Editing User:Bill/Rifts Week by Week/Series Three Notes

==Series III Goals and Objectives==
My last series for the Week by Week project didn't go as well as I had hoped. There were some fantastic, over-the-top moments, but the entire game was combat centric. For Series III, I want to tighten things back down and put greater emphasis on character development and role-playing. To that end, I am going to build the entire campaign around a small band of Atlanteans from a custom clan of my own creation, Sharin, and its efforts to establish itself in the hostile environment of Rifts Earth. 

===Character Development===
To support character development, I am requiring that the players construct a cast of characters. Each player will name a number of NPCs related to their characters, see below, which I will then include in the course of the game as appropriate. The process of naming these characters and defining their relationship to the player character will flesh out their backgrounds and give me many more hooks to work with that are directly related to the PCs.

In addition, I will endeavor to introduce a small cast of recurring NPCs. This will enable the players to develop rapport between the NPCs and their own characters, helping them to better understand the PC's persona.

===Role-Playing===
Basic role-playing will be emphasized by awarding bonus experience points for good role-play every session. Addionally, bonuses to die rolls will be awarded to players in the moment to reinforce the desired behavior. 

==Setting Notes==
Continuing my commitment to support the sales of new Palladium Books products, the game will be set on the Yucatan Peninsula; featured in the Vampires Sourcebook (release date pending). Until it is released, I will be working off of the material presented in the original ''Vampire Kingdoms'' book and the recently released ''Vampire Kingdoms Revised and Expanded''. This will may result in some contradiction between what I am writing and what will be included in the new sourcebook. I'll deal with that after I see the book, but odds are my material will supercede the printed material; which, given the tone of Palladium products, is how it should be.

The clan seeks to gain a foothold on Rifts Earth by taking advantage of the peninsula's co-planar status to avoid detection by the Spulgorth and other aggresive forces until they have built up enough power to repel would-be invaders. The clan has set up camp in the overgrown ruins of Merida and are in the process of restoring the Dzibilchaltun pyramid. Once it is fully operational, the leadership of the clan intends to use its power to take control of Uxmal, Chichen Itza, and Coba. After securing these three most powerful nexuses, they will turn their attention to the demons and vampires controlling the lower peninsula, and ultimately the rest of the world. The clan and its allies risk much by basing themselves close to a Pyramid. If the Splugorth were to discover their plan, they would surely use it to transport an army to Dzibilchaltun and destroy them.

==Atlanteans of Clan Sharin==
Clan Sharin is a degenerate extended family of Atlanteans who, in their hubris, have dabbled in the darkest of arts and come away scarred by it. 
===Leadership of the Clan===
====Queen Pycel====
The leader of Sharin is Queen Pycel, a woman of extraordinary beauty and blackest villainy. Her profane magic demands not only the sacrifice of sentient beings, but that she devour their flesh. Under her leadership, Sharin delves into the most vile of secrets and aligns itself with hidden powers that can drive weak minded individuals mad. Ostensibly, Sharin continues to seek the destruction of alien intelligences and vampires. However, Pycel hungers for more than mere flesh. In her dreams she dominates all life and rules the multiverse as an immortal goddess, exacting her tribute in life itself.

====Ankara====
Ankara is the queen’s sister. As much as anyone more than a century younger is able to be a sibling, that is. While Pycel lusts for power and seeks to dominate all that she beholds, Ankara looks for the momentary amusement. Her prowess as a dimensional traveler makes her useful to Pycel though, so she indulges her sister beyond what might be expected. Ankara enjoys playing the fool, but she harbors greater aspirations. Ankara recognizes the path that the Sharin are on as self destructive. She hopes to redeem her family and persuade them, one at a time if necessary, to abandon their relentless pursuit of power. Her small retinue of followers is made up of like-minded cousins and retainers that have pledged their loyalty to her because of her goodness rather than out of fear.

====Malik====
Malik the Mystic is the Queen’s lover. This jumped up cousin of hers tries to play the games of powers, but his efforts are clumsy. Malik gathers around him young and idealistic members of the clan and invites powerful members of other races to his retinue. In spite of his relative inexperience, Malik understands that his position is both tenuous and temporary at best. If he does not wish to end up as a meal for the Black Widow of Sharin, he must gather enough power and value to himself that he cannot be easily disposed of. This leads him to pursue almost any avenue that presents itself. Rumor, conjecture, lies; in his desperation, Malik will chase after almost any lead.

====Sevrin====
Sevrin, the priest, professes to be under to sway of benevolent spirits that will protect the clan from its enemies and see it prosper. He is one of Pycel’s favorites, not because of his fawning adoration, but because his powers serve her purpose. Sevrin is a fanatic though and he seeks to aid the clan whether it is in his queen’s interest or not. His unsanctioned activities may one day find him on Pycel’s menu.

