Dr. Helen Magnus (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
notsocommon) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
sixthiterationlogs2016-11-25 06:32 pm
notsocommon) wrote in sixthiterationlogs2016-11-25 06:32 pm
the wild hunt (closed)
WHO: Helen Magnus
WHERE: The village, the forest
WHEN: 25 November - 11 December
OPEN TO: Jo Harvelle, Riza Hawkeye, Helen Magnus, Cougar Alvarez & Mark Watney
WARNINGS: mentions of death, some forensic investigation
STATUS: Ongoing
It had been a while since Helen had been part of a proper investigation but the discovery of Karen's body at the harvest feast along with all the animal deaths that had plagued the village over the past weeks led her to believe that possibly an Abnormal was behind these attacks instead of an animal. Very few animals would leave a body unmolested, truly, and the harvest feast accounted for all the people in their village and ruled out any sort of human involvement.
There were suspicions, naturally. It was only human nature to suspect one another in times of distress and Helen had been alive long enough to know the signs. Being trapped in such a small place, corralled and toyed with, it had an effect upon the population that wasn't entirely positive. She'd felt it too, over time, and even her cooler head didn't always prevail. In this instance, her cursory examination of the body led her to the conclusion that what was behind the attack was neither animal nor human but something different entirely. In this, at least, she'd be in her element.
After some discussion, she'd elected to follow the trail of blood back into the woods in an attempt to track and neutralize the culprit. She was one of the doctors in the village but with Ravi staying behind, should something happen to her he would be able to continue on with her work. Cougar, too, had been a natural choice as a tracker and hunter, as had Riza. Mark had come along as a fellow scientist and Jo, intrepid as she was, rounded out their team.
The lot of them made good pace through the woods and to the southern edge of the canyon, making it in a few days with only some minor weather delay. On the evening of the third day, decisions would need to be made as to how to continue on - Helen's experience was that climbing the canyon meant only frustration. Still, there seemed to be some sort of cave or alcove above them, just deep enough that a creature might reside there. Was that the nest, possibly? It would require a climb, yes, but she felt the five of them were more than capable of that.
"We should have a meeting, I think," she said, calling them all to attention. Helen tipped her head up toward the canyon wall and voiced her suspicions. "I vote we climb. Those depressions in the cliff face might be caves."
WHERE: The village, the forest
WHEN: 25 November - 11 December
OPEN TO: Jo Harvelle, Riza Hawkeye, Helen Magnus, Cougar Alvarez & Mark Watney
WARNINGS: mentions of death, some forensic investigation
STATUS: Ongoing
It had been a while since Helen had been part of a proper investigation but the discovery of Karen's body at the harvest feast along with all the animal deaths that had plagued the village over the past weeks led her to believe that possibly an Abnormal was behind these attacks instead of an animal. Very few animals would leave a body unmolested, truly, and the harvest feast accounted for all the people in their village and ruled out any sort of human involvement.
There were suspicions, naturally. It was only human nature to suspect one another in times of distress and Helen had been alive long enough to know the signs. Being trapped in such a small place, corralled and toyed with, it had an effect upon the population that wasn't entirely positive. She'd felt it too, over time, and even her cooler head didn't always prevail. In this instance, her cursory examination of the body led her to the conclusion that what was behind the attack was neither animal nor human but something different entirely. In this, at least, she'd be in her element.
After some discussion, she'd elected to follow the trail of blood back into the woods in an attempt to track and neutralize the culprit. She was one of the doctors in the village but with Ravi staying behind, should something happen to her he would be able to continue on with her work. Cougar, too, had been a natural choice as a tracker and hunter, as had Riza. Mark had come along as a fellow scientist and Jo, intrepid as she was, rounded out their team.
The lot of them made good pace through the woods and to the southern edge of the canyon, making it in a few days with only some minor weather delay. On the evening of the third day, decisions would need to be made as to how to continue on - Helen's experience was that climbing the canyon meant only frustration. Still, there seemed to be some sort of cave or alcove above them, just deep enough that a creature might reside there. Was that the nest, possibly? It would require a climb, yes, but she felt the five of them were more than capable of that.
"We should have a meeting, I think," she said, calling them all to attention. Helen tipped her head up toward the canyon wall and voiced her suspicions. "I vote we climb. Those depressions in the cliff face might be caves."
no subject
Still, she wasn't about to sit out when she had a freaking harpoon on her back. Riza's hand had already been resting on it and she pulls it off her back in one deft motion. Cougar had just been sent flying past her and Jo was currently engaging the beast. Riza isn't known for hand-to-hand combat. She's hesitant to jump into the fray as Jo has, but she is good at one thing and that's targeting. The harpoon might not be her usual weapon of choice, but Riza trusts her ability to aim, even in a snowstorm. After all, she'd had to be a sniper in desert sand conditions and she had made a trip or two up to the Northern wall of Briggs.
Riza shifted her stance and took aim. She had to wait for Jo to be clear and---THERE! It's a short window, but the monster has distanced itself from Jo to go for a fresh attack. Riza gripped the harpoon's staff and hurled it towards the beast with a grunt of effort. Her aim, as always, is spot on and the harpoon lodges itself in the beast's chest. Of course, Riza couldn't be sure if its heart was located in the same place as most creatures -- but it was an educated guess to make and, if nothing else, she might have punctured a lung.
Whatever the case, the harpoon to the chest does seem to have more of an effect as the beast howled and stumbled forward.
no subject
The beast -- Whatever it is -- lunges forward and then topples to the ground with a choking, sucking rattle of breath. I'm wary of any of us getting near enough to check that it's truly dead, but after a moment of watching it laying there prone, snow collecting on its dark fur, it seems safe enough.
"...fuck," I finally say, and realize I'd been holding my breath the entire time. "I don't know what I expected us to find, but it wasn't that."
no subject
"I can't be certain, though I wonder if this was what they were alluding to in those documents we found up above. What I saw in the Himalayas was a creature of natural origin, a cryptid that had been sheltered by geographic means. This isn't exactly the same but it bears further investigation. I think we ought to try to bring the body back with us."
no subject
It will be a slower walk back to civilization, but at least they might have some answers about what was killing everything, including Karen. The only thing that's bugging Cougar, though, is how no one was able to notice. It's just one more thing to think about with every passing step back to the village after a long search.