Session 54

Chancel_Amyra
Chapter 7

Random_Nerd: Okay, now, thoughts before we begin?
Knockwood: is it part of human nature to seek hierarchies, even imaginary ones?
BethE: Brian's back at the grove, the rest of us are at the palace and Carrie's leading the way. Oh and what path is Contextual Tint?
Random_Nerd: Probably.
Random_Nerd: Heck, it's part of /mammal/ nature.
Random_Nerd: What path?
Etheric: I think she might mean Code.
BethE: *nod* Sorry, brain not quite up to work-speed.
Random_Nerd: I don't believe you guys know.
Random_Nerd: But he's Domination, as is The Triad. Blue Shock is Heaven.
Knockwood: who wants in to the artifacts room again?
Etheric: Triad, if I recall.
BethE: *blink* How'd A Dionyl get a Heaven code? Oh, wait, Dark/Light is Earth-based...
Random_Nerd: Triad.
BethE: I thought it was Tint.
BethE: What are the rules of Domination again?

• Knockwood deliberately ignores the potential meanings of Beth's statement...
  

Random_Nerd: *snicker*
Random_Nerd: One moment, let me check my notes.
Random_Nerd: All Beings Should Share A Common Perceptual Universe. When Faced With Alternative Perspectives, Contest Against Them Until There Is A Victor. Remain Yourself.
BethE: Hmm...not really much to spin-doctor "John knows Best about these things." with...
Etheric: Here's a question (not an urgent one). Is the interpretation of Splintering/Domination as having to do with many worldviews/one worldview something that's in the book, that I missed? Or is it something you came up with on your own?
Random_Nerd: The book just says "There are Nobles of Domination and Splintering. It's hard to explain what these mean."
Etheric: Thought so..
Random_Nerd: The interpretation used in this game is of my own devising.
Etheric: So you get the credit for coming up with a compelling take on that.  :)
Random_Nerd: Thanks.
BethE: What kinda of trouble would we be in if the Ark throws down with the Triad?
Random_Nerd: I needed something that tied into Earth, but in a different way, because of how I'm using Dionyl. So I put a spin on the mythic/prosaic divide, combined with a bit of borrowed Grant Morrison.
Random_Nerd: There's only one way to find out!
Knockwood: let's see, with that worldview letting them into a room with artifacts that could settle the Big Question one way or another would probably be a Very Bad Thing, ne?
Random_Nerd: There are various possible reasons it could be a bad idea.
Knockwood: then again, the Vision seemed to indicate both sides _need_ to be reconciled...
lazarus: or, it COULD settle the Big Question, and that may herald us in as the Saviours of the Univers.
lazarus: e
lazarus: or Destroyers. Either way, really.
Random_Nerd: Whatever would happen, it would probably be interesting!
Etheric: You remember the last interesting thing that happened?
Random_Nerd: ..the rabbit?
Etheric: I doubt we'll be getting a deus ex Kudzu this time.
lazarus: a rabbit freed a bunch of humans?
Random_Nerd: Or what?
Knockwood: the one that Interested the hell out of several city blocks?
lazarus: and then got turned into a moon?
lazarus: that was very interesting!
lazarus: ^_^
Knockwood: no, he's _on_ the moon.
Knockwood: Which means kids with backyard telescopes are checking him out.
BethE: Were you still pondering James any, RN?
Random_Nerd: I don't know what to do with James yet.
Random_Nerd: If you guys don't mind, can we have him be Guarding The Horses until inspiration strikes?
Etheric: Works for me.
Knockwood: safest horses in the chancel.
BethE: *nod* Sounds good to me.
lazarus: kwd: he's guarding /all/ the horses of the Chancel.
Random_Nerd: Any questions before we begin?

• • • Knockwood is now known as DanteE.
      

Random_Nerd: Or are we ready?
DanteE: who's where now?
Random_Nerd: Oh, and Etheric, did you decide how Carrie would interrupt John's comment?

• Brian is setting up for the miracle competition
  

Etheric: I'm thinking the Perfectly Times cleariung-of-throat idea, if it's allowable, would fit best.
Etheric: *Timed
Random_Nerd: That will work.
Random_Nerd: Okay, everyone ready?
Brian: I am
DanteE: probably not. :)
Theresa: Think so.
Random_Nerd: Good enough!
Random_Nerd: ___________________________START____________________
Random_Nerd: John, to Carrie: "Could you explain it to, err, " *CARRIE CLEARS HER THROAT* "communicating well."
Random_Nerd: The Triad doesn't notice.
DanteE: (OK, who wants to take the lead in getting Triad's lit match away from this big ol' fuse?)
Carrie: (to Triad) "If you please, Dominus, only our Imperator has seen what lies beyond here. I have said before that we do not lightly restrict our guests. We in fact do so only when the safety of those in our charge is at stake. That is the case here. The reactions of the relics within this door are unpredictable, and to risk offending them simply to further our own curiosity, or that of our guests, would, I believe, be imprudent."
Theresa: (I'm still trying to think what would be more interesting than shiny things that can go metaphysically BOOM....)
DanteE: (no such thing Theresa)
Random_Nerd: Blue Shock, to Triad: "My friend, we are guests here."
DanteE: (Go Carrie!)
Random_Nerd: Triad *sulky pose* "Oh, fine."

• Theresa ponders what Triad would think of Red.
  
• Carrie does a quick divination to discover the normal relicss most likely to interest Triad. "If you please, over here is..."
  

