First off, unless something has gone horribly wrong between me writing this up and posting it, there's a few days left on the Trinity Continuum Kickstarter! Pledging will give you access to enough book previews that you'll be able to see the nearly-finished manuscript for the Trinity core, and most of the Aeon book (as of Friday, they've just posted the Psi powers mechanics, and the feedback has been very positive). So if you've been holding off but still wanting to support the rebirth of one of my favorite game lines (and one I'm working on, no less), now's the time to drop a few bucks and see what there is!
(Also, if money's tight, there's nothing stopping you from pledging just a little bit now to get the previews and actually buying books through BackerKit later. It won't contribute to the stretch goals as much, but it's an option.)
And now, on to a game writeup that will hopefully put that post subject in context.
So we start off with the group playing musical cars because what with all of the teleporting around, almost nobody has their own vehicle someplace convenient and they need to retrieve that seismograph from Weaver's place. They get the seismograph and take it down to the Society office, where one of the members of the Society is waiting for them. He takes the seismograph back in, plugs it in, and actually gives them a receipt for it in case anyone tries anything funny later. Over the course of the conversation, he off-handedly mentions that Barbara (whom they've been meaning to talk to) is down in Evansdale (a neighborhood in Morgantown), checking out a weird body.
So it's about 10pm now as the group, intrigued and seeing an opportunity to have a chat with her, head down there where they find a bunch of police tape, some cops holding back a crowd, an all-black government SUV, and Barbara McCoy standing next to it talking to someone inside. Otis and Josh both have abilities that let them get the gist of a conversation they're observing, and they hear her describing a corpse -- bloodless, terror-filled expression, no bite marks but his shoulders are torn up like something with talons got a grip on him. Derrick decides to get a read on Barbara in case he has to manipulate her, and through abilities that so far he's written off as Auspex[0] he can sense her desire to move up within the NSA and also that she's looking at cracking the power of the Mountain God herself.
Disappointed but not surprised, Derrick just ducks past the police tape like he belongs there and when a cop tries to stop him Barbara waves the vampire through. Saying she was about to ask him if this seemed familiar, she shows him the corpse -- some random college dudebro, probably named Chad, but Derrick is concerned. Aside from the talon marks on the shoulders, it basically looked exactly like the suicide bomber that he ate when he became a shadow at the club. He manages to get some blood residue from the wound on his finger and tastes it, but determines that there's nothing weird about the body. Then he asks if they can look at the body, and mentions they have a wizard that wants to examine it. She's not terribly keen on the idea -- especially since she recognizes Weaver from the office footage -- but she and Derrick work out a deal while Weaver desperately tries to get their attention from outside the police tape. Barbara waves Weaver and Otis through, and they work out an idea. Otis can get them into the morgue unseen and they don't need the body for long anyways. So Barb and her people will transport it there themselves so it doesn't look like they're letting civilians take it, and she can wave her assorted badges around to buy them some time alone.
And that all goes as planned. She clears out the morgue and makes sure the cameras are off, and Derrick makes some small talk with her, trying to blunt the whole 'we only talk when the city's in danger' effect of their working relationship. But she then leaves them alone because Weaver's understandably concerned about using magic of any sort in front of a Sleeper if he can help it.
He uses Time magic to see what happened to the body, and gets a vision of the guy wandering around about sunrise-ish that morning. Then a shape like a huge owl (like, the size of an eagle) carved out of onyx assaults him, swooping down from the guy and grabbing his shoulders and drinking his breath. The body falls staggers and falls behind a building where it wasn't found until, well, just a little while ago. When Weaver comes out of his trance, he finds Otis and Derrick playing poker on the corpse and they talk about what he saw. Their first thought is that it's another strix, until Derrick thinks to ask about the thing's eyes. Weaver says the whole thing was pure black -- practically vantablack, and seamless. Strix, however, have yellow eyes so that rules that out.
Derrick tells them about the dream he'd had the night before, and he was worried this is something he did in his sleep, but it doesn't quite fit with the experiences he's been having lately. Josh suggests that maybe it's something born out of Derrick's Obtenebration shadow powers, as maybe they were altered when he ate that strix. They have Weaver use Space magic to try and see if he can find the owl creature from a sympathetic link between killer and victim. They get some of what's left of the guy's fluids from his tissues so they don't need the whole body to trace the thing. Derrick briefly considers Embracing the dead guy[1], but in the end he decides it probably wouldn't be worth it.
However, Weaver's able to track the shadow owl to a nearby apartment complex, where it's in the courtyard. It's actually within walking distance, at least as the crow flies, so they bust ass to get over there before it hurts anyone else. They get to the courtyard and Weaver points right to it where it's up on a ledge. Derrick tries to scan it with Auspex to determine if it's going to run, and gets the feeling that it's debating either attacking or fleeing. He also thinks about how he can get its attention and gets the idea to use his Obtenebration to make something like a falconry glove of shadow. He tries that and calls it, and it does indeed come to him. It feels like the same stuff that his shadows are made of when he uses them to manipulate things. He tries petting it and it leans into the touch, but seemingly more out of a sense that it's expected to than any sense of affection.
