Session 95

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Chancel_Amyra
Chapter 11

Knockwood: now, what's the word on a 5th player?
Random_Nerd: Sara, you'd know best on that.
Sara: Possible. That's really all I know.
Sara: Currently he's destroying...yellow...in Starcraft. He might be by after that.
Sara: He is interested, but it conflicts with something he is also interested in.
Sara: So we'll see.
BethE: Okay, Wiki updated.

      • You are now known as Theresa.
      • lazarus is now known as Brian_.

Brian_: (oh, I registered Brian_, so it's mine for the time being)

      • Knockwood is now known as DanteE.

DanteE: (One minute, have to destroy a spammer...)
Theresa: Laz, you might want to fill Knock in on your job stuff too.
DanteE: hm?
Brian_: didn't see?

      • Sara is now known as Snow.

Brian_: basically: I wake up now at 7AM my time. Going any later than midnight (after tonight) is pushing it, and ideally 11:30 would be the end time (which, well, doesn't give much time :p) ... I don't know what to do about that. I mean, even pushing when I wake up back a bit doesn't particularly help much
DanteE: what time zone?
Snow: Where're you working now?
Snow: EST
Brian_: Eastern.
Brian_: programming company, where my mom works.
Brian_: (I'm a bit ashamed that I've only ever worked either with my mom or my dad :p)
Snow: Which one? I'm in Kanata, which is high-tech central.
DanteE: so, we'll be playing 2 to 2+1/2 hours before you conk out
Brian_: it's out in Bell's Corners ... which isn't so bad, but the only bus that goes there is the 118 >_<
Snow: Aaaaah
Snow: Try Cognos, Alcatel and Mitel. They're forever hiring. If you want to change, I mean. :)
Brian_: I just started :p I don't want to change yet.
Snow: Anyway, I have yet to catch up entirely. What's the basic premise right now?
Snow: Specifics are of no consequence to Snow. :P
Brian_: I've got an in at Synopsis, too. Which would be an awesome spot to work (they do basically software that does the finalization of programming to what becomes microchips :p)
Brian_: we're currently taking a giant (half-son of the angel of the moon?) and a corrupt cultist back to an empty zone of our Chancel for testing. IIRC.
Theresa: Half-son of some angel, not the moon, though, I think.
Snow: Were they attacking us? And if so, was it in-Chancel?
Brian_: formerly had knives as a domain
DanteE: well, maybe not.
Theresa: The cult got a dream a while back from a set of beings that are kinda like us, might be us, to bleed the giant and use his blood to make bricks and then we'll come and eat him.
Snow: The giant had knives as a domain? Or the angel?
DanteE: We were debating whether to actually do that because of the possibility of corrupting our chancel.
Theresa: It was not in Chancel, was out in the town that Brian's Anchor lives in.
Snow: The professor dude?
Theresa: (Brian wanted to check up on his particle accelarator too.)
Theresa: Yep, professor dude, Jim.
Random_Nerd: The giant is the son of the Angel who formerly had the Estate of Weapons, before Kudzu yoinked it.
Snow: Are either of them particularly hostile?
Theresa: Giant is a prick.
Snow: Nice.
Theresa: Doesn't like dealing with 'animals' since humanity has pretty much bred its divine spark out. He's old enough that he's still got a nice sized bit of it.
DanteE: and it's doubtful Azazel (the angel) would welcome us with open arms
DanteE: and there's still the cult itself.
Random_Nerd: Yeah, the angel seems to be something of an absentee father.
DanteE: So, yeah, we're in a target-rich environment. :)
Theresa: And Dante promised to track down the culprit behind everything.
Snow: Snow'll tag along for a while, get the lay of the land.
Snow: Better yet, if you want to call her, she'll be at the tower.
Snow: That way she can come in all, "I wasn't here, what's going on?"
Theresa: Or she can just be in Dante'
Theresa: s back seat when we try to get in. <G>
Snow: Sure!
Snow: Whatever's easiest.
Random_Nerd: Anything else before we start?
Theresa: Up to you. Theresa's just in over-worry mode. She dislikes being called cow...
Theresa: Ready!
Brian_: oh yes. And Brian dislikes T being called "cow" :p
Brian_: ready
DanteE: Ready
Theresa: He could have picked a different name to be insulting to a female, in an animalistic way.
Snow: (Ready!)
Random_Nerd: _____________START________________
Brian_: (We get to the car, ready to pull the clown trick, only with Nobles and a Giant?)
DanteE: (Well, I did bring a pimped-out Hummer.... :)
Random_Nerd: As the giant steps out of the building, he glances at the sky nervously.
Theresa: "We'll just be quick."
Brian_: (Think that's enough to hold our egos?)
Theresa: (We have pocket space for ego.)
Theresa: (Err, hammer space, I think it's called.)
Brian_: (Mallet space)
Random_Nerd: (Hmm... okay, and it's late afternoon/early evening, so the moon has risen...)
Random_Nerd: The giant seems to be trying to keep an eye on the moon at all times, as if he vaguely suspects that it's sneaking up on him.
DanteE: "You know the moon?"

  • Theresa waves the Aides and Lesson to hurry toward the car.

Random_Nerd: Giant: "The moon doesn't like me."
Random_Nerd: As your minions go to the Hummer, Lesson glances at the giant, and then at the Aides in a "So... do you think this guy's crazy too?" way.
Random_Nerd: William shrugs.
DanteE: "Hm. We hear she's a decent tennis player..."
Snow: There's a faint noise, and suddenly the car begins to roll backwards.
DanteE: "No you don't, I just pimped my ride..."

  • DanteE dashes up and grabs the car.

Theresa: (*crunch*)
Snow: The engine revvs, but nothing happens. Seems to be in Neutral.
Brian_: (... my transport power doesn't allow me to, say, move the car's path to an infinite loop?)
Brian_: ("now you're thinking with Portals")

  • DanteE picks up the car and shakes the 'driver' out...

