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[Forge]

Beats hears none of this as he is concentrating

[Not Aman]

"Maybe the mutt had a connection to Jack. Would explain why his hideout is so close," Emend responds.

"It also seems like this typewriter is not something that should be used. I'll be destroying it once we get settled into the castle."

"It looks kinda freaky, yeah." Robor says

"By the by, guys, that tree thing was crazy strong. Like, way beyond Mama Kark and the Hound Demon."

[Drakilian]

"Durable maybe, I don't know about strong. Looked like it had been damaged pretty badly though. Maybe we weren't fighting the real thing.

Interesting note on the demon. Perhaps it served Jack and not Mama Kark. Would explain why it was with him when you attacked him.

Funny, I wonder if dealing with that hound is how Jack got into this in the first place. Maybe the beast is related to your family demons Emend. We should see about properly capturing it once Sarapheen has reformed."

[Drakilian]

All of a sudden Killer smacks himself across the face - "Kelsey! We forgot about Kelsey, she's still waiting out in the woods. I'll go get her."

[Forge]

Beats concentrates on his portal still, briefly thinking he seriously needs to advance space more...

[BerkaZerka]

Leaving the others, the Saint (Killer) went to find Kelsey wandering around, alone in the woods. As she was now in twilight, he could only see her, due to his clamor of the departed spell still being active.

Miguel followed the Saint, disappearing from sight as soon as he left the verge - he also being consigned to twilight.

Seeing the Saint and Miguel approaching, Kelsey ran over to join them. Initially, it looked as if she was going to try to hug the priest, but may have been intimidated by the conquistador and stopped short.

"I got lost! But you found me! Are you going to take me home now?"

[Drakilian]

Scratching his head, Killer asks Miguel - "You wouldn't be able to wait here with her until we return would you? She's anchored to this place and cannot leave the grounds."

[BerkaZerka]

<"She is like me, no?,">, Miguel answered, considering what it meant to be a ghost. <"I feel connected to you somehow... Perhaps like this child's 'anchor' you say. I do not think I can stray very far from your side.">

[Drakilian]

With a sigh, "I didn't think so."

He turns back to Kelsey, "I'm afraid I can't Kelsey. But we're going to be back soon, in two days. Will you be okay until then? When we return it'll be for good. This castle will be our new home, and you will be able to stay with us until I've grown strong enough to help you."

Pursing his lips, he continues, "In the castle, near the attic, there is a shadow guarding a door to the upper floors. He looks scary and he and he can be scary but he's a reasonable enough sort. Find him and tell him that the priest will have good work for him when the spell wears off, and he would appreciate it very greatly if the shadow were to watch you until two days from now."

There you go Saint, doing your work for you. Hell, you can even make sure the brute behaves around kids.

[BerkaZerka]

"No, don't leave me!" Kelsey pleaded, in the way only a child could, tearing at the heartstrings. Clearly, she did not want to be left alone for any further amount of time.

Back with the others meanwhile, something bounded toward the group through the verge.

Looking, Emend, Robor, and UsdiYona saw a large black dog, but its paws and head were largely out of proportion. The creature hurried over to Robor, wagging its tail and licking him his a huge wet tongue. If they made black labs the size of a bear, then this would certainly grow up to be one.

It was the spirit of a puppy that Robor had summoned earlier - it having taken quite a while for the creature to make its way from where it had been to where Robor was now.

[Drakilian]

Saint would probably volunteer to sleep on the forest floor to keep the girl company. Or worse - he would continue the mission crippled and exhausted of his spells.

"It's the last thing I want too, but sometimes we don't have a choice, if I stay I put my friends in danger. All I can leave you with is a promise."

Then again, if we ignore Doll Girl up in the attic and go to Kark's vault to burn the remains we could probably avoid anything too dangerous... though i'll have to waste what little power I have left healing the others when we inevitably get attacked by some minor guardian.

[Not Aman]

"No, don't leave me!" Kelsey pleaded, in the way only a child could, tearing at the heartstrings. Clearly, she did not want to be left alone for any further amount of time.

Back with the others meanwhile, something bounded toward the group through the verge.

Looking, Emend, Robor, and UsdiYona saw a large black dog, but its paws and head were largely out of proportion. The creature hurried over to Robor, wagging its tail and licking him his a huge wet tongue. If they made black labs the size of a bear, then this would certainly grow up to be one.

