Call of Colthulhu: Team One's Adventures

"Ah...What my friend means to say is...Ah...It's pretty clear at this point that nobody's plans for now this was going to go are going, well, as planned. Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Aurora tried to salvage the situation as best she could, thinking quickly. She was a bit worried about the psychic commentary, but...They were here because they were capable of the heavy lifting, right? Or were they just canaries being sent to check for danger? Either way, she tried to think back...I think we're in a little too deep to just pull out because it got dangerous.

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Rolls! Persuasion to try and salvage Torque's (Probably doomed, but eh.)

1d20+5 = 11+5 = 16

Flashpoint, having calmed just a little, returns to being on edge. At "combat", though, he feels somewhat more at ease- no, not at ease,but a sense of readiness settles over him. He can fight. Moreso than the other two, fighting is more his speed. In fact, he might feel better if a fight started. The chaos of battle is far superior to the tense uncertainty right now. "We've been down here long enough, a few more minutes isn't going to make any difference." He remains in the air, but now turns to face the door they came in from rather than the main shrine.

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Perception: Nat20+11=31

Deep Secret frowns at Torque. "This is a secure compound, there shouldn't be anything within that is not part of my flock - aside from you of course. There shouldn't be anything..."

She pauses, gears turning in her head. "You know something. You know something that I don't." She takes a step towards Torque, her eyes narrowed with sudden suspicion. "What, there is something dangerous in this place? Who told you this?" Her horn slowly begins to glow. "Please don't make this difficult."

If Flashpoint strains his hearing, he can hear very faint shouting in the distance, able to hear it only due to his keen pegasus senses and training. It appears as none of the others have been able to catch it. Now that he finally calmed down a little he also hears (or rather feels) a rhythmic pulsing through the cavern every so often, almost like a heartbeat. In fact it resembled a heartbeat so much so that he had mistaken it for the blood rushing through his ears till he managed to rein in his breathing.

"There are many dangerous things down here," the mask said, once again using Torque's mouth. "Maybe they can help accelerate *my* plans, hm? I should like to leave these caverns, after all... Perhaps we could do so now?"

Persuasion:

"Of course we know something you don't. For example, I know that right now, we're standing inside something alive. And elsewhere, your 'flock' is already fighting something else. And its not more of us, so its either themselves, or something you didn't actually have the foresight to predict when you set up shop inside a demonic entity. Poor leadership on your part, either way." He glances around at the cultists still in the shrine with them. "How exactly did you end up with verminkind down here, anyway? I can't imagine they and the dogs get along too well together..."

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I guess I'll roll persuasion too? I don't know if it will do anything coming after the cutie crit, but...
Persuasion, to instill doubt and shake her confidence: 18+8= 26

Between Moon Gazer's warning, Darling's suggestion, and Flashpoint's assertion that they were *inside* a living being, Torque was fairly sure that things were going to escalate far out of their control. It was probably best to leave for now and try infiltrating later.

"...We may have detected a burst of combat-based psychic energy down here that was either looking to start a fight or had just finished one. I presumed it might be the reason that Digger hasn’t come back yet. If I had to guess, either there’s some unknown factor down here, Mirrored Clear REALLY doesn’t want any visitors, or your mind messer is acting up for some reason. ….Yes, YOUR mind messer. I’ve managed to glean that the organization and obedience of your “flock” isn’t just from your winning personality."

"Regardless, whatever it is, you seemed unaware of it, and we don't want to get stuck facing it. So, given that you probably don't want to have us sticking around while you and your flock investigate, how about we'll just let ourselves out and leave you to it?"

Rolling Persuasion... + 11 = 31

"Demonic... mind messer? What, you mean Sanctuary?" Annoyance flickers across Deep Secret's face for a moment before it returns to a knitted frown. "Sanctuary is a hero, she wouldn't-"

She snaps her head towards the Mask as it speaks. "You. Of course you have to be involved in this. It all makes sense now - you've been in a thorn in my side ever since we uncovered your side-room. I've tolerated your presence out of respect for the sanctity of this place but of course you can't be trusted. I don't know what you've done, but- "

She stamps a hoof, and the cavern begins to rumble. "Fine. Leave. I bear no ill will to you ponies, but heed my warning - from now on, you are considered compromised by that wretch, and a threat to our way of life. Do not come near my children again."