DanteE: (Another crisis averted thanks to .... Dumb Luck! Tune in next week! :D )
Random_Nerd: (More to Perfect Timing. Blue Shock would have been much less helpful if he'd heard John's comment. Lesser Beings Should Respect Their Betters and all.)
Random_Nerd: (Divinations can't reliably determine the preferences of anyone with an auctoritas.)
Random_Nerd: (At best, you could find generically interestings ones. Or you could find the few ones that had minor effaciousness, as he'd mentioned an interest in "miracles" of human religion.)
Carrie: (Ah, I was thinking that was a property of the relics, not of Triad himself. Well, anything relelvant to his Estate that he han't seen yet.)
DanteE: (Any chance there's a relic in 3 pieces, of which 1 is missing? :)
Theresa: (Hmm...we have the Three Kings already...)
Random_Nerd: (Well, even if there was, he couldn't create the third with a Triad miracle. Rather, he could create a third piece that was a bit like the existing two, but it's not like it would fill in the gap or anything.)
Random_Nerd: (Like, if you had a statue's head and a statue's legs, he could make a sort of head/leg thing, but not the torso. At least, not without Changes.)
DanteE: (Ah.)
Carrie: (Evil idea!)
DanteE: (Theresa's got a point, tho, we could go to the section of the museum dealing with the Magi)
Theresa: (*waits for Carrie's Evil Idea?*)
Carrie: (What might a Major Creation of The Triad, done in the presence of a Darklord and a Lightlord, do? >.> )
Carrie: (I know, I'm digressing... But it just came to me.)
DanteE: (Jack. Auctoritas of 6+)
Carrie: (*sulks* Point.)
Theresa: (*blink* Fusing a Darklord and a Lightlord together to get a whattheheck?)
Random_Nerd: (It would do something interesting.)
Random_Nerd: (Well, toss in some Penetration...)
Theresa: (*cough*)
Random_Nerd: (And not all Imperators have Spirit of 6. It's just that they /can/.)
Random_Nerd: (Some have 1 or even 0.)
DanteE: (Wait... Miracles can affect Imperators?)
Random_Nerd: (Not too many, since their Noble character sheets are build on more points than a starting Noble. But still, the possibility exists.)
Random_Nerd: (Sure. Some types of miracles, at least.)
DanteE: (... but not Nobles)
Random_Nerd: (Like, if you were to do a Greater Creation Of I Stab You In The Face, that could work, with Penetration.)
Theresa: (Miracles affect, if you hit them hard enough.)
Random_Nerd: (But a "I Turn You Into A Newt" wouldn't ever work.)
Random_Nerd: (Ditto for Nobles.)

• DanteE drops this before he gets a migraine.
  

Random_Nerd: (You can't do direct miracles on their minds, bodies, or spirits. But you can call up external forces directed at them.)
DanteE: (Oh, just occurred to me: where's Consequences, & what's he doing?_)
Random_Nerd: (Hmm. Quick Aspect Check. Who has Aspect 2 or more and is standing by the door to the Ark and such.)
Random_Nerd: (Consequences is with the group, and as near as you can tell, he's looking a bit bored.)
DanteE: (Me)

• Theresa will blather on about the reliquary that holds the bodies of the Three Magi, the time they were stolen during the Crusades, Frederick the Great bringing them back, etc.
  

Theresa: (RN - myself too.)
Random_Nerd: (Okay, you two think you heard a footstep on the /other/ side of the door.)

• DanteE discreetly listens for more
  

Theresa: *momentary eye-bulge and a quick count of everyone* (Anyone missing?)
Theresa: (*makes mental guess*)
Random_Nerd: (Night went off, earlier.)
Random_Nerd: (Remember, Theresa, you have a Noble-locating power.)
Theresa: (Oh, yeah. *blink* I activate said gift. Especially aimed behind the door, thank you...)
Random_Nerd: (There's someone with an Auctoritas in there. But it's a weird-feeling one.)
Theresa: (Weird feeling in any other kind of way that can be described? Or that we've felt before?)
Random_Nerd: (You've not felt one like it before. Weird feeling as in like it's unstable, somehow.)
DanteE: (We tried lookin in there with Realm Divs, right?)
Random_Nerd: (Correct. Whoever's in there, went there recently.)
Random_Nerd: (In the last ten minutes, probably.)

• Theresa gives Dante a questioning look?
  

DanteE: (Realm LDiv of whatever's in there, ! RMP)
DanteE: (1)
Random_Nerd: (Inside is the Ark, the Grail, the Spear (all of which have anchor-like effects) and something mobile with a full-blown auctoritas.)
Random_Nerd: (Also, like, dust and floors and walls and stuff.)
DanteE: (is the Ark zorching anybody a la Indiana Jones?)
Random_Nerd: (Not that you can tell.)
Random_Nerd: (It's closed.)
Theresa: "Carrie, could you take everyone down toward the Kings, please?"
DanteE: "Who's missing?"
Random_Nerd: (The contents are blocked from detection, however. Could be there's ghosts of death in there.)

• Carrie nods obliviously and takes the group down that direction.
  
• Theresa will keep John with them, however.
  

Random_Nerd: John waves at the departing group.
Theresa: *whispers* "John, how easily disturbed are the Treasures, by the way? And are there any metaphysical equivalents of bombshelters?"

• Carrie does Realm Divinations up the wazoo to aid her tour guide narration.
  

