Campaign: Facets

[evileeyore]

[QUOTE=tshiggins;2053409]As GM, you have to create multiple ways to succeed, but if the PCs insist upon doing something dumb, you have to follow through on the consequences.{/quote]
I always struggle with that one. On one hand, I don't want to go too harsh... on the other, when the character is asking for rocks to fall sometimes rocks should fall.

Fortunately, I have a mature group of players, who realize the terrible mistake made for a strong dramatic story, so they're rolling with it. :)

Now I'm just waitin to see how she explains her miraculously regrown leg to the authorities... after Sunmi busts out with the major healing mojo she just found.

[Mark Skarr]

Originally Posted by tshiggins

Beatrice managed to avoid several more shots, but then her luck ran out and she took one to her lower left leg. Knowing what was about to happen, she jammed the calf of that leg up next to Carr’s groin.

The bullet detonated, Carr’s genitalia and lower intestines splashed like a tomato hit with a sledgehammer, blood from his femoral artery sprayed across the pale brown sand of the Dewey Bridge Campground, and he passed out.

It took me two days to finish reading this on the local boards after reading this section. This scene kept replaying in my mind every time I would try.

[tshiggins]

[QUOTE=evileeyore;2053413]

Originally Posted by tshiggins

As GM, you have to create multiple ways to succeed, but if the PCs insist upon doing something dumb, you have to follow through on the consequences.{/quote]
I always struggle with that one. On one hand, I don't want to go too harsh... on the other, when the character is asking for rocks to fall sometimes rocks should fall.

Now I'm just waitin to see how she explains her miraculously regrown leg to the authorities... after Sunmi busts out with the major healing mojo she just found.

Sunmi just found the reference to the spell, not the spell, itself.

The list of spells I'm using in the campaign comes from some work someone did to convert standard magic into Ritual Path. I wanted a plethora of examples, given the fact that so many players were new, and I know the standard magic system really well.

I will eventually move to the RPM spells, with which the players can define their own rituals, once the characters attain that knowledge. However, I didn't want to jump in that particular deep end, from the get-go, so the conversion worked pretty well.

(I thought I had the site bookmarked, but now I can't find it. I think it was Hermione's RPM Spell List at https://wiki.celti.name/gaming/hermione_spells, but I don't see any spreadsheet, there. If anybody knows the link to the conversion, could you post it, here? I haven't looked at it, in a long time, since I just created spreadsheets for the conversions, myself, and periodically add in any new rituals by Christopher Rice and others, that I like.)

Someone did a lot of work to make that conversion, and I decided to use it after cross-checking the power costs with some of the work Rice has done. I also added in a few nifty spells that appear in these forums, and continue to do so.

According to that list, Restoration appears in the Healing decan (Phthenoth), which they have. However, some of the more advanced spells in a particular college are more difficult to come by, for exactly the reason you indicated.

If someone with a crippling injury is up and walking around when they should be confined to a wheel chair (or dialysis machine) 24/7, then that phenomenon will definitely make people go, "Hmm...."

The lodges/orders do not ever want that, so they keep a tight reign on Healing magics (among other things).

[tshiggins]

Originally Posted by Mark Skarr

It took me two days to finish reading this on the local boards after reading this section. This scene kept replaying in my mind every time I would try.

Yeah, kinda like that.

Only with more blood and screaming.

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by tshiggins

Only with more blood and screaming.

I forget who said it, but, "Each of us is born into this world naked, screaming, and covered in blood. And the fun doesn't have to stop there!" ;]

[tshiggins]

Okay, here's the latest set of news stories from 1918 Santa Fe. These come from a different newspaper, La Gaceta.

###

Wood, Coal Prices to Rise

Merchants throughout the region report that both coal and firewood will likely rise to more than 3.00 pesetas per cord, this winter. The sale of coal and firewood to troops along the northern defenses will drive up the prices, most agree, and the need for lumber to complete entrenchments will also contribute to shortages.
__________________________________________________ ______________

Snow in the Passes

Officers with the mounted guard reported yesterday that the winter snow has begun to fall in earnest, in the past couple of days. They anticipate the passes through the mountains will close within two weeks, and perhaps within 10 days. Travelers are advised to exercise all caution, and should consider wintering in Santa Fe.
__________________________________________________ __________

