>>2501239
>Mr. Jeremiah Grim.

Health: 20/20
Sanity: 15/15

>Investigation Skill:

Religion 2
History 0
Criminology 3 (currently have 1)
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. The points will be refreshed on the next day.)

File: Cursed Revolver.jpg (144 KB, 1280x956)

144 KB JPG

>>2501243
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.

>>2501246

Resident of Brickwood:

>The Montgomery:

- Sarah Montgomery:know to have knowledge of paganism and wore a pagan necklace. Sister to Lilly Montergomery and was groomed to be the next witch. Have a hobby of researching Occult and quickly became friends with Jack.

- 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.

- Matriarch Sarah Montgomery: The soul who sacrificed herself to become the Mother Tree.

>The Ashton:

- Deputy Ashton: A quiet man and you spot some muscles in him. His daughter went missing two years ago.

- Gregory 'Greg' Ashton: Owner of Ashton's Rest&Relax Motel

- Megan Ashton: Owner of Ashton's local diner.

>The Brimes

- Linda Brime: Receptionist in Sherrif office. Daughter of Nancy Brime.

- Nancy Brime: A librarian and know the history of this town. An old lady with the nature of a sphinx and she knows what is going on in the town but remained neutral.

>Newcomers:

- 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.

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

- Father Ian: The Shepard of this little town. He had lived in the town for half a year and he felt something is watching him from the forest.

-Diana: The name of the Naked Lady.

-Mother Tree: Protector of the town. A matriarch of The Montgomery sacrificed herself to be an avatar of nature.

>>2501271

>Info and clues 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 translucent 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 confirmation.

- 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.

- The priest seems to be oppressed by the feeling of being watched form the forest.

- Kids are taught about Mother Tree and Feeding day at early age.

- Almost all the serious cases are linked to The Ashton, especially with the kidnapping of Deputy Lincon Ashton's daughter.

-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. Its goal is to seek Diana's memory.

- The Montgomery was the one who spread the Legends of Mother Tree.

- Ashton provides the manpower while Brimes taught everyone. Montegomery is the protector of the town.

File: Ashton's Family Linage.jpg (27 KB, 400x300)

27 KB JPG

>>2501239

(resuming)

By God, The Ashton have twenty pages focusing on their linage while the rest of the founding families have two or three.

Looking carefully at the family trees, the Ashton does practiced incest and in doing so, they provide more manpower for the town. The other families sometimes marries the Ashton but never committed incest after the marriage and taking the surnames of other families. They are indeed the dark secrets of the town.

Turning the page to the current year, the family trees were still large and complex with the incest tradition still active. It seems Greg is one of the incest kids and... he have a twin named George Ashton. That might explain the different behavior when you met them in the morning and evening.

Looking at Deputy Lincon's family line, you were surprised that Diana was his daughter but conceived by his own mother? This is disgusting. As per tradition, Incest Kids barely interact with the outside world, caged in their own home like animals. Perhaps that is the origin of the Lilim's Contract?

" Ah crap! It's almost four and my shift is near," Sarah slapped her forehead after getting a message on her phone.

Jack closes his notebook," I'll walk you there, if you don't mind. My ass is a bit tired from all the sitting." Sarah just shrug.

>What will you do now, Detective?

>>2501307
I'm thinking we either look up those buildings Cory and Archie were defacing, or accompany Sarah and Jack directly and see about convincing one of the Montgomerys to take us into the forest.

Probably the former, since I don't trust myself not to choke on my foot when trying to smooth-talk someone right now.

Can't remember if we had any other leads that we haven't followed up on yet.

>>2502903
Alright then. Writing.

From the original 3 leads, this one is the last one. Ill put everything down after the in-game day ends

File: asmoday.jpg (15 KB, 232x232)

15 KB JPG

>>2501307
>>2502903

"Alright, you kids be careful," you said, closing the book about the Linage.

"Not coming?" Jack asks and you shake your head.

"I need to see the last lead, something about vandalism by Cory and Archie," you replied, gently stacking the Origin of Brickwood on top of Linage book.

"Ugh! Those city kids! The moment they settled down here, they think they are the top dogs! I get it! This small town is boring but no need to tag abandoned buildings like thugs!" Sarah groans, holding her anger by gritting her teeth.

Jack seems surprised by this side of hers, backing down slowly. You, however,is interested.

"Oh? They are from out of town? What do they usually tag anyways and where?" You ask, getting closer to the angry girl.

"They usually does it few blocks near the supermarket and it's usually circle and a snake like symbol inside it. Guh! If I get my hands on them..." Her knuckles slowly became white and the iron cross in your pocket vibrates madly. The winds is picking up and you can feel it flows into her, causing the books to shake uncontrollably.

You glare at Jack and use signal him to do something about this. Jack looks with that 'are you serious?' look but finally relents under your glare.

He slowly approaches the angry witch," Err...Sarah...your shift?"

Took her few minutes to simmer down,"Hm? Oh...oh! Yeah,yeah,yeah. Let's go!" She blushes under that slightly tanned and quickly dash out of the building. Jack quickly follows her, trying to put his notes in the bag.

This should be a good experience for him when dealing with witches.

Now then, you have a lead to follow.

---

You circles around the town, passing by the abandoned houses. The only sign of abandonment is vines engulfing the walls of the buildings and no lights at night. But the house? It endures the test of times, looking as if something took care of it.

Then you saw it, a house unlike others. Everything around it rots, even the grass and trees inside its proximity. The iron cross became hotter and hotter as you went to inspect the building. When you enter the part where the grass rots, you can feel something is watching you. A different feeling from when you passed the forest.

Lo and behold, a sigil. An infernal sigil in fact, painted on the side of the building with black spray can.

This is Asmodeus' Mark. The Demon Prince of Game and the one who kept hell in line.

What is this doing here? Why is there another Demon Prince interested in this town?

>What do you want to do now, Detective?

>>2503368
Can we discern if the mark serves any purpose or causes any ritualistic effect by being painted here? Given the reaction from the cross and the effect on surrounding flora, I'm going to assume that it's not just a sigil that represents Asmodeus but otherwise doesn't actually do anything supernatural.

>>2503557

You can investigate with your Infernal skill. DO you want to?

>>2503585
Sure, as long as it doesn't involve us doing anything that would be suspicious if we were seen. I imagine we'd just be standing there, ostensibly taking in the scenery, going through our memory to see if any aspect of the sigil looks familiar.

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>2503603
At least you are aware of your surroundings. DC is 6

You have 2 infernal points, want to use em?

Rolled 4, 4 = 8 (2d6)

>>2503622
Nah. I figure if we don't recognize it, we can report this to Father Ian as something that his cross reacted to as we passed it by.

Rolled 6, 3, 6, 5 = 20 (4d6)

>>2503622
Ill roll so we can do this faster

>>2503368
>>2503557

Nothing...Nothing comes to mind. Is this another protection sigils?

