Changeling: The Dreaming 9S: Freedom in the east, arrest in the west
Game: Changeling: The Dreaming (Stanford)
GM: Sarah (kalliplokime)
Setting: Washington, DC
Players/Characters:
Thursday, June 23rd, 2005
Corel returned to Washington around 1am Thursday morning. Heading down to the first floor of Court of Mirrors, he shocked Simon, Aelan, and Ayame by telling Aelan he needed to talk to him. He explained to the troll that Ananda had been captured, and they needed to mount a rescue mission. Aelan went off to get his gear while Corel called the Scathach and the Red Branch knights who had previously assisted him in dealing with the brothel. They all agreed to assist him, as well, and all meet at Court of Mirrors. Ayame also offered her assistance, but Corel requested instead that she stay with Simon, in case the Shadow Court decided to launch a counter-attack while the rest were rescuing. They all then left for the Court of Shadows.
Along the way, they discussed their plan. Corel had actually discarded his first idea, simply blasting down the door of the Court and hacking his way to the dungeons, as infeasible in a Shadow Court stronghold. Instead, he proposed that the Scathach, who (thanks to his work with Edan), he knew were good at stealth, as well as one of the Red Branch Knight (who had Veiled Eyes) sneak into the dungeon, while he, the other 2 Gwydions, the Eiluned, and Aelan distracted those above by demanding an audience with the Duke. Those going with Corel were understandably concerned, as they weren't convinced that they wouldn't all just be arrested, too. Corel argued that it was one thing to arrest Ananda, and quite another to arrest 4 Red Branch Knights. The others seemed somewhat unconvinced, but Corel was sure of his plan, so that was what they were going to do.
As they approached the Court of Shadows, Corel suggested the infiltration team sneak off, while he and the others walked up to the door and just knocked. They were met by a squad of 8 trolls, who wanted to know why they were there. Corel claimed to have business with the Duke; at first he would not say what, but, when the troll refused to let him in without saying, he explained he wanted to discuss the Duke's current prisoners. The troll sent another off to check that the Duke was okay with this, and, as he was, Corel and his company were escorted to him.
They met the Duke in an utterly black salon; black walls, black carpet, and a black throne. Corel confronted the Duke about his recent arrests, wanting more information as the representative of High King David in the area. He specifically complained about the executions of the various Fae, but the Duke responded they had all been Rhapsodizers, one of the few capital punishments in Fae society. Corel lead the conversation around to Ananda, who the Duke claimed had been arrested and tried for treason. Corel commented on the speed of these trials, and then requested that Ananda be turned over to him, in his capacity as a Red Branch Knight. The Duke was unwilling to do this, and Corel pointed out to him the irony of holding someone for treason when he, supposedly, was denying an order from David's representative. They were going to continue their discussion when alarm bells sounded and the Duchess, dressed all in white, with Eshu and Satyr guards, entered.
As she didn't immediately order the arrest of Corel, he figured his allies hadn't been captured yet. She explained Ananda was missing, and asked Corel what he knew about it. He (not very well) feigned ignorance, claiming he had been here the entire time. She pointed out his sudden return from Pacifica, just shortly after Ananda was arrested and just shortly before she was found missing, was more than a little convenient. He shrugged it off, and she threatened to Sovereign him before leaving. The Duke excused himself, as well, and left out a back door, instructing the knights to remain there. Though the others wanted to leave, then, Corel pointed out that this would just make them seem more guilty, even if they did successfully get out. So, they all agreed to wait.
A little while later, the Duchess returned and demanded to know what Corel was still doing there. He explained the Duke had requested he wait; she told him neither she nor the Duke had further business with him, and had some trolls escort him out. Once outside, he made a quick phone call to the leader of the Scathach, confirming they were out and agreeing to meet back at Court of Mirrors. Corel thought everything seemed a little too easy, so he kenned around them as he walked; he noticed something faint just behind them, but couldn't exactly pinpoint it. So, utilizing his knowledge of Scene, he released a Dictum over the whole area for all to stop and reveal themselves. Aelan did so, as well as a glowing chimerical ball behind them. Corel turned and pointed his sword at the Chimera, suggesting it leave if it valued its life. The ball apparently did so, as it turned and retreated. The company then continued on to Court of Mirrors, not seemingly followed.
