Alphonse looks at the cover and the back of his book.
The book appears to be a copy of someone's diary. A quick perusal of its contents reveals the reason why it's a part of the library. The contents talk a lot about their life hunting ghosts for the government.
"So, when do we get to see the ghosts?"
"Tonight, of course. After I tell everyone what to expect, I'll drive you to where the ghosts are. My associate is confident that they're there, so unless something goes wrong it won't be much longer.""How bout the rest of the family? What do they got goin on?"
"That's, well... A question for another time, I'm sorry."
A very young woman with blonde, almost auburn colored, hair approaches the group, her boots clicking against the ground and she runs. She eventually stops, bending over with her hands on her knees, gasping for air. She stands up, holding her arms above her head, her attire now more noticeable. It's a pirate costume of some sort? How odd.
"S-Sorry I'm late! I... I just got off my shift!"
Ah, it's now slightly more obvious that she works at Pirate Pete's here in town.
"Okay. Now that Sandra is here I think we should start. I believe that's everyone that's coming here tonight. So if you'll all gather around the table..."Gord flips through several folders already laid out on the table, finally selecting two of them.
"Given the number of people here, I think it's best to go to two different locations tonight. According to the information my associate gave me, the ghosts there are very passive so this should be a good introduction to the business."Opening the first folder, Gord lays out its contents onto the table for everyone to look at. A map shows the location of their quarry, accompanied by several photographs. They depict a middle-aged woman, Eastern-European in appearance, carrying a basket in her arms. In only a few of the shots does she appear solid and life-like. Generally she appears washed out and transparent, like a double-exposure taken on film. The background in the multiple shots reveals a waterfront, large warehouses and large cranes.
"Unfortunately I don't have a name to go with the photos. If I did then I could tell you something about her background or personality which you might find useful. According to the report she appears in northern Port Weller, by the canal. She is seen mostly in the evenings, around 7:30, and disappears around 9:00. So we'll have to work fast if we're to save her today. But she also appears every evening, so we can try again tomorrow if it doesn't work out. According to eyewitnesses, she stands by the water and looks around as if waiting or searching for something. The only other information I can give you is that she's a Level 1 or 2 ghost. Which means... Hold on a moment." Gord scans the shelves for a moment and pulls out a binder. It's labelled 'Field Operative's Guide for Hunting Ghosts, Poltergeists and Spirits of all Types' by Sir Adam Arkwright, esquire. The label also cheerfully declares that it was originally published in 1910, but was last updated in 1984 by Xestobium, Demon of book-borers. After few moments of searching brings Gord to the page he's looking for.
"'Ghosts can be broadly categorized into several levels, depending on the strength of spirit which they show'... Here we go. Level 1 ghosts manifest by sight and sound only. They can't interact physically with the world around them, though they can still speak and listen to people. They... are very weak and thus unintelligent. Holding a full conversation is beyond them and they can barely remember what they said or did after several minutes. A... Level 2 ghost is stronger with a better memory. They also generate or maintain Mementos, which are objects of importance to them when they were dead. Mementos can be distinguished by the magical aura they generate if you can sense that stuff. Otherwise they should appear well-maintained despite their age. Obviously if you find a Memento you should carry it with you, since it's important to the spirit somehow. It could be useful to convince them to go into the soul gem."The second folder is dutifully opened and its contents passed around. This one lacks any photos of the ghost in question, showing an empty field, dilapidated barn and a small stretch of woods in the background. The bulk of its papers seems to be from eyewitnesses reports and Gord's own research.
"The second ghost is over by the village of Virgil. Nobody has managed to see it, but have reported hearing ghostly crying in the area. It's probably a Level 1 or 2 spirit like the first one, though it could also be up to 3 where... It can interact physically with the world and has a memory spanning several hours. Now I've done a bit of research into the area and I think I know who the spirit is." After checking his notes to refresh his memory, Gord clears his throat and continues,
"The field has been in the current owner's family for a couple generations. But before that it used to belong to the Taylor family. In 1914 Mr. Gage Taylor joined with the Canadian military and fought in World War One. He didn't return home until 1919, after which him and his wife and daughter seem to have shortly died. Now I'm not certain what happened to him, but I believe that this is the best lead we have at the moment. Nothing else I've found about the property suggests that it could be any other candidate."Gord adjusts his glasses and looks around the assembled group.
"Now then. Before we head out we have to decide who wants to go to which location. If it becomes a problem I'll choose where each people should go, but we should all be mature enough that this shouldn't be a problem. You should all have my cellphone number, so if something happens or you could use some advice then just give me a call. Is that everything?" Rubbing at his head Gord adds,
"This is the first briefing I've done so I might have left something out."
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Topic: RotMG: Ghost Hunters (IC Thread) First Hunt (Read 32007 times)