Season Six

Summary of Events. Also Todo List

2022-01-17

Things opened with Ariane climbing to the roof of the pack house to deliver a howl about our Umbral trip, disovering new realms and places, rescuing the Stargazers and an ally of the garou (Liz), it is, a mediocre howl and maybe she should have slept first.

Holly preps for an interview at The Guild that night. they tell her its house/barstaff, she meets Mr. Benson (Maître d'/manager), a tall lady smoking a cigarette (probably The Lady of Kowloon), also 3 gym bros, a librarian lady (big jumper, glasses, books), and a raven haired lady working the bar. Told the place has duelling room (for swords, and mages, and judo mats and its strong enough for garou) and is taken into Benson's Office (a huge desk, with knick-knacks, pictures, kid's drawings. It's a basic interview until she's asked how she feels about mages, gives a broad answer being as she's worked with Liz, but also aprehended David Vasiry and helped kill Ben Valis) then goes for an interview with Sir Robert Laffrey who's desk is even bigger and office even swankier, the lady with the cigarete is there too. Laffrey tries to claim the Belles jumped to the rescue of Liz and if he'd know he'd have cared and gives "personal thanks to your pack leader" which Holly will pass on. He says the cost of rescuing her shows that we have dedication to garou/mythic relations and peace and order in London. The job is mostly bar work with occasional "other" work (i.e. contracts for the guild) and is "tier 1" with opportunity for advancement, also 36hrs/week, £25k/pa. They return to Benson's office, do the paperwork, and Holly asks how they timed everything so well, Benson says they realised the Belles may not anticipate the time dilation so lent on a Tescos manager known to a Guild mythic to get the amicable firing. He also says not to worry, Lydia's attack was unusual and they normally do potentially violent meets offsite.

Back at the Pack House: Holly is happy with the cash but openly nervy about The Guild and trusting them, there is then a long argument about puns on geas, geece, doom, and if Lord of the Rings is satanic or not.

Jules gets on with her paintings, which start badly but then she gets into the swing of it, gets an email from Dr. Becky Clout her fine art lecturer who wants some pics for a show. Carlie reads The Werewolf Bible until she works out its a regular bible with a few tweaks, also swaps romance/werewolf books with Ariane, Sunny checks in with Lottie who deflects a lot before arranging a visit, Lydia is a bit miserable and spends time visiting churches but can't find one she likes, tries to visit the Barrel Vaulted Rave Church and The Angel Islington but the doors are always locked, eventually puts a note under and gets an address and time for a werehouse party in the East End docks tomorrow night sent to her, arranges to take Sunny and Ariane.

Lydia and Sunny have a whole discussion about how Sunny feels Lydia doesn't listen to her and wants to know if its because shes a dog, but Lydia says its because she doesn't listen to anyone, except god, part of something bigger, Sunny attempts to suggests the TV says god helps those who help themselves but Lydia deflects that not in her faith. Lydia again quotes her higher duty of care than everyone else and how she has to look after everyone, Sunny recommends podcasts about selfcare, they talk about afterlifes (Sunny's visited hers) and the conversation turns in the pack to discussions of what everyone's wishes are after they die, eventually people post contact details for next of kin in the kitchen along with funeral wishes. The party then bickers about Saints.

• Ariane says get the family sword, then her head, and any other relics a bonus
• Carlie tells everyone to never ever talk to her family even if she dies, also says no to prayer or therapy with regards this
• Jules is unsure

So at the Warehouse for the rave: There's a bunch of 40 year old ladies in a corner, Lydia chats to them and they say they're here because the D.J. cures covid/protects from covid (Lydia produces her nursing times article about Islington rates), they say its the power of Jesus being funnelled by an Angel and a nearby church is funding the raves, and they're being subtly advertised via facebook, so they're here for godly care. Meanwhile Ariane wraps Sunny in glowsticks (collar and paws), gives some to Lydia, warns everyone to be careful of the fairies and wishes she had some ecstasy.

2022-01-24

Continuing the warehouse rave: there are drugs, booze, and a bar running out the back of a van. The earlier DJ is DJ Eastboy. Ariane buys (hopefully) ecstasy from outside, and has her own water, to get into the vibe of dancing, and also accidentally gets the crowd chanting for music changes at one point. Sunny has fun dancing even when people try and grab her paws to dance like a biped, her licking of their faces doesn't stop them. Lydia is hanging with the church ladies who are breaking into two groups (A) is drinking and thinking about dancing and (B) is tutting, thinking about praying, and being judgy. Lydia is with group B, and manages to get a lemonade that probably doesn't have vodka in it, before being bothered by Ariane who she clocks is high. DJ Eastboy swaps out for The Angel Islington who of course opens with God is a DJ, Lydia checks Ariane's eyes before she goes off to dance with the church ladies of Group A.

Lydia goes to poke around the temporarily bordered off "backstage area" in one corner of the warehouse, sneaks around to use the back door and meets Eddie a scruffy, slightly pudgy programmer type who is being audio engineer and smells heavily of weed/tobacco. She introduces herself with a jammi dodger and they chat about the Angel, he claims not to know much about her, claims her angelic presentation is part of an image she sells, then tries to claim that covid is a ruse, talks of the weird church people who keep showing up, for another jammi dodger she gets let in "because it may rain" and notices his hand is very cold when she touches him, he tries to brush it off but when she checks his pulse/circulation she finds he has none. When she queries this he essentially teleports to the door to shut it then asks her why a werewolf is sniffing around because "they have a problem with him", and "something about the wyrm", he asks her a few times how many werewolves there are but she dodges it by saying her pack are on the dance floor. He explains he's working with The Angel to keep the herd clean, when Vampires feed on sick people they can feed sick, so they want to keep their feeding population safer. He also clarifies he does actually think she's an Angel. They talk about if the effect could be made more useful and used on others, he says it depends on the essence as its a rite/ritual where someone needs belief and reverence and a connection to her for it to work, needs energy for cleansing, Lydia curses about how this probably won't work in an ICU. He tells us he needs a pint of blood every few weeks (more if active) and Lydia starts talking about arranging raves near hospitals. She asks him if he attends church (which could tell us about the cross thing) and he says "only this one", she talks a little about how she's searching for an accepting church.

Meanwhile the Angel grows literal wings on the dancefloor, the music is mana from heaven, Ariane at least experiences her as light, glory, and music of the gods and a being who should be worshipped. Lydia notices the glow and Eddie asks her if she wants to meet the Angel, which just makes Lydia deny her angelicness, she can feel the divine/perfectness and music/dance energy radiating off her but keeps her resolve, telling Eddie to beware the wide and easy path, he disputes this and she says he needs sound biblical teaching, but he just tells her as a Vampire his soul won't go to heaven, although Lydia assures him he can repent like all the others.

The set winds up with the crowd picking up a chant of "God is love, love for all. God is music, and music is the Lord" and then there's a blinding white light from the stage with a last wage of love and adoration, Lydia feels this in the backstage area and writes "this is a trap" on her hand to remind herself. There's an end of "Praise Jesus, let the Lord into your soul" and The Angel vanishes off stage into the backstage area. Eddie gets her coat and stuff, Lydia and her chat and she introduces herself as "Sera". Lydia asks her what shes doing and when she says she's spreading gods love she tells her she needs to be giving proper teaching. Sara says they'll remember the feeling of god and the music, maybe go to church, maybe pick up bibles, or just pass on a smile or a handshake and be kind to others and spread gods love and joy, she balances up the alcohol/coffee/drugs as not a huge detriment to people and judges by the end result. Confirms she can cure covid, tried to get into hospitals to try it out but was thrown out and kept away, says her powers need a connection to people who hear her song, shes not tried zoom but is happy to. Lydia is told to use the Islington Tube station as a contact point for her. When asked if she's an angel she unfurls her light wings and confirms, says she's doing missionary work with Vampires and that Eddie will come around in time. Tells Lydia that God gave everyone free will, loves you, and is sorry for the things you've been through and the hard disappointments yet to come. Says she can sort of talk directly as she's a member of the Seraphim, but is stuck on earth because she failed a divine mission by falling in love with someone and being stuck in the material is her penance, hopes to return by doing good works like this. Lydia says she just needs salvation and acceptance but Sara says that's for humans and Angels have to work and agrees that Lydia's zoom call may help.

Eddie returns with her coat and they leave to drink her favourite wine because she's exhausted from doing the angelic-magic. Lydia asks what she's taking from people, Sara says its like Lydia's "godly works" (although Lydia disputes this) that people have a divine spark or gift and can temporarily gift parts of it to people, she takes a small fragment from everyone, pools the power, then adds her "knowledge and love of god" and sends it back through the love of god to cleanse them, the energy she says is freely given painlessly on the dance floor, says this isn't vampiric but just what a priest does on a Sunday. They part on good terms with Lydia going to look for her friends as she's worried about them.

Meanwhile Ariane gets Sunny to look for Lydia, and she follows her outside, they chat in first tongue (which Sara can apparently speak), she smells on sunlight, honey, etc, everything good. Ariane catches up and asks if she can stroke the Angels wings (throwing a point of gnosis to her to make it work) and Sara actually feels them which makes her shudder a little. Ariane goes to tell Lydia all about touching an Angels wings and Sunny watches her and Eddie walk away with Sara literally vanishing.

Back at the Pack House: Everyone fills in Carlie, the raves definitely help, its some kind of magic, there's a vampire doing sound tech, there's a plan to do zoom raves via headphones to see if that helps the ICU. Carlie asks the obvious question of: How much can we trust Sara? Lydia suggests even if shes not an angel if it helps a patient live longer they'll have longer to accept Jesus - a general debate about the point and length of life ensues, Holly arrives to hear about the unsound theology! Also we hear the vampire smelt of weed and Carlie wonders if this helps mask wyrm scent. There's talk of afterlives, vampires (do crosses and garlic work?), wyrm. Carlie wonders if involving Sara will summon Eddie. Ariane suggests Lydia may need to dance in the ICU to power things and she wants to test with just headphones first before that happens.

2022-01-31

Jules art show is coming up in 2 days (on Friday), meanwhile... Lydia sends a sorry note and flowers to Derek Watford, Lottie texts Sunny that she wants to hang out on Saturday and Sunny arranges for her to come over for dinner with the pack. The Stargazsers send Sunny a long at the back baggy black hoodie, it swamps her dog form but is considered an almost uniform to spending long nights outside watching the stars, they also send a thank you note apologising for vanishing but they checked on us and needed to get home to their Bell (???) and rest, and they invite Sunny to meet them at Greenwich Observatory to talk about joining their tribe in a weeks time (next Wednesday).

So at the Fine Art Building - The Art Show. The deadline is noon, andd Jules like others is there ready and early looking smart with the other 8 students. Present is the Man Cursed By God A Little who Dr. Becky Clout says is "A Patreon", there is also the building sparky arguing with Sally an artist/engineer almost (overalls, oiled fingers, etc) who is trying to hook up a metallic moving face made of weird plates to the power, eventually its hooked to a UPS, smells a little of burning electronics but also works. Another student has a film on a projector of a creepy doll staring at the camera backed by screams (the external face we must present to the world and the screams to let our primal essence out that we must keep within!), they eventually move up to dissecting dolls on camera.