It was the spirit of a puppy that Robor had summoned earlier - it having taken quite a while for the creature to make its way from where it had been to where Robor was now.

"Nice." Robor says.

"Kinda forgot about you just like I forgot about.... uh, anyways. Should we go to Saint now? I got Kelsey a sorry gift for the splortch spirit."

[BerkaZerka]

"It's the last thing I want too, but sometimes we don't have a choice, if I stay I put my friends in danger. All I can leave you with is a promise."

"What kind of promise?" Kelsey asked, not convinced in the slightest.

[Drakilian]

Killer smiles and ruffles the ghost girl's hair if he can.

"That I'll be back for you, silly."

[LadyZerka]

"Nice." Robor says.

"Kinda forgot about you just like I forgot about.... uh, anyways. Should we go to Saint now? I got Kelsey a sorry gift for the splortch spirit."

"Cute puppy!" UsdiYona says. "Let's go!" She follows Robor with the puppy to where Kelsey is.

[BerkaZerka]

Killer smiles and ruffles the ghost girl's hair if he can.

"That I'll be back for you, silly."

The Saint (Killer) found that the girl was completely incorporeal and quickly withdrew his hand for fear of alarming her with his 'ghost' hand.

The fortunate distraction of Robor and UsdiYona arriving with the spirit puppy, relieved him from the awkward moment.

UsdiYona could see Kelsey where she was, as well as the conquistador Miguel, though both appeared to Robor as blurred ghostly shapes, due to him seeing them in twilight through his fleshless speech rote.

The puppy spirit could see Kelsey too, and hurried over to try jumping up on her with his two great paws - but being in the physical world and her in twilight, it simply fell through her ghostly form.

This startled Kelsey, who gave a brief look of shock - but as soon as the puppy spirit started sniffing comically around her in confusion, she laughed.

"What is this weird dog?" she asked.

[Not Aman]

"It's for you!" Robor says. "Think of it like a gift."

"It's a magic puppy!"

[BerkaZerka]

"But I can't pet it," Kelsey replied, a little disappointment showing on her face.

It was simple enough to fix however - Robor just had to get Kelsey and the puppy spirit to both meet at the midway point of the verge, so they would both be in twilight. That way, they would be able to interact together on the ephemeral level.

[Not Aman]

"That's what makes it so magical!" Robor says.

"But there's a secret place that can give you the magic touch, so you can pet it." Robor says. "There's a special place right here where if you stand there and focus, you'll get the magic power."

"Let's go there!"

[killa_robot]

Watching the rest of the group head back into the forest, Emend gives Beats a friendly pat on the shoulder.

"Don't worry buddy, I'll stick around."

[BerkaZerka]

The group then went back to where Beats was finishing up his portal spell.

Robor took Kelsey and the spirit puppy into the verge to meet, where the two of them could walk out of it sideways to remain together in twilight. Robor walked out at the head, re-entering the physical world.

It had taken a bit more convincing, on the part of the Saint (Killer), to get Kelsey to agree to wait for them in the woods, but the spirit puppy is what really sealed the deal. It readily submitting to Robor's command to stay with and guard the ghost girl till his return.

With the portal now opened, the Disciples, UsdiYona and Miguel stepped through, arriving once again in their meeting room beneath the Washington National Cathedral.

[BerkaZerka]

High Oaks Castle, Great Falls Virginia; Thursday October 27th 2016

The Disciples spent the next day recovering from their first sortie to the castle grounds, gathering strength for the next trip. The Saint (Killer), Emend, and Beats scoured their patterns for mana, while Robor felt it unnecessary, and UsdiYona cleaned out pretty much everything in the Saint's refrigerator.

Miguel, the ghost of the Spanish conquistador, marveled at the size of the Washington National Cathedral and of the city laid out before it - spending some time atop the towers to look around. It was discovered in this, that he could get about fifty yards from the Saint, before being drawn back to the priest's side. It didn't leave much room for autonomy, but it was something.

There was also, the unfortunate side effect of having a ghost literally haunting you - in that the little girl Faith could sense Miguel's presence from time to time - and it terrified her. Though UsdiYona was able to allay some of the child's fear, by offering to sleep in her bed with her at night.

This new arrangement also gave the Saint (Killer) pause, as he wrestled with how to best explain any killings he might be compelled to commit to his ever present 'witness'. Given the conquistador's own background of killing for a 'higher purpose' however, the Saint (Killer) didn't think that it would be too hard to convince him that his actions were 'heaven sanctioned' and 'justified'.

