Session 22

From Arispemage

Storyteller: So, last we me, way in the mists of time, you guys had helped some werwolves fight off something that was, in Adler', a spirit out of Giger's nightmares.
Storyteller: Also, some of the maze was carried with you, and were gathering materials for something.
Storyteller: I can't claim to remember what, exactly.
Adler: I did post the log yesterday
Peter Pan: Peter was up in the clocktower, leaning against the wall runining some steel wool across his blades to keep them from rusting
Genji: Kentarou stretched his leg against one of the walls of the clock tower, mulling over what had happened with the wolf-people and that... SERIOUSLY fucked up spirit.
Peter Pan: "Sooo....exciting times we live in, eh?"

• Adler is rather obviously doing her best not to fuss over Peter.

Storyteller: "Could be more interesting."
Genji: He swallowed somewhat thickly. "Yeah, sure are... Man do a lot of fucked up things happen in this city..."
Peter Pan: "I gathered. " He laughed and grinned a bit, happy to be among friends once more
Storyteller: "At least nobody's gone and fucked with the more... interesting magical places."
Genji: "Hehe. I hear your training's been going well, at least."
Storyteller: "Then you'd really see things get fucked up."
Genji: "...Wait, there are more interesting magical places than the Hosue of Leaves?!"
Genji: *house
Storyteller: "In it's own way, the Shrine of Don Pedrito Jaramillo is. Even I didn't mess with that place."
Peter Pan: "Training went pretty good. Jaramillo....isn't he the old healer?"
Storyteller: "Yep. El Jefe Real."

• Adler glances between Peter and Tax, rather bemused at the fact that Peter apparently knows something she doesn't

Storyteller: "Always wanted to figure out how the hell he did what he did, but eh. I'm not going to have the chance."
Genji: "I see, huh. I guess the creepy stuff isn't always the most mysterious, huh?"
Peter Pan: "You seem to do fine learning things now?" He sheathed his swords and pocketed the steel wool.
Storyteller: "Yeah, but he's dead. And his shrine's not the kind of place to go poking around in, alive or dead."
Adler: "In some ways it is. One could say the things that are studied but can never be understood are more mysterious, though."
Adler: "What's with the Shrine?"
Storyteller: "The locals say that if you mess with, you draw God's Own Divine Punishment. The spirits are calm there, and something does defend it."
Storyteller: "And, on occasion, you can find healing there."
Peter Pan: "Sounds exciting." His eyes lit up with delight at the prospect.
Storyteller: "Oh, also, if you see a strange hallway appear out of nowhere, ignore it."
Genji: "I see..." As a healer himself, at least after a fashion, Ken found himself kind of intrigued by the healing bit...
Peter Pan: "Why?"
Storyteller: "House is being a bit pissy, and following you."
Genji: "...Let's keep that in mind, then." Ken switches legs.
Peter Pan: "Oh...that's....that's joyful."
Storyteller: "It means that something there found you all very interesting."
Peter Pan: "Good to know I'm not boring then."
Adler: "Given that whatever found us interesting probably scores rather high on the bad-things-o-meter, I'd almost rather we be a little more boring."
Peter Pan: "Well that's why we've got three people here in the Fight-Bad-Things Order?"
Brian Steffanoskovich: Brian returned from the bathroom, muttering to himself in deep russian as he zipped up the front of...his lower robes. "Toilets vat do not flush...savagery..." He looked up, seeing Tax again. "...should 'ave stayed in toilet."
Storyteller: "You keep saying things like that. One day, I'm going to have to try and meet you in the flesh, just for the look on your face."
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Luckily, flesh ist buried sumvhere." He adjusted his sleeves, bringing his staff out again. "Vhat did I miss vhile on toilet? Anythink interestink, or just flurgle?"
Peter Pan: "Nothing too big"
Storyteller: "The House finds you all very interesting, so avoid any suddenly appearing hallways."
Adler: "They might eat you."
Storyteller: "No, just lead you to a place of the House you don't want to be in."
Peter Pan: "So what's the gameplan right now?"
Genji: "Good question... Seems like there's plenty we ought to be doing right now. *sigh*"
Adler: "Well, we need about thirty pounds of limestone, a bunch of oak, and a bucket of iron nails."
Peter Pan: "Well, our choices seem to be either take some downtime, or go out and solve something. I don't know about you guys, but I'd rather deal with whatever's interested in us from the House of Leaves than let it just keep making hallways near me."
Peter Pan: "Wait...what do we need those for?"
Adler: "Fixing the House."
Adler: "Which will stop it from going haywire."
Brian Steffanoskovich: "You may not care about house, but I live by it."
Brian Steffanoskovich: "I don't vant to vake up one night and notice house gnawing at ankles."
Peter Pan: "Oh, wonderful. So, let's go get them?" He tilted his head and shrugged. "They sound common enough?"
Storyteller: "Really, you'd find things gnawing around your ankles."
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Oak vill be easy to find. Nails can be bought or made. Limestone...you do not simply valk up to vendor and ask for so much and just valk out."
Genji: "Huh. Yeah, probably need that delivered, right?"
Peter Pan: "How much does that cost?"
Genji: "Also, does anyone know anything about carpentry? 'Cause I don't know much about nothing."
Storyteller: "I know a bit about carpentry, but I have problems.

