Getting oriented
Large Tower – Senators point – that’s Central. Guards, let them in.
Some … concern from Adra about Owen (or a fragment from the Sigil) being here.
Central should admit us with the Sigil.
Central
Exploring … places where panels have been left open … flashing red lights …
Big hole in the middle of the room. Central’s housing. Severed cables, disconnected ones.
It’s all dusty … so a long time ago.
Done by Owen/AM?
How did it happen?
- Saraid getting a feel for the room.
- TBs taking measurements and seeing if or how it would be physically possible.
- Mizzle – looking for footfalls, drag marks, wheels,
Seems likely that the AM ordered clanks or some other laborers to disconnect and take it away.
Adra is trying not to touch at stuff.
No terminals.
But a large tunnel, connecting in to the Aetheric Lines. Would need to teleport to the Stream of Souls to enter into it.
But signs of where terminals were taken.
Ah! Found one!
But accessing it, need the Central AI for any more than basic functionality.
TBs - Logs? Lots of entries of “power dropping” things, then “reserve power reactivated”. Any sign of central activities (printer system polling, anti-virus checks from the servers).
Saraid - checking out papers.
Off to the Senate!
Mizzle and Saraid go with Adra.
Owen wisps back into the Sigil, feeling awkward.
Senator Joan of Belltown.
Lots of reps from places we’ve visited and communicated with.
Mizzle hands out manuscripts, including to Nita.
Mizzle splains: Original SqK, Ambra, was created by the AM. Access to all systems. When she died, tried to replace with another Ambra, unfortunately … it didn’t work (“We don’t talk about demons …”).
When AM left, came to where his lab was and stole cloning info, and continued experiments.
The Trimaldis Investigate!
TBs find magitech components … (see group sheet treasure)
But it has been scoured for useful stuff.
Papers and sheets – an inventory!
Things checked off – stuff in support of the central operations, but not secondary functions. Hmmmm.
Thoughts and Questions:
Searching physical evidence to try to figure out when the Central system was shut down / taken. Alternatives:
- The date seems long ago, possible at end of Owen’s rule (a bit on either side?) – do we know those dates (the end of the Empire)?
- The date has been some time since then (e.g., 40 years ago).
- The date is relatively recent (since power returned?!?) … Elonians on the march?
Elonians? Lamentors? any of these time frames with different naratives. (Any signs? Notes written in a certain language?)
If it was the AM … why? Shutting down his empire? Keeping things safe and secret? And why not take the support systems?
If the Elonians (e.g.),. grabbing the central item and have limits on bringing stuff back.
Hey, don’t they know how to travel across the Aether? Is that how things got taken back? (which would point to recent power-up being when this happened)
TBs go to the Senate … and see … Lady Watcher walking the halls … Eek! So quick!
… scramble behind her as she’s escorted to the Senate floor!
Senators are scribbling questions. Levistus is calling back to order.
Doors swing open … and it’s the Lady Watcher!
Lady Lampara, Countess of Loomkeep, Representative to Harmony.
And as such, I want to file a grievance against that squirrel and boy!
They have taken hostage my bondsman who owes me a great debt.
Oh, Surdak.
He’s a debtor to me, and I will have it repaid.
Mizzle mentions all the connections of him and her to the AM’s power and vs the Elonians.
She steps out … requests the floor.
Sway the Senate Battle!
Clocks:
- Sway the Senate
- Ousted from the Senate.
Pre- TBs – slip thru crowd. Hinder → Shaken!
Round 1
- Lady - Establishing her bonafides. INS+WLP … invoke a trait @ 14. Mizzle counters with “I have the documentation!” Spends an FP. Draw. Mizzle invokes a bond with Saraid … put her family on the line. So nothing advances.
- TBs - Your papers, please! Flipping through a Senate rule book. Success! Dazed!
- Levistus - If she’s true, I would be disappointed. Tries to Hinder Saraid.
- Saraid - centers herself and … bumps up her WLP.
- Lady - Surdak isn’t good, but doesn’t deserve to be in bondage. Mizzle - it’s correct to imprison a criminal, just ask the elves of Rozinande. Invoking Surdak’s unrepentant trait, +2 bonus
- Mizzle - on page X, here’s what Surdak was doing. So she needs to talk to the druids, not the Senate, and that’s why they came here.
