Session 20

From Arispemage

Storyteller: So, last we left, everyone managed to feel the House rummaging around in their heads.
Brian Steffanoskovich: Brian was busy doing something Brianly, and keeping to himself since a certain point before these current events.

• Adler is offically not amused

Storyteller: Adler, it doesn't seem to have done much other than bounce off your mental defences.
Storyteller: Everyone else, you felt it, and have no idea what, if anything, it got away with.
Snafu: "Shit. Well, no use worrying about it. What's the next move?"
Adler: "Oh for the love of..." Adler starts chanting in Atlantian, gesturing on the side of her head with one hand and waving her other hand in her cabalmates faces
Adler: roll 8#1d10 Plentimon: Adler rolled --> 9, 5, 8, 2, 7, 9, 9, 2
Adler: (HAHAHA. MENTAL SHIELD ON THEM)
Brian Steffanoskovich: Brain looked down at the little girl waving a hand in his face. "...how much sugar 'ave you eaten today?"

• Snafu nods. "Thanks, that could come in handy. God knows what other freaky shit this thing has in store."

Adler: "...not much. Yet."
Storyteller: Other than the lights shorting out.
Brian Steffanoskovich: Brian looked up. "...sorry about that."
Snafu: "Eh, happens."
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Far too frequently for my tastes." He grips his staff, holding it closer to him.
Storyteller: The wind outside starts to blow visibly, and then, from a clear sky, muddy water starts falling from the sky.
Adler: "...how very irritating."

• Adler moves towards the nearest overhang

Brian Steffanoskovich: "Gaia...she ist very sad today, it seems."
Storyteller: Some people come into the building, to get out of the dirty rain.
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Vhere does dirt come from for muddy rain, anyvay?"
Adler: "Or, y'know, some sort of magical leakage is going on." Adler says as she blinks and casts Supernal Vision
Adler: roll 8#1d10 Plentimon: Adler rolled --> 10, 7, 8, 6, 8, 6, 9, 8
Adler: roll 1#1d10 Plentimon: Adler rolled --> 8
Storyteller: One of the people that walked in, is trying to get a radio working.
Storyteller: All he gets is static.
Storyteller: Another person walks up to him, and says that he hopes that the other's family is alright.

• Snafu raises an eyebrow.

Storyteller: There's cursing of the radio, of cell phones, and of minature hurricanes.
Brian Steffanoskovich: Brian looks about. "...this might not all be me."
Adler: "I'm almost certain it isn't."
Snafu: "Great, another ridiculous predicament. Brain, can you slow this thing down?"
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Slow vhat down? I could try manipulating forces, but if I don't know vhat exactly I'm manipulating, I could start a lightnink storm."
Snafu: "All right, no sweat. I'm gonna try to see what I can do about the radio."
Adler: 'Alan? Any suggestions?' Adler thinks at the book

• Snafu walks over to the one by the radio and asks "I'm not bad with electronics, mind if I lend a hand?"

