Modern Necromancy Quest Redux: Thread Twelve

You roll out of bed, feeling surprisingly refreshed and alert. That’s what happens when your planned night of debauchery is cut short, and you heave up any booze you’d managed to get down, you suppose. So you stretch, hearing joints pop, and shuffle out into the kitchen. It’s late morning, and you see a note left on the table. The usual business with Mom—something important’s going on at the paper, so she’ll be super busy for a few days. Dad took Andrew to camp for the day, and Olivia’s off hanging out with one of her many gal pals. You feel a momentary twinge of envy, but shake it off. Who’d choose friends over magic powers? And besides, Cat is your friend, isn’t he?

You fry an egg and make some toast for your breakfast, mulling over what you want to do for the day. Cat phases through the wall and comes to sit on the table, tail flicking lazily side to side. There was that gem from the rhyme-grass, though you had no idea its deal was. It could have powers of its own, or just be symbolic of the fact that you’d solved the riddles. Maybe it was worth another trip to the garden store? You didn’t fancy running into the dark-haired girl again, since your last interaction with her was less than totally positive…

Then again, you did get some aconite out of the deal, even if you haven’t used any of it yet. Finding the time to locate some remains and draw the circle has been harder than you thought it would be. After all the shit you’ve dealt with over the last couple of days, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to have a summon who can get a little more physical than Cat, reliable as he is. You didn’t think about it at the time, but what if you’d been jumped walking home last night? Experience has shown that you’re not exactly the luckiest girl in the world. Best not to push these kinds of things.

Speaking of pushing things...you seem to recall a debt to an ancient faerie lord. You’re pretty sure it was worth the favour, considering how much of a pain in the ass those injuries were, but the fact remains that you’ve got to pay him back. It might be better to cash it in on your time, rather than waiting until Oberon demands it, potentially putting you in a tight spot. You’re pretty sure you could borrow the truck for the drive into Portland, though finding the warehouse you went into last time might be a bit touch-and-go.

Thinking about it, you’re sure there’re even more things you could do with the day, but that’s what comes to mind first. So you finish the last bite of your breakfast and take a sip of water, trying to decide what your priorities are.

>Investigate the gem you got from the rhyme grass
>Work on finding remains and completing the Lesser Physical Form summon (suggest sources for the remains)
>Find a way into Portland and try to clear your debt to Oberon before the collector comes a-knockin’

>>1058372
>Find a way into Portland and try to clear your debt to Oberon before the collector comes a-knockin’
We could potentially kill two birds with one stone by way of helping Oberpass.

>>1058372
>>Work on finding remains and completing the Lesser Physical Form summon (suggest sources for the remains)

Look for a snake in a pet store dumpster or buy one and kill it.

Pretty sure it won't suffer if we just put it into a freezer.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>1058441
>>1058444
Rolling 1d2.
1 means we go into Portland
2 means we stick around, do LphF
Also, sick digits

>>1058444
I thought we were gonna go for a nautical theme?

You mull things over for a little while, torn between your obligations to Oberon and your desire to move forward with necromancy. Then, you think about what you’re likely to be doing. If Argus’ business with the library is any indication, you’re going to be in a pretty significant amount of danger when Oberon sends you out on an errand. While you’re sure Cat would do his best, and your budding skills at warding might help a bit, it’s simply not enough. You need a way to protect yourself, to really protect yourself. You need a physical form.

You return to your room, throwing on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt with the emblem of a band you haven’t listened to in years. You gather up the libation, the aconite, and the grimoire, going over what you need for the ritual. You need to gather a few more plants, but all of it quite common—you’re sure you can find what you need within a few hundred feet of the treehouse. Then, if the remains are clean bone, you’ll need an offering. Apparently if the remains still have a good amount of meat on them, you can forgo that step.

You lean back, chewing on your lip and thinking. Dead animals, dead animals...maybe a pet store? You’re sure they toss out guppies by the bucketload, and maybe even more exotic creatures. You grin to yourself, imagining a skeletal anaconda slithering across the ground. Now that would be a summon. So after a bit of googling, you find a pet store relatively close by and jump on your bike, bringing Cat’s skull, some meat, and a lighter in your bag. After a second’s thought, you toss in a water bottle as well. Gotta stay hydrated, after all.

