[x] A Case (More long form things, often over a long period of time, where you can do downtime activities while investigating)
-[x] A Senator has received a threatening letter for daring to suggest legislation that limits the ability for super scientists to perform unethical human experimentation, your objective is to bring the letter writer to justice
Alrighty, voting is now closed and thanks for voting!
Our Winner:
[X] An Assignment (Shorter things, typically only a day or so in length)
-[X] Apparently, a woman's dog has turned into a fully fledged vampire lord, figure out what happened to this dog
Also, Elden Ring's pretty fuckin' good, not gonna lie
Scheduled vote count started by Imperial Fister on Feb 24, 2022 at 7:46 PM, finished with 5 posts and 2 votes.
[X] A Case (More long form things, often over a long period of time, where you can do downtime activities while investigating)
-[X] A Senator has received a threatening letter for daring to suggest legislation that limits the ability for super scientists to perform unethical human experimentation, your objective is to bring the letter writer to justice
"Alright," Laura declares as she walks into the briefing room and slams a folder on the table. "You've got a weird one today."
"In what way?" You question as she sits down.
"In a doggy way." She replies as she cranks up her chair. "A woman, a Miss Claudia Berwitz, has reported a strange occurrence with her dog, Bill. It seems that Bill has, somehow, become a Vampire Lord." Bristle seems… a bit annoyed, heavy bags under her eyes and a short, curt rhythm of speech.
Your eyebrows rise to the top of your head as you flip open the folder and look at the pictures within––which seem to have been taken by Miss Berwitz herself. The first photo in the bunch is of a happy-looking mutt of a dog, silky brown fur brushed by his smiling owner as he pants, tongue lolling from his mouth. The next is of the same situation, in fact the photos seem to have been taken mere seconds apart, the owner's kneeling next to the dog and the dog… well, instead of the delightful dog in the previous picture is instead a bat-winged bipedal humanoid monster with extremely pale skin, triangular ears, a maw full of jagged teeth, and beady red eyes. The lolling tongue is still there though, even if now it's much thinner and not drooling nearly as much slobber as before.
"That's Bill, the victim of today's oddity." Bristle sighs, taking off her glasses and rubbing at her tired eyes. "Go, for the love of all that's not an asshole, and please do your…" She waves her hands somewhat dismissively as she yawns. "Investigation bullshit, or whatever it is you do."
"Uh, are you okay?" You ask as Damien leans back with his eyes closed, smoke lazily spiraling from the cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth.
"I've been up since 1 fucking AM cleaning my house of fucking werehamster corpses! I don't even know how they got in, or even how they died!" She exclaims as you slowly back away. "Do I look okay!?"
The Senior Handler takes a moment to compose herself, breathing in and out deeply. "I'm sorry, that was unprofessional of me." She slumps slightly, sighing heavily. "Just, get to work. The address is in the folder, Bill doesn't seem to be hostile, and dog treats have been provided."
"Uh, I may have some questions…" You say, trailing off as Laura stares at the ceiling, a begging look on her face. She sighs, like the weight of the world is on her shoulders before she gestures for you to continue.
"Fine, lets hear 'em."
Any questions?
[ ] Write in (all questions asked will be answered)
~~~~~~~
"So, a dog that's a Vampire Lord." You remark as you and Damien grab your loadouts. You don't really think that there's going to be trouble there, but Vampire Lords tend to have a bad habit of attracting normal leeches to them like flies to, well, dog poop. "That's kinda weird."
"It's the job." Damien replies, grabbing a box of stakes from a crate. "Get used to it."
"So, Vampires, are there any weapons here that we can use to combat them? Well, besides stakes and holy water." You question Damien, who's grabbing several bottles of holy water.
A dry, boney voice answers your question as Andy appears from behind you, carrying a box of things as the glowing lights in his otherwise empty eye sockets stare at you. "You're in luck, we just got a new shipment of anti-bloodsucker weapons from CopperCorp."
CopperCorp is one of the 'metallic companies', the top 5 names in companies that specialize in super science. Compared to them, Willpower, your 'father's' company is but a drop in the bucket. Well, that might be a bit of an exaggeration as Willpower is quite successful, ranking #7 on the list of super science companies. One thing that's interesting to note about the Metallics is that they're all run by Djinn.
"We also finally got the potions lab back up and running after that explosion a while back." He remarks as he sets the box of potions, according to the label, down on the ground. You grimace, you remember hearing about that while you were preparing for the final exam. It's good that they're available again, though. "Though… well, the selection isn't great right now."
