Blackjack: 5 regular, 3 arcane

Session Time: Sun Jan 06 00:00:01 2013
03[19:30] * jake (Mibbit@161D67C.F200AF3C.184D5AC1.IP) has joined #cfgames
[19:30] <jake> hello!
01[19:30] <thomamelas> Hello!
[19:31] <jake> hey, how’s it going??
01[19:32] <thomamelas> Well. And yourself?
[19:34] <jake> pretty good! I’ve been working around the house today and decided to treat myself to a Philly for dinner
[19:34] <jake> and it delivered
01[19:36] <thomamelas> Excellent. It’s hard to go wrong with a cheesesteak.
[19:37] <jake> It’s not something I usually get a craving for, but for some reason it was just perfect tonight
[19:38] <jake> alright, I’m going to go wash my hands and I’ll be all set
[19:40] <jake> back
01[19:40] <thomamelas> Okay
[19:42] <jake> so! last time, you made the trip to the small town of Squamish, BC, to meet with Khatsalano, who does work in the town as a native elder and activist. As a test, he asked you to investigate the recent death of a young man named Ben Volker, who was found dead of hypothermia by a remote road two mornings ago after a night of mild weather.
01[19:43] <thomamelas> Yep. And we found out where he died.
[19:45] <jake> Yep! Combined with the knowledge that he was found near the Alice Lake road up by Stump Lake (there are a lot of lakes north of town) you should be able to pinpoint the spot. Are you heading there now?
01[19:45] <thomamelas> Yes we are.
[19:49] <jake> Ok! It’s getting on towards sunset and the shadows of the mountains to the west are beginning to stretch over the valley that Squamish sits in, tinting everything purple. The road up to Alice Lake Provincial Park heads up the eastern slopes of the valley,
[19:50] <jake> and while the road is busy at first traffic quickly falls off. After twenty minutes there’s nobody else as far as the eye can see, except for the distant smoke of chimneys.
[19:51] <jake> Alice Lake and its sister lakes are situated in a high mountain valley surrounded by tall timber. You drive past empty public campgrounds and small canoe docks as the road gently curls around one small lake, then another.
[19:52] <jake> Soon, on the east side of Stump Lake, near the center of the park, Memoranda recognizes a patch of ground.
01[19:53] <thomamelas> Pulling over towards it, looking around before getting out of the car. Taking a moment to explain that to Memo.
[19:53] <jake> (here is a photo gallery of the park btw: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/alice_lk/photos/ )
[19:55] <jake> There are some tracks left by four-wheel drive vehicles to either side of the road; you imagine those are probably from the provincial police and emergency services.
[19:57] <jake> The road curves around a lot, following the lake side, but where you are it was running north/south. Volker was on the right, east, side of the road. The ground where he fell is matted with heavy footprints, again, probably from the ems people.
[19:57] <jake> Is there anything you want to specifically focus on?
01[19:57] <thomamelas> Using mage sight to try to see if there are any lingering magic traces.
[19:58] <jake> ok! give me a roll
01[19:58] <thomamelas> 5d10h8
[19:58] <critical> thomamelas, 5d10h8: 2 [5d10h8=9,5,7,[10,3],3]
[20:01] <jake> Ok! There are very, very, very faint traces of magic where he died – they are fading even as you look, and will probably be totally gone in a few hours. There’s a faint trail heading eastward, although those traces are even weaker (because he was moving, whereas he was on the spot where he died for ten or twenty minutes).
01[20:03] <thomamelas> Is it a trail trail, or just a trail of magic?
[20:03] <jake> More generally, out here, away from the city, your Prime vision makes everything kind of light up with saturated colors, like Technicolor. There is a low level of magic everywhere, the magic of living things, although obviously random and uncontrolled. These high hills and peaks are probably likely to have Hallows on them.
[20:04] <jake> Give me a wits plus investigation or survival roll
01[20:05] <thomamelas> 7d10h8
[20:05] <critical> thomamelas, 7d10h8: 4 [7d10h8=[10,10,3],5,6,[10,5],9,6,6]
[20:07] <jake> Nice! There isn’t a trail-type trail, but Ben Volker left enough broken limbs, crushed flowers, etc as signs of his passage that you think you can retrace his steps deeper into the park.
01[20:09] <thomamelas> Gestures for Memoranda to follow as he turns on a flashlight and heads that way.
