Session 8-7 SB The Witch's Curse Part 2

The haunt in James's house proved strong and persistent. Bifrost used his emblazoned holy symbol and religious rituals to temporarily quell the spirit a number of times, each time learning a piece of the puzzle. At first the Spirit Bureau members believed they would need to burn James's house down. Then it became clear that a cross in the home was enabling the haunt, and was the only item that needed to be burned. Then it became clear that the diary, which had indicated a curse from a witch in Alamhna held the secret to permanently ending the haunt.   Each step of the way prompted action, with Rune negotiating with the Maji Guard, and Bob destroying the cursed cross. While the Maji guard did not at first believe the house was haunted, an appearance of the haunting entity, a massive figure with glowing blue eyes, as well as the obviously rapidly aged body of James, made them more cooperative, and they did their best to assist in the sequestering of the haunted home, as well as the wetting of near by homes in case the house needed to be destroyed by fire.   Once it was clear that the haunt would not end without confronting the red-haired witch in Alamhna, the Spirit Bureau went in search of her.   Upon arrival in Calrune, the trio split up, seeking answers and a way to subdue the witch. Bob also sought to convert the cook at the bar to his faith, but found stiff resistance. Rune made her way to the Wayfinder's Society, where she found Crystal Dawn and one of her wards. They discussed political matters at hand, as well as the trouble with the witch, while Rune also crafted ordinance to combat extraordinary threats.   It was the witch, though, who found them first. She approached Bifrost, who had stationed himself by the door of the drinking establishment, and they attempted a verbal ballet. Through seemingly cordial conversation, the witch revealed the following:   1) The haunt had been planted to draw the Spirit Bureau out. In effect, it was a lethal 'honey trap' intended to lure and reveal the Bureau.
2) An unnamed organization, headed by a sinister man with a very fine hat, has grown displeased with the activities of the Spirit Bureau.
3) The unnamed organization knew that the Spirit Bureau had collected a number of cursed artifacts, and the witch requested they be turned over.
4) The witch had transferred the haunt to the Spirit Bureau investigators, in hopes that it would kill them.
5) The witch claimed to be behind Geary (a disturbed automaton) and his acceleration into madness.
6) The witch attempted to see if Bifrost was similarly malleable, requesting that he kill Bob to end the haunting. Bifrost refused.
7) Bifrost requested that the haunting be kept only to himself. The witch did not accede to his suggestion.
8) Bifrost also attempted to gain a regular means of communicating with the opposing organization, in hopes of analyzing their goal and trying to see if there was a better way for them to pursue their ends. While it was clear the organization was flawed, Bifrost held naïve hope. She did let him know her name was Arianna.
9) Bifrost requested, and received, a token from the witch, who granted him a hairclip.
10) When Bifrost asked what the name of their organization was, she responded. "All hail Cthulhu."   The witch then disappeared, and despite Bob's best efforts, she could not be tracked.   The Spirit Bureau alerted the Maji Guards of Sapphire Port that the haunting had been removed from James's house, and that the body should be buried with holy rites. It is hopeful that this will earn some good will with the guard should the Bureau need to return to Sapphire Port.   That evening it became clear that the haunt had been transferred to the trio. From Bob and Rune's research, it appears the only way to end the haunting would be to find an item that the witch has bound the haunting to, and destroy it.   Finding the witch and her secret cabal would be a goal for days to come.   Bifrost's observations:   The Cabal of Cthulhu appears to follow an entity that holds dark intentions. So far the cabal has dealt in objects that have caused madness and death. It is unclear as to whether they were behind the attacks on the DragonLord Waveform, but if they were involved in that as well, they are working deals with very dangerous forces. When necro spirits and haunting are minor tools in your arsenal, you are moving in dark circles of power. Our friendship with Crystal Dawn is perhaps our best alliance at this time. I must request the name of the sinister man who appears to lead the Cabal, as he is now actively seeking to harm us through his proxies. It would be valuable to befriend an exorcist, as we seem to need assistance with most spirits and haunts at this point. Perhaps in time I will join the number of highly capable exorcists myself, which would help us in our tasks. It may also be worth our time trying to forge a connection with the Fae'roh, who, though not a friendly sort, appears to be one of the few people in Calrune capable of dealing with more powerful spiritual perils.   We have returned from this investigation with little financial gain (although some was promised after a renegotiation by Bob), but I believe I have some insights into divine magic I wish to pursue. As well, I will speak with our Goblurin housemates about a way to adapt my form to be more versatile. I never feel as I can do all the things I need to do on an investigation, and my creator has shared with me some ideas on how to increase my capabilities.