Business at Church

[hazlogs]

It is currently 20:19 Pacific Time on Sun Jan 12 2003.

Currently the moon is in the waxing Gibbous Moon phase (65% full).

Currently in Saint Claire, it is raining lightly. The temperature is 45
degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius). The wind is calm today. The
barometric pressure reading is 30.07 and rising, and the relative humidity
is 97 percent. The dewpoint is 44 degrees Fahrenheit (6 degrees Celsius.)

Forgotten Church

The old church is dark, dimly lit by outside light coming in through
scum-encrusted windows during the day, and tomblike during the night.
There is a coatroom in the back of the nave, with separate doors leading
off to mens' and womens' restrooms, and two staircases, one going up to
the balcony and bell-tower, and the other leading down to the basement.
The double doors leading out to the street are at the back of the
coatroom.

The hard wooden pews in the sanctuary are, for the most part, still
intact. There are even Bibles and hymnals left in the shelves along the
back of each row, although many of them look rather chewed on. The altar
on a dais at the front of the church is empty, and the lectern that once
stood next to it has been knocked over. Rotting red cloth hangs at the
very front of the church; there might once have been a design on it, but
it has long since faded or been eaten away.

Andrea and Elan arrive at the church. Disappointed in looking for Renee,
they still settle to talk. As they begin, Andrea glances between the two
urrah. "I'm pretty sure both of you know all about the drug, the fomor
that was killed and the warehouse. But back me up if there's anything. I'm
going to start with what Elan and I found at that warehouse." She takes a
deep breath before she goes on. "There are a lot of small banes in the
area, of a type I'm not familiar with. Blood Spoors. They are very weak,
but don't disregard them--they are children of the Eater-of-Souls, and
they have charms related to possession and the theft of gnosis. Other than
that, most of what Shadow Eyes and I saw were pattern spiders." Another
breath. "Later, Touch Deer and I went to look at the girl's home, where
the murder occurred. Wyrm was stronger there than in the surroundings, and
there were more of those Blood Spore spirits. I Commanded one to return to
its home, and it led us across the city, back to that very warehouse. The
one Renee was investigating when she was touched with the vampire magic,
and the one Patrick and Susan investigated afterwards."

Elan sits and listens, quietly, shifting around now and again.

Salem listens solemnly, leaning against the end of one pew. Apart from a
brief, carefully neutral glance at Elan when the two Theurges arrive, Jack
doesn't look the Gnawer's way at all. He lights a filterless cigarette as
he takes in the information and nods once. "Ebony, one of our kin, has
turned up some information on the warehouse itself." He sets the cigarette
in his mouth and reaches into his coat, removing a carefully folded piece
of paper, which he hands over. "Diagram of the building's layout. The
company that's renting it currently is called Shipping Express. A
night-freight company." Dry humor. "The actual owner company is called
Washington Realty."

Andrea takes it, glancing over the information written there. "Was Ebony
able to check whether these companies actually exist? I've run into false
companies a few times when dealing with other enemies, though I've not
investigated many vampires."

"They're masters at hiding their tracks and their minions," the young
Gnawer says, simply.

Salem shakes his head. "He wasn't able to get anything. Not yet, anyway.
It's possible that the owners have no idea what's being done on their
property. As long as the rent's paid, and so forth."

Andrea nods. "Still worth knowing," she adds, as she tucks the paper away.
"Especially the floor plan. I saw a little of it during the most recent
scouting mission, but only a small portion."

The Glass Walker grunts, taking a drag on the cigarette. "Do we have a
rough plan of attack yet?"

Elan frowns a bit, then looks back to Andrea.

Andrea frowns. "Only in what we've learned about as there. Patrick and
Susan learned some. Fomori, between eight and ten. They come and go at
times of their own choosing and not to any set pattern. They dwell only in
the realm. The umbra is dark even during the fullest moon, but are a few
ways into the depths of the pattern spider's weavings. Patrick sensed much
magic in the place both in the realm and in the umbra. The umbra is what
we learned the most about last time, but we were able to peek into the
realm and get a bit more information as well.

Elan says "Awww, shit."