"I don't know what that Mask has done to coerce you into helping it." Deep Secret gives one last glare to the group. "But know this: no good will come from associating with it. Now - Leave this place!"

She turns and leaves the grove, leaving the group alone.

"That... could have gone better." The Aspiration speaks up behind the group. "...Time to go."

"We learned quite a bit, didn't fight anyone, and she doesn't know about our connection to you. I'll take what victories we can," Torque said as he turned to the Aspiration. "By the way, Darling, meet the Aspiration, our faceless friend. Aspiration, this mask is some ancient smooth-talker called K’hic...K’hicyug...we call him Darling. So, are we walking back to the circle, or are you teleporting us straight back to base? I, uh, kind of promised to fix the door we busted on the way in."

OOC: Just to clarify, I believe we're the only ones left in the room (Bronymous kept referring to other cultists who I thought all left earlier).

"... 'Aspiration'? That sounds familiar, have we spoken?" the mask asked, again using Torque's mouth. "Was it the six hundreds? The six hundreds are a bit of a blur..."

History:

The Mask is aware of the existence of an entity known as the Aspiration that acts as an agent for the god Dason. They inhabit the bodies of mortal ponies who volunteer their bodies in service of their god, imbuing the pony with incredible cosmic powers but also assimilating their minds into a collective intelligence, known on the whole as the Aspiration. The Aspiration acts as a filter between normal society and the community of elder worship, silencing individuals who would reveal their secrets to ponies that would threaten their way of life, though they also carry out other missions in service of Dason when necessary.

"I was just getting comfortable." Flash scowls, and heads out the door. "If we're leaving then lets go."

"I think you made her mad," Aurora muttered, scowling. "Still, it has a name? I was hoping to find out what this 'Sanctuary' was...Still, we know that there's a soul stone here with the person we're looking for...I suppose...That will do until we have a better plan to approach this..." She wasn't happy with this turn of events, but she supposed there was nothing to be done about it now, at any rate...She could always come back later on her own time when this was all over.

"... Aha! I remember you, you're that collective errand runner for Dason," the mask declared, leveling Torque's hoof at the Aspiration. "How goes that? Get lots of volunteers? Think you could spare one, maybe~?" it asked.

"I am not an 'errand runner'." The Aspiration says, evenly. "Nor do we proffer our hosts to just any bodiless spirit that requires a vessel."

"But yes. For an intelligence-gathering mission, the results are acceptable."

The Aspiration pauses. "It is... regrettable that Mirrored Clear could not be retrieved, however. We will have to trust Deep Secret that she is safe, in that regard."

The shimmering cloaked form of the Aspiration glides smoothly past the doors to the cavern, and starts up the winding staircase back to the surface. "We should continue discussion of this when we have returned to more secure conditions."

Unlike the descent down, the group's walk up the staircase is unhindered by any of the verminkind, and provided none of the group's members make any pit stops, they reach street-level with little hindrance. The bar seems to have been abandoned since their arrival, with a small note taped to the countertop.

'Out for groceries, back when things stop blowing up - Eloquence'

At street-level, everything seems calm and unaffected, and the warehouse that holds the teleportation circles is likewise untouched.

"And yet here you are running an errand to retrieve a bodiless spirit in need of a vessel," the mask muttered, allowing Torque to carry him up into the streets. He grew oddly quiet as they ascended, until he was all but silent in the streets proper - although Torque could still feel a definite presence...

Flashpoint is up the stairs, through the bar (without a second glance at the note) and into the street before any of the others, flapping up high into the sky for a moment to let the open air currents flurry around him, before coming down to land in front of the door as the others emerge. "Well, I don't think we need to go back down there again ever."

Aurora took a look at the letter, but otherwise decided to avoid any detours for now. "I wouldn't be so confident in that, Flashpoint. Mirrored's still down there, sort of. Plus, there are a lot of questions that that raised, though I think those can wait a little longer, all things considered. But I have little doubt somepony, likely us, will need to head back down there eventually." She sighed softly. "That said, hopefully next time I can get a look at their 'Sanctuary,' even if it is while at a full gallop or dodging attacks."

On the way up...