DanteE: (You're divining your wazoo? :)
Random_Nerd: John: "I've never seen them be upset, but I'm very careful to respect them properly. I've heard stories, but I don't know how true they are."
Random_Nerd: J: "Is something wrong?"
DanteE: (Once the others are gone) "Someone's in there."
Theresa: "Someone's in there. Someone..kinda like us. I've never felt someone like this...it seems...off, somehow. Have you got a good bead on whoever it is, Dante?"
DanteE: "One of our guests, apparently."
Theresa: "Or someone uninvited."
DanteE: "Someone Noble... or equivalent."
Theresa: "Night left earlier, but it might not be him."
Random_Nerd: J: "Okay... okay, I need to handle this. I'll get the things I need so I can go in there and check. If I hurry, I think I can get ready in half an hour."
DanteE: (Would the Library know Night's real name?)
Random_Nerd: (Possibly. Depends on whether it's common knowledge.)
DanteE: (Blow another RMP to check.)
Theresa: "I don't think we have a half-hour, John. Do you have an emergency proceedure in case of fire or nuclear attack?"
Random_Nerd: (That may or may not be the case. For instance, Duty's name is well know, but Consequences' isn't.)
DanteE: "Night?"
DanteE: "Is that you in there?"
Random_Nerd: (The current Power of Night is Thomas Sanford. His famila are...)
Random_Nerd: There's no response, but the footsteps stop.
Theresa: "Okay, we need in there _now_."
Random_Nerd: John hurries off into an adjoining room.
Carrie: (Wasn't it Laurence someone?)
DanteE: "Night, that's a metaphysical time bomb with a will and a tendency to be touchy.
Random_Nerd: (Laurence was... oh, wait. I gave you the name of Shadows.)
Random_Nerd: (Sheesh, that's the second time I did that.)
Theresa: (Nice little Tommy...)
Random_Nerd: (I gave you the one in Consequences' family.)
DanteE: (AFK for a few minutes...)
Theresa: (Can I sneak a vine under the door and use that to 'see'?)
Random_Nerd: (Yes, the current power of /Night/ is Laurence. He's been a Noble a long time, he's Light-aligned, and so on.)
Random_Nerd: John: "Please don't go in there. I mean, maybe it's just a superstition, but if it is, then my whole life's been a lie, and I'd rather not find that out today."
Random_Nerd: (That, shouted through the door of the room he went into.)
Theresa: (Which superstition is this?)
Random_Nerd: (That, y'know, Do Not Taunt Happy Fun Ark.)
Random_Nerd: (And so on.)
Theresa: (Just going into its presence? Crap. *thinks*)
Random_Nerd: (Think of it as like the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle.)
Theresa: (This is a room enclosed entirely by the palace, right? No windows, any other doors?)
Theresa: (Which of our guests has gating abilities?)
Random_Nerd: (Correct. There's the big heavy door, and inside there's sort of an airlock-like chamber, and inside /that/ is the three relics.)
Random_Nerd: (Duty... and one other. Martyrs, I think?)
Random_Nerd: (Not Night.)
Random_Nerd: (At least, if he has it, you didn't see him use it.)
Random_Nerd: (And Duty's variant has already been established to not work from point to point in a chancel.)
Theresa: (Would you say that the person who is in there was there before we got there on the tour?)
Theresa: (... I have too many 'there's in that sentence.)
Random_Nerd: (You know, you can just do a quick Noble body-count of the Chancel and find out if Night is somewhere else...)
Theresa: (Good point. I use my Noble-detector gift to count noses and Auctoritas.)
Carrie: (Martyrs is with Carrie, correct?)
Random_Nerd: (Correct.)
Random_Nerd: (Okay, there's Carrie, and the group there. There's Kudzu, embedded in the Realm's Heart at the moment. There's a Noble by the Maple, and there's someone inside. There's one too many Nobles in-chancel.)
Random_Nerd: (Now, you took the group to see the mummified remains of the Three Kings, right?)
Carrie: (Correct.)
DanteE: (Bak)
Carrie: (And I'm using Realm Divs to come up with factually accurate tour guide narration.)
Theresa: *to Dante, wide-eyed* "Sally Jesse Gabriel, we've got an extra. Everyone's accounted for..."
Random_Nerd: (Brian's near the Maple, I believe.)
Random_Nerd: (Right? So he can check that one.)
Theresa: *eyes refocus* "And either Brian's doing something to the Maple or someone else is...crap, tell Brian, I can't talk through the BB..."
Brian: (yes)
Theresa: (My _Maple_. RN, you cad... *raspberry*)
Brian: (err... well, the Maple's in the Grove, and that's where I'm doing stuff, yes?)
Random_Nerd: Martys, with respect to the Three Kings: "Are those actually the real thing? They didn't get themselves killed off in a heroic way, so it's not in my Domain."
Random_Nerd: (The one by the Maple is /not/ Brian.)
Random_Nerd: (Brian's a bit off to the side, y'know.)
Brian: (ah. So, Night, then?)
Random_Nerd: (Are you checking?)
DanteE: "Do it. If anything would be triggered it would have already been triggered."
Carrie: (Can I tell if they're the real thing with a Realm Div? I assume I could if they died in-Chancel, but not otherwise.)
Brian: (have I noticed? I haven't been asked yet to check)
Random_Nerd: (You can indeed check with a Realm Div.)
Random_Nerd: (Indeed, you'd have found out already with the ones you did. And they are.)
Random_Nerd: (You haven't noticed yet unless you're looking over at the Maple, Brian.)

• Theresa puts a hand on the thick door (are the doors wooden?). "I...I can't. John's entire life...I can't shatter him like a glass bowl..."
  

