Michaelmas Term 2007 - History (Ancient and Modern)

[Knave]

Little Sophia pads around the bed playing nurse, fluffing the pillow, tucking in the blankets, tightening the restraints. She leans over Sophie. "Is that comfy?" 

Something around the child's mouth is wrong, and the shock shows on Sophie's face. "Oh no, does it hurt?" the child enquires, her features lengthening as she peers more closely at her patient.

The play-pretend nurse's skin is blackening now, deep burns appearing across her cheeks and forehead. She grows tall, as tall as a full-grown man, and black blood runs from the eyes and nose. "What do you need?"

Sophia bursts into dark flame.

 

What's the best way to protect the victims?

David's worried eyes turn to the unconscious Sophie. The burnt-looking hand has emerged from the road again, and has gently crept up to Sophie's temple, slowly stroking its fingers through her auburn bob. A thin line of blood runs out of her nose.

David doesn't feel like this vicinity is a good place for anyone to be asleep or unconscious right now.

They need to get Sophie out of here, quickly.

 

Edited November 7, 2023 by Knave (see edit history)

[Ezeze]

The Reverend Dr. David Beaumont, Professor Emeritus Sheet

Luck □ □ □ □ □ □ □

Harm ■ □ □ | □ □ □ □

Experience ■ ■ ■ □ □

 

Oh no.


David attempts, as quickly and gracefully as he can while winded, to rush in behind Ekram, scoop Sophie up, and drag her away from the thing stroking her temple.

Edited November 8, 2023 by Ezeze (see edit history)

[Knave]

You make everything worse

David grasps Sophie's jacket and makes to drag her up. But at that moment, the hand protruding from the pavement grabs a handful of hair and grasps it tight. It seems as though her belt is also being held from below. David finds Sophie held fast against the ground and his sudden exertion against the unexpected resistance causes an ominous pop in his lower back. He goes down on all fours.

OOC: David has -1 ongoing to Tough and Cool rolls, until he can spend a few hours lying on a hard surface.

 

[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.

IC

Sophie initially recoils from the invader, but by revealing itself, it has inadvertently reminded her that this is indeed a dream. She now remembers that she was awake just moments ago, in the street beside her friends. The barrowwight struck her, and now this thing seeks to take hold. Well, it may be ancient, and it may have centuries of experience twisting humans from inside their dreams, but Sophie is no slouch either.

Rising to her feet, she stares down the thing until the illusion drops away and Sophia is standing there again, looking rather confused. "What just happened? Your eyes got all big and you looked like you saw a ghost!"

Sophie looks about to confirm the thing is no longer near. She knows it likely hasn't gone far, and she needs to put Sophia somewhere safe before she can do anything about it. "It's war, chicken," she says, taking her rifle from beside the cot and an ammo bag from atop the windowsill. "We've got to get these men down into the shelter, before the enemy starts shellin' us. Can you be brave for them?"

Sophia stands tall and nods.

"There's a good girl. You get them safe. I'll go deal with the cannons," Sophie declares. Another child might want to take part in the real action, but not Sophia. She shrinks from violence, which is half of why she's here in the dream in the first place. But she's a good protector, and Sophie knows she can trust her to stay put and guard the door. With luck, she'll have no idea that the door and the shelter beyond serves to protect herself from their dream's invader.

Once Sophia has scampered off to see to her task, Sophie turns her attention to the real enemy. Could it be that this thing was just in the right place at the right time? Or is it more likely to be the master of the barrowwight? Seems too much to be a simple coincidence. And so she reckons to do what work she can to fight from this side of consciousness, while the others continue the struggle in the waking world...

OOC

I think I want to Investigate a Mystery here, in hopes of learning more about this thing and how to fight it.

Edited November 8, 2023 by emotionaut (see edit history)

[Spektor]

°•⌂→φ←ζ Aηηika, †hΣ HΣx ζ→φ←⌂•°

Condition: Blackened Lungs-1 ongoing to all rolls except +Weird

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

Harm: ●○○/○○○○

Unstable: ○

Luck:  ●○○○○○○

Exp:  ●●●●○

Temptation: Power

Moves & Gear

Bad Luck CharmWhenever you use magic and miss, the backlash never affects you directly if there’s someone else around to hit. It’ll go for allies, other hunters, and innocent bystanders. Sometimes, every so often, it might even hit an enemy.

Cast the Bones Once per mystery, you may perform some kind of divination (tarot, casting the runes, reading entrails, or something like that) to glean information about the future. When you seek guidance by divination, roll +Sharp. On a 10+, hold 2. On a 7-9, hold 1. On a miss, you get some information, but it’s not what you want to hear. Spend those holds to ask any question from the investigate a mystery move, or one of the following questions:

• What can I gain from this person/place/thing/creature?
• Who has touched this person/place/thing/creature
before me?

The Keeper will answer truthfully, with either a direct answer or how to find out more.

Sympathetic TokenAs long as you carry a personal object belonging to someone, such as a lock of hair, a full set of toenails, or a treasured family heirloom, you get +1 ongoing to use magic against them. You can also use magic against them at a distance. If you try to use magic against them and miss, the token is lost, destroyed, or loses its power.

