Eldritch Guidance

Joe's team, with the exception of Alan, had returned to the Archive, settling once again into the private room they had come to frequent during their investigation. It had been several days since they uncovered that Jixi had been reading materials connected to the Consuming Ooze cult. Half the team was now poring over the same texts Jixi had studied, while the other half focused on drafting a thorough report on Ricky, the man Alan had tried to rescue from the clutches of the slime creature.

The room had become an improvised headquarters for their work. Boxes filled with documents and records related to Ricky’s background were scattered across the floor. In their pursuit of every detail, they had turned the space into an ad hoc office. Thanks to Sandra’s foresight and connections, she had formally arranged for them to use the room indefinitely, ensuring the investigation could proceed without interruptions.

The atmosphere buzzed with focused energy as each team member worked on their respective tasks. Sandra, seated in a corner of the room, appeared immersed in her notebook. While the others assumed she was busy with something pertinent to their efforts, a faint smile occasionally playing on her lips suggested she might be indulging in her penchant for writing smut. Regardless, her quiet, seasoned presence lent an oddly comforting normalcy to the chaotic scene around them.

Joe: “I think I found something,” he called out to the group.

Everyone in the room seemed entirely absorbed in their tasks, paying little attention to Joe's words. His voice carried into the air, but it barely registered with the rest of the team; their focus was locked on the work in front of them. Joe’s attempts to direct their attention were met with quiet indifference, a sharp contrast to how the group typically responded to Mike.

Mike: “Nice try. Get back to writing that report,” he said, not even looking at Joe as he continued to work on his own thing.

Joe: “No, I mean it this time.”

Mike: “This time? Or, are you just going to sneak off to get something to eat like you did yesterday.”

Joe: “That was important. My blood sugars were low, and I can’t work on an empty stomach.”

Mike: “Suuuuuure. I guess you disappeared for four hours yesterday to fill up on food to raise your blood sugar,” he responded sarcastically.

Joe: “What? Would you rather I starve?”

Mike’s eye twitched ever so slightly, a flicker of irritation that betrayed his otherwise composed demeanor.

Mike: “OK, for someone that wants us to go through these papers with a fine comb, I find it very annoying that you keep trying to sneak away. Pushing all this work onto the rest of us.”

Joe: “If you want me to review papers to find discrepancies, I’ll gladly do that. But, why do I have to fill out all these goddamn forms?”

Mike: “YOU'RE THE LEADER! I repeat, LEADER! You have to sign off on these forms and fill out the reports. No one else in our group can do that. I’m sorry if that pisses you off, but I don’t make the rules.”

Joe: “Fucking paperwork. I’ll never escape it, will I? Anyway, I really did find something interesting. A connection with Ricky that we missed.”

Rell: “What did you find?” he asked as he and Dan put down the book they were reading.

Dan: “Did you find a connection with Sorin and Ricky?”

Joe: “Not exactly. I looked at the missing person reports between now and when Jixi disappeared. There were at least seven of them in total, with Ricky included, and I found that every single one of them went to the same high school.”

Rell: “That’s it?” sounding unimpressed.

Joe: “What do you mean by that’s it? It’s a valuable clue.”

Rell: “I don’t know how this is related to Sorin at all. Why are some random people that went to the same high school relevant?”

Joe: “I don’t know. But, these slime things seem to be targeting other people along with our suspects that are directly related to Sorin. At least few of those missing reports had that clear slime substance at the location where those people went missing. I first thought that Dan’s theory that it was just random people getting caught in the crossfire might be true, but now I’m starting to see a pattern. It might not be coincidental.”

Rell: “Sounds like you're grasping at straws.”

Joe: “Of course I’m fucking grasping at straws here. I don’t know what the fuck is going on.”

Jafar: “That’s it! It’s a pursuer slime!” he yelled out as he slammed the book he was reading on the table.

Everyone in the room froze mid-task, their attention abruptly drawn to Jafar. Even Sandra, who rarely let anything distract her, set down her notebook and turned her gaze toward him. The sudden burst of excitement in his voice had cut through the quiet hum of work, leaving an air of curiosity hanging in the room.

