[October 11, 2020. 10 pm.] [Ren is meeting up with good Peter about the odd music and extra edge research.] [Peter is presently working out of a large friendly church's facilities north of town.] [Peter has supporters there and a few more credulous observers. Ren's expected so he and Peter quickly meet in an office.] (Saving time by skipping setup.) [Start] * Peter looks a bit tired, but otherwise healthy. He's got a few papers and a datapad spread on the desk in front of him. He looks up with a smile when Ren comes in. "Good to see you again." * Ren has made an attempt to look better- his hair is still as unruly however, but he is dressed Southern Formal. He gets in, and leans against a wall. "I wish I could say the same, but unfertunately, the business involved isn't all that pleasent." * Peter nods and looks serious. "Of course. I've had some success with research on that tune, however I'm not what it all means. I can go straight into it, but I might be able to better organize the presentation if I had a feel for what you already knew." * Ren shrugs helplessly. "Alright. It's not much, though." * Peter nods. Way back, when I was still with the force, 'bout 9 years ago, is when I came across it. There was this building. Well, not really. Half a building. If that. The place was ruined. There were only three things of signifigance left to find. A body, which was too mangled for us to identify. The timing fits. There's been occassional instances that may be related to the song before nine years ago, but almost all of our data is after that point. The other was a small gem. Red. When I picked it up, it got absorbed into me. Cheshire was bound to that, and thus, bound to me. The other thing, is that a radio in the room survived. Near tha body, and the gem. It was playing that song, over an' over ag'in. We never did find out anything about any of it. It was a complete wash. And... all I know is that the song's related somehow. It made people's hearts hurt, like they just got sad. Even the stubborn old goats who were to hardened. Every'un. * Ren shrugs. "Toldja. Not much." * Peter nods. "At this point, we're quite certain the song has a mystical nature. More than that it seems to act as if it has a purpose." * Peter shows Ren the datapad which has a map of the world. There's a series of sporadic dots on it. The dots seem largely concentrated in America, but there are some instances in the Middle East and Australia. * Ren looks it over, and waits for the explanation. Here's a rough plot of all of the people we found who were presently familar with it. * Ren nods. "How many of them have supernatural ties?" * Peter then taps a button and the data on the map moves back at a steady pace. The red dots representing people move around and one by one they turn in to static gold dots. The static gold dots form a series of lines moving across the world. ( like, sweeping across it, or more like lat/long lines, or from site to site like a connect-the-dot? ) (connect the dots. But multiple lines rather than a single line going to every point.) * Ren frowns. "What's this one?" More than half. Those that weren't mysticals tended to be in businesses that involved a lot of travel. There were also early instances of people in the music industry being effected. However, the song appears to lose its effect when transmitted via massmedia. This map attempts to trace the infection point. Each person recalled as best they could where they first heard the song. Its emotional effects made this process a lot easier. * Ren half-grins. "It's hard to forget." * Peter nods. "And people tend to remember when they first heard it. Our working theory is that the song is searching for something. We're still trying to work out what that something is." Peter then frowns for a moment. * Ren frowns, mulling over that statement. "... the more I hear, the less I like it." Funny way to search for something. More like it's supposed to trigger something. * Peter nods. "It's objective seems to have strong mystical ties. It has a bias towards mystical hunter and investigators." Peter keeps frowning. "Several of the loci for infection were some of the places we launched a major operation." * Peter nods at Ren's comment. "I rather suspect it wanted you to take your investigation to me." He frowns in frustration. "But I haven't been able to figure out why." * Ren narrows his eyes momentarilly. "... ya'mean I helped it." * Ren shakes his head. "I don't think I was just a carrier. I am stuck with Cheshire." * Ren shrugs. "By accident or design." Well, what're -you- gonna do with it? Let's think about this. * Ren nods. "You helped it, but it seems to have hedged its bets." He points to other loci on the mao, including ones in the Middle East and Australia. "Mak has confirmed that these locations are well known training facilities. "It may be looking for a champion." You are aware of it. You can try and figger it out, unlock, master, or use it somehow. Or you can spread it better'n anyone else. Ya haven't had any side effects assoicated with it, have ya? (Err, peter nods) Or anyone else? It mostly just spreads? ( and mao=map) * Peter shakes his heads. "Not beyond