About goddamn time...
Mar. 25th, 2007 07:45 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
realsorienFinally! I've not caught up on the three campaign-runs that I needed to write up- two of the Werewolf runs and the most recent Buffy Horror run. On this post I'm putting up the two Werewolf runs, and on the next post I'll have the Buffy run. Now, all I have to catch up on is the posts for the Vanguard campaign yesterday, and the 'What I did on my 5 Day Vacation' post... Which is almost a month late at this point. :P
Anyway, here are the Werewolf runs, behind cuts (of course!)
Our story continues soon after the fight at the brewery, at Derek's mansion. All of the pack are either tired, injured, frustrated or a combination of all of the above. Will takes the glass bane that he captured to a quiet corner and begins to interrogate the creature, while everyone else settles down somewhat after the night's events, Present are Derek, Mary, Lanya and Will, Traci still being unconscious from her exertions for the Silent Striders and Johanna still off with Ajax.
In his interrogation, he learns that the the creature was summoned by a mortal mage who was wearing the 'Rotarian' symbol on him; this was apparently NOT one of the humans killed at the brewery. The creature then makes a concerted attempt to lure and seduce Will to return to the Black Spiral Dancers, and Will instead banishes the creature to whence it came.
Talks go on with the packmates as to what to do next. Derek is seriously pissed off, and wants to kill vampires. To that end the pack heads over to the Asatraur Cairn to offer their assistance in he planned hunt for the night. Will goads Derek a bit, and Derek howls their presence to the cairn. With the response-howl they enter, being met by Gertrude, a theurge of the cairn. From her they learn that the hunt has already left for the Uptown area, roughly three hours ago.
Its decided to try and link up with the hunting party there; they all pile into Derek's new Hummer, and head off. Derek almost seems possessed in his rage, and drives like a total maniac on the way- speeding, ignoring traffic signals, driving on the sidewalk... All of which of course draws the attention of the police. He actually tries to outrun them, much to the consternation of his packmates, but is forced to stop when the police cut him off with a second squad car.
This is of course a bad thing to happen, the pack facing the arrest of at LEAST Derek. So, to evade this fate Derek takes everyone into the Umbra, using the rearview mirror for the requisite reflective surface. The pack gets a surprise when they get there- the Hummer is there too! Apparently the thing is dual-natured! However, its decided to leave the vehicle, as moving it might just ruin it by breaking the spiritual links.
Lanya goes into glabro form, using her bow to trace where Nothung, the Get leading the hunting party. It turns out that he's in a crowded bar, a new establishment to the area named McCavitys. They find a (relatively speaking) good spot with some natural features, occupied by a glade child and cross back into the real world; good and bad here, as the crossing is easy, but they're in the veranda of a fancy restaurant! Will and Lanya cause a stir with the occupants and the pack bails out posthaste.
Moving quickly, they proceed to McCavitys; there is a LONG line to get in, with a burly bouncer manning a 'velvet rope' gate- Derek supplies this gentlemen with a sizable payoff, and we get to go in with little trouble. Once inside, however... It is a LOUD club, absolutely packed with people! Mary and Will have been in such places before, and keep their composure; however, Lanya and Derek have trouble. Derek goes to glabro, while Lanya loses it and goes crinos! Panic, naturally, ensues.
The crowd, suddenly confronted with a enraged thing right out of their collective nightmares, freak out and bolt for the doors; people are being crushed, shoved and trampled in the stampede. The fire alarms start going off as well. Derek gets control of himself, and after shifting back to human gets the bouncer, who flings the doors wide open so the mob can flee safely. Mary positions herself to help people as she can, guiding them out and when things are clearer, assists the wounded.
When things are cleared out some and the bouncer heads to the back of the club, Derek follows him, knowing that they've just breached the Litany in a massive way- there are security cameras, and the Veil won't prevent THEM from showing what happened, and possibly giving ammunition to the vampires being hunted as well as to those groups who want to prove the existence and/or exterminate the Garou... He fails to reach the security room, fails in an attempt to bribe the bouncer and leaves through a side entry when the police show up.
Outside the club, Will is looking for Fafnir of the Get, one of the hunters the Warband had been coming to assist. He spots Albrecht, a Ragabash, talking to the media and spinning a proper cover story for the disastrous event within the club. Will continues to scan the crowd and area, but fails to find any of the other Get. Mary and Lanya finally form back up with Will, who points out Albrecht. Will then heads off to locate Fafnir while Mary and Lanya remain and watch for Derek.
Speaking of whom, Derek is behind the club, looking for something to kill. He is still possessed by the rage that has been driving his actions of late, and he finally gets an opportunity to vent it- a voice taunts him from hiding: 'We'll hunt your family down like dogs...' Derek grins, WANTING the fight now, and goes crinos; 'I've got my eyes closed' he says, closing them and awaiting his foe.
Lanya uses the link the pack share to try and locate Derek; she feels him 'hulk out', and can tell roughly where he is. She and Mary head for the alley to help him if needed. Derek is now engaged with fighting the vampire who taunted him; His first punch lands in a wall, leaving a hole and slowing him slightly. The vampire in turn is evaded, and then gets literally torn in two by Derek, who HOWLS his victory!
Lanya and Mary arrive shortly thereafter, encountering a massively gory scene of shredded vampire; Mary spots a glint of light in a window above, and fearing a sniper she points it out to Derek. He climbs up to the window as Mary breaks the door lock to the building. Derek reaches and breaks the window, and is just missed by a shotgun blast! He rapidly enters and faces his foe: a fat old man with a shotgun. He twists the weapon into a bow, then has the terrified human let him out via the apartment door.
