- Location
- Jersey
The English translation of the German rot = red, schreck = fright. AKA the primal fear frenzy of a ChOD vampire threatened with fire or the sun.
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Heroes, Great and Mighty (Exalted x World of Darkness)
- Thread starter JayTee
- Start date
- Crossover
The English translation of the German rot = red, schreck = fright. AKA the primal fear frenzy of a ChOD vampire threatened with fire or the sun.
- Location
- In my Lair, on my Hoard
Note that we cannot use this information In-Character. Doing so is meta-gaming, and that's something one ought to discourage.
However here's a simple explanation:
In Vampire: The Masquerade, all vampires suffer from Rötschreck, the Red Fear. It is an inherent compulsion that vampires feel whenever they encounter Fire or Sunlight that invokes such supernatural fear within their selves that they will flee hysterically at the sight of Fire or Sunlight. They can't help it - they're one of the few sources of injury that can truly destroy a vampire, and all vampires naturally fear them by instinct. They fear Fire and Sunlight to such a degree that should they succumb to that fear (failing a Courage roll, in the VtM ruleset), they will act with animalistic instinct to flee it and remove anything in their way, regardless of their personal attatchments. The strong willed and courageous vampires might be able to master their inner Beasts enough to control their reaction and keep their wills strong enough to not fall into the Rotschrek, but still instinctively avoid Fire and Sunlight whenever possible because of that fear.
Now, Malcom is a Solar. More specifically, he's a Zenith Caste Solar - a Blazing Sun Priest of old, a divine being made flesh whose body, blood and breath brim with the Essence of divine, solar fire. His Caste Mark's likely enough to set off Rotschrek.
- Location
- Jersey
Pretty much. With one small addendum: these are Vampire: The Requiem vampires rolling Resolve + Composure, not V:tM vampires rolling Courage. This is Chronicles of Darkness, not World of Darkness. But since one is based on the other, there's a lot of similarities.
[X] Called Naomi, if anyone had answers it would be her.
And spank Creatures of Darkness in combat, which Vampires almost certainly count as.
Also Zeniths have the option to just incinerate corpses into gold fire, never to rise as a haunt or other undead, go straight to reincarnation.
And spank Creatures of Darkness in combat, which Vampires almost certainly count as.
- Location
- Tarn-Vedra
[X] Called Naomi, if anyone had answers it would be her.
- Location
- East of Sun, West of Moon
[X] Called Naomi, if anyone had answers it would be her.
Solars automatically manifest their anima (basically a battle aura that manifests when they start throwing GLORIOUS SOLAR BULLSHIT around). In short, it is a towering pillar of light that, at full power, can be seen from miles away, even in bright daylight. It also bleaches everything as though exposed to sunlight for years.
Technically, it's not actually sunlight though, because you need a certain Charm for it to qualify, and it only applies to things within a few dozen meters.
Still though.
It gets even better if you tap into certain Survival and Integrity Charms, at which point you can become a towering beacon for any kind of scrying or precognition... Except the only thing anyone can get from trying to divine anything in your general vicinity is:
Solars automatically manifest their anima (basically a battle aura that manifests when they start throwing GLORIOUS SOLAR BULLSHIT around). In short, it is a towering pillar of light that, at full power, can be seen from miles away, even in bright daylight. It also bleaches everything as though exposed to sunlight for years.
Technically, it's not actually sunlight though, because you need a certain Charm for it to qualify, and it only applies to things within a few dozen meters.
Still though.
It gets even better if you tap into certain Survival and Integrity Charms, at which point you can become a towering beacon for any kind of scrying or precognition... Except the only thing anyone can get from trying to divine anything in your general vicinity is:
THE LAWGIVER IS HERE
Man, there are so many things that would count as a Creature of Darkness in the Chronicles setting that making Malcom a Dawn might actually be considered a nerf.
