DRAFT Run Log for 970729 Present: Randi - Sky Tia - Cassandra Dave K - Ilk, logging Kevin - Zack Barb - Flora Dave R - Malachai Ken - Norton Andrew - Osric Rich - Ferro ------------------------- Major Events: * War Near the Abyss * Oberon is Cracked * Benedict Declares a Rebellion ------------------------- Sky is a snow leopard standing three feet at the shoulder, weighing about two hundred pounds, white/orange fur, black/grey/silver. and purple eyes. ------------------------- Retcon: When Snarsht showed up, he showed up with an apprentice in tow, in the form of a snow leopard. ---------------------- War Near the Abyss Norton is running around using his shapeshifting and demon-vision to scout. Malachai is killing the enemy. Ilk is fending off attacks from the equivalent of more than thirty Logrus-users. Zack is doing standard Zack things - staying on the front line, listening to Benedict, and occasionally providing magical support. Cassandra is killing the enemy. Sky follows Snarsht. Osric is watching the battle from inside his shields. ----------------- During the War Martin turns towards the Pattern-party, apologizes that he can't keep them here any longer, and pulls the rest of Werewindle out of the floor. The party disappears. Dutch, Benjamin, and several members of Dutch's company stay with the fight. None of Julian's warriors are here, so Malachai is unable to use this fight as a training opportunity. Cassandra and Martin are fighting back to back. Malachai is in his glory, He closed with one of his companions from his days as a captive in House Hendrake and took his time with him. Norton encounters some problems. The enemy has figured him out and are hunting him. He manages, occasionally pulling in mass from nearby demons to replace severed limbs, but it's difficult. Snarsht is giving Sky pointers and a running commentary on the battle, decrying how careless and clumsy they are being with their forces. Zack takes a souvenir, a hand from one of the higher-ups that he recognized in House Helgram, and puts it in an adamantium jar. During the process of taking the souvenir, he picked up a gash on his leg, and patched it with some duct tape and wood glue. ----------------- The State at the End of the Day Corwin is sporting a nifty-looking cut from one shoulder to the opposite hip. About fifteen of the Sidhe were permanently discorporated when they overloaded onto a major enemy mage, exploding him. Ilk is wiped out from defending against all of the Logrus incursions. He can still keep his defensives up, but barely. Malachai is untouched. His sword arm is really tired, he's invigorated, and he's covered in a lot of other beings blood. At one point, Osric is the focus of a concerted attack because the enemy figured that he was a power source, They didn't get through his shields. At one point during the fight, Cassandra lost a few fingers and her sword. The regeneration ring brought back the fingers, and she took a sword from a foe and fought her way back to her sword, which was stuck in an enemy body. At one point Martin got badly wounded across the stomach and Cassandra covered for him while he trumped out. He said that he was using Werewindle to stay alive when Cassandra tried to borrow it. Sky had an interesting view of the whole battle. The side that contained the player characters was triumphant. The foe's first force and all of their reserves were crushed. Ilk has not yet received word back about House Cara's reserves. On the Cara side, all of the shock troops were lost. The only other fatalities were among Sidhe and House Cara troops. At one point someone nicked Snarsht's ear, apparently by mistake. Snarsht was so shocked that he took the person under his study - he didn't think that anyone could get through his defenses. The Cara members who died were trying to flee the battle. They made it look like a charge, ran into a reserve force, and were slaughtered to a man. Seven out of the eleven minor members present were in the charge. None of the enemy were standing at the end of the day, and there was no obvious retreat. Ilk notices that the Logrus barrier and the Logrus bomb are still present. Norton doesn't see any Logrus users sitting around. Zack tries to look for Logrus energies and sees nothing. Zack asks Ilk about the advisability of advancing on Helgram. Since Benedict is arm-wrestling a Godzilla (and winning), Ilk asks Corwin about the advisability of advancing on House Helgram. Corwin says that he wants to see a medic first, indicating his cut. Conversation happens. Cassandra and Malachai use Corwin as a surgical dummy to advance Cassandra's education, and tease their father about his wound. Zack approaches Ingold. Ingold can't see the Logrus-barrier either. Zack asks Ingold if he could try to dispel it. Ingold stands up, there is a brief flash of light, and a steady glow about fifteen feet short of the barrier. The glow moves through the barrier, keeps going for another fifteen feet, then goes down. Ilk can still see the barrier. Norton launches a grenade at the barrier, and it goes right through. Osric wonders if the barrier is still present. Ingold turns to Osric. "I know you" Osric denies being Ingold's uncle Osric. Ingold claims to have seen Osric at a trade conference out in shadow somewhere. Norton tries to cross the barrier physically, and fails. He