>>2466230
>>Mr. Jeremiah Grim (established character)

>>2466230
>Mr. Jeremiah Grim (established character)

>>2466230
>Mr. Jeremiah Grim (established character)
Character creation has a tendency to bog quests down.

5 min left

>>2466257
>Mr. Jeremiah Grim (established character)

>>2466230
>Mr. Jeremiah Grim

Jeremiah it is.

>>2466230

"Do you want more coffee, Mr. Grim?" The boy asked with a pot of black tar coffee in his hand. Jack Peterson is his name and he will be your new assistant for the summer. The boy seems weak and should never experienced what you've seen... but you're getting older and you need some help if you were to keep those pesky Celestial our of Earth. The boy have some knack for Rituals, Religions, History and Urban legends but he is dull in fighting or shooting. You better pick that slack yourself and hope the boy have the right mind to run when he can.

Yourself? Well, you're a fighter and a bit of investigator. You punch hard and shoot straight but sometimes problems can't be solved with pure violence. You need tactics for that. Ever since the death of your teams in the hands of Angels and Demons, you are more prepared and will to beat the living shit out of them.

>Mr. Jeremiah Grim.

Health: 20/20
Sanity: 15/15

>Investigation Skill:

Religion 2
History 0
Criminology 3
Psychology 0
Mechanic 0
Weapon Expert 3
Ritual Expert 2
Urban Legends& Myths 0
Infernal expert 2
Angel expert 2
Paganism 1

>Fighting Skills:
Fighting 4
Shooting 4
Stealth 3
Exorcism 3
Spells 0
Rituals 2

( these points can be spent to help your investigation rolls. Eg: When examining a strange ritual circle and the DC is 3, you can use 1 or 2 Ritual expert points to increase the DC, making it into 4 or 5.)

Items:
- African Cigarette: A pack of cigarette filled with magical herbs from Africa and they have the property to hide your presence from Paranormal. (Smoking this will reduce your health and sanity by 1 but will increase your stealth DC by 3 against Paranormal Creatures)

- Cursed Revolver. An ancient revolver filled with death and grief. Rumor has it that it consumed thousands innocent souls with it, cursing the owner with greasily ends. ( Any bullets can effect paranormal creatures)

- Bullets filled with holy stones (3 magazines): From ramī al-jamarāt ( Stoning of Devils), the stones were carefully picked after Eid Al-Adha and inserted inside a bullet ( High Damage to Infernal Creatures)

- Normal Revolver Bullets (5 Magazines)

Now, it's time to make money. There are three cases from the mail, packed in a neat folder.

Choose your case:

>My cat is missing!
Pebbles is a grey persian cat that always take a walk at night but two days ago, he did not returned home. I heard from my neighbor that their pets were missing too! Please search for my cat!

>Sudden blindness in a nursing home
You have to help me,man! We saw something...actually my friend saw something and he suddenly turned blind! He's not crazy but he keep babbling in strange tongue! Please help!

>Sighting of a naked lady on the street.
There were multiple reports about a naked lady crossing the street at night then vanished in the forest beside the town. Parents were worried about if the crazy lady might be harmful to children as there were multiple cases of missing animals after the first sighting.

Naked lady

Ooh la la

>>2466316
>Sudden blindness in a nursing home
I'm sure it's nothing major, hahahaa!

5 min left.

1 for the naked lady and 1 for the old people.

WHo will win?

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>2466339
Alright then

1 Old
2 Young

Because elder first

>>2466316
>>My cat is missing!

Naked Lady it is.

>>2466348
WHERE WERE YOU?

>>2466350
Having dinner

>>2466316
>Revolver Bullets (5 Magazines)
>Magazines
>Revolver
I'm extremely confused.

>>2466361
Was it clip or magazine? I always confuses that one.

>>2466316

"Boy, give me that Naked Lady case," and the boy quickly place the folder on your table. After a detailed look at the case, you found some interesting points:

- The have a footage of hers from security camera. The Naked Lady looks like a twenty years old woman with a pale skin. She looks thin and 6.2 feet tall (190). She usually appeared at 12 AM or PM.

- The camera feed cannot capture her full face, especially her eyes.

- Cats and Dogs follows her peacefully yet crows seems to flee from her.

-One of the footage shows a kid playing next to her as if she does not exist then he panicked when the Lady sprints towards the forests.

- The forests have a strange markings that cannot be captured by camera so it was crudely drawn.

Hmm...

Are we dealing with Witches here? The sign looks like an old pagan sigil but it you might be wrong. Sometimes infernals have similar sigils but different annotations.

Maybe you should check if the boy have an insight in this. Never too late to teach him something.

>Check it yourself (With what skill? Write in)
>Let Jack study the case.

>>2466364
Revolvers have neither, you load the bullets individually into the cylinder.

Altough speed loaders are a thing so the 'individually' part may not be necessary.

>>2466383
Oh and since I forgot to actaully vote:
>Let Jack study the case.

Won't hurt to test him somehow.

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>>2466383
>check it with Paganism 1
Closest thing is a speedloader

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>>2466383
>Check it yourself
Paganism, Infernal Expert and Religion ought to be relevant here.

>>2466364
Cutting the explanation short, in this case you would use a moon clip, though you could also just load a revolver round by round.

>>2466404
>Moon clips

I learn new things today. Ill change that to moon clips later then.

>>2466408
Perhaps consider just listing the number of bullets we have? After all, we might not always be firing off 6 shots in each sitting, and listing two-sixths clips seems cumbersome.

>>2466415

Basically 18 bullets filled with stones and 30 normal bullets.

Revolver is a six shooter.

Also 5 min left

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>2466383

Paganism it is.

Roll 2d6 DC 6 BO 3

Use paganism point?

Rolled 2, 2 = 4 (2d6)

>>2466439
Yes on the paganism point.

>>2466439
Nah, we should hopefully be able to meet a DC 6.

>>2466451
Roll please.

and it's under roll

Rolled 2, 2 = 4 (2d6)

>>2466453

As well. It's a medium success.

qst is really slow huh?

>>2466462
Qst is a slow board. It has advantages and disadvantages.

>>2466462
Yeah it is sadly, it was the move from /tg/ that did this.

>>2466462
New quests also tend to have less posters, since no one knows what they're getting into or whether they should commit.

>>2466383

You studied the sigil yourself, tracing the annotations and markings in a piece of paper.

....

These are not old runes, they are bastardized Latin! Most of these refers to some sort of biblical numbers, Old Testament perhaps? The main sigils is infernal names, carved in blood and excrement.

You are not dealing with witches, you are dealing with cults trying to summon a devil.

"Is that an infernal protection circle?" Jack suddenly appeared behind you, eyes filled with excitement.

You scratch your cheek, curious of your new assistant," And where in God's name do you know about this?"

He suddenly went quiet, blushing. Perhaps a hobby or he is a cult follower...

"Well?" You ask again, eyeing the boy carefully.

He avoid your stern gaze, looking down on the floor,"I...uhh...I like reading things about rituals and stuff. You know, things from internet. They have a lot of pictures about satanic sigils and rituals."

You rolled your eyes," those fancy computers are filled with hocus pocus from incompetent people. They are lies, boy! If you want to get a real book, go find it in an old bookstore!"

"Y-yes, sir!" He quickly salutes you. This boy is as brittle as glass...but he does have great insight on this.

> Study the sigils together. Two heads are better than one. ( Choose 2 skills. WHich one you want to roll?)
> Order the boy to get your equipment while you study the sigils more. (Choose 1 skill)
> Let the boy study the sigil while you prepare for Infernal threats.
> Write in

>>2466496
>> Let the boy study the sigil while you prepare for Infernal threats.
What can we do to prepare?

>>2466510

That will be for next vote

>>2466496
>Let the boy study the sigil while you prepare for Infernal threats.

>Let the boy study the sigil while you prepare for Infernal threats.

>>2466496

Hmm... Let's hope the boy have more brain than muscle. This ought to jog his mental muscles,"Boy! If you're that good at this then I want to know the name and the purpose of this sigils."

"Yes, sir!" He salute and began look at the case with enthusiasm. Meanwhile, you need to prepare for Infernal Cults and Demons.

Entering your ritual room, you were greeted with red light coming from the room. It is better to use red tinted light than the usual white because some celestials love the color.

On the left side of the room is your ingredients cabinet, holy and unholy. It cost pretty pennies but preparation is the key when fighting these monsters.

>Holy Ingredients:

Basic ingredients for fighting against demons is holy water. It's cheap and you only need a priest to blessed it, usually free. You can drink it, use it for protection circle, annoys demons, and boost exorcism.

Basic artifact against demons is The Cross. Easy to use and blind demons but not reliable.

Blessed Mirrors: used to separate demons from their vessels and trap them in it. Be careful not to crack it.

Blessed Herbs and Flowers: Good ingredients for making incense or summoning angels

Jesus's bandage: Powerful artifact that contains the dried blood of Jesus. Good for calling Archangels or repelling demons by burning it.

>Rituals:

Summoning Rituals: You can try summoning an angel or demon for advice but they usually have prices for it. Information is a currency after all...

Blessing your bullets: Simple but effective ritual. You can bathe all of your bullets but you should never put all the eggs in one basket.

Holy Incense: Making a holy incense is a bit expensive, especially with blessed dried flowers and herbs, but the effect is tremendous. Demons are allergic to it and will evade the smoke if possible.

Empower cage: Use water and ink to add more sigils to strengthen the mirror.

>Choose 3 items or/and 1 ritual
>Write in (go creative)

>>2466595
>Basic ingredients for fighting against demons is holy water. It's cheap and you only need a priest to blessed it, usually free. You can drink it, use it for protection circle, annoys demons, and boost exorcism.
>Blessed Mirrors: used to separate demons from their vessels and trap them in it. Be careful not to crack it.
>Blessed Herbs and Flowers: Good ingredients for making incense or summoning angels
>Blessing your bullets: Simple but effective ritual. You can bathe all of your bullets but you should never put all the eggs in one basket.
So I can pick all of these?

>>2466643
yeah.

>>2466595
>Choose 3 items or/and 1 ritual
To be clear, the 'and/or' isn't actually of any significance to this statement, right?

Holy ingredients:
>Holy water.
Practical and multi-purpose.
>Write-in: Salt.
As above. Even more readily available than holy water, so it can be used in larger amounts. Usage in traditions and folklore not limited to just Christianity, if that's relevant.
>Blessed Mirrors: used to separate demons from their vessels and trap them in it. Be careful not to crack it.
Because a specialist tool is probably required to deal with actual possessions.

Not strictly a holy ingredient, so I added it on separately:
>Write-in: A medical kit.
Because not all afflictions are spiritual in nature.

Rituals:
>Blessing your bullets: Simple but effective ritual. You can bathe all of your bullets but you should never put all the eggs in one basket.
Because sometimes you need to send a demon straight back to Hell.

Last 10 min.

Also salt was a good one.

Writing...

"In Nomine Patris. Saint filis et spiritus sancti," You shout as you dump fifteen bullets to a bowl filled with holy water," I ask permission of My Lord to bless these bullets so I can sent the Intruders back to where they came from. Amen."

