[semi-open]

[boneofsword]

Who: Archer and you
What: M32 [closed to Ginia] and open prompts
When: Nov 16th to 26th
Where: Near Shore, Dún Dealgan - Caster's temple
Summary: Archer keeps himself and his fellow shinki busy with investigating the cult during Caster's prolonged sleep, brings his god up to date with everything that's happened once he's awake, and puts his analytic skills to use.



[M32 - That Old Black Cult Magic; closed to Ginia] starts Nov 16th

[Archer never does anything in halves. That's why he's going to check all the possible leads on the cultists. Checking if the draining blight circle during the yearly gods' meeting was caused by them takes priority. Archer considers the possibilities carefully.]

What do you think about pretending to be some kind of officials checking the security software in the whole area?




OTA Near Shore Nov 16th-17th

[For someone with such striking look Archer can blend in remarkably well when he makes an attempt. He's dressed in casual clothes - black coat over a button up shirt and pants, topping the look with simple black frames. While it's clear he went for a simple salaryman look, he looks anything but ordinary.

Come bother him?]

OTA Far Shore Nov 18th-26th

[While Archer can be usually seen around the Far Shore, especially in the Western District that he tends to patrol quite often, he's even more elusive than usual. If met in Western District he's accompanied by one of Caster's big white dogs and seems more approachable and less scowling than usual.]




[closed to Caster] Nov 24th; Dún Dealgan

[Archer gives his god enough time to check on all of his shinki and do some other things before approaching him. He puts a new, silver-and-blue laptop in front of Caster and drops a CD right next to it.]

Do you want a summary of all that happened so far? [that prolonged sleep took two weeks, and Heavens always keeps them busy.]

Comments

[boneofsword]

[Archer is perfectly content with giving Caster a moment to get used to the new 'toy'. He's also completely fine with offering helpful hints.]

Get a job and then we'll talk. Come to the parlor, they're hiring again. [he suggests. While their boss won't remember hiring Caster before, it shouldn't be a problem.]

[futhark]

Or I'll find something else. [ It was fun but he's also capricious and ancient, maybe he needs to find a different job to alleviate the boredom? Click, click, clickety-click, oh right there is a CD around. He picks it up, and waves in Archer's direction ]

Is this related to that "catching up" you mentioned earlier?

[boneofsword]

[Who knows, perhaps Caster will find a job selling fish or flowers. At the question Archer nods.]

It is. Mostly to illustrate what we've been dealing with. There were several disappearances - Alex' shinki, Yona, Saber, Cho Hakkai, and some others, but no one connected it with the forest until Kotori, Kurosaki's shinki, told about her god's disappearance during the patrol of said forest. Next day almost everyone was ready to burn it down. [Archer frowns.] Someone devised it carefully - fireflies that lure victims and burn at the touch, not being able to use any kind of powers, be it our own or shinki-god skills, and turning the forest against any tresspassers. Deeper we've found soulless shinki and cultists putting up spell charms and straw dolls to power up the spell. At some point we must've passed onto the Near Shore.

[The CD itself has two folders, aptly named 'forest' and 'cultists'. First one has field photos of said spell tags and straw dolls nailed to trees or held in hand, as well as similar quality photos of sigils, sometimes even showing rescue groups. Second batch of photos are much better quality, showing several spell tags and a dissection of a straw doll.]

[futhark]

So the forest connects to the Near Shore?

[ Caster taps the table as he considers the information. ] Have you noticed how the forest of my tample had gotten smaller? It was always part of a big sprawling forest, I just assumed it's how it was. Another temple was connected to it

[ The Dagda's, ironically. More of Celtic pantheon ]

The fireflies started appearing at night even in the forest around the temple. I went to investigate and- well, we know what happened next. I do wonder if there are more places that connects directly both worlds.

[boneofsword]

Yes, I saw stars on the sky once I was on the clearing. I've also heard from one of the old shinki that humans are only able to enter the Far Shore as souls. Those cultists were far too physical for that.

[Archer recounts what he knows, summing up all the reasons. He nods at Caster's remark of the temple forest; it's hard to not notice when almost half of the forest issuddenly missing.]

