Raiders of the Temple of the Last Crusade (Aiden, Fergus, Karlsen)

Karlsen pulls out his inspection glasses as he says, "Hard to make out. Hello!" He waves at the monocle. "It is definitely active. There appears to be a woman. Colors are hard to make out because it is a clear picture. I'm getting the impression of a woman, blue and violet, and wings. Let me get a closer look." He pulls the device on his head and snaps the lense assembly into place. He then clicks the magnifying and Trump lenses into place.

(Occ-I am going to look at the background first to try and get an impression of her surroundings, then look at her and see how strong the connection is. Could I establish a Trump contact through it? Could I draw a Trump of the woman? I just want to establish if I can, I don't want to try yet.)

Karlsen will offhandedly and distractedly mention, "Do you have the other half of the device Mr. H?" Hopefully Lord Horatio and others will take the clue and not use anyone's name or title.

The image is too small, and she seems to be moving.

"The other piece, Mr. K?" Horatio asks. "I understood Miss F. left everything with you."

Without turning Karlsen points to the frayed end of the ribbon. "This went somewhere and attached to her clothing. I think it might strengthen the connection. Of course putting it together now would be a problem." He straightens up. "Anyone else care for a look?"

"The lovely lady informed it was around her neck. My inquiries of the Bearer gave the same information," says Horatio. He makes no move toward the device but gestures to Aiden and Fergus.

"What a silly question. Of course I would," says Aiden gingerly taking the lens assembly from Karlsen and carefully fitting it to his eyes.

The image cannot help but be distorted. Not only the size but the carving in the glass.

Blue and purple. Feathers. A woman's face, or at least her upper face. She blinks, staring close in. It is exactly as if Aiden were staring into a peephole and the person on the other side was doing the same.

Karlsen considers Horatio's words. "Welll...... Then a piece might have been lost somewhere along the way. Maybe when it broke a smaller piece came off of the loop attached to the monocle."

He thinks for a momoent, "Or maybe it was stitched to the ribbon in some place and the stiching is what gave way. So what we have here is probably a complete article. Unless there were marks on the person who carried it. Perhaps a tattoo or stain mark?"

Aiden speaks softly, almost to himself, "Who are you, little bluebird? Where are you? What is it you're after?"

He focuses his mind intently on the image pushing to make a connection with his will.

And Aiden gets...nothing. It is as if there is no consciousness with which to make contact.

The eyes blink, and turn sideways.

That doesn't make any sense. Is it some kind of automated construct? Does it simply act as a vehicle for the creator's psyche without any sentience of it's own or...? Maybe one has to wear it in the usual manner for it to function properly....Of course in that case, the one wearing it might be subject to some kind of psychic scan or mental programming wave. Screw it! I'm probably going to regret this but...


"I don't suppose you've tried fitting the monocle to your eye without all the extra inspection lenses...," Aiden says as he deftly removes the monocle from the array of lenses.

"Uh, if I start, you know, acting crazy and trying to take over the world, do something okay?" Aiden slides the freed monocle over his right eye and refocuses on the image of the winged girl.

The monocle tingles very slightly, and feels cool to the touch. But other than that...nothing.

(Occ- Since the monocle isn't part of the array I assume that you are taking off the device to put on the monocle.)

Karlsen takes back his Glasses of True Seeing and puts it on. "How do you feel?" He snaps the assembly down and flips up the magnifying lense to get an overall view of Aiden. "Do you feel any connection? Do feel you have to do anything?"

Obviously an object of power...and cool...like a Trump but less severe. Wonder how it would respond if.....

Aiden brings the Pattern to mind, concentrating on holding its image while looking into the monocle = mentally feeling, pressing, insinuating focused Power into and around the image like a set of lockpicks to see if something will work loose.

As he moves further into the Pattern, Aiden seems to hear Karlsen from far away. He makes a slight motion with his hand that signifies, 'wait'....at least he thinks he does.

Fergus watches his two more experienced cousins try and prise the secrets from the monocle. He briefly contemplates taking Karlsen up on his offer to look through the lens, but being as it is two way and he is well aware that they are after him he decides against it.

Instead he waits and he watches using all his senses to try and detect any sort of power that his cousins might be using. Aunt Fiona implied that he might be able to do it with practice, and there was no time like the present.