Jules has 5 paintings but notable are:

• London Through The Shadow (emotional reflection of history/shade/darkness of the London skyline). Dr. Becky Clout queries about hope in the image, Jules says its lit at the front, we bring hope, Clout wants more abstract sculpture/line work version. The Man Cursed By God A Little likes it and asks if its taken from Southwark because he recognises landmarks, wants the piece in some sort of show and Jules invited.
• The Web (connection in strange ways, interactions of people link things)
• A portrait (liked by Dr. Clout) and 2 others.

After Jules does a little happy dance Sally gets her to ask the face a question, she asks if it'll rain on the way back and it tells her "I only speaks the truth, the answer is yes". Sally asserts its never wrong. On the way home Jules gets hit with a bucket of water from a 3rd floor window (your humble scribe missed the deets, please fill me in).

Back at the Pack House, there is talk of sandwiches and wine, others tell Jules about the Angel rave in the warehouse, get her to sit down, she mentions she had Liz visit during her working on her art and makes reference to "The Good Nose" (i.e. Lupus form). After all this Carlie ges out to punch punching bags in the training warehouse, Ariane meanwhile bores Jules into a nap with contract law and Sunny naps on her.

At the werehouse Diamond Annie appears looking happy, asks for a favour "from an old friend" and points out Carlie is so bad at keeping friends that 6 months makes her an old friend. She hires her to rob the back of an Ethiopian Church that is functioning as a refugee centre because she'll blend in better, was stashed by someone pre-covid, is a 6x6x4 inch box and she'll owe a favour to the Belles for it. Carlie agrees but is pissed off. She heads back to the Pack House, tells people she's stealing something to help us out and needs disguise clothes, Lydia threatens to call the cops, Jules gets woken up by all this and takes stew up to Carlie. Upstairs Carlie complains that no one else stops Lydia constantly working against them, Jules tells her shes tried but spends time trying to herd the pack, Carlie is super pissed off about the racist shit in the job description and Jules is pissed off once she's heard, Carlie is also pissed off that Jules is doing okay with her degree whereas she flamed hers and decides to call Ariane for a lawyer if things go wrong.

At the Ethiopian Catholic Church, Carlie heads in, keeps her head dwon, passes staff and the brew station and slips into the back storage room, 2 boxes are there (one with the scroll work, one plain) so she bags both. Back in the van Annie takes both boxes, fishes out "goods for the cause", 2 carved wooden fetish sticks from Ethiopia with spider spirits in, imported for someone else and diverted to her, the second box has another one in that she gives Carlie in part payment. She then takes her to the Dog and Duck to drink (she sends Jules an OK text on way). She catches Annie up with gossip: TL;DR she had to hang out with rich people all summer, and the deep umbra sucks, shes still learning the ropes she feels. Annie asserts she's a woman first, garou second because misogyny is a big problem, Carlie wonders if society is fucked. Annie reveals this was a test job and she had Brianna watching her and Carlie assumes this is blackmail and Annie assures her not because she is now an inside agent. She gets in at 4am and naps on the sofa.

Meanwhile Holly is working at The Guild, everyone is friendly except the core members (Sir Robert Laffrey, The Lady of Kowloon, etc) who get exclusively served by Mr. Benson and a few others. There seems blurred lines between staff and member, (possibly because its really a mercenary outfit?). She meets James and Stewart who are the Mythics with muscle, and also practical jokers. She notes the Librarian Lady wears a necklace like Ben Valis did. Also apparently a rogue mythic (a Geomancer who can throw rocks) is coming into Heathrow tomorrow and they'er going to arrest them and drag them straight to the US embassy for $150k in bounty (for stolen artifacts). They start to speculate what kind of mythic Holly is and with a smile Mr. Benson sets up a betting pot, if no one guesses it she gets the pot and its £100 a bet...

After her shift she comes back giggling, tells Carlie about this, gets a high 5, and worries it'll piss people off. She gets to touch the stick and can feel the spirit shifting about inside, Carlie asks her what it is? (cliffhanger!)

2022-05-07

(Holly pokes magical sticks and swords, Carlie makes a deal with a snake-spirit, Lottie comes to visit and is angry/sad, people try and talk her around, eventually Maneki-neko taunts her from the microwave until she shifts and is chased by Holly and Ariane to Southwark Cathedral, and Carlie also runs there, then diffuses her rage with laughter. She is being stalked by the Unknown Ahroun which mentions a deal with Sunny. Everyone heads back for dinner, more bible talk, and discussions of ancestor worship. Meanwhile: Jules, a chicken, Liz, and a dryad)

Holly identifies the stick as holding a snake spirit, one that will offer a gift to those who befriend it, she and Carlie talk about how this is basically how a lot of garou magic works (bribe, befriend, force spirits to do things for you)

Carlie sleeps, and as she does so has a dream of a grey-brown dusty realm with a dusty red its a little like purgatory but different and she can tell she's dreaming a feeling of here-not-here. There is however a large humanish size snake, with a red diamond and 2 horns on its head. It asks her if she is its new possessor and says its name is something like "Gog-var-oh-cogh the serpent" (???), and it will willingly bond to garou to aid the tribes and has for many years, been held by many tribes such as the Hei--- (???) hero of the Coliquai (???), and Ts--- (???) the Coliquai (???) god. It asks for a bite of blood to seal the deal and explains its not a geas its a spot of spirit to seal a pact (pact not geas so... deal not compulsion?)

Carlie agrees and is bitten, she wakes in a cold sweat feeling the bite on her shoulder and gains a gift (ooc: spend 1 gnosis, roll int + occult and get invisibility while moving from people, animals, devices, spirits. Difficulty 4 if unobserved, 6 if not deliberately observed, and 8 if directly watched), also has a small mark on her shoulder, its hard to spot but she can see its changed.

On Saturday: Lydia and Sunny are up early, Ariane asks Sunny if she needs help and then when the answer is no she curls up on the sofa with a book, Jules makes plans to dodge Lottie and go hang with Liz, Holly tries to ID some magic swords, but can't get to grips with them today, maybe later.

Around 16:00 Lottie arrives in a screech of tyres, Carlie gets the door and she is not looking instaready, instead she's in a hoodie, tatty jeans, trainers, and slouching, looking kinda depressed. She says she not doing okay and heads to the kitchen to see Sunny, who is making delicious chicken, she brought wine. She tells Lydia she's not feeling herself had a shouting mach with The Major, then her dad, then her aunt, then her dad again. She's angry, and arguing with people. The Pack in general suggest this could be a result of her (noble) werewolf heritage. Lydia tries to nudge the bible on her and gets told she thinks its crap, Ariane finally comes in to say hi, Sunny offers to teach people how to cooking things. Lottie then complains she wants news from people because she wants the vicarious werewolf life (full of meaning! And adventure! And destiny!) and Ariane tries to reassure her that her life is exciting and can be full of meaning and suggests she join XR (she was thrown out of a meeting for arguing with the anarcho-primitives). She continues to bemoan the emptiness of her life and people keep trying to reassure her.

Then she spots Maneki-neko in the microwave door waving to her and taunting her, we indicate this is a spirit cat not really there, it keeps on taunting her, there is a discussion of how long until dinner just in case and then Lottie flips into wolf form (she's very Alsatian like), struggles out of her clothing and races out of the door, Carlie feels a strong compulsion to chase the cat but fails to shift so does in human, and uses her city running gift and knowledge of the layout to take a shortcut to the cathedral, Ariane and Holly get in pursuit. Once we arrive Carlie deflects her anger with the infectious laughter gift, then goes to fetch the car. Holly and Ariane watch a big wolf stalking through the grounds towards us (the Unknown Ahroun probably) and Lottie says it's been stalking her since midsummer. It tells Holly "Tell Sunny our deal is done" and then dissipates.

Everyone gets back, Lottie tries to borrow clothes from Lydia and gets talked to about the bible again, Lottie leans into "but the gays" and Lydia talks about those "struggling with same sex attraction" who need to realise that sex is a gift from God for those in a het marriage. They talk about words vs. belief (salvation is by belief and words of acceptance, not random deeds), and Lottie says the words are easy the doing is hard, Lydia suggests accepting Jesus will make you want to transform your life to perform acts of gods love, Lottie suggests theres a lot of christian bankrobbers and drug dealers, and Lydia says they're doing it wrong by not transforming their lives. After this she gets Ariane talking about ancestor connections (relics are good, but stories, pictures, memories, and names are helpful) and also romance novels.

Eventually! The pack gets to the meal, and its pretty excellent actually, however the chocolate dessert is absolutely heavenly [P:5]. Holly spots that Lottie accidentally drops in a word in spirit speech she'd heard from Maneki-neko ("flea-bitten") and checks and finds she can talk in the language of spirits. Before she goes she makes Ariane promise not to tell anyone until she's ready.

After the meal Lydia then talks about if she should do ancestor work to connect to her birth parents since she knows so little about them and Ariane tries to suggest its a good idea to at least set up a focus around the picture of them and remind herself of the story she knows of them and pray there. She voices the idea she'd just get spirits and she and Carlie talk about how scatty spirits are (Carlie reminds her the deep-umbra ones are very present but she asserts they're also VERY catholic).

Meanwhile... at Liz's place: Jules is holding a chicken by one lg, and Liz is threatening twiggy with a spatula that she will fireball her roots... tune in next week for more Garou Misadventuuuuuureeeess

2022-02-14

(We watch Alien, Sunny has a dream meeting with The Wolf of the Hunting Grounds in a liminal space between the Summerlands and Earth, everyone else apart from Jules (who's a bit far away) get pulled in. Wolf asks us to hunt a sick/corrupted deer from a herd, its a bit of chaos but we manage it, essentially running it into/over Lydia. Holly and Ariane get a vision of tractors at the docks. The pack start to eat, she tells us its Wyrm tainted, we take it back to Wolf who says its fine apart from that bit and that it represents a problem that needs solving back on Earth, some of us have more. In the morning we get a lot of meat, bicker about pack rules again, suggests involving the police and prisons is bad, and Derek Watford texts Lydia to arrange a meeting)

Lottie's gone, everyone chills out, Ariane and a few of the others finish watching the interrupted version of Alien, but its just not the same without the build up. Sunny falls asleep and dreams of a green place, a brook, some trees and woods, she explores with her nose! Trailing the scent of wolves into a clearing in the woods, there she meets Wolf, its bigger than it should be, has one eye open and is very relaxed, it smells a little bit like Ariane.

They chat, Sunny is interested by his smell, (he smells "like the one who cares about lineage and status"), it replies that it is a wolf and Sunny sighs and assumes this is a dig that she is "just a dog". It tell's her she's welcome to stay but she says she can't she's asleep and dreaming so can't stay forever, it tells her if she believes then dreams connect to liminal spaces - this is between the Summerlands and Earth and it is dreaming as well, it introduces itself just as "Wolf" and Sunny asks if why its not female since Mother Luna is the canonical wolf, it just assures "I am Wolf that's male".

Meanwhile: Ariane and Holly head to bed, Ariane giving a nod to her bedroom ancestor altar, Carlie sits up for a little bit, then heads to bed, peering at whatever weird Ancestor altar Ariane has left in the main room. Lydia meanwhile is up writing letters to Derek Watford and her family, and various people she is praying for. Ariane falls asleep.