With that, you turn to your gear.
[ ] Current Loadout (Service Pistol, Service Knife, Handcuffs, Investigation Equipment, Lockpicks, Rubber Gloves, Evidence Baggies, One MSB 10 Can, Infragoggles, Cutter Rounds)
+In the car: 2 flashbang, prybar, 2 MSB 10, 3 Anti-Plant Spray, tool kit, first-aid kit and candies if allowed.
Or you can choose from here. Same rules as last time.
Explosives
[ ] AP Grenade (2 Piercing Damage, Strips Armor, Thrown, Small Item)
[ ] Fragmentation Grenade (7 Piercing Damage, Thrown, Small Item)
[ ] Flashbang (Blinds+Deafens, Thrown, Small Item)
[ ] Smoke Grenade (Obscures, Thrown, Small Item)
-[ ] Incense Grenade (Obscures, Holy, Thrown, Small Item)
-[ ] Tear Gas Grenade (Blinds+Chokes+Obscures, Thrown, Small Item)
-[ ] Iron Shavings Grenade (Obscures, Damages Fey, Thrown, Small Item)
[ ] Holy Water Grenade (Holy, Splashes, Thrown, Small Item)
[ ] Breaching Charge (12 Explosion Damage, Opens locked doors/walls/floors/ceilings, Planted, Small Item)
Ranged Weapons
[ ] Service Pistol (3 Piercing Damage, AP 1, Ranged, 1/2 Hands, Small Item)
[ ] Service Revolver (4 Piercing Damage, AP 2, Close-Ranged, 1/2 Hands, Small Item)
[ ] Service Carbine (4 Piercing Damage, AP 2, Repeating 1, Ranged, 2 Hands, Medium Item)
[ ] Service Shotgun (5 Piercing Damage, AP 2, Close-Ranged, 2 Hands, Medium Item)
[ ] Service Rifle (6 Piercing Damage, AP 3, Long-Ranged, Slow-Firing, 2 Hands, Medium-Large Item)
[ ] Service LMG (5 Piercing Damage, AP 2, Repeating 3, Ranged, 2 Hands, Heavy, Medium-Large Item)
[ ] Service SMG (3 Piercing Damage, AP 1, Repeating 2, Ranged, 2 Hands, Medium Item)
[ ] Stake Launcher (2 Piercing Damage, AP 2, Anti-Vampire, Needs Stakes, 2 Hands, Medium Item)
Melee Weapons
[ ] Service Knife (3 Slashing/Stabbing Damage, Melee, Concealable, 1 Hand, Small Item)
[ ] Service Baton (3 Bludgeoning Damage, Melee, Concealable, 1/2 Hands, Small Item)
[ ] CopperCorp Chopper (4 Chopping Damage, AP 1, Melee, 2 Hands, Medium Item)
[ ] Stake (1 Piercing Damage, Anti-Vampire, Melee, 1/2 Hands, Small Item)
Tools
[ ] Handcuffs (Restraining, Anti-Magic, Tiny Item)
[ ] Investigation Equipment (Allows for closer inspection than what may be possible normally, Tiny Item)
[ ] Prybar (Allows for forcing open locks or jammed things, Medium Item)
[ ] Lockpicks (Allows picking of locks, Tiny Item)
[ ] Rubber Gloves (Sterile, Tiny Item)
[ ] Evidence Baggies (Sterile, 6 Uses, Anti-Magic, Small Item)
[ ] Ammo Pouch (Can be spent to reload a gun on a critical fail, Tiny Item)
[ ] Big Ammo Pouch (Can be spent to reload a gun on a critical fail, 3 Uses, Small Item)
[ ] Medpack (Allows for stabilizing wounded people, 2 Uses, Small Item)
[ ] Garlic Rub (Rub on your skin to hide your scent from those that can smell blood, Tiny Item)
[ ] Coma Inducer (Inject this into something to put it into a coma, 1 Use, Tiny Item)
[ ] Cigarettes (Calms your nerves and soothes your mind, +1d4 Mental Health, 10 Uses, Tiny Item)
[ ] Lighter (Lights things on fire, Tiny Item)
Potions
[ ] Vial of Healing (Heals 2d4 Physical Health, 1 Use, Tiny Item)
[ ] Potion of Healing (Heals 2d4 Physical Health, 2 Uses, Small Item)
[ ] Vial of Anti-Minor Poison (Cures most minor poisons, 1 Use, Tiny Item)
[ ] Potion of Anti-Minor Poison (Cures most minor poisons, 2 Uses, Small Item)
[ ] Vial of Dark Vision (Allows you to see in the dark as if it were light, 1 Use, Tiny Item)
[ ] Potion of Dark Vision (Allows you to see in the dark as if it were light, 2 Uses, Small Item)
[ ] De-Fang Potion (A potion that cures Vampirism as long as it hasn't progressed too far, 2 Uses, Small Item)
Personal
[ ] Write in (Pick from your Creations)
~~~~~~~
GM's Note: Short, I know, but there's really not much more to say in this one. Voting will be called tomorrow at 5 PM CST, thanks for all the interaction!
