Hilary Term 2007 - English Language and Literature

[Knave]

At this moment, Ekram sees the hole close up in a sudden swirling helix of loose earth. In half a second, all that remains is a blank circle of mud in the centre of the otherwise pristine lawn.

[DoNotFearToTread]

In Brief

Ekram

The Wronged

Stats: Charm +1, Cool +0, Sharp +1, Tough +2, Weird -1

Harm: ○○○ / ○○○○

Unstable: ○

Luck:  ●●●●●○○

Exp:  ●●●●○

Playbook Moves

I Know My PreyYou get +1 ongoing when knowingly investigating, pursuing or fighting the breed of monster that caused your loss.

DIY SurgeryWhen you do quick and dirty first aid on someone (including yourself), roll +Cool.

On a 10+ it’s all good, it counts as normal first aid, plus stabilize the injury and heal 1 harm. On a 7-9 it counts as normal first aid, plus one of these, your choice:

• Stabilise the injury but the patient takes -1 forward.
• Heal 1-harm and stabilise for now, but it will return as 2-harm and become unstable again later.
• Heal 1-harm and stabilise but the patient takes -1 ongoing until it’s fixed properly.

Never Again!In combat, you may choose to protect someone without rolling, as if you had rolled a 10+, but you may not choose to “suffer little harm.”

Trust Your Gut (alt Weird)When you consult your instincts about what to do next, roll +Weird:

• On a 10 or more, the Keeper will tell where you should go. Wherever that is, it will be important. You get +1 ongoing on the way to this place.
• On a 7-9, the Keeper will tell you a general direction to go. Take +1 forward as you explore that.
• On a miss, your instincts lead you into danger.

InvincibleYou always count as having 2-armour. This doesn’t stack with other protection.

** Chosen move, Advancement **

 

Checkin' Out That Hole (not like that!)

Standing there, staring at a hole that is clearly more than a hole, Ekram considers the options. Stick an arm down the hole? Probably bad. Find a stick to put down the hole? He scans the area in search of a likely object but the possibility that something uses that stick to climb up his arm feels like a genuine danger. He looks back through the window to the crew as they work their way through the door to Alice's place, and when he looks back the hole is closing.

"Now I'm real glad I didn't put my arm in it." He mutters the words as his eyes follow the circular impressions around the outside of the once-hole. Not feet but certainly some sort of tracks. So not a giant worm or snake, which he finds somewhat comforting. But definitely something inhuman, and he is reminded of how easily the zombie could slip away through stone. If he has to chase whatever this is he is gonna make damn sure it's on concrete and not dirt. And the strange, hazy cloud-like images in the water? Something moving beneath it? Or did the water itself lead elsewhere? Trodding back to Alice's office, largely in hopes of avoiding more attention from the porter, he stops outside the doorway and clears his throat.

"Something not human dug that hole. Went in, didn't come out." A tip of his head toward the window to remind anyone of what he's speaking. "Water inside was strange. Cloudy in a bad way." A shrug given as he pushes fingers through his hair, stopping abruptly when they touch the burn scars on the side. "Hole closed itself. Bad magic." A glance past Sophie into the room and he squints a bit to make out Hal inside.

"I miss something?"

OOC Stuff

 

[Knave]

A few hours later, and the group are hitting a selection of David's books in Hal's room in Jesus College, on the basis that it's close to Merton and the scene of the disappearance. So far, nothing relevant is showing up.

A little before midnight, there's a knock on the door.

...

Who answers?

 

[Gregorotto]

⛤᛭⛤ StatsCharm -1, Cool +2, Sharp 0, Tough +2, Weird +1 ⛤᛭⛤

 

Harm: ○○○ / ○○○○

Unstable: ●

Luck:  ●○○○○○○

Exp:  ●○○○○

Moves

Cast Out EvilCast Out Evil: You may banish an unnatural creature from your presence. Roll +Tough. On a 10+ it is banished. On a 7-9 it takes a little while for the banishing to take effect—the creature has time to make one or two actions. Either way, the banished creature is unharmed, and you have no control over where it goes. This move may be used on unnatural hunters (e.g. the Monstrous). On a miss, something is keeping it here. That’s bad.