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Ave Anathema
Ave Imperator
- Location
- Jacksonville Illinois
but we have a piece of the Sun gods SOUL basically burrowed in the the center of our Soul Nailed shut then Super glued in and a Vampire DIED trying to drain us from the solar essence how would it not be sunlight
There's a bunch of extenuating circumstances, but Anima at Exaltation is different from Anima at general use. This isn't to say that you wont eventually be able to hurt vampires and sunlight-sensitive Creatures of Darkness with your Anima alone, but its not a passive, default feature.
- Location
- [REDACTED]
[X] Called Naomi, if anyone had answers it would be her.
- (some) Mages
- Werewolves
- Hunters
- Changelings (technically Raksha)
Things that would:
- Vampires
- Prometheans
- Mummies
- Geists
- Demons
- Beasts (urgh)
- Most of the fanlines
Things that wouldn't count:
- (some) Mages
- Werewolves
- Hunters
- Changelings (technically Raksha)
Things that would:
- Vampires
- Prometheans
- Mummies
- Geists
- Demons
- Beasts (urgh)
- Most of the fanlines
Honesty its even simpler than that. Whether or not you're a Creature of Darkness depends on two questions:
Is your nature fundamentally antagonistic towards humans or humanity as a whole?
Is your existence fundamentally antagonistic towards the the world or reality as a whole?
If the answer to either of those questions is "yes," odds are you're probably a Creature of Darkness.
Is your nature fundamentally antagonistic towards humans or humanity as a whole?
Is your existence fundamentally antagonistic towards the the world or reality as a whole?
If the answer to either of those questions is "yes," odds are you're probably a Creature of Darkness.
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Ave Anathema
Ave Imperator
- Location
- Jacksonville Illinois
so would Werewolves count as creatures of light(Rather the forsaken) aince the player ones are trying to keep reality and humanity safe from spirit bullshit
Pretty much, yeah. Werewolves are weird, but not anathema to existence.
- Location
- In my Lair, on my Hoard
In the crossover rulebook that JayTee linked in the character sheet, there is a table that has all of those listed as to whether or not a certain type of being one may encounter in WoD counts as a CoD or not.
On mobile right now so I can't just grab a screen shot of the table, but I'll put it up once I can .
On mobile right now so I can't just grab a screen shot of the table, but I'll put it up once I can .
Keep in mind that thats for Classic World of Darkness, which is a whole different ballgame from the Chronicles of Darkness setting that this quest uses. Some things in there may not be applicable here. I'm mostly using it as a guideline for how Charms are structured more than anything else.
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- Location
- In my Lair, on my Hoard
Understood.
Nevertheless, for those using the oWoD (Classic World of Darkness), this is what the table declares as Creatures of Darkness or no. In general, Chronicles of Darkness shouldn't be too different, but those'll likely be mainly in the details and stuff...
| Creature | ...of Darkness? |
| Vampires | Yes, unless in Golconda |
| Most Werewolves/Fera | No |
| Black Spiral Dancers | Yes |
| Banes | Yes |
| Formori | Yes |
| Most Mages | No |
| Nephandi | Yes |
| Wraiths and Spectres | Yes |
| Most Changelings | No |
| Slaugh, Redcaps, Thallain | Yes |
| Imbued Hunters | No |
| Demons | Yes |
| Mummies | No |
| Kuei-jin | Yes |
- Location
- Jersey
Now here's thing that could happen. An obrimos mage with celestial powers of light and creation anchored to their very soul, can still serve the Exarchs and seek to strengthen the Abyss. According to OP, even that person might be a creature of darkness and susceptible to Malcolm's anima power.
I personally wouldn't rule that Seers count as Creatures of Darkness anymore than a Sorcerer in Creation would count as a Creature of Darkness because they made a blood pact with Mara or Octavian whoever.
They're certainly very selfish and shortsighted puppets of a Creature of Darkness, but they haven't really been changed on a fundamental level in a way that makes them an existential threat.
They're certainly very selfish and shortsighted puppets of a Creature of Darkness, but they haven't really been changed on a fundamental level in a way that makes them an existential threat.
