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/060204.html].
Session started at 2:18 pm on 2/4/06
Attending players: Mike, James, Eva, John, Jon F. (playing future Nikolai)
Presiding GM: Curtis
Major NPC’s: Two pixie warriors, several Luna werewolves (agh, the pun), Adana Cassenti, the Volikov brothers, an man in a top hat and tails,
Since the doctor claims to have diplomatic immunity, whatever the hell that is, it is just Z and I out in the forest waiting for Matt. Z starts babbling that Matt is going to Canus. What the hell?
(Meanwhile, Vadril has gone to the woods so he can head for the world tree in order to prepare for the meeting. He searches online for a map so he can get himself to the tree. When he reaches about a mile from the tree a voice demands that he halt. He stops and two spear wielding pixie warriors appear in front of him. They are somewhat hostile and inform him that his "kind" [royals] are not allowed any further. Vadril quickly searches for some information on pixies, but only finds the barest minimum. He tries to explain to the pixies why he needs to get to the world tree. The pixies say they will wait to receive information from Cassenti. Vadril messages Cassenti that the pixies will not let him in, but when she responds she tells him to wait and that she will meet him in the morning. Vadril resignedly seats himself by a tree and entertains himself on the net.)
(It is ret-coned that I bought Z back a bean bag chair when I went wandering around in the woods.)
I am getting so damn fed up with all these stupid people going off to do crap on their own! Arghhhhhhhh!!!
Once my blood pressure goes down I ask Z to find out if Matt at least has some sort of plan. Almost immediately, Matt appears. I thought Ivan could not use his magic in Matt’s body, but I guess I was wrong. Matt offers to let Ivan take control of his body in order to talk to us. What a mess.
Ivan wants to go home in order to convince his brothers he is still alive. Since we are still wanted on Canus, this could get worse. On our list of crimes, should we be forced to admit them to the brothers, is breaking into their mansion compound, breaking into Ivan’s bunker, killing Ivan, and stealing a bunch of their stuff. We can argue that it was Max’s bad that Ivan died, but the breaking in and stealing was really us. Ivan could probably take over Matt at any crucial moment and make things even more of a disaster, but he seems sincere that he only wants to let his brothers know he is alive. For now I do not think he is planning to betray us. Z is trying to bargain with the artifacts that we have, but that will not work too well, since the war is a bit more pressing right now.
So Matt is determined to head back to Canus. It seems like we can not really do much to help Matt not die. I tell him to email us and let us know if things turn out ok. If we do not hear from him in 8 hours we will try to come and rescue him.
Ivan teleports Matt to Canus, leaving most of his weapons with us.
I modify my illusion so that the authorities will not have as easy of a time recognizing me. Then I cast a warded illusion effect to disguise Z, for now. Hopefully we can stay out of trouble for long enough to not be caught.
(Meanwhile Matt is trying to get a hold of Ivan’s brothers. I did not pay that much attention to what was happening.)
Z is interested in why I left my home in the first place. He is curious about strange things, but I do not see how he could use it against me so I tell him. I always have the feeling that as long as Z sees me as a friend he is unlikely to incinerate me by accident. I try to treat him a bit more gently than the others, who can stand up for themselves.
(Matt has managed to get to the Volikov brothers and Ivan convinced them that they should at least give us a chance. They are willing to believe that Matt has Ivan in him. Matt offers to turn over most of his recordings to prove that we are not at fault. They seem willing to be persuaded, but want to conduct a full trial when things are a bit more calm. Suddenly the woman who was guarding the entrance to their bunker bursts in and is killed from behind by a man in a suit and top hat. The man carries a cane, which vanishes into his hands. He advances on the brothers and Victor steps forward to counter him physically but falls convulsing on the ground. The gun turrets fire on the suit clad man but the bullets pass through him. Mikhail tries to counter him with magic but has no effect. Matt dashes to the weapons locker and grabs some guns. Ivan also launches a magical fire explosion which engulfs the man, but he continues to advance! He draws his cane and tries to stab Mikhail but his muscles are to far gone to the fire and he collapses in a burning pile. Mikhail is unsurprisingly shocked by the efficiency of the attack and asks Matt to check on Victor.)
(Matt discovers that Victor is still alive but in bad shape. Mikhail says that it is too dangerous for them to go to the surface for medical attention. He does what he can for Victor, but healing magic is not his specialty. Matt gives control of his body back to Ivan. Both of the brothers feel the need to move to somewhere more secure. Victor awakens. He is weak but can speak and stand. Matt finishes editing his logs and sends the data over to Mikhail. Mikhail wishes Matt/Ivan luck and Victor and Mikhail teleport away. Matt grabs some weapons and Ivan teleports them back to the forest.)