Then you heard something from the corner of your eyes, eyeing you cautiously but you cannot see anyone in this dark street. The Iron cross became hotter than before.

Loading the revolver with two ramī al-jamarāt bullets, two blessed bullets, and two normal bullets, this should keep you safe for a while.

>You might have time to investigate the sigil but will it be worth it?

>>2503666
Nah, we can always come back later, probably with Father Ian in tow. Just leave as innocuously as we can, as though on our way elsewhere.

>2503666
>666
Uh.

>>2503669

Yeah. There is no such thing as coincidence.

Also, going back to the motel.

>>2503666

This is enough. You can investigate this tomorrow with Jack and the sun behind your back.

Placing your hand on the revolver, you slowly walk towards your car while being on alert. The feeling of being watched is still there but the Iron Cross is beginning to cool down. Finally reaching the door of the car, you turn on the engine and quickly drive to the motel.

They know you're here now.

Back in the motel, Jack is already sitting on the bed with his pajamas," Hey there, Mr. Grim. Lilly kept asking about you while Sarah vent on me about the troublemakers. I don't know why but is seems she really hates them for some reason. Oh yeah, i got you some fried chicken with baked potato."

Jack point at the paper bag and you nod," Thanks kid. Any info?"

He slapped his head," Oh man. Sorry, Mr. Grim. I got wrapped up with Sarah."

"I should reduce your salary for this but it seems we need her in order to traverse the forest," The meal is still warm. Taking your jacket off, you washes you hands and began eating. Still crunchy and your tongue is blasting with flavors or salty and spicy. This is good.

"Why her?" Jack asks, pulling out his notebook.

"She's a forest witch and the descendant of the Mother Tree."

Jack gasps, letting his notebook falls," Seriously? I mean yeah, she is great with Pagan stuff but a witch? You're not joking, are you, Mr. Grim?"

You stare at him, unamused," Do I look like the type who clown around?"

"N-no sir," He gulps, picking up his notebook.

"Good. It seems Asmodeus' Mark is here too. We can investigate it tomorrow."

"No way! Stalin of Hell is here?" Jack laughs, scribbling his notebook.

"Stalin of hell?"

"Yeah. I mean he have secret police and loves to make examples of traitors."

Interesting...

After you are done with the food, you put it back to the paper bag and throw them into the trash bin. Washing your hands with sweet smelling soap, you quickly sat on the bed and began deducing the case.

File: Deduction time.jpg (64 KB, 599x454)

64 KB JPG

>>2503727

>Info and clues 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 translucent 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 confirmation.

- 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.

- The priest seems to be oppressed by the feeling of being watched form the forest.

- Kids are taught about Mother Tree and Feeding day at early age.

- Almost all the serious cases are linked to The Ashton, especially with the kidnapping of Deputy Lincon Ashton's daughter.

-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. Its goal is to seek Diana's memory.

- The Montgomery was the one who spread the Legends of Mother Tree.

- Ashton provides the manpower while Brimes taught everyone. Montegomery is the protector of the town.

- Diana was deputy Ashton's daughter and an incest child from his mother.

- Mark of Asmodeus was found on the wall of an abandoned house.

>Deduction

>The Naked Lady

She might be Diana but Nancy says otherwise.

-Who is the real Naked Lady?

-How did Diana escaped?

-What is Naked Lady's Goal?

>Brickwood

A small town with dark side, protected by the forest witch and Mother Tree.

- Why is Diana's case filed as Kidnapping, not Missing?

- What are the roles of Mentegomery, Ashton, and Brimes?

- Where is Mother Tree located?

>Infernal Sigils

- Why is there two different demon princes here?

-Who put the sigils for Lilith and Asmodeus?

- what is the purpose of those sigils?

(try to be logical and answer it as best as you can.)

>>2503765
Being an incredibly dense motherfucker, I'll start by covering some things which we've more or less been told outright:
>Why is Diana's case filed as Kidnapping, not Missing?
I see two possible reasons: that the Ashtons did not want others to know Diana had any reason to go missing of her own accord, and hence had it covered up as a kidnapping; or that it was not actually possible for Diana to have gone missing of her own accord, and hence kidnapping was the only logical conclusion.

Both tie back to the same thing. Diana was an incest baby, one of those said to be locked in the house without any chance to ever leave, and the newspaper article mentioned that Deputy Ashton realized his daughter had been kidnapped 'after [he] checked her room', and that there 'were no traces of her escaping or even an eyewitness'.

The only reason I can see that he could conclude that a kidnapping must have necessarily occurred, or that the possibility of Diana 'escaping' would even need to be considered, is if she was actually confined within that room at all times.

tl;dr Diana was an incest baby locked in her room and could not, under normal circumstances, have gone missing on her own.

>Who is the real Naked Lady?
If we take what Nancy said to be true, the Naked Lady is the part or whole of a 'shared soul' which inhabited Diana's body, met as part of a bargain. From the Mark of Lilith, and the conclusion drawn above about Diana's confinement, I would assume the other inhabitant to be the Lilim we think to be involved in this case - a 'terrible and selfish' infernal which may possess a host in exchange for granting its host freedom, and yet will always prioritize itself over its host.

How Diana first came into contact with the Lilim, I have no idea; but given the one one-year duration they presumably spent sharing a body, it's not too big of a surprise that Diana and the Lilim may have had some influence on each other - Nancy expressed the opinion that 'she is more light than dark' now. And now, as a result of that strange relationship, the Lilim has taken it upon itself recover the memories of her 'friend'.

It's possible that their relationship is yet more complex than that - perhaps the Lilim even believes itself to actually be Diana, unable to distinguish itself as a separate entity after spending so long in isolation together - but such conjecture right now would basically just be wild guessing.

tl;dr The Naked Lady is likely the ghost of some part of the gestalt that inhabited Diana's body as a result of her pact with a Lilim.

Of course, if we take what Nancy said to be false, the Naked Lady may not even be remotely related to Diana in the first place, but I'll not consider that until we such time as find out that Nancy has some ulterior motives.

>>2504230
And now some speculation:
Father Ian has expressed the feeling of being watched from the forest. It's probable that this is the same feeling that we experienced upon entering the forest, which is in turn likely due to us being an unmarked outsider entering the Mother Tree's domain.

But we also experienced a subtly different feeling of being watched when we neared Asmodeus' Mark, and it's impossible to tell from Ian's words alone which of these is the true source of his unease.

Is it possible that there are more sigils or other sources of Asmodeus' influence hidden in the forest? This ought to be easily verifiable once we actually head out into the forest proper.


Cory and Archie have been repeatedly vandalizing buildings with Asmodeus' Mark, spray-painted with enough precision that it rots the plants around it. I don't know if Asmodeus employs actual cultists or impels mortals to do his bidding by more subtle means, but given the seemingly deliberate nature of these sigils, it's likely that Cory and Archie are in some way beholden to Asmodeus influence.

