Tenth Sorcerer Session
Jun. 5th, 2006 10:05 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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labcatsHere's the write up for the tenth session. I'm hoping we'll have another one tomorrow.
SORCERER: Tenth Session: 9 May 2006
The description of the characters and the write up of the first session are here: http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=17765.0
The write up of the second session is here: http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18035.0
The write up of the third session is here: http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18074.0
The write up of the fourth session is here: http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18746.0
The write up of the fifth session is here: http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18871.0
The write up of the sixth session is here: http://community.livejournal.com/labcats/7728.html#cutid1
The write up of the seventh session is here: http://community.livejournal.com/labcats/10758.html#cutid1
The write up of the eighth session is here: http://community.livejournal.com/labcats/11558.html#cutid1
The write up of the ninth session is here: http://community.livejournal.com/labcats/12699.html#cutid1
GEARING UP
I wasn't sure this one would come off -- Dave gave a tentative yes, then got sick. But, when I called in the evening, he was en route on Broadway and 110th (rather than having a fever of 110 degrees fahrenheit, as Julian misheard).
There was a fair bit o' natter via email on the metaphysics of the world, with Julian not liking how it drifted, Josh worried he was getting GM's Boyfriend privileges, and me asking, once we'd established that we all trusted each other not to screw up deliberately what the bottom line was.
I asked again, now, the key question: What should I -not- do? Josh taught me in casting for larps that avoiding the negatives is more crucial than supplying the positives.
Julian: Don't solve my problems for me.
That made sense. We convened and did Humanity loss (Pamela) and gain (Josh, Julian) rolls from last session, then experience rolls (based on a) my interpretation of the text that these take place at the GM's discretion, b) the fact that we'd been doing it that way all along, and I didn't want to change in mid-stream for no reason, and c) player consensus that, yes, it was time.)
Everyone's Lore went up. This was highly appropriate, IMAO.
I'd thought this session would wrap it, but Dave correctly gauged that we'd be lucky to get as far as the ball.
As per earlier conversations with Julian, I said that the missing fragment of the Book of the Heart of the Beast would be wherever it turned out to be the most dramatically appropriate. A few minutes later, Julian said that he knew where it was.
Julian: Teresa hid it.
This made good sense. She's nervous about all the banishing Niccolo's doing, and wants to find her a new sorcerer.
In retrospect, this felt like something out of Conspiracy of Shadows or Theatrix, where players have chips that they can use to add facts and such, only without the chips. It also occurs to me that the fragment of the Book of the Heart of the Beast became something of a Chekhov's Gun.
HERMES
Last session, Hermes-the-Possessor had been bound into a raccoon by Sophia, following Sebastian's guidance under Andreas' bemused eye. Either Sebastian or Andreas tried to talk to Hermes, and, when that didn't work, they suggested that Sophia, who had bound Hermes, try. The two professors began an abstract philosophical discussion, getting so absorbed in it that they -- and their players -- failed to notice for some time that Sophia had started talking with her new demon.
Sebastian had told Sophia to get, say, the spirit of a dead actor. Whether this did or did not happen, I used it as a guideline for playing the raccoon. He gave as good a courtly bow to Sophia as he could, which charmed her, and he asked if Nariya was to be his partner.
Sophia asked how he was at death scenes. I wish I remembered more details, because I got a lot of laughs from what I said and from the expressions on my face as Hermes asked for detail. Sophia said that she was a swordswoman, not a playwright. Hermes said that she didn't have to write a play; perhaps there was already one that would suffice.
Sophia: You're a huge, fierce beast! But misunderstood and dying tragically!
Hermes was a bit boggled, as he couldn't think of any plays with an actual beast-monster as tragic hero. I mean, we're talking vague Renaissance / Enlightenment, not POMO, or even King Kong, though I quoted, "'Twas Beauty killed the beast."
Hermes was about leery about Sophia's pretend-to-be-dead thing, as he wants to be sure that it is indeed a pretense. He also has the Need to kill. Sophia gave him a list of people -not- to kill.
Lisa: I presume Sophia's brothers are on that list. (Pamela confirms.)
Sophia: Don't kill anyone at the university. We don't have enough smart people.
Hermes: Ah, so I should kill -stupid- people.
Style notes:
a) I did not make Pamela construct Sophia's no-kill list. It would slow the game down to no purpose. I'm willing, within reason, to let her say, "X would have been on the list", and I'm willing to ask, "Okay, in this group, who is on the list?" I am not interested in running a Trap-the-Player game.
b) I did not play out each not of this. Heck, we were deliberately being vague about how much time was passing. I did not personify the victims. I noted that
1) Hermes would go after the underclass. Such victims were less likely to cause waves.
2) Hermes would take direction, at least for the moment. If Sophia saw a man battering a woman, she could tell her helpful demon to kill the abuser.
For this session, the multiple deaths were atmosphere, and the individual details unimportant in the story we were building. Story Now; Play What Matters.
That said:
1. I am wondering if I should have Hermes kill the boy who delivers Andreas' wood. Likely not, as the boy hasn't ever actually appeared. Perhaps a petitioner could tell the happy couple about a slaughtered relative.
2. I do want him killing off folks who matter, or, at least giving it a good college try at the party.
3. Hey, costume ball!
4. Ingrid isn't happy about the dying peasants. Bad for the city.
5. Sebastian is thinking, in view of these deaths, that an actual killing or banishment of the demon might not be bad.
Julian is thinking that Sophia may have just become the Evilest PC.
Julian: You killed your parents.
Sophia: That wasn't me! That was my demon!
Andreas and Sebastian had more philosophical discussions.
Sebastian suggested they might consider asking their demons where they'd come from. Andreas and Sophia agreed, but no one actually asked. I'm not sure whether I have an answer or not.
INGRID AT HOME
Ingrid saw people gathering at Sebastian's place through Aquila's eyes, but alas, windows were shuttered due to cold an secrecy.
Meanwhile, Ingrid's old nanny, Nonna, told Ingrid that Sophia's brother Freideriche seemed to be talking to himself. Ingrid went to speak with him. He was drilling himself on using his left hand, his right having been cut off by Ingrid's (deceased, thanks to Sophia) uncle.