[20:13] <jake> Ok! You plunge eastward, off the road, and very quickly the park feels like it swallows you up. You don’t have to go fifty meters before the road behind you is completely invisible. The sky overhead is purple and darkening quickly, and a chorus of insects begin to herald in the night with their chirping.
[20:13] <jake> As you plunge ahead, your shoe tip strikes something hard and lightweight.
[20:13] <jake> Looking down, you see a blinking cell phone.
01[20:14] <thomamelas> Moving the beam of the flashlight over it. Bending over to pick it up and frowning, wondering how it got missed.
[20:18] <jake> The phone’s blinking because it’s received a few text messages, all of them from “Kelly.” Glancing at the history, the ones that catch your eye go
[20:20] <jake> I’ve got the keys. Looking forward to tonight. Bring champagne xoxoxo
[20:20] <jake> from the afternoon before he was found.
[20:21] <jake> Then from that night, there are a couple of texts that are just gobbledygook. Either butt-dialed or typed by someone with their toes or something.
[20:21] <jake> qwougbn;ae
[20:21] <jake> jr;[
[20:21] <jake> JR;{
[20:22] <jake> and then one from early this morning:
[20:23] <jake> ben i don’t know where i am i think i’m really lost and i cant call anyone please get someone if you get this please
01[20:25] <thomamelas> “Now that’s just creepy.” Handing the phone to Memoranda. “I think he might have been out here to rescue someone.”
[20:26] <jake> (he was found yesterday morning, so this would have shown up after then)
01[20:27] <thomamelas> “He and someone else found something. But the keys to what?” Handing the phone to Memoranda.
01[20:27] <thomamelas> Memo> “I don’t know but it doesn’t seem good.” Clearly creeped out by the forest.
01[20:30] <thomamelas> Keeps moving down the trail, frowning. Also a bit creeped out.
02[20:32] * jake (Mibbit@161D67C.F200AF3C.184D5AC1.IP) Quit (Quit: http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client)
03[20:32] * jake (Mibbit@161D67C.F200AF3C.184D5AC1.IP) has joined #cfgames
[20:32] <jake> uggggh mibbit
01[20:32] <thomamelas> WB
01[20:32] <thomamelas> What did you get last?
[20:32] <jake> haha thank you
[20:32] <jake> that you were continuing down the trail
[20:34] <jake> It’s now been about half an hour and what you estimate is maybe a km. Give me another wits plus survival roll
[20:34] <jake> or investigation
01[20:34] <thomamelas> 7d10h8
[20:34] <jake> (btw have you been logging this?)
[20:34] <critical> thomamelas, 7d10h8: 3 [7d10h8=1,9,8,5,2,7,[10,5]]
01[20:34] <thomamelas> Yep. I have logging on by default.
[20:36] <jake> oh, fantastic
[20:36] <jake> whew
[20:39] <jake> The trail is getting harder to follow, but you manage to keep yourself on it. It seems like the boy was kind of out of it, you’ve zig-zagged a couple of times now and looking back he seems to have missed some more obviously easier routes.
01[20:40] <thomamelas> Taking a moment and doing some prime writing to mark our trail.
[20:41] <jake> Ok! This will help you find your way out or anyone coming to find their way in
[20:41] <jake> The phone rings.
01[20:41] <thomamelas> Yeah, if we’re being followed it does make it easier.
01[20:41] <thomamelas> Memo> Blinks and answers the phone. “Hello?”
[20:42] <jake> “…who…who is this? where’s…? where’s ben?”
[20:42] <jake> A woman’s voice.
[20:42] <jake> It’s small and faint and the signal is total dogshit.
01[20:43] <thomamelas> Memo> “He died. We’re trying to find out what killed him.”
01[20:43] <thomamelas> Has a shocked look on his face, looking at Memo, just stunned.
[20:44] <jake> “I…oh…ohhh….it was…it was the cabin…the thing…so cold….but I’m feeling warmer now…”
01[20:45] <thomamelas> Memo> “Where is the cabin? How do we get there?” Thinking she’s talking to a ghost.
[20:48] <jake> “…by Fawn Lake…private property…signs…trespassing…nobody lives there, though….thought we’d have it to ourselves….but there’s something there.” A choked sob. “It’s horrible….who are you? Please…I don’t know where I am, the stars are all wrong…”
01[20:49] <thomamelas> Memo> “You can call me Memo.” Typing out Fawn Lake for BJ to see on her cellphone, hoping he can pull it up on the gps.
