "I'll know once they leave their hiding place. But I have also been following Soviet affairs more closely as of late, for obvious reasons. There will be a sizable party meeting in Moscow a week from today. They can eliminate a sizable percentage of the Soviet leadership at once if they strike then, which I believe they intend to."
<El-Cideon> "And Erin, my impression was: all of it. This is the sole event they were scavenging such objects for. The countess wants it to be a sign no one can ignore."
<Yomi> "We need to warn Russia's secret service," Yomi says. "Even though we have to try and stop the Countess on our own, they should be made aware of German treachery, and be in place if we are not there in time."
<Erin> "I wonder if they would listen to such a story. Most intelligence agencies don't acknowledge the presence of magic, let alone take mystical warfare into consideration..."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Hmm," Nadia looks thoughtful. "If we went back to Moscow, I could give you a part of our telecom orb, Myriam, which should let us talk even at that distance. You could then spy on Mascha's bodyguard and let us know when they enter the city and establish a base of operations. We could then make an accusation to the Russian authorities of criminal or counterrevolutionary activity who
<Nadia_Chekova> could raid them before they've gotten everything ready? How long would it take for Mascha to have everything in place for the ritual, anyway?"
<Yomi> "Who says it has to be magic? Call it... mustard gas, or whatever horrible inventions Ivo has cooked up."
<Erin> "I suppose... I'll ask young Thomas to have something done."
<Yomi> "And there was that Mongolian demon that was going to be staying in Moscow. He, at least, would believe any stories about magic. If we were able to contact him, he might well help deal with those counter-revolutionaries."
<El-Cideon> "That's where things become tricky. Would they believe you? Would you trust them to stop the attack in time? Is knowledge of the ritual something we truly want the Russians to have more than the Germans? I am hesitant to allow either to have an upper hand. I personally support lying in wait for them, or waylaying them in transit if possible."
<El-Cideon> "Mongolian demon?" Myriam wonders.
<Yomi> "You are actually aware of this one," Yomi elaborates. "It is that bold man that doesn't quite feel right you found out was seen in Saudi Arabia."
<El-Cideon> "Although it may be possible that they have already begun transporting the artifacts. They could hardly crate them with them, if they wished to move with any speed."
<El-Cideon> "Ah, I see," she replies to Yomi. "You met him? What happened?"
<Yomi> "His presence was terrifying. He professed to helping the revolution in Mongolia, and to being sent to Moscow on some diplomatic mission. Nadia gave him that ugly snake idol and he didn't try to murder us in the sleep, which may be related."
<Nadia_Chekova> "He didn't seem that impressed when I gave it to him, but I'm sure he just didn't want to make a fuss," Nadia throws in helpfully.
<El-Cideon> "Hm. What would a revolutionary have been doing in Arabia? Are you certain it wasn't simply someone who looked very much like the drawing?"
<Yomi> "And happened to take the idol all the same? He did admit to traveling, though he wasn't terribly specific about it."
<Erin> "I don't really see how we could contact him, even if we wanted to. Do we even know his name?"
* Nadia_Chekova shakes her head. "Lets follow Myriam's advice and try to avoid spreading Ivo and Mascha's research among the Soviets and demons, though? We might well be able to handle this ourselves if we can find out where they're set up in Moscow with sufficient time."
<El-Cideon> Myriam shrugs. "Neither here nor there, I suppose. If you think him trustworthy, he may be useful. We have several options, at any rate. As for the location of the ritual, it would surely be more efficacious, given the nature of the ritual, to perpetrate it at a holy site. This is speculation on my part, but it would narrow the options."
<Yomi> "Yes, actually! Artak is what he used," Yomi responds, before frowning. "You do realize they won't have any such compunctions. I don't want to be apprehended by Russian forces alerted by the Germans just so that they could succeed in the meantime."
<Erin> "It would be dangerous for us to head to Dresden itself, but I would imagine the quantity of artifacts required to demolish Moscow would be vast. I do agree with you- a place could be considered a spiritual power in itself."