====Stelmet====
Stelmet, the tattoo master, is one of the few Sharin older than Pycel. He represents a force for tradition and as such stands in opposition to Pycel’s ambition from time to time. She would undoubtedly have had him killed by this point, if not for his importance to the clan as a whole. Stelmet insists that good members of the clan must seek out and destroy those forces that would prey upon mankind. He advocates equality and justice, in opposition to Pycel’s autocratic regime. Pycel makes a point to seduce and corrupt each of Stelmet’s apprentices, and looks forward to the day when she may finally be rid of the troublesome tattoo master.

====Yakutz====
Yakutz, in contrast to Sevrin, makes of himself a perfect picture of the toady. Serving as Pycel’s advisor and spymaster, he caters to her every whim while feeding her information on every member of the clan, as well as its enemies and allies. Unbeknownst to his mistress, Yakutz is engaged in a variety of very risky spy games though. His activities typically use agents and catspaws to advance his agendas, usually gathering information and acquiring assets, but it is possible that his work could expose the clan.
===Other Members of the Clan===
More than 200 members of clan Sharin answered Pycel's call to recolonize the homeworld. Many come seeking power, but even among a clan known for its unscrupulous nature there are idealists who believe that the clan's reputation can be redeemed or that the ancestral homeland can be restored. 

===Minions of the Clan===
As clan members mature and begin to take part in the political power games that have in no small part resulted in its unsavory reputation, they are likely to court the favor of whatever group that they perceive to be most useful and/or powerful. As such any single member of the clan is likely to be accompanied by anything from a single bodyguard up to an entire army; from a horde of near mindless monsters to a single super intelligent being. Anyone or group that advances his or her goals is likely to become a companion of the Atlantean. The few members of the clan that lack these power-hungry ambitions still seem to gather around themselves powerful companions, but more often adventurers and idealists rather than villains and monsters.
 
==Player Characters==
In addition to the standard Week by Week guidelines, bear in mind the following when you create your character.

1. For the most flexible character, it is recommended that you construct a True Atlantean of the Sharin clan using the rules presented in Rifts Atlantis. True Atlanteans may be of any class, but frequently gravitate towards psychic and magically oriented classes. The Sharin have no particular affinity to one class or another, nor do they have any exclusive classes. The Sharin are distinguished by their ambition and lack of boundaries more than any specific knowledge base. As such, the more unusual and exotic the class the better.

2. Other races are permissible, but players must accept that their characters will not have the same opportunities available to them. Other races will act as servants, minions, or companions to another player character Atlantean. And, as such, other races will frequently be treated as inferior to members of the Sharin clan and other Atlanteans. Any race may be selected. However, do not exceed 200MDC.

3. Playing an Atlantean from another clan is also an option. However, doing so will place your character at the center of many more political machinations while simultaneously limiting his or her access to information and resources available to the Sharin.
===Contacts & Companions===
Characters in this game are heavily defined by their associations. Your character is aligned, either publicly or secretly, with one of the six NPCs described above; unless you have opted to play something other than a True Atlantean. In that situation, you are aligned with one of the other player characters, who is aligned with one of the six NPCs described above. If you are particularly ambitious, you may attempt to play a double-agent and select two of the important NPCs to be aligned with. Be sure to decide who your true allegiance is to, even if it’s only yourself. 

In addition to this association, please make a list of nine names. 
*Three names are to be allies, people that can offer you aid in one fashion or another. Be sure to describe what the person does and what it will cost you. Bear in mind that nothing in this world is free. 
*Three names are to be family members. Describe where they are and what they do. Also describe whether you are on good terms with that person. Remember that the point of this is to create a colorful and detailed back-story that will provide lots of good plot hooks for everyone, so it’s not always beneficial or desirable that your character’s relationship is good.
*The final three names are to be enemies. This can be particularly challenging, but very fulfilling. Consider carefully who the enemy is, whether the enmity is shared, and what events have already transpired in your feud. Each enemy should be powerful enough that you cannot confront and defeat them directly, but not so powerful that they can eliminate you without significantly harming themselves.

===Goals & Motivations===
Please create one short-term goal and a greater motivation for your character. These should inform your role-playing during the course of play and give you a direction to move in even when there doesn’t seem to be an obvious choice. Motivations should not be something that will be easily achieved in a few sessions of play, and they may be so great that it is impossible to achieve them.
 
====Sample Goals====
Aid a family member 

Capture a rune weapon

Find an ally

Gain a new magical tattoo

Gather information on an enemy

====Sample Motivations====
Take over the clan

Destroy Splynn

Redeem the clan's reputation

Murder Pycel

Become a Tattoo Master

==Session Notes==
===Session One - 13 January 2012===
This session included Dylan, John, and Mike playing JW Grackle, Yavin, and Conan respectively. The session opened with Ankara, Conan's associated leadership NPC, approaching the PCs to investigate the sighting of large humanoid ants to the south of the settlement. 