You make it to the pet store without incident, and coast around the parking lot to the back, Cat soaring along behind you. The store is part of a larger outdoor mall, sandwiched between a hardware store and a pizza place. Almost immediately, you spot a dumpster, separate from the rest, with a yellow and black symbol emblazoned on the side. “Biohazard”, it reads. That’s the stuff, alright. You start to open it, but realize there’s a padlock on one end, and a thick one. Frowning, you wonder how to proceed.

>Have Cat open the lock. After all, you’ve got an offering for him so it should be fine.
>Try to bash it open with mundane means. No need to play an ace, if a two will do.
>Try to get access to the key somehow. It’s not like the pet store people are going to be guarding it, after all.

>>1058570
>Try to bash it open with mundane means. No need to play an ace, if a two will do.
Evidently the Unseelie have police connections, and they don't mind having things swept under the rug; As long as there's no security cameras or witnesses around, they shouldn't mind just forgetting that we happened to leave our fingerprints here.

>>1058621
Roll please, 2d20, best of three, crits take precedence.

Rolled 7, 11 = 18 (2d20)

>>1058674

>>1058677
Writing.
I'll be running 'til 11 tonight, just so you know.

You shrug. You’d thought of just having Cat open the lock, but there’s no need to waste his energy when you can just bash the thing open with a rock, is there? Even in the worse case, if the cops get called, the Unseelie seemed to be pretty happy to brush things under the rug and the cops seemed happy to let them. These thoughts in mind, you pick up a heavy looking chunk of asphalt and bring it down on the lock with a resounding CRASH

You’re surprised at how loud it is, and let the rock fall. Leaning in, you try to see how much damage you’ve done to the lock, clicking your tongue in disappointment. The thing’s certainly dented, but doesn’t look to be relinquishing its hold on the dumpster’s lid. Just as you pick the rock up and prepare for another whack, the back door of the pet store opens up, and a confused-looking teenager pokes his head out. He’s wearing a blue polo with the logo of the store embroidered on the chest and a pair of khakis desperately in need of ironing. He just stares at you for a second, then looks back into the store.

“Hey, Brian? Somebody’s messing with the dumpster, I think.” he calls, looking away.
You take off, figuring the kid looked apathetic enough to let bygones be bygones. The Unseelie might have some sway with the cops, but you don’t want to test that particular theory right now. Besides, it could just land you in deeper debt with Oberon, which is the last thing you need.

Grabbing your bike from where you left it, you make for home, trying to stick to the side roads, hoping to avoid attention in the unlikely scenario that somebody is actually looking. Still a few minutes off, you sigh and hit the brakes, Cat coasting to a stop in the air behind you. You still need remains, but going back to the pet store is riskier now that they’ve seen you. There’s got to be someplace else that can fulfill your needs…

>Try to find remains someplace else (suggest a location or idea)
>Wait a little while longer and head back to the petstore
>Put off the lesser physical form for a little while longer

>>1058758
>Put off the lesser physical form for a little while longer
>Find a way into Portland and try to clear your debt to Oberon before the collector comes a-knockin’

Better to just fuck off and let the situation cool down in our absence.

>>1058758
>>Try to find remains someplace else (suggest a location or idea)
Look up road kill collectors online and pay a visit.

Could also buy some authentic shark teeth online

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>1058823
>>1058862
Rolling 1d2.
1 is pay a visit to the Unseelie
2 is look up road kill collectors online.

>>1058893
Roll 2d20, best of three, crits take precedence.
Sorry for the double post, there.

Rolled 14, 17 = 31 (2d20)

>>1058898
No worries. Rolling!

Rolled 5, 6 = 11 (2d20)

>>1058898

>>1058906
>>1058929
Writing.

