Arc 6, Part 6: Fire on the Mountain The GM says, "To recap from the logs, the presnt plan the group has is this: " ----------------------------------William-------------------------------- -- Ekur passes on this information to Neil and Draco. "I think what we need is a merc-resonance on Shoko to come up with his Earth partner, and then knock out the earth-partner at the appropriate time and subsitute a soldier of God or somesuch. ... It's going have to be a last-minute thing, so they can't make a substitution. ... We don't know who Shoko's Earth contact is at the moment. We need you to Mercurianize him for that. And we need to know where is Earth contact is to take him out." Jesdyn [to William]: Interrogate Eri for all relevant information about her relationship with Shoko, spending up to four days (of our remaining fourteen) if I need to. High-tail it to Shoko's hometown, dye my hair, grab some on-duty pumps, bust through his door like Laurence is on my tail, plop myself down on his lap and call him Daddy. ---------------------------------finished-------------------------------- -- The GM says, "We begin, then, in a sparsely furnished but brightly lit room beneath Civis City Hall. Eri is sitting in a chair in front of a table, a Malakite of Stone is watching her, and you three are in the next room observing through a mirror." fadethecat [to William]: Roll to turn resonance on? Ekur autorezzes Eri, of course. Neil pings the Malakite, just to watch for surprises, but doesn't worry about Eri yet. Neil rolled 9 versus 18 and succeeded by 9. William [to fadethecat]: Sure. Draco rolled 8 versus 21 and succeeded by 13. William [to Jesdyn]: The Malakh reads as bone-stock rookie fresh from the Catacombs. William [to fadethecat]: All but 'actual Truth' ready. William [to Ekur]: Defiant and expecting to be offed when she refuses to talk about the mission. Jesdyn [to William]: Pause it, please. The GM says, "?" Jesdyn [to William]: What were we thinking when we set it up like this? Jesdyn [to William]: I don't mind observing the interrogation, but why's /he/ out there? Jesdyn [to William]: The scene'll work, I'm just trying to figure out why Neil's arranged it this way. The GM says, "The Malakite? I just threw him in during setup. You could justify it by saying that you'd rather not have her dreaming up a tunnel out of the place, so someone needed to keep an eye on her. If you would advise against it, this is your baby right now." Jesdyn [to William]: Oh! So we're talking to her from in here. Jesdyn [to William]: I thought we were just observing. Jesdyn [to William]: Alright, now I see it. Neil says, "Ready." The GM says, "No, she can't see you, it's a two-way mirror... standard cop-drama interrogation room." Jesdyn [to William]: ... right. We're going to go in there when we're ready. I got it. Neil starts. The GM says, "Sorry for the terseness. Okay, forward!" Neil says, "Were we able to find anyone who knows Ethereal Charm?" StevenE [to Jesdyn]: other than me? Jesdyn [to StevenE]: Oh boy. I didn't know you bought it. Jesdyn [to StevenE]: How long will it last on one point? Ekur has it at skill 22 (effective 17 in the Marches). The GM says, "1 minute per Essence, maintainable." Jesdyn [to William]: Gyah. Stupid combat song. Neil says, "We'll keep that in reserve for the climax, then." Neil says, "How do we want to approach this? Bad Cop / Worse Cop?" Neil says, "What can we offer her to make her talk?" Neil says, "What do we have -- aside from me and maybe him -- that she wants?" Draco hees. "Um. Promise of release, but I'm not sure we /can/ offer her that. Reduced sentence in return for cooperation. Might be worth asking her right-out, because even if she lies, /any/ answer might give Draco something useful." Neil says, "Ekur, what kind of holds to the kami likely have on her?" Ekur says, "Hmm. She's expecting to be killed when she doesn't talk, so it's ahrd to see how we can intimidate her into talking. Whatever it is, she's willing to die to keep her mouth shut. But yes, getting her to talk about anything might be productive enough." The GM says, "(Note: die *ethereally*, and reform at her anchor. She doesn't presently fear celstial execution.)" Neil says, "Hmm. I don't want to just give her back to the kami, and she's actively aiding Hell." StevenE [to William]: Okay, then, using my autorez reaction question -- how would she react if threatened with soul death? Neil says, "No sense in letting her keep doing that. Can we threaten execution? And can we follow through?" William [to Ekur]: She'd feel unjustly put-upon, and afraid, and be willing to strike any deal that wouldn't involve her *own* superiors executing her. William [to Neil]: If you refer to a question of law, then only political concerns might restrain you; legally, absolutely, she's aligned with the other Side. Jesdyn [to William]: Just what do I need for a trial? Jesdyn [to William]: As in, can I say "We're gonna do this thing now", or do I just tell her what's coming? StevenE [to William]: Okay. Hmm, is there any way Heaven could make her unsummonable by sorcerers? Because it strikes me that even if we offered her a safehouse, they could try summoning her, killing her summoned self, and then attacking her at the anchor. Jesdyn [to StevenE]: We could knock off all her Ethereal