Ariane then wakes up in the dream as a wolf, hears sounds from the woods and can smell Sunny so follow's her nose, Sunny howls to attract her attention, she is then told that this is Sunny's dream. She smells the Wolf, it smells very wolfy, kind of musky and doglike, feels like some kind of ancestor scented wolf, old family memories. She politely sniffs it and does the doggy dance of etiquette [P] to say hello. At this point Carlie falls asleep and dreams into the shared dream watching Ariane engage in the butt-sniff-dance and mutters "Please let me be in someone elses dream or I came up with that."

Sunny asks Ariane about ideas of big male wolf spirits, she suggests there could well be Mother Luna and she guesses some sort of "Father Wolf" spirit, he snarks that she's theorising about someone in front of her, Sunny snarks about that she shouldn't have missed his balls when doing the sniffing. Ariane asks what's up and he just says he wanted to chat to Sunny and as others were thought of or mentioned they were pulled in and asks if it should "make it a whole family meeting?" - at which point Holly and Lydia pass out and wake up in the dream.

Once most of the pack is gathered (it tells us it knows Sunny, and Holly clocks that this is the thing she saw in the Cathedral grounds, she passes on the message to Holly) he tells us there's a deer limping in the herd of the forest, something is weird with it and he asks us to cull it, there's a quick plan formed: Holly and Sunny to chase it, Ariane to distract it right into Carlie's teeth. It tells Lydia when she questions that this is our wolfly duty, she says she's going to do her duty to heal the others if they get hurt, the Wolf suggests that part of our job as garou is to hunt the corrupt and evil, cull off the sick, and protect the herd.

The pack tracks it, Carlie hiding upwind, Ariane off to one side. Sunny and Holly stalk through the forest tailed by Lydia who starts to pick up some kind of faint Wyrm scent from the herd of deer. Sunny gets the sense one isn't healthy, she starts to get wound up and keen for the hunt. Sunny, Ariane, and Lydia sense the tension in the herd and also in the chasers (Sunny and Holly) - who then sprint! Splitting the herd, Lydia sees one limping towards the river, goes to chase it but slams into a rock, Ariane watches the herd evade people and starts to flank to push them back towards Holly and Sunny who both miss it, it dodges by and Carlie comes out hiding to chase it back into the others, the whole thing turns into it being run straight into/over Lydia and everyone else dog piles it bashing Lydia into the floor.

During this Holly and Ariane get a weird vision of being stood atop an illuminated maze of containers, somewhere they can smell salt water on the air, there are lights along a badly made road below and 5 tractors marked "John Deere" being unloaded.

While people are chowing down on the deer Lydia recovers enough to yell "Wyrm! Stop!" and that gets people's attentions enough to smell there is some kind of strange infection, possibly an infected (demon!) insect bite, Sunny sniffs and thinks the rest is okay, Lydia is adamant its a bad idea, Ariane is squeemish, and Holly says the last time she bit a wyrm creature it tasted of burning. We take it back to Wolf who says its all good except the leg which can be eating around then buried and its not "bloomed" yet so the ground can reabsorb it, and it can be part of the proper Wyrm/Weaver/Wyld structure, he bends down and eats out the heart and kidneys and leaves the rest for us. Sunny eats, Holly is a little conflicted but eats, Lydia and Ariane do not. He also tells us this is a reflection of events on Earth, but that things will need solving from both ends, and Holly and Ariane talk about the tractors.

In the morning Holly and Sunny wake up feeling recharged (ooc: gnosis recharge from consuming deer meet from the hunt) and everyone has a craving for meat, there is bickering about nursing training vs. food safety training, Ariane goes out shopping while hungry and comes back with goat, bacon, beef, and venison. Carlie says she has a great recipie for goat curry and offers to it to Sunny, and a mighty breakfast feast is prepared. During this Carlie reads about an accident at South End container port, 5 tractors got crushed by falling containers and sends it around the rest of the pack. Sunny tells us she used her boon from Midsummer to help Lottie realise she is a werewolf, or become a werewolf (we wonder if there's a difference).

Things end with Lydia and Carlie debating what we do as a pack or not, what purpose we serve together, what requirements we can put on each others things, Lydia says if someone sets limits she won't cross them as long as everyone has agreed to them, Ariane and Holly suggest that not shopping people to the police is a good start, Lydia suggests not doing crimes, and Ariane suggests that we're essentially werewolf ecological terrorists and hence we do crimes, Holly speculates about links between the Government/Police and the Wyrm. We talk about demon slaying but seem to tentatively agree that we shouldn't send each other to prison.

Lydia gets a text from Derek Watford saying "We need to talk. Meet me at the docks at Midnight, come alone, we can have a good talk about it".

2022-02-21

It's around Sunday lunchtime, Liz has to go to work so politely kicks Jules out, Twiggy looks bashful, she comes home to the big fry up, where Lydia tells everyone about her meeting with Watford and that she has no secrets. We talk about the meeting and speculate on ambushes! Sword fights! Murder! Also talk about the Wolf shared dream, the Wolf in the Cathedral grounds, Lottie being a werewolf, a vague sidetrack into the difference between demons and spirits (which Holly shuts down rapidly) and catch Jules up.

There's a bit of an argument about law breaking (inc. Jesus breaking the law, but apparently that's a result of prophecy and there's no biblical prophecy about Lydia breaking the law), Lydia wants to apologise to Carlie who keeps leaving, talk of provision pack rule and we sort of agree that all crimes involving/effecting the pack should be brought up with the Pack. Lydia reminds Jules this includes drugs in the house may nuke her nursing license, which Jules didn't realise.

Watford sends a text to Lydia about the meeting at midnight being not movable, he's on a murder case, and its out of earshot of other supernaturals. We're again suss. Jules references "suck my dick", Sunny and Lydia are confused, Ariane offers in vague shy terms to lend people werewolf strap-on romance. Lydia tries to convince Watford to get breakfast, or come to the Umbral church, he sulks about how he doesn't want to go to the Umbra at all.

Meanwhile: Carlie is scrolling tiktok in her room and sees that Lottie has resumed the #LottieLife with a little dance/growl at the end, she sends support. The pack downstairs make a plan to eat goat curry, check the docks, then get Lydia to her meet and be at a safe distance, Jules tells Carlie and gets snark back about crime but she does come down to join us, gets an apology from Lydia and asks if this means she'll actually change now. There is talk of the evening trip to the docks, how this may involve trespassing, but we want to avoid violence, discussion of when Lydia told Watford where we were going and we had to abandon London (Lydia didn't realise it was secret) and how Lydia burnt a book they were reading once, Carlie reminds her that its different if she gets arrested, and Lydia says this is obvious to Carlie but not to her, brings up the Jules/Drugs situation as comparison.

Eventuallky the pack makes it out to Gravesend (?) docks, there's a bunch of hoists and containers, and a boat flying the Nigerian flag.

We check the spirit: its a Weaver nest, lines, webbing, and a giant web/line going out to sea, the modern containers and ships are mirrored in the Umbra. We sneak in a bit, lots of spiders inside, so we loop around to the front, Holly talks to the spider-guard, it tells her a Lightning Weaver did it, tore the web (they're weird, not here often, exist in the spirit, burn webs wherever they go, are disturbing and annoying to the spiders, they're like small balls of lightening, not sentient/aware of the Umbral damage they do) and destroyed goods so badly they can't be repaired, we assure it we're investigating and don't know anything useful about this lightning weaver.

Back in the physical we send Lydia and Sunny up front as health inspectors/distraction while Carlie uses the invisibility stick to sneak in th side. Lydia gets some PPE from Ben at the gates and waits until Phil comes to take her inside with Sunny as sniffer-dog, they hear the boat is the Shepard of the Ocean or possibly the Maersk Silverrunner. Sunny then catches some Wyrm-scent heads over to look seeing Watford and 3 cops and more wyrm scent, Phil says they can't go that way due to cops, its tape off for an accident involving a vagrant and falling containers which crushed the tractors and someone who died. Lydia suggests prayer, Phil suggests beer. She does get to look in a container to keep her cover, its full of tank tracks and BV (Boiling Vessel i.e. tank kettles) made in 61 and being shipped.

Carlie meanwhile sniffs for the Wyrm follows the trail a little, stops and accidentally becomes visible, and then spots 3 bored cops and Derek Watford near 5 smashed up tractors, she keeps moving and films some stuff of the actual crime scene on shakey phone camera (which comes out grainy due to magic) then bails outside.

2022-02-28

(Ariane, Sunny, and Holly meet Grandmother and Dimitri and are escorted out of the docks. Lydia meets Derek Watford who takes her to a Rusting Ship Hulk, talks of families and how knowing him puts her at risk, tries to get her to fight him, and eventually she talks him down to coming to chat over tea and bringing her some of her parents possessions as Carlie and Jules show up after the sound of her screaming. Everyone goes back to the Pack House to talk about the events of the evening)

The Pack spots a 1960s era mini (which is odd because not many personal vehicles around the docks this time of night especially a classic), inside is a 90 year old lady knitting. Sunny goes to look, gets a wave, the car smells wyrmy, we debate what to do, it starts up, and Sunny, Holly, and Ariane end up chasing it, with Ariane [F] stuck in human, it heads north and stops up near a night club, Sunny and Holly hang back and watch and eventually Ariane catches up., a large guy with a suitcase (later revealed to be Dimitri, a vampire) appears, respectfully taps on the window, then has a chat with the driver, then looks over and tells us "Grandmother" would like to talk to us, the old lady refuses to give another name except this one, tells us the dockland isn't save at night its her and her children's home and they don't approve of "late night shenanigans", introduces us to Dimitri and says he'll look after us and walk us safely out and recommends we drink bovril. So all three garou are escorted to Tower Bridge.

Meanwhile: Lydia is talking to Uncle Derek, he wants more privacy than the pack lurking nearby so takes her for a walk, Jules and Carlie stay put listening. He tells her he'll have a scar from the attack, asks why she lost her temper, and she says its because he endangered her parents by not warning anyone she could be a garou, he tries to claim she's not the only one who cares about family, she says she was the danger and he should have thought of it, he responds that he didn't want to take her away from an idyllic country family life and involve her in his dangerous life (late nights and danger), she suggests garou inheritance could be 1:10 and he says he thought it was lower, she tells him she'd rather be dead than endanger her family, he tries to claim that in a weird situation they'd remember the letter and call the lawyers which would have sorted everything out and that she saw them as kinfolk so wouldn't be dangerous, Lydia says that her pack were worried they'd get hurt in the change, and he makes her admit none of their families were hurt during their time.

During all this he's walking her towards a Rusting Ship Hulk floating in the Themes. Tells her it was once a home, but also a place of horror and darkness that he was connected to and had to deal with it, says it would maybe have been better for the world if she hadn't survived the plane crash, accuses her of cowardice because if she wants her family safe she needs to fight for it, she reminds him that her family includes him and he darts forward to grab her, which makes her scream (getting Jules and Carlie moving). He keeps trying to convince her to fight him but she tells him he's her Uncle now and she won't attack him.

He tells her the ship hulk was a home to Mother, something evil melded with a Vampire that ate people and he had to deal with it (covering it up?) to keep the peace in London. Blames the pack for telling people that she's his niece and hence putting a target on her. She reminds him she deals with unpleasant death every day and isn't scared of it, but starts to smell the Wyrm scent coming out of the dark hold and shuffles away. She asks him what he wants her to do and he claims he brought her her to "buck up her ideas" (threaten her into more violence?) he says that dying is fine to him but the idea of people he loves being held hostage by "creatures like this" and worries about threats of torture to Lydia as leverage against him. He asserts god won't save her and she reminds him only god will save her.