Lay on HandsLay On Hands: Your touch can heal injury and disease. When you lay your hands on someone hurt, roll +Cool. On a 10+, heal 2 harm or an illness, plus they’re stabilized. On a 7-9, you can heal the harm or illness as on a 10+, but you take it into yourself. On a miss, your aura causes them extra harm.

No LimitsWhen you push your physical body past its limits, roll +Weird:
• On a 10 or more, your body obeys your will, to the limits of physical possibility (see below), for a moment.
• On a 7-9, you do it but choose one consequence: suffer 1-harm, take –1 forward, or you need to rest right now.
• On a miss, something goes horribly wrong.

Advanced No Limits. If you advance your no limits move, add this:
• On a 12 or more, you can continue acting at your body’s limits for 30 seconds.

For the purposes of this move, “physical possibility” means “conceivably possible for a human.” For example:
• Physically Possible: Lift an SUV, Jump over a truck, Punch through a wall.
• Not Physically Possible: Lift a building, Fly, Punch a blast of energy at a foe.

SmiteSmite: Your body and divine weapon always count as a weakness against the monsters you fight. Your unarmed attacks are 2-harm intimate hand messy.

IC

Bloody great. Magic holes. Will it ever end? First dead things coming out of the ground, now magic holes swallowing things up.

Hal has no vendetta against the earth, but he's getting there.

As they move back to his room at Jesus, Hal is immediately embarrassed that he is a late teenage boy and he has girls in his room, which if it does not smell at the very least has a certain look about it. Disheveled, clothes in random places, but overall sparse, more books, no telly, no PS3 to speak of, no Wii, and only a very wonderful laptop and lap that's already on. The unmade bed is the only real seat; the rest is furniture that is not particularly great including a desk and chair but the chair is for unfolded laundry, not for sitting.

At least, that better be unfolded laundry and not "needs to be laundry'd." It's hard to tell.

When the knock comes, Hal is the one to answer, not wanting to fight with any RC or RA over having a party in his room, and especially not an eclectic party given the members.

"Lo?"

OOC

X

[Knave]

 

[DoNotFearToTread]

In Brief

Ekram

The Wronged

Stats: Charm +1, Cool +0, Sharp +1, Tough +2, Weird -1

Harm: ○○○ / ○○○○

Unstable: ○

Luck:  ●●●●●○○

Exp:  ●●●●○

Playbook Moves

I Know My PreyYou get +1 ongoing when knowingly investigating, pursuing or fighting the breed of monster that caused your loss.

DIY SurgeryWhen you do quick and dirty first aid on someone (including yourself), roll +Cool.

On a 10+ it’s all good, it counts as normal first aid, plus stabilize the injury and heal 1 harm. On a 7-9 it counts as normal first aid, plus one of these, your choice:

• Stabilise the injury but the patient takes -1 forward.
• Heal 1-harm and stabilise for now, but it will return as 2-harm and become unstable again later.
• Heal 1-harm and stabilise but the patient takes -1 ongoing until it’s fixed properly.

Never Again!In combat, you may choose to protect someone without rolling, as if you had rolled a 10+, but you may not choose to “suffer little harm.”

Trust Your Gut (alt Weird)When you consult your instincts about what to do next, roll +Weird:

• On a 10 or more, the Keeper will tell where you should go. Wherever that is, it will be important. You get +1 ongoing on the way to this place.
• On a 7-9, the Keeper will tell you a general direction to go. Take +1 forward as you explore that.
• On a miss, your instincts lead you into danger.

InvincibleYou always count as having 2-armour. This doesn’t stack with other protection.

** Chosen move, Advancement **

 

Books are for NERDS!

