Thanks to Eva for this session summary.
These session notes are from Rae’s perspective, and are originally from [http://www.digitalchangeling.com/gaming/session_notes/deus/051015.html].
Session started at 2:45 pm on 10/15/05
Attending players: Mike, Nate, Eva, John
Presiding GM: Curtis
Major NPC’s: Morijin, Golren Briarnas, Shale, Khan Ji-Tae and his goons, Merlin Huntington, Matt’s mother
There are still several days until I will have to leave Glaurung. The planet is traveling back towards earth, so the cold has gripped it. I have made plans to visit New Starshine before I must leave. For all the crap I had to deal with at the Academy, it is the closest I have ever had to a home.
The others are staying in Bitternail. I believe that two of the council will be studying Matt and the doctor will be vaguely trying to study dragons in general. I doubt that he will have much success.
It is good to visit Ange before I have to go.
I ask Morijin about the other dragon who supposedly left Glaurung. He says that he had heard such a thing, but he had always thought it was just a legend. He suggests that I talk to Golren Briarnas.
Golren tells me that Shen-Lung supposedly had a mate many centuries ago by the name of Ti-Lung. Legends say that she was struck with wanderlust and left Glaurung. Some say she returned to the dragon’s original home from so many centuries ago or simply wandered the stars. No one knows if she died, was devoured, or still travels out there someone. She was gold, like Shen-Lung, and quite old, so it seems unlikely she would have simply died.
They say that Shen-Lung has never been quite the same since she left him.
(Meanwhile, Matt and Max are learning more about the white substance and its affect on Matt. They spend quite a lot of time trying to figure a technological or magical way to contain it so that it could be used to their advantage.)
After six days Glaurung has reached a human occupied system. The others join me in New Starshine, as we are going to use the teleporter again. The crazy man has gone back into a coma again. Shale was brought along as well to operate the machine.
"Oooo… this is what it feels like to move at relativistic speeds." ~ Max
I say my final goodbye to Morijin and Shale transports us away. Morijin does believe that other cultures may eventually hold the key to our escaping the Beast. I think I have judged him unfairly because of the others in the Academy. He has always believed in me, and maybe there are more dragons like him out there who I never found. Maybe my people won’t always be doomed to flee the Beast because of their scorn for those who are different than themselves.
We are on some other world now. I am not sure if it is Earth or one of the nearer colonies. At least it seems to be hospitable to life.
(Folks are discussing how the internet works out of game. There are apparently local nets for each colony/planet as well as a "galaxy net" or G-net that spans the colonies, but it has about an hour of lag and relies on mages teleporting physical media between the worlds.
"G-net is a sneaker net." ~ Nate "What’s a sneaker net?" ~ Curtis "Its where you take the CD and move it to the other computer using your sneakers." ~ Nate)
Eight armed guards, some sort of huge machine suit thing, and a man in a brown cloak all teleport in around us. I assume they detected our transportation and wanted to make sure we are not some terrorist force or something.
("I think Captain Charisma should start." ~ Mike referring to Max)
The machine thing demands that we drop our weapons. Matt drops his laser pistol, no one else seems to have a weapon to drop. As I heard the request in impeccable dragon common I will bet that the machine is using magic to speak to us.
(The doctor senses that there is a warded affect around the robot to allow it to speak all tongues. He also realizes that the robot is not really speaking English, Nomeish, or Dwarven. It sounds like it might be an eastern Earth language of some sort. He is trying to figure out who these people might be. It looks like the robot might be the general who settled the Lupis colony which we are on.)
The machine demands an explanation of who we are and why we are here, starting with Matt. It points a rather large gun at him. Matt declares his identity and retrieves an ID card for the mech.
(Mike tells those with access internet that the robot’s name is Khan Ji-Tae. He is the Korean general who settled this colony.)
("That’s my Ident card! That’s a whole $20 to replace!" ~ Matt "I desperately need a fake…" ~ Max)
It demands to know who I am. I say that I am Rae Denison and pass over my ID card. I think I am probably screwed if the guy in the robe is a mage as he appears to be.
They check all of the other’s IDs. The robot demands an explanation. Matt volunteers me to explain. He will pay for that. I give a rough explanation but leave out most of the incriminating details. I think the mage can tell that I am hiding something. I hope he will not pierce my illusion.
The robot is somewhat unwilling to believe our story, but I think we may be able to convince him. He says that we will come with him and will be questioned further. He seems to be a major military power here. They try to cuff us. Shit! I try to act as if I am simply upset, but the mage sees through my ruse. He casts something and my illusion drops.
What an exciting day this is. I am put in a transport vehicle and the mage rides along watching me carefully. The others are put in another vehicle that seems to be made to transport prisoners. They did not give our ID cards back.
I have a nasty feeling that vivisection may be in my future if I can not think of some sort of plan.
We are driven to a heavily reinforced military building. The robot may have some sort of desire for the truth, but I am guessing against a sense of justice.
