Scion - Petro Campaign - Session 104
We've completed our preparations for venturing into war torn 1943 Sarajevo. I'm not exactly looking forward to it...but I do feel more confident now that we have a plan. Making sure that plan will work out without any unnecessary casualties (namely ME, being eaten by Baba Yaga) took a bit more effort that we expected.
I think I mentioned in my last entry that we were planning on meeting with October, a scion of the Citizen currently residing with the Celestial Bureaucracy, to find out what he could tell us about his forces in Sarajevo during the war. We hoped he could help us find a way to get in touch with him on friendly terms once we arrived in 1943 so that we could cut straight to the chase and enlist his aide in tracking down the moon-beasts with the help of his (shudder) Mindless Masses. (
We entered Tien through Charles' gateway on Red Mountain, and after he filed the proper paperwork (>_<) for a meeting with October, we hung out and played golf on the Celestial golf course in his sanctum. Well, Charles, Pierre and I played at least. I don't think the others care for golf. Hell, neither do I, normaly, but it was fun to play with my friends. Besides, I love all the floating islands and waterfalls on Charles' course, even if I do suck at the game. Plus, I got to rock a new baby-T and pleated pink & black tartan mini skirt with a pair of Mary Janes. Good golf wear, huh? ^_^
Anyway, we finally got word that we could go and see October. On the way into Tien's version of the Forbidden City, we couldn't help but notice the Communist symbolism intermingling with that of the Chinese pantheon. But nothing could top the paperwork dragon. No, seriously, there's a dragon there, wrapped around a tower, and it spews forth paperwork day and night, which functionaries collect and deliver to the proper places. I was apalled, and I think T-Bone, who nearly went into shock over the whole thing, put it best when he said that it was damn travesty that the most majestic symbol of the Celestial Bureacracy, a dragon, has been turned into something so banal.
Charles seemed rather proud of it, though, and I couldn't help but link my arm with his and say something like, "That's what I love about you Charles. You're dedicated to a fault." I suppose I was a bit flirty...I always am. But Sera (she and Quinn were with us) didn't seem to like it. She gently yet firmly suggested that I let go of her man. ^_^ Obviously, I don't have any intentions toward Charles, but it seems Sera still has a jealous streak after all.
This led to a discussion between Sera, Quinn and Elisa (of all poeple!) about the Five Second Rule in regards to me, which is something my followers came up with. Apparently, if I touch someone's lover for more than five seconds, there's a serious threat that that person will fall and love with me and I'll accidentally steal them. Seriously, girls? I'm flirty, but I'm not that bad!
Besides, most people fall in love with me before I touch them. ^_^ But Sera has nothing to worry about with Charles. He's hers. I'm not going to get in the way of that, and Charles is way too self-disciplined and in love with Sera to fall for me so easily. ^_^
Our meeting with October went well. Charles took the lead because he represents the Celestial Bureaucracy, with whom the Citizen is allied, and because, quite frankly, I don't like the Citizen. And while I can put that aside for the sake of diplomacy, I didn't really want to go out of my way to deal with one of his children when Charles was perfectly eager to be the official face of the group. October was very understanding about the timeline situation and really did all he could to help us, especially once he checked his records of the period and discovered that certain changes were beginning to creep into them, implying the ripples in time caused by the meddling of the moon-beasts.
We learned from October that approaching him and Baba Yaga directly would be our best option. They would likely be in Baba Yaga's Chicken Hut, which was sort of their mobile HQ. The hut is hidden with Baba Yaga's magic, though, making it nearly impossible to find, even though it will probably be perched upon the top of one of the city's many churches. Fortunately, October gave us a military medal relic that will allow us see the hut with no trouble. He also gave us some documentation to help us prove the truth of our intentions.
Hopefully, getting to the hut won't be too much trouble once we've located it, though the Risen Masses might a problem if we draw attention to ourselves. October advised us to keep a low profile, so it looks like I'll be tuning my appearance all the way down to "forgettable." I always hate doing that, but I guess it's for the best. If we do run afoul of the Risen Masses, though, we'll have to extricate ourselves without harming them. They're basically just mortals, after all, and October warned us that they would probably try to bluff us into believing they were more powerful than they are, even though we shouldn't have any trouble dealing with them if it really comes to that. The biggest threat they pose is alerting October and Baba Yaga to our presence before we're ready.
