Aftershocks traveling far (Closed)

by **Arcana** November 27th 2023, 10:28 pm

New York. It always came back to this city didn’t it? At least that was what it felt like to Sean, who was constantly returning when other things weren’t tugging away at his attention. Efforts to rebuild the city were already in full swing, especially with the efforts of those many philanthropists that seemed to crawl out of the woodwork. Even Gene-Tec had put a little of their money towards this, that and rebuilding Vegas since it was still reeling from the damage that had been done. London was for all intents and purposes pristine, despite the rumors of thousands of corpses being somehow trapped under the streets.

Sean had to sit through quite a few meetings with magic families and their concern with the general public becoming more aware of magic. Situations had been covered up for now, but the age of information made keeping anything secret without extreme efforts impossible.

With coffee in hand, he considered all of these questions and worries that were swirling through his head. Dressed for winter, Sean watched the thickening crowds pass through the window. As always there was a steadily increasing sense of dread rising from underneath the city, especially with the resurgence of the local spirits. Little actions and changes that would go unnoticed by the average person but someone with sensitive magical senses would be able to pick it up. As if the very world were responding to the chaos that was growing within this world.

Figuring out the situation was the most important thing he could think of, so he’d been touring the city for the past week. Paying the increased rates for lackluster hotels was a definite annoyance, but it meant he didn’t have to constantly stress his personal portal to commute between LA and here. Sean tugged at his already long hoodie sleeves, hoping to cover most of the sigils decorating his arms. So far he’d discovered enough to be concerning but not enough to push him in any one direction.

There had been signs and talks of cults to strange gods popping up. People were anxious after all, he knew that much but what did they hope to achieve through following these cults? Matthew would have had the answer, understanding people like he did but the man wasn’t here. He sighed, realizing he was already out of coffee. Despite how easy it would be to wipe out cults of these size, he knew he couldn’t afford to do it bloodlessly without any help. From the rumors alone, he had heard this idol was at least real enough to grant otherwise ordinary people true magical power.

In times of old they might have been priests or even druids; yet now they were dangerous. People granted power without the proper training to understand what to do with that power. Sadly most of his old time allies were gone, lost to the sands of time or simply missing. Despite that there had to be someone that he could call to help him with this situation.

So here he was, ruminating on everything that had transpired over the past few months. If any of his old hero contacts had reappeared or if he was just wasting his time. If he had to make those unfortunate choices that came with the line he walked. Heroism wasn’t exactly something he did anymore. No more masks, no more leaping into the vast open conflicts that used to dominate the world. People were growing rightfully scared of things like that, the superhumans that could level their entire lives with a wave of their hands. Even a strong enough mage fell under that category he realized.

Turning back to the current situation, Sean remembered who he had turned to. A man he had worked with for a short while along with a few others who had seemingly just vanished off the map. What his moniker was mingled within Sean’s mind, though he was sure it was The Silver Scion. A talented enough individual, with the exact skills that were needed in this situation. He recognized the mans face, so contacting him through a messaging spell was easy. If he cared to respond was another matter entirely, so here he was sitting and waiting for the man to appear.

Sean tugged his scarf up further, caressing his ears snugly and staving off the slight chill. He even had the decency to tell him where he was going to be waiting, a small corner cafe that opened up about a week ago. Brandon had suggested it, so he assumed that the coffee was decent and also that he was somehow a friend with the owner. The chime of a bell filtered through the air, drawing his attention to the front door? His memory was a little fuzzy so he wasn’t sure if that was the person he was looking for, so Sean just waited.

by **Pinnacle** November 29th 2023, 8:58 pm

Israel Knight walked through the front door of the coffee shop, nodding to the barrista before looking in Arcana's direction, having seen him from outside prior to coming in.

He wasn't quite a regular there, but he had met a few other metahumans there previously over hot cocoa and knew the owner. In fact, one of those metahumans had attempted to steal his wallet; a sugar powered speedster who went by the moniker "Sugar Rush" oddly enough.

After coming in, he made his way over to Arcana, extending a hand for a handshake. Regardless of whether or not the gesture was excepted, he sat thereafter.

"Good to see you again. It's been a while indeed. In fact, I believe we last met briefly when a self-proclaimed Sun Goddess was attacking New York. How have you been?"

by **Arcana** December 2nd 2023, 6:23 pm

Sean squinted, studying the man and outstretched hand before him. The way he carried himself and manner of speaking was familiar enough. This was who he was waiting for, unless he was dealing with a stranger that happened to know his hero identity and approached him out of seemingly nowhere. No, that wasn’t what was happening here.

Sean offers a slight smile and accepts the hand, giving it a firm shake. It felt like eons since he last put himself into the world of heroism like this, if that was what it could be called. He was sure others were investigating these shadowy tendrils across the nation, yet despite that New York needed someone to show attention. The local, reigning magic family had been thrown into disarray recently with the attack from Amaterasu damaging so much of the city.