The players set out on foot to do so and encountered an allosaurus. They defeated the creature after four melees of combat. The combat rounds became somewhat repetitious once players had decided on a preferred attack. I will have to think on ways to mix up combat to keep it more exciting in the future. After killing the dinosaur, the players spotted the ant-people that they were looking for. Two scouts had been observing the fight. Using their supernatural strength to move the monster, Yavin and JW presented the carcass to the ants as a gift. 

Here we ran into a communication problem. The write-up for the ant-people (fyr kree insectoids from the Yin Sloth Jungle book from the Palladium FRPG) indicates that they communicate via an ultrasonic language. Yavin, an undead slayer, has a power tattoo that grants him the ability to understand any language; however, he does not have the ability to hear in the ultrasonic range. Though Dylan argued that the magic would provide the means to communicate as well as the means to interpret communication, I ruled that it provided the ability to interpret language but not the means to hear it. And, though that made the subsequent introduction to the queen and conversation with her more challenging, I think it made for a much more entertaining game. 

Instead of permitting him to immediately and easily communicate, I allowed the character to flawlessly (96%) interpret the alien body language of the ant-people. This, combined with JW's impressive (80%) trust/intimidate check, allowed the players to get their message accross. Though awkwardly and imperfectly. I did ask if anyone in the group had an appropriate pantomime related skill, even dance would have worked, to make the communication more effective. They did not.

After passing a night in the strange, yet familiar, ziggurat of the ant-people, the PCs returned to the settlement to report what they had learned. After admonishing them to tell her sister that the ant-people would be very difficult to conquer and that they present no threat at this time, Ankara brought Conan and Yavin into Pycel's office; JW was left to his own devices and quickly found a meal. 

Pycel questioned them regarding the ants and found their answers vague. When they indicated that the ants were being attacked by vampires, and that they might be able to gain valuable allies by defeating enemy of the ants, she showed her true colors. Pycel said that as long as the ants did not pledge fealty to her they served as a useful distraction for her other enemies. And, when Yavin would not let it drop, she thanked them for volunteering to investigate the vampires further. 

The session left off with the PCs preparing to venture into the wilderness and seek out the vampire menace. Everyone was awarded 500XP for playing and I awarded John and Dylan an additional 100 each for playing out the strange communication problem.

Several times during the session, Mike expressed dissatisfaction with his character's abilities compared to others. Because half the game was based on combat, where a level 1 spell caster generally won't stand out much, and the other half of the game focused on areas where his character was not well developed, he very likely felt left out. I will have to accept some responsibility for that. I have not taken the time to review his character so I can better plan opportunities for him to shine. I will attempt to do so before our next session.

===Session Two - 20 January 2012===
This session included Dylan and John playing JW Grackle and Yavin respectively. The session picked up with Zosime, a stone master, begging Yavin and JW for help exploring the ruins. The adventurers agree and proceed into the ruins in Zosime's Big Boss ATV. 

Zosime reveals that she is hoping to locate one of the jewelry stores buried in the collapsed luxury hotels that are located in the heart of the old city. She has a badly worn street map with notes scrawled in Spanish along the margins. She brings the ATV to a halt in front of a collapsed skyscraper and attempts to pry open the remains of a revolving door that is now little more than an obstacle of twisted and corroded metal. Looking to her supernaturally powerful allies, she asks for a little help. Yavin easily clears the doorway while JW stands guard. Dust and broken concrete rain down upon him while the structure seems to groan a little.

Once inside, Yavin engages his supernatural vision tattoo. Zosime picks her way through the broken and ruined hotel atrium using a flashlight to guide her way. With almost no warning, two tiger-claw raptors leap out of the darkness to attack JW and Yavin. The fight lasts for about four melee rounds. JW mostly relies on his big-bore pistols while Yavin uses his laser pistols. Firing megadamage weapons inside an unstable collapsed building has potentially dramatic consequences that I point out. 

Awareness of the potential for bringing the building down on their heads causes Dylan to adjust his tactics and go for easier shots. John's character is blinded by noxious dinosaur spit early in the fight and is forced to switch to his character's flaming sword tattoo. Even blind he manages to get in a couple good hits. Two more of the monsters show up as JW and Yavin finish off the first pair. Zosime also returns and attempts to help, nearly shooting Yavin and contributing to the inevitable destabilizing of the building. At JW's prompting, Zosime starts molding a pillar from the cracked and broken marble floor of the structure. It is a slower process than will be useful though. Near this point in the fight, being blind and nearly defenseless, Yavin uses his phoenix tattoo to restore his MDC.

With miraculously good timing, JW misses his last shot of the melee round. It is the tenth miss of the fight and the building can take no more. The raptor flees with the player characters hot on its heels to get out of the building before they are crushed under it. We drop out of combat time and I describe the plume of dust that erupts from the building behind them. Zosime washes Yavin's eyes out with water from a canteen and the party relaxes. Zosime reports that she was successful and shows off a small velvet pouch. As they get ready to move on to the next site on her map, the ground around them begins to shudder and vibrate. The rubble around them rises and consolidates into a twelve-foot tall humanoid form that begins to wade in their direction. JW fires on the thing while Zosime and Yavin retreat toward the ATV. 