<Nadia_Chekova> "St Basil's Cathedral?" Nadia asks. "Or... well, the attention given to Lenin's Tomb is almost religious itself, but it would also be far harder for the Nazis to do anything what with all the traffic there."
<Erin> "I have my doubts that the Russians would be terribly interested in pursuing the leads British OR German intelligence feeds them in the first place, really."
<El-Cideon> "The former...is a distinct possibility," Myriam says to Nadia. "Like all churches in the city, it surely goes unused now. Who would notice them?"
<Yomi> "Having seen the living conditions of the Russians and their actions at the hospital, I can imagine quite easily the Germans bribing enough to create a buffer."
<Erin> "I assume there are numerous sites, but they would need to ship a large quantity of trinkets. We might be able to keep watch on a few at once to see if there are any strange deliveries. After all, we have an army, don't we?"
<Erin> "If you're really worried we can just go about our business in disguise all the time."
<Yomi> "That might be best, all things considered."
<Nadia_Chekova> "The Germans know most of our faces, so better to try and avoid any chance of them spotting us ahead of time," Nadia agrees.
<El-Cideon> "Whatever plan you decide on, I'll support any way I can," Myriam says. "As it's you who intends to take the risk in going to stop the ritual. And it must be stopped. As much as I wuld approve of striking a blow against communism, it's loathsome to allow the Nazis any advantages they might accrue from the chaos the success of the ritual would surely engender."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Overthrowing a government and destroying a city are nowhere near equivalent," Nadia nods resolutely. She might be a no good low down dirty thief and overall woman of loose virtue, but even she has standards!
<Erin> "Ideology doesn't justify murder in the slightest." Erin frowns. "We need to make sure she never tries anything like this again. Just stopping her once won't be enough."
<Yomi> "You are talking about killing her?"
<Nadia_Chekova> "She has the knowledge to murder millions, and the willingness to use it..." Nadia furrows her brow as it's all spelled out. "Even if she's imprisoned, how long before she offers her knowledge in exchange for freedom, and what country could resist having control over such power?"
<Erin> "I don't know. I don't know how to talk to people like that, get them to see the magnitude of what they're doing," replies Erin. "I don't want to kill her, but I don't want to let a city die, either, so..."
<Yomi> "I would much rather hear you decide one way or the other rather than leave it at that and hope Rena kills her to save you the trouble of choosing."
<Erin> "Then I suppose you will have to wait."
<El-Cideon> Rena just shrugs. "I can do it if you want me to?"
* Nadia_Chekova balls her fists. "I'll do it," she declares. "If it comes down to it, I'll make sure she doesn't walk away from this." She's already killed Elgin, after all.
<Yomi> "If I am the one placed in that situation instead of you, I will strike her down," Yomi adds after that declaration. "I suppose this is fate. I couldn't avoid killing someone if I stayed on the trail of the Germans."
<El-Cideon> Myriam nods. "Take a day or two if you must. Formulate a plan. This is not an undertaking you should embark upon without knowing what you're prepared to do."
<Yomi> "Speaking of preparations, we cannot exclude the possibility of someone possessed joining the Germans somewhere along the way, considering their willingness to work together. Uliana, can you tell us just what happened to you? If we learned enough...."
<El-Cideon> "You know some of it. I was...taken over by a great, evil presence, used for its own ends. I do not remember everything..." Uliana sounds distant here. "For which I am somewhat grateful. I do not remember murdering my family, burning my village, only that I did these things. It was as though hearing screams from afar, and I could only huddle in darkness and cry at what they meant. but I remember what it wanted."
<Yomi> "Could you resist? Exert your own will, in whatever tiny gestures you could?"
* Nadia_Chekova shudders a little at Uliana's tale, seeing the person affected even worse than reading Elgin's increasingly fearful diary.
<Erin> "What did it desire, in the end?"
