The Exciting Conclusion to Gloria Mundi!
Last session, which was almost a month ago, a lot of mages died and Rogue Element went to Cormant House to confront the existing power structure (extra, extra, read all about it).
After the Nemean and the Councilors had left the room, Arathnos, the Herald came out and told Knit that since she wasn't part of the Consilium she could wait outside. The cabal decided not to argue since Knit's player was presently sitting in an airport in Charlotte, NC, and communicating by Google-Talk while waiting to get on a plane for home.
She left, and noted that Cormant House had some wards on it, but nothing too powerful. She went and got some food, came back, and about then Ogma popped outside and asked her to go looking for the remote control that the cabal had stuck a sloth-spirit into once upon a time (first chapter of the demo). They'd given it to the Nemean back in the day, but had never heard of it since, and they'd wondered if that spirit might be behind why the Nemean just didn't seem to do much. Knit went looking and found it...and it Influenced her, and she sat in a comfy chair, sleeping, for the next few hours (i.e., until her player got there).
Meanwhile, the other characters talked with some of the mages in the room. Khumeia mentioned that it was possible for the Nemean to hold Tyrrhenus responsible for the deaths that had happened early today, and then declare the Right of Nemesis against him. If he did that, he'd have the right to attack and kill him at his leisure, and so would probably send everyone home and stack the deck in his favor later. Isis brought up that by dragging his feet, the Nemean had probably contributed to the deaths inflicted by the Thief, and so could they call Nemesis on him? Yes, probably, and Tyrrheus noted that.
Bit later, Aurem (whom you'll recall was named an "interim" Coucilor since Potestas died) stormed out and told Tyrrhenus that he'd been excused since he wouldn't go along with the Nemean's plan. Which was? To declare Nemesis against Tyrrhenus, but to do so as kind of a "Consilium of Boston vs. Tyrrhenus" situation, which would give him even greater power to swing the odds in his favor. Aurem, having seen how the Concord was broken and thus knowing that Potestas had been as much responsible as Tyrrhenus, refused to go along with it, and the Nemean needed unanimous consent. Hyrda and Numa had already agreed, Chain was on the fence. Tyrrhenus wondered if Chain had finally turned, but Aurem's thought was that if Chain went along, it was because he figured Tyrrhenus could win.
Jack, as a member of the House of Ariadne, noticed that the threads of the city were congealing here and then going up through the roof, but didn't know what that meant. He went outside (no casting inside, remember) and cast a Faerie Glade, but hung it for later (did I mention that Jack is now a Master of Time? Did I mention how goddamn scary Time 5 is?). That took him a solid hour, since it's extended, but he got enough successes to make it worthwhile.
Isis, meanwhile, was also outside and looked around with Death-Sight. She saw a great big whirlpool-like thing happening, with death-energy swirling toward Cormant House.
About then, hobbesthetiger got back, so Knit was able to send for help. Ogma and Niamh freed her, and Niamh used Spirit magic to seal the spirit in the remote so that it couldn't influence anyone. They went back around the house, and Knit saw Chain and the Nemean talking by the window. She threw her senses up to listen, and heard Chain say that dueling to the death wasn't necessary. The Nemean answered that the duel had already begun, and had begun some months ago. Knit scanned the Nemean and noted that something or someone was nudging his mind.
The Councilors came back into the room and the Nemean declared Nemesis against Tyrrhenus. Tyrrhenus said, "Fine, but I want this settled here and now, my cabal versus yours." The Nemean agreed and looked to Ahriman, who activated that whirlpool thing and the Ebon Noose and Rogue Element were dropped into Twilight...
...whereupon Jack activated his Faerie Glade spell. Rogue Element had 16 turns to prepare for this fight.
Armor, of course. Fist of God (Tyrrhenus). Jack hung Stop Time, Temporal Stutter, and Chronos' Curse (on the Nemean). When time kicked back in, most of the Ebon Noose vanished into the Stutter. Isis changed the Nemean's clothes to white phosphorous and he charged at the cabal, burning and crazed. Ogma opened a portal under him, planning to drop him 30 feet to the ground, and he fell into it...but he never came down again.
Niamh summoned up a dog-spirit for backup, and then Tyrrhenus dropped through a portal as well. Ogma followed him, and so did Jack. That left Niamh and Isis at the battleground with the rest of the Noose...but where was Knit?
Outside, Knit had felt Dexter arrive (remember, the guy who was living in her head?). He said that he could send her into Twilight or she could just tangle with him. She chose neither, teleported into the Cormant House, and used Touch of the Grave and Ranged Blow to help her cabal-mates.
In the fight, Ahriman and Sheol were really the only members of the Noose who were fighting against the cabal. Tiamat, Nebuchadnezzar, Chaplain and Arathnos had decided that this was madness (madness? No. This is Salem!) and buggered off. Anacona reappeared out of the Stutter and tried to heal Ahriman (whom Knit had stabbed), but was confused and so didn't fight right away. Ahriman nearly killed Niamh with a well-place Rotting Flesh spell, but she lived and Knit cut his throat. The dog-spirit, compelled to loyalty to Niamh, knocked down Sheol and the fight was basically over. Isis transported everyone back to the material world for medical attention.
