Astarael42

Ianus Congreatio: Secret societies, horror, and mystery in the shadows of Prague.

Adam greeted Lily with a quick nod then strode on out of the building without looking back. He heard Lily catch up with him but didn't slow until he reached the carriage and opened the door. Only then did he turn and gracefully assist Lily up into the carriage, leaping lightly in after her.

“What was that all about a nurse?” asked Adam once they were underway. He had only been half paying attention and caught a few words but not the conversation proper. His distaste of the doctor had only increased as he spent time with the man and he had stopped listening to the man by the time they had returned to the parlor area.

“Nevermind” said Adam quickly “if it is important you can tell me later. Right now we need to get to Lucie. Fast will be better than slow. I fear I have miscalculated.”

He rapped on the roof of the carriage and the carriage came to a stop. Adam opened the door and looked around, nodding. They hadn't gone far but it was enough to not be seen from the manor and that would do.

“I hope you can ride” he said to Lily as he stepped out. He was distracted enough he forgot his manners and left her to fend for herself as he hopped up to talk in hurried whispers to the driver. The driver nodded and guided the carriage further off the road. Then he and Adam unhitched the horses and quickly rigged up riding bridles on both. A large pouch of coins changed hands and the driver took the coins and wandered off into the streets to find “trustworthy” urchins to help guard the carriage while he went home and fetched another team of horses. Adam's carriage would be waiting at the manor when he returned, cleaned and ready for the next time it would be needed. Adam tried to keep quality staff on his payroll and the driver was no exception.

Adam dismissed the issue of the horseless carriage from his thoughts and turned to the next problem. They would need to ride bareback with only a bridle. It wasn't ideal but his Talent was flaring in his mind urging him to hurry. He couldn't even quite place why he felt it was so urgent but he trusted what he knew even if he didn't quite know why he knew.

When he turned to go get Lily he found she was already there, correctly guessing what their new plan was, she had hitched her skirts up into skirt lifters so she could ride easier. Not for the first time was Adam glad he fully embraced the freedom of masculine attire, though quality dresses did, admittedly, enhance the beauty of the wearer.

“Good” he said nodding “a carriage will slow us down. Just let me get” he blinked once and stopped talking as he realized that Lily was also holding his sword that he had left in the carriage. He nodded, she was indeed prepared, and quickly belted it on.

Adam was uncertain if Lily would be comfortable riding alone and bareback but she assured him she was more than capable and he took her at her word. He quickly led one of the horses to her, helping her mount, before easily pulling himself onto the other.

He didn't speak further, just nodded quickly at Lily and turned and headed down the road. He was looking for the eastern cutoff road he remembered from his study of the maps of the area. Once they were one the right road he pushed them into a canter, watching both sides of the road as the horse's easy stride ate up the ground. Adam spared a moment to check behind him to be sure that Lily was doing fine and he spared a minute to be grateful carriage horses were often picked for the smoothness of their stride. This was actually rather easy riding.

*****



Olivia wandered the corridors of the mansion with ease, despite the dark. She never even stopped to wonder about how she managed to get here so easy or wandered the house so perfectly. Edward was always with her and it was his house after all. He talked to her constantly, telling her stories and playing games with her. It was really her only escape, here she was safe. She knew it because he told her she was. Oh he was a bit older, he said he had gone to war. She couldn't remember hearing about a war at the asylum, any of the asylums her parents had left her in, but then the folk there rarely talked to little children. She had been at her current “caregivers” the longest; yet sometimes she wondered if they even knew her name. But despite Edward's age he played with her like she was his baby sister. He protected her too; even at the hospital. He wasn't able to do a lot from his house but he could help her bear the pain. If it weren't for the fact that he never had any food and the beds were uncomfortably filthy she might have just stayed there. She tried it once, even brought a blanket from her room to sleep on the couch, but got too hungry. When she woke up she was so weak from hunger she felt like she was almost nothing, frail as a cobweb. That day she hadn't made it back to the asylum in time but she had lucked into farmers barn; she ended up eating horse oats soaked in fresh milk from the cow. Utterly disgusting but she was certain with every fiber of her small being that if she hadn't eaten she would have died.

Edward couldn't leave and she couldn't stay no matter how much he begged her.

She loved her days at his house though, listening to stories, playing games. “People are coming looking for you Livvy” Edward suddenly said, interrupting her thoughts. She had just been about to shoot her marble, that was what they were playing to day, and she looked up uncomprehending for a moment. No one ever looked for her.

It took a second for the panic to hit but when it did she stood up quickly scattering her marbles around the wood floor. Had the Doctor finally found her hiding place? Did she have to run...she wasn't sure how far she could get. She was so tired, she was always tired when she first go to the house, and running seemed like an overwhelming concept.