Rather than attacking them directly the monster assaults the ATV. In less than a melee, it depletes half the vehicle's MDC; rendering it inoperable. Yavin and JW's weapons seem less effective against it and Zosime is nearly crushed as it finishes destroying the truck. Noting that his ranged attacks are far less effective than he's used to, JW switches to his vibrosword and moves into melee with the beast. Yavin follows suit rather than risk hitting his companion with his laser rifle. Fortunately the monster was near the limit of its MDC and the body it has assembled collapses. Only Yavin sees the invisible energy form that flees deeper into the ruins.

We leave off with the group, injured and low on ammunition, debating how to most effectively get back to the encampment. Both players were awarded 500 XP for playing.

While exciting and action packed, this session didn't do much for character development. We did discuss some practical rules information regarding the gunslinger OCC which will influence how JW will be played. I think Dylan and I will need to go over the class together so I can clarify a few things for him. His interpretation of some information is not consistent with the general rules of the game and I need to give him some feedback on where his exceptions really are. Zosime, who is actually one of the pregenerated characters I put together for this series, was fun to include and I think she is likely to show up again later on. 

I had originally intended to only use the tectonic entity this week, but on a whim I threw in the raptors. It worked out well and pushed the characters much closer to their limits. Due to both Mike and John being out of town for a World of Warcraft tournament, we will not be playing next week. Unless of course there is a sudden upsurge in interest in the game. If even two new people want in, I'll happily put together a scenario for them.

===Session Three - 3 February 2012===
As expected, no one showed up for the January 27th session. Session three included Dylan, John, and Mike. Each continued with their characters from the previous sessions. A fourth person has expressed interest, but is not able to attend regularly. I look forward to adding her to the mix when she is available though. 

Over the past two weeks I have spent a great deal of time reviewing the rules and compiling a slightly more coherent version for myself. The rules are better but more disorganized that I thought they were. Frankly, it is a testimony to the appeal of the setting that anyone wades through the morass of incomplete notes that make them up. Worst of all, in some places they are not internally consistent. The section on ley lines and rifts, for example, has conflicting information on the length of ley lines and the duration of rifts. It's a small oversight but, for a product that has been in continuous publication for as long as Rifts, I would expect better. I digress.

This week's adventure saw the three friends wandering through the town late at night, no reason specified, when they were jumped by black-clad assassins. They might have been on patrol or perhaps headed to or from a watering hole. The real reason is not terribly relevant. I wanted to play out a melee to apply what I had learned and test the system a little. I was particularly eager to demonstrate the effectiveness of knockdown attacks. In preparation, I whipped up a set of basic stats for a level three juicer wearing light megadamage technowizard body armor with an exoskeleton feature that enhanced their strength to supernatural. This is, by the way, a very dangerous combo.

The fight took place on a deserted street flanked by several buildings of varying heights, from 30ft to 50ft tall. The juicer assassins took advantage of the terrain, one concealing himself in an ally while the other fired a laser rifle from the roof of the taller building, catching Conan by surprise and nearly vaporizing his helmet. Using the perception rules, only JW was able to successfully detect the ambush before it happened. I ruled that Yavin and Conan would lose initiative and act last on the first actual round of combat.

Combat continued for four melee rounds. Yavin squared off with the vibro-sword wielding assassin while JW pursued the sniper and Conan attempted to support his friends using his magic. Mike tried out several spells, but I think he is still struggling to really work out what will be most useful to him. I think his ice-ball spell would have been the most effective of the ones he attempted to use, if he had managed to roll better. 

Ranged attacks into melee are not really covered in the rules. As a house rule I require any attempt to shoot into hand to hand combat to be a called shot with a chance that any miss will hit a friendly. This bogged down the fight a little at first due to called shots requiring two actions, with an aim action requiring a third if the player elects to use it. On the positive side, that also kept the sniper from really chewing up the group. 

After the first round of combat,Conan had taken cover from the sniper behind a building. JW had located the sniper and moved to intercept, but the sniper responded by leaping to the adjacent building, the one that Conan was currently hiding behind. Yavin and his opponent continued to fight, the undead slayer mostly getting the worst of it.

JW, using his big-bore pistols, knocked down the assassin on the roof. When it recovered, rather than attack the big lizard, it rolled off the side of the building and executed a kick attack against Conan. Though caught off guard, Conan nimbly evaded the attack and responded with a spell. JW, denied his intended target, set about disarming Yavin's opponent with a couple well placed called shots. This timely intervention may have been the only thing that saved Yavin. A juicer, even a low level one, with a pair of vibroblades is disgustingly effective in combat.

Just as Yavin's fight took a turn for the better, his flaming sword neatly cleft his opponent in half, Conan's took one for the worse. His armor battered and his magic waning, he surrendered. The assassin made him insert a black chuck into his mouth that expanded to prevent him from chanting invocations and would have made off with him, if not once more for JW's timely intervention. 