Brian Steffanoskovich: "Bah...alvays me gettink vet." Brian moves to step outside, quickly closing the door behind him.
Storyteller: 'Wait for the hurricane to subside? I don't think forcefully dispelling a hurricane with no idea of where it is, is a good idea' Alan thinks back.
Storyteller: Snafu, the guy with the radio accepts your help.
Brian Steffanoskovich: He looks up at the sky, his spear staff working to scribble some drawings into the ground. To anyone else, he would looking he was waiting for someone, and was doodling in the dirt to burn time.
Storyteller: It's a home made thing, and looks like it's held together with duct tape and chrome.
Snafu: roll 8#1d10 Plentimon: Snafu rolled --> 10, 7, 2, 7, 7, 9, 10, 1
Snafu: roll 2#1d10 Plentimon: Snafu rolled --> 2, 4
Storyteller: roll 3#1d10 Plentimon:
Storyteller rolled --> 5, 2, 4
Brian Steffanoskovich: Brian is speaking Atlantean under his breath, his hands holding the golden keys and trinkets as he weaves together that which was wrong with the weather.
Brian Steffanoskovich: How many dice does Atlantean Speak add again?
Brian Steffanoskovich: +2? +3?
Brian Steffanoskovich: roll 12#1d10 Plentimon:
Brian Steffanoskovich rolled --> 9, 2, 6, 10, 7, 10, 6, 5, 5, 4, 10, 5
Brian Steffanoskovich: roll 3#1d10 Plentimon:
Brian Steffanoskovich rolled --> 1, 8, 10
Brian Steffanoskovich: roll 1#1d10 Plentimon:
Brian Steffanoskovich rolled --> 4
Storyteller: The sky starts to darken, as heavy rain falls from the sky, a bit less muddy than before, but heavier.
Brian Steffanoskovich: Brian goes back inside, his hood wet from the rain. He stays quiet as he moves to Adler. "There. It ist not eliminated, but at least people von't vonder vhy a hurricane vith no clouds vas here."
Snafu: "It looks like the problem is with the wire. You know if there are parts anywhere nearby here?"
Adler: "That's good, I suppose."
Adler: "Hmm? You need something?"
Storyteller: "I have some spare on me" and he rummages around and produces some copper wire.
Snafu: "Good, it shouldn't take too long. It doesn't look bad."
Adler: "Ok, good." Adler closes her eyes for a moment, summoning the image of a convinient rain poncho arriving. Fate 2: Shifting the Odds
Adler: roll 8#1d10 Plentimon: Adler rolled --> 3, 5, 8, 4, 10, 4, 1, 10
Adler: roll 2#1d10 Plentimon: Adler rolled --> 3, 2
Snafu: roll 8#1d10 Plentimon: Snafu rolled --> 7, 10, 9, 4, 4, 1, 6, 3
Snafu: roll 1#1d10 Plentimon: Snafu rolled --> 9
Storyteller: Snafu quickly and efficiently repairs the amature radio.
Snafu: "Should be up and running now."
Storyteller: "Thanks."
Storyteller: And it tunes in to the static filled sounds of "When The Levee Breaks."
Snafu: "That's not a very good omen."
Storyteller: "Heh, not really. Hey, here take these, I'm not going out any time soon." And he gives you some packaged rain panchos.
Storyteller: "As repayment.
Adler: "Thank you." Adler smiles at him, and tosses him a little blessing
Adler: roll 8#1d10 Plentimon: Adler rolled --> 2, 5, 4, 2, 8, 4, 7, 9
Snafu: "Thanks, my friends and I could use them."
Storyteller: "Hope the storm doesn't get worse on you."
Snafu: "Thanks, but it looks like it's clearing up a bit. All right guys, we oughta head out."

• Snafu dons his poncho.
• Adler puts on the poncho as well
• 
  Brian Steffanoskovich just puts up the hood of his cloak.

Storyteller: The rain outside is falling in visible sheets, and is muddying things, but the winds have really died down.
Storyteller: Well, visible for the three feet or so that you can see. It's all a grey mass after that, with a few lights that you can see.
Snafu: "Count of three, maybe?"
Brian Steffanoskovich: Brian moved steadily outward. "Just move. Longer we stand, vetter ve get."

• Snafu takes a deep breath, and heads into to storm.
• Adler follows, careful to keep her books under cover

Storyteller: A hunched form shoots past the three of you, as you head out.
Brian Steffanoskovich: Brian watched the form rush by. "Hrrrm?"

• Snafu looks back at the thing.

Storyteller: It's short, hunched over, is affected by magic, and you can't really tell much else, because of the sheer density of the rain.
Snafu: "Should we go back to catch that?" he yells over the rain?
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Do ve know vhat it vas?"
Adler: "I have no idea."

• 
  Brian Steffanoskovich lets out a sigh. "May as vell."

Storyteller: It seemed to be heading to the administrative building.
Adler: "...I suppose." Adler detours in that direction

• Snafu sighs and heads that way.

Brian Steffanoskovich: "Far too many magical things runnink about." The water starting to make sparks shock from his staff, Brian headed for the building.
Storyteller: Other than some very, very large puddles that look like they get up to your waist, the trip is slow, wet, and muddy.
Storyteller: Inside, there's a large number of people waiting near the entrance, muttering and shivering if wet, complaining about the rain if not.

• Snafu vigorously dries off his glasses once inside.

Storyteller: The magiced person is there drying off, a bundle of papers in plastic bags on a chair.
Snafu: "Well at least it's not a hurricane anymore" he mutters angrily.
Storyteller: "More a depression now" the drying off person says.
Brian Steffanoskovich: Brian shrugged. "I did vhat I could."
Storyteller: "Stay calm, get indoors, and make jokes?"
Adler: "Roughly."

• Snafu tries to scrutinize the resonance of the magic on the person.

Adler: "What're the papers?" Adler asks, nodding in the direction of the bags.
Storyteller: "Dunno, some guy that taught here once asked to have them mailed." the guy (?) answers.
Adler: "Oh..."
Storyteller: "I got stuck with bringing them here, having them sorted, then mailed. Still, seems like a whole lot of trouble for some strange art stuff."
Storyteller: "I mean, for a guy that didn't teach any art classes..." the guy (?) trails off.
Adler: "May I see?"
Storyteller: "Sure, just be careful."
Storyteller: And Adler gets handed an inch thick stack.