By this time the sirens of the approaching police cars are VERY close. Mary and Lanya dodge inside, Lanya heading upstairs after Derek as Mary holds the broken doorknob so that it still seems locked; the police check it, decide its locked and move on.
While this last bit of drama takes place, Will is with Albrecht of the get. The question is asked, 'What the HELL were you guys doing?' Will replies with 'We were coming to assist you with your hunt...' Notably, the Get are not happy at all with this turn of events.
With the departure of the police Mary heads up and meets with her companions. They head together to the front of the building, and using a reflection in the glass there they escape into the Umbra. Still raging, Derek wants to go hunt; almost in unison and for one of the rare times in agreement, Lanya and Mary say 'NO!'
Will, meanwhile has been brought by Albrecht to Nothung, who is quietly furious with the turn of events. The Warband no only rent the veil, but they also lost him his quarry, and the enemy now will have new defenses. Feeling that though the Warband is technically welcome at any cairn at any time, he ISN'T welcome now, rightly so, Will leaves the Get to their war council at their cairn.
In the Umbra, the three other members of the Warband head back to Derek's mansion. Mary tries and fails to talk to Lanya about what happened at the club, actually sympathetic, but fails. She then heads back to her apartment. Lanya spends the next two hours trying to cool down, and then tries talking to Derek; he states that what's done is done, and that they should apologize sooner rather than later. The pair decide to head to the Asatraur Cairn.
After the war council finishes at the cairn and well before Lanya and Derek arrive, Will goes before the full septa, and performs the Rite of Contrition in the name of the Warband; this is accepted, but the anger at what has occurred still remains, and may be there for a very long time to come.
Before Lanya and Derek head out, they catch the news... The reports are of a massive riot in Uptown, with 1 fatality, 3 people in critical condition, and 25 others injured. There are reports of shots fired, and the possible sighting of a bear let loose with McCavitys... There is also an interview with an old fat man: "... Ayn this hyar big Says-Quatch came in mah window and made mah gun inter a knot!'
And then Derek gets a phone call. On the other end of the line is Angela Watson, the Sept Leader of the Rochester Glass Walkers! She asks if he has seen the news, and then asks what happened... He tells the whole story, and she chews him out big time. The Warband MUST get the security tapes!
Lanya and Derek retrieve Mary, and the trio head to the Asatraur cairn to get Will. They head to McCavity's via the Umbra; once there, Will summons an electrical spirit and asks it to help find the recording systems, and thereafter help destroy the tapes and recorders. The spirit sounds like a 5 year old on speed... While this goes on, Derek peeks from the Umbra into reality, and sees police forensics teams crawling over the entire scene. he tries to locate the security room but finds the wrong spot and has to move locations. Mary looks, moving upwards to match the stairs in the real world and has about as much luck as Derek, having to move again.
Will sees a swarm of electrical spirits buzzing about a particular spot, and moves to see where they are; he peeks into reality, and sees that where the spirits are in the Umbra is a computer, which itself is surrounded by a group of puzzled looking people, including one wearing the infamous 'Rotarian' pin; as he watches, he seems to be spotted by this person, who at the time does nothing, likely because he's surrounded by mundanes. Knowing that he's pushed his luck too far, Will tries to pull back into the Umbra... But he's stuck! he can see pattern-spiders crawling about his face, weaving him into the local 'fabric'; he tries shifting form, but even with the change of form he's still stuck in the gauntlet!
He tries again to shift across the gauntlet, thinking that he may be able to get loose; however, Derek and Lanya both move to 'help' and try pulling him loose; there is a flash, and the three vanish, leaving Mary alone! She peeks to see if they've crossed into the real world, and instead sees a room filled with smoke, a burning console of some kind and people frantically trying to hose it down with extinguishers... Her companions are not there. She 'feels' for their presence, and its like they don't exist! She flees the area, knowing that she can do no more, especially alone, to seek help in finding her pack.
Now... Lanya, Will and Derek find themselves in a VERY strange place... It seems to be a huge web, and there are pattern spiders everywhere! Said creatures do soon notice them, and mutter and speak of 'fixing them' and weaving them in; Will doubletalks the spiders for the time being, and they go off to a disruption in the Pattern Web to 'fight the Wyrm' for the spiders... And not coincidentally try to get the hell AWAY from the spiders and their web.
They are led to a huge 'non-webby thing' hanging within the web, but not part of it; its surface glistens, seemingly both watery and solid. It cuts through the web, and those parts of the web within it twist and bend crazily; the trio dive in, not having a whole lot of other options.
Back in the more usual Umbra, Mary goes to try and locate Talks-To-Walls, knowing that she's the most potent Theurge that she can contact for help. She doesn't find her initially, but DOES locate Babs, TTW's packmate. Mary 'short version' fills Babs in as to what has happened, and Babs tells Mary that TTW is at the Como Park Conservatory. Mary makes all haste in heading there.
Back in the web-disruption, all around the trio of Garou is twisted and distorted; they get a bit seasick watching the disturbing ebbs and flows of reality about them. In the distance, they see a yellow convertable driving around- as weird as this place is, this stands out. Will comments that they may be in 'primordial goo' whatever THAT means, and Derek sticks out a thumb, hitchhiker-style. The convertible stops nearby, and the driver asks 'need a lift?'