the ones you've mentioned. And the consequences don't seem malign. People are saddened but are not driven to depression or the like." * Ren frowns. "Champion... to compete with Breaker?" * Ren shakes his head. "Nah. Doesn't sound right." * Peter shakes his head. "Champion in the loose sense. Someone to pursue its cause. And even that is speculation." And before I forget. There's also one location in the UK that was a loci. ::He pokes to a place on the map:: Mak and the rest of our researchers had no idea what was there. We sent someone to check it out. How long ago? The timing seems to have been in the last two years or so. Less intense in the last few months. All our research found was a construction site with a suspicious amount of equipment. ... any mines, or history of gems? * Ren frowns. "I'll take a look there myself, too. See if me or Cheshire recognize anything." * Peter shakes his head. "There was a shaft with a concrete base, nothing else." He then looks up at Ren. "This gem and the song may have resulted from different extraplanars. We can check on that if you like." * Peter nods. "I thought you'd say that." He gives Ren a piece of paper with a map and such. * Ren accepts the map and such, then nods. "It'd be worth checking into." * Ren frowns. "I'm not quite sure how ya'all 'll get Cheshire's readings, though. I suspect ah need to stick around for a bit for that, though." Use some caution. They also had a fair amount of security. And yes, we'd need you for a few hours. But you could train or watch TV or the like. * Ren nods. "Could pursue the other matter in the while. Edge." True. We'll pput all we know at your disposal. Is there anything we can do to help you with your own research?" I got more options than him. I can stay out of her way, but she can't get out of mine. Thing is, they probably know what I can do. It's a chess game o' tactics there, but I got a handle on that. I need a material edge. Protection against her attacks, or a way to bust through her protections that I'm betting she'll have against my guns. If they're really going for broke, they'll try and inhibit Cheshire, but... *he grins* ... most things that would affect supernats won't get him, because they have ta go through me. ( fix that first him to her. ) * Peter smiles. "Your best bet may be offense. From what we know her attacks are both natural and supernatural and thus hard to counter." (* Peter smiles at Ren's comment, to be clear.) * Ren nods. "I'm betting she has a range on her attacks, too." That'll come into play heavily in my favor if the battlefield falls right. She has a flachette gun. Proably not as effective as her swords, but it can likely still cut through armor as if they were mashed potatos. (flechette) But not a barrier. It would depend on the barrier. With her powers and her equipment at very least she could go through unreinforced walls. * Ren shakes his head. "I doubt you have a portable barrier strong enough, though." * Peter nods and frowns. "We have people that could do it, but that doesn't help in a one on one tournament." * Peter then blinks. "Although..." * Ren drums his fingers against a wall. "Ammo. I want some'thin that there's not a common defense for." If I were them against me, I'd be packing body armor of some kind. And try and get around my mobility advantage. * Peter nods. "We could assist you on that end. Alternately, we might just have a shield that could stand up to her attacks. However, I'm afraid I don't have the resources to make both available." The ammo. It'll be easier use that edge. *he smirks* * Peter laughs. "Go with what you know. Alright, she's not a demon, so holy water bullets won't help." He thinks. Acid spreadin' ammo. Liquid that has to be sealed against, that'll eat up whatever it hits. And a helluva lot more annoying. * Ren hmms. "Won't work 'gainst a barrier, though." * Peter nods. "She'll likely be profient at blocking with her sword. If the bullets shattered on impact that would neutralize one defense." I don't know her defenses well 'nuff. I can only guess at what she might try and adapt and prepare for. * Ren nods. "Those'd eat up her equipment real quick." * Peter chuckles. "Body armor and flachette gun at least. But I've never met a mystical sword specialist that didn't have something special and resistant about her sword." * Ren frowns. "If that's good, all that's left is to see if I can squeeze any more info about how she fights." Impact detonation will only make the bullets explode on her hands. And if the splash area's big 'nuff, it won't matter if she blocks it or not. * Ren shoves himself off the wall, and actually stands. "Am ah missin' anything?" * Peter thinks for a moment. Just think over your battleground very carefully. ::He smiles:: One man's valley of death is another's green pastures." That's gonna make all tha difference. The more I can flaunt my mobility, the more my win's gauranteed. * Peter nods. "But from what we know of Edge, she's no fool. So don't make it obvious." * Ren smirks. "I got a little trick in mind. Go in heavily armored, with some explosives. Soon as the things starts, pop out and leave it out. If she investigates, blow