So we are some what concealed hanging out in the woods. I am not sure how long we are going to have to wait for Matt, but we really have nothing to gain from moving about and making more noise.
After about half an hour has passed and I suddenly hear a high pitched voice say, "You there!" There are several pixie warriors here. They have seen Z and are about to try to take him into custody. Before they are able to flank Z, I breath on them and they scatter. I manage to get a silence illusion on Z’s feet before he is off into the forest and I dash after him.
A circle of humanoids has cornered us. They say that they are going to take us into custody. I am pretty sure that I can not take them all. I do not like to leave Z here, but unless I get away I can not help rescue anyone. I apologize to Z and teleport to Canus.
(Z tries to talk to our attackers. Something fishy is going on, but there is not much that he can do. Their leader claims to have the authority of the Luna government, but also claims that there is no documentation when Z demands proof. Z tries to convince their leader that something bizarre is going on, but she will not listen. Eventually they get tired of Z stalling. The humanoids transform into giant werewolves and they all attack Z. The first round they rip into him and he nearly falls. He manages to heal himself a bit and tries to surrender, but his mind has slipped and the werewolves do not seem to understand Latin. They subdue him and he falls unconscious.)
I arrive in the park on Canus. There is an all out war going on here with troops landing all around. I manage to duck into an alley and email Matt. He is being a total useless ass today. Eventually he contacts me and I head back to the woods again to meet him. Now we just have to find Z.
Matt sends me a picture of a guy in a top hat and mask with a cane and ask me if I have ever seen him before. I have no idea who he is. Apparently Ivan lit him on fire but I would guess he is not really dead. Matt gives me some smallish devices (gravidic grenades) and we head back to where I left Z.
I can hear faint sounds of something moving through the underbrush rather far away. There are rather large, monstrous tracks leading away and I follow them. About half a mile later the tracks switch to must smaller human tracks. We follow them out of the woods, but I can not follow the tracks on to concrete.
Matt says that they took Z to MagiTech. Matt is being an ass about it. Matt seems to think we should head for the world tree. Damn it! I am totally exhausted and since Matt is still being stupid there is not much that I can do about all this crap. I do not like leaving Z with MagiTech, but for now I conceal myself in the bushes and sleep for a while.
I am awoken by my computer vibrating. Apparently Matt can make my computer try to get my attention. Jeez.
I get up. Matt is near the tree he was sleeping in. He is awake and mostly ok. He deserves the aches he has got. I am pretty sure humans were not meant to sleep in trees. He suggests that we go to find the world tree. I do not see what I can possibly do at the tree that would help, but I do not know what else we would do. This really sucks.
Suddenly the pixies appear again. The seem to have noticed me but not Matt. I try to flee but they are must faster than me on foot and I can not find anywhere to take off. The claim that their orders have changed and they now want to take me to the heart tree. I am not super excited about this but they have not called their friends, so I should still be able to flee. Since the tree is where every one else appears to be going today, I allow them to escort me there.
The tree is pretty much as big as I expected it to be. Everyone I would have expected is here. Apparently the doctor is going to let the Caretaker communicate through him. Cassenti tells him that he can contact the Caretaker through the tree. The doctor steps forward and touches the tree.
Suddenly I feel the echos and there is a terrible rip torn in the air by the tree. An inky black substance splorts out onto the ground and the rip closes. Z pokes the blackness and it ripples in a somewhat unnatural way. It seems to be forming some sort of humanoid form.
It begins talking, apparently it is in pain. It asks for tylenol and Z gives it some white pills. I ask it who it is and it says that it is Nikolai. Z is surprised. Apparently he thinks he knows it but with another face. If I looked like that I would sure as hell wear an illusion.
It seems friendly enough, if a bit confused. It seems to think that it is from some time several weeks in the future. I wonder if this could be related to how Noun and Pronoun ended up on Canus? When I mention Noun and Pronoun it indicates that it knows them as well… I wonder if it was among the friends that they described? I will have to check my notes later.
Nikolai covers itself in an illusion of a human man. Apparently this is how Z knew him. Z seems agitated. Cassenti also seems a bit annoyed and she is staring at Nikolai with an aggravated expression. I suggest that we should get on with the meeting and then figure out what is going on with Nikolai afterwards.
