Fate Magic of Jacksonville (IC)

[Ascaloth]

Seth Mansour

Alice Chandler

"Unlikely indeed. So... open-ended favour before end of the Arcana Ritual.
But, I get right of first refusal for any such favour asked of me, and it's considered fulfilled if I come across and subsequently introduce you to any Others with prophetic or divinatory powers. Sounds fair?"

"I'd go on to give you an idea of how my... talents are best employed. But, I figure that's something you'll know well enough already."

Blood Offering

Seth stooped down to pick up the wine bottle, pondering the words of his god in silence. Well, that is going to be something of a tall order, as divine commandments go. But he was going to see it through, somehow.

End of Scene

[JeenLeen]

Garden Party
Charismatic approach

Vanessa walks around, sampling the delicacies that were laid out and chit-chatting with some of the others and Others gathered.

Noticing the hour, she decides to stop waiting for others to first announce their secrets.
She walks to a spot near the middle of the crowd, takes a wine glass, and dings it thrice with a spoon. Standing so her dress accentuates her best features and speaking so her voice carries, she announces to the room:

"I have decided I have a true secret to share, in bid for the Priestess Card: there is a group of practitioners who would pay greatly to have me delivered to them.
Many of my relatives are practitioners. I abandoned them, and anyone who abandons the family is to be killed, bound, or made an example of. I admit I don't know the exact details of what they would want to do to me since I have avoided them, but my actions in leaving them to come here and be with Ramul are such that I expect I'd be killed or be wishing for death. Anyone who could find my birth family and turn me over to them would gain a great reward, I'm sure. If he's still alive, the man I was engaged to when I met Ramul may also offer some rewards."

With a smile, she bows towards the Third Lord, then adds, "And--I assume others have been biding their time, waiting to hear the first secret so they could trump it with their own. I know I was, but the hour is getting late. I would hope, out of fairness, some weight or other boon would be given me taking the initiative and starting the secrets to flow."

Spoiler: OOC

Show

I'm aiming for a -2 to -3 on my Family Debt secret, but I defer to you for what's appropriate.

[Thelonius]

Garden Party

Vanessa

Third Lord muses over the announcement, before conceding with a sigh. “An incomplete revelation, but I suspect, I would hardly get better ones. Very well, I shall award the Arcana Card to you, unless somebody trumps your offer, before clock strikes ten o’clock.”

The guests listening to the announcement with rapt attention relax and soon conversations resume. It seems nobody else is prepared to offer a secret of their own. Sinful Jack winks at Vanessa, before taking to another bottle of champagne in his quest to earn the strongest hangover.

[OOC]

Spoiler

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I fear it would be -4, to qualify for the card.

Demonslayer Party

Traces of Power

Pierce speaks “Sounds fine by me - I don’t exactly have time, searching for treasures.” Whitemoor nods in agreement. “Yes, I think I’ll sit this one out as well.”

“So, Oz?” akss Demonslayer. “Well, the four of us should make short work of it, I’m sure. I’m in.”

Seth Mansour

Alice Chandler

“I believe this is acceptable, though I think you overestimate, how much I know of your talents. Truth be told, you weren’t particularly interesting, until this meeting.” Alice replies. “So, agreement concluded, let me deliver my part.”

Seth [Secret]
“The question is of course, who could have manipulated the outcome of the game, without others noticing. And for that there are four suspects. You, Richard Mayhew, Third Lord and Arcana Ritual. All others we can exclude by simple elimination - they don’t have power to command fate to such fine degree, without upsetting the fate currents at the Garden Party. Perhaps Crone, but she was too well watched. Third Lord is an enigma - he or she is a suspect, simply because he may possess such power, we just don’t know about it. Personally, I think it’s a long-shot. My primary suspects are Arcana Ritual and Mayhew himself. The first could be attributed by some random chance - fate magic acting unpredictably or perhaps on a level we simply can’t understand. The second is as Morrigan has said, there’s something wrong with Mayhew’s luck. I’m certain Mayhew knows the truth, but accusing you would give him leverage, a way to coerce your obedience - a brutish tactic, that lacks finesse. But his raw power… or rather raw power of Chromatic Book has allowed him to get away with such things.”
[/spoiler]

Vanessa

[OOC: You can use Main Scene as Support or Social Scene.]

Training with Melissa

Melissa seems to hesitate, before pulling on collar of her shirt, revealing a tattoo of Arcana Card - Magician. “Hector says it’s the first Arcana Card.” She answers, uncomfortably. She quickly adjusts her clothes, hiding the tattoo once more. “I just got it. By magic I guess.”

[JeenLeen]

OOC: so it's a -4 to my Secret? Just making sure the "incomplete revelation" still means -4.

Demonslayer Party

Vanessa shows a look of relief that the more experienced and respected practitioners took no offense, then looks towards Manny.

OOC: I'm out of scenes except a Main, so I'm just up for the actual going to the place. It sounds like Oz is providing basic intel (so that Support feature is taken care of), so if Manny can provide a Support scene to get rid of mundane guards, I reckon we're good. Not meaning to put too much on you, HerbieRAI.
If there's any way I can use my last invocation of Chakravrati Wealth to assist, let me know.

Garden Party
Shifting to Prepared--still engaging in conversation, but more reserved to get the chance to carefully listen in and avoid folk noticing she's drinking less than she seems to be

Vanessa gives a confident yet reserved smile at the Third Lord's proclamation. Moments later, a more flirtatious one towards Sinful Jack. After a few minutes pass, she decides to go near those drinking heavily. She just nurses a glass of wine, but, well, those who drink much may say things they don't expect to, so it's worth standing around and listening.

Training with Melissa

Vanessa takes a step back at the sight, her usual control over emotions slipping. She recovers quickly, but her tone shows her concern.

"This is remarkable. I'm sorry for my response, but I was mainly troubled because of the Third Lord's words. It... well, it sounded like two cards have been revealed, Priestess and another of unknown name. He claimed to be the custodian of the one he left unnamed. And if that is Magician, the one you hold, that sounds dangerous for you. Of course, he never stated outright that only two have been revealed, and maybe your card didn't count as revealed, so his words might not have any reference to you...

Did you get this mark before the night of the Garden Party? Have you had any interaction with the Third Lord?"

[Ascaloth]

Seth Mansour

Alice Chandler

"Ah, you wound me, miss Chandler," Seth said, but with a smile on his face. A smile which soon turned into a frown, as he digested Alice's words.

