Once a grand cathedral dedicated to the Holy Triumvirate, all that remains now are ruins ever since the religion was rejected strongly in 1823. While the religion is back in favor, the cathedral was never restored. (+3 Defense, +2 Offense)

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Re: Test Run [self; E] [Hunt]

Postby crow » 03/26/2017 8:39 PM

On the other hand, the fact that they hadn’t found anything meant that there was no way of knowing what had set Jackdaw off. It could have been the perpetrator, but it could just as easily have been the fields themselves. Heck, it could have been something else that had wandered in and died. Local wildlife was stupid enough to do that on occasion. If Jocasta had been successful--- and there was no certainty as of yet that she had--- then it shouldn’t have been possible for Jackdaw to wilfully deceive them. Removing free will was one of the first things she did. But it was not unheard of for them to operate defectively, whether as a side effect of Jocasta’s work, or as a holdover from before their capture. That was part of the reason they conducted these test runs.
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Re: Test Run [self; E] [Hunt]

Postby crow » 03/26/2017 8:39 PM

And, of course, there was no guarantee that Jocasta had been successful at all. She herself had said she’d never worked with a demon nearly as powerful as this. It was too easy to imagine that something had gone awry, in which case a separate agenda was completely likely. It might even have an accomplice, or several. Thinking about it was giving Aram a migraine.

Neo made a thoughtful, non-committal noise, but didn’t press the point. Aram was thankful for even that much right then.
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Re: Test Run [self; E] [Hunt]

Postby crow » 03/26/2017 8:40 PM

There was a pause before Neo next spoke. “Well, let’s worry about it later. Tell you what, I’ll file the report. You should get some rest.” He patted Aram gently on the shoulder, smiled, and walked off. “Come on, Jack! Let’s get at that paperwork.” He sounded almost eager. Aram wasn’t sure he’d ever understand Neo.

But he also knew that he must have looked a real mess if even Neo had clued in on it. Neo was the sort to be blithely oblivious to his companions’ discomforts, not out of spite but simply because that sort of thing didn’t register with him.
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Re: Test Run [self; E] [Hunt]

Postby crow » 03/26/2017 8:42 PM

It hadn’t registered with him earlier today, for example, at least not at first. Fortunately he'd clued in eventually, or else Aram's brain might have wound up a bloody flesh pulp after all. But it did now, which said it all, didn't it? He must have looked as terrible as he felt after all.

Aram sighed, rubbed at his eyes, and hoped that sleep would be all it took to fix this. If that wasn’t the case... No, he wasn’t going to think about it. He was going to save that for tomorrow, when hopefully the sleep will have helped, even if it didn’t turn out to be the cure-all Aram needed.
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Re: Test Run [self; E] [Hunt]

Postby crow » 03/26/2017 8:44 PM

It was a good thing he knew his way around the Keep grounds so well. It was mostly autopilot that got him back to his place in the barracks. It helped that people were uncharacteristically uninterested in detaining him for a chat as he made his way there. Something in his demeanor must have discouraged them, in the same way that it had inspired that un-looked-for sympathy from Neo.

Of course, Aram wasn't the friendliest person even when he was feeling much better than he was, but it wasn’t usually enough to deter everyone. The Sentinels had friendly types enough, and the evening was usually a popular time for catching up and socializing. And even Aram had friends.
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Re: Test Run [self; E] [Hunt]

Postby crow » 03/26/2017 8:44 PM

By the time he came back to himself, he was already opening the door to his tiny room. He stood there for a moment, looking in. It wasn’t more than an economical space by any means, but he wasn’t a lavish sort of person. It held enough room for his small cot, a desk with a dresser, a chest of clothes, and an equipment trunk. The top half of the far wall was almost entirely occupied by a window. Right now it was open, the light curtains fluttering with an evening breeze. The air held the scent of late spring, heavy with new growth and flowers, even here. He breathed in deep, and felt the headache ease ever so slightly. The touch of the night air was like the touch of a friend.
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Re: Test Run [self; E] [Hunt]

Postby crow » 03/26/2017 8:49 PM

More than anything else, however, sleep called to him. He shuffled in, closed the door behind him, and latched it shut before sinking into his bed. He considered, for a moment, closing the window, but somehow the thought of getting up again was astronomically unappealing. He settle for worming half-heartedly under his covers.