El Gobernador to Sponsor Opera

Gobernador-Real Francisco Alvaro Moctezuma y Navarro will sponsor the famous opera, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, or the Barber of Sevilla, currently in rehearsal at El Teatro de la Opera de Santa Fe. The sponsorship of his excellency will reduce the tickets to half price of 10.00 pesetas for floor seats, and 7.50 pesetas for the balcony. In addition, La Señorita Eva Linda Moctezuma y Ortega, the older daughter of el gobernador, will host several matinee showings for the city’s school children.
__________________________________________________ _________

Storm Drain Collapse

La policia report that a storm drain collapsed in the Barrio De Analco, early this morning, and left a large hole in the Calle de Vargas. Everyone is advised to find alternate routes. The office of the Alcalde advised that the calle was scheduled for maintenance as part of the revival of the city’s oldest barrio, but that workmen had not yet reached that part of the project. The collapse requires an alteration in the work schedule, and that effort is under way in the planning office.
__________________________________________________ ____________

Rooms to Let

I am a widow of good moral character who has several rooms to let in the casa left to me by my beloved late husband. I welcome the wives of young officers assigned to the north, so long as they come with acceptable references and attend mass twice per week. My rooms are large and clean, if simple in furnishings and décor. My home is located in el barrio de Don Gaspar, south of el palacio de gobernadora.

Inquire at the office of this newspaper for the address. By appointment only, por favor.

Very Sincerely,
Sra. Rocio Maricruz Nuñez y Estrada
__________________________________________________ ___________

Livery Available – Long Term

Officers and others who seek stables for extended lease will be pleased to discover that Los Hermanos Figueroa have recently completed work to repair our stables located just north of the city, on El Calle Mejia, just west of the cemetery. Our family has a long history of equestrian care, and your animals will receive daily exercise, along with sufficient oats, so as to maintain health and vigor. We have references available, upon request, and feel confident that you will find no better care for the price, anywhere.

Only 16 stalls available, please make personal inquiries.

Very Sincerely,
Sr. Cesar Everardo Caraballo y Batista
__________________________________________________ _____________

Ship sighted

VERACRUZ, EL TERRITORIO MEXICO
BY TELEGRAPH – Correspondents in the largest port city on the Costa Golfo, report that a fast steam-ship with military lines came within 40 miles of the harbor, Thursday last. In defiance of all accepted international law, the ship flew no flags, reported sources within the Armada, but most assume the ship belonged to the navy of Los Estados Unidos.

Several fishing vessels reported the presence of the vessel, when they came in with the morning catch, Wednesday last, and the Armada sent out patrol vessels immediately, and they soon spotted the interloper. The ship fled, and the commander of the patrol gave chase for half the day, until the ship reached international waters.
__________________________________________________ ________

Astronomers report sightings

GREENWICH, INGLATERRA
BY TELEGRAPH – Astronomers at the Royal Observatory report the discovery of no less than 17 small, rocky objects in orbit around the sun, this year. These objects, known as asteroids, appear in large numbers in a band between Mars and Jupiter, but astronomers say a number of them appear in other orbits, including some that bring them close to Earth. Those large enough to see through telescopes could pose a significant hazard should they fall to the ground, but astronomers estimate the odds of such an occurrence at millions to one against.

Astronomers note that many smaller objects enter the Earth’s atmosphere every day, but at such speeds they burn up before they strike the ground, and appear as meteorites in the night sky.
__________________________________________________ _________

England launches “Dreadnaught,” largest battleship

PORTSMOUTH, INGLATERRA
BY TELEGRAPH – La Armada Real de Inglaterra launched the largest battleship in history, late last month, and officers with our Armada said the event would force his majesty to respond.

The monstrous vessel, named the “Dreadnaught,” which translates to “Valiente,” displaces more than 18,000 tons and unconfirmed reports indicate it may mount turrets that consist solely of 12-inch guns, and not the mix of larger and smaller calibers seen until now. If so, this would indicate that the near-victory by the Imperial Japanese Navy against Russia, 12 years past, has influenced the decision of Inglaterra’s First Sea Lord, Sir Juan Fisher.

In the battles between the Russians and the Japanese, the 12-inch guns proved able to consistently pierce the heaviest armor of the Russian Imperial Navy, while the Russian 10-inch guns had only limited effect against the Japanese. Most observers claim Russia only held off the Japanese due to the large number of vessels in the tsar’s Bering Sea Flotilla.

As is widely understood, El Imperio Inglaterra has more foreign territories than any other power on the globe, which makes naval superiority imperative. While Tsar Nicholas II is widely recognized as having the world’s largest army, which allows him to constantly challenge the interests of the British throughout southern Asia, the Armada Real de Inglaterra has held naval superiority since the defeat of the murderous rebel, Napoleon Buonaparte, in 1805.