All eyes were now fixed on Jafar, who seemed nearly bursting with whatever revelation or discovery he had just made.

Joe: “So, what did you find, kid?”

Jafar hurriedly placed the primary tome of the Consuming Ooze cult on the table, flipping it open to a specific page with almost frantic energy. The worn parchment displayed a detailed illustration of a ritualistic magic circle, its intricate symbols radiating an unsettling aura. At the center of the circle was a haunting depiction of a bizarre red slime creature, its grotesque form rendered with unsettling details.

The creature's amorphous body seemed alive even in the drawing, its edges bleeding into the circle as though defying the confines of the page. The image, paired with the cryptic runes scrawled around it, commanded the room’s attention.

Jafar: “That is exactly what me and Alan ran into.”

Joe: “So, that's what it looked like to you guys,” he said as he picked up the book to better look at the image.

Jafar: “Yeah, the book calls it a pursuer slime. It’s the only red slime creature I found in that book. All the other slime creatures that the book mentions have a bunch of different colors to them.”

Dan: “Why is it called a pursuer slime? Did the book say?”

Jafar: “Because of what it does. The book mentions summoning this slime to hunt down people and eat them.”

Mike: “So, it’s a creature that hunts down humans to devour people. Sounds in line with what this cult does.”

Jafar: “It’s not just anybody, though. It is not like the other slime creatures that the book mentions. It seems one of the ways this cult used to attack their enemies was with these pursuer slimes. These creatures are summoned through a ritual and then seek out very specific targets to kill. They won’t attack just anybody.”

Joe: “So, there is no randomness at all! All these people disappearing were specifically targeted!”

Rell: “Hold up on that assumption,” he said, directed at Joe, before turning back to Jafar. ”Are you sure about that? Because you told us you were attacked by that thing, unless there is something I’m missing.”

Jafar: “These slimes won’t attack random people, unless they get in the way of their target. That’s why it attacked me and Alan. If we had let that thing consume Ricky, it wouldn’t have done anything against us, but because we tried to save him, the pursuer slime attacked us as well. At least, that's how the book explained it.”

Rell: “I see, but what about after? It sounds like these things are bound to certain tasks or contracts like an outsider. Once their target is killed, they would be unbound and might attack anybody.”

Joe: “You seem real intent on proving me wrong.”

Rell: “I’m just applying what I know about outsiders and the magic they can invoke. I know that outsiders have to operate under very strict rules to even be allowed to be in our existence. Once an outsider completes its contract, there is a small window of time that the outsider is unbound and can cause all sorts of havoc before the boundary forcefully ejects them from our world.”

Jafar: “These things are not outsiders. They’re slime, given will by the Consuming Ooze God. Once they kill their target, they just die. When that slime thing burst out of Ricky's chest—” he paused as he thought back to that horrific moment.

Joe: “You don’t have to say, kid. I get it.”

Jafar: “No, it's ok. Um, when Ricky died, the slime creature that crawled out of his body immediately died as well. It just turned into that clear rot slime like the kind we found at Larry’s home. That’s in line with what the book described about them.”

Rell: “Interesting. Any other things you found out about these things?”

Jafar: “Unlike the other slime creatures the book talked about, the section about the pursuer slime emphasized that this thing will only consume organic matter of their target, or anything getting in its way. I guess, unlike the other slime creatures this cult can summon, these slimes are extremely specific in what they consume.”

Dan: “The clothing! We found a full set of clothing in Larry’s house in a pile covered in rot slime. It wasn't damaged at all and had his ID and everything too. That would mean…”

Joe: “Larry got eaten, bones and all, with the only thing left behind being his clothing. And, the slime that was left on the clothing was probably the pursuer slime that ate him and then died. It was also the same at Guss's home as well. Lewis found underwear and bathrobes covered in rot slime. And that book is not kidding about being extremely specific in what it consumes. I found Larry’s fake gold tooth that was likely in his mouth lying on the ground.”