01[20:50] <thomamelas> Tries to see if he can get the GPS on his phone to work out here.
[20:51] <jake> You’re near Fawn Lake. The trail seems to be leading you there, albeit really inefficiently
01[20:52] <thomamelas> Memo> “Can you tell me about the thing?”
[20:54] <jake> “Memo, that’s funny…are you with the…the police?” The girl’s voice seems to be getting stronger, less dreamy. “I feel sluggish…it was….something…a spirit….I know that sounds crazy, but it was just like one of Uncle’s stories. It said things, horrible things…told us we weren’t…weren’t welcome, and made us cold….I need help, Memo.”
01[20:55] <thomamelas> Memo> “We…aren’t with the police. But we are comming to help.” Typing out spirit, cold onto her phone.
01[20:56] <thomamelas> Making an occult + int check to see if it rings any bells with BJ.
01[20:56] <thomamelas> 5d10h8
[20:56] <critical> thomamelas, 5d10h8: 2 [5d10h8=4,8,9,6,4]
[21:01] <jake> What BJ knows about spirits is the straightforward basics – unlike Ghosts, which are the souls of actual dead people, spirits are more like animals. They live in Twilight, which is a mirror reflection of the “real” world, although they can cross over to the real world through spells or in naturally-occurring places where the boundary is weak, called Verges.
[21:02] <jake> Spirits are like anthropomorphized ideas – there can be tree spirits, or cloud spirits, or traffic spirits in a city, or electricity spirits in the wall outlet.
[21:03] <jake> They have varying degrees of sentience – some are purely creatures of instinct like animals and birds, other more powerful ones can think and reason. They prey on each other and have their own ecology, like animals in the wild.
[21:04] <jake> They’re made of a substance called “ephemera,” which can look and feel like real matter but isn’t (it’s what ectoplasm, etc are made of). They can cast magic-like spells using innate powers called Numina, and if a spirit were, for instance, one of cold, it would definitely have a cold Numina.
[21:04] <jake> and that Numina would leave a trace like magic.
01[21:06] <thomamelas> Shakes his head, looking at Memo, doesn’t have any ideas. Gesturing for them to keep going.
[21:09] <jake> You walk a bit further – and then you see something up ahead, blazing in your Prime vision.
[21:10] <jake> It’s the marker you made for yourself.
01[21:10] <thomamelas> Grimaces as he bites down on a curse.
01[21:12] <thomamelas> “We are offically lost.” Searching to see if it was a spell causing them to go in a circle.
[21:13] <jake> Now that you know what to look for, you see that there’s some subtle Space magic in the air around you. At a guess, you’d say a circle maybe a kilometer wide is being twisted with Space to be hard to get to the center of.
01[21:14] <thomamelas> Points that out to Memo. Taking a breath to see if he can do a controlled dispellation to exempt him and Memo from that.
[21:15] <jake> Go for it!
[21:15] <jake> prime plus gnosic
[21:15] <jake> er gnosis
01[21:15] <thomamelas> 5d10h8
[21:15] <critical> thomamelas, 5d10h8: 3 [5d10h8=2,[10,4],1,1,[10,8]]
[21:15] <jake> or wait you have dispel magic as a rote, you can use that instead
[21:15] <jake> though it doesn’t matter, 3 successes will do ya
01[21:16] <thomamelas> I have dispell as a rote but dispell drops the whole thing. And dropping the whole thing might let someone know.
[21:16] <jake> ahhh good point ok
01[21:17] <thomamelas> Attempting to make his way into the center of that circle.
[21:17] <jake> When you cast the spell, the effect is like a “Vertigo” dolly zoom in real life. You’re standing still, but just for a second, everything in your peripheral vision seems to shift into a new position. Angles seem to join up in ways they hadn’t before.
[21:18] <jake> And it feels instantly much easier to navigate.
[21:20] <jake> Within fifteen minutes, you and Memo have climbed most of the way up a small hillock. The trees here are kind of stunted and gnarled, and the air is piercingly brisk. The colors around you seem kind of desaturated – your flashlight’s beam seems grayish, and everything it illuminates seems kind of gritty and speckled.