Hmm well now this is a pickle. Probably just wanna keep it simple and sweet for our handler. Maybe a simple run down on what Vampire Lord and a run of the mill vampire are. And does a random mutation like this just happen or do they need to be sired?
Normal leeches fuckin' explode come sunrise, daybreakers style. The same happens if they get a stake to the heart or get chopped up enough.
Vampire Lords, on the other hand, are only weakened by it. Stakes through the heart only put them in a coma-like state and they can put their bodies back together if you stick them through a blender. The only way to kill a Vampire Lord, well, properly kill one in a way that won't let it come back, is to have an individual with a 'pure heart' do the deed. This, of course, means that you only get 1 vamp lord kill per pure heart as the act of killing something irrevocably stains the soul, which many have declared to be, and I quote, "Bullshit!". What is a 'pure hearted' person, by the definition of whoever made Vampire Lords, you ask? Well, imagine one of the old Disney Princesses picking up a baseball bat and beating someone to death with it, that's what needs to happen to kill one.
Garlic, or rather, the smell of Garlic can be used to obscure the scent of your blood from both normal leeches and important leeches
Holy symbols vibe off the faith of the user, but a place of worship can repel a leech. A Vamp Lord, however, can enter such a place though they are significantly weakened by it
Unless you're dealing with a certain muppet, tossing a handful of many small things won't do more than confuse a bloodsucker, though a Vampire Lord of sufficient humor might play along. Regular Vamps are little better than beasts, running off their base instincts unless being commanded by a Vampire Lord.
Running water stops a normal Vamp from crossing flat out, you can even gib one by tossing them into it. Vampire Lords need to have the burial dirt coffin in order to cross properly properly.
Holy water can kill a normal Vamp, though it won't do more than inconvenience a Lord
And running holy water will just completely dunk on normal vamps but a vampire lord is just going to be very confused at how the hell you got that much holy water in the first place
How does someone or something become a vampire or vampire lord?
Do they need to be bitten and survive? Or to die? Or drink vamprire blood?
Or they have to die while hating some deity? Demonic possession? Possession by a fallen angel? Exposure to a lot of magic?
I listed some examples of ways to become a vampire i have seen in anime and novels.
Alrighty, voting is now closed though I highly doubt that there will be an update today
Our winner:
[X]Plan Anti-V
-[X] Smoke Grenade (Obscures, Thrown, Small Item)
-[X] Incense Grenade (Obscures, Holy, Thrown, Small Item)
-[X] Stake Launcher (2 Piercing Damage, AP 2, Anti-Vampire, Needs Stakes, 2 Hands, Medium Item)
-[X] Stake (1 Piercing Damage, Anti-Vampire, Melee, 1/2 Hands, Small Item)
-[X] Garlic Rub (Rub on your skin to hide your scent from those that can smell blood, Tiny Item)
-[X] Ammo Pouch (Can be spent to reload a gun on a critical fail, Tiny Item)
-[X] Investigation Equipment (Allows for closer inspection than what may be possible normally, Tiny Item)
-[X] Potion of Dark Vision (Allows you to see in the dark as if it were light, 2 Uses, Small Item)
-[X] De-Fang Potion (A potion that cures Vampirism as long as it hasn't progressed too far, 2 Uses, Small Item)
-[X] Medpack (Allows for stabilizing wounded people, 2 Uses, Small Item)
-[X] Rubber Gloves (Sterile, Tiny Item)
Scheduled vote count started by Imperial Fister on Feb 25, 2022 at 7:41 PM, finished with 5 posts and 0 votes.
"So, uh, can you remind me on how vampires spread again?" You ask nervously as Laura sighs. She waves her hand at Damien, who picks up the slack.
He leans forward, opening his eyes and plucking the cigarette from his lips. "Basic vampirism can be spread by blood or bite, though it can take multiple days before symptoms are shown on survivors but by the time symptoms are usually reported it's often too late." The nicotine addict takes a puff as he continues. "Symptoms include lengthening ears, sharpening fangs, shortening nose, paling of skin, and reddening of eyes, amongst others. At this stage, if the antidote is administered the victim will, usually, make a full recovery. Though they may like their meat a little rarer from then on."
