A Call from the Mayor / Culty Callings

[Bluehorse]

Somehow there is a perfect blend of people cheering and jeering as the sore losers. Julia turns your direction but doesn't seem to catch where the voices are coming from right away. Before she can someone calls out over a bullhorn from their car waving their hand for attention.

Bullhorn PARTY'S OVER!!! COPS COMING! SCATTER!!!

Have you ever seen a group of cockroaches when you turn on the lights and they disappear in a flash in all directions? That is what it looks like. No matter what they were doing before, everyone is hopping into cars and begin speeding off, not the least of which is Julia herself. She jumps into her car and gasses it, there is the unmistakable whirl of a supercharger as she zooms away with the rest of the crowd.

Everyone is shooting off in both directions and a few people in trucks even shoot off in a few of the side dirt roads to disappear into the tall grass.

The big guy from before stops directing traffic as a car pulls up aside of him and he throws a thumbs up. Road's yours! and likewise he disappears with his ride.

You're... pretty much alone.

[GreyWolfVT]

Roy heads in their originally intended direction to meet the witches once everyone gets back into the rental driving like a normal non street racer bystander.

[Urson]

Joker
At the bullhorn's warning, Joker piles back into the rental.

[Rex]

Mac

Mac piles back in "Get us out of here."

[GreyWolfVT]

Roy "Pretty sure if I go and gun it that will make us look guilty."

[Rex]

Mac

"At least get us moving then."

[GreyWolfVT]

Mac

"At least get us moving then."

already did if you read my first post.

Roy heads in their originally intended direction to meet the witches once everyone gets back into the rental driving like a normal non street racer bystander.

[Bluehorse]

The Road
In the Rental
September 11, 2018 6:55pm
Sundown, cool and cloudy and getting dark, raining intermittedy

Hope you don't mind the mini vignette there, thought it would be a nice little thing to add since this is the same strip people have been racing since the road was put in decades ago in the 50s. I even made some cash drove down this stretch a few times back in the day.

Roy gets the team rolling again and sure enough, it doesn't take long for them to see a couple police cars pass by. Luckily, their truck is pretty non-descript and doesn't fit the profile of what they would be looking for in a street racing ride. Roy also wisely chooses the drive to get away without looking like he is trying to get away from the area. You know... driving casual...

Eventually, they are passing the large park on your left, and a Gerber factory on the right. Mmmmm! Babyfood! Next, there is a large but well-kept cemetery on your left as you connect to the main highway... Everyone's PKE chirp, but considering what you have gotten used to in this area for readings, this one seems low. A left turn onto the main road and you are passing an old Drive-in and then crossing a large arch bridge over the Arkansas River onto Broadway Street, and just like that, you are in Historic Van Buren, AR. If Fort Smith seemed an odd pairing of old melding into new, Van Buren is downright jarring. Somehow you are now driving on brick-laid Main Street.

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If you get a chance to watch the movie "The Riot Act" on Amazon right now, you can see this town. It has been used in tones of westerns and mob movies. They actually keep a warehouse full of "Movie dirt" that they spread out on the roads when they need it. You can also see this town and a lot of Fort Smith in Biloxi Blues.

A couple turns into an old residential neighborhood. You make your way to a corner lot where a large white house probably built in the early 1900s stands three stories proud. It is painted white and there are large trees, oak and willow, and several gardens of flowers, herbs, and vegetables. One would never guess this was a house full of witches. There are a few unassuming cars parked in the two driveways but there is plenty of room for you to park as well.

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As if on queue, Jennifer and Kelly exit one of the doors and wave you in what is apparently the official of the two front doors.

Kelly Glad you made it.

Jennifer Hope the street race didn't inconvenience you much... When you give her the look the redhead smiles a little. Jeneveive and I saw it... We.... well, you will see...

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The team is walked into a parlor area with an adjoining kitchen that leads out into the garden. Sitting at the table is Elizabeth, the brunette witch who packed a punch at the haunted house the other day. There are other young women moving around the house and you can hear more upstairs. It is a very active home, but most seem busy with their own chores and distractions.