• Adler gives Genji a look that says, essentially, "You're joking, right?"

Genji: Genji smacks himself in the forehead. "Right, right, we've got Know-It-All, heh."
Peter Pan: "I know about carpentry too, I made the wooden Knife I keep"
Peter Pan: "Well, that was more whittling, but I know about carpentry"
Brian Steffanoskovich: "I can hit vith hammer. Just not so good vith the measuring."
Adler: "Measuring, I can handle."
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Now that ve know vhat ve need...can ve please get out of hungry house?"
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Ist like being in mouth of bear. Cold, vet, and smells bad."
Storyteller: (Back at tower.)
Brian Steffanoskovich: (Ignore that, then.)
Storyteller: (Good imagery though.)
Genji: "...You... Have experience with that Brian?"
Brian Steffanoskovich: "I'm Russian. They toss us as babies to Grizzly in hopes ve learn survival quickly."
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Anyvay, ve can find plenty of Oak in forest. I know of few good places. Thick trunks. I'll take somevun to help chop down and carry back with me. For nails...somevun vill need to go to town. I not so good vith hardvare stores."
Peter Pan: "I can go pocket some nails." He nodded a bit
Genji: "...Wow, Russians are hardcore..." Ken scratches his chin. "I guess I'll go with you Brian. Put this strength to use." He flexes and chuckles.
Adler: "Two problems with that. I assume that we need good lumber, which means green wood is right out the window without altering its materiel composition. And hardware stores generally only stock steel nails these days."
Peter Pan: "Huh..."
Adler: "I wonder where Snafu has gotten off to..."
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Considering ist house made of magic, I'd assume vood taken from the living forest it vas made to live in vould work better in the construction. Of magic."
Storyteller: "I don' think it'd matter too much. I used green and treated stuff originally."
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Good enough for forefathers, good enough for us."
Genji: "Makes sense to me." He nods.
Peter Pan: He looked over to Adler. "What do you think?"
Peter Pan: "Oh, anybody got some money? I've got an idea for the nails."
Genji: Ken pulls out his wallet. "How much?" He asked somewhat dubiously.
Peter Pan: "How much do you reckon it takes to buy iron nails?"
Adler: "Hmm...I think there was some money lying around here somewhere."
Adler: !roll_ww 8 8 10 The_Lady: Adler invokes the Lady... The_Lady: 1, 3, 4, 4, 7, 7, 8, 8 The_Lady: rolled 8d10. Got 2 Successes against a TN of 8, rerolling on 10 or better
Storyteller: There is money, and you find it. It's all at least a decade old, and very, very heaily creased.
Genji: "Huh. I dunno. I mean, it couldn't be that expensive, right? Iron nails? Kinda crappy."
Peter Pan: Peter chanted for a minute and then cast the spell
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Vell, ve are off to find trees. Need us...ehhhh...send us a bird or somethink. Come, Genji." Brian heads down the long...long....LONG flight of stairs, Equan on his shoulder."
Peter Pan: !roll 7d10 The_Lady: Peter_Pan invokes the Lady... The_Lady: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 8 The_Lady: Rolled 36 on 7d10