They reply in the positive, but the car has stopped on a web-line that's a bit distant for them to jump across; Lanya tries anyway and ends up on another strand a hundred feet or slow 'lower' in the distortion. Derek and Will run around the web and get in, with the driver zipping around and down to pick up Lanya. The driver introduces himself as Zaga, and his companion as 'The Witch'. She's a gorgeous redhead.
The crew ask to be taken to Gaia's realm, and are informed that they are still there, just that they're INSIDE the gauntlet itself, rather than being on one side or the other. The distortion that they're in is a manifestation of the Wyld. The way out simply isn't where they are. Will asks to be taken to the Penumbra, or the Near Umbra; Zaga says that he can get them to the Umbral equivalent of either Bolivia or Bogota, but isn't sure which. Someone asks the Witch if she got herself and Zaga there, but she says 'No, no... I'm just along for the ride!'
They decide to head to the center of the Wyld-effect to figure out what to do; maybe moving the distortion itself will help. The Witch says that it needs to go to one side of the Gauntlet or the other. The center of the distortion looks like a gigantic glowing microprocessor chip. The Witch will help them move it into the physical realm, but this doesn't seem like the best idea. Instead, they aim to push it to the Umbra. The amusement value of sending a massive Wyld-effect onto the IDS or the Shadow Lord cairn is contemplated for a time, but they stick with the Umbra as their target.
The Witch tells Will to look down and say 'Get the fuck out' three times... He does it, but its just The Witch screwing with him a bit. Discussions continue, and Will tries to talk the spirits holding the disruption in place, distorted Pattern Spiders, into letting them move it. These spiders sound like surfer-dudes, due to the warping that the Wyld-energies are doing to them. He convinces them that they're 'weaving a path' to the near umbra so that the Wyld spirit is 'outta here!'
Will also notices electrical spirits zipping in and out of the chip via its contact-pegs, and they use the path of these creatures as their projected avenue to move the chip. Will is tapped out nearly in terms of spiritual energy and is unable to rend the gauntlet himself; Derek makes the first attempt, fails and gets shocked HARD. Then he's attacked by eight of the Surfer-Spiders! Will leaps forward, using the Tear of Gaia he has to get the spiritual energy needed and rends the Gauntlet, and Zaga shoots at the chip, fracturing it; the electrical spirits zip everywhere and the Wyld spirit is loose!
The fight with the Surfer-Spiders continues, with Derek falling before their massed attacks; Lanya tosses one away from Derek, and six then attack her; all but one manage to tag her, but do little if any harm. Zaga blasts away at them, taking out three but also tagging Lanya once by mistake, slightly injuring her. The Witch blasts the last, and they pile back into the car and race through the tear!
Finally, Mary finds Talks-To-Walls in the conservatory. She relays what happened, detailing the disappearance of her companions. TTW takes them into the Umbra, and sends a spirit to seek the missing Warband members out, and they wait. They talk about talking to the dead, which puts ideas into Mary's head that really might not be GOOD ideas...
Zaga and the Witch make their farewells and zoom off, leaving Derek, Lanya and Will in the Umbra. Peeking, they find themselves at the Hennepin County Impound Lot!
With that, we close out the episode, until next time!
We return to the tale with the Warband somewhat scattered; Johanna is still off with Ajax, Traci is still 'sleeping it off' back at the Open Hand, Mary is with Talks-To-Walls in the Umbra at the Como Park Observatory, waiting for a spirit to return with word of her companions' fates, and said companions, Lanya, Will and Derek, have reappeared in the Umbra at the Hennepin County Impound Lot!
We start with the latter group. They're uncertain of the time; given past experience, they know that time can be weird in the Umbra, depending on where you're at; peeking into reality, it seems to be twilight. They might have been gone for some time, but whether its a day or more than that they can't tell. Will senses the Wyrm in the lot and wants to kill it, but at this point Derek just wants to get his Hummer back and go home... But he isn't adverse to mayhem, either. They head to where the office would be in the real world and end up killing a bane spirit residing there, then several others scattered about the lot.
Mary, with Talks-To-Walls, is waiting. TTW seems to have drifted off while the pair await the spirit's return. Mary pokes the mentally-drifting TTW, who spooks, shifting to glabro! Mary partly re-explains what is going on, and they go back to waiting.
After the banes have been killed, the trio try to figure out where they are in relation to the Open Hand cairn. They decide to go to McCavitys to confirm the destruction of the tapes, or to retrieve them if they haven't.
Talks-To-Wall's searcher spirit finally returns, and TTW tells Mary that her companions will 'reappear where they disappeared'. She returns to McCavitys in the Umbra and waits; about ninety minutes later they arrive, with little discussion of what happened.
Getting down to business, Lanya and Derek both peek into the security area from different vantages to determine what the situation is. They see a destroyed computer, badly damaged walls and recording gear that seems to be currently turned off. Will talks to an electrical spirit to arrange additional destruction; it says that it'll need help for what he asks, so he talks to a mass of electrical spirits on the high-tension power line nearby. ALL of them pile into the room and through the electronics! ZZZZZZZZAP! Suddenly, there's a fire again, and the problem seems to be solved.
With a little initial confusion as to who is doing what, they head to the Asatrar Cairn, taking a taxi. They arrive just outside and Derek walks off alone to get his SUV from the impound lot. Much later, he finds out that its being held as evidence in a police chase, and he can't get it back just yet.
As Will goes in to talk with the Asatraur, Mary and Lanya wait outside; He enters via the umbra into the Arena/Ritual room, failing to notice Fafnir there. A hatchet whips past him, just missing by a hair; Fafnir sarcastically growls 'The Warband is ALWAYS welcome here...' With his anger at the previous night's events barely contained.