Freideriche talked to Ingrid about how odd it was that Horst was being blamed for sorcery, as it had seemed to him that the man, while insane, was against sorcerers. And it was convenient that Sophia was the only witness of the demon that killed their parents. He cautioned Ingrid to be careful.
Ingrid wondered who had been telling Freideriche tales. Julian suggested it might be Aquila. Ingrid questioned the servants. All denied telling Freideriche anything to prompt what he'd said. All were telling the truth, as Ingrid confirmed with her absurdly high Perception: Lies. I didn't bother to roll. The story would have been slowed to no purpose, much as things come to a crashing halt in badly written CoC scenarios if one doesn't spot the clue. Story Now. Ingrid told Aquila to keep watch and see what could be learned.
NICCOLO DEALS WITH A DEMON
Meanwhile, when I'd wondered how to Niccolo track down the remaining demon-possessed child created by Teresa's brother, Marcello. Julian made an excellent suggestion: Just let Niccolo catch up. This is a side adventure, and we want him back in Vindabona.
The child was named Antonio, after his grandfather. His Need was Attention, and his Desire was Praise. He was not the type to be good at keeping a low profile. I ruled that Niccolo had no problem tracking the boy to a barn where he was hiding. -That's- where Story Now was.
Teresa suggested burning the barn down, but Niccolo refused. The barn belonged to a farmer.
Niccolo went in and called to Antonio. Hm, I hadn't thought about or planned this, but the fact that Antonio, the last surviving child possessor, is named after Teresa's father, who appeared last session and took a more active roll this session, set up an interesting resonance, the more eerie for being unplanned.
Antonio allowed himself to be coaxed out of his hiding place. There was fur on top of his head, running down the neck and spine. Antonio asked about his father, Marcello, being dead, asi his mother, Bianca, had told him. Fortunately, he did not have Perception: Lies, though Niccolo stuck quite close to the truth. He said that Bianca was ill in the head and offered to take Antonio to Marcello. The child agreed, feeling like he was finally getting the consideration due him.
Niccolo took him to an inn and waited for him to be fed, warm, and sleepy. Once Antonio was asleep, Niccolo used his Very Good Contain (+3), aka a large net. This proved unnecessary, as Niccolo easily banished the demon, resulting in another dead child.
Julian called for a Humanity Loss roll here, feeling that what Niccolo had done had been "very cold". The dice did not agree.
Niccolo (to himself): Well, at least he died warm and fed.
SEBASTIAN TRIES TO HELP RAINER
Meanwhile, Josh experimented with player scene framing, having Sebastian invite Andreas over for a chat and saying that Rainer was already waiting. Sebastian explained that he had, if somewhat reluctantly, come to the conclusion that Rainer's work was too important to allow the von Pfender, Ingrid's great-grandfather, to have him killed. Rainer and Sebastian explained Rainer's predicament.
They also explained other information. Rainer had been told of the eagle demon by Sebastian, who'd been startled to learn that it wasn't Rainer's. Rainer asked if it were Andreas'. Andreas, the one sorcerer who'd recognized Ingrid as a sorcerer, said, correctly, that it was hers. Andreas' madness had shown him what no one else had seen.
The three sorcerers agreed that Sebastian should speak to Ingrid. I missed much of that conversation, but I gather:
-- Ingrid was not pleased that Rainer now knew that she was a sorcerer
-- She nevertheless did not insist on his death. Dead or gone were both acceptable to her.
-- I think that she asked Sebastian about whether Sophia was a sorcerer. After discussing social contract issues with Pamela, Josh decided that Sebastian would lie, but everyone knew OC that Ingrid would know he lied. Lying is atypical for Josh's characters.
-- Ingrid and Sebastian agreed that they should not approach Ingrid's great-grandfather about this, nor should Rainer.
Ingrid's mood was not improved when Aquila showed her through their link that Rainer's weasel passer demon, Trismegistus, was slipping into the window of Freideriche's room. I don't know if Ingrid started out knowing whose Trismegistus was, but, if not, Sebastian enlightened her.
[What else happened in that conversation?]
Ingrid later spoke with Freideriche, learning, to her relief, that he seemed truly ignorant that she was a sorcerer.
ANTONIO'S ARRIVAL
Niccolo and Teresa returned to Vindabona to find an invitation to the costume ball. After some discussion, we agreed that they'd come not as Paris and Helena, but as Pygmalion and Galatea.
Andreas finished teaching a class as a clerk approached to say that Lord Antonio Mantuo had come to Italy from Vindabona to demand an explanation for what had happened to his sons, Leonardo and Marcello. Andreas said that he'd see Antonio in the lab. The clerk asked if this were wise, but admitted that arguing with a nobleman and his armed entourage was not wise.
Antonio and 2 of his men went into the lab. I figured that Orion and Andreas might well be able to take them if it came to a fight -- especially if Leonardo were released. I wanted to give Dave ample opportunity to have Andreas cut loose.
It didn't happen that way, though Dave tells me that it wasn't a big problem. The thing is, Dave wasn't going to have Andreas fly stupidly off the handle with no provocation, and he played Andreas as a very smooth talker. Oh, Antonio was a bit condescending, and I did toss in a gratuitous insult or two -- but it made no narrative sense to do more. I'm not a fan of forcing a Make-or-Break Bang when it makes no sense. That is, Antonio showing up is a legitimate bang. Antonio demanding Andreas' head on a platter just 'cuz I think that there should be gore -- nah, that's just stupid. And this was at least a 2-bang scene, anyway.
So, Andreas showed Leonardo to Antonio, after cautioning him that the sight might shock him. Leonardo was priapic (his telltale), and he did not recognize his father, though he would have pretended to if Andreas had ordered him to. Andreas didn't, only asking if Leonardo recognized Antonio, and not taking advantage when Leonardo asked, "Should I?"
Antonio asked about his other son, Marcello. Andreas angrily said that it was Marcello who had been responsible for Leonardo's condition in the first place. Andreas did not admit to killing Marcello, but stuck to the story about Marcello's injuries proving fatal. Antonio asked what had happened to Marcello's body.
Dave: That's a very good question.
He decided that it would have been buried with proper respect, not treated as a dissection subject or tossed on a midden.
Antonio announced that he would take Leonardo with him, despite Andreas' cautions. After all, Leonardo could have fallen victim to an Italian poison, like the cantarella of the Borgias. A die roll determined that Andreas had heard of this, but did not know the ingredients.