The strength of the British Armada is kept in check only through the allied efforts of His Majesty, Alfonso XIII; El Real de la Francia, Charles XI; and Tsar Nicholas II. El Imperio Inglaterra enjoys the friendship of El Reino Unido de Portugal, Brazil y Los Algarves and El Imperio Japón.

The British have the closest relationship with Los Estados Unidos of anyone, although no formal alliance exists with the pariah nation.

The construction of a large vessel of such advanced design would likely destabilize the delicate balance of global power, if the British build many new ships of the same design. Matters could grow even more grave should the Americans choose to copy the design, as they did the dirigibles originally built by the German designer, Ferdinando von Zeppelin.

Now that the Dreadnaught has launched, it requires final fittings and then tests of its seaworthiness, and is unlikely to enter formal service before the spring of next year.
__________________________________________________ _____________

Editorial
The launch of this terrifying new ship of war makes the world more dangerous, generally, but poses a special concern for the subjects of His Majesty, Alfonso XIII. After all, his loyal subjects here in La Colonia de Nova España lead efforts to prevent the spread of Republican Radicalism beyond the borders of Los Estados Unidos, and that threat has grown dire.

We recognize that the construction of such a fearsome engine of war demands a response from His Majesty, but issuance of a proper response will require tens of thousands of pesos and years of determined effort. Unfortunately, we face a direct threat from Los Estados Unidos that will most likely manifest by Spring of next year.

Any threat from Inglaterra lies years in the future, if it appears, at all. The need to defend His Majesty’s sacred soil and pious citizens from the heretical barbarity of American protestantism must take precedence.
__________________________________________________ ___________

[tshiggins]

Okay, before I begin the session report, a little background is in order.

Currently, the party finds itself divided between two different universes, with no means they know of to communicate with one another. On the 2014 side, Doc Bascher, Beatrice, Randy, Sunmi, Stephen and Claudia returned from the most recent jaunt through the portal, mostly in various states of disarray. They subsequently tangled with the ultors of the Order of the Scarlet Sage, and things did not go well.

Over on the 1918 side, A.J., Henrietta, Aurelia, and (now NPCs) Frank and Jimmy elected to remain an entire month, so as to scout out the territory more thoroughly. They’re currently in Santa Fe, the capitol of the northern territories of the Colony of New Spain, where the group has begun to draw unwanted attention from the powers that be.

The most recent session focused on the 1918 group, which gave the 2014 team a break. That kinda worked out, okay, since Bernetta was terribly ill with a bad cold, Rebecca had school stuff, and Samantha took the opportunity to get some things done at her house. Also, we learned that Mike has dropped out of the campaign, due to work responsibilities.

That makes Frank Moses available for guest players, although Mike has first claim on him, should he ever find the time to play, again.

So, here we go.

Characters Present:

Dr. Henrietta "Indiana" Johnson -- A personable, age 29-and-holding Anthropologist who specializes in the pre-Columbian indigenous people of the American Desert Southwest. A Native of Apache Junction, AZ, "Indiana" is good with people and has been fascinated by American Indian religion and folklore since she was a child. Henrietta speaks Apache fluently, and not-so-secretly wishes archaeology could be more like Raiders of the Lost Ark and less like digging in a trench with a trowel and a toothbrush -- Played by Debbie S.

Dr. Arthur "A.J." Jamison -- a retired NASA scientist with a home in one of Moab's nicer canyon sub-developments, who volunteers for 4CSAR because he needs to do something to get out of the house. Considers himself responsible for Sunmi Jones, who is enough of a science-geek that the two of them can actually hold a conversation. -- Played by Anten S.

Aurelia R. Lockrin -- A young woman with a shady past who teaches History at Grand County High School (Home of the Red Devils!), and volunteers for 4CSAR because she's a bit of an adrenalin junkie, and likes the companionship. -- played by Bennie Rae P.

G&AInc also attended the session, but his character, ”Random” Randy Shoop was on a completely different world.

NPCs Present

Trooper Frank Moses -- A former Marine who recently quit his job as a trooper with the Utah Highway Patrol (UHP), based out of the Section 13 office in Moab, under Lt. Lee Exeter. Moses works with 4CSAR as needed, and has an interest in Doc Bascher. Frank finds himself attracted to what he perceives as the much simpler life on the 1918 side of the portal.