DanteE: "You'd rather shatter Kaerkoven?"
Random_Nerd: John, from his changing room: "Also, they might take it differently if it was the rulers of the kingdom, as opposed to an invading enemy."
DanteE: quietly: "He's still mortal. We can shield him from effects if we have to."
Brian: (I assume I'll look at some point? Or that Dante will actually send me a note to look...)
Random_Nerd: (Let's just say that you glance over, and Night is talking quietly to the Maple.)
DanteE: (Theresa, what's your Realm again?)
Random_Nerd: (0, I believe.)
Theresa: *to John* "Differently how, John? As in a not shattering your life way or what?"
Carrie: "They are indeed." *launches into narration on the later lives of the Magi, or at least as much as the Realm Divs give her*
Theresa: (Zippo.)
Random_Nerd: John: "Well, the Ark's been taken by invaders before. And it generally sent plagues and stuff on /them/, but not on the faithful people."
DanteE: "We're natives, we can negotiate with it.
Random_Nerd: J: "But if /we/ disrespect it and the others, they might go away entirely. Or kill us all. Or I don't even /know/ what, because it's never happened in centuries."
Brian: (Night seems to be doing alright? I'll keep an eye on him, but otherwise let him be for now)
Random_Nerd: (He seems to be doing all right.)
DanteE: (aside from talking to a tree. :)
Theresa: "Good enough for me. If the Ark wishes to plague someone, let it be me. Us. So forth." *opens the door and looks in*
Random_Nerd: John: "Okay, if you must go in, at least, will you come and put on the robes, and carry the incense, and repeat the words that I tell you to say?"
Theresa: (Please with the retconning?)
Random_Nerd: Inside, as previously mentioned, is another door. The "airlock" as I described it earlier...
Theresa: (You type too fast, RN!)
Random_Nerd: (Oh? How?)
Theresa: (Oh, it's still safe to open the door? I thought I had doomed us just by looking into the airlock.(
DanteE: (ah...was the door she just melted locked?)
Random_Nerd: (Well, she's definitely not supposed to do that. But it's not quite the Door Of No Return.)
Theresa: (And talking to a tree is _healthy_, I tell you...)
Random_Nerd: (Sorry, I guess I described it wrong.)
Random_Nerd: ("not supposed to do that" according to John, at least.)
Theresa: "Robes and words are good. It needs to be quick, though..."
Random_Nerd: John: "One moment, please."
Random_Nerd: You hear him praying, in his little room, to know what the right thing to do is.
Theresa: (*Kudzu voice to John: "Oh let them go ahead, I want to see what happens!" *munch of popcorn*)
Random_Nerd: John: "Okay, I guess this has to be done."
Random_Nerd: He comes out in a white robe with complicated blue and red embroidery on it.
Random_Nerd: He's carrying a little censer of incense.

• Theresa acts appropriately solemn and not impatient...much.
  

Carrie: (Somehow I don't think he's praying to Kudzu...)
DanteE: RH: "Brian, Carrie, do a head count of our guests and then brace yourselves. Theresa and I are going into the vault.
Random_Nerd: John: "There are four spare robes in there. They're very old and completely irreplacable, so please, be careful with them."
Brian: to Dante: "Night's here. And brace? for what?"
Theresa: (Nah, I just figure Kudzu listens in on the Chancel prayers. )
DanteE: RH: "Oh, the world ending, all hell breaking loose. You know, the usual."
Random_Nerd: J: "Don't touch them. Even I'm only allowed to do that after long, long preparation, and only on certain days of the year."
Carrie: (Ahh.)
Random_Nerd: "The relics, I mean. Not the robes."

• DanteE Aspect-2 throws on a robe.
  

Brian: RH: "Ah. Business as usual, then? What's gone wrong?"
Random_Nerd: "Now, the way it normally works, you should have to spend hours on ritual baths and purifications. But these are special circumstances."

• Theresa opens her mouth for a question, but is answered. Also throws on a robe carefully. "Pray for us, John?"
  

DanteE: RH: "Someone's in there, and Theresa's counted one too many Nobles in town."
Random_Nerd: John: "I already have, Theresa."
Theresa: "Always a plus, in situations like this."
Random_Nerd: "Okay, take one of the little incense dishes, and carry it with you. Please."
DanteE: "Do it."
Brian: RH: "Well... teh suck."
Random_Nerd: He opens the first door and steps in.
DanteE: (Go ahead and make up some fine Amyran swearwords)
Theresa: *to Dante* "Tell Brian to keep an eye on whomever is talking to my Maple, please."
Random_Nerd: He faces the inner door, and says a prayer in Latin that lasts several minutes.
Random_Nerd: "Now, repeat after me as you come inside, please."

• Theresa takes an incense plate and breathes in the frankencense.
  

Random_Nerd: He shudders, and opens the inner door.

• DanteE stifles the urge to tell John to skip to the Amen already...
  

Theresa: (Yay for Aspect hear&repeat...)
Random_Nerd: "I... we... come here only to make sure that the holy things are properly cared for. We intend no disrespect."
Brian: (... holy things?! ... who WROTE that?)
DanteE: (RN. :)
Theresa: (Translation issues...)
Theresa: (It sounds a lot better in Latin.)
Random_Nerd: (Well, he's partly making it up in the spirit of what he's used to. There isn't really a set of rules for this.)
DanteE: (Sounds better in Aramaic, I'll bet)

• Theresa repeats the prayer and follows John in, looking for the Noble.
  

Carrie: (I have a feeling you'll need that Aspect for something other than repetition soon..)

• DanteE does the same.
  