[21:21] <jake> A few more steps and you’re on an old gravel drive leading up to a small wooden house. Not a cabin, really, but a lakeside resort home probably circa the 1940s or 50s.
[21:22] <jake> Ranch style, with avocado-green shutters around windows that stare grey and blankly out into the darkness. The place is pulsing with Numina, and you recognize it from the boy’s body. This is the scene of the crime.
01[21:22] <thomamelas> “I think we have found the cabin. Hopefully the young woman is still inside.” Stopping to take a moment to visually scour the place for wards and spells. Reaching out to restrain Memo from rushing in.
[21:26] <jake> The Space spell afflicting the nearby countryside appears to originate from here. Since such spells tend to gradually erode in the presence of Sleepers, you think it’s either been maintained regularly, or this is some kind of mage’s Demesne where paradox and disbelief have been suspended.
[21:27] <jake> There are wards around the door and window entrances – it would take a while to discern their exact settings but you think you could dispel them relatively easily.
01[21:29] <thomamelas> Taking a moment to point out their existance to Memo. “We will go in, but lets keep as much suprise as we can.” Attempting a controlled dispellation on the wards around the door.
01[21:29] <thomamelas> 5d10h8
[21:29] <critical> thomamelas, 5d10h8: 2 [5d10h8=4,9,7,9,2]
[21:30] <jake> They flicker twice and then go dark.
[21:30] <jake> The door itself is ajar.
[21:30] <jake> Are you going in?
01[21:31] <thomamelas> Yep. Casting a spell first though.
01[21:32] <thomamelas> Casting Ephemeral Enchantment on his pistol.
01[21:32] <thomamelas> 5d10h8
[21:32] <critical> thomamelas, 5d10h8: 1 [5d10h8=2,8,2,3,3]
[21:32] <jake> success!
[21:32] <jake> Is Memo doing anything?
01[21:34] <thomamelas> Double checking to make sure her defenses are up but that’s all.
[21:35] <jake> Ok!
[21:37] <jake> You go inside. The front door opens on to the main living room of the house. To the right is a doorway leading into a tiled kitchen. To the left is a hallway leading to the bedrooms. The living room is completely bare; the walls have been stripped down to the plaster and the carpet has been taken up down to the nailboards.
[21:37] <jake> In the center of the room is a single hard wooden chair.
[21:38] <jake> The chair is empty, and it’s positioned such that the dim moonlight from outside falls onto it.
01[21:40] <thomamelas> Looking over at Memo. Raising an eyebrow at the chair.
01[21:40] <thomamelas> Memo> Turns around and calls out “Hello! Is anyone here?”
[21:43] <jake> Silence, but there’s a cold breeze that raises hairs on your neck and arms.
[21:43] <jake> You have the overwhelming sensation of being /unwanted./
01[21:45] <thomamelas> Examining the chair in the moonlight, looking for wards and traps on it.
[21:45] <jake> Thom, your Prime senses show this place as alive with both spiritual Numina and more conventional Atlantean spells. This was, or is, definitely some mage’s demesne.
[21:47] <jake> The chair has scrapes and scratches all along it; it’s seen better days. It appears to be securely bolted to the floor. There is a puddle of water around its feet, and as you look at it, you see drips of water coming from above.
[21:47] <jake> drip…drip…drip.
01[21:47] <thomamelas> Is not well disposed to the mage whose place this is. Points up stairs, looking for a way to get up there.
[21:49] <jake> The house is one story, a ranch. Above you is just blank white ceiling and a light fixture. But as you look up for the source of the water, you see an inhuman face in the white ceiling looking down at you.
[21:49] <jake> “PREEYYYYYYYY”
01[21:50] <thomamelas> Responds with some Primal Fire.
01[21:51] <thomamelas> Er Celestial Fire
[21:51] <jake> Ok! Roll for initiative
[21:51] <jake> 1d104
[21:51] <critical> jake, 1d104: 10 [1d10=6]
01[21:52] <thomamelas> 1d10+7
[21:52] <critical> thomamelas, 1d107: 8 [1d10=1]
01[21:52] <thomamelas> That’s Memo’s. I was looking at the wrong sheet.
[21:52] <jake> memo?