There was no glow or strange feeling as you finished the ritual but you have faith that these bullets will burn demons and their ilks.

>15 blessed bullest (medium Damage to Demons)

Then you began gathering few ingredients: A bottle of holy water, a small paper-bag full of blessed herbs and flowers, a small plastic salt shaker, and a blessed mirror. This should be enough to combat the intruders.

When you walk out of the room, the sun is already setting but the kid is still engrossed with the case files," Find anything?"

"Oh yes. This is the protection symbol of Shedim, The Corruptors. Their nature is to corrupt every human until they became mad! We might be fighting possessed people so better get ready for exorcism!" Jack grins with excitement, jumping around like a kid in Disneyland.

"Good. You better stay here then."

"B-but..."

"It's dangerous for a kid like you. You will see fucked up stuff that broke your mind. This isn't a game kid!" You yell at him, hoping to scare him out of this trip.

Jack still fight for it," C'mon! I am a bit of an expert with demons and stuff. Two heads are better than one!"

Well?

>Let the kid join you
>No means no!

>>2466742
>>Let the kid join you

>>2466742
>bring jack

>>2466742
>No means no!

>>2466759
>>2466810
>>2466811


Bringin the kid. Also last update

>>2466742
>Let the kid join you
Two heads are better than one.

Did we decide not to doubly bless our holy stone bullets for maximum demon killing? Ramī al-Jamarāt is an Islamic tradition; does a Christian blessing not work alongside it? Does it count as a desecration instead?

Also is that a ritual we can re-perform on the rest of our bullets if we have time later on, since we'll probably be taking holy water?

>>2466742

"Fine, get some rest and we will head out tomorrow morning." You sigh and began re-reading the case file. The boy is happy enough that he brought you a hot cup of coffee. You're getting too soft...

The Sender of the case file is a Sheriff goes by the name of Howard Marrow and the location is five hour from the city. It's a small suburban town for commuters and workers, placed at the edge of a vast forest. The only way there was using a car in which you have to pass the forest first.

The place smells like a goddamned trap ...

>>2466840

The result will still be the same because some rituals are like water and oil, they don't mesh together.

And yes, you can re-perform the ritual as long as you have the ingredients BUT if you want to bless the bullets while in dangerous or intense situation, you will have disadvantages.


How are you guys enjoying this so far? I am planning to get it more into investigation and preparation than actions

>>2466850
>How are you guys enjoying this so far? I am planning to get it more into investigation and preparation than actions
Seems cool.

Also, since this IS an investigation quest, It will mostly be write in during investigation phase. Actions and big decisions will have options.

Still trying to wrap my head in the Gumshoe System

>>2466850
Damn. I was hoping that since Islam explicitly rejects the concept of the Trinity, consecrating the bullets in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit would have some interesting effects.

Seems fun so far, but this thread has basically been setup until now. I'll have to wait for the action to actually start to form an opinion. When are you planning on running next?

>>2466886
Tomorrow but maybe at more or less the same time.

>Islam explicitly rejects the concept of the Trinity, consecrating the bullets in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit would have some interesting effect

Ill think about this though. It would be interesting to see the religious conflict between rituals. But to do that, I will have to make different religions have different effect on demon, angel, and so on...

>>2466850
good so far, kinda hard to remember all of the inventory and rituals, but maybe that will come with time.

the rolling system seems cool

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>>2466846

The next morning, Jack is already at the office with a large bag and it looks like the bag will burst with a touch. He looks ready, especially that excited eyes of his has bags under his eyes. Boy must've been researching all night.

"Morning, Mr. Grim." He greets you, hiding a yawn. This kid might die today...

"Goddamnit! You didn't sleep a wink, didja?" You sigh, sipping a cup of coffee.

The kid looks like he just stole a cookie, blushing and nervous," I...I don-"

You cut him off," Don't bullshit me, kid! You got guts lying to a detective. Get this bag downstairs as a punishment while I take my car out."

The kid just nod, slightly sulking as he took your bag downstairs. You will force him to get some sleep on the road.

Taking your car keys, you went to the shared garage and meet your oldest partner.

1972 Ford Gran Torino in black.

He is fast and reliable. Comfy too after an expensive customization. The engine purrs like a tiger, roaring fiercely as you step on the gas. Satisfied, you meet with the kid beside the alley and put the bags in the back. As soon as the kid enter the car and put on his seat-belt, the journey began.

Morning traffics are annoying, especially in Chinatown. How did these fucks got their licence? Probably family connections. The kid quickly fall asleep, mumbling something about adventure and such. Youth these days...

The road became enjoyable once you entered the highways. No traffic or stupid driver, only the long journey ahead and music to accompany you on the road.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Coy8Hoa1DNw

After four hours, you have reached the forest road, thankfully still asphalt. Your spine went cold as soon as you enter the forest, as if something is watching. Never like the forest anyways.

Trees surrounds you with cars rarely passed by. Not many people live here then...

Finally, the town is in sight and the welcome sign says: 'Welcome to Brickwood Town. Population: 1,003'

Fairly modern for a backwater town, especially with a supermarket at the middle of the town. They have old church just few block after the supermarket and a town hall. Cameras were installed in some streets and an elementary school at the edge of the town. A playground is located near the woods too, just beside the school.

The sun is almost at its climax and you have few options to start your investigation. You can enter a local bar or eatery, and talk to the owner about the town. Visiting the Sheriff is great for details of the case and examining the physical evidence. Lastly, the forest itself.

>Where do you want to go first?

>>2468505
>>Where do you want to go first?
See the sheriff, see if we can get anything good from him.

>>2468505
>first ask jack if he found anything usefull in his research

>>2468505
>>2468534

Better meet the Sheriff first, see what they had gathered.

The sheriff office is a red bricked office with two floor and few windows. Three police jeep in the parking lot and five personal car with two bicycle parked beside it. Seven or more officers are active today...

You park the car in the parking lot and slap the kid awake. He jerked in panic, scanning his surroundings as soon as he opened his eyes," W-we there yet?"

" Yes we did. Leave the bag for now but take your notebook with you. We might find something interesting," you huff, closing the door. The boy scrambles to get out and take the necessary items out of his bag.

You enter the building and head directly to the receptionist, a twenty nine years old lady by the looks of it and not married yet. She have a brunette hair in ponytail and a half-moon glasses in front of her green eyes.

"We're here to meet Sheriff Marrow. Tell him that the consultant is here Ms..."

"Linda. Linda Brime at your service," She put a polite smile then pick up her phone," Sheriff, the detective is here."

A few minute of her listening to the phone then she puts it down," he will be here in a moment."

"Thank you," You nod and sit on the chair beside the receptionist. Jack finally arrived with a large, messy notebook under his armpit. He quickly sit beside you and thankfully stayed silent.

Few minutes passed and the sheriff arrived with a man beside him. The portly sheriff might need a new belt, judging from the damaged holes on his leather belt. The man beside him is fit, almost army standard.

"Mr. Grim, I presume. Please come in," The fat sheriff smiles, offering a handshake as soon as you stand up. His grip is strong and callus," Do you want to see the full report or the evidence first?"

"What about the camera feed?" Jack asked after shaking the sheriff's hand.

The Sheriff frowned a bit," We do not know if they're damaged or not. It's not like a lady can disappeared out of nowhere."

>What will you do next? You can delegate some investigation to Jack but he might not have the skill in some areas.

>>2468558
Jack was asleep

>>2468583
Get jack to look at the report while we look at the evidence

>>2468583
>>2468658

" My assistant will look at the report while I examine the evidence," The Sheriff nods and signal the man beside him.

"Deputy Ashton will accompany your assistant. This way please," Sheriff Morrow leads you to a storage area while his deputy drag Jack somewhere upstairs. The storage is a bit dusty with seven rows of shelves containing seven evidence boxes each.

"You see, we do not have a lot of crime here except for the occasional drunks and petty thieves. We did have two case of murder and one case of kidnapping few years ago and the cases were in separate time period. This case, however, is strange. You know that movie...what was it... ah! Blair Witch Project? We found some odd markings and effigies made our of wood. Could be some kids wanting to pretend that they are witches or something. The internet is a bad place for kids."

Finally, the both of you arrived in the examining room containing the evidence on the only table in this small room.

A wooden effigy shaped like a man, a piece of clothes inside a plastic bag, one of the markings on the skin of a tree, neatly cut and placed in an evidence bag. It does screams of witches.

"Anything odd from the neighborhood beside the forest?"

"Other than missing pets, the neighborhood is peaceful and even the kids were not bothered by this. We did not release the footage in case this is a prank."

>Remember you have skill points and you can ask the sheriff maximum three question. What evidence do you want to study and what skill do you want to use on it?

>>2468725
>[Infernal?] Examine the marking on tree bark, with reference to our conclusions from yesterday. It shouldn't take too long; we just need to know if anything might be different from what we initially prepared for from the crude drawings.

>[Infernal?] Examine the effigy in greater detail. What is its significance?
To begin with. We ask questions once we have an idea what direction this is going in.

>>2468821

Roll 2d6 DC 6

You have 2 points to increase the DC because we want low numbers.

Increase the dc? Points will be refunded for this area investigation

Rolled 6 (1d6)

Forgot to roll

Rolled 6, 1 = 7 (2d6)

>>2468836

Rolled 5, 5 = 10 (2d6)

>>2468836

Last roll and pray it is a success

Rolled 4, 5 = 9 (2d6)

>>2468836
>Points will be refunded for this area investigation
Come again? Do you mean we'll get these points back at some time later on? If so, sure, spend a point.

Otherwise, I'm fine keeping the points in reserve for when we actually meet a demon face to face and need to roll knowledge about it.

>>2468872

You can refund them after you are done with the investigation in the sheriff building. This is to encourage you all.

Spending it is because this is a high degree of success

>>2468892
In that case I would have said yes, because we're unlikely to need them at too many other points in the building. At least, I should /hope/ we don't meet any demons face to face before we actually step outside.

>>2468725
>>2468821

>1 pass with high degree of success.

Studying the Marking on the tree bark, you have confirmed that this is a protection circle for infernals but this is not the marking of a corrupter. This is the Mark of Lilith, Demon Princess of Freedom.

This means that your target is possessed by Lilim, Daughters of Lilith and a Temptress. These infernals will grant people their wish in a willing exchange. They are selfish creature after all and always think of themselves before their hosts. But from what Sheriff Marrow had said, there were barely any serious crime here and this are peaceful.

This means that someone willingly let themselves get possessed in exchange for freedom. They are either bored of repressed if they are willingly get themselves possessed. Maybe the problem is deeper than just the Naked Lady. Perhaps someone knows about her in nearby area but this might be a sensitive topic. This town is hiding something...

Using your Infernal knowledge on the human effigy, you conclude that this is not an infernal origin but rather a pagan one. What is a pagan effigy doing here and why it found with the infernal circle?

> Continue examining and ask any question or leave the evidence room?

>>2468939
>[Paganism] Reexamine the effigy from this new standpoint.

Ask the sheriff:
>Has had the clothes forensically examined? If so, what were the findings?
Since we haven't the tools to examine them ourselves (nor the skills? Unless Criminology covers forensics?)

Will probably add more questions after the next update.