But where were the others? In the Oubliette (which I was mistakenly calling the Labyrinth). Februs and the Shadow Chorus had transported Tyrrhenus and the Nemean there for their battle (remember that the Shadow Chorus thinks Tyrrhenus is going to save the world as the Hieromagus). Februs asked Jack if he believed in the Boy-King, and Jack said that he did (regaining much-needed Willpower). Februs said, "Then stay, and bear witness."
Tyrrhenus and the Nemean took a turn to prep some spells. The Nemean turned into a goddamn lion using Greater Shapeshifting and Fantasia, fulfilling his role as the mythical beast for the hero to slay in battle. Tyrrhenus, at the end of that fight, had one open Health box (the rest were aggravated), but that's more than the Nemean had. Using his Fist of God rote, he smote the Nemean-Lion. Angerona went to heal him. Februs, Culsu and Discordia disappeared.
Back in Cormant House, a portal opened in the ceiling and Februs' voice said, "Let the Culling being."
Tiamat smiled rapturously and said, "Oh, we're all going to die!"
Knit mentally contacted Ogma and asked for help. Ogma told her to put a lock on the portal, rather than trying to counter it. Knit did so, and they all felt a sick feeling in the pit of their stomachs, but nothing else.
Back in the Oubliette, there was a bright white flash, and they all died...
...which Jack promptly rewound, and told Ogma "Get us out of here!"
One massive teleport spell later, the nuke went off. Which nuke? This one. But in the Oubliette, it did no real damage, save for killing the other three members of the Shadow Chorus.
Back at Cormant House, Angerona explained that Februs had decided that since the Hieromagus was here, it was time to cleanse the city. How he'd gotten the nuke, she didn't know, and she said she never believed he'd really do it, anyway.
Knit mentally searched for Dexter, and found him. "Doesn't matter," he said. "On the right timescale, I win anyway. Just not yet."
Tyrrhenus claimed the seat of the Hierarch, and declared that tomorrow, he'd name Sentinels and Councilors and so on. For now, the people needed rest (and since he was bleeding from massive claw wounds, he needed some healin').
Dexter drove out of Boston, radio playing. "Sic Transit Gloria Mundi," he says, adjusted his shades.
Right, that's it for that chronicle! I'll be posting the characters and their stats later. Any questions from the folks who've been reading?
After the Nemean and the Councilors had left the room, Arathnos, the Herald came out and told Knit that since she wasn't part of the Consilium she could wait outside. The cabal decided not to argue since Knit's player was presently sitting in an airport in Charlotte, NC, and communicating by Google-Talk while waiting to get on a plane for home.
She left, and noted that Cormant House had some wards on it, but nothing too powerful. She went and got some food, came back, and about then Ogma popped outside and asked her to go looking for the remote control that the cabal had stuck a sloth-spirit into once upon a time (first chapter of the demo). They'd given it to the Nemean back in the day, but had never heard of it since, and they'd wondered if that spirit might be behind why the Nemean just didn't seem to do much. Knit went looking and found it...and it Influenced her, and she sat in a comfy chair, sleeping, for the next few hours (i.e., until her player got there).
Meanwhile, the other characters talked with some of the mages in the room. Khumeia mentioned that it was possible for the Nemean to hold Tyrrhenus responsible for the deaths that had happened early today, and then declare the Right of Nemesis against him. If he did that, he'd have the right to attack and kill him at his leisure, and so would probably send everyone home and stack the deck in his favor later. Isis brought up that by dragging his feet, the Nemean had probably contributed to the deaths inflicted by the Thief, and so could they call Nemesis on him? Yes, probably, and Tyrrheus noted that.
Bit later, Aurem (whom you'll recall was named an "interim" Coucilor since Potestas died) stormed out and told Tyrrhenus that he'd been excused since he wouldn't go along with the Nemean's plan. Which was? To declare Nemesis against Tyrrhenus, but to do so as kind of a "Consilium of Boston vs. Tyrrhenus" situation, which would give him even greater power to swing the odds in his favor. Aurem, having seen how the Concord was broken and thus knowing that Potestas had been as much responsible as Tyrrhenus, refused to go along with it, and the Nemean needed unanimous consent. Hyrda and Numa had already agreed, Chain was on the fence. Tyrrhenus wondered if Chain had finally turned, but Aurem's thought was that if Chain went along, it was because he figured Tyrrhenus could win.
Jack, as a member of the House of Ariadne, noticed that the threads of the city were congealing here and then going up through the roof, but didn't know what that meant. He went outside (no casting inside, remember) and cast a Faerie Glade, but hung it for later (did I mention that Jack is now a Master of Time? Did I mention how goddamn scary Time 5 is?). That took him a solid hour, since it's extended, but he got enough successes to make it worthwhile.