You roll up the driveway, dismounting from the bike, and come to a decision. Best to let this rest for the day—you’re sure an opportunity will present itself eventually. Good things come to those who wait, and all that. If you’re too hasty, you could end up making things harder for yourself in the long run, as today’s fumbling behind the petstore proved.

Still, you should work on something today. So, why not head into Portland? That threat of your debt to Oberon is still hanging over you, and you’re keen to get out from under his thumb as soon as possible. Hell, if you do really well he might even follow through on his promise of resources and opportunities. That’d be two birds with one stone.

So you check around behind the garage for the jeep. It’s a bit of a heap, really, but Dad likes having it for hauling garbage, bags of leaves in the fall, and firewood in the winter. He doesn’t normally like taking it further than the few miles to the dump, but a quick trip to Portland probably won’t be an issue. So you snag the keys from the hook, grab your purse, throw your bag in the passenger seat, and take off.

It’s stressful navigating through city traffic, and even moreso when you’re not really sure where you’re going. You’ve just pulled over into a parking garage, sure you recognize the area, when you get a bright idea. You remember the name of the shop across the street from the Court, the one the chauffeur was parked in front of yesterday. You tap it into your phone’s GPS and begin to navigate the winding streets, things gradually becoming more and more familiar until you find yourself standing in front of the same run-down bar as yesterday morning. With a deep breath, you do your best to banish the nagging fear that you’ll just end up opening the door into an actual bar, and walk inside.

The Court is emptier than it was when you were here last time. You wonder why, before an odd thought strikes you—was a human’s visit to the Unseelie Court worth watching? It’s strange to think of yourself as something that draws crowds, especially in this place.

You don’t see Oberon, or his stand-in, sitting on the ornate throne at the end of the hall. You wonder if you should go investigate that end, or look around for a friendly face to ask about seeing him. It would certainly be awkward if he turned out not to be here, but then again, where else could he be? Somehow you can’t picture him at a summer home on Cape Cod.

>Look for Oberon at the far end of the hall, by the throne
>Look for Nereus or someone else you recognize to talk to
>Other

>>1059031
>Look for Nereus or someone else you recognize to talk to
We're not in any big hurry, Oberture would probably enjoy seeing us mingling with his other subjects, and it may well be profitable for us to make friends in this world of powerful and hostile creatures.

>>1059083
Writing.
This'll be the last post of the night.

Goodnight all. I'd like to run tomorrow night, but I don't know if it's in the cards. I'll update tomorrow, and let you know.
You glance around, looking for a friendly face. Last time you were here, that fishman Nereus seemed kind enough. It’s probably best to talk to somebody who knows the ins and outs of the Court before running around demanding to talk to the person in charge of it all. You spot a few fish-heads poking out from behind a pillar, and walk over, intending to say hello.
You almost don’t recognize Nereus without his tuxedo, though he is dressed quite smartly, with a sweater vest and collared shirt, as well as a perfectly arranged bowtie. His voice gives it away, though, and you politely wait for a lull in the conversation before stepping into view. You get the feeling that manners go a long way with Nereus, and it never hurts to err on the side of caution.

“Sabrina, my friend!” From his voice alone, you’d have thought he was beaming, but the fish-head is as impassive as ever. “So excellent to see you again, and so soon! This is my good friend Sebastien, I was just telling him what a show you made when last you were here!”
He gestures to the fish-man he’s been talking with. Rather less dapper than Nereus, Sebastien seems to be wearing a pair of weathered jeans and a coarse linen shirt, a barracuda’s head sticking up out of the collar.

“Pleased to meet you, Sebastien.” You manage a smile and hold out your hand, which he shakes briefly. His great wet eye runs over you once, then flicks back to Nereus.

“Thanks for the introduction. I’m afraid I have other matters to attend to. I’ll see you at the cove, shall I?” With a nod to Nereus, he turns on his heel and walks down the hall to the door. Nereus watches him go, then turns back to you abruptly.

“Dreadfully sorry for him, he doesn’t have much experience with humans, you know. I’m sure he’ll come round eventually, and you’ll be the best of friends.” He leans back against the pillar, reminding you of nothing more than an informal history teacher. “Now, how can I help you? Did you come to ask something of me, or do you simply desire conversation?”

