>handwave, handwave< Having snagged a few hapless Garou from the caern, Sepdet is passing out three flashlights provided courtesy of Rotem. ~All right. The story is that there's a massive number of banes down in the sewers. Elan and I were going to hold a rite to drum up some Helios spirits under Harbor Park, since they seem to hate light. But we had a communications problem, and instead he decided to blow all his spirit-power making a talen to fight banes.~ The Strider grins wryly. ~And it has to be used tonight. So, your mission, should you choose to accept, is to come with me down to a place we've found banes before, crack the talen, sharpen our claws on a bane or two, and go home. Without getting in over our heads.~

Sepdet has assembled the unlikely group over in the Abandoned Lot on Regan Street, that being an old stomping ground of hers and less than 3 blocks from Harbor Park. She looks around. ~Any questions?~

Yi shakes her head, silent for the evening. But the mention of a hunt does bring the no-moon's eyes up with a glint of eagerness. "Would you want a fish to go lure the Wyrm?"

Owen asks a simple one. "Where? This side or t'other? Down below?"

Seirian drags a hand back through her hair and lets the others ask questions while she keeps eyes and ears alert. The light of excitement over a hunt brightens her eyes as well.

Sepdet glances upwards at the dark sky. "Down below, this side, with the moon so slim. Where you found the bane last time, Owen, which I think is where we found 'em too: just north of the park." She smiles at Yi. "If you're up to it, fishbait."

Nemo pages to the room: Usual lethality/maiming warnings apply. Don't forget: +scan/doing is your friend. :)

Eamon says "What kinda banes have you seen down there so far?"

Owen nods to that, deciding upon now just which Gifts on his short list shall be fired up. Not until they get there, though.

Sepdet answers, "Darkness banes that tend to strike with tentacles. They don't like lights much. They /do/ try to get at your head and make you rage, so if you start feeling yourself getting angry, think of..." she peers at Eamon. "Whatever makes you mellow, eh?"

"This ought to be a change in nature," Yi murmurs, taking a deep breath before giving her pack alpha a nod. "It's what I'm here for though. Who will be holding the lights?"

Sepdet tells Owen, "You first, big guy. Fianna to the middle with flashlights: let our Get monster show his stuff; there should be plenty for us all. I'll hold rear and try and make sure we don't get ambushed from behind. When we get close to the place where we found banes before, we'll kick off the lights. Yi, you go ahead and find one and bring it back to our ambush... but don't go too far because I want you coming back, okay? I'll give you Elan's talen. Hold it til the combat starts, unless you get into trouble, in which case crack it and give a yell for us to come get you."

Seirian's nose wrinkles briefly at mention of tentacles, but she nods slowly in acknowledgement to the plan.

Yi nods again. "Same distance as Umbral run," she estimates softly, a hand coming out for the talen. "What's it do, by the way?" she asks in reference to the spirithelp.

Owen smirks. Pet monster. "Whenever you're ready."

Nemo pages: it's a piece of stained glass, a bright red in color, about the size of two hands placed side-by-side.

You paged Nemo with 'Ok cool. :) And I'll kick on Blur once we get down there.'.

Sepdet passes it over to the Gnawer. "Elan said break it open and the spirit will be released. It's a cranky Helios spirit, looking to tear into one of those banes. Expect to be blinded when it lets loose." She realizes what she just said, and adds, "So you'd better give a whoop a second before you open it so we know to blink."

Yi nods again, taking the talen cautiously and eyeing it. "Let's go then."

Sepdet looks around with a toothy smile. "Okay. I think we're set. Let's raise a claw or three for Gaia." She starts leading the way towards Harbor Park, where there will be the usual delay loitering near the chain fence until any visible humans leave the area. Then on to the fountain and down under.

Yi contorts and blurs as she is transformed. You shift into Hispo.

Nemo pages: Now /how/ are you carrying the talen in question?

You paged Nemo with 'In my jaws. Carefully.'.