Alicia opens up the door to the church and makes her way inside, blowing
on her hands. "Man its cold out there." She murmurs, glancing over towards
the Garou, one at a time. "Hey." She says in the way of greeting.

Salem tilts his head slightly. He looks up, giving his packmate a nod and
a thin smile of greeting before turning back to Andrea. "Hm. Thinking of a
simultaneous attack, both sides, or what? It sounds like we'll need some
heavy firepower on the other side."

Elan waves Alicia over. 'There are a couple coats in the basement. And a
blanket over there, on that pew."

Andrea shakes her head. "I'm thinking we can afford to attack these
separately, if we can do them both reasonably close to one another. Let me
go through what we found and I'll explain." Alicia's arrival gains a
crooked smile of greetings as the alpha nods, but she does not pause long.

"Hey, thanks Elan. I'll snag one in a moment." Alicia grins a tad, making
her way to Andrea with a swagger in her step. "After yer' done, I got some
shit to spill also." She pauses. "An something to talk to you about in
private also, Alpha."

Salem arches a brow. "Something juicy from Mr. Dalton, perhaps?" he asks,
his tone bland.

"Something like that." Ali' murmurs, stubbing her toe on the ground.

Andrea cocks her head slightly, but she does not pause. "Knowing about the
darkness in the umbra, Ouroboros worked with Reforged for the next
mission. Nightfire bears a fetish that sheds light in the umbra that
cannot be seen outside where it illuminates. We had to shift into lupus to
enter one of the tunnels in the webbing. Two pattern spiders followed, but
Reforged frightened them away with gifts. The lupus and the scouts smelled
the blood first, but soon we all did. Both fresh and old--Shadow-of-Blood
believes there had been bleeding there a long time. When the tunnel opened
slightly, the walls had changed into bars and there was a waterwall of
blood along one side. We paused there, to let Patrick go slightly ahead
and to let me Peek."

Salem's face twists into a grimace, showing a few teeth. "Christ," he
mutters, taking in another lungful of cigarette smoke.

Alicia blinks her eyes a few times. "Craptastic. That sounds like
something out of a Stephen King novel."

Andrea grimaces. "I saw a room. In fact." She pulls out the paper again
and looks at the map. Pointing a finger at one of the largest divisions,
she says, "That one there, I think, but I'll consider to try to make sure.
In it was a single fomor and over a dozen humans. In cages, all--mostly
thin and sick looking. Some had been altered with surgery. Nightfire
looked after I reported this, and said he could not tell whether they
might have been altered with vampire magic instead." The theurge's gaze
flicks to Elan. "He said he'd fought a vampire in the past, that could
sculpt the body like clay. But one way or another, these people are test
subjects. The fomor was even recording observations on a clipboard when I
looked."

Yi's arrival to the church is a normal pit stop on her way through the
patrol loop. Seeing this many people gathered though, makes her close the
door behind her quicker than normally.

Salem's expression is dark, very dark. "Christ," he says again. Yi gets a
glance and a curt nod from the tall Glass Walker.

Elan nods to Andrea. "I've never run into anything like that, but I heard
stories.. difficult to separate fact from fiction, though."

Alicia shakes her head at that, feeling her stomach turn. "Good fucking
lord almighty." Pacing around the room slightly, she turns her eyes upon
the Gnawer, trying to force a smile. "Hey sis.. come on in.. join in the
conversation.."

Andrea nods soberly. "One of the things we're going to have to decide is
what to do with those humans. They're victims, but at the same time we
have to protect ourselves. Reforged will not be able to countance killing
them unless they cannot be saved, unless they wish to risk Unicorn's
anger." She shakes her head again. "Further on, we know less of the realm
and more of the umbra. With my gift, I felt a vampire's presence on the
other side, but I didn't stop to look. As we rounded the corner we saw a
simply...enormous...leech. Its name has to do with the corruption of blood
and spirit, and it has much power. Reforged and Ouroboros could have
perhaps taken it alone without losses, if we'd had every member present,
but not with the blood spores and pattern spiders as well."