It's docile for the moment, but Derrick can feel that it's hungry and looking at the other three as food. Weaver uses Space to try and figure out where it came from, and feels that it's tied to Derrick as if it's a part of him, like a mage and familiar. It's also tied to the archway in the tunnels, and to the corpse in the morgue, and... the area in front of Asif's apartment, suggesting that it may have been born when Derrick used his abilities to smuggle out all of those books. Which means that Derrick's shadow powers can possibly spawn these things, if only he can figure out how. He tries to sort out if he can control it, and if so what should he do -- destroy it? Absorb it? Try to put it to good use?
In the end he tries to absorb it, and after a moment's struggle it is indeed absorbed into the shadow on his arm. He also absorbs the energy in it, including what it took from the dead guy, and he copes with that brief feeling of monstrousness it gives him, and that gives him the itch to indulge a little more.[2] He sends Barbara a text to say they're dealing with the creature and will let her know when it's done (basically so it doesn't seem suspicious that he's already wiped the thing out). He looks within himself and tries to find some way to bring the owl back, and realizes that it's because of his connection to that portal and what's on the other side. He can draw power from there through his Obtenebration and make a servitor like that.
But before he experiments it, he wants to deal with Alberto. Well, his Beast wants to deal with Alberto and he's definitely along for that ride. Weaver would rather not be part of this, but Derrick asks him to watch his back and that he can consider it one of the favors he owes him. They ponder ways they could get in touch with the blind vampire, and in the end they decide to head back to Leland's club and use Weaver's magic to summon him via teleportation.
They prepare for a possible confrontation -- Derrick, in particular, fashions a stake out of a broken chair leg because without telling the others, he's planning on just ambushing Alberto and staking him. Weaver summons Alberto, who just appears in the middle of the club's VIP area, and looks confused. Before he can demand an explanation, Derrick lunges at him with the stake -- and without conscious effort, Alberto whirls around, drawing a fine rapier from his hip that he'd hidden with Obfuscate, and deflects the stake with the casual, reflexive ease of someone swatting a fly.
There's a brief, tense 'oh shit' moment before Derrick just drops the stake, becomes an insubstantial shadow. Alberto, so angry his American accent slips and his Italian accent emerges, demands an explanation. Weaver says that he summoned him and he didn't know Derrick was going to do that and that he wouldn't have done it if he'd known what the plan was -- which is all true. Then Weaver insists that Otis tried to put Derrick up to it, which is... well, less true. Alberto, pissed off, is ready to leave without violence but insists on cutting Weaver's arm once in the hopes that the mark reminds him not to do that again. He then casually walks off. Weaver's pissed, his own refined accent slipping as well.
Derrick, embarrassed beyond imagining, slinks away in shadow form and heads for the tunnels. Josh takes off and goes to his bolthole to use his Clairvoyant Sight to watch Alberto from afar. Otis goes to follow Alberto discreetly down into the tunnels. Weaver, pissed, just leaves.
Josh watches as Alberto heads down to the tunnels and gathers together many of his brood to explain what just happened. He informs them that for now, they're not going to assault Derrick, but he is no longer considered welcome in the Badacelli tunnels. The vampires and ghouls present have explicit orders that if they see him, he is to be subdued and brought to Alberto, if possible. If capture isn't an option for whatever reason, then he is to be killed.
Meanwhile, Derrick navigates the tunnels, making his way down to the archway in shadow form, easily hiding out among the natural darkness of the false mine shaft. There are a couple of individuals guarding the archway and the spike, but because of his shadow-like blood coating the spike and the nature of Obtenebration, he's able to reach out and connect with it and throw the portal open and fully connect with the voice he heard from the other side.
He accepts its offer and something lunges out of the archway, ripping apart the guards and flying through the tunnel.
Back in the chamber where Alberto is addressing his brood (childer, grandchilder, and ghouls), Otis emerges from the shadows. His Horror is visible, showing the assembly the form of the bat-god Camazotz, proclaiming himself the their new god and insisting on their worship. Before he can respond, Alberto stops because he can feel something happening through the bonds of blood elsewhere in the tunnels. Otis can feel something as well, and Alberto turns to him and tells him to get them to safety. The influence of Otis' Lair has sealed the exits, but there's something pounding at them from the outside. He starts rushing vampires and ghouls into his Lair before the form of a giant owl-like monster bursts in and starts tearing apart the Badacelli brood as many of the ghouls throw themselves at it to buy the rest time. Otis ducks into his Lair to follow the rest of them and closes the door behind him.
Well, that happened.