Anyway, October also gave me a specific warning. Baba Yaga hates my mother. And, by extension, she'll hate me. She usually eats children of Izanami, so she's likely to just gobble me up in the blink of an eye the instant she sees me in 1943 Sarajevo. That's not really something I want to happen. October suggested we go to visit modern day Baba Yaga and try to convince her to give me some sort of token or sign to protect me when we meet her in 1943. Apparently, Baba Yaga has mellowed out a bit these days, but she'd still be looking for any excuse to eat me up. It's just not, you know, an eat on sight kinda thing any more. According to October, as long as I proved myself to be the very picture of courtesy, she'd be impressed and grant me something to protect me in the past. Of course, I wasn't the only one who had to be on her best behavior. Baba Yaga's big on courtesy, but at least she wasn't likely to hold the rest of the group to such high standards.
Finding Baba Yaga was no simple matter, though we had a few options. We decided to venture into the Dark Forest, a kind of mythical terra incognita within which Baba Yaga's Hut usually wanders. As T-Bone pointed out, taking a fairy-tale journey into the forest is the sort of thing that gods and heroes do, so it was really kind of a no-brainer. ^_^ And it would probably reflect better on us in Baba Yaga's eyes than if we found a shortcut straight to her place. Fortunately, we could wander into the Dark Forest through the New Jersey Pine Barrens, which isn't too far from Red Mountain. Adam remained behind to make other preparations, and because he really hates dealing with gods like Baba Yaga who lord their status over others. Also, we weren't sure he'd actually be able to lose his way in the Dark Forest. And as everyone knows, you have to lose your way to find what you're looking for in a place like that.
As we trekked through the forest, I think we all felt like we were being watched the whole time. It was creepy, and not really in a good way. Still, since we were in a fairy tale, I decided to have some fun with it, and changed into a sexy Red Riding Hood outfit replete with corset and scandalously short skirt. I didn't realize how appropriate that would be until later, though...
Eventually, we crossed an old wooden bridge over a slow-moving river. Elisa happened to glance into the waters and was kinda freaked out when she saw the faces of the girl scouts-turned-shikome that we blew up in the church where Grundy was trying to marry Oiwa. You know, WAY back just after we all met for the first time. Once she pointed them out, the rest of us saw them too...and then they crawled from the water and slithered onto the bridge as humanoid figures made of slimy, waterlogged vegetation. There were fifteen of them, and they broke into groups of three to attack us. They never actually struck any blows, though. Instead, they sort of just lurched toward us, projecting waves of guilt that sapped our will. We've all tried very hard not to harm mortals in our path to godhood, but those shikome...those girls...didn't really deserve to be incinerated alive.
I kinda freaked out and for the first time in ages, I manifested a new sun power! I guess my closeness to Amaterasu is reflecting itself in my divine purviews. ^_^ I emitted two rapid-fire blasts of searing, white-hot sunlight, instinctively knowing that the heat wouldn't be enough to harm my friends (except maybe T-Bone, and he tends to be aloof from such attacks), hoping that the light would destroy the guilt moppets. But...it only worked on T-Bone's attackers, which burned away to cinders almost instantly. The rest were unharmed.