Supposing that the two are actively furthering Asmodeus' goals through their actions, it's then also likely that their decision to move here from the city in the first place was also made with that intent. Perhaps we ought to find out when the two arrived, and cross-check the period of time immediately preceding that for any significant events (such as, for instance, the first reports of the Naked Lady surfacing?).

>>2504230
>>2504242

This is great! You're in the right direction.

Now you know the possible origin of The Naked Lady.

Rolled 6, 4, 4 = 14 (3d6)

>>2504434

Holy crap! Finally I can post. What the heck is wrong with the board?

Time to see if Jack can help you with the two sigils and such.

Dc 6 with him using all of his Infernal investigation points, which raises the DC to 10

>>2503765
>>2504230
>>2504242

Diana. She is the origin of this Naked Lady.

"Let's take this step by step...

From all of your information gathered, she is the incest child of Deputy Ashton and longed for freedom. This desire causes the Princess of Freedom to send on of her daughter to Diana in order to seduce her for an easy contract. Lilim secured the contract and merges with Diana, setting her free from her miserable cage and into the forest. After her escape, her father noticed that she was missing and report a kidnapping instead of missing. Does he have insecurity or is there some sort of punishment for letting the incest kids escaped?

After a period of time, Diana died. Could be from lack of food or wild animals, and she might even be the Jane Doe. Evidence might be erased since her father is the deputy. This deputy might hinder your investigation. You must keep an eye on him and the flow of information between you and him.

From the appearance of the Naked Lady and what Nancy told you about her, it seems Lilim might bonded with Diana and became part of her or she became friends with Diana. While this is highly unlikely due to their selfish nature, this is the logical conclusion for the existence of the Naked Lady. Does this means that Lilim overcome her nature? What will happen to demons when they became selfless?" Then you pause, sipping some water.

"But why is Asmodeus here? What is his reason?" you say out loud, scratching your chin.

" If Stalin of hell is here, he might be looking for traitors. The guy is the Gestapo of hell after all and demons are wild bunch." Jack answers, taking a not at everything you say.

Then it hits you. Lilim against her own nature. Asmodeus presence in this small town. The translucent wings. Lilith's sigil of protection.

Asmodeus is searching for Lilim as she had transcended from her demonic nature and became redeemed. That is why The Naked Lady lingers inside the forests and in Mother Tree's protection. Shit! This is getting out of hand. You need to explore the forest asap or at least find someone who is an expert in this. Maybe summon an angel too.

Cory and Archie might put Asmodeus' marks but who hold the real presence here? This town is an explosive keg waiting for the spark of war.

>Anything you want to add and what will you do tomorrow? Reminder tomorrow is in-game Saturday

>>2504488
And here I was intending to look up more on Cory and Archie before drawing conclusions on whether their arrival was a response to, or a contributing factor to, the Naked Lady's appearance. Or completely unrelated - I was considering Father Ian's moving here as a possible cause too. But this works too.


To be clear, what were the actual terms of our employment? The other two cases were fairly explicit in what their objectives were, but it's not quite so clear here. You've mentioned in the OP that we "need to know who or what is this 'Naked Lady'." Are we just supposed to investigate her and pass our findings on to the sheriff? Or ensure that she doesn't harm anyone? Do we try to get rid of her? Or would all of that technically be working overtime, if not a potential violation of our contract?


I feel like servants of Asmodeus operating here might be something we ought to bring to Father Ian's attention. As the shepherd of this township, we might be overstepping our bounds if we act on them without his knowledge, though I don't know for sure what the usual protocol for this sort of thing is.

At some point, I feel like touching base with Nancy again, just to see if she's willing to fact-check our deductions, and if she was actually aware of the situation in its entirety. Perhaps the prospect of her town being caught in the crossfire of the inevitable confrontation might move her to action?

We should also convince someone to take us into the forest before shit hits the fan. Lilly and Sarah are the most immediate candidates. Jack's gotten close enough to Sarah that he could probably do it, but likely not without dropping his alibi. Though, we'll probably have to do it at some point anyway, given how dire the situation is. I have to wonder if we can meet their mother, who is aware of her own nature as a witch as far as I can tell. She might be a more helpful guide, if we can manage to get on her good side. If not, then it might at least be courteous to let her know before we drag any of their daughters off into the forest.


Anyway, first order of business tomorrow will probably be to attend morning mass, which will be the most reliable time to meet Father Ian.

I haven't actually read anything, but the title always makes me think Banished Quest has come back :( Thanks OP.

>>2504566
Oh yes, and we should see before we turn in for the night if Jack's earlier research can shed some light on what purpose Asmodeus' Mark is actually serving here. My guess is that it's monitoring the town and the surrounding forest, but I'd like to be sure.

I'm hesitant to head back to the sigil itself so soon, but hopefully we can reproduce part or whole of it in such a way that is recognizable while not actually invite Asmodeus to stick his head into our motel room.

If we aren't confident that we can, I suppose we can always head there with Father Ian tomorrow.

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>2504572

Hey man, dont blame me for the name.

>>2504566
>>2504577

Basically, our contract is to find out about this Naked Lady which you already have. Although incomplete (you still dont know where she came from specifically), you can send the report to the sheriff and end the case.

The question is how far are you willing to help the town or the naked lady or even Asmodeus.

Also roll for infernal DC 7 if you want to remember the sigil. You still have 2 points for infernal

Rolled 3, 4 = 7 (2d6)

>>2505159
>Also roll for infernal DC 7 if you want to remember the sigil. You still have 2 points for infernal
I'll say we don't spend any points. Again, it's not that crucial of a roll, mainly one for convenience and safety.

>you still dont know where she came from specifically
You mean how the Lilim came to meet and form a contract with Diana in the first place? Guess we ought to get on that.

>The question is how far are you willing to help the town or the naked lady or even Asmodeus.
That would depend somewhat on how the case proceeds from here.

That said, I feel like Jeremiah would generally be reluctant to directly involve himself much more than necessary; you don't stay alive in this business by volunteering to fight other people's battles for them. If nothing changes from present, I imagine he would probably share his findings with any relevant parties who might be able to mitigate any collateral damage the town might suffer from the demons' conflict before taking his leave.

Jack, however, might feel obliged to help the town more directly, which will probably end up causing Jeremiah to follow suit.

>>2505196

It's a pass.

>You mean how the Lilim came to meet and form a contract with Diana in the first place? Guess we ought to get on that.

I mean where she currently is.

>Jack, however, might feel obliged to help the town more directly, which will probably end up causing Jeremiah to follow suit.

This is true. IC Jeremiah doent like to be dragged into another war but Jack is a naive guy.

I am surprised you're still awake

>>2504488
>>2504577

"Kid, do you know what this sigil is?" You began drawing the sigil on a piece of paper but careful not to complete it. Jack scans the sigil and opens a specific section from his notebook.