Ekram spent the last hour leaning against the wall with a book in his hand, flipping pages in search of anything that might clue them into the bigger picture here. As so often happens when he engages with a book, nothing seems to be sticking, and his mind wanders frequently to other things. The clutter of the room reminds him of home, but Hal lacks the excuse of a lengthy bombing campaign. He considers proposing food but the lateness of the hour makes any significant finds in that department unlikely. When the knock comes he tosses the book aside, ready to call it a night and excuse himself on the heels of whoever might be there. But there is nobody there as he steps up behind Hal, jacket on his shoulder. Hal's response, however, indicates otherwise. Ekram is nothing if not reactive, and so he reacts.

A hand planted on Hal's shoulder and he pulls the man bodily behind himself with enough force to send him sprawling. Bumps and bruises can be handled, brain hemorrhages less so. He doesn't bother to try and suss out why this is happening, or why he can't see anything to cause it. Instead, he hooks a foot on the door and kicks it closed before planting his back against it and looking to the others.

"We have trouble."

OOC Stuff

12 to Protect Hal. Seems appropriate to choose 'I hold the enemy back' as my extra here.

Edited June 5 by DoNotFearToTread (see edit history)

[Knave]

Hal you feel immediately better as you are dragged into the room.

There's a brief pause, and then another knock at the door, this one a little more forceful.

[emotionaut]

Sophie

●○ the Monstrous ○●

StatsCharm -2, Cool +2, Sharp 0, Tough 0, Weird +3

Harm: ○○○ / ○○○○

Unstable: ○

Luck:  ○○○○○○○

Exp:  ●●●●○

Moves

Unnatural AppealRoll +Weird instead of +Charm when you manipulate someone.

Dark NegotiatorYou can use the manipulate someone move on monsters as well as people, if they can reason and talk.

ImmortalYou do not age or sicken, and whenever you suffer harm you suffer 1-harm less.

Unquenchable VitalityWhen you have taken harm, you can heal yourself. Roll with Cool. On a 10+, heal 2-harm and stabilize your injuries. On a 7-9, heal 1-harm and stabilize your injuries. On a miss, your injuries worsen.

IC

Sophie falls fully into mom mode upon seeing Hal's room. She can't help it. A century of nannying has made it a reflex. She begins by picking things off the floor, then moves onto folding and stacking clothes. Any protests Hal may make receive a withering stare in return. He should know better than to live in such a mess, and he should know better than to turn down the help. If he's smart, he shuts up and does his part.

Once the room has been tidied, Sophie sets to researching. She is a diligent student, but answers elude her. Nevertheless, she keeps at it until the knock sounds on the door. She looks up, puzzled by what transpires. Puzzlement quickly turns to alarm.

Sophie is only a step behind Ekram. When he yanks Hal back, she receives him and guides him gently to the bed next to Annika. She says, "Watch him." Then she moves to the door with Ekram.

Placing her hand on the door, she closes her eyes and reaches out with her mind, hoping to sense a mind or emotional core where no physical form was seen.

OOC

Trying Empathy first. That's a miss! Sophie is overwhelmed!

Edited June 6 by emotionaut (see edit history)

[Gregorotto]

⛤᛭⛤ StatsCharm -1, Cool +2, Sharp 0, Tough +2, Weird +1 ⛤᛭⛤

 

Harm: ○○○ / ○○○○

Unstable: ●

Luck:  ●○○○○○○

Exp:  ●○○○○

Moves

Cast Out EvilCast Out Evil: You may banish an unnatural creature from your presence. Roll +Tough. On a 10+ it is banished. On a 7-9 it takes a little while for the banishing to take effect—the creature has time to make one or two actions. Either way, the banished creature is unharmed, and you have no control over where it goes. This move may be used on unnatural hunters (e.g. the Monstrous). On a miss, something is keeping it here. That’s bad.

Lay on HandsLay On Hands: Your touch can heal injury and disease. When you lay your hands on someone hurt, roll +Cool. On a 10+, heal 2 harm or an illness, plus they’re stabilized. On a 7-9, you can heal the harm or illness as on a 10+, but you take it into yourself. On a miss, your aura causes them extra harm.