She tries to make a lunge for the river to escape him, he blocks her, they both shift to crinos and wrestle more wit hher trying to escape. He argues she should run before he "takes it out of her hide" to teach her a lesson and she just tells him he needs help and she can help him, which isn't what a coward would do. At this point Jules arrives, Watford flips to lupus and runs, Lydia shouts after him that she won't give him and he howls back that he doesn't care, she reminds him she does, he talks about not wanting to attend her funeral, and she is happy to die with a martyrs crown, which enrages him about her doing it in her parents name (they were apparently good people). He howls that families and packs are the most important thing and her parents would have taught her this and she keeps trying to sell out her pack (especially Jules) to him, should have more loyalty to them and beware of people taking advantage of her connection to him, tells her she needs to keep her name away from "the masters of this place" and not to trust the cops as he can barely keep the dirty ones in check.

Carlie suggests that Lydia come home for tea, and in a final exchange with Watford she invites him for tea, he says he'll send some momentos and possessions of her parents and some news when he's less jumpy and angry, finishes by telling her shes too nice and will get people killed. Jules tells everyone they've all said enough and Watford warns people about Grandmother's goons.

They hustle back to Carlie's car with her asserting to Lydia she didn't have to let him lecture her and she just says she was lecturing him but he didn't notice.

With everyone back at The Pack House: we share out Lydia's fancy M&S biscuits she'd brought to offer Watford, she tells us he took her to the boat to scare her - he was scared of something there and was trying to provoke her into a fight but he already knows she can. Jules is a bit iffy about Watford's threats that he could "get her". We talk about Grandmother as maybe a new version of "The Mother", or the sire of the mother or something else. Lydia wonders if the Vampires have (or had) someone he cared about as a hostage. We decide we should probably talk to The Guild about things, Holly will try to work out who's best to arrange a conversation with and where/when, we also talk about the idea of talking to Our Bell or Their Bell for information.

2022-03-21

(The Pack makes a plan for Jules to talk to Sir Robert Laffrey, Holly goes to work her shift at The Guild, arranges the Jules/Laffrey meeting, gets The Pack invited to some sort of meal tomorrow to "show their best sides", Jules finds out her picture The Web is being shown at the Tate Modern accredited to an "Unknown Artist", The Guild's hunt for the Rogue Geomancer goes wrong, Benjamin is hurt, Holly goes out hunting with Sam and Dan and the Pack joins in, downing the geomancer who had been stealing historical artifacts (Season_Six#2022-01-31), also there was a sniper watching over the fight)

The Pack is at the house, its around 3am and everyone decides that its just time for bed.

The next day Holly has a shift at The Guild, everyone has lunch first, talks about Watford arranging a meeting in known Vampire territory and if this was a good idea, we talk about talking to The Guild about Grandmother, Ariane suggests the Pack Alphas should have a newsletter of private stuff they don't want to howl, we agree that the whole situation is maybe above our station, and suggest that Jules get together with Sir Robert Laffrey for an Alpha-Internship, she is not impressed. We do at least make a plan to arrange a talk, and Jules writes a very [P:5] diplomatic and artful letter.

At the Guild for Holly's shift the "What type of Mage is Holly?" pot is standing around £2k, she tries to ignore it, the Librarian Lady is reading an ancient tome she took out of an anime bag, chats to Holly and tries to fish for information by asking Holly to read the guesses board, she guesses a Demonica Contractor (like she maybe is). Mr. Benson tells Holly the gym will need cleaning because its going to have intense sparring practice, she gets that sorted before the people show up although sees one of the more practical fighting squad limbering up, also the The Lady of Kowloon. After that she catches Sir Robert Laffrey, has a private chat in his office about how the Grandese know a lot of things not in general circulation to keep things calm, accepts the letter is impressed, wants to arrange dinner and a meeting tomorrow as the Guild will be celebrating, suggests Jules, Lydia and whoever else wants to show up because the two packs had an "accidentally poor start" and he wants everyone to "show their best sides".

Meanwhile at the Pack House, one of Jules coursemates pings her and tells her that the Southbank Show is talking about a picture in the Tate Modern by an "Unknown Artist" and its The Web, she goes to talk to Ariane to check this isn't breaking The Veil and Ariane assures her its not unless she talks about being garou (also tells her a story of The Tale of Duke Williamson).

Back at The Guild, Benson arranges for Holly to come in for a shift tomorrow from 18:00, a meal and open bar where they'll lose cash. There's a bunch of healers in the corner talking about drink mixers and Robin (another member of bar staff) is rolling her eyes at it, they call her over to get drinks and try to fish for if she can mind read. Eventually the evening starts tp wrap up, but Holly then finds the healers gathered around someone bleeding on a guerney (possibly Benjamin), she finds out the attempt to grab the Rogue Geomancer has gone wrong, Benson is in the bar dispatching teams of mythics with a big map of London, people are getting weapons and body armour before they go out. Holly arranges to go out and help along with Sam (a pyromancer) and Dan (an aeromancer), they go to Fenchurch Street and she notifies the Pack who decide this is a good idea.

At Fenchurch Street they assume Holly is a witch and Sunny is her spirit familiar, meanwhile the Pack lurk unseen and Carlie literally is invisible. Eventually the rogue geomancer appears, Holly turns hispo to pounce him, but its like hitting rock, also he turns all the surrounding ground soft. Ariane crinoses to dump a bin on his head as a distraction, Carlie goes in with her magic knives, Sunny tries to trip, the most effective is Lydia who crinoses and picks him up by his feet to shake him shouting about repentance as everyone keeps sinking into the ground. Holly growls at him to submit very effectively and notices he's not breathing, like a suit of armour, Sam and Dan use magic to get off the ground, Jules stalks the parimeter looking for other people, witnesses, etc. Ariane gets a street sign and plans on pounding him with the concrete end, Carlie hops up onto a table and stabs him with the other knife which seems to work better, Lydia slams him into the table and he finally takes a deep breath - which stops all his magical effects (seems to only work while he holds his breath).

Once he's down the Guild healers arrive and triage him, apply some Instant Knit to him (a magical healing goo) once Carlie's knife is out. Jule's patrol notices that all the cameras in the area are dead (which turns out to the Derek Watford's doing), sees some movement on a building - a rifle barrel being lift, city runs up to investigate, gives chase but is evaded by the mystery sniper. Lydia gets Ariane to put the street sign back, and The Guild mages reveal that the rogue geomancer was out stealing historical artificts, hid them in some charity church, which he then blew up looking for the stolen goods (probably the Ethiopian Catholic Church that Carlie and the Forty Elephants robbed).

2022-03-28

(Sunny and Holly return to the guild, find Sun Wang-Li guessed werewolf, Sunny smells someone weird. Jule's tutor continues to dodge her, the pack dresses up for the evening. Lydia, Sunny, and Ariane talk to Derek Watford in a cafe and find out that "Mother" was something possessing a vampire, the Grandese arranged for her to be killed, and she killed (?) Derek Watford's wife. He doesn't know what Lydia's Birth Parents were up to but it involved Pentex Corporation. At dinner Sir Robert Laffrey talks to Jules about the politics and locations of London and lays out the rules of the Grandese. Lydia meets Sara an alchemist radiographer, Sunny sniffs out Ashen and can smell one more garou somewhere in the crowd, Ariane shows Sir Robert her sword, Carlie talks to John Ashford (an artefact trader) about dealing in items, he'll pay us for Mythics stuff, introduces her to Diana a Spiritalis mage)

Sunny and Holly head back to The Guild in the back of their van, its a bit of a celebratory party, Benjamin (who was injured earlier) is recovering at home but okay, Benson assures Holly she should show up tomorrow at the meal as a guest. Holly also notices that Sun Wang-Li guessed "werewolf" on the board, Sunny notices some people by the bar and goes to beg treats, licks ones hand and notices a taste of herbs, peppermint, rock smells, and a cat like scent that she can't place. She draws Holly's attention to it but she isn't sure whats up, so they race home as dogs.

The next day: Jules still has no reply from her tutor about her picture (The Web being shown at the Tate Modern Season_Six#2022-03-21), Lydia emails Derek Watford to ask for a tea meeting to talk about things or she'll investigate herself, he agrees and arranges for the afternoon. Jules helps Holly get dressed up ready, Ariane throws her most modest dresses at Lydia, we talk of Moon Phase undercuts and Carlie goes for it.

At the cafe: Lydia asks for details of Watford's troubles, he's nervy of Sunny and Ariane, but tells her that Grandmother is a remnant of "The Mother" who was a vampire merged with a more powerful separate being and used as its walking eyes/ears, was physical so it wasn't possession, more mind control, the whole thing was around 2000 years old. Says he met her at the hulk to show her the awful things he has to deal with (maybe scare her a little) and keeps brushing off the risk of not telling her, they talk of The Lady of Kowloon and Watford says she was there to check on people, she has some kind of abilities as a mind reader but it goes beyond what you believe, so Sir Robert uses her to ensure people are who they say they are. He tells us he and Mother had "difficult" interactions, she wanted to control basically all of London politics, he objected, she "took it personally" (he reveals later that she took his wife, probably killing her?) and the rest of the Grandese backed him up and eventually authorised her to be killed. Mothers clan keep the boat there in reverence of her, and she had strong links to Russian Mafia (the Primrose-Morton Russian links also come up in conversation and she obviously downplays them). We also find out he has a few kinfolk by his inlaws and basically nothing else.

When asked about Lydia's Birth Parents he told us they were "queen and country goodie two shoes who were trying to save the planet", he isn't quite sure why there were out there as his questions were rebuffed, something to do with some local rebels, drug shipments, and Pentex Corporation, they even had a Royal Navy ship off the coast as backup. At this time Sir Robert was heir apparent to The Guild, someone else was Alpha and covered it up, so he may know some more but MI6 and the Matrix Chambers may know more. Tells her that Lydia's Parents passed their background checks and despite his investigations they could be an MI6 front he thinks they are really just Christian fundamentalist farmers, he figures they knew someone at the local council.

He also tells us that we can commission him to turn off cameras if we ask nicely and its worth it, Ariane tries to reassure him we have his back if he needs us, he's still interested where the corpse is but is reassured it's not there, Ariane tells him The Tale of the Sheriff of Normandy as a comparison.

Back at the Pack House we talk of food and outfits, Sunny says it's better to steal food as it tastes better, Jules says she's not into begging, Carlie says the secret ingredient is crime. Everyone gets ready on time.

At The Guild before dinner Jules shares a very nice brandy (1898 French) with Sir Robert Laffrey, they talk about the gaps in the knowledge and how the Belles keep meeting groups we don't know about and don't want to mess up agreements.

