Definitely not a space western.

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angelicyokai
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Mage: the Expounding

Post by angelicyokai »

As Jason has accepted my summary of the first game session, I figured I would share it. Per GM approval, all my summaries/notes will be found here.
[CENTER]ImageTake the Magic: The Gathering 'What Color Are You?' Quiz.[/CENTER]

“Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.”
― Marcus Aurelius
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rydi
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Post by rydi »

get to sharing already.
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angelicyokai
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Prologue and Act 1 Scene 1

Post by angelicyokai »

Mage: Ascending toward awakening

Okay, here is our first adventure. Since I would get bored writing ‘A happens and B is said’ I added personal flavor to the story line. If my take on characters is off too much just let me know.

The prologue:

The curtain opens on Siobhan Light, a cynical Inspector for Scotland Yard. Just days after finding information that could lead the detective to find the parents she’d been searching for, but before the emotionally bruised woman could decide what to do with this info, the parents who had abandoned her and the psychotic serial killer she’d sworn to bring in had crossed in an unforeseen and terrifying manner.

Act 1, Scene 1: In which the cast meet (9/95/08)

Headlights from a pristine police cruiser pierce the darkness, just as a cry pierces a seedier section of town. Arriving at an ‘abandoned’ warehouse alone but not unarmed, the detective vaults the roof of her car and foolishly kicks open the rusting grime-coated dock doors. Her last thought is mild relief that she had called for back up. Though her life was likely over, if the nightmare vision her mind rejected was any clue, at least her brothers in blue might finally catch this bastard.

Nursing a bottle, of tap water, Danny huddled in yet another cold, lonely alley and focused his mind on ignoring the chill of the night. His clothes had seen their better days, and the blanket that draped his thin shoulders was likely borrowed, but none of this bothered a citizen of the world. The wonders to be found in this universe, and the beauty that could lighten the darkest soul, would not be realized by clinging to the glittering waste of modern society. As pious monks instinctively knew, it was only in not grasping at the material world, that the true power of the world would be glimpsed. This didn’t mean that Danny was foolish enough to relinquish his passport nor to ignore the needs of his body, but such thoughts were secondary.

The young man’s musing was cut short by a large white police cruiser screeching to a halt. Danny’s attention focused more on his surroundings, noting again that no one else among the homeless population was in the vicinity. He eased out of the alley in time to hear the belated cry of ‘Police! Open up!’ This was belated because the bellowing woman had already kicked the door in. Easing closer to the cruiser he caught the sound of a metallic clank and a dull thud. Moving to the doorway of the warehouse the slumped form of the unconscious cop could be seen, her still hand just inches from a heavy firearm. Noting that the building seemed empty aside from the officer, Danny moved quickly forward and began dragging the woman from the building. Her still form showed no sign of damage, nor was there any apparent reason for her lapse from consciousness. Any thoughts of how to proceed were removed as a chorus of sirens converged on the scene.

The police worker ants did as they always do, scurrying about, making calls, collecting evidence, vomiting on the second floor...no, wait, that unique occurrence was the result of what lie in an off-room, on the second story of the warehouse. The plastic covering, expertly applied to the walls and floor, had allowed pools of tacky gore to pool around the room. Bits of sinew and chunks of meat fell with a sickening ‘plop’ at random intervals, but these stimuli were ignored for the grotesque pile that covered the center of the room. The mass was far too much for just one being, but if there were more, the mutilation had merged them. Glistening bits of bone protruded at odd points, too asymmetrical to be classified as rib, femur, or vertebrae. The smell of meat, just as one finds in a slaughterhouse, was present, but underscoring that odor, was the vile outhouse scent that accompanied the opening of intestine. This bouquet, combined with constant squelching of shoes on blood-covered plastic, had relegated all the new officers, and even some veterans, to the doorway of the room. Contaminating the evidence, the first real crime scene from a ten-year intermittant killing spree, would land the perpetrator suspended at the very least. Someone of stout intellect, and stomach, would be needed to make any headway in the investigation.

Lord Dartsmouth had changed into his evening wear, finally bored enough to retire with some soothing music and an old bottle of port. The recent work produced by Sir Cottsworth on his three-year expedition into the Puddu region of Sumatra had reached a level of dry urbanity that Dartmouth would have believed impossible, even for such a dull-witted, pontificated, waste of research funding.
Honestly, the entire book was a waste of good foliage, and should he ever write his memoirs... should he ever write his memoirs? Some things weren’t meant for the vapid, shallow Western mind.
A shrill ringing shattered his thoughts. Musing on what uncouth person would call on him in the middle of the night only one sprang to mind, and with a groan the lord rose and went to change...he never should have agreed to consult with the police.