Damien grounds his cigarette in the ashtray and lights up a replacement with a practiced flick of his dented lighter. "Past that, once they start getting a hunger for something sanguine… best they can do is treat it so it doesn't get worse, as long as they don't succumb to their thirst."
He stares off into the distance, the cigarette held between his thumb and the second knuckle on his forefinger—palm up with knuckles pointing towards himself, letting the ashes and embers fall on his hand.
"Once they succumb…," he exhales a thin trail of smoke, "they're gone, nothing left but animalistic cunning and base instinct…" His words meander off, his eyes glazed over as he stares over your shoulder.
Laura coughs into her fist as the silence drags on too long. Zerada-Kil had appeared at some point, you're not too sure when, and started comforting Damien. He blinks, drawing himself from his stupor with a jolt.
"And there isn't a lot known about the Vampire Lord creation process, other than it requires blood and lots of it." Your mentor finishes as he leans back again, staring up at the ceiling. "Probably." He adds as an afterthought.
"Any else?" Laura asks as she slides a plate of cookies towards Damien, who absentmindedly takes one.
"Ah, no." You say hesitantly. You had some more but, well, with Damien being out of sorts your mind blanked and the questions were dashed away. "I, uh, guess this is a chance for us to find more out about Vampire Lords."
"Indeed." Bristle replies.
~~~~~~~
"Think we should stop off at the butcher's? Pick up some meat for the dog?" You offer as Damien drives. He'd been mostly silent, save for some slight sounds, since the talk of vampires.
"Oooh! That's a good idea, god-marked." Zerada-Kil had been picking up the slack, as it were, of the conversation. "We can even grab some snacks!"
"You don't need to eat food." Damien replies, speaking up for the first time as Zerada pouts. It seems that he's pulled himself back together after whatever it was earlier.
"Just cause I don't need it doesn't mean I don't want it!" She declares, floating in between your and Damien's seat as she uses a hand on Damien's shoulder rest to anchor herself. "Besides, it's been forever since I last had any meat. I'd be able to show the god-marked here some of my cultural delicacies! Wouldn't you like that, god-marked?"
You don't see anything wrong with that; and besides, it'll give you a good way to learn more about the various foods of the Hellpits! "Yeah, that'd be interesting." You wonder what foods the natives of the Hellpits have for themselves? Would it be something spicy? Or would they chill everything before eating it? Oh boy, you're getting giddy just thinking about it!
"Of course," she continues, "we can't do any of the real dishes, as we don't have any of the pla-" Damien cuts her off by retrieving a dime bag filled with a bright orange substance from his greatcoat. He dangles it in front of Zerada, who's eyes zero in on it like a cat to a mouse. "When and how?!" She demands, shock and slight horror dawning on her face.
"You sleep a lot."
"Fuck!" She swears, snatching the baggie from Damien's fingers and scowls at him.
~~~~~~~
Damien pulls into the parking lot of the apartment building that Miss Claudia Berwitz lives in, in apartment 203. According to the file, she's about your age with a rough background. She's currently trying to make it as a struggling author, but hasn't yet gotten any of her novels published. At the moment, she's employed as a waitress at a diner.
With the recent developments in her life, you muse, she's probably going to have something to write about now. 'Life with a Vampire Dog', now that's an interesting idea.
Damien drops you and Zerada off at the building as he has some 'business' he needs to take care of, as well as picking up the meat from the butcher's. He didn't specify what he needed to do, but Damien does tend to be rather vague with his past so that's nothing really new. Well, except for the times when he feels like sharing.
As you climb out of the car, he gives you command of the investigation and a strict warning for Zerada, telling her to 'behave'.
"So, uh, what was with that god-marked stuff earlier?" You ask her as she floats there next to you. Being so far away from her anchor makes it difficult for her body to interact with reality properly, so she's just floating around semi-incorporaly at the moment. "You mentioned it in the car ride here."
"Oh, that?" She blinks, the white-haired Devil twisting towards you. "Well, it took me a minute to figure it out, but…" The Arming Devil frowns, trying to put it to words as she waves her arms around. "You know how everyone has a spiritual signature? And how that gets left on pretty much everything they interact with?" You nod, it's pretty standard knowledge in most circles. Everybody and everything has a spiritual signature, it sort of serves as a unique identifier, declaring to the world that you came here and you interacted with this. "Well, yours has a strange sequence strung on to the end to the end there, bak chum."
