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Post by Janus on Jan 3, 2020 11:33:45 GMT -5
"That is a matter of some debate. When my sisters and I awoke we were greeted by the being you know as Aphrodite. We were given the task of making mankind wiser, kinder and better. Many of the gods thought of that as our simply being their messengers, to share their 'divine wisdom' with the mortals. I disagreed, on that and many other subjects."
"So fast forward a few thousand years and I am still here, doing what I was created to do, whether they like it or not."
"As to my brand of Alchemy, well, it isn't alchemy in its strictest sense. It was a gift given to me long ago, so not something I can teach or pass on. Of course I can teach you true alchemy, it isn't often practiced in modern times but it has long been an interest of mine."
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Post by lilithsboy on Jan 3, 2020 18:40:30 GMT -5
Well we all know I am the most modern of people and am not taken with such superstitious nonsense. Christopher says with an entirely straight face before he finally cracks and laughs.
Yes I would like that very much, but it would seem you are in a unique position to answer a few questions for me; first, can you teach me this language, Dispilio is it? Second would you be so kind as to tell me what it is about this magic the gods fear, why have they hunted down the practitioners to the point of extinction? Finally, you gave me a contract with Hades for him to hide this magical artifact, do all the gods not agree on this point, are their certain ones who might be willing to aid us?
Oh and of course we need to come to some sort of decision about what to do with this entity, my best thought is to catalog it and leave it alone, quarantine the area and move people outside its realm of influence. I am going to schedule a meeting with the mayor and governor soon to see about cleaning up Gotham's pollution problem I could discuss it with them then.
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Post by Gris on Jan 6, 2020 5:40:58 GMT -5
Mildred was somewhat awestruck at the whole concept of their captain disagreeing with Greek gods, but her own personal woes wouldn't stop itching. Christopher was merry to actually have a reason to bond with Dyre, even if it was his usual eagerness towards mystical knowledge, but it was his last words the ones that irked Mildred. "We can't just leave it alone, we have to kill the thing" she said, dryer than her usual playful tone. "Things left behind can rot, you can't leave a festering wound just be" she added. It wasn't usual on her to be that expedite, but not only she believed it was the right thing to do, it was also something she wanted done fast so she could tend to her vampiric business.
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Post by Janus on Jan 6, 2020 13:32:13 GMT -5
Captain Dyre grins at the joke but nods in agreement with Mildred.
"The only thing I can think of to do would be to move the precinct, but as I said at the beginning, that just kicks the can down the road for someone else to deal with. The entity is too damn resistant to magic to contain it properly. Don't misunderstand I'm completely open to other solutions, but I want you to come up with them."
"In answer to your other questions, I have a very basic understanding of Dispillo enough to translate it, and I could teach you that, though I think you would find such knowledge more of a burden than a help. The reason for this is the nature of the magic it relates to. It is creation magic, as in the stuff the universe was made from. The gods do not fear it as much as they simply don't want mortals who lack the understanding of how the universe is put together making changes that have the potential to cause reality to unravel. Gods argue and bicker but know enough to leave reality out of their squabbles. Indeed I think they have denied themselves knowledge of this magic to put it out of reach of temptation. Zeus is the only one who might know such things, possibly Hades as well but that is just speculation."
"As to which gods to trust, with the exception of Hades, I wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw them. Hades I trust, because he has no interest in the realm of the living, his word is a practically unbreakable bond, and in his own way he cares."
A slightly sad smile crosses Dyres face at this point.
"Of all the gods he is the only one who isn't a complete jerk, but at the same time he is also the least likely to help with a matter that concerns the living. Getting to talk with him is difficult enough, getting him to become involved is almost impossible."
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Post by lilithsboy on Jan 6, 2020 13:54:46 GMT -5
Unless we trap it? If we could find some record of why this thing where here and use the exact wording to the punishment to remove it... I honestly think this thing is Fae made and the Fae are supposed to be very odd about the letter but not intent of the law. Mildred if we use the nuclear option the Fae may come down on us harder than before if they believed this was a just punishment.