Random_Nerd: Inside is a large and elaborate table. Resting on are a wooden cup, a golden box with angel figures on the top, and a crude spear wrapped in silk.
Random_Nerd: Also in the room is a tall, pale, and angular woman.
Random_Nerd: Her skin's the color of porcelain, her eyes are dark save for the stars, and she's proportioned like a creature that bears the same relation to humanity as a hornet does to a bumblebee.
Theresa: (_Crap_.)
Random_Nerd: She smiles at the group coming in.
DanteE: (oh fuck.)
Random_Nerd: John looks at her, and his body language utterly shifts.
Theresa: (Okay, yeah, I'd like to upgrade my response to Dante's...)
Random_Nerd: "This is not a place for you. You must go, now. I do not know what you are, but these relics have been given to me to protect."
Brian: (... I missed something?)
Random_Nerd: (That, to her.)
Theresa: (Star-eyes = Excrutians)
Random_Nerd: Woman, to John: "I wouldn't even have to lift a finger to kill you, you know. I'd just have to decide that I don't want you to be here."
DanteE: "John... you may want to retreat."
Brian: (ah. Well, this isn't good. At all)
DanteE: RH: "Excrucian in the Vault!"
Random_Nerd: John: "That's not important. You are not allowed to be here."
Theresa: *to the woman* "We have been charged to protect this place. You are not welcome here."
Brian: RH: "Fuck. I'll be there in a bit."
Brian: (Brian will begin moving to the Vault)
Random_Nerd: John reaches into his robe, and draws out a vial of water.
DanteE: RH: "Bring our new friends, too."
Brian: RH: "You sure?"
Random_Nerd: He looks at it with a "I wish we had Extra Special Anti-Demon Holy Water" look.

• DanteE weilds hos sword-cane.
  

DanteE: *his
Random_Nerd: He uncaps it, pours some into his hand, and casts it in her direction.
DanteE: "Explain yourself."
Random_Nerd: About halfway on their way there, the drops cease to exist.
Carrie: (RH) "As you wish, Dante."
Random_Nerd: Woman: "...Did you actually think that saying that would work?"
Brian: to Night: "It seems we have a little Excrucian problem at the Vault of the Relics. Would you be available to help if we need assistance?"
Random_Nerd: W: "I mean, that I'd tell you why I'm here just to be polite?"
Theresa: "It was worth a try. Politeness can be found in the strangest places."
DanteE: "Not really.
Carrie: (in a grave voice) "There's been a change of plans. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask all of your help in something that's not on the schedule."
Random_Nerd: The relics are starting to /gleam/ a bit more than they did a moment ago.
Random_Nerd: Especially the crude bronze point of the Spear.
Brian: (frak. RN: does Night answer my query?)

• Carrie starts walking briskly back toward the room with the Treasures, no longer concerned about keeping the group from straying.
  

Random_Nerd: (Sorry, I missed it. Could you please repeat it?)
Brian: ((11:08:53 PM) Brian: to Night: "It seems we have a little Excrucian problem at the Vault of the Relics. Would you be available to help if we need assistance?")
Random_Nerd: John shudders.
DanteE: "John. Run. Now."
Random_Nerd: Night: "Excrucians? Here?"
Random_Nerd: John: "No. I have to do this."
Brian: "Apparently. This is Not Good. Especially with the Happy Fun Artifacts."
Random_Nerd: He steps towards the angular woman.
DanteE: (is John referring to whatever's happening to the relics?)
Random_Nerd: (He's paying more attention to the Excrucian.)
Random_Nerd: John: "Begone. Now. I can't stop you, but I know that no matter what sort of creature you are, these are not things to be trifled with."
Random_Nerd: The Spear starts to rustle.
Theresa: "And plus, lady, don't you want us to know who you are before you destroy us? I thought you guys were big into the drama."
Random_Nerd: John turns towards it in a convulsive jerk.
Brian: (Brian will head to the Vault, not going to worry about Night)
Random_Nerd: Night says something to the tree, and then follows Brian.
Brian: (John! Don't look at the pointy cleavage! ... sorry ...)
Theresa: "Besides, you don't want these relics. We have a very nice gift shop down the hall."
Random_Nerd: John, to the Spear: "We're just trying to protect you. We're showing proper respect. Don't go away!"
Random_Nerd: The Spear rustles more, and continues to gleam in a way that doesn't match the lighting in the room.
Random_Nerd: (Light, for reference, provided by an oil lamp, with an oil feed coming into the room from a tube passing into the wall.
Random_Nerd: )
DanteE: (where is that lamp, relative to us?)
Random_Nerd: Woman: "Pitiful little thing. You're not showing proper respect for your betters.)
Random_Nerd: (Okay, the lamp is behind the table. The woman is to the left of the table, with John standing right by her. You guys are between the inner door and the table.)
Random_Nerd: John: "Whatever you are, you aren't my better."
Theresa: "You live with a live nuclear bomb in your family, you're not really impressed when a general shows up."
Random_Nerd: She twitches, for a moment, and then he grabs at his throat with both hands and coughs in a very painful-sounding manner.
DanteE: (Can I pop that lamp off the wall onto her head with a Ghost Miracle?)
Random_Nerd: (It's not on the wall. It's free-standing on the ground. But you could reach over and grab it, with a quick lean, and your aspect would be high enough to assure not bumping the relics with it.)
Random_Nerd: The Spear lifts up into the air.
Carrie: (All you need to do is touch her, you know.  :P )
Random_Nerd: The silk wrapping falls off the rough wooden pole of it.
Random_Nerd: It turns in the air, its point facing the Excrucian
DanteE: "You pitiful cowardly little thing.
Carrie: (Assuming she's a shard and not a full Excrucian.)
Brian: (is it wrong for me to want to stab her with the Spear?)
Random_Nerd: She turns to face the rest of you.
DanteE: "When you dare invade our world...
Random_Nerd: "Which one of you is doing that? What, that's supposed to impress me?"

• Theresa will try for a tackle on the Excr. Aspect 2. Trying for skin-contact.
  

Theresa: "No, this is."

• DanteE throws the fiery oil lamp at the Ex.
  

Random_Nerd: (Any Penetration?)
DanteE: +2 pen
DanteE: "You ... Fight ... US!"
Theresa: (+3 for the pen for the tackle.)
Random_Nerd: The lamp smashes onto her face, but fortunately none of the oil hits the table.
Random_Nerd: As Theresa tackles the Excrucian, both of them gleam with light for a moment.
Random_Nerd: As they do, the three relics gleam the same noncolor.

