CLOSED ♔ hell won't tolerate hymns

[flyingsolo]

WHO || Jaina, Lydia, Astrid, Adam, Mars
WHAT || The Knights investigate several ritualistic murders
WHERE || Los Angeles, California
WHEN || April 8th, 2015
HOW || Actionspam

A string of ritualistic killings has the LAPD calling the Knights in, as there are suspected ties to magic or Shadowkind. Two new bodies have been found recently, and the murder scene is a back alley in a nightclub called the Alchemy Room. It's located in a rough part of town, known for its clubs, bars, and extravagant nightlife. The lights of a patrol car illuminate a gruesome tableau. Among the garbage that litters the alley lies the body of a young man in a trenchcoat, covered in body. Hanging from a fire escape some 10 feet above him is the body another young man, dressed in the latest fashion and dripping blood from the ears and mouth. His legs are caught in the bars of the fire escape, and his face is twisted with shock. How he could have ended up in that position is a mystery. An empty autoloader pistol lies beneath his outstretched hands. A single officer is waiting for them when they arrive, and she tips her hat to them, pushing herself off the car where she's leaning.

"Seen a lot of things in my day, but this..." She shakes her head and clucks her tongue. Jaina's eyes narrow in the darkness as she looks past her at the scene.

"What made the police think this was connected to the other murders?" she asks.

"Its a tentative link, I won't lie to you about that," the officer admits. "All the other bodies were missing at least their hands, and these are both in one piece. But there's some kind of knife on one of the bodies." She nods towards the one on the ground. "We haven't touched it yet, just in case. To be honest, we've heard plenty of stories about what touching magical artifacts can do to a person. But it's covered in markings, definitely some kind of ritual thing."

Comments

[pathology]

I was trying to be optimistic about a shitty situation, geez.

[flyingsolo]

Can you focus the darkness somewhere instead of having it follow us? Like using it just to obscure the cameras?

[immuno]

I can try, but it's not a small area. Last time I tried this spell, it filled an entire room.

[ 20-ft. radius spells, man. ]

[flyingsolo]

What if you tried focusing it beyond the room? Would it work even through the wall?

[immuno]

[ apologetically, ] It doesn't work like that.

[ex_psionic439]

[Well that was a complete waste of time.]

Why don't we just cut the power if the cameras are an issue. You guys know magic and shit, right?

Boom. Instant darkness spell. Plus, we'll all still be able to see.

[flyingsolo]

They probably already have us on camera already at this point. But fine, let's try the spell.

[immuno]

[ Snide look at Adam like see Jaina thinks we might as well go for it. Don't be a dick. She slips up to the wall, pressing a hand to it and casting darkness. It spans out like a thick black haze 20-ft. from the wall on either side, also darkening the inside ?? She hopes. So that whoever's in there doesn't get a glimpse. ]

[flyingsolo]

[ with a 27 disable device, jaina pops the lock on the door b/c jedi don't need to see shit to get shit done. ] Careful. There's stairs. [ and she starts down them inside, holding onto the railing ]

[immuno]

[ Lydia follows, holding out a hand for anyone who needs to take it so she can guide them through the dark. It's jarring, even now, to realize that she can see unaided. It never used to be like that. ]

[flyingsolo]

[ they head down into a long hallway, that only has one door headed off from it. lydia could read that it says 'forensics room'. ]

[ex_psionic439]

[Adam doesn't want to trip all over himself so he will heal the world with Lydia and hold hands on the way down. I guess he will offer up a hand to whoever is behind him so they can all navigate this darkness shit together but he will sho nuff be keeping himself on high alert in the meantime.

Which means activating Detect Hostile Intent for the next forty minutes because he wants to know if something is trying to murder him especially if he isn't going to be able to see it coming.]

[pathology]

[astrid gets to hold his hand was a lucky gf. she's just so excited to be here ... in the darkness. ]

[flyingsolo]

[ adam does, in fact, sense hostile intent on the other side of that wall. dun dun dun~ ]

[ex_psionic439]

[Lydia and Astrid probably notice the way he purposefully moves to the other side of the hallway since they all holden hands.]

Hey, be careful. There's something in here and it isn't friendly.

[immuno]

Like what? It's just a forensics room.

[ex_psionic439]

[Adam is too busy using Read Thoughts so that he can find that out.

18 or higher will save vs. mind-effecting psionic power will negate it tho.]

[swordofthejedi]

[ hahaha yeah no he didn't make that, so adam gets treated to a running stream of commentary from a male voice echoing through his head.

-- must know something, why else would they try to sneak in? It's over, it's all over, unless, unless... perhaps I can talk them into leaving, allay their suspicions. Find out what they know...

And if not... If not-- ] Considering the surprise we found at the last place? It could be anything.

[ex_psionic439]

Well this darkness bullshit was pointless.

[Leave it to Adam to keep it 110% real. Our stealth skills suck, you guys. Dx]

He knows we're here and wants to find out what we know. He might try to convince us otherwise, but he'll cap us all in a heartbeat.

[pathology]

It's probably a serial killer.

[ex_psionic439]

I'm pretty sure he's going to try to talk us into leaving, but he's probably the same sick fucker who's been hacking people up in there.

If he can't convince us that everything is legit, I wouldn't put it past him to cut us up and spank it over our corpses too.

[Okay so maybe he was embellishing a little but he is basically agreeing with Astrid. Serial killer who gets off on cleaved body parts. No thanks.]

[swordofthejedi]

I'm pretty certain Lemere was the one doing the chopping. But this guy was helping him, in some way.

We need to stop him. [ their own words would start to echo in adam's mind, since the guy got a nat 20 listen check, and it's clear that he's catching part of their whispered conversation... implying he's right near the door.

No! he thinks. I'll be ruined... They can't escape... ]

[ex_psionic439]

[It's dem A+ stealth skills again.

Anyway, I lied. Adam is going to establish a mindlink with Lydia and then burn more power points to include everyone because it will probably help them?? Especially if a majority of them are currently being blinded. Possibly. Plus they should probably not outline everything else they say for this guy to overhear.

Y'all can resist if you want to roll a will save of 15 but why you would idk.]

Uh, he can hear us right now. And he's not trying to let us leave anymore.

[No on can see?? They are so fucked. Maybe slightly less fucked now...]

[immuno]

Then we do the only thing we can do.

[ Lydia pulls out her gun, changing the clip with a tell-tale reloading sound. ]

How many people are in there? We need to keep them alive to interrogate. [ And then, because in this mindlink, she's not any good at censoring herself. ] Even if they don't deserve that much.

[ex_psionic439]

[Oh are we doing this guns-a-blazin'? I guess Adam will pull his gun out too in that case.]

I'm only picking up on one set of thoughts, but if there are more re-animated body parts in there I don't think they'd be deep in contemplation or anything.

[And then everyone is treated to Adam's worst-case scenario mental image of an army of re-animated penises chasing everyone down the hall and smacking people across the face.

WHAT, if he's using dead people hands why would he let anything else go to waste??]