Random_Nerd: (That's more Geometry than Numbers.)
Snow: The door locks begin to click on and off.
Brian_: (I wish I'd thought of it before :p)
Random_Nerd: Lesson runs towards the car, jumps, and perches on the roof.
Theresa: (But it would be Domain. And we're around the Cult.)
Brian_: (By "transport power" I meant the Gift. I don't remember how we built it >_>)
Snow: (Is there a sunroof?)
Random_Nerd: (I believe that's self-only.)
Random_Nerd: Lesson now looks around, as if to indicate that his plan hadn't actually gotten this far.
Brian_: (the Gift was supposed to be so that I could grant the movement to others)
Random_Nerd: (Hmm. Could you PM me a copy of the point assignments for the Gift?)
DanteE: "Hang on..."
Theresa: "This is why one locks one's doors when not driving in Chancel.

  • DanteE jumps up and looks in the sunroof...

Theresa: "
Brian_: (Remember that line a couple ago where I say "I don't remember how we built it"?  :p Beth, do you happen to know where that would be in the logs?)
Snow: A coyote grins back.
Snow: "Hi Dante! I'm driving!"
Random_Nerd: (Well, you could use it to just dump yourself in the car, and put it in park.)
Brian_: (true)
Brian_: "I see we've found our lost Sister."
Theresa: (No clue whatsoever.)
Random_Nerd: Giant: "You people are completely insane even for Nobles."
Brian_: (said in a joy not meh way)
Theresa: "Thank you. We're Wild."
Snow: (You guys have had it WAY too easy if a coyote putting a car in Neutral stymies you.)
Theresa: (Completely deadpan.)
Brian_: "Sanity? Crutch)
Brian_: ( ) = ")
DanteE: "You're driving? With paws?"
Theresa: (Not all of us drive stick, Sara.  :) )

  • Snow rolls her eyes. "It's not like I have /tentacles/, Danteeee..."

Random_Nerd: Giant: "Oh, yes, the stupid Codes. Where you all agree that shiny things are important, water flows uphill, and puppies are made of butter."
Brian_: "She's probably driving it with her Domain. Convincing the car it wants to be elsewhere."
Snow: (Neither do I, you just smack the thing and it goes to Neutral. Safety mechanism. ;))
Theresa: "Shiny things being important is a thing for all Nobles, not just a particular code. It transcends Codes."
Brian_: "I know of a place where water flows uphill"
Snow: (from inside the car) "Hiiiiii Theresaaaaa!"
Random_Nerd: Sam, to giant: "Oh, would you just shut up? Nobody's impressed, and you don't even make the list of the top five most important people here. So be quiet while your betters are talking."
Brian_: "In a place called New Brunswick, there's a mountain called 'magnetic hill'. I watched the water there once. It went up."
DanteE: "Hi pup. Can I have my car back?"
Random_Nerd: Giant: "Be silent yourself, do...wait, what the hell are you?"
Theresa: "Hi Snow. Want to.." *Hears Sam, thinks "Oh crap."*
Brian_: "Sam is vibration personified"
Random_Nerd: William: "I thought that was an urban legend. The hill."
Snow: "Sure!" Snow scrambles to the back seat and waits.
Theresa: "Sam is a Dionyl, from another world on the Ash."
Brian_: "No, it exists. I was confused - looked around, and it sure didn't look like an illusion to me"
DanteE: (Where are we going?)
Random_Nerd: Giant: "Well, tell your pet that he's probably edible."
Theresa: "Everyone in and no stops for bathroom breaks until we reach a different continent."
Brian_: (to the field by the mountain you invented last)
Brian_: "Hell, different plane of existence"
Random_Nerd: Samuel: "I don't... think you could eat me. Wait, can you? I'm not actually sure."
DanteE: "SO... Sam, did you locate the accessway to that plain?
Theresa: "Not everyone can hold it for that long, Brian. We must be kind to our guests." *shuffles people in or else will get shoe horn*
Random_Nerd: Sam: "I have a preliminary theory, but I could probably come up with better if I had a few hours."

  • Snow flicks into red squirrel-form and climbs up William's collar, to stay out of the way.

Theresa: (Someone could use a Realm div to get the best route.)
Random_Nerd: William glances nervously at Snow.
Brian_: (by someone you mean the one with actual Realm? :p)
Snow: "Hey William!"
Random_Nerd: William: "Hello, Domina Snow."
Brian_: (Realm Div I didn't think would be able to direct us back there, just how to get from enter to the spot?)
Random_Nerd: (Well, it could tell you about which parts of the realm border connect to which parts of Earth.)
Brian_: "Mind if I ask what you were up to, Snow? Haven't seen you in a bit"
Brian_: (True)
Brian_: (Sure, tell me the one that's nearest here, and nearest where we're going)
Snow: "Stuff. Coyote stuff."
Theresa: (And I think Snow has Realm as well.)
DanteE: "Catching rabbits and sniffing smelly things?"
Snow: (Realm 4, yes.)

  • Brian_ will direct ("Turn left ... now")

Random_Nerd: Giant: "Did that cloud just go /behind/ the moon? I know it sounds strange, but it's important."

  • Snow winks at Dante.
  • DanteE looks...

Random_Nerd: Sam: "You're right. That did sound strange."
Brian_: "Don't worry, the bad moon won't be able to get you soon."
Brian_: (is it on the right?)

  • Theresa will look at the sky. Normal, Sight and Mythic.)

Random_Nerd: Giant: "Fuck off. I'm not talking metaphorically. The actual moon does not wish me well. And you're standing near me."
Brian_: (rise, I suppose...)

  • Snow climbs on top of whoever is nearest the sunroof, and looks out.

Brian_: "Neither am I: The moon won't be able to get to you when we're in our Chancel."
Random_Nerd: (To the Sight, the moon is quite shiny, rather than being dull and grey like most things.)
Brian_: "Besides, there's worse things to worry about."
Random_Nerd: (Mythically, the moon is an immense cow with long and gleaming horns, watching you as if waiting for you to make a mistake.)