"Hmmm. So excluding our mysterious nameless Third Lord, I simply got Murphy'd by the Arcana Ritual... or it was Mayhew conspiring against me, and using his poor luck as a weapon in an attempt to suborn me. Hah, he probably did not expect me to react quite the way I did, then."

Another pause, as Seth digested the whole thing further.

"Mmm. Thank you very much for this, miss Chandler. As it happens,
I might have a couple of minor Secrets regarding Richard Mayhew, and the Crone as well...
well maybe not so minor with the Crone, depending on how you look at it. Interested?
Enough to call in your Favour right now, perhaps?"

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Right, AFAICT this is my count of invoked Aspects for this Chapter;

Social Scenes

Garden Party
Hack-n-Slash
Alice Chandler

Main Scenes

Moonlit Horror Chase

Support Scenes

Blood Offering


Invocations

Chef's Knife (Moonlit Horror Chase)

Pact: Blood Magic (Moonlit Horror Chase)

Knife Fighter: Moonlit Horror Chase
Fitness Enthusiast: Moonlit Horror Chase
Psychopath: Intimidate Richard Mayhews, Impress Hack-n-Slash
Chef: Fabulous Feast
Wine Connoissuer: Fabulous Feast, Blood Offering

Use of Fate Points

Deflect Richard Mayhew's ire (1)
Moonlit Horror Chase (1)

Does this mean I cannot start any more Social Scenes, and should declare end of Chapter for me soon? If so, could I invoke Knife Fighter and Fitness Nut for a Support Scene in some kind of training montage?

[HerbieRAI]

Manny Bingham

Balance of Life and Death
Approach: Clever
Then I will switch to call out the Tech Spirits of Pain Killers

Dinner with Melody
Approach: Charismatic (social scene)
After Demonslayer's party, Manny sets up a meeting with Melody to talk about the war and how she sees things, and brings over some beer and Chinese takeout. "I would have gotten Pizza, but I had my fill of that with Jeff. Nothing like adding more complication to a situation. How have you been holding up?"

Murderer of Practitioner
Approach: Sneaky

Spoiler

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"That’s what I'm trying to figure out. I know you were set up, but I don't know who set you up. I need the information from you, and for that I need you to let me in. I've heard the other side of the story, I need to hear yours. Also, hiding here isn't going to help. Afterward you'll need to be escorted down to the rest of the cops."

GM question

Spoiler

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My other two scenes this turn I would like to capture a Ghoul using a carcass as bait, and possibly my combat skills. The other is getting into the docks for the source of power. With only 1 Main and 1 Support scene open are both these possible?

[Thelonius]

City Reconstruction Meeting

Vanessa [Social Scene]

The Council of Six shall hold a meeting about reconstruction of Jacksonville, and fixing the damage Morrigan’s War inflicted upon it. The meeting is open to all Practitioners.

The Council is represented by Noah Graham and Galina Hudson, with the Crone presiding. Around half of the Practitioners have chosen to attend, with Techna, Pierce and Mortimer playing greater role in the proceedings. The main public is comprised of Dilettantes, the group most suffering from rampaging Others. A lot of disgruntled voices are directed at the Council - carefully worded accusations of doing too little to speed up recovery and deal with dangerous Others. The fact that Morrigan is one of the Lords is clearly a sore point with some nearly coming close to blaming Council for weakness in giving her the position.

Noah Graham seems to bear the brunt of negativity - considering his company Nexcal Inc. is supposed to fix the damage to the city, that has allowed the Undead latch onto destruction and suffering, forming dangerous Bonds. Mortimer’s feeble attempts at reassurances seem to have little effect - the Necromancer is perhaps liked, but clearly not respected. On other hand Pierce the Hunter shuts down any attacks on Council’s response to threat of Nineteen-O-One with profanity and aggressiveness, she is not liked, but definitely respected - or feared, which is close enough. Only presence of Glaina Hudson helps sooth the tempers and stop the shouting matches, so some actual work can be done.

Techna and Crone mostly keep silent, but the tension between them seems to be growing by the minute, and they are clearly watching the proceedings with extreme care.

Garden Party

Vanessa [Social Scene]

It seems that apart from Sinful Jack, Mortimer and Galina Hudson, Practitioners are either careful with their drinks or can hold their liquor well. Hudson excuses herself from the party early, while Sinful Jack, utterly drunk as he is, seems to babble about everything, except anything useful.

Vanessa

Training with Melissa [Support]

“It seems I’m the first card revealed. Whatever that means. Well, since it’s a tattoo, it can’t be exactly taken from me. So, I guess nobody is going to steal it or try to hurt me to get it.” Melissa seems uncomfortable. “I haven’t spoken with Third Lord much. Let’s just continue with my training.”

Seth Mansour

Alice Chandler

“Well” Alice considers the offer. “You are a newcomer, so I’m uncertain, whether what you believe to be secrets are indeed such. But you have trusted that my advice would have value, so I may as well do the same. I will accept such trade. I’m certain, you will not disappoint.”

[OOC]

Spoiler

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You can use Support or Main Scenes as Social Scene. It’s like Main -> Support -> Social, so you can play Support as Social, but not vice-versa.

Manny

Balance of Life and Death

The Spirits of Painkillers screech, as full attention of the Hospital falls upon them and Manny thinks he can see something dark about them, something out of place. They cry out “No. We belong here! Thrice we deny your accusation. We give relief from pain to those suffering! The doctors administer us to the patients! It’s patients giving up on life!

[OOC: You need to refute/expose their denials as lies or half-truths (at least one).]

Dinner with Melody

“Holding up?” she shrugs. “I’m as much fine as one can be.” She takes a beer. “I don’t actually drink much. It’s better to keep your head clear, this job makes you too many enemies. I remember, when I decided to start running errands for the Council - a Dilettante, seeking a shortcut to power, founding her own dynasty by protecting the city. And sure, I’ve got them, all the things they promised me. Except, I’ve earned enemies and made enough pacts, to be stuck as an enforcer, because if Council cuts me loose, all sort of nasties are going to come out of woodworks to take a bite out of me.” She gives Manny a steady look. “So I see you lot, and I want to give you advice. You can work for the Council to earn your wings, but watch out for that line of no return, and decide, whether you want to cross it or not. If you get stuck as Council’s hatchet man, at least do it by choice.”