Will accepts the act as due, and finds an appropriate elder; he tells that worthy that he has a description of the vampire that they were hunting, and that he wishes to pass on the description to them. He waits for the answer in the umbra. Mary and Lanya are still there, and a short debate takes place as to whether they should remain or not. Lanya makes the decision that they should leave Will to it, and the pair retire to the bar beneath Mary's apartment.
Will is eventually faced with his answer; they desire the information. he carefully performs a summoning ritual for a fey spirit, managing to pull off a bit of a coup- he gets the 'Imperial Majesty's Painter of Memories', who is a member of the Fey High Courts. Will lets the Asatrar leaders choose the price required for the Fey to perform the service asked, which is chosen to be a specific favor of aid for the local Fey, as 'The Warband has been gone too long, and Luna would miss them' if another long-term absence were needed of them.
The Fey sprinkles green powder in an intricate pattern; its color changes as it falls, forming an image of great detail, finally appearing almost as an image in a mirror, life-sized with intense detail, including the background in which the figure stood when seen by Will. The Painter sprinkles another powder on the image, and the image becomes real, on a sheet of some kind of material. he then vanishes in a swirl of his cloak.
The Asatrar are suitably impressed. THey accept the image, and Will says 'If there is anything else that I can offer...' The reply is less harsh, but still somewhat terse: 'You will be called.'
Will thereafter heads to meet with the others at the bar. Derek has not shown up; unknown to the rest, after he failed to get his SUV back, he headed towards the Open Hand, walking. He'll be there in six hours, minimum. Will, Mary and Lanya head off to the Open Hand, taking a cab after they notice a Wyrm-taint on the light rail, and get there about noon. THey're met by Grasshopper, and as of yet there has been no word of Ajax or Johanna. Will tasks Icarus with cleaning the ritual room, Mary offering to help until Will dissuades her. She then gets food and much needed rest. Lanya prays/communes with Nemesis to protect their errant member, Derek.
Speaking of whom... Derek, pissed off, walks. he sees a plastic lawn flamingo, and destroys it in full view of a cop. He gets arrested, tries to get out of it but ends up at the Plymouth police station. A little back-and-forth there, and he is able to leave again, this time he walks to his home. he gets a bit off course and lost, finally hunting up a concealed location and goes lupis; from there he RUNS, finally finding Minnetonka.
The sun sets, the waning crescent moon rising to take its place in the evening sky when Derek finally reaches home. He eats a LOT, then once he's unwound at least a bit, Alexander tells him that we've called. He returns the call and Mary turns the phone over to Lanya, who is PISSED. She tells him that they're going to go on a hunt in International Falls. She opens a Moon Bridge to the mansion to collect him, and now they're BOTH pissed.
As they travel to International Falls, Will relates what happened at the Asatrar; Mary is a bit jealous, having a desire to meet the fey. When they arrive they're met by Lanya's second cousin Nike, who is wielding a Labrys (a double-bitted axe). Introductions are made all around, Sif's fate is told to the sept, and the hunt is on!
Afterwards... Tales are told of the exploits of the Warband; Derek goes off to get rid of some of the rage and frustration that are eating at him, mauling dead trees. Mary is talked into telling more and more stories, finally crashing around four AM and sleeping til midmorning. Derek ends up crashing at the last of his tree-victims and recovers some calm. While all this goes on, Will asks to be taught a new rite, that of the Great Hunt. Lanya is filled in on the local events, and she returns the favor with what's been going on in her life since her leavetaking.
With the morning, breakfast is served late. Derek walks back in, and gets a raw rabbit, eating it alone in Lupis form. Will, tired but relaxed decides to let Whippoorwill out to stretch and fly a bit; his companion lets out the distinctive call and INSTANTLY the Black Furies flip out and charge! Mary manages to interpose herself (still in Homid), shoving the lead crinos back as she does- she stands to defend, Whippoorwill heads for the relative-if-temporary safety of the rafters, and Lanya leaps in with a growl for her kin to back off.
Hearing the commotion and howls, Derek hauls it back to the cabins; Will runs to Lanya as she takes a defensive stance; Mary, still in human form as she doesn't want to provoke even MORE violence, gets trampled underfoot by the enraged Black Furies. Fortunately, Lanya gets them to stop, just barely.
Derek arrives on the scene, going Crinos as he does; Lanya's mother, the sept leader , comes out at about the same time and demands to know what is going on- Lanya does her best to explain. However, as the safety of the Cairn is paramount to all other things, it is decided that Will and Whippoorwill must face judgment, Eris, the lead Philodox is to be the judge. As people disperse, Will wakens mary so that she can shift and heal, and time passes.
Much later, the call for judgment is given, with the Sept and the Warband assembling in the center of the Cairn, a grove of trees. A long and elaborate ritual takes place, with Will willingly submitting to the judgment of the tribe. Over about three hours, a spirit of truth is bound into a labris; the axe will only harm only those tainted by the Wyrm, and will spare any others. Will must allow them to swing the axe to behead him, and if he is true, he'll be fine. Otherwise... The Warband will need a new Theurge.
As it turns out, the axe shatters as it touches his neck, proving that he is free of the Wyrm! The Furies apologize, but with the caveat that they HAD to be sure. The Warband is still welcome, and understanding is achieved, at least here. Lanya's mother apologizes again to the Warband, much regretting what occurred.