“Hide” said Edward firmly. He knew she'd never be able to run right now, he would have to keep her safe in his home. Fortunately it was -his- home, he had power here. “Hide!” he all but shouted at her, the command clear in his voice.

It was the first time she had heard him sound like a grown up. He talked to her like she was a distraction, it was almost scary. “I'll deal with this. They are...different.”

Olivia didn't waste any more time. Dropping Edwards's hand she heard him clatter to the ground as she took off running up to the second floor. Edward's directions on how to get to a good hiding spot were clear in her mind...helping her avoid broken and squeaky floors, dangerous stairs, and crumbling furniture to quickly squirrel herself inside an old chest made of some really strong smelling wood. She pulled the lid shut behind her and tried to keep her shivers and sniffles contained as she curled in the darkness waiting. She was tired, not as much as usual, but still quite tired, and in the dankness with the exhaustion of tears and other things weighing on her, she fell into a fitful sleep.

It was so hard, so tiring, to feel everything so intensely. She was a psychic sponge, and even those people with the tiniest bit of psychic ability rubbed off on her. It was like constantly having weights added into her pockets. It got so hard some days that she couldn't bear it. Until she met Edward. He was able to take the weight from her, actually seemed eager to do so, and every time she visited burdened with all the energy she absorbed at the asylum, he happily took that energy and each time he grew a little more able to help her, sometimes she could even feel him at the asylum. Usually when she was in great pain. He was there to help her bear it.

Of course she didn't understand any of this, or even really know anything about it. No one was around to explain psychic Talents, or help her understand why any of this was happening to her. All she knew was that she rapidly grew tired, worn down, and heavy at the asylum and when she visited Edward her whole existence grew lighter. It was such a relief. Edward kept wanting her to stay but after she almost died of starvation he insisted she return to the asylum every morning. She never understood why but she always felt it was a good idea to follow his instructions.

***

Adam took the lead on the horses, riding easily he didn't have to focus on anything but the problem at hand, that gave him a slight advantage. He fully opened his mind, letting his psychical senses view the problem from all angles. It was his Talent that told him where to go, his Talent that guided him. He didn't even try to understand why he knew what he knew. He trusted that what he knew was correct. Giving himself over to be solely guided by his psychic power was the only way he knew of getting to Lucie in time. It was clear as a glittering gem in mud...if she used her Talent to touch the wrong thing in that mansion she would probably die. Or go mad. Which was basically the same thing. He didn't actually have time to think; only trust and react.

He kept an even pace, guiding them down a side track that was almost invisible until they passed it, he looked back occasionally to be sure Lily was keeping pace, but he did not speak. Out of the corner of his eye he registered a crumbling brick wall, almost completely overgrown and lost in the foliage. He slowed automatically before he even realized what he was doing. Looking back and forth he slid down and looped the horses reigns over a branch. He didn't see Lucie but he knew he was where he needed to be. He quickly tied up Lily's horse as she slid off it.

“Come on” he said in a low voice “we go on foot from here”. Making sure his sword was comfortably settled he started jogging down Lucie's trail, a feeling of foreboding growing inside him. The psychic energy was getting strong enough that anyone sensitive to such things would know there was something wrong fairly close by. He spotted Lucie ahead in the shadows, a pattern that didn't fit, and quickened his pace. He didn't want to shout out to her, mostly because he didn't want to attract attention, but he quickened his pace. “Wait” he said softly as he and Lily joined her in the shadows. “I don't think it would be wise to use your talent on anything we find in there. It wants to be touched....” He handed Lucie the stuffed toy he had pocketed instead. “If you find the girl maybe this will convince her you mean her no harm, and if not, well we need to examine it later at the House Ianus anyway. Whatever we do I think it would be best if we made it clear we do not intend to harm the girl. Something is protecting her, and I'm not entirely sure the three of us are a match for it.”

He looked over the mansion ahead of them. He'd never seen it before in his life. And it looked like it had been abandoned for longer than he had been alive. It was the quintessential “ghost house” half rotting, dark, old, and forgotten. But he knew with perfect certainty that the girl was in there. He also knew that there was something in there that was not the girl; it was that “something” that was giving him pause.

“Well, I'm pretty sure this is some sort of trap.” He looked to the two ladies beside him. “Shall we go in?”

He kept his tone light but every nerve, natural and psychical, tingled within him. There was so much wrong here he couldn't process it all consciously but his Talent told him more than his non-psychical thoughts did...the girl was inside, so too was her friend, her friend was not a “friend,” it was not human, it was old, and it was strong enough on the psychic realm to protect and aid the girl, and it would likely kill them if they tried to hurt her. The part he was really struggling with was that he also sensed that if they tried to harm the friend it would be history.