• Vampires:
  • Told that Grandmother's Coterie is at least a dozen old vampires, they are definitely of the Wyrm
  • Other vampires are tainted but not directly of the Wyrm.
  • Talk of the Wyrm and how realistically there is the option to contain or destroy it, the Grandese is a method of containing the lightly tainted rather than die fighting a war against all and how it works both ways as Mother tried to use it to contain the Garou.
• What bits of city to avoid/know about?
  • Derelict docklands are Grandmothers
  • Regenerated docklands is The Guild
  • There is an uneasy border
  • (The British Museum is totally neutral)
  • (Mythics like the O2 Arena and he's not sure why)
• Rules of the Grandese:
  • The Grandese is a talking shop, one from each major faction, oversees disputes on a species basis. Take issues to them first before starting violence
  • The Spirit world is outside their purview, you can exploit/exterminate as you wish (Vampires don't touch the spirit)
  • The British Museum is neutral territory for everyone, don't mess with it
  • Mortal politics on a grand scale is outside of everyone's allowed areas, don't go too far.

The main meal is to celebrate 75 years since the founding of The Guild (late september 1945).

• Lydia is mostly chilling in a quiet corner, meets Sara who is a radiographer at a nearby hospital, an Alchemist who makes healing remedies and spells, complains they're hard to make, can't be scaled up, but she manages to sneak a few (she can make ~15 a year) into hospitals to help people, needs people with The Knack who aren't into making lots of money. They talk about The Angel Islington.
• Sunny on the hunt for barsnacks: sniffs out 4 garou in the crowd (Sir Robert, Watford) determines that one of them is someone she determines is Ashen who is a bit of a whiny guy and the 4th is somewhere else.
• Ariane shows The Primrose-Morton Sword to Laffrey, who has a sword in his office he was knighted with (touched directly by The Queen, blessed by the spirit of London itself).
• Carlie spends some time with John Ashford an old man in a ratty grey cloak, a mythic into ancient artifacts. He's talking to her to ask about Ben Valis's demonica device (he has one he shows as an example, he's not wearing it) and he'll pay money for that or similar devices, but seems okay to hear it was melted down. He's a trader/merchant in artefacts for the Mythics. He likes Ariane's sword and Carlie makes a reference to "this is her fetish" but he doesn't bite (😔). He talks about the issues of providence with stolen African goods, how he needs the paperwork to all be in line to buy and sell them, mentiosn he's not sure where the Rogue Geomancer got his items, but he had 4 of them (we know about 3...) and the Grandese don't like when powerful objects are around but they don't know where, broadly says they do: rainfall, wind, crop growth, and invisibility (the relaly powerful one). Carlie asks him for advice on deals with spirits and he says he'll introduce her to someone, brings her to Diana who's a Spiritalis mythic.

2022-04-04

Carlie is introduced to Diana 40 something nicely dressed lady who's sat with a deck of cards, they talk a little before getting onto Doom/Geas effects and how you spot them, she's told it occured in the Papel Estate. Diana says she's free with information (unlike Watford or Sir Robert). Suggested protection is about "Spiritual Armour" like:

1. Benediction of friendly spirit guide, which needs you to be a Spiritualis mythic (she has a deal with Maerid and doesn't know Garou can make deals with spirits)
2. Some arcane items
3. Some crosses/spiritual items linked to spirits (? User:Tabitha asks for clarity on this point, missed notes ?)

Carlie asks about what a spirit showing you a gift by biting you might mean and is told this sounds like a bonding of some kind, for Spiritalis mythics the first step is a connection with the spirit and the trading of a boon/gift and you build on that until they can manifest. Says the mythics have a Ritual of Separation to divide Spiritalis mythics from their bonded spirits. Also suggests talking to any linked spirits as humans are often more obscure and cryptic, most spirits are more about "what one is" not "who one is".

Tells her there are 2 types of Spiritalis mythic:

1. Witches: Give energy, essence, perform rituals, make agreements with spirits, they live in lines on the body, and nourised by the places taken to do rituals with it.
2. Druids: Carnal, uncouth, known as "Spirit Fuckers"

They agree that in return for any help with spirit stuff Diana would like the Garou to help her across into the Spirit world via our crossing and Carlie says she'd want to clear it with her pack first.

Meanwhile: Sunny talks to Lucy Shaw and Jackson Campbell who are bickering over the use of an array, it seems to be a big thing you need to essentially "book time on" (like computer usage) they have 1 6 month slot between them, Lucy wants to bind some spirits and Jackson wants to make a "harry potter flying broom" according to her. She also talks to Jordon Renalds who is discussing a rogue druid called Zack somewhere in Dartford who has been causing scandalous problems, there is the idea a warrant will be coming soon. Hears that Jordon's wife Flora Renalds (regular human) got very drunk last time she came to The Guild for a party and needed escorting home.

She also hears general rumours that the Rogue Geomancer stole a number of African artifacts, hid them in a church. Suspicions are on:

• Unaffiliated Mythics of East London: They are too poor to afford such items
• Vampires: Aiming to become fertile again to procreate children
  • A coterie in Horwich has tried it before
  • There is a lone vampire in the East End of London as welland
• An immortal guy with links to the British Museum: Just likes artefacts.

Meanwhile: Ariane goes to Sir Robert Laffrey's office, he shows her his ceremonial sword, it was his fathers from his time in the Blues & Royals post war (he was in Aiden, never saw real action), has a minor spirit of London bound into it. Sir Robert was knighted for his services to finances, the Army was never his thing. Says a few kinfolk in the Blues and also Household Cavalry, most Garou wind up in special services commonly the royal engineers as they can go to a lot of places (and do assassinations/spirit work as well as bridge building).

He tells her most mythics live out in the country instead of inside London and that The Knack is actually much more common than it appears but mostly manifests in incredibly minor ways. They generally joke about Magipol but he says the UK lot actually use The Ministry of Magic semi-seriously. They talk of policing by consent, the death of innocents by accident, and how Magicpol consider garou a lower source of being but also there's a lot of ethnic minorities amongst us which could be a factor. He says that Mr. Benson is The Guild's contact to Magipol so they don't realise there are garou here. Talk of holidaying suggests he prefers Montserrat and the Cayman Isles over Florida.

Meanwhile: Holly mingles more with the staff than the patrons, watches Liz and Jules making eyes at each other, chats with Liz about the pot and they talk it over and agree on a 50:50 split with Holly buying her drinks tonight, Liz also asks Jules to be nice and clap for Sir Robert's speech.

After this Sir Robert returns, gets everyone's attention and makes a speech. Thanks everyone for a job well done, avenging the attack on one of them and their 75th Anniversary. Talks of the founding of The Guild - how magical powers and werewolf might mixed to help stop the Axis from getting spiritual aid for an invasion of the UK, and that was what formed The Guild. Originally they were housed in a Mayfair club, but 30 years ago they got their own place, they have expanded their philosophy to finance, trade and "other schemes" (at which point he indicates Diana). He talks of Vampires, Mythics, Werewolves, and Golems all living in peace and hoping to keep the peace, thanks the Belles for helping capture a dangerous Elemantalis mythic, and ends up calling for another 75 years of good work, the speech ends in 3 cheers and a toast.

Ariane is told to give his best wishes to her Mother then joins the others at the bar. Sam comes to the bar for drinks and has a present for Ariane, then brings her a large object wrapped in paper - it's the street sign she pulled up (they bought it for scrap) and Ariane says she'll put it near the living room altar. Carlie arrives, tells everyone that Diana would like assistance going into the spirit. There is general talk:

• The artistic process and how it is sometimes linked to extreme deprivation and depravity
• We talk of camping on Dartmoor
• We find out Jules has at least one cousin
• We talk of Lydia and Stephen Primrose and how Jules encouraged them to get together ("and fuck"), Ariane loudly talks about not picturing it, there is bickering.

Later on: Mr. Benson arrives to announce he closed the book at the start of the emergency so Liz's late bet doesn't count and Holly wins the pot (there is some teasing that Garou come in all shapes and sizes which is why no one expected Holly to be a fearsome killing machine), Holly shyly accepts her winnings, but then agrees to split them with Liz because they had the agreement earlier.

Meanwhile: Lydia makes an agreement to trade blood samples for a pack of instant stabilising magic (a yellow cloth, you cover the wound and if it works it falls off/is ejected by the healing body, if it fails it goes red, and its lethal to vampires) good up to and including head shots and stab wounds.

She and Sara head downstairs to a Pathology lab/chemistry lab/alchemy workshop - a lot of the material is silver (it conducts magical essence well) which makes her uncomfortable. Sara says she got one sample of Sir Robert's blood but he won't give her another, and wants to try and combine it with an array to make something that gives people temporary garou healing powers. She says she can't find a biological difference between human/garou blood so wonders if there is a spiritual difference and wants to use an insight array to try and work this out. Believes that garou blood is also used in a formula that temporarily (~24h) makes someone immune to Delirium, Lydia manages to get 2 of those (the Anti-Delirium Potion). They talk about the hospital prayer group and Sara says she's christian but doesn't go, talks about how God gave her The Knack, and her use of chemistry and arcarnum to understand creation at a deeper level. Lydia mentions she told her church but they didn't believe her and Sara says its better that way because humans judge what is different.

Once we return home Jules gets an email from her tutor...

2022-04-18

At The Pack House on Sunday. Jules gets an email from her tutor Dr. Becky Clout which is very vague, she says the painting is still in University storage and work submitted to the Uni as part of the course becomes their property, and invites Jules to come in for a talk about plagiarism... Jules checks the TV show on catchup and still is sure its her painting, the Pack agree the best plan is to visit the Tate Modern, and we explain to Sunny this means looking like a human.

At the Tate Modern: a large building on the river shore, 1 paid exhibition, one surrealist inspired one, and "Discovered pieces of Modern Britain" which houses The Web, inside the building we spot the Man Cursed By God A Little but decide not to do anything, largely we make a beeline to the pictures. "The Web" is there and Jules is outraged, all the brush strokes are the same but the signature has been removed and a fresh one added, its Dr. Clouts and is dated 2018. We have a discussion of Jules murdering her tutor, talk her down and Ariane gets her to go outside and hit a bin really hard with her. Holly hangs back inside and Sunny stares at a lot of surreal art before the two of them go and find the cafe for food. Lydia largely disapproves of the art before joining them for food.

Jules smashes up a bin, chats with Ariane and Dr. Clout, they speculate about a duplicate in the University and who the strange man inside is before joining the lunch people. There Jules shares that the Man Cursed By God A Little was a patron of the arts, was at her degree show, and is putting on a show, we talk about going to find him, then pause and go back to the pack agreement on agreeing our goals on what kind of talk this would be (talking, angry talking, violence), we find his pictures on the staff board: Giannis Valatos the chief legal council for The Tate Modern, and go over the times we've met him (in Lee Ho Fooks where he seemed to know we were garou, Holly's workplace maybe shoplifting, and finally at Jules art show).

The Pack leaves and does a research montage:

• Ariane searches out his details as a solicitor, he looks 60ish, has been a solicitor for 33 years, on the PWC Board, inherited money/family from parents, who got it from grand parents who were part of the Greek displacement post WW2.
• Carlie digs into the dirt on him more: he's a mergers and acquisitions lawyer, never been the point guy on a deal, always just behind the scenes, bought his way onto the board of PWC and has been quietly involved in mergers of Shell, the mirror group etc. Press stuff, oil, gas, etc. Always on big successful deals.