While Yavin picked over the body of his fallen enemy and collected the vibroblades for his own, JW put his own blade to work and beat back the remaining assassin. Even this might not have saved Conan, if not for a cunning bluff on the grackle's part. Pointing his empty revolver at the juicer's masked face, he made a successful intimidate check and demanded that his enemy give up. Under strict orders to not be taken alive, the juicer flexed his enhanced muscles and leaped back to the roof of the building.

Tenacious, as player characters seem to frequently be, the trio chased after the juicer. Though they were able to shoot him, knock him off the roof of a building, and in the case of Yavin even catch up with the assassin for a moment, they couldn't keep pace with him for long. Ducking through the narrow streets of the settlement, the juicer assassin escaped.

Conan desperately picked over the rapidly decomposing body of the dead juicer, hoping to find some trace of the keyword that would disengage his gag. Nothing remotely like that was on the body. In a matter of minutes, the body had been reduced to nothing but a stain and some ruined equipment. Not being the most technically savvy bunch, the player characters lacked the skills necessary to understand why the body had done that. JW's background story placed the character close to Lone Star at one point though, so I felt it appropriate to tell them that JW had encountered something similar before. The juicer's own nanite colony, which normally helped speed his healing processes, had been reprogrammed to destroy his body after he died. 

The device gagging Conan was a similar story. None of the PCs have lore magic, but because of who they are and where they are from I told them that it was a technowizard device and that a keyword was necessary to release it. I think it's a bit of an oversight to build magic using classes, like the Battle Mage, that don't have Lore Magic as a class skill. I may just have Mike add it to his character at a +10%.

Even though it started off as a bit of an unplanned encounter, I think this may have been our best session yet. The fight was well paced, the action system worked pretty smoothly, and I managed to introduce a potentially exciting mystery at the end. Who want's Conan captured or dead? Who would need to use hired assassins to do the job? How will they get that thing out of his mouth without killing him?

===Session Four - 10 February 2012===
Dylan was unavailable for this week's session. John and Mike continued with their previous characters. No one else appears to have expressed interest in the game. This somewhat inclines me to think that the shop owner is not talking it up. My own promotional efforts haven't been effective either though. I am at a loss for how to improve our attendance. 

Conan and Yavin traveled from the site of the ambush to the scriptorium, hoping to have the gag removed from Conan's mouth. The players hoped to have it rendered inert or something. Onesimos, a tall black man of indeterminate age that serves as master of the scriptorium, used a spell to render the battlemage unconscious then proceeded to break his jaw to remove the techno-wizard chuck. A healing spell returned our hero to whole. Onesimos was not able to tell them where the device had come from.

After recovering from the ordeal, Conan and Yavin sought out Yakutz. The spy master appeared to be meditating completely unguarded in his quarters when they entered. Without telling them directly who was behind the attack, he suggested that a friend of one of Yavin's friends had become taken with Conan, and that a jealous rival might be behind the attack. I admit this was a bit convoluted, I ended up having to repeat it about three times before John and Mike decided that their characters should go chat with Ankara. 

On the roof of the building where Ankara keeps her quarters, a large pavilion had been erected where she hosts all night parties. Conan and Yavin found her there, performing sun salutations while several of her other guests slept off the previous night's festivities. Ankara denied any knowledge of the attack and expressed her sympathies. She insisted that none of her friends could be so cruel. Yavin noticed a slim young man trying to slip unnoticed down the stairs into the building, signaling to Conan he quickly gave chase.

The Atlanteans captured the young man, Igor Venture, without any real effort and bound him with handcuffs. After a brief interrogation, they learned that Igor is the apprentice of Belicor, a Diabolist and Summoner who left the party before the attack. Igor knows little more than that, he was attempting to escape unseen in order to inform his master that two men were asking about Ankara's romantic entanglements. Belicor seeks to possess her for himself.

Pushing the chained up young man in front of them, Conan and Yavin exit the building into the street. The morning rush to work has begun and the streets are full of a carnival of colorful characters. The settlement is home to a myriad of strange beings that have attached themselves to the expedition or that serve the 200 Atlanteans that live here. A person in chains is a very unusual sight though. For all of its failings, Clan Sharin does not practice slavery. 

Conan and Yavin are confronted as they make their way through the busy street by a heavily tattooed man and his giant companion. Yavin recognizes him as Rikard, a former apprentice to the tattoo master Stelmet. Rikard demands that they explain why the boy is chained up and when they attempt to skirt the situation, he insists that they turn Igor over. Not wanting to tangle with Rikard or his huge ally in the middle of a busy street, Conan and Yavin comply.

Rikard snaps the chain between the cuffs with his bare hands and tells our heroes that he'll be watching them. He and the monstrous creature, whom he addresses as Machutuk, escort Igor out of the scene. I don't generally like to thwart players like this, but it was a convenient way to introduce these two characters. I expect them to play an important role as the story develops. Conan and Yavin know roughly where to find Belicor though and move on to seek out the sorcerer. 