“And as for how things are, Nineteen-O-One is coming, and all the good men died in war. We are stuck with creep Mortimer, shifty Whitemoor and useless Sinful Jack or unknowns like Oz and Demonslayer. The ones, who can be counted on - Techna and Hack-n-Slash are too busy planning to murder each other. I expect, things are going to get real hot. ”

Murder of Practitioner

Spoiler

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“Give me one good reason to trust you.” asks Filch.

OOC

Spoiler

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You can do it, if you are assisting another player’s main scene in the Docks with a Support Scene.

[ArcaneStomper]

Setting up the Instruments (Support Scene)
Approach - Logical

Dr. Letts is very interested in the physical aspects of the demesne he has created. It seems almost like a separate universe, but it could also be some sort of alternate dimension, or simply a fold in the space/time. Dr. Letts aims to find out. His first order of business is to write up a plan of approach.

Using the instruments he has already acquired he does some basic simple experiments to establish a base line both in his demesne. Then he writes a hypothesis and experimental outline that details what he plans to accomplish and hope to find out. Being a Physicist he knows what to expect if he were to carry out such a plan in the real world, but he does not know what to expect of a demesne.

Performing the Experiments (Main Scene)
Approach - Prepared

With his equipment in order and plan of experiments laid Dr. Letts begins his experiments inside his demesne. He has prepared as best he can before he begins, and is ready for whatever might happen. Or at least he hopes so.

[Ascaloth]

Seth Mansour

Alice Chandler

"In that case, I will leave it to your judgement," Seth nodded. "If you believe what I'm about to tell you worth the asking price, then I'll trust you'd honour the exchange. If not... the Favour stands, but perhaps you would considering availing me with a couple morsels of gossip, should I say, about this Community of what you feel to be equal import?
After all, every little bit of knowledge could be useful to a 'newcomer' such as myself."

Spoiler: Secret (PM)

Show

"The first thing is this; when I confronted Mayhew back at the Party, he actually feared me on some level. True, he did pull off a good act of taking it in stride, but I... have a nose for these kinds of things. But if the Chromatic Book he possesses has as much raw power as you say, a seasoned Practitioner like him should have nothing to fear from a mere Dilettante like me. So, what gives? Plus with what Morrigan has hinted about his luck, that paints a most intriguing picture. I posit that, on some level, Richard and his family are weaker than they present themselves to be. I, for one, would like to know what they're hiding."

"The second thing pertains to what you yourself said, about Crone being too well-watched at the Party to influence Fate so subtly, without being noticed. But the thing is, that did happen; I know, because I was there to feel it when I was conversing with her. Or at the least, I felt that tug on the Fate currents during that time. Can't be absolutely certain it was her doing, of course... but I don't believe that sort of timing is a coincidence, especially not when it was shortly before I sat down to that game with Mayhew.
To what purpose, that's a matter for further speculation."

"So, how much value do you place on what I've just told you, miss Chandler?"

Knife Drills (Support Scene)

Invocation - Knife Fighter, Fitness Enthusiast

After his 'excursion' with Hack-n-Slash, and after all the loose ends had been accounted for, Seth still felt blood pumping around in his veins vigorously. There was still some residual adrenaline in his system, and he felt the need to work off the last dregs of the night's stimulation. Nothing to it then, but to do just that with a bit of a workout. And since it involves sweating anyway, might as well make it a revision with his erstwhile long-neglected knife-fighting skills.

Thus, with his Implement in hand, Seth began imagining scenes from his past where he had gotten into those knife-fights, and moved his blade as though he was back in those days.

Spoiler: OOC

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No invocation of Chef's Knife, he's just using it as a normal blade.

City Reconstruction Meeting (Support -> Social Scene)

Although he wasn't particularly aware of what the whole thing was all about, Seth figured he should attend in person anyway, for the sake of keeping in touch with the Community and its happenings if nothing else. Thus, he was there in civilian attire, a large but otherwise unassuming man taking in the proceedings.

[JeenLeen]

OOC: waiting to see what Manny does, before deciding on last Main Scene

Training with Melissa

Vanessa drops the subject with a, "Sure thing, Melissa. Thanks for sharing this with me," and continues the lesson.
Unless anything else comes up, I consider this the end of scene.

Reconstruction Meeting
Charismatic approach to appeal with a speech

Vanessa comes to the party well-attired, but dressed for more business than the formal attire she wore to the garden party. The tension in the air surprises her. Well, not much, given what one of the Lords are, but she figured the meeting would be more productive than it is.

She generally stays quiet, but she adds when some of the group attack Mortimer: "And what work have you done to stem the tide of the undead? I can't speak for Nexcel and their efforts, nor do I agree with all the decisions made by the powers of this city, but I believe that the Council and other full practitioners have been working to help. Mortimer has been coordinating efforts against the undead. With his guidance, I managed to defeat a cunning beast plaguing the riverside." She moves so that the bandages on her arms are clearly visible; let them see that her words are backed with action. "It is up to all of us to work towards the restoration of our city. Even if it is at some personal cost, if we work towards this goal, we can keep Jacksonville safe, be it from the undead for the fire elementals."

She is careful to just mention defeating the undead, not that she bound it to a Pact.

[Thelonius]

City Reconstruction Meeting

Pact-Net or Earthblood

Graham’ waves hand, calling attention to himself. “Do not worry, the Nexcal Inc. will fix the damage in record time, with use of Pact-Net. Once we finish negotiations.” He smiles at Techna, who regards him coolly. She answers: “I have told you Graham, my code belongs to me, you can use Pact-Net, but you will not take it.” The Crone breaks her silence, since the start of the meeting. “The Pact-Net… untested, untried. Dangerous.” Techna shoots daggers at ancient witch, before asking in return ”When will be the Sacrifice? How much power can the city expect, once Ritual is empowered?”

The gathered public waits for Crone answer, but before she can speak, somebody shouts from the back “Are the rumors true? Is Nineteen-O-One planning to steal the sacrifice and Earthblood’s power?” The Crone laughs. “That upstart will be boiling water under my pot, if he dares to assault my Demesne. I have guarded the sacrifice and Earthblood for centuries. It is perfectly safe. And there will be enough power for Arcana Ritual and to mend the fortunes of Jacksonville.”
“Is that so?” Techna sounds sceptical. “Ritual’s demands has been growing. And we have been terribly inefficient with power use. There need to be changes.”
“Don’t fix, what ain’t broken, dearie.” the Crone speaks soothingly at Techna. “The Earthblood shall provide. And our sacrifice this time is of highest quality.”