On Monday: Jules goes to Goldsmiths UoL, meets her tutor, explains her painting is in the Tate with Becky's mark on it. Dr. Clout says she was assuming Jules was an homage to hers, was going to talk to her and give her a chance to pull it but didn't want to make a scene at the show, suggests going to the Dean and Jules asks her for where she got her inspiration for the piece, she flounders a bit and talks about connection of all things, lights as connections in networks, the modern world, spiralling motion, etc and Jules detects bullshit. She checks if she was inspired by the spiritual side of London at all and Dr. Clout asks if London even has a spiritual side, etc. It feels like she is just reacting to what Jules is saying without a clear plan.

They summon Dr. Geoff Smith the dean (and sort of ex-artist who's mostly a paper pushing academic these days) as a witness and head down to the storage basements to look at the painting, Jules explains the situation, her painting with Dr. Clout's signature on, Geoff keeps the chat light as they go down. The painting they find down there smells like fresh paint, looks like it has an okay forgery of her signature but its not perfect. Geoff says it looks like a rushed but okay version of Jule's mark and backs Dr. Clout. Jules pushes for further investigation but is basically told it can all be dropped if she submits another piece, or Geoff can skip the investigation, back Dr. Clout and boot Jules. Dr. Clout is very quiet during all this and as Jules leaves she faintly hears the Dean saying "Dr. Clout, you didn't!" as the door shuts.

2022-04-25

(Jules tells people about how Dr. Becky Clout is trying to steal her work, we dig into her background and find out she sort of stole some art from a NYC collective called Matchy F to exhibit in the MOMA. We patrol the area. Tuesday: Carlie starts to apply for jobs, Sunny goes for a meeting with Sebastian and Laurent, agrees to write out the tale of her Umbra adventures, gets an Effigy of Pope Hope III and takes it to The Guild where Diana helps destroy the spirit that was living in it and listening)

Jules returns to the Pack House where she catches Carlie and Holly up on things and says she's demanding the full process, everyone agrees it'll be a mess, a gamble, and winning it could be long. There is a discussion of stealing the original from the Tate, Lydia requests no theft and asks that we talk to Giannis Valatos, Jules wonders if Dr. Becky Clout may have done this before, we talk about if the University may have anything in its files of this.

Carlie does some digging into her history and finds she's exhibited nothing really since 2012, which was in the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), New York (before that she had one piece in the Tate). The MOMA piece was sort of what got her hired by Goldsmiths, and was produced when she was working with Matchy F a boho art collective in NY who do multimedia performances in the round, she was then arrested and ejected from the US for overstaying her visa. Jules emails Matchy F asking for the gossip, after the patrol she gets a response about the MOMA piece, apparently someone called Angela did most of the work, Becky added a few bits, then sold it wholesale to the MOMA where it was attributed solely to her. There are also allegations of boyfriend stealing, drug abuse, and a broken toaster, it is implied someone called the cops on her to get rid of her.

Meanwhile the Stargazers text Sunny asking if she knows anything about "Papal Statues", and arrange to meet Tuesday night in the Temple district.

The Pack patrols the area! And kinda we mostly pee on a lot of things. After this plans are made to talk about University policies, blackmailing Dr. Clout, and the pack trolls Lydia by reciting Bohemian Rhapsody lyrics. Jules emails Dr. Geoff Smith (the Dean) and tells him to do a whole process on this, also forwards him the details from Matchy F on Clout strongly implying they have failed to do due diligence.

It is then Tuesday: Carlie starts to apply for jobs, Lydia suggests healthcare assistant work, Ariane suggests she become a private investigator.

Sunny then goes to a nice Jewish deli in the Temple district, it is mostly filled with older guys who drive London black cabs eating dinner. Sebastian and Laurent are here, they sort out food (coffee and cake) and ask Sunny why she wants to be a Stargazer. She says its hard to put into words, but its a yearning to run on new ground, smell new smells, eat new foods. They agree that its all about exploration, the stars, and while some people think they're a laughing stock they believe in their mission to explore strange new worlds, the deepest parts of space. Sunny points out they missed out civilisations. They talk about how the Papel Estate is interesting but say there are rumours of whole other realms, whole other Earths out there. Sunny says she wants a map of it all, and to tell tales of every location, she's already a dog that becomes a human so she's already strange. Sebastian agrees there is no place too strange, no experiment too wild. They talk about the car used for the deep umbra trip and they agree it wasn't the best but the cloaked mythic in the back threw it off, they claim they couldn't smell her over the petrol fumes.

They give Sunny a blank book and ask her to write up the tale of her deep umbra quest, she also mentions The Hunting Grounds and they talk about exchanging maps and tales. They also reveal that in their bags when they got back they found and Effigy of Pope Hope III, Sunny tells them that Carlie had one that was a tracking device/teleporter for the Orders of the Church of the Umbral Popes to invade Earth. They agree that Sunny should take it to the BM to Professor Rodriguez there who may know what to do with it. The Stargazers meanwhile are heading to The Mask to look for the true name of the Covid Spirit as there's a man there who knows all the names of Deep Umbra spirits. On the way out of the meeting Sunny chats to the owners about their pastrami recipe, offers to bring in her orange duck recipe and see if they can trade. She tries to call Professor Rodrieguez and gets no answer so goes to The Guild.

At The Guild Holly is working a shift, she looks at the statue and confirms its a bit weird and subtly points out Diana who's been watching them, Holly arranges for Sunny to buy her a drink as an introduction and get her cards read. When shown the effigy Diana says its a listening device, relaying everything back, although its blocked by the Guild's wards. Sunny tells her it comes from the Papal Estate and she is intrigued. She checks Sunny is dog werewolf and that she can control her chase instinct before putting her finger on the statue whereupon a raven spirit hops out of her, flaps in/through the statue and looks to be swallowing something, it then hops onto her arm (her familiar we presume). She tells Sunny its now just a plain statue, and the raven fades back into a tattoo on her arm. Sunny asks what it tastes like, she pauses and confirms "something between rotting chicken and worms". She asks for a tale of the Papal Estate and a route to get to it in payment, they chat, share wine, the pastrami, and bar snacks.

2022-05-02

(Carlie applies for a job and gets an interview with Beaumont Investigations, Lydia gets invited home for her brothers birthday and to make an attempt to prove werewolves exist to her parents (and tells us about the anti-delirium potion), Jules gets an appointment with the VC, there is speculation about whose side the Dean is on, and Sunny gets invited to take the statue in to Professor Rodriguez, Holly and Ariane act sassy at points)

Sunny and Holly chill at the The Guild with Diana and the deactivated effigy and get back to the Pack House around 1am.

Wednesday: Ariane is studying, Carlie is making breakfast, before getting the news that there is a job available to one of the PI places she applied for, researching people and topics for Beaumont Investigations a London based people/topic research company (everything from lost pets to cheating spouses to any crime the police can't be bothered with). Carlie sends in her covering letter and inquiry, gets a generic application form with a 24 hour response on it.

There is talk amongst the pack about the paperwork, references to Gilgamesh (who you need to be to succeed without dealing with paperwork), were-bears (did we kill them all? Are there still some out there? Did they ever actually exist?), berzerkers, the War of Rage, art and paperwork, copyright law, GCSEs vs. accelerated christian learning. We find out Lydia was homeschooled and had other siblings and church family for company, Carlie talks about how this probably meant she didn't meet many people with other beliefs, we also find out Lydia flyers her patients in violation of her work policy when she can get away with it, and she mentions that rules saying she can't proselytize to people are "of the Devil", Ariane point scores this discussion which winds people up.

The form itself is filled in, it has questions about security, IT, military, and police training, has a big box for relevant skills and criminal record. Carlie admits to some violence and shop lifting. There is a long discussion about EDI sections. Lydia speculates if this is a trap by the police and Carlie is cautious, the conversation drifts to law enforcement, consititution of the US vs. the magna carta.

Jules meanwhile asks her University to actually do an investigation, she emails the Dean who emails back to confirm it'll happen. Says they've sample the painting at the University and found some "anomalies" and wish to talk Jules to come in and talk to the VC on Thursday morning. There's also an email from the VC's PA with the disciplinary policies attached, suggesting she bring a friend, SU rep, or legal rep. Jules talks about bringing Ariane.

The pack speculates if The Dean is on our side and we talk about if we can compare Jules art supplies from the house of the ones in the Tate. We wonder if the Dean is trying to silence Jules or Clout or just the whole situation.

Eventually Lydia's phone goes, she hears from her parents its her Brothers birthday next week and they want her to come home to visit, but leave the Werewolf stuff in London. She agrees not to talk to her siblings about it but wants to talk to them. The Neighbours will be over and they talk about her meeting up with Tobias (who they want her to marry). There is a plan to invite her London friends over and make a whole village event of it. After the call she tells us they didn't believe in werewolves, but also essentially no one believes what they say as fundamentalists so adding werewolves to things will likely not leak anywhere. Comparisons are drawn with talking to parents about sex lives, Carlie pushes to find out if she hears everything they do and she says she does. There is talk of how they'd be proud of her for killing demons. There are talk of methods of convincing them about the garou without her just flipping form, Ariane tells the story of Sir Lambert the Bloody as a warning, and Lydia eventually tells us that Sara the alchemist swapped some of her blood (for research into making healing potions) for some potions that will help people resist Delirium which no one else knew about.

There is talk of vistiing Shropshire and Carlie has worries about racism and intends not to go, Ariane suggests she could go in lupus form to avoid this but she declines. It's sort of agreed that Holly and Carlie will stay in London doing Pack business (and their jobs) and Lydia, Jules, and Ariane will visit Lydia's family (Sunny may do either). Jules suggests talking it out with Watford before anyone goes. Holly also sasses Jules for not smashing Dr. Clout's desk up.

Meanwhile:

• Beaumont Investigations get back in touch with Carlie, they want to interview her for appropriate skillset.
• Professor Rodriguez calls Sunny back about the statue, asks if she wants to bring it in for a look as its still interesting without the spirit in it, they agree she'll come in Thursday morning. Also tells us the rest of the pack the statue and the spirit.

Upcoming events: Carlie has an interview! Sunny takes a statue to the British Museum! Jules has a meeting with the VC!

2022-05-09

(Carlie interviews with Beaumont Investigations and is hired by James Cameron (no relation), told the Pack, Ariane looks into what Lottie's been doing and has a very boring lecture, Sunny visits the BM to see Professor Rodriguez, Carlie then goes to her first surveillance job, meets Terrance and listens to a Financial Software firms doings)

Carlie goes to visit Beaumont Investigations offices in 3 Canada Square (?), the area is just full of bankers and their egos, but also a lot of non-managers running around doing the work. This is quite near The Guild. She heads in through revolving doors and signs in at reception, who call up for Jill. While there she notices Sunguard Incorporated staff the upper floors. She is greeted by James Cameron (no relation) a man in a seemingly badly fitted suit who may well be armed with a gun. She name drops the Primrose-Morton's as having suggested this on the way up but gets no visible reaction. At floor 23, which BI share with TVIX and Tele Investments Ltd, their offices are furnished in a rough manner she bumps into an ex-cop (Bill) who picked Carlie up about 4 years ago for shop lifting.

In James Cameron's office (slightly nicer than outside, 15 old filing cabinets, computer is switched off) they chat about shift work and then move onto interview questions. Question 1: is about investigating a priest for an affair who leaves work with some choir boys, Carlie opts to tail him rather than search the church if he has the boys with him, if he goes into the house with the choir boys she'll make a call about if its worth notifying the police based on how things look, may well ring the bell and run to give them space to leave if required. When asked if she'd call it into BI or the Met she says she wouldn't call the cops unless its a last resort and is advised to call anything juicy into BI and they'll make the call on the Met.

