The Reluctant Heiress
After returning to the Starry Wisdom Temple, our heroes discovered that Little Alex,
their captive sluagh, had run off while they were rescuing Ariel. Toby tried to track
Alex, but lost the trail where Alex apparently used a cantrip to take him out of
the area.
Pensius then delivered the rescued Ariel to Count Tormentil's estate, accompanied
by Edward, Franklin, and Chamone. (Secret History #1 & 2)
While the rest stayed outside the gates of the freehold, they were watched by the
count's giant living horse statues with glowing red eyes. Pensius and Franklin brought
Ariel to the count, who thanked them quite nicely for their service. Edward decided
he needed to mark some territory and attempted to whiz on the giant granite horses.
The horses, having some experience with the tricks of pookas, stared coldly at Edward
in a successful attempt to intimidate him. Edward realized that the statues are actually
inanimae, a type of faerie which bonds with inanimate objects.
The group returned to the temple. Pensius continued to search for the missing Mel,
calling Mel's nocker friend Boom-Boom to find out if she knew his whereabouts (she
didn't) and reporting Mel's disappearance to Sir Armaund. Armaund promised to inform
the Count of Mel's disappearance and pledged to do what he could to help. Pensius
did not find any additional leads, but did confirm that Mel isn't the only changeling
who's missing.
While Pensius got ready for his afternoon sermon, Jenny received a call from Erendil.(Secret History #3) Erendil requested sanctuary of Sir Pensius
as he is now persona non grata in Underhill, the satyr's freehold. Pensius agreed
to take him in, and Erendil promised to arrive before the sermon. When Erendil arrived,
Jenny greeted him and gave him a tour of the grounds. He charmed Jenny and Chamone,
but was disgusted by Toby (smart man! - ed.) (Secret History
#4)
The afternoon sermon focused on the interrelationship between man, nature, and little
green men from Mars. Or something like that. As part of the show, Pensius called
upon the creatures of the forest to join them in their sacred temple. Edward, in
his coyote form, heard his cue and trotted tentatively on stage, as if he was a wild
thing charmed from the forest by Pensius's words. Edward, as a coyote, took Pensius's
hand in his jaws, letting Pensius announce that his animal brother would do him no
harm (Edward discreetly applied just enough pressure to leave a couple of toothmarks).
Pensius called upon a member of the congregation to come on stage and commune with
this wild creature. The woman he picked out of the audience is overjoyed to be singled
out by him. She said that she had been initiated into the path of the shaman by a
great Native American medicine man and that her tribal name is Desert Sunrise. Edward,
of course, recognized her as the New Age floozy he seduced and bamboozled a few days
ago, and managed not to laugh (if coyotes can laugh) as she asked him if he is her
totem animal.
Erendil attended the service and was recognized by several people there, as he is
a well-known actor in his human seeming. He appeared to be a true believer in what
Pensius is preaching, lending the temple a little celebrity appeal, at least.
Our heroes spend the rest of the day planning their carnival costumes for the next
night. Edward planned to attend in full tribal regalia, while Chamone planned to
be a fairy princess (courtesy of the Disney Store). Erendil planned a silk and lace
baroque costume, while Jenny visited the eshu artist Zenobia to be painted with full
body henna tatoos. Toby wanted to wear his "Sergeant Slaughter Battle Suit"
with a pot for a helmet. Edward took pity on Toby and pulled a real helmet out of
his backpack, along with a boomerang. Toby went off to play with the boomerang, which
returned unerringly to hit him on the helmet every time it was thrown. Pensius had
a rather elaborate costume planned, and said that the others will see it when it
is Carnival time, and not before.
Edward went to visit Bonnie, the anthromophics artist whom he sometimes inspires.
He invited her to go to the carnival with him, and enchanted her so that she could
see and hear everything that passed. Although she might not remember much, she planned
to bring along her sketchbook and draw what she sees. Edward enchanted her drawing
chalk - as long as she holds it, she will be enchanted and will be able to see and
hear the Carnival.