But that was enough to let Charles figure out that each of the creatures had the fortitude and defenses of the person it was attacking. By then, I was beginning to succumb to the guilt of those pressing in on me (what can I say, I'm a sensitive girl! T^T). We realized that if our will failed, the guilt moppets would be able to take control of us, and that pretty much galvanized us. T-Bone flitted among the creatures, lowering their defenses, while Charles, Elisa and Pierre kept one-shotting them. I gotta tell ya, it's a little initmidating to know that most of my friends can kill me in one shot (though that's ignoring my ability to shed my corpse and all). Then again, I've already survived an assassination attempt by a full-power god, so I guess I shouldn't be too worried. Not that my friends would ever try to kill lovable me anyway. ^_^
Anyway, it was a struggle to keep everyone's willpower up during the fight. Thanks to our close bonds as a sanctified band of gods, the others were able to grant me a portion of their will, which was all that kept me from succumbing to my guilt. Which was a good thing, because I had to work overtime to encourage Elisa, essentially telling her that the whole burning church thing was her formative moment, and ultimately set the course of her fate as a goddess of sacrificial fire. I mean, seriously. It's true. That was the the moment that defined who she would become. So I totally told her to own it and get over the guilt. And she did. ^_^
So, once we dispatched the guilt moppets, we moved on, following signs leading us to "Grandmother's House." Given our destination, I decided to have some fun with it, and changed into a sexy Red Riding Hood outfit replete with corset and scandalously short skirt. Which turned out to be very appropriate (and a potentially regrettable decision) when we encountered a huge black wolf blocking the path. It was the Big Bad Wolf, of course. And it was hungry. T-Bone (being the Patron of Werwolves) stepped forward to chat with it, and made a deal. The wolf would not eat us, and would in fact let us pass, if T-Bone would go down another path to where a much bigger wolf was waiting and steal that wolf's meat. T-Bone wasted no time agreeing. In fact, the whole thing sounded like a big game to him, so he was practically giddy as he turned invisible and disappeared down the path the wolf showed him.
Sure enough, T-Bone came back some time later with a huge hunk of meat for the Big Bad Wolf and very smug look on his face. He didn't come out and say it, but he made comments that suggested that the bigger wolf was actually Fenris. Seriously? Like we're supposed to believe that he just stole Fenris Wolf's meal. O_O Then again, this IS T-Bone we're talking about...so who knows?
Anyway, true to his word, the Big Bad Wolf let us pass, and it was long afterward that we encountered a rider on a red horse, and then a rider on a black horse, sure signs that were were nearing Baba Yaga's Hut.
The hut lived up to the legends - a ramshackle hut resting in a small yard, surrounded by a fence of bones topped with the skulls of her victims. Baba Yaga invited us inside and we had quite a discussion with her. I'll confess, I was really freakin' nervous, but I managed to comport myself with the grace and courtesy she demanded. She didn't eat me, anyway, so I must have REALLY impressed her. I mean, I could tell that she was looking for ANY excuse to gobble me up. But, thanks to my impeccable manners, she graciously granted me a silver moon pendant that's supposed to be sign of her protection; hopefully 1943 Baba Yaga will take it to mean that she shouldn't eat me. >_<
I think Baba Yaga and I even shared a bit of a moment when she was warning us about Seth and Heimdall's constant fighting in 1943 Sarajevo and I comment that "Boys will be boys." At least, she seemed to enjoy the comment...
I gotta tell ya, though, Baba Yaga is one creepy old lady. Her shadow was big and ominous and seemed to act on its own, and when she moved around her hut, the place felt bigger than it was, and her size didn't change with distance or perspective the way it should have. It was freaky weird. My sister Miyako should totally come up with some cool effects like that when she becomes a goddess.
So, all went well with Baba Yaga. She did insist that I return her pendant as soon as we return to the present. I don't think she's going to be very forgiving of ANY sort of delay, so I know what I'm doing as soon as we get back to now. And after we left, Elisa pointed it out that I no longer have a shadow. That's just GREAT. I'm hoping Baba Yaga's just holding it for collateral against the pendant. If I don't get it back when I return the pendant, we're going to have a problem.
Aside from that, though, all ended well. We headed back to Red Mountain and made the final preparations to fly to Sarajevo to go back in time. Charles had a message waiting for him from October, though. Apparently, October noticed a few things in his records that may not have been there before. For one thing, the Risen Masses are apparently going to be watching the cathedral that holds the time anomaly, so we'll have to be especially careful when we arrive. Second, a Dodekatheon demigod named Dominic the Leash-Master is also watching the cathedral. He's a son of Hades and tends to enslave titanspawn, especially multiheaded Neamean hounds. His presence seems to be a change in the timeline, which is not good. I don't think he's anything we can't handle. I mean, he's only a demigod. But I have a bad feeling the his presence is directly connected to the moon-beasts...