In the end only three people could stand the grisly crime scene, and it galled Inspector Light that only one of them was on the force. She, of course, could handle anything that the sick monster could do, including a scene out of the horror movies. The inspector wasn’t particularly surprised that the mysterious Lord Dartmouth seemed unfazed as well.

Though she had cursed a blue streak when her partner-turned-commander had requested (demanded) that she work with the arrogant anthropologist, Light had found the man to be more knowledgeable, and generally more able to handle himself than anyone else available to work with. Though all the procedure details (and sadly all the paperwork) fell to the inspector, she couldn’t complain on the results as the lord wandered around and through the macabre scene with no visible sign of nausea and only an interest in figuring out what had happened.

More irksome than her ‘partner’ was the third member in the room. The young homeless man, named Danny apparently, had been found kneeling next to her outside of the warehouse. A brief but thorough search had found him unarmed and his passport seemed legit, so not arresting him was acceptable. Light assumed the man had either rescued her or injured her...her vague memories of bursting in the warehouse were making her lean toward the former. Danny’s presence in the room was pure coincidence. As he had been next to the downed inspector, he was already behind police lines when the tape went up. Those on the scene assumed that if he was among the officers he must have some purpose there, so no one interfered with him. Light didn’t notice when the vagabond had followed her inside the building (she hoped this was due to the concussion the EMT’s said she was suffering and not some hideous lapse in mental ability) and so he was now vaguely looking around, mostly out the window.

Evidence gathering had been completed and the three were left to mull over the lack of clues.

There are moments in life where time seems to pause, the universe itself seemingly holding its breath just long enough for something momentous to occur. With the three gathered in the room such was the case. Like a veil was being lifted, or a curtain thrown open, the light suddenly was revealed. The detective found her world shifting on its axis as she saw the figures that were once the victims on the floor. The resemblance between herself and the woman who moved slowly away left no doubt that her search for her parents had ended, and ended piteously. The lord had heard from the witch doctors that everything had power, and all things had spirit. Dartmouth had believed, but never had his beliefs been confirmed so fully as when he found himself addressing the spirit that resided in, and seemingly was the abandoned warehouse. For Danny it was if a wondrous symphony was heard, the deep base of death, the light timber of spirits and the percussive pounding of life itself and the forces of the surrounding city creating a cacophony that nearly deafened him to the voices of those around him, yet somehow did not. That this change occurred in the face of such destruction, and that it occurred when these three were together could be providence, or happenstance, only time will tell. For the moment, the trio are leaving this horror behind them and endeavoring to find some reason in what happened to the late victims and to themselves.
[CENTER]ImageTake the Magic: The Gathering 'What Color Are You?' Quiz.[/CENTER]

“Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.”
― Marcus Aurelius
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angelicyokai
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Act 1, Scene 2

Post by angelicyokai »

Act 1, Scene 2: In which research is conducted.

Overwhelmed by the gain of a new view on the world and, Siobhan suffering the loss of parents she never got to know, the trio retired to the resplendent Dartsmouth Estate. The combination of rolling green, ancient stonework, and breathtaking architecture and gardening leave all but Dartsmouth in awe. The lord himself was not one to be slack-jawed over his own driveway.

Upon entry to the mansion the group retires to the study to mull over the previous events. The coffee, brandy and delicacies provided by the able staff serve to revitalize the group, and as Danny hasn’t eaten anything resembling a meal in days, the chefs are kept up late. Fed and watered the trio attempt to reason out the killer’s motives. Siobhan finds wisdom in a few glasses of Dartsmouth’s good scotch, while the two more reflective minds pour over some of the libraries texts.

The true break comes not from paper, but from memories. Dartsmouth had spent many years wandering in the deepest regions of Africa, and as such knew things that no normal Westerner would be privy to. In his time with the tribe he had befriended, the lord had learned many things, many stories, and much African wisdom. One of the most terrible folk stories of his learning involved a neighboring tribe. These poor souls had thought they could gain power from alliances with demons, but in the end they and their sacrifices had lost their lives and very souls. The tribe had been dead for over a century, but Dartsmouth was certain that there method of killing sacrifices as the same as the current killer’s method of slaughter. Danny’s extensive knowledge of spiritual practices lent credence to the idea. Even their combined knowledge couldn’t reason out how the knowledge of a century old tribe had passed into the hands of a young white man, currently living and killing around London.