The next day is spent with final preparations for the festival. As the evening drew
near, our heroes made their way downtown to Martin Luther King park, where the Carnival
was to be held. Pensius showed up in an elaborate costume representing Old Man Winter,
certainly a figure of significance to the faerie in the autumn of their time on Earth.
Jenny arrived covered with a long robe, and disrobed, revealing her wearing nothing
but her henna body tatoos.
Our heroes mingled, listened to the bands, and checked out the buffet. Chimerical
beasts in the livery of Count Tormentil circulated with hors d’oeuvre trays. The
place was filled with masked changelings, enchanted humans, chimerical animals and
objects, and the various nymphs, inanime, and other enchanted creatures that make
up the local Dreaming. If our heroes looked carefully, they saw a few mortal mages,
one or two garou, and even a few ghosts.
As our heroes mingle, they listened in on a few interesting conversations. Here’s
some of what they overheard:
“I ran into this real weirdo the other day. He said that banality isn’t really a
destroyer”
“Hah! What a weirdo!”
“Yeah, but he seemed really convinced that he was right. He said that banality is
a balancer. Banality forces glamour back to Arcadia, where it belongs. When all the
glamour leaves Earth, Arcadia will be whole again.”
“That’s pretty scary. What did you say this guy’s name is?”
*****
“...cold iron...that’s quite a risk...why would the nunnehi...”
*****
“...I can’t think what Rowan sees in him. Sure, he’s cute...for a troll...”
*****
and so on.
The childlings had fun trying to catch and eat the animated M&Ms from the kids
buffet, and messed up their clothes jumping in and out of the fruit punch fountains
set up around the park (the fountains meant for adults ran with champagne). The older
folk indulged in that most ancient of all social rituals, determining who was wearing
what outfit and reacting appropriately. Most of the redcaps present (which weren’t
many) were dressed up like mortal thugs, criminals. pro-wrestlers, and predatory
animals (big surprise). One redcap wore full sidhe court garb and had on a breathtakingly
beautiful face of a sidhe as a mask.
Most of the trolls were dressed as heroes of yore, law-enforcement officials, and
soldiers. They aren’t the most imaginative of fae. The sidhe, as usual, tried to
out-do each other. Duke Valerian was dressed as a sea god, glistening with coral,
semi-precious stones, shimmering seaweed, and elaborate shells. His lover, Lady Tourmaline,
was costumed as a sea nymph. Countess Felinah, a sidhe lady renown for the social
events she hosts, was resplendent in a gown made entirely of live, floating butterflies.
Rowan, Valerian’s heir, was covered with illusions of, from the bottom up, molting
magma, rising mountains, green fields, and clouded skies. Count Tormentil was dressed
as angel of vengeance and carried a flaming sword. Boom-Boom, the nocker mistress
of the weapons collective, was covered with cleverly crafted car parts and looks
rather like a walking 57 Chevy.
Ariel, the Queen of the Carnival, was ensconced in a simple gold chair on the stage
in the back of the Carnival area. She wore only a simple white silk dress, lit golden
by the waves of visible glamour surrounding her. She seemed calm and serene, and
held herself aloof from the festivities. She wore the enchanted torc provided by
her uncle, whose purpose, according to Tormentil, was to prevent her from being re-enchanted
by her unseelie erstwhile-friends.
At midnight the ceremony of Carnival began, where the anointed wilder queen, entranced
by glamour, speaks words of prophecy for the coming year. The Four Chosen (Duke Valerian,
Lady Tourmaline, Lady Rowan, and Baron Carnelian) arrived on the stage and placed
themselves around her according to the four directions. They began the ceremony,
chanting as one:
“We consecrate this festival to the glamour and the Dreaming. Here may they manifest
and bless this child.
“We four stand before you, in a time which is not a time, in a place which is not
a place, on a night which is not a night. We stand at the threshold between the worlds,
between the courts, between the ages, between the mysteries.
“We ask the blessings of the four seasons, the four elements, the four forces, and
the four stages of being. We ask you to bless this child and give her the gift of
prophecy for this night.”