After a while, discussions amongst the Warband take place to determine their course of action. It comes to this- the target is Nevrix, and the goal is information and the potential alliance-of-convenience... They spend the night resting, which they've needed for some time now.
Thus we end the latest saga of the Warband, and await the next; What follows is the Buffy Horror Campaign!
Anyway, here are the Werewolf runs, behind cuts (of course!)
Our story continues soon after the fight at the brewery, at Derek's mansion. All of the pack are either tired, injured, frustrated or a combination of all of the above. Will takes the glass bane that he captured to a quiet corner and begins to interrogate the creature, while everyone else settles down somewhat after the night's events, Present are Derek, Mary, Lanya and Will, Traci still being unconscious from her exertions for the Silent Striders and Johanna still off with Ajax.
In his interrogation, he learns that the the creature was summoned by a mortal mage who was wearing the 'Rotarian' symbol on him; this was apparently NOT one of the humans killed at the brewery. The creature then makes a concerted attempt to lure and seduce Will to return to the Black Spiral Dancers, and Will instead banishes the creature to whence it came.
Talks go on with the packmates as to what to do next. Derek is seriously pissed off, and wants to kill vampires. To that end the pack heads over to the Asatraur Cairn to offer their assistance in he planned hunt for the night. Will goads Derek a bit, and Derek howls their presence to the cairn. With the response-howl they enter, being met by Gertrude, a theurge of the cairn. From her they learn that the hunt has already left for the Uptown area, roughly three hours ago.
Its decided to try and link up with the hunting party there; they all pile into Derek's new Hummer, and head off. Derek almost seems possessed in his rage, and drives like a total maniac on the way- speeding, ignoring traffic signals, driving on the sidewalk... All of which of course draws the attention of the police. He actually tries to outrun them, much to the consternation of his packmates, but is forced to stop when the police cut him off with a second squad car.
This is of course a bad thing to happen, the pack facing the arrest of at LEAST Derek. So, to evade this fate Derek takes everyone into the Umbra, using the rearview mirror for the requisite reflective surface. The pack gets a surprise when they get there- the Hummer is there too! Apparently the thing is dual-natured! However, its decided to leave the vehicle, as moving it might just ruin it by breaking the spiritual links.
Lanya goes into glabro form, using her bow to trace where Nothung, the Get leading the hunting party. It turns out that he's in a crowded bar, a new establishment to the area named McCavitys. They find a (relatively speaking) good spot with some natural features, occupied by a glade child and cross back into the real world; good and bad here, as the crossing is easy, but they're in the veranda of a fancy restaurant! Will and Lanya cause a stir with the occupants and the pack bails out posthaste.
Moving quickly, they proceed to McCavitys; there is a LONG line to get in, with a burly bouncer manning a 'velvet rope' gate- Derek supplies this gentlemen with a sizable payoff, and we get to go in with little trouble. Once inside, however... It is a LOUD club, absolutely packed with people! Mary and Will have been in such places before, and keep their composure; however, Lanya and Derek have trouble. Derek goes to glabro, while Lanya loses it and goes crinos! Panic, naturally, ensues.
The crowd, suddenly confronted with a enraged thing right out of their collective nightmares, freak out and bolt for the doors; people are being crushed, shoved and trampled in the stampede. The fire alarms start going off as well. Derek gets control of himself, and after shifting back to human gets the bouncer, who flings the doors wide open so the mob can flee safely. Mary positions herself to help people as she can, guiding them out and when things are clearer, assists the wounded.
When things are cleared out some and the bouncer heads to the back of the club, Derek follows him, knowing that they've just breached the Litany in a massive way- there are security cameras, and the Veil won't prevent THEM from showing what happened, and possibly giving ammunition to the vampires being hunted as well as to those groups who want to prove the existence and/or exterminate the Garou... He fails to reach the security room, fails in an attempt to bribe the bouncer and leaves through a side entry when the police show up.
Outside the club, Will is looking for Fafnir of the Get, one of the hunters the Warband had been coming to assist. He spots Albrecht, a Ragabash, talking to the media and spinning a proper cover story for the disastrous event within the club. Will continues to scan the crowd and area, but fails to find any of the other Get. Mary and Lanya finally form back up with Will, who points out Albrecht. Will then heads off to locate Fafnir while Mary and Lanya remain and watch for Derek.
Speaking of whom, Derek is behind the club, looking for something to kill. He is still possessed by the rage that has been driving his actions of late, and he finally gets an opportunity to vent it- a voice taunts him from hiding: 'We'll hunt your family down like dogs...' Derek grins, WANTING the fight now, and goes crinos; 'I've got my eyes closed' he says, closing them and awaiting his foe.
Lanya uses the link the pack share to try and locate Derek; she feels him 'hulk out', and can tell roughly where he is. She and Mary head for the alley to help him if needed. Derek is now engaged with fighting the vampire who taunted him; His first punch lands in a wall, leaving a hole and slowing him slightly. The vampire in turn is evaded, and then gets literally torn in two by Derek, who HOWLS his victory!
Lanya and Mary arrive shortly thereafter, encountering a massively gory scene of shredded vampire; Mary spots a glint of light in a window above, and fearing a sniper she points it out to Derek. He climbs up to the window as Mary breaks the door lock to the building. Derek reaches and breaks the window, and is just missed by a shotgun blast! He rapidly enters and faces his foe: a fat old man with a shotgun. He twists the weapon into a bow, then has the terrified human let him out via the apartment door.
By this time the sirens of the approaching police cars are VERY close. Mary and Lanya dodge inside, Lanya heading upstairs after Derek as Mary holds the broken doorknob so that it still seems locked; the police check it, decide its locked and move on.
