A Shadowy Cult

[Grace]

Raven,

That doesn't sound at all like the Foundation I know.

Maybe they are two different organizations that happen to have the same name?

I don't believe cults are generally interested in things like copyright law.

-Cynthia

[Gotham Witch]

...I knew that name sounded familiar.

The problem with nation-wide organizations is that you you'll never see all levels of the organization. It wouldn't take very many to make it a front.

[Tms3]

just rember folks just because it is blood magic does not necessarily mean it is bad. There are members of my order that Sacrifice the heart of a bull to welcome in the oak king at yule, they then eat the rest of the bull, they also sacrifice the heart of a hog at samhain in October, of course like the bull after they give the heart to there gods, the eat the rest of the pig
I dont know of any one pratcesses this but the great right or the great marriage. Where The virgin huntress sleeps with the young hunter. the blood for there copulation is collected mixed with milk and used to bless the fields. I also have fertility charms, candles potions, and spells that call for ether virgin or monthly blood,, the monthly blood for a virgin is considered to be the most powerful for this kind of work. that could be all said to be blood magic. and much of magic seems to be all about syimbles. blood being a powerful simble of life and or fertility

[Nemesis]

Hi Tms3

That sounds like a very interesting marriage ritual.

But I'll never get to do it and that makes me a little sad.

Also, menses blood can also be used in blood magic but I've never noticed it being more potent than any other type of blood. Then again, I suppose there's no reason I should have either.

[Hannah]

Cynthia,

remember how you said you were going to try to be less creepy on the forums?

You still need to work at it a bit more.

Hannah

PS: I really wish you didn't know all that you know about that.

[Ronin]

Perhaps it is time to haul the train wreck that this thread is about to come back on track?

I have news from Kyoto. I made contact with RAVEN's contact there.

I must confess, my wife was rather put out when I had to inform her that said contact was not a mousy school teacher but rather a young and attractive stripper. Fortunately I have withstood temptation in the past thru meditation and no doubt will again.

As it turned out, she had learned of the cult because several of the cultists were also her clients. They had been 'scouting' her, allegedly as a possible cult member but I suspect as a potential sacrifice. Indeed, there was a darkness about her when we first met that put me a bit on edge.

Fortunately I knew a shrine maiden that was able to cleanse away the darkness. This allowed us to move forward with mutual trust and respect.

Although after these initial proceedings, I decided to involve my twin sister. Partly to set RAVEN's contact's mind at ease but mostly to set my wife's mind at ease. Besides, my twin has abilities better suited to this sort of operation.

Together, my sister and the stripper (whose name I will keep secret to protect her) infiltrated the cult operations of Kyoto. It took them a couple of weeks but they have dismantled that operation and learned a few things.

The cult here seems to have been influenced heavily by Chinese mysticism. If it wasn't for contact information that agreed with what we've discovered already in America, I might think that the was an entirely different cult. There are other tells of course. They appear to be associated with creatures of shadow and have an unhealthy obsession with the end of the world.

Not entirely surprising. China has a history of expansive cults with a taste for death. They also have had trouble with cults fighting each other for members.

Speaking of death cults, someone should look into this. I don't know if its connected or not, but it warrants investigation.

[Ron Caliburn]

There have been a lot of difficult discussions in this house since Cynthia came to live with us.

There is a list of things that were done to her that have to be answered for and a list of people who will have to face the consequences of their actions.

Justice, punishment or retribution. Whatever you want to call it, it will be delivered on Cynthia's behalf and on behalf of the other victims of that foul organization.

If they happen to be reading these forums, I really hope they realize that I am actually not a very nice person at all and Nemesis . . . well Nemesis might be reforming herself, but she still slips back into her old ways. I promise that between the two of us we can come up with something even more foul to do them as they did to their victims.

However, like Ronin said, first we must deal with this cult. Nemesis and I have made a fair bit of progress in and around DC, not getting many answers but we have been taking them apart nicely.

[Grace]

Ron,

You need to chill just a little bit.

Yeah, neither of us are happy about what happened to Cynthia. Yeah, I want to make them pay. But like you said yourself said, this cult is the priority. So in the meantime we should chill and explore all options and possible accomodations that may be on the table.

Let's just keep our eyes on the brass ring for now. We'll sort the rest out later.

[Gotham Witch]

So this is a bad time to put on my Batman cape and whisper "I am the night." all menacingly?

As always Dar (And Ron, of course), if you find something curious do let me know. I'm after these guys as much as you are.

[Grace]

So this is a bad time to put on my Batman cape and whisper "I am the night." all menacingly?

As always Dar (And Ron, of course), if you find something curious do let me know. I'm after these guys as much as you are.

What I'm curious about is where you got a Batman cape and how you figure you can ever pull off menacing?