-After reading the note, Torque quickly pulled out some paper and jotted a note to leave. 'Thanks for the drinks, will try and clean up our mess. -Torque'

-Upon encountering the wooden staircase he had slipped on and smashed a few steps on the way down, Torque said, "Hang on a sec." He then concentrated while casting a spell to restore the wooden stairs back to their original form (and maybe redistribute a few things for better reinforcement)
OOC: Using Fabricate to fix the steps. (1 use remaining/day)

-Looking at the door Flashpoint had smashed through on the ground floor, Torque pulled out his tools to see if there was a quick way to repair the hinges and reattach the door.
Rolling Mechanics...19 (1d20) + 13 = 32

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"That's true, Aurora. It is a shame that we didn't get a chance to talk to Mirrored, and that we left Deep on...less than perfectly amiable terms. But we didn't have to fight an army of vermin, and Darling might have some insights to share. Hopefully, Moon Gazer will have another lead for us to pursue while we plan how to head back down there."

Torque does a fairly competent job of repairing the stairs, and the door - a simple matter of bending the hinges back into place and securing them with proper fastenings this time. When he's done, the Aspiration directs the group towards the house with the temporary teleportation circles. "Indeed, Lady Moon Gazer is speaking to any and all contacts we have in the city about this 'Streaker' individual. But for now - return to the chapel, please."

As soon as the group steps onto the teleport circle, the Aspiration mutters a short sentence in an unnatural profane tongue, and they are brought to the somewhat familiar stone chambers occupied by the church of Dason. Moon Gazer is sitting on a cushioned seat by a table nearby, pouring over what looks to be a crystal orb.

Aurora nodded, glancing at the orb after they arrived. "Scrying, huh? Anything interesting come up yet? 'Cause I'm sure you're aware by now, but we learned a few interesting things during our trip." Of course, there was always the possibility she interrupted Moon Gazer during an important ritual, but...Well, that would actually be bad.

"For now, trying to find out what I can about this Streaker. My contacts around the city have identified a few ponies of that name, and a few individuals using Streaker as an alias. I still need to narrow them down, though." she looks up from the crystal ball, massaging her temple. "Mmh. Scrying's always a headache. Now - what did you find? Aspiration gave me a brief report but I want to hear the story from you, since you were actually there for longer than him - it." She corrects herself.

"Dogs, some kind of rats, and at least one pony into some creepy cult stuff- and apparently something big and alive serving as a shrine. Doors with eyes, magical auras, the works." Flashpoint slips into a familiar debrief mode. He is much calmer now, shaking off the teleportation effects. "So basically what you have going on, but much more literally underground."

"Am I not important enough to warrant mention, Flashpoint?" the mask asked. "And here I thought you cared about me," it said in a disappointed tone, as he fixed an observational look at the mare with the crystal ball...

Checks:

Torque tried to gather his thoughts to recall as much as he could. "Let's see, where to start?"

Massive Recap:

"...Aaand that just about covers it. Hopefully, the others can fill in some things I missed...and perhaps Darling can tell us a little more about himself."

"Sounds like you've had a long day. The information you've brought us will go a long way to help us maintain order in the city, thank you," Moon Gazer says, glancing at the orb. "It's... going to be sundown soon. I can arrange for quarters to be set aside for the night if you want, or if you wish to return to return to your own stays in the city, perhaps one of my associates have a teleportation circle set up near it that we can borrow."

The sundown statement comes as a surprise to the group, as to them, the whole ordeal took place perhaps over the course of a couple of hours, maybe a little more, and when they'd started it seemed to be late morning.

"Although, you said there was fighting in Deep Secret's compound?" Moon Gazer frowns. "This is troubling. I was not aware of any group with particular animosity towards her group. Now we don't even know if the soul stone is safe or not, given that her compound has been compromised..."

"In any case, I will contact you about any information I'm able to find about this Streaker and any updates on Deep Secret's position."

To the Mask, Streaker sounds like a fairly standard street-name, and there have been many individuals, criminal or otherwise, who have had that name. There are a few associated with occult circles, but no one specific.

Moon Gazer, as stated before, is a grey pegasus mare with a purple mane, pretty standard, also pretty pretty. She looks like a bit of a bore, though - and the Mask gets the distinct sense that she's not one to mess with. Dangerously intelligent.