[21:52] <jake> kk
01[21:52] <thomamelas> 1d10+6
[21:52] <critical> thomamelas, 1d106: 7 [1d10=1]
[21:54] <jake> critical is being a dick
01[21:55] <thomamelas> So it’s a day that ends in y? ;)
[21:55] <jake> hahaha true true
[21:57] <jake> You think the spirit was trying to hide from you in the ceiling but couldn’t contain its essential…drippiness. The ceiling seems to kind of distend outward as a shape presses against it, like a person pushing their way out from inside a rubber balloon, then with an audible rush of air the top half of a monstrous torso descends upon Blackjack, eyes blazing.
[21:58] <jake> The air around Blackjack grows cold…unbearably cold.
[21:58] <jake> 8d10h8
[21:58] <critical> jake, 8d10h8: 2 [8d10h8=9,4,7,9,7,7,4,7]
[21:58] <jake> 2 bashing damage from being flash frozen
01[21:59] <thomamelas> Mage armor impact that at all?
[22:01] <jake> yeah, it does, down to 0. (normally armor reduces the attacker’s die pool but I’ve always thought that was stupid so I’m having it soak damage instead, I think that makes more sense)
01[22:02] <thomamelas> Grunting at the impact, grimacing.
[22:02] <jake> Memo’s turn!
01[22:03] <thomamelas> She’s casting Destroy Ephemera at it.
01[22:04] <thomamelas> 5d10h8
[22:04] <critical> thomamelas, 5d10h8: 0 [5d10h8=7,3,4,7,5]
[22:05] <jake> haha mang
[22:05] <jake> that was some bull
[22:05] <jake> BJ’s turn!
01[22:05] <thomamelas> “Burn!” Casting Celestial Fire at it.
01[22:06] <thomamelas> 5d10h8
[22:06] <critical> thomamelas, 5d10h8: 1 [5d10h8=5,9,4,6,1]
[22:07] <jake> The creature howls as bits of its icy form turn liquid and drop off it, evaporating in the air. It rushes at Blackjack and passes through him, attempting to chill him to the bone.
[22:08] <jake> 8d10h8
[22:08] <critical> jake, 8d10h8: 2 [8d10h8=8,5,4,8,6,4,4,4]
[22:08] <jake> but again, the damage doesn’t penetrate his mage armor.
[22:08] <jake> Memo’s turn!
01[22:10] <thomamelas> Getting out her stylus and pointing at the spirit. Using some willpower to attack it again.
01[22:10] <thomamelas> 8d10h8
[22:10] <critical> thomamelas, 8d10h8: 2 [8d10h8=5,8,7,9,1,1,6,2]
[22:12] <jake> The spirit howls again as bigger chunks of it just evaporate like water drops tossed onto a griddle. BJ’s turn!
02[22:13] * jake (Mibbit@161D67C.F200AF3C.184D5AC1.IP) Quit (Quit: http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client)
03[22:14] * jake (Mibbit@161D67C.F200AF3C.184D5AC1.IP) has joined #cfgames
[22:14] <jake> ughhghghg
[22:14] <jake> this time it wasn’t mibbit’s fault
[22:14] <jake> I guess if you double click the top left in chrome it closes it? what a retarded feature
01[22:15] <thomamelas> Very lame.
01[22:15] <thomamelas> BJ is going with the fire again.
[22:15] <jake> or maybe this is a win7 thing, it does it in explorer too
[22:15] <jake> ok!
01[22:15] <thomamelas> With some willpower.
01[22:15] <thomamelas> 8d10h8
[22:15] <critical> thomamelas, 8d10h8: 1 [8d10h8=1,3,7,8,7,4,7,3]
[22:18] <jake> hello?
01[22:18] <thomamelas> Yes, did you see my roll?
[22:18] <jake> ahh there we go
[22:18] <jake> got it
[22:19] <jake> the creature is pretty unhappy! It begins chanting in a gibberish noise, attempting to freeze both BJ and Memo – the vapor in the room begins condensing into ice before your very eyes.
[22:20] <jake> 6fd10h8
[22:20] <jake> er
[22:20] <jake> 6d10h8
[22:20] <critical> jake, 6d10h8: 0 [6d10h8=2,7,4,6,1,4]
[22:21] <jake> …but that’s all that happens. Memo’s turn!
01[22:21] <thomamelas> Attempting to fray it again.
01[22:21] <thomamelas> 5d10h8
[22:21] <critical> thomamelas, 5d10h8: 3 [5d10h8=2,1,[10,4],1,[10,9]]
01[22:21] <thomamelas> (And now she gets some base in her voice.)