• DanteE follows up with an Aspect-2 Leap...
  

Random_Nerd: (Not yet, Dante. You've already had your Miracle this round.)
Theresa: (This is not a girl-fight dogpile, Dante... No tearing of clothes yet...)
DanteE: (ah yeah. How long are Rounds again?)
Random_Nerd: As the Warding flickers, the Spear flies through the air and impacts her forehead at the exact point where Dante's thrown lamp hit it.
Theresa: (*blink*)
Random_Nerd: It proceeds through to the other side, and then about three feet past that into the air.

• DanteE blinks.,
  

Random_Nerd: John goes down on his knees, and says in a hoarse whisper "Don't go away. Please don't go away. It was her who invaded your sanctum, we just tried to protect you."
Random_Nerd: John: "There's nowhere else in the world that can care for you properly. The Temple was never rebuilt. Nobody else knows the rites. Please, please don't go away, I've cared for you my whole life, just don't go away."
Carrie: (Okay, did you all leave the outer door open when you opened the inner door?)
Random_Nerd: The Excrucian starts to melt.
DanteE: status of the Ex?

• Theresa says to the spear. Very sincerely. "Thank you."
  

Random_Nerd: (The outer door swings shut on its own.
Random_Nerd: )
Random_Nerd: (It's designed to do so.)
Theresa: (Can we hear the others showing up at the doors?)
Random_Nerd: (You're probably a bit preoccupied.)

• Theresa will keep a hand on the remains of the Ex. just to make sure...
  

Theresa: (Melt in what sort of liquid way?)
Random_Nerd: On contact with Theresa's hand, the remains /sizzle/ and melt faster.
Random_Nerd: (Like a candle on a hot saucepan.)
Carrie: (Assuming the door is closed when I get there, I will ask for status through the RH when we do.)
Random_Nerd: John keeps whispering in the same broken-sounding way.
DanteE: Replying to Carrie via RH: "Don't come in!
DanteE: RH: "The spear got her!"

• Carrie . o O ( Greeeeat... )
  
• DanteE reverently goes to the spear head.
  

Random_Nerd: The spear continues to gleam, but goes down to the ground as the supporting corpse melts away.
Brian: RH: "... the artifacts /work/? ... well, at least we've theoretically got weapons ..."
DanteE: "John... do they talk to you?

• Carrie will keep on walking right past the door to the Treasures as if it isn't there. She also will react if any of the others try to go in.
  
• Theresa tries to clear her head a little and whispers a little free-form prayer that the relics will accept a little disturbance so that an invader can be repelled and that John can continue his life's work which he has done with great courage and honor.
  

Random_Nerd: John, whispered: "No. They never have, not to me. But I still talk to /them/."

• Theresa will not touch the Spear. Not _that_ stupid.
  
• DanteE looks at the spear.
  

Brian: (on the plus side, T probably won't get zapped for looking at the cleavage in the room :p)
Carrie: (I mean to say, not opening the door, but going down the hall past it and not remarking on it.)
Theresa: (The cleavage is covered by a robe.)
Random_Nerd: John, to the Spear: "It is not the proper time, so I will not take you from where you are. But you will be cleaned and returned to your proper place soon, if you only stay."
DanteE: "Theresa... get that ... scum there ... out of here."
DanteE: (referring to whatever remains of the Ex.)
Theresa: (So Night's the only guest who knows we had an Ex?)
Random_Nerd: (I don't think Carrie told the others, right?)
Carrie: (Correct.)
Carrie: (I just said there was a change of plan.)
Random_Nerd: (Then Night is the only one.)

• DanteE kneels by the spear.
  
• Theresa thinks for a moment and creates a wooden bucket and lots of plant sponges and starts to mop up the Ex.
  

Random_Nerd: The spear settles to the ground.
DanteE: "... you know I've heard about you for years?
Random_Nerd: John, whispered: "Please, can I do the cleaning? It's my job."
Random_Nerd: The spear doesn't respond.
DanteE: "Not yet, John.
DanteE: "We need to treat it like hazardous waste, for now."
DanteE: (is it still glowing?)
Random_Nerd: John: "Can you do that without touching the Lance, at least?"
Random_Nerd: (Only a little.)
Random_Nerd: (It's been dimming since when Theresa's warding touched the melting body.)
DanteE: to spear: "and yet I never really understood how important you were until now.
Theresa: "I'll do my utmost best, John. We don't want that offal touching the Spear anymore than it wants it."

• Theresa will direct John to move the bucket closer if he can help.
  

Random_Nerd: John, still whispered: "I know. It's just... this, the cleaning? I know how to do that. We have rites for it."
DanteE: (actually you might keep it for study, if possible. Also to contain it.)
Random_Nerd: John: "This isn't the first time it's killed someone. Someone eminently deserving, of course."
DanteE: to the spear: "I'm sorry.

• Theresa stands up and smiles at John. "Then, please. You know the best ways to convey respect."
  

DanteE: "For every time I doubted your importance as a kid.
DanteE: "For every time I wanted to disturb you for idle curiousity.
DanteE: "and for whatever lapse let her in here."
Random_Nerd: John, to Dante, still whispered: "Thank you for understanding."

• Carrie is going to try to lead the guests back to the Grove, assuming they cooperate.
  