"Bak chum? What does tha-" You blink, jaw going slack as you sigh. "Oh goddammit." You pinch the bridge of your nose as Zerada conjures up an image of a pair of symbols.
"Exactly. Mayan symbols on the end of your signature ordering your capture."
"Fucking great." You swear as you kick a rock down the sidewalk, wincing as you nearly hit a parked sedan, red and with a slightly dented driver-side door from a prior crash. Ah hell, that's the lady's car too! That certainly wouldn't be a very good start to your investigation.
"Anyways," you say as you stare up at the four story apartment building, red brick and eroded with iron bars over the windows, "we should probably get going."
Zerada agrees and you open the front door to the complex and start climbing the stairs. The inside of the building is as old as the outside, weathered and stained yellow from years of disrepair. Wallpaper peels from the walls, the floral design straight out of the 1970s, as you move up the stairs. Graffiti, though not as much as one would think, passes you by as you arrive at the blue-painted wooden door that marks the entrance of apartment 203.
Sharing a look with the Dagger Devil next to you, you rap your knuckles against the door––which happens to be the newest looking part of the building with its recently applied coat of paint.
There's silence for a moment before a dog starts barking and footsteps approach the door. You hear several locks unlatching as the door swings open to reveal a woman of average height and a mousy appearance standing in the doorway. She has dirty blonde hair tied up in a loose bun and glasses, big and square, perched on her nose. A lemony smell wafts up from around her and you can see some spray bottles sitting on the coffee table past her shoulder, she's been cleaning.
"Can I help you?" Claudia Berwitz asks, her eyes bloodshot with heavy bags under her eyelids. Even with her tired voice you can hear a ring of steel.
"I'm Special Agent Williams, from the Service of Supernatural Solutions." You say as you retrieve your ID and badge, flipping it open for her to see. She blinks, her mouth forming an 'o' as she subconsciously shuffles back a half-step.
"O-oh." She stammers a little bit, the spark of defiance withering away and extinguishing. "You're here for Bill, right?" You can see the brown-furred mutt in question lean his head around the corner of the short hallway, he's deep brown and soulful eyes. "You're not going to take him away, are you?" The look she sends your way is one filled with fear and regret.
(Resolve Roll DC 70,20*: 41+30=71, success)
With a suddenly dry mouth, you swallow a gulp. Dammit, why must dogs be such personable creatures?
"T-that's what we're here to figure out." You swear internally as you stutter.
Miss Berwitz nods and leads you into her home. The aspiring writer sits you down on a sofa as she pulls up a hard backed chair, sitting across from you with a cup of tea in hand. Zerada-Kil floats off to the side, invisible to Miss Berwitz as the Devil examines a photograph on the wall, of Claudia and Bill.
You pull out your notebook and pen. How do you want to play this?
[ ] Start with examining the subject in question, Bill
[ ] Start by interviewing Claudia Berwitz
-[ ] Write in (You'll ask basic questions, but you can write in additional questions should you desire)
[ ] Write in
~~~~~~~
GM's Note: Wow, sorry that this took so long to get out! I didn't mean for this to happen, but I had a friend's birthday party to go to and it ended up lasting most of the day. Voting will be called tomorrow at 5 PM CST, thanks for watching!
Now i am worried that we might have to take Bill away.
[X] Start by interviewing Claudia Berwitz
-[X] Ask about his behavior with strangers, with emphasis on how aggresive he is, whatever strange or unusual things, circumstances or ocurrences she remembers since at least about a week since Bill became a vampire, maybe a month, his changes in behavior and appearance now that he is a vampire, and how irritable he is during the day, and what she feeds him with.
Maybe we could give her some anti become a vampire meds in case he bites someone at some point, i hope he is a cinnamon roll and we can just let him be with her, and not one of those dogs who want to rip apart whoever they don't know just because they are near.
[X] Start by interviewing Claudia Berwitz
-[X] Ask about his behavior with strangers, with emphasis on how aggresive he is, whatever strange or unusual things, circumstances or ocurrences she remembers since at least about a week since Bill became a vampire, maybe a month, his changes in behavior and appearance now that he is a vampire, and how irritable he is during the day, and what she feeds him with.
And don't worry, as with all things like this all questions will be at least touched upon, even if it is only tangentially
Scheduled vote count started by Imperial Fister on Feb 28, 2022 at 11:29 AM, finished with 1 posts and 1 votes.