Antonio suggested Andreas come with him to Italy, assuring the professor that he would be well paid. Andreas demurred, saying that he had students to teach. Antonio suggested that Andreas come to Italy after the quarter ended, and Andreas said that he would consider this.
Antonio had Marcello's wife, Bianca, brought in. She confirmed that Leonardo had tried to rape her. Andreas was surprised. Dave noted that Andreas had no clue about when this had happened. Antonio made disparaging comments about how well Andreas had secured Leonardo. He also said that he would see if Leonardo's condition were actually due to an Italian poison after all, or if it had a more German cause.
He added that a good man had risked death to bring him news of his sons' conditions. Andreas asked who that man might be. Antonio told him: Niccolo di Tarci.
Antonio, his men, Bianca, and Leonardo (restrained by Antonio's men) left. I reckoned that Leonardo's Desire (to breed) would be met, but not his Need (to submit in ritualized dominance games), the opposite of his situation with Andreas.
The university clerk who had told Andreas of Antonio's arrival was very unhappy about nobles throwing their weight around the university. All right, some nobles weren't so bad -- Rupert, Ingrid, Ysabel, Sebastian, Andreas himself -- nobles who -understood- the university and were a part of it. But, the recently deceased Graf von Hirsch, and these Italian nobles -- pah! Nobles who definitely did not understand. And Italian nobles? Foreigners, to boot! Einhardt Schilderote, the recently deceased head of the university, would never have stood for it!
Was that a Pull that Dave declined?
In Bang Construction, was I on target or off base?
Should I have said, "To heck with narrative logic and simulationist appeasement," and have had Antonio demand Andreas' heart and liver?
Should I have said that and had Antonio keep Andreas as a prisoner / physician to Leonardo? Hm, possibly, if it had been mid-game.
Should I have had the clerk announce his intent to Get that Arrogant Italian Noble?
Or was it actually fine as played?
Is it the Bang or the follow through I'm having trouble with -- or neither?
Bangs I think were there:
-- Antonio's arrival
-- Antonio's decision to take Leonardo. Is this actually a subset of the above? I think it's part of the same bang.
-- Bianca's revelation. Is this a bang? Would it have been if Andreas had followed up on it?
-- Antonio's revelation that Niccolo was the source of his information. Would this have been a bang if Andreas had ignored it?
Are bangs Push, Pull, or It Depends? I think basically Push.
Regardless, Andreas decided that he should speak with Niccolo. The clerk told him that not only was Niccolo back in Vindabona, but also that he'd been back for days. That is, there was no way that the timing worked for Niccolo to go to Italy and back by normal means. Nor had he used normal means, for he had ridden a passer horse demon, Phaiddipides. The clerk either hadn't done or didn't know the math, while Andreas may have done the math just then -- or may have still been in denial. Either way, the professor decided to visit the artist.
THE PROFESSOR AND THE ARTIST
Niccolo was with Teresa, and Andreas, with his newly raised Lore skill, recognized Teresa as a demon. I think Andreas asked why Niccolo had rushed to give Antonio the news of his sons' deaths. Niccolo made some vague gesture.
Andreas explained that he was concerned that Antonio had claimed Leonardo and that Antonio might not be able to contain him. Andreas added that his experiments with Leonardo and Axel had led him to believe that he might be able to reveree a possession.
Bang.
Teresa rose to leave, saying that the two men would want to talk without her. Niccolo first told her to stay, then ordered her to do so.
Here, the die rolling was both meaningful and suspenseful.
Lisa: Can you beat two 9s?
Julian had a 10. Teresa sat down, asking if it were necessary that she stay to hear all of this. She knew that Niccolo didn't want her. Perhaps the doktor could help?
Andreas said that he was very much in the experimental stage. Teresa asked if he could find the answer quickly.
Teresa: It is tearing him [Niccolo] apart, and that is tearing me apart.
She also asked if this reversal would hurt the baby. Why, yes, she told Andreas, she was pregnant, and worried about this reversal -- because of the baby.
I got general praise for pulling on the emotional heartstrings.
On reading the above, Julian reminded me that he and Dave had started Niccolo's and Andreas' conversation while I was running a different scene, and that he had to pull me out of that because he needed to know how Teresa reacted to the bang Andreas supplied. I'd completely forgotten.
He also reminded me that when he rolled for Niccolo's command, most of his dice were abysmally low. One fell on the ground, which he picked up and rerolled. It came up a 10 on the reroll.
Julian: Extra drama provided by furniture.
FINAL MOVES BEFORE THE BALL
Teresa also suggested that if the doktor needed Leonardo to experiment on, perhaps she might be able to help Leonardo escape so that Andreas could recapture him. And, perhaps she or Niccolo should ask Ingrid that Antonio be invited so that he could speak with them, while pretending not to recognize them, because of the costumes?
Julian said that if Teresa kept pushing, Niccolo would let her go to Ingrid. This Teresa did, asking Sophia to escort her. We agreed that Teresa probably knew that Ingrid was a sorcerer and that I should roll to see if she recognized Sophia as one. She did.
She came on to Sophia, who was surprised, and a little intrigued. Teresa told Sophia a tale of woe, about how Niccolo didn't want her any more, though she tried to be what he wanted. No, she didn't want Sophia to hurt him; she just wanted him to love her. And her father didn't want her, either.
Pamela said that this was exactly the correct approach to take with Sophia, who said that her parents hadn't wanted her, either. Teresa said that she could not understand why, as Sophia seemed like a fine person to her. Sophia noted her own unladylike swordsmanship, and Teresa said, wistfully, that if she herself had learned swordsmanship, she might not be in such a predicament. Not that she wanted anything bad to happen to Niccolo.
They reached Ingrid, who understood after a very short time that Teresa was asking her for protection, as a demon to a sorcerer. She agreed to consider the request, but nothing more. She was willing to invite Antonio to her party, phrasing the invitation to make it clear that, while Antonio was genuinely welcome, he was also genuinely under no obligation to accept. Teresa added her own note, leaving it open for Ingrid to read, a fairly bland and deniable item.
Andreas sought out Rainer, explaining about Antonio and Leonardo. Rainer agreed that Antonio was ill-equipped to care for -- or understand -- his demon-possessed son.
