October 7, 2010

Po’Boys is an out of the way restaurant near exit 101 and Dubouis waits patiently in a corner for the group to  get here, the first to arrive is Maeve and Ruis (who have discovered that neither one of them own a car and public transportation is not all it’s cracked up to be.)   A few minutes later Bjorn arrives, the waitress takes their orders and still no Tara.  Anyway, Ruis explains that after last night’s discussion the closers side is looking mighty slim.  Dubouis says he has thought about that.  Ruis says that all the players try to bring as much stuff to the table as they can.  This led to the discussion about the police warehouses of stuff that were too large or unusual that was stored there by the police.  Dubouis can think of a number of things that were confiscate and place in the evidence room that might just be what is needed.

Ruis gives Bjorn a paper bag containing the mask.  Maeve gets a text message and says that she has some business to attend to back at her place.  Bjorn gives them a lift back to her place and once she’s inside he ask Ruis how well he knows her.  If they can really trust her or not.  Ruis says that she hasn’t given him any reason not to.  Maeve even helps in finding out about the latest craze in the unnatural community for grave yard finds.  It’s been driving the price of stuff up.

They go to Maeve’s later that evening.  Ruis goes inside.  Bjorn knowing how passionate young love is stays outside.  He catches glimpse of a shadow.  He recognizes the form to be a police officer.   He yells that Cops are here.  Before too long, he’s involved in a shootout.

Bjorn tries to out flank the officer, but she gets a bead on him.  The shot rang out like a bell and burned deep into Bjorn’s side.  Bleeding badly, he’s on the ground when the woman officer corners him.  Being one with a sarcastic wit, he pleads the fifth.  She may be a cop, but she doesn’t take sarcasm well and shoots him again.  This time, he goes out cold and bleeding. 

Meanwhile Ruis has gotten a Dear John letter from Maeve.  He finds out that she is Alistair Crowley’s sister and she now understands what her family is involved with.  Underneath the letter is a cell phone with Alistair‘s phone number and address.

Ruis looks for and finds his cat.  He scoops him up holding the gun in his one hand and the cat in the other.  He notices there is a window in the room and across from it another one in the nightclub.  He leaps.  He breaks through the glass in Maeve’s apartment and through the window of the nightclub.  Now hanging with one arm holding all his weight with the gun in hand and the cat in the other over a high beam.  The cops are soon going to be here.  He jumps down hoping that he doesn’t break anything.  He puts away the gun.  He slips away not knowing what happened to Bjorn.

Bjorn wakes to a cold metal chair bound at his wrist, ankles and head.  He hears a smooth melodious voice start his interrogation.   The same voice tells him that his wounds have been taken care of.  (OOC-I am so worried about this what did he do to Bjorn while he had you under are you going to switch sides or blow up like a bomb.  But that is the player going oh damn lol. )

That night, Ruis sleeps in the park with the homeless.  The next day, he realizes that the homeless thinks he’s a cop or something.  He heads off wondering aimlessly.  After awhile, he notices that the yellow man in his green car is following him.  The yellow man and he go and have brunch.

The next day at the University completely unaware of what happened the night before, Bjorn is grading some papers when the delivery guy shows up and hands him an envelope.  Bjorn notices that there are three more just like this in the mail courier’s bag.  The courier leaves heading down the hall to the dean’s office.  Bjorn open it and read a letter from Butross stating that he was going to pay for the two Zumbies lives he stole.  He curses him telling him that two of his people will die and Butross would reveal something that Bjorn didn’t want revealed.  The disk inside had been edited but it shows quite clearly Bjorn as a murderer.

Thinking fast, Bjorn goes down to the dean’s office.  He makes small talk with the middle age secretary seeing that half a dozen or so unanswered carrier letters were on the desk. 

The dean comes out and they have a conversation regarding his teaching and his sword classes.  Dean asks him to lunch where they can discuss an upcoming trip.  The dean excuses himself for a moment to get his coat.

 The secretary makes more small talk and shows him the front of the newspaper that she’s been reading about the terrible murders, and that she is afraid.   Bjorn asks if he could read the article.  She gives him the paper.  He “accidently” knocks off the correspondence.  He picks them up setting the paper on top of it and then picks all of it up when the Dean returns.  (My only question is where the other two envelopes went.  Yes I want to Kibetz.)y 1,095,011 (the year of the tiger 2010)

 Dragons hate to be captured

Well Journal I’ve missed a few days and you know how I just love to miss writing in you after all you are how I keep myself sane and focused.   Going back to 1, 095, 012, I had just answered the phone and was heading out to meet with Ruis when the next thing I remember is being in a cell.    Yes once again the Smyth family caught me.  It is a wonder that I haven’t been killed yet by them.  This one seems a lot more cagy that his father was.  You know if I had never met that woman, I could have saved myself a lot of trouble. 