His bed was as barely furnished as the rest of his room, but he seldom cared about that. He especially didn’t care today. His headache redoubled as he closed his eyes, and he curled up and groaned softly, but he was too weary to even contemplate opening them again. Within minutes, he had drifted off, lulled by the dull throbbing and the ache in his bones.
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Re: Test Run [self; E] [Hunt]

Postby crow » 03/27/2017 12:35 AM

He had bad dreams. In retrospect he ought to have expected that. He’d heard that being at the Saints did that to you sometimes, if you were there too long, and he’d definitely been there too long. Mercifully, he couldn’t remember them, but he was sweaty and shivering when he woke. It was only the light streaming in through the window and the sound of birds outside that got through to him at first.

He sat up slowly, taking inventory of himself to give himself something else to focus on. He felt like crap, but how much was just adrenaline and bad dreams?
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Re: Test Run [self; E] [Hunt]

Postby crow » 03/27/2017 12:35 AM

He ached. Well, alright, he’d expected that one. They’d been walking in a place with an energy field oppressive enough to be physically uncomfortable. His brain still felt like mush, but it was beginning to be a kind of mush that coffee might help with, a little. He twisted around and stretched experimentally. Yes, he could still move. He was no more sore than he might have been after a hard day’s training.

The headache was still there, and there were weird little spider-webs at the edges of his vision that were definitely not there yesterday, but he’d live.
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Re: Test Run [self; E] [Hunt]

Postby crow » 03/27/2017 12:37 AM

It was a relief, frankly. He hadn’t been well-versed on the side effects of too much time at the Saints, and if he’d had the energy to worry about it yesterday, he might have worried that the damage was going to be more permanent. Back then it really felt as if it might be. True, it might be premature to say it wasn’t permanent now, but it didn’t feel dire. Distance and daylight made the spectre of the Saints’ legacy seem smaller, more manageable, as if they were just real treatable issues and not massive beyond anyone’s understanding. It was maybe a false sense of security, but it let him get up and get on with his life. Better that than bed-ridden and terrified.
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Re: Test Run [self; E] [Hunt]

Postby crow » 03/27/2017 12:38 AM

He was still going to have to report to the infirmary. He sighed at the thought, but heaved himself out of bed, with the discipline if not the ease of long practice. The Sentinels had all types, but it was still first and foremost a force devoted to eradicating demons. The field personnel, at least, weren’t at leisure to have dithering personalities.

People still steered clear of him as he made his way to the infirmary, but this was less odd in the morning. People were mostly going about their own tasks, if they were awake. There were a good portion, made up of academic types and other non-essential positions, who were still asleep.
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Re: Test Run [self; E] [Hunt]

Postby crow » 03/27/2017 12:46 AM

Aram didn’t think much of them, but the higher-ups deemed them necessary, and it wasn’t really any of his business. As long as no one interfered with his operations, they could do as they liked. Now and again some of the academics and researchers did have a useful breakthrough though. The tech that came out of it was nice, he would admit. Still, he'd look on them a lot more kindly if it didn't take an eon for any new development to actually be put to use.

Some said that was the rivalry talking, of course. The academics had their own things to say about the field agents too.
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Re: Test Run [self; E] [Hunt]

Postby crow » 03/27/2017 12:48 AM

The infirmary itself was located not far from the barracks, for practical reasons. The field agents had by far the highest rate of injury, and it was better to have their resting place situated nearby. Aram was by now more familiar with its staff than he cared to be, though he still didn’t greet them as he walked in. He wanted to be in and out as quickly as could be managed. “Here for a check-up,” he said brusquely to the boy at the counter, without even looking at him. A cursory glance told him enough: young, weedy, probably not experienced enough to handle anything else.

He didn’t expect to be enveloped in a hug from behind.
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Re: Test Run [self; E] [Hunt]

Postby crow » 03/27/2017 12:48 AM

“Aram!” said a distinctly high-pitched voice. “It’s been too long. Did you miss me? Have you gotten taller? ... I guess not, huh?” The words were accompanied by the sensation of someone rubbing their cheek against his hair. Aram sputtered and flailed, trying to break the grip.

“Brenda, please!” he said, trying to sound authoritative. He came off mostly indignant, unfortunately. The boy manning the front looked stunned for a moment before breaking out into barely-muffled laughter, which did nothing for Aram’s mood. “Let go! I’m injured,” he protested.
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Re: Test Run [self; E] [Hunt]

Postby crow » 03/27/2017 12:49 AM

“Are you?” said Brenda, holding him at arms length. Not the result he wanted, but at least he could breathe again. He tried, with no success, to bat her hands away. Her grip was vice-like, as usual. It was always one of those things he forgot about her, until he ran into her again. “You don’t look injured.”

“Are you a medic or not?” Aram said, really indignant this time. “That’s not how you should treat your patients! I got sent to the Saints yesterday, for crying out loud.”
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