He began comparing it with collections of sigils on his notebook," Oh...Mark of Asmodeus and...vigilance? This is the Sigil of Detection. Eye, Enemy, Traitor, Boundaries. Someone is trying to create a boundary around town. This ritual need to be in five point star formation and the receiver should be in the middle of the star. We might find his cult if we triangulate the position of the sigils."

Hmm...it is possible that someone knows about the true nature of The Naked Lady and not the good kind.

" Get some rest, kid. We already know the Origin and Nature of the Naked Lady so this is sufficient to fulfill our contract." You sigh, already mentally tired.

"What about the Naked Lady, Brickwood or Asmodeus?" Jack says, slowly getting worked up over something.

"Not our problem. We have a job and we did it. I'll talk to Nancy or Father Ian about it. They might know what to do," This is not your problem. It is bound to happen but at least you help them by analyzing the potential danger.

"But sir! Asmodeus might step into Mother Tree's territory if the Naked Lady is in the forest! It could be a disaster or something. Can't we help them until the end?" Jack pleads, his tone became emotional. Shouldn't have let him befriends locals....

>Your answer?

>>2505250
The kid has slipped up a few times so I wouldn't give in so easily.... We report our findings and end the case first, then we find Father Ian and try to discuss more on the Asmodeus' Mark. Maybe we can evaluate further based on these actions first.

>>2505212
>I am surprised you're still awake
The player or character?

>>2505250
That depends on the investigation goes from here. For now, we finish up the job we we're getting paid to do. But at the current rate, anything else afterwards would be a personal endeavor.

That said, he has to understand that getting directly involved in every supernatural conflict he comes across is a good way to die young. We're a private investigator precisely because it allows us to make a difference while staying out of the direct line of fire. Most of the less civilized supernatural entities won't pursue you if you leave their domain; and most of the more civilized ones respect the terms of a contract enough not to make things personal while you're acting out of contractual obligation or even self-defense. Usually.

But deliberately acting in opposition to Asmodeus, out of personal interest? He'd better have one hell of a plan to keep Asmodeus' agents off our backs once we leave this town. And he has until we finish up the investigation to think of one. Otherwise, we're far better off leaving well enough alone; throwing your life away for one case just means you won't be able to make a difference in all the others you would have taken after.

>>2505649
The player

>>2505250
>>2505509
>>2506071

Letting out a tired sigh, you glare at the boy," kid, do you think you can survive the unknown? Have you ever seen a celestial? Hell, do you know what Asmodeus CAN do? They are not human. They do not think like human. My war experience meant nothing to them and that have abilities that can break the most ration mind. Tomorrow, we will file our report and be done with it. We have the info and we know the threats so our work is not for nothing. End of discussion."

Jack slumped down on his bed, defeated...hopefully. Kids with big heads like him might have the hero syndrome and will make dumb decision.

Satisfied, you began writing the report before going to bed. Hopefully your sleep will be peaceful.

----

Sa.. her
ple... ..ve her

---

And you woke up, sweating with your heart drumming like a festival. Another disturbed sleep. You're getting too old for this shit.

Hmm...6:00 AM. bit too early but as they say 'no rest for the wicked.'

You picked up your old model phone and began dialing the Sheriff's number.

"Mornin' Detective. What can I do fer ya in this fine mornin'?" The sheriff greets you with tired voice and sarcastic remarks.

"Sorry to bother you, Sheriff, but I have concluded my investigation and the report is ready." You said, ignoring his annoyed tone.

"Good. I'll have the payment ready by 7:30." And he closed the line. At least you have an hour and a half.

Now then, what should you do?

Buying breakfast might cheer Jack up and you can visit the priest for some guidance and warning about Asmodeus' presence but is it appropriate? He is a new presence in this town but the best way to deal with infernals.

Or you can buy breakfast and wait until you filed the report then see where this goes but a time wasted is a territory gained for Asmodeus.

>What is your decision, detective?

>>2506316
>What is your decision, detective?
We go have chats with Father Ian and Nancy, just to make sure everyone's on the same page, in whichever order is most convenient to catch the pastor after mass. We have no idea what the schedule for Asmodeus' plans are, so it's best to get this done as quickly as possible.

Make sure to apologize to Ian about not being upfront with him; but as in investigator, we can't discount anything going in, and most people speak more openly when they don't think they're being interrogated. Also, return the iron cross - it's rightfully his.

I suppose it might be good that we don't actually have the Naked Lady's whereabouts in our report, because one of the twists I'm half-expecting is that the Sheriff is actually an agent of Asmodeus.

>>2506352

Just to clarify:

Meet the pastor and the librarian before or after you report your findings to the sheriff?

>>2506433
I'd like to meet them as soon as possible to keep our timetable short. Father Ian holds mass at
7AM, so we can probably meet him just before. But the library opens at 8.30, so we probably won't be able to meet her before reporting to the sheriff. Unless, of course, Nancy is aware enough of events that she already knows we intend to meet her. But in that case, I suppose there wouldn't be any point in reporting to her.

>>2506445
Alright. Buying breakfast and preparing for the meeting it is

>>2506316
>>2506352

Better finish the job first before anything happened.

Taking a short hot shower and dealing with morning rituals, you put on today's fresh set of clothes and set on to get an early breakfast. The town is still peaceful but you can't help but feel a storm is brewing. The calm before the storm as they say.

Parking your car near the diner, you entered the establishment and surprised to see Lilly yawning at the counter.

" Ah! Mr. Grim. Didn't see ya yesterday, busy day for an uncle eh?" Lilly chuckles, dragging herself towards you," What can I get ya, Mr. Grim?"

"Bacon and egg with toast and a blueberry pancakes. Take out, please. Also, good morning to you too miss Lilly," You grin, sitting in front of the counter.

"Coming right up and stop that 'missy' crap. I ain't that old," She put a mocking frown before going to the kitchen and coming back to you after few minutes.

"Just being polite, is all," You shrug.

"Well, old man. I am still 24 and still full of youth," She grins mischievously while placing an epty cup in front of you.

You shake your head, smiling," I'll have you know, I am still young.

"Oh? How old are ya?" She asks, pouring coffee into the cup. The smell of roasted beans tickles your nose.

"...29" You say, quickly sipping the hot coffee. The waitress raised her eyebrow in disbelief.

"Well...err...good to know," Lily says, effectively closing the conversation.

The peaceful silence, however, did not lasts a minute before Lilly Whispers," Do you feel something odd lately? I feel like something is strange around the town."

Hm? Is she that sensitive to the change or is this her blood telling her something?

"Really? It seems peaceful." It's not technically a lie but better than her developing a curiosity to the incoming events.

She seems unsure but eventually dropped it," Yeah, guess it's just me." Silence filled the diner until your food is ready.

"Well, see ya later, Old Man Grim," Lilly grins, waving her hands and you shake your head in amusement.

Good Kid...

---

Back to your room, Jack is already awake but still somber.

Not your problem for now.

" Kid, get dressed. We are submitting our reports in about...." You look at the clock," less than an hour."