When they find the apartment, a series of symbols has been inscribed into its surface. Neither of the characters are able to identify it, though Conan is able to recognize them as wards. Conan knocks anyway and is immediately struck by the effect of an agony ward. Doubled over in pain, with a good chunk of his hit points wiped out, he looks up to see the door open and the robed form of Belicor revealed. 

I kind of expected John to attempt to kill Belicor right here. He didn't though. Instead, when Belicor asked him to bring his friend inside to talk, Yavin picked up Conan's writhing body and crossed the threshold into the summoner's apartment. He immediately regretted the decision. Scribed on the floor of the apartment, and directly abutting the threshold of the door, was a magic circle. Power leach's effects in an MDC environment are not specifically described in the conversion book, so I improvised. The undead slayer was immediately reduced to an SDC being and, had a fight actually broken out, he would have found all of his megadamage effects reduced to SDC as well. 

However, no fight broke out. Even though a single blast from a laser pistol would probably have killed Belicor outright, the guys talked it out. It was a pleasant surprise for me. Belicor laid out that he was willing to give Conan a warning, that he had no interest in actually killing anyone but he would not tolerate competition for Ankara's affection. As long as Conan keeps his distance, Belicor will leave him be. Conan, who never really had any designs on Ankara in the first place, agreed and Yavin carried him out. A quick application of Yavin's phoenix tattoo restored Conan and they returned to their apartment for some well deserved rest.

Rest was not to be had for Yavin though. Shortly after returning to the apartment, there was a knock on the door. Machutuk, the pogtalian giant stood hunched over in the hallway. The stone masters responsible for erecting the settlement knew well that the inhabitants would be of a wide range of shapes and sizes and they attempted to accommodate that as best they could. Even so, the 13 foot tall pogtal did not fit well in the twelve foot tall corridors. Machutuk, in broken American, invited the Atlanteans to lunch with Rikard. Yavin agreed while Conan chose to rest and recover.

Rikard's intent was revealed during the lunch. While Machutuk devoured what appeared to be a raw raptor, Rikard offered Yavin an opportunity to be part of his underground movement to overthrow Pycel and the other elders in charge of the expedition. Rikard told Yavin that the leadership was insane and that if left in power, they would surely get everyone killed. He told Yavin that he didn't need an answer right away, but he hoped that the undead slayer would join them.

This week was really great for story development. We somewhat resolved the assassin storyline from last week and introduced a new conspiracy element. While a little low on action, there was enough investigation that the pace was still good. I am not completely happy with how much of a beating Mike's character has been taking lately, but he doesn't seem too distressed over it. 

As much as I would like to add more people to this game, I am enjoying the ability to have a low action session like this on occasion. Demo games almost always rely heavily on action to let players practice the combat rules and stay involved when their inexperience and low investment in their character might keep them in the background. It's a challenging balance to maintain.