“History doesn't make any sense” he muttered very quietly to himself as he steeled himself to move forward and face whatever they found inside.

Ianus Congreatio: Secret societies, horror, and mystery in the shadows of Prague.

The parlor where Lily left her body remained deserted. It was rarely, if ever, used. Like so much of the place it was a front; a fake designed to put people at ease to believe the institution was well funded and well maintained.

Adam noticed a lot of fake involved in this place. He had seen sanitariums before but never one that was so catered to the wealthy. The patients were clearly unimportant; only the money they came from. He wondered why his parents were ever friends, or even acquaintances, with the doctor that ran it. Everything here felt so shiny and polished; and so very false. He concealed a frown as he began to see threads of a pattern building. He couldn't deal with it right now and quickly slammed the door in his mind shut. He would revisit it later.

Right now he needed to redirect the doctor's attention, his intuition told him that Lily was the “spider” who bit the doctor and spotting the movement near the bed confirmed it. Fortunately the doctor was a bit easy to manipulate and he was quickly able to redirect his attention outward.

“Perhaps the child is still on the grounds, simply hiding or playing somewhere?” he asked turning to look out on the grounds. The doctor instinctively turned to look too and Adam shifted his weight to stand a little more blocking the doorway. He wasn't a big man, but at least he could offer a little cover. And he continued to converse with the doctor he learned that the staff had checked every conceivable hiding place, at one time or another, when the girl had disappeared in the past. Adam thought it highly unlikely the girl remained on the grounds; and judging by the nature of the hospital and the staff it didn't seem likely that any of them were helping her escape. It actually puzzled him why the girl kept coming back...was life here really better than what life she could manage as a street urchin. As far as he could tell the only thing this place had to offer was food and shelter. A clever child could find that on the street if they wanted; and this girl had to be clever if she kept vanishing and reappearing.

“Come” he said to the doctor “she's probably not on the grounds but lets look anyway” and he gently tugged the doctor away leaving the room unattended. As he did he casually pocketed a stuffed rabbit that had appeared in his hands while at the same time gently leading the Doctor away from the bit of white that had caught his attention...Lucie's glove lay on the ground half hidden in the shadows, kicked there mostly likely by the Doctor himself as they walked up to the room, Adam certainly hadn't seen it before. He also didn't dare stop to pick it up...Lucie would have to loose it. She had obviously come, and gone.

His own psychic sense tingled a a bit, like having an itch in his eyes, and he blinked rapidly in response. He didn't see anything odd but it was a bit like walking through some of the archives of psychic artifacts. He was ashamed to admit to himself it took him a minute to realize the sensation was coming from the two small keepsakes that Lily had smuggled to him.

He mulled that over as he and the doctor searched the grounds. He was mentally trying to riddle the problem out, not paying much attention to what was going on around him. Even so he caught glimpses of angry faces, scared faces, and forlorn faces. So much emotion could be found here if one was Sensitive to such things. He began to think the girl they were seeking might just have some sort of empathic Talent. That would explain why she kept coming back; she felt tied to all the emotion that could be found here. And it might explain why she kept leaving...if she was being pulled away by strong emotions somewhere else. Perhaps generated by the “friends” she would talk about when she returned. Excessive emotional influx could easily be the cause of her mute state when she returned as well.

Lucie had a bit of skill at finding things that one might not wish found; he hoped it extended to children. As they looked it became abundantly clear that the child was gone; and while it seemed logical that she would return it would be prudent if she didn't. He wondered how long the Dr. would gaslight the girls parents into believing she was still there and collect his fee for “caring” for her. But that was not his problem. He had no warm fuzzy feelings towards the girls parents any more than he had towards the Dr. But if the child was an empath of a sort she could very easily be considered a madwoman, and legitimately go insane with the constant barrage of everyone's emotions. He was also concerned about what kind of force could draw the girl away, the more he worked through the maze in his mind the more he was sure that she wasn't leaving of her own free will. Or rather she was being called by a call she couldn't keep fighting. Did she want to go? The idea that she considered she was meeting “friends” suggested she liked going. He absently stroked his fingers over the little christmas ornament in his pocket, feelign the little prickles of psychic energy, and another thought struck him. What if it wasn't emotions that were calling her...empaths were actually rather common. But there were other things besides emotions that they could be Sensitive to. The girl had kept these two objects as special to her...but they were certainly not emotional things. However he remembered studies in the past of powerful psychic artifacts; weapons were the most common but toys were also quite common; that were almost sentient in their power.