During my night as his unwilling guest, I had one of those rare premonition dreams.  I met up with Maeve at the hanging tree.  She was contemplating suicide to stop her brother Alcester Crowley.  She asked me what she should do and I told her that she should protect Ruis.  She said she could by killing herself because it would kill Alcester as well.  

It may be one way to win, but her life is too high a price to pay to stop Crowley.  Besides, it seems that Ruis is serious about her.  Human love is swift.  It takes them over and then in a single instant it either leads to glorious passion or desperate pain.

Ian as he introduced himself is well mannered bastard.  He had me in a cell that if I wondered too far outside it I would grow old.  Now he has Wuffles and I have to get him back.  He’s my friend and my calculator.

I have to give Ian something valuable to get my dog back.  He wants to lure a real dragon here.  I would be totally embarrassed to meet anyone of my kind in my current condition.  I said I would be his bait if he would leave my dog alone.  I feel the fur on of my head standing on end.  He took my dog.  I can’t get over the fact that he not only broke my security system including my eye and finger print scanner.  Got into my lair and took my dog. 

I finally did escape and using pick pocketing I got to the university, where I met up with Bjorn.  Who seems to want to change sides?  Maybe I took what he said wrong.  Oh well neither here nor there.

After hearing his tell of Ruis and his run in with the law, the fact that he has lost track of Ruis was maddening and when we couldn’t get in touch with him was a pain.  During this time, we ended up at my place where I got a message from Ian that he had my dog and that he still wanted me to be bait and he’d let my dog go free.  I hate it when the villain is in charge.  Ian couldn’t have picked a worse time to show up.  He could have waited till November when I would know whether to fight him or not.

Journal entry 1,095,011 (the year of the tiger 2010)

 Dragons love to Time Travel

It’s the 3rd of October, I can’t believe it!  I’ve made it this far.   I’ve seen the first and second twice and have done a lot of things.   I saved the croc king’s people and Mr. Lumpkin’s life, stop Butross lousy summoning spell and all it cost me was the book - MY BOOK.  I hope Meshikinnoquah chokes on it or worse needs my help to decode it. 

As to my meeting of the Master of Time, and riding his train to the past and the present, I can honestly say he is a very reasonable being.  He is pleasant, genteel, punctional train engineer (yes that is what I saw him as)  that told me that the next time he saw me on his train he would do things to me that no one would remember.  Dragons don’t fear a lot of things, but I fear not being remembered.  That is the understatement of the year.  I know when not to play the Dominance game and that was it.  

Oh did I mention that I’ve met death again.  She’s a lovely woman called The Widow De’ Mise.  She runs a clock shop.  Her eyes are so calm and warm, but something inside my heart tells me that she can be a hell cat if crossed.  Another being that the Dominance game is out for.  She warned me some time I was on the train, that Bjorn needed my help.

Poor Bjorn, he had to catch me right after I had been intimidated, I showed my overly aggressive side to him.  I should apologize. I won’t but I should.  No wonder Bjorn couldn’t be found on either the third or fourth.   Death’s warning must have something to do with that Indian and Bjorn.  I’m not sure what what the rivalry between them is.  It could go back generations.  Whatever it is, Meshikinnoquah  stole from me and that makes him an enemy in more ways than one. 

You know Journal, maybe I was wrong to rush back so soon, I was trying to help Ruis and the upcoming battle.  I knew this one was going to be a tide turner.  However maybe I’m more of a liability.  I met up with Paradox( Pair of Docs)  the other day and they aged me a little not enough for anyone to notice but me what I didn’t realize was that they cracked my emerald.  Good thing I’m not engaged or anything or I suspect my love of being unfaithful.  However, I began to feel the flu coming on. Any other time I would have avoided that kind of problem what is wrong with me.

Early in the morning, I paid the Attorney Lumpkin a visit and told him I wanted to buy Mr. Irving Holzhauer  place as is with everything in it.  I told him that I had another vision where I was going to marry my love in the pallor.  He said that he would help and would get back to me around 3:00.  He hasn’t called back.  Maybe since Crawley got there first, my lawyer friend is having trouble acquiring the place.  Next on my grand plan was to see what Exit 101 looked like from the sky, so I rented a tour guide with a helicopter and found out that the highway is in the shape of a Sigel.  After that I went Jewel shopping and had no luck, seem my old friend had left no stone for me to find.

By the end of the day, I felt worse than I had in a century when Ruis called and told me someone had stole his cat.  He knew that the Sheriff had him because his new mate Maeve, a lovely auburn haired lady with a piercing stare and jealous tendencies, had scouted it out for him.  Did I mention that Ruis has really buffed up?  I never knew he was so strong and handsome, but that is neither here nor there.  He has a mate and there is a look and don’t touch policy in effect, besides Maeve is a witch.  I’ve not been having a good time with any supernatural beings lately.  (You know Journal; I really ought to look up my old flame Bleys sometime heavy sigh.)   So Ruis needed a diversion, but instead we worked out a plan using the Book of Many Things.