Vanessa

The Dilettantes seem impressed by Vanessa’s assertion. It seems the rumors of her confrontation with Morrigan has spread and she has acquired reputation for recklessness, however the fact, that she did manage to vanquish a strong undead, have shown, she has some power to back her bluster. She may yet recover her standing - unless things go bad next time. Mortimer mouths his thanks. It seems he can’t handle crowds well. Melody Pierce on other hand looks at her with harsh eyes. She whispers to Vanessa, when others can’t overhear. “I’m experienced with battle damage. And I can tell, that banishment took more from you, then those wounds beneath bandages. A word of warning, some victories, can be more dangerous, than defeats.”

Dr. Letts

Setting up the Instruments (Support Scene)

Dr. Letts formulates a Demesne Research Plan.

Performing the Experiments (Main Scene)

Dr. Letts quickly establishes that basic measurement return values, he wishes them to return. His Demesne simply alters to adhere to his expectations. This seems not to be the case of the fundamental physical constants, however it’s hard to say, whether it’s because they are inviolable natural laws or because Dr. Letts wants them to be inviolable natural laws in his Demesne. For now Letts leans towards space/time fold theory as explanation for his Demesne.

[OOC: Okay, your next move.]

Seth Mansour

Alice Chandler [Social Scene]

“Intriguing. I think you are onto something with your first insight.” Alice seems thoughtful. “As for the second one, I’m certain most Practitioners with some skill in Fate manipulation has noticed Crone’s work. She bound your offer of service to her with fate, I expect, to influence a future, where you’ll be of use to her. It didn't have affect for your game.”

“Well, I admit I’ve gotten more, than I expected. Perhaps, I can offer you a curious tidbit, I’ve learned recently.” Alice pauses, before speaking “The Arcana Ritual is made of Twenty Two Major Arcana cards. Do you notice the seeming irregularity?” She calls waitress. “I believe we are ready to pay.”

Knife Drills (Support Scene)

Seth’s form markedly improves and in the coming days he persists with regular workouts.

[OOC: +1 Knife Fighter Invocation per Chapter]

[OOC: Note, if you repeat knife drills support scene, it’s much less likely to provide results.]

[Ascaloth]

Seth Mansour

Alice Chandler

"Ah. Good to know."

Note to self, don't offer your services to the Lords so readily next time, Seth thought to himself. Now, he can only hope that whatever Fate the Crone has in mind for him wouldn't be too far out of his depth.

"I must admit, the Tarot isn't exactly something I'm an expert on, so I'm not sure that I'm aware of what you mentioned. Let's see... the Ritual uses the Major Arcana, it consists of twenty-two trumps, two cards have been revealed so far, one of them is the Priestess... huh. Assuming these reveals are supposed to happen in a certain order, either the Fool or the Magician has been skipped over. I wonder what that means."

City Reconstruction Meeting

Approach - Forceful [4]

"A-hem!"

Seth coughed loudly, his patience with the myriad recriminations having come to an end.

"I came to hear what has been done for the reconstruction of the city,
and what still needs doing," Seth's baritone boomed across the room. "Can we get around to that already? Because I have a business to tend to, and I didn't take time off from that to weary myself with all this... squabbling."

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Is there catering at this meeting? Because if not, I wonder if I can invoke his Chef Aspect to have Seth provide untouched hors d'oeuvres as refreshments, and maybe soothe some nerves here.

[ArcaneStomper]

Performing the Experiments (Main Scene)

Dr. Letts to see if the demense can handle the flow of energy. He spreads temperature sensors throughout the demense and gets behind something solid. Then he concentrates on slowly raising the temperature in one specific zone as far as he can go. Or until it reaches mildly dangerous levels. Whichever comes first. He plans to map how the temperature in the demense changes over the area and time.

[HerbieRAI]

Manny Bingham

Balance of Life and Death
Approach: Clever
ooc – I assume spirits know they are spirits, and not the actual drug itself.
"That relief would come with or without your supposed help, and the doctors do not know you are attached to the medicine. All the spirits can sense the life being drained from the patients, otherwise they wouldn't be Supportive of my cause.

Dinner with Melody
Approach: Charismatic (social scene)
swallowing his bite of food "You know the best way of fighting enemies is friends. Now I'm probably not strong enough to help against your enemies, but that’s probably the best way to help ease that problem. Is Nineteen-O-One coming for something specific, or does he seem to show up every couple decades? You know, it seems like every enemy the city could have is coming out to take over the ritual, did something like this happen last time?"

Murderer of Practitioner
Approach: Sneaky

Spoiler

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"Well, for starters bringing normal police and talking to you instead of busting down the door should be good indicators, but the way I see it your options are limited. Running isn't an option at this point, Mayhew is betting on you trying to bolt from the police."

Demonslayer Party
Manny spends a few minutes thinking about the docks. "Well, alright, I'll help. I will give you a warning though, that dock is more likely a trap than a free power source. Power has to come from somewhere, and those that have it don't just leave it lying around."
OOC: I'm assuming you still want to go through with it?

[JeenLeen]

Demonslayer Party

Vanessa nods.
"Alright, so Manny will handle the mundane security. That leaves us with three for the... well, assault or investigation. If we want to work on the cardinal directions for protection and support, we'd need a fourth? Melissa, or would you be interested, Thing-in-Mirror?
Although I guess just as a group of three, we can invoke the force of that magical number, so we'll likely be okay against Strife as me, Oz, and Demonslayer."

Spoiler: OOC (mostly)

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herbaieRAI: honestly, I'm a little mixed about this route. Using a Main Scene as support for bolster my invocations or heal a consequence is probably wiser, but it seems I'm playing Vanessa as a bolder sort. I'll likely tend my wounds next chapter.
Thelonius: Also, since unused invocations are wasted (right, DM?), could I give Manny a use of my Chakravrati Wealth invocation, in case it's useful as part of the Support scene? If your answer is yes, she offers it as:

"Also, Manny, I have a bit of... spare funds allocated for this week that I haven't used. If it could help you disperse the mundane security, I could get you some money. ...I really it probably won't help, if you're using your police connections, but I wanted to offer in case another route seems wiser to you."