A combination of the group's new outlook on the world, and the knowledge that the fiend could travel at will, let the detective to focus long enough to consider that her ability to see and speak with the dead might not be singular. If the realm of death was open to others, why not to this psychotic? It wasn’t a leap of logic to consider that the villain they chased could have learned from the deceased tribe members in some way or another. Even though the souls of the dead tribesmen were supposedly held by demons, what could hinder a person who could alter space?

After several hours of discussion and debate, the group felt certain that information from an outside source was going to be necessary if they were to make any headway into the identity and methods of the killer. As both Siobhan and Lord Dartsmouth frequented the same occult shop, their next direction was set. A break was called so that Danny could be tackled by the tailors, and Lord Dartsmouth took this time to reconnect to the spirits of the ancestors for protection. Thus Siobhan in her normal wear, Danny in an new designer suit, and Lord Dartsmouth in a fine outfit complete with full body paint, courtesy of the spirits, head out to ‘The Opened Eye’ a quaint occult store ran by a knowledgeable owner.
[CENTER]ImageTake the Magic: The Gathering 'What Color Are You?' Quiz.[/CENTER]

“Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.”
― Marcus Aurelius
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angelicyokai
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Post by angelicyokai »

Act 1, Scene 3: Exploring the new world

The group drives over to ‘The Opened Eye’ a cheesy sounding occult shop of little renown except to those who know what they’re looking for. This seems like a good starting point for the trio to gather information. Having spent the entire night awake the group has never been gladder of the car and driver that Dartsmouth favors. Dawn had only broken a few hours ago, and the cool mist of morning shrouds The Opened Eye. The dingy, crooked brickwork, peeling paint, and windows that rattle in the faintest breeze didn’t inspire much confidence, but the three went inside anyway. There had been no hours posted outside, and indeed the owner, Jessica, was waiting for them.

One might expect the owner of such a shop to be covered in piercing, tattoos and black clothing, but the shop keeper’s normal pant suit, light makeup and no nonsense ponytail was irrelevant in comparison to the knowledge the woman seemed to possess. She wasn’t shocked to hear about their revelations, nor was she particularly concerned by anything that had happened. Siobhan saw spirits of the dead shopping in the store, while Danny saw small parts of everything. Jessica answered what questions she could from Siobhan and the lord; it was becoming clear that if left to his own devices Danny would say little or nothing.

The three recently awakened learned that there were many others with their abilities along with many other groups, like vampires. Many things were afoot beyond the perpetrator Light was hunting, such as something amiss with a cult in the homeless population. While favors given require favors in turn, the shopkeep did give the group enough information to start them on their way. There was a bar that was frequented by their kind, and with a card giving the address, the group could make their way to there later, and see what more information could be gathered.

Plans to travel to the bar were put on hold as Siobhan makes an appeal to the group to go to her parent's home.

At the light household, breaking and entering on the part of Light was unnecessary, as Lord Dartsmouth spoke directly to the houses spirit to allow the party entry. The home itself was very normal, a three bedroom town home with nice, homey touches, two bathrooms, pastel wall paper, and a warded sanctified secret ritual site in the basement. Okay the last one was a bit of a shocker, but the ghost that Light stumbled upon explained that her parents were practicing mages, and that they feared their death was near. The couple took precautions to allow their message to be passed on. Between the house spirit and the ghost, Light found out that her parents had abandoned her to protect her, and that they expected their death would be coming. The home would likely fall to her, giving Light and Co. a stable place to practice their new skills.

The disturbing duo of Yuu and Hodge interrupted the searching of the house, but the party had been finished anyway. With the party still reeling from the events of the last few days, and Light needing to check in at The Yard, the party retires for the evening and decides to tackle The Bar the next evening.
[CENTER]ImageTake the Magic: The Gathering 'What Color Are You?' Quiz.[/CENTER]

“Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.”
― Marcus Aurelius
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angelicyokai
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Post by angelicyokai »

Act 1 Scene 4, Bars, bothers, and befriending

Smoke-filled, poorly lit bars were prevalent in any major city, and a wide selection of ignorable music was par for the course. In these aspects The Bar could be any bar in the world.