I turned invisible and made my way into the Sheriff ’s office while the love birds waited outside.  I waited and slipped inside unnoticed.  It was when I made my way back into the offices hallway that I attracted attention.  I felt unusually nervous.  I could shake the feeling of urgency.  I was hot and felt sweaty.  Finally I gave up the undercover scene and made a break for the door.  Inside, I locked the door and flipped on the light.  I found the cat glued to the wall by spider webs.  I caught something move out of the corner of my eye, but I was invisible and that was the way I was going to stay.

Claws, Shred, Freedom.  The Sheriff was inside, no choice but to grab the cat and bust through the window.  Must have been a wild sight seeing the cat float thru the air like that?  Once through I ran for my car realizing that neon yellow and red is not the best escape colors in the world.  We met up and took off, I remember turning on to Kings Road and the park then I felt sleepy.

The next thing, I remember is waking up to a hose shower in the back of the 57.  Seems that I passed out.  I told them about my problem and the fact that there wasn’t a jewel of quality to be found because of Smyth.

In the kitchen of my place, Maeve was nice enough to make breakfast for us.  Ruis and I talked about all the recent problems.  When Maeve joined us, we made a list of who was on each side and saw that we were outnumbered and out gunned.  Our next list was of places that could be involved.  Maeve brought up the fact that our places were involved to.  

Ruis told me about Maeve’s ability to divine where anyone was.  It then struck me that she was in danger.  If we could use her than the other side could to.  Of course, Ruis made light of it and told her that she was in danger now.  Ruis is a good scout, he knows talent when he sees it and he adopts it into the fold.    He’s now recruited two new players Maeve and Sheriff Dubouis.  Our next list was of things we have gathered and that were when he told me of his daring escapade.

Ruis said that he had hi jacked a truck from in front of Mr. Irving Holzhauer house with several valuable items one of which was the map to the Croc King’s place.  He got away, but not very far and using the mask (didn’t tell me how he acquire that) he escaped with a box of books.  

 By this time it was the bewitching hour, Al told us that other than the Sheriff everyone seemed oblivious to the game.  He said that the spider was like himself and that it threaten to eat him.  Wuffles chimed in that he had found out that the Werewolf was staying somewhere near Bjorn’s place.  So Bjorn has a werewolf cub that thinks he’s found a Daddy.  Lucky Viking, what will he do now?

Characteristics Cost: 14

Powers Cost: 90

Total Character Cost: 104

Disadvantage Points: 45

Base Points: 100
Experience Required: 0
Total Experience Available: 0
Experience Unspent: 0

The voice says, “…I suspect this thing Mr. Butross has summoned may explain the inexplicable nature of Mr. Holzhauer’s house - but, I get ahead of myself. Please, continue we still have a little time before our appointment.”

 The scenario continues where it left off.

• Ruis has just entered a second floor hallway via the window after nearly falling off the side of the house. He watched a Zumbi, gun drawn, disappear into a side room. He seemed to be searching for something.
• Tara remained just inside the garden study where she was combating the Zumbis who were left behind.
• Bjorn had rescued the young witch who Grandmother’s psyche had abandoned.
• The attorney Lumkin was last seen, in a flash of lightning, lying in the floor a gun shot wound to his chest.
• The Yellow Man was in the Garden itself watching the thing that Butross had summoned balancing his need to escape with his desire for more information.
• Butross and the Zumbi left outside the door as guards had retreated to the stairwell with the intention of stealing all of the ‘good stuff’ he could get his hands on.
• Meshikinnoquah was last seen at the base of the mansion’s wall disappearing into the shadows.

Gist of the night’s adventure:

   The creature that Butross summoned is feeding off of the power inherent in Mr. Holzhauer’s home and his items of power and forcing its way much further into our reality than normally possible. The PCs must deal with this creature’s manifestation and the Zumbi’s ransacking of Mr. Holzhauer’s home.

Scenes:

