Return to Natchez, Game 01: Return to Pro Forma

Ken typed up my game notes. I transferred them to the wiki. Any mistakes are mine and not his.—Maer

Dramatis Personae

PCs

• Cord - "Everything's gotta be a goddamn science quiz" Cord - Andy
• Francine - "I'll pick any side, so long as they've won" Continello- Cindy
• Renny - "White Rabbit" Janovich - Ken
• Flame - "♫I'm gonna live Forever♪" - Kim
• Zadie - "Miss Witchypants" Calhoun- Kim
• Irina - "How would you like your stake?" DiSanti- Maer
• Caroline - "Drama Mama" Thibideaux - Terri

NPCs

• Space Rocket - “You got any of that gluten free, Vegan Blood?" Beacon
• Alona - Renny's Ghoulfriend Morenko
• Chance "MacGuffin" Thibideaux - McAllister
• Mason "MacGuffin Daddy" McAllister (formerly 'Drone' to Caroline's 'Queen Bee')
• Eliza "Fireproof" Beauchamp
• Evangeline "Briquette" Beauchamp
• Viking - A Gangrel of great girth, great appetites, great strength, but limited intelligence
• Boone - The brains of the outfit (of Gangrel)
• Mary Ann "Drama Mama's mama" Thibideaux - Resident of Atlanta and blissfully unaware her daughter and grandchild's situation.
• Bad Santa & Evil Ed - Tremere Vampires living in Oxford Mississippi and operating out of the University there.
• Beaumont “Let’s get this party fired up” – Viking’s drinking buddy and recently turned vampire
• Wilhelmina Madame Witchypants Calhoun – Zadie’s grandmother
• Cecilia "I got life on a string. Too bad it's wrapped around my neck" Thibodaux a.k.a. CeCe - Recently turned vampire created by Eliza to prove a point
• The Disembodied Arm of Dragon - Sometimes a single finger speaks more eloquently than any words.

Not in this session:

• Anastasia Morenko (Renny's former ghoul, now Ventrue turned by Eliza)
  
  

Setting the Scene

Natchez

• Several years have passed since the end of the previous campaign.
• In the interim Eliza (Ventrue) and Evangeline (Toreador) Beauchamp have ruled the city as co-Princes, sharing the title (if not the responsibilities of running the city.
• The Tremere have been exiled from the city. Zadie and her Grandmama now reside in Oxford.
• Gangrel have been providing security. Also, an unknown number of Gangrel have been made across the river in Vidalia as well as in the surrounding countryside
• Caroline and Mason (ghouls) have been starved for vitae for 72 days and the strain is showing. Amongst the vampires of the city it has been made known that it is instant death sentence to feed either of them.
• Court is in 2 Nights
  
  

Oxford

• Zadie continues her studies.
• The Tremere are working on various things, including the secrets of un-life itself
• Do they plan to move on Natchez? . . . Only time will tell

PCs

• Cord - Cord's been fixing cars, hanging out with his pack and generally doing Gangrel-ly sorts of things.
• Francine - If she ever invites you to a tea party, flee as if your very soul was at risk.
• Renny -
  • Renny has been living in town for most of the interim, with his ghoul Alona.
  • His other ghoul, Anastasia, was recently turned by Eliza and is now a member of the Ventrue council, such as it is.
• Flame - A fashion model recently arrived from LA with her friend Rocket
• Irina - Theoretically Renny's ghoul. Recently returned from some mysterious 'training' that no one talks about.
• Caroline -
  • Both Caroline and her husband Mason are ghouls bound to Evangeline.
  • Caroline recently had a son, Chance (Renny's code name MacGuffin).
  • Caroline and Mason have been starved for blood for several months.
  • Per orders of Evangeline, no one may feed either of them under pain of final death.
  • Hunger has put a strain on their relationship and also limited Mason's ability to work as a Music promoter.

Quotes

Cord: "The new assholes always become the old assholes. Hopefully these new assholes take longer to become the old assholes. Wait, I've lost track of where I was in that sentence."

Andy as Rocket: "I only drink the gluten-free Vegan blood."

Ken as Cord’s outgoing voicemail: "Grooowwwllll, Growwllll. Beeeeeeep!" Ken as Cord's phone's outgoing voicemail.
Cord and Viking talking:

• Cord: "Why does the sun rise in the morning?"
• Viking: "See, that's why you're an asshole. Everything's gotta be a goddamn science quiz with you."
  
