Listening to the findings Feb replies, "Does it say anything about the actual security of the building? Anything about security systems, traps, etc."

@Feb

PocSec in hand, you cross reference some info on the local A-zone neighborhoods with the buildings on Pacheco Street…

10:55, Today: Mr. Johnson, on behalf of Feb, rolled 9 using 2d6. Weak success

Unsurprisingly middle class homes don’t have traps or active security. This ain’t Grandad’s back forty deepweed plantation after all. There is however a camera system that watches public areas like the hallway and elevator. The door to the underground car park is alarmed and can only be accessed with a key fob.

You find something useful but pulling this info together takes the rest of the ride. You can’t ask any more questions.

Rachel will summon a windspirit to scout ahead for us. While she enjoys the ride.




11:16, Today: Firebird rolled 11 using 2d6+1.  Summon skywatcher.

Yes, great success.


GM Edit: In this game, I roll dice.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:34, Wed 11 Oct 2023.

@Firebird

A shaman of Phoenix must sing to summon her spirits, she does not rest and enjoy the ride…

Conjure 12:24, Today: Mr. Johnson, on behalf of Firebird, rolled 7 using 2d6+1. Weak success

Peering into the astral as your song takes form, a being of light and wind answers your call.  As it manifests, a wave of exhaustion passes over you (Take 1 Harm (stun)), but you hold on to the spirit (a sky watcher).

Firebird [/] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] - Essence 5

the wind carries your song and answers back

You have one service. What do you bid the spirit do?

"Fly ahead and watch the place."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:56, Wed 11 Oct 2023.

@ Feb

Studying the faces of the opposition Michael commits them to memory. “Well, at least we know what they look like.”

@Firebird

Watching the spirit being summoned by Firebird and sent on ahead Michael nods with a smile towards her. “I guess that’s my queue. I go ahead and take a look as well. See you soon.”Turning to the driver he joking says, “Don’t take too long in traffic now.” Michael then leans back into the cushions of the backseat and rests his head against the shoulder seat belt strap; closing his eyes….
This message was last edited by the player at 21:14, Wed 11 Oct 2023.

The song she sings is some Greek orthodox song about how Th Lord watches over us. a lyric rendition of Psalm 23. Every reference to the Lord replaced with Phoenix and pronouns replaced with feminine.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:15, Wed 11 Oct 2023.

@Firebird: as the song singer says it will be done The words flood into your mind as the spirit speeds off into the distance.

---

@Michael: you slip loose of your physical boundaries and find it is difficult to tell if you are being observed or not. The car is in traffic after all, so there really isn’t much to check on.

The little sky spirit is gone like a shot with you in tow. It takes less than a second to get to the condo. Unsurprisingly the walls, glass, metal and concrete are all flat and dead grays, lifeless reflections of their physical properties on the aetheric plane.

Check the Situation 17:52, Today: Mr. Johnson, on behalf of Michael, rolled 9 using 2d6+1.  Weak success

But as you approach the building you notice the glow of magic. Wards, several of them, surrounding the grounds and concentrated on the condo where Cranmore is probably hold-up. Looks like the spell-slinger is being careful and has used the past few days to prepare.

Edge bump this roll to ask two questions of your choice or learn one useful fact that I will provide.

---

@Neko: traffic is about what you would expect on a weekday morning as you turn off Lincoln onto Sunset. You’re probably about fifteen minutes out unless you push it.

---

@Feb: while no magician, your talents do allow you to slip into the astral. Are you staying on the mundane plane, or flitting off after Michael?

Neko sighs quietly as she weaves through traffic, while her passengers summon spirits, astrally project and who knows what other kind of magical hoodoo.

"Alright, you all do your thing... just don't take too long, because we're almost to the target."

Rachel dismisses the skywatcher in song.


"Bye bye bye Ms Skywatcher."

To the tune of American Pie.

GM Edit: action cancelled
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:03, Thu 12 Oct 2023.

In reply to Firebird (msg # 59):

@Firebird - Why have you suddenly dismissed your Watcher? It has just left and has not completed the task you gave it.
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:42, Thu 12 Oct 2023.

In reply to Mr. Johnson (msg # 60):

I thought it had finished. The Mage was getting aura signatures and the  Sky Watcher wasn't.

In reply to Firebird (msg # 61):

The Watcher was told to watch the place. I presume until you arrived and got a report on what it had found? So it is watching.

At any rate, Firebird knows nothing about the aura signatures Michael is seeing. Firebird is still in the car, somewhere near the turn from Lincoln into Sunset which puts you about 12 blocks away from where Michael sees the wards. Please try to avoid taking actions on info that is meant for other PCs.