• Ruis follows the Zumbi into the second floor study where the lights are off. The Zumbi can be heard rummaging through a desk (drawers hitting the floor, glass breaking, etc.). The Zumbi has books, papers, statuary under his arm - as he comes into sight Ruis can see him putting a necklace of some type around his neck. The necklace is a magical artifact that drains any magic near it. A spell or magic item in its presence will be drawn unerringly into it and nullified. This applies to the powers of Ruis’ gun. It does not apply to normal bullets. If/when Ruis fires at the Zumbi describe him as turning violently at the last minute to avoid the shot and then crashing over a footstool to disappear briefly from sight only to rise a second later seemingly unharmed. The Zumbi has lost his gun but retains his ‘knife’. A fight ensues in which the ‘magical’ effects of the gun are relatively useless. Make it a good fight with a great reward.
• Either Tara pursues Butross or she stumbles upon him as she wanders through the darkened house. Butross ignorant of who she really is and arrogant as anything will order his two Zumbis to take her. They will attempt to grab/subdue her. Let Butross have a chance to give a really arrogant soliloquy somethng like, “Why doaz a fine slip of a girl like you want to stop zee change. It will be good for you, and all doaz what been secund citizens. The time for change she is a coming. The white man wun zee game a long time ago now it is our turn and people like you and me we should not fight. We shoudl win!” If Tara doesn’t cooperate or Butross will leave her to deal with the two Zumbis and move on to more ransacking. If Tara uses her fiery(?) breath weapon be sure to catch the house on fire for more excitement.
• If Bjorn tries to get the witch to the ground have Meshikinnoquah lying in wait for him. He will attempt to hit Bjorn with a poison dart that renders him immobile for a short time (a con based mental entangle). If successful have the indian take Bjorn’s blade and kill the witch with it (wearing gloves of course) - perhaps off stage so that there can be a bit more drama? If Bjorn stays in the house with the witch then have the Yellow Man visit with him and explain a bit of the danger regarding the ‘Heart of Darkness’.
  • That it is trying to force more of itself through the opening and that it is somehow feeding off of the magic in the room.
  • That there is a large source of magic under the house (basement) and that the thing should not be allowed to reach it.
• Sindra is returning from a bit of business in Belgravia when she comes upon a FedEx truck sitting near her home (or at least on the route). Inside the van is a young woman who is reading something by flashlight. The girl is completely absorbed and oblivious to anything going on around her - as if the black parchment she is reading is more improtant than her own life. If Sindra approaches or disturbs her the girl looks up in shock and amazement - for a just a moment as Sindra’s eyes catch hers she can see that young woman has eyes much too old for her. A knowing glint and then they return to normal as Grandmother flees the vessel. The girl comes back to her senses in time to be completely surprised and disoriented. The letter is of course for Sindra. The FedEx agent is apologetic and at a loss to explain how the letter got opened. The letter is an invitation to reading of Mr. Holzhauer’s will which is scheduled to start in about 5 minutes (make her show up late to the whole thing by about 30 or so minutes).
• As the main crux of the story Mr. Holzhauer’s is cut off by the tendrils of the thing that Butross summoned so that there can be no escape from inside. Use a few of the Zumbis to demonstrate that crossing the barrier is fatal. Try and arrange the scene so that all of the PCs are inside the house along with the Yellow Man. Butross should be on the front lawn and perhaps give some apologetic farewell speech to those he can see stuck on the inside. Have the PCs or the Yellow Man realize that the ‘thing’ is strengthening as it consumes little bits of magic and that there is a LARGE bit of magic in the basement. The PCs rush off to the basement to prevent/escape and discover Mr. Holzhauer’s treasure trove in a sub basement that takes a bit of tense searching to find (the things questing tentacles are searching for it too). Once they force open the door they find an earthen floor with a pentagram drawn and an obvious place for a person to stand. Pinned to the floor inside the pentagram is the stretched out skin of an ancient crocodile with what seems to be the faint tracings of a map drawn upon it. Holding down the skin adjacent to the points of the pentagram are 5 items of power (one for each PC + the Yellow Man).
  • An knobbly gourd (Filled with the blood of a werewolf).
  • A book (Entitled “The Book What Done Been Read”)
  • An mask (made from the facial skin of an albino)
  • A small bag (filled with pumpkin seeds)
  • A wizened peach.
• As the players are sorting out how to get the ‘gifts’ the room is filling with the tentacles of shadow as they quest around for the sources of power. They are searching blindly at this point but once the PCs breach the pentagrams perimeter it will ’see’ the magic and start beating against the pentagram to get in. Once each point has a person standing at it the barrier surrounding the pentagram will shift so that the points are inside. This allows the PCs to step into the Pentagram. If one of them steps onto the Crocodile skin they will be transported to the realm of the Crocodile King just in time for next week’s adventure. Those who don’t will feel the ‘mystical’ weight of the thing as it forces its way onto this plane. The magic of the pentagram will flare up as it resits the force of the thing pushing against it. The only choices are to stay trapped there forever or to travel into the Crocodile King’s realm.
• The house of Mr. Holzhauer eventually become so weighed down by the things ‘mystical’ weight that it turns in upon itself and separates almost completely from our reality. Those with only mundane sight can only see the wreckage of a collapsed building… while those with second sight can see the old house still standing though wreathed by a strange darkness with an occasional flashing mouth.

This cycle, of opening and closing, has repeated since before mankind was given the gift of speech and it continues today. Sometimes, the struggles are small and the doors that open can only admit the smallest of whisperers but periodically - when the signs are strong - the doors are large and the danger greater.

