Radio

[redlightgreenlight]

I have a few things to discuss.

Firstly, with all the preparation for a potential war with the Chihuleans, our focus seems to have drifted away from the enemy on our home soil. The Cultists...We haven't seen anything of them for some time, but we know they are here somewhere. We need to eliminate the local threat so that they can't catch us off guard later. We can't fight a battle on two fronts.

Secondly, we know that Tu Vishan still lives, but we need to decipher what the visions meant and must research how to heal the turtle. The visions mean something, I think we should ask some of the Kedan elders about the symbols and things that we saw in the visions.

This brings me to my third point. We can't run around on our own hoping to get things done. We need to organize ourselves and work together. Look at what our cooperation did with Zatanna's magic...We did that by working together. So I suggest two teams, one to take on the cultists and one to research the visions in hopes that we can heal the turtle.


[Private to Skulduggery]

I know who poisoned Anton. Meet me at the Hotel and I'll take you to him.

Comments

Radio;

[purered]

I confess, I'm curious about the nature of these cultists. The locals have been... less than forthcoming with information beyond them being cronies of Malicant.

[redlightgreenlight]

I can try to answer any questions you have regarding them.

[purered]

First and foremost, what information on them exists already?

Also many gangs and cults in Jerusalem's Lot had special graffiti, signs, articles of clothing and gestures that others could recognize them by. Do these cultists have any such known paraphernalia?

[redlightgreenlight]

Not really...They excel at staying hidden...

[After a moment's consideration, she decides not to say much more over the network]

We can discuss this in person if you like, it might be easier that way.

[purered]

Of course. I'm at the hotel - I can put the kettle on if you would like some tea?

Switching to Action

[redlightgreenlight]

I'll be down in a moment.

[True to her, Valdis is downstairs within moments. She is slightly surprised at how tall Klaus is compared to her, but she lets none of it show.]

Hello.

Action

[purered]

[Klaus is in the kitchen making a pot of tea because he's so persnickity about it. Of all the things he has a stick up his ass about, it's how his boiled leaf juice is made.]

Good afternoon. Would you care for a cup? It's jasmine with rose hips.

[Nerd alert.]

[redlightgreenlight]

[A big, friendly giant was the only way Valdis could describe Klaus from what she knew of him.]

No, but thank you.

[They were here to talk about cultists anyway.]

You asked about how we could perhaps find the enemy, correct?

[purered]

[His tone and expression darken considerably as he pours himself a small cup of tea. At least, it looks pretty small in his hands.]

Yes. I've heard whispers of them, but little else. I didn't think it prudent to ask over the console network, and then the impending invasion put it quite out of my head.

[he rubs his chin thoughtfully.]

They're sycophants of Malicant, yes? I know next to nothing about him as well, which probably doesn't help.

[redlightgreenlight]

[It seemed she was having to explain a lot about Malicant and his cultists lately. The numbers of those who had faced him were growing smaller by the day. She wasn't amused by that fact, nor was she amused by the problems facing them.]

Malicant was a world devouring demon. He, through his followers, committed countless atrocities. He was powerful enough to take control and mess with our various powers and almost indestructible. To this day, I'm still not entirely certain how we managed it.

His followers are good at hiding, only coming out when they want to be seen...or at least that is how it seems. The Family heads are not taking them seriously, and I fear that they will strike when we least expect it and when we are most vulnerable.

[purered]

[He nods as she explains. It isn't anything he hasn't already heard but still.]

I can understand the concern. Though their central rallying point is defeated, do they have a leg to stand on?

[redlightgreenlight]

No.

[Said quickly and firmly]

But though their god is dead, they seem to rally around the idea of him. I suspect that someone else is encouraging them, but I don't know who. What I do know, is that I have a way to track them.

[She sounds a little smug at this point.]

A way that they probably haven't even though of.

[purered]

[It's moments like these that he's really feeling the loss of not only his extended network of contacts, but the whole team of Libra. He's no stranger to hitting the pavement and investigations, but he was never the best at gathering intel. It made him somewhat homesick, though the brief pang of emotion only manifested briefly. Trouble was obviously brewing and he couldn't afford to sulk.]

I take it you have some unique circumstances of your own? I won't pry, but if you want to exchange ideas, my ears are open.

[redlightgreenlight]

Let's just say I know exactly what to look for and have the ability to do so.

[Although he seemed sincere enough, she didn't know Klaus well enough to trust him with much information regarding her abilities.]

However, if I find what I'm looking for, I'll need some backup.

[purered]

Happily. Where, when, and what exactly should I expect?

[redlightgreenlight]

I'll let you know the when and the where once I know. But as for what to expect?

[Considering who she was hunting and what they had done in the past...}

Expect resistance.

[purered]

[He gives a firm nod.]

Understood. Are you hoping to take prisoners for questioning?

[redlightgreenlight]

[She hesitates. Tempting as it was to just eliminate the cultists, there were things that they needed to know and only the cultists could tell them.]

Yes. We need to know what they were doing with the soul gems and how to fix them.

[purered]

[He noticed the hesitation, wondering just what they had done to earn her ire. Well, aside from worshipping and aiding a child-murdering demon.]

...Have they been doing something to the soul gems?

[redlightgreenlight]

There were muggings awhile back and the Soul Gems were the targets. Some of the thefts were successful, but the gem always turned up. Some of them were...altered in some way.

[purered]

I heard about the thefts - I hadn't realized they had been altered. What sort of person toys with a person's soul...?

[He already knew the answer to that particular question - there were a number of different types all over the world. It still set him on edge though.]

[redlightgreenlight]

The same kind who worship a world devouring demon and sacrifice children in his name.

[It was blunt, but she still remembered the ritual chamber as clearly as if she had seen it yesterday.]

[purered]

So little different than the threats my team ad I dealt with back home.

[He heaves a heavy sigh and... is that sarcasm? From Klaus]

It's so good to know some things are universal.

[redlightgreenlight]

As long as there is good there will be evil.

[purered]

Unfortunate as that may be, your words ring true.