Jimmy Ehrland – A fugitive from the 1918 Colonia de Nova España, on the other side of the portal, he had fled from his vampire mistress, Doña Eva, only to find himself in a strange, alien world to which he must struggle to adapt.

##

The session started out as Henrietta read the latest news from La Gaceta de Santa Fe, and the group decided the onset of snow in the high country meant they should probably cut short their time in the northern capitol of La Colonia de Nova España. Also, the news stories served to confirm their views of the imminence of war between Spain and the United States, and they had no desire to get stuck in Nova España territory until spring.

Still, they had some additional shopping and trading to finish, and more research into the local economy and culture, so they figured they’d wait out the current storm-front, and try to make it through the passes before the next one rolled in. That gave them three days, or so, before they had to leave.

Henrietta also went through the various cards and notes delivered to her by the hotel concierge, that morning, and saw a request to receive a call by one “Doña Eva Linda Ysidro,” Realizing who that had to be, and not wanting to risk offense, Henrietta penned a response in which she agreed to an evening meeting, four days hence.

Aurelia said they should bring a Farmer’s Almanac, the next time, although A.J. noted that might have limited utility. (Atmospheric variances between the two universes likely meant that climate, in general, and local weather patterns, in specific, could result in widely different conditions.)

Anyway, given that they had a few days to kill, and wishing to build some personal relationships to help ensure their welcome on return visits, Aurelia and Henrietta decided to attend the several social functions they’d agreed to accept. With that, Aurelia prepared for her luncheon with Señorita Maria Linda de la Cruz y Vasquez, the daughter of the textile manufacturer she’d met a couple of days previously.

Also, A.J. and Henrietta hooked the steam buggy up to the horses using the swingle-tree harness they’d designed for it (as cover), and went shopping.

Aurelia donned a nice dress and, based what they’d learned thus far, asked Frank to escort her to the appointment. This proved a wise decision since, as they walked through the streets, Aurelia noted that no woman in this nicer part of Santa Fe went anywhere without a male escort – either a hired footman, or (she suspected) a family member.

Aurelia made a mark on the “bad” side of the mental list she kept about life in this alternate 1918 universe. She got the impression that women in Spanish colonial society almost certainly had the status of second-class citizens, and as a woman with early 21st Century sensibilities, Aurelia didn’t like that, at all.

As the pair continued their walk to her appointment, they confirmed some things they’d started to learn about the layout of this world’s Santa Fe. The nicest parts of town seemed to lie in the north, where the streams flowed in from the mountains, while the center of the city held the palace of el gubernador, and the offices of el alcalde (the mayor), as well as associated administrative facilities.

The further south one traveled, and the further from the center of the city, the less affluent the neighborhoods. On the south end of town, where the railroad lines came in, lay the industrial areas and the poorest neighborhoods.

Moreover, unlike the rational grid system used in U.S. cities, this Santa Fe seemed to follow the Spanish design of centering barrios (neighborhoods) on various playas, with streets radiating outwards until they met in a tangle with streets for barrios centered on different playas. As such, the best way to locate an address required one to start at the playa associated with that barrio, find the main avenue that radiated out from it, and follow that to reach the proper side-street(s).

On the trip down, Frank noticed what he thought might be followers, and quietly notified Aurelia, who also began to watch for them.

The pair didn’t actually have to travel very far to the south, as it turned out that Señorita Maria’s father was apparently a reasonably wealthy man, although clearly not a don. They found the Playa de Empresarios in a bit less than an hour, and soon found themselves outside the blank white stucco walls and heavy wooden door of the home of the familia de Cruz.

The doorman made polite inquiries, recognized Aurelia’s name, and unlocked the door. He showed Frank to a room with a warm stove and a hot kettle where servants could wait, just inside the door, and then escorted Aurelia through to the courtyard.

The high school teacher found herself in a lovely space, open to the sky, with thick, brightly-colored ceramic tiles, a burnt umber terracotta roof on the surrounding structure, ornamental iron work, and an arched arcade walkway on all sides, through which she’d passed to emerge in the courtyard. Señorita Maria Linda rose from a table on the far side, near the entry to the kitchen, and rushed forward to greet her guest.

Aurelia took a moment to look around, and ask questions in a fake French accent that Maria Linda tried to answer in heavily-accented English. The señorita expressed her apologies that many of the plants had been taken in, for the winter, while most of the perennials had died back for the year. Aurelia replied that the courtyard remained quite lovely, even so, and said she looked forward to seeing it in the spring.