  

Cord: "I am about 600 words over my limit for the night."

Flame: "You are MY crotch-monkey, not anybody else's crotch-monkey."

Zadie: "Well, that's excitin' (about Bad Santa's latest attempts to bring people back from the dead."

Flame: (on finding out, or perhaps only imagining, that she is putting on weight due to the fatty local blood)"I am not going to be a size 3."

Irina: (upon learning that Cord is deputy)"Oh, my gawd it’s deputy Dawg ..."

Flame: "The strangest things crawl outta the swamp in Steel Magnolia land."

Caroline and Mason:

• Caroline: "Well I Never!"
• Mason: "We had a child baby, we absolutely did."
  
  

Renny and Francine:

• Renny: "This used to be such a nice, quiet town"
• Francine: "When?"
  
  

Cord: (about Viking) "When I call someone stupid, that sez somethin'."

Cord: "Preserve, that sounds a lot like zoo."

The Session

Act 1:

Act 1: Scene 1: Interlude 1: Boone and Cord outside of Eliza's mansion

• Boone and Cord discuss what to do about Eliza if she gets too uppity. Uppity pretty much meaning her wanting to do anything they don't entirely agree with.
• They enter the mansion.
  
  

Act 1: Scene 2: - Boone and Cord Eliza's Parlour

• Boone and Cord are shown in by Eliza's manservant.
• They are rude to him.
• Entrant Eliza with CiCi on a chain.
• CiCi offers shots of blood on a tray to everyone.
• Eliza launches into the situation in Vidalia and surrounding towns. Vampires (read Gangrel) are breeding uncontrollably. She wants Vidalia cleared of all Supernaturals She also wants Boone and Cord to move to Natchez.
• Boone rejoinders that they're all Gangrel anyway. As Gangrel Primogen they are his concern not hers.
• Eliza: "Uncontrolled Gangrel population is unacceptable."
• Various real and metaphorical claws come out,
• Boone: "We need to talk about the definition of unacceptable."
• Eliza proposes that the area outside of Natchez be left as a 'preserve'
• Cord: "Sounds like a zoo to me."
• Eliza: "Choose your euphemism."
• Eliza states that this will be brought up in Court
• Exeunt Boone and Cord destroying a table load of Tchotchke in the process.
  
  

Act 1: Scene 3: Interlude 2: Boone and Cord outside of Eliza's mansion / Oxford Mississippi

• Boone is so angry his tail is swishing (and he doesn't even have it out). He wants Eliza dead now
• Cord argues for caution but Boone is having none of it.
• Boone to Cord: You have that witch bitch's boss call me.
• Cord calls Miss Witchypants (a.k.a. Zadie) in Oxford.
• Cord tells her: "Your boss needs to talk to my boss."
• Zadie: "But then I'd have to leave the library."
• Zadie goes to Grandma Willie (a.k.a Madam Witchypants). This leads to an arguement as Zadie has frequently noted to Willie "You're not the boss of me"
• Willie also says that she doesn't want Zadie talking to Evil Ed: "Natchez can stay in Natchez."
• Zadie texts Boone: "It ain't happening."
• Boone says that he'd like to be President of Natchez
• Cord opines that it would be too much like work.
• Boone: "Make Eliza's Renfield (Renny) their puppet Prince. He's a pushover and will do our bidding."
  
  

Act 2:

Act2: Scene: 1 - Near and in Evangeline's stately home

• Enter Caroline and Mason, upset about being summoned to Evangeline's yet again and really needing a fix of vampire blood. They have been summoned to Evangeline's every night for the last several months. This is one of the things that has prevented Mason from being able to promote groups that do more than tour the local area.
• The discuss what to do about Evangeline and their lack of blood. Mason suggests that they 'kill the bitch.'
• Caroline wants to wait until Irina has completed a heretofore unmentioned plan to secret young MacGuffin out of the city. Mason isn't precisely keen on the idea but is willing to go along with it for the nonce.
• At the mansion, Evangeline is impatient with Caroline's delays. She makes it clear that she intends to turn any daughters young MacGuffin eventually has. She then offers blood to Mason, but he refuses on general principle.
• In taunting fashion Caroline reveals that CC has been turned by Eliza.
• Evangeline tricks Mason into drinking her blood and then accuses him of attacking her. She threatens to kill Mason as 'mad dog.' Caroline says she can control him (without turning as Evangeline suggests). Evangeline cuts a deal. Caroline will show up at court and back Evangeline against Eliza as needed.
• Exeunt Caroline. Mason is forced to stay.
  