Forces; then she couldn't be summoned to the Ethereal. We could call it the Witless Protection Program. William [to Neil]: Reading the laws, it looks like angels get appeals but ethereals... don't. So you're judge, jury and executioner if it comes to that. It might be good form to allow Jack an appeal. William [to StevenE]: And pretty much what Jesdyn says... unless you fundamentally alter her Image, she's summonable by anyone who knows her. The GM says, "Sitting alone at the table, she looks up at the Malakite and winks. The Malakite might as well be employing his Choir attunement for all the response he gives." Neil will abuse the law today, but he makes a note that it's gonna need immediate attention. He's getting tired of this second-class citizen business, and the idea that what happens when monkeys screw what you get is humanity but when they think it isn't is getting old pretty fast. Draco nobly offers to fling himself at the ethereal if necessary for negotiation purposes. Should it happen to come up. Ekur says, "Okay. We cna threaten her with the final death, sure, but she still won't talk if she thinks it would result in her getting soul-killed by her own side. So we can go in there, do our best to have her talk, and perhaps then good-cop bad-cop her on celdeath to extract a bit more material for Draco to analyze." Jesdyn [to William]: How'd we manage to keep hold of Lamont? Jesdyn [to William]: They just didn't want him back, or weren't angry enough to go looking for revenge? Jesdyn [to William]: And just how much trouble will altering her Image be? We're not talking about rethreading her or celestial surgery, are we? The GM says, "Both, basically. He was never a very 'expensive' flunky. The kami are more organized and hierarchical, so she's part of an organization that expects results." The GM says, "And altering her Image? That's almost as impossible as what Bloom's trying to do. (In fact it *is* what he's trying to do, he's just aiming for a usually-impossible Image.)" Jesdyn [to William]: Alright. How well can she lie to her masters, if she's of a mind to? Can the kami pick thoughts out of your Forces like Superiors? The GM says, "Not any better than most Ethereals, with Songs and the like, unless any of them have special Attunements for the matter. Heck, any Archangel not your own just has Superior-strong resonances available to read your mind." The GM says, "(You guys, for example, have three information resonances and two reaction-sensing attunements between you, once you start talking to her.)" Neil rubs his halo. "We can't hide her and she can't run. Wonder how she'd do as a spy." fadethecat [to Jesdyn]: I note for planning purposes that Draco has an attunement that lets him know what someone will pay for anything. Depending on how metaphorically that's taken, it can be /awfully/ useful for setting up deals. Neil thinks. "Hmm. Even if she wouldn't make a good spy, talking about it would cover a WIDE array of subjects she could leak information on. Might be a good conversational opening." Ekur nods. "You want to take the lead, Neil?" Draco adjusts his spectacles. "If you'd like, I can move behind her while listening. Do you want me to alert you immediately if she's lying, or not until a more private moment?" Neil nods. "Yeah, I'll start. Wait a little, Draco, we'll pause every so often." Neil takes a moment to smooth his image, shines his halo, and steps into the room. Ekur follows Neil. Ekur re-resonates when they enter the room, to pick up on anything new. William [to Ekur]: She's got a sense of "Ah, here they come, bring it on" challenge to her emotional makeup. Neil says, "Hiya, Eri. Hope you weren't uncomfortable waiting here." Draco has given up his perch on Neil's shoulder in favor of scampering along the floor, off to a place out of the ethereal's direct line of sight. Eri looks up. "Not at all. I expected..." she dreamshapes up a pair of handcuffs on her wrists and slinks them behind her head... "much harsher treatment." Neil banters back, "You'd enjoy that too much." He continues, "We've reviewed your case, and as an agent of the August Prosperity Collective, an Ethereal pantheon allied with the Demon Prince of the Media and apprehended in the act of furthering the cause of the Hellsworn "Black Order", I have judged you guilty of consorting with Hell. There is no jury or appeal. The penalty is celestial termination, which I am prepared to execute. Neil says, "Let's see if we can find a reason not to go that far." Eri pauses. "I believe I was offered a defense lawyer." William [to Ekur]: There's that sudden undercurrent of worry. Neil says, "You were. I apologize for my error, and will answer to my Superior for it." Ekur looks at Eri. "I think it can be arranged. Neil, I'm a Vassal, can I be the defense counsel?" [ snip msg'ing ] Neil nods. "If she wished. We've discussed the relevant law already -- in the case of Ethereals, it's shorter than it probably should be." Ekur looks to Eri. Eri looks at Ekur. "Well, I'd rather not be killed; or at least, not more than being given an express ticket back to my anchor. Make it happen." Ekur says, "Good. Eri, as your counsel, I advise you to -- what's the phrase? Oh, yes, 'cop a plea'." Eri chews on that. "What do you have in mind? I don't intend to betray my people." Draco