As the signs align and these opportunities arise those who play ‘the game’ gather to oppose one another and either open or close the door. These struggles slowly build with the opponents merely blocking each other at first but as the event gets closer the risks grow until the night of the event… typically, only one side survives to witness the fruits of their labors.

On October 31st of 2010 the stars will align as the never have before, the signs point to a door of epic proportions, players from across the world will gather in New Avalon and decide the fate of the earth.

“Mr. Ruis…? Ah you’re awake, good. We can continue the questioning.”

As Ruis’ senses clear and he looks about him he sees that he is imprisoned in a chair, an IV attached to his arm. Nearby, he can see a microphone connected to laptop. He can just make out the date on the machine… it reads 10/31/2010 22:13. The voice continues…

“Let us pick up from where we were before you passed out. You had just told us a lie about how you met Dr. Erikson… please continue but this time you’ll tell the truth and nothing but the truth.”

The main element of this introductory scenario is the reading of the last will and testament of Mr. Irving Holzhauer. The reading is by invitation only and takes place in the attic garden of Mr. Holzhauer’s mansion. Gathered there are all of the PCs and the major NPCs of the game: Lucius Butross, the Yellow Man, Little Turtle, and Grandmother along with the attorney - Walter Lumkin.

The scene begins with a quick viginette as each player receives the invitation from a messenger while in the presence of their main NPC. The idea here is to give each PC a clue about a book to go after from amongst those at the reading.

Each invitation will reach the target at or very near to midnight so that the familiars will have the chance to speak with them.

Tara: Is interrupted while wrestling with the Book of Many Things by the ringing of her doorbell at almost midnight. After receiving the invitation the The Book of Many Things will observe that it was once in Mr. Holzhauer’s collection and that it was the only book to ever escape. If pressed about the event the book will complain that it suppressed the memories a very long time ago and avoid divulging much in the way of details. It will share that it recalled a book that is very important to the game. The book is titled, “The Book What Done Been Read” which is apparently a history of openings/closings for many thousands of years. The BoMT will tempt Tara with the contents of the next page if she can get it for him.

the Witch: Has just returned from ‘acquiring’ a particularly rare bit of mandrake root that one of Grandmother’s witches had spent the summer growing. As she arrives back at her home she finds the messenger waiting for her at the doorstep. The message is a welcome bit of news because Mr. Holzhauer’s book collection is renowned throughout the city and an invitation to her will bring a bit of much needed respect and improve her place in the pecking order of Belgravia’s witches. Somehow get her the message that she wants to acquire the book, “New Avalon - the people I have known” written by Mr. Holzhauer himself. It is supposedly symbolically encrypted and contains the true names of many of the players in Belgravia.

Bjorn: is returning from an excursion into Belgravia’s sewer system looking for the missing mime. As he gets back to his home just after midnight he sees a figure slumped in his doorway. As he gets closer he sees a messenger lying there her face a bit pale and ashen, her breathing shallow but strong. Grasped in her hand is the black invitation to the reading of Mr. Holzhauer’s will. There isn’t any sign of violence on her body but here is a slight smell of ‘wild animal’ about the front door. The girl is fine and refuses any but the most basic of help. Bjorn is well aware of the value of Mr. Holzhauer’s collection and can think of any number of books he’d like access to.

Ruis: He and Esteban return to the touring office after a night of drinking. Esteban doesn’t want to go home until he has had some time to sober up. While they are waiting the messenger arrives and delivers the goods. While looking over the paper Ruis remembers the value that Dragon placed on odd books and miscellaneous magical geejaws. Esteban, will relate a tale of taking Mr. Holzhauer on a tour once - most likely a lie - in which a number of completely outrageous things happen.

When the first PC arrives the Yellow Man and Grandmother’s representative (a vivacious young witch) are already in attendance. They are talking quietly over a glass of red wine. Little Turtle is in attendance as well but is initially hidden amongst the foliage of the indoor garden. The PCs each arrive in their own way and at their own time. Allow them a chance to meet and greet each other. After they are all there and just as the attorney is beginning to speak there is a commotion downstairs and the sound of some shouting followed shortly by the sound of heavy footsteps coming up the stairs. Lucius Butross and a few of his Zumbis enter the room and make themselves at home. The attorney, welcomes the last invitee and begins to read the last will and testimony Mr. Holzhauer. Before the attorney can get very far into the reading Butross begins to berate him and to bad mouth the short sighted closers in the room. The further into the reading the more irate Butross becomes until finally having had enough he rises to his feet and trembling in anger exclaims.

“The old man he owes me a debt for what we dun dun for ‘im and he ‘as not paid for that debt before he dies. I Lucius Butross dun got first claim on all what he had in life and what all he dun now got in death.” Looking around the room at the other people he says, “I knows the rules ’bout the killin afor the moon’s death but I’ll be cursed if I let a dead man steal from me. The lot a you best leave before someone dun get shot.” At that the muscled thugs draw weapons and point them at the PCs and NPCs (but mostly the PCs). Just as the tension mounts have the lights go out plunging the room into darkness followed quickly by gun shots.