shifts in Pattern (and shifts away the Logrus), and goes through. Norton offers to shift the Logrus out of Ilk, who declines the offer. Ilk tries to solicit support to depart. Zack tires of waiting, announces his departure, and takes the Sidhe towards the barrier in the direction of House Cara. He meets up with Norton. Everyone but Corwin, Malachai, Cassandra, and entourage come along. [Do I have any Mothras left?] Zack gives Ilk a trump of him before going through the barrier. Ilk then trumps Zack, and passes the barrier non-contiguously. ------------------- Elsewhere Ferro notices that the black surrounding him is not homogeneous. Ferro notices that the lumps of darkness are spheres. He tries to gain influence over his movement, and gains some influence. -------------------- In Castle Amber Damia receives a trump call. It's Cyndia. she says that Benedict said that there's been a battle and they need a few healers. Who's been wounded? Corwin, Zacharias, ... they chat. Cyndia is doing some things for Benedict, so missed the battle. Damia tells Cyndia that they're not going home before she talks to Oberon. After the trump call, servant activity down by the ballroom increases. There is cleanup going on. --------------------- Next Stop: House Cara Osric declines to join Cassandra and company in the battle. Cassandra introduces Osric to Corwin as one of Merlin's friends. Corwin hands Osric a trump of him. Cassandra notices that it's not a standard trump deck trump. Osric says his farewells, and jumps off the edge of the Abyss. Cassandra, Malachai, and Corwin catch up with the others. Snarsht reaches the barrier in mid-stride... and makes it through. Norton approaches Snarsht and Sky. Snarsht asks, "Now where?" Norton explains that he is planning on heading to House Cara to see if it needs help, then heading to Helgram to finish them off. Snarsht replies that it might be amusing, so he'll come along. Snarsht turns to Sky, and says, "He takes on the semblance of them because he wants to fit in with them. I, on the other hand, don't bother." Norton asks if Snarsht thinks that the demon-sight would be useful. Snarsht says possibly, if the demons remain within the Courts. Snarsht tells Sky, "Now that's a good apprentice - he goes out of his way to discover new things for the Guild." The group heads towards House Cara, pushing their way through the demons. Zack conjures a rolling carpet and the group travels over the demons. Snarsht has grown large enough to continue walking on the ground while keeping his head above the demons. Benjamin catches up with Cassandra and falls at her feet. Cassandra introduces Norton to Benjamin. Benjamin's mind is extremely cracked, very strong, and extremely focused, entirely on Cassandra. Norton shifts into another Cassandra. Malachai notices, and tries to tell Norton to stop. Benjamin's eyes go really wide, and he faints. Norton turns back really quickly. Norton bends down, clocks the mind control device on Benjamin, and has a Ventrue pick him up. The group discusses Benjamin as they walk. ------------------- Elsewhere Ferro sees another rift open - it's humanoid, covered by a blur. The humanoid walks somewhere, opens another rift, and goes through. Osric is heading towards his control center. There is a fairly major battle on one of his platform station between xxx and what appears to be stags. [stuff happens that the logger can't hear] -------------------- At House Cara They approach House Cara. Norton looks down through the demons - there are definite burn marks on the House. Norton describes them, and Ilk recognizes that they were caused by House Cara members trying to repel the small black demons. Ilk enters through a fourth floor window, and invites Zack to come along with a few Sidhe. They head down towards the control center. Norton and Malachai discuss shadow movement while they wait. Ilk receives a status report from the command center. The command center knows very little. Most of the Guilds are holding meetings including the Healers' Guild, so the only healers in the House are a few apprentices who were too junior to attend. Ilk conscripts them and has them sent to the fourth floor. Ilk tries to accumulate a few Logrus-users to play messenger, but all of them went with the troops. The person manning the command post volunteers to go help stomp House Helgram, but Ilk orders him to remain at his post. Ilk receives a status report from his troops from Home in the antechamber; nothing of interest to report. -------------------- Oberon is Cracked Damia is informed that Flora is at the gate. She goes to the wall, and sees Flora, holding Gerard's arm. It appears as if it has been wrenched from Gerard by sheer strength. Flora gives the arm to Damia, saying that Oberon wanted it put on a pike by the front gate. Damia and Flora go to a side room to chat. Apparently Gerard and Oberon had an argument. Oberon was tired of being disturbed. Oberon sent the arm along with a message that all of his children were no longer in his favor. Flora claims not to remember any prior difficulties with Oberon. "Well, I assume that Oberon removed the Pattern from him [Gerard] as he did from me." Oberon was ranting about reality being broken, and that he called all of the best minds together and they did nothing, so he was going to have to do it alone. "A