- Location
- In my Lair, on my Hoard
An Obrimos might possess "celestial" power, but that doesn't mean they aren't tainted by their actions to strengthen the Abyss in service of the Exarchs. The Abyss is an alien thing of unreality that seeps between the Realms, and its presence surely runs counter to the righteous design of the Unconquered Sun - and thus, it is anathema in the presence of what remains of Sol's agents within the Realms.
Still, that doesn't quite make them Creatures of Darkness unless they get really tainted by the Abyss - just working for the Exarchs might not be sufficient to get them tarred with that brush.
Though... that does make me wonder... can a Solar connect to the Realms Supernal? The Watchtower of the Golden Key in the Supernal Realm of Aether sounds likely, but a Solar Exalt doesn't exactly have a human soul anymore - they're gods made flesh. I wonder what if it's even possible for the Tower to call to a Solar...
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- Location
- Jersey
I don't think the scare quotes on celestial are necessary. The Aether is literally populated by angels and has mana falling from the sky. You even say that's the realm most aligned with the antithesis of the creatures of darkness, Solars. Which I guess makes Arcadia Sidereals, Pandemonium Infernals, Primal Wild Lunars, and Stygia Abyssals.
That said, I don't think one of the exalted could become a mage. The Exaltation is so big and powerful that I don't think it leaves room for a supernal connection or any other kind of CoD template.
Story Post 9
[X] Called Naomi, if anyone had answers, it would be her.
Malcom pulled out the card Naomi had given him out of his wallet and checked the number once before dialing it. The phone on the other began to ring, and Malcom started to second guess himself. It was late in the evening, and he didn't know if she would still be up, let alone be willing to have an extended talk with him. Maybe he should have waited until morning, or maybe -
"Hello?" The had phone stopped ringing, and someone on the other end had picked up. He was a female voice, which was a good sign, and she didn't seem tired or irritated, which was even better.
"Hi, is this Naomi?" Malcom asked.
"Yes. Hello Malcom. I had hoped to hear from you soon." Naomi said. "Are you ready in discussing the contents of the video?"
Malcom frowned. She was persistent, he'd give her that. "Yes, but I want information in exchange." He said. "When can we meet?"
"Or course I'll be happy to tell you what I can." She said, sounding pleased. "I am actually free right now. Do you have a place where we could meet?"
Malcom glanced outside his bedroom door to the living room where Maggie was still asleep on the couch, then out his window, where the figure was still standing and watching.
"I'm being watched, right now, in my own home." He said. "I have a sister, and I don't want to leave her alone right now."
Naomi was silent for several seconds before speaking again.
"She should be safe. They're after you. Not her. Taking her hostage or killing her to send a warning to you would be too reckless for them, especially since you are a dangerous unknown party at the moment."
Malcom was reminded of his earlier conversation with Abigail, about how people were 'walking on eggshells' around him.
"Alright." He said after a a moments deliberation. He gave her the address of a late night coffee shop he had visited on occasion before Maggie had moved in. It was a small hole in the wall kind of place with wooden walls and flooring, raised seats and a quiet, earthy atmosphere.
Naomi was waiting for him when he got there, typing away at a laptop in front of her. She looked different from when he had last encountered her. The grey suit had been replaced with a trim professional looking blouse and dark blue designer pants. Her long black hair was now tied back in a ponytail, rather than hanging loose like before.
Malcom, wearing jeans and a tee shirt, felt under dressed.
"Sit down." Naomi said as she invited him to take the seat across from her. "I ordered us some coffee. I think we'll need it, we have a lot to discuss." As she finished, the waitress came and delivered the beverages in question. Two black coffees, with milk and sugar served on the side.
Malcom thanked her, and they added their preferred mixture of condiments before drinking in silence, letting the beverage clear their senses and wake them up for the conversation to come.
"Thanks." Malcom said after he had finished about half his cup.
