Weird activity in the Northwest. Is it only here?

[PacificMalone]

So recently I have been getting reports from some fellow members along with some freelancer friends of mine, of some odd things happening up here. Specifically a lot of two bit crooks and backyard witches getting ahold of some pretty powerful and pretty rare artifacts. It almost seems as if they are being supplied by something or someone. The more alarming thing is that I keep getting more and more of these reports from as far as Idaho and Oregon to Alaska. Anyone else run into this? Or is this just a isolated thing? Please respond if you know or have heard about anything else like this in the states.

-Malone

[Gotham Witch]

Hello there. First off, welcome to the boards.

Secondly, I don't suppose you could be more specific regarding what kind of artifacts? Anything that might link them to each other or a particular culture/tradition?

[Phoenix]

Yeah, you're sort of vague. At any given time you'd be surprised at how much activity of the sort you describe is going on. Specifics would help.

[PacificMalone]

Well in one instance we found some guy attracting and controlling entities with what my research would later identify as stones from the Old Jewish temple in Jerusalem dating back to when the Romans destroyed it in the early A.D.s.. We also found talismans ranging from authentic ancient African witchcraft talismans, to even some Russian and Chinese artifacts. Just a lot of really expensive and really exotic items that people who have never even been out of the country seem to be getting ahold of somehow.

-Malone

[Phoenix]

It's not unusual for infernals to gather massive warchests with which to tempt mortals. How can you promise riches for example, if you don't have any to show and to tempt with? Anyway, these warchests will also often magical actifacts gathered over hundreds or even thousands of years. So it is possible that these cases are related. But then again, they might not be.

[Gotham Witch]

Speaking from personal experience, a lot of similar artifacts tend to make the round in both the legal and not-so-legal antique trade. Egyptian, Chinese, and African artifacts are especially prevalent due to looting and robbery of national wealth during colonialism, and these countries are often still fighting to get their antiquities back.

While fiends often have large warchests as Phoenix noted, honestly it doesn't take a lot for someone or something with resources and means to acquire said artifacts. I'd suggest looking around to see if any have gone missing for a start, or if there have been notable or unusual purchases made in the market. While misuse of artifacts is more common than most realize, it is suspicious when a lot of these things happen in an area in relatively short order.

It goes without saying, but be careful.

[PacificMalone]

I thought that two so I did some more digging. Turns out each of them was approached by someone saying that the represented someone "Very interested, in helping you in you endeavors.", and then each of them made large transactions shortly after. It seems connected, but what could someone want with these people? What could they gain?

[Cybermancer]

I would suggest following the money in this case.

[PacificMalone]

We managed to track one of the men down to the port of Seattle but when my friends managed to get through his Brawler Joe goons, something happened. The next day I met with them for lunch to congratulate them but they could not remember the night before or the message they sent me, and all of their recordings were either scrubbed or replaced. When I went to the port to get the security tape from a contact of mine, he told me someone beat me to it. When I asked who came for the tape he just told me that they had connections and that he would rather not get involved. Lastly the police found a bunch of bodies in one of the buildings at the port many of them were guards and one was a blonde gentleman yet to be identified, all of them appear to be suicides. The guard I assume must have been possessed like the other victims while the blonde man appears to match the description of the perp who had been controlling the possessing entities.

[Nemesis]

Supernatural entities are rarely tech savvy therefore it is likely that there is a human or humans involved. I would take your digital evidence to an expert. Unless they've been physically destroyed, parts of the data are likely to have survived.

[Gotham Witch]

The fact there were multiple Brawling Joes suggests someone of reasonable power and connections. Also likely rather ruthless, as if that weren't obvious already.

It also sounds like they are good at covering their tracks. You and yours should be careful, as they may turn their focus towards you if they have to keep getting new pushers.

[Ron Caliburn]

To my knowledge this situation has never been resolved and it's in the same general area.