Adler: "They'd be replica nails. Expensive, because no one makes them anymore."
Storyteller: Peter, your feet lead you to the Blue Frog Mercantile.
Peter Pan: "Or they might just be old ones that never sold?" He shrugged. "We'll see how luck works out, I'll tell you when I get back."
Genji: "Oh, right. Well, uh." He just chucks a pair of twenties to Peter. "Gotta go! If you need more, call me?" He shrugs and heads down the stairs.
Peter Pan: He walked up tot he counter at the Blue Frog. "Hey, I'm looking for some old iron nails for a historical recreation, you woudln't happen to have any would you? I know they're not produced anymore, but a manufacturer said the stores around here might have a few left in stock?"
Storyteller: The clerk nods, and then goes into the back room.
Brian Steffanoskovich: Brian leads Genji out into the forests, walking through his normal hunting paths and the nature walks in search of good thick Oak trees.
Storyteller: A few moments, and a few scary sounding clangs later, and the clerk comes out with a grey box.
Peter Pan: "Oh, man, you don't know how awesome you are." He smiled and pulled out his money. "How much?"
Storyteller: After pulling out a catalogue, and doing some math, they eventually charge you $10.23.
Peter Pan: He pays with the old money Adler found and thanks the man again before heading back to the clocktower.
Storyteller: And tell you not to breathe on the box too hard while you're in the store.
Genji: Genji did find himself a bit at home out here in the woods, surrounded by the living spirits of the trees and all. "Ah, it's nice out here."
Storyteller: Brian, you come a cross a whole lot of mesquite trees.
Storyteller: Whole lot of them.
Storyteller: THe oaks stand out like an island in the sea of mesquites.
Peter Pan: Peter came back up the stairs into the tower. "Hey Adler? Why's it bad to breathe on a box of Iron Nails?"
Brian Steffanoskovich: Brian let out a grin, walking up to the Oaks. "Very good. Now, ve need quite a bit, so let's see vhat ve can do, eh?"
Brian Steffanoskovich: !roll_ww 2 8 10 The_Lady: Brian_Steffanoskovich invokes the Lady... The_Lady: 1, 5 The_Lady: rolled 2d10. Got 0 Successes against a TN of 8, rerolling on 10 or better
Genji: !roll_ww 7 8 10 The_Lady: Genji invokes the Lady... The_Lady: 4, 4, 6, 6, 7, 8, 9 The_Lady: rolled 7d10. Got 2 Successes against a TN of 8, rerolling on 10 or better
Brian Steffanoskovich: !roll_ww 5 8 10 The_Lady: Brian_Steffanoskovich invokes the Lady... The_Lady: 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 10 The_Lady: rolled 5d10. Got 1 Successes against a TN of 8, rerolling on 10 or better
Adler: "Uhm..."
Adler: "I'm not sure..."
Storyteller: (The answer, dust.)
Genji: Genji looks down at the prints in the snow, pointing them out to Brian. "Hmm, anyone else usually on your trails, EMP?" Time to switch to Shadow Names, just in case.
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Ist not just my forest. There are valkers, joggers, hunters, though ist not right season for big game." Just in case, he gripped his staff a bit tighter. "See if you can sniff them out. Don't vant to be choppink down trees in presence of others."