While this last bit of drama takes place, Will is with Albrecht of the get. The question is asked, 'What the HELL were you guys doing?' Will replies with 'We were coming to assist you with your hunt...' Notably, the Get are not happy at all with this turn of events.
With the departure of the police Mary heads up and meets with her companions. They head together to the front of the building, and using a reflection in the glass there they escape into the Umbra. Still raging, Derek wants to go hunt; almost in unison and for one of the rare times in agreement, Lanya and Mary say 'NO!'
Will, meanwhile has been brought by Albrecht to Nothung, who is quietly furious with the turn of events. The Warband no only rent the veil, but they also lost him his quarry, and the enemy now will have new defenses. Feeling that though the Warband is technically welcome at any cairn at any time, he ISN'T welcome now, rightly so, Will leaves the Get to their war council at their cairn.
In the Umbra, the three other members of the Warband head back to Derek's mansion. Mary tries and fails to talk to Lanya about what happened at the club, actually sympathetic, but fails. She then heads back to her apartment. Lanya spends the next two hours trying to cool down, and then tries talking to Derek; he states that what's done is done, and that they should apologize sooner rather than later. The pair decide to head to the Asatraur Cairn.
After the war council finishes at the cairn and well before Lanya and Derek arrive, Will goes before the full septa, and performs the Rite of Contrition in the name of the Warband; this is accepted, but the anger at what has occurred still remains, and may be there for a very long time to come.
Before Lanya and Derek head out, they catch the news... The reports are of a massive riot in Uptown, with 1 fatality, 3 people in critical condition, and 25 others injured. There are reports of shots fired, and the possible sighting of a bear let loose with McCavitys... There is also an interview with an old fat man: "... Ayn this hyar big Says-Quatch came in mah window and made mah gun inter a knot!'
And then Derek gets a phone call. On the other end of the line is Angela Watson, the Sept Leader of the Rochester Glass Walkers! She asks if he has seen the news, and then asks what happened... He tells the whole story, and she chews him out big time. The Warband MUST get the security tapes!
Lanya and Derek retrieve Mary, and the trio head to the Asatraur cairn to get Will. They head to McCavity's via the Umbra; once there, Will summons an electrical spirit and asks it to help find the recording systems, and thereafter help destroy the tapes and recorders. The spirit sounds like a 5 year old on speed... While this goes on, Derek peeks from the Umbra into reality, and sees police forensics teams crawling over the entire scene. he tries to locate the security room but finds the wrong spot and has to move locations. Mary looks, moving upwards to match the stairs in the real world and has about as much luck as Derek, having to move again.
Will sees a swarm of electrical spirits buzzing about a particular spot, and moves to see where they are; he peeks into reality, and sees that where the spirits are in the Umbra is a computer, which itself is surrounded by a group of puzzled looking people, including one wearing the infamous 'Rotarian' pin; as he watches, he seems to be spotted by this person, who at the time does nothing, likely because he's surrounded by mundanes. Knowing that he's pushed his luck too far, Will tries to pull back into the Umbra... But he's stuck! he can see pattern-spiders crawling about his face, weaving him into the local 'fabric'; he tries shifting form, but even with the change of form he's still stuck in the gauntlet!
He tries again to shift across the gauntlet, thinking that he may be able to get loose; however, Derek and Lanya both move to 'help' and try pulling him loose; there is a flash, and the three vanish, leaving Mary alone! She peeks to see if they've crossed into the real world, and instead sees a room filled with smoke, a burning console of some kind and people frantically trying to hose it down with extinguishers... Her companions are not there. She 'feels' for their presence, and its like they don't exist! She flees the area, knowing that she can do no more, especially alone, to seek help in finding her pack.
Now... Lanya, Will and Derek find themselves in a VERY strange place... It seems to be a huge web, and there are pattern spiders everywhere! Said creatures do soon notice them, and mutter and speak of 'fixing them' and weaving them in; Will doubletalks the spiders for the time being, and they go off to a disruption in the Pattern Web to 'fight the Wyrm' for the spiders... And not coincidentally try to get the hell AWAY from the spiders and their web.
They are led to a huge 'non-webby thing' hanging within the web, but not part of it; its surface glistens, seemingly both watery and solid. It cuts through the web, and those parts of the web within it twist and bend crazily; the trio dive in, not having a whole lot of other options.
Back in the more usual Umbra, Mary goes to try and locate Talks-To-Walls, knowing that she's the most potent Theurge that she can contact for help. She doesn't find her initially, but DOES locate Babs, TTW's packmate. Mary 'short version' fills Babs in as to what has happened, and Babs tells Mary that TTW is at the Como Park Conservatory. Mary makes all haste in heading there.
Back in the web-disruption, all around the trio of Garou is twisted and distorted; they get a bit seasick watching the disturbing ebbs and flows of reality about them. In the distance, they see a yellow convertable driving around- as weird as this place is, this stands out. Will comments that they may be in 'primordial goo' whatever THAT means, and Derek sticks out a thumb, hitchhiker-style. The convertible stops nearby, and the driver asks 'need a lift?'
They reply in the positive, but the car has stopped on a web-line that's a bit distant for them to jump across; Lanya tries anyway and ends up on another strand a hundred feet or slow 'lower' in the distortion. Derek and Will run around the web and get in, with the driver zipping around and down to pick up Lanya. The driver introduces himself as Zaga, and his companion as 'The Witch'. She's a gorgeous redhead.