That reality itself pulled the group to the door from their car, and that the establishment was frequented by vampires, werewolves, mages and fey were points to note. The group quickly learned that the bar was neutral ground, most people kept to themselves, and that the dark half of the bar should only be frequented by the dark of heart and stout of stomach.

In the course of the evening, Dartsmouth made an association with a fey of some power named Lady Winter. Even the somewhat reclusive Danny made the acquaintance of a young werewolf artist. A third interaction was with a mage importer named Maxwell Lord, whom the group had planned to meet with at a later time. Light spent most of the evening trying to recover from a drink that knocked her on her ass.

Pressing the bartender and a few new acquaintances for information revealed that there was a bazaar to the north worth investigating, that more people that the bookstore owner knew about the cult involving the homeless, and that the underground was not to be traversed by the weak. The party, with new numbers in their cell phones. Return for an evening of rest and relaxation at the Dartsmouth estate. As is the case in this dark world, little rest actually occurred.
[CENTER]ImageTake the Magic: The Gathering 'What Color Are You?' Quiz.[/CENTER]

“Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.”
― Marcus Aurelius
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angelicyokai
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Post by angelicyokai »

(Week 5 no game)
[CENTER]ImageTake the Magic: The Gathering 'What Color Are You?' Quiz.[/CENTER]

“Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.”
― Marcus Aurelius
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angelicyokai
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Post by angelicyokai »

***NOTE***
You may, or may not, have noticed that I am writing up our sessions in different ways, let me know if you like one better than the rest (or really dislike one) so I can have a set method.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Act 1 scene 5, A nightmare to remember.

(Danny's prime sight of murder was altered to a vampire doing stuff rather than creepy evil mage.)

Dream sequence:

Lord Dartsmouth

::Wakes up back at the tribe::

LD hears his tribe and goes toward their direction

He moves just a few feet and the scene opens, he's in the middle of a tribal drumming ritual, LD

is given a drum and joins in, enthusiastically reliving some of his best moments

Light

:: is at the abandoned building, from act 1's murder scene::

Siobhan is reliving some of the more vague moments of her entrance into the warehouse when she is

grabbed and some of her life essence gets sucked away. She attempts to shoot him but he isn't

for the first time in many years, is unable to find a target.

"Still have some fight?" The vile creature hisses and grapples light to the ground.

"Enough fight to take your weak ass out" and the inspector rolls and attempts to throw the

offender off, but its like trying to roll a whale.

Light manages to shoot him in the shoulder, since he is pinning her to the ground.

Danny

::in a Tibetan monastery::

Danny is going through his morning rituals, when the head priest summons him.

Inside the main hall of the temple on a raised dais surrounded by smoke and candles a man of

great age waits in robes of saffron. His serenity radiates from within, and his calmness infuses

all those within the area.

Old monk " So young one, how is england?"

"A lot like America, actually, and how are you?"

"Worried," the wizened one replies, "you seemed to have come across something out of your league

there."

"I'm sorry, but i don't think we even spoke in the monastery, who are you?"

" I am master ping"

"Nice to meet you master ping, or whatever part of my conscious you are, I may have gotten in

over my head."

"I am not part of your mind, I entered your dream"

"That's pretty neat."

"You are capable of this or will be soon. That is not the most important thing at the moment

however, your friends are currently being attacked in their dreams."

"Why am I not?"

"Because you are talking to me, and trust me, I am someone he doesn't want to deal with."

"Can't we help them?"

"I will send you there soon."

::DL::

The Lord is no longer enjoying reliving good times with his tribe any more, against his will and

his reason he is with the opposing tribe, this is realized as demon spirits take over the tribe

and he is forced to endure his will and body being overrun by a vile demon.


Unwilling to endure such a fate, he pulls out a revolver to kill himself. Quickly Dartsmouth

realizes that death no longer has to be his escape. He is now a mage, and can, no will defeat

this monster with his own power. Sadly, as his mind and soul gather their power, his possessed

body joins an orgy of evil, sex, and violence.

LDs attempts to fight the demon but his attempts alone seem to be unsuccessful.

:Danny:

"Before we go and rescue your friends, do you have any questions?"

"Many, but do we have the time?"

We have time enough."

"What's going on first of all?

"Apparently you have managed to aquire a paradigm shift, this allows you to view the world

differently, you are free, you've opened your 3rd eye"

"There must be some higher purpose or power, but everyone just treats this as another thing in the world."