Back at Court of Mirrors, the Scathach waited for Corel with Ananda. He thanked them all for their help, and then went off to talk to Ananda. She was incredibly grateful that Corel had come rescue her, given what she had seen happen to previous prisoners of the Duke. She also declared her mission for her house over. She and Corel talked for a little bit, before he suggested she accompany him back out to Carmel, as he had left Calypso there. As she agreed, he bought more tickets to Carmel, and they left together (not telling anyone but Aelan where they had gone) on the first flight that morning, in about 5 hours.
On the plane, as there were no other Fae anywhere really nearby, Corel gave Ananda the list of those responsible for the Night of Iron Knives and asked her what would happen, hypothetically, if they were all arrested for mass murder. It didn't take Ananda long to figure out Corel was (hypothetically) talking about the Night of Iron Knives, and she agreed with Lagarri's assessment of the political consequences. She and Corel continued their discussion (keeping up the game of it being hypothetical), trying to discuss ways to act on the information. She suggested those who could be arrested for something else, but Corel complained it wasn't right to not charge them with this crime. They eventually agreed that perhaps the best plan was to arrest those who could be arrested, quietly, as long as possible until they had to grab one of the big names they could no longer hide. It seemed like the best plan, for now, so Corel thanked her for her advice and both Fae took a nap, until they neared San Francisco.
As they began their descent, Corel used the sky phone to give the Red Branch Knight in San Francisco, Trinity, whom he had sent after Dame Meredith, a call. He asked if she could meet him and Ananda at the airport, so they could discuss her progress. She agreed, and, at touchdown, met them there. They went out to get lunch, and she explained that, though she had searched around Caer Redwood, she hadn't been able to find Meredith there. She promised to keep an eye out, however.
After lunch, Corel and Ananda rented a car and drove down the Carmel. They were met there by Julia, who seemed somewhat annoyed at Corel's recent actions. Corel went off to speak with Olin, who still wanted to know why Auralia wasn't back. Corel once again explained that he couldn't exactly get Auralia to do anything she didn't want, and then went off to find Calypso, who was still reading with Dietrich. He apologized to her for his absence, and told her they were going to leave for DC on the last flight out that night. She understood, and then went back to reading her book.
Corel suggested he and Ananda go check out Caer Redwood themselves, to see if perhaps they could pick up a trail on Dame Meredith, having slightly more information than the local Branch did. She agreed, and they headed up to Caer Redwood.
There, they met with the Caer Redwood Red Branch Knight, who promised to do her best to keep an eye out for Meredith, but was surprised she had been capable of such a thing. She also told Corel who had been Meredith's patron, and Corel set up a meeting shortly thereafter with her patron. Her patron was equally surprised about Corel's claims about Meredith, but did tell Corel she had not seen Meredith since before the supposed meeting. Corel thanked her for her help, and he and Ananda headed back outside.
Corel checked his time left, and realized he'd pretty much have to leave then to go get Calypso. Still feeling hot on Meredith's trail, Corel called a Boggan he knew, Gregory, and asked him to give Calypso a ride to the airport that evening. Gregory, of course, agreed to help his friend, so Corel summoned a Will-o-Wisp to search for Meredith. He and Ananda followed it until it went inside a tree. The tree apparently contained a trod, which Ananda opened, and the two went inside.
They followed the path in the Dreaming to a small house built into the very top of a giant Redwood tree. Going inside, they found Meredith in the first basement. Corel confronted her, demanding to know who had hired her to kill Calypso, as he knew it was not Lagarri. She was initially hesitant to say, so Corel started using Pyretics to light her furniture on fire (inside the house made in a tree, of course), to attempt to compel her to speak. She doused her things with Eldritch Prime, and seemed confident Corel wouldn't actually hurt her to get her to talk.