The two women went back to the table, where two lit braziers kept away the early November chill, and within a few moments, an older woman in black lace emerged from the family quarters to join them. Maria introduced the woman as her abuela, and the woman gave Aurelia a polite “buenas dias” before she sat down and devoted herself to knitting what looked like a lace shawl.

A servant came out shortly with some tapas (apparently, the Mexican term, botanas, wasn’t used in this world) fresh fruit and watered wine, and the two women nibbled and sipped, as they chatted.

Soon, Aurelia got the impression that Maria Linda lived a rather cloistered life, as she asked a lot of questions about Aurelia’s adventures while traveling with “La Doña Henrietta.” Aurelia made up the best lies she could, while trying to maintain her fake French accent, and things went well enough, for awhile.

(continued...)

[tshiggins]

(...continued)

However, as the conversation continued, she noticed that the abuela seemed to grow a bit more agitated and focused on her knitting, while Maria Linda expressed ever more confusion about some of Aurelia’s stories. Eventually, Maria Linda ended the luncheon promptly on the hour and politely showed Aurelia to the door, where Frank joined her for the return to the hotel.

(Bennie botched every default Savoir Faire skill check, and blew one of her rolls against Acting).

Upon their return, Aurelia reported how the luncheon went, and Henrietta began to express serious doubts about any attempt to navigate what would likely prove to be the far more dangerous shoals of high society social events. With that in mind, the group decided to pack up all but the most basic necessities and put almost everything with the steam buggy, in case they needed to skip town, in a hurry.

At A.J.’s suggestion, they also decided to slip out of the hotel, late at night, and sleep in the barn behind the building, where the hotel staff had directed them to park the vehicle.

That proved a wise decision when, late at night during A.J.’s and Aurelia’s watch in the hayloft, the scientist saw three figures slipping up the alley toward the barn, from the direction opposite the hotel and the playa. At the time he noticed them, the figures had reached the large warehouse that stood behind the barn, separated from it by a narrow access walkway between the two properties.

A.J. hissed to get Aurelia’s attention and indicated the approach. Aurelia, on the opposite side of the hayloft opening and thus not able to see the approaching figures, stepped back into the loft and hissed to get the attention of Frank and Henrietta. She successfully did so, and Henrietta woke up Jimmy, as well.

As Aurelia did that, A.J. noted that the two figures in the lead (one on each side of the alley) seemed to have some skill at sneaking through dark alleys, at night, while the third who trailed along behind only moved when the others indicated he should.

The engineer slowly took a prone position in the hayloft to the left of the opening, and pointed his crossbow down the alley. Aurelia came back toward the hayloft opening, as Frank stumbled on a flagstone on the floor of the barn, as he tried to approach the door.

At the sound, the two figures raised their right fists in the “halt!” position, drew pistols, and waited for at least a minute. This gave Aurelia time to take her position on the other side of the loft opening, and then toss a pebble up the alley toward the playa. After another minute, or so, the figures decided the sound hadn’t meant anything, so they holstered their pistols and continued toward the barn.

As they did so, the one on the opposite side of the alley crossed to the front of the doors, where A.J. could barely see him. However, watching through gaps in the wooden planks of the barn doors, Frank saw him lean down, brace himself, and cup his hands.

With that, the second figure moved forward quickly and stepped into the cupped hands, at which point the first figure raised him up high enough to grasp the frame above the barn doors and pull himself up to the loft opening.

The man then raised his right foot up to the framing timber, and used it to hoist the rest of his body up so he lay prone on the frame above the door, at the loft opening – with the top of his head about two feet from the tip of the bolt loaded in A.J.’s crossbow, but looking down into the barn where Frank stood, concealed in the darkness.

All the man had to do was turn his face to the left to spot A.J., so the engineer shot him in the head. His unconscious body fell outwards (50-50 roll) and landed at the feet of the shocked second man, who loudly cursed in Spanish.

As A.J. rolled onto his back to cock his crossbow (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRyXv2J3Jrw), Aurelia stepped out with her bow and took a shot at the the second man, who drew his pistol. The third man following along behind turned, and began to run down the alley shouting for the policia.

Realizing she couldn’t let the running man escape. Aurelia dropped her bow and jumped out of the loft into the alley – directly in front of the second man. The man took a shot at her, but she managed to avoid the point of aim (close combat rules) and charged down the alley.