Jack just nod, dragging himself to the bathroom while yawning.

This is going to be a long day.

>>2506514

The sheriff office feels a bit empty in the morning.

Entering the office, Linda greets you with a knowing smile," The sheriff is waiting in the office."

"Thank you, Linda," You nod and quickly proceed to the room.

But what you did not expect was a woman sitting in the sheriff's chair, complete with uniform and sheriff's badge. The brunette woman smiles knowingly," My husband is busy with something so I am here to take your report."

Trained reflex forced you to grab your revolver and keeping an eye on this strange woman," And how do we trust you?" She felt wrong. Human but with a porcelain mask.

"Now, now, Detective. Please have a seat,"She says, lighting up a handmade cigarette and blowing it on the room. The room slowly became misty with the smell of Tulip and Rosemary.

Wait...

"I assume you're the current head of Montgomery family?" And she nods, clapping her hands.

"So sharp witted. No wonder my husband hired you. Marie Montgomery, at your service. Now have a seat please then we can discuss business," And so both of you did with Jack unsure what to do.

The meeting continues with you still cautious with the witch," So...why have a different family names?"

She shrugs," It's something me and Howard agreed on. Morrow for boys and Montgomery for girls but I must say, you gentlemen look charming as my girls says. Especially you, Jack. Sarah kept talking about you in dinner."

Jack gulps, hiding his growing fear," T-thank you, Mrs. Montgomery."

" Don't worry, dear. I don't usually bite unless they messed with my territory." She chuckles.

"So" You interrupt, forcing the pleasant mood into a business mood," Are you the one who hired us?"

"Technically it's Deputy Ashton, using my husband as a proxy. He must have seen something chilling if he was this desperate...And I don't like that. Not one bit." The witch grits her teeth, almost crushing her cigarette. Internal conflicts? No wonder Nancy declared herself neutral.

"Then he did the right thing hiring us," you drop the report on the table and Marie picked it up, reading the report silently. She suddenly hold her breath and let it out slowly, then she did it again for two more times. After reading, she gently placed it on the table," So...the sweet girl is dead huh...and her spirit is roaming around. Poor,poor Diana. I knew her when we visit the deputy's house."

A few moment of silence before she spoke again," I'll transfer the payment to you account. Do you have any question before you leave?"

>Anything you want to add or ask? The report excluded Asmodeus' Marking"

>>2506445
Oh fuck. I misread it and now I cant delete the posts.

Please forgive my lack of understanding

>>2506625
Don't worry about it, it doesn't matter all that much, hopefully. We can always see Father Ian after we're done here.

>>2506604
And here I thought Morrow meant he was an outsider.

Ask what she intends to do about Diana now. This purely to gauge her reaction so we can decide how much to let her in on; I don't intend to end the conversation with just that much.

>>2506639

>And here I thought Morrow meant he was an outsider.

He is actually and does not know about his wife's true nature.

>>2506604
>>2506639

"What do you intend to do with Diana now?"

"Nothing. She is pretty much harmless right now if your reports were correct, heck my ancestor might want a companion too. IF she can enter and stay in the forest then Mother Tree already approved her. As long as she does not harm my citizen or trample my territory, I am content with things." She says, lighting another cigarette.

Keeping the status quo...

This witch is content with the Naked Lady's presence as long as the situations remained normal. Wonder what would happened if she knew about Asmodeus' sigils.

"Are you leaving now that the job's done? Why not stay until the Feeding Day? God knows Sarah and Lilly need some friends" Marie asks, sitting back on the sheriff's chair.

>Your answer?

>>2506664
>Your answer?
Guess it seems safe to inform her that while it's technically outside the scope of your investigation, you've turned up some other info, and clue her in on Asmodeus' intentions for Diana.

The way I see it, they have two options: extend Diana their protection and attempt to drive Asmodeus' influence away, which would make their own an enemy of Asmodeus; or banish or exorcize Diana's spirit, which would protect them since Asmodeus would no longer have any reason to be interested in this town (I'm not sure how this would affect Diana's safety. Would moving on put her out of Asmodeus' reach?).

>>2506684

>I'm not sure how this would affect Diana's safety. Would moving on put her out of Asmodeus' reach?

Since Naked Lady is a redeemed Lilim, she can be banished to Heaven but you need more info on that since Redeemed Demons are very,very rare.

Also I need my sleep so ill continue when I woke up.

>>2506718
In other words Diana's banishment or exorcism frees the town of Asmodeus' presence, but it means that she is screwed because she likely goes to hell (it is his domain after all) unless we or somebody else can arrange for her banishment to heaven immediately?

Also... On hindsight I have been typing this for 10 minutes now... I actually think either of the two options suggested would make an enemy of Asmodeus because he WANTS her... It's just a matter of whether we want more drama by keeping Diana in the forest, or by going through an ordeal of learning how to banish her to heaven.

Dense mother fucker number 2 here BTW, I can't quite tell if Marie cares for Diana or not... I'm assuming she feels indifferent so I don't know if she would be willing to help out...

>>2507512

Good to see you too, No.2 . Glad to have you back

>>2506664
>>2506684
>>2507512

"Since we are done with the official business, I am giving you this info as a goodwill to our concluding business," You said, still in business.

This made the witch curious," And what is it?"

"Asmodeus is here and making his mark with the help of the troublemakers, Cory and Archie. My deduction concludes that he is searching for Lilim and/or Diana and drag them to hell for God knows what."

The witch became silent then bang the wooden table, venom filling her tone," A fucking Infernal? In my fucking town?" Then she took a deep breath, crushing the cigarette with her fingers," That was unprofessional. Please forget about that."

While you are used to anger, Jack's courage began to falter but his naivety hold the ground," W-what are you going to do to her?"

"She is a family here so she's fine but Asmodeus' cults? Not so much," She replied in an annoyed tone.

"You should consider the fact that her existence is the reason Asmodeus is here," You state calmly, earning a murderous glare from the witch.

" Listen here, outsider. I don't know what is it outside this town but we are different. She is a family! She.Will. Stay." Marie replied coldly, making sure you understand her intention.

"Understood. I might have a solution for that but I need some help from the priest," she is still glaring at you but you ignored it, used to the danger of death.

"That fucking self-righteous cult should never take a step on my town," She suddenly stopped, taking another deep breath,"you realized this is a safe heaven from those prosecution-loving pricks, yeah?"

You nod and she continues," Then make sure he doesn't get in my way. Something to remember though: Do not let him enter the forest. Mother Tree exist because of them and she will kill him regardless of your precautions."

"Understood," You answer.

She nods, finally calming herself," Good. Since I can't resolve everything on my own, I want to hire you to clean this mess as fast as possible. Protect Diana and make sure she rests in peace. God knows she deserves that at least."

Jack looks at you with renewed vigor but he did not realize that this is a dangerous job. It is highly likely you will encounter hostile forces and you know how fickle fate is.

>Accept the new job?