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An older woman, in her late 40s to early 50s enters the room, smoking a cigarette. She is dressed in black and has an oddly severe look about her. Her hair and dress are immaculately neat and despite being home she is wearing jewelry. She looks you all over and introduces herself. Gloria Joliet. Welcome to my home... she takes a drag and slowly lets it back out. Can we get you anything? despite her look her demeanor is softer than expected. Once she has spoken, you get the impression of someone that is more tired than anything. This woman has seen some stuff... and it shows on her in an invisible burden that is taking a toll on her.

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Gloria, clearly the matron of the house, steps aside and behind her is a young woman, barely in her 20s, with a blank white-eyed stare of someone blind. She walks without much assistance to the head of the parlor table and stands beside the chair. Hello everybody, I'm Jeniveie.
thank you for coming on such short notice.

Brownie Point Pool:
Dr. Jason O'Roarke: 187/214 @@
Lionel 'Freight Train' Williams: 230/240 @
Roy O'Dowd: 284/290 @@
David "Mac" McAuslan: 265/268
Dzjokar "Joker" Jelal: 548/550

@ = One free re-roll without ghost die.  Merry Christmas 2019 & 2020!

[Scott308]

Lionel "Freight Train" Williams

Yeah, uh, we were delayed a bit by the race, but we did get to see a race, so there is that. Are there street races out here often? Oh- I'm Lionel. Pleased to meet you.

[Rex]

Mac

"Hi, I am Mac." Mac calmly takes in the group of witches.

[GreyWolfVT]

Roy smiles at Kelly "Only mildly held up by the race, fortunately we learned something else while waiting. But that is not important right now. I'm Roy, pleased to meet you this is a lovely home you have here. I will warn you all the Mayor just recently told us to stay away from you lot. Something very strange is afoot I think. Oh and we also got a small paranormal reading on the drive here after the race is that by chance why you contacted us?"

[Urson]

Joker
Joker looks a bit overwhelmed in the presence of all these attractive women. They call me Joker. He shakes hands with anyone who offers, but stays relatively quiet.

[Bluehorse]

Seeing as how Jason is out for the moment I am going to move this forward while i have a chance.

Lionel "Freight Train" Williams Yeah, uh, we were delayed a bit by the race, but we did get to see a race, so there is that. Are there street races out here often? Oh- I'm Lionel. Pleased to meet you.

Gloria sits down with little ceremony and looks at Jeniveie who holds up a hand as if knowing she were about to say something, leaving her silent to take another drag on her cigarette.

Jennifer & Kelly likewise sit down at the large dining table and both gesture for the guys to join them.

Jeniveie nods. I saw that... I'm glad you were not put off by it too much and that you made it here alright.

Roy smiles at Kelly "...we learned something else while waiting...

Kelly nodded and smiled, reaching over and patting his hand a little.

Jenevive spoke up again. Im glad to hear that. she smiled in an eerie mysterious way.

Jennifer stifled a laugh and looked away.

Roy I'm Roy, pleased to meet you this is a lovely home you have here. I will warn you all the Mayor just recently told us to stay away from you lot. Something very strange is afoot I think."

Gloria thank you. We all pitch in here. she flicks some ashes into an ashtray nearby.

Roy smiles at Kelly Oh and we also got a small paranormal reading on the drive here after the race is that by chance why you contacted us?"

Jenevive shook her head. She had an oddly dreamlike gaze in those milky eyes, but her tone was also a little spacy... like she was not quite here, or her attention was distracted even as she spoke directly to you. Not at all. At least.... there was a longer than usual pause. Not yet. You are going to do us a great service. But not yet. First, we need to help you with something else. There is indeed something afoot in this town. A lot of things. One influences the other, and so on. We cannot be everywhere at once, and people are often less than welcoming to us.
You know of the problem in the Church of the Living God. it was a statement, not a question. I am here to tell you that it is important that you deal with that soon. The events going on in this town are all linked to that point. There is a time and a place centered there that will set everything else in motion. Unless you intervene, it will go very badly for all of us.

Elizabeth has been sitting with her arms crossed before her. I still say we should just go over there and deal with this ourselves... her points out.

Gloria We have been over this, Elizabeth... the matron said with a tired tone. This appears to have been an ongoing conversation.

Elizabeth slams her hand into the table. We are more than powerful enough. It is a trio of old men and we could just burn the place down...

Kelly looked at Elizabeth. That won't solve any....

Elizabeth Do you ever get tired of being Miss. Perfect?