"You're welcome. Are you ready to discuss what happened that night?" Naomi asked, turning around her laptop and showing him the display. The same video she had shown him on her phone was on screen. Malcom and another woman in a dark alleyway, the woman embracing Malcom, the sudden surge of light and fire around him, disintegrating the woman. It was all there, just as he remembered.
"Yes, but I don't have a lot to tell." Malcom said. "I don't remember why I followed her, or why I was lit up like a bonfire. One minute I was normal, the next minute I was something else."
If she was disappointed in this answer, Naomi didn't show it. "I see." She said, turning the laptop towards her and typing a few things in. "Have you noticed any changes since then?"
"I'm… more." Malcom said, struggling to find the words to explain. "I'm faster and stronger, my thoughts are clearer, and my senses are sharper. When I spar at the gym, I can see flaws in my partners techniques that I hadn't noted before." He took a breath. "And I'm more aware of… whatever is going on in Boston. People are paying attention to me, hiding in the shadows and spying on me, and I don't know why."
"You killed one of the Harpies." Naomi said. "They don't have any official power in Vampire politics, but they are highly influential. The fact that you killed her in an instant makes you a person of interest not just to the Vampires, but everyone with an ear to the occult side of Boston."
"Wait, slow down." Malcom said, holding up a hand. Vampires are real?"
"Oh yes, quite real." Naomi said, with another few taps on her keyboard. "I suppose you'll need a bit of a primer."
And she told him.
She told him of the Vampires, undead predators who thought themselves players in an endless macabre dance between themselves and humanity. How thoroughly they had infested most cities and how their control of the world's sociopolitical landscape was second only to the Mages.
She told him of Mages, normal men and women who had experienced an awakening to the higher dimensions, and the power they could draw from them. How they were split between different factions and their ideology on how humans should be controlled or guided to awakening themselves.
She told him of the Werewolves, powerful shapeshifters in a constant state of war over their territories and state of the spiritual world known as the Shadow and the barrier between the real and spirit world known as the Gauntlet.
She told him of Changelings, people who had been abducted by the Fair Folk and changed on a fundamental level, only to have escaped (or had been allowed to escape) and find that they had been replaced by a fairy copy.
She told him of a dozen other strange things, of beings called Sin-Eaters who walked the border between life and death, of artificial golem-like creatures called Prometheans, of an omnipresent supercomputer called the God Machine, how every ghost story and urban legend he had ever heard was probably real. How psychics and mediums were common enough that you could find several in every city, how cryptids and UFOs had a basis in truth.
She told him of the state of Boston in the shadows, a nearly lawless place where the powerful ruled and did as they pleased, caring only for their own interests. Where the Vampires had formed an unprecedented alliance with a rogue faction of Mages called the Seers of the Throne. Most of Boston's movers and shakers, from politicians and heads of businesses, were under the thumb of this alliance either directly or indirectly. Over the last six years they had all but driven any other organized supernatural presence to extinction, either through politicking, threats, bribes or outright violence. The exception to this were the Werewolves, and even then only the packs that were willing to accept the new status quo.
"So if these people are so powerful, and I pissed them off, why am I still alive?" Malcom asked. He was beginning to feel like the whole thing was hopeless, that his death was just a delayed inevitability.
"Three reasons." Naomi said. "The first is that they consider you to be very dangerous. That woman you killed, the Harpy? She was one of the Ventrue, a breed that is notoriously difficult to put down. Your utter annihilation of her marks you as a threat that they don't want to engage without care."
"The second reason is that whatever you did flooded the entire area with an extraordinary amount of occult energy, making it difficult to discern what exactly happened there and gain any insight in to you. Normally this wouldn't be a concern, as their are other avenues of inquiry that can be used to gather information. The problem is that all of these avenues have been shut down or blocked off."
"What do you mean blocked off?"
"I mean the Shadow has been isolated in a mile around where you encountered the Harpy, and any attempt to enter through the Gauntlet within that area has been rendered impossible. Psychics who can view the area with post-cognition turn up nothing, mystic connections have been severed so utterly that people are questioning if they even existed in the first place, and any physical mediums such as hair, or video records have been expunged, even on offsite storage locations. The video I have was recovered through blind luck, I happened to be looking in to something else in the area and downloaded a copy before whatever locked off that area took effect."