Andreas asked if anyone were using the house in the forest where Horst had kept Sigrid prisoner. Rainer said that he didn't think anyone was, though it did belong to the von Pfenders. He told Andreas to use it for his experiments when Teresa freed Leonardo. If Andreas succeeded in reversing a possession, the von Pfender would overlook the trespass. If anything went wrong, Rainer said, Andreas could always blame him. After all, the von Pfender could only kill him once.
Dave: Not if you can summon a dead person as a demon!
We agreed that Teresa could get Leonardo away from Antonio, and that, really, it didn't much matter. The important thing was that we all agreed that Leonardo should show up at the ball and cause trouble.
We also knew we'd do no more than start the ball this session, so we didn't worry about the exact plan Sebastian, Rainer, and Andreas had cooked up to save Rainer. It would waste time, and we'd figure it out between sessions. Rainer was fairly pessimistic about his odds of survival.
He's no doubt noted that all the other sorcerers are nobles -- Sebastian, Ysabel, Andreas, Ingrid, Sophia, Gudrun, Marcello. He doesn't know about Niccolo or Ludwig. He may know what Rupert is.
THE BALL BEGINS
And so, we moved to the ball. Sophia had a talk with Niccolo about Teresa. She liked Niccolo -- he's a pretty boy, and she doesn't want to kill him. And, if he can prove to her that the real Teresa can be retrieved by using Andreas' work with Leonardo as an example, well and good. If that doesn't prove his case and he's still determined to banish Teresa, well, even though he's a pretty boy, Sophia will have to skewer him.
Ysabel made her appearance as Artemis and danced with Rupert, who was costumed as Apollo. Edmond, Ysabel's father and Ingrid's fiance, was, predictably, annoyed. He talked to his brother, Sebastian, suggesting that Sebastian had set this up. Sebastian truthfully denied this. He made a crack about Edmond's being the younger brother when Edmond brought up the age issue.
Edmond: He's twice her age!
Sebastian (noting the greater age difference between Edmond and Ingrid): That is traditional.
As for Rupert's well known tastes, Sebastian said that a man could change. Edmond decided to see about that and went over to Rupert and Ysabel.
Beth was trying to figure out what Ingrid could do,and didn't think that there was anything she could do; i.e., she was not feeling empowered. I think we convinced her that she could have Ingrid help keep the scene private.
This she did, setting up a room where Grafs von Black and von Ouranenburg simply would not have space to swing a sword. Sebastian and Siegfried, aka THE von Pfender, came along as well.
I decided that I liked the monkey wrench suggested to me at the end of the last session, that Edmond would agree to let Rupert marry Ysabel only if Rupert agreed to put Ludwig aside.
Sebastian tried to say that he agreed while
a) cluing Rupert in that what he -really- meant was that Rupert would have to be discreet
b) not cluing Edmond in to a).
Sebastian succeeded in a). He failed in b), having a penalty die for arrogance to social superiors, definitely including his brother, the Graf.
[This was what got Josh to reinventing the Riddle of Steel idea of character needs and desires.]
Edmond said that perhaps that was how things were done in the world of the university, but that Graf von Ouranenburg understood that this was not how things worked in the world of the aristocracy. Folks rejoined the party.
Ysabel went to Andreas, explaining that her father was being difficult, but she had a solution. She would run off with Andreas, leaving Vindabona behind! She would get two horses ready.
Dave loved this Bang. Andreas was taken by surprise, and finally asked what they would do for money.
Ysabel said that she'd get her mother's jewels. She ran off to do just that.
Ludwig approached Andreas to tell him of Graf von Black's position. Ludwig suggested a more obvious (to him) answer than Ysabel's. As he had learned about the existence of Possessor demons, one could be summoned into Edmond.
Andreas said that this wouldn't be necessary, as Ysabel was planning to run off with him.
[Query to self: How can I push Andreas over the edge as Dave wants when he persists in being so reasonable?]
Ludwig agreed that this would work. He pointed out Teresa, noting that she was magnificent. She was the first Possessor demon he'd identified. He also talked about how important it was that the work, i.e., the study of sorcery, not be interrupted at this critical juncture.
Sebastian joined Andreas as Teresa approached. Ludwig danced with Teresa. I don't recall what, if anything, Sebastian and Andreas said.
[Did Andreas reveal Ysabel's plans to take her dead mother's jewelry and ride off with him?]
Regardless, there was the tableaux --
Andreas and Sebastian talking
Niccolo and Sophia talking
Ingrid looking over the party with a worried eye
when
Teresa handed the fragment of the Book of the Heart of the Beast to Ludwig, the insane sorcerer with Lore 6, Humanity 1
Rainer, not wearing any costume, entered the ball [I'd toyed with the idea of having him come as Loki, but discarded the idea. Prometheus was also Right Out.]
Andreas and Ingrid saw Rainer's entrance.
Sebastian and Ingrid saw Teresa give the fragment to Ludwig.
Niccolo and Sophia, talking to each other, saw neither. Pamela figures that Sophia was distracted by the pretty boy.
All of this was decided by the players, who, if they rolled dice for this, did it by choice.
So, Sophia may try to kill Niccolo.
Ingrid has contingency plans for killing all the sorcerers who aren't her. Nu, sorcerers first, demons after.
Of course, she's about to be related to 2 of the other sorcerers, and killing them would be rude. She's hoping Sebastian and Ysabel will help her keep things quiet in Vindabona. As Beth notes, while Ingrid, like Sebastian, correctly identied Ludwig as the most dangerous sorcerer, Ingrid doesn't realize that Sebastian is a very close second. I bet it's no coincidence that both men are moved by the urge to study sorcery and experiment.
As we wrapped for the evening, I explained that Rainer had no idea that Trismegistus was talking with Freideriche. Rainer was figuring that he was probably a dead man, and was resigning himself to that fact. However, his demons were not necessarily going to be so sanguine about this. Also, I added, I didn't think that Freideriche was seeing Trismegistus. He probably did not realize that he was talking to a human-faced weasel.
Pamela said that this made sense, while Beth said that Ingrid was somewhat less annoyed now that it seemed clear that Freideriche did not know that she was a sorcerer.