>>2468965

Criminology does cover forensics but without proper equipment, you will be given raw data

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>2468965

Roll 2d6 DC 6

Rolled 2, 6 = 8 (2d6)

>>2468984

Rolled 4, 2 = 6 (2d6)

>>2468984
Voting to spend another point, if there's any relevant points for us to spend.

last roll in case you got 6,6

>>2468939

"Anything on the clothes?"

"Forensic did recover some traces of blood from it mixed with ashes or something. The blood gives nothing but the ashes was from Sage and Grass. "

Ashes? Must be a makeshift incense but Infernal barely use Incense Rituals.

You look at the human effigy closely and finally found a set of rune and a piece of hair on the neck. Hmm... 'Power', 'Protection', 'Sacrifice','eyes' and 'shade'. This effigy is used for detecting and protecting something using the power of the forest. This is paganism alright and a powerful one, able to bend reality inside the forest. You might need to prepare more if you want to explore the forest.

Incense Ritual and powerful Human Effigy. This is a Witch alright. A Forest Witch.

But why Infernal and Pagan protection overlapped in the forest? This is a rare case of celestial protection. Someone or something want to hide something important inside the forest.

A possessed infernal able to persuade a Forest Witch to protect herself. This is the most logical conclusion and your enemy is increasing.

"So did you find anything?" The sheriff asked, trying to hide his impatience.

You might tell the truth BUT this is an unlikely case, especially when you felt that the town is hiding something. The sheriff might be involved too...

>What will you tell the sheriff?

>>2469061
Does the sheriff know we have expertise in the supernatural, or did he contact us as a conventional private investigator?

>>2469075
Conventional private investigator but you did have a reputation of solving strange cases.

>>2469061
>>2469080
Tell him that your gut says there might be more than one actor at play here, and that both of them might - intentionally or unintentionally - cause harm to the townspeople here, or possibly even themselves.

And then that it's either a big coincidence that both of them arrived here at the same time, in which case we need to work out where they could be hiding out and subsisting without being found - a map of the town and surrounding area would be good for this; or that one of them might have been already hiding out here for a while until now, and ask if he has any suspicions or suggestions on this.

If pressed on these suspicions, tell him what the effigy looks much similar to you to what you've seen from pagan worshipers before now. But you're pretty sure that script on the bark is different somehow. You're pretty sure it's some kind of Latin, and you've never seen /that/ in those same cases before. Point out a word or two here and there and give a rough translation as though you had reason to pick up a few phrases of Latin a while back, and possibly draw a link to Christianity if it's convenient.

Also watch his reactions as subtly as possible, possibly rolling Psychology.

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>2469136
Ambiguous truth eh? Since that is not a lie, no need to roll.

Psychology is indeed a social skill and you can study his reaction with psychology.

Roll 2d6 DC 5

Rolled 6, 6 = 12 (2d6)

>>2469145
The best lies are the ones that are actually true.

>>2469157

Damn, if only my roll was 6.

>>2469061
>>2469136


"It is possible that more than one person is involved with this and both of them might - intentionally or unintentionally - cause harm to the townspeople here, or possibly even themselves. It might be a coincidence that both of them arrived here at the same time, in which case we need to work out where they could be hiding out and subsisting without being found. I need a map of the town and surrounding areas."

The sheriff looks a bit shocked from your deduction," And you know this how?"

" Like you said about that Blair Witch movie, this effigy is a pagan origin but the sigils on the bark is different. It is written in Latin and possibly connected to Christianity. Do you know anyone who want to be 'Wiccans' or interested in occult?"

The looks on his face is interesting, you can barely read it,"If I remember there were three kids interested in occultism. Sarah Montgomery always spouts about charms and magics. Cory Grey and Archie Faust were caught for trespassing and vandalizing, drawing strange graffiti on abandoned houses. Father Ian might know more about the latin and sigils. If you want more information about our town, Nancy will tell you about them and she is a librarian for our local library."

You nod, writing the names down in a small notepad while the sheriff gave you the town map from one of the dusty archive. With nothing else to examine, you exit the room and meet up with Jack. The boy is chatting with the secretary while the deputy sits in one of the waiting room chair.

"Boy! We are done here. Get your ass to the car," You tell the happy Jack and he quickly run out of the building.

"Thank you for your help, Sheriff Marrow. We will solve this as soon as possible," you offer a hand and he shook it.

"Make sure you solve this quickly, ya hear! Just don't make my people panicked over nothing," he grins and finally letting your hand go.

Entering the car, Jack gave you his notebook filled with new bookmarks," The full report is a bit complicated."

"We can discuss this in a restaurant. I am hungry," you say, starting the engine. With that, you began searching for a Diner or A restaurant. After thirty minutes of searching, you find a rather modest diner with few people inside. The both of you enter the fine establishment and sit on a secluded corner.

"What can I getcha fine gentlemen?" A blonde waitress greets you.

" You got chicken gravy?" She nods," Then chicken gravy with a cup of coffee."

"And you sugar?" She asks Jack.

"Uhh... Pancake with egg and bacon, and a cola. Thank you."

The Waitress nods, writing it down before leaving both of you alone.

"So? What did you find out?" You ask the kid.


That's it for today. If there are still few players, I might use the same pacing as that ASOIAF reincarnation quests. Any theories you got?

>>2468984
>>2468843
Why not just roll a 3d6 instead of having conditional rolls?
>>2469001
Also you didn't make the last roll.

>>2466866
I don't know the system you're going for here, but it's unique.

>>2470672
It's In Nomine dice. The last role is suppose to be a degree of success. I am still testing the system.

>>2469272

"They have an urban legends in this town. It was used as a haven for suspected witches in old days but the forest is the real deal. There is some photos of runes and effigies for the Mother Tree, Protector of Innocent And Foul. They used to have old traditions of leaving a decayed fruits and rotten meats in the edge of forest for Mother Tree to feed but now people rarely do it. Now for that demon circle, I read the Legion Demon was one of its memb-"

You quickly cut him off," It's not from a Shedim's Mark. It is the mark of Lilith and probably we are dealing with Lilim."

"What!? Aww,man! I wasted my sleep for nothing?" He sighs and slam his face to the table.

"Continue. What did you learn bout the report?" You rolled your eyes at this dumb kid's antics.

"Hm? Oh yeah! Some reports says that they saw the Naked Lady mostly at night when they are patrolling, around twilight hour. They even interviewed the kid but he says that he didn't see anyone, just feeling a bit cold and uneasy. The deputy even let me watch the footage after a brief talk with him and the Naked Lady is like a badly made CG. She have some kind of wings on her back and its creepy."

Wings? That is strange... Demons don't usually have wings and there is also the Mother Tree, probably a witch. You need more data...

"Here ya go boys. Enjoy your meal." The waitress broke your line of thought as she gently put your food on the table. Better enjoy your meal and deal with the stress later.

>Where do you want to go next?

>>2470946
>Where do you want to go next?
Right here. Chat up the waitress, or one of the other diner staff. See if any of them are the type to share rumors and hearsay.

Wait staff and cleaning staff are often best placed to overhear things - if not be gossiped to straight out - or otherwise be in the know about people's figurative dirty linens.

>>2470672
OP's roll looks to be best of one, while ours is best of three.

Also, it seems like we're intended to know the 'degree of success' roll before deciding on whether we want to spend points on them.

>>2471011
Do you want Jack to handle the talk or just you?

>>2471012
Since I'm not sure what Jack's stats are, I have no idea which of us is better suited mechanically for the task.

But since we're an established investigator, I'm going to assume that this isn't the first time we've had to subtly pump waitstaff or servants for info without their being any the wiser.

So, I'll propose that we lead the conversation, as it seems like an in-character thing to do.

I do hope some other voters turn up soon.

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>2471023
Roll 2d6 for psychology

>>2471027
Forgot the DC
DC 7

Rolled 6, 2 = 8 (2d6)

>>2471027
Surely I'm not about to roll 2 6s again.

R-right?

Would you consider setting a time limit for rolls, and then just rolling the remaining 1 or 2 yourself at the end, so the whole BO3 deal doesn't get wasted even if no one's around?

>>2471044
Alright. ill wait for 3-4 hours?

Sorry, was working late today. Need my sleep and if there were no rolls after i woke up, ill roll em myself

Rolled 5, 6, 3, 5 = 19 (4d6)

>>2471048

>>2471759
lurking, btw.

Rolled 1, 1 = 2 (2d6)

>>2471027

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>2471788
Someone rolled? Well... Dice Gods, show me the way. Should I used this roll?

1 yes
2 no

>>2470946

What better way to pump information than asking the local eatery.

Jack seems famished as he devours his food like those desert barbarians in Middle East, sauce splattered all over his cheeks. After your fill, you throw a napkin at him and signal him to clean himself with it, much to his embarrassment. He is the true definition of a geek.

Finally, the waitress took your plate off the table while Jack is busy with the napkin and left," Boy. Get me more info on Lilith, Mother Tree, and Lilim. I will talk with the locals."

"How am I going to get that info ?" He asks, and you lazily point at his phone.

" Use the Internet or something," You sigh and move to the counter with your coffee in tow. The the blonde waitress is with her brunette co-worker gossiping about something then breaks away as soon as they saw you. The brunette seems to be the blonde's close friend based on how they are near each other, even if their age differs. The brunette must be a high-school part-timer and the older blonde is her older sister or aunt.

"Can I get a refill please?" You put your best roguish charm, catching the attention of the blonde.

"Certainly handsome," The blonde winks and pour some coffee in your cup, much to the brunette's annoyance," not from here are ya?"

" Jeremiah Grim's the name. Me and my boy there have some business to do in this town," You cock your head at the busy Jack.

"Married?" Blonde tried to hide her frown.

You shake your head, chuckling," Hm? Oh! I am still single. That boy is my cousin."

The blonde let out a satisfied sigh before the brunette interrupts," She get swooned very easily."

"Sarah!" The Blonde slaps her co-worker's back and the Brunette giggles.

"Sorry about that. I am Lilly Montgomery and this brat is my little sister, Sarah." Lilly smiles.

"Hey!" Sarah pouts at her sister calling her a brat.

The Montgomery? Well, this is your lucky day.

" Sounds like an aristocrat's name. Fitting for a beauty like you." You grin, buttering up Lilly and causing her to blush.

"Ugh! Get a room, you two!" Sarah moans.

"Sarah, this is a costumer," Lilly chides her sister and the young girl pouts.

"Oh! I see you like charms too," You smile, pointing at the Pagan symbol in Sarah's necklace. She quickly hides it." It's fine. Jack there loves the occult and he kept yammering about Runes, Charms, Potions, and all that hocus pocus stuff. Go talk to him. Heck! He need someone his age to converse with."

Sarah seems interested and put on her begging face at her sister, causing Lilly to sigh," Fine. We wont have a rush until three more hours."

"Thank sis!" Sarah kisses her sister's cheek and rush to meet Jack, much to his surprise.

The boy blushes for a minute before the atmosphere became serious as he pull out his notebook. The two began discussing something deep, even drawing symbols at the notebook.

"Young kids, eh? Didn't know yer a matchmaker." Lilly smiles, twirling her hair.

>>2471890

"I have my moments," You shrug and sip the lukewarm coffee," Nice town. Born and raised here?"