Well, Kimiyo says we're about to land in Sarajevo. More later!
I think I mentioned in my last entry that we were planning on meeting with October, a scion of the Citizen currently residing with the Celestial Bureaucracy, to find out what he could tell us about his forces in Sarajevo during the war. We hoped he could help us find a way to get in touch with him on friendly terms once we arrived in 1943 so that we could cut straight to the chase and enlist his aide in tracking down the moon-beasts with the help of his (shudder) Mindless Masses. (
We entered Tien through Charles' gateway on Red Mountain, and after he filed the proper paperwork (>_<) for a meeting with October, we hung out and played golf on the Celestial golf course in his sanctum. Well, Charles, Pierre and I played at least. I don't think the others care for golf. Hell, neither do I, normaly, but it was fun to play with my friends. Besides, I love all the floating islands and waterfalls on Charles' course, even if I do suck at the game. Plus, I got to rock a new baby-T and pleated pink & black tartan mini skirt with a pair of Mary Janes. Good golf wear, huh? ^_^
Anyway, we finally got word that we could go and see October. On the way into Tien's version of the Forbidden City, we couldn't help but notice the Communist symbolism intermingling with that of the Chinese pantheon. But nothing could top the paperwork dragon. No, seriously, there's a dragon there, wrapped around a tower, and it spews forth paperwork day and night, which functionaries collect and deliver to the proper places. I was apalled, and I think T-Bone, who nearly went into shock over the whole thing, put it best when he said that it was damn travesty that the most majestic symbol of the Celestial Bureacracy, a dragon, has been turned into something so banal.
Charles seemed rather proud of it, though, and I couldn't help but link my arm with his and say something like, "That's what I love about you Charles. You're dedicated to a fault." I suppose I was a bit flirty...I always am. But Sera (she and Quinn were with us) didn't seem to like it. She gently yet firmly suggested that I let go of her man. ^_^ Obviously, I don't have any intentions toward Charles, but it seems Sera still has a jealous streak after all.
This led to a discussion between Sera, Quinn and Elisa (of all poeple!) about the Five Second Rule in regards to me, which is something my followers came up with. Apparently, if I touch someone's lover for more than five seconds, there's a serious threat that that person will fall and love with me and I'll accidentally steal them. Seriously, girls? I'm flirty, but I'm not that bad!
Besides, most people fall in love with me before I touch them. ^_^ But Sera has nothing to worry about with Charles. He's hers. I'm not going to get in the way of that, and Charles is way too self-disciplined and in love with Sera to fall for me so easily. ^_^
Our meeting with October went well. Charles took the lead because he represents the Celestial Bureaucracy, with whom the Citizen is allied, and because, quite frankly, I don't like the Citizen. And while I can put that aside for the sake of diplomacy, I didn't really want to go out of my way to deal with one of his children when Charles was perfectly eager to be the official face of the group. October was very understanding about the timeline situation and really did all he could to help us, especially once he checked his records of the period and discovered that certain changes were beginning to creep into them, implying the ripples in time caused by the meddling of the moon-beasts.
We learned from October that approaching him and Baba Yaga directly would be our best option. They would likely be in Baba Yaga's Chicken Hut, which was sort of their mobile HQ. The hut is hidden with Baba Yaga's magic, though, making it nearly impossible to find, even though it will probably be perched upon the top of one of the city's many churches. Fortunately, October gave us a military medal relic that will allow us see the hut with no trouble. He also gave us some documentation to help us prove the truth of our intentions.
Hopefully, getting to the hut won't be too much trouble once we've located it, though the Risen Masses might a problem if we draw attention to ourselves. October advised us to keep a low profile, so it looks like I'll be tuning my appearance all the way down to "forgettable." I always hate doing that, but I guess it's for the best. If we do run afoul of the Risen Masses, though, we'll have to extricate ourselves without harming them. They're basically just mortals, after all, and October warned us that they would probably try to bluff us into believing they were more powerful than they are, even though we shouldn't have any trouble dealing with them if it really comes to that. The biggest threat they pose is alerting October and Baba Yaga to our presence before we're ready.