==Character Log==
When I've run games like this in the past, they have accumulated large numbers of non-player characters. For my convenience and everyone else's reference, I will keep as much information here as I can without spoiling anything.
{| width=100%
| '''Name'''
| '''Class'''
| '''Notes'''
|- valign="top"
| Ankara || Atlantean Drifter 9 || Pycel's sister. An adventurer and idealist seeking to redeem the Clan name. 
|- valign="top"
| Ashakku || Dimensional Raider 8 || Former mentor of Kaethe. She and Ashakku did not part on good terms. The dimensional raider may seek vengeance for her leaving with his secrets.
|- valign="top"
| Belicor || Diabolist 6 || Belicor and his suplicant Igor Venture are part of Ankara's retinue. The diabolists' powers make them a tremendous asset to the expedition, providing circles of protection for the settlement as well as other runic enhancements. Belicor is not an altruist though. He lusts after Ankara and uses his magic to cripple any would-be suitor that might approach her. Ankara seems to be blind to her "friend's" jealousy.
|- valign="top"
| Conan || Battle Mage 1 || Conan joined the expedition on Phase World and has been passing himself off as a cousin of the clan. He is in truth the sole survivor of a rival clan, the Kalamarakia, that Pycel ordered destroyed almost 20 years ago. Conan intends to get close enough to the inner circle to have his revenge on Pycel, her lover, and the spymaster Yakutz. Conan has sacrificed much in pursuit of this goal; abandoning his position with the Federation of Magic and masquerading as one of the hated Sharin. Played by Mike.
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| Dave || Mind Bleeder 14 || An enigmatic figure, Dave joined the expedition as it gathered on Phase World. Dave seldom speaks, but people feel comfortable in his presence and when asked almost every member of the expedition would say that Dave is a great guy and reliable friend. Perhaps due to the secrets that he keeps, Conan has been particularly close to Dave.
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| Esteban Bustamonte-Moreno || Master Vampire 7 || Yavin is the sole survivor of a failed expedition to destroy Esteban. The monster tortured and killed a dozen of his companions before the young tattooed man escaped. Esteban still has his scent and looks forward to the day that he can slowly peel away Yavin's skin an inch at a time.
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| Frokei Savage || Mystic Ninja 2 || Brother of Jaori Savage and childhood friend of Conan. Frokei, Jaori, Tomomi, and Conan met while attending a magical academy in Dweomer. The four friends were amongst the most talented students in the class and great things were expected of them all. Frokei was once a rival to Conan for Tomomi's affections. Since Conan left he and Tomomi have become very close.
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| Glykos || Undead Slayer 2 || Twin brother of Lykos. The younger of the two, Glykos is a highly bombastic individual and is likely to be at the center of any fight. Glykos specializes in power tattoos that enhance his durability and enable him to put his opponents off balance. Glykos and Lykos met Conan on Phase World while the clan gathered for its expedition to Earth. The trio mounted several short raids on the Splugorth controlled areas of Phase World, valiantly ducking security forces and minions of the alien intelligences alike.
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| High Father Suthue || Blood Priest 14 || Bloodpriest of the Tombstone Kingdom. Yavin battled Suthue's forces during the siege on Arzno. The young undead slayer continues to harbor a grudge against him.
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| Igor Venture || Diabolist 1 || Suplicant to Belicor. Igor became Belicor's apprentice after the Atlantean passed through his village in the former state of Kansas. The young man had never seen magic done without an incantation, and the strange symbols of the diabolist's art captured his imagination. At first Belicor resisted taking on an apprentice, but the boy's persistence in following him and mimicing his designs finally convinced him. Belicor is a kind master, but demanding.
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| Jaori Savage || Mystic Ninja 2 || Brother of Frokei Savage and childhood friend of Conan. Jaori, Frokei, Tomomi, and Conan met while attending a magical academy in Dweomer. The four friends were amongst the most talented students in the class and great things were expected of them all. Jaori always seemed to fade into the background, but he was obviously the most talented of the group.
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| Javier || Undead Slayer 10 || Yavin's grandfather, a hero of the clan responsible for the destruction of the vampire intelligence Aaoraoxoar on the distant world of K'van and the purging of the Dybuk from Joash XI. True to his calling, Javier continues to root out the undead in distant corners of the megaverse.
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| [[http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/User:Bill/Rifts_Week_by_Week/Kaethe_Sharin|Kaethe]] || Temporal Wizard 1 || Kaethe is one of the many Atlanteans of clan Sharin that have come to recolonize the home world. Her unique skill set places her at the center of many intrigues and makes her an invaluable asset for reconnaissance missions. Kaethe is available to be played by anyone wishing to try the game out. 
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| Lykos || Undead Slayer 2 || Twin brother of Glykos. The elder of the two, by several minutes, Lykos is generally the calmer of the pair. He also specializes in monster tattoos. Glykos and Lykos met Conan on Phase World while the clan gathered for its expedition to Earth. The trio mounted several short raids on the Splugorth controlled areas of Phase World, valiantly ducking security forces and minions of the alien intelligences alike.
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| Machutuk || Dragon Slayer 4 || The pogtal dragon slayers are a race of savage giants that prove their might and bravery by hunting and killing powerful beings of magic; without regard for the goodness or evil of their prey. Machutuk, the smallest of his tribe, sought to prove his worth by hunting the elusive true Atlantean. Killing Rikard would have gained him much respect from his tribe, but that was not to be. Rikard narrowly defeated the dragon slayer and let him live. Humiliated and unable to return to his family, Machutuk has sworn to serve Rikard until he has recovered his honor.
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| Malik || Mystic 8 || Pycel's lover. Power hungry and desperate to secure his position at the top of the clan hierarchy. 
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| Max || Undead Slayer 14 || Leader of the Liberated Underground on Atlantis. Friend and former ally of Yavin.
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| Mr. Drak || Rogue Scholar 10 || Circus Master of Mr. Drak's Traveling Show. Friend and former employer of Yavin.
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| Nihilak || Temporal Warrior 3 || Kaethe's adopted brother, Nihilak continues to serve Ashakku. The temporal raider's influence has poisoned the young man against his sister.
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| Olympus || T-Archer 4 || A monster hunter and friend of Yavin.
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| Onesimos || Demigod 5 || A soft-spoken black man of indeterminate age, Onesimos is the master of the scriptorum. 
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| Panther || Undead Slayer 10 || Yavin's mentor and uncle.
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| width=150 | Pycel || width=150 | Cannibal Mage 13 || Queen Pycel is the hereditary leader of Clan Sharin. She rules with an iron fist and her enemies are frequently found not only murdered, but butchered. 
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| Queen of the Ant People || Unknown || A 12ft tall giant ant and mother of the ant-people encountered by Conan, JW, and Yavin.
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| Rikard || Tatoo Master 4 || The youngest tattoo master to every be trained in clan Sharin, Stelmet's apprentice. Rikard only recently arrived at the settlement. He and Stelmet had a falling out for unknown reasons. Rikard has a rebellious air about him and is accompanied by a small pogtalian dragon slayer, Machutuk.
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| Sevrin || African Priest 10 || Spiritual leader of the clan. Sevrin communes with nature spirits and does as they bid. Sevrin may be mad.
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| Stelmet || Tattoo Master 11 || An honored elder of the clan. Publicly disapproves of many of Pycel's decisions.
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| Stuart Benningham || Mystic Knight 3 || Visiting the Federation of Magic, Yavin had the opportunity to meet many people. Cecelia Benningham, Sir Stuart's younger sister was one of these. She and Yavin had a brief tryst but parted amiably. When Sir Stuart learned of the affair he flew into a rage and vowed to slay the young Atlantean. 
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| Tomomi Long || Mystic Ninja 2 || A childhood friend of Conan, Tomomi has joined the Federation of Magic's elite mystic ninjas. Jaori, Frokei, Tomomi, and Conan met while attending a magical academy in Dweomer. The four friends were amongst the most talented students in the class and great things were expected of them all. She and Conan were romantically involved before his departure and she feels that she knows him better than anyone. 
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| Yakutz || Mind Melter 12 || Pycel's spymaster. Rumored to have agents throughout the settlement and in the world beyond.
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| Yavin || Undead Slayer 1 || Yavin has joined the expedition along with his uncle and many other undead slayers ready to make an assault against the vampiric plague consuming central America. Played by John.
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| [[User:Bill/Rifts_Week_by_Week/Zosime_Sharin|Zosime]] || Stone Master 1 || Zosime is part of the enclave of stone masters that has accompanied the expedition and is working on the new pyramid being erected on the site of Dzibilchaltun. Zosime is available to be played by anyone wishing to try the game out.
|}