Isis, meanwhile, was also outside and looked around with Death-Sight. She saw a great big whirlpool-like thing happening, with death-energy swirling toward Cormant House.
About then, hobbesthetiger got back, so Knit was able to send for help. Ogma and Niamh freed her, and Niamh used Spirit magic to seal the spirit in the remote so that it couldn't influence anyone. They went back around the house, and Knit saw Chain and the Nemean talking by the window. She threw her senses up to listen, and heard Chain say that dueling to the death wasn't necessary. The Nemean answered that the duel had already begun, and had begun some months ago. Knit scanned the Nemean and noted that something or someone was nudging his mind.
The Councilors came back into the room and the Nemean declared Nemesis against Tyrrhenus. Tyrrhenus said, "Fine, but I want this settled here and now, my cabal versus yours." The Nemean agreed and looked to Ahriman, who activated that whirlpool thing and the Ebon Noose and Rogue Element were dropped into Twilight...
...whereupon Jack activated his Faerie Glade spell. Rogue Element had 16 turns to prepare for this fight.
Armor, of course. Fist of God (Tyrrhenus). Jack hung Stop Time, Temporal Stutter, and Chronos' Curse (on the Nemean). When time kicked back in, most of the Ebon Noose vanished into the Stutter. Isis changed the Nemean's clothes to white phosphorous and he charged at the cabal, burning and crazed. Ogma opened a portal under him, planning to drop him 30 feet to the ground, and he fell into it...but he never came down again.
Niamh summoned up a dog-spirit for backup, and then Tyrrhenus dropped through a portal as well. Ogma followed him, and so did Jack. That left Niamh and Isis at the battleground with the rest of the Noose...but where was Knit?
Outside, Knit had felt Dexter arrive (remember, the guy who was living in her head?). He said that he could send her into Twilight or she could just tangle with him. She chose neither, teleported into the Cormant House, and used Touch of the Grave and Ranged Blow to help her cabal-mates.
In the fight, Ahriman and Sheol were really the only members of the Noose who were fighting against the cabal. Tiamat, Nebuchadnezzar, Chaplain and Arathnos had decided that this was madness (madness? No. This is Salem!) and buggered off. Anacona reappeared out of the Stutter and tried to heal Ahriman (whom Knit had stabbed), but was confused and so didn't fight right away. Ahriman nearly killed Niamh with a well-place Rotting Flesh spell, but she lived and Knit cut his throat. The dog-spirit, compelled to loyalty to Niamh, knocked down Sheol and the fight was basically over. Isis transported everyone back to the material world for medical attention.
But where were the others? In the Oubliette (which I was mistakenly calling the Labyrinth). Februs and the Shadow Chorus had transported Tyrrhenus and the Nemean there for their battle (remember that the Shadow Chorus thinks Tyrrhenus is going to save the world as the Hieromagus). Februs asked Jack if he believed in the Boy-King, and Jack said that he did (regaining much-needed Willpower). Februs said, "Then stay, and bear witness."
Tyrrhenus and the Nemean took a turn to prep some spells. The Nemean turned into a goddamn lion using Greater Shapeshifting and Fantasia, fulfilling his role as the mythical beast for the hero to slay in battle. Tyrrhenus, at the end of that fight, had one open Health box (the rest were aggravated), but that's more than the Nemean had. Using his Fist of God rote, he smote the Nemean-Lion. Angerona went to heal him. Februs, Culsu and Discordia disappeared.
Back in Cormant House, a portal opened in the ceiling and Februs' voice said, "Let the Culling being."
Tiamat smiled rapturously and said, "Oh, we're all going to die!"
Knit mentally contacted Ogma and asked for help. Ogma told her to put a lock on the portal, rather than trying to counter it. Knit did so, and they all felt a sick feeling in the pit of their stomachs, but nothing else.
Back in the Oubliette, there was a bright white flash, and they all died...
...which Jack promptly rewound, and told Ogma "Get us out of here!"
One massive teleport spell later, the nuke went off. Which nuke? This one. But in the Oubliette, it did no real damage, save for killing the other three members of the Shadow Chorus.
Back at Cormant House, Angerona explained that Februs had decided that since the Hieromagus was here, it was time to cleanse the city. How he'd gotten the nuke, she didn't know, and she said she never believed he'd really do it, anyway.
Knit mentally searched for Dexter, and found him. "Doesn't matter," he said. "On the right timescale, I win anyway. Just not yet."
Tyrrhenus claimed the seat of the Hierarch, and declared that tomorrow, he'd name Sentinels and Councilors and so on. For now, the people needed rest (and since he was bleeding from massive claw wounds, he needed some healin').
Dexter drove out of Boston, radio playing. "Sic Transit Gloria Mundi," he says, adjusted his shades.
Right, that's it for that chronicle! I'll be posting the characters and their stats later. Any questions from the folks who've been reading?