"Yep. Our family was one of the founders. It's a nice, peaceful town."

"I sense a 'but'."

She let out a sigh, playing with her hair again. A habit perhaps, only appeared when she is stressed or nervous.

"It's a boring, little town. I know what yer thinkin' 'why not move out?'. Believe me, I tried but this town kept calling me. It wants me to settle my roots here. You must think I am crazy." She looks at you with a melancholic eyes.

You put on a sad, similar smile," I know how you feel. I used to feel homesick too when I was on duty in Mid East. I missed my momma's cooking and the taste of burgers. You know what they say 'Home is where the heart is'. If you can't get away from this place, travel for a bit around the country and you can feel the difference. Heck, you might find your love for this town."

She slowly put a warm smile," yer a charmer, Mr. Grim. Too bad boys in this town ain't as smooth as you."

"Ill drink to that," You laugh, sipping the coffee. She is beginning to feel relaxed around you, lowering her guard as she scoot closer to you. There is something you want to test.

"Anything you like about this town?" And she starts to play with her hair again. Her trigger must be this town...

"Well... Aunt Nancy's cookies are to die for. She make this great ginger cookies with bits of almonds and... she is much more closer to me than mom does." Another sad smile.

"And the things you hate about this town?" You quickly cut her, hoping that she stays in topic about the town.

"Umm... I dunno. It's too peaceful and sometimes we have this weird traditions," She quickly looks around as if she is being watched," We usually dumped organic garbage and dead bodies into the forest. You might noticed that we have no cemetery here."

Hmm... you just realized that.

"And...I heard that old families have incestual relationships and orgies. Their poor kids from the incests are usually locked in their house, never to see the light. That's what bothering every time I walk around the town" She add in a whispers.

Hmm... You you can see the connections here and about your guts feelings of this town. Witches, Protections, Mother Tree, and bloodlines. They are all tied together by blood and beliefs,and you are in the middle of a witch's territory. There might be a coven in this town or in the forest.

But the questions that remains unsolved is about the Naked Lady herself. She might be called by someone in need of freedom yet why does she have translucent wings rather than the mythical bat wings and where is she right now?

>What do you want to do next?

>>2471923
Give a shocked, perhaps somewhat scandalized, reaction, and see if you can't get her to spill anything more on the subject. Perhaps by asking how such a thing can be allowed; why doesn't the sheriff do anything about it?

Afterwards, regroup with Jack and collate what both of you have found out.

Was there something wrong with 4chan server? They kept kicking me out to the cloudflare shit

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>2471939

Hmm...

roll me 2d6 DC8

Rolled 6, 5 = 11 (2d6)

>>2472061


>>2472060
Yes, other boards had the same issue.

>>2472066
Alright.

Ill wait for other to roll. Just need two more roll and deadline is an hour

>>2472060
I believe there is something wrong, given i've been trying to post a thread for...three, four hours now?

>>2472110
Ho... Didn't know yer interested, Weaver.

Could ya roll 2d6 fer me?

Rolled 5, 5 = 10 (2d6)

>>2472116

Rolled 6, 4 = 10 (2d6)

>>2472061

>>2472060
Took me half a day to manage to successfully submit >>2471939, and even then I couldn't see my own post on refreshing the page until now, so I'm going to go with 'probably'.

>>2472123
From what I can discern from the twitter it appears that for some reason the image part of the image board is fucked. So I either run thread without image or just not run.

it is a shit situation.

>>2471923
>>2471939

"I... I am sorry for asking," you put on a shocked face, placing your hand on her just to comfort her," Does the sheriff know? Does anyone know?"

She went silent for a minute before slowly pulls her hand away from yours," I am sorry for spouting nonsense. Please forget about that." Shoot! She had recovered her guard.

"It's fine. Glad to lend you my ears," You grin, finishing your coffee. The poor waitress let out a warm, tired smile before calling her sister. Sarah let out a big whine before reluctantly going behind the counter, saying goodbye to the beaming Jack.

"That would be $12.50," Lilly put on her service smile.

"Here you go, darling," you pull $15 and place it on her hand,"take the rest as a tip and I might be here for a few days...If you want to talk some more." Her answer is a brief nod.

As you sat on your car with Jack, you quickly asked him," So?"

He began gushing out about his new friend," She knows A LOT! herbs, recipes, runes, effigies, and rituals. They were mostly nature related and she even now about the town's traditions! We exchange a lot of materials."

You quickly stopped him," did you tell her about the case? The Mark of Lilith?"

"Uhh...not really? We exchange a lot of occult stuff so I forgot what were talking about," He scratch his cheek nervously.

"Damn it, kid. Keep a low profile next time and use protection. Don't want to have a bastard." You grunt, causing him to blush. Kids these days.

After exchanging information, Jack is quiet shocked about the town's dark secret and became silent. You, however, gained a good intel.

- The Feeding Day is usually on Sunday where they dump most of the organic compost and dead body into the forest. Sabbath day...
- From what Jack gathered, she is indeed a budding forest witch but it seems she is oblivious to her heritage or family.
- The Mother Tree offers protection to anyone who were prosecuted and harmed throughout their lives. Might be feeding the victim's misery or something.
- To get her protection, you must create her mark with small rope and sticks then let it be broken by someone who wish to harmed the victim.

All in all, a great first day. The sun almost sets and you might need to book a room but you might have time to visit other places.

>Where to now?

>>2472153
May as well book a room, since we'll have to do it eventually.

By the way, what day is it now in-game?

Yeah, definitely having posting issues. Probably not going to try too hard to get my posts through until it gets properly fixed.

>>2472193
Ill put it as Thursday night so you guys have Friday and Saturday to investigate and prepare until Sunday.

>>2472193

Without further ado, you began searching for a place to rest as the sun set and the moon began to rise. The waxing and waning of the moon usually affect a witch's power and it will be a full moon on Sunday. Could be a coincidence... and you hate coincidence.

Finally, you found a place to stay at the Ashton's Rest&Relax. A small motel by the road, near the entrance of the town.

The only difference between motels that you had experienced, this one is much more cleaner in the reception area and the parking lot. A black haired man greeted you," Welcome to Ashton's Rest&Relax! How long will you be staying in our humble town?"

"Three or four days. Nice town you have here," You say.

And he nods," Thank you. It's good to see unfamiliar faces from time to time. Help the economy and whatnot. How many room?"

"One room but separate bed. I am travelling with my cousin."

"Oh! That's nice..." A lingering silence as he pull a room key. Hmm...

You decide to prod a bit," Never left the town?"

He stare at you for a bit before shaking his head, pulling a small service smile," Have been here my whole life and I...err... I don't like to travel a lot so I camped in the forest once in a while. You know, to alleviate my boredom."

"That's nice. I was thinking of camping myself too." You say, goading him to drop his defense.

But this man's defenses are solid,"Ah. That's interesting. Do be careful not to get lost. Here's your key: Room number three. That will be $15/day."

"Thank you," You take the key and left the reception room. Jack is still silent while he drag his bag to the room.

It's a modest room but clean with a scent of pine. You quickly went to work, setting up the people you've met and facts that you have gathered.

>Brickwood residents

-Sheriff Howard Morrow: The client of the case and a fat, round man. He is worried and unnerved about the appearance of The Naked Lady in the camera feed.

-Deputy Ashton: A quiet man and you spot some muscles in him.

-Linda Brime: Receptionist in Sherrif office.

-Sarah Montgomery:know to have knowledge of paganism and wore a pagan neckalce. Sister to Lilly Montergomery and niece to Nancy.

-Cory Grey and Archie Faust: The town's troublemaker.

-Father Ian: The Shepard of this little town.

-Nancy: A librarian and know the history of this town.

-Lilly Montgomery: Older sister of Sarah Montgomery and a troubled waitress working at the local diner. She have a strange accent from time to time and have seen the darker side of Brickwood Town. A relative of Nancy the librarian.

>>2473085
>Info of the case:

- Mark of Lilith, princess of freedom found on the bark of a tree. High probability of fighting Lilim, Daughters of Lilith.
- Human Effigy with runic symbols. Marking of a Pagan Witch.
- Traces of ashes from some kind of Incense. Could be a ritual of protection.
- No one could see the Naked Lady, not even an innocent. A spirit or celestials perhaps?
- The Naked Lady have transluscent wings. Demons, even Lilim, have the usual bat-like wings. A new strains of demons perhaps?
- Urban Legend of Mother Tree, Protector of Innocent and Foul.
- The town was suppose to be a haven for the prosecuted in the Witch Trial. Need comfirmation.
- The Montegomery was one of the founder.
- This is a witch territory. There could be a coven here.
- Rumors of Incest relationship and orgies in this town. The Incest babies were locked inside the house and never to see the light of days. Maybe the source of the Lilim?
- The Feeding Day is usually on Sunday where they dump most of the organic compost and dead body into the forest. Sabbath day...
- From what Jack gathered, she is indeed a budding forest witch but it seems she is oblivious to her heritage or family.
- The Mother Tree offers protection to anyone who were prosecuted and harmed throughout their lives. Might be feeding the victim's misery or something.
- To get her protection, you must create her mark with small rope and sticks then let it be broken by someone who wish to harmed the victim.

Items:
- African Cigarette: A pack of cigarette filled with magical herbs from Africa and they have the property to hide your presence from Paranormal. (Smoking this will reduce your health by 1 but will increase your stealth DC by 3 against Paranormal Creatures)

- Cursed Revolver. An ancient revolver filled with death and grief. Rumor has it that it consumed thousands innocent souls with it, cursing the owner with greasily ends. ( Any bullets can effect paranormal creatures)

- Bullets filled with holy stones (18 bullets): From ramī al-jamarāt ( Stoning of Devils), the stones were carefully picked after Eid Al-Adha and inserted inside a bullet ( High Damage to Infernal Creatures)

- 15 blessed bullets: Bullets soaked in holy water (medium Damage to Demons)

- Normal Revolver Bullets (15 bullets): Your average revolver bullets.

- Binding Mirror: A blessed Mirror used to separate demons from their vessels and trap them in it. Be careful not to crack it.

- A bottle of holy water: Water blessed by a priest. The basic ingredients for holy rituals.

- A small paper-bag full of blessed herbs and flowers: Usually used for Incense to protect the user.

- A small plastic salt shaker: A multi-tool for Occultism.

>What is your deduction for now and what will you do tomorrow?

Test

>>2473089
I think I'm probably worse at deduction than Jeremiah is, and haven't many ideas yet. I'm going to wait until further into the investigations before leaping to any conclusions.

For tomorrow, I'll say we visit the library to get an idea of the history of the town, and have a chat with Nancy. Speaking to Father Ian if the chance arises might also be good.

>>2475339
Fair enough. Ill continue this later as I am running another quest

>>2473089

Not yet... You need more information in order to see the truth. Talking to Nancy should be a priority since she knew more about the town itself and Father Ian might have an insight about this translucent wings and demons.

"Hey, uhhh...Mr. Grim?" Jack calls you quietly, his face is still in deep thought," What are we going to do with the locked kids? I mean, there might be one or two here..."

So... a morality question.