  • Brian_ starts humming. "Don't go round tonight, it's bound to take your life, there's a bad moon on the rise"

Random_Nerd: Everyone who was looking at the moon, you're reasonably certain you just saw a bat fly /behind/ it.
Snow: "Moon's comin' back."
Random_Nerd: (And it looked like that even if you were watching prosaically.)
DanteE: "We were wondering what the next step was...
Random_Nerd: Giant: "Okay, you said that you can take me somewhere I'm safe from the Moon? Do it now, and get me indoors."
Theresa: "Yeah, we're being followed. Dante, you may want to step up the speed a bit."
Snow: (If Snow can do it with Realm 4, poof, they're back.)
Snow: (Or whatever is closest to "poof")
DanteE: "All aboard!"
Brian_: (IIRC, the Gift was a Lesser Change?)
Random_Nerd: (With a level two miracle at Realm 4, you can make it so the nearest passageway into the Chancel, which would be within a few miles, goes exactly where in Amyra you want it to.)
Brian_: (oh to have grep)

  • DanteE starts the DanteMobile

Snow: (Snow'll do that, then.)

  • Snow blinks.

Snow: "Go that way." *points a paw*
Random_Nerd: The giant climbs into the back of the vehicle, and curls up tightly to try to fit and to keep his limbs out of the moonlight.

  • Theresa is in the car.
  • Brian_ is as well

Theresa: (We can stuff Sam into the glovebox...)
Random_Nerd: (Where in Amyra do you want it to go?)
Snow: (Oh crap, she has Realm 3. She'll spend a point to make it so, however.)
Snow: (The Tower.)
Random_Nerd: Lesson still clings to the top, rather out of inertia.
Random_Nerd: (At Realm 3, you need to spend 4 RMPs.)
Snow: (Yikes.)
Random_Nerd: (Powers of two rule.)
Theresa: (Not the Tower!)
Theresa: (!!!)
DanteE: (That barren plain far away from civilization we mentioned last time)\
Random_Nerd: (MPs are spent by 1, 2, 4, or 8.)
Brian_: (Snow doesn't know!)
Random_Nerd: (Penetration aside.)\
Snow: (Ah well, I'll do it anyway. Present for being away for so long.)
Snow: (And someone'd better ask Snow where they're going, then.)
Brian_: "Snow, are you sure that's going to the field of [x]?"

  • Snow looks down. "How was I supposed to know that? We're going home. I'm hungry."

DanteE: "We want to be away from civilization for this..."

  • Brian_ looks a bit confused, as he thought it was over there

Brian_: "oh. Right. Um. I guess we're going home?"
Snow: (Can she re-cast the spell so that the tunnel ends elsewhere?)
Brian_: "We'll charter a jet."
Theresa: "There may be explosions. Once we get home, I can try to make you some good food, Snow."
DanteE: (Do we have a cultist with us?)
Snow: "Cheeseburgers?"
Random_Nerd: (Did you grab one?)
Random_Nerd: (I don't recall you having done so.)
Theresa: (Yes, we did, on the way out of the building.)
DanteE: (Ah yes.
Random_Nerd: (Okay, then you do, and he's just been standing around pretending that he's far away.)
Theresa: (The one we had been talking to. That wasn't a bloody mist on the air.)
DanteE: (He's probably in the glove box)

  • Theresa has yoinked said cultist.

Random_Nerd: (Even the GM knows not of the mysterious storage capacity of Dante's vehicles.)
Theresa: "How about strawberries to start, Snow?"
Random_Nerd: (So, is Snow spending the MPs to bend where the nearby forest goes, and if so, to where?)
Brian_: (At R2, I have to spend 4 RMPs for the same kind of thing too?)
Snow: (Yes, she is, and she originally cast it so that it ended up at the Tower. She's willing to change that ending point, but only if it's cheap.)
Random_Nerd: (We can say you haven't set it yet.)
Random_Nerd: (So, it goes wherever you now decide that it does.)
Snow: (*shrug* Okay then. That empty field Dante mentioned.)
Brian_: (Query: anyone have any Anchors in-Chancel?)
Random_Nerd: (And, bear in mind, there still is a gateway to Amyra there, but it goes somewhere random, probably a rural town somewhere.)
DanteE: (after which it'll go to the nearest burger place :) )
Snow: "Okay. It goes to that other place now." Snow clambers onto Theresa's shoulder and waits for her strawberry reward.
Snow: (Snow has her Horse there.)
Random_Nerd: (Okay, empty field.)
Brian_: (Normally, I'd ask Carrie to ask her mom to call the burger place to deliver way out there, but, no Carrie :()
Random_Nerd: (Cut to you guys pulling into the field?)
Brian_: (cut works)
Snow: (Heh, I'll yoink that idea, if you don't mind, Brian. *fiddles*)
DanteE: (Ayep... probably in bright sunlight, too
Brian_: (just remember to say it's for Brian, and it'll happen :p)
Random_Nerd: Normally, the secret ways into Amyra only go to the vine-infested borderland. But Snow has deployed some Realm Mojo, so you drive through the vines and crumbling masonry only to suddenly find yourself in an empty field, in a way that makes perfect sense at the time.

  • Theresa creates strawberries one by one for Snow.
  • Snow devours them.

DanteE: "OK.... everybody out..."

  • Brian_ gets out

Brian_: (Clown Scene!)

  • DanteE checks out the cultist.
  • Theresa checks for moon in sky.
  • Snow gets out and turns into a deer, taking off across the plains.

Random_Nerd: Cultist: "So... this was not how I expected my day to go."
DanteE: "Oh, it'll get weirder."
DanteE: "Hop up here..." (indicates the hood)
DanteE: "OK, let me try to explain this...
DanteE: "The dreams you were having were and weren't us.
Random_Nerd: Lesson shifts his perch to one that seems oddly like how James used to perch on buildings.
DanteE: "Mainly weren't.
DanteE: "But now that we're here, we can check them out further.
Random_Nerd: Anyone with Aspect 2 or better hears distant hoofbeats getting closer.
Theresa: (Snow hoofbeats?)

  • Snow pops up from a hole in the ground, mole-formed, and flicks back into coyote-form.

Theresa: "Incoming, ground-based, has hooves."
Random_Nerd: (Not Snow. Snow's closer, and doesn't correspond to them. But they're getting nearer.)
DanteE: "All right... who wants to check his dreams out?"
Brian_: "I take it that's me?"
Random_Nerd: Now everyone can hear the hoofbeats.
Theresa: *to giant, while watching for incoming* "So, *giant's name*, is in the car inside enough or do you need a structure?"
DanteE: "Snow, is that your horse coming?"