Eamon says "Sepdet, I can go on up ahead, scout around for any activity before you get there."

Sepdet shakes her head at Eamon with a smile. "Next time, no-moon. Yi's already volunteered. Or if you want, take rearguard and trail a little behind to make sure we're not being followed."

Eamon nods. "I can do that."

Three-Blades shimmers slightly as her form takes up a more blurry figure once the Garou are down beneath the sewers. Her jaws carry the glass talen gingerly with her tongue touching it on one side.

Eamon looks around at the group. "If we run into any of those poison gas banes down there, back off and let the Fianna handle it."

Sepdet takes the second flashlight from him, in that case, so the no-moon can do what he does best. She clicks on her light once they're down below, listening intently. Eamon gets a soft, "Right. If we can tell in time."

From afar, to the room, Nemo does an inventory on important things. Yi has the talen in her jaws. Who has flashlights?

Owen begins concentrating, shifts up to the warform, and drags his claws against the concrete of the sewer walls. ~You got it, Fianna.~ He then waits to see if everyone else is ready before heading down the same tunnel as the other night.

Sepdet pages to the room: Serian and Sepdet keep the flashlights on til we get a block or two north of Harbor Park (assuming we don't run into trouble before then.) Then we click off the lights, hold still as a group, and let Yi go ahead and try to lure a bane back to us.

Seirian quirks a slight smile and grips the flashlight in her left hand a bit tighter, flicking it on with her thumb when in the dark and shifts up to Glabro.

From afar, to the room, Sepdet sees the order as: Yi (talen), Owen, Seirian (flashlight) Sepdet (flashlight) Eamon.

Three-Blades proceeds ahead of the group, slow, cautious and slightly off left of the center in the pipe. Her hackles up, she steals quietly ahead, ears up and every pawstep taken with measure.

Sepdet contorts and blurs as she is transformed. Sepdet shifts into Glabro form.

Eamon blurs and becomes difficult to see as he descends into the sewers.

As the group reaches the edge of Harbor Park, the misgivings start hitting everyone. Things seem to be moving out of the corner of your eye, but when you look straight at that area, the movement stops. You can hear scritching sounds both near and far through the sewers.

Sepdet says in a low reassuring voice, ~Just rats and some stray fear spirits. Left over from humans being scared of /us/ in the area. Easy does it, here.~

Three-Blades takes to breathing slowly as she continues walking. Every few steps, she pauses to look at the movements out of the corners of her eyes, ears swiveling, before proceeding ahead. 2 seconds run, 3...

Seirian curls and uncurls her unoccupied right hand fist-like, glancing from one side to the other cautiously.

Sepdet sweeps her light slowly along the walls, checking for the telltale glisten of ectoplasm, nose wrinkled against the overwhelming stench of the tunnels. Every once in a while she pauses a step and braces herself to sniff for Wyrm, but she's mostly relying on Eamon tonight to keep watch behind them.

Eamon lags about ten feet behind the others, nearly invisible in the darkness. He divides his attention between the group ahead of him and whatever's behind. He shifts to glabro for better defense against whatever's down here.

Owen keeps lumbering forward down the tunnel, those behind him lighting the way.

From afar, to Nemo and Three-Blades, Sepdet is hopefully keeping the group close to you, Yi, until we get a block from where we met the ectoplasm (and, I'm presuming, Signe's group met the banes) last time. If we get there with no problem, then we'll halt, turn off lights, and let you go ahead.

