2015-05-09:IntoTheWoods

Into the Woods
Years ago, something was sealed away. What, and why, and is it coming back?
IC Date	May 9, 2015
IC Time	Evening
Players	Phil, Sam, Alisha, Hrafn, Gwydion, Typhanie, Rook Castellini
Location	Forest south of Prospect

Begin Log

"I dunno about this one," Phil muses out loud, glancing at the rear view mirror of his Acura as it negotiates a sorry excuse for a state-maintained rural road. "Might wanna rent a van if we end up coming back here, one with good suspension. Least we only got another mile or two to go..."

Sam grins as he snacks on pizza from wherever, "Can it be bright green with flowers on it or whatever the scooby van had?" He says brightly from the back seat shifting trying to get his phone out. "I still think we should have strapped James to the roof for space conservation. So anyone have a plan, or just get as close as we can and start poking it with our tricks and see if it pokes back?"

Alisha glancing out the window "We could have take my hearse you know? Is California always this blasted sunny?" she laughs at Sam "Would that make you Shaggy then?" more seriously "I think it's to see what we can see and it's too dangerous get the hell out of dodge."

Hrafn sits and sighs "Well... after my next big sacrifice I could be Scoobie I guess." he says with a snort and a bump against Ali. "Hey I'd take cold and or foggy but San Fran has shit surfing."

Gwydion chuckles and shrugs at Sam, crammed in the back too "Neither of my cars would be much better on this road, we could just buy one. Or I could and fit it out with surveilance stuff and gear wracks. Call it a business expense."

"I have a thing I haul the music equipment around in. It's a piece of shit, but.. whatever." Typhanie's a little on the cranky side. She brought several pizzas along for the ride cause who knows how long they're going to be in the car. She put them in the trunk and she can pull it out piece by piece from that fucking amazing diaper bag of hers. She's totally sitting in the front seat. Cause fuck being smooshed in the back. That's why.

Sam grins at Ali, "It rains a couple times. What you don't think I'd be a good scooby? I make an excellent mascot. Who gets to be Daphne and Velma?" He asks looking form Tyne to Alisha. "Unless Phil is Fred and G-man is Daphne." He says thoughtfully, "Would be an interesting take on the movie."

Is everyone else actually crammed in the back, or did someone think to bring a second car? They could be running a speakerphone call. "Anybody brings weed in here," Phil points out, "I'm strapping your ass to the roof myself. Last thing I want is some cop gettin' a whiff and sticking their big snout in here." He's /pretty/ sure he got all the cardboard boxes out of the trunk before they left the house, but he might have overlooked something.

Alisha nods to James "Well surfing doesn't interest me so maybe I'll take a trip up that way." shrugs "I hit my knowledge of scoobie doo with the shaggy reference. and really the worst your worried about cops finding is Weed?"

Gwydion could easily be driving his Impala, the modern one though because taking the classic down this road would just be wrong. "I think some non invasive sensory spells will make a good light start. Hold off on the poking till we've got more of an idea what's going on"

"Fine with me either way. A little non-invasive probing never hurt anyone." Typhanie crosses her arms over her chest and grumps quietly for a moment or two.

Hrafn nods his head "yah yah I left my weed, all I hve on me is dried herbs to burn." he says

Sam smirks, "If the cops come someone just has to swallow it!" He offers brightly and then gasps at Alisha, "We're so doing a marathon later." He does lean up and try to squeeze Typh's shoulder in front, "Thanks for the snacks Typh."

"Least not most of the time," Phil replies to Typhanie. "Anything does go wrong, chuck it out the window, you can always get another one." He hands Gwydion his phone with the GPS coordinates, then reaches over for another slice of pepperoni and green pepper.

Alisha says, "Well I guess that leaves me out. I'll just watch everyone else do their thing." she doesn't seem put out as all. She is still curious about this place. She ideally nibbles on the same piece of pizza she has had since the trip started."

Typhanie is on her second slice. "Anyway." She patpats Sam's hand lightly. "No problem. I yoinked them from Dominos. They won't deliver to my place because I'm two miles too far. Fuck those guys. One of these days, they'll figure out where the mysterious ten dollar bills are coming from and why their pizzas keep coming up missing." She sits up straight in her seat. "So let's get closer and we'll see what we can see. I've got eyes on all four levels."

Hrafn nods his head "I'll look when we get there, farsight isn't my bag, and I figure you don't really want me bleeding too much in the car." he offers.