• Adler takes a look at the box...and unfortunatly sneezes

Storyteller: Adler, your sneeze causes the box's structural integrity to fail a bit, and an alarming amount of dust to fly off it.
Adler: "I guess that answers that que..eee...ee...chu!" she sneezes again
Genji: "Right." Genji searches the area around them, seeing if he can't track down any visitors...
Peter Pan: He set the box down fairly quickly and moved over to hold his jacket sleeve up over Adler's mouth and nose
Peter Pan: "Calm down Adler, come on, let's get you outside."
Genji: !roll_ww 7 8 10 The_Lady: Genji invokes the Lady... The_Lady: 1, 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10 The_Lady: rolled 7d10. Got 3 Successes against a TN of 8, rerolling on 10 or better

• Adler scoots downstairs with Peter

Peter Pan: "You ok?"
Genji: Ken reports back with his findings. "They already left, to the north. Huh, what's north?"
Storyteller: North is more woods, but not a whole lot.
Adler: "Yah, I'm fine." She smiles at him, blinking and brushing dust off of her face
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Nothink I know of. Perhaps they just ran that vay to avoid us...secure perimeter vhile I prepare to cut the vood down."
Peter Pan: "Want me to go grab a blanket and try to fan the dust out of the room?"
Adler: "mmm...we probably should, it'll get mixed up with the dust from the gears, which would just be a pain."
Peter Pan: "Yeah, I'll go fan it out." He nodded and headed up to the room again, taking the blanket from his cot and using it to try to fan the dust out of the room
Genji: Ken nodded, acknowledging Brian more as a superior in the Arrows than a Cabalmate, and moves out to the north to check things out and secure the area. Last thing they needed was an ambush... Or god help them THE AUTHORITIES.
Brian Steffanoskovich: Brian reached into his robes, pulling out a long string of shells wrapped with beads of a strange color. The spear tip point of his staff first drew three circles, each entwined with each other as he spoke in Atlantean. [Mother Gaia, with these circles I summon your daughters, my sisters, the Wind Spirits.] He drew two lines from each circle toward the trees. [With these lines, I focus...
Brian Steffanoskovich: ...their sight.] As he came to the trees, he marked down the ones he wanted, about five or six good Oaks, with an X from his knife, and rubbed the mark with the shells. [With this marking, I make brilliant their target.] He held the staff tight in his hand, muttering as he forced his will outwards. [Sisters, strike that which I ask!]
Brian Steffanoskovich: !roll_ww 10 8 10 The_Lady: Brian_Steffanoskovich invokes the Lady... The_Lady: 1, 2, 2, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 9, 9, 10, 10, 10 The_Lady: rolled 10d10. Got 5 Successes against a TN of 8, rerolling on 10 or better

• Adler digs around in her bag for a few labeled little plastic pouches, finding the ones with EMP and Genji written on them

Adler: "Hnn...wish I knew their real names, that would make this a lot easier."
Genji: !ww_roll 15 8 10
Storyteller: Brian, the tree falls down, cut very cleanly right along the X.
Genji: !roll_ww 15 8 10 The_Lady: Genji invokes the Lady... The_Lady: 1, 2, 3, 5, 5, 5, 6, 7, 7, 7, 7, 8, 9, 9, 9, 10, 10, 10 The_Lady: rolled 15d10. Got 7 Successes against a TN of 8, rerolling on 10 or better
Storyteller: However, the wood looks like it has a serious termite infestation.
Brian Steffanoskovich: Brian growled under his breath. "Van dam shavit..."
Adler: /me takes a peek up the stairs

• Adler takes a peek up the stairs

Genji: Ken creeps north, following the scent of an unfamiliar person...
Adler: "Peter, you done?"
Brian Steffanoskovich: He checked the oak trees, swearing more to himself. All of these trees so diseased!? That's...well, it happens. But such a waste.
Storyteller: Ken, you creep north, and see a single, solitary oak standing alone.
Storyteller: Ken, you see a few termites eating away at the tree, at abnormal speeds.
Peter Pan: "Yeah, should be"