Sepdet halts when they draw close to the place where she thinks the fish will be biting, so to speak, takes a really good survey of the area, and then clicks off her flashlight. ~Everyone else, stick close, now, keep your ears peeled,~ she whispers. ~Fishbait, go on ahead. And be careful.~

Ever-Grinning creeps a bit closer to the rest of the pack. He whispers to the others, ~Careful, you guys. Whatever vibes they're puttin' out are givin' me the willies. I can handle it, but I dunno for how long.~

Seirian follows Sepdet's lead and turns off her flashlight, keeping a very tight grip on it afterwards. She tries very hard not to start at each and every noise that unsettles her. ~Ditto.~

Three-Blades sweeps an ear back as Sepdet gives her the signal. She waits a couple of moments for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Then, she moves ahead with a flicker of her tail. As great as the smell is, she ignores it the best she can. Ears like radar, she listens for the more unnatural skitterings of banes as opposed to the patter of rat feet.

The uneasiness only grows as you continue forward, and more than once, someone's steps hesitate before continuing. As the group comes to a halt, and lights are cut off, a few sighs of relief are heard from here and there. Ahead, the Gnawer creeps forward as quietly as possible, listening cautiously.

Three-Blades touches her tongue occassionally over the glass as she moves. Her ears ping around her, quite wary. Once about 5 seconds run from the group, she stops and simply listens, expecting the unexpected.

Sepdet braces her free hand against the wall with a shudder, and starts scanning for Wyrm more frequently, probably wishing she'd remembered to take her herbal infusion for settling a stomach tonight.

Ever-Grinning, still blurred and keeping an eye on the rear, mutters, "Guess everybody's got the heebie-jeebies tonight."

Owen keeps himself as stoic as possible. Even in the darkness, whatever, if anything, he may feel, all he shows is a sneer and a readiness for battle.

Nemo pages: When you stop, for a little bit, you don't hear much beyond your own breathing. Slowly, you grow more accusomed to standing still, and to the noises around you, and get more particular in picking them out. Finally, you can definitely hear what sounds faintly like something stretching, like play-doh or something, to your sides and from above.

Seirian grumbles quietly and tries to listen past the smaller noises as best she can while trying not to shake. "Like farmers when the bead sidhe's wailin'..." she whispers.

The darkness is intimidating on its own, and peoples' own fears and minds seem to start playing tricks again, hearing little pitter of tiny feet from tunnels up ahead, or phantom motion in the nearby tunnel.

Pausing as she hears something around her, Three-Blades backs up, slowly a few paces. She gives a very low grunt.

The Strider's voice is pitched soothingly at the bottom of her alto range, audible to glabro but probably not to homid, as she tries to keep her own calm and their spirits up. ~Stay cool. If something comes...well, that's what we're here for.~

Nemo pages: The reaching sound continues, still all around you. As you back you, you realize it's coming from behind you too, probably starting someplace between you and the others.

Owen speaks up, loud enough for those with him to hear. ~Don't fear the darkness. Don't fear a thing. You already know what's here. Your claws will find purchase tonight.~

Owen pages to the room: Firing up Inspiration. Rarr.

You paged Nemo with 'Directly behind me, or above me behind me?'.

Nemo pages: Above/to the sides.

All around, water drips, something scuttles, something else splashes somewhere behind you, and the unnerving sounds continue. With no light at all, it's easy to let your mind run away, to pick up on a stray scent of something fetid and wonder about it, to hear something as very close--practically right next to you.

As the sound becomes all emcompassing, Three-Blades gets, well, rather uncomfortable. Yep, this is it. She gives a very high pitch whine, and crunches down onto the talen to release this badass Helios spirit, narrowing her eyes to slits as she does and turning around.

You paged Nemo with 'Crack that talen.'.

Ever-Grinning crouches, ready to attack anything they see as the spirit is released.

Shutting eyes is something Sepdet so does /not/ want to be doing, but she does, for a few seconds, at the sound of the whine up ahead. Then she hisses tightly, ~Forward to battle!~ since she's three Garou back and nowhere near her packmate if the worst happens. If she doesn't see a flare from the Helios spirit, her own flashlight's coming back on to help them.

Seirian lets out a pent-up breath slowly, only to stiffen and inhale sharply, muttering something unintelligible in a quick whisper. The flashlight-laden hand comes up to assist in shielding her eyes somewhat.