flips open his notebook, pen poised. Neil . o O ( Hmm. "Betray your people" was exactly what I intended. ) Neil says, "Which people would that be?" Neil says, "The movement in Civis, or the Collective?" William [to Draco]: She's negotiating, of course -- claiming as hardball a position as she can to establish the starting setup. Truth is, she figures her Superiors will excuse 'accidentally losing something to angelic resonance' if she can play it that way. Eri says, "The August Prosperity Collective, of course. I care about Civis only insofar as I'm ordered to. I quite like my home, and have no wish to live here." William [to Draco]: All straightforwardly true. Neil says, "It's /dying/ here we're discussing, Eri." Eri looks at you seriously. "Welcome to the War, rookie. It's dying if I reveal classified information, too." Ekur says, "Hmm. Okay, how about this for a plea arrangement? Eri agrees to answer all of Neil's questions. However, when an answer would genuinely and materially constitute betrayal of the Collective, she may choose to lie, which she will signal by crossing her fingers. If, in your opinion as a servitor of Judgment, the true information she provides is sufficient to serve to reduce her sentence, you will so reduce it." Neil . o O ( Clever. But will she buy it? ) Neil . o O ( Well, she's always had interests other than homework. ) Draco . o O ( I need to hang around these people more often. They think the right way. ) Neil . o O ( And we can always threaten to send the transcript to her boss. ) Eri says, "So, I answer when I want to and don't answer... no, lie... ah." She sits back. "I guess I can honestly tell my bosses I refused to say what you asked me. Allright, I can work with that." Neil puts his hands on the table and smiles. "What's your favorite color?" (FADE SCENE) The GM says, "After a few days of poking and prodding, you've learned that Eri and Shoko never got intimate; they had a few hours a night in which to conduct business on the project, and her overtures never led anywhere. She talks openly about the Aum Association of Mountain Wizards, Shoko's shady business with the health drinks and yoga classes, and Draco picks up bits about the Sorcerer recruitment from among the applicants when she lies about knowing what he did with it. She honestly doesn't know who Shoko spoke to -- using mundane channels -- before coming to Civis each Japanese night. She expects he'd be surprised to see her in real life, and would count it evidence of an emergency." The GM says, "And finally, given the various offhand comments about pop culture and Shintoism, Buddhism, and the Japanese interpretation of Armageddon she talks about concerning Shoko's religious views, it would probably be wise to pick up some familiarity with Japanese culture if you expect to pass as Eri for more than moments." The GM says, "When directly questioned about Shoko's contact with the Black Order, she pales, gets extremely frightened, and refuses to speak even to lie. She's more scared of them than she is of a quick execution." The GM says, "During this period, the legwork from angels on the ground in Tokyo gets you Shoko's address and, after the interrogation, that of his school." The GM says, "(Anything else you'd have wanted?)" Jesdyn [to William]: Nah, that covers it. Jesdyn [to William]: Although -- I saw you talking on the Vessel mechanics thread on the IN List. What're the rules for pregnant vessels again? The GM says, "O_o You can't, without Fruition or an ethereal Fertility affinity." Jesdyn [to William]: Just checking. William checks thread... well, or being a Grigori or getting the help of a Midwife, but neither of those applies here either. Jesdyn [to William]: Okay. I've got most of what I need to know. I need to get fluency in Japanese language and culture and a list of Heavenly assets in Tokyo in an awful hurry. The GM says, "Option for purchasing these, and these apply to any of you:" fadethecat [to William]: I don't actually have any free points. Is there an option for going into debt? The GM says, "Dominic is showing up soon and can instill a point or two in language (Japanese), or Savoir-Faire (Japanese culture). The language is available as a talisman at any point level for the equivalent in Favors from enchanters in Civis. Half-point talismans of the latter can be quick-and-dirtied by a Mercurian of Creation on short notice." William [to fadethecat]: Literal favor debt to any enchanters involved, or requisitioning from Heaven. You've certainly earned at least as much as the levels we're talking about here in the sessions played so far, so you can credit it against earned points if you wish. Jesdyn [to William]: Quick housekeeping notes: Did I make the restitution with Jahaz that Dominic demanded, and are these Favors likely to come up in play? Favors against angels often don't /work/ very well. fadethecat [to William]: Is there a functional point difference between getting it as talismans or as imprinted? Because I'd prefer the latter if they cost the same, but less so if it costs more. William [to Jesdyn]: Yes, Jahaz was resolved offscreen, and a Favor is your word as bond, not a supernatural compulsion, so in a sense it's unbreakable... and really, tying Heaven in with the Marches economy is one of those things Civis is all