Question 2: Why would you make a good PI? She answers that she's pretty nosy, likes to find whats being looked for, was looking at becoming a journalist as she likes putting things together. Question 3: Favourite music? Beyoncé before others. Question 4: Knows how to work an SLR and GPS tech? Yes. Question 5: A general chat about how he wants people who he can sit in a car with for hours, the job is many hours of boredome, some terror, eventual success, and £22/hour for the first 2 years (if she stays longer than 3 months Cameron reckons she'll be fine. He reinforces that there are no side jobs here (one guy apparently tried to be a painter during stakeouts...).

The final interview question is about if Carlie can get to a nearby phone booth in 30m, they have however buggered her visitors access pass. She heads out to the lifts, uses the Open Seal gift on the fire escape door to slip through it without tripping the alarm, sprints down to the ground with City Running, then turns Lupus and bats at the door with her paw to convince the guards to let her out at reception - making it to the phone box in time. Cameron calls her and tells her she's hired but he may well be checking the tapes to work out how she did it and Carlie taunts him promising him a drink if he works it out. She'll be working from home for a while until she gets a desk and he reveals he's "happy to give a felow juvie felon a job".

So she tells the Pack the good news (there is a lot of emojis in response), thanks Sunny for the dog lessons, gets an account into Jim's Filing Cabinet (the company information search engine), gets insurance, a legal fund, etc. and is emailed a long contract and supporting docs so heads back home to read it. There she talks to Ariane about being next of kin (who is honoured) and there is a general talk of work, laws, and bringing companies into disrepute.

Ariane tries to work out if her family would cause issues with security checks, looks into Lottie and finds she's been @ing the environment secretary, sending spicy stuff to the PM, pushing green memes, advertising for hello fresh and similar and generally being eco-Lottie. Ariane worries a little. But she also has a 6 hour seminar on the bonn agreement in a post brexit world. Holly has work. Lydia makes a celebratory detective themed cake for Carlie.

Sunny goes to the British Museum to see Professor Rodriguez who has some amphora shards for her to sniff. She shows him the statue, tells him it was smuggled into bags from the Papal Estate and warns him they're planning to invade Earth on a crusade. He says the statue is legit, suggests she tell her pack and he'll give her a bell if weird things happen, suggests she tells The Guild so they can feed it back to The Grandese. Then proceeds to buy it off her for £75 for his collection of anomalous papal statues - he has 18, 6 of the founding pope and not had a fresh one in years. Finally she smells the amphora shards and gets old oil scents, and trades this for ancient recipes to test.

Carlie's first job: at 7 Coopers Row, monitoring a series of bugs at a financial software firm who may have stolen IP. Spends her time in a mid tier London hotel room and meets Terrance who also works for BI, he shows her the laptop with the list of bugs, how they work, talks her through the layout of the offices (rumpus room, programmer pool, CEO office, womans toilets) and the tape recorder she has to babysit and swap spools in. Finds out the place is under a nursing agency and a lot of back and forth gossip about them. The Director gets bored during the day and calls a phone sex line. Carlie profiles the staff, finds out about Wei Chang Dao who is an excellent programmer who the rest are kinda racist too at a low level. He's staying late in the office while everyone else goes out for drinks, gets into a deep maths talk about "beta correlations" with the CEO. Before her shift ends she hears one of the programmers fucking a nurse in the toilets.

Ariane escapes the boring seminar in which there were no definitive answers just around about waffle and questions, she gets wine for later and heads home to pickup Jules to go talk to her VC.

2022-05-16

(Jules and Ariane go to Goldsmith's to meet the Warden, they also meet the Dean, Dr. Clout, and Giannis Valatos who intervenes a little, although we also presented a stack of evidence. The University decides to drop everything in Jule's favour. Meanwhile at the Pack House Holly investigates the Bishops swords, works out they're sort of gateways to somewhere, Lydia prays over one and channels The Archangel Michael, it doesn't like Father Wolf however. Holly and Ariane debate if this is a good thing)

At Goldsmith University's admin building, Jules and Ariane head to the Warden's Office, have painting samples, paint samples, brushes, etc. Introduce themselves to the PA, settle down to wait and Ariane talks about if they should record the meeting as that does raise the confrontational level immediately. We notice the receptionist talking to Mr. Valatos and he then comes over to see us, chats about how he hears there is some issue of provenance to the piece, he believes the one Jules produced is the same one in the Tate based on when he saw it, he and Ariane agree the piece was maybe "damaged in transit" by "careless movers" and we offer to get him a coffee while he goes in to see the Warden and quietly debate his angle. When we return Giannis is handshaking with Matthew (current Warden), the Dean and Dr. Clout are in there too.

The Dean says he's done his preliminary work on the piece in storage, the oil paint shows its fresher than it should be. They ask Jules for her allegations and she layers the smackdown: copying her work for the vault, changing the signature on the original, falsely putting it in the Tate, accusing her of copying a piece of work shes never seen. We hand over our samples, then bring up the previous accusations from NY 2012 and Dr. Clout alleges Angela has an axe to grind.

The Dean mentions the previous Warden may have overlooked something with visas and thanks Jules for the samples, suggests that from a quick look they resemble the piece in the Tate more than the piece in the basement, says Mr. Valatos wants to keep hold of the piece in case its swapped again and then suggests the museum work should resemble Dr. Clout's other work, but she is mainly a sculptor (she asserts she has "many talents"). The Dean asks Jules the origins of the piece, she talks about the background of the skyline, asks Dr. Clout about its position she says its a montage but Jules can pinpoint parts of Southwark and indicates the Georgian/Victorian vanished architecture that she included in different layers. The Dean notes that Valatos says the view reminded him of a balcony he used to stand on in his youth. The Dean concludes that the University owes Jules an apology, will attribute her as if she was a resident painter not a student. Ariane is very polite about wrapping things up, meanwhile Jules is looking at Dr. Clout like she is hunted pray. On the way out the secretary gives Jules a card from Giannis Valatos who would like a call from "his new favourite artist".

Meanwhile: Holly wants to look at the weird magical swords picked up from the Bishop's Lockup. Plans to sniff them as a wolf to see if that helps, notices it has a spirit in, or maybe around it, but it doesn't feel like Ariane's or others she's seen (ooc: Rage 0, Gnosis 6, WP: infinite) decides it not what-spirit but more a where-spirit, like its a gateway connected elsewhere. Carlie and Lydia ask about the swords on the kitchen table and gets the summary, Carlie suggests they are spiritual, but without the spirit. Lydia decides to pray over the swords for a better understanding (ooc: 1 gnosis, WP diff 8) - Carlie watches in the spirit (a flash of bright wings, a flaming hand reaches into the sword, mild singing), Holly in the physical (the sword literally floats), Sunny arrives wanting to chase the floating sword, Holly gets a chair between her and everything, and Lydia meanwhile is getting a powerful sense of the Archangel Michael and can hear singing of the angels, she takes up the sword which is light and raises it, then the effect vanishes and the sword becomes heavy and drops again.

Holly feels that the spirit has gone, the thing has "reset", and Lydia tells people it was the real Archangel Michael who vanquishes a dragon in revelations. Holly shows people The Styles Map with Michael on it, beyond Peter, acting as a gateway to the realm of Angels and Saints, there is talk of the sword as a gateway to the realm. Lydia suggests that others being able to pray and activate it would be useful and we should ask the Bishop of Southwark if we can keep it a while.

Ariane and Jules arrive home, are caught up, we take Jules outside to test swing and chop a bottle of water in half, there is talk of trying to get Lydia to destroy an unholy bottle (written up to deny the holy spirit) but we decide this is a bad idea. Jules tries to think of angels singing to activate it, fails. Ariane tries an invocation to Father Wolf and the sword heats up and burns her palm. Lydia reinvokes Michael, communes with it, gets a feeling of being the sword arm of God, like a hug from behind, and wings, slides the water bottle, then turns and carves a the golden ratio into the back wall, turns to salute her fellow warriors (the pack) and then the effect ends and the sword falls.

Holly walks the sword and Ariane back to her room and tries to talk about the danger of training Lydia to use a sword, especially one that burnt Ariane's paw when she tried to invoke Father Wolf. Ariane tries to argue that as long as we can train Lydia to let out her anger before raging and against Wyrm targets that she sees as demons it could be worth it, also suggests not all spirits get on and the Bishop may just want the sword back. They both agree that neither is Alpha and hence don't call the shots.

2022-05-23

(Jules arranges a meeting with Giannis Valatos, then starts work on an arcana array to tunnel through the gauntlet in the house. Lydia calls the Bishop and talks about the sword, arranges a meeting to keep it on loan. There is an argument about Lydia being not entirely truthful, then her saying being a werewolf and everything the pack does was really good because the sword is a sign from God. At 4am Holly and Jules shout at Lydia. Jules arranges for Giannis to be her "patreon" and arranges to paint a portrait of the Islington Bell. Lydia, Ariane, and Sunny talk to the Bishop and agree she can keep the sword if she takes a course in it)

At the Pack House - people wave swords around in practice until evening.

Jules calls Giannis Valatos, gets his butler (?) who answers that this is his "main residence" and is put through to his study, there's a lot of pops and crackles suggesting some kind of strange, secure, or archaic phone system, and there is a general conversation of thanks for "smoothing the virtuous road" (thanks Giannis) he confirms he's not interested in thieves or usurpers but in those who can notably paint old buildings. He closes by making an offer that he paid the University in good faith and wants that fee to go to Jules and wants to commission a piece, arranging a meeting for breakfast at Bloomsbury Square he's busy that evening but is "excited" to arrange an urgent piece. Jules sets many alarms, Lydia says she'll help by waking her up.

Jules makes a plan to build an arcana array to tunnel through the Gauntlet into the Umbra and makes it from undyed chalk and purple paint, creating a circle with essentially an inner moon in it, with the points in East, there are astrological symbols for silver at the cardinal points, and salt at the edge (ooc: [[User:Tabitha]] notes from experience that this kind of magical circle is going to require maintenance) (ooc: GM notes this will be a 2.5m radius circle and the effect will be to "reserve" a point of Jules gnosis such that it can be filled in, effectively locking it to the ritual).

Lydia calls the Bishop, asks if the swords are for killing werewolves he says silver has more than one use, asks if she burnt anything, he's worried when she says it likes her. He tells her they are Michaelite Angelic Swords that were left in the world 250 years ago, passed down master to pupil by mages stemming from someone called Gerard Rivair and someone was killed in battle with an anvel and picked up by a knight who gave it to Mythics. It sometimes sets fire to things and can burn water, doesn't self ignite but needs an invocation and envisioning fire in the hands of a true believer. The second blade is just a ritual magician sword. They agree to meet tomorrow at 10am to agree to conditions she would need to hold it.

Ariane asks about how it went, Lydia says she can keep the sword but the Bishop needs the other one back, so Ariane texts Holly to be sure its hidedn. Jules and Carlie join the conversation and Carlie notices that Lydia is misleading us about the sword, there is general bickering about her not praying over a dangerous sword and discussions of giving them back. She concludes by telling us the sword is a literal miracle and she was wrong to doubt being a werewolf, the pack is clearly doing the right thing, because we have been gifted a miraculous sword as a sign from God and this is all Gods plan. Jules insists on wine and processing, Lydia sits outside Holly's door until she gets home at 4am. Carlie works. Holly returns, argues about sleeping and sends Lydia to Jules, who shouts at her to go away.