[HerbieRAI]

Manny Bingham

Opening the Guard
Support scene
Approach Prepared
The night Venessa plans on getting into the dockyard, Manny will get into position opposite the warehouse in question. The plan is a simple one, he will have Wolfsbane trip an alarm on the other side of the dock, then when the guards respond Manny will approach as a police officer (1 fate point used for 3rd use) telling them he was chasing some thieves and they ran into the docks. Then Manny and Wolfsbane will spend a few hours playing cat and mouse keeping the guards away from the warehouse in question.

[JeenLeen]

Trace of Power

OOC: waiting for description of the scene before knowing how to set up/approach, but I reckon it's the party (Oz, Demonslayer, and Vanessa, with or without a 4th) waiting discretely until the guards are pulled away by Manny.

Reconstruction Party

Vanessa gives a deferential nod towards the more experienced practitioner. Pierce is right, of course, but Vanessa is hesitant to show weakness in the crowd.

She looks over the crowd, trying to guess--between those here and those at the Garden Party--about how many dilettantes there are in the city.

[Thelonius]

Seth Mansour

Alice Chandler [Social Scene]

“The Fool isn’t numbered. I wonder whatever that means. As for Magician, the 1st card, it has been revealed - just not everybody realized it.” It doesn’t seem like Alice is going to elaborate on it.

Dr. Letts

Experiments [Main Scene]

Dr. Letts begins his experiment, trying to determine effects of heat and where exactly, the energy for it is coming from. He notices the Others - small, translucent spirits, weaving energy into warmth, that is filling his Pocket Universe. It seems, they are using the matter from the measuring tools he brought in. Fascinated Dr. Letts observes as matter is transformed into energy - did he bring these Others with him - where did they come from? And what was the mechanism of their matter transmutation, a complex molecular manipulation or quantum mechanics? Were they affecting matter directly or somehow changing the quantum state of Pocket Universe through observation, changing reality on some fundamental level?

[Dr. Letts gains 1 Invocation per Chapter on his Demesne.]

Manny Brigham

Balance of Life & Death [Main]

[See OOC. The creature’s bond to medicine actually may have an effect, as it claims. If it was proper pain killer tech-spirit, then it would make the drugs slightly more potent. You can switch this denouement to another one.]

Melody Pierce [Social Scene]

“The Nineteen-O-One was beaten and broken by the old Council, when I wasn't even born. They locked him in his Demesne with powerful wards, because, going in and killing him was judged too dangerous. The old Council believed, Nineteen-O-One would be too weak to break out from inside and with time it’ll grow weaker. I think the plan was to wait a hundred years or so, before reclaiming the Demesne. Well, when Morrigan attacked, it broke out. Some think that Morrigan destroyed the wards - though I don’t think it’s her. She’s a bitch, but not a crazy bitch. Plus she’s aligned with Water and Wind, they’d see it as double-cross. So, maybe old Council underestimated how much power Nineteen-O-One had left, maybe wards got damaged somehow during the war. Or maybe somebody on the outside sprung him out. I know the wards were strong - they wouldn’t fail on their own.”

Murder of Practitioner [Main Scene]

Spoiler

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Filch doesn’t reply for some time and Manny is almost ready to try something else, when he speaks. “Okay. Call in normal cops. Not cultists. I’ll surrender to them. I know you can’t do spells in front of them. You want to know, what I know - fine. I’ll talk in the police station. Might as well go for insanity defense.”

Docks

Manny (Support Scene)

The Blue Shell Transport Co. has above average security, perhaps reflecting the value of their cargo. The security cameras, fence and guards would likely deter thieves. Wolfsbane attracts the attention of the security and Manny provides a distraction, by his story of thieves. This should allow the group to slip into the Warehouse.

Vanessa, Oz Bender, Demonslayer (Main Scene)

The group slips into the warehouse, a simple spell opening the locks. Inside, it’s dark and various crates and containers make a veritable maze. They can feel something - a power, at its center. But the warehouse is filled with Miasma, a heavy cloud of something, that clouds their minds and makes every step difficult. Vanessa doesn’t think she can remain inside for long, without losing consciousness. “Careful” Oz warns, pointing to a thin green thread floating in the air. “This seems dangerous.” The warehouse is filled with Green Threads, slowly floating and hard to spot things. Something tells Melissa she doesn’t wish to touch one. Fortunately, due to Manny’s distraction they can at least use flashlights without fear of discovery, but it’s not going to be easy to find their prize.

[OOC: You can use the following Approaches - Lucky, Instinct, Quick. The time restriction imposed by Miasma demands quick action. Other Approaches are restricted (though if you present a good argument why other Approaches would work or use Aspects/FP to lift restrictions, they could be used.]

City Reconstruction Meeting

Vanessa

There are around two dozen Dilettantes at the meeting - most with little potential and power. The Practitioners of this level usually specialize in a single field, to make the most of their limited resources.

Seth Mansour

A number of similar voices follow Mansour’s words, as many assert, that they want to hear concrete steps and they’ve got stuff to do. It takes a couple minutes for the shouting to die down.

The main points from the discussion seem to be:

Graham and Nexcal have ambitious city development project, that goes beyond simple reconstruction. They are using the current situation to push it through.

Nexcal needs Pact-Net to complete their project, but insist to have access to Pact-Net code. Techna refuses to give the latter to them?

The crime wave, empowered by malicious Others and uncertainty about Storm Court and Nineteen-O-One attacks may hinder the reconstruction.

The war with Morrigan expended a lot of Pacts, that kept the city prosperous and now many are waiting for the Sacrifice to Earthblood to recharge them. Some are concerned the power wouldn’t be enough for both restoring the city and powering Arcana Ritual and push for greater degree of power to be channeled into city pacts.

[OOC: You can certainly handle catering.]

[JeenLeen]

Reconstruction Meeting

If she can catch Mortimer when things have quieted down, she asks, "I'm a little lost about how the Earthblood sacrifice empowers the Arcana Ritual and various Pacts. I'm guessing the sacrifice has limited energy, and it gets... split... to some degree between empowering the ritual and empowering Pacts some of the higher-ranking practitioners have that strengthen the city. Is that right? Do you know why we can't use Earthblood and Pact-Net's power; does one somehow limit the other?"
If he isn't sure, she asks who she could ask, noting that she's hesitant to ask Crone or Techna, due to their stake in the argument.