“Damn” he hissed to himself as he realized that Lucie might actually be in some unexpected danger going after the girl. As he “searched” the grounds with the doctor he had looked for the most likely mode of egress a small child would take. Children viewed the world from a different angle, literally, and paths adults might not think were usable, could be completely logical and clear to a child looking at them from a lower viewpoint. Adam had spotted two such paths and had no way of knowing which one the girl was likely to take. Or which one Lucie was likely to take. He would be better off trying to head them off, or beat them to the goal. For that though he'd have to reunite with Lily and ditch the doctor.

“Tell me” he said, hoping the doctor hadn't noticed his earlier swear, or had at least put it down to not being able to find the child. “Are there any close neighbors, or even empty buildings, to which a child might run to hide? After all it seems obvious that she isn't here on the grounds...therefore the only thing to do is to the nearest place that a little girl might find inviting...neighbors who she could beg sweets from? Buildings she could play in? Maybe even caves?”

“Nothing nearby” said the Doctor with a look that said he'd obviously already tried that.

“Well then something that is not nearby?” asked Adam with a mildness he did not feel. He was now cursing himself in his mind, worried about Lucie's saftey...if there was an unknown psychic force calling the girl who knew what it could do to Lucie who's Talent involved connecting with objects on a psychic level. Maybe nothing, maybe completely take her mind over...or anything in between. They simply didn't have enough study on how powerful psychic artifacts affected various Talents.

The doctor told him about the nearest neighbors; Adam dismissed those as possibilities almost as soon as he learned about them. The pattern in his mind was starting to tighten, to glow as he began to see it clearly. Edward he thought to himself. The girl's “imaginary” friend. Most likely less imaginary than the doctor believed. He recalled the man had said that the imaginary Edward lived in a manor about an hours walk from the east edge of the city. That was some distance away but he knew with his Talent that they had to get there. The girl might not be there yet but he had no question she was on her way. Lucie might not be there yet but he was pretty sure Lucie was trailing the girl. It was probably unlikely he and Lily could beat the others to “Edward” but hopefully they wouldn't be too late to help with...whatever. Too bad he didn't have more clues to where the house was.

“Excellent” he said when the doctor stopped talking. Adam raised his voice loudly as he continued “My assistant and I shall go question them in person, see if the girl is anywhere on their estate.” The doctor stared at him oddly when he raised his voice, Adam just hoped Lily heard him and would be back to her usual self when they returned to the sitting room. They would ditch the carriage and grab riding horses and head to “one hours walk from the east edge of the city.” A vague and fairly useless clue but for now it was what they had; particularly since he quickly recalled all the maps he had of the area and couldn't figure out any property that might match. Didn't mean much...maps were made for wealthy people and wealthy people rarely cared about poor people so all they really had to go on was the walking distance and the fact that they were likely looking for a poor residence or small property or even a squatter somewhere.

Ianus Congreatio: Secrets and paranormal mysteries of Prague

Nothing in particular but a map of Prague around 1890 would tell you most of everything you need to know to participate and glance at the myths & legends (things like the golem of Prague) of the area might also prove interesting but ultimately neither would be necessary and while traditional myths and gothic horror stories may unfold it won't be in the traditional manner. Knowledge of the history is not needed but an understanding of the attitudes of the times, towards science, and religon, and the paranormal, will be helpful. In short a penny dreadful of the victorian era would probably be as useful as anything giving a feel for the times (and probably more entertaining too).

Characters possess a genuine psychic Talent of some kind, my character for example has an innate knack for strategy, seeing patterns, and planning. Another has the ability of Psychometry. And the third active character has the ability of astral projection.

Please don't hesitate to ask any other questions you may have.

Ianus Congreatio: Secrets and paranormal mysteries of Prague

Looking for 1-2 committed players to join us as we delve into the paranormal, mysteries, and secrets of Prague.

Dracula, Frankenstein, Edgar Allen Poe. Nothing is so great as the classics, and this story is about a traditional Gothic horror. Dark thrilling mystery, the macabre, a secret society, Nobility, the demimonde, psychic talents, and common place skills. It will all come to play in this story.

Our story begins in the 1800's in the old and complex city of Prague. The dual monarchy is established but the war has yet to begin. The christian church is establishing a strong foothold in the area, and consigning the old pagan ways to secrecy and fading them from the public eye. Yet despite all this push for Christianity, paranormal abilities are all the rage. You can find a séance any day of the week, a hypnotist on every street, and half-a-dozen mediums in any particular crowd of people. Society adores these paranormal practitioners; a party isn't a party if it doesn't have a séance or a display of mind reading. Mediums and Mind-Readers are all frauds, tricksters. As are the bulk of the mesmerists, crystal workers, and spiritualists. Con artists using a paranormal front as a con. But occasionally there are a few that have a genuine psychic talent using their skills in such a manner to con and deceive as well. Or blackmail. Or worse.