>>2507652
>I don't know what is it outside this town but we are different. She is a family! She.Will. Stay.
>Protect Diana and make sure she rests in peace.
So, to be clear, is banishing Diana to Heaven not an option now?

Apart from that, it seems that what she wants from us would be to purge the town of Asmodeus' influence, and prevent Asmodeus himself from being summoned here. Am I missing any objectives?

>>2507813

She is fine it as banishing to heaven always counts as Good End, yeah?

Or you can help Diana find what she's looking for.

SO 3 possible Goal:
1. Banishment to heavem
2. Fulfill a dead girl's wish
3. Deal with Asmodeus

Each have their own danger

>>2508794
Display some reluctance. She has to understand that we're an investigator, not an exorcist, and certainly not a mercenary. All we have is a gun and a bag of tricks that can't hold a candle to anything a witch would have at their disposal.

If it's just us acting on this, we can't promise that the outcome will be to her liking, if we even manage to succeed at the task to begin with. So for both her sake and ours, we'd have to decline, but we can recommend her some other contacts of ours that would be more suited to the job.

...Is what we'd say under normal circumstances. But our gut feeling is that time is far shorter than that. And also that Jack here might decide to do something stupid if we decided to pack it up here.

(Don't try to deny it kid, we've seen how you've been acting all morning.)

So, since this new job extends somewhat past the scope of our usual specialization, what resources can we pull here? Which of the townsfolk can we rely on for aid in resolving this?

Though it occurs to me that playing from Jack's POV trying to save the town on his own after Jeremiah declines might also be an interesting prospect.

>>2509086

If you did choose jack, yer already have the first girl waifu here.

> what resources can we pull here? Which of the townsfolk can we rely on for aid in resolving this?

Don't forget you are in the presence of a witch. She might have some weapons or contacts for you, then there is summoning angels in the church and asking Nancy for specific advice. Don't forget there is a supermarket that should help you with items. Asking Mother Tree for help is viable too, if you manage to do it.

Hell, Jack know more about Infernals than you here and there is Sarah with her Pagan stuff.

Remember your contacts and remember what you've learned. It's all about outside the box and creativity

But I need something to be clear: You accept the job or not?

>>2509228
Yes, accept, albeit reluctantly. The non-spoilered stuff in >>2509086 (particularly asking after who's fair game to ask for help) was basically things to say to her.

>>2509245

Alright, ill wait for no. 2 and get my nap

>>2507652
>>2509086

"Please understand we're an investigator, not an exorcist, and certainly not a mercenary. All we have is a gun and a bag of tricks that can't hold a candle to anything a witch would have at their disposal. If it's just us acting on this, we can't promise that the outcome will be to your liking, if we even manage to succeed at the task to begin with. So for both your sake and ours, we'd have to decline, but we can recommend her some other contacts of ours that would be more suited to the job."

She nod in defeat but you are not finished yet.

"...Is what we'd say under normal circumstances. But our gut feeling is that time is far shorter than that. And also that Jack here might decide to do something stupid if we decided to pack it up here." You add, causing Jack to look at you in surprise .

"W-what?" He even tried to play dumb.

"Don't try to deny it kid, we've seen how you've been acting all morning. I am a detective, after all." You put on a serious face but with a hidden smile.

"Yeah, You look antsy the moment you came here and not from my beauty too," She adds, agreeing with you

The room became less serious now and you continue,"So, since this new job extends somewhat past the scope of our usual specialization, what resources can we pull here? Which of the townsfolk can we rely on for aid in resolving this?"

"Uncle Tom has some enchanted firepower by yours truly and you can trust him, he's a Montgomery and tell him Marie sent you for an old branch. He live on the southern part of town. Then you have Nancy, bet you already met her. While she is technically neutral, she loves to trade knowledge for knowledge. The more rare and outlandish it is, the better the bargain. Just don't lie to her. Last but not least, I can help you create some wards as long as you are not affiliated with Angels and Infernals."

"What abou-"

"Yeah,yeah. You can get the priest's help BUT he should never ever step a foot inside the forest," She huffs.

Well, that is understandable.

"How about Sarah? I bet she can he-"

Her stare stopped Jack from completing his question," You may get her help but if she is hurt, I will hex you with slug snot curse."

"I...I understand," He nods, evading her glare.

"Good, now what is your plan, Mr. Grim?" She asked with a knowing smile.

>What's your plan?

>>2510410
To start, we're going to talk to Father Ian and bring him up to speed. Infernal matters are his area of expertise. In the event that we should fail, and this town should come into direct conflict with Asmodeus, Father Ian is the person best suited to prepare countermeasures. And if we do end up banishing Diana's spirit, it should preferably be him who does the job. (Incidentally, how aware is he of the witchcraft practiced in this town? If he isn't, are we permitted to tell him? Having to hide the fact will make explaining the situation to him somewhat more difficult.)

Meeting this Uncle Tom before we take any further action that might see us having to fight our way out. That means it'll probably be right after meeting the pastor, and shortly before heading out into the forest - because that's what we'll be doing next.

Before we can decide which is the most efficient method to sort out Diana's situation, we need to commune with the spirit herself. That means heading out and searching for her in the forest. Nancy has mentioned that we should be accompanied by a Montgomery to show us the way. While either Lilly or Sarah would fit the bill, perhaps Marie would rather come with us herself, or else recommend some other candidate so that we won't have to risk placing either of the girls in harm's way.

There is one other thing we're considering: bringing one of Ashtons along into the forest. Having either her father or someone she was particularly close to in life along with us might make her more willing to communicate - though given her circumstances, having her father along might just agitate her. And of course, the Deputy might not even be willing or able to face his daughter as she is now. Regardless, we may want to have a talk with him before looking for Diana as well.

There is also the matter of Cory and Archie. The two have to be dealt with, but we as civilians can't actually take any action against them. The easiest way to go about this would be for Marie to have her husband arrest the two on some charge and have them sent away from this town. It's common knowledge that they've committed multiple counts of vandalism, but that might not be enough to legally justify exiling them. Whatever the case, we'll have to leave the legal matters up to her and her husband's discretion.

Oh, and before we leave, request some means of communication with her - her mobile phone number will suffice - to keep her updated on events, and to inform her of the need to take action should the situation turn for the worse.

>>2510410
>>2511416

No. 2 here, I actually posted a few times just that I didn't say who I was haha, glad to be here anyways

Agreeing with whatever was in the reply, but I want to add onto something I think I picked up. Marie mentioned we can only use her wards if we do not have angelic or infernal affiliation... Does this mean we cannot actively or passively enlist the help of an angel? (I'm assuming we will not be asking any demons for help as of now.)

>>2512251

It is fine if you enlist some angels for help but you should never swore an oath to help Hell or Heaven. Basically you need to ignore their recruiter, even if they offer great perks.

>>2511416

so:

1. ask for the married witch number

2. See Father Ian

3 Meet Uncle Tom

4. See if you can rope Lilly or Sarah for forest exploration.

Anything I missed?