Duke Valerian, standing in the south, addressed Ariel. “I am the sun, the summer,
the warrior, and the fire within. I beseech you to share your wisdom and guide us
this coming year”.
Lady Tourmaline, standing in the east, said to Ariel: “I am the stars, the autumn,
the mother, and the water which flows. I beseech you to share your wisdom and guide
us this coming year”.
Baron Carnelian, standing in the north, said: “ I am the moon, the winter, the sage,
and the earth which endures. I beseech you to share your wisdom and guide us this
coming year”.
And last, Lady Rowan, standing in the west, said: “I am the sky, the spring, the
maiden, and the cleansing wind. I beseech you to share your wisdom and guide us this
coming year”.
As the four surrounding Ariel chanted the ceremony, the audience saw the glow around
Ariel grow and change. As each of the four completed his/her chant, a wide band of
rainbow light shot from the chanter to Ariel. After the last chanter spoke, the bands
shot out from each chanters side, connecting them both individually and collective
to Ariel. As the rainbow light hit Ariel, her white dress and the glow around her
changed to reflect all the colors in the rainbow. Each person watching the ceremony
felt his or her own connection to Ariel and the chanters, as if a piece of them was
also in the circuit with her. Ariel rose from the throne, floating several inches
above the ground as she began to speak in powerful, ringing tones:
“ Listen now and listen well, heed these things I have to tell. If you choose not
to believe, fate will do as fate will weave.”
“The ones who came before us all, endeavor now to see us fall. Guard the border well
and strong but judge not all you see as wrong.”
“Winter’s close so bar the gate, but shelter those who stay out late.
Winter’s touch burns like a flame, for those who fight in banality’s name.”
“One comes who drinks life until dead. Banish this evil or the plague will spread.
“
“Those that were, are. Whose that are, were. Balance is sound. What goes around,
comes around...”
As Ariel prepared to speak again, a shadow moved behind her. Before anyone can stop
him, Little Alex yanked the torc off of Ariel’s neck. All hell breaks loose as Ariel,
laughing with glee now that she is free to act, sent bolts of rainbow light into
eleven satyrs who revealed themselves around the stage. All the satyrs were wearing
amulets, similar to the type Edward recovered from the unconscious satyr the day
before. Ariel aimed the largest bolt of light at Elektra, who, throwing her arms
out, stole the circuit of light from the four chanters (leaving them dazed and barely
conscious) and reformed the circuit tying together the other eleven satyr. She screamed
in triumph as glamour more powerful than she had ever known flowed into her. As the
stunned crowd heard the sound of pan pipes, Elektra began to grow as she Ravaged
the glamour. (Secret History #5)
The compulsion of the Song of Pan gripped the crowd. As the rapidly growing Elektra
watched and laughed, the audience was overcome by lust, greed, envy, gluttony, and
other various sins. Chamone, unable to resist the call of her baser emotions, saw
another little girl wearing a pretty necklace and rushed over to her yelling “Mine
mine! That’s mine you bitch!” Franklin, overcome by lust, seized the nearest pretty
woman (unfortunately not Jenny) and made off with her. Pensius, Jenny, Erendel, and
Edward were able to resist the Song of Pan and kept their wits while all about them,
including most of the sidhe nobility and their troll guardsmen, were losing theirs.
Erendil cast a fuddle cantrip at his former lover Elektra, trying to confuse her
long enough to give someone else a shot at her. She shrugged of the effect, and thanked
him for sending his glamour her way. Jenny, believing that music might soothe the
savage beasts (or breasts) began to sing the beautiful hymn “Ubi Caritas”. She does
so well that several fae near her were able to get ahold of their wits and shake
off some of the compulsion. Pensius hit Elektra with a Dictum cantrip (forcing her
to cease her actions), giving Edward, who was unaffected by the compulsion, time
to reach into his backpack for some Acme Alum and jump up to Elektra’s still growing
shoulders. Once perched on her shoulders he could see that all the power pouring
into Elektra was doing so by way of her amulet. He noticed that same glow coming
from his pocket, as the amulet he took off the unconscious satyr began to glow in
his pocket. It seemed to give him immunity from the compulsion and a bit of extra
power as well. Struck by inspiration, Edward reached into his backpack and asked
really hard for just the right tool to defeat Elektra. He pulled out a huge Acme
mallet.