"Everything looks pretty normal up there." Typhanie has her little compact mirror out and she's playing with that puzzle ring on her finger. "There's.... something. Something left over. I'm going to dive a little deeper." She turns around in her seat to Hrafn. "You said you had some herbs?" She holds out her hand. "Let me have a little pinch real quick?"

Hrafn hrrms and pulls out his pack "What do you need?" he asks "I've got eyebright for vision, yarrow for body, mint for scent, St. Johns wart for memory, thyme for scrying... well my pack is pretty diverse." he says holding up a "OOh parsley for good breath." he tucks some in his mouth the chew and holds out the pack. Lots of little baggies and plastic bottles of fresh and dried herbs.

Gwydion stays in the car for a second when they pull up and taps out a the rythm that goes with a poem he's muttering in sanskrit as he flicks on his zippo lighter. Getting out to share his observations "Echos, like....something happened here a couple years ago. I might need to work a rewind review."

Phil pulls the car over at around this point, gesturing ahead. "That should be it right over there," he says to Hrafn. "And seriously, 'eyebright', that's actually what they call it? I thought most of this stuff was older than English."

Typhanie waves a hand. "Um... St. John's Wort. That'll work." She holds out her hand. She just needs a pinch. And once she has it in hand, she mutters something under her breath and sprinkling it out the window, sliding out of the car as well. She moves over toward Gwydion and slides her hand into his. "Tag team it on the spirit realm? Who else is in? 'Something happened' makes me cautious enough to dive a little deeper."

The Zippo flame burns small and blue when it's lit.

Gwydion nods to Typhanie and looks around slowly "Start with checking the realms in the here and now, worry about the rewind after? I'm down with it."

Gwydion is looking at his lighter with a little bit of a frown.

"Whatever works for you guys," Phil offers. "I'm staying out of it for the first round, I think you guys are seeing the same thing I did but I don't wanna risk throwing it off if I'm wrong about that."

Typhanie nods to Gwydion, hanging onto his hand. "Sounds good. I'm pretty sure it's just a residue, but... yeah." She nods to Phil. "I don't have a clue. So let's do this thing. Dude, you in?" That's asked of Hrafn.

Hrafn looks around "Well I can see that there is old magic but I don't know how old? When did you first come out?" suddenly a white raven is standing on his shoulder, she doesn't land or anything she's just there. "What do you think Morrigan?"

Gwydion nods as he draws out what probably started its road as a standard issue K-bar but its been traced over with dozens and dozens of tiny etched glyphs. "Just gotta peel the layers a part a bit and take a better peek."

The white raven flaps her wings a bit. "It's many years old, so do not fail to peek far enough back if you are looking for a cause." the bird says in a perfectly melodic young woman's voice.

Scene set: People piled into Phil's car to go check out a possible location of interest, somewhere down in the forests south of Prospect. Phil's hanging out and catching up on the pizza that Typhanie brought, while the others work on some sort of casting. (Alisha and Sam are ICly around someplace, but OOCly had to go at least temporarily)

Typhanie closes her eyes, sprinkling a little more of that herb on the ground and muttering a word of thanks to the spirits while she holds Gwydion's hand.

Gwydion closes the two eyes people can see and murmurs some more poetry as he makes a few passes in front of him with a rune etched k-bar.

Rook steps from the deeper shadows of the trees nearest Phil of the Pizza, walking up to him while looking at the others. Her voice is kept low, not wanting to interupt at all. "Any cliff notes for the blind to it all girl?"

Hrafn gets out a cigarette and lights it with a little torch lighter with a bright blue flame. He takes a draw on it and breaths out. "He found it." he points at Phil and tries to sus out the old magic.

"I found something," Phil answers Rook, offering her a slice of sausage and jalapeno and pretzel crust. Not everyone's bag, that one. "Sounds like somebody bailed on it a long while back, whatever it was-- question is whether it's anything worth fixing up, or just stickin' a wall out in front of it before it leaks out."

"Okay... " Typhanie murmurs, breaking contact with Gwydion for a moment. "ALright. Let's go back. Back.... to the groovy days of peace, love and the Beatles.. It's a LONG ways back. Come back with us, Phil. Hippie dude, you got access to the far out time machine?"

Hrafn holds his cigarette up and the white raven on his shoulder puffs on it. Smoke drifting out of her nose holes. "I got no access to the wayback machine, I'll stay here and keep an eye out."

Gwydion starts foot tapping the rythm to a song that's topical if not period exactly "Got my first real six string, bought it at the five and dime...." Showing the need for sentries in the here and now by the fact that he's gone deep and not paying a whole lot of attention.