01[22:22] <thomamelas> Bass even.
[22:23] <jake> The spirit is nearly translucent now, the little icy spikes around its shoulders and head almost completely dissolved. It’s close to being just a hateful pair of malevolent red eyes.
[22:26] <jake> BJ’s turn, sorry!
01[22:27] <thomamelas> Drawing up his stance and sighting down the barrel. Firing at the ghost.
01[22:27] <thomamelas> 6d10h8
[22:27] <critical> thomamelas, 6d10h8: 0 [6d10h8=6,2,7,4,5,5]
[22:30] <jake> what the eff critical
[22:30] <jake> the creature, or rather its eyes, fly at BJ in a rage, making one last-ditch effort (and spending one of its willpower).
[22:30] <jake> 11d10h8
[22:30] <critical> jake, 11d10h8: 7 [11d10h8=5,5,[10,5],2,9,[10,8],4,5,3,[10,10,10,7],2]
01[22:31] <thomamelas> Christ.
[22:31] <jake> so 7 bashing damage minus the value of mage armor (3?)
01[22:31] <thomamelas> Yep.
01[22:31] <thomamelas> So 4.
[22:31] <jake> BJ’s hair frosts over and his eyelashes are suddenly frozen shut for a moment. The gun nearly falls from numb fingers. Memo’s turn!
01[22:34] <thomamelas> Fraying seems to be working, so why not continue.
01[22:34] <thomamelas> 5d10h8
[22:34] <critical> thomamelas, 5d10h8: 0 [5d10h8=2,2,4,3,3]
[22:35] <jake> There may not be that much left to fray. BJ’s turn!
01[22:36] <thomamelas> Firing again.
01[22:36] <thomamelas> 5d10h8
[22:36] <critical> thomamelas, 5d10h8: 1 [5d10h8=8,2,1,3,1]
[22:38] <jake> The bullet hits the spirit square between the eyes, which separate and fall, evaporating in mid-air like burning leaves before they touch the floor.
01[22:38] <thomamelas> Grimacing. “One problem down. Now the for the mage who lives here.”
01[22:39] <thomamelas> Memo> “Are you sure one is still here?”
01[22:40] <thomamelas> BJ nods, rubbing his hands together to try to warm them up a bit more.
[22:41] <jake> There’s a shimmering, and a transparent, blue figure stands before you, like a Star Wars hologram. It’s a middle-aged, dyspeptic-looking man in a double-breasted suit. He squints at BJ and Memo. “So you’ve bested the frost spirit! Bravo. I mean that sincerely. It made for tedious company.”
01[22:42] <thomamelas> Draws a sight picture between the transparent blue figure’s eyes. Doesn’t shoot but finger is on the trigger. “You will have to forgive us but you will need to talk quickly to convince us to do the same to you.”
[22:44] <jake> The spirit holds up its hands. “I mean you or nobody else any harm. Or rather, the one I would like to harm is long gone from where anyone can reach him.” It steps forward, staring brazenly at Memoranda. “I say. I’m not entirely sure what year it is, but based on your clothing, you two seem to have some serious disagreements about it yourselves.”
01[22:45] <thomamelas> Memo> Glares at the ghost. “It’s 2013.”
[22:47] <jake> "Oh my. Well, I’m going to take a wild shot in the dark – not literally! – " looking at BJ’s gun – “and guess that you’re Arrow. Charging in where angels fear to tread and all that. Investigating a mysterious death, were we?”
01[22:48] <thomamelas> “Yes. Are the wards here yours?” Trading question for question.
[22:53] <jake> “Oh my, no. They’re his. Duncan’s. Terribly unpleasant fellow in life, very paranoid. A sadistic streak a mile wide, which is, I wager, why he created an apparition of his most hated foe to serve as his butler and house-man.” The spirit bows. "But – one must admit, in fairness – quite practical. He devised a clever system for regenerating the wards.
[22:54] <jake> “Lure in burglars and trespassers, have the spirit bound to this place sacrifice them, and collect the resulting mana to recharge the house and feed the spirit. Quite efficient.”
01[22:55] <thomamelas> Finally lowering his gun. “Efficient and mosterous. Is he still around?”
[22:58] <jake> “No, he died some decades ago. And the demesne has faded gradually since then. Not many passersby, you see. The frost spirit was half-starved. That’s how that boy and girl escaped.”