Hmmm. I was under the impression that all magic in a way warped reality, but if this power can make permanent widespread alterations I can see why the gods might object. Regardless it is the heritage of my family and my grandmother's life they are toying with, which is unacceptable. The gods attempting to control the use of this power flies in the face of free will I can understand punishing a transgression but to hunt us down for the audacity of having knowledge is going too far.
Christopher thinks for a moment and then a smile broadens his face.
We need the wording to punishment but no record of the punishment exists, only a record of the transgression, we have a group of deities that come out and after only those who make the mistake of knowing too much...Seems to me it is time to recreate the mistakes of the past is it not?
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Post by Gris on Jan 7, 2020 5:41:08 GMT -5
"Let them come" Mildred snarled, flashing teeth, recovering composure soon enough. "There is no justice in what's going on now and we can't trust in any other justice but man's" she added, somber and with restraint. "We won't- we can't pretend to enforce otherworldly laws here. I'm all up for keeping things civilized and being diplomatic, but this has to stop" she determined. "For good. No prison lasts forever, sometimes not even death" she sighed.
Mildred lamented making a scene and barking at her partner, but she couldn't undo that and she was in a sour enough mood to not consider an apology. "When the pretty boy comes back from whatever he's been doing at your house, we can ask him" Mildred decided, getting up. "But if he isn't against it, I vote we kill the monster under the bed. Until then I have other matters to attend beyond the theological discussion at hand" she finished, about to go out unless interrupted.
Maybe she could sneak out a quick trip to Grandfather's before dawn or if not, at least she would mull her thoughts at home. Alone.
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Post by Janus on Jan 25, 2020 9:19:06 GMT -5
"Magic warps reality in the same way that a stone warps a pond when thrown into it. There is a splash and some ripples but sooner or later the pond returns to its original state. The laws of magic ensure that it is extremely difficult to cause lasting harm. With creation magic, the laws of magic cease to apply. You change the nature of the water and the pond is never the same again. Screw up and you can kill everything in the pond."
"Transgressions, as you call them don't need to be punished because they are not survivable. Unravelling reality is horrifyingly easy to do and almost impossible to reverse when you are part of it. The gods stated reason for killing everyone who could use it was to stop mortals accidentally killing the world. Of course I seriously doubt there was anything benevolent in their motives. They view this world as theirs won't stand for anyone or anything messing with in."
"That is why I am so against messing with this until we know more. I will happily explain what I know about this type of magic which to be honest isn't much. But if it turns out you can use it and the gods aren't simply going to kill you for trying then you need to know as much about using it safely as we can work out."
"I've had some time to look at the circles in your photographs and they are, well, complicated would be an understatement. In basic terms, the first circle, so the outside one, is a ward against basically anything non human passing it or determining what is inside of it through magical means. Basically it stops the gods and various others seeing it. That uses normal magic. The next circle I struggle a bit more with as it is in Dispillo, so I'm certain I'm not getting everything because there is too much that seems to contradict itself. If I were to guess I'd say it's purpose was to create an area of space in which the intent of the person entering it determines whether they are able to enter it and what they are able to do within that space. The problem is that there are all sorts of spare glyphs that add things that don't seem to make sense. I'm guessing they are there to make the circle safe somehow. But how that is I can't say."
"The very inner circle is even more puzzling, it seems to take power from somewhere and send it to somewhere else."
"I'd say all in all I understand maybe a quarter of what has been written and that is assuming the circles are not nuanced. Given everything I have seen of your grandmother's work I would say I understand maybe a tenth of what is going on there."
"Comparatively the disc in the centre is quite easy to understand. It's, to use a Harry Potterism, a port key. An item designed to send someone somewhere. It looks as though it takes a lot of power to operate and so needs to charge itself up."