  • Brian_ thinks about taking out his gun.

Snow: "What? Oh, I guess so. Oh! Oh, yeah!"
Random_Nerd: Everyone can see a small horselike figure moving with the elegant grace of an Excrucian mount.
Snow: "C'MERE HORSE!"
Random_Nerd: Everyone with Aspect Two or better can smell tasty cooking food.

  • Snow looks up at the Giant. "You eat hamburgers?"

Theresa: "Horse does delivery on the side?"
Random_Nerd: Giant: "This... the moon's there, but it doesn't seem to be /really/ there. Not like when it's really dangerous. I'll just stay in the vehicle."
Random_Nerd: Snow's Horse trots up, holding a big bag in his mouth, from which steam comes.
DanteE: (Ah... considering Amyra is probably about 11 or 12 time zones ahead of California...)
DanteE: "Oh, that's a different moon.
Random_Nerd: Giant: "A different moon."
Theresa: "The green one is made by our Imperator. It has a large rabbit on it."
DanteE: "Yep. YOu notice the green."
Random_Nerd: Giant: "Now you're just making fun of me."
Snow: "Thanks Horse!" Snow goes up and presses her face into the warm, dusty fur of his neck. "Got the regular? They give you oats too?"
Random_Nerd: Horse makes happy horse noises, and sets the bag of hamburgers on the ground.
Theresa: "No, the rabbit destroyed part of the capital city of the Chancel. We had to put it somewhere."
Random_Nerd: On the side is the logo of the burger place that Brian ordered from, that one time.

  • Snow puts aside a dozen hamburgers, and promptly begins to devour the rest.

Theresa: (Happy horse noises... horse horse horse?)
Brian_: (... T, laugh point)
DanteE: to cultist: "Ahem. Anyhoo...

  • Snow mrrfs something through a full mouth. She seems to be asking if you're going to eat those other hamburgers.

Brian_: "I claim two"
DanteE: "Same ..."

  • Brian_ takes two away from Snow"

Brian_: (gah. No ")
Theresa: "You can have mine, Snow."

  • Snow raises a hand in thanks and stuffs two more into her mouth.

DanteE: (claiming two for myself...)
DanteE: to cultist: "OK, look at me. Focus.
DanteE: "...Now think about that dream you had that was supposedly of us."

  • Snow says something loudly, probably to Dante, and definitely though a mouth full of three hamburgers and a chicken nugget.

Theresa: "Make sure that the Aides and Lesson and our guest get at least offered some too, Snow. You rule here and need to treat guests right."
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "Focus? My life just came to pieces, I got kidnapped by gods, and a horse just delivered fast food."
Snow: (*snrk*)
Theresa: "The best burgers without use of miracles, even."
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "And that's if I try really hard to pretend you were joking about the giant evil rabbit on the moon."
DanteE: "Yeah, that's _why_ you want to focus.
DanteE: "If your mind wanders it might not come back."
Theresa: "We didn't say he was _evil_! Just...interestingly constructed."
Random_Nerd: Cultist, to Dante: "HOW WILL I BE ABLE TO TELL?"
Snow: (Can Snow do a lesser preservation of sanity on that dude, now that we're in Chancel?)
Snow: (Domain 4, for real this time. :))
Random_Nerd: (Yep... but he's a corrupt mystery cultist. So it won't... work in the way it normally would.)
Theresa: (So, you may preserve the end of his nose instead.)
Snow: (Which Snow doesn't know. So.)
Random_Nerd: (True!)

  • Snow swallows, and Preserves the cultist's sanity. "I don't see what the big deal is...just make his head stay the same."

Random_Nerd: The guy sits up, suddenly.
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "Oh! It all makes sense now!"

  • Snow munches another burger.

DanteE: "It does?"
Brian_: "I fear our Sister just went and did something rash ..."
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "Yeah! Giants, horses, moons. Red clovers, purple hearts... no, that's not quite right. But it makes sense."
DanteE: "OK. Look at me."
DanteE: "Now think back to when you supposedly dreamt of us."
Random_Nerd: The cultist looks at Dante, with two eyes that seem to focus independantly.
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "You're going to die, by the way."
Random_Nerd: "But yeah. Dream. Okay, got it."
DanteE: "Tell us about it.
Brian_: "We're Nobles. Our life is a big clusterscrew."

  • DanteE blows an RMP on a Div of his dream

Random_Nerd: "Okay, I was sitting in a dark room. But it wasn't dark enough that I couldn't see."
DanteE: (Someone back up my Dream div, just in case?)
Brian_: (Sure)
Theresa: "It's not the when, it's the how. And besides, Dante would cause..issues when he dies."
Brian_: (free for a Lesser Div, IIRC?)
Random_Nerd: "And there was a man made of knives, swords, clubs, guns, all kinds of things. I didn't remember you like that earlier, but now I do. And that was you."

  • Snow saves a hamburger and goes to the car. She looks in at the giant. "Hungry? Driving makes me hungry."

Random_Nerd: (Lesser Divs are R2)
Brian_: (R2, so yep. LDiv on the dream)
Brian_: (Basically put it in my brain :p)
Random_Nerd: Everyone divining his dream, you suddenly imagine a huge figure on the horizon, made of all kinds of weapons. And it's Dante, of course. You can't tell /why/ it's him, but it's definitely him.
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "And there was the Red Tree. Her. The nice one."
Random_Nerd: For those divining, next to the man made of weapons, there's a huge oak tree, glowing from inside with some sort of foul-seeming red light. It gives off two impressions.
Random_Nerd: First, that it's malevolent, and hates with a timeless hate everything that exists.
Random_Nerd: Second, that it's Theresa.
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "And there was Whims. The shapeshifter. The one who could be any animal, or two different girls."
Snow: (As far as I know, she can only be one.)
Snow: (If it matters.)
Brian_: (Mixing Carrie and Snow)
Random_Nerd: For those divining, another distant but immense figure, flickering between many shapes, but most often looking like a coyote, Carrie, or Eve.
Snow: (Figured.)
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "I don't know why it's important that she can be two different girls, but it is."
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "That part was really important."
DanteE: "That sort of explains the 'missing sister'..."
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "And there was the Lord of Cities."
Random_Nerd: Yet another huge distant shape. This one looks rather like a form you've seen Kudzu take before, all made of bricks and cars and traffic lights.
Theresa: (I'm glad I'm not divining because a) I would be insulted and b) I'm picturing an enraged Tree Druid from World of Warcraft now..)
Snow: (*snort*)
Random_Nerd: In different ways, it reminds you of Kudzu, and of James. But most of all, it feels like something that you can't quite put your finger on.
Theresa: (Rar! *does the twist*)
Snow: (Francis has one now. When they "sit", they plant themselves!)
Theresa: (Cute!)
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "And Numbers wasn't there, exactly. Not as a person. But it was like there was one more person than I could count. I'd look at them each, and see four, and then I'd look at them all, and see five."
Random_Nerd: William looks as if he's trying to remember something.

