[Video] [Encoded]

[fromfryingpantofire]

[The video comes up on a back corner of the library, where Sam's set up a little research table of his own. Not that there's much there. For all that they have a 'library', it's really not all that interesting. Definitely none of the things that he's used to being able to find.]

[Though it is at least a QUIET section of the library. Nobody much comes back there. Of course, if it was anybody other than Sam, they'd find that corner to be nearly devoid of wifi signal.]

[How does Sam have signal? Nobody knows.]

So. I know that there are a few of you here who aren't too keen on the whole idea of the supernatural and magic and things that don't make sense to the rational mind. And believe me, I get it. If I hadn't grown up with this sort of thing, I'd probably be right there with you.

I also get that we don't know for certain that what we're facing IS something that's supernatural. After all, there are other explanations for what she can do. Some of us have powers that we never had at home as an example.

However, if she is, there are a few things that you can carry that may help either ward her off or fight her off. None of them are heavy and we have access to at least a few things that would work.

[He reaches off screen and brings out a salt shaker from the cafeteria.] Salt. Table salt will work just fine. My brother and I buy a lot of Morton's back home.

Anyway, salt has been an ingredient in purifying rituals for millennia. It's often used to ward off evil spirits and cleanse an area of bad...juju, for lack of a better word. Back home, spirits can't cross a line of salt, so a quick and easy ward was just to pour lines of salt across any entrance to a room. Shooting rock salt into a spirit would disperse them, too.

There's stuff that works better when it comes to spirits, but I don't have access to the supplies I need for them. Salt is nearly as old school as blood, though, so it should do you in a pinch.

Second. [He reaches off to the side again and comes back with a firestarter.] This one is a lot more difficult to get hold of, so this may be something more to look for when we go on missions. Iron. Again, just about as old school as it comes. There are a lot of things that are weak to iron, including the Fae. If you have the ones from the right stories, at least. A good length of rebar that can be wielded like a sword or a bat is great. Again, good for dispersing a spirit, though it won't get rid of them entirely. It'll buy you time to get back up, though. So, again. Useful.

The third isn't really useful for ghosts or spirits, but if the salt doesn't work, then maybe this will. [Out comes a water bottle.] Holy water. Mostly works for demons. Won't kill them, but will cause harm and may burn them. Again, good for buying you time to get away and get help. Luckily, I was able to pick up a rosary on the last mission, so I can make as much as we may need. I tend to also throw a handful of salt in for a twofer.

As far as I know, we don't have access to any, but another good all around weapon against the supernatural is silver. I'd suggest keeping it away from those among the New Hires that might have an allergy to it, but there are a LOT of supernatural creatures out there that are weak to it. Again, purifying qualities that have been in use for a lot of centuries. And another thing to keep an eye out for on missions.

[Sam settles the items in front of him.] I'm not going to say any of this will keep you safe. That's not a promise I can make, especially since we don't know what, exactly, our enemy is. At best, I can say that they might be able to help. At worst, they're inert and you're no worse off than you were a moment before. At this point, though, I think we can use any edge we might be able to get.

[He folds his hands, leaning forward on the desk.]

Any questions?

Comments

Thread with vampthropologist

[fromfryingpantofire]

vampthropologist
An excellent summation, Mr. Winchester. I would also observe that, should none of the above prove effectual, fire at least inconveniences most supernatural beings I've encountered. Including me, so do give warning if I'm about.

fromfryingpantofire
That's the way we get rid of violent ghosts back home. Salt and burn the bones. Or whatever might be holding the spirit in place.

Also, dolls. Any dolls connected to a case should probably be burned. Just to be certain.

[Dolls are creepy, what can he say? And there was that one case where the doll actually did need to be burned, so why stop there?]

vampthropologist
A sound stratagem. Destroying a wraith's anchor is the only way I've ever heard to prevent their return.

fromfryingpantofire
It's probably the same principle, though it wouldn't work for what we call wraiths in my world. Those are another of the 'stab it with silver' category of monsters. They feed on brain fluid, injecting dopamine into their victims to keep them...happy about being spiked in the brain.

vampthropologist
Ah, yes, in my world 'wraith' refers to the formal category for any type of spirit created by the death of a living thing, as opposed to the more strictly spiritual ones. Yours actually don't sound like anything I've encountered before.

[fromfryingpantofire]

I'm not really that surprised. What you're talking about does show up in my world, of course. Though not every death creates a ghost or spirit back home. Most of the time, the soul goes on to their reward. But if they refuse to go with the Reaper when their time is up, they become a ghost. And ghosts often become violent, because they can't really help themselves. Anger is powerful and allows them to affect the world, after all.

[vampthropologist]

Quite similar to my world - although they can also be formally created, by killing someone and anchoring the soul by force. A common technique of necromancers - have you any of those?

text;

[smallmediumwelldone]

[One blinking comment pops up after Beckett's last broadcast. She just really hates Giovanni, okay.]

ONE HOPES NOT. WHAT AN APPALLING LOT THEY ARE.

Re: text;

[vampthropologist]

Everything else and the kitchen sink's been washing up here. I expect it's only a matter of time.

Also, your caps lock key appears to be stuck on.

Re: text;

[smallmediumwelldone]

A KITCHEN SINK IS AT LEAST USEFUL. ALL THEY DO IS BE INCREDIBLY GAUCHE AND TWIRL THEIR MUSTACHES. METAPHORICALLY SPEAKING.

YES, IT'S QUITE TROUBLING.