"Not everyone understands the gift, the new world has many levels, not all reach beyond the

basic, but a few manage to truly enlighten themselves and see the world as it is"

"Do you know what we're chasing and how to stop it?"

"No, I only became alert through you, and as you showed potential I wanted to protect you from

those who would use you."

"For what?"

"To glean manna from you, many can manipulate this power."

"You're here to help, why?"

"I was checking up on you when I realized that you were awakened and with two others, apparently

it was fated that you be so and that I help."

"How can i ask you questions later?

"You would have to develop magic of the mind, the human consciousness that you can connect to,

you're ability in the world depends on how you awoke to your true self."

"I can think of nothing else to ask, for now I think I should help my friends, they need me. I

know they do."

"You have a deeper understanding of the spirit than they do, you can help them"

::The priest escorts him out of the room and Danny can now see the dream of Inspector Light::

Light is about to be stabbed by the creature shrouded in darkness

She empties her gun into the assailant, but the bullets merely pass though him. Ammo depleted

Light falls back to attempting to open herself to her death magic.

Though the magic can be felt, it doesn't seem to obey.

(Master Ping turns to Danny) "Perhaps you should do something."

Siobhan goes back to what she knows in fighting and shoves a thumb into his eye socket digging for

the brain, but it doesn't stop him from breaking free, throwing her back down and trying to bite

her viciously.

Danny quotes scripture to reach out to a higher power, then telekinetically throws him against

the wall. At which point Light notices those who came to her aid, and walks/crawls to Danny
at which point the pair are whisked away to Dartsmouth's dream.

::LD::

The Lord breaks out of the cage in his mind to return to a moment of consciousness, and horror.

Dartsmouth has subdued one of the female member of his own tribe and is attempting to strangle and molest the young woman. The disgust of the situation and desire to escape is so great that he attempts to do anything at all to get away, running, or gating.

He dives headlong through the gateless gate and lands at the feet of Danny and Light, but still

possessed.

Light backs away and Danny binds him with TK "Lord protect him from himself."

Through his mind powers Danny reaches out to the lord and calms him, allowing Dartsmouth to return to himself.

LD focuses within and sees a weird dark entity go screaming out of his body and from the plane

"Well that was unique, what now?"

we are in a quiet African savanna, and in an odd mentalscape

:LD dusts himself off and looks around:

"I've been here before!"

LD starts scanning the horizon for something

"Yes I see it!" LD starts running

The other two follow as closely as we can but when Dartsmouth suddenly jumps without warning

and the other two fall into a pit containing a tiger (A f*cking Tiger!!!)

Siobhan falls in and is battling a tiger, while Danny floats out and is attacked by dartsmouth

with a machete.

Danny and Ld fight a heated battle. Danny dodging while trying to reach his friend with words, as the other tried to viciously skewer the other with his machete. It becomes clear that the demon is in control as the normally calm lord screams, "FOOL I AM LEGION!"

With that Light, who clawed her way out of the pit, takes aim shoots him in the knee cap.

The screaming pain seems to cause a moment of clarity in Dartsmouth, who jumps into the pit to escape the demon and prevent the murder of his friends.

This, of course, is unacceptable to Light who takes aim once again, and manages to kill the tiger with her side arm.

As the demon climbs from the pit to attack Light and Danny once again, Light actually tries to use death magic rather than bullets and manages to 'kill' the demon thus driving it from Dartsmouth and allowing the trio awake

Light runs to Dartsmouth's room with Danny on her heels and kicks open the door to LD's room. Barely shocked that the Lord is bleeding from the bullet would, Light and Danny begin first aid.

By the three noviate mages combining their power Dartsmouth is healed without a trip to the ER.

There is much drinking and some war paint and dancing with drums and some naked, as Dartsmouth awakens the crochety, bitchy house spirit of the estate.

It is not happy at being bothered, and was apparently promised by the Lord's ancestors that it would no longer be awoken.

The spirit wishes to be left in peace and LD passes out.



Upon awakening Dartsmouth gets dressed and begins making arrangements for the improvement of his home in an attempt to placate and acquire the aid of the mansion's spirit.

As LD was planning to call Dewinter the lady who can protect dreams calls herself with an

invitation to a ball.

The dress is seasonal (winter) and it takes place at nearby. Though it is unlikely she is thrilled at the request, the Lady allows Dartsmouth to bring his friends.