The crew ask to be taken to Gaia's realm, and are informed that they are still there, just that they're INSIDE the gauntlet itself, rather than being on one side or the other. The distortion that they're in is a manifestation of the Wyld. The way out simply isn't where they are. Will asks to be taken to the Penumbra, or the Near Umbra; Zaga says that he can get them to the Umbral equivalent of either Bolivia or Bogota, but isn't sure which. Someone asks the Witch if she got herself and Zaga there, but she says 'No, no... I'm just along for the ride!'
They decide to head to the center of the Wyld-effect to figure out what to do; maybe moving the distortion itself will help. The Witch says that it needs to go to one side of the Gauntlet or the other. The center of the distortion looks like a gigantic glowing microprocessor chip. The Witch will help them move it into the physical realm, but this doesn't seem like the best idea. Instead, they aim to push it to the Umbra. The amusement value of sending a massive Wyld-effect onto the IDS or the Shadow Lord cairn is contemplated for a time, but they stick with the Umbra as their target.
The Witch tells Will to look down and say 'Get the fuck out' three times... He does it, but its just The Witch screwing with him a bit. Discussions continue, and Will tries to talk the spirits holding the disruption in place, distorted Pattern Spiders, into letting them move it. These spiders sound like surfer-dudes, due to the warping that the Wyld-energies are doing to them. He convinces them that they're 'weaving a path' to the near umbra so that the Wyld spirit is 'outta here!'
Will also notices electrical spirits zipping in and out of the chip via its contact-pegs, and they use the path of these creatures as their projected avenue to move the chip. Will is tapped out nearly in terms of spiritual energy and is unable to rend the gauntlet himself; Derek makes the first attempt, fails and gets shocked HARD. Then he's attacked by eight of the Surfer-Spiders! Will leaps forward, using the Tear of Gaia he has to get the spiritual energy needed and rends the Gauntlet, and Zaga shoots at the chip, fracturing it; the electrical spirits zip everywhere and the Wyld spirit is loose!
The fight with the Surfer-Spiders continues, with Derek falling before their massed attacks; Lanya tosses one away from Derek, and six then attack her; all but one manage to tag her, but do little if any harm. Zaga blasts away at them, taking out three but also tagging Lanya once by mistake, slightly injuring her. The Witch blasts the last, and they pile back into the car and race through the tear!
Finally, Mary finds Talks-To-Walls in the conservatory. She relays what happened, detailing the disappearance of her companions. TTW takes them into the Umbra, and sends a spirit to seek the missing Warband members out, and they wait. They talk about talking to the dead, which puts ideas into Mary's head that really might not be GOOD ideas...
Zaga and the Witch make their farewells and zoom off, leaving Derek, Lanya and Will in the Umbra. Peeking, they find themselves at the Hennepin County Impound Lot!
With that, we close out the episode, until next time!
We return to the tale with the Warband somewhat scattered; Johanna is still off with Ajax, Traci is still 'sleeping it off' back at the Open Hand, Mary is with Talks-To-Walls in the Umbra at the Como Park Observatory, waiting for a spirit to return with word of her companions' fates, and said companions, Lanya, Will and Derek, have reappeared in the Umbra at the Hennepin County Impound Lot!
We start with the latter group. They're uncertain of the time; given past experience, they know that time can be weird in the Umbra, depending on where you're at; peeking into reality, it seems to be twilight. They might have been gone for some time, but whether its a day or more than that they can't tell. Will senses the Wyrm in the lot and wants to kill it, but at this point Derek just wants to get his Hummer back and go home... But he isn't adverse to mayhem, either. They head to where the office would be in the real world and end up killing a bane spirit residing there, then several others scattered about the lot.
Mary, with Talks-To-Walls, is waiting. TTW seems to have drifted off while the pair await the spirit's return. Mary pokes the mentally-drifting TTW, who spooks, shifting to glabro! Mary partly re-explains what is going on, and they go back to waiting.
After the banes have been killed, the trio try to figure out where they are in relation to the Open Hand cairn. They decide to go to McCavitys to confirm the destruction of the tapes, or to retrieve them if they haven't.
Talks-To-Wall's searcher spirit finally returns, and TTW tells Mary that her companions will 'reappear where they disappeared'. She returns to McCavitys in the Umbra and waits; about ninety minutes later they arrive, with little discussion of what happened.
Getting down to business, Lanya and Derek both peek into the security area from different vantages to determine what the situation is. They see a destroyed computer, badly damaged walls and recording gear that seems to be currently turned off. Will talks to an electrical spirit to arrange additional destruction; it says that it'll need help for what he asks, so he talks to a mass of electrical spirits on the high-tension power line nearby. ALL of them pile into the room and through the electronics! ZZZZZZZZAP! Suddenly, there's a fire again, and the problem seems to be solved.
With a little initial confusion as to who is doing what, they head to the Asatrar Cairn, taking a taxi. They arrive just outside and Derek walks off alone to get his SUV from the impound lot. Much later, he finds out that its being held as evidence in a police chase, and he can't get it back just yet.
As Will goes in to talk with the Asatraur, Mary and Lanya wait outside; He enters via the umbra into the Arena/Ritual room, failing to notice Fafnir there. A hatchet whips past him, just missing by a hair; Fafnir sarcastically growls 'The Warband is ALWAYS welcome here...' With his anger at the previous night's events barely contained.