<El-Cideon> She shakes her head. "When it began, it was only the feeling of being watched. Many eyes, all around me at all times. I did not want to say anything to anyone else about it. My family was not well-liked, there were old rumors about witchcraft. So I stayed silent. Then it began making demands of me. Go west, find and destroy the shackles that bind it, strike down any in my way." (more)
<El-Cideon> "I ignored it. It punished me. Have you ever burned a finger by putting it too close to a lamp, or a fireplace? Imagine that, many hundreds times, all over. It made me pain. Until I let it in, gave it control. Then it was as if I was a crushed, tiny thing, an ant trapped underneath a boulder. There was no relief, no resistance, until the Lord took pity and purified me."
<Yomi> "Why did it want to burn down your village, if all it wanted was to go west?" Yomi asks. "And just how were you purified? Do you remember the exact circumstances?"
<El-Cideon> Uliana responds to Erin's query first. "It wants...two things. It desires the total ruin of every man and woman on Earth. I do not think anything could sway it from this path. This defines it. Then, it wants to go home. I believe it to be Lucifer, or a demon in his service. Sometimes I saw images of...other places, other times, but these were surely lies to deceive me."
<Yomi> "Other places and times? Could you describe those visions? Considering this thing's power, I doubt it needs to use subterfuge to make people follow out its will."
<El-Cideon> "The villagers tried to stop me from leaving, Yomi. It did not like this. There was a fight. It became irritated...I have already spoken of what ensued and don't wish to elaborate. I was only free of its influence when the police took me over the mountains. The voice was no longer there, the crushing weight vanished. Then all of my crimes became apparent."
<Erin> "It left you at a time when you had been caught, and would have been duly restrained?"
<El-Cideon> Uliana frowns. "I felt as though it could no longer reach me, Erin. As though it were held away by some other force. But I was restrained in custody when I finally awoke, yes." She shrugs. "Yomi, some are difficult to describe. It remembered another place, black, without light or heat, but...comfortable. (more)
<El-Cideon> "It was pulled, ripped away without warning. I saw cities made of towers of tall glass, toppling. But mostly I saw, felt, fire. Wherever it is now, it burns, constantly, without relief. Surely Hell is the obvious answer?"
* Yomi nods slowly, before asking a different question. "What about those who restrained you? Did anyone seem... strange, or in some way out of the ordinary? A priest, a mage, someone detached who wanted to continue heading west?"
<El-Cideon> She shakes her head. "No. They were just policemen. They took me to the cities so the doctors could try and find out what had gone wrong with my head. Huh, as if they would actually understand. When I told them what I tell you, they only became more convinced of my madness."
<Nadia_Chekova> "It's hard to believe without proof, but I would have thought the flames sufficient for that myself..." Nadia muses, shaking her head at the vagaries of credulity in regards to the supernatural.
<Yomi> "Perhaps it was the location? Or the timing?" Yomi glances at Suzume and Myriam. "It just doesn't make sense that the mere act of being restrained would work, considering this thing's strength."
<Erin> "Perhaps something else got it's attention coincidentally? If it can possess a human, it may have unusual powers of perception, as well."
<El-Cideon> "Distance from the source, perhaps?" Myriam speculates. "Although it would hardly explains Elgin's intercontinental adventures."
<Yomi> "Exactly."
<El-Cideon> "As I said, I felt as if some force had intervened to strip it away from me," Uliana says with another shrug.
<Nadia_Chekova> "A pity that force can't be called upon whenever we need it."
<Yomi> "For what it is worth, I can't believe it came from Hell," Yomi states. "It originates from the site of a meteorite impact, actual demons don't accept it as one of their own and I couldn't sense it. My own arrogance aside, does it really sound like just another ordinary demon?"
<El-Cideon> "There is something else I remember. Looking up, and seeing a great web of light far away. It raged against this, as though restrained by it."
<El-Cideon> "I would not know, Yomi. This is the only one I have met, pray God it be the only one ever."
<Yomi> "Is it possible to try and bind its... heralds, I suppose, with the same method that creates the seals?"
<El-Cideon> "Difficult to speculate without knowing how they were made or what fuels the enchantment," Myriam says. "Not impossible, I suppose."