DanteE: "John... go ahead and do the rituals needed to put it away."
Random_Nerd: "I'll need to check some of the books, and assemble the right things. I won't be able to actually move it until about a week and a half from now. But I can at least begin the cleaning process."
Theresa: "Do you need anything?{"
DanteE: "It's going to lie on the floor for ten days?"
Random_Nerd: John: "Could one of you please send a doctor here, as soon as possible?"
Random_Nerd: John: "This is how the rules I know work. I'm only allowed to move them or touch them on certain days."

• DanteE extends a hand and zap-heals John.
  

Random_Nerd: (It'll take at least a Lesser Creation of Realm to replace his voicebox.)
DanteE: (what about my Gift?)
Random_Nerd: (Oh, yes! That'll work fine.)
Random_Nerd: He massages his throat.
Theresa: "We're sorry you got hurt in this, John."
Random_Nerd: John, in a normal voice: "I had hoped that the Grail would heal me, but I guess I wasn't worthy."
Carrie: (Will Perfect Timing suffice to have gotten the last of the guests out of sight of the door by the time Dante and Theresa come out?)
Random_Nerd: (Yes.)
DanteE: did the glow of the spear change at all while this was going on?

• Theresa smiles. "I think that the Grail would know that Dante could heal you."
  

Random_Nerd: (It's no longer glowing at all.)
DanteE: (the other artifacts?)
Random_Nerd: (Likewise.)
DanteE: "Rituals... maybe. But this shouldn't be on the floor.
Theresa: "Are there any other ceremonies we should observe, John? Like with the robes?"

• DanteE reverently picks up the spear... carefully.
  

Random_Nerd: John: "I don't know. There hasn't been a group of people in here in hundreds of years."
Random_Nerd: He flinches when Dante does that in about the way someone would if you stuck an icepick in his chest.
DanteE: "Your highness... would you prepare the silk?"
Random_Nerd: John slaps Dante.
Random_Nerd: "You may be a pillar of the world, but I'm still king here, and the things in this room are in my keeping. Put that down."
Random_Nerd: (Yes, he's not Mister Intellegent Self Interest.)
DanteE: "I will. On the table, in the silk, where it belongs."
Random_Nerd: "That will be done in due time."
Theresa: "Dante, John knows what he is doing. Would you want someone to tell you how to deal with Courage?"
Random_Nerd: John shivers, but doesn't back down.
DanteE: (aspect-2 to sound calming & rational) "It shouldn't be on the floor."

Random_Nerd: "That's not for you to say."
Theresa: "Would you move someone who had a trauma to the spine?"
Random_Nerd: A drop of the blood dripping down from the spear turns into a blood-red flying insect, and buzzes around.

• DanteE places the spear on the table...
  

Random_Nerd: The fly flies towards the outer door, and passes through it.

• Theresa watches the fly. "Not good... Dante, what will happen now?"
  

Random_Nerd: John walks to the outer door. "I have work to do. Will you please leave the room, so I can begin?"
Brian: (can we end soon?)
DanteE: "Yes... yes." (grabs his incense)
Random_Nerd: (Works for me.)

• Theresa hangs her head. *to the Treasures* "Please, if we have offended, visit your wrath upon _us_. Harm not the innocents of this Chancel. They had no part in this battle and your servant John has gone beyond what has been expected of his faithfulness." *head-bows to the treasures*
  
• Theresa will take her incense and head out too.
  
• DanteE leaves.
  
• Theresa will carefully return her robe and looks sadly at John before heading out too.
  
• DanteE looks for the bug...
  

Theresa: *to Dante* "That was possibly incredibly stupid. And given the last time, I know from stupid."

• DanteE just returns the robe and incense.
  

Random_Nerd: (Okay, let's stop here. Last words?)
DanteE: (OK to stop)
Theresa: (I think the stupid comment will stand for me.)
Random_Nerd: _______________________________STOP________________________

• • • DanteE is now known as Knockwood.
      
    • Brian is now known as lazarus.
      
    • Carrie is now known as Etheric.
      
    • You are now known as BethE.
      