”it’s all about branding these days,” It was always about that wasn’t it? He motioned for the man to take a seat across from him. Another sip from his drink and the feeling of something clinging to the sparse cluster of hair on his upper lip. ”I’ve been...that’s a complicated story. I do wish Zell were less busy with...whatever it is he does but I didn’t come here to talk about my marriage I guess,” He sighs, gathering what words he could.

How could one explain something like this?

Cults were nothing new to the world, they existed as long as the human race did really. Micro-religions formed by a new divinity coming along, though humanity had started taking more skeptical opinions on them. ”I’ve been following an interesting lead lately, one I’m not too confident on dealing with alone.” He studies the man, trying to read what reactions he could get from that statement.

”Lately there have been a rush of metahuman crime and terrorist attacks lately, some on a scale large enough to cause international panic,” Even before he started mentioning this, Sean had weaved a few runes under the table, something to divert the attention of those not meant for this conversation. A simple enough glamour that those without a lick of magical knowledge or talent would fall for it easily. Attention was not something they needed for this. ”I’ve been following a cult, one that I believe are cooperating with the ones responsible for London and Vegas,” He was sure that was interesting enough information for the man across from him.

”Tried contacting as many of my old allies as I could but you’re the only one who really answered. Was hoping you would be willing to help.”

by **Pinnacle** December 2nd 2023, 7:17 pm

At Arcana's words, Israel's countenance bore an air of keen curiosity, his manner being that of one poised to absorb every nuance and detail woven into the gravity of the unfolding conversation. The subtle undercurrent of urgency and resolve that permeated the air only served to heighten this sense of purpose and determination, compelling him to lend an attentive ear (so to speak) to Arcana's revelations.

Noting the discreet glyph that materialized under the table, Israel's perceptive zero-point "gaze" registered the subtle interplay of magic and manipulation; meticulous safeguards woven into the fabric of their clandestine exchange. While the intricate web of runes hinted at the depth of Arcana's proficiency, Israel refrained from overt acknowledgement, recognizing the implicit necessity for discretion and vigilance that underscored their conversation.

"I'd be happy to help, of course. Is there any other information you can give? I must say that such a thing has eluded my attention in my absence."

by **Arcana** December 2nd 2023, 9:52 pm

”A lot of things go on that people don’t really notice,” He says this off-handedly, wondering how many of this cities heroes just walk past the very dangers they tried to stop. These weren’t exactly costumed crazies hoping to cause issues for the fun of it. How much would this man understand or even appreciate the gravity of the situation? Sean wasn’t even sure he really understood what he was dealing with; despite that, he knew it was nothing good. It was enough to make someone lose sleep over it, hence his coffee in hand. Black coffee just wasn’t his usual drink of choice, yet here he was sipping down the bitter bew.

”They’re a recent thing. The kind of cult that preys on the deserperate and deplorable mostly, Those that seek to..change the way of things, though I can’t say I really agree with the methods,” He paused, trying to think of a better way to describe things, but the verbose way others would do things didn’t really fit with him. ”It’s a doomsday religion.” That felt better, just saying it out loud without any pretense or honying the words.

”A portion of the members are survivors of metahuman tragedies. Most have similar stories, lost families, and things like that. A pretty shitty way of doing things but can’t deny it has some logic to it,” He frowns, brows furrowed and eyes glancing down at the table. ”They call themselves The Starless Night. It's pretty underground; the average person probably hasn’t really heard of it. I don’t know much about their doctrine specifically or what they worship, but I do know the power it gives is very real. Clerics and priests with genuine magic. It’s the kind of thing you don’t see alot of lately,” He tried to explain it the best he could and in ways that made sense.

”What do you think about this?”

by **Pinnacle** December 2nd 2023, 10:35 pm

"Not a great situation." Israel said as he interlaced his fingers and rested his chin on the lattice they formed. "I've dealt with cults before, unfortunately. Are we talking a standard doomsday cult or a 'summons an eldritch horror every Friday' doomsday cult?" He asked, glancing out the window at the civilian traffic.

Outside the cozy confines of the coffee shop, New York's traffic buzzed with its characteristic energy. The honking of car horns echoed through the streets, punctuating the air with bursts of sound as vehicles jostled for position in the bustling city. Taxis weaved through the lanes, their vibrant yellow exteriors standing out amidst the sea of cars. Pedestrians navigated the sidewalks, their hurried footsteps adding to the rhythm of the city, while the occasional screech of brakes added a sense of urgency to the urban symphony.

Amidst the cacophony of urban life, the snow-covered streets glistened beneath the glow of streetlights, lending a touch of Christmas cheer to the frenetic scene. That said, the occasional siren of emergency vehicles pierced through the din; a reminder of the city's constant motion and the hidden stories unfolding within its concrete embrace. As the coffee shop patrons savored their warm beverages and engaged in conversation, the city outside continued its ceaseless dance, and somewhere within its steps were those of the cult.

'Tis the season. Israel thought to himself a bit sardonically.

by **Arcana** December 2nd 2023, 11:27 pm

”Bit of column A and a bit of column B.” Gathering information without being in the inner circle was a difficult task. He had scant information about their divines, nothing that had connected information with it. Despite having a library of almost all occult information in this world, he couldn’t find any mention of what he was working with. ”All I can tell you about their divines is that they go by The Court of Shadows. A little bit of a pretentious name but it’s something,” The one he was really concerned with was a god they called The Nocturne King. It had a sort of foreboding kind of name that just made him feel anxious.