Also I need to babysat my friend this weekend so Update might be very late

>>2514949
Sounds right, let's see if number one has anything else to add?

Anyway don't worry OP, better late than never, we will still be here haha

>>2514949
As for 4), I'd rather see if we can't instead rope Marie herself in first, since we've got her right in front of us.

Also, talking to the Deputy to have him come along, maybe. I assume this part will take multiple updates, so we can come to a final decision on that later.

>>2509336
>>2512251
>>2515020
Who's no. 2 and number 1?

>>2515261
+1

>>2519958

My only active players

>>2510410
>>2511416

"For now, meeting Father Ian is critical in understanding the infernals. If this situation wnt out of control, then we-"

"It won't," the witch insists, glaring at you with all her malice. You rebuff the tingling dread in your spine.

"IF, Mrs. Montgomery." You continue, staring back at her," Father Ian is the person best suited to prepare countermeasures. Seeing that he is experienced, he might know a method to banish Diana to Heaven."

Marie sighs, massaging her temple," Better than Hell, I guess. Just make sure that child- touching catholic will not instigate a witch hunt or I will have the pleasure of dealing him personally."

" After that, we will meet this 'Uncle Tom' for firepower. I suppose it is enchanted to deal with supernaturals?"

"Of course. It's a countermeasure in case Mother Tree became insane," She explains albeit a bit uncomfortable with the topic.

"Then we need to meet with Diana to understand more of the situation. How about you being our guide into the forest, Marie?"

" I can do that BUT that means I cannot keep the troublemakers or Asmodeus' cult in check," She says, taking a drag on the freshly lit cigarette.

" I will consider it. then. As for the troublemakers, can your husband arrest them? Surely they have multiple counts of vandalism."

" It is much more complicated than that. Their parents were the investors of the supermarket you had seen today, and they have the Ashton's backing on this. They will be bailed next thing even before the sun went down."

This is a bit complicated then but jailing them might get you some precious hours. You need to use it carefully.

"Last thing, I need your phone number."

The witch chuckled," Now, now, Mr. Grim. I am married and isn't it a bad conduct to sleep with your employer?" Sadly, your stone gaze made her drop the silly acts," Fine, you're such a bore."

>Gain Marie's Phone number. The forest witch of Brickwood.

"Thank you. Now, I must be off. We have no time to waste," You stand, followed by Jack," I will call if there are changes in our plan."

"That you do. Adios, detective." She waves you away and with it, the smoke dissipates.

You have a lot of work to do.

As you close the office door, the sheriff appeared with all a tired smile," Ah, Mr.Grim and his sidekick. I assume the reports had been delivered?"

You nod," your wife will have all the sufficient case file."

Suddenly, his face became dead serious,"wife? What wife?"

"W-what? Mrs. Montgomery isn't your wife?" Jack gasps.

" Kid. What's my name? It ain't Montgomery for sure," the sheriff huffs, causing panic to your assistant.

But Jack did not see his married ring or the small upward tug on the end of his right lips.

You sigh,"Sheriff, if you be so kind not to bully my assistant."

He still have the serious face for few seconds before roaring out a laugh that cause his belly to vibrate,"ahh...I always love the surprised look on their faces but you PI are always business,eh?"

>>2520961

Jack let out a relief sigh before letting out an annoyed expression,"That was a joke then? Here I thought I failed my first case."

"You better train this one, detective. Kid's still green, like my wife's garden. Oh! and remember I still have my shotgun ready for you, boy. You don't get to take my daughter that easily," Jack shudders at the sheriff's chilling smile. That's a parent for you.

"Y-yes,sir," Jack salutes meekly as the sheriff enters the office.

"Hey there, my rose," the sheriff greets his wife

" Oh my teddy bear! I thought you're still-"

Then the door closes and you quickly left the couple alone.

---

"That was scary..." Jack says.

"Good. You're learning. Parents are your worst enemy when courting, especially with magically infused mom," you say from your well of wisdom. Can't say how many girls you had a fling with in your younger days.

"Not you too..." Jack groans," We are just friends!"

"Uhuh," you nod absentmindedly, eliciting another groan from your assistant. At least this is amusing.

Parking the car near the church, Father Ian is surprised to see you," Jeremiah Grim? I thought you already left since you did not attend the morning mass."

"Forgive me father for I have sinned," You replied with a small smile.

The priest just shake his head," The confession booth is inside but I feel this is a business meeting, yes?"

Hmm... He is a sharp man for a priest.

>What do you want to talk about with the priest?

>>2520978
Indeed. We do need somewhere private to talk, but discussing business in the booths is more sacrilegious than we're in the mood for today.

In the interest of gauging the situation with him, I feel we should open by asking "How much do you really know about what goes on in this town?"

If he's already got suspicions, and yet hasn't already acted, we probably don't need to worry too much about him going on a one-man crusade. On the other hand, if he knows nothing, we might need to be careful about how we reveal the nature of things to him.

>>2521177
This makes sense, specifically we shouldn't trigger him to go on a witch hunt, his focus should be on banishing Diana and at most helping with Asmodeus' cult.

>>2520978
>>2521177
>>2521511

"Indeed. We do need somewhere private to talk, but discussing business in the booths is more sacrilegious than we're in the mood for today." The priest seems to be amused but also caught the meaning behind your visit.

"Ah, then follow me please," he said,walking to the back of the church where a white door sat on the edge of the church's wall. Entering the room, the iron cross let out a warm aura and slightly humming in your pocket. What a biased item.

Inside is a humble home with wooden table in the middle of the room and a kitchen on the end of the room. Cabinet filled with religious items and shelf full of old books covered the remaining corners.

While you examine the room, Father Ian smiles at the newcomer," Hello, child. I am Father Ian. Pleasure to meet you."

"Jack Peterson, sir" he replied, feeling a bit anxious at the warm smile of the priest. The witch's words must've rubbed him off.

"Don't be shy, young Jack. Surely this meeting must be important if uncle and cousin visits me before lunch," the priest tries to prod the young boy but Jack's anxiousness kept his mouth shut. He is learning.

"Well the. I will be blunt, Father Ian. How much do you really know about what goes on in this town?" you sat on the opposite side of the priest, scanning for any facial movement.

The priest held his poker-face but his tapping became erratic," Truth be told. I don't know, Mr. Grim. The Vatican sent me here because they believe that I can be the bridge to connect these lost souls to Christ's embrace and I had read about this town's history. The sin of our pasts are still here and it is my duty to eradicate them. I understand that this town still detest the Catholic Church and I can feel their negative energy but it is a peaceful town, is it not?"


The Vatican? Why does the Vatican sent him here? No matter, if the Vatican personally send him here then you know that he have the experience to deal with the supernatural. From his answer, it seems he is set to repair the bridge between the church and the pagan....or is this his sheep's clothing?

>How will you break it to him about the town's problem?