I am wondering whether and to what degree Beth and Pamela were less annoyed by Rainer because they now had a look behind the scenes and knew what I was and was not pulling.
SORCERER: Tenth Session: 9 May 2006
The description of the characters and the write up of the first session are here: http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=17765.0
The write up of the second session is here: http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18035.0
The write up of the third session is here: http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18074.0
The write up of the fourth session is here: http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18746.0
The write up of the fifth session is here: http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18871.0
The write up of the sixth session is here: http://community.livejournal.com/labcats/7728.html#cutid1
The write up of the seventh session is here: http://community.livejournal.com/labcats/10758.html#cutid1
The write up of the eighth session is here: http://community.livejournal.com/labcats/11558.html#cutid1
The write up of the ninth session is here: http://community.livejournal.com/labcats/12699.html#cutid1
GEARING UP
I wasn't sure this one would come off -- Dave gave a tentative yes, then got sick. But, when I called in the evening, he was en route on Broadway and 110th (rather than having a fever of 110 degrees fahrenheit, as Julian misheard).
There was a fair bit o' natter via email on the metaphysics of the world, with Julian not liking how it drifted, Josh worried he was getting GM's Boyfriend privileges, and me asking, once we'd established that we all trusted each other not to screw up deliberately what the bottom line was.
I asked again, now, the key question: What should I -not- do? Josh taught me in casting for larps that avoiding the negatives is more crucial than supplying the positives.
Julian: Don't solve my problems for me.
That made sense. We convened and did Humanity loss (Pamela) and gain (Josh, Julian) rolls from last session, then experience rolls (based on a) my interpretation of the text that these take place at the GM's discretion, b) the fact that we'd been doing it that way all along, and I didn't want to change in mid-stream for no reason, and c) player consensus that, yes, it was time.)
Everyone's Lore went up. This was highly appropriate, IMAO.
I'd thought this session would wrap it, but Dave correctly gauged that we'd be lucky to get as far as the ball.
As per earlier conversations with Julian, I said that the missing fragment of the Book of the Heart of the Beast would be wherever it turned out to be the most dramatically appropriate. A few minutes later, Julian said that he knew where it was.
Julian: Teresa hid it.
This made good sense. She's nervous about all the banishing Niccolo's doing, and wants to find her a new sorcerer.
In retrospect, this felt like something out of Conspiracy of Shadows or Theatrix, where players have chips that they can use to add facts and such, only without the chips. It also occurs to me that the fragment of the Book of the Heart of the Beast became something of a Chekhov's Gun.
HERMES
Last session, Hermes-the-Possessor had been bound into a raccoon by Sophia, following Sebastian's guidance under Andreas' bemused eye. Either Sebastian or Andreas tried to talk to Hermes, and, when that didn't work, they suggested that Sophia, who had bound Hermes, try. The two professors began an abstract philosophical discussion, getting so absorbed in it that they -- and their players -- failed to notice for some time that Sophia had started talking with her new demon.
Sebastian had told Sophia to get, say, the spirit of a dead actor. Whether this did or did not happen, I used it as a guideline for playing the raccoon. He gave as good a courtly bow to Sophia as he could, which charmed her, and he asked if Nariya was to be his partner.
Sophia asked how he was at death scenes. I wish I remembered more details, because I got a lot of laughs from what I said and from the expressions on my face as Hermes asked for detail. Sophia said that she was a swordswoman, not a playwright. Hermes said that she didn't have to write a play; perhaps there was already one that would suffice.
Sophia: You're a huge, fierce beast! But misunderstood and dying tragically!
Hermes was a bit boggled, as he couldn't think of any plays with an actual beast-monster as tragic hero. I mean, we're talking vague Renaissance / Enlightenment, not POMO, or even King Kong, though I quoted, "'Twas Beauty killed the beast."
Hermes was about leery about Sophia's pretend-to-be-dead thing, as he wants to be sure that it is indeed a pretense. He also has the Need to kill. Sophia gave him a list of people -not- to kill.
Lisa: I presume Sophia's brothers are on that list. (Pamela confirms.)
Sophia: Don't kill anyone at the university. We don't have enough smart people.
Hermes: Ah, so I should kill -stupid- people.
Style notes:
a) I did not make Pamela construct Sophia's no-kill list. It would slow the game down to no purpose. I'm willing, within reason, to let her say, "X would have been on the list", and I'm willing to ask, "Okay, in this group, who is on the list?" I am not interested in running a Trap-the-Player game.
b) I did not play out each not of this. Heck, we were deliberately being vague about how much time was passing. I did not personify the victims. I noted that
1) Hermes would go after the underclass. Such victims were less likely to cause waves.
2) Hermes would take direction, at least for the moment. If Sophia saw a man battering a woman, she could tell her helpful demon to kill the abuser.
For this session, the multiple deaths were atmosphere, and the individual details unimportant in the story we were building. Story Now; Play What Matters.
That said:
1. I am wondering if I should have Hermes kill the boy who delivers Andreas' wood. Likely not, as the boy hasn't ever actually appeared. Perhaps a petitioner could tell the happy couple about a slaughtered relative.
2. I do want him killing off folks who matter, or, at least giving it a good college try at the party.
3. Hey, costume ball!
4. Ingrid isn't happy about the dying peasants. Bad for the city.
5. Sebastian is thinking, in view of these deaths, that an actual killing or banishment of the demon might not be bad.
Julian is thinking that Sophia may have just become the Evilest PC.
Julian: You killed your parents.
Sophia: That wasn't me! That was my demon!
Andreas and Sebastian had more philosophical discussions.
Sebastian suggested they might consider asking their demons where they'd come from. Andreas and Sophia agreed, but no one actually asked. I'm not sure whether I have an answer or not.
INGRID AT HOME
Ingrid saw people gathering at Sebastian's place through Aquila's eyes, but alas, windows were shuttered due to cold an secrecy.
Meanwhile, Ingrid's old nanny, Nonna, told Ingrid that Sophia's brother Freideriche seemed to be talking to himself. Ingrid went to speak with him. He was drilling himself on using his left hand, his right having been cut off by Ingrid's (deceased, thanks to Sophia) uncle.
Freideriche talked to Ingrid about how odd it was that Horst was being blamed for sorcery, as it had seemed to him that the man, while insane, was against sorcerers. And it was convenient that Sophia was the only witness of the demon that killed their parents. He cautioned Ingrid to be careful.