 

Rotes:

Leeching Enchantment(Must be cast at night. Requires the burning of pressed flowers.)
This ability works similar to the Use Magic ability: Enchant a Weapon, but with extra bonuses.

On a 10+
Enchant a weapon. It gets +1 harm and +magic and + Vampiric (1 healing for each time it deals damage).

On a 7-9
The effect is weakened. Choose two of the three tags.

On a miss
The weapon turns on you as you attempt to enchant it. Take 1 harm ignore armour. Apply no Effects.

 

Gear:

Athame(2-harm hand magic silver)

Staff(1-harm hand balanced large)

Annika struggles to maintain the spell while the others prepare for action. She is still new to all of this, and holding onto the thin threads of magic that connect her to the shadows requires constant concentration. Through glowing, silvery eyes, she watches Sophie jump into action only to be struck down immediately. Annika wants to scream and run to her side, but she knows they would be in much deeper trouble if she didn't keep the spell up long enough for someone to do something. She cranes her head to look towards Ekram, then to Hal, who almost seems to be in a state of shock. That is, until he speaks some strange words and begins to step forward. The dialect sounds familiar to her, but she does not understand the words. Is he casting magic? No. This is something else.

Annika does not even know how to react when the blade erupts from his hand. Her eyes go wide and she is speechless. Had his strike not broke the binding shadows of her spell already, it would have been lost from her severed concentration anyway. The tethers of magic release and she nearly falls to her knees, as if she had been playing tug-o-war and the rope had just snapped.

The following events play out so quickly that her mind reels in its attempt to decisively choose what she should do next. She knows Ekram can handle his part, at least for a little longer. But Sophie is in a bad way and David hadn't been able to pull her away. Does she have a spell for this? Of course not. Time for some good old fashioned stabbing. Annika scrambles forward and raises her athame, attempting to drive it into the strange ground-hand near Sophie's hair. If she can just get a good chunk out of it and get it to let go, she can focus on the hand holding Sophie's belt, or cut the belt off entirely. "Let go of her, kanker!"

OoC

I'm not sure if this specific scenario is protect someone or act under pressure. I'm not actually looking to do harm to the creature, I just want it to let go. I'm going to roll 2d6, and you let me know what to add to it. I have a -1 to all non-weird rolls right now, but a +1 from David's advice if that applies. So it should cancel out.

EDIT: I'm burning a luck point here. If this is an act under pressure roll, a 12 would mean I get to do something extra. If I can, I'd like to make that extra thing be that Annika rips one of its fingernails/claws or something, so she can do mean magic to it later.

 

Edited November 9, 2023 by Spektor (see edit history)

[Knave]

You reveal some information to the monster

Sophie sets off in search of the creature that has invaded her mind. She senses it is somewhere in her memories, so she throws open door after door after door, showing scenes from her youngest years through to just a few months ago, looking for any sign of the creature. She pulls open a door that leads to the memory of when she first met David, and the dark-flaming ancient corpse leaps out, sending her reeling. It surveys the corridor of wide open doors - year after year after year - and then rounds on her with a snarl. Suddenly, it flinches and looks at its hand. One of the skeletal fingers is missing. The flame burns with a sudden flare of consuming darkness, and it is gone.

 

You do what you set out to do, and something extra

Annika slashes clean through Sophie's belt, which is suddenly whipped into the ground with the force that was being used to pull it down. She stabs at the hand coiled in the red hair, trying to force it away. She does one better, and slices off the ring finger completely. The remaining digits disappear into the tarmac, and Sophie is free from its grasp.

 

[Gregorotto]

⛤᛭⛤ StatsCharm -1, Cool +1, 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

The sword doesn't burn him, as he holds it back to him, and breathing, he focuses on what he can do for the time being. Let the others protect Sophie, let them save her from the thing under the ground. Whatever is there, it's beyond what Hal can do right now: he knows that. He's got enough clarity of purpose to know where he should go next, and looking at where Ekram is, he prepares a precise strike.

"I'm sure in life you were great, Professor. Time to put you to rest so we can end all this."

He swings, carefully, to avoid Ekram.

OOC

Kick some Ass, 13 to hit for 3 fire holy hand harm.

[Knave]

You give the advantage

Hal's blade.moves with precision and speed, sliding a gleaming arc through the jumbled group of hunters and monster. Professor Andrews's head flies off. With a final spasm, the broken and headless corpse grasps Hal's wrist in a crushing death grip, then goes limp and falls to the floor.

OOC: This minion is dead. Hal takes 2 Harm. Ekram gets +1 for any action to round out this fight.

 

[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.

IC

Sophie braces herself, first for a fight and then for a chase. But she quickly gets the feeling that the invader has gone, though not without taking a toll. And now she's more worried about what knowledge the creature has taken in its escape.

She stands at the doorway for a few moments, watching the memory of David. She doesn't know how long she's there, but Sophia comes up behind her and gives her a jump when she asks, "Who are they?"

"Old friends," Sophie says, trying to hide the tightness in her voice. That's twice now that the dream invader has said or done something related to David. It can't be a coincidence. She needs to get back.