Science is also on the rise, but it is not truly trendy, or understood yet. Chemists, astronomers, and anatomists are rare but growing in popularity. Most are considered eccentric, a polite word for weird, but this is a time of change and science is beginning to come into its own.

The city is old, and full of history as well as progress. By the river dwell the lower classes, and the rogues of the thriving underworld of the city. As one moves from the river, up the hill, the classes change, shifting to the tradesmen, and finally the nobility. Vivid and lively the city has all the richness and vices of any great city along side the parties, the society, and the growth of a rapidly approaching the industrial age. Electricity has just come to the city, unreliable but fashionable. More industrial inventions will not be far behind. The class structure defines almost everything. Nobility generally care only about their own; others are beneath their notice. Even tradesmen are considered low, despite the fact the nobility rely on their trade. Only the most exclusive businesses, those that are considered fashionable and “in” are considered of any import to the high nobility. But those of lower social standing often cross paths with one another in course of day to day life.

In the thickest forests on the edge of the city dwells House Ianus. A vast manor that is the secret home for the Ianus Congreatio. In the Ware family for many generations most folk assume it is nothing more than a huge manor belonging to old nobility but in fact it it is much more. Ancestral home for the Master of the Society he has turned the manor into a welcome abode for all of the society's members.

The underground is where the true treasure of the manor lies. Laced with complex corridors and rooms there are vault after vault of strange artifacts, libraries. Laboratories, and work spaces. It is here the society works to study, record, and catalog all things psychic. They debunk that which is fraudulent and study and analyze the genuine. In fact fraudulent claims of psychic practitioners is the one thing the Society despises above all; as do many of the individual members. As the presence of psychical practitioners is on the rise so too are strange mysteries, frauds, and criminals using psychic powers. Normal law enforcement can't begin to understand these threats and so the Society has taken on the job.

If interested you need to know this RP is not fast paced. I'm not even sure it can be considered slow paced. We are dedicated to the adventure and willing to wait, accept life happens, and never pressure folk to write a post. This means we are often a month between posts and it's not unheard of to go much longer. We have a discord room for communication to keep up whether its just to check if we are still interested and playing or ask questions or just say hi or just to check that things in the real world are going ok. It's not required that you join but its a great way to keep in touch. We are looking for 1-2 more players willing to stick with the story for the long haul, even if things go quiet for lengths of time. If you need regular constant posting and faced paced action this will probably not suit you.

Ianus Congreatio: Secret societies, horror, and mystery in the shadows of Prague.

hey look a post!!

anyway I would love a blurb on Lucie's servant as she seems to be somewhat stable npc of notice.

Ianus Congreatio: Secret societies, horror, and mystery in the shadows of Prague.

Breakfast the following morning was a small, but still quality, affair. Coffee, tea and savory stuffed pastries were laid out on the desk and Adam's study was arranged comfortably for 3 people. Adam, however, was conspicuously absent.

It was nearly 30 minutes past the agreed upon time when Adam tumbled into the room. And tumbled was a pretty accurate description as well as looking fairly rumpled. Very much unlike his usual, well put together self, he gave a brief nod at the two ladies, mumbled an apology, and disappeared into his private quarters.

Adam was grateful that Ren had taken over much of the running of the House; he hated to admit it but the volume of details involved in maintaining the investments, member lists, supply orders, member needs, and everything else was far greater than he had anticipated. But even with Ren's help there were other things that needed handling directly, things he had to handle personally, reports he needed to investigate directly. Not to mention it had been long, far too long, since he had visited his lady love. Last night had been the first time in many days he had enough free time to join her. It had vastly improved his mental state, it did him good to relax his focus even for a few hours.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, when he left her flat his thoughts returned to the reports he had been looking at earlier and the pattern he had suspected now glowed in his mind like fire. Instead of returning to the House Ianus as was his original plan he had to take a few detours to check up on pieces of the pattern. If all the threads linked up it was something they would have to address quickly, threats to the Society could not be allowed to fester.

a dragon to slay another day Adam thought to himself as he changed quickly, ordering his mind for the task ahead as he did so. He hated looking so rumpled when he walked in; he took the time to put himself to rights before joining the ladies in the outer study. They would just have to be late, sometimes physical appearances mattered.

When Adam returned he looked a heap sight better, save for a few signs of tiredness around his eyes. Pressed and dressed he strode into the room and proceeded to pour himself a cup of tea and hurriedly ate one more of the croissants.

“Terribly sorry about my disarray ladies” he said with a polite nod and a briefly raised eyebrow at Lily's appearance. “And for my tardiness. It seemed I had more to do last night than I had at first expected. There are also one or two important matters that might bear further investigating after we have handled the current issue. It seems there is no shortage of problems that our small detective group will need to handle. Those however, are dragons to slay another day. I can assume that we are ready to head out?”