Rook takes the slice with a nod of thanks before lifting to her lips for a taste and smell, if not for the eating. A soft mmm is emitted at the combination. "Sounds very worth poking at." Her eyes draw over those doing said poking and a small wave is given to them before she turns her back and focuses senses more on the surounding area. Softly to Hrafn. "He gets unlucky that way." Smirking the puffing bird but then as the song takes up she groans at the choice. "Not even like Carry on.. Back in the Byau or such?" Head hang.

Phil looks over to Rook and shrugs. "Could be worse, could be bad country music. Or bad rap music." Or both, but what would you call it? "They'll probably be at it for a while. How you been holdin' up?"

Hrafn closes his eyes and 'looks' to path they took in sniffing. "Two incoming." he says and then takes another draw off his cigarette before a small razor sharp knife comes out of his pocket and he very casually cuts his wrist, the hundreds of cutting scars there show that he does this often enough. Blood wells up and starts running down his palm to pool in his cupped fingers.

Gwydion switches to something not in english, so everyone can hate it but it gets the job done and helps him keep rythm and that's the important part.

Rook glances back at Phil. "Because there is, not, bad country and rap music?" She bobs her head. "Alright, came to a really odd agreement with the Sabbat about who ownes and hunts and exploits what. Arabian and Chika who came into the bar when you and pool babe left. You?" She grins but then glanses over at Hrafn when he opens a vein, taking a slow breath in. Unsure of the two incoming, of what kind, she folds hands across the small of her back, and grows claws while waiting. All protective of the mage-ey types.

Phil just shakes his head a little. "More groups? You're welcome to 'em, babe." He leaves off there, nodding to Hrafn and heading back over toward the car. "Hang on, let's go play face with these guys and then I'll make sure nobody else is gonna bug us tonight."

Hrafn stands at the ready the pooling blood in his hand ready even as he speaks softly under his breath and the raven on his shoulder vanishes.

Rook pfffts softly at Phil's words. "Was kindof the oppiset of what I wanted. Mostly them and I telling each other to GTFO, working out how bad the blood bath might be, then working out a comprimize." The last that some might see of her is a pout at that last word and that she was forced into doing it.... She bobs her head, opening senses to the world, while flowing blood vitae throughout her system, her own version of Hermetic magick, and then the trio vanish from the view of most of the world. Though given who some of the chanters are, it's very likely that they might be still senses in some ways or another, depending. Looking from Phil to Hrafn she mimes a finger to her lips, points to the three and mimes being ghost like.. Just so everyone is on the same page and no one accadentilly breaks the obfuscation. (Omg I want my spell checker back!)

Hrafn nods his head and walks towards where the car will arrive. Keeping the blood filled hand out of sight.

Typhanie does her thing

And there it is now. A man and a woman get out, both in their late thirties to early forties, and... well, it soon becomes pretty obvious why /they're/ here. "I told you to call. Didn't I tell you to call?" "There's no /reason/ to call, I looked up the address and this is where it is." "Except there's no /house/ here. Is there? I think they must have gotten the number wrong." "All right, I'm calling already. If I can even get reception out here." The husband (one assumes; they're both wearing wedding rings) gets on that, while the wife heads over to check out the other people who /are/ here. "Sorry, I guess we got a little turned around-- do you know where the nearest gas station is?" Phil furrows his brow, pointing back along the road. "If you can make it two miles back that way, I think there's a station on the other side. Ain't for sure if it's open, but they probably got a pay phone at least."

Rook has built herself up into predator mode at the approch; overly watchful, moving a good bit more animalistic / stalkery with no casual at all to her. Not to mention the red eyes and claws. So when the couple begin speaking about being lost she takes the path of assuming it to be a faint, the others left to deal with the nice version while she keeps cloaked for the possable bad version. Silently moving close by to watch both them and, assuming it to be a distraction, turning her heightened senses out to the woods for other movement.

There are a few deer off at the fringes of line of sight, and smaller animals here and there, but that's about it. Cell reception is indeed nonexistent, judging by the husband's frustrated look. "Well, nothing for it. At least we'll know for next time." He gets in and checks the gas gauge, sighs and motions for his wife to join him. Phil, meanwhile, walks back over to his own car. "Hold up, I might have a spare gallon in the trunk." He doesn't - yet - but there are some water bottles he can spare for a quick transmutation.

Hrafn watches the couple. The young tattooed man smiling plesantly, all the while keeping his bloody hand out of sight ready with lethal magcis should they turn out to be needed.

Rook continues to smell, listen, and watch the area and while now hungry for some violence, as shows should any be able to see the way she crouches against a tree, claws lightly playing along the bark. She smiles at Phil's soft sell and being able to help the couple, happy for that being the answer rather than violence. Innocent types being helped.. Just feels better when it can end up that way and so rare some nights.