  

Act 2: Scene: 2 - Outside of Evangeline's stately home and in Oxford

• Caroline contacts Zadie in a panic: CC's been turned and Mason's on the chopping block.
• Zadie: "Don't give up."
• Bad Santa texts Zadie (apparently using poor formatting). There's something interesting in the lab that she needs to see.
• The interesting thing is a gargoyle made from most of the corpse of Cotton (a.k.a. "King Cotton" a.k.a. the former Prince of Natchez). It has wings and three-jointed arms. "Behold, the Gargoyle that will give us control of all of the Mississippi."
  
  

Act 2: Scene: 3 - 508 North Union Street (Renny's place)

• Space Rocket and Flame are hungry and unimpressed with the victuals Renny has to offer (live chicken and refrigerated type O).
• Space in particular is mad that he isn't allowed to drink Renny's ghouls (Alona and Irina). He proposes a home invasion of nearby houses so he can watch TV and murder some locals.
• Renny suggests they go downtown, perhaps back to the club where Zadie's mom was seen last night. They head there and Renny sets up card table and starts telling fortunes for free (something he does fairly frequently).
• Rocket and Flame hit the clubs. (Things catch up in a couple of scenes.)
  
  

Act 2: Scene: 4 - The Phone in Cord’s stomach and nearby environs

• Caroline texts Cord. Cord is hunting and doesn't notice.
• Viking is talking to Cord. One of his drinking buddies went missing and he wants Cord to find him. Viking is also more than a little upset that Cord is Boone's favorite.
• Caroline shows up. She wants to talk. Finding Viking's pal suddenly seems like a better idea.
• They talk while tracking the scent of an older Mercedes that passed by the previous evening.
• They talk about the situation.
• Cord eventually loses the scent and becomes convinced that the car either went to Eliza's or Evangeline's when Renny drives by with a beautiful woman and a club kid in the back seat.
  
  

Act 3:

Act 3: Scene: 1: - Downtown Natchez: A street corner and nearby club

• Cord confronts Renny: "I didn’t know you were into picking up transients."
• They converse for a bit. Cord never specifically mentions who he is looking for. Renny (mis)directs him to the bars where that Rocket and Flame are going.
• Caroline asks Renny if Irina is with him and if he knew that CeCe had been turned. He responds no to both (truthfully to the first question and lying to the second)
• Inside the club Rocket and Flame are getting comfortable and helping themselves to the hors d’œuvres (i.e. some of the locals). Flame in particular is looking for guys that she looks hot standing next to.
• Cord's eerie presence starts clearing the room as soon as he enters. Flame's boy toy starts to get belligerent, but chickens out and leaves. Various glaring contests begin. Flame and Cord have a heated discussion. Rocket is sent off with The Disembodied Hand of Dragon.
• Francine peels appears from the shadows to berate them both for being obvious and ostentatious. Rocket starts hitting on her.
• Caroline needles Flame. Flame in turn offers Caroline blood. Cord stops Caroline from taking it.
• Rocket then offers Caroline blood. She frenzies, but is again stopped from drinking.
• Cord carries Caroline out of the bar. She begs him to get Mason and Chance out of here. He agrees if she will get her shit together.
• Later, we find out that rumors are starting about Caroline having an affair with Cord.
• Francine fills Flame in on the various goings on, in particular "The Caroline Situation." Flame decides to take Rocket and The Disembodied Hand of Dragon off to a gay bar.
• On the street, Rocket has decided to harangue Renny for the 47th time since his arrival two days previously. This time Renny replies with a litany of Rocket's inadequacies that has the Brujah near frenzy but instead sends him off in tears. Rocket and Flame head to the Gay bar.
• Cord and Caroline discuss who gets to turn Mason and who gets to be Prince.
• Francine and Renny have a discussion about the state of the world and the recent upheavals.
  