"Nothing. It's not our job to solve everyone's misery so just focus on the case," You gruff, putting your leather jacket on the edge of the bed and lay down. Then you place your revolver beside your pillow with two bullets loaded.

"B-but."

"Kid. We are a stranger in their town and believe me, I know that feeling of being useless. Dig it deep inside and focus on the job. We are not heroes." Although it is harsh, the kid need to face reality sooner or later. Being a detective is not always sunshine and glory."

Jack went silent again before whispering," Goodnight, Mr. Grim."

"Night Kid," You sigh, slowly closing your tired eyes...

---

"H...Help..."

---

You quickly open your eyes, searching for the voice... and you find none.

It's early in the morning and the sun is not up yet. Jack is still sleeping soundly, tossing and turning in his sleep.

He will survive a nightmare or two...

Since Jack is still asleep, you take this chance to take a shower and thankfully they have hot water. The scalding hot water soothes your mind and soul, taking away all the tiredness of yesterday. God bless the maker of these miraculous things. Hm? They have scented soap too...and the smell of lavender? Must be a cheap product but still a great service.

Having enough, you dried yourself with one of the towels and put on a fresh pants before going out of the bathroom. The kid is still sleeping and you let him sleep while you put on some fresh clothes, putting your revolver in its holster. You left him a note about buying breakfast and quietly left the room.

The air is much more fresher than ones in the city or mountains. You can take a deep breath here without coughing and the birds sing louder, chirping happily at the sight of the slowly rising sun. The receptionist might have some info about the opening time or at least a breakfast menu.

Entering the reception building, the same man greeted you," Ah! Mr...Grim, was it? Good morning. I hope you have no complaints about the room?"

was it? It sounds like last night meeting did not happened.

You quickly recover," Ah! None whatsoever. It's a good room with hot shower so no complaints from me. Is there a menu here or any restaurant open for breakfast?"

"Ah! Please wait a moment," He says while messing with something under the counter, then place the menu in front of you," Here you are, sir! Just dial 001 for room service. Any question?"

"When will the library open?"

"Around 8:30 AM."

"And the church?"

"They are open at 7:00 AM. Father Ian usually hold a morning mass at that time."

>>2477700

It's almost 7 AM.

Appearing in the mass will make the priest happy and talking to him will be easier but Jack will not attend with you. You can get some food on your way back.

or you can stay here and bond with your assistant for a bit while waiting for the library to open. You barely knew him other than his resume and he does have a good insight on the occult but to what extent?

>What will you do, detective?

>>2477706
>What will you do, detective?
Leave Jack a note about that we're off to the church to have a chat with the pastor. Tell him that he's free to wait around the motel, or, at his own discretion, talk to anyone he thinks might be of interest.

Either way, he should meet us back here when we're done. We expect to be back by around 9am (though, as usual, we might always get sidetracked), and currently plan to go to the library after.

I assume we've been working with Jack for a long enough time that we needn't remind him to stick to our cover story, and keep himself out of trouble, and that we have enough understanding between us that we can compose the note such that it seems like an ordinary and unsuspicious message to any other reader.


Wonder if we can pick up some sort of charm to ward off those dreams, just to tell if they're supernatural in nature. Obviously a dream catcher would be hard to come by, but a sprig of betony might not be too hard to find, depending on where we are and what time of year it is.

>>2477770

Just to clarify, Jack is your new assistant and this is his first case

>>2477885
That new, huh?

Well, the gist of the vote remains the same, except that we should try to get across those details while being as innocuous as possible to an external reader. ('... But if you feel like it, feel free to get out of the hotel and have a walk. And if you find anything interesting, I'd love to hear about it when I get back. Just don't go picking any fights I'll have to bail you out of, alright? ...')

Failing that, be explicit in our message, and leave the note tucked somewhere on Jack's person so it's least likely to be found by other people, and instruct Jack to burn or otherwise destroy the note after reading.

>>2477706
>>2477770

"Ah, thank you. That will be all Mr..."

The man seems a bit shock, fidgeting for a while before answering you," Gregory Ashton... but call me Greg."

Hmm? Why the hesitation?

"Well, thank you for your help, Greg. I'll see you around." You say, quickly walking to your room to take the car keys. The kid is still snoozing so you quickly write a note for your alibi, stating that he is your brother's son and the two of you are travelling together for some bonding activity. This is all hidden under the guise of an innocent note.

'Cousin Jack. I'll be going to the church for a bit and get us breakfast after the visit. It won't be long so don't worry, I'll be spending time with you after our breakfast but if you feel like it, feel free to get out of the hotel and have a walk. And if you find anything interesting, I'd love to hear about it when I get back. Just don't go picking any fights I'll have to bail you out of, alright?'

You place the note beside his bag and send him a message with your old phone as you left the room.

[Kid. The note beside your bag is our alibi. I am your uncle and you are my brother's kid. Delete this message after you're done reading. It is important that we don't blow our cover. I'll deduct your wage if you got caught]

Satisfied, you turn on the engine and make your way to the church.

---

A church made from stone and an old one that is... From what you gathered, this building was something else before being converted to a church and the glass paints looks new...or being cleaned diligently. As you enter the church, the mass had just started and you quickly sat on the last bench as the priest began his sermon. He took a glimpse at you and a small smile for on his lips. There are about twenty people here, including you and two elementary kids. It seems that Christianity is not a popular religion in this town.

The sermon went for a good few minutes before the mass is done with the people saying goodbye to the priest and left the church. Few glance at you for few seconds, curious about a stranger in this House of Holy.

After a while, the priest greets you with a warm smile," Good Morning, Mr..."

"Grim. Jeremiah Grim." You replied with a smile as the priest sit beside you.

The priest stares at you with a curious look, "Jeremiah? Are you Born Again perhaps?"

"...yes." You grit your teeth, swallowing the bitter memories of the past.

"Ah! Forgive me. Where are my manners? I am Father Ian and the shepherd of this good town... for about half a year. You are new here?"He gave you a toothy grin.

"Passing by with my cousin. Not a lot of worshiper huh?" He nods sadly, tapping his fingers on the wooden bench.

"It seems this is a Godless land. Thankfully most are tolerable with our presence here but the forest often gave me a bad premonition. I could swear that something is lurking on these woods." He says, looking very serious.

"Really?! I was planning on camping or taking a hike there," you feign a shock.

>>2477975

"Ah. Never mind this old fool then. I am still adapting to the buzz of this town," he laughs, hiding his nervousness then quickly switch the topic," Any other question? You seem to have few."

"Oh? You read me like an open book, Father Ian. How did you know?" You chuckle.

He joins you with a warm chuckle of his own," Well, you didn't leave after the mass."

>What do you want to ask?

>>2477983
Given how old this building looked from afar, we figured he might have been a resident here for some time, someone who might tell us about places of interest around the area.

But only half a year? What made him decide to move here?


Basically, ask him polite questions about himself, and see if we can't glean a little about the town while doing so. If we get an opening, ask about the town in greater detail.

>>2477983
>>2478040

"What made you decide to move here, Father?"

"Well...you could say it is my calling,"He smiles warmly, looking at the roof of the church," God showed me the way when I was lost and here I am, setting a root in this godless place so they could see the light of God and the teachings of Jesus Christ."

Hmm... The usual priest answer.

But you need to dig deeper," You were lost?"

"Ah yes. I was eighteen and have a terrible streaks of violence. They caught me and send me to jail for one year. There I found my faith in God and quickly applied to the Priesthood. Have traveled around the country but finally retired to this nice, quiet town. Hopefully, they buried me if i died." He taps the wooden bench again, making it into a tune.

So he knows about the Feeding Day.

Then he continues," One thing I know for sure. The residence here share three family names: Montgomery, Brime, and Ashton. The owner of the Supermarket was an Ashton and I think the mayor last name is Brime. They must be the founding families of this town..."

Montgomery, Brime, and Ashton.... The owner of the motel was an Ashton too...there must be a pattern here...

"That...is weird," You nod, staring at the ceiling too. It is a wonder how the roof did not collapse, given how old it looks.

Since he is in his last phase of Priesthood, he might know more about Lilim and other Christian demons. Should you take this chance?

>What skill you want to use and what question you want to ask next?

>>2478322
Under the pretext of the intended camping/hiking trip we mentioned earlier, ask more about the woods and his premonitions about them. Surely there can't be anything /too/ dangerous out there?

Beyond that, try to probe about the town's practices and history, and how much he knows about them. Depending on how he responds, I imagine Psychology and Paganism may be relevant.

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>2478587

Roll Paganism

2d6

>>2478626
Ill put 3 hour for the rolls since yer my only active player here

Rolled 4, 4 = 8 (2d6)

>>2478626

>>2478633
We've been off the front page for a while now, so it's unlikely that there'll be anyone new for the rest of the thread.

>>2478652
Oh well, Ill start a new thread after this reaches page 8.

Also the DC of your question was 7 and since yer the only one here. ROll 2 more 2d6.

I have decided yer the only active guy here so yeah

Rolled 6, 1, 3, 1 = 11 (4d6)

>>2478662
I don't know if you'd want to run a quest for only one player, but I'll keep going if you want me to.

>>2478670

It is a detective quest so as long as you can solve it, I am fine with it.

>>2478322
>>2478587

"So... do you know about this town's practices or history?"

" Yes...sadly. Every Sunday, they dump organic compose and their deceased into the forest, muttering something before they left. The Feeding Day they called it and I could swore by the Cross, I saw the ground slowly swallowed them like a quicksand." he shivers, tapping his finger in an out of sync rhythms.

"Damn...and I though we were going camping!" You huffs.

"Well if you are going camping, then take this. It brings me luck and protection along my travels," He pull out his iron cross and gave it to you.

"Well..I don't want to-"

"Please. I insist. This is the least I can do if you want to travel to that forest." He interrupts and shoves it to your hand. Well, you can't say no to that.

>Gained Iron Cross: From the looks of it, this cross have seen things in its travels with Father Ian.

"Now then, any other question before I leave?" He asks, feeling as if this cross will help you in your journey.

>Last question before you leave?

>>2478734
>Last question before you leave?
If he's giving us this /cross/ of all things, does that mean he thinks there's something... profane out there in the forest? What does he think it is? Would it be safer to just stay in town?

>>2478680
If that's how you feel. But I should warn you in advance that I am an incredibly dense motherfucker.

>>2478749
+1
>If that's how you feel. But I should warn you in advance that I am an incredibly dense motherfucker.
It's okay, everyone has to start from somewhere.

>>2478749
Then I'll help you see the patterns after sufficient information. Archive readers will be shouting at your denseness after this.

>>2478749

You stare at the iron cross," So you think there is something out there in the woods?"

He nods," Yes. I always felt being watched when I passed through those woods but I do not know what it is. Perhaps an evil entity? I do not know."

Hmm...Oh well.

"Thank you for your help, Father Ian," You put a polite smile and left the church with the iron cross in your pocket. On your way, you visit the diner for breakfast. The waitress is a sightly older black haired woman with a bit of fat on her belly and wedding ring on her finger,"hello! You must be Mr. Grim!"

You nod,"and you are?"

"Oh silly me! I am the owner of this humble diner. Megan Ashton at your service!" She bows for a bit before resuming her duties," What can I getcha, Mr. Grim? Our sweet blueberry pancakes are to die for!"