Taking a late night trip into some back alleys to stalk prey, The Saint (Killer) and Miguel lost the opportunity to off a drunk homeless guy, when a gang of hooligans showed up at the most inopportune moment to harass him. The thought of taking out the entire lot did cross the Saint (Killer)'s mind - but so many bodies would be hard to dispose of; and what if one or two got away?

The Saint (Killers)' kill would have to wait (for now)...

The following morning (Thursday), the Disciples prepared their various spells and met back up at the meeting room under the Washington National Cathedral. There Beats had been summoning up another gate and opened it on the edge of the castle grounds, right at the back fence, behind the castle's rear garden, statuary, and pond.

Looking through, showed nobody around - the castle grounds appearing empty...

[BerkaZerka]

High Oaks Castle - Ground Floor

[BerkaZerka]

High Oaks Castle - Upstairs

[BerkaZerka]

High Oaks Castle - Attic Space

[BerkaZerka]

High Oaks Castle - Basement

[Not Aman]

"Ready to play ghostbusters guys?" Robor says with a smirk, walking through the portal.

"Hey, did we ever get a key for this place?"

[Drakilian]

"Who needs keys when you have portals?" Killer says as he steps through, gladly humming with the energy he'd acquired from his own scoured soul.

"You think I should take the time to create another Bear? I'm certain we've got the time this time around. Or Beats, would you rather I enhance your physical capabilities?"

[Forge]

"Bein back in my own body would be a good enough buff" he says flexing the whiteguy muscles he is currently stuck with "But Im good for now, enhanced maself" he looks again then begins heading for the nearest entrance

[Drakilian]

"Alright, suit yourself. Miguel, could you scout whatever parts of the castle you can reach? We never managed to look through the whole thing, there's no telling how many demons Kark bound here that we didn't get the chance to deal with."

[LadyZerka]

"This place gives me the creeps," UsdiYona said. "Last time I was here I nearly got the stuffings squeezed out of me by that doll kid."

"Think that ragamuffin is still up there?"

[LadyZerka]

"Speaking of muffins," UsdiYona added to the Saint, "we are fresh out. Think we can get some more when we're done here?"

"Just asking."

[Drakilian]

Killer grimaces, "You're eating me out of house and home. I can't wait for the burden of feeding to you to shared among the others, when this haunted stone deathtrap is cleared out and repurposed."

[killa_robot]

"This place gives me the creeps," UsdiYona said. "Last time I was here I nearly got the stuffings squeezed out of me by that doll kid."

"Think that ragamuffin is still up there?"

"I would imagine so," Emend replies. "And I don't think she'll be too pleased to see us again."

[BerkaZerka]

Beats headed towards the back porch and checked the door leading into the kitchen. It was locked, but was one of those key-pad types, where a code would be punched in to open the door. Looking through the windows, there did not appear to be power on inside.

Miguel answered the Saint meanwhile, <"I will see what I can see.">

With that, he went on ahead, as far as his tether to the Saint would allow - disappearing into the building.

By the time everyone had caught up to Beats on the back porch, Miguel had returned.

Again, only the Saint (Killer) and UsdiYona could see or hear him clearly, while Robor saw him as a blurred ghostly shape, and Emend and Beats just sensed a supernatural presence.

<"There are two ungodly monsters in the pool room below the castle,"> Miguel reported to the Saint (Killer); <"One is like a giant fly-catching sticky plant, and it appears to be feasting from something in the pool - while I can only describe the other as a pair of grotesque legs with a wide mouth. That one spews gibberish... I have no idea why.">

<"There rest of the castle seems empty, but I am unable to go into the attic. Some barrier is there that prevents me.>"

[Drakilian]

"Robor, seems that Sklorch of yours is still alive. We should clear the pool before we get to the attic, the extra mana could be useful in any case."

Killer draws his sword and gives the heavenly weapon a cursory examination - then, remembering that no one else could actually understand Miguel, he goes on - "Miguel says that that there are two demons in the pool room. The sklorch is one, a giant pair of legs with a mouth is the other. Rest of the castle is empty save the attic, which he could not enter."

[Forge]

"Pool it is." Beats nods to Saint. He moves to the nearest glass and eyes it up, stretching his shoulder in readyness for punching the corner of it with his cestus.

[killa_robot]

"We should swing by the gun range first. Might be something useful there," Emend suggests, as he pulls out his gun.