Owen shield his eyes with a meaty, crinos hand, waiting for the fun to begin.

As Yi puts more and more pressure on the slab of glass, It slowly gives until a sharp *snap* echoes through the tunnel. Even with eyes closed, the sudden flare is noticeable as sunlight once again fills the area. YI is revealed to be almost completely hedged in by black tentacles, though none are yet touching her. As the light is released, the pseudopods freeze for a moment, still enclosing the Gnawer in a cage of darkness.

Three-Blades spits out the glass towards the tentacles and charges against the cage, howling as she aims her jaws to snap down on one, readying for a jerk to pull it away and get back to the others.

Owen lets his vision clear for a moment, then barrels his massive form forward down the tunnel on all fours, aiming to strike out at the tentacles in glorious combat. Seirian's eyes widen briefly before she unceremoniously drops the flashlight, takes the warform, and plunges forward claws-first with a snarl. Sepdet follows Seirian and Owen but stays back a yard or two, close enough to grab and pull someone out, far enough back to give them swinging room. Ever-Grinning shifts to crinos and stays at the rear of the pack, since there isn't enough room to get around the others. He remains blurred and ready to attack anything that tries to attack from the blind side.

The Gnawer and the Get start tearing into the tentacles almost immediately, breaking a few before they start slowly moving again. Luna-Singer comes up righ then, slashing at another one, but this one's a bit more rubbery now, and the slash doesn't quite sever it. A couple of tentacles lash out at Three-Blades, and one strikes her left shoulder, but fails to make a grab. Another one actually manages to grab Owen's right ankle, though the Get still stands.

Nemo pages: One agg.

Three-Blades turns as the tentacle opens a line in her shoulder, clamping her jaws down on the next available pseudopod. She pulls it towards Owen, to slash at it. Owen froths, clawing and biting at the offending tentacle until it is no longer, then presses on into others. Luna-Singer continues undaunted in her attack, going after the not-quite-severed tentacle with great enthusiasm and vigor. The Strider's voice suddenly rings out from behind with a blistering snarl that grates harshly in her half-human throat. ~Freeze and cower, worthless slime!~ Ever-Grinning continues to guard the rear, slashing at any tentacles if they happen to come within range.

Owen slashes through the tentacle offered by Three-Blades as Luna-Singer finally cuts through the one she'd hit before. Just as Spedet's commanding voice rings out, the tentacle around Owen's ankle pulls a little tighter, and the fur near the tentacle starts deepening into a deep black. More tentacles flail ineffectually at the Gnawer, but this time, Luna-Singer is struck by one. Instead of leaving a cut, it leaves a black streak down her left forearm. The spirit's movement halts then, in reaction to Sepdet's command, and Owen and Luna-Singer rip off more tentacles. An acrid smell starts to fill the tunnel, and those not distracted by the combat would notice the the inner portion of the slime, towards the light from the spirit, is starting to smoke.

From afar, to the room, Nemo observes, looking at his notes, that Eamon seems to be about the only one not directly involved in the combat at the moment, so I guess he sees the smoke. :)

Owen now concentrates on freeing up his ankle, lashing out at the tentacle with extreme prejudice. Three-Blades starts towards the same tentacle, then sees he's got it well in hand and leaps for another with her claws. Luna-Singer snorts briefly in disgust at the smell and seeks out further tentacles to destroy. Ever-Grinning calls out, ~Hey, it's smoking!~ and goes back to guarding the rear of the pack. Sepdet is hanging back, watching tensely for emergencies, pressed against one wall of the passage so that Eamon can get a swipe in if anything gets past the front line.

The three Garou clear out enough for Yi to join the others as the tips of the tentacles start twitching again, and the smoke becomes more noticeable. None of the tentacles can move enough to try to hit anyone, but around Owen's ankle, the black spot grows a little larger.