"Hmm... I'll have that and two pancakes with egg and bacon. Take out, please," You sit on the counter.

"Coming right out, sweety," she winks before going back to the kitchen. The diner is empty though and you can hear the sound of the cooking. This is somehow relaxing.

After a few minutes, she came out from the kitchen with a large paper-bag and three styrofoam containers,"here you go. that would be $15."

You gave her the cash and take the bag," Thank you. Mrs. Ashton."

"Oh, you really are a sharp one. Lilly and Sarah's shift will be on afternoon today. Take care now," She waves with a sly smile.

Hmm... typical old ladies.

---

You went back to your room but found a note on the door: 'Uncle, I am going to meet Sarah for a bit. The key is with the receptionist.'

Kid work fast.

Without further ado, you quickly retrieve the key from Greg and place the paper bag on the table. You place your head on the pillow and take a nice, short nap.

(That's for today. I'll continue after I woke up. How are you enjoying the quest?)

>>2478889
I've been lurking since yesterday, great job OP, I would like to roll too but I'm more of an idiot than our current player, if I figure out the system properly I will contribute rolls too.

great !

I've been lurking as well, I don't check in often but if there's an open vote or something I'll contribute

>>2480242

It's a mash between In Nomine's 1d666 dice with Gumshoe. Basically I put the the DC and roll for the degree of success then you decide whether to spend your skill point in order to increase the DC. Keep in mind that low is good.

The dice explanation is in the op.

>>2478889

---

"Joe! Get the hell out of here! It was a tr-ARRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGG"

You watched as SWAT Captain McMillan burst into flame coming out of thin air. The last thing you saw was a man covered in dark red flames, smiling as he summoned more flames to roast your captain... Then it turned into something terrifying. Bat wings appeared from his back and something came out of the burning man like a butterfly from a cocoon.

Demons... Red skin and two sharp horns. Its face was human but with black eyes and sharp teeth. It looked at you, smiling before launching itself at you.

---

You quickly take your revolver and scan the area immediately, heart pounding frantically. The only people you found in this room was two familiar kids frozen in the middle of the room like a hunted deer. Their eyes and minds were trying to grasp the situation.

"Oh, its you guys," you grunt, putting the revolver in the holster as Sarah and Jack dropped on the floor after their adrenaline stopped pumping.

"W-what was that Mr...err..uncle?" Jack shouts after recovering from the floor.

"Your uncle is crazy, Jack!" Sarah added, trying to get herself up.

"PTSD," you say before pointing at the paper-bag,"got you breakfast. Bacon or blueberry pancakes? Don't know what you kids likes these days. You can get one too, Sarah. I bought three, just in case."

"Oh! Aunt Megan's Blueberry pancakes are delicious! You should try em, Jackie!" Sarah quickly stop, blushing hard,"I-I mean Jack...eyah, where are the breakfast... Ill bring the plates!" She quickly exit the room, leaving you and Jack alone.

"Jackie?" You raised an eyebrow while sporting a grin.

In responds, he rolled his eyes," We are fast friends with us having similar hobbies. Anyway, Mother Tree is the patron guardian of this town and the Feeding Day is one way to meet her as long as you have her mark. She told me that her grandmother used to take her to a large tree deep inside the forest but then she does not remembered anything after. Pretty suspicious if you asked me."

You are pretty sure he change the topic but ultimately you let it go. As long as he does a good job, it's fine but...

" Alright kid, being friendly with the local is fine and all but let me give you a warning: Do NOT get attached to them until you know the truth." You warn, gazing sternly at his eyes.

"Bu...fine,"he sighs, sitting on his bed as Sarah came with three plates with knife and fork. She senses something going on between the two and tried to ignores it, sitting next to Jack while you ate alone. You can hear some snippets of their talks about occult discussions. Kids and their obsessions.

After the hearty breakfast, it's time to head to the library... with Sarah. She knows some books that might interest her new friend, much to your displeasure of having your assistant taken away from you. But you got to act like the greatest uncle in the world, just to protect your alibi.

>Ask any 2 question to Sarah if you want.

>>2483951
>Let Jack lead the conversation. He has an in with her, and might be able to get information out of her that she won't reveal to you, assuming he can remember to keep on track.
>If they end up getting sidetracked into the likely topic, find an opening to ask Sarah how she got interested in all this Paganism stuff. She seems much more into it than anyone you've met since you arrived here.
I've been having fun. Deduction is a little beyond me, but I do enjoy seeing a setting unfold in front of me. It's a shame most quests have a narrative focus rather than an exploratory one.

Anyway, I'm afraid I'm a little busy today, so I guess all you who were just lurking will just have to take the reins.

Post, you guys. I don't want to be the only one making the decisions here if there are others around.

>>2484617
+1
>Post, you guys. I don't want to be the only one making the decisions here if there are others around.
But don't you like being the sole voice of reason?

>>2480242
You can make suggestions and we'll take it into consideration. You can also roll by copying what the others are doing.

>>2483951
>>2484617
>>2484683

The car is a bit cramped and the kids must share the seats together. No complaint from Jack, you guess.

It took them few minutes before they delved into their usual discussion.

"And that's how the satanic ritual works," Jack explained, showing her some drawings of Infernal Ritual Circles.

"huh... So just do the Latin backwards and mash em with bloods? Kinda dumb don't you think?" Sarah muses, craning her head just so she can look closer at the paper.

"And how do you think your stuff works? There were suppose to be equivalent exchange between physical and supernatural worlds," Jack asks, opening his notebook to a fresh page.

"Faith and...I dunno, talents I guess? Basically you must have the recipe and intuition to be able to make potions or charms. Some runes were used so it 'remember' its purpose," she explains, pulling a charm made from stick, vines, and dry fruit with some strange carvings on the stick. Jack examines the charm like it is the discovery of the century.

"So... how could a gal like you interested in this stuff?" You ask, using this as an opportunity to ask about her hobby.

She went quiet for a bit, thinking for a moment," Grandma, I guess. Mom too. We used to play pretend with them showing me how things works and how to make things from the forest. Lilly doesn't like it and neither does dad so we usually do this secretly. It was an amazing sight for little old me like dried leaves suddenly became green again. Must be some kind of chemistry tricks."

"Hmm... Neat." This kid is being groomed to be a witch at a young age. Must be a lineage thing but if the father doesn't like it means that he is from outside.

" What about you, Mr. Grim? How do you know about paganism?" she asks with a sly grin.

>Your answer?

>>2484866
>"Once you get to my age, you'll have met all sorts of folk out there. I'm just glad I had the chance to pick up enough that I can follow what Jack talks about. Well, most of the time, at least."

Brush it off as nothing of significance. If it feels necessary, reminisce briefly about a witch or some other Pagan worshiper you once met on good terms, leaving out details relating to your line of work. If possible, pick an anecdote to relate from some time when you were off the clock.

The best lies are the ones that are true.

>>2484866
>>2485216

"Once you get to my age, you'll have met all sorts of folk out there. I'm just glad I had the chance to pick up enough that I can follow what Jack talks about. Well, most of the time, at least."You answered her vaguely.

"Yeesh, you just sound like my dad. How come you aren't married yet?" she asks with that teenager's innocence.

"Reasons. Something you kids won't understand," you shrug, closing the conversation. She looks at you with strange expression before dropping it away and began chatting with Jack again.

It's a peaceful ride.

The library is strangely at the edge of the town and few meters into the woods. The architecture is similar to the old churches made in colonization era, entirely made out of woods. They have their own gardens too and some vines plastered into the wooden walls of the library as if this building have been here for ages, fusing with the nature surrounding it. You can feel the Iron Cross getting colder in your pocket.

There are few people here, reading silently but there is no receptionist nor reception area, just a door and shelves of books.

"C'mon, Jack! I got some old books that you might like!" And Sarah dragged your assistant once again.

>Now that you are in the library, what do you want to do, detective?

>>2483951
>Bat wings appeared from his back and something came out of the burning man like a butterfly from a cocoon.
The burning pyrokinetic grew bat wings before having a demon burst from him?

>>2485599
>>Now that you are in the library, what do you want to do, detective?
Are there limitations to what we can do?

>>2486671
Explore all you like.

Well, you're still human and not insane so dont go shooting people. If you want to read books, use the skills so I know what you want to read. If you want to search for someone, I'll reply. But remember the priority of the case.

TL;DR: Explore all you want and as humanly possible but remember the opportunity cost.

>>2486671

As for the demon, you have to find out more about Infernals.

>>2486739
Okay idiot number 2 here lol, let's read up on the town's religious practices, followed by the crime history? There might be clues related to the case.

To everyone else, sound like a viable course of action?

>>2487388
>>2466316
>>>Sighting of a naked lady on the street.
>There were multiple reports about a naked lady crossing the street at night then vanished in the forest beside the town. Parents were worried about if the crazy lady might be harmful to children as there were multiple cases of missing animals after the first sighting.
So long as it's relating to the case, anything goes. I’ll post an analysis to view our clues.

>>2478889
>(That's for today. I'll continue after I woke up. How are you enjoying the quest?)
It's interesting. I mostly stuck with rolling and supporting actions because I was too busy to read up on the quest.
For a lurker, the requirements of write-ins and the amounts of posts one has to wade through to understand would be a turn-off. Having more pictures would help in this regard, particularly over any milestones or clues of interest. The summaries have been great too.

>Wing analysis

>>2483951
>You watched as SWAT Captain McMillan burst into flame coming out of thin air. The last thing you saw was a man covered in dark red flames, smiling as he summoned more flames to roast your captain... Then it turned into something terrifying. Bat wings appeared from his back and something came out of the burning man like a butterfly from a cocoon.
>>2486746
But we witnessed it, didn't we? Shouldn't we know whether the demon bursted out of the captain or the pyrokinetic?
>>2468939
>This means that your target is possessed by Lilim, Daughters of Lilith and a Temptress. These infernals will grant people their wish in a willing exchange. They are selfish creature after all and always think of themselves before their hosts. But from what Sheriff Marrow had said, there were barely any serious crime here and this are peaceful.
>>2471923
>But the questions that remains unsolved is about the Naked Lady herself. She might be called by someone in need of freedom yet why does she have translucent wings rather than the mythical bat wings and where is she right now?
Do people grow wings when possessed, or is that someone done when a possessed individual either reveals themself or uses their powers?

>>2473089
>- No one could see the Naked Lady, not even an innocent. A spirit or celestials perhaps?
Do demons count as celestials, or does it mean heavenly?
>- The Naked Lady have transluscent wings. Demons, even Lilim, have the usual bat-like wings. A new strains of demons perhaps?
I'm not familiar with mythology, so I looked it up if that's okay. Translucent wings look like bug wings, so that would be related more to the Fae or Pagan than anything else.

>(1/2)

>>2487388

Rather than History, I'll let you do the Criminology rolls for crime history.

>>2487437
>But we witnessed it, didn't we? Shouldn't we know whether the demon bursted out of the captain or the pyrokinetic?

Ah!. It's from the pyrokinetic

>Do demons count as celestials, or does it mean heavenly?

It's because they are mostly Fallen Angels so they are technically heavenly.