<Yomi> "We've gained proof that ordinary demons cannot approach the seals without pain, and eventual death upon prolongued exposure. And even this thing is trying to erase them. Unless there is another idea, I feel it would be our best way. And some still remain unbroken. What would you need to try and devise a way to either bind a possessed person or find a way to sense them?"
<Erin> "I don't know. It's an entirely unique being, unreferenced in any of my studies. Honestly, it would be more of an exercise in social awareness- it is not a subtle force at all. As for binding it, well, there are numerous conventional methods of restraining someone, and it does not seem to use magic different from my own-"
<El-Cideon> "That depends on the means of possession. I assume the entity is not physically occupying the possessed's body, or you would be able to sense it, no? Correct me if I'm wrong, as my understanding of this ability of yours is limited. An alternative is conventional enchantment, which any decent mage ought to be able to detect. If it's more esoteric than that, well...It may call for some research on my part."
<Erin> "-so I would expect fairly simple methods to suffice. Using the seals is an interesting idea- they are built on a kind of power plant, so I imagine they consume an enormous quantity of energy. We might be best off finding one that's still intact, and determining what can be done with it..."
<El-Cideon> "My suggestion would be studying these devices to pry out their secrets yes, or searching the surrounding area for other clues."
* Yomi nods curtly at Myriam. "Correct. Either the possession is done in such a way as to eliminate my ability to sense it, or it simply does not fall under what I would call a demon. I suppose that if it is able to merely exert its will across distances without even an intangible tendril of its essence invested in the possessed person...?
<El-Cideon> "Without another subject, it's difficult to say. It may be magic of the conventional manner that Erin and I know. I can tell you I sense no enchantment around Uliana here, but that may say little given she's been free of it's influence for years. It would be easier to tell with another subject. Unfortunately, the possessed seem disinclined to cooperate."
<Yomi> "Actually, I have been wondering about this," Yomi admits. "Uliana, the people who were holding you said that strange things happened around you?"
* Yomi pauses briefly before adding, "Being free of that thing's influence is one thing, but do you retain any of its power?"
<El-Cideon> She shifts uncomfortably. "I...can still do some things. I do not like to because witchcraft was frowned upon in my village, but I am capable of some minor tricks when I have free use of hands or voice. The doctors learned to deny me both. (more)
<El-Cideon> "I mostly did so to try and free myself, or embarrass a guard that I disliked. I think I could still hurt or kill if I needed to, as I did when possessed, but would rather not do so against anything but the monster itself."
<Nadia_Chekova> "Hopefully you shouldn't ever need to," Nadia offers supportively.
<Yomi> "A fine conviction, yes," Yomi agrees.
<El-Cideon> "One more possibility occurs to me," Myriam says. "I mentioned this before, but having something important to the possessing entity may provide a link to it, or its current host if it has one. Did you ever acquire such?"
<Nadia_Chekova> "Oh... we did. Just today, actually!" Nadia realises. "Rena, you've got the box with that hatchet in it, don't you?"
<El-Cideon> Rena nods and carries it over to Myriam, who pops open the lid and looks inside. "Ugly. Elgin carried this while he did this creature's bidding?"
<Erin> "It was found on his person. Apparently, it's difficult to stomach even holding it."
<Nadia_Chekova> "He never actually used it that I saw, thankfully, but he did carry it," Nadia nods. "I wonder if it belonged to him in his prior life as a naturalist? An innocent tool corrupted by the otherworldly..."
<El-Cideon> Myriam concentrates a moment, waves a hand over the weapon. "Hmm. Yes, definitely enchanted. Likely the creature's doing. This is hardly something a scientist would need to carry. May I borrow this? I'll see if it can be used to track the entity. Hopefully I'll know one way or the other by morning."
<Erin> "It's possible it may come after it's belongings. Be careful," suggests Erin, nodding.
<El-Cideon> "If anyone breaks into this house, they won't walk back out," Myriam's assistant rumbles.
<El-Cideon> ~