Our Powers | Text | Public

[portolan]

I am soliciting assistance from anyone who has skill at identifying magical or alien items.

There has been an influx of antiques at the shop and my usual eyes are unavailable. I have a few suspicious pieces. I’ve put the main offenders below, but anyone who would like to stop by and help me do a sweep of inventory, that would be greatly appreciated. I can pay you for your time.

1. Aztec Death Whistle
2. ?? pre-historic sculpture ??
3. Egyptian palette
4. possible alien tech? possible disco ball
5. Medieval Cauldron
6. possible ancient chinese burial item, possible alien device

[ OOC: Go wild identifying these objects, but everyone will miss that the CAULDRON is magic. Feel free to have it feel weird or make you forget or any other specific ways it tricks your character. Balthier will also answer video calls and show more of the objects.

Any questions, hmu dm or portolan ]

Comments

Otto.Octavius

[doctopoda]

That is not a disco ball.

[What it is, is not clear from just a photo, but alien tech is in the running! Which is worrying!]

Be careful with it. You don't want to activate an unknown piece of tech.

Re: Otto.Octavius

[portolan]

I am not touching any of these until I have a better idea what they are. These five are lacking acquisition records.

Do you have any expertise with alien tech? I am sorely lacking.

[doctopoda]

We didn't have extraterrestrial contact outside of conspiracy theories.

I'd be happy to take a look, if you can't find anyone with more expertise. I do know how to handle hazardous materials. But I'd feel better about it if you could find an actual expert.

[Despite everything, he's still confident in his own engineering skills, but part of that has to be knowing when to have caution. He has been reminded of that lately!]

[portolan]

I'll see if anyone has any more concrete experience, otherwise I will take you up. Two minds are better than one, and maybe you'll have ideas on moving and safely storing it. I suspect I'll have future need for that sort of thing besides.

Are you free tomorrow or Saturday to come by the shop?

[ He didn't handle movement or storage, and they hadn't covered that before his boss was murdered last week. Not liking the number of unlabeled possibly dangerous items, either. ]

[doctopoda]

I think I could help you with that much.
If it's already made its way to you without incident, it's unlikely that careless storage is enough to activate it, but better safe than sorry.

[Full containment is something he can't promise without knowing what it does, but Otto's sure he could at least get the thing packed away somewhere without setting it off.]

I'm free both days, just let me know.

Display Name: Venom

[frenchkissed]

( chances are venom won't know much about these things, but they need the money, and it's worth a shot. )

What makes you think these are magic? They could just be... historical?

[portolan]

[ What makes him think they're magic? Well, the illicit side of the business that traffics magical and alien items, but... ]

They very well could but I have reason to be cautious.

[frenchkissed]

Well, that first one looks like it might have come in from Klyntar. Can’t say much about the rest.

What’s the bottom look like?

[portolan]

Klyntar? Are you familiar with alien artifacts, then?

The bottom is flat, no markings. The object is a little smaller than the palm of my hand.

[ He sends a picture holding it for scale. ]

[frenchkissed]

My partner is, yeah.

( said partner is partial to tantrums and even more partial to chocolate chip sundaes, so it might take some bribery to get him on board. )

I see it. Looks like it might be the sort of thing used to kill Symbiotes, straight from Knull’s personal collection.

Text | ID: 2fast4U

[kid_flash_found]

Man, that bowl is totally creepy, but it's damaged, so whatever it might have done, it probably won't now.

The whistle, though? Ugh.

[portolan]

Are you familiar with these whistles? I am concerned about someone trying to play it.

[kid_flash_found]

Not particularly. I've read about them, but apparently nobody knows what they were for or might do. Just the whole sound and skull motif is icky. Aztecs were super into death as a means to an end.

[portolan]

I'll have to look into the history more. We have a collection that was cleared before my contact went amiss.

Some cultures at home simply venerate death. Skulls and strange noises are fine. It's curses or summoning unknown ancient beings I'd like to avoid.

[kid_flash_found]

Just bear in mind that the contemporary accounts are highly prejudiced because the Spanish considered them brutal savages. They basically considered any culture that didn't look like theirs or have their degree of sophistication in the areas they valued to be lesser and didn't look for where they had developed differently.

un: Nox

[a_gaggle_of_ghosties]

Highly unlikely Number 4's alien tech. I've yet to encounter a species that values form over function to that extreme. And it appears much too pristine to be anything commonly used.

[And while it may have the overall shape of a thermal detonator, so does every other spherical object. And he doesn't feel like calming someone down after introducing even the notion that they might explode, so he won't even bring that one up.]

Whatever it is, unless you can easily identify how to turn it on, it's likely just a decorative piece of some kind.

[Or something requiring particular abilities to use, but he'll also be avoiding that particular can of worms.]

un: balthier

[portolan]

You are the single most helpful person I have interacted with in weeks.

Is there much risk to handling it to look for a power source? My knowledge here is woefully limited.

[ If it requires abilities to use, fine. He may not want to sell it but he can at least store it. ]

[a_gaggle_of_ghosties]

If that's a concern, I could see if it responds to any of the methods I'm aware of. It's safer than the alternative, at least.

Though, again, I doubt it's dangerous. But in the incredibly unlikely event that it is, I suspect I'm the only one of us who'd get an early warning.

[and also the only one with a built-in revive function.]

[portolan]

I don't suppose I could convince you to come to the shop and check a few pieces for me? I am absolutely prepared to pay you for your time and transit.

And if you'd be willing to teach me some of the things to look out for, I'd be willing to pay a good deal more.

[a_gaggle_of_ghosties]

Examining it will be enough. Knowledge, of any sort, is far more valuable to me than credits. Or whatever this world's equivalent is.

I don't mind sharing what I know, though you're likely to be disappointed. Much of it is tied to Force sensitivity, and if you don't know what that means already it's not likely to be of any use to you.

Still, the only questions I wouldn't answer would be any that would involve knowledge too dangerous to share.

un: jimmyo

[jimmies]

6 looks a lil like a mother box
maybe???
enHANCE

[portolan]

And pray tell, what is a mother box?

[ well this could be amusing. ]

[jimmies]

uh
supersmart mystic alien robots???
idk the explanation changes every time it comes up

[ Don't ask Jimmy he's not a New God. Except that one time. ]

[portolan]

Personal experience or second hand?

[ right now it sounds like this kid is just making shit up, to be honest. ]

[jimmies]

both??
i do read the papers, sir/ma'am