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Post by lilithsboy on Jan 25, 2020 16:43:52 GMT -5
My grandmother would put a riddle, inside a message, hidden inside a puzzle, this is not an exaggeration it is a description of what we saw tonight. Nuanced could be another understatement... Seems the best thing for a creation magic practitioner to do is first remove themselves from reality and work from the outside in...
Frankly, I think we need to learn all that we can and certainly agree with you on going slowly; however, I do intend to find out everything I can about this magic, the Dispelo language, and my grandmother was betting on the assumption I could use the power, never have I taken her judgment lightly and I certainly will not begin doing so now let us work under the assumption I can. Grandmother likely intended for me to follow the breadcrumbs so that is what I plan on doing. I intend to hire a tutor in the language if you wish to join me fine, but I expect you to keep pace and I intend to mater it in under a month, if you do not wish to then I will happily give you a report later.
I am new to the supernatural community but I feel it is time to dive in headfirst both as a career move and because it can only aid me, so I will be looking into whom she used to speak with as well. How long do you believe this transporter needs to charge, and how do we charge it?
Is there anything else you need before I retire for the day? It has been almost 48 for me.
Christoper, remains seated until he is dismissed.
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Post by Janus on Jan 30, 2020 13:55:01 GMT -5
Captain Dyre chuckles and shakes her head.
"I have no idea. I'd need to see it in person to get any sort of feel for it, though you should be able to get a good idea yourself if you are close enough. The outter circle will probably prevent me from getting any sort of idea anyway."
"Dispillo is a lost language, that's part of the reason I'm struggling with it so much. But if you want to give it a go... Here."
She scribbles down three symbols onto a piece of paper with a word next to each. Tree, River and Sun.
"Anyone who can translate those is almost certainly up to no good."
"If you both want to clock off early I have no objections. We can't do much more today so rest up and we'll come back to this tomorrow."
There are a few hours left before dawn, so for either of you not just wanting bed your opportunity to do something is now.
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Post by Gris on Jan 31, 2020 4:50:43 GMT -5
"Fine" Mildred's reply was dry, more bothered by her brief temper tantrum than anything else. "Tomorrow we'll deal with this" she asserted, clearly not in the mood to drag out the situation. Without waiting for anything else, Mildred just went out, her heavier than usual pace betraying her impatience, and jumped on the car. A ride should help clear her mind, she didn't want to cause a scene in Grandfather's of all places. Driving through the streets of Gotham did made her feel better, she belonged there, it was her city and no other supernatural freak could stir trouble as far as she was concerned. Even less if it involved her kind.
A lure for vampires. Preposterous. Maybe the Swamp Thing was toying with her? Mildred doubted so, but the possibility helped her to gain some calm and perspective.
Once in Grandfather's she ambled in as usual, her casual demeanor perhaps stiffer than the norm, but still a pretty good version of her routine self. "Time for a late night drink" she mused out loud, sitting at the bar.
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Post by lilithsboy on Feb 6, 2020 20:15:12 GMT -5
Christopher smiles and thanks to Captain Dyre before returning to his home. He stops at the doorway to his home finding the marking John Constantine drew there to grant those in the house more power he refreshes the spell before moving back up to his study to gather a few items. He goes and takes the pictures Dyre wanted, next, he settles a crystal ball on his grandmother's old desk, her ward may have prevented any divining from the outside but now nicely behind them, and his grandmother's energy everywhere he can finally get the answers he has been looking for. Christopher pulls the energies around the room and attempts to delve into his grandmother's past, how she learned what she did, what she learned, and the secrets of dispillo.
***************************** (Really two seperate actions with recharge time in between) Witchcraft 6 1st. Fix Constantine's spell 2nd. Scry on grandma using her energies from her study.
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Post by Janus on Feb 8, 2020 9:24:01 GMT -5
Jon and Cerberus
... In a cupboard. Or a wardrobe to be more specific.