BethE: Whoof.
Knockwood: well....
lazarus: at least we know the holy things work.
lazarus: (sorry, RN, I'm gonna hafta bug you about that for a while...)
Knockwood: yeah, there I go playing an impetuous jerk
BethE: I'd say we don't have that much clearer of a vision of how they work. More like there are a lot of SOPs for handling the holy objects. Much like a nuclear fission core.
Random_Nerd: For the record, the phrase "holy things" occurs several dozen times in the bible.
Random_Nerd: Sometimes specifically in reference to the Ark of the Covenant, as it turns out.
lazarus: ha!
Random_Nerd: Like "After Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and when the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites are to come to do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are to carry those things that are in the Tent of Meeting.
Random_Nerd: A rather relevant one.
Knockwood: hey, I'm still here
Random_Nerd: Didn't say they'd die /right then/.
Random_Nerd: But one day Dante will walk down a dark alley, and the Holy Lance will break his kneecaps.
Knockwood: well, that's why I was talking to it. We can negotiate. :)
Random_Nerd: Everyone have a good time?
BethE: I wish I had some sort of reward to give out, like a DP or Joss. I would give it to Etheric for remembering about the warding.
Random_Nerd: (Also, for the record, don't assume that John is completely right about everything.)
BethE: The bug worries me. I hate plague.
BethE: We speak bug, right?
Knockwood: that means Brian can shine, with his better Realm.
Random_Nerd: Hmm. Given the way it's been built up, was finally seeing the relics a letdown or anticlimax?
lazarus: nope
Knockwood: Certainly a surprise. Here I am, ready to fight, and the spear does it for me. :)
BethE: Nope. I'm sure the Spear came as a complete surprise to the shard/whomever.
Knockwood: it like totally ninjad my kill, d00d. :)
Random_Nerd: But on the other hand, the Spear didn't actually act until you guys did.
Random_Nerd: At least the spear didn't loot the body.
BethE: There wasn't a body left!
lazarus: d00d! Zam!
lazarus: (ninja Prinny!)
Knockwood: ...which would seem to mean the spear needed a way past her auc...
Knockwood: I thought about levitating the spear with miracles... both before and after the fight. :)
lazarus: if Brian made it in, he would totally have grabbed the spear and stuck her with it. And probably died in the process
Random_Nerd: Oh, and the thing about the auctoritas being weird. There's a particular reason for that, which is found in the Nobilis book.
Knockwood: How'd she get there, tho?
Random_Nerd: Excellent question.
lazarus: I can think of two reasons: 1) they're not From Here, and 2) they're kind of like Abyssals. The Excrucians versions of the Shiny Happy People
Random_Nerd: Also, was this the first time she's been there, or the first time you've /heard/ her?
BethE: (Oh the other person who had poked at John...)
Knockwood: (that would mean Kudzu runs around with Exs)
Random_Nerd: (Would you believe that the question about whether Kudzu runs around with Excrucians involves the Maple? Because it totally does, and I'm not even making that up.)
BethE: (*facepalm*)
Knockwood: ...
Random_Nerd: (Well, I did make it up. But, like, a year ago.)
BethE: Hmm...not a Warmain...
Knockwood: too obvious to be a Deceiver
Knockwood: (afk agan)
Random_Nerd: You've seen a Deceiver-shard before.
BethE: Umm...would causing a larayx(massive mispelling) and holy water to disappear...fall under World Breaker's?
Random_Nerd: Worldbreaker's Hand can make /anything/ dissapear that isn't a Noble, an Anchor, or an Imperator.
Etheric: Strategists have weird Auctorita because of the bathing in negative energy thing, right?
Random_Nerd: Correct!
lazarus: ... King John didn't seem to fried by the Miracles...
Random_Nerd: Fried by which Miracles?
lazarus: there was a Ghost ... ok, that doesn't fry too much, and whatever the Ex did.
BethE: You mean having his voicebox turn to dust in his throat?
lazarus: he seemed to be more reacting to the Things being moved.
Random_Nerd: Which miracles should have fried him, by your reading?
Random_Nerd: And why?
lazarus: the Excrucian did weird messed up things /to him/
Random_Nerd: Yes. One such thing, at least.
Random_Nerd: (Partly because Strategists are the most petty of Excrucians.)
BethE: (Yep, Hell thinks they're almost human-ish. *reads more in GWB*)
Knockwood: (bak)
Knockwood: I just hope that, if I did screw up, it's something I can fix.
BethE: I hope it's something we all can fix.  :)
Knockwood: of course, from Dante's POV, it's like, "Don't leave that on the floor! There's dust there! Pick it up gently, put it back where it belongs!"
Knockwood: (should have got the Ex blood off it first, though... :/ )
Knockwood: Actually let me ask a hypothetical of you, RN:
Random_Nerd: I reserve the right not to answer if I have a good reason to, but okay.
Knockwood: Let's say, instead of picking it up ... and I was assuming a 2-handed pickup from below, as if presenting a sword or scepter to someone, but that doesn't matter ...
Knockwood: if, instead, I use Ghosts of either Blades or Realm to levitate it. What changes?
Random_Nerd: Hmm.
Random_Nerd: You couldn't do that.
Random_Nerd: The Lance, like the other two, are established as having anchor-like immunity to direct miracles.
Random_Nerd: Now, I guess you could do something complicated with air molecules or gravity or something. But not just use a ghost on them.
Knockwood: ah.
Random_Nerd: And doing something like that would be the equivilent of picking it up with your hand, I think.
Knockwood: OK. BTW, if it isn't obvoius:
Knockwood: a) I kant tipe...
Knockwood: b) any repercussions from this, and Dante takes the heat.
BethE: Bah, we're family. Of course it's going to fall on all of us. <g>
BethE: Possibly a bit less on Carrie and Brian because they weren't there and possibly less still on Brian for that whole beloved thing, but still...
BethE: First locust I see, though, gets an Audrey II on its chitenous arse.
Knockwood: well, at least RN's not the type to go "Jesus is mad at you! Gigantic rocks fall, everyone dies! MUAHHAHHAHHAH!"
lazarus: well, he is. He'd just ask "So, what do you do about it?" after
Random_Nerd: I prefer starting out subtle and having the doom be the direct fault of the PCs in a way that retroactively seems obvious.
Random_Nerd: See also: Monty.
BethE: Which part of Monty is our fault directly? At least at the beginning.
lazarus: Beth: the letting him stomp on the houses?
Random_Nerd: At the beginning, there wasn't anything to be anyone's fault.
lazarus: although, I remember saying "I Object!"
Knockwood: pissing him off?
Random_Nerd: It was more the MONTY SMASH PUNY VILLAGES part.
lazarus: he's got big giant teeth, and you wouldn't like him when he's angry.
lazarus: worst. crossover. ever!
Random_Nerd: Anyway, I'll head out now if nobody else has questions or comments.
BethE: He's also got flesh-shredding blood, but that is neither here nor there.
Knockwood: not really blood... he's a contained storm of metal fragments
Knockwood: BTW, Beth and RN ... the Wiki?
BethE: *rubs forehead* Urgh, I've got enough issues with the half-angel blood over in my Buffy game...
BethE: Sorry, Knock. The logs will all be posted before next week's game. Honest.
Random_Nerd: There's blood too.
Random_Nerd: Blood and metal.
Random_Nerd: Blood and metal and giant crushy rabbit feet.
Random_Nerd: These are a few of my favorite things!
Knockwood: alll rite D00D! RAWK AN ROLLLL!


Chancel_Amyra
Chapter 7