>I looked it up if that's okay
It's fine.

Btw, where is your other posts? Those post were good deductions. Also thank you for the feedback, ill make sure to add a pic when you found a clue.

Rolled 6 (1d6)

This is for criminology with DC 4. Do you want to spend points to increase the dc?

Currently have 3 Criminology points. Once you have spend it, it will refresh the next day.

>>2487496
I have 4+ other posts that I was reformatting, but then got busy. I posted 2 others, deleted them once I realized the >(1/2) wasn't going to match my expansion. I'm disappointed I was too late to remove the 1st.

>Btw, where is your other posts? Those post were good deductions. Also thank you for the feedback, ill make sure to add a pic when you found a clue.
You saw the other 2?

>>2487519

Yep.

About the Naked Lady. The Mother Tree and the town itself.

As for the blood, because it was mixed with something else that's why no result

>>2487521
Oh no. My failings have been discovered.

>>2487501
>This is for criminology with DC 4. Do you want to spend points to increase the dc?
It's only a DC of 4. What's the dice amount?

>>2487525
2d6 and low roll. hope you can get 4 or lower

>>2487525

Also my roll is six which means that the degree of success is high. It's a high stake roll

>>2487531
The degree of success roll means how much of a benefit we get if we succeed?

Is it possible to spend points after we rolled?

>>2487521
>>2487525
Might as well post them.

>>2487437
>(1/2)
Actually (1/X). I expanded my 2nd one and apparently it went over the limit, so I’ll go further. Since it keeps expanding, I’ll stick with >Continued.

>Tree analysis

>>2472153
>- The Mother Tree offers protection to anyone who were prosecuted and harmed throughout their lives. Might be feeding the victim's misery or something.
The Mother Tree feeds -- enables the victim's misery -- or feeds off of the victim's misery?
>>2483951
>Anyway, Mother Tree is the patron guardian of this town and the Feeding Day is one way to meet her as long as you have her mark.
>>2473089
>- To get her protection, you must create her mark with small rope and sticks then let it be broken by someone who wish to harmed the victim.
Do they have to be under the Mother Tree's protection, or simply to have created the mark targeting themself?

>>2473089
>- The town was suppose to be a haven for the prosecuted in the Witch Trial. Need comfirmation.
>- The Feeding Day is usually on Sunday where they dump most of the organic compost and dead body into the forest. Sabbath day…
>>2483951
>She told me that her grandmother used to take her to a large tree deep inside the forest but then she does not remembered anything after. Pretty suspicious if you asked me."
>>2485599
>The library is strangely at the edge of the town and few meters into the woods. The architecture is similar to the old churches made in colonization era, entirely made out of woods. They have their own gardens too and some vines plastered into the wooden walls of the library as if this building have been here for ages, fusing with the nature surrounding it. You can feel the Iron Cross getting colder in your pocket.
So there's a combination of Pagan and Christian/Protestant here, interesting. The Mother Tree is apparently an actual tree fed by detritus. Could have some fungi, other plants, or connection to the environment.
>You can feel the Iron Cross getting colder in your pocket.
Does the Iron Cross react to anything un-Christian, or any danger?
>inb4 deep dark secret hidden in the archives.

>>2473089
>- No one could see the Naked Lady, not even an innocent. A spirit or celestials perhaps?
>>2466383
>- The forests have a strange markings that cannot be captured by camera so it was crudely drawn.
More interesting is how both the Mother Tree, the Naked Lady, and markings share a perception filter. It’s more likely the Naked Lady is a subordinate of the Mother Tree. Less so the Naked Lady is a fusion of Infernal and Pagan rituals, or someone who cooperates with a Pagan Witch.

>Continued.

>>2487535
>Naked Lady analysis.

>>2466383
>- Cats and Dogs follows her peacefully yet crows seems to flee from her.
>>2466316
>There were multiple reports about a naked lady crossing the street at night then vanished in the forest beside the town. Parents were worried about if the crazy lady might be harmful to children as there were multiple cases of missing animals after the first sighting.
Primarily Pagan. Searching for crows also yielded something related to Native Americans, Celtics, and Norse, which might relate to the country we’re in. If I recall crows tend to be related to death, so I’d imagine the Naked Lady is responsible for the animal murders and the crows can sense that. More corpses to fuel the Mother Tree, perhaps for a ritual or to meet a quota.

>>2466383
>-One of the footage shows a kid playing next to her as if she does not exist then he panicked when the Lady sprints towards the forests.
Did the kid see the Naked Lady after this, or only the environmental disturbance of the sprinting?

>>2468939
>This means that your target is possessed by Lilim, Daughters of Lilith and a Temptress. These infernals will grant people their wish in a willing exchange. They are selfish creature after all and always think of themselves before their hosts. But from what Sheriff Marrow had said, there were barely any serious crime here and this are peaceful.
The Naked Lady is a herring, the witch that was working with an unseen possessee, or is both a witch and possessed. Perhaps the Naked Lady is also a pagan spirit powered by the Mother Tree to assist the witch and possessee, but I doubt it. Apparently there’s some Pagan search results of nakedness related to fertility.

>>2466496
>These are not old runes, they are bastardized Latin! Most of these refers to some sort of biblical numbers, Old Testament perhaps? The main sigils is infernal names, carved in blood and excrement.
>>2469061
>"Forensic did recover some traces of blood from it mixed with ashes or something. The blood gives nothing but the ashes was from Sage and Grass. "
Was this because the blood was too bad, or there weren’t any blood records of the person?
>>2478322
>Then he continues," One thing I know for sure. The residence here share three family names: Montgomery, Brime, and Ashton. The owner of the Supermarket was an Ashton and I think the mayor last name is Brime. They must be the founding families of this town…"
We could look into the genealogy or ancestry records to narrow down who’s who.

>>2473089
>- Rumors of Incest relationship and orgies in this town. The Incest babies were locked inside the house and never to see the light of days. Maybe the source of the Lilim?
There’s a great chance a relative is sheltering the possessee, perhaps one born out of incest and escaped.

>>2473089
>- Human Effigy with runic symbols. Marking of a Pagan Witch.
Is the Human Effigy of anyone?

>(3/X)

>>2487538
>People analysis.

>>2473089
>- Mark of Lilith, princess of freedom found on the bark of a tree. High probability of fighting Lilim, Daughters of Lilith.
>>2487388
I think we should beeline into identifying who the Lilim possessee is. That's the most dangerous individual. The other would be identifying the Naked Lady, who would be sheltering the possessee.

>>2468939
>This means that your target is possessed by Lilim, Daughters of Lilith and a Temptress. These infernals will grant people their wish in a willing exchange. They are selfish creature after all and always think of themselves before their hosts.
What happens once someone is possessed, does it ever end?

>>2485599
>>Now that you are in the library, what do you want to do, detective?
>>2466316
>History 0
I guess ancestry records fall under this? We should look for them and see if any children of incest are included.

>>2469272
>The looks on his face is interesting, you can barely read it,"If I remember there were three kids interested in occultism. Sarah Montgomery always spouts about charms and magics. Cory Grey and Archie Faust were caught for trespassing and vandalizing, drawing strange graffiti on abandoned houses. Father Ian might know more about the latin and sigils. If you want more information about our town, Nancy will tell you about them and she is a librarian for our local library."
So we already know of Sarah and Montgomery. Nancy by extension.
>>2477700
>Not yet... You need more information in order to see the truth. Talking to Nancy should be a priority since she knew more about the town itself and Father Ian might have an insight about this translucent wings and demons.
>>2485599
>There are few people here, reading silently but there is no receptionist nor reception area, just a door and shelves of books.
However, Nancy either isn’t around or somewhere else.
>>2484866
>" Grandma, I guess. Mom too. We used to play pretend with them showing me how things works and how to make things from the forest.
>>2471923
>"Well... Aunt Nancy's cookies are to die for. She make this great ginger cookies with bits of almonds and... she is much more closer to me than mom does." Another sad smile.
Interesting. Nancy would be ideal for directing us to sources or bringing Pagan info. She may also be a witch like Sarah’s mother and grandmother.

>>2477975
>"Ah! Forgive me. Where are my manners? I am Father Ian and the shepherd of this good town... for about half a year. You are new here?"He gave you a toothy grin.
>>2478322
>Since he is in his last phase of Priesthood, he might know more about Lilim and other Christian demons. Should you take this chance?
Father Ian is an outsider who has only been around for half a year, so there's a low chance of him being a conspirator. He would be a good candidate for confiding in, and he would know more about Christianity than us. He should be consulted tomorrow morning, once we connect with Nancy.

>(4/4)

>>2487534

Hmm... That would defeat the purpose of the gamble but I'll think about it. For now, spend the point before we roll.

Also, I'll add more details to clues that I think you have already got but you still have question with.

>Do they have to be under the Mother Tree's protection, or simply to have created the mark targeting themselves?
The process is a bit tricky here. As long as you have her mark, she will only watches over you but once her mark is destroyed by someone who wish to do harm to the user, she will actively protect you.

>Did the kid see the Naked Lady after this, or only the environmental disturbance of the sprinting?
From Jack's findings, the kid was scared because he felt something strange.

>Is the Human Effigy of anyone?
No, just something like a human made from sticks.

>What happens once someone is possessed, does it ever end?
From your experience, it depends on the strength and 'contract' of the demon.

>Nancy either isn’t around or somewhere else.
She is around but you don't know what she looks like yet.

Hope this helped.

>>2487534
Also
>The degree of success roll means how much of a benefit we get if we succeed?
yes in investigation mode but success/fail when in action mode.

>>2487546
There’s some more stuff I could analyse, and already have some thoughts about, but this seems like a good enough basis to work with. The shotgun method. Also I'll be away to do some other stuff.

>>2487538
>Was this because the blood was too bad, or there weren’t any blood records of the person?
>>2487521
>As for the blood, because it was mixed with something else that's why no result
Answers that. I guess you managed to find my deleted post before I reposted it.

>>2487501
And we get 3 2d6 rolls?

>>2487634
>And we get 3 2d6 rolls?
yep but one per player please, unless there are no other players rolling (which is the usual)

Also at the end of the in-game days, I will post the summary of the residence, items, and clues.

So...how many points you want to use before rolling?
currently have 3 Criminology

Hey, looks like my not being around has motivated some people to post. Clearly I should not be around more often!

>>2487388
You sure we don't want to look around for Nancy first? If not to ask for help, then at least to make sure she's not around so we don't get caught in a section that might raise awkward questions about why a casual visitor is looking through the criminal records?

>>2487717
If we're going ahead with the current course of action regardless, I'll suggest using 2 points to raise the DC to 6.

>>2487857
Alright

Roll 2d6 DC6

Rolled 2, 4 = 6 (2d6)

>>2487857
>Hey, looks like my not being around has motivated some people to post. Clearly I should not be around more often!
>>2487437
>It's interesting. I mostly stuck with rolling and supporting actions because I was too busy to read up on the quest.
It took me a while to catch up. I won't be doing another analysis for a while.

>>2487857
>You sure we don't want to look around for Nancy first? If not to ask for help, then at least to make sure she's not around so we don't get caught in a section that might raise awkward questions about why a casual visitor is looking through the criminal records?
+1
>>2488324

>>2488460
Gamble paid off. man you guys love them high stakes.