No LimitsWhen you push your physical body past its limits, roll +Weird:
• On a 10 or more, your body obeys your will, to the limits of physical possibility (see below), for a moment.
• On a 7-9, you do it but choose one consequence: suffer 1-harm, take –1 forward, or you need to rest right now.
• On a miss, something goes horribly wrong.

Advanced No Limits. If you advance your no limits move, add this:
• On a 12 or more, you can continue acting at your body’s limits for 30 seconds.

For the purposes of this move, “physical possibility” means “conceivably possible for a human.” For example:
• Physically Possible: Lift an SUV, Jump over a truck, Punch through a wall.
• Not Physically Possible: Lift a building, Fly, Punch a blast of energy at a foe.

SmiteSmite: Your body and divine weapon always count as a weakness against the monsters you fight. Your unarmed attacks are 2-harm intimate hand messy.

IC

Oh.

Oh.

He's come at last.

As soon as he's able to process who is at his door, what's coming, and the demand that he follow, Hal begins taking the step immediately, not even sure what the others might see, might think, what might happen. You don't reject a call so blatant as that, and Hal has to answer. But the step never leaves his moving leg and never lands, as Ekram and Sophie pull him back. "What? What—No, I can't, I have to—wait, let me explain, I need to go, I—"

The door is shut, and Hal is immediately indignant. "What the frak? Why did you shut the door, you can't just stop a god! He's going to be so mad, and he's going to take it out on you. Just let me go and I'll explain."

OOC

X

[Knave]

Sophie, your mind has been overwhelmed before, but nothing like this. This creature, whatever it is, feels emotions that you have no names for. Even those that seem familiar are just... more than should be possible. Your nose also starts bleeding and you slump to the floor.

OOC

-2 ongoing for the rest of the night

 

[DoNotFearToTread]

In Brief

Ekram

The Wronged

Stats: Charm +1, Cool +0, Sharp +1, Tough +2, Weird -1

Harm: ○○○ / ○○○○

Unstable: ○

Luck:  ●●●●●○○

Exp:  ●●●●○

Playbook Moves

I Know My PreyYou get +1 ongoing when knowingly investigating, pursuing or fighting the breed of monster that caused your loss.

DIY SurgeryWhen you do quick and dirty first aid on someone (including yourself), roll +Cool.

On a 10+ it’s all good, it counts as normal first aid, plus stabilize the injury and heal 1 harm. On a 7-9 it counts as normal first aid, plus one of these, your choice:

• Stabilise the injury but the patient takes -1 forward.
• Heal 1-harm and stabilise for now, but it will return as 2-harm and become unstable again later.
• Heal 1-harm and stabilise but the patient takes -1 ongoing until it’s fixed properly.

Never Again!In combat, you may choose to protect someone without rolling, as if you had rolled a 10+, but you may not choose to “suffer little harm.”

Trust Your Gut (alt Weird)When you consult your instincts about what to do next, roll +Weird:

• On a 10 or more, the Keeper will tell where you should go. Wherever that is, it will be important. You get +1 ongoing on the way to this place.
• On a 7-9, the Keeper will tell you a general direction to go. Take +1 forward as you explore that.
• On a miss, your instincts lead you into danger.

InvincibleYou always count as having 2-armour. This doesn’t stack with other protection.

** Chosen move, Advancement **

 

There is only one God, and Muhammad is his prophet.

Hal's stern, if somewhat ranty, retort to their actions catches Ekram off guard. The insistent hammering against the other side of the door does nothing to inspire confidence in his words. Whatever happened to Hal, it sure as hell didn't seem like a positive and yet he is ready to charge right back into it.

"Gods need doors now?" Even saying god in the plural sense grates against his upbringing. While Ekram has taken what Hal can do very seriously, he hasn't given any real weight to why he can do it. To suggest that an actual god would come down here to speak with Hal...it's completely absurd. But so are flaming swords. Again a knock at the door and that impending sense of trouble over his shoulder. Could Hal be right?

OOC Stuff

Trust Your Gut - 9! That's two in a row so I'm calling it a streak.