• Adler starts flipping through them, glancing at them with Hidden Meaning and being very careful to not get them wet

Adler: "Hmm...if you want, I can take care of these."
Brian Steffanoskovich: "...vas it Professor Tax?"
Storyteller: "... You knew him?"
Adler: "In a way, yes."
Storyteller: "I almost want to ask if you know if any of the rumors were true."
Snafu: "Rumors?"
Storyteller: "Yeah. All sorts of rumors. Hell, I hear he even started a few of them."
Snafu: "Well, from what I know of him, it would not surprise me."
Storyteller: "Most of them were that he was mad, or a cultistist, or things like that."
Storyteller: "So, you'd be willing to help with these?"
Adler: "Certainly."
Storyteller: "I'll get the envelopes then."
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Vell, I don't know about cults...but I know he enjoyed makink my head hurt."

• Adler looks through the piles rather deliberatly and slowly (for her) making sure to fix each of them in her memory

Storyteller: After a few moments the overjoyed person comes back with several manilla envelopes for the papers, and some more plastic bags, these zip lock.
Storyteller: With surprising speed, the papers get stuffed into the envelopes, stamped, adressed, put in large baggies, and handed over to Adler, with much thanks, and best wishes.
Snafu: "No problem."
Adler: "Could you look up this address Snafu?"
Snafu: "I can try, sure."

• Snafu makes his way to the computer room.

Adler: To Alan: 'Is there any specific reason these are going there?'
Storyteller: 'I can think of far too many, and none of them are what you call good.'
Storyteller: Snafu, you find an unoccupied one soon enough.
Storyteller: 'I never lived there' Alan continues.

• Snafu looks up the address on google.
• Snafu heads back toward where the rest of the group is.
• 
  Brian Steffanoskovich keeps a bit of his distance. So many electric devices...far too close...

Adler: "Hmm...yes, I get the impression that these, tragically, are never going to reach their destination. Alas."
Snafu: "So, anyone know who D. Rodriguez is?"
Brian Steffanoskovich: "...that..."
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Familiar...but vhere..."
Storyteller: 'You know, in stories, this is the exact moment where somebody would smack their fist into their hand and say "I've got it!" Makes me wish this was a story." Alan comments.
Adler: "Yes, yes it is. I don't suppose it could be pumpkinheadlady's name? Where is she supposed to live?"
Storyteller: 'Not her real name, but she does live a few hours away.'
Adler: "Alas."
Storyteller: 'From there. She also still has keys to one of my places here, now that I think about it. Dammit!'
Storyteller: 'Granted, my info's a bit old, so she might have bought the property under an assumed name.'
Adler: "Alan. You...are an idiot. Fortunatly for you, you're also dead, so I can't try to strangle you for being an idiot."
Storyteller: 'Huh?"
Adler: "Nothing. Never mind." Adler perks up, "Well, lets go ahead and stop at the tower to drop this stuff off, and then we can hit the house, I guess?"
Snafu: "Sounds good to me, but I'd like a bath first."
Storyteller: 'Probably a good idea.'
Brian Steffanoskovich: Brian shrugs. "Baths? How docile."

• Adler sallies forth to the tower

Snafu: "You can call it what you want, but after getting rain and mud all over me, I'd like to get it off.
Storyteller: One trip to the tower later, and...
Storyteller: Everyone is at some value of clean.

• 
  Brian Steffanoskovich is his...own special definition of clean.

Storyteller: Then to the House, I suppose, right?

• Adler does some work consolidating spells into less-complicated versions

Storyteller: At the gates, there's mail in the oversized mail box, and the house behind the gates, looking somehow satisfied.

• Adler glances the mail over

Brian Steffanoskovich: Brian's eyebrow raised. "...any good reason to not go check out the house?"
Storyteller: A letter from one D. Rodriguez, and a package wrapped in a paper grocery bag, with a pumpkin stamp on it.
Snafu: "This can't be good."
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Pumpkin? Vhy alvays with pumpkin?"
Snafu: "She just really, really likes Halloween, I guess."

• Adler pulls out a pair of gloves and a pencil and opens the letter

Storyteller: 'Actually, she just really likes pumpkin. Thanksgiving's her favorite time of year.'

• 
  Brian Steffanoskovich looks over the gates, seeing what keeps them closed.