“Miss Lucie, I have obtained for you a rather detailed drawing of the child in question. It occurred to me that perhaps the staff might not be overly helpful in directing you to the correct child and we don't want to make an error. I doubt it will be necessary however best to be prepared.” He handed Lucie a drawing of a child with short dark hair and a rather tired expression. “Good luck!”



Adam rose leaving his partly drunk tea on the mantle.

“Well Miss Lily it appears you are more than ready, I trust you are armed slightly as well, shall we depart?”

Adam's personal carriage was waiting at the house steps, with his personal driver, not the House staff. After all he was attending the physician's request as a personal family friend. He didn't want to come off as anything other than just that.

He assisted Lily up into the carriage as any proper gentleman would and soon they were off. Adam was silent during the ride, something that Lily was used to. He was thankful she didn't require chatter, it was a blessed relief. He would work with her every time he required a partner if he could; few people realized how important silence was. He closed his eyes and sunk into the seat to think things over ignoring the city as it passed by.



When they arrived at the hospital Adam was a bit surprised. It looked like anything but a hospital; the grounds pretty and tended, not unexpected as he assumed they would hide the place behind pretty landscaped trees and bushes. The building, however, was an ordinary manor without the institutional feeling he had expected. His eyes swept across an ordinary manor house, white walls, stately front door, nothing to indicate that it served as a private asylum. He didn't see a thing out of place, this place could stand unnoticed next to any other wealthy manor of the city and no one would be the wiser.

He placed a hand on Lily's arm, stopping her before they could get out.

“I know we are coming as invited guests, and as a favor to a friend. As my assistant you will be ignored by everyone, including me, and will be in a unique position to learn far more than they think they are telling you. However, should the situation arise, be prepared and do not hesitate to do whatever you must to keep yourself safe. As you might recall last time I visited a friend I found it to be a bit of an unpleasant experience. I've no wish to repeat such things.”

With that he descended the stairs of the carriage, a stiff proper young gentleman as expected. He assisted Lily down and then proceeded to ignore her as he had said he would.



A footman greeted them at the door and led them through an expansive entryway to a tastefully decorated parlor. Adam followed the man's quick steps never looking back to see if Lily was keeping up. His quick eyes caught glimpses of a much more institutionalized series of buildings out the rear windows. They reminded him of a school dormitory; rows of windows in a colorless building. That was obviously the real hospital; this was just a front. He wondered if they good doctor they were waiting on to meet would be the same way; a pretty front hiding a drab and institutionalized interior. Adam took up a spot at the window, staring out into the back yard. He looked deep in thought and he was a bit but mostly he was scanning the yard to get a feel for the layout and where a wandering child might actually go...people, like water, usually took the path of least resistance.

“Ahh Mr. Ware” said a warm voice and Adam turned and smiled at the older gentleman who entered. The man looked exactly like any other wealthy doctor of the city except he had a rather more pleasant demeanor. “I'm so glad you could visit. I feel at a loss.”

“Of course” said Adam nodding at the doctor “I would be delighted to be of some small service to you, my parents spoke highly of you.” It was a lie, his parents had barely mentioned the man in anything other than an average acquaintance but Adam was determined to be, at least outwardly, helpful.

“I hope you don't mind, my assistant has accompanied me this day” he waved his hand vaguely in Lily's general direction “to take notes and whatever else.”

The doctor glanced briefly at Lily, looked her over with a slight frown, then dismissed her from his mind almost instantly leaving Lily to be unnoticed once again.

“Of course of course” he said and gestured for Adam to sit.

Adam did so and looked politely at the doctor waiting in silence. People tended to dislike silence so if you waited long enough you could sometimes find out interesting things. He didn't look at where Lily settled herself but he felt her presence not far off. The doctor wasn't even looking at her. He was pacing in a tiny circle looking agitated and puzzled.

Finally he spoke.

“The child I spoke of, you realize her parents can't know of any of what I'm about to tell you correct?”

Adam nodded benignly and concealed his distaste. He wasn't sure if it was the doctor or the parents who deserved it but it was clear already the child was nothing more than an income stream to the doctor.

“Every night she disappears. We have no idea where she goes, how she gets out, or how she gets back. I've assigned orderlies to watch her all night...it doesn't help. She always vanishes and no one knows how. They don't fall asleep, and it's not like she just...poofs...or anything. She's just there asleep one moment, gone the next, stays gone all night, morning comes and there she is but now awake.”

Adam frowned. That was a bit stranger than he had anticipated. He had assumed the child was using a Talent of some kind to sneak off but this almost sounded like she was vanishing into thin air. Not impossible but not very probable. The doctor kept on talking not noticing Adam's frown.