She was wrong. Having nothing else to target, Corel Holly Struck her, rending her flesh in an attempt to get her to speak. He then healed her again with Heather Balm, pointing out her error in reasoning. With a bit of concern, she implicated her current patron whom Corel had just spoken with. Corel, however, was hardly convinced, given her previous lies about Lagarri. He pressured her to swear to the truth of her words. Her reluctance to do so convinced Corel she was still lying to him. She eventually admitted she was, and claimed (almost stereotypically) that whatever Corel could do to her was not as bad as what those who hired her would. With little option, Corel arrested her, and he and Ananda drove her back to San Francisco, where they turned her over to Trinity.
As she was still unwilling to implicate her employer, Corel asked Trinity if she knew any Pooka. A little while later, a Dog-Pooka showed up and went to talk to Meredith. He returned a little while later, admitting defeat in getting her to talk. Corel, understanding, asked who had been responsible. He said that, if two people had been responsible, the first would definitely not have been Delana ni Dougal, an advisor to Queen Aeron. He then asked Corel if he liked poetry. Corel explained he did, to which the Pooka replied that, then, he certainly wouldn't like the other person responsible. In response to Corel's confused look and his query of "What?” Ananda quickly stated she had a book for Corel to read later, and said the other one responsible had been Vogon ap Ailil. Corel thanked the Pooka for his help, then, and, as it was getting late, he and Ananda headed back to the airport.
They were met, there, by Calypso and Gregory, who in addition to bringing and waiting with Calypso, had also brought them each a meal for the plane. Corel thanked the Boggan, and then they all boarded the plane to Washington. Corel napped most of the way to DC, as there were, thankfully, no other Fae on the plane.
Friday, June 24th, 2005
The trio, arriving in Washington, went back to Court of Mirrors. When they arrived, Simon indicated his sadness that Corel had left without saying anything, and his concern for the Sidhe's safety. Corel apologized, and then set out to prepare for the rest of his day.
GM: Sarah (kalliplokime)
Setting: Washington, DC
Players/Characters:
- Matt (ra1330)/Sir Corel ap Gwydion: An impulsive Red Branch Knight, with a new quest and a new charge.
- Lady Ananda ni Ailil: A Seelie Ailil whose mission for her house to Washington, DC is over.
Thursday, June 23rd, 2005
Corel returned to Washington around 1am Thursday morning. Heading down to the first floor of Court of Mirrors, he shocked Simon, Aelan, and Ayame by telling Aelan he needed to talk to him. He explained to the troll that Ananda had been captured, and they needed to mount a rescue mission. Aelan went off to get his gear while Corel called the Scathach and the Red Branch knights who had previously assisted him in dealing with the brothel. They all agreed to assist him, as well, and all meet at Court of Mirrors. Ayame also offered her assistance, but Corel requested instead that she stay with Simon, in case the Shadow Court decided to launch a counter-attack while the rest were rescuing. They all then left for the Court of Shadows.
Along the way, they discussed their plan. Corel had actually discarded his first idea, simply blasting down the door of the Court and hacking his way to the dungeons, as infeasible in a Shadow Court stronghold. Instead, he proposed that the Scathach, who (thanks to his work with Edan), he knew were good at stealth, as well as one of the Red Branch Knight (who had Veiled Eyes) sneak into the dungeon, while he, the other 2 Gwydions, the Eiluned, and Aelan distracted those above by demanding an audience with the Duke. Those going with Corel were understandably concerned, as they weren't convinced that they wouldn't all just be arrested, too. Corel argued that it was one thing to arrest Ananda, and quite another to arrest 4 Red Branch Knights. The others seemed somewhat unconvinced, but Corel was sure of his plan, so that was what they were going to do.
As they approached the Court of Shadows, Corel suggested the infiltration team sneak off, while he and the others walked up to the door and just knocked. They were met by a squad of 8 trolls, who wanted to know why they were there. Corel claimed to have business with the Duke; at first he would not say what, but, when the troll refused to let him in without saying, he explained he wanted to discuss the Duke's current prisoners. The troll sent another off to check that the Duke was okay with this, and, as he was, Corel and his company were escorted to him.