Will accepts the act as due, and finds an appropriate elder; he tells that worthy that he has a description of the vampire that they were hunting, and that he wishes to pass on the description to them. He waits for the answer in the umbra. Mary and Lanya are still there, and a short debate takes place as to whether they should remain or not. Lanya makes the decision that they should leave Will to it, and the pair retire to the bar beneath Mary's apartment.
Will is eventually faced with his answer; they desire the information. he carefully performs a summoning ritual for a fey spirit, managing to pull off a bit of a coup- he gets the 'Imperial Majesty's Painter of Memories', who is a member of the Fey High Courts. Will lets the Asatrar leaders choose the price required for the Fey to perform the service asked, which is chosen to be a specific favor of aid for the local Fey, as 'The Warband has been gone too long, and Luna would miss them' if another long-term absence were needed of them.
The Fey sprinkles green powder in an intricate pattern; its color changes as it falls, forming an image of great detail, finally appearing almost as an image in a mirror, life-sized with intense detail, including the background in which the figure stood when seen by Will. The Painter sprinkles another powder on the image, and the image becomes real, on a sheet of some kind of material. he then vanishes in a swirl of his cloak.
The Asatrar are suitably impressed. THey accept the image, and Will says 'If there is anything else that I can offer...' The reply is less harsh, but still somewhat terse: 'You will be called.'
Will thereafter heads to meet with the others at the bar. Derek has not shown up; unknown to the rest, after he failed to get his SUV back, he headed towards the Open Hand, walking. He'll be there in six hours, minimum. Will, Mary and Lanya head off to the Open Hand, taking a cab after they notice a Wyrm-taint on the light rail, and get there about noon. THey're met by Grasshopper, and as of yet there has been no word of Ajax or Johanna. Will tasks Icarus with cleaning the ritual room, Mary offering to help until Will dissuades her. She then gets food and much needed rest. Lanya prays/communes with Nemesis to protect their errant member, Derek.
Speaking of whom... Derek, pissed off, walks. he sees a plastic lawn flamingo, and destroys it in full view of a cop. He gets arrested, tries to get out of it but ends up at the Plymouth police station. A little back-and-forth there, and he is able to leave again, this time he walks to his home. he gets a bit off course and lost, finally hunting up a concealed location and goes lupis; from there he RUNS, finally finding Minnetonka.
The sun sets, the waning crescent moon rising to take its place in the evening sky when Derek finally reaches home. He eats a LOT, then once he's unwound at least a bit, Alexander tells him that we've called. He returns the call and Mary turns the phone over to Lanya, who is PISSED. She tells him that they're going to go on a hunt in International Falls. She opens a Moon Bridge to the mansion to collect him, and now they're BOTH pissed.
As they travel to International Falls, Will relates what happened at the Asatrar; Mary is a bit jealous, having a desire to meet the fey. When they arrive they're met by Lanya's second cousin Nike, who is wielding a Labrys (a double-bitted axe). Introductions are made all around, Sif's fate is told to the sept, and the hunt is on!
Afterwards... Tales are told of the exploits of the Warband; Derek goes off to get rid of some of the rage and frustration that are eating at him, mauling dead trees. Mary is talked into telling more and more stories, finally crashing around four AM and sleeping til midmorning. Derek ends up crashing at the last of his tree-victims and recovers some calm. While all this goes on, Will asks to be taught a new rite, that of the Great Hunt. Lanya is filled in on the local events, and she returns the favor with what's been going on in her life since her leavetaking.
With the morning, breakfast is served late. Derek walks back in, and gets a raw rabbit, eating it alone in Lupis form. Will, tired but relaxed decides to let Whippoorwill out to stretch and fly a bit; his companion lets out the distinctive call and INSTANTLY the Black Furies flip out and charge! Mary manages to interpose herself (still in Homid), shoving the lead crinos back as she does- she stands to defend, Whippoorwill heads for the relative-if-temporary safety of the rafters, and Lanya leaps in with a growl for her kin to back off.
Hearing the commotion and howls, Derek hauls it back to the cabins; Will runs to Lanya as she takes a defensive stance; Mary, still in human form as she doesn't want to provoke even MORE violence, gets trampled underfoot by the enraged Black Furies. Fortunately, Lanya gets them to stop, just barely.
Derek arrives on the scene, going Crinos as he does; Lanya's mother, the sept leader , comes out at about the same time and demands to know what is going on- Lanya does her best to explain. However, as the safety of the Cairn is paramount to all other things, it is decided that Will and Whippoorwill must face judgment, Eris, the lead Philodox is to be the judge. As people disperse, Will wakens mary so that she can shift and heal, and time passes.
Much later, the call for judgment is given, with the Sept and the Warband assembling in the center of the Cairn, a grove of trees. A long and elaborate ritual takes place, with Will willingly submitting to the judgment of the tribe. Over about three hours, a spirit of truth is bound into a labris; the axe will only harm only those tainted by the Wyrm, and will spare any others. Will must allow them to swing the axe to behead him, and if he is true, he'll be fine. Otherwise... The Warband will need a new Theurge.
As it turns out, the axe shatters as it touches his neck, proving that he is free of the Wyrm! The Furies apologize, but with the caveat that they HAD to be sure. The Warband is still welcome, and understanding is achieved, at least here. Lanya's mother apologizes again to the Warband, much regretting what occurred.
After a while, discussions amongst the Warband take place to determine their course of action. It comes to this- the target is Nevrix, and the goal is information and the potential alliance-of-convenience... They spend the night resting, which they've needed for some time now.
Thus we end the latest saga of the Warband, and await the next; What follows is the Buffy Horror Campaign!
