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.

[portolan]

While I want to be comforted by that thought, I have reason to suspect foul play in the last two weeks. It worries me that I don't have a record of this piece prior to that time.

But you are right. It hasn't been set off thus far so it's probably not a high risk just from being stored.

[ He has a lot of experience with magickal artifacts from home, at least, so he's not a total idiot in handling them. Help would be appreciated though. ]

> private

[doctopoda]

You have reason to expect foul play?

[You can't just SAY THAT. Otto is...going to swap this over to private, actually.]

Is something going on?

Re: > private

[portolan]

[ He normally is sensitive about these things, but he doesn't entirely get how social media works oops. He notes the private chat and will use that next time. ]

I don't know if it's going on or has concluded, but yes. I can tell you more in person as I don't entirely trust this medium.

The Society is aware and involved, but that doesn't mean I trust we caught everything.

[ He does have that line at least. ]

[doctopoda]

Sensible. Let me know when you need me, then. Or if you need anything else, I'm not far away.

[Otto understands not trusting electronic communications. If he put his mind to it, he's sure he could hack into this network. For that matter, he doesn't really trust the Society either - not even necessarily due to the villain thing, simply because he doesn't trust the Alliance at large. But he hasn't put that down electronically anywhere, and he's not going to start now. They can discuss it later.]

[portolan]

[ yes, Balthier grew up in enough political circles and then pirated long enough to be careful with what words he'll put down in writing. ]

I deeply appreciate it, Otto. I will see what others suggest and then give you a time to come by -- I think your eyes would be helpful regardless.

[doctopoda]

Of course. Glad to help.

[And he's got eyes to spare!]

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?

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]

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. ]

[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.

[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.

[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.

[portolan]

Any way to tell if these are in fact of a world like that or benign Earth similarities?

[ Some of the objects he knows how to discern, but three months was not enough to learn all of Earth's art history, let alone alien and magickal. ]

[frenchkissed]

Maybe?

But it's potentially lethal and may or may not turn you into a murderer...

[portolan]

Lovely. Maybe not the best way to check this weekend.

[frenchkissed]

It's efficient?