• Adler trots up the stairs and takes a look around

Storyteller: Ken, something comes trudging up the from the north.
Storyteller: Pumpkinhead.
Storyteller: It's missing a leg.
Storyteller: Well, most of a leg.
Genji: KEn found it kind of wierd to see just one oak tree standing all by itself like that... At the sight of the intruder he tucks himself away amongst the trees and stays still... waiting...
Storyteller: It starts chopping away at the tree. Well, trying.
Storyteller: Some termites go after the axe's handle.
Brian Steffanoskovich: Brian gave up on the trees. Maybe if he knew some Death he could simply kill the termites away. But for now, these trees were as good as gone.
Genji: Termites? VERY aggressive termites? ...Supernaturally aggressive, maybe? What was this?
Storyteller: It then tries to chop down the tree barehanded, but that's now working too well.
Adler: "Hmmm...think I should look in on them?"
Peter Pan: "Do you want to?"
Adler: "It might be a good idea, knowing EMP."
Brian Steffanoskovich: Brian mutters to himself, heading after Genji's trail.
Storyteller: The pumpkinhead eventually goes and just lies down, unmoving.
Genji: !roll_ww 10 8 10 The_Lady: Genji invokes the Lady... The_Lady: 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 9 The_Lady: rolled 10d10. Got 1 Successes against a TN of 8, rerolling on 10 or better
Genji: !roll_ww 7 8 10 The_Lady: Genji invokes the Lady... The_Lady: 1, 1, 4, 5, 5, 7, 9 The_Lady: rolled 7d10. Got 1 Successes against a TN of 8, rerolling on 10 or better
Brian Steffanoskovich: Brian stopped for a moment, looking back at the termites. These things might spread...

• Adler pokes around upstairs for a moment before finding a piece of chalk and scribbling out a diagram that looks like a cross between a pentigram and a compass rose

Genji: Ken wasn't about to let a Pumpkinhead go on shambling around in any case. He was confident in his ability to fix these Termites, or at least put them down. He leapt out of hiding and went to smash that damned head off of it.
Storyteller: It does nothing to respond to you as you leap out.
Brian Steffanoskovich: [Gaia. Burn.] He raised the staff up, letting the sun hit the gem atop and give a small beam of light to hit the trees.
Genji: Ken blinks a bit, then sighs and just kicks the head away. Blasted thing.
Adler: "Hmm..." She pulls those little bags out and removes a few hairs from each of them
Storyteller: The head flies off.

• Adler begins to chant the spell to open up a scrying window, drawing on the ambient mana and the sympathetic connection granted by her familiarity with them and the hairs

Adler: !roll_ww 4 8 10 The_Lady: Adler invokes the Lady... The_Lady: 1, 4, 6, 7, 10 The_Lady: rolled 4d10. Got 1 Successes against a TN of 8, rerolling on 10 or better
Genji: Genji huffed as he stared at the poor tree. It was just Life at work, really, but still, those termites seemed so unnatural. But they WERE still termites, and they could give back everything they'd taken.
Genji: !roll_ww 11 8 10 The_Lady: Genji invokes the Lady... The_Lady: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8, 10, 10, 10 The_Lady: rolled 11d10. Got 5 Successes against a TN of 8, rerolling on 10 or better
Genji: !roll_ww 11 8 10 The_Lady: Genji invokes the Lady... The_Lady: 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 7, 9 The_Lady: rolled 11d10. Got 1 Successes against a TN of 8, rerolling on 10 or better

• Adler lets the window lapse

Adler: "Booooring."
Peter Pan: "Yeah"

• Adler looks up at him from her seated position, tilting her head

Adler: "You were gone for quite a while..."
Peter Pan: "Yeah, had to get training, learn the dictates of the Arrow and whatnot..."

• Adler holds out her hands

Peter Pan: He held out his to pull her up. "So how've you been?"

• Adler pulls on it but makes no effort to actually stand up

Peter Pan: He fell over, caught off guard and losing his balance. "Whoa!"
Adler: "Kinda lonely. Sit with me?"

• Adler is a little pink

Peter Pan: He nodded, blushign a bit as well
Adler: "Missed you." She says as she snuggles against him.
Peter Pan: "you too" He hugged her
Brian Steffanoskovich: Brian sits on the ground, chewing some of his smoked jerky. "How much longer?"