01[22:58] <thomamelas> Memo> Nods in agreement, then stops. “Wait…she just called us on the phone. When did she escape?”
03[23:03] * jake2 (Mibbit@161D67C.F200AF3C.184D5AC1.IP) has joined #cfgames
[23:03] <jake2> uggggh
[23:03] <jake2> this time it was my internet
01[23:03] <thomamelas> Welcome back. What did you see last?
[23:03] <jake2> you asked when the girl had escaped
[23:03] <jake2> did my reply go through?
01[23:03] <thomamelas> Nope.
[23:04] <jake2> ahhh kk 1 sec
02[23:05] * jake (Mibbit@161D67C.F200AF3C.184D5AC1.IP) Quit (Quit: http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client)
[23:05] <jake2> “Mm? They left at the same time. The poor lad covered the girl’s escape with a road flare. It didn’t hurt the creature, of course, but it startled it.”
01[23:07] <thomamelas> Looks to Memo. “That does not make any sense. He was found dead. Do you know what direction she went in?” To the spirit.
[23:12] <jake2> The spirit tilts its head. “As a facsimile, I have none of my, er, original’s actual Arcana, but there are some tricks…” Its eyes grow distant. “Ah, I see now. The mazing effect. She’s on the grounds. Probably been turning circles around the house ever since she left.”
01[23:13] <thomamelas> Memo> “How far away is she?” Moving towards the door.
[23:16] <jake2> “Just a few hundred feet. I can’t really point in a specific direction…” the spirit shrugs helplessly. “It changes constantly. Poor thing. If her friend was found, he must have been lucky enough to slip through one of the exits.”
01[23:16] <thomamelas> Casting dispell magic on the whole mazing field.
01[23:17] <thomamelas> 5d10h8
[23:17] <+critical> thomamelas, 5d10h8: 1 [5d10h8=2,9,5,2,7]
[23:20] <jake2> The field flickers and dies – you see its magical connections sputter as everything around the house – the trees, the road, even the clouds – seems to subtly straighten out. You hear a noise from downhill.
01[23:22] <thomamelas> Memo> Grabs the flashlight and heads after her.
01[23:22] <thomamelas> “Is there a hallow here?”
01[23:22] <thomamelas> A bit of curiousity as he looks around a little.
[23:24] <jake2> The spirit nods. “Sadly not. That’s why my creator resorted to…other means of gathering mana. I suspect he thought building his demesne off of any hallow would keep other willworkers away and give him the privacy he desired.”
[23:24] <jake2> A young woman in a brown fringed coat has fallen onto a bed of pine cones. She’s clearly native, with straight dark hair. Her breath is shallow.
01[23:25] <thomamelas> “Are you bound to anything particular here?”
01[23:25] <thomamelas> Memo> Helps her up. “It’s okay. You’re safe now.”
[23:25] <jake2> “However, he did keep some of his possessions here. As Arrows, by his will, those belong to you now.”
01[23:26] <thomamelas> A look of anger on his face. “He was an Arrow? Using these methods?”
[23:26] <jake2> The girl’s pulse is thready and her breathing is weak, but her eyes flutter and she manages a small smile. “Oh….you’re real…!”
01[23:28] <thomamelas> Memo> “We got rid of the spirit. My friend can help you warm up.” Guiding her back to the house.
[23:29] <jake2> “He was. A singularly unpleasant one, but he was. Was he always like this, or was his paranoia the endpoint of a lifetime of vigilance and conflict? I cannot say. I was not prone to psychological reflection in life.”
01[23:31] <thomamelas> “Take me to those items.” Shaking his head.
[23:34] <jake2> The spirit leads you to the back bedroom. It points at a patch of wall. “In there, held in a spatial bag. It’s now keyed to yourself, sir. Just reach inside the wall, if you follow me.”
01[23:35] <thomamelas> Does so, half expecting his arm to be torn off.
[23:40] <jake2> There’s a bit of an odd sensation as your arm just seems to go right into the wall. It’s not the most convenient form of storage as you have to kind of pad around with your hand to feel out the volume of the pocket space, but nothing bad happens. You pull out a book, an envelope, and a metal safety-deposit box.
01[23:41] <thomamelas> Examines the book, the envelope and the safety deposit box.