You redden just a shade, embarrassed to have such obvious motives in coming to talk to him.

>Ask him where Oberon is
>Ask him why the Court is so empty
>Ask him about Sebastien
>other

>>1058500
Maybe when we have the resources for doing so reliably.
Until then, we should stick with what works

>>1059221
Ask him about the court being empty and subtly inquire about Oberon

>>1059302
this

>>1058500
First time im hearing about this but i guess we could get an aquatic snake or something.

>>1059221
>"Are my intentions really so transparent?"
>"Oberon said he had work for me."
>"If he'll return to here soon, I could certainly think of a less pleasant way to wait for him than to talk with a friend."

>>1059579
Come join the Discord server. We discuss a lot of things there to keep the thread from getting cluttered.

>>1059302
>>1059221
Alright
>Ask him why the Court is so empty

I don't like the way Sebastien gave us the elevator eyes, we don't need to go getting impregnated with fish-rape-babies.

Also, why don't we just go to a fish-canning factory or butcher shop or an asian market. Getting most of the bones out of a single fish might be tough for a big one, but we might be able to purchase a complete tuna skeleton or something, and an 8foot tuna or a Marlin or Swordfish would be a good addition.

Looking at it, places online want a LOT of money for even disarticulated skeletons. All the fuckers do is butcher most the meat off then throw them in a box with flesh-eating beetles and fish them out later to bleach. Might be easier just to steal a chicken or go deep sea fishing at the closest opportunity.

So yeah, our best bet is to find roadkill or buy a whole animal from a butchershop/market and save the bones. We could buy a whole chicken from an asian market probably and ask to include the head and feet. Or we can buy one, or buy a hatching kit online and slaughter it when it grows up.

We might be better off borrowing the truck and patrolling for roadkill like Michael did (even though we wouldn't know that). Either that, or go get a hunting license and pop a few critters ourselves, I wonder what the hunting seasons are in Maine and if they have Coyotes and if those Coyotes are a year round season like in a lot of the country....

Liz needs to hurry up and become a Necromancer /k/ommando.

>>1059662
>fish-rape-babies.
If anything, we could sacrificethem once they are capable enough and have our very own hybrid LPhFs

Skelly just contacted me over Discord to ask me to drop a post here saying that she will not be able to run the quest tonight.

Sorry for any inconvenience, skellies and skelemen.

I will be running tonight, around 6:30pm EST or slightly later. See you then!

“You got me, Nereus. I was wondering why the Court is so empty? I remember there being a lot more people here yesterday. Did I misremember, or is there some reason for it?”
Nereus pauses a moment, and raises a hand to his fishy chin, as if deep in thought.

“It’s true that the Court is quite depopulated as of late, but I’m afraid that’s become the norm. Lord Oberon’s been working most of his lackeys to the bone recently, so it’s hardly surprisingly they wouldn’t have the time to sit down here and chat.” he nods, as if confirming a thought “Yes, I’d imagine the only reason it was so crowded here yesterday was that he allowed them to take some time off. It coincided nicely with your joining the Court, didn’t it?”

“Coincided? So it was a coincidence? You don’t think Oberon was trying to show off in front of a potential new hire?” You make sure to keep your tone light, not wanting to come off as either paranoid or narcissistic. Nereus laughs lightly.

“Perhaps, perhaps! With Him you really never can tell. Sometimes I wonder how much he plans and how much just falls together for him. The universe loves him, you know.”
You quirk an eyebrow up, but no further explanation seems to be coming, so you shrug.

“Speaking of my recent ‘hiring’, Oberon said he had some work for me. Is he in?”

“Oh, he is, he is. Now, this work...it wouldn’t have anything to do with your sudden healing now, would it?”
You redden, despite yourself. You’ve been warned about the sort of intrigue that goes on in a place like this, but hadn’t even given a thought to whether you should hide the fact that you owed Oberon a favour. You’ve got a lot to learn. Nereus tells you which of the side-doors by the throne to take to find Oberon, and gives your hand another shake, inviting you to come back and talk to him once you’re through with the Fae Lord.