Round 2
- Lady - This isn’t Rozinande, but Harmony, where you fled. (at Mizzle). Hinder … and spends an UP. Shaken.
- TBs - Provoke (!) her over picking on a little kid. Succeed (with bonds to Mizzle invoked).
- Levistus - Young Raccoons, that was out of turn! Please keep personal attacks to yourselves. Saraid opposes, decrementing the Ousted clock. Very politely.
- Saraid - Unexpected Ally - Anders, the count has sworn to protect the SqK. Anders will now collaborate on Opposing Checks of +2.
- Lady - Outraged listening to children and their friends. Mizzle opposes, invoking Anders. The Senate chose us, lady. So if we’ve made friends along the way, that shows how good we’ve done. We have the facts on our side. Angry faces turning toward the Lady.
- Mizzle - parlay the previous point into Objective check. INS+INS - the Lady is the one who attacked us coming back to Harmony. Not in good faith, Senate has to determine. She doesn’t want that conversation with the druids. Big fail!
Round 3
- Lady - UP and … Recovery! 50MP, but clear statuses.
- Saraid - gets up in her face, WLP+MIG. The watchers are evil, power-seeking, even the AM would be disappointed in their actions and abuse of his creations and their populace and their neighbors. Tagging Arrogance, +2 bonus. Dynamotheria … bursting the clock!!
Levistus: I think we’ve heard enough at this point. The Senate can determine whether Lady Lampara …
Mizzle: Tabled until check with the Druids.
Saraid: A committee!
TBs: Give an Elixir to Saraid.
Mizzle: Drinks a Tonic.
Battle on the Senate Floor!
Lady Lampara blows her stack: Wave of magical energy, blasting Levistus. Wardens are scrambling to protect the Senators.
Summons two Esprits.
People scramble for stuff.
TBs: Ice shot at Esprits (Barrage). Hit both, no extra damage (already know ice is neutral).
Round 1
- Lady - Omega! Zaps the TBs!
- Mizzle - Study the Lady. VU Poison, Dark; RS Light, Ice
- Esprit A - Drain Spirit - TBs lose MP
- TBs - Warning Shot - Shaken + MP loss.
- Lady - Withering Touch on Saraid - Poison Damage. Saraid does the thing to get Resistance to poison.
- Saraid - Icy Breath - Esprits in crisis, but not Lady.
- Esprit B - Prismatic Waves at TBs and AP. 20 light, both of them shrug much of it off.
Round 2
- Weight of Time at TBs. Slow and Poisoned.
- Mizzle heals
- Esprit A - Prismatic Rays.
- Saraid - Moar Ice Breath! on Esprits.
- Lady - Withering Touch on Saraid! Misses!
- TBs - Barrage on Esprits – Kill them. Swap out to Poison (Microwave) rifle.
Round 3
- Lady - Weight of Time at AP.
- Mizzle - Healing (thanks!) via Grandfather Oak - Heal everyone for bunches.
- Lady - Withering Touch @ TBs.
- TBs - Poison in her face! AND another Opportunity which Slows her.
- Saraid - Guardian Fists in her face.
Round 4
- Lady - Omega! Saraid.
- TBs - Shoot her in the face again! In crisis! Lady - Distort Time, eliminates statuses, and Poisoned.
- Lady - Lux vs Mizzle and AP.
- Saraid - Punch in the face.
- Mizzle - Healing! Mizzle and Saraid.
Round 5
- Lady - Lux on Sarraid and Mizzle.
- TBs - Poison in the face! She is down!!!
- Mizzle / AP heals.
Lady - ungrateful children! unwilling to let anyone else have anything you need! and you’re just going to take and go on a useless quest against the Elonians.
Mizzle what should we be grateful for?
Lady …
BOOM!
Battle in the Void
Lady Lampara, Eyes of Eternity. A Demon!
TBs do a high speed Hinder → Shaken (WLP)
Round 1
- Lady - Embrace Eternity – everyone else is Shaken, too.
- Mizzle - studies! Air, Dark, Fire
- Lady - Eyes of Eternity vs Mizzle - Mirror!