”I’ll be honest, it all reeks of something i’ve dealt with before. I can't say for sure but that’s why I called you out here,” The coffee cup was empty now, leaving him sucking up the last few bitter drops from the cup before crushing it in his hand. There was so much going on, and he didn’t even really know half of it. Threads of the unknown were spreading out underneath his feet and all around him, weakening the roots of this very world. How did Zell deal with things like this?

The people of this city were just too ignorant of what went on around them. Was that such a bad thing? He really wondered, considering how much tragedy came with that lack of knowledge. Sean rose from his seat, tossing the cup into an open trash can. ”We need to be careful here. I don’t know what kind of damage could happen if we don’t deal with this quick. Not something I want to think about too much,” His lips curled down into a frown, a shudder working its way up his back. New York had enough of its tragedies—mass destruction that left entire boroughs in ruin.

”I managed to scope out a meeting that’s taking place about an hour from now. The times are loose, so I could be off or early there. I’m hoping to sneak in and find out who the leader is, deal with them and hopefully smash this branch of the cult,”There had to be more, so many more and Sean didn’t even have a full grasp. There were even whispers that one had been started in London, full of would ne necromancers trying to either revive loved ones or raise small squads of the undead deep in the tunnels now formed under the city. ”You ever do a little infiltration in your time? He lead the hero out onto the sidewalk, relying on the glamour still clinging to them to hide their conversation.

by **Pinnacle** December 4th 2023, 5:55 pm

Israel listened intently to Arcana, nodding at semi-regular intervals in response to each new piece of information. The Court of Shadows was a new name to Israel as well, and he was interested to learn more about it when he could find the time, albeit after this mission was complete.

When the man rose from his seat, Israel followed suit, leaving behind payment and a generous (In his opinion at least) tip for the both of them if Sean hadn't paid yet, then walking behind Sean as he headed towards the frost-silvered street beyond the café's front entrance.

As the bell signaled their departure, Israel looked back to the shop owner momentarily to both mouth and sign "thank you" in American Sign Language just before leaving.

As they stepped out onto the sidewalk, Arcana posed a question: ”You ever do a little infiltration in your time?"

Israel nodded, blinking out of view briefly as he turned invisible, then visible again. "I can also maintain a bubble of silence for us, if needed. I presume you can turn invisible on your own, but I could also assist with that as well."

by **Arcana** December 5th 2023, 11:33 pm

He never knew how to deal with the man. Looking back, he noted the wad of money set on the table, arcing a brow at the motion. He paid for his drink, didn’t he? Sean wondered that but, in the end, pushed the concept to the back of his mind, thinking of more important concepts. Such as a cult that might desire to destroy the world as it is. It was all about changing the current into something new after all.

”Any invisibility I can make might not cut it. Not sure most would honestly, if they’re dealing with a legit divine being,” He’d read stories of them possessing sight that pierced through falsehoods. Glimpsing through glamours, invisibility and even seeing the true form of shapeshifters. Even now he was referencing what his store of knowledge said about the matter.

Divinity was annoying.

They always seemed to havew a hand up coimpared to the average meta or even supernatural problem. ”We’ll be going in blind. Theres no real certainty in what we’ll be dealing with, and it could be more than either of us could deal with.” The two winded through the streets of New York, weaving around pedestrians who had no idea what they were talking about.

”We’ll be doing things mundanely. Disguises and acting the part, whatever that might entail. I hear they aren’t really cloaks and hooked knives with their recruitments, so we should be fine,” He paused for a few moments, the sound of the city swirling around them. ”Is there anything you can't do?” He queried this with a faint smirk, looking up to Israel as if not expecting him to answer.

by **Pinnacle** December 6th 2023, 1:19 am

”Any invisibility I can make might not cut it. Not sure most would honestly, if they’re dealing with a legit divine being. We’ll be going in blind. There's no real certainty in what we’ll be dealing with, and it could be more than either of us could deal with.” Sean said as the two wound through New York City streets.

"If they truly have a divine on their side with that kind of power, I daresay mundane disguises wouldn't work either, but I will trust your judgement in this regard." Israel responded sincerely.

”... Is there anything you can't do?” Sean asked presently.

Israel was genuinely a bit surprised at the question, rhetorical or no. "Plenty, although I can manage quite a lot of structural things. The effects of invisibility, for instance, can be produced through the simple application of science. Allowing light to pass through you, absorbing it and projecting it in precise ways, or simply placing a veil in front of someone who is looking for you such that you alter what light reaches their eyes, like a perception filter. If it can be scienced though, I can probably do it, so long as I know how." Israel replied honestly.

"My abilities are of a quantum nature, which is to say a spiritual-cognitive nature though; if we truly are dealing with a divinity here, I might be a liability to you. My very nature makes me a bit of a beacon on the planes that they tend to operate in."

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