"I suspect that if I share it with anyone, it will be destroyed and my own safety put at risk, which brings me to the third reason why you're around and walking: Someone is protecting you, someone very powerful and with a lot of reach."
Malcom took note of that. "This isn't the first time someone has said I'm being protected. Who would want do that?"
Naomi shrugged. "I don't know. The list of people who could have the resources and ability to pull this off is short. A cabal of experienced Mages, an uncommonly powerful spirit or forgotten deity, the God-Machine, one of the True Fae. They could certainly manage this, but for what reason is anyone's guess." She gave him a serious look. "Who told you that you were being protected?"
"A woman by the name of Abigail." Malcom described the encounter he had with her and her entourage.
"I'm familiar with her. She's the de facto leader of the Changelings in Boston after their courts were run out of town. She holds power through force of personality more than anything else." There was a subtle note of distaste in Naomi's words.
Malcom leaned back in this chair and looked in to his coffee cup, idly swirling the liquid around in thought. "Who are you, really?" He asked her. "How do you know all this? Why are you helping me? I find it hard to believe that you're just a private investigator."
For the first time that Malcom had known her, Naomi's composed and professional visage cracked, revealing a host of subtle emotions that he wasn't certain he would have been able to see if he were still a normal human. It was an odd mixture of isolation, anger, hope and approval, although what it meant he had no clue.
"You're right. I'm not. Forgive the deception, but my superiors hadn't yet given me permission to bring you in to the loop. Fortunately I managed to convince them that fully disclosing our mission to you would be in our best interests." She said.
"Before I tell you, I want to ask you one thing. When I told you of the state of Boston, the world, and all the things that hide in the background, how did you feel?"
"Angry. Afraid." Malcom said. "Afraid for myself and for my sister. Angry that I couldn't do anything about it, that there were these conspiracies manipulating things behind the scenes and I felt powerless to stop them."
Naomi smiled. "Good. Remember that feeling, you'll need it in the days to come." She said, pulling out another business card and handing it to him. It was similar to the first one, except the icon with a pair of wings were now emblazoned on a shield, with an upward pointing sword between the two of them and the words VALKYRIE written on it.
"My name is Naomi Watanabe. I am a Warlock on the Path of Pandemonium and Special Agent of Task Force Valkyrie, a government organization dedicated to observing and managing the supernatural within the borders of the United States. I have been given permission to formally invite you to ally with us as we attempt to reassert control over Boston."
[] Write in
[] Write in
[] Write in
Malcom pulled out the card Naomi had given him out of his wallet and checked the number once before dialing it. The phone on the other began to ring, and Malcom started to second guess himself. It was late in the evening, and he didn't know if she would still be up, let alone be willing to have an extended talk with him. Maybe he should have waited until morning, or maybe -
"Hello?" The had phone stopped ringing, and someone on the other end had picked up. He was a female voice, which was a good sign, and she didn't seem tired or irritated, which was even better.
"Hi, is this Naomi?" Malcom asked.
"Yes. Hello Malcom. I had hoped to hear from you soon." Naomi said. "Are you ready in discussing the contents of the video?"
Malcom frowned. She was persistent, he'd give her that. "Yes, but I want information in exchange." He said. "When can we meet?"
"Or course I'll be happy to tell you what I can." She said, sounding pleased. "I am actually free right now. Do you have a place where we could meet?"
Malcom glanced outside his bedroom door to the living room where Maggie was still asleep on the couch, then out his window, where the figure was still standing and watching.
"I'm being watched, right now, in my own home." He said. "I have a sister, and I don't want to leave her alone right now."
Naomi was silent for several seconds before speaking again.
"She should be safe. They're after you. Not her. Taking her hostage or killing her to send a warning to you would be too reckless for them, especially since you are a dangerous unknown party at the moment."