Sepdet abruptly barks, ~Everyone get back!~ Owen snaps out a snarl, tearing and rending the 'pod again, then popping near instantly to lupus to escape the hold and back away for the moment if his attacks don't cease the 'pods hold on him. Three-Blades uses this bare opportunity to look for the heart of the creature, or the base where these tentacles might be sprouting from. She snorts out the smoke, steadying her breathing... and then scrabbles backwards as best she can with a big Get blocking much of the corridor. The Strider waits for the best opening she can find, then concentrates on the image of a flash fire exploding against the wall from which the tentacle grappling Owen is anchored, including his foot in the edge of the burst. Ever-Grinning continues to guard the rear, waiting to strike at a tentacle if one gets past Sepdet.

The Get rips into the tentacle, then the sudden size-shift is quicker than the slowed tentacle can follow, and Owen is free. He backs away, leaving a little more room for Three-Blades to move a little down the tunnel. A fire quickly springs up along the wall of the tunnel in the tentacles, and the smoke gets thicker, making breathing difficult.

Nemo pages: You don't see any one place that seems to be thicker or anything, just spread out in the tunnel, but definitely baking from the sunlight.

Nemo pages to the room: Everyone take 1 non-agg from smoke inhalation.

Three-Blades growls out to the others, ~The spawn's getting a hell of a tan, if fact, frying.~ Amidst the smoke, she barks to the Strider. ~There's no center to this beast here, Sepdet!~ Luna-Singer snorts in a brief attempt to clear her nose and starts to back away from the fire, shifting down to glabro as she does. Sepdet swears something scathing in Egyptian, and grabs the spare flashlight, snarling reluctantly, ~All right, let's get back. This one's a draw.~ She starts to back away. Ever-Grinning snarls and coughs as he breathes in a bit of smoke. He stands ready to attack anything unfriendly that gets near him. Owen seems to agree with Sepdet. ~Wasted battle! Back out!~ He seems quite prepared to cover for the others' escapes.

The Garou slowly back out as more and more smoke fills the tunnel, finally climbing back out into the much less rancid night air, coughing and choking. Three-Blades and Owen are the last out, making sure that the rest get safely out of the sewers befor they leave, the Get slamming the small grate shut afte he climbs out into the park.

Nemo pages to the room: One more non-agg, which'll regen while you're coughing in the park, anyway. :)

Three-Blades contorts and blurs as she is transformed. You shift into Glabro.

Sepdet contorts and blurs as she is transformed. Sepdet shifts into Homid form.

Nemo pages: Though you, being the closest to the fire and getting more smoke for longer, get one agg from superheated inhalation. Fire is always agg, but you soaked the rest.

Sepdet gasps for air, scanning the park for unwanted observers and leaning against the wall partially surrounding the fountain. "How's the foot feel, Owen?" she rasps, taking a big whiff of air. "Everyone?"

You paged Nemo with 'Superheated inhalation, is sorta like fire in the lungs, no?'.

Nemo pages: Yup.

Long distance to the room: Yi snugs the Nemo. Whoo, fun. :)

Sepdet pages to the room: Yeah, that was useful/fun. Combats /without/ fifty zillion packs are a rare treasure.

Yi crawls out of the grating last and simply sprawls onto the grass, coughing and just trying to regain the oxygen that was rather sparse in the sewers when the fire went up. "Fire...good..." she manages gratingly.

Eamon coughs a bit, but seems to recover quickly. "Well, that sucked. I couldn't get one good lick in. Oh well."

Luna-Singer hacks up a lung for a few moments and inhales the fresher air carefully. Eyeing her left arm again, she wrinkles her nose at the black streak along it critically, "I'm in one piece, though I'm nae sure 'bout this..."

Owen lets the smoke out of his lungs first before sliding back into birth-form. "My foot ain't hurt. Goddamnit." He's obviously frustrated, weakened, and much affected in other ways. "That was the biggest cluster-fuck of a fight I've ever been in. Not a damn thing accomplished but a blown talen."