Behind her, the man retreated back across to the other side of the alley as A.J. got his crossbow loaded. He took another shot at Aurelia, missed, and then A.J. put a bolt through his leg. The man went down screaming, as the engineer saw lights come on in the hotel.

A bit further down the alley, Aurelia dashed along behind the third figure, who kept casting desperate glances behind him as he spotted his pursuer. That meant he didn’t see a dark figure drop, catlike, from the high roof of the warehouse and land in front of him. He charged headlong into the arms of the figure, who stopped him as suddenly as if he’d run into a wall, and then bit at his throat.

Suddenly terrified, Aurelia stopped, turned around and ran back to the barn, to try to reach her bow. As she did so, she saw another figure walk into the alley from the playa, and paused.

Seeing that, A.J. craned his head around and looked up the alley, too, and saw an elegantly dressed woman in black lace dress, bosom gleaming white in the playa gaslights, calmly walking up the dark alley while fluttering a fan in the cold November night.

Frank threw open the barn door as Aurelia arrived, looked down at his rifle, up at the approaching lady, and asked if the firearm would help, at all. Aurelia said, “Nope,” and took her bow from her shoulder and started to draw an arrow, as the lady reached them. She gave them a polite, “buenas noches,” walked over to the screaming man and silenced him by snapping his neck with a quick twist of her right hand.

She then picked the body up by one hand, grabbed the dead body of the other man A.J. had shot, and carried both of them to the walkway between the two structures. The second figure from down the alley did the same with the man he’d killed.

At that, the group started up the propane tank on the buggy so as to heat the boiler, and pushed it out to the alley. Just as they did so, the woman emerged from the access walkway and, as she approached, asked to speak with “Doña Henrietta, or whomever is actually in charge.”

Henrietta took a deep breath and stepped up, and introduced herself to the striking woman with curly, deep black hair, dark eyes and alabaster skin. The woman responded by introducing herself as “Doña Eva Linda Ysidro,” and apologized for showing up for a meeting, unannounced, instead of waiting for four days, as requested.

The archaeologist replied that was quite alright, under the circumstances, but noted that those circumstances meant the meeting had to be a brief one. She also asked if Doña Eva knew the men who they suspected wanted to rob them.

The vampire replied that, based on how they were armed and equipped, the men almost certainly were not thieves. Instead, she said, the men were likely either investigators with the local police, the local military, or possibly spies of some sort. As such, she understood the Henrietta’s need to leave Santa Fe, quickly, but had important business to discuss, first.

Henrietta inquired as to the nature of this business, and Doña Eva asked if the dimensional traveler had made herself aware of news about the war that would most certainly come with the spring rains. Henrietta replied that she was, indeed, aware of the looming conflict, but asked why someone such as Doña Eva would concern herself, with such matters?

Doña Eva asked how much Henrietta knew about the nature of vampires, and the archaeologist ran down the basics known to most fans of the horror genre, in general, and Anne Rice, in particular. Doña Eva replied that she had the basics correct, more or less, but hadn’t thought through the implications.

While vampires did, indeed, master the night, even then they had vulnerabilities. Those vulnerabilities increased by orders of magnitude, during the daylight hours, and that made vampiric existence rather fragile, in a lot of ways. The precarious nature of vampiric existence became even more pronounced, Doña Eva explained, in places of violent upheaval – especially since the invention of cannons that could destroy entire structures with a single shell.

Moreover, Doña Eva said, the fact that violence seemed imminent, and had the potential to spread widely, created risks to her existence that she found unacceptable.

However, she continued, she had paid careful attention to tales Don Reyes had told about his visits to their world, and it seemed to offer her a safe haven. As such, she said, she would like the permission of Henrietta’s lodge to relocate to their side of the gateway, and place herself and her coven under their protection.

In exchange, Doña Eva said, she and hers would offer any service requested of them by the lodge, so long as it did not place their existence at any undue risk. Also, she would agree to refrain from any activity that would draw too much attention to her existence, and by extension the existence of the lodge.

(continued...)

[tshiggins]

(...continued)

At that. A.J. stepped up and mentioned that, as frightened as Doña Eva might find the weapons of this world, those on the 2014 side were unimaginably more powerful, and thus incredibly more dangerous to her. The vampire replied that, while the weapons might, indeed, be much more frightful, she understood that they were seldom actually used in the territory of the United States, as it existed in their world.

Rather, Don Reyes had reported the presence of vast, mostly-peaceful cities teeming with hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of people. Such large ciudads made it very easy for her and the members of her coven to merge into the crowds and disappear from view, Doña Eva explained, and the fact that the nation, itself, seemed quite peaceful meant it offered a much greater chance of continued survival.