Gwydion does have a knife in his hand but its maybe hidden from the civillians by the position of his body. This place is weird.

Typhanie probably looks like she's talking to Gwydion: sort of half-way facing him and mumbling something. Maybe she's blind. The look in her eyes says thatsheisn't really seeing what's going on

Gah. Where did he put the--? This couple seems friendly, but Phil wants to make /damn sure/ that they have no excuse to come back. And if they come back anyway, well, that's when his walking stick comes into play. "Yeah, here you go, nearly full. Ain't diesel, is it?" Dammit, he should have asked that first. But no, presumably they would've told him up front if it was.

Rook lifts her brows and smirks some at the 'finding' of the gass, perhaps considering how often a spare pint of blood might be found.. Or just amused at the whole situation while she keeps up her guard duty.

Hrafn shakes his head a bit and relaxes just a touch. HOpefuly things are as they seem and some horror won't befall Phil with his gas.

Phil shakes his head a little as the couple finally gets going. "Remind me to look up their friend and kick their ass till they learn to spell." Reaching into the trunk again, he pulls out a fresh deck of cards and starts laying them down. "Somebody go let Brooks and Dunn know they got an all-clear?"

Rook watches the couple head off and rolls her eyes amusedly.. And at Phil's words, she leaps over to pounce him, giving a playful nip at his neck while enveloping/hugging. Which ofcourse makes her quite visable again. "Rar! Not old enough to get that referance." Then stepping back. "Would say something about Beiber but either one would kick my ass for it soo..." She winks at mister yummybloody hand.

Hrafn snorts "Oh gods above and below don't try to make Beiber references." he shakes his head letting the pooled blood dribble onto the ground. Where it lands the plants seem to perk up a bit.

"Hey, /hey/, knock it off already, I'm working here! You should know, too." Phil slips an arm around Rook's waist and gives her a quick squeeze, just because it's the only way to get her to ease up for a minute. Well, that or wave a tasty snack under her nose, but he's not about to go there.

Rook is well molofied by the one arm hug and steps off happily, big fangy grin. She repeats Phil in a very Italian/Brooklyn accent. "Haaay erm'm warken overr errrah." She bobs her head to Hrafn. "Yeah, no way that ends good for anyone." Pause.. Looks at the blood on the ground.. Pause.. Looks again.. Looks away and pauses.. Then walks over and squats to dip her fingers into where it dribbled across some plants the thickest. Yeah she's going to do it unless stopped.

Gwydion opens his eyes and frowns as he looks around the area with physical eyes again "About forty years ago something when wrong, there was a panic....then they put a seal here like an...artifical thickening of the Gauntlet to keep something in the umbra here from coming through. It was warded to keep people from being able to find it easily or accidentaly. Back in the nineties the spell started to unravel but then....nothing happened. Whatever it was died down."

Hrafn tips his head "You might not want to do that." he says with a little shrug "The blessings of the Morrigu are upon me. Not sure what it might do." he nods his head "Well, I could reseal the gauntlet but if whatever was being held there is gone that might be a more important quesiton."

Alisha heads down from helping Sam. She is rubbing her temples seems like she can only take so much computer stuff. Seeing the others she heads in their direction "Well Sam is still working on something. I only caught about every 5th word or so that made any sense. Ah wait I don't remember her coming with us...didn't I meet you at the pool hall?" looking towards Rook then caught by Gwydion "So then why the visions now? Is whatever tried to breakthough coming back?"

Rook pauses in her 'about to take a taste' and to help, stops breathing to keep from smelling the blood for a bit. Holding a moment to gather her will, she nods to Hrafn and wipes the blood off on the ground. "Thanks, yeah." She wiggles fingers at Alisha in greeting, noding at the bar part. "Late backup arives late." She listens to Gwyd and lifts her brows. "That sounds not good."

Gwydion frowns and shrugs at the additional questions "All good points, I think in addition to askin about the other site we should send out feelers for anyone who might remember local mage history from back then. I know there was a group from some time in the sixties till the nineties but not really a lot about them."

Phil shakes his head. "I don't think so," he says to Alisha. "It might start doing that soon - maybe that's why we ended up here when we did - but it don't look like it's happening yet. And I get the feeling like there's more to it than just next door, but I don't know enough to stick a name on it yet. Ask the experts about that one," he adds, gesturing toward Gwydion and Typhanie.

Rook slips off into the woods to provide security a bit further out.

---

End Log