[Drakilian]

"It should be on the way. We should get moving."

[Not Aman]

Robor nods.

"Spirits can get really weird." He mutters, and follows the group.

[BerkaZerka]

With Beats breaking out a window and climbing in, he was able to unlock the door from the inside for the others.

The place wasn't empty, there were still pots and pans hanging from the racks in the kitchen, but it did look as though things had been removed in the week following Jack Eaton Jr.'s 'disappearance'.

UsdiYona was able to confirm this, checking the refrigerator and finding it empty - though the fact that the place had no power should have been a clue.

Moving into the hall from the kitchen, the team found the elevator stopped on this floor - door opened - again, no power meant that it was going nowhere, so the group moved on through the foyer into the living room.

Major furnishings were still there - sofas, coffee tables, and stands - but the entertainment systems were gone, as well as all the personal effects and works of art that Jack Eaton had decorated with.

This turned out to be the state of the entire castle - Bloom and Blumenthal having come in at some point during the week to remove anything of intrinsic value.

Passing through the now empty trophy room and armory, the disciples headed down the steps into the wine cellar. There, the majority of vintages had been cleaned out - only a few bottles of the more common stuff having been left.

Heading through the octagon room - the training equipment still present - the team traversed the tunnel leading to the gun range to find it empty.

Bloom and Blumenthal had appropriated the vast firearms collection.

That left the disciples 'empty handed' with regard to arming themselves further, though guns would hardly be of use against spirits in twilight.

[Drakilian]

"Well, there goes that plan. Either way, we should be close. Should go for the legs first, last I remember the Sklorch wasn't much of a threat, unless drinking the Mana from the pool has powered it up somehow nothing should have changed."

Killer sends his senses out towards the pool, and he slows his pace down as he approaches the pool, crouching down and holding his sword out at his side trying to verify the location of both spirits - as well as whether or not they were aware of their presence.

[Forge]

Beats, rather uncharicteristically, hangs back behind saint "Ill curse it but you spirit guys should deal with dis one, not sure I wanna be punchin it."

[Not Aman]

Robor nods.
"I'll try and subjugate the Sklortch. Without Mama Kark it would have no defense against my control."

[killa_robot]

Emend follows the rest of the group into the pool room, his pistol at the ready.

[BerkaZerka]

Leaving the gun range, the Disciples moved up the corridor, past the elevator, to peer into the pool room.

Robor, UsdiYona, and Miguel could see two spirits in the room.

One was the Sklorch - a huge mass of sticky sundew pseudopods reminiscent of a giant green and yellow starfish (if starfish were made of plants). It sat half-submerged on the steps in the pool - its many tendrilous flanges scouring the area at the base of the steps like a suckerfish searching for algae.

The other spirit paced back-and-forth around the edge of the pool, yammering non-stop at the Sklorch - which appeared to be ignoring it completely. The bizarre thing seemed to be nothing more than a pair of grotesque legs, elephantine and pendulous, joined together at the top - where the only other feature was a wide flatulent mouth. It swayed unsteadily on its thick stocky appendages, constantly moving, and spewing forth a litany of random nonsense.

Hearing it made Robor and UsdiYona feel a sudden wash of anxiety - there was madness in those words! It was like noxious liquid leaking out of a flawed container, threatening to spread to anything it touched!

The Saint (Killer) meanwhile, could not hear the spirits, and only saw them as large splotches of sooty black shadow - indicating that they were never human to begin with.

"There," Miguel pointed out, indicating the spirits (apparently unfazed by the one's gibbering logorrhea).

As for Emend and Beats, they simply saw an empty pool room, though they could sense a disturbing presence in the area.

As the two spirits were in twilight, the means to deal with them directly was limited - unless Robor wanted to use his gather the unseen host rote to pull them both into the material world...

[Not Aman]

"Alrighty. So the "mouth legs" monster can harm us with it's noise. Can anyone cancel out it's sound? Otherwise it won't be safe to bring it into our world."

[Drakilian]

"Maybe just pull the Sklorch in? We can destroy that while you, Miguel and Usdi destroy the legs?

[Forge]

"Da what? just feels creepy in there." Beats said

[Drakilian]

"Other side of the veil. I can barely see anything, they look like little more than stains to me - a corrupting force on the fabric of reality. I imagine Robor, Miguel and our friendly local spiritshifter can see them well enough.

On the plus side, their souls are not human, no need to feel bad about destroying them."

Unfortunately