  • Brian_ will LD what William is trying to think of

Brian_: (RLD)
Random_Nerd: In William's head:
Random_Nerd: Who is the third who walks always beside you?
Random_Nerd: When I count, there are only you and I together 360
Random_Nerd: But when I look ahead up the white road
Random_Nerd: There is always another one walking beside you
Random_Nerd: Gliding wrapt in a brown mantle, hooded
Random_Nerd: I do not know whether a man or a woman
Random_Nerd: —But who is that on the other side of you?
Random_Nerd: (Pardon the formatting.)
DanteE: (Moran-esque prose or power ballad lyrics? :) )
Random_Nerd: (T. S. Eliot.)
Brian_: (... oh, I know that. I don't remember what it is.)
Random_Nerd: (The Waste Land.)
DanteE: "All right... what happened?"
Theresa: (*_looks_ at RN*)
Snow: (That...doesn't end well.)
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "And you all told me that there was something I had to do. That it was important. End-of-the-world important."
Brian_: (Hopefully there will be a /why/ he's remembering that in the RLD?)
Random_Nerd: On the horizon, the immense figure of the Lord of Cities hunches over, mirroring Lesson's pose.
Random_Nerd: (He's remembering it because he knows the poem, at least partly, and the cultist's words reminded him of it.)
Brian_: (Not because he thinks it's portentous?)
Theresa: "They're all..off."
Random_Nerd: (Well, yeah, there's that.)
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "And then, although you didn't say it, I knew where to go. And I knew that if I waited, you'd tell me more."
DanteE: "What did you have to do?"
Random_Nerd: The Red Tree shifts its branches. The red light continues to glow out from what look like veins in its bark.
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "I had to go to that building, the one where you found me. And they were already there, with the giant. And they said they knew more about what you wanted."
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "But ever since you sent me that dream, I have been, in my heart, dedicated to and initiated into your service."
DanteE: (What are Azazel's Domains?)
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "And whenever you tell me to, or whatever you need, I will help you bring the end of all things.)
Theresa: "End of all things...crap."
Random_Nerd: (Formerly Weaponry, but that one was lost. Cosmetics. Goats. And Sacrifice.)
Snow: (Cosmetics?)
Random_Nerd: (If I didn't mention that last one earlier, then we need to retcon it back in, I guess.)
Random_Nerd: (Cosmetics.)
Brian_: "That's ... less ... um."
Snow: (Indeed.)
DanteE: "Well... we have some things to tell you.
Brian_: "Those really weren't us"
Brian_: "They were ... imitations. Cheap knock-offs"
DanteE: "The characters of your dream are something like our dark mirrors.
Random_Nerd: (The 'real-life' Azazel, or at least the folkloric one, taught humans to make weapons and cosmetics. And a goat was sent out into the desert for him.)
DanteE: "We're more interested in keeping everything together than blowing it apart.
Random_Nerd: Giant, looking at Snow without accepting the hamburger: "You aren't human, are you? Not really, I mean."
DanteE: "Well, except for Brian. But that just because of years of dealing with Spam."
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "But everything has to end. It's important."
Theresa: *softly* "Why? Why is it important?"
DanteE: "Were there other dreams that added details?"
Brian_: "Eh. Spam's not so bad, all told." (So ... someone's out to get Azazel? makes more sense than ... you know what? We could all be stolen from Azazel. That would be really a Bad Thing)
DanteE: (And do we have a sense of when this happened?)
Snow: "Nope. They sure do make great food though."
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "Because it's important. Because of what you showed me. Or told me... or... but it wasn't words, and it wasn't things I saw. It just made sense. And it still does."
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "Everything must end. Didn't you /know/ that?"
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "I'm just trying to do what you wanted me to do!"
Random_Nerd: He starts to cry.
Random_Nerd: Giant: "You know... I can respect that. I don't like these filthy imitation humans, but I don't hate animals for themselves."
DanteE: (OK, my char background is Psych Grad, so I'd have a decent idea of how to deal with him IC. Anything?)
Random_Nerd: The giant starts to eat a hamburger.
Random_Nerd: (Hmm. He's clearly devastated. The thing that gave his life meaning has just collapsed under him.)
Random_Nerd: (He probably needs a few good nights sleep, posisbly under suicide watch, and then a rather long course of therapy to build up a new identity that isn't based around the thing he lost.)
DanteE: (Or.....)
Random_Nerd: The cultist continues to sob uncontrollably.
DanteE: "What is your name?"
Random_Nerd: The cultist suddenly stops crying, and curls up in on himself.
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "Oh, it's..."
Random_Nerd: He stops.
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "I mean, I'm..."
DanteE: (whoops)
Random_Nerd: He reaches into his pockets and pulls out his wallet, and looks in it.
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "Okay, I guess I'm John Somers. But that doesn't sound right..."
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "No, don't tell me, I know... who I am..."
DanteE: to the giant: "Did you have a name, and lose it?"
Random_Nerd: He starts to cry again.