The scene allows for a fight and the opportunity to grab some loot from Mr. Holzhauer’s collection and home in general.

Depending on the time either finish with the gun-fight or allow the PCs to gather afterwards and discuss the break in ‘decorum’.

When the evening comes to a close end with this scene.

As Ruis awakens from a mind numbing fog, he realizes that he is talking but doesn’t really know what he’s been saying. The thin voice returns and says, “A very curious meeting, very curious indeed… but we must hurry - you and I have a midnight appointment that neither of us can afford to miss.”

• Tara Gold [a human/dragon shapechanger played by Allison]
• Ruis Guerrin[a man bonded with a mystical weapon played by David]
• The Weylon Family
  • Dr. Andreas Weylon: a wealthy nuerologist
  • Marjorie Weylon: a radiantly beautiful former athlete
  • Thomas Weylon: a thrill seeking 14 year old
  • Angeline Weylon: A tiny 8 year old albino girl
• the Yellow Man [a necromantic bad penny]
• More zombies than you can shake a stick at…
• Some REALLY big-boned Alligators

Tara and Ruis rested on a large log watching their bonfire consume the carcass of the giant albino catfish they have just butchered. Nearby, lay a large FedEx box taped up and addressed to one Trent Filby - the contents are gruesome and smell of fish. Aboard the ‘Golden Tour’ - the pair’s pontoon boat - is a laundry basket filled with enormous pale fillets.

Destroying the catfish’s body takes several hours and during that time Ruis and Tara repeatedly spot a coral snake with baleful yellow eyes which seems attracted to their fire. They toss it a hunk of fish but it crawls away. When it returns again Ruis shoots it with ‘the Gun’ blowing it into the darkness.

Once the fish is cremated and the fire put out the pair leave Jubul’s pond and travel to several ‘gator holes’ they know of and dispose of the catfish meat. At the next to last hole they spy a ‘boat light’ of some kind and skip that spot leaving quietly so as to go unnoticed.

The last evidence of the fish disposed of they head towards Black Creek but think better of it along the way. Their clothes are soaked with the fishes blood and they decide that attracting unusual questions to their place of business is a bad idea. They chose instead to clean up on Tara’s yacht. This requires nearly an hour of travel along the coast, through a lock where they got stuck behind a barge and into a part of New Avalon that normally doesn’t associate with ‘blood stained’ fish mongers.

The seaward side of the dock (called Taniered’or) where Tara’s yacht is berthed lies behind a sea wall and the guards Charlie and Sam wouldn’t let the pontoon boat through without visually verifying that Ms. Gold was who she said she was. A short boat ride later and Charlie pulled up alongside the pontoon boat where he saw Ms. Gold and some Spanish looking tough both covered in what looked like blood. Charlies radioed back to let the sea gates open but Tara could see in his eyes that word of her appearance along with all manner of fabricated speculation would soon flood the yacht club.

A couple of showers and some fresh clothes made the pair look better but couldn’t do anything to combat the fatigue they both felt. They agreed that Tara would post the FedEx package to Trent and Ruis would take the pontoon boat back to ‘Gold Tours’.

When Ruis arrived a silver Hummer - its motor running - sat in the parking lot. As the pontoon boat neared the wharf the door to the Hummer opened and a lone figure got out. Ruis tied up the boat crossed through the garage, turning on the AC as he did, and entered the ‘Gold Tour’ office. The man from the Hummer waited for him just outside the door.

Ruis and Dr. Weylon introduced themselves and discussed the particulars of the tour. Dr. Weylon explained that his daughter Angeline was exicted to see the ‘magic’ areas of the swamp while his son Thomas just wanted to see some ‘gators’. Tara arrived while Dr. Weylon was still there and Ruis introduced them. As Dr. Weylon left to get his family from the nearby shops of Black Creek he stopped and explained to Tara and Ruis that his daughter was an albino with a disfiguring facial birthmark and would they please avoid mentioning it to her.

After some brief introductions Tara felt certain that she had seen Mrs. Weylon before, perhaps on television somewhere? The group set out for a three hour tour… a three hour tour. :-]

The gators thrilled young Thomas who seemed to have a dangerously strong streak of thrillseeker in his personality. Mr. and Mrs. Weylon were very pleasant and spent the majority of the trip answering the questions that children are wont to ask. Sometime after noon the group reached the last stop on the tour - Peach Isle.

[ Approach to Peach Isle]

The Weylons split up, mother and daughter taking one path, father and son another. Tara and Ruis sat near the gnarled tree stumps and waited for the Weylons to get a head start before splitting up to follow them - Ruis after the women and Tara after the men.