>>2522541
If he knows at least a little about the town's history, and he sees the townspeople as lost souls to be saved rather than heretics to be purged, then we can probably be fairly candid with him.

If he's lying about his intentions, he would probably have acted before now. And I find it doubtful that he's cunning enough to lie about how much he knows so as to get information, while not being cunning enough to piece together anything from the library's public records over six months.

So, first, have Jack keep watch that we're not being eavesdropped on.

Then, tell him about Asmodeus' activities in this town, and ask him for help and advice going forward (particularly for information on the nature of redeemed demons, which is far more his area of expertise than ours). Explain that your employer has instructed that he not enter the forest, but we thought he should be forewarned to make preparations in the event that things turn for the worse.

As far as possible, try to keep the talk relatively clear of the town's Paganistic practices unless necessary, simply because those secrets are not ours to reveal.

>>2522541
>>2522937

"It is yet there are gears turning behind the scenes that would jeopardize the peace. Boy, make sure we are not eavesdropped."

" Yes, sir." Jack grins, taking out his notes. Hopefully the boy is good enough not to employ a Pagan magic on the church's door.

The priest went silent as he watches how you and Jack interact. Slowly he pull a silver box and take out a cigarette from it, lighting it in from of you. Rosemary... The flower that wards away evil.

After few seconds of smokes dancing around you, he took a drag and blow it on Jack's direction,"I take it this is not an Uncle and Nephew's vacation?"

You shake your head,"Sadly it is not. We are here on a business. Please forgive me for the fake alibi."

The priest frowned and his tapping slowly relaxed,"I understand. When you are as old as I am, there are things that should be hidden from the sheep," the priest sighs before looking at you," I hope the cross had been useful to you, Jeremiah Grim."

"That it does. Thank you for the relic. Now then, I need your help and expertise in order to understand the nature of a redeemed Lilim. Surely you had heard about the Naked Lady?"

Then the tapping stopped and he closes his eyes," We heard about it but we thought it was a harmless lost spirits."

The priest's face hardens and he take another drag, keeping the smoke inside his lungs," Throughout the seventy years of my life, I had met only one Redeemed. A Djinn who cared for a boy and granted him the three wishes without twisting its core. It was a miracle and a strange sight to behold, yet the happiness did not last. The Djinn was dragged by Asmodeus to hell so he can be used as an example. Such cruelty this worlds bring but that does not stopped the boy from caring and so he bear the responsibility of the Djinn's care. Ah! what am I spouting about. The process of becoming Redeemed is to go against one's demonic nature and persuade an archangel that they are worth redeeming. Not all are successful. Some became less powerful while other 'died'. It's a gamble."

"Any other way?"

He sadly shakes his head," I take it Asmodeus is here? He always have a great sense for Redeemed and Renegades."

You nod," His marks are here. Though my employer says she will deal with them, we should prepare for the worst."

"That would be wise. Thank you for bringing me this information,"he says with a grim determination.

"Also a warning from my employer. Do not enter the forest."

He paused for a moment before accepting it,"I understand..."

>Any other question or just proceeds to Uncle Tom for armaments?

>>2523745
Ask him if banishing the Naked Lady to heaven is a possibility, and for advice as to how to go about doing it if it becomes our preferred course of action (for instance, should we defer to him for the ritual, or is it something we can perform ourself?).

Inform him of Asmodeus' sigils; leave how to deal with them up to his expertise.

Return the cross, should he wish it, since it /is/ rightfully his.

>>2523745
>>2523872

"Could we banish the Naked Lady to heaven?"

He looks at you like you're a madman,"hmm...Sadly it is not a viable solution. This redeemed Lilim is still a demon in her core and she will be cuts to pieces as soon as she arrived at the gates of Heaven. They are strict like that. My best solution is summoning an archangel here to ask for permission but summoning them here might cause the angel to seek Asmodeus first. This is a complicated situation, it seems."

"That is true. This is the Asmodeus' Sigil I found on one of the abandoned houses. Seems like a detection sensor but don't worry, the sigil is incomplete."

The priest takes the book and studied for a bit before a horrifying look spreads on his face," This is...there is summoning etching on the outside scriptures. Whoever made this, they have high knowledge of Infernals and their hellish power! This is bad! Did you find any other markings? We must destroy them before they formed a pentagram!" Father Ian suddenly stand up, pulling an old bible and other religious items.

Grr...Another aggravating development.

"Father Ian, calm down!" You raised your voice, hoping to calm the priest and calmed he did. He went back on his seat with the items.

"Forgive me, Jeremiah Grim. I heard about demon summoning and it is always a bad omen," He drops his head in shame.

"Don't. I understand the situation so you might need this," You pull out the Iron Cross and place it on the wooden table. The priest gazes at it for few minutes before pushing it towards you.

"You need it more than me, friend," he smile warmly," I hope you solved this problem. I apologize for this but I need you to leave now. I need to prepare for the upcoming doom."

You nod, pocketing the cross. Signaling Jack to regroup, the two of you quickly enter the car.

>Since there is a new development, do you want to focus on the sigil or continue with your plan?

>>2524042
Given that Father Ian is already beginning his own preparations, and the fact that Cory and Archie should be getting arrested some time soon, we may not even need to act on the sigils. But making assumptions like that in our line of work is a good way of getting killed unexpectedly by demons.

Still, since disabling the sigils would be purely a delaying tactic, and only relevant if Asmodeus still has some unknown agent who can complete the summoning ritual, I would say we should at most only make a slight detour to deface one of the sigils - defacing more than one will have diminishing returns since Asmodeus' servants will need to check all of them anyway - long enough for us to resolve Diana's situation.

I'd almost suggest we split up, but that would be irresponsible given how green Jack is. Since we have a map of the town, know that the graffiti has been generally on the outskirts, know that the sigils form a pentagram, and already know the locations of some of the sigils, we can probably estimate the location of the one most convenient for our current route to Uncle Tom on the south of town.

Between our expertise and Jack's prior research, we should hopefully have the ability to subvert a sigil - though I imagine simply splashing holy water on it may have the desired effect.

>>2524217

Just to clarify: You still have the jail card for Archie and Cory so the arrest procedure is still off. If they are jailed then they will be out in less than a day or so due to their parent's influence

>Do you want to use the jail card now?

Also, clearing the closest sigil to Uncle Tom's house yes?

>>2524287
>Do you want to use the jail card now?
Didn't realize they weren't getting arrested yet. Hold off on it for now, then, so Asmodeus' agents don't know that we're on the move until the last possible moment.

But this places a little more urgency on delaying the pentagram, so let's get on that sigil.

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>2524493

Since we are going for the sigil, I need you guys to roll Infernal with DC 8.

Want to use your infernal points? Currently it's two

Rolled 3, 1 = 4 (2d6)

>>2525272
I'll say we still hold off on using those.

Rolled 1, 5, 5, 5 = 16 (4d6)

More rolls before thread death in case you need them.