Storyteller: Brian, the gates seem to be closed, this time, by a latch.
Brian Steffanoskovich: "A latch? That it? Almost like somethink normal lives here."
Storyteller: Adler, the letter is in poorly written Spanish, and is best summarized like this. Lots of vugar insults, gloating that he has the plans in route to his home, and that if Tax doesn't want them sold off to break the curse that Tax put on Mr. Rodriguez and call off his demonic attack minions.
Snafu: "So, do we have the response on us?"
Adler: 'AAAALAAAAN."
Storyteller: 'Yes?"
Adler: "What in Pandemonium is going on here?"
Brian Steffanoskovich: "I svear I 'ave heard of Rodriquez before."
Brian Steffanoskovich: "But vhere..." He itches at his head.
Storyteller: 'Wait, if that's the guy that I'm thinking it is, then he's managed to really screw himself over.'
Adler: "What did he do?"
Snafu: "This should be interesting."
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Screw himself over? Normally I thought that vas your job."
Storyteller: 'He tried, in rough order, blackmailing me, killing me, then trying to have me seduced.'
Brian Steffanoskovich: Brian reached through the gate, moving the hook up and opening the gate.
Storyteller: 'I, in response, said to him "I curse thee, and may demons hound thy steps' made a big show of casting a spell, then took credit for every bit of bad luck that affected him for a while.'
Snafu: "Heh, call off your demonic minions."
Adler: "So that makes him what, a Hypochondriac, except with a curse and demons instead of a favorite disease?"

• 
  Brian Steffanoskovich used his walking staff/spear, poking the ground behind the gate a bit before stepping forward, checking for any traps.

Storyteller: 'Or just not too swift.'
Storyteller: 'Although, the bits about demonic minions is probably worring.'
Storyteller: Brian, there's a few, rather obvious seeming traps.
Adler: "Vaguely, but I have no idea how to banish spirits, so I'm not going to worry too much about it at the moment."
Adler: "Also, why are the gates different?"
Storyteller: 'I got really bored one day, and said to myself, what else can I do to make this place unsettling. That was one of the things.'
Snafu: "That's a pretty good one, though.
Adler: "Yep."
Storyteller: 'I always thought the faint smell of blood near the wine cellar was better.'
Brian Steffanoskovich: "...careful vhere you valk. He hast laid traps...rudimentary vuns...barely good enough to catch normal animals."
Storyteller: "Nah, that's just there for added paranoia or overconfidance."
Storyteller: 'The real traps would be inside.'
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Inside? Vundufull."
Storyteller: 'I can turn them off, even in this state.'
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Vell then, do so if you can."
Storyteller: 'Ok. Close, Persimmon."
Snafu: "It would be appreciated."
Brian Steffanoskovich: "...that ist it? Persimmon?"
Storyteller: 'No, but I just didn't feel like using Sesame."
Storyteller: 'I don't need to say anything.'
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Ah...vell then."
Storyteller: The inside of the House is different from before. More homey. Warm, inviting.
Storyteller: Less ominous sounding doors that might go to the underworld.
Snafu: "Well, stay sharp anyway, you never you."
Storyteller: The layout seems different, too.
Storyteller: Like that wine cellar that Tax mentioned.
Storyteller: 'Hrm. Strange. Everything seems to be in place.'
Brian Steffanoskovich: "...I'd rather 'ave the grizzly bear than the colorful toad. At least vith the bear, I know vhere I stand."
Adler: "Very strange. Its quite different from the last time we were here. Even though I was on the other side of Twilight when we were."
Snafu: "It is. I assume it's because of the traps."
Storyteller: 'Yeah. Should have... Oh? Hrm. Strange. That's not supposed to be there.'
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Vhat? Vhat is not supposed to be vhere?"
Storyteller: 'Adler, could you take me closer to the wine cellar? It's under the stairs up.
Storyteller: 'Some things seem to have gotten misaligned.'
Storyteller: 'Hopefully nothing serious.'
Adler: "Sure." Adler goes in that direction
Storyteller: The smell of blood grows very strong as you approach the door.
Storyteller: Then, suddenly, it disappears when you open the door.
Storyteller: 'Ok, that's out of alignment, some of the structure has termites, and there's some stuff that's broken.'
Storyteller: 'Really, things could be worse.'
Storyteller: 'The House could have switched over to siege defences.'
Adler: "What would those look like?"
Snafu: "I'd rather not know.
Storyteller: 'The siege defences? There's just the door with Orpheus on it, a nasty maze, defenders, and everything non-lethal behind the defenders and the maze."
Brian Steffanoskovich: "...vhy not just a guard dog?"
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Dogs are nice."
Brian Steffanoskovich: "I like dogs. The defenses...ehhh, not so much."
Storyteller: "Dogs also tend to be less than useful for the intruders I defend against."