  

24 Sep 2014

Act 3: Scene: 2: - Daytime of the Day of Court: MacGuffin Montage

• Caroline contacts her mother in Atlanta via Skype to tell her that she (Caroline) was sending Chance to her and that they should go someplace where they won't be found. Mary Alice (Drama Mama's Mama) has little clue about the situation, other than that it was all due to "Those Women" and hangs up.
• Caroline and Irina talk of alternate plans, but nothing comes of it.
• Irina flies to Atlanta to deliver Chance and suggest an extended stay in New Zealand. She provides extra cash for the trip. Irina has to do considerable convincing and even buys an extra ticket so that she can make sure they got on the plane. Once Mary Alice and MacGuffin are aloft, Irina contacts one of her Society of Leopold friends to arrange observation of the pair when they are in New Zealand.
• Mason returns home and tells her that he will try to raise a rebellion amongst Evangeline's ghouls.
• Irina flies back and spends the remaining time before court meditating and praying.
  
  

Act 3: Scene: 3: An Interlude in Oxford

• Zadie is called into the lab by Evil Ed. Ed is working on a new method to raise the dead, one that would not require the use of vampire blood.
• Evil Ed’s method appears to involve white stringlike creatures that invade the body and animate it. He demonstrates the process on a recent corpse. The body quickly sits up and gasps, shrinking away from the fluorescent lighting. Evil Ed then rips the body up for spare parts.
• Zadie is not convinced that this is a good idea, but Evil Ed goes into full villain monologue mode proclaiming how it will lead to "A cure for Vampirism" and "Forever free us from the Tyranny of Vienna." He then proclaims that she, Zadie, will be the first to experience the wonder of the new cure. He gives her a medical waiver to sign.
• Zadie remains skeptical and asks to "sleep on it." Evil Ed thinks this is an excellent idea and commands her to sleep immediately. Zadie willpower is insufficient to overcome the order and she falls to the floor.
  
  

Act 4:

Act 4: Scene: 1: Court: Irina DiSanti, in the Art Room, with the Flare Gun

• Flame and Rocket get blood units from the local hospital. They are both concerned about getting fat from all the "Greasy Southern Blood."
  • Flame: "Do I look fat?"
  • Rocket: "Well, I wasn’t going to say anything…"
• Mason informs Caroline that he “done what he could” on the Ghoul revolt front
• Evangeline made arrangements with a modelling agency to have various beautiful people available for guest snackage.
• Evangeline greets Francine. Starts buttering her up for something.
• Evangeline declares that all unghouled humans should be turned or killed. (Ken's note: This was directed at someone specific ¿¿Caroline?? but I am not sure who.)
• Francine notes that she follows all standards, including no weapons. Francine deputizes Cord to take all weapons.
• Before Caroline goes through weapons check, Mason hides something on her. She wasn’t aware of what it was until Cord finds the gun on her. He passes her through.
• Renny, Irina and Alona arrive. Renny has the foresight to keep all of the weapons locked in the car. Eliza has all three of them kiss her ring as a sign of fealty. Eliza then orders Renny to bring Flame to her.
• Flame eye-rolls the order, but steps up only "because she likes him."
• Eliza declares herself Flame's Prince. A staring and hissing contest ensues. Boone walks in. Eliza declares that Boone is Flame's target. Flame asks Cord and Caroline if Boone is their friend.
• Boone compliments Flame on the weight she's gained. He gives her his card if she wants to work out.
• Evangeline makes a Grand Entrance with castanets and a Sedan Chair. "Welcome to the Court of Natchez."
• Renny announces that he has a presentation to make. He presents Flame and Space Rocket Beacon.
• Mason is presented as Evangeline's new ghoul.
• Eliza presents CiCi as her new Childe. Eliza orders Ceceila to drink blood from a tiny glass.
• Eliza orders Irina's victim to be brought out. Alona runs back to the car to get Irina's weapons.
• Cord recognizes that the victim was Beaumont, Viking's "drinking buddy."
• Flame sees that Caroline needs blood. She gets close and cuts her finger. Caroline resists.
• The fight starts (and ends). Irina pulls out an M32 grenade launcher and fires a thermobaric grenade into the Beaumont's chest. He goes up like a match. Much of the crowd flees in terror.
• Flame jumps back in terror, pinning Caroline to the wall. Now theoretically hidden, Caroline starts sucking blood from Flame.
• Evangeline returns and appoints Irina the new Court Slayer. She then calls out Flame for ghouling Caroline.
• A tense scene develops. Evangeline threatens Caroline, then orders Mason to stand in a corner. She threatens Chance and orders Caroline over to her. Cord prevents Caroline from going. Flame won't abide threats to Children.
• The big fight starts. Evangeline turns on Majesty, making it difficult for anyone to do anything she doesn't want.
• Irina isn't affected and uses her Slayer powers to envelop Evangeline in Holy Sunlight (Lux Dei). Evangeline ignites like a torch (8 levels of damage) and collapses to the floor.
• Boone goes out a window. Cord swaps to Canine form.
• Flame grabs Caroline and jumps out a window.
• Renny prepares to take out Viking by fumbling around with Alona's bag looking for the other grenade launcher.
• Viking claws at Irina (revenge for Beaumont) but misses.
• Irina hits Evangeline with a grenade, effectively killing the vampire.
• Alona goes after Viking with her sword (the one from Assassamite) misses.
• Eliza proclaims that Irina has demonstrated her skills sufficiently, but demands a life for a life. She must kill Boone within 5 days.
• Eliza then throws some reddish beads from her necklace on the ground. These roll over to Viking and engulf him in flames.
• She then proclaims that Cord will either be the new Gangrel Primogen or the next vampire to die.
• Cord, still in canine form, bows his head.
• Eliza orders hostilities to end and orders everyone (still left) to drink Renny's blood.
• This happens, though many are reluctant. Drinkers include: Irina (Unbondable), Alona, Flame, Rocket, Caroline, Cord, Mason (I can’t remember if Francine does, or Boone for that matter) and several others.
• Cord is ordered to Bond Caroline.
• Francine decides Rocket is weird after watching him drink Renny's blood (Vampire Vegan and full of magical effervescence.)
• Flame inflicts a point of aggravated damage on Renny when she drinks.
  