about. William [to fadethecat]: Yep, a talisman paid for with x points functions as 2x points in the skill. The GM says, "Otoh, it's loseable or breakable." Jesdyn [to William]: Well, I already owe somebody in Asgard, why not more. I'll buy the language but take the Savoir-Faire talisman. fadethecat [to William]: ...really? Then talismans it is. It's also tradeable to someone else, which Draco finds useful. Can I safely assume these are purchased with favors using the standard caveats about not going against the will of one's Archangel or previously-existing promises? The GM says, "Those are not, in fact, standard caveats, since Heaven-Marches trade is rare as yet... but you can negotiate them! Roll me Merchant." Ekur will take a half-point in Japanese as direct skill (16) against future experience. Since his vessel is visibly non-Japanese, it'll be expected he doesn't know Japanese culture well. Draco rolled 12 versus 20 and succeeded by 8. William [to fadethecat]: A solid success, and your caveats are accepted as quite reasonable. No lowering of the value they provide. Draco wants to get into the local economy. He'll take a one-point Language (Japanese) talisman, then, and trust to common sense to negotiate the culture. Because, well, bird vessel. He wants to know what people are saying, but doesn't think he's going to need polite table manners. Neil says, "I'll go one point into debt for Japanese (19) since I'm Jane-On-The-Spot, and see if Draco's willing to help me get the same deal for a Savoir-Faire talisman." Draco is more than happy to help anyone else negotiate. Will even broker deals for no fee, as part of getting used to Civis culture and economies. William doublechecks everybody's orders. Neil will have a point of language instilled by Dominic and will pay 1/2 point in Favors for a 1-point Savoir-Faire (Japan) talisman from a local. Draco and Ekur will each pay 1/2 point for a 1 point language talisman, Ekur against earned points and Draco in favors. Is that correct? (I know the rules allow 1/2 point talismans, but I can't do much with 1/4 point!) Draco says, "Sounds right to me." Jesdyn [to William]: Sounds good. Jesdyn [to William]: What is S-F, an M/E skill? fadethecat [to Jesdyn]: Yup. William [to fadethecat]: Thanks. Neil hasn't unpacked his G3e, yet -- what's that mean for IQ 18? The GM says, "1 point in M/E = IQ." Jesdyn [to William]: So how come all my languages say 19? StevenE [to William]: No, i don't want a talisman, I want the skill direct. Jesdyn [to William]: I've got one point in Angelic (my native), English, and Japanese. What should those be? William [to Jesdyn]: Angelic and English are both 'native' languages for you, which follow different rules. They start at IQ and go up by 1 level per point. William [to StevenE]: Ah, okay. So 1 point instilled against future points? StevenE [to William]: No. Half a point in debt for half a point in the skill. This is 3e, after all. The GM says, "1/2 point, check. " Neil has Japanese-18 [1, unpaid] and Talisman: Savoir-Faire (Japanese Culture)+1 [1/2 point Favor owed] (skill with Talisman is 18). Ekur says, "Assuming Japanese is M/A, 0.5 points is IQ-2, 1 is IQ-1 . . ." The GM says, "Right." Neil says, "Languages aren't Easy? Make that Japanese-17, then." Ekur now has ten corporeal tongues, one at Native and nine at half-a-point-each. Draco awws. Only has five, plus the talisman. Ekur . o O ( Four of them dead tongues, but . . . ) The GM says, "Yeah, you can almost talk to anybody on the planet. Heck, Mandarin Chinese, as we learned two sessions ago, means you could probably communicate in writing with a Japanese speaker before..." Neil has only three, but he's spent points on all of them. The GM says, "I think I've got everything. Within a couple of days, Dominic makes his appearance (for once we can skip the excruciating intimacy of Archangelic investigation by Geburah embodied), shopping trips are completed, and you are geared up. The talismans are unobtrusive rings, though Draco's appears as a band around one leg." Neil lets William skip his scene with hardly a qabble. William [to Neil]: A Vessel switch is considered, but the Essence and Force expenditure is deemed a bit much given that Shoko never met Eri corporeally. Jesdyn [to William]: Yeah, I was going to pass it off as randomness coming out of Limbo. The GM says, "And now:" ----------------------------------William-------------------------------- -- The brief briefing on Japan: During the historical era, the major powers in Japan -- besides the not-insignificant kami -- were the War and Flowers, with each making advances in the area that concerned them -- the War was pleased with the Warring State Era, while Flowers has always had its cultural influence spread around the Chrysanthemum Throne. This period began shifting when Marc penetrated the market via Commodore Perry, and the Baal/Novalis conflict came to a sharp conclusion with the end of World War II and the institution of Article 9. Heaven found itself unable to rest easy, though, since the means of winning this war brought Beleth and Belial two strong Tethers at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Beleth's increasing influence means the kami continue to progress under her patronage as well. Meanwhile, Marc's influence, while strong in Tokyo