Edited June 12 by DoNotFearToTread (see edit history)

[Knave]

In there general direction 

Hal seems quite determined to go somewhere. Ekram sees a truth in his eyes. Guess there's something in it after all.

 

Ekram takes +1 while following Hal wherever they are going

 

[DoNotFearToTread]

In Brief

Ekram

The Wronged

Stats: Charm +1, Cool +0, Sharp +1, Tough +2, Weird -1

Harm: ○○○ / ○○○○

Unstable: ○

Luck:  ●●●●●○○

Exp:  ●●●●○

Playbook Moves

I Know My PreyYou get +1 ongoing when knowingly investigating, pursuing or fighting the breed of monster that caused your loss.

DIY SurgeryWhen you do quick and dirty first aid on someone (including yourself), roll +Cool.

On a 10+ it’s all good, it counts as normal first aid, plus stabilize the injury and heal 1 harm. On a 7-9 it counts as normal first aid, plus one of these, your choice:

• Stabilise the injury but the patient takes -1 forward.
• Heal 1-harm and stabilise for now, but it will return as 2-harm and become unstable again later.
• Heal 1-harm and stabilise but the patient takes -1 ongoing until it’s fixed properly.

Never Again!In combat, you may choose to protect someone without rolling, as if you had rolled a 10+, but you may not choose to “suffer little harm.”

Trust Your Gut (alt Weird)When you consult your instincts about what to do next, roll +Weird:

• On a 10 or more, the Keeper will tell where you should go. Wherever that is, it will be important. You get +1 ongoing on the way to this place.
• On a 7-9, the Keeper will tell you a general direction to go. Take +1 forward as you explore that.
• On a miss, your instincts lead you into danger.

InvincibleYou always count as having 2-armour. This doesn’t stack with other protection.

** Chosen move, Advancement **

 

There is only one God, and Muhammad is his prophet.

Something about this inclines Ekram to believe Hal has a handle on it. He steps away from the door, kneeling beside Sophie and offering up a handkerchief for her bleeding. His father taught him that any man who doesn't carry one lack proper hygiene and while he doesn't necessarily agree with that, he still always has one stuffed in a pocket for easy use.

"You okay?" There is more to Sophie than her outward appearance would suggest. He doesn't know the specifics, and he's never felt inclined to ask for details, but she isn't the 'nosebleed and collapse' type. Offering her an arm and then a shoulder to assist her toward a proper seat, he looks to the others and motions with a tip of his head toward Hal. "Is fine. I got him. You get her." Another tip of his head toward Sophie to indicate the subject and he runs fingers through his close-cropped hair before turning to follow Hal on his god trek.

OOC Stuff

Where Hal goes, Ekram will follow.

[Knave]

The figure is already retreating as the two young men emerge from the room. They can just keep him in sight, always in danger of losing the apparition around the next corner. He disappears from view; they spy him crossing the quad in the moonlight . They arrive on the grass in time to see him ascend one of the stone staircases

The Fellows' Library is usually kept locked: more museum than library, it holds rare manuscripts and artefacts. But now, the doors stand open. No one is inside, no divine light shines between the ancient shelves. The place is empty. But on the long central table sits a single tome, bound in cracked crimson leather.

Hal knows what this is: it's the Red Book of Hergest, the original source of the Mabinogion.

The text should be incomprehensible to anyone who isn't a scholar of medieval Welsh poetry, but Hal finds the meaning of the words rising up from the page as easily as listening to a familiar story.

 

Edited June 13 by Knave (see edit history)

[Gregorotto]

⛤᛭⛤ StatsCharm -1, Cool +2, Sharp 0, Tough +2, Weird +1 ⛤᛭⛤

 

Harm: ○○○ / ○○○○

Unstable: ●

Luck:  ●○○○○○○

Exp:  ●○○○○

Moves

Cast Out EvilCast Out Evil: You may banish an unnatural creature from your presence. Roll +Tough. On a 10+ it is banished. On a 7-9 it takes a little while for the banishing to take effect—the creature has time to make one or two actions. Either way, the banished creature is unharmed, and you have no control over where it goes. This move may be used on unnatural hunters (e.g. the Monstrous). On a miss, something is keeping it here. That’s bad.