(While we are being transfered from the vehicles and the building, Matt and Vadril both try to get their hands on the blueprints of the facility and only barely fail. The others are all locked in cells.)
I am taken to what I think is probably an interrogation chamber. The robot and the mage are keeping a large metal table between me and them. I suppose that is wise.
The robot questions me about Glaurung and about my travels. He seems to be somewhat suspect of my answers, but I think the mage confirmed that I was telling the truth. The robot seems especially concerned about Glaurung being close to the colony because it might bring the devourer down on him. I guess the humans linked the "wandering world" to the disappearance of Percepie. I know that Glaurung should be gone within the week, but I do not know if there is any way to get it to leave more quickly. I suggest that they should try to contact the inhabitants of Glaurung by magic. If anyone hears the message I bet they will be willing to leave more quickly. The robot says that he will question the others to confirm or deny my story. I can not see how this could hurt me, since they all know more or less what is going on. I hope none of them are dumb enough to lie.
I am escorted to a metal cell and locked in.
I do not think that I will be able to escape this place with any amount of force and stealth is probably also of limited utility. It would be ironic if I was teleported back to human civilization only to spend my remaining days rotting in this cell.
The cell walls seem to be some sort of durable metal and the door is sealed tight. There is a vent in the ceiling, but it is far too small to be of help. It is nice to know they are not planning to suffocate me anyway.
(Max is taken off to be interrogated. He answers their questions, but gives them some lip. The robot hits him twice and the second time Max runs out of vitality and passes out. They dump him back in his cell and bring Matt for interrogation. They question him about the two alien worlds we have been on. They also seem to be trying to assess if they can disappear all of us without any backlash. The general seems to be somewhat satisfied with Matt’s answers as the mage gets into his mind and seems to confirm that Matt is telling the truth. They take Matt back to his cell and Vadril is taken to the interrogation chamber. Vadril answers their questions and tells them more about the first alien world.)
After quite a long time, I am taken to some sort of lounge area. The others are here as well. The mage talks to us and says that he is going to let us go as we will not be a threat to this colony if he lets us go. He lets me put my illusion back up, though it is more difficult to get it right on such short notice. ("Merlin Huntington, master of the arcane arts" is what the mage’s business card says.) He says that if we are ever in trouble we should feel free to call him. He returns the other’s weapons and transports us away with a wave of his hand.
We are somewhere on a hospitable world. Its night time. I ask the others where we are and they say that we are in North Korea. Apparently we did at least get back to earth. I think that we should try to get ahold of Bryant, but no-one else seems to feel this is very urgent. Vadril says that he has to go deal with some personal and business matters.
The others discover that the news is reporting Mercury was turned into grey goo as Max thought. Scientists have crashed it into the sun to destroy it. Max is quite upset by this. I suggest that this might mean all the trapped souls will have been freed, but Max says no, they are not free. I guess he has some way to check. Perhaps he and Bryant will have to die as well before they are free.
(Vadril transports off to Valhalla, a Royal city of some sort that is deep under the earth. He is planning to try to get an audience with the Caretaker to tell it what he has found out, but it will be a day or so before he will be able to see it.)
(Curis tells us out of game that Lupus colony will feel the psyonic echos before Glaurung leaves their system several days later, but is not devoured.)
Max, Matt, and I are going to go to Luna to try to find Bryant while Vadril is off taking care of things. We leave the man who is still in a coma at one of the hospitals in North Korea. Matt leaves some contact information with him as well. Matt is reluctant to use his real ID when we purchase tickets to transport to Luna, but he eventually does anyway. We teleport to Pax city on Luna.
Matt wants to talk to his mother before we visit Mercaba’s Luna office. We stop at a small store and pick up some food. I definitely need to get some rest soon.
("You order pizza and you wait. The pizza shows up. The pizza man is evil." ~ Curtis)
We are visiting Matt’s mother’s apartment, I catch a nap while they are waiting for her to come home. Matt’s mom arrives. She seems very young to have a grown son. I had gathered that humans usually age faster than that. Matt introduces us and then drags his mother off to talk to her. I assume this has something to do with his wild questioning about his possession or lack of a soul.
(Matt talks to his mom about who/what he is and who she is.)
They seem to be talking about stupid inconsequential things. I assume they are having a mental conversation of some sort. Eventually his mom goes off to her room and Matt tells us that we will have a meeting with some people at her company tomorrow.
(Matt sends an email to Vadril telling him that he should join us for the meeting tomorrow.)
We end up staying the night in Matt’s mom’s apartment. Apparently Matt still has a room here. Couches are a bit soft, but not too bad to sleep on.
(Curtis and Vadril go off to talk about Vadril’s meeting with the Caretaker.)
That night I have another dream. It starts off the same as always. I can never escape and it chases me down a maze of dark tunnels, snapping at my heels. This time I trip as I am fleeing. I desperately try to get back up, but all I manage to do is turn to look back at the creature that is chasing me. It is not the Beast chasing me! It is Glaurung!
I awake in a cold sweat on the couch…
End of Session