  • DanteE checks the cultist's ID

Random_Nerd: Giant: "No. My mother died in childbirth. My father never named me. There have been things I've been called by the little fake humans, but none of them was really my /name/."
Random_Nerd: According to his ID, he is indeed named John Somers. The picture on the driver's license matches his face.
DanteE: to Theresa: "Two people without names is one hell of a coincidence."
Snow: "What do you call yourself?"
Random_Nerd: Giant: "I don't call myself anything. I know who I am."

  • Theresa will also look at the wallet over Dante's shoulder. Checks it with Sight. WIl talk to wallet spirit if he knows anything.

DanteE: (Or a major HG brainfart... :) )
Brian_: (just for the sake of fun, I will do an RLD on the Cultist's ... identity. Name.)

  • Snow nods.

Random_Nerd: Wallet, mythically: "Why doesn't he trust me? After all we've been through!"

  • Snow sniffs at the Giant. "You got a smell though. That's what they call me. Can't smell me. Call me by my smell."

Theresa: *To Dante* "It makes sense, though. You are who you _are_. No matter what someone calls you, you're you."
Random_Nerd: According to a Realm Div, his name is.
Random_Nerd: Oh, wait.
Random_Nerd: It isn't.
Random_Nerd: According to a realm divination, his name /isn't/.
Brian_: "..."
Theresa: *to wallet* "So what's been happening recently?"
DanteE: "No name means you're not hooked to the world..."
Brian_: (audibly elipsisates.)
Brian_: "You've ... you ... no name. You have no name."
Random_Nerd: Wallet: "I haven't been taken out much! I want more money in me! I've got room to store lots and lots of money!"
Random_Nerd: Wallet: "How much money do /you/ have in /your/ wallet?"
Brian_: (I have as much as I want!)
Theresa: "I have vikings."
Snow: *to the giant* "So, got a problem with the moon, eh?"
DanteE: "John?
Random_Nerd: (Oh, and to the sight, the wallet looks normally mundane.)
Random_Nerd: Giant: "No. The /Moon/ has a problem with /me/."
DanteE: "Someone thought you were important enough to steal who you are and lead you astray."
Theresa: *to wallet* "How long has it been since he's taken you out again? What do you know about what he was doing?"
Snow: "Yeah, well, problem, anyway. That isn't the regular old moon. These guys put that one up there. Besides, do you know what I /am/?"
Theresa: (Trouble.
Theresa: !)
Random_Nerd: (You're a leee-mur!)
Snow: (*laugh!*)
Snow: (I was asking for that...)
DanteE: (You're our wacky sister.)
Brian_: (LEEE-Mur! Still my favourite part of the game so far)
Random_Nerd: Giant: "You're an animal with power."
Random_Nerd: Giant: "Which is better than being like most of the little 'humans' today, who don't admit that they're not really human, and don't even have any power."
DanteE: "Someone deliberately deceived you as part of a plot to trash part of reality... John."
Snow: "That too. But better yet, I'm a coyote. THE coyote. I put the moon in the sky before. I can put it back again. You come out and we'll play."
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "That's not my name. I don't know what my name is, but that's not it. I'd know if it was."
Brian_: "Your name's been taken from you."
Brian_: "I would give you a new one, but I fear that it would not go well"
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "If I... if I work really hard, and I help you in any way I can, will you please give me my name back?"
Theresa: (*blinks at Snow*)
Brian_: "When I can feel safe about it, I will give you your name back"
DanteE: "We are on the side of the universe continuing...
DanteE: "on the side of Creation and Humanity... and, incidentally, Truth, Justice, and all that other comic-book stuff."
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "Thank you, thank you, Unseen Stranger."

  • Theresa prays to Brian. "Question...does the Library know if Excrucians can destroy someone's name from having existed?"

DanteE: "You would need to help us by undoing the damage your cult did...
Random_Nerd: Cultist, to Dante: "No... no, I'm not falling for this. I know what this is. You pretend to stand for everything you don't, and see if I'll back down."
Brian_: RH "I don't think it's been removed, just ... unlinked. Taken."
Brian_: RH "Stolen."
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "Do whatever you want to me, I won't recant. You'll see that I'm faithful to what you /mean/."
DanteE: (hm...)
Random_Nerd: Sam: "Oh, like in Fight Club. With the space monkeys. I never really understood the singing dancing crap speech."
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "It's about alienation from society, and a sense that your life is not what it should be."
Random_Nerd: Sam: "I guess I just don't get the cultural context."
DanteE: "If you were destined to be a part of the 'great plan'... wouldn't you still have your name, so that it would be recorded in the annals of the next world?"
Random_Nerd: Cultist: "How the hell should I know?"
DanteE: (Do we have a shot in hell of 'turning' this guy?)
Brian_: (we did, I think :p)
Random_Nerd: (He's armed with Fight Club references!)
Brian_: (... can I realm ghost him a name to see what happens?)
Random_Nerd: (How can mere Nobles stand against that?)

  • Theresa will touch him on the forehead with a finger.

Random_Nerd: (You can try that.)
DanteE: (Phone home!)
Brian_: (I will do so)
Brian_: "I will ... half-give you a name for a brief time. You will be Bob Stroganoff for 5 minutes."
Random_Nerd: A hazy name starts to drift down onto him, starts to attach it to himself... but it just slides off, like there's no place for it to go.
Theresa: (Does the Dim Warding do anything to the cultist?)
Random_Nerd: (Nope. He's not an Excrucian Anchor.)
DanteE: (he's an Ex _tool_, tho.)
Random_Nerd: (He's been bent to their point of view, but he isn't directly connected to one of them in that way.)
Random_Nerd: (Yeah. He's clearly been worked over by somebody with more miraculous power than scruples.)

  • Snow leans against the car and sighs. "Honestly. All they do is talk. I could fix that guy up in no time."

Snow: (this is partially to herself, and part to the giant)
Brian_: "He's not only had his name taken, but can't be given a new one. For now. He is no one."
Random_Nerd: Giant: "You know... I'm a real human. Halfway, at least. And the rest of me's all Angel."
Theresa: (Is he hitting on her? *grin*)
Snow: "So?"
Snow: (Sounds like!)
Brian_: ( ... )
Brian_: (even more reason for Brian to dislike the giant.)
Theresa: (Hey baby, want to see what part of me is Divine? *wiggles eyebrows*)
Snow: (Brian wants to date his sister?)
DanteE: (Part of you's a dead transvestite? Ew. :D )
Brian_: (nono, he sort of sees Snow as a daughter-figure. So.)
Theresa: *to Cultist* *calmingly* "It will be okay. You will be okay. If you trust us, trust in that."
Theresa: *removes finger from his forehead*
Brian_: "He needs to change. He cannot be, without it."