Cat floats behind you as you walk briskly up towards the throne, apparently just as curious as you are.

“Do you know what kind of work he’ll ask you to do, my lady?”
You shake your head slowly, walking around the dais and towards the door Nereus pointed out. You can hear voices raised behind it, and pause. You can’t quite hear anything, but you’re sure Cat could listen in easily enough, or you could just press your ear to the door. If Oberon is talking about it, it’s surely worth a listen. Then again, if you get caught sneaking around...the Unseelie Court isn’t the type of place to slap you on the wrist, after all.

>Listen in, have Cat phase through the door and hear what they’re saying. You’re pretty sure nobody but you can see him, making it the safest choice.
>Listen in, have Cat play lookout and press your ear to the door. Cat disappeared when messing around at the Court last time—who knows what kind of enchantments they might have on the doors and what they could do to him?
>Knock. Don’t listen to something if you don’t want to hear it. Whatever Oberon is talking about, you’re sure you don’t want to hear it.

>>1064822
>Knock. Don’t listen to something if you don’t want to hear it. Whatever Oberon is talking about, you’re sure you don’t want to hear it.
Steath? NOPE. Let's play it safe

>>1064822
>Listen in, have Cat play lookout and press your ear to the door. Cat disappeared when messing around at the Court last time—who knows what kind of enchantments they might have on the doors and what they could do to him?
Fuck it.

>>1064822
>>Knock. Don’t listen to something if you don’t want to hear it. Whatever Oberon is talking about, you’re sure you don’t want to hear it.

>>1064840
>>1064875
Writing.

You shake your head. The last couple times you’ve tried to be clever or sneaky really haven’t gone so well. Best to be straightforward. So you take two steps and give a few hard raps on the door. The voices from inside stop at once, but you catch enough to make out two different speakers, a man and a woman you think. You didn’t catch any words, of course, just the sound of voices.

After a few moments, Oberon, looking almost exactly as he did the last time you saw him, opens the door. He looks vaguely irritated, but brightens up somewhat when he sees that it’s you.

“Sabrina, please come in! I wasn’t expecting to see you for a while after the send off we gave you, but I’m pleased as punch that you’ve come to say hello.” He ushers you into the room, which is...a hill? There’s soft grass under your feet, a warm breeze blowing, and a picnic table near the top of the hill. Oberon gently closes the door behind you and starts to make for the table. You follow behind, head swiveling as you gawk at the scenery. It’s all rolling hills and green pastures as far as you can see, with neither a tree nor a villa to break it up, though you think you see a cow before it walks behind a hill and goes out of sight. You’re not sure if you should be impressed or scared, so you try both.

Oberon sits down at the table, straddling the bench with one leg on either side. He stares at the horizon, and gives a yawn.

“So, Sabrina, I figure you’re looking to settle your debt with me? Pay it off ahead of time, that sort of thing? I’m not sure why you would, though. It’s not as though I charge interest.” he laughs a little and you smile politely.

“Just figured I should get it out of the way, was all.”
He shrugs, and turns to look at you.

“Fine, I don’t care one way or the other. I need you to take something from the museum.” he sees you start to object and holds up a hand “Besides the fact that it’s rightfully mine, they won’t miss it. It’s currently in storage, and somebody else will take care of removing it from the inventory sheet. Just pick it up and leave.”
You think for a minute, brow furrowed. You do owe him one, and you assume you’ll have to pay back the debt eventually. If you refused now, somebody else would just take whatever it was, and you’d have to do something else down the line. Of course, there’s always the chance that whatever it is will have a smaller probability of landing you in jail than this. Cat sits on the picnic table, sunning himself as you try to decide.

>Take the job
>Try to negotiate for a different job
>Refuse the job

>>1064943
Ah, take the job. Seems harmless enough
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH

>>1064943
>>Take the job

>>1064978
>>1064982
Writing.