---
During the mention of Nineteen-O-One, Vanessa tries to encourage the gathered dilettantes to work together to quell the fire elementals acting as scouts throughout the city, mentioning concepts such as working in groups of magical numbers (3, 4 cardinal directions, 7) in order to avoid the influence of Strife and for enhanced protection. It should be a way for many of them to gain some standing and perhaps power, as well as weaken one of the threats to the city, thus enabling the Council and other full practitioners to focus on stronger threats.

If asked why she doesn't do it herself, she'll note again the undead she handled and that she's helped resolve another issue for the Council (though she stays vague about what it is), redirecting the focus to all of the town's practitioners needing to do their parts.

OOC: I'm a bit tired now, so I hope it's okay that I don't try to type out an invigorating speech.

Docks
Lucky approach: hey, it's the only one I have a rating above 1 in. I figure being guided by magic falls into karma, fate, and luck. Invoking 2nd use of Implement: although she generally uses it to cut connections, I imagine that she can also use it to strengthen the sight of said connections; afterall, to cut something you have to know it is there.

Vanessa clasps her implement, using it to focus her senses on the connections forged between her comrades and the green threads once one of them spot it. Using this as a sixth sense, in addition to her own vision, as well as a connection to her comrades to help focus her mind, she moves forward with them towards their goal, letting her magic guide her.

I'll also spend a Fate Point for a lucky break in finding our goal quickly

[Ascaloth]

Seth Mansour

Alice Chandler

"Ah. Interesting. Is that the 'curious tidbit' you were alluding to, then? Or is that yet to come?"

City Reconstruction Meeting

Approach - Quick [3]
Invocation - Chef

While they were getting things settled down, Seth took the opportunity to make a call to his restaurant, and arrange for some ad hoc catering. The spread of bite-sized morsels that would shortly be rolling up to the venue would be nothing fancy, but it should be just sufficient to help soothe a nerve or two while the real business was getting under way.

With that done, he crossed his arms and listened silently to the proceedings. When it came to the disagreement between Graham and Techna, Seth shrugged and spoke up.

"So, what's needed is essentially an IT solution from a specific vendor, right? Why not hire Techna as a third-party consultant on the project, and be done with it?"

When talk has moved on to the crime wave, he spoke up again.

"So, if you're telling all of us here about this issue, I gather you're looking for volunteers to handle it?"

[Thelonius]

Vanessa

Vanessa calls upon the powers of fate... and then feels the energy pour back into her, replacing the power she expended. Her understanding of Fate (Fate Title) is insufficient to realize, why that happens, but why question, when something good happens.

[Check Successful]: She navigates the maze of containers, while dodging the green threads and hoping everything would work out. Her companions do the same, searching in other directions. Vanessa is the first to arrive to the location and discover the Flames of War. A white-hot ball of flame hovering above the ground, invisible to mundane sight, but blindingly brilliant to the Practitioner. Tentatively, Vanessa extends her hand, and the Flames of War surge towards her palm. She feels both heat and coldness, somehow impossibly intertwined, emanating from this magical manifestation. With her path illuminated, she easily makes it out of warehouse and soon the group rendezvouses with Manny to discuss their find.

Oz Bender seems excited. "I'm going to bet, we've got a trace of Morrigan's power here. Now, why was it in that warehouse, and where did it go..."
Demonslayer on other hand has a look of concern. "I haven't even considered the danger from Morrigan's power. Whoever stole it... If demon gets its hands on it, that'll be a disaster."

[1 Fate Point Spent, 1 Fate Point Regained.]
[OOC: Flames of War can be used for a number of things - siphoning it's power for yourself, using it as one-shot weapon or as ingredient for magical rituals, etc.]

City Reconstruction Meeting

Vanessa

Mortimer scratches his neck, as he thinks of a reply. "The Earthblood is ancient. There sacrifices to it, before Jacksonville, I believe the Crone simply revived the old Pacts. The sacrifice gives vast amounts of energy to the Earthblood and it gives us magic in return. It's a matter of energy transfer - Earthblood is attuned to specific sacrifices and is extremely efficient in gaining power from them, far more, then if we used said sacrifices to directly empower Arcana Ritual and various city enchantments."

He gives a look at Techna. "Pact-Net and Earthblood are perfectly compatible. One is about gaining energy, the other is about using it efficiently. What is not compatible are Techna and Crone. At least, as far as I can tell, I'm not the best person to ask about politics and interpersonal conflicts. I prefer to just do my thing and stay out of other's business."

---

The various Dilettantes discuss possibility of hunting down Fire Sprites, though how many of them would dedicate their time and efforts to that is unclear.

Seth Mansour

The catering is welcomed by the present public and Seth is complimented for his work.

Techna nods. "Yes. And if Graham stops insisting on seeing the code, we can just proceed with it."
Graham shakes his head "I owe the city due diligence. Pact-Net is very ambitious and powerful tool - but it's a new thing. Crone is partially right, we don't know, if there's not a flaw in it. I need to make certain."
"I checked, double-checked and triple checked the Pact wording" replies Techna, sounding annoyed. "It works."

The Crone replies to Seth's second question. "You are the seeds, from which we shall reap the victory. Already, you work to root the darkness."

"The Council will deploy our resources to deal with the issue. And we will issue missions, with appropriate rewards, once we discuss the recent findings." says Graham.

[Ascaloth]

Seth Mansour

City Reconstruction Meeting

Graham & Techna

Seeing that the bickering was about to start up again, Seth decided to nip it in the bud with a follow-up.

"So, is this something that can't be handled with a little bit of Pact Lawyering? I know nothing about the fine details of this thing you've got going, but it seems to me that Mr Lewis can figure out terms that'll protect both your interests."

Crone & Graham

"Sounds good to me," Seth nodded. "I presume some sort of system will be set up to inform us of these missions in due course, then?"

Alice Chandler

Spoiler: OOC

Show

So, what was Alice's response to Seth's latest statement?

[JeenLeen]

Docks (or, well, a safe distance away from the docks

She adds, "There's also the question of who knew it was here, and who hired this security. I can see retribution from Morrighan in her wanting to reclaim her power, in addition to retribution from whoever knew it was here. Though... I can't tell why they would just put mundane guards outside and a magical ward inside, if they planned to use it themselves." With a groan of frustration, she adds, "Maybe this was even some test by one of the Council or Lords, to see if someone was willing to test those defenses. Any of you know of anyone whose magic would lend easily to creating that miasma?."