==Location Log==
{| width=100%
| '''Name'''
| '''Vicinity'''
| '''Notes'''
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| Dzibilchaltun <br> [tsee-beel-chal-toon] || 10 miles north of the settlement || The Mayan ruins at Dzibilchaltun include the pyramid that Pycel used to bring her people to the Yucatan. This pyramid is very small and not very powerful. Pycel's next objective, now that the encampment is secure, is to have her stone masters construct a full scale Atlantean pyramid on the site. One that will harness sufficient ley line energy to crush her opposition with.
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| Mayapan || 20 miles south of the settlement || The site of Mayapan is inhabited by a strange race of primitive ant-people. They have constructed a large ziggurat of alien design here and it appears to house their entire colony.
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| Merida || 20 miles south of the coast || The once sprawling metropolis of Merida was flattened by the tidal waves following the cataclysm. Today only the rotted hulks of collapsed skyscrapers, overgrown with terrestrial and alien tropical plants, remain. The ruins are infested with spirits, entities, and small predatory dinosaurs.
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| width=150 | The Settlement || width=150 | On the ruins of Merida || Approximately 300 buildings and temporary structures have been erected within the one mile diameter of a megadamage wall. As a supplemental protective measure, a half mile of bare earth was cleared around the encampment. The limited accommodations make privacy challenging at times, and tempers are beginning to run hot. There is talk among some members of the expedition about leaving the protection of the wall to get some elbow room.
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| || • Armory || A fortified structure containing several dozen suits of light battle armor, hundreds of laser weapons, and some explosives. Reconnaissance teams and guards may requisition equipment from the armory, within reason.
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| || • Motor Pool || A large hangar and repair bay for the storage and maintenance of several dozen vehicles brought along by the expedition. The chief mechanic, Izak, and his crew are highly skilled at working on both technological and magical vehicles.
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| || • Reactor || Near the center of the settlement in a fortified structure is the nuclear reactor that powers most of the structures in the encampment and provides energy to recharge the technological devices that rely on electricity. The reactor itself is protected by an armored containment unit approximately 20ft below the surface. Two iron golems and a team of guards are posted at the reactor building at all times.
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| || • Scriptorium || A central repository of magical knowledge and equipment, all mages in the expedition capable of using ''Create Magic Scroll'', ''Amulet'', ''Talisman'' and other abilities that create lasting magical items are expected to contribute to the collection. Reconnaissance teams and guards may requisition equipment from the scriptorium, within reason.
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| || • Wall || A seamless 30ft tall stone wall, erected by the stone masters that Pycel recruited for the expedition, encircles the encampment. The wall is a perfect circle and has been mystically fortified to provide substantial megadamage protection. Additionally, enchantments have been laid upon the wall to repel animals and make the settlement resistant to incursion from demons and other entities. Two 20ft by 20ft gates pierce the wall; one on the north side and one on the south. Both gates are guarded at all times by two iron golems and a team of warriors. Each gate also has a gun emplacement built into it with a heavy laser cannon.
|}