Fergus begins to almost perceive something about the monocle. Something he cannot really describe, but it as if the reality of it for a moment became translucent and a marginally different version of exactly the same thing became visible. This lasts a split second and he fails to make it happen again.

Meanwhile, Aiden's concentration eventually creates an image, clearer than before...



But this image does not in fact last long. The...being...he perceives blinks in alarm, flapping her wings and giving a mind-piercing screech! Aiden feels it like a lance into his brain, while the glass of the monocle itself shatters! Instinctively, he lets go and shuts his eyes! Fortunately, the force involved wasn't aimed inwards but rather outwards!

On the ground, the metal of the monocle's framework looks burned. Aiden has a first degree burn around the flesh of his eye (which should heal in minutes). But if Karlsen examines it, the monocle is now disfuctional. A very weak, unusual Trump indeed.

Fergus seeing something slightly different excites him and this change of emotion must be the reason that the connection breaks. He is dissappointed that his first foray is so short, but pleased that he could at least get a very brief look at things from another angle.

The shattering of the monocle brings him out of his ananlysis and seeing the redness around Aiden's eyes where the monocle was he says.

"Are you injured Cousin?"

He cannot help adding.

"Did you see anything more?"

"Aahhh!" Aiden's hand darts to his temple at the bird-thing's shriek of distress, and then almost immediately moves to cover his eyes as he realizes that the monocle is shattering.

"Shit!" He stands covering his right eye and looking at the broken remnants on the ground with his left.

Blinking a few times, he answers, "Ow!...Yeah, I'm alright. Just a little singed." Rubbing his eye and blinking some more he explains, "It was the image of a blue and purple....bird...with a human face....a woman's face. It looked at me as I was looking at it, but it wasn't alive, at least not in the conventional sense. It didn't feel like a conscious being...Seemed like some kind of magical? construct or something." Aiden massages the area around his eye less as he feels it beginning to heal.

" I decided to see how it would respond to the Pattern. Thought maybe I could break through whatever resistance there might be to see the inner workings of it. Might not've been the best idea."
He turns to Karlsen. "Sorry if I messed up your plans for further research."

(Occ - Karlsen was observing Aiden when he was in contact. What did he see? Did he see an actual contact? Did the energy come from the device (IE self destruct) or from outside the device?)

Karlsen after making Aiden sit down in one of the chairs inspects the wound with his magnifying glass lense to make sure there are no fragements in the cut. He then goes over to a cupboard and pulls out a large jar. He opens the lid and uses his finger to get a dab of the cream inside. After closing the jar he then goes over to Aiden and says. "Hold still." He then carefully puts the cream on the burn. "That will take care of that much faster."

"Do not worry about it. I had already learned a great deal from it. Just do not try it with the box. The resulting explosion would probably be much larger and require me to do significant rennovation."

Aiden chuckles slightly at the box comment. "I'll try and contain myself. Thanks."

"Any ideas about maybe putting a bug on one of those little birds and tracking it through shadow?"

Fergus has been considering trying to follow the bird himself, but since he cannot fly yet and due to the danger eventually rules it out. Aiden's comment gives him an idea.

"We might be able to attached a small trump of someone and then they could see through the trump link just like these agents of the cult are using the monocle. Using their own technology against them if you like."

(Occ - Where are some little blue stones when you need them ... )

"Hmm.... That is an interesting idea. Let me give it some thought. Attaching something to the bird will be difficult because it is very difficult to contain, much less hold. And keeping a Trump open without an agent on the other end presents problems also...." Karlsen appears to be staring into space considering the possibilities.

(Occ - You've distracted him with a technical question. Now I can't do what I want to do. Darn role playing. )

[Karlsen's best guess -- the monocle was fashioned with a specific self destruct spell woven into its very essence. For a moment there some kind of contact with a location was very nearly established.]

"You know, we don't need to contain it. When we get far enough from Amber on our quest, you could open the box and let one go. It would be easy enough to summon something out in Shadow - say a small Peregrine - to follow it and then let us know when we arrive at the correct destination."

Turning to Horatio, Aiden asks," Does King Random expect us for a formal briefing later this morning or may we begin our journey at once?"

Horatio says "His Majesty trusts your own good selves. Please keep in touch, learn all you can -- the usual."