Yi just listens to what's being reported, closing the gap between her and
the group and coming to stand alongside Alicia. "Renee came to my place
and told me to find out what is going on and what you have seen." Does she
even have to say that what little bit she's heard doesn't sound good/

Salem frowns. "The humans will likely become casualties, as much as I
dislike the thought. Shit." He inhales smoke, then lets it out in a gray
stream, turning his head away from the group slightly as he does so. "You
said they'd be surgically altered. Altered how?"

"If everyone stayed in crinos, or in homid if there's problem with silver,
we might be able to rely on the delerium, then place them with human
healers. The Shelter could take the women, at least the ones not in
physical danger." The theurge then shakes her head. "I didn't get to look
that long, but I got the impression of experiments. Horrible things, like
the Nazis might have done during the Holocaust. I can try to remember more
tonight, during my meditations."

Salem grunts. "The details aren't... necessary." The Walker seems vaguely
troubled, though, his lips thinned.

Alicia rubs the back of her neck slightly, then leans against Yi's
shoulder. "It sounds just purely disgusting. You think Spirals are
involved too?"

Elan says "They don't tend to work together, unless something makes them
do so. The leeches don't even trust others of their kind, much less the
other supernaturals."

Andrea shakes her head as she turns to Alicia. "Maybe, but we've seen no
evidence. I finally resorted to asking Jade, to try to find the connection
between the vampire and the spirit. Normally, it takes one of our kind or
a mage to bridge the Gauntlet." She pulls out a separate piece of paper.
"I wrote this one down."

What had been a routine stop turned into recollections of all things
unpleasant. Yi half-lids her eyes, then takes in a slow breath and leans
in a little to see the paper.

Salem straightens up, his gaze on the paper.

Andrea recites:

"Blood and pain sent out the clarion call.
 An uninvited guest now aids the thrall.
 How fit! That one who hides now does not see.

 The darkness drinks a draught of death and fear.
 Heart engorged through feasts of terror clear.
 It reaches souls that she can never touch.

 She suspects, but does not know. Fears, but can not prove. Searches, but
can not find. When all that is desired is granted to you, who will search
out the mask behind the giver?"

Andrea folds the paper. "I believe the spirit was attracted by the
vampire's activities and is making something, most probably the creation
of fomori, possible. It gets food from the arrangement. The vampire
doesn't know why what she does is working, but is too pleased to find out
the spirit's influence. If even she could."

Yi shakes her head, pushing away the anger that rises up when vampires are
mentioned. "Where was that poem from?"

Andrea glances at Yi as she asks. "Jade. She has an uncanny ability to
have insights into things. Unfortunately, she hides them again in riddles
or poems."

Alicia crosses her arms, head tilting as she listens. "Ya'know, Sepdet an
Seeker are real good at that riddle shit if you need someone to unwind
it."

Andrea shrugs one shoulder at Alicia. "I'd be glad to share it with
either, especially Sepdet. I hope I've read it right, though, as I've not
seen either of them in some days. They stride."

Yi slits an eye, shifts her feet a bit, blinks and then pipes up again.
"May I see the paper?"

Salem shakes his head slightly. "Your average vampire doesn't know a
damned thing about the Wyrm, or the things that it spawns." The Walker's
tone is unsympathetic. "Andrea's interpretation sounds correct, at least
to me. So. One vampire, we assume, of an intellectual or medical bent,
several fomori, and some very powerful spirit-ikthya on the mirror side."

Andrea hands it over without hesitating, even as she answers Salem.
"Indeed. Perhaps silver, but not necessarily. It depends on whether the
vampire knew what Renee was when she got fed blood, or if it was more of
an accident of one kind of another. Renee states she doesn't remember, so
where I want people prepared for silver I'm not hinging the plan around
its presence as yet. Since the two sides are not actually working
together, I was thinking of taking them out separately. Attack the realm
soon, then the umbra for the Revel itself when we'll have the most Garou
presnt and Luna's face will be fullest."

"The vampire... is a woman of some respect and power?" Yi questions,
hating the fact she's having to hit balls out in the dark. "What are the
defenses like on this side?"

Alicia nods her head slowly to Andrea's words, wettening her lips some. "I
spoke to Nick again, by the way. He says he most likely can provide us
with a total blue print of the wherehouse's insides."