  • DanteE motions the others aside...

Random_Nerd: William, to the giant: "I know that you probably won't listen to anything I say, but still... trust me. Don't even try."
DanteE: "Let's analyze this...
Random_Nerd: Lesson continues to perch in that odd way.
Snow: (?)
Brian_: (? to ?)
Snow: (RN and William talking to the giant.)
Brian_: (ah)
Random_Nerd: Giant, to William: "Oh, shut up, little man."
Snow: (Unless I wasn't supposed to get the context. IS he flirting with her?)
DanteE: "His identity and name have been ripped away. He's been conditioned to the Excrucian view.
Random_Nerd: (The giant flirting with Snow? It certainly seemed like that.)
Theresa: *to Lesson* "See anything interesting, Lesson?"
Random_Nerd: Sam: "He's basically raw material for anchoring, isn't he?"
Snow: (She said "So?" Did he reply?)
Random_Nerd: (No, he didn't.)
Random_Nerd: Lesson turns his head to face Theresa and nods, but doesn't speak.
Snow: (Hmmm!)
DanteE: "His dream... it looks more like Azazel than me, for one thing.
Brian_: "Everything seems like Azazel more than us."

  • DanteE checks the Cultist with the Sight."

Random_Nerd: To the Sight, the Cultist looks like a normal human being, except that Dante has a thing in his eye when he tries to look, so it's hard to see perfectly clearly.
Theresa: (How good is Lesson's hearing?)
Random_Nerd: But if he was an Anchor, Dante would still be able to see.
Random_Nerd: (Lesson hears somewhat worse than an average human.)
Random_Nerd: (Say, about two thirds as well.)
Theresa: (Can I ghost sounds into Lesson's ears?)
Random_Nerd: Giant, to Snow, ignoring William. "I can eat nearly anything, too. And no weapon forged by humans can hurt me. Save in some odd recent cases, but I'm sure that those are just exceptions."
Random_Nerd: (Ghost creations are Realm 1.)

  • Snow 's ears perk, as much as human-shaped ears can. "Seriously? You should /see/ what I can eat! It's awesome! I ate a guy's head once! Whole thing, gulp!"

Random_Nerd: Giant: "Bah. Just his head?"
Random_Nerd: Giant: "I've eaten elephants. Whole."
Theresa: *softly to Dante* "Everything was off. The first guy was Weapons, not Blades. I'm not an oak tree of hate and Snow isn't Carrie. Just everything..like through a mirror, darkly."
Snow: "Duuuuuude..."
Random_Nerd: Giant: "Get me an elephant!"
Theresa: (Uh, is _that_ a come-on, cause, ya know, Snow, shapeshifting...)
Brian_: (/me is amused at the Snow/Giant goings on)
Brian_: (oh, god, Beth, you didn't just ... gah. I can't un-think it.)
Brian_: (...)
Snow: (Can Snow conjure up an elephant?)
Random_Nerd: (Not without spending Realm MPs.)
Snow: (no problem)
Random_Nerd: (Making an elephant is Realm 4.)
Snow: "Hm, got no elephants nearby. You wanna go eat hamburgers? We can make 'em look like an elephant."

  • Theresa will leap up to the top of the car effortlessly and whisper into Lesson's ear that if he has anything that he can't say out-loud to her, he can use the prayer-method of speaking to her silently. Wil go back to the others.

Theresa: (There are elephants in Amyra. Could have Brian teleport one.)
Random_Nerd: Lesson continues to stare at Theresa, from his perch, but doesn't respond.
Snow: (Snow isn't especially inclined to. It's not fair, in her pov.)
DanteE: "We can't use miracles, otherwise we could turn him around in one stroke."
Brian_: "Something's been done to him. Miracled up."
Theresa: (Does he have a spirit of himself besides what we talk to in prosaic reality?)

  • DanteE tries ghosting a letter opener into existence

Random_Nerd: (He does have a mythic version of himself, yes.)
Random_Nerd: Bam, letter opener. With a handle gleaming with sharp fishhook-like barbs. Covered in some kind of animal dung.
Brian_: "... nice."

  • DanteE eliminates it.
  • Theresa talks to the cultist's spirit. "So, how are you doing?"

Random_Nerd: (Mind if we stop soon?)
Brian_: (We could)
Random_Nerd: The cultist's spirit looks like bits of it have been torn out.
Random_Nerd: You know how, in some shamanic initiatory dreams, the pre-shaman has most of his flesh torn away by spirits, so he can be light enough to walk the bridge?
Random_Nerd: He looks like that.
Random_Nerd: And, no, he didn't look like that earlier, exactly.
Brian_: (Just, omitted the "put back together" stage?)
Random_Nerd: (Yeah.)
Random_Nerd: It's a different perspective, and different lighting.
Random_Nerd: (He looks like the result of a disasterously failed spiritual initiation.)
DanteE: (But, arguably, it didn't fail)
Random_Nerd: (Depends what end-result you wanted.)
Random_Nerd: Lesson suddenly twitches and falls off the roof of the Hummer, onto the ground.
Brian_: "..."
Brian_: "Lesson? Are you ok?"
DanteE: "Lesson?"

  • Snow whirls to look. "Lesson!"

Random_Nerd: Lesson: "Am back. Didn't see what happened when I was gone. He didn't let me see."
Theresa: "He? James?"
Random_Nerd: L: "What did he do with me when was gone?"
Random_Nerd: L: "Of course. James."
Theresa: "What was the last thing you were in control for?"
DanteE: "A vulture imitation, mainly."

  • Snow flicks into Coyote form and licks whatever bits of Lesson she can reach.