The group quickly discussed the proposal, and while Aurelia expressed reluctance at allowing vampires into their world, Henrietta pointed out they very likely already existed, there. The art history teacher had to acknowledge the probable truth of the statement, and ruefully acknowledged that the vampires offered a way to get entirely unexpected help with the ultor problem they faced, on the other side.

In addition, A.J. pointed out that the vampires had requested permission to migrate, and that meant they held considerable respect for the power exercised by the lodges. While he didn’t understand that power (and considered the use of the word “magic” to describe it highly inappropriate and genuinely misleading), the fact that the vampires respected it, so much, meant they likely would keep any promises made.

On top of that, they needed to get out of town, now, and that would be a lot easier if Doña Eva decided to not make that more difficult for them.

Henrietta told Doña Eva that the lodge agreed to her terms, generally, but might need to hash out some fine details on their next meeting. Doña Eva expressed gratitude at the decision and, in the name of honesty, revealed that her decision to flee to the new world and offer her allegiance to a new lodge might upset her current protector.

She named him as Don Maximo, and noted that he was the master of Don Reyes and chief sorcerer of the local lodge. She had given her allegiance to that lodge, several decades ago, and had rendered them assistance several times, through the years. Most recently, she had made blood slaves out of the Apaches, Heck and Izzy, at Don Maximo’s request, to guard the portal entrance after the group had killed the tsiants creatures that had guarded it, originally.

That prompted Henrietta to ask Doña Eva’s intentions toward Jimmy, now that she knew where he could be found. The vampire dismissed the boy with a wave of her hand, calling him a “pretty plaything,” but only one of many she’d had through the long years of her existence. As such, she agreed to relinquish any and all claims to him, as part of her agreement with the new lodge.

With that, Henrietta and the vampire agreed to meet at the opening of the portal, sometime between the first of the year and the Spring Equinox, and make the final agreement at that time. The boiler had heated up sufficiently, by then, and the group heard voices from the direction of the hotel, so it was time to go.

A.J. took the wheel of the steam buggy, while Henrietta and Jimmy mounted the two horses. They moved out into the playa and saw the doorman and several members of the hotel staff staring. A.J. put the throttle down as he crossed to the exit avenue, Henrietta and Jimmy trotting along behind.

Soon after they left the playa, El Capitán Gustavo Domingo Espinosa y Melendez emerged from an alley and demanded they halt. Surprised to see him, A.J. slowed the buggy as they approached, and the officer informed them they were under arrest. With that, A.J. floored the throttle and the horses broke into a gallop, and Espinosa had to dive out of the way.

(Espinosa was told to provide backup to the infiltration team, but ordered to keep his distance unless specifically called upon. The speed of the fight had left them somewhat confused about what to do, until the buggy appeared.)

As they sped away, a dozen of Espinosa’s men ran out of the alleys and they made their escape from Santa Fe as bullets whined around them, and thudded into the frame of the buggy.

After they cleared the city, A.J. slowed the buggy down a bit to make it easier for the horses to keep up and shouted that the group needed to figure out how best to get clear of Nova España territory. The capitán likely knew the direction of their initial approach, by now, and would almost certainly use the telegraph to wire the garrisons ahead to be on the lookout for them.

The group agreed they needed to use a different road, and noted that the routes in this world seem to follow the waterways much more closely than in their own (where that was mostly the case in their New Mexico, anyway). They briefly discussed heading straight north, toward U.S. territory, but decided the higher passes in what would be southern Colorado or northern New Mexico posed too great a risk of winter storms, in this world's much colder early November.

Instead, they chose to strike out southwest to find a road that followed the water to a pass in the southern Rockies. They hoped that, given their lower elevations and more southerly latitude, the passes would remain open so they could get through to the desert, on the other side. Once they got through the mountains, they’d turn northwest, again, and try to strike the Rio Grande del Norte (the Colorado River) north of the deep canyons that eventually led it into the Grand Canyon, and then follow the river back to Ute Indian territory.

Given that the locations of the passes on this world had been the same as the ones on their side – at least, so far – they felt reasonably confident they could find one and get across it within five to seven days, before the winter storms arrived in full force. After that, they’d need to push hard to get north through the desert in time to make the portal opening.