Mike

Jafar: “I’m not sure about how these things find their target, but who they go after is part of the ritual to create them. When you make the magic circle for the ritual to create these slimes, you have to write the name of the people you want these slimes to go after into the circle while having a clear idea in your head of what they look like. All while continuously channeling aether into the circle.”

Joe: “Interesting, so that likely means the person who is setting the target of these creatures has seen the person. Likely, they personally interacted with the targeted person.”

Rell: “Seems likely, if that’s the case.”

Joe: “But, more importantly, how do we stop these things?”

Jafar: “The book mentions that these things can only be hurt from magic with non-physical effects, or anything with high heat. Oh, also these things are extremely vulnerable to the element of necros. Also, if you break the ritual circle these things were summoned from, they’ll all die.”

Joe: “So, fire and necros. Is anyone from your side attuned with those elements?” he asked, directed at Rell.

Rell: “There are plenty of enforcers that have access to those elements, but of the people on this team specifically, I am the only one that can use the mentioned element effectively. I can use necros. I believe Alan and Jafar are each attuned to one of the relevant elements. But, I’m against relying on them against these creatures. Neither of them are properly trained with either of those elements.”

Joe: “I didn’t plan to let either of them get close to these things in the first place. I just wanted to know in the worst-case scenario if we come across more of these things. Also from our side, Mike is the only one attuned to necros. So, we have at least two people on our team who might be able to do something if we get in trouble.

Rell: “Good. Mitra made it very clear to me, she didn’t want those two to be anywhere close to danger.”

Joe nodded firmly, his expression resolute, signaling his agreement with both of their conclusions.

Joe: “So, these findings mean that Jixi is definitely involved. If you're reading about that ritual, then Jixi knows about it as well. We know that he took out that book and read it at some point in time. He’s likely the one that created these things to take these people out.”

Mike: “We still don’t know for sure why, but it doesn't seem implausible he’s getting rid of loose ends. Taking out his other collaborators to better hide himself.”

Rell: “And the risk in creating these slimes would be minimal for him. All he has to do is draw a magic circle and feed it aether, then these creatures do the rest. So, it’s still aligned with his cowardly nature that I know about him.”

Joe: “That would explain why he’s taking out Sorin collaborators, but not the other missing people. Those other missing people and Ricky, why send those slime monsters after them? These things go after very specific people, which means they were targeted. Why? Is there some sort of connection to Sorin I’m missing?”

Dan: “Um, I don’t know. You said those other missing people all went to the same high school. Was Sorin a high school teacher there?"

Rell: “Nope. I don't believe he ever taught high school.”

Joe: “Hmm, we might have a vague idea of how he might be doing this, but it doesn't help us figure out where Jixi is.

Mike: “Maybe not. Jafar, does the book say how far these creatures will travel?”

Jafar: “These things will never stop seeking out their target, but the book mentions the farther away pursuer slimes are spawned away from their target, the longer it takes for them to find them.”

Mike: “That means he’s at least somewhere near the city. If he was spawning these things in a faraway place like Gix, I'd imagine we would have heard about the sightings, since it would have to travel a far distance to get here. Someone would likely see them.”

Dan: “Joe said he thought these things were traveling through the sewers. What if Jixi is spawning them there?”

Mike: “That’s what I’m thinking. But, maybe not specifically in the sewers, but one of the forgotten underground tunnels or bunkers in the city. Some of those tunnels connect to the sewers.”

Joe: “Good catch, you two. You're both right. That likely narrows it down to the city. But, Graheel is still a big place.”

Rell: “What about the materials for the ritual? I’m sure they're unusual materials needed for this ritual.”

Jafar: “Yeah, half the materials mentioned for this ritual I’ve never heard of.”

Rell: “That means they’re rare or illegal. That limits the number of vendors that Jixi could have gotten them from.”

Sandra: “Um, excuse me for interrupting.”

All eyes shifted toward Sandra, who had remained unusually quiet, her presence more observant than participatory throughout the entire conversation. She sat with her notebook resting in her lap, her expression calm but contemplative, as though she had been carefully weighing every word exchanged.

Sandra: “I hope I’m not overstepping with this investigation, but may I posit a theory?”