it remotely." * Peter nods. "Just remember not to overdo it with the explosives. These aren't death matches." * Ren nods. I'm gonna need every edge against Edge I can get to win this, I suspect. * Ren puts his hands in his pockets, then stares at the ground for a moment. He looks back up, smiling. "Thanks, Peter. For everything so far. I'm not gonna let ya down." * Peter nods. "I'll pray that you have the wisdom and strength you need. Just remember, if you feel you're being out matched, you can still help ensure her eventual defeat by making her show the range of her moves." One more thing. Do you have access to her in combat, or any kind of recording or records? I'm sure you've investigated her at some point or another becuase of her supernat touches. Aside from that, I'm ready to get that physical over with. * Peter frowns. "We've tried but we don't. The Templars have a technological master. Perhaps a cybermage. They manage to destroy any record of their encounters." * Ren shrugs. "So much fer that." * Peter smiles. "But I think you'll still perform impresively. Now go work out the specifics of the bullets you want with our weapons crews and we'll run that scan while you're working." Sure thing. [So, we'll fastforward past the technical specifications, you can get those to me in an email or something. The weapons workers that work with Peter are rather friendly although there expertise is specifically in anti-superatural weapondry. However, that requires a broad range of abilities so they can handle acid.] [Once that testing is done a rather earnest woman of African descent in her mid thirties in business casual garb approaches Ren. She'd been making observations from a corner and performing the occassional ritual as you worked.] I may have worked out some information that will help you. * Ren shifts his leaning against something to face her. "So you did have some luck." * Woman smiles. "It would seem the Lord did favor my work. Your extra-planar, I mean to say Chesire, is not the source of the song." * Ren nods slowly. "That's good to know concretely. Thanks." There's something else. He's been on this plane for about nine years. Which is odd given your story. That's around when I ... met him. But he bonded with you when you touched a crystal? * Ren frowns, considering that. "Yeah. Or he was bonded to the gem and that bonded to me." You're saying that he's from another plane entirely? Yes. He is. Though he may have visited ours before. But crystals can hold extraplanars for centuries, for millenia. They're a defensive technique. A way to preserve an extra-planar that was normally thought to be dead. * Ren nods. "That's a common method in old stories. Sealing forces away in precious gems." * Woman nods. "Exactly. Which is why it's odd that he has only been on this plane for a short time before you encountered him. Gem spirits typically go decades at least before rebonding." * Ren murmers, "The whole situation it was found at was odd." The tales always go, that the gems are hidden, or lost, for long periods of time, and are found, or chanced upon, or searched out. But they are always in a rare place where that's possible. This one was just ... there. Perhaps whoever formed it did not have time to hide it properly. Instead he, she, or it, could only temporarily cloak the gem. You seem to be knowledgable on the subject. What would be the side effects of forming one? And what would happen if the process was interupted? Considering that the process involves Cheshire, someone not from this plane. * Woman thinks for a moment. "Extra-planars are not normally summoned into gems. Typically the ritual is performed on an already present extraplanar. Sometimes it is performed in advance as a contigency." * Ren flicks his gaze inwards, for a moment. "Go on." You know what was summoned. Work off that fact. Well.. I don't think an explosion would happen if the ritual was interrupted. More likely the gem would shatter or at least show signs of imperfection. What about side effects of a successful one? There are often but not always related spells that protect the gem either to preserve the extra-planar or to keep it from re-emerging. It would definately seem this ritual sought to preserve Chesire and not to contain him. It may prove training to the caster, but it should not mangle them. ( straining? ) (yes) And if Chesire had possessed a body of his own, that typically would have vanished entirely. Alright. Is there any reason why, if during the summoning, or the forming, that an explosion large enough to wreck a building could happen? No matter how unlikely. Only in the broadest sense. Any ritual could theoretically have disasterous effects. But it would be highly unlikely. More likely the explosion is related to why Chesire needed the protective crystal. * Ren nods. "That makes a bit more sense." If there should come a time where Chesire should return home, I can also help you with that. But for now your bonding seems to be of the mutually beneficial sort. ::She sounds like she doesn't think that's too common:: * Ren nods again. "I'll keep that in mind." My hopes and prayers go with you in your fight. [Pause/break]