YU calls with a crime scene

It is a clean room though 'sight' shows the scene of a slaughter and of feeding the spirit to a

creature.

The evaluation of the scene takes little time and social interaction with Yuu is nearly non-existent, so Light returns to the mansion to prepare for the evenings festivities.
[CENTER]ImageTake the Magic: The Gathering 'What Color Are You?' Quiz.[/CENTER]

“Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.”
― Marcus Aurelius
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rydi
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Post by rydi »

cool, more expounding. i personally like variety, so whatever works for you works for me.
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angelicyokai
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Post by angelicyokai »

At long last, the game is reborn. I humbly return as the faithful assistant narrator. Here we start with the Prologue of Act II: Changes and Meetings

It had been a subdued few months at Dartmouth manner. Inspector Light had never been a jovial companion, but her absence had been noticed in the last few months.

It was a shock, with their new and growing powers, that the death user among them had been taken down by a simple bullet. According to the Superintendent Valji, Light had been undercover tracking a series of murders. (The good superintendent had been even less forthcoming until his incapacitated officer had been spirited away by one pushy Lord Dartsmoth and secluded in a private hospital, where he could get no information) Light had been found in an alleyway, bleeding out from a gunshot wound. The haggard man who called the police and waited for their arrival had disappeared into the ether and with him any notion of what had happened.

Whatever the cause, magic seemed to be involved. Healing didn’t seem to have any effect on Light’s body, and spirit couldn’t reach her soul. For all intents and purposes, Light’s vessel was empty. Leaving her in the best private hospital in England (rumored to treat the Queen herself) was the best that could be done.

Dartsmoth and Danny had just settled in on a chilly fall evening, the young college student reading in his room and the Lord wrapping up in his reading room when the phone rang, apparently the absent officer had just regained consciousness…
[CENTER]ImageTake the Magic: The Gathering 'What Color Are You?' Quiz.[/CENTER]

“Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.”
― Marcus Aurelius
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angelicyokai
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Post by angelicyokai »

Hi all, a more nuts-and-bolts summary of our first game:

After Light’s awakening at St. Agatha’s the party reconvened at the Dartsmoth estate. The reunion was sedate, spiked with Light’s rage at finding that her thief obsession was apparently harassing her through her friends.

Everyone else had been doing well to adapt to life. Rory, who was keen on all things written, was now a permanent fixture in the group and their party, unhappily grew again that evening.

The house alerted the group, spiritually and with a very loud alarm system, that an intruder was present. Grabbing various sticks, foci, guns, and expensive items for bribes, the party caught up with the NightFox. The thief had been working for years, relieving the rich of unnecessary items. Light had been on his trail since her rooky days. Getting close, but never close enough. Dark, out to relieve Dartmouth of a certain corrupted necklace, had successfully invaded, but unsuccessfully fled the manor.

Faced with overwhelming odds (which for Dark counted as any opposition) sparked an unprecedented means of escape. As the party attempted to subdue him a strange method of escape opened up. A hole ripped in space itself.

After a frantic chase through the London airport, Dark was subdued and dragged back to the manor, where he relayed that he was working for a more insidious group that one lone thief.

The next day saw the party at the bank, dropping off a magically created copy of the demonic necklace into a pre-arranged safety deposit box. Once done a disturbing force dragged Dark into Twilight, and his current captors couldn’t help but follow.

The battle in the twilight would have been laughable if death hadn’t been a very likely possibility. Dark fought ninjas, and surprisingly won. His elation was short-lived, however, as he was dragged back to the manor upon his return from twilight. From there the party tried to figure out their next step.
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“Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.”
― Marcus Aurelius
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arete
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Post by arete »

Season 2 results:

This season was focused on preventing a war with the mages and the werewolves. However many other machinations played out. The players believe Jeffery Murray had a hand in it, but cannot prove it.

I apologize that these notes are not as story oriented as Angela's.

The Following Factions had their leaders killed
Vampires: Paul cut his head off while he was sleeping.
Werewolves: Killed by an evil mage cabal that went crazy.
Mages: The players were there for that. Dennis was sniped by magical bullets that went though his shields. The details were a little fuzzy, but the player party ended up animating him to prevent their deaths, and saved countless werewolf lives. He stated in his final moments that Jeffery had to be the one that betrayed everyone.

City geomancy changes:
1. The resonance of the city shifts slightly. Death and Matter have a stronger presence in the city. More Moros mages will start to pop up, and other effects will become evident in season 3.