Ingrid wondered who had been telling Freideriche tales. Julian suggested it might be Aquila. Ingrid questioned the servants. All denied telling Freideriche anything to prompt what he'd said. All were telling the truth, as Ingrid confirmed with her absurdly high Perception: Lies. I didn't bother to roll. The story would have been slowed to no purpose, much as things come to a crashing halt in badly written CoC scenarios if one doesn't spot the clue. Story Now. Ingrid told Aquila to keep watch and see what could be learned.
NICCOLO DEALS WITH A DEMON
Meanwhile, when I'd wondered how to Niccolo track down the remaining demon-possessed child created by Teresa's brother, Marcello. Julian made an excellent suggestion: Just let Niccolo catch up. This is a side adventure, and we want him back in Vindabona.
The child was named Antonio, after his grandfather. His Need was Attention, and his Desire was Praise. He was not the type to be good at keeping a low profile. I ruled that Niccolo had no problem tracking the boy to a barn where he was hiding. -That's- where Story Now was.
Teresa suggested burning the barn down, but Niccolo refused. The barn belonged to a farmer.
Niccolo went in and called to Antonio. Hm, I hadn't thought about or planned this, but the fact that Antonio, the last surviving child possessor, is named after Teresa's father, who appeared last session and took a more active roll this session, set up an interesting resonance, the more eerie for being unplanned.
Antonio allowed himself to be coaxed out of his hiding place. There was fur on top of his head, running down the neck and spine. Antonio asked about his father, Marcello, being dead, asi his mother, Bianca, had told him. Fortunately, he did not have Perception: Lies, though Niccolo stuck quite close to the truth. He said that Bianca was ill in the head and offered to take Antonio to Marcello. The child agreed, feeling like he was finally getting the consideration due him.
Niccolo took him to an inn and waited for him to be fed, warm, and sleepy. Once Antonio was asleep, Niccolo used his Very Good Contain (+3), aka a large net. This proved unnecessary, as Niccolo easily banished the demon, resulting in another dead child.
Julian called for a Humanity Loss roll here, feeling that what Niccolo had done had been "very cold". The dice did not agree.
Niccolo (to himself): Well, at least he died warm and fed.
SEBASTIAN TRIES TO HELP RAINER
Meanwhile, Josh experimented with player scene framing, having Sebastian invite Andreas over for a chat and saying that Rainer was already waiting. Sebastian explained that he had, if somewhat reluctantly, come to the conclusion that Rainer's work was too important to allow the von Pfender, Ingrid's great-grandfather, to have him killed. Rainer and Sebastian explained Rainer's predicament.
They also explained other information. Rainer had been told of the eagle demon by Sebastian, who'd been startled to learn that it wasn't Rainer's. Rainer asked if it were Andreas'. Andreas, the one sorcerer who'd recognized Ingrid as a sorcerer, said, correctly, that it was hers. Andreas' madness had shown him what no one else had seen.
The three sorcerers agreed that Sebastian should speak to Ingrid. I missed much of that conversation, but I gather:
-- Ingrid was not pleased that Rainer now knew that she was a sorcerer
-- She nevertheless did not insist on his death. Dead or gone were both acceptable to her.
-- I think that she asked Sebastian about whether Sophia was a sorcerer. After discussing social contract issues with Pamela, Josh decided that Sebastian would lie, but everyone knew OC that Ingrid would know he lied. Lying is atypical for Josh's characters.
-- Ingrid and Sebastian agreed that they should not approach Ingrid's great-grandfather about this, nor should Rainer.
Ingrid's mood was not improved when Aquila showed her through their link that Rainer's weasel passer demon, Trismegistus, was slipping into the window of Freideriche's room. I don't know if Ingrid started out knowing whose Trismegistus was, but, if not, Sebastian enlightened her.
[What else happened in that conversation?]
Ingrid later spoke with Freideriche, learning, to her relief, that he seemed truly ignorant that she was a sorcerer.
ANTONIO'S ARRIVAL
Niccolo and Teresa returned to Vindabona to find an invitation to the costume ball. After some discussion, we agreed that they'd come not as Paris and Helena, but as Pygmalion and Galatea.
Andreas finished teaching a class as a clerk approached to say that Lord Antonio Mantuo had come to Italy from Vindabona to demand an explanation for what had happened to his sons, Leonardo and Marcello. Andreas said that he'd see Antonio in the lab. The clerk asked if this were wise, but admitted that arguing with a nobleman and his armed entourage was not wise.
Antonio and 2 of his men went into the lab. I figured that Orion and Andreas might well be able to take them if it came to a fight -- especially if Leonardo were released. I wanted to give Dave ample opportunity to have Andreas cut loose.
It didn't happen that way, though Dave tells me that it wasn't a big problem. The thing is, Dave wasn't going to have Andreas fly stupidly off the handle with no provocation, and he played Andreas as a very smooth talker. Oh, Antonio was a bit condescending, and I did toss in a gratuitous insult or two -- but it made no narrative sense to do more. I'm not a fan of forcing a Make-or-Break Bang when it makes no sense. That is, Antonio showing up is a legitimate bang. Antonio demanding Andreas' head on a platter just 'cuz I think that there should be gore -- nah, that's just stupid. And this was at least a 2-bang scene, anyway.
So, Andreas showed Leonardo to Antonio, after cautioning him that the sight might shock him. Leonardo was priapic (his telltale), and he did not recognize his father, though he would have pretended to if Andreas had ordered him to. Andreas didn't, only asking if Leonardo recognized Antonio, and not taking advantage when Leonardo asked, "Should I?"
Antonio asked about his other son, Marcello. Andreas angrily said that it was Marcello who had been responsible for Leonardo's condition in the first place. Andreas did not admit to killing Marcello, but stuck to the story about Marcello's injuries proving fatal. Antonio asked what had happened to Marcello's body.
Dave: That's a very good question.
He decided that it would have been buried with proper respect, not treated as a dissection subject or tossed on a midden.
Antonio announced that he would take Leonardo with him, despite Andreas' cautions. After all, Leonardo could have fallen victim to an Italian poison, like the cantarella of the Borgias. A die roll determined that Andreas had heard of this, but did not know the ingredients.