Salem leans back against the pew again, arms folded across his chest,
still frowning pensively.

Andrea shakes her head. "I've never seen the vampire. I assume it's a she
from the poem. Other than the vampire, we know there are eight to ten
fomori. Possible, but not probable, silver."

Andrea also glances at Salem. "Do you expect blueprints will help us more
than the floorplan you've gotten? Think you might do something with the
electrical system, say?" To Alicia, she frowns and adds, "Problem with
involving him is, if anything does leak,he'll associate you with the
trouble. Unless I can get David to help, there will be evidence there that
we're going to have to do something with. Burn, quite possibly."

Alicia rubs her neck slightly and glances to Andrea. "I /really/ need to
talk to you about something." She says, a hint of urgency in her voice.

Yi slides a hand into her jacket pocket, leaning against a pew. "The banes
on the Shadow side would come to the aid of the fomori," she thinks aloud.
"And burning it down might take too long."

Andrea shakes her head at Yi. "Not unless they can manifest. They might
try possessing someone, but only two were of a size to do it quickly." The
theurge frowns at Alicia's urgency, then says, "Salem, I can leave this in
your hands for a few days? It's your turf, whether or not it's your
territory. Reforged and Ouroboros are willing to fight, but we're not city
packs."

Salem exhales smoke, grimacing. "I'll speak with Tesla. But power over
electricity isn't a gift of his. Neither is it mine, alas. But I'll see
what can be done. As for Mr. Dalton... Mm." He considers the Gaian Theurge
for a moment, and then nods once, curtly. "Fine."

Alicia hooks her fingers in her belt loops, waiting, letting out a breath.
"Salem, ya'know, if yeh' really wanted ta' talk to Yi.. now could be a
good time."

Andrea's lips quirk. "I always worry more about realm problems than umbra,
and doubly so in the city. I know my strengths." Sigh lets out a long
breath, then adds, "Unrelated, I'd wanted to mention I'd heard the cub
Cat'd been moved. If you wish, I'd be glad to come to see him
occasionally. I'd meant to talk to you about allowing him to sit with my
own cubs on lessons about spirit matters, and he seems to have formed a
close friendship with Catherine. I'd limit it to no more than a couple of
cubs with me per visit."

Yi tilts her head, and nods as Andrea tells her about the banes and their
possible powers. The more you know. As her name is mentioned, she glances
over at the Synthesis members.

"He's living with Rina at the moment," Salem says, after nodding to Alicia
and Yi. "I'm not certain how much... hm. It would probably be better if I
dropped him off at the farmhouse occasionally, for the day."

Andrea nods. "Just get with me on the dates." She then half-angles toward
Alicia. "You want to walk me to my car?"

Alicia nods her head, making her way to the door. "Sure." She offers a dip
towards Salem an Yi. "I'll be back in a moment."

Andrea reaches out to take the poem back from Yi. "You may have a copy if
you wish. Just stop by the island. Mother walk with you all."

Alicia opens one of the double doors at the back of the church, leaving
for the streets.

"Mother with you," Salem murmurs, as the Gaians head out. Then he turns an
eye toward Yi.

Andrea opens one of the double doors at the back of the church, leaving
for the streets.

Yi gives back the page with a grateful nod. "See you later," she murmurs
and turns to Salem. Hooboy. "So..."

Salem takes a long inhale on the cigarette and lets it out in twin streams
of smoke from his nostrils, like a dragon. "Why Synthesis?" he asks,
getting to the point.

"Alicia asked," Yi replies simply at first. There is hint of more, of
course.

Salem simply lifts an eyebrow and continues to look down at the Gnawer,
flatly. His expression isn't encouraging.

Gazing upwards into the lone eye though, scared but pushing on, Yi
continues. "I have many reasons, but the main thing is simply that I have
wished to be a part of it before. To be a part of something better than
what I can do alone."

"Hm." Salem lets the cigarette dangle from his lips and folds his arms
across his chest. "Well, Alicia thinks highly of you, and John seemed to
think well of you, too. So. Are you willing to join us on this warehouse
raid?"