With what seemed like a decent plan, A.J. took the wheel and moved the buggy along at 10 mph, which the horses could keep up with for awhile, at least. He stayed at the wheel until a couple of hours past dawn, at which point he swapped with Aurelia and tried to get some sleep in the passenger seat, as the buggy jounced along.

Aurelia kept it together well enough, until about noon. At that point, weariness caused her to run off the road and wedge the left front wheel in an irrigation canal (crit fail on her Driving skill). The hard jolt rocked A.J. awake and he turned cold at the first sight of the damage. The group hurriedly got the heaviest cargo and equipment out of the buggy and, with the help of the two tired horses, pulled it free of the canal.

A.J. jacked up the buggy, squirmed beneath, and saw a badly bent tie rod that he would have to replace. Fortunately, he and Beatrice had included spares in the supplies. However, the job would take a couple of hours to accomplish, under the circumstances.

Frank and Aurelia climbed up a hillside to take turns keeping watch from a good vantage point, while Henrietta and Jimmy saw to the horses, cooked some food, handed A.J. stuff and tried to get a little rest.

The job went well enough, and A.J. eventually lowered the jack and called everyone over to help load the buggy as he heated up the boiler, again. However, about halfway through the reloading, Frank spotted a troop of approaching cavalry, several hilltops back. Aurelia took a quick glance through binoculars, and counted at least two dozen soldiers, armed with pistols and single-shot carbines, about a half-mile back.

The group hurriedly lashed on the last of the cargo, and pulled out as the cavalry spotted them and broke into a gallop. A.J. sped away on the rough road, but the pursuing cavalry began to cut across the rougher terrain they saw their horses could use, but the buggy could not.

As they did so, Frank pawed through the cargo, and pulled a rifle case out. He opened it up to reveal a fully automatic assault rifle, and shouted that, if they let the cavalry get close enough, he might be able to wipe them out to the last man.

Horrified at the concept of mass murder, the rest of the group told him to, instead, use the rifle to lay down suppressive fire to break up the cavalry formation and get them to take cover. That should give the buggy time to get away, A.J. said, since the cavalry had come from the direction of Santa Fe, and had likely been riding all night with little rest.

Frank agreed to the plan and, bracing himself against the roll-bars, began to fire bursts of automatic fire at the cavalry, once they got within 200 yards, or so. Sure enough, the troops immediately scattered from their tight formation and began to fall behind as they returned fire with their carbines and tried to keep to cover.

Within about 20 minutes, the buggy and the two lightly-loaded horses had left the cavalry behind, and it did not appear that anybody had gotten shot.

(continued...)

[tshiggins]

(Really hated the character limit, this time.)

(...continued)

A.J. slowed down, again, and kept the wheel despite his lack of sleep. He wasn’t sure how solid the repair was and, by the end of the day, he realized the buggy should keep to a speed of no more than about 10-15 mph, over the long haul, with bursts of greater speed only as needed. By the end of the day, the buggy and the tired horses had made another 30 miles, or so, with no sign of any other cavalry.

The group turned in, for the night, and the next day continued to gain elevation as they nursed the horses and the steam buggy along. That night, A.J. took another look at the rack-and-pinion steering on the left front wheel, and wished he had a shop with a lift to allow him to make better repairs.

The next day went the same way, as the horses got even more weary and the altitude increased. By the end of that day, they rested in the foothills of the mountains. The air had grown quite cold and the sky, overcast.

As Henrietta and Jimmy wiped down the horses and put feed-bags around their hanging heads, the rest of the group started a campfire and pitched brightly-colored alpine tents. As the water began to boil in the coffee pot, flurries of snow began to fall.

That ended the session.

##

Funny Quotes

Anten (OOC, discussing Beatrice’s activities in the previous session): And I thought the pokeball decision was bad!

Bennie (OOC): Didn’t one of us bring a Farmer’s Almanac, or something?
G&AInc (OOC): It wasn’t me.
Bennie (OOC): You’re not even in this world!

Aurelia: But I don’t want to play with the vampire!

Henrietta: It’s a stand-off in silence! Where’s the little mouse running across the alley, when you need it?

Aurelia: Any time I try to fight someone hand-to-hand, it goes horribly, horribly, horribly, horribly wrong!

Doña Eva: What’s the name of your lodge, by the way?
Aurelia: The Friends of Olivia.
Doña Eva: Aren’t the lodges usually named after flowers, or jewels, or something?
Henrietta: Hey, you’re coming to us for help, so you don’t get to criticize our naming conventions!

Aurelia: The worlds suck on both sides of the portal!

##