[Chalice]

Speaking of death cults, someone should look into this. I don't know if its connected or not, but it warrants investigation.

I have an amiga who might have some contacts in the area who can do some investigating.

[Gotham Witch]

So this is a bad time to put on my Batman cape and whisper "I am the night." all menacingly?

As always Dar (And Ron, of course), if you find something curious do let me know. I'm after these guys as much as you are.

What I'm curious about is where you got a Batman cape and how you figure you can ever pull off menacing?

Now I need a box of aye-ayes just to prove you wrong.

And Chalice, that'd be appreciated. No point putting anyone at risk though - these people are dangerous.

[Chalice]

And Chalice, that'd be appreciated. No point putting anyone at risk though - these people are dangerous.

She says he can be dangerous, too.

[Nemesis]

Now I need a box of aye-ayes just to prove you wrong.

A whole box of them, Auntie Mel? That would be sooo cool!

Mr. Baggins got real excited when he saw the pictures of them. He thinks they look tasty.

[Cybermancer]

Just to bring this thread back on topic a little bit, I've been doing a little research into the subject of shadowy spirits and it seems they're much more common than I originally imagined.

In fact I have found three articles discussing them.

This first article asks what Shadow People are and provides some theories.

This interview is with a man who apparently wrote a book on the subject, though I confess that I don't take everything said here at face value.

In this article we get to hear some specific tales regarding these Shadow People. What I find especially disturbing is that they seem to be investigating us.

I can't say with certainty if this has any relationship to the cult currently under investigation. Still, I think its worth bringing up and looking into.

RAVEN, you've discussed Shadow People in the past. Any further insights?

[Tms3]

Its still Fairly quit hear, which worries me all the lay lines in Kentucky tend to attract this sort of thing, but then I stick mostly to the Lexington Area. so I dont know what may be going on in the Louisville area. Or father west. My problems hear don't seem to be related. Not that I do not have my feelers out, Though i have not found any thing remotely meso-amarcan My lyibary is lacking in that area. so if I do come across something would porbly post about it for help IDing and to see of there is any connection

[Grace]

Let us know if anything pops up your way, Tms3.

[Ron Caliburn]

The Master of Ceremonies around here is definitely a slippery customer. We've busted up a few of his gatherings, but not been able to nail him down.

We've also been trying some alternate avenues of getting information but so far we haven't had anything useful we can share or act on.

[RAVEN]

Regarding the Shadow People, I have little more insight to offer.

From a publisher's point of view, my insight is that these creatures are extremely marketable. Their non-material nature makes them gleefully aggravating to document with physical evidence like fingerprints or footprints. At the same time, they are common enough to strike a familiar cord of fear with almost anyone.

From a hunter's point of view, I have some hunches. Shadow People are at the same time both organized and diverse. There is no one Shadowman or even a single species of Shadowfolk. They come in different sizes and shapes, and even those with human-like forms have vastly different mannerisms and capabilities. At least some of them are composed of actual shadow while others are physical creatures which seem to be skilled at manipulating shadows hide themselves, and many seem to be some of each type at the same time. All types do at times seem to be working together. Shadow People are almost never dangerous in a hostile sense. They are more concerned with spying than clawing. When they are attacked and cornered, they can be surprisingly dangerous.

The Shadow-Things which are working for the cult does not exactly match anything I have previously encountered in my research. They seem to be something new, or else something rare, or else something we haven't encountered in a very very long time.

I do have a lead. A librarian I once knew spend a good deal of his career gathering reports and folk tales about Shadow Creatures. He even mentioned a particular tradition of magic which is geared towards summoning and controlling them. Since he died, I have been attempting to get my hands on his research, but his family hates my guts. I will call in some favors and redouble my efforts to get some results.

[Nemesis]

I would be interested in seeing that research, RAVEN.

[Ron Caliburn]

WE would be interested in seeng it Cynthia.

[Nemesis]

Yes, Papa.

[Chalice]

Speaking of death cults, someone should look into this. I don't know if its connected or not, but it warrants investigation.

I have an amiga who might have some contacts in the area who can do some investigating.

She did some investigating. But the only thing she said about it was, "They got the wrong one."

Really useful, that.

[Ron Caliburn]

Incredibly so.

[Willie Long]

I do not know if this covers all their operations or not but I have learned that there are cells in the following cities: New York, Washington D.C., Winnipeg (neutralized), Las Vegas, L.A. (neutralized?), Vancouver, Kyoto, Hong Kong, Beijing, Bagdad, Berlin, Paris and London.

You can mark Berlin, London, and Beijing as neutralized.

[Ron Caliburn]

Sorry for the delay in the update. New York and Washington are now neutralized.