Sniffing around a 'Haunted' house
Tuesday, 10 June 2014 23:00![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
littlesilvertipI’ve done all I can without actually seeing the supposedly haunted house. So, after stopping by Turtle’s ship to ask him to call Torn to Rags and Nova and warn them about the coming troubles, I went to seek out Tradewinds. She was at the ‘camp’ to the south. I asked her to come with me, and I told her of what I’d found so far. She seemed to echo my suspicions that it wasn’t haunted at all, and that much of what Last Song Standing saw was purely in her head. As we got close, Tradewinds remembered that she promised to meet a spirit that night, and had to run off. Too bad.
I went on my own, to sniff around. It was a typical home for Kent’s Crossing, in a very unremarkable neighbourhood. Living in this area seems almost too oppressive. I can smell the suburban ‘superiority’ and corruption in the air. I peed on some trees, just to anger some of the dogs before I stepped sideways. The spirit lands were as oppressively awful as the animal lands. I’d burn this place to the ground if I had my way.
The ‘haunted’ house had an interesting ‘dead zone’ around it, where no spirits dared trod. Even gafflings didn’t wander in there, and Jagglings stayed well away. Heart’s Blood and Abandons None were there, sniffing around, and so I howled and joined them; I told them Tradewinds couldn’t join me tonight. Heart’s Blood started to talk to a gaffling, but it was a very dumb one, and I told her it wasn’t worth our time. Sapphire came by about that time, interested in what I was up to. She seemed to think the house was rotting, something we confirmed later. I floated a few ideas to Sapphire about wyrm fungus, but she shot them down.
I suggested a local dog - dogs tend to be talkative to the apes - but neither had the gift for changing their scent to a man scent. Any event, a rat started making fun of Heart’s Blood for heading to talk to the mutt. I went over to try and sense what manner of magic was afoot. Again, nothing. It felt chilly, though. Something was feeding. By the time I came back, the spirit was asking Herat’s Blood for such absurd chiminage I could barely keep from laughing. I recognize that bargaining tactic, and told him to shove off. He ended up getting two gnosis. More costs. Abandon’s none ended up giving one of the gnosis, and Heart’s Blood the other. It wasn’t worth it. Apparently a month ago, all the spirits became lethargic and sick, but no signs of banes. Then, one night, everything went to hell, with screaming and everything, and none of the spirits were seen again. A unicorn came by to try and help. Never seen again. Birds landing on the roof were eaten.
I went to examine the house up close. It was rotting, too. Something was consuming it. Only upclose could I sense there was subtle magic at work. Wyrm? No, different. I couldn’t pin down the sort beyond that. Too subtle. I told the other two to stay back, but they insisted on coming. I was worried they’d get themselves into trouble like Guards the Flame did with her mind being controlled, and I’d have to fight them or something. Still, it’s their territory… Inside, lots of tendrils, and strange fungus growing. More rot. The strange snot became thicker and thicker, so I hovered over it (So much for saving my spiritual power) and headed to its source in the bathroom. I saw…
Let’s not think about that. I recognize a trap when I smell one. There was a siren song, calling me to look, to gaze, to smell, to listen and read. I forced myself to let my gaze slip over the room casually, before I turned and left. I made a joke, when I got back. That helped me shake the siren-song feeling.
My conclusions are mostly questions, at this point. Why the sudden onset? What manner of the horned serpent manifestation is this? Why does it feel so much like nothing? Why does it consume? The things I do know - these are not ghosts, and this is not a haunting. The feeling of nothing may come from it consuming all. It will devour the home’s slumbering spirit. I don’t know enough about what manner of thing this is to pin down the correct course of action. I’m reluctant to tell them to cleanse, because that might just feed it more magical energies. I reluctant to offer fire, in case spores from the fungus spread in smoke.
I talked to Earth Whisperer, and asked him to help with my investigation on the problem. I asked him to sniff around, and maybe ask his mother if she recognized the problem (She is a spirit worker, after all). He agreed.
I went back to the new den we’d made, and after making sure it’s mouth was very well blocked off, I started a small fire to read, and firewatch while thinking about the Fenrir’s problem. My cousin followed my scent trail, and popped up, asking what I was reading about. I just told her it was medical information, and she seemed to accept that. She seemed to think there wasn’t anything spiritual about reading about the brain, but I told her about how learning about medicine can help you work other magics; I told her about how Rune Scar helped Defiant Storm become pregnant more easily, and how that might help Fells-the-Wyrm too. Of course, my cousin was confused how a woman who did not like men got pregnant, so I told her the story of Defiant Storm’s failed challenge for the third rank, her kin-murder, and her other dishonourable conduct.
She kept asking me if I wanted children, until I had to answer that, yes, I still want children, and if I was still with Nova, we’d still be trying. She seemed worried by the idea of kids, and I had to tell her it’s not like we’re supposed to be broodmares, but everyone should do their part to make and raise the next generation. She started talking about it in the ‘Oh, I’ll do it… but in the far future’ way, which means ‘never’ in my experience. She said birth looked horrible, but I said when my sister gave birth, it wasn’t that bad, and it looked better than losing body parts in battle. She said there wasn’t enough time to study and breed, and I said the breeding part didn’t take up /that/ much time. Towards the end, I started to wonder if was trying to convince myself as much as her. Grandmother, there’s been so much talk of children lately.