Lay on HandsLay On Hands: Your touch can heal injury and disease. When you lay your hands on someone hurt, roll +Cool. On a 10+, heal 2 harm or an illness, plus they’re stabilized. On a 7-9, you can heal the harm or illness as on a 10+, but you take it into yourself. On a miss, your aura causes them extra harm.

No LimitsWhen you push your physical body past its limits, roll +Weird:
• On a 10 or more, your body obeys your will, to the limits of physical possibility (see below), for a moment.
• On a 7-9, you do it but choose one consequence: suffer 1-harm, take –1 forward, or you need to rest right now.
• On a miss, something goes horribly wrong.

Advanced No Limits. If you advance your no limits move, add this:
• On a 12 or more, you can continue acting at your body’s limits for 30 seconds.

For the purposes of this move, “physical possibility” means “conceivably possible for a human.” For example:
• Physically Possible: Lift an SUV, Jump over a truck, Punch through a wall.
• Not Physically Possible: Lift a building, Fly, Punch a blast of energy at a foe.

SmiteSmite: Your body and divine weapon always count as a weakness against the monsters you fight. Your unarmed attacks are 2-harm intimate hand messy.

IC

When Ekram lets him go, he turns, not saying anything, not sure if he should be angry, be glad someone actually cares enough to try and stop him, or worried that someone else is about to follow him on this damn fools' crusade. He considers, decides to say nothing, and turns, heading deeper into the depths. When Ekram follows, Hal keeps his eyes on the target and the environment they parade through, but decides to explain what's going on. Or what he thinks is going on, anyway, who the Hell actually knows.

"I, uh. Peredur, my last name: original name for Percival. He's like my great-great-great-great grandad or something, but the stories, the energy, it all goes way back, before Arthur, before Camelot. Wales, the Celts, older things. Pagan things, just with a shiny set of new armor over the years. You learn to roll with the punches. Anyway: Peredur it turns out was descended from Arawn, Lord of Annwn, the Welsh Otherworld. That's like... it's not really Heaven, it's not really Hell. It's where souls go when they die. Either an island, another land, or beneath the waves: some American band even has a whole album about it. We can't really comprehend it so we tell different stories at different times. Anyway, Arawn is lord of Annwn, and he's a god. What we'd call a god. They wrote some stories about him, I don't know how much of it is accurate. Green Knight type stuff: put some famous Welshman to a year-long test of chastity and integrity and unlike Gawaine he ends up winning. Kind of. Ends up getting the favor of the Otherworld, for what good that does him. Not important: anyway, Arawn came to me two years ago. Three now, I guess: time is an illusion. Anyway: Da was on the mend after his stroke and I start... hearing voices. Something no kid ever wants to do, but turns out it wasn't just voices. It came with... perks. I kept having visions until I had a stroke myself. Woke at midsummer. Gra... Gramma knows the truth. About Annwn. She's practical, a realist: but Da's a real traditionalist. Folk Christian, informs his socialism. He don't know. I don't plan on telling him either. 'Hey Da, you're a god's grandson, surprise! See you at mass.'"

As they arrive at the Red Book, he stops, realizing he's been rambling this whole time, and when the words on the page start to move, he takes a step back. "Bloody... is this what dyslexia's like?" Probably not; he turns and looks at Ekram. "That's... I'm not much of a scholar, I'm just... I'm me. But that's... so in Wales, our national epic is this book called Mabinogi: the Mabinogion in English, don't get me started. Four branches, some side stories added in later versions, basically a bunch of pre-Christian stories repackaged for a medieval Christian audience with a bunch of winks so the English didn't get their knickers in a twist at Canterbury. This book is the original thing, the realest deal we have: so... why were we brought here? And... what does it mean that I can see the words coming off the page like a goddamn hologram?"

OOC

X