[X] Start by interviewing Claudia Berwitz
-[X] Ask about his behavior with strangers, with emphasis on how aggresive he is, whatever strange or unusual things, circumstances or ocurrences she remembers since at least about a week since Bill became a vampire, maybe a month, his changes in behavior and appearance now that he is a vampire, and how irritable he is during the day, and what she feeds him with.
"The date is Saturday, August 17th, 2120." You start, tapping the pencil against the notepad. An audio recorder sits on the coffee table, red light blinking on and off on the side. "The time is 11:27 AM. My name is Special Agent Itzabella Williams and I am interviewing a Miss Claudia Berwitz." You glance up at the woman across from you, idly stroking the dog that's happily sitting next to her. "Can you say the date back to me, for security reasons?" She does so and you continue with your procedures. "The topic of this interview is Miss Berwitz's pet dog, Bill. Miss Berwitz, you filed a report with the S3 Help Desk one day ago, correct?"
She nods, before realizing that she likely needs to speak verbally. "Y-yes."
"Why don't you tell me about that?" Your words are somewhat stiff, not at all like the informal, almost casually elegant way experienced agents can get a subject talking. The killer reputation that the Service has built for itself is as much a hindrance when dealing with civilians as it is an advantage when dealing with the supernatural underworld.
"Well," Miss Berwitz says hesitantly, her hands folding in her lap as she stares off to the side, "it started about three-no four days ago when I was taking Bill out for his morning walk in the dog park, he spotted a squirrel and took off like a furry heat-seeking missile. I thought nothing of it, it's not like he hadn't done anything like that before, he's a dog. But… when he came back with a limp, dead, squirrel in his mouth, I knew something was off. Bill's a chaser, lives for the pursuit, but has no idea what to do if he actually catches one. When I got the squirrel from him, I found that it was, well, it seemed drained, a bit like a capri-sun pouch." She frowns at that description as she subconsciously pantomimes squeezing a juice pouch. "It also looked like he tore it open at some point and had a bite to eat." You eye the dumb-looking dog sitting across from you and fail to imagine it tearing something up, though you don't doubt that it could.
"This is the first time you noticed something off, correct?"
"Yes, since then he hasn't acted any differently, even when he's… not a dog." The aspiring author clarifies as she resumes petting Bill.
"Can you clarify what you mean by 'not a dog'?" You, of course, already know what she means but just in case you're wrong you'll ask anyway.
"Well, sometimes Bill will… change. One moment he's a dog, the next he's, well, he's a vampire. At least he looks like how they were described in my childhood, back in my elementary school's safety classes." She replies, slowing down in her pets––not that Bill seems to mind. He just likes being here; he seems like the kinda dog that really enjoys car rides.
"And you're sure he's a Vampire Lord and not just a vampire with the ability to change forms?" You ask because the possibility needs to be voiced.
She scowls, a severe frown flashing across her face. "Yes! I am certain that he is a Vampire Lord and I'm tired of you damn agents doubting that!" Miss Berwitz blinks in shock, eyes widening as her hands leap to her mouth. "I-I-I" She stutters, shrinking in on herself while trying to apologize for her words as realization dances across her mind.
"Moving on." You declare, not quite sure how to handle this situation. "Have you any idea how this could have happened? Did Bill get into anything he shouldn't have, eat anything unusual?"
"No, nothing besides that squirrel at the dog park." The interviewee says after composing herself in a moment of silence.
"Which dog park was this? And do you know the current location of the squirrel?"
"Um, Jefferson's, on the corner of Anders and Deathdealer. And no, I threw the body in the garbage." An idea lights up behind her eyes as she straightens up. "Oh, wait! Bill's not been eating much these past few days, the only thing I've been able to get him to eat is raw, bloody meat from the butcher's… and that's kind of expensive." She finishes, flushing slightly as she mentions her economic situation. "And kind of messy, it's why I've been cleaning so much." She gestures to the bottle of cleaner on the brown coffee table.
"Jefferson's on the corner of Anders and Deathdealer." You recite as you write it down. "You mentioned the butcher's, did the butcher mention anything about a lack of blood or anything weird?"
"No, nothing out of the ordinary."
"Any odd dreams or rumors?"
"No, well, nothing that I can remember. I did hear a rumor about a wererat in the sewers, but I don't put much stock in that." You note that down anyways, might be something for a later investigation.
An idea comes to mind and you reach into your greatcoat, pulling out a large pill bottle, a label identifying it as 'De-Fang Potion' is stuck to the side as a deep red, viscous liquid sloshes around inside. You set it on the table, label facing towards her. "This is De-Fang Potion, it serves as a cure for vampirism."