and strongest in Osaka, pales next to the combined might of the Media and Technology in Tokyo. In order of strength, the primary Tethers in the immediate vicinity of Tokyo are a major Media Tether, in Shibuya 109 (a glitzy shopping square), a strongly-suspected major Technology Tether somewhere within the operations of a high-tech firm, a fairly strong ethereal Tether at the training center for Shinto priests on Mt. Fuji, a moderate Flowers Tether at the Meiji Shrine, a moderate Flowers Tether at Wakeijuku dormitory, and a moderate Sword Tether at the Keishicho building, headquarters for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. (Baal's strongest remaining Tether in the region, Yasukuni, is virtually unusable. Rumors have it that negotiations are under way for him to seal off his fork of the now-tight Tether, and let the kami have full use of it. The price would no doubt be vicious.) Especially given the number of angelic Tethers elsewhere in the country, the area is generally considered contested territory in the War. ---------------------------------finished-------------------------------- -- The GM says, "Poit when finished." Neil poits. Draco poits. Draco also, hmms. No Trade Tether in the area. Well, none of us are on /bad/ terms with Flowers, right? Ekur poits. Neil says, "But are /any/ of us on good terms with War?" Draco says, "Does it matter? They don't have any Tethers there." The GM says, "Marc's inoffensive to everybody." fadethecat [to William]: Except for Stone, apparently. The GM says, "Or, at least, he's not offended by anybody, which goes a long way." The GM says, "Dreams doesn't like him either, for that matter." Draco nods. Oh, right, forgot about Dreams. The GM says, "At any rate, you're hardly like to be *refused* use of any Tether you choose." The GM says, "Before we leave, though, what *did* you do with Eri once the interrogation was complete?" Draco says, "Come to think of it, we all get along with the Sword too." Jesdyn [to William]: How long until the nova event? roll 1d6 On 1d6, you rolled 6. The GM says, "Just over a week." Neil says, "I need her on ice until then. I don't /like/ rolling the Wheel of Judgment, but... how long is it going to take her to reform?" The GM says, "Weeks, if she's killed corporeally... and that would be substantially gentler than a mental attack. She suffers the same Trauma, but -- assuming she wakes up -- she won't wake up with Discord." Jesdyn [to William]: No. I'd suffer Dissonance for letting her off so lightly, anyways. I have a better idea. The GM says, "Risk of soul-death is hardly 'light,' but... mm?" Neil says, "Eri, I'd thank you for your cooperation if I didn't have to extract it at swordpoint. Your sentence has been commuted to imprisonment in Civis until such time as you repent your misdeeds and no longer seek to advance the cause of Hell." Neil . o O ( What she doesn't know is that we don't have the facilities to hold her very long. Sooner or later someone's going to summon her to Earth -- and a couple Malakim will follow her down. ) Eri "..." The GM says, "At any rate, she makes no immediate objection and events can move on." The GM says, "Tell me where you want to make landfall and we'll hit Tokyo running." Draco recommends the Sword Tether. Sword can always be counted on for assistance if requested. Ekur hmms. "I have no objection to the Sword." Jesdyn [to William]: Like I'm gonna object to a police station? The GM says, "Sword it is. You head to the Cathedral of the Sword, lay out your mission, and are quickly escorted to the Tether endpoint and descend." The GM says, "One at a time (to allow Disturbance to fade), you descend. You start in a small, empty chapel, with a sheathed sword lying on an altar, and no other furnishings. The Light of Heaven intensifies to obscuring brightness, and then fades to colors and sounds. You now stand in a room stacked with neatly categorized file cabinets, away from an audible bustle outside. An angel in a crisply-pressed uniform greets you as you arrive, and waits for the third. Upon his arrival..." *in Japanese, of course* "And once again, may I say, welcome to Tokyo. I trust you have been made familiar with the local laws concerning the carrying of weaponry, especially firearms. Our colleagues of Flowers..." with a carefully neutral face... "are especially fervent about seeing to the maintenance of this municipal protocol. As a result, the War is fought on very cultural fronts here." Yamabushi says, "If there is any assistance that the angels of the Sword can provide you, please do not hesitate to contact us. For many incidents, you may also find the Metropolitan Police to be extremely effective." Draco checks under his feathers. "No firearms on me!" he says brightly. Neil says, "Thank you. We appreciate your offer of assistance, but hope not to disturb you from your pressing tasks." fadethecat [to Jesdyn]: What does Neil's vessel look like, again? I believe I remember Ekur's. Neil . o O ( You could make a case that /all/ combat in the Marches is cultural, anyways. ) Ekur nods. "Check." His sword is summonable if necessary, so no need to carry. Jesdyn [to fadethecat]: God, it's been so long I forgot everything save that she's female. Uhm. Short. Red-haired. The GM says, "Definitely not Japanese, mainly." Jesdyn [to