  

Act 4: Scene: 2: A Nearby Antechamber

• At Eliza’s order, she and Renny step away for a few minutes. Renny looks decidedly nervous on return.
• Court is dismissed.
  
  

Act 4: Scene: 3: Last Scene

• It is decided that the Scooby Gang should withdraw and regroup at Caroline's. Various RPs ensue.
  
  

At the End of the Session

PCs

• Cord has:
  • Conspired with his Primogen (Boone) about killing the Princes and setting up some sort of successor state (Anarchy, Presidency, install a puppet Prince).
  • Successfully tracked a car based on a 2-day old scent trail.

• Irina has:
  • Displayed some remarkable Vampire killing techniques, including supernatural abilities not previously seen.
  • Been made official Court Slayer.
  • Been ordered by Eliza to kill Boone within 5 days, but is not in a hurry to do so.
  • Been officially uninvited from all future Court Functions.

• Caroline has:
  • Been temporarily separated from both her child (by choice) and her husband.
  • Has been recently fed (by Flame).
  • Still has not made up her mind on the Vampire/Ghoul/Human question (See RPs.)

• Renny has:
  • Avoided getting murdered by various vamps (Eliza, Cord, Boone).
  • Fed blood to most of the Vampires at court, including Boone and Cord.
  • Not stated an opinion on the Leadership question but most assume he is with Eliza.
  • Looking particularly nervous after talking privately to Eliza during Court.

• Francine has:
  • Avoided getting into trouble, despite being nearby whenever trouble is happening.
  • Dispensed useful, though rarely headed advice.
  • Avoided spilling any information.

• Flame has:
  • Been ordered to kill Boone by Eliza.
  • Has given blood to Caroline (future Ghoulfriend?)
  • Has arranged for her photo shoot to be moved to Natchez.
  • Is looking for a place to rent with Rocket and The Disembodied Hand of Dragon.

NPCs

• Eliza has:
  • Shown that she is now nearly fireproof through some heretofore unseen abilities.
  • Ordered several individuals to kill Boone (Flame, Irina, Cord), but it seems unlikely that any of these will go through with it.
  • Theoretically become the sole Prince of Natchez.
• Evangeline, Viking, and Beaumont (Viking's neonate Gangrel) are not merely dead but really most sincerely dead.
• The players are mostly headed to Queen Bee’s (Caroline Thibideaux's) place. The question of leadership of Natchez is open. Will folks take out Eliza? Who would take her place?
• Baby MacGuffin (Chance) is headed to New Zealand.
• The Tremere have a Cotton Gargoyle. This can't end well.

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