I do wonder if such connection is natural, or was it created by a spell. Kurosaki mentioned the forest itself being here for quite some time.

[futhark]

If the forest was part of the spell, then it means they were working on it for a long time. If they just used it- then there is a question why it's gone.

[ Sage of the Forest, hah. Trees are sacred- but they're not like or animals. Why couldn't they exist in both words? You know, he'd much better of a druid if he actually took some proper education. As opposed to just listening to the stories of old geezer Cathbad. ]

Or, it's a dead end and it's a waste of time to even focus on it. [ More importantly- ] Humans shouldn't be able to enter Far Shore, but we shouldn't be here either. Maybe something fundamental about Heavens is breaking.

[ You know what mages do? Set rules. Then what other mages do? Break the shit out of those rules and turn them on their heads. Why gods wouldn't do the same. ]

[boneofsword]

Hn. We're still souls tied to this world's vessels, so someone could find a loophole in the rules.

[Archer leans forward to mess with the laptop, displaying photos of spell tags and then showing a full view of one.]

Cultists used these to power up the spell. At least I suppose so, since the drain lessened once those were torn down. This [he points at Chinese kanji,] is ancient Chinese. 'Forest', 'barrier', 'connection' and 'Heavens'. [he taps corresponding characters as he speaks.] The other script is unknown to anyone.

[futhark]

"Forest guarding the path to Heavens", "make the forest a barrier on the path to Heavens?" [ He doesn't know Chinese or their magic, it's just guessing. A throw of his arm shows he understands that fact all too well. ]

Take it with a grain of salt, but I think the other spell is stronger and more important. This- [ He points at the Chinese kanji ] -is just a direction vector.

[ He sighs and pinches the top of his nose. Archer seems to be expecting an answer out of him, or at least hoping for one- but he's a shitty Caster. ]

If my mentor was here, she'd probably figure it out.

[boneofsword]

[It's not much, but it's enough and Archer bumps his shoulder.]

I'm inclined to agree. Look. [again he starts messing with laptop, this time showing three zoomed photos side to side, first of them being the previous spell tag, second that has different writing where Chinese kanji focus on casting out or cursing intruders, while the third one has no kanji, only that unidentified writing.]

First and second spell tag come from the forest - both nailed to trees, but the second was hidden in straw doll and wrapped around a maple leaf. The third comes from the convenience store fire that happened before we got here, and was hidden inside a good luck charm.

1/2

[futhark]

[ Caster nods, looking at what he's presented. But without knowing the magic system there really isn't anything he could do but keep guessing ]

Yeah, I heard about. [ The fire he means ] So that at least confirms there are same people behind both of those incidents.

[ Then there was also the case of fire in Amaterasu temple and security surrounding her ]

Might be the same who wish ill to our little headmaster goddess. [ That would add-up nicely, wouldn't it? ] But- those two might be separate enemies too.

2/2

[futhark]

Ugh, I don't like it. Stalking in shadows, conspiracies- why they can't fight us as gods should?

[ So out in the open battlefield. If there is more than just one rogue god. Maybe there isn't, maybe there is just one of them, but even if- he could just challenge Amaterasu directly and she could choose her champion to fight in her name. ]

[boneofsword]

Depends on their goal. It can be as well a cover to hide internal conflict in Heavens. Lady Amaterasu being a child means she must've been killed before. [Archer shrugs. Any kind of government is ripe with intrigue and enemies pretending to be allies, so why Heavens should be any different.]

I've done a bit of research on that writing, but it doesn't seem to match any existing or even forgotten language. Lade Amaterasu gave me permission to question those of her shinki that know magic, so I'm going to use it.

[futhark]

So, you went all the way to the top already? I'm impressed. [ No, really, he means it. Archer always looked like someone well equipped for this kind of a job. Unlike Caster, really. ]

You got this all covered, keep me updated with what you find. [ What else could he do here. Investigations and detective work isn't his forte, but if you manage to find the enemies just point him at them ]

[boneofsword]

She made an official announcement on the BBS, so I used it. Mind that I'm going to use your name as the one requesting information, and I'll pass everything to Kurosaki as well. [Archer warns him. Given how the Heavens work, his own authority isn't much and he's not sure how willing to share are the old shinki.]