Re: text;

[vampthropologist]

It's the button on the left, saying "caps lock." Hit it once, and no other buttons. It should undo the effect.

[fromfryingpantofire]

Necromancers are definitely a thing back home. I mean, they aren't normally the ones doing the killing, but bring people back. Usually with really terrible results for everybody around the zombie.

[vampthropologist]

Oh, they do that, too. Dreadful bunch.

[fromfryingpantofire]

It is, luckily, fairly rare. Most of the books with the necessary spells have been destroyed. My brother and I have dropped a few in a fire ourselves.

[vampthropologist]

Count yourselves lucky. You can't turn over a sufficiently mysterious rock where I am without finding the damn Giovanni somewhere underneath.

[fromfryingpantofire]

I have no idea what that means, but I'll take your word for it.

[vampthropologist]

Vampire necromancer cultists. Plus incest. We kindred do love a good cult.

[fromfryingpantofire]

[Sam opens his mouth, then closes it as he seems to think better.]

You know what? I don't think I want to know any more.

[vampthropologist]

Probably not.

[credit_not_blame]

I also probably don't want to know more, but I'm gonna ask anyway because of who I am as a person: Vampire incest?

[It's not breaking the Everybody Be Cool agreement if Beckett's just sharing the information with the whole New Hire gang!]

tw: mentions of incest; if we keep going, also necrophilia, abuse, murder, and organized crime

[vampthropologist]

Kindred aren't born as such. We do start out mortal, and able to reproduce the usual way. A long time ago, the Giovanni decided that the best way to ensure unity of purpose, ideals, and secrecy was to keep their arts, and the Embrace, entirely within the family. So to speak.

[fromfryingpantofire]

[Damn it, Stacia. He was trying NOT to go here...]

Okay. So. Just to keep this straight. The Giovanni only create new members from particular families? Or a particular family?

Fuck's sake.

[vampthropologist]

Yes - one bloodline, which they maintain the purity of via traditionally pharaonic methods.

[By which he means, marriage of close blood relations; brother to sister, aunt to nephew, uncle to niece.]

Their customs are unique among my kind. Some kindred may watch over their descendants, or have relationships with families from which they traditionally draw mortal servitors. [Oh, so delicately put.] But the Giovanni consider themselves all one unit, mortal and kindred alike; kindred Giovanni don't hide their nature from their mortal relatives. And they all practice necromancy, mortal and kindred alike. Rather like that television show, what was it, with the disembodied hand, except not at all harmless and charming.

[fromfryingpantofire]

The Addams Family.

[The answer is just automatic. He barely even thinks about it. Damn it, he actually likes that show.]

That's not...entirely unlike how angels work in our world. I mean, not...most of that. Like the incest and the necromancy. Well, not the necromancy in the ways that humans do it. Angels can bring somebody back from the dead fairly easily if they have the soul.

[It feels a bit like he's rambling, but he's just trying to get this settled.]

There are certain bloodlines that work best for angels to take as vessels on Earth. Some of them are more powerful than others. Like, anybody from one of those bloodlines could be a vessel for a regular, run-of-the-mill angel. But for more powerful angels like archangels? It would have to be a powerful bloodline. To the point where some believe an archangel can only take a vessel that has been specifically bred for that reason.

[vampthropologist]

Yes. Charming little show. Totally inaccurate, of course.

[Beckett has a sense he's touched a nerve, and listens with intent as Sam rambles]

No, it's not exactly that - the Giovanni have their superstitions, but practically speaking the only advantage their customs afford them is that their newly-created kindred are already indoctrinated and prepared for their new existence, and have some meaningful experience with the supernatural.

What you're describing bears some resemblance to revenant families - the traditional servitor bloodlines associated with certain clans that I mentioned before. Revenants do manifest certain innate supernatural abilities as a result of their condition. Giovanni do not; until their embrace, they're mortal, and may be necromancers, but that's it. They also tend to be more receptive than ordinary mortals to, ah, the use of certain kindred abilities, and there are kindred who can perform feats like possession who would find it easier to do so with a revenant associated with their clan. Some kindred do use revenant to test pet theories, and sometimes they are - bred - to a purpose or aesthetic, but they are not ultimately considered terribly important - whereas the Giovanni will hunt you over the death of a mortal family member just as surely as a kindred one.

And there is, with certainty, nothing like divinity involved on any level.

[He ends his explanation looking far bleaker then he'd started]

[credit_not_blame]

Gross. Are you aware of any tangible benefits to doing it that way, or are people just weird all over?

[And, if Beckett were aware of a tangible benefit, would he be willing to share that information?]

[vampthropologist]

No. See comment above, to Sam. The thing to be aware of is that unlike most of these situations, the Giovanni are extremely invested in the welfare of mortal family. And are very, very used to people trying to use that against them. Caution would be warranted.

[He's not going to pretend he doesn't know what she's fishing for.]

[credit_not_blame]

So, no real benefit aside from that they're already indoctrinated into the Weird Necromancy-and-Incest cult. Which isn't to be sneered at, depending on the goals, you wouldn't believe how much screaming at people I did when I was getting So You're A Werewolf 101.

[Stacia raises her eyebrows.]

Yeah, it wouldn't have occurred to me at all that these guys would be deeply invested in keeping their family safe. Give me some credit here. I showed up for the gossip, not to hunt.

[vampthropologist]

There's all kinds of hunts, Ms. Novik, and I would never dream of assuming information I give you won't be used against my kind under any circumstances.

But frankly, if you're able to grasp the inadvisability of that stratagem, you're already capable of defeating any average kindred.