>>1064943
>Take the job
"This won't lead to any kind of legal troubles for me, will it?"

“Okay, I’ll take it.” You finally answer. Oberon smiles, and turns to look back at the horizon. “This won’t get me in any sort of legal trouble, will it?”
His smile broadens.

“So long as you’re not caught on the premises, you’ll never even be questioned. If you’re caught with your hand in the cookie jar, though, I’m not sure it would be worth my while to get you out.” He seems thoughtful. “I don’t think you’ll want to test that.”

“What am I stealing, anyway? Do you have a picture?”

“No, but you’ll know it when you see it. It’s a scroll, made of papyrus. It’ll probably be among some Egyptian artifacts, but I can’t promise that.”
Great. So you have to steal some unspecified scroll from a museum basement, and if you get caught, you’re done for. Gotta love it.

“Is there a time frame on this?”

“No, but sooner would be better than later. If you manage to get it out by tonight, I’ll even give you a present as a reward!”
Whatever people say about Oberon, let it never be claimed he can’t hit that perfect mix of tempting and unsettling with his offers. He glances back over to you, apparently about to dismiss you.

“Anything else you want to know before you go after it?”

>Yes, I was wondering about...(specify what you’d like to ask)
>No, I’m all good. Bye.
>Yes, could you get me...(specify a request for resources)

>>1065057
>>No, I’m all good. Bye.
So we finish our summoning and use it for for the job

>>1065057
>Yes, could you get me
Transportation to and from the museum

Also, he mentioned before that the bookseller that tried to kill us broke the law of the fae. Ask him where can we learn these laws.

>>1065057
>Yes, I was wondering about something that happened on my prior visit. My assistant was dispelled by means that neither of us can identify.

>>1065084
>>1065086
>>1065088
Writing.

“A couple of things, actually. First of all, you mentioned that the woman at the bookshop was, um, dealt with because she broke the law of the Fae. Is that written down anywhere? I don’t want to end up like her.”
Oberon throws his head back and laughs, slapping his hand down on the splintering wood of the picnic table. After a few seconds, the laugh seems to wind down and he calms down slightly, though he’s still smiling.

“My dear Sabrina, if I punished every member of my Court who had ever broken the law of the Fae, I wouldn’t have a Court in the first place. It’s just a convenient way to justify getting rid of a pawn that was no longer useful. It’s really only meant to apply to the Fae anyway—it’s hardly fair to hold you lot to the same standard.”
You can’t tell if that’s better or worse. Sure, you won’t be tossed in a dungeon just for breaking some impossibly complex bylaw so long as you’re useful to Oberon, but the second you aren’t...you don’t want to think about it.

“Okay, fine. Do you know what happened to my assistant the last time I was here? He was abruptly dispelled at some point, and neither of us knows why.”
At this, Oberon seems to take pause. He quickly returns to his usual jovial, semi-mocking expression, though.

“Deeper things than a dead cat walk these halls, Sabrina, and I don’t watch all that occurs. I really couldn’t say, except to admit that our revelries may have played a part, though my attention was otherwise occupied at that time.”
That’s not useful at all, is it? Still, you know you won’t get any better answers out of him, so you forge ahead.

“Last thing. Can I get transport to and from the museum?”
Oberon clicks his tongue, as though thinking.

“I understand it’s not far from here, within walking distance. However, I can arrange for one of my more mundane subjects to bring you back here once you’ve picked up the scroll for safety’s sake. He should be waiting outside the Court when you leave, so arrange things with him. Now, give me a solitary moment to enjoy the scenery, won’t you?”

With that, he turns his back on you and says no more. You obediently rise and head for the door. It’s awkward stepping off the sloped ground of the hill onto the flagstones of the Court, but you manage it without tripping. As you walk towards the door at the far end of the hall you try to decide where to start.

>Talk to Nereus before you leave (specify topic)
>Leave, head straight for the museum to check it out before they close
>Leave, head home to do summoning or other preparations

>>1065182
>Leave, head home to do summoning or other preparations
We can do recon if we get more shades.
Do we have enough at hand to buy some fish at the market?