As Ruis followed Marjorie and Angeline he realized that the young girl had an uncanny sense of direction. At each turn which might lead them away from the peach orchard hidden deep within the Cypress maze he could hear the mother and daughter discuss which branch to take and always Angeline’s was the right choice.

Ruis’ body followed the voices on auto-pilot as his mind wandered back to his previous visits to Peach Isle. The sweet fruity smell that welled up on a breeze which blew from deep within the maze of cypress trees reminded him of his mother’s…

SCREAM!!!

He heard a woman’s scream cut off abruptly and he began to run towards the center of the isle. Heedless of the branches which cut him he drew ‘the Gun’ and raced into the clearing in time to see a zombie disappear into the woods carrying little, silent Angeline. Her mother Marjorie lay crumpled in the leaves which lay at the foot of the Peach trees.

The gun kicked in Ruis hand before it registered to him that there were two Zombies shambling towards him across the clearing. The bullet took one of them in the leg but it lurched on while the other reached Ruis and struck at him. The gun kicked again but this time with Ruis’ full attention it took the Zombie cleanly in the right eye and its head exploded. More Zombies appeared and grabbed at Ruis. He managed to shoot a couple of more but they outnumbered him and had the strength of the damned. They dragged at his legs and pinned his arms…

Tara was talking with Dr. Weylon and Thomas when they heard the scream. The three of them took off running with Tara leading the way through the trees ignoring the roots that tried to trip them and thorns that tore at them. Tara tried to lose the Weylon men so that she could take her Dragon form without breaking the veil but they trailed her to closely. When they neared the clearing Tara spied Ruis who was in danger of being over-whelmed by a half-dozen Zombies with more lurching through the woods.

“Damn the veil!”, Tara shifted into Dragon form her body swelling and elongating taking on the ancient form she burst foward into the clearing scattering Zombies from her path… at first.

Dr. Weylon having seen too much lost his senses and fled into the woods. Young Thomas whose idea of ‘COOL’ certainly had room for a Zombie vs Dragon smackdown snuck in for a closer look.

The Zombies piled onto the Dragon at first a half-dozen, then a dozen while the Dragon plucked one and then another from Ruis’ unconscious form. The sheer number of Zombies seemed certain to overwhelm the Dragon but she spun violently in a circle and flung them all off in time to chase after the one which had fled into the woods with Ruis. She ran down the one with Ruis in its arms and flung its broken body into the trees.

Ruis opened his eyes in time to see the end. The Zombies outnumbered the leaves on the trees and even the Dragon’s great strength could not bear all their weight…

Ruis woke up to a world turned upside down, literally. He hung, along with the Weylons and the Dragon, upside down from a number of very large cypress trees. The trees were filled with an enormous number of birds and swaying wildly below him were a dozen of the largest alligators he’d ever seen. The smallest would eat him in one great bite and leave hardly a tooth mark upon him. At the end of the gator pit was a ramshackle house and on its rickety back porch was a very tall man dressed in a practical brown suit, a white shirt and bright green tie. His skin was just on the orange side of lemon yellow like a cartoon character with jaundice and his brown hat hid what looked like deep red hair. He spoke with an elegant diction that said education and explained that young Angeline would make an excellent replacement for the catfish they had so unfairly stolen from him. Reaching into his pocket he produced ‘the Gun’ and each of them for such a splendid gift. He regretted that he was unable to remain and watch their last few minutes but he and Angeline had an appointment with… destiny.

As if they’d waited for just this moment the birds flocked to the ropes that held the the Yellow Man’s victims. Their weight made the branches dip dangerously lower and the gators below began to get excited. The Dragon stretched out her tail and wrapped it around the tree just as her ropes broke. Clinging to the tree she rescued the Weylons nearest her and Ruis took care of those nearest him (I forgot how Ruis got out of his bonds).

Tara and Ruis found the house abandoned and their pontoon boat tied up at the wharf. At first the engine wouldn’t start but Ruis, a wrench, and a few choice curses at the makers of outboard engines got the motor started. Finding Angeline was going to be a problem with but the Weylons told them that the little girl had a tiny radio transmitter embedded in her and could be tracked by GPS. In no time Tara’s ingenuity and the pontoon boats GPS confirmed what Ruis already knew. The Yellow Man and the little girl were making a bee-line for the entrance to the Croc King’s territory, they were headed for Exit 101.

A Scent of Peaches

This story fits between the other two. After “Function Follows Form”, but before “There Came a Dragon”.

-David

Tara Gold [a human/dragon shapechanger played by Allison]

Ruis Guerrin[a human bonded with a mystical weapon played by David]

Various Gun toting thugs

2 unfortunate fishermen

a ’stolen’ power boat

The Fish [played by Laurence Fishorne, sadly its a non-speaking role]

[Backstory: Tara and Ruis met a year ago while working hard to contain an outbreak of zombies which plagued the poorer sections of New Avalon. The two worked well together and narrowly missed capturing the necromancer responsible for the outbreak. Recognizing their kindred spirits and the fact that numbers equal strength the two banded together to oppose 'opener' activities in New Avalon. They formed a business that takes tourists on scenic tours of the swamp both to make money (for Ruis) and as a front to explain their frequent journeys into the swamp.]

