"This is stupid," declared one of the new trainees.

Chris and Joel Edward had been reluctantly talked into covering for an ill Investigator, Martinez. Training her section, Joel Edward remembered why he had skipped through his own investigator training as quickly as possible; he couldn't stand his classmates. At least he was a teacher now.

"Why?" Chris asked simply, but diplomatically. Joel Edward tried not to sigh in exasperation. Things never changed.

"I don't see anything. We're tiptoeing down this damn street like something's gonna jump out and eat us at any moment. We're ghosts, man. Nothing's gonna bother us!"

The trainee finished by kicking at a torn patch on the road. The patch on the road promptly reared up and embraced him. Before another word could be said, he'd been dragged, screaming and thrashing beneath the pavement, out of any chance of rescue.

Chris couldn't quite answer yet, caught off guard, but Joel Edward simply turned to the other stunned trainees.

"Any questions?" he said, trying to keep the humor out of his voice.

Named for both their appearance and where they usually appear, asphalts are a type of Spectre rarely seen at Orpheus. So far, Headquarters has nothing on file dealing with this particular type of Spectre. However, several agents have reported these. For some reason, these appear to be unique to the southeastern U.S.

Asphalts, at first glance, look like anything from a sloppy patch on a badly repaired road to blending perfectly with a newly paved surface. They are usually black or dark gray and tar-like in both appearance and by touch. The lower half of the asphalt rests in the road, in a deep pit. When awakened, they spring forth and resemble a person who has been coated in tar, gravel and assorted road debris. They have no discernible faces, not even eyes.

It is believed their movement is triggered by vibration detection. Anyone who touches an asphalt is stuck to it immediately, and requires a great amount of strength and assistance to pull themselves loose. For those who can't unstick, an even more unpleasant fate awaits: the upper body of the asphalt will drag anything or anyone stuck on it into the pit, from which it is certain there is no escape.

Asphalts are mostly found around major thoroughfares, though not necessarily at the sites of gruesome or destructive car accidents. The only indication one is nearby is a slight moaning sound from below, but as the Underworld is full of moans, it can make it hard to tell exactly where it is coming from.

Attributes: Str 4, Dex 2, Sta 3; Cha 0, Man 1, App 0, Per 5, Int 1, Wit 5

Abilities: Alertness 5, Brawl 4, Stealth 4

Nature: Deceiver

Willpower: 7

Spite: 3

Offensive Abilities: Adhesive Skin (to escape requires a Str + Athletics roll, difficulty 8), Hive-Mind.