Cassenti turns her attention back to the doctor and the meeting begins. Cassenti demands to know why the Caretaker allowed Percepi to be taken and why it did not warn them. The doctor is silent for a moment and then he says that The Caretaker did not foresee the attack and was not powerful enough to stop it. Cassenti accuses the Caretaker of growing incompetence. The doctor tries to explain that the Caretaker is being overwhelmed by this problem and can not attend to all other problems as it once did. One of the were-wolves challenges the Caretaker’s plan to essentially "rape Luna". Cassenti is incensed. She claims that the Caretaker will not explain its plan to them or allow them to ignore other possible solutions.
Z is laughing. Luna’s people are beginning to notice as he becomes louder and more agitated. He claims that Luna’s people are walking themselves into a trap. They will not let anyone talk to the Caretaker but they will not be convinced that it could be right in any other way. They continue their stupid circular arguments for a bit and then someone finally thinks to ask what about Nikolai.
Nikolai offers that he has spoken with the Void and that Caretaker could not stop it. He says that it wants to consume all worlds which are infused with mystic energy, because with mystic energy it is possible to do something which could destroy everything there is. He is not really clear on what the something is. It crosses my mind that it may not have consumed all of the human worlds because it is busy chasing the dragon world and I say something to that effect. The others seem to accept this as a hypothesis, but I am not convinced that is all there is to it. I think this has something to do with the dream I had so long ago when I finally saw what was chasing me, but I am still not sure how it fits together.
While I am silent thinking about all this, folks begin questioning Nikolai further, and his responses seem to mollify Cassenti and the other Lunans somewhat, since he is not a clear pawn of the Caretaker. Cassenti asks if the Caretaker will be willing to consider other plans that they could devise. The doctor says that the Caretaker is willing to explore other options for the next month before it will be forced go ahead with the ritual. Cassenti asks if the Caretaker will be able to be available to them so that they can discuss other plans with it. The doctor is silent for a moment and then he says that in the month that remains she can present whatever plans they can come up with to the Caretaker and it will do its best to consider them and explain why they will or will not work.
Cassenti is still a bit upset, but I manage to convince her that she should explore other options rather than just being angry. She asks Nikolai about the possibility of examining him to understand the void. Nikolai suggests that instead they should stop the one who has the crown and plans to use it to destroy everything that is, Harry Bryant. Wait, what?… Damn it!
We tell Cassenti how Max absorbed the crown and left to see his father. She thinks for a while and then she says that Max is dead and that Bryant killed him. Apparently she has found visual records of what happened.
Now it looks like we will have to go chasing Bryant trying to get the damn crown back. Pretty much nothing that has happened to me on the human worlds has been less than a giant disaster… If things continue like this, I bet all of everything will be destroyed. I feel so powerless in all of this. Why the hell did I even bother get get myself banished if I am just going to be yanked around by circumstance without any chance to do anything to help stop the Void?
Nikolai seems to think that Bryant has somehow become demonically corrupted. He says that when he spoke to the Caretaker, in the future, it told him that Bryant was not to be trusted. Z mentions that Max had started to smell of brimstone and this leads Cassenti to suggest that perhaps Bryant was controlling Max somehow. That might explain some of the stupidity.
Nikolai says that he met with Bryant on July 17th and at that point Bryant had the crown. So we can not try to get the crown from him before then or it will destroy the future that Nikolai is from. Time travel = giant mess. It is only the end of June right now. So what are we going to do for 17 days?
Cassenti addresses Matt, who is apparently in a tree, and he reveals him self. He has not learned his lesson about trees yet, I see.
Cassenti says that she will make sure that we are not captured, but for political reasons we should not associate with MagiTech or the Luna government. Z says to Cassenti, "have a look at this" but she does not seem interested in whatever it was (Noun’s diagram of how time and space work).
So we have been asked to leave the city until the 17th. Z wants to go to some place called Switzerland and Nikolai suggests that we could come stay on this space station. It looks like the doctor has a better place for us to stay though, with the Royals outside of most government jurisdiction.
(On the 12th Vadril gets a crucial email with no sender information.)
On the 13th StratCo issues a press release that claims that they are capable of making anyone a mystic with genetic engineering. They plan to start this with production of super soldiers. When Matt theorizes that the super soldiers might be the same as the guy in the top hat who attacked the Volikovs, he shows the pictures of the attacker to all of us and Z freaks out.
Z says that there are more of them and that they have been after him. He seems to think that there was one in the hospital we left him in but he burned it. I wonder if Z’s powers are a product of their experiments. I would have just thought he was a tortured mage who had lost his mind, but if he is mixed up in StratCo’s research perhaps his powers were created. I wonder why they would still be after him if they know how to create these super soldiers now.
End Session