They met the Duke in an utterly black salon; black walls, black carpet, and a black throne. Corel confronted the Duke about his recent arrests, wanting more information as the representative of High King David in the area. He specifically complained about the executions of the various Fae, but the Duke responded they had all been Rhapsodizers, one of the few capital punishments in Fae society. Corel lead the conversation around to Ananda, who the Duke claimed had been arrested and tried for treason. Corel commented on the speed of these trials, and then requested that Ananda be turned over to him, in his capacity as a Red Branch Knight. The Duke was unwilling to do this, and Corel pointed out to him the irony of holding someone for treason when he, supposedly, was denying an order from David's representative. They were going to continue their discussion when alarm bells sounded and the Duchess, dressed all in white, with Eshu and Satyr guards, entered.
As she didn't immediately order the arrest of Corel, he figured his allies hadn't been captured yet. She explained Ananda was missing, and asked Corel what he knew about it. He (not very well) feigned ignorance, claiming he had been here the entire time. She pointed out his sudden return from Pacifica, just shortly after Ananda was arrested and just shortly before she was found missing, was more than a little convenient. He shrugged it off, and she threatened to Sovereign him before leaving. The Duke excused himself, as well, and left out a back door, instructing the knights to remain there. Though the others wanted to leave, then, Corel pointed out that this would just make them seem more guilty, even if they did successfully get out. So, they all agreed to wait.
A little while later, the Duchess returned and demanded to know what Corel was still doing there. He explained the Duke had requested he wait; she told him neither she nor the Duke had further business with him, and had some trolls escort him out. Once outside, he made a quick phone call to the leader of the Scathach, confirming they were out and agreeing to meet back at Court of Mirrors. Corel thought everything seemed a little too easy, so he kenned around them as he walked; he noticed something faint just behind them, but couldn't exactly pinpoint it. So, utilizing his knowledge of Scene, he released a Dictum over the whole area for all to stop and reveal themselves. Aelan did so, as well as a glowing chimerical ball behind them. Corel turned and pointed his sword at the Chimera, suggesting it leave if it valued its life. The ball apparently did so, as it turned and retreated. The company then continued on to Court of Mirrors, not seemingly followed.
Back at Court of Mirrors, the Scathach waited for Corel with Ananda. He thanked them all for their help, and then went off to talk to Ananda. She was incredibly grateful that Corel had come rescue her, given what she had seen happen to previous prisoners of the Duke. She also declared her mission for her house over. She and Corel talked for a little bit, before he suggested she accompany him back out to Carmel, as he had left Calypso there. As she agreed, he bought more tickets to Carmel, and they left together (not telling anyone but Aelan where they had gone) on the first flight that morning, in about 5 hours.
On the plane, as there were no other Fae anywhere really nearby, Corel gave Ananda the list of those responsible for the Night of Iron Knives and asked her what would happen, hypothetically, if they were all arrested for mass murder. It didn't take Ananda long to figure out Corel was (hypothetically) talking about the Night of Iron Knives, and she agreed with Lagarri's assessment of the political consequences. She and Corel continued their discussion (keeping up the game of it being hypothetical), trying to discuss ways to act on the information. She suggested those who could be arrested for something else, but Corel complained it wasn't right to not charge them with this crime. They eventually agreed that perhaps the best plan was to arrest those who could be arrested, quietly, as long as possible until they had to grab one of the big names they could no longer hide. It seemed like the best plan, for now, so Corel thanked her for her advice and both Fae took a nap, until they neared San Francisco.
As they began their descent, Corel used the sky phone to give the Red Branch Knight in San Francisco, Trinity, whom he had sent after Dame Meredith, a call. He asked if she could meet him and Ananda at the airport, so they could discuss her progress. She agreed, and, at touchdown, met them there. They went out to get lunch, and she explained that, though she had searched around Caer Redwood, she hadn't been able to find Meredith there. She promised to keep an eye out, however.