Michael will edge bump for a useful fact

@Michael. high above the building, you notice the glow of living energy. Almost the same patterns as the little spirit that you followed here. An air elemental watcher hovers over the building.

You know this will complicate matters. The aura of Firebird’s watcher glows with life against the dead gray walls of the condo and mini-mall next door. Your own aura resonates with mystical energy. You have only a moment before you or the watcher are noticed.

Option one: You are fast enough that you may escape undetected. Firebird’s Watcher is simply hovering and… well, watching, just as it was instructed… so you can’t be certain what the air elemental will do when it notices the sky spirit.

Option two: if you are quick, perhaps you could banish the elemental before it has a chance to report back to its master.

Or something else?

In reply to Mr. Johnson (msg # 62):
can we just say I didn't  send it away then?

In reply to Firebird (msg # 65):

yes, your watcher is still at the condo

Option 3: Michael will try to take control of the air spirit on the roof. If that fails he will follow the air spirit in the hope it knows a way through the wards. Otherwise he will banish the air spirit.

@Michael: Got it… smashing together a couple rounds of combat to get past this and get the others involved.

With no time to spare, you lunge toward the air elemental (nuisance). Speaking the ancient words of power given to humanity by Hermes Trismegistus…

Banish 00:20, Today: Mr. Johnson, on behalf of Michael, rolled 9 using 2d6+1.weak success

…and the elemental is held by your power. It struggles against your will, and for a moment you feel like you may break (Take 1 Harm (stun)) but you hold. Continuing your litany, forcing your will to supplant the will of the mage that summoned the elemental…

Banish 00:21, Today: Mr. Johnson, on behalf of Michael, rolled 13 using 2d6+1 ((6,6)). BOXCARS! something good happens.

…and the spirit succumbs to your control.

from the watchtower of the east, the air heeds your call

You have control. How much Essence will you invest in the spirit. Each Essence you spend gains one service. You must spend at least 1 Essence to hold the spirit here.

PS: there is no move to take control of a spirit… but the boxcars have spoken!
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:43, Thu 12 Oct 2023.

Michael will invest 3 Essence in the air spirit now under his control. Unless forced into a combat situation Michael will wait for the rest of the team to arrive at the condo.

Security Tally: 1

Feb [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] / Edge 3
Firebird [/] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] / Edge 3 / Essence 5
Michael [/] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] / Edge 2 / Essence 3
Neko [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] / Edge 4

Status report: With the air elemental firmly under Michael’s control, you’re confident that the team arrives undetected, Neko being sure to park the car discreetly, maybe a few blocks away. The first layer of Cranmore’s security seems to be breached and their active early warning system is pwned. Firebird’s sky spirit adds a layer of surveillance on the target building. The wards around the condo are still a concern and you have no way of knowing who is on the other end of the cameras that Feb’s research has uncovered.

The team has arrived at the condo. What is the plan?

While waiting for the rest of the team to arrive at the condo Michael discreetly investigates the wards around the condo for a way inside…..

@Michael: whoever set the wards has had plenty of time to ensure that the ‘fence’ has no ‘holes’.

A note on wards (things the magicians would know, maybe even common enough knowledge that the mundanes would know this too):

Physical security, things like alarms, cameras, drones, motion detection… all of this tech can be defeated by the most basic magical ability. Simple astral projection bypasses all of this with the greatest of ease. That’s where things like watcher spirits and wards come in. The most basic magic security measures, these are the magic equivalent of security cameras and motion sensors. Anything magically active (a magician, an adept, a spirit or a paracritter) that crosses one of these wards will immediately be detected by the magician or spirit that set them. Any active spell work around or inside the wards will draw attention as well.

Watching the mages go into the astral Feb keeps vigilant on the approach.  Hearing that there are magical wards, Feb knows that he won't be much good there.

As the car pulls up to the condo Feb cautiously gets out of the vehicle looking for any indications that they've been spotted. His gun is in his hand  (do I have a silencer on it? if so that's what he has), and his combat knife at the ready in his other holster in his coat.

"I have your backs, and fronts.  Once the wards are down I can get in there. Let me know when to move."

---
Check the situation

@Feb:

A quick look around the quiet middle class neighborhood reveals…

Check the situation. 15:00, Today: Mr. Johnson, on behalf of Feb, rolled 4 using 2d6+1. Fail Take 1 XP PocSec updated.

…nothing.

But you are suddenly conscious of the fact that you are openly brandishing a pistol in a quiet middle class neighborhood.