Cerberus, you are more or less convinced that this is the wardrobe in Christopher's house that you left from. That being said it is very dark and cramped in here so you can't be completely certain.
Jon, you are in a frickin' wardrobe, I mean you were aiming at a pretty general target, but seriously.
The doors to the wardrobe burst open and you both fall out, landing in a heap on a nicely carpetted floor in a bedroom.
Christopher
You get a lift home from a black and white. Mildred has gone off to do her thing and you had left your car at home.
The drive home is uneventful, your driver. A young woman named Charity McGowan was on her way to yours with supplies anyway so it wasn't out of her way.
Your house as you arrive at it is both full and empty at the same time.
Your staff are gone, off away from the danger that the tablet represents. They were, for better or worse, your extended family and without them the house feels decidedly empty. What they have been replaced by is police officers.
It seems that Captain Dyre is taking the threat posed by the tablet very seriously and has stationed a Metahuman response team at your house. Police officers in armour with high tech weapons are busy setting up devices in the grounds of your house.
You pass them by stopping briefly by the front door to look at John Constantine ward. It is gone, it was never intended to be permanent and with the protection it provided having been broken all its power is spent. You could probably recast it but that would take time.
Moving into your grandmother's 'study' you set your crystal ball down and use it to scan the room for your grandmother's energy. After so many years and following your cleaning of the room there is practically nothing there. You manage a picture of her, reading a book, but not even the title of the book is visible. From the size it is probably one of the trashy romance novels that line the walls. Maybe this was just where she came to get away from things rather than any serious place of study. There are certainly no books on magic in here.
Suddenly from up stairs there is a crash then the sound of running feet.
Mildred
You saunter into Grandfather's and pull up a seat at the bar. The place is empty, so early in the morning most of the usual night time crowd have gone home or are off doing something.
Chloe is there behind the bar, her usual black tank top replaced today with a black long sleeved blouse. She is sat on a stool behind the bar reading a book. 'On Being Normal, and Other Disorders,' is the title but she puts it down and smiles her usual beaming smile as hops off the stool and leans forward.
"Well howdy there Sherrif," She says, the impish grin on her face making her blue eyes sparkle mirthfully. "This official business, or did the Cap let you out early?"
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Post by lilithsboy on Feb 8, 2020 15:29:04 GMT -5
Blaming his inability to concentrate fully on the police and their noisy handling of business. Christopher goes to investigate the third floor to see if nothing else what they have broken.
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Post by Gris on Feb 9, 2020 6:46:33 GMT -5
"The second, even if we don't have a proper schedule" Mildred said with a natural smile, Chloe's lighthearted sheriff pun starting to bring her out of her mood. "You know I'm not the kind of girl that's eager to make anything official" she added to the joke. "Some of us prefer a drink instead of a book in our free time" she shrugged. Mildred wasn't so old as to come from a time where literacy was a scarce skill, she did enjoy her books specially if they were about the city, but at the moment she just wanted to perch in the bar and drink.
"There is something bothering me though, so maybe I could confess to my favorite bartender" Mildred said, half joking with the notion of bartenders having to hear their clients' lamentations, but there was a glint in her eye that betrayed her worries about the issue. "I've been the only one of my kind in Gotham since- for long, but recently I heard news about bloodsuckers gathering in the city" Mildred commented, she could be subtle if she wanted, but this was hardly the moment to do so and she really didn't want to try and fool Chloe with falsehood and half truths. "Have I been so secluded that I didn't notice or it's something new?" she asked.
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Post by Mephistel on Feb 10, 2020 17:54:23 GMT -5
Cerberus
-Ouf!!!-
The young officer let out as they fall one on top of the others out of the wardrobe. He slowly get up, noticing that they are now back in Christopher’s house. He looks back toward the wardrobe, then shook his head, getting back up, dusting off his clothes a bit.
-Well...that was quite the...experience...-
He says slowly.
-Uh...thanks...-
He says, looking at John.
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