[futhark]

[ Caster keeps lazily tapping the keys, but he's doing something else, he's on the network already searching for- he has no idea what. Maybe some funny video. ]

Go ahead, I need to talk to him anyway. Gotta ask some questions- [ Because he promised Zelda that he will. Amazing, everyone are so hard at work with this. ]

[boneofsword]

[Archer can see that, but he sees no problem. He had shown what he had to, and he's not expecting Caster to start cheking each photo in vain hope of enlightment.]

I kept myself and Ginia busy stalking the cultist I had a small chat with during the rescue mission.

[There's still some information left, after all. Archer knows it's his task to gather all the loose threads of evidence before pointing out the target for his god.]

[futhark]

You're full of surprises.

[ Stalking, huh. Obviously, Caster shows an interest in the idea of a hunt ]

They are human, right?. Do you think they are more aware of our presence?

[boneofsword]

Honestly, I have no idea. He has no problems noticing Ginia, so I think it depends on the person.

[Archer knows it's the idea of hunt that appeals to his god, so he has to include a fair warning.] So far I'm mostly stuck with keeping an eye of the guy. Ginia has also been busy on her own, following different leads, but you'd better hear it straight from her.

[He's heard what happened, of course, but it's a hearsay and not a report.]

[futhark]

Princess is also working on this. I'm going to look into things related to the Amaterasu.

[ How long is she a kid? Might seem unrelated at first, but these guys weren't working on this stuff since yesterday. This was an action planned and put in motion for how many months ]

Going separate paths might yield interesting, different results, but to get a whole picture-

[ It would be best if all investigators cooperated. ]

You'll get whatever I get

[boneofsword]

Indeed. A meeting may be in order. [Archer nods. He's had time to think while Caster was asleep, aside all the plotting and stalking.]

Kurosaki is working on it as well, and Kakimoto had interrogated another cultist. He may have more information, but asking him straight is like trying to milk the stone. [dryly.] On the other hand, those two and Hakkai has been here for the longest. Hakkai keeps to his own counsel without sharing what he does know, so ncluding him is beneficial.

[A war council is in planning, right.]

[futhark]

[ War council, wait- ]

Archer, what is it exactly that you're trying to do here?

[ Are you trying to get him into organizing this war council? Like, overseeing it? Sure he can offer the temple but-

ARCHER GODDAMMIT ]

[boneofsword]

Officially it's your temple. [Archer points out the obvious.] Whoever is planning it has access to inside sources, and most likely can read the BBS. You are friendly and easygoing, so even arranging the meeting over the network won't bring much attention. I'm not a people person, so if I suddenly start organizing a party someone's going to consider it suspicious.

[Especially contacting all those he mentioned earlier. Archer doesn't trust the Heavens much enough to consider the BBS safe for anything, and has a suspicion their phones aren't as safe either. The old gods in general may not care, but the one hiding in the shadow might.]

[futhark]

[ That's a good point. He's not really trying to but he IS a people's person ]

Sure, I'll assist, when the time is right. [ That much he can promise easily. He taps the laptop and looks up at Archer. ]

Did something else happen when I was asleep? You're awfully business-like. [ Which isn't something, unlike Archer, he is a serious dude after all. But he still remembers how they almost- well, Caster was willing to go with the mana transfer bullshit, just to not sleep for two weeks, but Archer ended steering him away from this.

He supposes there was an intent behind it, or maybe it really was just an accident and bad wording but- ]

[boneofsword]

[It's a relief to know Caster does agree to help with the meeting. Archer doesn't know how he'd manage it all alone. Moreover, he's sure there are others investigating it aside those he mentioned.]

What happened right before it was enough. [he gives a one-shoulder shrug. It's much easier to keep matters professional during the raport.]

[futhark]

[ This is some serious work-mode, in a way, it's kind of scary. Did Archer went go into a full "I will obilerate the cult" drive? ]

The forest? What else happened there?

[ Or maybe it's not about what happened, but about what couldn't be stopped. ]

You know, I went to that forest on my own. Don't consider yourself responsible