Weaver, back in his home, bandaging up his arm, senses something going horribly wrong in the tunnels. He immediately calls Procedure, who sensed something happening as well (they're both Mastigos) and she comes over while Weaver tells her what he knows. He's freaked out, because he just came here to figure out what happened, and now if something's gotten loose he's just not prepared for that sort of thing. She tells him, in so many words, that this is an 'all hands on deck' situation and that his skills will still be needed to figure out to fight whatever's coming. She also says she's going to round up the local Adamantine Arrow and call Pittsburgh for reinforcements. She then heads out to try and find out more details of what's going on, and suggests that Weaver do the same.
In the morgue of the hospital where Otis works, he emerges from the shadows as the freezer doors open up and a handful of vampires and ghouls climb out, stunned and shaken. Alberto is among them, and he thanks Otis for the rescue and asks for further assistance figuring out a place to stay now that the tunnels are no longer safe. Otis says that Alberto and what's left of his brood should be at least safe there for the day. He also tells Alberto that he wants the Badacelli elder to be his new avatar, and that he is in fact the progenitor of their kind.[3] Alberto doesn't entirely take that at face value, but he at least accepts a partnership for the moment.
Without warning, a window opens up in thin-air right in front of Alberto and, startling him greatly, Weaver begins speaking through it. Otis, who's able to see the window, maneuvers around while they talk with Weaver about just what happened, what they know, what resources they have. Weaver also offers his basement as a place where the Badacelli can hide out for a few days, and Alberto says he'll consider it. Otis says he has to go meet a contact, and Alberto asks to be directed towards a phone -- preferably one with physical buttons and not a smartphone. Otis does so, helps him get a line out, then he takes off.
Josh, still in his bolthole (which, by the way, bothers Otis a bit because Otis has something like a tracker on him and when Josh is in his little extra-dimensional space he 'reads' as if he's ceased to exist), watches as Alberto calls someone named Nathan to tell him what happened, assure him that he's okay, and lets him know where he is at the moment. After that, Josh stops scrying on him and steps back into proper reality to call Weaver, who's begun drinking heavily, and they make plans to head to Derrick's on the edge of town.
Meanwhile, Otis is meeting with another Beast in the city, a guy named Oscar (colloquially known as 'The Gargoyle'). He finds him at the Wrong Alley, which is also known among the supernatural community as 'the werewolf bar' and home to the Wrong Alley werewolf pack. Oscar can sense something's up, like some sort of earthquake happened in the Primordial Dream, and Otis says that he wants to enlist the werewolves' help sorting out what's going on. Oscar agrees to introduce Otis to the werewolves' alpha, and he agrees.
Oscar leads him to an office in the back where Otis meets Jenna Collins, the leader of the pack and owner of the bar. He explains the situation, to at least keep them apprised and so they can pool resources. She agrees to keep an eye out for appearances of the creature in question and asks Otis to let them know if he finds out some way to kill it.
At about this time, Josh makes it to Derrick's place, where he breaks in and starts looking for him. He find Derrick's secret bunker in the basement where Asif (remember Asif?) is tied up, starving, dehydrated, filthy, and more than a little crazy after what's happened. He swipes a bunch of Derrick's books and some of his clothes and personal effects so Weaver can use them to try and find him.
But then there's the question of Asif. Josh calls Otis to ask for advice, when Weaver teleports in, more than a little drunk. Otis explains that Asif is now a threat to the masquerade and the safest thing to do is kill him. Weaver doesn't want to kill him, and an argument breaks out. Weaver, instead, risks a Paradox and instead teleports Asif to the parking lot outside his apartment and pops back, informing Josh that he took him home. Josh tells Otis where Asif is, and Otis goes after him.
Josh then sets Derrick's house on fire, takes off with the stuff he's grabbed, and drives back into town, to where he knows the Mountain Line Preservation Society offices are. Nobody seems to be there so he slips a note under the door with his number, informing them that the worst possible scenario's happened and Derrick can't be trusted.
Over in Evansdale, Otis reaches Asif's apartment and finds the remains of the broken chair in the parking lot. He follows the trail to Asif's apartment, and jams a penny under the door. He then uses a flashlight to cast a shadow under the door, and becomes one with that shadow as a way of sneaking in. He finds Asif in the shower, curled up into a ball and crying after a day of captivity, where he proceeds to dispatch Asif in the fashion of the god Camazotz, taking off his head and drinking of his blood. He then takes the body back to his Lair.
And on that cheerful note, the session wrapped up there.
And in case it needs to be said, we've decided that Derrick really isn't much of a viable PC any more unless I want to run a PvP game, which I don't. So for the moment, Derrick's been NPC-fied and Zac will be coming in with a new character next session.
[0]-- I think I've explained this before, but Derrick picked up a few strix powers after eating the one they encountered before. And I just now realized I forgot to share its name when the group learned it last session. It was called O'oke.
[1]-- That's a thing vampires in Second Edition Requiem can do now.
[2]-- In game mechanics terms, Derrick lost some Humanity and gained the Wanton condition.
[3]-- We have, in this setting, floated the possibility that Otis and his Horror are in fact the reincarnation of sorts of an ancient (and unnamed in the text) deity that may in fact be the progenitor of the Nosferatu clan. It's weird and complicated.
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