Taking this as a sign, he swang his mighty mallet at Elektra’s amulet and shattered
it with one blow. The knockback threw him off Elektra and sent him falling to the
ground. Still charged with glamour, he landed on his feet.
Elektra and her satyr friends were now caught in a feedback loop of power. Unable
to contain her immense store of glamour, she fell unconscious to the ground, as did
all her fellow conspirators. The glamour shot into the air above the audience, exploding
in a huge flash of light and sound, and fell gently over the crowd, infusing them
with light, love, happiness and other gushy things. Ariel, seeing her friends defeated
before her, and knowing they betrayed her in the end by taking away all of the glamour,
did her best to convince her uncle that she was an innocent bystander in all this.
He, knowing better, hauled her off (circumspectly, of course.)
The four chanters (Duke Valerian, Lady Tourmaline, Lady Rowan, and Baron Carnelian)
came to their senses and took back control of the crowd with a few well-placed Protocol
cantrips. Valerian hailed Edward and Pensius as heroes. They point out the rest of
the gang, making sure the Duke knows who were responsible for getting Ariel back
in the first place and for stopping Elektra as well. The Duke praised Pensius before
a glowering Count Tormentil. Pensius responded that "he could not possibly have
done all of this without the support and participation of many fae, both seelie and
unseelie, commoner and noble". Pensius. at the culmination of his speech, said
“that even as the night turns into day, as the Winter turns into Spring, so are all
parts necessary to the whole. Only by working together, seelie and unseelie, commoner
and noble, can we survive and thrive here in our exile”. As he finished his speech,
his Old Man Winter costume changed into the Green Man of Spring, to the gratification
of the crowd.
1. The characters were preparing to bring Ariel back to Count
Tormentil's freehold when a huge belch erupted from Allison's direction. Everyone
looked at her. Thinking quickly, she put on her Toby voice and said, "Toby ate
girl!" "Great," Jim sighed, "now how are we going to get her
out of there!" Bill suggested, "Just bring Toby to Tormentil's house."
Marc added, "We put her in there to keep her safe." (yeah, who would think
to look for the kidnapped girl in a redcap's duodenum?) Janet asked: "How will
you get her out once you're at Tormentil's?" Marc and Jim chorused, "Syrup
of ipecac!" Marc added, "We'll also get back a bunch of toasters, hubcaps
and other junk."
2. As the characters prepared to go to Count Tormentil's freehold,
Janet said to Jim-as-Pensius, "Are you going to give them any instructions on
what to say or do that they can then ignore?" On the drive there, Toby ripped
chuncks out of the car's upholstery and ate them. Janet said, "Stuffing--instead
of potatoes." When Janet-as-Tormentil announced to the rescued Ariel, "Sir
Armand will take you over to make preparations." Bill inquired, "Is that
a little use of Sovereign or is Armand as loa in his spare time?"
3. Janet said, "I wonder what Sir Pensius' answering machine
says?" Bill, Jim and Allison chorused almost in unison:
"Welcome to Starry Wisdom Temple. If you have had a close encounter, press one. If you would like to have a close encounter, press two..."
4. More about Toby's eating habits. JIm said, "For Christmas,
get Toby the junior geologist's set from the Nature Company and tell him it's a See's
Candy assortment." There was then a discussion on how to clean a redcap's teeth.
Methods suggested: Milk-bones, acid, wire brush, rocks, and putting the redcap under
general anesthesia as one does to clean a cat's teeth. Janet added, "You need
to put everyone who cleans a redcap's teeth under general anesthesia eventually."
5. As Elektra grew to enormous size, Janet told the players that
they missed a really hideous pun. They looked at her blankly. She sighed and said,
"Who ya gonna call?" and they all shouted, "GOATbusters!"
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