“I've tried having our groundskeepers keep watch. I've tried tying her up. I've tried drugging her. I've tried locking her room. Putting her in a closet with only a single entry way. I even bought a scent hound to track her once she vanished; it was unable to pick up her trail. Nothing seems to change no matter what I do. I haven't mentioned anything to her parents because she always turns up again. And that's the other problem. She never talks when she gets back. Just sits and stares at nothing. It's like her body is back but not her mind.”

That Adam thought might be closer to the truth than the good doctor realized

“Eventually she seems to return to normal, or as normal as she ever gets, but along with it comes long detailed fanciful stories. I remember how good your father was at unraveling puzzles and solving what he termed 'armchair mysteries' and I had hoped you might be the same way. I just want to be sure she won't..uh...vanish...permanently and figure out some way to keep her here.”

Adam nodded hesitantly. His father had a talent similar to his, but his mind ran on along the ideas of circuits, currents, architecture, physics, drafting, and engineering. He could basically build anything or invent something to solve any problem.

“I need to ask you some questions if you don't mind?” said Adam quietly. He didn't exactly agree with the doctor's plans but for now he needed the man's help. He suspected if the doctor had his way a lobotomy would be in store for the child and Adam wouldn't wish that on anyone.

“Why was the child brought here in the first place?”

“Her parent's thought she was too...imaginative. She created massive fantasy worlds with her dolls and claimed she lived in them. She refused to 'live in the real world' as her parents put it. When she was here she had no such dolls and up until the last few months conducted herself in an appropriate manner.”

Adam gritted his teeth; how idiotic that one could be considered crazy just because you could imagine. His opinion of the doctor was not improving.

“Do you know the names of any of her imaginary friends? Or where she says she goes?” That information had been absent from the file and Adam wanted to find out if any of the names matched anyone or any place attached to the family in the past. Adam was working on the theory that the girl had a variation of a past-sight Talent; such a Talent would manifest first and most clearly with things connected directly to the person.

The doctor looked surprised but nodded. “She only has one that she talks about at all. His name is Edward . According to her he lives in a house about an hours walk from the east edge of the city.”

Adam kept his surprise concealed. Firstly there was no Edward in the family's history and secondly while the family was one of Prague's old families they were never purported to have property outside of the city. Of even more note was that young girls tended to covet their dolls as extensions of themselves; very rarely did they have male dolls. These facts put flight to all the simple possibilities he had been working on.

“I assume you investigated wherever she said her “imaginary” friend lived? What did you find there?”

The doctor looked surprised.

“Why would I bother? We have enough to do here at the sanitarium and I'm positive no such person exists. Besides how would she even get an hours walk from the city? She's only a little girl. Even when she disappears it's doubtful she could get that far and back in a single night.”

It was only years of keeping his emotions under strict control that allowed Adam to conceal his annoyance. Clearly the doctor was lazy as well as an idiot.

“No of course there's obviously not anyone out there” he said with only the faintest touch of sarcasm. “But it would still be a good idea to check. I suppose you had better take me to the child so I can find out directly from here the directions to her “imaginary” friend. I've no doubt I can get to the bottom of this and allow you to provide a satisfactory report to the child's parents. That is what you need correct?”

“Well, I” the doctor looked hesitant. Adam's words were mild but it was clear that he had spotted the doctor's real agenda. Keeping the girl's parents happy and keeping the money flowing.

“I'd be glad to take you to the child, however your assistant must remain here. Privacy issues you see.”

“Of course” said Adam mildly as if everything that was just said wasn't already an invasion of privacy. “Though I do prefer to have my assistant available to take notes as needed I understand the need for patient confidentiality.”

He wasn't keen on getting separated, not after his last encounter with a “friend” but he was pretty certain this man cared about nothing except money. That was a pretty simple motivation and could be manipulated as needed. He didn't so much as glance at Lily as he followed the doctor to the back door but he hoped she would find a way to follow.



They crossed the grounds between what Adam had thought of as the “facade” building to the dormitory style quarters at the back and the doctor led them to one of the nicer buildings, these all had open air portions to allow the patients to get sun and fresh air while still being contained.

The doctor led him down an interior hall and stopped at a room, knocking briefly before unlocking the door and entering. The girl's room was empty and from the good doctors expression it wasn't supposed to be.

Rites Of Passage (a High Fantasy/Forgotten Realms Adventure)

@jollan wondering if you are still around. Not trying to pressure you, just want to know if you are still playing.