"Will it cure Bill?"
"No," her face falls, like she expected that answer but wasn't fully without hope, "but it will cure anyone who happens to be bit by Bill, be it yourself or others, should you give it to them soon after. There's only enough for one person, or perhaps two children if you ration it appropriately."
Silence falls between you as she takes the bottle, examining the bottle and its contents Eventually, Miss Berwitz speaks again, setting the bottle back on the table. "Um, thanks for that, I'd heard some things about potions, but they're…" She trails off.
"Expensive."
"Yeah, that."
Silence falls once more as you begin wrapping up. "One more thing before we close here, would you be willing to let Service scientists examine Bill in an ethical and safe manner?"
(Persuasion Roll DC 85: 86, success, wowzas)
Claudia breathes in deeply through her nose, holds it for a few seconds, and then expels it through her mouth––deflating slightly as she does. "Yes, but no more than a weekend." She looks down at the dog, who'd started snoozing sometime during the interview, a loving look in her eyes. "He's been with me ever since I moved out of my parents' house, I don't know what I'd do without him."
(Resolve Roll DC 60,80: 62+30=92, double success)
You feel your resolve start to crumble, but you hold firm. No promises can be made based on emotions, not in a situation like this one. But, maybe you can at least soothe her a little bit.
"If Bill needs to be put down, I promise I will do it myself." You state, hand over your heart.
She shakes her head vehemently, frowning as she stares at the brown mutt at her feet. "No."
"No?"
Claudia Berwitz looks you dead in the eye and that spark of defiance, that steel core, reignites in her stare. "If Bill has to die, I will kill him myself. It's my responsibility as his owner and friend. I can't let somebody I don't know, neither of us know, do that for us, it just wouldn't be fair to him."
You nod. "Alright."
~~~~~~~
Damien came back a little while later with a sack of meat he'd gotten from the butcher's and an almost pep in his step. He gives the sack of raw cutlets to Miss Berwitz, who thanks him dearly for the large amount of bloody pieces of meat she received.
Do you want to ask him about it, about that weird glee he's showing?
[ ] Yes
[ ] No
Regardless of Damien's current mood, however strange it may be––he's not even smoking!, it's time for the next step in your investigation.
Which do you take?
[ ] Examine Bill the dog (Bill will be examined more thoroughly by the S3's science staff later, but for now this is the best you're going to get)
[ ] Investigate Jefferson's Dog Park
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GM's Note: Alrighty, back on track with updates. Voting will be called tomorrow at 5 PM CST, as always.
And yes, I am playing extremely fast and loose with dates and timing, choc it up to time shenanigans
As you prepare to examine Bill the dog––which includes a lot of rubber gloves and rubber glove things, you decide to take this opportunity to conf- no, not confront, inquire over Damien's uncharacteristically good mood.
The man isn't even smoking! He's never not smoking; he's the epitome of a chainsmoker! Something is definitely weird. But you're going to have to approach this intelligently.
(Intuition Roll DC 30,50,70: 39+10=49, success)
"You smoke a lot, why is that?" You ask as you slide up next to Damien, Zerada-Kil disappearing off to wherever it is she goes.
"Nicotine calms my nerves and de-stresses me." He replies, slipping on a pair of gloves himself. "Remaining calm is vital in nearly any situation."
"Why cigarettes, then, and not something like a nicotine pill or patch? Or even an internal drip?" You frown as you process his words. If it's the nicotine he's after, why does he get it in such a harmful method as smoking a cigarette? There are many, many better, and healthier, alternatives.
"Unlike a pill or a patch or an internal drip, cigarettes can be used as an improvised weapon, a focus for magic, an obscuring tool, a distraction, a lighter, and many more things." The Senior Special Agent remarks, once more reminding you that he's not just the weird old man who knows a thing or two because he's seen a thing or two, he's also the weird old man who not only survived, but thrived. "They can also be used to form a quick camaraderie with people, like suspects in an interrogation or fellow agents before a mission."
"Goddamn you've seen some shit." You mutter disbelievingly. You've seen some stuff too, but most of the time it's centered on one of three adventures: the one that saw you end up in Troy, the one where you faced off against ninjas, and the one that saw you get marked by the Mayans in the first place. This guy? He's been on as many escapades as you have hours spent super sciencing.
"The fact that I'm still here and still have all of my limbs should tell you something." His smiles at you, voice as dry as the Saharan sands you traversed in your youth, following your parents as they examined the waters in different oases.