Yi arches a brow. "I would be there, Synthesis or not." She briefly
hesitates there, before adding, "Right now I do not think of what Alicia
thinks of me, or what John thought. What I care about right now is what
your opinion of me is. I am Wang Tong. Essentially a Bone Gnawer. Gnawers
are not your preferred circle."

Salem takes the cigarette from his mouth and taps ash onto the floor.
"I've been known to make exceptions. Kaz. Lyra. I'm willing to reserve
judgement until I know you better, or seen you in action. Right now, I
haven't done either."

Yi's eyes break from their gaze to follow the ash down. "We have not had
many opportunities to work with each other, no. Maybe that will change,"
she replies, glancing back up. "There is one other thing that I needed to
see you about. You said John left a letter for me."

Salem nods. "He did. It's back at my place. I'll see that you get it
shortly."

Alicia heads back into the church after bidding Andrea good night, hands
slid deep into her pockets. "Hey."

Yi looks to the door as it opens, and nodding to Alicia she turns back to
Salem. "I can pick it up tonight once I've finished my patrol."

Salem gives the Gnawer a single not, then looks up as Alicia enters.
"Everything all right?" he asks, coolly. He appears calm -- as calm as
possible on a gibbous moon, anyway.

"Fine. E'er'ting's fine." The Gaian drawls slightly as she shifts some on
her feet. "So, whats the word guys?"

"Decision still pending." Salem glances down at Yi, then back at Alicia.
"We should see how well we all work together. Patrol, battle, et cetera.
The warehouse attack and the Revel should give excellent opportunities,
for starters."

"Still undecided," Yi echoes with a mirror glance to the philodox. "Even
if we had worked once or twice in the same group during a raid on the
caern, it's not enough to say."

"Oh yah?" Alicia says, arms crossing over her chest a bit, shifting some
on her feet. Trading glances with the Gnawer, she murmurs. "Well, I know
she'll prove herself, as she always does. The untouchable Gnawer."

Eyeing Alicia, Yi quirks her lip. "That's a myth." Just look at the scars
on her body, if any of them poke through her clothes.

Salem snorts. "Alicia is your best PR agent, Yi. Hire her if you ever
decide to run for office." He takes another drag on the cigarette, nearly
reaching the end of it.

Yi curves a brow. "PR?" The question is asked in a way that shows her
unfamiliarity with the abbreviation.

Salem translates. "Public Relations."

Alicia grins faintly and nods her head. "Yi for President."

Er. Right. And that's what reads on the Gnawer's expression as she looks
between the Roachpack. "I see," is all she manages to say to that,
horrible ragabash that she is. "How is the rest of Synthesis doing?"

Salem's mouth twists. "Tatt has made herself scarce. Leala is busy
elsewhere in the city, but checks in on occasion to let us know she's
alive. Francisco... is still missing."

"Yah, we really should work on finding him." Alicia says with a frown on
her face, blowing out a hard breath.

Yi furrows her brow, concern slipping over. "He's missing? Any idea of
where he went?"

Salem exhales another long stream of smoke. "Somewhere that Questing Stone
can't find him. Nor can our pack's patron." He shakes his head. "Perhaps
when this UL issue is resolved, we can make some more inquiries." The
halfmoon's tone is less than optimistic.

Yi casts her gaze off into the church's shadows. "The sooner the vampire
is dead enough to never return, the better." Her tone borders on a cold
growl.

Alicia reaches out and touches Yi's shoulder, giving a squeeze,
comforting.

"Let's just hope there's only one to deal with," the Glass Walker says
quietly, taking the last inhale on the cigarette. He drops the butt on the
floor and crushes it underfoot.

"You are going to pick that up and throw it away in a trash can right?" Yi
asks, still glaring at the dark. Then she turns her attention back to the
two, calmer.

Alicia lets out a slow breath, squeezing Yi again on the shoulder. "This
one won't getcha, k'?" She says softly.

Salem's eyes narrow at Yi, his manner turning a degree or two cooller. "Of
course."

Yi reaches up and returns a squeeze of Alicia's hand, before aiming a
faint twinge of a smile at Salem. "Thank you."