fadethecat]: Was thinking a quick black dye, although the skin tone and American features will still stand out. fadethecat [to Jesdyn]: Not a bad idea. Tether might have facilities for such. Draco is a shiny black raven, not native to this particular land mass. William [to Draco]: I'm sure ravens are native to every land mass but Antarctica. fadethecat [to William]: Oh, they are. I just figured the precise species would be different around Japan than in Africa. Probably not enough so that anyone but an avid birdwatcher would notice. The GM says, "Sailor Mars has a pair of raven... pets, familiars, something... that are, of course, named Phobos and Deimos." Ekur is a short, swarthy man of Middle Eastern appearance. Now with two working legs! Neil snickers. The GM says, "If you want a dye job, yes, the police certainly have various small items like that readily available. And you've got your own money in the form of requisitionable credit, since you didn't alter Wealth level in character creation." fadethecat [to William]: Corvus corone orientalis vs. Corvus frugilegus, yeah. William [to fadethecat]: I'll be durned. fadethecat [to William]: http://hungryhyaena.blogspot.com/2005/10/natural-history-of-japan.html has a picture of the local crows, if you scroll down. fadethecat [to William]: Japan-local, I mean. Neil says, "Alright, research time. Neil will go shopping, with an eye toward a mismatched but well-worn outfit -- one looking like something scavenged from clotheslines as she ran. Draco, Ekur, pull maps, incident reports, maybe a quick flyever to find a good place to observe the house." Draco will be doing /careful/ flyovers. The Japanese are, apparently, not very fond of crows. Though it's more likely to be a problem in rural areas than in Tokyo. fadethecat [to William]: For reference, Draco's vessel is more one of these: http://www.cursorius.com/Slideshows/CapeVerdeIslands/images/Cor_ruf01.jpg Neil says, "Tether staff can probably help us with an unmarked van we can hit with a quick spray job, but I'd prefer a building with line of sight." The GM says, "I now utter the following words for the first time since we started the Civis game:" William [to fadethecat]: HT roll, please. Neil says, "Need binoculars for Ekur for long-range rez, if we can get an open window." Draco rolled 12 versus 13 and succeeded by 1. Ekur will, hmm. "Buy binoculars, get a hotel room as close to .. . " Yeah, what neil said. Neil says, "Look into two-way comms -- crap, it's 1985, should've grabbed some from Lightning when we ran past." William [to Draco]: The Japanese do love their high-tech gadgets. You're able to ignore the ear-piercing shriek of certain speakers intended to drive birds away from this or that well-manicured garden, but you're fairly certain most natural birds would avoid them like the plague. Draco [to William]: Ow. Understood. Neil says, "Now, here's The Big Question: How long can we wait?" The GM says, "Asahara's apartment is in a dense inner-ring suburb, on an upper floor. You're able to locate which window is his from the address information. Neil, your shopping trip goes smoothly, although even after converting your assignment account from dollars to yen you're still agog at the prices for ordinary goods. The police can provide a van and binoculars, in return for a full report on whatever you find." William [to Neil]: Roll against that new Savoir-Faire (Japanese) skill, let's see how stylish you look. Neil rolled 11 versus 18 and succeeded by 7. StevenE [to William]: Hmm. Can they arrange an across-the-street apartment for observation? Jesdyn [to StevenE]: Not sure that's wise. You stand out... William [to Neil]: Lookin'... sufficiently consumer-norm. StevenE [to Jesdyn]: Hrmm, yes. William [to StevenE]: It would take several days just to determine whether an apartment was available. Ekur takes the van. Neil says, "So. Get the contact data, kidnap him and drug him into unsleeping torpor?" Neil says, "Or do that after we wait a couple days? We have to shave it as close to the event as we can to minimize interference." Draco says, "Keeping a human drugged unconscious for too many days is likely to be harmful. Let's try to cut it closer than that. Or get the contact data quickly, but hold off on the kidnapping." Neil says, "Alright. It's not unusual for the ethereal aides in Civis to be caught, captured, or driven off, so if he gets to Civis and doesn't find Eri... he'll try to summon her. Need to head that off." Neil says, "We need to go in tonight, then. Anyone know where he works?" Neil says, "He on a night shift?" Draco [to William]: Have I gotten close enough on flyovers to actually catch sight of the guy yet? The GM says, "You got from Eri that he runs a yoga school called the Aum Association of Mountain Wizards, and earlier legwork got its address." William [to Draco]: I assumed you showed up during the day, and after shopping are presently staking out his apartment as evening approaches. Neil shoulda thought to ask for a phone tap. Oh, well. Jesdyn [to William]: Wait, I'm a /cop/. Can I roll for the right to retcon that request in? The GM says, "...I need to take 5 and get some caffeine and a snack, my brain is mush. Hold that thought." Draco [to William]: That's what I figure. Neil can't believe we've taken three hours to get