Joe: “You may. It’s no trouble.”

Sandra: “I vaguely remember you all talking about some sort of item smuggler before. Wouldn’t that man be able to acquire those materials?”

Joe: “Larry? Oh, yeah. You’re right. Larry might have been able to get a hold of those materials.“

Rell: “That’s unfortunate. I thought we could check the vendors to see if anyone bought any strange materials.”

Jafar: “There is also one other really strange thing you need for this ritual,” he said, pausing mid-sentence.

Everyone’s attention shifted back to Jafar, their expressions a mix of curiosity and patience as they waited for him to speak. He fidgeted slightly, clearly grappling with how to articulate the strange discovery he had unearthed in the Consuming Ooze book.

Jafar: “You… need a human sacrifice.”

When the subject of a human sacrifice for the ritual came up, Dan's unease was unmistakable. His brow furrowed, and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, the weight of the revelation unsettling him. The flicker of distress in his eyes set him and Jafar apart from the rest of the team.

In stark contrast, the others remained composed, their faces calm, as though the mention of such a grim act was just another piece of the puzzle.

Rell: “That’s to be expected. When you're dealing with cults, they do tend to perform a lot of human sacrifice for their rituals.”

Joe: “That means possibly one of the missing people might have been used as a sacrifice.”

Jafar: “Um, b-but the book says it has to be specifically a willing sacrifice.”

Mike: “A willing sacrifice?” he said with disbelief.

At the mention of a willing sacrifice, the calm composure that some in the room had maintained shifted to expressions of genuine surprise. The idea of human sacrifice itself wasn’t shocking—such horrors were par for the course when dealing with the Nameless Cults. However, the requirement that the sacrifice must be voluntary was a startling deviation from the norm.

Nameless cults were infamous for their ruthless methods, frequently kidnapping unwilling victims to fuel their unholy rituals. A willing sacrifice, by contrast, was a rarity in their dark practices, adding a new layer of complexity—and unsettling intrigue—to the situation.

Jafar: “Yes, It has to be a willing sacrifice full of deep resentment. That person then has to swallow some rot slime and kill themselves while in the middle of the ritual circle. Then the pursuer slime will start to spawn out of the corpse.”

Joe: “That complicates things. Where in the world would Jixi get a willing sacrifice?”

Dan: “Couldn’t Jixi just sacrifice himself?”

Rell: “I suppose. But, that is not in line with what I know about him.”

The room fell into a heavy silence, the weight of Jafar's revelation settling over everyone like a thick fog. Two full minutes ticked by, each one stretching endlessly as the team absorbed the implications of his discovery. Eyes darted between the open book and each other, silent questions hanging in the air, unspoken but palpable.

Joe: “Let's go over what we know. Seven seemingly uninvolved people are missing, and right now I’m assuming they all might have been attacked by these slime things. Then there were at least ten main suspects that had deep ties to what Sorin was doing. The other Sleuth-Hawk groups were looking into them and managed to apprehend four of them. Then another five of those ten disappeared, leaving only clear rot slime behind at relevant locations. We can assume that those four were likely eaten by the pursuer slime. And then the last suspect, the other groups, are still trying to find enough evidence to apprehend them. So, if all suspects are being targeted, we can assume that there are at least five more of these slime creatures out there somewhere.”

Jafar: “Um, the number of pursuer slimes created is not limited to one per person.”

Joe: “So, there could be more than one of these slimes going after each of them. How many slimes could be created to go after someone? What is the limit? Did the book say?”

Jafar: “There’s… no limit. This ritual will keep creating more and more slimes until all the targets of the ritual are dead, or you stop feeding aether into the summoning circle.”

Joe: “Are you saying there could be hypothetically ‘hundreds’ of these things crawling through the sewers right now,” he said with a mix of concern and fear.

Jafar swallowed hard, the audible gulp betraying his nerves as he met Joe’s gaze. His head bobbed in a slow, hesitant nod, the movement jittery and uncertain. The weight of Joe’s question lingered heavily in the air, and Jafar’s response, though affirmative, carried an undercurrent of unease that no one could quite mask.