>>1065182
>Leave, head straight for the museum to check it out before they close
We don't have anything else to summon. Why head home?

>>1065201
Unless we dropped it off at home when we grabbed the jeep, we have an offering for Cat on-hand.

>>1065223
Not for cat, but to make some last minute fish shades.
We are trying to beat a security system here. Cameras and guards.

>>1065229
The offering will work for Cat. I can probably get behind grabbing some more offerings.

>>1065238
I was suggesting we make more shades back home.

>>1065201
>>1065223
5 more minutes, then I'll roll a d2 to decide.
Just so y'all know, I'm running til 11 tonight.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>1065269
1 is head home, buying sardines at the market on the way
2 is head straight for the museum for recon

You walk out the door, waving goodbye to Nereus on the way. It looked like he was talking to one of the beastmen, though it was hard to tell what exactly the ‘beast’ in the equation was. Once outside, you see a chauffeur, younger than the last, leaning against the hood of his car, cigarette in hand.

“You’re my ride out of the museum, right?” You ask, eyeing him. He seems more vibrant than the older gentleman you dealt with yesterday, less defeated somehow. He flicks away his cigarette and nods.

“That’s me. I’ll give you the number for my pager. Hit it, and I’ll pull up wherever you say.”
You enter the number into your phone, idly wondering why he has a pager in this day and age, before returning to your Jeep and pulling onto the highway.

On the way home, you take the exit for a shopping center and find a convenience store. Luckily for you, they have just what you’re looking for: sardines. Cat gives you a strange look, so once you’re out of earshot of the clerk you explain. The idea hit you when you were talking to Oberon. You could always use more shades, and these seem like the perfect source for some easy remains. Small, easy to carry their bones around, and perfect for helping you scout out the museum once you’re inside.

You get home and pull the jeep back behind the garage. You’re grateful that Dad doesn’t seem to be home yet. It makes the whole summoning thing a bit easier. You gather up chalk, grimoire and libation and head for the treehouse, unlocking the trap door and hauling yourself in. You lay everything out and think for a second. It’d be a pain, doing the ceremony that many times, and if you want to get the scroll by tonight, time is of the essence. You remember reading something about concurrent summonings, and flip through, reading the section to refresh your memory. Circles connected by a larger one, blah blah blah...

The evocation is spoken as usual, but must be addressed to all those who are to be risen. Some common ground must be discovered and mentioned for best results. A sad truth is that summons raised in this manner are often less intelligent and able than others raised singly, but this is often a worthy trade in times of danger, when numbers, not wit, are what turns the tide of battle.

Ah, there we are. You lean against the wall of the treehouse for a moment, thinking. Should you…

>Summon the shades individually. You need them as intelligent as possible for such a delicate mission, in case something unexpected comes up.
>Summon the shades concurrently. They’ll basically just be sweeping for guards and cameras—not exactly rocket science.
>write-in

>>1065381
One is an individual. Larger one in the tin. He is General
The rest are called Agent (number) and are summoned concurrently

>>1065381
How many sardines are in the can?

>>1065394
Five.

>>1065397
Summon one of them individually to serve as their leader, and summon the other four as a group of underlings.

>>1065391
>>1065407
Roll 2d20, best of three, crits take precedence.

Rolled 19, 12 = 31 (2d20)

>>1065432
Rolling!

>>1065441
Best of one it is. Writing.

Rather than summoning them all concurrently, or all one-by-one, you decide on a middling path. One clever, individually summoned shade as the leader, and four more concurrently summoned ones as his underlings. That way, you don’t have to worry about micromanaging all five of them at once.

You decide to do the concurrent summon first, to get it out of the way. Holding up the grimoire you study the elements you’ll have to add to the circle and go over them carefully, trying to hold them in your mind as best you can as you copy them out onto the rough boards of the treehouse. It comes out surprisingly well, the chalk seeming to do just what you want despite the less-than-stellar conditions. You lay out four of the sardines in the right squares, giving them each a splash of libation and a drop of blood from your pricked finger.