2. The Vampires, once the weakest supernaturals, become a force to be reckoned with. They defend their territory in London with a new found zeal that no one in the mage community ever saw coming. Mages have be slaughtered trying to reset the Geomantic nod allowing for this surge in power. No one is sure exactly what is going on over there, but definitely is not good for the city's supernatural community.

3. The city is physically darker. Shadows are longer, more violent crime occurs, people act less trusting, and the sun seems to shine less due to more fog rolling over the city. This is a small effect, and only the player party seems to notice its effect.

4. The Manor has become dangerous at night. Dead animals are found on the grounds, and most of the mortal staff will not go out on the grounds at night. Rumors abound as to what is out there. People mainly talk about wolves stalking them, but no one has been hurt. Also when asked the Werewolves state no one they know of is out there.


Mage Society Changes:
1. Jeffery Murray has ascended to the head position. Under his rule the mage community is active trying to prevent the occurrence of last year. Of note Jeffery is a Euthanatos. His list spheres are death 5, fate 5, matter 5, prime 1, space 2, forces 3. However the players have reason to suspect his is more than he says, and Inspector Light's cops sense say he is the next Emperor.

2. Estelle Finer is now second in command. She is an innocent Celestial Chorus mage, that to date has been modest about her talents. She claims prime 5, mind 5, and says the rest would be bragging.

3. The new favored Cabal of the consortium is a death cabal [name will come later] most of which are Euthanatos, and have a reputation as a hit squad. Many in the supernatural community suspect the Mages as a whole are using these guys to take out their enemies.

4. In general the mage community is far more aggressive. No one wants to see another crazy summer, and so things have stepped up. Internally mages are questions more often about their activities, and possible spied on. A few Seers of the throne have been rooted out, and executed, but nothing else has come of it. Externally the mages have been willing to push the peace treaty of London to the edge. So far they have not "broken" the rules, but that might be just due to lack of proof. Mages guard their borders with agents, and if one altercation goes wrong it could spell disaster.

The players:
Lord Darthsmith rises in status quickly in the shaman community. He was being helpful, and doing ok. Now he is one of the most favored agent by the spirits of England. As a result he has his pick of mentors. He also gains Mage status 2, werewolf status 1, and City of London Supernatural community status 2*

Inspector Light gets re-noticed by NWO. They decide that having a relationship with her is the better option. She now has restricted access to NWO, which allows her to access knowledge but not equipment. Agent Yu is promoted during this mess, and is now Inspector Lights handler/direct boss. Agent Light gains Mage status 1, Werewolf status 1, NWO Goodwill 2 (see changeling for the goodwill background), City of London Supernatural Community status 1

Danny: Estelle recognizes your insightful abilities and begins to have you use them. She gives you little tasks and eventually moves you into a relative important position of talking to would be awakened. Many wanna-be religious people flock to the Chorus and Estelle has your spread their message. She also has you weed out the few with real potential. Danny gains Mage status 2, Werewolf status 3, City of London Supernatural Community status 1

Dark: Your life finally starts to normalize. Your skills are recognized, and you are sent to help on classified missions. Some of this has to be discussed directly with me, but you are used to do wet work that pays well if you accept. Dark gets Mage status 1, werewolf status 1, Brotherhood of the demon wind 2, and City of London Supernatural Community status 1

Rory: Now that you are on the radar your Grandmother is very considered. She informs you of a few family secrets like the fact that your mother, who she believes is alive, tried to suck all of London into the abyss. You find out that your long line that you are a part of was created though dark magic,and tends to go crazy after a while and destroy the world. You gain mage status 1, werewolf status 1, City of London Supernatural community status 1, and find out you have Notoriety 2(its works alot like fame).

* City of London Supernatural Community status: This represents some general good will the supers of London have toward you. They can ignore the social benefits if they hate you so the Crone vampires are not very impressed, but I wanted something to represent your growing reputation inside the city. It also allows your other specific supernatural status to be higher at times if narratively it makes sense.
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rydi
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Post by rydi »

Cool.

This should shape up to be an interesting season 3. Bigger conflicts, flashier showdowns, and higher stakes.
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arete
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Post by arete »

rydi wrote:Cool.

This should shape up to be an interesting season 3. Bigger conflicts, flashier showdowns, and higher stakes.
That is the plan. I really enjoyed having the players make choices with 2 bad outcomes. I want those choices to get harder, and become more world shaping as you grow.
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