Alright, it's now or never, you've loosened him up with some small talk and it's time to go in for the kill!
"So, uh, what's got you so chipper?"
(Persuasion Roll DC 30,50,70: 7, failure, oh boy)
The look he sends your way sends a chill down your spine and the hairs on the back of your neck standing shock straight. And then, in an instant, it's gone––replaced by the dullness you'd grown used to over the weeks.
"I'd prefer not to talk about it." And that's it, that's all he's going to say on the matter.
"R-right." You glance around the room, looking for something to change the subject with. Oh, wait, the dog. "Um, let's get on with the examination, shall we?"
"We shall."
With Miss Berwitz standing off to the side, you and Damien begin examining Bill the dog, searching for any sign of how this could have happened.
(Investigation Roll DC 30,60: 38+10=48, success)
(Damien's Investigation Roll DC 30,60: 76+65=141, double success
57+41=98, triple success)
Bill's teeth are significantly more pointed, his eye teeth elongated and sharper. His teeth and gums seem very clean, especially when compared to the condition of a normal dog's teeth.
Miss Berwitz said that while she did brush Bill's teeth on a semi-regular basis, his teeth were nowhere near this level of clean.
Bill's tongue is longer and much rougher, more like sandpaper than the wet mass of cold meat it had been before. Vampires use their fangs to bite down and secure a victim and then use their tongues to scrape the skin off and lick the blood up.
(Passing Idea Roll DC 50,70,100: 52, success)
Hey… what if you made some form of clamp that emulates vampire teeth and jaws? Hmm… you're on to something here, you feel.
(Gain Idea: Vampire Jaw-like Clamps: these things could be useful for all kinds of things, from tournequites to grappling hooks.)
He's got a good deal more muscle than normal dogs, too. Underneath his shaggy coat, he's got slabs of thick, powerful meat. Lengths of tightly corded muscle run up and down his body, pulling with enough force to rip someone limb from limb. You don't think that many things are going to escape Bill should he decide to chase them. May God help the mailman.
(Passing Idea Roll DC 50,70,100: 8, no dice)
Taking an opportunity to examine how a vampire eats, Damien gives Bill some of the bloody meat. The blood-dripping mass gets gobbled down quickly, chunk after chunk disappearing down his hungry gullet.
You watch as Bill's tongue sucks up the blood, each bite preceded by a slobbering lick that tore up the skin of the meat before acting as a sponge, soaking up mouthfuls of blood.
(Passing Idea Roll DC 50,70,100: 53, success)
Today has been a day of ideas, that's for sure. And by watching Bill's vampiric tongue seep up blood, you've had another one! If you could somehow emulate the vampire's sponge-like tongue, you could make a sort of sponge that rapidly soaks up blood. That would probably be quite useful for medical personnel.
(Gain Idea: Vampiric Sponge: a sponge that soaks up blood quickly, useful for medical situations)
Damien extends a gloved finger towards Bill the dog's teeth. "Look at the length of them, how the canine's are the only ones that have sharpened to a full point." He's right, they are the only ones that have. "That means that Bill here is a very young vampire, the teeth are often the first things to change." Though you already knew that, it is useful to have it be confirmed.
"Have you found anything?" Miss Berwitz asks as you finish up your examination. Bill's tail thumps against the ground as you slip off the rubber gloves, tucking them away in your pocket.
"Nothing out of the ordinary, well, when it comes to vampires that is. Bill is much stronger than he used to be, so if he's the kinda dog that likes to jump up on people, that might be a problem." You say as you cast one last look at the dog below.
Miss Berwitz nods, reaching down to pat the dog in question on the noggin. A boop on the snoot, if you will.
Well, it's about time to get going with your investigation at Jefferson's Dog Park, or perhaps there's something you've forgotten?
[ ] Head to Jefferson's Dog Park
[ ] Write in
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GM's Note: And here you are, a piping hot serving with voting called tomorrow at 5 PM CST, as always, thanks for consuming!
Hmm question. I'm out free time between cases or when we have down time between long term cases, is it possible for us to add an action of "ruminating" or "pondering" ideas that slip through the cracks of our inspiration? Not like for every passing idea roll, but those we failed to try and salvage or even mix ideas?
Hmm question. I'm out free time between cases or when we have down time between long term cases, is it possible for us to add an action of "ruminating" or "pondering" ideas that slip through the cracks of our inspiration? Not like for every passing idea roll, but those we failed to try and salvage or even mix ideas?