Antonio suggested Andreas come with him to Italy, assuring the professor that he would be well paid. Andreas demurred, saying that he had students to teach. Antonio suggested that Andreas come to Italy after the quarter ended, and Andreas said that he would consider this.
Antonio had Marcello's wife, Bianca, brought in. She confirmed that Leonardo had tried to rape her. Andreas was surprised. Dave noted that Andreas had no clue about when this had happened. Antonio made disparaging comments about how well Andreas had secured Leonardo. He also said that he would see if Leonardo's condition were actually due to an Italian poison after all, or if it had a more German cause.
He added that a good man had risked death to bring him news of his sons' conditions. Andreas asked who that man might be. Antonio told him: Niccolo di Tarci.
Antonio, his men, Bianca, and Leonardo (restrained by Antonio's men) left. I reckoned that Leonardo's Desire (to breed) would be met, but not his Need (to submit in ritualized dominance games), the opposite of his situation with Andreas.
The university clerk who had told Andreas of Antonio's arrival was very unhappy about nobles throwing their weight around the university. All right, some nobles weren't so bad -- Rupert, Ingrid, Ysabel, Sebastian, Andreas himself -- nobles who -understood- the university and were a part of it. But, the recently deceased Graf von Hirsch, and these Italian nobles -- pah! Nobles who definitely did not understand. And Italian nobles? Foreigners, to boot! Einhardt Schilderote, the recently deceased head of the university, would never have stood for it!
Was that a Pull that Dave declined?
In Bang Construction, was I on target or off base?
Should I have said, "To heck with narrative logic and simulationist appeasement," and have had Antonio demand Andreas' heart and liver?
Should I have said that and had Antonio keep Andreas as a prisoner / physician to Leonardo? Hm, possibly, if it had been mid-game.
Should I have had the clerk announce his intent to Get that Arrogant Italian Noble?
Or was it actually fine as played?
Is it the Bang or the follow through I'm having trouble with -- or neither?
Bangs I think were there:
-- Antonio's arrival
-- Antonio's decision to take Leonardo. Is this actually a subset of the above? I think it's part of the same bang.
-- Bianca's revelation. Is this a bang? Would it have been if Andreas had followed up on it?
-- Antonio's revelation that Niccolo was the source of his information. Would this have been a bang if Andreas had ignored it?
Are bangs Push, Pull, or It Depends? I think basically Push.
Regardless, Andreas decided that he should speak with Niccolo. The clerk told him that not only was Niccolo back in Vindabona, but also that he'd been back for days. That is, there was no way that the timing worked for Niccolo to go to Italy and back by normal means. Nor had he used normal means, for he had ridden a passer horse demon, Phaiddipides. The clerk either hadn't done or didn't know the math, while Andreas may have done the math just then -- or may have still been in denial. Either way, the professor decided to visit the artist.
THE PROFESSOR AND THE ARTIST
Niccolo was with Teresa, and Andreas, with his newly raised Lore skill, recognized Teresa as a demon. I think Andreas asked why Niccolo had rushed to give Antonio the news of his sons' deaths. Niccolo made some vague gesture.
Andreas explained that he was concerned that Antonio had claimed Leonardo and that Antonio might not be able to contain him. Andreas added that his experiments with Leonardo and Axel had led him to believe that he might be able to reveree a possession.
Bang.
Teresa rose to leave, saying that the two men would want to talk without her. Niccolo first told her to stay, then ordered her to do so.
Here, the die rolling was both meaningful and suspenseful.
Lisa: Can you beat two 9s?
Julian had a 10. Teresa sat down, asking if it were necessary that she stay to hear all of this. She knew that Niccolo didn't want her. Perhaps the doktor could help?
Andreas said that he was very much in the experimental stage. Teresa asked if he could find the answer quickly.
Teresa: It is tearing him [Niccolo] apart, and that is tearing me apart.
She also asked if this reversal would hurt the baby. Why, yes, she told Andreas, she was pregnant, and worried about this reversal -- because of the baby.
I got general praise for pulling on the emotional heartstrings.
On reading the above, Julian reminded me that he and Dave had started Niccolo's and Andreas' conversation while I was running a different scene, and that he had to pull me out of that because he needed to know how Teresa reacted to the bang Andreas supplied. I'd completely forgotten.
He also reminded me that when he rolled for Niccolo's command, most of his dice were abysmally low. One fell on the ground, which he picked up and rerolled. It came up a 10 on the reroll.
Julian: Extra drama provided by furniture.
FINAL MOVES BEFORE THE BALL
Teresa also suggested that if the doktor needed Leonardo to experiment on, perhaps she might be able to help Leonardo escape so that Andreas could recapture him. And, perhaps she or Niccolo should ask Ingrid that Antonio be invited so that he could speak with them, while pretending not to recognize them, because of the costumes?
Julian said that if Teresa kept pushing, Niccolo would let her go to Ingrid. This Teresa did, asking Sophia to escort her. We agreed that Teresa probably knew that Ingrid was a sorcerer and that I should roll to see if she recognized Sophia as one. She did.
She came on to Sophia, who was surprised, and a little intrigued. Teresa told Sophia a tale of woe, about how Niccolo didn't want her any more, though she tried to be what he wanted. No, she didn't want Sophia to hurt him; she just wanted him to love her. And her father didn't want her, either.
Pamela said that this was exactly the correct approach to take with Sophia, who said that her parents hadn't wanted her, either. Teresa said that she could not understand why, as Sophia seemed like a fine person to her. Sophia noted her own unladylike swordsmanship, and Teresa said, wistfully, that if she herself had learned swordsmanship, she might not be in such a predicament. Not that she wanted anything bad to happen to Niccolo.
They reached Ingrid, who understood after a very short time that Teresa was asking her for protection, as a demon to a sorcerer. She agreed to consider the request, but nothing more. She was willing to invite Antonio to her party, phrasing the invitation to make it clear that, while Antonio was genuinely welcome, he was also genuinely under no obligation to accept. Teresa added her own note, leaving it open for Ingrid to read, a fairly bland and deniable item.
Andreas sought out Rainer, explaining about Antonio and Leonardo. Rainer agreed that Antonio was ill-equipped to care for -- or understand -- his demon-possessed son.