"I don't want to risk Strife--or whoever we just ticked off finding us--by discussing things when we are too close to danger. Shall we relocate to, say, a diner or bar nearby to figure out how to split the rewards or decide favors owed? I think a nice cup of tea would clear my mind and give time to let the adrenaline cool off."

OOC: is this something I could give to one of the others, or something we can split? Does it still exist as a 'physical' object, or is it inside Vanessa and no longer visible to magical eyes?
Also, can I tell if the green threads and miasma came from or was empowered by the Flames of War, or was a defense in addition to it?

City Reconstruction

She gives Mortimer her thanks, commending his wisdom in staying out of such rivalries. As Crone and Techna and Techna and Graham bicker, a sadness comes to her mind. This is unnecessary. She nods along with Seth's recommendations. The man seems to have more subtly and skill than she thought from her initial sights of him at the Garden Party.

---

To the dilettantes discussing the flame elementals, Vanessa adds, "I am willing to offer a minor boon to any of you who would seek to banish or bind these scouts of Nineteen-O-One. I'm sure it pales in comparison to whatever boon the Council offers, but I could order a nice ruby ring set in silver for each of you willing to try the task. The monetary value is minor, but I think the symbolism could be helpful: a ruby to hold fire, while silver to cool and purify. I recommend you not try to bind them as prisoners within the ring if you think it too dangerous, but it is far easier to banish than bind." With a shrug, she recounts again, "I know it's a trifling thing, something many of you could obtain on your own, but it is a small bit of aid I could easily give."

invoking last Chakravrati Wealth for the chapter, with the intent to order several of the rings from a local jeweler. If that's not legit for a Social Scene, let me know and just ignore this paragraph.

[HerbieRAI]

Manny Bingham

Docks
While leaving the docks with the others, Manny adds in his two cents. "I still say it is a trap or ploy. I'd recommend using it soon to get it 'out of play' so to speak."

Balance of Life and Death
Approach: Clever
"You are using that attachment to their relief as a method of syphoning their life, and the doctors do not know you are attached to the medicine. All the spirits can sense the life being drained from the patients, otherwise they wouldn't be Supportive of my cause. Do not be persuaded by their lies, these are not real spirits of Painkillers but leaches and must be expelled from this place."

Dinner with Melody
"There are too many possibilities there. It could also have been one of the council trying to tap into power they shouldn't. You could also think about Jeff's" Manny puts up air quotes "Demon. That threat is already trying to mask itself behind as many doors as it can, adding in Nineteen-O-One would be another. How serious a threat do you consider Jeff and/or the Demon? He doesn't seem so insane to me."

Murderer of Practitioner
Approach: Sneaky

Spoiler

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"Alright, I'll bring a few of them up." Using the radio Manny calls up Chris, when he arrives, he has a quick talk with him. "I want to get his side of the story before we leave the building. We may have the exits covered, but I get the feeling there is something else in here that is going to come after us on our way out."

[JeenLeen]

leaving the Docks

"Hmm... I've been thinking of crafting a demesne, and this could be a useful power source for that ritual, but I don't know if I can do the preparations quickly enough. Demonslayer, Oz, do either of you have a useful way to get this 'out of play' quickly?"

OOC: another question: by the 'siphon its power' use, would that be a one-use boost for a scene, or something to permanently increase our Magic title?

[Thelonius]

A Trace of Power

Vanessa

Oz and Bender shrug almost simultaneously. Oz answers first “You are asking questions of two people, who are least knowledgeable of Jacksonville politics. We are both new to the city.”

Demonslayer seems reluctantly willing to help with Demesne formation, while Oz shakes his head. “I’m afraid, I have affairs of my own.”

Rewards

Demonslayer begins by saying “Okay, I don’t need anything. Consider this repayment for you coming to the meeting and hearing me out, and I hope not dismissing my words outright.”

Oz seems generous as well. “We didn’t do much, it’s you and Manny, who lent most effort. Just keep me in the loop about where this flame came from - I’m interested in the big prize, not this little morsel of power.”

On Flames of War

You can split Flames of War. It exists as invisible flame, floating in the air. I assume Vanessa simply brought it with her, instead of consuming it. If a single Practitioner draws on it, it may be sufficient to improve their Magic Title - or at least come close to it. You can split it, to make progress in increasing your Magic Title or use it as invocation in multiple scenes, which would eventually deplete it.

Your use of Implement has lent you some insight: the Green Threads/Miasma are connected to the Flame of War. They are both castoffs of magical power, that once resided in the warehouse - just different in nature. The Flames of War is magical power that can be handled safely, while Green Threads/Miasma is magical power, that will kill human practitioner, if they try to draw on it. It’s possible, that some Others can use it safely.

City Reconstruction

About Mr. Lewis

“We are working with Mr. Lewis to reach an equitable arrangement.” replies Graham. The Dilettantes mood darkens - as Seth clearly pointed out, the assistance of Mr. Lewis should have resolved the issue. Clearly, some sort of political games are interfering with proper functioning of the city administration.

Graham

“Yes, you will be informed about council requests. Anybody able to complete them, will receive compensation.”

Vanessa’s offer of monetary compensation is welcomed. While some Dilettantes simply don’t care for material wealth, others are more in touch with mundane world, where it’s useful. Hopefully, this would help combat Nineteen-O-One incursions in the coming weeks.

Manny Brigham

Balance of Life and Death

“We do not siphon their life!” - the creature yells, but Manny easily disproves it, by demonstrating his bond to the wounded officer to the present Others.

“You do not know doctors design! They wish for us.” - the present Others seem to side with leechers on this one, as Manny can’t prove, that it is not doctor’s intention.

The Leechers are slippery sort, but they didn’t have opportunity to gain strength yet and as Manny successfully banishes them, he recognizes the nature of their trick - they have imitated a bond for euthanasia, the granting of death to end pain and suffering. Of course their corrupt version was a cruel deception, to allow them to feed. With the creature’s gone, their victim’s condition improves, though he’ll need a period of recovery to return to the force.

Once Manny reports success, Dr. Hudson greets him warmly. “Thank you. We have enough death as it is here, to allow for Leechers. The Council owes you a Favor, I’ll make certain we don’t skimp on reward.”

[OOC: Manny gained a Favor from Council, that you can redeem for whatever you wish.]

Melody Pierce

Melody seems half-amused. “Yes. It could be somebody on the Council - and as Council’s enforcer, I’m not going to ****ing say it. I’m on their payroll.” She waves her hand. “But Council is least likely to do it - it’s their city. Nineteen-O-One is their worst nightmare. It’s more likely, that somebody in opposition to the Council, decided to make a power play.”