to the point of knockin' on Shoko's door. William [to Neil]: No need to roll, since we glossed over several hours in which you could have had the idea. It'll take... roll 2d6 On 2d6, you rolled 11. Draco says, "With three characters of this kind of IQ? Planning generally does take longer than execution. Unless things go wrong." The GM says, "...until tomorrow morning to get a telephone company technician out to do it, though. And it'll leave a paper trail -- but then, Hellsworn Sorcerers are usually guilty of *something* mundane." The GM says, "Asuuming you do this, the paperwork gets started and the technician is on his way in due time." Neil hmms, and starts putting the finishing touches on his story. Neil says, "Okay. Something went wrong in Civis, and... hmm. Do ethereals go to Limbo?" Neil says, "They've got the Vessel-cache for Essence." William No. Vessel-killed, trauma at anchor. If no anchor, inter-Domain Far Marches wilds. Jesdyn [to William]: And weeks to reform from there? Okay, Eri couldn't've been killed. The GM says, "Lemme know if you want GM ideas." Jesdyn [to William]: I wouldn't mind 'em. Neil says, "She's either delivering new instructions -- lay low and contact nobody is the only one that won't break her cover -- or she's running from something very scary." Neil . o O ( Gabriel piloting Mechagodzilla? ) Draco . o O ( Neil is scary... ) The GM says, "This is actually a human you're possessing since the local angels know your face... this is a spare body you picked up as a perk from Beleth... you've used the Song of Form since the cops know you... you were born gaijin, actually, and chose to become Japanese because they were so much cooler..." Draco [to Neil]: Caught by Heaven, got lucky in sweet-talking the guard, need to let him know that they're on to him? The GM says, "Ekur is the first to recognize Shoko as he arrives, having seen his face for much longer. He shows up in the late evening, well after sunset, and heads up to his apartment. Lights go on." Neil says, "Here we go." The GM says, "(And remember, whatever story you come up with, you'll need to have some reason to get the info on his across-Earth contact!)" Jesdyn [to William]: I wasn't going to try for it directly. Jesdyn [to William]: I'll just wait to see what comes up. Jesdyn [to William]: Maybe I'll DI my Mercurian res. Neil hastily knocks on the door. The GM says, "Just get him talking then, and hope it coms up in res? Good enough." Jesdyn [to William]: I can't allow him to become suspicious. Draco [to Neil]: Did you manage to get any two-way comms? Because Draco could sit on one and listen in, if so. Jesdyn [to fadethecat]: I didn't want to be caught with a wire and, well, it's 1987. I figured you'd make your own arrangements. The GM says, "Not unless you want to wear a wire obtainable from the police. In 1987, civilian communications equipment is going to be bulky." The GM says, "Jinx." Draco says, "Alas." Jesdyn [to fadethecat]: Ekur's out in the cold, though. Draco can get near windows--does have an ungodly perception--but isn't sure how much he'll be able to hear from outside. The GM says, "Parabolic mike can probably come with that police van..." Neil says, "Oooh, didn't think of that." The GM says, "Done then. Okay, Neil, showtime." Draco can sit in the van! Ekur will watch and make resonance rolls as possible. Draco is going to keep his resonance turned on, yeah. Draco rolled 12 versus 21 and succeeded by 9. Neil finishes knocking on the door. William giggles. Ekur, Draco, while Neil's doing his thing let's see if either the Sumerian blacksmith or the African fear-demon can operate that parabolic mike. Default Electronics Op (Comm), please... (IQ-5) William [to Neil]: "Come in, my child..." Ekur rolled 12 versus 13 and succeeded by 1. The GM says, "You two in the van can hear what's going on in the apartment." Neil slams the door behind her and wraps her arms around Shoko. "You're still alive! They must not've known where you were living." Draco rolled 6 versus 16 and critically succeeded by 10. Neil resonates Shoko, claiming the bonus for contact. Neil rolled 16 versus 20 and succeeded by 4. Neil . o O ( AND THANK GOODNESS I DID. ) William [to Draco]: Ooh, you get actual truth! Ekur oh, yeahs. Perception roll time. Ekur rolled 12 versus 16 and succeeded by 4. Draco is Truth-snake! William [to Ekur]: Shoko? Surprised and confused, but not alarmed yet. Ekur . o O ( Oh, boy. I get emotional state and strongest emotion. i'm Deanna Troi, minus the lie detection! ) William [to Neil]: In addition to the information you'd gotten before -- today the inferiority complex is on an upswing, but he's doing his best to hide it -- you can tell that he was previously from a rural area and was called Chizuo Matsumoto. His major interests are making more money and achieving ungodly levels of Sorcerous power. Jesdyn [to William]: Most Deviant Act? William [to Ekur]: Yeah, it's so... limited, compared to the Marches. William [to Neil]: Attempting to achieve ungodly levels of Sorcerous power (in progress). The GM says, "There's, like, a whole list of sub-acts in that one." Jesdyn [to William]: I was going for the subacts; power is neutral, I want the worst of the acts employed to earn it. I'm looking for some dirt I might say the police are on his trail for. roll 