Andreas asked if anyone were using the house in the forest where Horst had kept Sigrid prisoner. Rainer said that he didn't think anyone was, though it did belong to the von Pfenders. He told Andreas to use it for his experiments when Teresa freed Leonardo. If Andreas succeeded in reversing a possession, the von Pfender would overlook the trespass. If anything went wrong, Rainer said, Andreas could always blame him. After all, the von Pfender could only kill him once.
Dave: Not if you can summon a dead person as a demon!
We agreed that Teresa could get Leonardo away from Antonio, and that, really, it didn't much matter. The important thing was that we all agreed that Leonardo should show up at the ball and cause trouble.
We also knew we'd do no more than start the ball this session, so we didn't worry about the exact plan Sebastian, Rainer, and Andreas had cooked up to save Rainer. It would waste time, and we'd figure it out between sessions. Rainer was fairly pessimistic about his odds of survival.
He's no doubt noted that all the other sorcerers are nobles -- Sebastian, Ysabel, Andreas, Ingrid, Sophia, Gudrun, Marcello. He doesn't know about Niccolo or Ludwig. He may know what Rupert is.
THE BALL BEGINS
And so, we moved to the ball. Sophia had a talk with Niccolo about Teresa. She liked Niccolo -- he's a pretty boy, and she doesn't want to kill him. And, if he can prove to her that the real Teresa can be retrieved by using Andreas' work with Leonardo as an example, well and good. If that doesn't prove his case and he's still determined to banish Teresa, well, even though he's a pretty boy, Sophia will have to skewer him.
Ysabel made her appearance as Artemis and danced with Rupert, who was costumed as Apollo. Edmond, Ysabel's father and Ingrid's fiance, was, predictably, annoyed. He talked to his brother, Sebastian, suggesting that Sebastian had set this up. Sebastian truthfully denied this. He made a crack about Edmond's being the younger brother when Edmond brought up the age issue.
Edmond: He's twice her age!
Sebastian (noting the greater age difference between Edmond and Ingrid): That is traditional.
As for Rupert's well known tastes, Sebastian said that a man could change. Edmond decided to see about that and went over to Rupert and Ysabel.
Beth was trying to figure out what Ingrid could do,and didn't think that there was anything she could do; i.e., she was not feeling empowered. I think we convinced her that she could have Ingrid help keep the scene private.
This she did, setting up a room where Grafs von Black and von Ouranenburg simply would not have space to swing a sword. Sebastian and Siegfried, aka THE von Pfender, came along as well.
I decided that I liked the monkey wrench suggested to me at the end of the last session, that Edmond would agree to let Rupert marry Ysabel only if Rupert agreed to put Ludwig aside.
Sebastian tried to say that he agreed while
a) cluing Rupert in that what he -really- meant was that Rupert would have to be discreet
b) not cluing Edmond in to a).
Sebastian succeeded in a). He failed in b), having a penalty die for arrogance to social superiors, definitely including his brother, the Graf.
[This was what got Josh to reinventing the Riddle of Steel idea of character needs and desires.]
Edmond said that perhaps that was how things were done in the world of the university, but that Graf von Ouranenburg understood that this was not how things worked in the world of the aristocracy. Folks rejoined the party.
Ysabel went to Andreas, explaining that her father was being difficult, but she had a solution. She would run off with Andreas, leaving Vindabona behind! She would get two horses ready.
Dave loved this Bang. Andreas was taken by surprise, and finally asked what they would do for money.
Ysabel said that she'd get her mother's jewels. She ran off to do just that.
Ludwig approached Andreas to tell him of Graf von Black's position. Ludwig suggested a more obvious (to him) answer than Ysabel's. As he had learned about the existence of Possessor demons, one could be summoned into Edmond.
Andreas said that this wouldn't be necessary, as Ysabel was planning to run off with him.
[Query to self: How can I push Andreas over the edge as Dave wants when he persists in being so reasonable?]
Ludwig agreed that this would work. He pointed out Teresa, noting that she was magnificent. She was the first Possessor demon he'd identified. He also talked about how important it was that the work, i.e., the study of sorcery, not be interrupted at this critical juncture.
Sebastian joined Andreas as Teresa approached. Ludwig danced with Teresa. I don't recall what, if anything, Sebastian and Andreas said.
[Did Andreas reveal Ysabel's plans to take her dead mother's jewelry and ride off with him?]
Regardless, there was the tableaux --
Andreas and Sebastian talking
Niccolo and Sophia talking
Ingrid looking over the party with a worried eye
when
Teresa handed the fragment of the Book of the Heart of the Beast to Ludwig, the insane sorcerer with Lore 6, Humanity 1
Rainer, not wearing any costume, entered the ball [I'd toyed with the idea of having him come as Loki, but discarded the idea. Prometheus was also Right Out.]
Andreas and Ingrid saw Rainer's entrance.
Sebastian and Ingrid saw Teresa give the fragment to Ludwig.
Niccolo and Sophia, talking to each other, saw neither. Pamela figures that Sophia was distracted by the pretty boy.
All of this was decided by the players, who, if they rolled dice for this, did it by choice.
So, Sophia may try to kill Niccolo.
Ingrid has contingency plans for killing all the sorcerers who aren't her. Nu, sorcerers first, demons after.
Of course, she's about to be related to 2 of the other sorcerers, and killing them would be rude. She's hoping Sebastian and Ysabel will help her keep things quiet in Vindabona. As Beth notes, while Ingrid, like Sebastian, correctly identied Ludwig as the most dangerous sorcerer, Ingrid doesn't realize that Sebastian is a very close second. I bet it's no coincidence that both men are moved by the urge to study sorcery and experiment.
As we wrapped for the evening, I explained that Rainer had no idea that Trismegistus was talking with Freideriche. Rainer was figuring that he was probably a dead man, and was resigning himself to that fact. However, his demons were not necessarily going to be so sanguine about this. Also, I added, I didn't think that Freideriche was seeing Trismegistus. He probably did not realize that he was talking to a human-faced weasel.
Pamela said that this made sense, while Beth said that Ingrid was somewhat less annoyed now that it seemed clear that Freideriche did not know that she was a sorcerer.
I am wondering whether and to what degree Beth and Pamela were less annoyed by Rainer because they now had a look behind the scenes and knew what I was and was not pulling.
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