Anyway, October also gave me a specific warning. Baba Yaga hates my mother. And, by extension, she'll hate me. She usually eats children of Izanami, so she's likely to just gobble me up in the blink of an eye the instant she sees me in 1943 Sarajevo. That's not really something I want to happen. October suggested we go to visit modern day Baba Yaga and try to convince her to give me some sort of token or sign to protect me when we meet her in 1943. Apparently, Baba Yaga has mellowed out a bit these days, but she'd still be looking for any excuse to eat me up. It's just not, you know, an eat on sight kinda thing any more. According to October, as long as I proved myself to be the very picture of courtesy, she'd be impressed and grant me something to protect me in the past. Of course, I wasn't the only one who had to be on her best behavior. Baba Yaga's big on courtesy, but at least she wasn't likely to hold the rest of the group to such high standards.
Finding Baba Yaga was no simple matter, though we had a few options. We decided to venture into the Dark Forest, a kind of mythical terra incognita within which Baba Yaga's Hut usually wanders. As T-Bone pointed out, taking a fairy-tale journey into the forest is the sort of thing that gods and heroes do, so it was really kind of a no-brainer. ^_^ And it would probably reflect better on us in Baba Yaga's eyes than if we found a shortcut straight to her place. Fortunately, we could wander into the Dark Forest through the New Jersey Pine Barrens, which isn't too far from Red Mountain. Adam remained behind to make other preparations, and because he really hates dealing with gods like Baba Yaga who lord their status over others. Also, we weren't sure he'd actually be able to lose his way in the Dark Forest. And as everyone knows, you have to lose your way to find what you're looking for in a place like that.
As we trekked through the forest, I think we all felt like we were being watched the whole time. It was creepy, and not really in a good way. Still, since we were in a fairy tale, I decided to have some fun with it, and changed into a sexy Red Riding Hood outfit replete with corset and scandalously short skirt. I didn't realize how appropriate that would be until later, though...
Eventually, we crossed an old wooden bridge over a slow-moving river. Elisa happened to glance into the waters and was kinda freaked out when she saw the faces of the girl scouts-turned-shikome that we blew up in the church where Grundy was trying to marry Oiwa. You know, WAY back just after we all met for the first time. Once she pointed them out, the rest of us saw them too...and then they crawled from the water and slithered onto the bridge as humanoid figures made of slimy, waterlogged vegetation. There were fifteen of them, and they broke into groups of three to attack us. They never actually struck any blows, though. Instead, they sort of just lurched toward us, projecting waves of guilt that sapped our will. We've all tried very hard not to harm mortals in our path to godhood, but those shikome...those girls...didn't really deserve to be incinerated alive.
I kinda freaked out and for the first time in ages, I manifested a new sun power! I guess my closeness to Amaterasu is reflecting itself in my divine purviews. ^_^ I emitted two rapid-fire blasts of searing, white-hot sunlight, instinctively knowing that the heat wouldn't be enough to harm my friends (except maybe T-Bone, and he tends to be aloof from such attacks), hoping that the light would destroy the guilt moppets. But...it only worked on T-Bone's attackers, which burned away to cinders almost instantly. The rest were unharmed.