Yi would protest, but her lungs rather feel like they've been sucked dry and left out on the Sahara for a lovely afternoon. "Not true," she growls with a small wipe to the smoked out eyes.

Sepdet sighs. "Blasted banes are dug in well. But we just did some pruning, Owen, so the night's not a total waste. It's not much, but every bit helps." She rolls her shoulders. "And maybe you already knew, but it was useful t'me to figure out that those things are Wards."

You paged the room with 'G'night Nemo! Thanks again.'.

Seirian combs both hands through her hair in an attempt to stop them from fidgeting and takes a few raspy breaths to work at otherwise calming herself down. "Glad somethin' was learned from that, really."

Eamon says "Those things were wards?"

Owen snorts. "Pruning, my ass. Burned a few fingers is all." He peers down at his ankle and the stained skin down that way. "Great. Branded. There's to my success."

Yi sits back up, stripping off the dedicated sweater and looking at her cut shoulder. Meh, it'll heal. She gives a couple more coughs, and nods towards Eamon. Her eyes then travel to Owen's ankle. "Burn?"

Eamon frowns at the black marks. "Better make sure those aren't Wyrmy."

Seirian looks at her arm again and gives a slight shrug, "All I feel from it is cold. No burnin' or the like. Just cold."

Sepdet nods shakily at Eamon. "From what Yi said, yes. I believe that's the perimeter around...well, whatever it is up by Osprey Circle, which seems to be the heart of the mess." She pulls herself straight, some of the confidence she was projecting underground a bit more strained now. "And Owen, I'm not completely happy about that foot. Get Jamethon or Elan to do Cleansing before you leave, just to be sure."

Eamon nods. "Huh. I guess it makes sense. Well, g'night, folks, I'm goin' home." He walks over to where his bike is parked.

Sepdet tells Eamon, "Thanks for playing backup!"

Seirian waves after Eamon lightly and lets out another breath. "Reminded of a song line right now. 'You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here.' Apt." murmurs the Fianna idly as she goes back to homid.

Yi waves to Eamon as he leaves with her right arm, and glances up to the others. Too bad salve is usually for exterior applying, as she slows her breathing some more. "Wards, sure," she nods. "No bane in sight. How long does the talen go?"

Owen seems about to snap at Sepdet as she mentions Elan's name, but there's just no energy left to get a good hate burning in him right now. "I came here for you, Sepdet. Why don't you take care of it?"

Sepdet sways slightly. "Because I'm a little low myself. But you're right. C'mon. Are you up for a trek to the woods? The city's reek makes it a lot harder to pull off, for me." Sepdet pages to the room: Better still, do Seir or Owen have a car? :)

Yi slips the sweater back on to hide the cut, and stands up slowly. "I should go check on cubs," she says quietly. Her throat's still dry though, so it comes out a bit hoarse. Lifting her hand again, she waves to the Strider and the Get.

Sepdet shoots Yi an odd sharp look, but covers it with a smile. "Thanks, fish-bait."

You sense Sepdet's glance was a jokingly desperate, "help! help! I'm being left with a cranky Get"

Sepdet pages: But only jokingly.

Yi smirks a little at the Strider. "You'll survive without me I'm sure, Adren alpha." Just a little reminder. "Fish-bait is the Wyrm. I, am Smoked-Salmon."

Owen sighs, grimacing in a foul mood, but seems prepared to follow the Strider away.

Sepdet stifles a laugh, in the face of a Get who needs humoring, and merely nods. She prepares for her next difficult challenge: getting Owen out to a place where the rite's easiest to do. It's a walk, and a run, but at least the latter will help clear both their heads.

Yi notes lastly to Owen. "Thanks for the good fight. I still owe you a match," she says to Owen before shifting to homid to walk back to the church.

You have shifted to Homid form.

Owen gives a bit of a sneer, still disappointed in all this, then follows Sepdet. His pace is lacking.