She asked about my efforts for making myself male again, and gave some vague suggestions: ‘talk to the elders’ and ‘talk to the spirits.’ I used it as a teachable moment, to make her focus her ideas down more, not make blanket statements about ‘the spirits.’ I don’t know if she got the lesson, though. After a while, I added that I don’t think of it of being ‘fixed.’ I don’t feel broken. Five months like this, now. Esther said it’s like having another older sister, and that made me feel good. I sent her on her way, and kept studying. Fell asleep under the boughs.
I went on my own, to sniff around. It was a typical home for Kent’s Crossing, in a very unremarkable neighbourhood. Living in this area seems almost too oppressive. I can smell the suburban ‘superiority’ and corruption in the air. I peed on some trees, just to anger some of the dogs before I stepped sideways. The spirit lands were as oppressively awful as the animal lands. I’d burn this place to the ground if I had my way.
The ‘haunted’ house had an interesting ‘dead zone’ around it, where no spirits dared trod. Even gafflings didn’t wander in there, and Jagglings stayed well away. Heart’s Blood and Abandons None were there, sniffing around, and so I howled and joined them; I told them Tradewinds couldn’t join me tonight. Heart’s Blood started to talk to a gaffling, but it was a very dumb one, and I told her it wasn’t worth our time. Sapphire came by about that time, interested in what I was up to. She seemed to think the house was rotting, something we confirmed later. I floated a few ideas to Sapphire about wyrm fungus, but she shot them down.
I suggested a local dog - dogs tend to be talkative to the apes - but neither had the gift for changing their scent to a man scent. Any event, a rat started making fun of Heart’s Blood for heading to talk to the mutt. I went over to try and sense what manner of magic was afoot. Again, nothing. It felt chilly, though. Something was feeding. By the time I came back, the spirit was asking Herat’s Blood for such absurd chiminage I could barely keep from laughing. I recognize that bargaining tactic, and told him to shove off. He ended up getting two gnosis. More costs. Abandon’s none ended up giving one of the gnosis, and Heart’s Blood the other. It wasn’t worth it. Apparently a month ago, all the spirits became lethargic and sick, but no signs of banes. Then, one night, everything went to hell, with screaming and everything, and none of the spirits were seen again. A unicorn came by to try and help. Never seen again. Birds landing on the roof were eaten.
I went to examine the house up close. It was rotting, too. Something was consuming it. Only upclose could I sense there was subtle magic at work. Wyrm? No, different. I couldn’t pin down the sort beyond that. Too subtle. I told the other two to stay back, but they insisted on coming. I was worried they’d get themselves into trouble like Guards the Flame did with her mind being controlled, and I’d have to fight them or something. Still, it’s their territory… Inside, lots of tendrils, and strange fungus growing. More rot. The strange snot became thicker and thicker, so I hovered over it (So much for saving my spiritual power) and headed to its source in the bathroom. I saw…
Let’s not think about that. I recognize a trap when I smell one. There was a siren song, calling me to look, to gaze, to smell, to listen and read. I forced myself to let my gaze slip over the room casually, before I turned and left. I made a joke, when I got back. That helped me shake the siren-song feeling.
My conclusions are mostly questions, at this point. Why the sudden onset? What manner of the horned serpent manifestation is this? Why does it feel so much like nothing? Why does it consume? The things I do know - these are not ghosts, and this is not a haunting. The feeling of nothing may come from it consuming all. It will devour the home’s slumbering spirit. I don’t know enough about what manner of thing this is to pin down the correct course of action. I’m reluctant to tell them to cleanse, because that might just feed it more magical energies. I reluctant to offer fire, in case spores from the fungus spread in smoke.
I talked to Earth Whisperer, and asked him to help with my investigation on the problem. I asked him to sniff around, and maybe ask his mother if she recognized the problem (She is a spirit worker, after all). He agreed.
I went back to the new den we’d made, and after making sure it’s mouth was very well blocked off, I started a small fire to read, and firewatch while thinking about the Fenrir’s problem. My cousin followed my scent trail, and popped up, asking what I was reading about. I just told her it was medical information, and she seemed to accept that. She seemed to think there wasn’t anything spiritual about reading about the brain, but I told her about how learning about medicine can help you work other magics; I told her about how Rune Scar helped Defiant Storm become pregnant more easily, and how that might help Fells-the-Wyrm too. Of course, my cousin was confused how a woman who did not like men got pregnant, so I told her the story of Defiant Storm’s failed challenge for the third rank, her kin-murder, and her other dishonourable conduct.
She kept asking me if I wanted children, until I had to answer that, yes, I still want children, and if I was still with Nova, we’d still be trying. She seemed worried by the idea of kids, and I had to tell her it’s not like we’re supposed to be broodmares, but everyone should do their part to make and raise the next generation. She started talking about it in the ‘Oh, I’ll do it… but in the far future’ way, which means ‘never’ in my experience. She said birth looked horrible, but I said when my sister gave birth, it wasn’t that bad, and it looked better than losing body parts in battle. She said there wasn’t enough time to study and breed, and I said the breeding part didn’t take up /that/ much time. Towards the end, I started to wonder if was trying to convince myself as much as her. Grandmother, there’s been so much talk of children lately.
She asked about my efforts for making myself male again, and gave some vague suggestions: ‘talk to the elders’ and ‘talk to the spirits.’ I used it as a teachable moment, to make her focus her ideas down more, not make blanket statements about ‘the spirits.’ I don’t know if she got the lesson, though. After a while, I added that I don’t think of it of being ‘fixed.’ I don’t feel broken. Five months like this, now. Esther said it’s like having another older sister, and that made me feel good. I sent her on her way, and kept studying. Fell asleep under the boughs.