Ill wait for the other two rolls in case Hell want to intervene

Rolled 5, 6 = 11 (2d6)

>>2488806
Satan incoming--

Rolled 3, 3 = 6 (2d6)

>>2488855
So close.
Anyways rolling too just so I can write

File: Old papers.jpg (5 KB, 193x262)

5 KB JPG

>>2485599
>>2487388

Since you do not know the face of the librarian, you decide to read about the past cases of this town. Grabbing an old stacks of paper newspapers, you passed a poster with cartoon children dancing around the tree and a strange rhyme

'Tree Mother is your friend.
Tree Mother will help good children till the end.
Feed her with rotten meat and plant
And don't forget to say your chant.'

Interesting... Even kids knew about her but the poster didn't have the 'chant'. Everyone here will know about the chant if they taught them to kids too.

Sitting on the lonely table, you began reading the old papers. It seems they have their own local papers, talking about mundane life... except three paper.

>Murder occurred ten years ago.
[Breaking new! Son killed Father then committed suicide by self-immolation.]

Mark Ashton killed his own father with a kitchen knife after he snapped. After the deed was done, he committed suicide by burning himself with kerosene and a matchstick. The kitchen knife which struck James Ashton in his heart have Mark's fingerprints all over it.

>Kidnapping two years ago.
[Disappeared into thin air? Deputy Ashton cannot explained his daughter's disappearance.]

The daughter of Lincon Ashton went missing last night after her father checked her room. There were no traces of her escaping or even an eye witness. "She just disappeared," said Deputy Ashton said as he began a search party for his missing daughter.

>Murder one year ago.

[A naked Jane Doe was found naked in the forest]

A female body was found before the Feeding Day by a hiker. The body have strange markings, different than what we used to know. From the sheriff's report, it seems she given the mark and then starved to death. Her face is unrecognizable because of the ritualistic cuts on them, marking her with circle and strange words in it.

Wait! Her picture... it's almost similar to the one in the camera feeds photo and the marking is Lilith's. Could it be her soul or the demon taking her form after possession? This events were not a coincidence. There is a link to it.

"Interested in our old news, I take it?" An elderly matron sat in front of you. She looks almost fifty years old with a graying brunette hair and and have crow feet on her eyes.

"Nancy, I take it?" You said, stacking the old newspaper neatly in front of you.

She nods with a warm smile," Your reputation precedes you, Mr. Jeremiah Grim. As expected for a detective such as yourself."

You stopped for a moment, scanning the old lady with critical eyes. There is an aura of wisdom coming out of her.

Nancy gently shakes her head, smiling as she pull the old newspaper towards her," I know many things in this town, Mr. Grim. This town is small, after all. I assure you this 'Naked Lady' means no harm to the people here."

>>2489044
"What do you me-"

She suddenly interrupted you, gently hitting her forehead," Oh yes! I forgot to introduce myself. Manners! Manners! You will forget many things when you are old, Mr. Grim. But never the bitter memories. Where was I? Oh yes! Nancy Brime, pleasure to meet you, detective."

"Brime? Similar to-"

"Yes. We are a close knit community here. I am sure that you had met my daughter, Linda?" She interrupts you once again and you nod.

"Do not focus on how I know. Focus on your question. Now, what is it that you want to ask me?" Her face became serious as soon as she finishes her question.

>What do you want to ask detective? It seems she knows a lot of things. (3 question please)

>>2489048
>"Given how much you know of what I'm investigating, I would suspect you'd already know what I need to ask. Probably better than I do. at that. So I'll speak candidly:

>"The Naked Lady. You said she means no harm. You know about her. Who - or /what/ - is she?"

Starting off with the one question, and seeing where that takes us. I'm thinking by the end of this, we reason with her that the situation cannot continue as it is, and ask her directly to help us.

>>2489095

"Given how much you know of what I'm investigating, I would suspect you'd already know what I need to ask. Probably better than I do. at that. So I'll speak candidly: The Naked Lady. You said she means no harm. You know about her. Who - or /what/ - is she?"

Nancy became a bit giddy," straight to the meat, eh? Very well. The Naked Lady is or was a shared soul within Diana's body but it is not Diana, rather a 'friend' of hers. Met through a bargain between Diana and its mother. Strangely, she is more light than dark after meeting her. A contrast to its terrible and selfish nature."

>What's this? A cryptic answer? (2 more question)

>>2489117
Just to check, have we heard of a Diana in-character until now? This seems to be the first time she's been mentioned.

>>2489221
Nope but you have a name!

i am sure someone will see the connection later

>>2489237
I looked it up. I got
>Diana was the goddess of the hunt, the moon, and nature in Roman mythology,
So definitely Pagan.

>>2489241
I kind of doubt it's that specific Diana; Diana's also a fairly common name. The obvious guess would be that she's the missing daughter mentioned in the paper. Except I would also imagine the article to have mentioned her by name (>>2489237 /Was/ Ashton's daughter's first name mentioned at all in the article?), and we explicitly have not encountered the name Diana before.

>>2489248

Yer on the right track but why the name was not mentioned I wonder?

>>2489258
I wonder what we'll find if we look into the Ashton family registry. Or perhaps, what we won't find? It ought to be in this library somewhere.

>>2489117
Given that there are people here agitated enough to involve outsiders like us, it's clear that previous status quo can't continue. And yet it feels like Nancy is interested in preserving the situation as it has been.

Why? What /is/ the outcome she's hoping for?

And if it doesn't conflict with our own objective (and, judging by how willing she is to give us answers, she seems at the very least to not be opposed to us), surely we can work together?

>>2489258
It's a conspiracy I tells ya!

>>2489276
>And yet it feels like Nancy is interested in preserving the situation as it has been.
>>2485599
>You can feel the Iron Cross getting colder in your pocket.
Keep in mind we're in the lion's den.

>>2489276
>Why? What /is/ the outcome she's hoping for?
Compost for Mother Tree.

>>2489117
>>2489276

"Why? What /is/ the outcome she's hoping for?"

"What every dead spirits does, the fragments of their memories but in this case, the memory of its friend. Sadly, today's technology have a chance to capture the supernatural," She explains, tidying up the newspaper in the right order.


"How about we work together? Surely your objective does not conflict with ours, given how you had freely answered my questions even when you knew I am a detective," You stare at her and she began chuckle for a minute.

"Oh dear, that is not my intention. You must understand that Brime were suppose to be neutral and only preserves knowledge and history. We do not meddle with Montgomery or Ashton's business, we record the history in this town and taught them what they need to know. Now, what was your last question, dear?" She quickly reverts to her 'grandmother' persona. It feels like you are in the presence of a sphinx, doing all this for her own amusement.

At least you have a clue to what The Naked Lady is... Diana.

>Last question. Make it count and also look at the bigger picture.

>>2489327

Ah, well. Think of it as bonus clue I guess. Basically she is like a sphinx, doing riddles for fun

>>2489319
Right now, I'm thinking of asking after how we can meet and communicate with Diana, but I'm not sure that's a good idea. I'd like to hear other people's opinions before finalizing this one, since it's our last question.

>>2489343
alright. Ill give it time, about 17 HR for timezone. Where you live anyway?

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>2489358
Time's up. Time to roll Paganism.
DC 5

>>2491020
Do you want to spend your only pagan point?

Rolled 3, 2 = 5 (2d6)

>>2491020
>>2491024
It's a low degree of success, so I would say no.

>>2489358
UTC+0, but my hours have been weird lately.

>>2491188
Dubs and a pass...hmmm

Rolled 2, 3 = 5 (2d6)

>>2491020

File: protection sigils.jpg (39 KB, 480x480)

39 KB JPG

>>2489319
>>2489343

"Any ways to meet and communicate with Diana?"

The old lady rub her cheeks," Go to the forest. The Montgomery will show you the way. But beware, do not harm those in Mother Tree's protections."

With that, she left and taking the old newspaper with her.

At least you have a clue about The Naked Lady yet there are still questions left unanswered.

Suddenly your assistant sat beside you with his new friend, dusty tomes on his hands.

"These are interesting ones I've read when I was small, Made the sneaking worth it," Sarah grin, sitting beside Jack as he carefully opened the tomes. Then they began discussing about how each works.

Sigils of Protections, witchcraft origin. Mix-match of Infernal and Pagan symbols with Angelic Incantation. You have seen it but it rarely works. The activation is complex and barely offer protection to those unfamiliar to it. Nevertheless. it holds power.

This means there are other old tomes in this library and you can seek its knowledge for the future or you can try to find the history of this town. There should be a book about it or this Mother Tree.

Other than that, you can relax and see how things were connected. It's barely noon after all.

>What will you do now?

>>2497793
Go back to looking up the town's history as we were doing previously, this time going back before recent years. Perhaps see if we can figure out when and why their traditions started.

And if we come across the Ashton family registry along the way, see if there's any mention of the missing daughter's name.

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>2499279

Roll History DC 5

Rolled 1, 1 = 2 (2d6)

>>2500006

>>2500596
If only my roll as 1 also...

Anyways this will be the last post for this thread. Ill Archive this later

File: Human effigies.png (192 KB, 286x382)

192 KB PNG

>>2497793
>>2499279

You began your search for truth again, leaving the teens alone in their pursuit of occult knowledge. Thankfully, the shelves are categorized neatly and alphabetically

Let's see... General Knowledge, Herbal,and History. Now... Origins of Brickwood and Family linage. You gently pull the books out of their place, wipe the dust away, and carry it to where you sat before. The kids were still busy but Jack had already copy the sigils on his notebook.

Taking the Origin of Brickwood, you open it to the first page.

' We run from oppression and here be our haven
By those who sacrificed their souls to protect us,
We stand together as family and Community.
Let the Montgomery protect our land.
Let the Ashton provide the town.
Let the Brime record these lines.
The Brickwood will be our safe haven'

-Theodore Brime, The Chronicler.

To summarize: these people were branded for witchcraft and heresy, and escaped to the woods for safety. Fearing for their lives, the Montgomery began spreading rumors of Mother Tree and her godly power in the woods. It works for quiet some time but enough time for Brickwood to exist. The Ashton, as the largest family, began providing the town with manpower while The Brime taught them how to build and write. The Montgomery scouts the woods for signs of troubles and creating effigies to discourage people from finding the town. Tragedy strikes when the fanatics of the Churches and Witch Hunters caught wind of their tracks, combing the forest for Brickwood. It was at this moment a matriarch of Montgomery sacrificed herself to become the Legend itself, eliminating the threats. But the cost of such magic is its humanity and to keep her from preying the people, they began the Feeding Day and hope she would never take a step into this town. Effigies were raised around the edges of the town in order to prevent her entering, even if she was the guardian angel of the town.

In the epilogue, Theodore wrote: ' Forgive us, Sarah Montgomery, for we are weak and selfish."

So, a Nature Witch became the Mother Tree, an avatar of nature. No wonder Nancy says that the Montgomery will show the way. Their blood might keep everyone safe.

Now, for the family linage.

(cont. on the next thread.)

Alright! Archived

>>2501239
>>2501239
>>2501239


New bread