After the Zombies...Part 1 Scroll Call

[BattleNymph]

“Evelyn? We’ve just got back from a zombie shoot. I have some evidence I’m going over and could use some advice or help from you. Advice about scrolls.”

Aefe licked her lips and glanced with seeming calm at the busy street around her. She’d been off the flight for long enough to leave the base, but her paranoid side had kicked in and she was using a pay phone to call Evelyn and report. The Priest was next…maybe…..Her feeling of urgency and frustration hadn’t passed. Was the government doing anything about this other than covering it up?

What had happened to that poor girl?

Really, the more she saw the more she really didn’t trust the feds. It was weird that a merc like her was even working for them, but Steve had been persuasive. She gave a frustrated sigh. She was angry too, that the men and women tossed into that hell hadn’t been warned. Had been set up to die it seemed. That included her.

Her attention was pulled back to the phone as a voice sounded on the other end.

[Origen]

“Evelyn? We’ve just got back from a zombie shoot. I have some evidence I’m going over and could use some advice or help from you. Advice about scrolls.”

Evelyn answers, "What sort of advice do you need? Also, is this a secure line?"

[BattleNymph]

Evelyn answers, "What sort of advice do you need? Also, is this a secure line?"

"This is a pay phone several miles from my apartment. My cel I believe is not secure. I've left it at home. A scroll was used to summon an entire graveyard of zombies which then proceeded to infect others. It's odd, too accessible even used for what it is. It scares me. The feds didn't warn us going in so there were heavy casualties and they took the one witness to the summoning. There are apparently more scrolls and they are probably looking for those too. The kid who had it is .." (here Aefe gives the boys name and address to her). He was killed after he summoned the zombies. The scrolls were owned by his grandfather and he found them when the grandfather passed away."

Another quick glance around and a sigh. Hoping Evelyn says yes, she knows all about it and they have the other scrolls.....

[Origen]

"This is a pay phone several miles from my apartment. My cell I believe is not secure.

Hold on one moment, darling. I'll call you right back. From now on, call me, let me know where you are, and I will call you back before we discuss matters any further.

[In game terms, we'll skip this little detail, and just assume that she calls you back.]

After a couple of minutes, the phone rings, and she continues.

I've left it at home. A scroll was used to summon an entire graveyard of zombies which then proceeded to infect others. It's odd, too accessible even used for what it is. It scares me. The feds didn't warn us going in so there were heavy casualties and they took the one witness to the summoning. There are apparently more scrolls and they are probably looking for those too.

There are different systems of magic. This is something you'll be learning in your studies. Different magics tap into different powers. Some utilized the energy of spirits and divine energy. Others use more arcane magics, and there are various theories about the origin of that power, but nobody really knows.

There is another type of magic, though, and it is one that is older and more dangerous because it consumes part of the caster during the casting. Anyone who can read the scroll can invoke the power contained therein.

I'm very worried that such a thing occurred, and EXTREMELY worried if more than one of the scrolls exist.

I'm not surprised, however, about you being thrown in the shark tank with a piece of meat tied to your ankles.

The kid who had it is .." (here Aefe gives the boys name and address to her). He was killed after he summoned the zombies. The scrolls were owned by his grandfather and he found them when the grandfather passed away." Another quick glance around and a sigh. Hoping Evelyn says yes, she knows all about it and they have the other scrolls.....

I'll look into this. They don't always consult me on these things. I know there is a vast store of arcane artifacts stored in different armories and hidden locations across the country. Sometimes I don't know that they have something until they set it down in front of me, and ask, "How do we use this?"

Thank you. You did well. I'll let you know if I find anything out, but I'm not hopeful.

[BattleNymph]

I'll look into this. They don't always consult me on these things. I know there is a vast store of arcane artifacts stored in different armories and hidden locations across the country. Sometimes I don't know that they have something until they set it down in front of me, and ask, "How do we use this?"

Thank you. You did well. I'll let you know if I find anything out, but I'm not hopeful.

"I do have the used scroll if you need it. The feds don't know that though so......

Is there anything I can do to help on my end? This scares me too. I don't like the idea of a government who's willing to sacrifice their soldiers for the sake of possibly testing these scrolls having more of them. I'm really hoping the boy hid them so perhaps you can find them."

[Origen]

"I do have the used scroll if you need it. The feds don't know that though so......

Yes. Bring it the next time we meet. Even a used scroll can be helpful in research to discover the nature of the spell used to cast it.

Is there anything I can do to help on my end? This scares me too. I don't like the idea of a government who's willing to sacrifice their soldiers for the sake of possibly testing these scrolls having more of them. I'm really hoping the boy hid them so perhaps you can find them."

We'll look into that. I have a few contacts in that area who can take a look at things. If they deployed government witches and psychics, which is their standard operating procedure, they are very thorough and very good at what they do. I've done that work, and they don't miss much.

Governments have always been willing to sacrifice their soldiers. I don't know what happened hear, but if what you said is correct, then they probably deployed contingency testing. There are people designing test scenarios 24/7/365 at the war college. We have invasion plans for nearly any nation on earth, and multiple approaches for each. That is what soldiers do in peace time. They prepare for war.

[BattleNymph]

Yes. Bring it the next time we meet. Even a used scroll can be helpful in research to discover the nature of the spell used to cast it.

That's what I figured. That's why I took it.



Governments have always been willing to sacrifice their soldiers. I don't know what happened hear, but if what you said is correct, then they probably deployed contingency testing. There are people designing test scenarios 24/7/365 at the war college. We have invasion plans for nearly any nation on earth, and multiple approaches for each. That is what soldiers do in peace time. They prepare for war.

"You know, that doesn't make me feel any better somehow. When do we meet next?"