3d6 On 3d6, you rolled 14. Jesdyn [to William]: Or could be put on his trail for -- those damn angels always infiltrating government agencies. William [to Neil]: Since signing your soul away to Hell isn't illegal under mundane Japanese law, you probably want the blood sacrifices of various animals undertaken in contravention of numerous health codes. He's also committed what could technically be called fraud, but you'd be hard-pressed to prove he was 'hypnotizing' people. Shoko confusedly, tentatively pats Neil on the back. "There, there," he says, "Why... yes, I am alive. Quite alive, in fact. Was there reason to suspect otherwise?" Shoko says, "And... are you one of my correspondence students?" Neil sniffles. "Sorry. It's me -- Eri. I've been running since late yesterday. Someone must've cracked." Shoko says, "Oh -- you look different." He gets a lot more businesslike. "What happened? The angels ran us out of the meeting." Shoko attempts to extricate himself from your embrace. Neil stays clingy. "I don't KNOW what happened. They postured for a while and put off killing me until an Archangel had time to tear my Forces apart, when things went... funny. Maybe some of the Dreamscape-bombs went off, maybe that crazy bitch Gabriel came back, but suddenly they weren't guarding me anymore. William [to Ekur]: Shoko is starting to get flustered by the clinginess. Neil continues. "I think they found out something, because the sleepers in Civis were... just gone." Shoko says, "Gone? That's very unusual. Dreamers cannot be controlled by..." He pauses, blinks. "It couldn't have happened yet. No! It is to happen when I am there!" William [to Draco]: He's speaking of the impending event, of course, and is firmly under the delusion that it is to occur only for him. Which, ironically, is true, you know, but he has no evidence for this belief. Shoko tears himself away from Neil's grasp and dashes over to the phone. He hastily dials a number. Neil knocks the phone out of Shoko's hands. Neil says, "No!" Neil says, "They FOUND THE SLEEPERS. They know where they are!" William [to Neil]: Before he dials the number? Neil says, "If you call them they'll have you!" Jesdyn [to William]: Yeah. The tap's not in place yet, and now I know he's got it written down. Shoko says, "I have to call Carlos. He's my spotter, I have to know if this thing has gone off yet!" Jesdyn [to William]: Reping. William [to Neil]: Fire away. Neil rolled 4 versus 20 and critically succeeded by 16. William [to Neil]: That would be Carlos Izquierda, of Quito, Ecuador, mundane magician-wannabe under Shoko's tutelage in the Black Order. Neil pleads with him, "Please! If it has it's too late, and if it hasn't it won't help if you're dead!" Neil adds, with a hiccup, "I like to think of you as family... please..." William [to Neil]: Acting! Neil rolled 12 versus 17 and succeeded by 5. Neil . o O ( Gotta love police professional skill packages. ) Shoko pauses. "I... guess that makes sense." He collects himself. "No, of course, you're right. It couldn't have happened yet, it must have been something else." Shoko mutters, "If Carlos rats me out I'll eat the little bastard's liver...." More loudly he says, "I'll have to recruit another spotter at least. I think I know a man in Chile." Shoko looks over at you. "Look, I can get you a place to stay for a few days but you can't stay here. If any of my students catches wind of a strange gaijin woman coming to my house there will be all kinds of nonsense." Neil visibly calms herself. "Right. I don't need to stay here anyways, now that I found you." Neil says, "Do you want me to see if we need to kill Carlos while you recruit a new spotter?" StevenE [to William]: Anything unusual in his emotions so far? William [to Ekur]: Pretty much as you could parse from the conversation, although much faster and sharper in his mood swings than a sane human normally is. William [to Ekur]: About the only thing that might not be obvious from the conversation is that he was relieved to have an excuse to get 'Eri' off of him. Definitely has woman issues. Jesdyn [to William]: Heh heh. She must've been frustrated as all hell over that. Neil . o O ( Now Civis has Evil Beefcake and Decidedly Self-Interested Cheesecake. Yay! ) Shoko says, "He's useful enough that I'd rather avoid killing him if he *didn't* rat me out. I can try getting in to the dream-city on my own; you track him down and see what situation he's in." Shoko grabs a piece of paper and scribbles down an address. "Do you have money and passport to get to Ecuador? Or some means of getting there? I hardly imagine the kami are much worshiped in the West." Neil nods. "Alright. Please, though, be careful about contacting the Order until this is over. They can find us once this is over. Shoko tears off the piece of paper. "My dear, once this is over *everyone* will know where to find me." He hands it to you. Neil says, "Oh, I'll be fine. I've got some money hidden away." Neil takes it from Shoko, and grasps his hand while he does. One final resonance. Neil rolled 10 versus 20 and succeeded by 10. Neil says, "Stay safe. I'll call when I know something, Shoko." William [to Neil]: Whoo, roller-coaster. The megalomania's on top now. Even his followers don't realize his true genius... but they will. (FADE OMINOUSLY TO BLACK)