But that was enough to let Charles figure out that each of the creatures had the fortitude and defenses of the person it was attacking. By then, I was beginning to succumb to the guilt of those pressing in on me (what can I say, I'm a sensitive girl! T^T). We realized that if our will failed, the guilt moppets would be able to take control of us, and that pretty much galvanized us. T-Bone flitted among the creatures, lowering their defenses, while Charles, Elisa and Pierre kept one-shotting them. I gotta tell ya, it's a little initmidating to know that most of my friends can kill me in one shot (though that's ignoring my ability to shed my corpse and all). Then again, I've already survived an assassination attempt by a full-power god, so I guess I shouldn't be too worried. Not that my friends would ever try to kill lovable me anyway. ^_^
Anyway, it was a struggle to keep everyone's willpower up during the fight. Thanks to our close bonds as a sanctified band of gods, the others were able to grant me a portion of their will, which was all that kept me from succumbing to my guilt. Which was a good thing, because I had to work overtime to encourage Elisa, essentially telling her that the whole burning church thing was her formative moment, and ultimately set the course of her fate as a goddess of sacrificial fire. I mean, seriously. It's true. That was the the moment that defined who she would become. So I totally told her to own it and get over the guilt. And she did. ^_^
So, once we dispatched the guilt moppets, we moved on, following signs leading us to "Grandmother's House." Given our destination, I decided to have some fun with it, and changed into a sexy Red Riding Hood outfit replete with corset and scandalously short skirt. Which turned out to be very appropriate (and a potentially regrettable decision) when we encountered a huge black wolf blocking the path. It was the Big Bad Wolf, of course. And it was hungry. T-Bone (being the Patron of Werwolves) stepped forward to chat with it, and made a deal. The wolf would not eat us, and would in fact let us pass, if T-Bone would go down another path to where a much bigger wolf was waiting and steal that wolf's meat. T-Bone wasted no time agreeing. In fact, the whole thing sounded like a big game to him, so he was practically giddy as he turned invisible and disappeared down the path the wolf showed him.
Sure enough, T-Bone came back some time later with a huge hunk of meat for the Big Bad Wolf and very smug look on his face. He didn't come out and say it, but he made comments that suggested that the bigger wolf was actually Fenris. Seriously? Like we're supposed to believe that he just stole Fenris Wolf's meal. O_O Then again, this IS T-Bone we're talking about...so who knows?
Anyway, true to his word, the Big Bad Wolf let us pass, and it was long afterward that we encountered a rider on a red horse, and then a rider on a black horse, sure signs that were were nearing Baba Yaga's Hut.
The hut lived up to the legends - a ramshackle hut resting in a small yard, surrounded by a fence of bones topped with the skulls of her victims. Baba Yaga invited us inside and we had quite a discussion with her. I'll confess, I was really freakin' nervous, but I managed to comport myself with the grace and courtesy she demanded. She didn't eat me, anyway, so I must have REALLY impressed her. I mean, I could tell that she was looking for ANY excuse to gobble me up. But, thanks to my impeccable manners, she graciously granted me a silver moon pendant that's supposed to be sign of her protection; hopefully 1943 Baba Yaga will take it to mean that she shouldn't eat me. >_<
I think Baba Yaga and I even shared a bit of a moment when she was warning us about Seth and Heimdall's constant fighting in 1943 Sarajevo and I comment that "Boys will be boys." At least, she seemed to enjoy the comment...
I gotta tell ya, though, Baba Yaga is one creepy old lady. Her shadow was big and ominous and seemed to act on its own, and when she moved around her hut, the place felt bigger than it was, and her size didn't change with distance or perspective the way it should have. It was freaky weird. My sister Miyako should totally come up with some cool effects like that when she becomes a goddess.
So, all went well with Baba Yaga. She did insist that I return her pendant as soon as we return to the present. I don't think she's going to be very forgiving of ANY sort of delay, so I know what I'm doing as soon as we get back to now. And after we left, Elisa pointed it out that I no longer have a shadow. That's just GREAT. I'm hoping Baba Yaga's just holding it for collateral against the pendant. If I don't get it back when I return the pendant, we're going to have a problem.
Aside from that, though, all ended well. We headed back to Red Mountain and made the final preparations to fly to Sarajevo to go back in time. Charles had a message waiting for him from October, though. Apparently, October noticed a few things in his records that may not have been there before. For one thing, the Risen Masses are apparently going to be watching the cathedral that holds the time anomaly, so we'll have to be especially careful when we arrive. Second, a Dodekatheon demigod named Dominic the Leash-Master is also watching the cathedral. He's a son of Hades and tends to enslave titanspawn, especially multiheaded Neamean hounds. His presence seems to be a change in the timeline, which is not good. I don't think he's anything we can't handle. I mean, he's only a demigod. But I have a bad feeling the his presence is directly connected to the moon-beasts...
Well, Kimiyo says we're about to land in Sarajevo. More later!