Malcom was reminded of his earlier conversation with Abigail, about how people were 'walking on eggshells' around him.
"Alright." He said after a a moments deliberation. He gave her the address of a late night coffee shop he had visited on occasion before Maggie had moved in. It was a small hole in the wall kind of place with wooden walls and flooring, raised seats and a quiet, earthy atmosphere.
Naomi was waiting for him when he got there, typing away at a laptop in front of her. She looked different from when he had last encountered her. The grey suit had been replaced with a trim professional looking blouse and dark blue designer pants. Her long black hair was now tied back in a ponytail, rather than hanging loose like before.
Malcom, wearing jeans and a tee shirt, felt under dressed.
"Sit down." Naomi said as she invited him to take the seat across from her. "I ordered us some coffee. I think we'll need it, we have a lot to discuss." As she finished, the waitress came and delivered the beverages in question. Two black coffees, with milk and sugar served on the side.
Malcom thanked her, and they added their preferred mixture of condiments before drinking in silence, letting the beverage clear their senses and wake them up for the conversation to come.
"Thanks." Malcom said after he had finished about half his cup.
"You're welcome. Are you ready to discuss what happened that night?" Naomi asked, turning around her laptop and showing him the display. The same video she had shown him on her phone was on screen. Malcom and another woman in a dark alleyway, the woman embracing Malcom, the sudden surge of light and fire around him, disintegrating the woman. It was all there, just as he remembered.
"Yes, but I don't have a lot to tell." Malcom said. "I don't remember why I followed her, or why I was lit up like a bonfire. One minute I was normal, the next minute I was something else."
If she was disappointed in this answer, Naomi didn't show it. "I see." She said, turning the laptop towards her and typing a few things in. "Have you noticed any changes since then?"
"I'm… more." Malcom said, struggling to find the words to explain. "I'm faster and stronger, my thoughts are clearer, and my senses are sharper. When I spar at the gym, I can see flaws in my partners techniques that I hadn't noted before." He took a breath. "And I'm more aware of… whatever is going on in Boston. People are paying attention to me, hiding in the shadows and spying on me, and I don't know why."
"You killed one of the Harpies." Naomi said. "They don't have any official power in Vampire politics, but they are highly influential. The fact that you killed her in an instant makes you a person of interest not just to the Vampires, but everyone with an ear to the occult side of Boston."
"Wait, slow down." Malcom said, holding up a hand. Vampires are real?"
"Oh yes, quite real." Naomi said, with another few taps on her keyboard. "I suppose you'll need a bit of a primer."
And she told him.
She told him of the Vampires, undead predators who thought themselves players in an endless macabre dance between themselves and humanity. How thoroughly they had infested most cities and how their control of the world's sociopolitical landscape was second only to the Mages.
She told him of Mages, normal men and women who had experienced an awakening to the higher dimensions, and the power they could draw from them. How they were split between different factions and their ideology on how humans should be controlled or guided to awakening themselves.
She told him of the Werewolves, powerful shapeshifters in a constant state of war over their territories and state of the spiritual world known as the Shadow and the barrier between the real and spirit world known as the Gauntlet.
She told him of Changelings, people who had been abducted by the Fair Folk and changed on a fundamental level, only to have escaped (or had been allowed to escape) and find that they had been replaced by a fairy copy.
She told him of a dozen other strange things, of beings called Sin-Eaters who walked the border between life and death, of artificial golem-like creatures called Prometheans, of an omnipresent supercomputer called the God Machine, how every ghost story and urban legend he had ever heard was probably real. How psychics and mediums were common enough that you could find several in every city, how cryptids and UFOs had a basis in truth.
She told him of the state of Boston in the shadows, a nearly lawless place where the powerful ruled and did as they pleased, caring only for their own interests. Where the Vampires had formed an unprecedented alliance with a rogue faction of Mages called the Seers of the Throne. Most of Boston's movers and shakers, from politicians and heads of businesses, were under the thumb of this alliance either directly or indirectly. Over the last six years they had all but driven any other organized supernatural presence to extinction, either through politicking, threats, bribes or outright violence. The exception to this were the Werewolves, and even then only the packs that were willing to accept the new status quo.