"Can I play with them?" Sophia asks, sounding hopeful. Sophie doesn't often share memories of children she's known with Sophia. And these memories in particular have been hidden away for a long time. But it would be wrong to deny her.

"Of course," Sophie says, kneeling down beside her other soul. She points through the doorway. "That's David. And the girl is Mary. Go introduce yourself. I need to check on some things anyway. Have fun."

Sophia grins and runs through the doorway. Sophie stands there and watches for a few moments more. It's a strange thing to see, but the kids get along famously. She's not surprised.

Sophie wakes up.

[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 **

 

Ashley...look at ME!

"Stay still!" Ekram tightens his legs, pressing his heel into the woman's shoulder as she thrashes and grabs. David is beside him for a moment, but a *thud* and a groan tells him the old man's efforts didn't go to plan. He considers leaving the monster to Sir LanceHalot but then Annika is there, knife slicing through flesh and leather with uncanny precision. Had she actually been paying attention in the lesson? The barrowwight slithers and pulls as Hal winds back for another hit, twisting unnaturally at the waist to lash out with its other hand. A growl through gritted teeth precedes Ekram's sudden sit-up motion, swinging his only available hand and the iron spike in it to catch her in the palm and use the impalement to drag that arm back away from Hal's exposed flank. The sword comes down and Ekram flattens against the body as the head comes clean, the flames far too close for his liking.

"This one's done." He untangles himself from the body, breath coming in deep gasps. Scrambling to his knees, he scans the group for further threat and then touches his shirt where the claws tore through. Only thin lines on the skin beneath, scratches across cultivated abs that are barely worth dressing as far as wounds go. Far less than he'd expected from the struggle, but not something he has time to question. "****. I like this shirt." Yanking the spike out of the dead woman's palm, he wipes it on her clothing and struggles up to his feet.

"We have to move body. Someone bring a car?" Kneeling beside Sophie, he rolls her head carefully to side to see where the fist caught her. An ugly bruise already but not serious enough to warrant his type of trauma care. Turning to Hal, he spins the spike in his hand and then tucks it into his belt next to the knife. "Again I ask. What the hell is cachgi?"

OOC Stuff

Yeah, we can Protect Hal with Never Again! since I'm betting big money our next fight will be a thousand times worse and I may need to roll to get the take less harm option in that one. Treat it as a 10+ and I'll choose 'inflict harm on the enemy', purely for vindictiveness.

Edited November 13, 2023 by DoNotFearToTread (see edit history)

[Knave]

Never again!

Ekram intercepts the death throes of the wight, and gets his wrist crushed instead.

OOC: Hal's 2 Harm is rescinded. Ekram takes 2 Harm instead.

 

[Knave]

With the eldritch energy that animated her remains spent, Professor Andrews's body is a mere corpse. Still shocking to see decapitated on the streets of Oxford, but no longer uncanny and terrifying.

The other entity does not emerge again. However, its withered ring finger lies on the ground, testament to its attack. Of whatever Professor Andrews delivered to it, there is no sign.

[Ezeze]

The Reverend Dr. David Beaumont, Professor Emeritus Sheet

Luck □ □ □ □ □ □ □

Harm ■ □ □ | □ □ □ □

Experience ■ ■ ■ □ □

 

Ow

 

When Sophie wakes up David breathes a sigh of relief that immediately sends a spasm of pain down his back.

"Put the iron spike through her chest. I will go get my car. Keep people from seeing her. Then we'll talk about what to do next."

Unless something else happens to slow him up he'll get the car, wrap Dr. Abrams in a tarp and put her in his trunk. Then take whoever is interested in coming with up to the graveyard to inter her beside her husband.

[Knave]

Professor Andrews is returned to her family plot, reunited with her husband again. The curse that inhabited their corpses is ended, and they are now truly at rest. Though not yet avenged.

[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.

IC

Sophie accepts help to stand, but the world swirls as she rises. It takes an arm or two to steady her, and she doesn't have her feet fully under her until David is back with the car. In the time between, she's managed to process the re-deadening of Professor Andrews, Annika's finger trophy from the creature's master, and Hal's rather impressive armament. It seems a lot went on while she was unconscious.

When David arrives with the car, Sophie makes a move to help with the body, though she's not going to push it if others object. Either way, she casts a few glances toward David during the loading process, clearly struggling with what to say and how to say it. When it comes time to pile into the jalopy, Sophie takes the front passenger seat.

During the drive, she finally opens up. "It found me again," Sophie starts. "The thing hauntin' Sigurdur's dreams. It was the puppet master behind Professor and Mister Andrews. When Annika cut that finger, I saw it lost in the dream. So we know they're connected. We know it has been usin' Sigurdur to look for something. We know it sent Professor Andrews to acquire something. And I saw it accept that prize, whatever it was, right before I got knocked cold. But there's more.

"It found a memory in my head. Of you," Sophie adds, her voice lower but still audible to those in the back seat if they're straining to listen. "That's twice now. The translation of what it said before. Something about a man of the cloth. And now an interest in a memory of you. Any thought as to why that might be? You ever come across one of these back before?" she asks.