Gloria Enough, Elizabeth!

Elizabeth if looks could kill. But she leaned back and crossed her arms, neither leaving nor speaking for the time being.

Jenevive nods as if hearing her queue. We cannot outwardly act in violence. We can only defend ourselves or others. It is part of the Reed we agree to live by. We also have to be cautious of how we interact with the public. Rumors of the past and bad publicity go south for us very quickly. You are in a better position to deal with some of the things going on in this area than we are, and you are going to play a much bigger role in what is going to happen here than you realized.

Everyone feel free to roll me a straight Cool and I will let you know what you pick up on. No brownie points on this one please

[Scott308]

Lionel "Freight Train" Williams

I don't know what exactly you all are talking about, but I really think burning down a church would make people mad at you. Not to mention probably send you to prison for arson. There has to be a better way to solve things. On that note- what do you need from us? I'm happy to help you ladies with anything you need. Hopefully, it doesn't involve moving furniture...that's a joke. 'cause I'm stro- nevermind. People do ask, though. Can't tell you how many couches...uh, I'll let you get back to, uh, whatever.

Cool: [2d6]=8; Ghost Die: [1d6]=5

[Urson]

Joker
Joker waits politely, collecting the information as the ladies give it out.... until he gets distracted by a collection of crystals that could almost function as a capacitor, if they were arranged on a sheet of copper....
[2d6]=4 ghost [1d6]=1

[Bluehorse]

Joker
...until he gets distracted by a collection of crystals that could almost function as a capacitor, if they were arranged on a sheet of copper....
[2d6]=4 ghost [1d6]=1

Not going to lie. This made me laugh.

Cool: [2d6]=8; Ghost Die: [1d6]=5

Lionel remember that Elizabeth's hand looked pretty gnarly last time he saw her after... well whatever that was that happened when she attacked the Poltriguist in the attic. It looked like nothing had ever happened now. Unlike his own that was still meaning, though much better than it was before.

Lionel "Freight Train" Williams
I don't know what exactly you all are talking about, but I really think burning down a church would make people mad at you... On that note- what do you need from us? I'm happy to help you ladies with anything you need. Hopefully, it doesn't involve moving furniture...that's a joke. 'cause I'm stro- nevermind. People do ask, though. Can't tell you how many couches...uh, I'll let you get back to, uh, whatever.

Jennifer piped up at that. We agree... she looked at Elizabeth who was sitting with her arms crossed. Well, most of us agree that burning down the church is a bad idea. But defiantly the majority. Havn't you looked into the problems at The Church of the Living God?

The team would remember that this is where Father Balmont is presiding and presumably where the Rood is that holds Kindle, the demon that Etta stumbled across.

Gloria You see? I told you not to bother bringing them into this. It is time to consider other options... and not drag anyone else into this... This D.O.O.R. idea of your's has gone on long enough...

Jenevive Mother... Let them speak, please... she says softly while laying a hand on that of her mother's. Eerie though the young blind woman is, she has a soothing way about her and the tempers seem to settle in the room from Gloria and Elizabeth.

Kelly looks at Roy and then the rest of the team. Go ahead. The floor is yours.

[GreyWolfVT]

Roy remains silent not sure what to say. still in the process of moving not a lot of time to post on the forums still.

[Rex]

Mac

"I think there is a reason we are here, not sure what it is but I am sure we can help somehow. But you have to decide to involve us first."

[Bluehorse]

Roy remains silent not sure what to say. still in the process of moving not a lot of time to post on the forums still.

No worries. Take all the time you need. We will be here when you are ready. If you like, send me a message about any actions you might want to have readied or question etc. But still... no pressure. We can NPC Roy if you like too.

Speaking of... Jason has not checked in for a bit. I might start NPCing him soon if needed, assuming he is still gone soon. I have a feeling he would have been present for this thread. Hoping he is well.

[Taaz]

Sorry about my absence, I am going to assume I sumhow was in my own little world until the witches, if that works. If not let me edit this down.

Jason finally speaks up having followed Lionel and Roy, the interaction with the mayor had out him in a completive mood and he had been unusually quiet. He looks flatly at the girl Tell me what you know about the demon, child.

The Cool roll
Cool: [4d6]=9 Ghost:[1d6]=4