"So if these people are so powerful, and I pissed them off, why am I still alive?" Malcom asked. He was beginning to feel like the whole thing was hopeless, that his death was just a delayed inevitability.
"Three reasons." Naomi said. "The first is that they consider you to be very dangerous. That woman you killed, the Harpy? She was one of the Ventrue, a breed that is notoriously difficult to put down. Your utter annihilation of her marks you as a threat that they don't want to engage without care."
"The second reason is that whatever you did flooded the entire area with an extraordinary amount of occult energy, making it difficult to discern what exactly happened there and gain any insight in to you. Normally this wouldn't be a concern, as their are other avenues of inquiry that can be used to gather information. The problem is that all of these avenues have been shut down or blocked off."
"What do you mean blocked off?"
"I mean the Shadow has been isolated in a mile around where you encountered the Harpy, and any attempt to enter through the Gauntlet within that area has been rendered impossible. Psychics who can view the area with post-cognition turn up nothing, mystic connections have been severed so utterly that people are questioning if they even existed in the first place, and any physical mediums such as hair, or video records have been expunged, even on offsite storage locations. The video I have was recovered through blind luck, I happened to be looking in to something else in the area and downloaded a copy before whatever locked off that area took effect."
"I suspect that if I share it with anyone, it will be destroyed and my own safety put at risk, which brings me to the third reason why you're around and walking: Someone is protecting you, someone very powerful and with a lot of reach."
Malcom took note of that. "This isn't the first time someone has said I'm being protected. Who would want do that?"
Naomi shrugged. "I don't know. The list of people who could have the resources and ability to pull this off is short. A cabal of experienced Mages, an uncommonly powerful spirit or forgotten deity, the God-Machine, one of the True Fae. They could certainly manage this, but for what reason is anyone's guess." She gave him a serious look. "Who told you that you were being protected?"
"A woman by the name of Abigail." Malcom described the encounter he had with her and her entourage.
"I'm familiar with her. She's the de facto leader of the Changelings in Boston after their courts were run out of town. She holds power through force of personality more than anything else." There was a subtle note of distaste in Naomi's words.
Malcom leaned back in this chair and looked in to his coffee cup, idly swirling the liquid around in thought. "Who are you, really?" He asked her. "How do you know all this? Why are you helping me? I find it hard to believe that you're just a private investigator."
For the first time that Malcom had known her, Naomi's composed and professional visage cracked, revealing a host of subtle emotions that he wasn't certain he would have been able to see if he were still a normal human. It was an odd mixture of isolation, anger, hope and approval, although what it meant he had no clue.
"You're right. I'm not. Forgive the deception, but my superiors hadn't yet given me permission to bring you in to the loop. Fortunately I managed to convince them that fully disclosing our mission to you would be in our best interests." She said.
"Before I tell you, I want to ask you one thing. When I told you of the state of Boston, the world, and all the things that hide in the background, how did you feel?"
"Angry. Afraid." Malcom said. "Afraid for myself and for my sister. Angry that I couldn't do anything about it, that there were these conspiracies manipulating things behind the scenes and I felt powerless to stop them."
Naomi smiled. "Good. Remember that feeling, you'll need it in the days to come." She said, pulling out another business card and handing it to him. It was similar to the first one, except the icon with a pair of wings were now emblazoned on a shield, with an upward pointing sword between the two of them and the words VALKYRIE written on it.
"My name is Naomi Watanabe. I am a Warlock on the Path of Pandemonium and Special Agent of Task Force Valkyrie, a government organization dedicated to observing and managing the supernatural within the borders of the United States. I have been given permission to formally invite you to ally with us as we attempt to reassert control over Boston."
[] Write in
[] Write in
[] Write in
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