You repeat the process for the individual summon, making sure to lay aside the largest sardine. This one is...more difficult, to say the least. It’s embarrassing, but you suppose it is technically only the second time you’ve done this. Surprising, considering the amount of trouble you’ve managed to get up to despite still having so far to go. Still, you manage to get the circle down and give it the same treatment of libation and blood as the concurrent summoning.

You lay down the grimoire, making sure everything’s in place and checking the circles one last time. Yep, everything’s good, now to just do the evocation for both of them. Hmm, what to say…? You’re pretty sure the grimoire mentioned that you should try to connect the concurrent summons in someway during your evocation, so you try to keep that in mind as you draw a breath and start to speak.

>Suggest an evocation for the summoning

>>1065586
Stand at attention
be my eyes in the sky
Show no hesitation
And never ask why
Come with me and smite the truck
Ignore the last verse, please

Also, this will be my last post of the night, thank you for running and see you next session

>>1065618
I'm touched that you came back, bad poetry anon. See you next session

>>1065586
Come to my aid, oh dweller of the deep, and be my ears and eyes!
I bring you drink to warm your tongue and meat to fill your belly, gifts from the living world to bring you comfort!

>>1065653
>>1065618
Writing.

Last post of the night. Sorry for the early end, but I'm beat. I'll be posting occasionally between sessions when I have time, to keep things moving a bit and hopefully keep interest. See you soon!

You raise your hands over the individual summoning circle and speak, letting the words come to you as they will.

“Come to my aid, oh dweller of the deep, and be my ears and eyes! I bring you drink to warm your tongue and meat to fill your belly, gifts from the living world to bring you comfort!”
The lightshow you expected begins, motes of pale blue light gathering and spinning down towards the sardine. You don’t waste time watching it, turning instead towards the concurrent circle.

“Stand at attention, be my eyes in the sky. Show no hesitation, and never ask why.”
This feels more appropriate for the concurrent summonings, emphasizing their role as soldiers rather than thinkers. It seems to work, the same motes of light spiraling inward, though they form four separate whorls all feeding into a single larger vortex. It’s dazzling at first, as you start to see the patterns forming and shifting, until it fades away and the sardines float up, perfectly synchronized. You turn to the left and see the individual summon succeeded as well.

“You, you’re General. You’re in charge of those four.” you tell the individual sardine shade. “I give you orders, you organize them.”

“Yes ma’am!” The voice isn’t what you’d expect of a sardine, possessing something of the nasal quality often associated with radio announcers. Regardless of the sound, he seems eager enough. You turn to the concurrently summoned sardines, still hanging there in the air.

“You four follow his orders, got it? You’re Agent 1, Agent 2, Agent 3, and Agent Four.” You point to each sardine in turn, giving them their names. You feel a little bad just giving them numbers, but you don’t have time to get all chummy with them, and they’re not supposed to be all that smart anyway. They give a chorus of assent, their voices blending together. You gesture for them to follow you and head down the ladder, bringing the libation and the grimoire with you.

You hear your Dad pulling into the driveway, Olivia and Andrew no doubt in tow, and curse. Five more minutes, and you’d have been home free. Oh well, there’s nothing to do for it now but…

>Go greet your Dad, and claim to be going to hang out with a friend.
>Go greet your Dad, and tell him you’re going to the museum.
>Sneak around back and get in the Jeep. If you’re careful, you should be able to leave without him noticing for a while.

>>1065756
>Go greet your Dad, and tell him you’re going to the museum.
No need to avoid the situation too hard. In fact, now that they're back, we can borrow the truck and not go against Dad by taking the jeep.

>>1065756
>>Go greet your Dad, and tell him you’re going to the museum.

>>1065801
You should come join the Discord server and shoot the shit with us.

>>1065756
Thanks for running, Skelly!

>>1065756
Dadster should know about our museum visitances. But i fear our forgotten lil bro might want to tag along.

On the other hand, he might make good distraction

>>1066282
This.

Will be running at 6:30pm EST or a little later. See you then!

Running in just a little more than half an hour!