After lunch, Corel and Ananda rented a car and drove down the Carmel. They were met there by Julia, who seemed somewhat annoyed at Corel's recent actions. Corel went off to speak with Olin, who still wanted to know why Auralia wasn't back. Corel once again explained that he couldn't exactly get Auralia to do anything she didn't want, and then went off to find Calypso, who was still reading with Dietrich. He apologized to her for his absence, and told her they were going to leave for DC on the last flight out that night. She understood, and then went back to reading her book.
Corel suggested he and Ananda go check out Caer Redwood themselves, to see if perhaps they could pick up a trail on Dame Meredith, having slightly more information than the local Branch did. She agreed, and they headed up to Caer Redwood.
There, they met with the Caer Redwood Red Branch Knight, who promised to do her best to keep an eye out for Meredith, but was surprised she had been capable of such a thing. She also told Corel who had been Meredith's patron, and Corel set up a meeting shortly thereafter with her patron. Her patron was equally surprised about Corel's claims about Meredith, but did tell Corel she had not seen Meredith since before the supposed meeting. Corel thanked her for her help, and he and Ananda headed back outside.
Corel checked his time left, and realized he'd pretty much have to leave then to go get Calypso. Still feeling hot on Meredith's trail, Corel called a Boggan he knew, Gregory, and asked him to give Calypso a ride to the airport that evening. Gregory, of course, agreed to help his friend, so Corel summoned a Will-o-Wisp to search for Meredith. He and Ananda followed it until it went inside a tree. The tree apparently contained a trod, which Ananda opened, and the two went inside.
They followed the path in the Dreaming to a small house built into the very top of a giant Redwood tree. Going inside, they found Meredith in the first basement. Corel confronted her, demanding to know who had hired her to kill Calypso, as he knew it was not Lagarri. She was initially hesitant to say, so Corel started using Pyretics to light her furniture on fire (inside the house made in a tree, of course), to attempt to compel her to speak. She doused her things with Eldritch Prime, and seemed confident Corel wouldn't actually hurt her to get her to talk.
She was wrong. Having nothing else to target, Corel Holly Struck her, rending her flesh in an attempt to get her to speak. He then healed her again with Heather Balm, pointing out her error in reasoning. With a bit of concern, she implicated her current patron whom Corel had just spoken with. Corel, however, was hardly convinced, given her previous lies about Lagarri. He pressured her to swear to the truth of her words. Her reluctance to do so convinced Corel she was still lying to him. She eventually admitted she was, and claimed (almost stereotypically) that whatever Corel could do to her was not as bad as what those who hired her would. With little option, Corel arrested her, and he and Ananda drove her back to San Francisco, where they turned her over to Trinity.
As she was still unwilling to implicate her employer, Corel asked Trinity if she knew any Pooka. A little while later, a Dog-Pooka showed up and went to talk to Meredith. He returned a little while later, admitting defeat in getting her to talk. Corel, understanding, asked who had been responsible. He said that, if two people had been responsible, the first would definitely not have been Delana ni Dougal, an advisor to Queen Aeron. He then asked Corel if he liked poetry. Corel explained he did, to which the Pooka replied that, then, he certainly wouldn't like the other person responsible. In response to Corel's confused look and his query of "What?” Ananda quickly stated she had a book for Corel to read later, and said the other one responsible had been Vogon ap Ailil. Corel thanked the Pooka for his help, then, and, as it was getting late, he and Ananda headed back to the airport.
They were met, there, by Calypso and Gregory, who in addition to bringing and waiting with Calypso, had also brought them each a meal for the plane. Corel thanked the Boggan, and then they all boarded the plane to Washington. Corel napped most of the way to DC, as there were, thankfully, no other Fae on the plane.
Friday, June 24th, 2005
The trio, arriving in Washington, went back to Court of Mirrors. When they arrived, Simon indicated his sadness that Corel had left without saying anything, and his concern for the Sidhe's safety. Corel apologized, and then set out to prepare for the rest of his day.