bit of my memory was affected when the Pattern was removed as well" ---------- Ferro encounters Ingold in the Void, and bums a lift back. ---------- Benedict Declares a Rebellion Ingold and Ferro knock on the window. It is opened. Ingold formally greets his family members, and says that Oberon is off his nut. "He has ripped the arm off Gerard and sent it back to Amber as a totem, and ripped the Pattern out of Flora and apparently some of her memories as well." Silence. Cassandra looks at her dad. Corwin looks shocked. Norton sends Ilkandacian a note saying that Ferro is here and asking if he should tell Shiryu that he has shown up again. Ilk tells Norton that Ferro should be encouraged to leave as soon as possible, and Shiryu's attention should not be attracted. Corwin and Benedict are in the middle of a heavy conversation. It is being held entirely by trump, mental communication only. After a few minutes, Corwin announces that they have decided to hold Amber against Oberon. Cassandra sees Caine's trump in Benedict's hands. Benedict says that he would consider it to be a slight to his honor that would have to be avenged if any of his family members decided to not support him. After a pause, Malachai says that although he supports Benedict, he disagrees with his threat. Benedict replies that it is Malachai's prerogative to disagree. Benedict says that when they leave the Courts, there will be only one safe destination for them. Cassandra asks Corwin, "Home?" "If Oberon is out of control, home is not safe." The group talks. Benedict goes through six trumps while the group chats. Benedict looks up from his last trump and says, "I will expect you all in two hours. Take this time to deal with this little problem with Helgram." There is a knock at the window. Benedict answers, and some people from the Warriors' Guild enter. Benedict orders them to accompany Zack and keep him alive through the upcoming engagement, and puts them explicitly under Zack's command, explaining to Ilk that it is not his intention to circumvent his authority, but Zack is an Amberite, and therefore he can place the Guild members under his command. Norton, Ilkandacian, Cassandra, and Zack to head towards House Helgram. Corwin goes with Cassandra. Malachai and Ferro decide to go with Ingold. Snarsht tells Sky that the events in Amber look more interesting than the ones in Chaos, so he will be going with Ingold. Sky decides to stay with Snarsht. Ingold looks startled, apparently overhearing their conversation. Norton tells Snarsht that the guards in Amber are loyal to him. Snarsht replies that if he has done the job properly, they will only be loyal to him. Ingold raises his staff and opens a rift. They go through, and the rift closes behind them. ------------------ The House Cara Reserves are Located Cassandra, Ilk, Norton, Zack, and Corwin discuss problems across all of Reality as they travel. About half-way to House Helgram, they encounter the entire force of Cara troops staked out on spikes of power above the demons. There are some Helgram corpses below, and a few soon-to-be corpses. Norton grabs one that is still living, and dominates it. As they interrogate the guy, Zack descends to Morganti the other survivors. During the ambush Helgram lost five percent of their force, which initially outnumbered the Cara force by about three to one. Norton extracts passwords and codes of the day from the Helgram guy before he dies. Ilk considers absorbing the power from the power spikes, and decides not to risk activating the traps in his present condition. Zack recognizes a number of his friends in House Cara among those staked out above the demons. Cassandra tries to absorb power from the power spikes and falls over. Ilk notices that she activated the trap. It was a mind blast. They contemplate a frontal assault on House Helgram as they travel. ----------- In Amber Flora is told that a number of her siblings and some strange beings are in the courtyard. Benedict is talking with Prospero. The mob is there. Ferro and Flora chat. Flora and Benedict chat. Flora puts out an ad for troops and looks through her trump deck, trying to regain some memories. ------------- Preparing for the Attack Just after passing the site of the ambush, Corwin takes Cassandra off his shoulder and hands her to Gil, holds his hand up, and receives a trump call. It's Osric. He asks if Corwin is free to take him into Pearl. Not yet. Osric comes through the trump contact. Advance on Helgram. Cassandra wakes up with a burning sensation in her legs. She grabs the person holding her by the waist and tries to end up on her feet. She fails to do so, and ends up back in Corwin's arms. Cassandra stands up, is wobbling, and has a headache. Norton and Ilk try to scum a bit of rest on the moving carpet as they go. Ilk tries to be discrete about his nap. Zack makes a siege engine, and starts making it more Real. Norton makes a large undead rhinoceros battering ram, and Zack starts making it more Real. The face of the rhino vaguely resembles a member of Helgram that Norton slew. Norton starts putting faces of other slain opponents on the sides of the rhino, and sets them up to scream in agony when it attacks. Cassandra comments, "You are a very sick man." [One large undead rhinoceros later...] They are about to engage Helgram's border guard. --EORun--