“Demonslayer.” Pierce thinks for a moment. “I’m keeping open mind on any **** that can hit the fan, but at this point, it’s a possibility, not reality. Just as likely, our friend Jeff here is a pawn of somebody, who wants to stir the waters. A false cause, to distract or manipulate us away from the real problems. If you find any confirmation about this demon, tell me.”

Murder of Practitioner

[OOC: I’m assuming you invoke Chris Numan]

It proves to be a right call to call in Numan, as Filch is far less wary of somebody, without magical powers and seems to relish opportunity to talk, as the two slowly and carefully escort him to the exit.

Secret

Spoiler

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“I lived a normal life. Job, family, friends. Then at some point, things started happening, I’ve started losing things, my life going from bad to worse. And I’ve started having thoughts, that it’s not just bad luck, that some dark force is after me. I didn’t think that seriously - I mean, would you think there could be a conspiracy to ruin your life? That’s crazy. So, I just soldiered on and though, bad luck. The last couple of months though, it’s gotten less subtle, things really got bad for me - and that feeling, that somebody was after me, it grew stronger. Except no way they could do things they did.”

He falls silent, and Numan has to gently coax him to continue. “My wife… she stuck by me, good time and bad time. Especially bad times. So when she started yelling at me, talking divorce, cursing at me… I just knew it wasn’t her, that something dark was possessing her, making her say those things. Then I saw that bastard, there, smirking. And I knew, that somehow, he was responsible, controlling her. And something snapped into place - I knew he was responsible...”

They reach to the building exit and the police officers there are ready to take Filch into custody. Manny can sense Fetches, hiding, unable to come out, due to the presence of the unaware.

[OOC: The way Filch describes what happened, makes it obvious, that he recognized magic, that Jonathan Mayhew was using, destroying his magical Potential and becoming aware in the process. It’s possible that Jonathan grew careless and exposed his abilities to the unaware, paying the heavy price for it.]

Seth Mansour

Alice Chandler

“I have given you the information. If you can’t grasp the possible implications, then you are not yet ready to address them.”

[JeenLeen]

Rewards

Vanessa lets the sincere surprise at Demonslayer and Oz's generosity show on her face.
"Well, thank you, both of you. Demonslayer, I can't say I completely believe there is a demon here in Jacksonville, but I can easily believe some malevolence is active behind-the-scenes. I plan to listen to you if you sense anything more wrong in the city and encourage others to hear you out. Oz... you have respect in this community, at least the respect of a foreigner who has elicited curiosity, so I especially appreciate you not trying to wrangle the most you can out of this. You've at least earned my good will, and I'll let you know if I find out anything more about this. I would hope you both stay discrete about telling others what we've found. We don't know for sure this is Morrighan's lost power, well, some of it--but I don't want to face her anytime soon.

I did sense a link between that miasma and green threads and this power. They're different, but seem to come from the same source, like maybe both were castoffs from Morrighan or something else that was once in that warehouse? But this can be safely used by practitioners while the other can't. Maybe one of your familiars could claim the power of the miasma or green threads, but that's just a guess. It's beyond my reckoning, and I don't want to gain your ill will if it wound up hurting your companions.

If any of you do research into who hired that security force, well, I'd appreciate you sharing the intel. If I find the time and means to look into it, I'll share."

To Manny, she says, "Well, what's your thoughts? I could see splitting it fifty-fifty, but if you aren't interested in having it I'd be willing to owe you something for the future. Or, if you really want it all, I can probably think of something you could owe me."

Spoiler: OOC for HerbieRAI and the DM

Show

To HerbieRAI: if you want to bargain, I'd prefer us discuss it in the OOC thread then have our PCs agree to the terms quickly. I'm pretty okay with any of the options, but splitting it fifty-fifty seems least likely to make one of us feel ripped off in the future, IC or OOC.

To Thelonias: if Demonslayer helped with making a demesne, what would the implications be? Could it lower the Potential cost, but give him an advantage if he tried to fight me for it later? Also, if it's something you're willing to share, could you post the potential Potential Cost various acts carry (creating implement, creating demesne, bonding familiar, making unaware aware)? Lastly, if we make a demesne, is its entrance a fixed location, or, well, how does that work?

[Ascaloth]

Seth Mansour

Alice Chandler

"It does seem that's the case at this point. No doubt it'll all make sense to me some time down the line with hindsight, as such things are wont to be. Thank you for your time, miss Chandler."

Seth acknowledged, reaching into his wallet to pay for the drinks.

End of Scene

City Reconstruction Meeting

Sensing the general mood darkening in light of the implications, Seth found that he shared somewhat in the discontent. That said, there was nothing he could do about it for the time being, and his part was pretty much played out. He nodded with a smile.

"Thank you, Mr. Graham. I have no further questions."

End of Scene

End of Chapter: Seth Mansour

[ArcaneStomper]

Dr. Letts

Playing a Game (Main Scene)
Aspect: Logic

Dr. Letts goes into town to the Chess Club he is a part of in order to play a few games with the other members. He makes sure to talk with everyone and listen to all the local gossip. His goal is to sharpen his strategic skills and maybe hear a bit of local news.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Just a quick little scene to use up my last main scene.

[HerbieRAI]

Manny Bingham

Docks
"You keep it. I'll get your help with something later. I'm not keen on keeping that power."

Dinner with Melody
"I will. I'll be trying to keep Jeff close for the time being. The way I see it either he's telling the truth and he would know the best about the enemy, or he is the enemy. Either case I want to know what he's doing."

"That just leaves the Morrigan as the last major threat. She has to have some scheme in motion to take over the ritual, and I hope Crone is smart enough to counter it."

Murderer of Practitioner

Spoiler

Show

ooc: I assume this losing potential ended up with him dying and killing Filch's wife in the process? Just want to make sure he's saying he is innocent. I had also invoked Chris once for this scene, does the invocation last the whole scene or just the application?

Hunting the Hunter
Main Scene
Approach: Prepared
Manny has a long term plan to help the clean Dark Streets, and it starts with an informant. He needs to find and bind a ghoul to get eyes on area and help target the rest of the problems. To do this, he would need a trap. Manny gets from Fresh Meat and sets it out near the spot Dr. Letts told him about. He then hid and waited for his prey to come by, so he could target a straggler.