Random_Nerd: L: "Was walking to the car."
Random_Nerd: L: "Oh. Did say one thing. Said he's coming back."
Random_Nerd: (Parting words?)
Snow: (Not me. Unless Giant casanova over there has something to say.)
DanteE: "Can we turn this cultist to our side, or is he a lost cause?"
Theresa: (He might not have words to say. He's going to see that Snow's tongue has last been on a demon..)
Random_Nerd: ______________________STOP__________________________

      • Brian_ is now known as lazarus.
      • You are now known as BethE.

BethE: Cool!
Random_Nerd: Okay, before you head out, what did you think of that one?
BethE: Hope James isn't ticked at us.
BethE: Interesting, faster paced (which is nice) and I love having Sara back! <G>

      • DanteE is now known as Knockwood.

Snow: Good to be back!
lazarus: Sara makes everything awesome
Snow: I don't move the story along much, but I make shit happen.
Knockwood: Does that actually mean we're getting a James back?
Random_Nerd: That depends entirely on what you mean by that.
Knockwood: ...
Snow: And Francis was watching, he says it looks interesting, though it's hard to follow what's going on.
Random_Nerd: Oh, I imagine so.
Snow: (But GWB soon, so that'll help.)
lazarus: (woo! How much did you pay? :p)
Random_Nerd: We have nearly three years of continuity here, plus he's probably not familiar with the setting.
Random_Nerd: I hope it wasn't complete gibberish.
Knockwood: on the other hand, our logs are online. (Thank ya Beth.)
Snow: Meh. It's hard for me to explain to him sometimes, so he had questions I couldn't answer, but like I said. He found it interesting.
Random_Nerd: Hmm. Does he have any questions for us?
Snow: Tons. I will not be typing them all out. :P
Snow: I'll wait for the book and then bug him to join us next time.
Knockwood: actually interesting, or interesting as in "weirdest buncha dudes I've ever seen..." :)
Snow: No, actually interesting. He's an awful liar. ;)
lazarus: kwd: it's been said many times on RPGnet that our game has sold people on Nobilis.
Knockwood: neat!
Random_Nerd: Yeah, the biggest problem people seem to have with Nobilis is that they don't see what to do with it.
Random_Nerd: One good Actual Play can help with that.
Random_Nerd: I've seen the example session in the GWB do the same thing.
Knockwood: (THS might be similar...)
Random_Nerd: (And, yes, said example session is an obvious influence on this game.)
lazarus: I can't remember how I was sold on the game. Lelak had a huge effect, though
lazarus: (she is disappointed we play when she's at work)
Random_Nerd: You know it's a good session when you get to throw in both gratuitous T.S. Eliot references /and/ a giant bragging that he can swallow elephants whole.
lazarus: and have the players fully appreciative of them :p
Knockwood: not to mention Fight Club
Random_Nerd: Oh, of course.
Snow: Well, I'm heading out. Same time next week?
lazarus: indeed. Great to have you back, Sara! see you next week
Snow: Later!
Knockwood: ayep... welcome back pup

      • Snow has left #nobilis.

Random_Nerd: Good to have you back, Sara.
Random_Nerd: See you all next week.
Random_Nerd: Except Laz, I guess?
Knockwood: hm?
lazarus: I'm still around, just going to be putting strict end-times on myself, so I may at times disappear before the end of the session
Knockwood: ah yeah
Knockwood: and it's 12:07 your time.
BethE: *nodnod* Thanks for sticking around with us, Laz.
lazarus: yep.
Random_Nerd: So, good game. All of you were in good form tonight, I think.
Knockwood: oyasumi-nasai.
lazarus: tomorrow's a holiday, so it's all good :p
Knockwood: great!
Knockwood: some confusion at the beginning, tho
Random_Nerd: True, but I think once you hit your stride, things were going quite well.
BethE: It was the cheeseburgers. Good Horse.
lazarus: I think it was having Sara back. Shakes things up, and introduces a little bit of a ... fun.
Random_Nerd: I like fun.
BethE: Plus Sara is not one for demonboxing.
lazarus: indeed
Knockwood: maybe that's it. We're too damn serious without her.
lazarus: "demonboxing"?
Random_Nerd: Oh, and with the Giant... it's not that he's being portrayed inconsistently from session to session, I hope. The guy just has a short attention span for emotions.
lazarus: he seemed to have a consistent personality
BethE: Demonboxing - from when we spent an entire session moving the box Lesson was in down a couple of blocks.
Random_Nerd: Okay, good. I just hoped I'd gotten across that he was having mood swings in character, as it were.
Knockwood: oh, he is?
Knockwood: (Well, I was concentrating on the cultist....)
BethE: I mostlyfigured that he likes animals better than humans and also she's a girl and he was kidnapped for 6 months..tied down.
lazarus: she's also WAY too young for him :p
Random_Nerd: Heh.
Knockwood: Snow's, what, 3?
Knockwood: (which is 27 for you and me, but still...)
lazarus: Snow's also Nobilis, so as a proportion of her age, she's undefined :p
lazarus: (err, sorry. Lim x->inf 3 / x = 0. I guess she's 0)
Knockwood: Well, remember the universe is ~8000
BethE: He's only about as old as Babylon.
Knockwood: so, he's 1, we're 0
lazarus: he's theoretically got an end point to his age :p
Random_Nerd: Of course, in emotional age, he's about thirteen.
lazarus: so he's got a proportional age greater than 0.
Knockwood: (so, we're justified in giving him a purple nerple? :) )
Random_Nerd: Heh.
Random_Nerd: Anyway, I think that's it for me, unless you guys have something else.
lazarus: not right now. If I had grep I'd find the gift.
Knockwood: Well, just remember one thing....
Knockwood: Remember, there is something happening right about now that justifies the good in Creation and the light of the world.
Knockwood: ...Girl Scout Cookies.
Knockwood:  :D
BethE: We have Samoa Cookie ice cream in the freezer.
Knockwood: cuz, y'know, they need the support...
Knockwood: and the sugar rush will make play go faster
lazarus: samoa cookie ice cream?
Random_Nerd: G'night, guys.
BethE: Edy's Ice Cream makes Tagalong ice cream, Thin Mint ice cream and Samoa (the caramel/coconut cookie) ice cream for limited times each year.


Chancel_Amyra
Chapter 11