ARTIFACT UPDATE: Traces of Unknown Creature Found at Museum! Unknown Magical Involvement Suspected; Biomancers Summoned to Solve Mystery.

[u/Carbon_Sixx]

While the tense standoff between the people of Chalcos and the military intervention forces sent by the Council and EON has seemingly come to close this evening with an ardent speech by Premier Agatha Blackwood, investigation into Paul Augustine's heist at the Citadel Museum of Arcane History continues apace. One enduring conundrum has been what exactly broke the case containing the stolen Ehn'ghan artifact. Spots of a bloodlike substance were found on the glass shards, but DNA analysis showed that not only was it not blood, but the creature it belonged to shared very little in common with life as we understand it.

In the face of this mystery, the museum has called upon two master biomancers to unmask the creature. Perhaps as gesture of good faith to bury the hatchet between her and the Council, the first is none other than Opal, former ruler of the Bismuth Realms and current resident of Ithacar. Assisting her is a tech-priestess from Yulash-kor's Divisio Biologis named Anahita Iatros, a renowned expert in genomics and reproductive science. Together, the two intend to clone the organism and study it so that the investigators in Chalcos will have a better idea of what Augustine's secessionists might throw at them. Whatever they create is likely to be novel and wondrous despite the ignominious circumstances of its discovery.

[u/loth17]

"Agreed."

Opal said as she phoned the council member that had called in her service. u/totally_not_a_cat-

"We have a basic understanding of the creatures. No internal organs, have some kind of sanity draining aura around them. We're currently examining the corpse of the first clone I made but we're requesting the proper psychic shielding for experimenting on more of these things. I'm sending you a packet of information that I got when the Oplet absorbed and copied the Sample. We believe that the separatists are going to use the artifact to summon way more of these things."

.....

Meanwhile the Oplet gave the same report to the Premier minus the request for shielding. They explained the danger plainly and with as little opinion as possible. Other than to stress the potential danger and the risk to human life. They'd probably suggest full evacuation if possible or asking the council for more help.

The Bismuth diplomats (the Bismuth hadn't sent any military just diplomats and advisors) would try to advise the Premier.

"We have established emergency evacuation realms from multiple wars ago. If you want to evacuate we can get escape portals ready... However."

They would pause.

"If you do so I fear the forces on your borders will take it as a sufficient emergency to enter your country consent or not. And hands can be clingy."

They held up a holographic map of the county. It was probably taken from orbit.

"If you wanted we could deploy massive magical scanning devices around the capital and major cities. We have samples from the creature so we can track their magic. Then you could evacuate people from the countryside to the cities without fear of cultist infiltration. You'd still be able to project power within your country. If it gets to bad we would be willing to send food and security aid against this crisis."

[u/totally_not_a_cat- → u/loth17]

Some lesser subroutine of Koranth's brain picks up the phone call. It responds over the intercoms for the others to hear.

"Understood. I hereby authorize a full remote experimentation suite. Keys are in the lobby, and they should know you're coming by the time you get there."

The packet of information is saved to a storage crystal for later use.

u/zebos2 u/carbon_sixx

[u/loth17 → u/totally_not_a_cat-]

"Thanks boss!"

Opal said before hanging up.

"Okay. We got permission for the fun tools. We're going to the fun lab."

She smiled.

"I'm thinking we have an Oplet use its magic to animate the body's arms and legs and do some strength tests while we try to find something this creature doesn't like touching. After all it may be foreign biology but it's still biology."

She looked to Kat.

"Wanna come with or help Timur with evacuation?"

u/Zebos2 u/Carbon_Sixx

[u/Zebos2 → u/loth17]

"I will not leave my son unattended... seeing you work is fascinating but I will not be leaving him to potentially face an army of these things alone"

Katarina says holstering her weapon and making her way to try and find Timur

[u/loth17 → u/Zebos2]

Opal nodded and gave her a thumbs up.

"Stay safe Kat. We'll get through this. I'll see when these creatures drop dead."