- Saraid -
- Lady - Pull someone into the void … Saraid cannot take actions while in the Void, but can’t be targeted.
- TBs - Warning Shot - Slow + MP drain (after swapping out gun for Fire)
Round 2
- Lady - Starry Barrage - Mizzle and TBs.
- Saraid - Smack with her fiery stick. Boom!
- Lady - Chill of the Void on the AP.
- Mizzle - Heal the AP.
- Lady - Sucked into the Void for Saraid again!
- TBs - Fire in the Face. Saraid comes back.
Round 3
- Lady - Starry Barrage - misses Saraid, AP takes no damage. Mizzle: “Looks like you’re still holding back!”
- Saraid - Smackety smack with the Copper Club! Wham! She’s in Crisis! Immune to all statuses, though. Dark -dmg, Light/Ice +dmg. Mizzle looks into the void … a little.
- Lady - Chill the Void at Mizzle. UP. Weak, Ice damage, plus an Opportunity. Weaken Saraid!
- Mizzle - AP Heals Mizzle.
- Lady - Voids Saraid!
- TBs - Fire to the face, doing well.
Round 4
- Lady - Starry Barrage - Mizzle and AP.
- Saraid - Big Whomp!!!
- Lady - Chill the Void at Mizzle. Misses!
- Mizzle - Heals self.
- Lady - Voids Saraid!
- TBs - Fire to the Face! Down to 6 hp!
Round 5
- Lady - Starry Barrage - TBs and AP and it’s almost to our profit.
- Saraid - does the thing!
And she collapses, and we’re back in the Senate chamber.
Pounding the floor.
“Fine, finish me.”
After the Battle
What does she want? “I’m not some tyrant like that old fool Surdak. To live eternal, to stop time, exist in the stream of souls.”
Mizzle - we can find ways to help you live longer without hurting anybody.
She scoffs.
Power of collaboration.
“Oh, Larame, if only you could see me now.” Her dead husband, who brought her into the Lamenters.
They are pursuing the AM’s power. Silliness.
“To get true mastery of time, I had to branch into other things, like my own domain where I couild bend the laws of reality to my need.”
Surdak gets snarky. She oversnarks him.
Senators are filing back in.
She surrendered to us (and is out of UP).
Mizzle wants to offer something first – Arcana of the Grimoire: how can the lady achieve the longevity she seeks without hurting anyone?
→ The druids of Rozenande, creating miniature versions of domains like Surdak created. That knowledge can be gained from the druids. She’s in turmoil, realizing how much times she’s wasted.
Mizzle appeals to her to stop being a disciple and become a teacher.
I feel as though I have made very bad decisions.
Mizzle intervenes with Levistus. Tries to convince him that he can profit by what she knows and turn her life around, rather than throw her in jail.
Fails the roll.
“I won’t let you rot.”
Led away.
Adra -
- healing?
- Senate not convening again today. Also need to discuss rules about people coming to the floor.
Next Time
12 XP! We are at 15! Level up! AGAIN!
Miz’s Session 39+ agenda:
- Locate the Central AI
- Find a way into Starspan Tower and learn about the Stairs
- Fly north to the Gallimaufry. Hand in book. Meet Zeal.
- Return to Clove’s house
Rituals: - call Trishenko
- locate Central
- anti-Ambra ward
GM’s Also on the Session 39 Agenda: I need to hand out rewards for the session. You defended the Harmony Senate, which I think means that you’ll be getting gifts and presents from the members of the Senate, so if anyone has any suggestions and recommendations, feel free to voice them.
This is definitely the time to say things like “Saraid needs…” or “The Trimaldis could use…” to plug those holes.
Trimaldi Notes (for when we contact Trishenko):
- Sent Paw Post letters, but heard they did not get through. Did any postfolk make it to you? Some of them are missing, too.
- Are you okay?
- Heard that the ice encroachment and weather might not be just weather, but some sort of enemy. Aquarians? Anything … to that?
- Heard magically that you might be thinking of going to New Thule – have found a place further south, Delmar-on-the-Hill being salvaged from an earthquake, which we fixed. … lots of room … nice weather … animalkin … know people, Sirius Harmon, and they have offered space for all, and I think it is a good place, tho it’s further. … and they have offered to call it New Trishenko.