• Adler rests her head against his shoulder and neck for a moment
• Genji feels the Tree healing around the invading termites, tryign to make sure the center of the nest is destroyed as quickly as possible, his life sense diving into each wound and filling it, snuffing out the invaders in the process. If he could heal one tree this way he could use a ritual to heal them all and finish these things off... "Done..."

Peter Pan: He patted her head a little, trying not to show irritation when he saw Tink fly down behind Adler and start mimicing her
Genji: "Man I hope that was enough, I don't like to do rituals, they get me feeling all... ANTSY."
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Yes, yes. But did it vurk?" He got up, checking the trunk of the oak tree.
Storyteller: Termites are gone.
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Excellent. Hopefully it vill be enough."
Adler: "Hmm...well...we could get up and make some tea..." Adler kisses his neck, convinently avaliable from her position, "Or we could just stay here for a while."
Brian Steffanoskovich: Brian makes the same markings on the ground and on the tree, performing the same ritualistic casting on this tree as he had on the others.
Brian Steffanoskovich: !roll_ww 10 8 10 The_Lady: Brian_Steffanoskovich invokes the Lady... The_Lady: 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 9, 10 The_Lady: rolled 10d10. Got 4 Successes against a TN of 8, rerolling on 10 or better
Genji: *Ken nods and dusts his head off.* Man, this means I'll need to cast it again for those trees back there too I bet. More rituals. Ugh."
Adler: "Whaddya think?"
Genji: *Dusts his hands off
Genji: "So were ANY of those trees clean? Or are these things in all the oaks?"
Peter Pan: "Your call" He gave a charming smile while trying to raise a free hand to swat Tink away, earnign a stuck-out tounge from her
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Vere all like this vun. Filled vith termites. Set fire to them before they could spread." He looked at the pumpkin head. "...vhatever left past grove did same to this tree."
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Somethink...vants all the Oaks gone."
Genji: "Oh. I guess that means no healing, then." Ken sighed. "This pumpkinhead was trying to cut the tree down and the termites stopped it, ate the axe from out it's hand. I can't call any of this a coincidence, man..."
Brian Steffanoskovich: "It never is. If it vere, it vould be easy."
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Vas it the only pumpkinhead you could find? Or are there others?"
Adler: "Mmmm..." She glances up at him, "Tink, I'm going to put you in a jar and give you to a little elfin kid in a green tunic named Link." she growls
Genji: "Only this one. When it lost the axe and found out it couldn't do any more it just laid down there and I kicked it's creepy head off."
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Huh...vunder vhy the pumpkinhead vould try to cut down the tree...if it made the termites, vhy cut it down?" He looked about them. "I think ve have more enemies than I believed."
Genji: "Yeah. The termites were definitely working AGAINST it. So whatever made the termites like this doesn't have any love for the pumpkinhead corps as well.."
Peter Pan: "Link?" He asked, Tink muttered something and flew up to her little hidey-hole. Peter moved himself aroudn to make the seating arrangements more comfortable for the two of them.
Brian Steffanoskovich: "Far too many enemies for my taste..." He took the tree, looking at its size. "This ist good size. Should be enough." He took off his upper layer of fur, sliding it under the thick tree to help drag it back to the tower. "You run ahead and tell them of the troubles."
Genji: "Yeah? Don't need help dragging it?" Of course he took one more look at Brian and shook his head. "Of course you don't, heh." Then he turned on his heel and started back to the Sanctum.
Adler: "He's a video-game character."
Adler: "In the game, faries you catch in bottles are used to replenish your health."
Peter Pan: "Oh, that's neat, so if I put Tink in a bottle she might be able to heal me?"
Adler: "Unlikely."
Peter Pan: "Oh...then why?" He titled his head a little, setting his hadn on Adler's
Brian Steffanoskovich: Brian took hold of the fur robes under the tree, using the lessened friction to drag the tree of solid oak toward the tower.
Adler: "Huh?"
Peter Pan: "Why the bottle thing?"