[23:42] <jake2> Paging quickly through the book, you ascertain that it’s a grimoire, written in pencil in a heavy hand. With the appropriate xp expenditure, it can teach you any 3 non-Arrow rotes of up to three dots in Space, Spirit, Mind, or Forces.
[23:42] <jake2> (so basically it is a handy way to get new rotes when you want them, up to 3 times)
01[23:43] <thomamelas> (Nice)
[23:43] <jake2> The safety-deposit box is locked.
[23:43] <jake2> It’s heavy, though.
[23:44] <jake2> The envelope is unsealed. Inside is a playing card – a Jack of Clubs. There is also a keyring with a single small key and a tag. The tag reads DO NOT OPEN UNTIL DOOMSDAY.
[23:45] <jake2> Memoranda has made it in with the girl by now.
01[23:46] <thomamelas> Is thinking that while rank hath it’s priviliages, it also has responcibilities. Is kicking the safety deposit box up the chain of command. “I am going to gather up my companion and the young woman. I may return.”
[23:47] <jake2> The spirit bows. “Very well, sir.”
[23:47] <jake2> Ok
01[23:48] <thomamelas> We’re gonna go to report in.
[23:50] <jake2> Not too much later, Khatsalano appears, driving an old truck up the gravel road. He gets out and surveys the place, then spits. “Duncan’s demesne, huh.” He steps forward. “Glad to see you’re both okay.”
01[23:51] <thomamelas> “Former Arrow.” Just lets it hang in the air. “He set up a system where a frost spirit tortured people to power his wards.” Is less then pleased.
01[23:52] <thomamelas> Memo> Is focusing on the young woman. Making akward small talk to distract her.
[23:54] <jake2> “Yeah, he was a bad ‘un. Had his reasons, though. Way I hear it, half the creepy-crawlies on the West Coast wanted a piece’a him for one thing and another. He saved quite a lot of folks, you know. I ain’t sayin’ it balances. But it’s, ya know. ‘Ambiguous.’” He spits again. “Girl see anything compromisin’?”
01[23:56] <thomamelas> “Memo is trying to find that out. But I am assuming yes. The frost spirit was half starved and given the freakshow it put on for us…she saw something.”
[23:58] <jake2> The old man frowns. “Well, might be she’ll Awaken. Maybe join the Arrow, even. If not…Jones and Rook’ll pay her a visit, help her get her story straight. Either way, our part’s done for now. Ya find anything else?”
Session Time: Mon Jan 07 00:00:01 2013
01[00:00] <thomamelas> Holds up the grimore. “And this.” Holds up the safety deposit box and the Black Jack. “Did Traceur mention how much I hate fate magic?”
[00:07] <jake2> Khatsalano’s eyes narrow. He takes the card and the box. “Just someone bein’ cute. Probably nothin’.” He tears the black jack in half. “We’ll let cooler heads decide what ta do with this horse puckey. You can keep the book. Never hurts to have an edge.” He turns to the truck, then turns back. “Ya passed the test, kid.”
[00:08] <jake2> He gives you and Memo a ride back to your car, then heads off.
[00:08] <jake2> and that’s it for tonight!
01[00:09] <thomamelas> Excellent. Mission accomplished.
[00:10] <jake2> give yourself 5 regular xp for the side mission and 3 arcane xp
01[00:10] <thomamelas> Cool. That was really intresting.
[00:10] <jake2> (note that down somewhere on your sheet, too. I’m going to start a page on the wiki to keep track of everyone’s exp earnings so I can keep it straight)
[00:11] <jake2> Thanks! You and Memo make a good team
01[00:11] <thomamelas> I have my xp tracked on my stateline sheet.
[00:11] <jake2> rad, okay
[00:11] <jake2> I’m going to try and nail down a time to get together with desc this week as well
01[00:11] <thomamelas> Cool. I’ll be around. This week I’m free.
[00:12] <jake2> Cool, okay
[00:12] <jake2> and then a week from Tues we’ll pick up with the main story again.
[00:12] <jake2> I’m gonna go Secret World now, I think!
[00:13] <jake2> oh btw when you get a chance, could you send me the raw chat logs from tonight and the previous sidequest?
01[00:13] <thomamelas> Yep. I’ll put it together and e-mail it.
[00:15] <jake2> cool, thank you!
01[00:17] <thomamelas> Alright, I’m gonna play some TSW.
[00:18] <jake2> see you there!