The story begins with Tara and Ruis sharing lunch at the Black Creek Fish Market - perhaps the city’s finest collection of eating establishments. As they talked about a tour they were scheduled to give that afternoon Tara noticed a crowd gathering around a recently returned fishing boat. As she got up to see what the attraction was Ruis paid the bill and joined her.

The center of attention was an enormous albino catfish dangling from the fishing boats small winch and the two enormously proud fishermen who had caught it. Thinking to herself Tara estimated that such a fish was worth 10 to 15 thousand dollars to the local ‘witches’ who believe that albino creatures of all types hold ‘power’. The catfiish’s enormous size and age would encite a minor riot amongst those who claimed ‘mystical’ powers.

As the catfish twisted on the rope holding it and turned to reveal its underbelly Tara spied a symbol amongst its mottling which marked the catfish as a creture of ‘real’ mystical power - one that openers and closers alike would fight to get.

The crack of an unexpected gunshot rang out followed quickly by the fish - the rope holding it cut by the shot - plummeted onto the deck of a powerboat which roared up alongside the fishing vessel. Tara, seeing the valuable fish about to be stolen leapt onto the deck of the fishing boat. As she made to leap for the powerboat Ruis called out for he to grab a rope - twisting she managed to catch one but just missed and landed in the brackish waters of Black Creek.

Realizing that the fishing boat’s engine was still running and that the powerboat wouldn’t be able to make much speed within the swamp Ruis leapt aboard it and set off in pursuit. Tara climbed back aboard and the two tried to follow the speeding boat. The powerboat’s pilot drove like a madman and Ruis eventually gave up the chase realizing the fishing boat wasn’t up to the task.

As they listened to the powerboat’s engine moving away in the distance it suddenly went silent and the two realized the thieves couldn’t be too far away. A little dead reckoning and a quick ‘Google Map’ search revealed that powerboat must be very near Exit 101.

When the local fishermen heard that the pursuit would take them near the haunted roadway they refused to go on. Ruis agreed but steered the boat towards the ominous exit anyway. When Ruis and Tara set foot on the ground the fisherman abandoned them to their fate, taking the boat with them.

Tara spied movement in the distance and heard the sound of a distant truck. Shifting into the form of a wingless, woman-sized dragon Tara launched herself across the swamp covering in an instant the distance to the four thugs.

Ruis heard the dragon-lady as she crashed into the thieves but couldn’t see for the thickly grown trees and dense hanging moss. Gunshots rang out… one, two, three times - then a silence so loud it hurt the ears. Ruis ran now catching glimpses of the boat driver as he aimed a gun at something but before the thug could pull the trigger
Ruis was on him and took the gun away. The Dragon Lady’s head oozed from a nasty gunshot and she bled from several other wounds but she still moved and she looked pissed.

The catfish lay on the back of a flatbed truck sitting at the bottom of Exit 101, the engine running and the thugs preparing to drive off. Ruis backed off and shot at the boat driver hitting him in the meat of the upper arm but the driver ignored it. Ruis recognized the haunted look in the driver’s eyes… the look of a zombie. Then he saw the Dragon grow to enormous size and strike forward grabbing the 300+ pound catfish in its jaws like a Rotweiler might grab a steak.

The Dragon bunched up in the middle and sprang across the swamp rushing past Ruis as he backpedaled then finally turned to run. The dragon dropped the giant catfish onto the deck of the powerboat and the two of them made off into the swamp - having stolen the stolen power boat.

They decided to put the catfish into a deep pond they knew of while they discussed what to do next. Ruis took the power boat back to Black Creek and on his way passed the fishing boat (the Green Kiss) laying on its side in the swamp. He edged the power boat near enough to see there were no men in the water but no nearer as the water around the cap-sized boat writhed ominously at his approach. Calling on a cell phone Ruis phoned in the overturned boat.

Several trips between Black Creek, the pond where Tara guarded the giant catfish yielded a tough conundrum. Ruis and Tara agreed that they couldn’t allow the the catfish to fall into the ‘wrong’ hands because it could be used in numerous necromantic rituals. They debated about taking it down Exit 101 and hiding it deep in the Croc King’s territory but decided that the only way they knew to get there was too convoluted and risky. Seeking advice Tara contacted a former mentor of hers who is an expert in the necromantic arts - she called Trent Filby. Trent listened to their tale and agreed to take the most valuable parts of the albino catfish for safe-keeping.

The session ended when Ruis returned with two jerry cans of gasoline and the two agreed to feed the leftovers to the crocodiles.

[Sorry for the crappy writing... ]

J–