Rites Of Passage (a High Fantasy/Forgotten Realms Adventure)

@orcpunx@Jollan

Its decision time. One of the big ones for this adventure. In your next post...whenever that may be...include a dream. In this dream you see a great boar and a great snake fighting (where they are fighting, what they look like, how the fight looks is up to you). If your character is going on this quest to seek justice for those that have fallen to the dark gods power in some way the boar should win the fight. If your character is on a quest for personal vengeance for the loss of your family/loved ones the snake should win.

Rites Of Passage (a High Fantasy/Forgotten Realms Adventure)

NPC post:

Orange reptilian eyes watched from the warehouses as the children boarded the ship and set off to the south on their sea voyage. The naked, bald, woman had watched them all winter, skulking about in various shapes to best keep an eye on them without being noticed herself. It fascinated her how much her enemy simply ignored their presence, the tenacity of the children also fascinated her. By all rights they should be dead by now.

She knew something of the value of being underestimated. She herself was once considered nothing more than a trash caste among her own kind. A lesser being and worth very little to the ancient ones and the leaders of her clan. But despite that, or perhaps because of that, the god S'seth had shown her great favor. She rose steadily and quickly through the ranks of his priests until she became one of his favorites, one of his Chosen, and blessed with a touch of his divine power.

Her natural abilities of shapeshifting, between her human form and snake, had been augmented by her god and now any and all reptilian forms were available to her. Through meditation she could commune with her god almost at will, and drift in and out of her body. Through prayer she was granted a variety of useful, and powerful spells. Her kinfolk had come to look up to her, admire her devotion, and respect the powers she now possessed. Her dedication was why she had undertaken this dangerous journey from Chult to this unknown land to chase down this threat to her god. And now she had found...not allies precisely...but tools. These children had so much potential and could be used to take down the dark god if she handled things right.

The fool god Ubtao had refused to even notice the danger, he'd probably perish sleeping. The thought brought a sneer to the woman's face. Her god, however, was adept at dealing in secrets and deceptions and when the dark god Eshowdow made his move to take over this strange land of Faerun she was ready to follow, hinder, and stop him in any way she could.

Hairlissa watched the ship sail out of sight before she slipped down the wall of the warehouse, a small brown snake ignored by the people who bustled about. She would need to move fast to follow the ship but she wasn't too worried even if she lost them. She knew well where they were headed.

Once the children had arrived in Chult she would make her move. She sensed the goodness in them, that could be problematic, but she also sensed conflict and a desire for revenge. Those were the attitudes she could nurture.

No one on the docks noticed the tiny brown snake slip into the water, no one noticed it disappear beneath the waves, and no one noticed the huge lizard like shape cruising quickly along under the water, powerful tail carrying the great salt water crocodile out into the ocean in the wake of the children's ship.

********

Hairlissa wasn't entirely correct in assuming Ubtao was ignoring the spreading threat of the dark god Eshowdow. In fact one of his priests also watched the children take off on the ship and had noticed the same thing she had. The children were unnoticed, considered to be no threat, while every other being who might potentially have halted Eshowdow's spread had been swiftly dealt with by the dark priests the children were ignored as nothing.

Kief was an outcast among his priesthood, and among his kinfolk. He let his anger get the best of him once, and killed in a fit of rage. Ubtao's priests didn't kick him out, but he was quickly demoted. His kinfolk had shunned him, disowned him completely. Killing in rage was, to them, uncivilized and a mark of a bestial nature. The only being that hadn't condemned him for his brash actions was his god Ubtao. He was still granted spells, albeit it different ones than the ranking priests. He was not denied his communion with Ubtao, the god still heard his prayers. Kief clung to that knowledge...not quite a priest and not quite not a priest. He teetered on a strange invisible line. It was because of this he was able to notice the threat the dark god posed. Eshowdow was a part of Ubtao, a shadow of the great creator god. How often do you notice your own shadow? It was only because Kief wasn't fully a priest of Ubtao that he even saw the threat.

He was laughed away when he tried to bring it to the attention of the priesthood of Ubtao. And so, on his own, with only a few simple spells, he headed to the strange lands of Faerun to find out Eshowdow's plan, to find proof to rally the Ubtao and his priests to fight the spreading shadow threat. He had seen S'seth's servant watching the children as well, knew she would be as poisonous as the god she served, but for now there was nothing he could do to stop her. Eshowdow was the greater threat.

He didn't like this land, but he had learned much. None of it good. These children though, there was something special about them. They could be allies, if he could muster up the courage to speak to them, and if he could figure out the best way to approach them. He could offer them help, strength and guidance, and they seemed to be the ONLY people still able to stop Eshowdow's spreading power. He knew where they were going, he would just have to figure out how to beat them there.

Ianus Congreatio: Secret societies, horror, and mystery in the shadows of Prague.

looks great. sorry for the delay; been dealing with a crap ton of family stuff.