The next morning Jules awakens, gets tea with Lydia, leaves her a note to tell Holly to give her the swords, then goes to her meeting at Bloomsbury Square to meet Giannis Valatos. They talk about her ability to see historical parts of the city, gives her UHT milk (he doesn't drink much tea), says her style and perspective is lost to time, many artists interested in other elements. Jules talks about how views can help focus people on other things. Giannos says she invoked her memories of places no longer there about perspectives on historical places. They talk about the commission he wants: A portraiture view of the Bell tower of the Islington Bell, the room its in, its "unique contents and occupants" he has heard tales of the Bell but never seen it, its not something he can see. Pays Jules to scout the area, plan the work, and take about £1500 up front for her "unique abilities" and take about 6 weeks over it. They shake on him being her patreon and as they do it makes all her hair stand on end. He then gives her a tour of some local 18th century buildings.

At the Pack House Lydia and Ariane debate who to wake, take Sunny with them with the promise of walkies and fetch. At Bishop's house they're let in by Mrs. Brown who lets us in then scowls at the back of Lydia's head. In the Bishops office there's many papers, a laptop, a camera, and a "Zoom for Jesus" sticker. Theres discussion and agreement Lydia can keep the sword but its extremely valuable, wants her to agree to look after it but also take a course in sword handling and once they sign her off she can borrow the sword as long as she is questing to find its ancient owner. Ariane offers to help, there is a warning about possession, and the Bishop gives Lydia his old bokken (wooden sword) to start the practice with. Ariane asks how he became a Bishop and apparently he was doing his masters in theology to become a priest before finding out he was a Mythic and since God moves mysteriously he didn't see a clash.

There is a general plan to return the other sword (the one for mages) and that happens. Lydia then begins her sword practice!

2022-08-15

(The pack keeps their lives going forward, but then Jule's magic circle in the basement almost lets an Umbral Wyrm creature through into the house and we stomp it)

There is a general discussion of an upcoming time skip and a 6 week jump to around Halloween occurs! Here's roughly what everyone's been getting up to:

• Holly: Planning for an implementing a Magpie's Swag, in exchange she gives a magpie spirit a polished up family trinket.
  • Also passes map updates onto Ariane's father (Tarquin_Primrose-Morton).
• Jules: Gets into more online classes, keeps on top of running her daily ritual to power up her gateway to the Umbra (Carlie notices and helps remind her, the circle feels more whammied), does more painting prep for her work for Giannis Valatos.
  • Keeps on dating Liz who has ideas that the circle is about merging the worlds, the magical "word" in use seems to mean cross/merge/reduce barrier all as one concept - a tunnel that brings the two worlds into contact, so a merger not really a bridge.
  • Liz also tries to talk her into taking a road trip to The Spire, although shes not 100% sure what's there, just that she has to get there as part of her Guild work.
• Carlie: Does her job, probation period is worked out, avoids Lydia and anything about her family visit, finds the software firm she was investigating admit to theft of IP, also gets blackmail material on several of them. Helps an old lady find her missing cat which is 2 doors down at Mrs. Miggens who alleges mistreatment, the two are feuding. Is sent on a job for the Kenyan Foreign Ministry to look for a small artefact thats gone missing and knows its a small statue she gave to Diamond Annie (Season_Six#2022-01-31).
• Sunny: Leans into the Halloween prep on the socials, gets offered a sponsorship deal for featuring/reviewing halloween toys and takes £500 to feature them but review them honestly. Gets into WitchTok.
• Lydia has opinions! on Halloween and advocates for people to have a light party but winds up largely just prays for everyone. She also goes to talk to Diamond Annie who tries to blatantly corrupt her soul, they exchange opinions and offers to do a trade where Annie will live like Lydia does for a time if Lydia tries her lifestyle (ooc: Diamond Annie is flirting with Lydia who is oblivious). She is also practising with bokken out in the garden a lot and attending classes.
• Ariane keeps up with her University Work, but also does a howl! It's not very good, doesn't feel cohesive maybe.

Howl Contents

Ariane does a Howl [P:1] its a bit poor, there is some minor feedback to Sunny and a couple of others.

Howl talks about:

• Sunny talks to the Stargazers about joining their pack
• Jules successfully defends the territory/possession of her artwork dealing with a strange magical person.
• Howl warning about the existence of Grandmother back and active, investigate the links between that spirit and something at the docks, meet Grandmother (the vampire)
• Help awaken Lottie into being a garou and her first change
• Visit the Hunting Grounds to hang with Father Wolf and hunt down a Wyrm spirit thats possessed a deer, killing it as a pack
• Help The Guild hunt for and capture a Rogue Geomancer
• With the help of The Guild destroy a spirit-spy from Pope Hope III to cut off an Umbral invasion threat
• Obtain a weird magical sword blessed by a God (of some kind) "Lydia made a great deal with a mighty war spirit"
• Explore the Umbral mapping more (Holly)

Don't mention:

• Carlie makes a deal with "Gog-var-oh-cogh the serpent" (???) a great spirit bond (pack doesn't know)
• Visited the Angel Islington, tried to arrange her healing covid patients. (keep under wraps)
• Lydia forcibly bonds with Derek Watford (faaaamily) (keep under wraps)

We Return To Your Regularly Scheduled Awoo

Twas the day before Halloween - Devils Night!.

Lydia is practising in the garden with her bokken around tea time then feels the ground shift and shake and everyone hears a loud thump from the basement. The Pack scrambles, Carlie and Ariane head upstairs to grab weapons, Lydia grabs a kitchen knife and a bible, and Jules, Holly, and Sunny just head down.

In the basement the floor is bowing upwards, via Umbral vision Holly can see a one eyed 2 tentacled creature pushing upwards against the bottom of the circle. Jules tries to pull the magic out of the circle to break the connection but there's just too much put into it, the creature does back off a little - but then it shoves forward in a burst of power breaks through into the basement physical world as a Fleshy Humanoid Octopus type creature that definitely smells of the Wyrm.

Combat ensues! Lydia pelts it with a bible and everyone else dog piles it with Sunny trying to push it back into the floor/circle. People start to shift up forms and pound it, Carlie comes in with her knife and it sprays ichor from the cut, as it starts to sink into the floor it grabs Carlie and Lydia. Ariane arrives uses her sword to slash the tentacle holding Lydia and Holly stomps the one holding Carlie. It gets splattered by a bunch of angry garou and maybe slinks back into the Umbra.

Everyone backs down from crinos form, the cement of the floor is deformed a little, and not entirely there, Carlie pings a coin and it bounces off so there is some physical barrier at least. The pack debates what just happened, ask Jules about the point of the gate, Ariane frames it as a gateway to fairyland. Jules points out several of us have been stuck before so wanted it to not happen in our own house. The evening ends with everyone divvying up the cleaning supplies and jobs and getting stuck in.

2022-08-22

(Half the pack visits Lydia's family who are based in rural Gloucestershire. Tobias proposes to Lydia and is turned down, her father is angry, Athens Smith (one of her younger sibs) is fascinated by Jules and turns out to be transmasc and wants to go to London, we have a very uncomfortable dinner, then Lydia tries to convince her parents to accept her but they cannot and ask her to leave and not return. Also one of the family sheepdogs is close enough to garou to be kinfolk.)

This session is the visit to Lydia's Family - Jules, Ariane, Sunny, and obviously Lydia go along in a rented car (after some discussion of the environmental impact of public transport) to deepest darkest Gloucestershire. It's a Victorian era farm house, 2 large steel/corrugated iron barns, a pig sty, an old landrover. Sunny elects to visit as a dog and gets to meet 3 nice sheepdogs who are very energetic, and one of whom it is later discovered smells of kinfolk (doggofolk!).

The pack meets Matthew Smith and Elizabeth Smith (Lydia's Parents) and also Adam Smith in his wheelchair pushed by May Smith (another adopted child of Asian heritage). Lydia does the introductions, we get hugs, we learn the rest of the family is at a church school, get given very good ginger biscuits (Lydia's favourite) in the huge kitchen (seating for 20, two large ovens, etc) and are told Tobias will be visiting later that night. The visitors get stuck in a spare room, Lydia shares a room with Janet and Athens (there's lots of inspirational bible quotes on the wall, flyers and lanyards from bible camp, and crosses on the walls).

Tobias arrives in a suit, he's a strapping young conservative farmer in a flatcap who looks uncomfortable with how he's dressed. Meets Jules and Ariane, Jules stays with him and does her best to make him uncomfortable, Ariane and Lydia head to the kitchen - Ariane agrees to do her best to stymie the uncomfortable conversation for moral support but then Matthew along with the twins Luke Smith and John Smith arrive and try to peel her off from Lydia (she gets away with staying if she does a farm tour later). Tobias is meanwhile chatting to Jules about how he'll own the farm when his father retires and seeks a good wife to settle down with and describes Lydia as a "good god fearing woman", to which Jules replies "In my experience god would be wise to fear her".

Lydia and the others return with Lydia loudly talking about her desire for missionary work, her father refuses to support her on the basis that "women don't teach" and Lydia says she'll happily mission as a nurse. They engage in a biblical smackdown with Lydia ending on Pentecost! Jules and Ariane are removed and Jules calls Carlie for emotional support and Carlie offers her an alibi if she needs to hide bodies.

Tobias and Lydia have their long conversation about the marriage proposal, she repeats that god has called her to be a missionary, reminds him Jesus said his followers would need to leave their families if needs be and says she has a special mission in life from god to preach to the unreached just as her birth parents did, he tries to guilt her with "I can't wait forever" and she responds by reminding him shes never been asking him to wait. He tries to ask about what if the Reverand F.R. Robson told her to stay? Her response is she's known her calling since she was little, he looks like a kicked puppy and reminds her her parents will disown her and shes like yup, Luke 14 (14:25?), Romans 16. He says she won't see him again and hopes she saves many lives, worries her father will try and block her every step of the way, they agree to pray for each other.

Meanwhile the rest of the family arrive on the St. Catherines Church bus, Janet Smith, James Smith (11, not a kid), Athens Smith (dressed as a girl but looking at Jules with intent interest), Anastasia Smith, Brenda Smith, Cox Smith, Serendipity Smith, Mary Smith, and Lee Smith (who's 4). Jules and Ariane get hugged, Athens asks to get out of her Sunday stuff. At this point Tobias comes out looking dejected, and Matthew (Lydia's father) is red in the face and angry, Ariane attempts to derail him for the promised tour of the farm, Elizabeth goes to console him. Lee asks the others for an explanation of marriage and gets the friendly version. Ariane goes on tour and gets gets a whole talk about farm payments and Brexit (he voted out to avoid the "Catholic countries" (Spanish, Italian, Irish, Poles) from "setting our laws").

Elizabeth comes back into the house to the living room Lydia is in, shuts the door, asks if this is about the "werewolf thing" but Lydia assures her its just the missionary thing, she assures her mother she doesn't need church backing as a nurse she can work anywhere, Elizabeth says she won't stop her but her father will, asks more about the werewolf business and suggests Jules is "some kind of lesbian", the rest of the family have worked it out a bit because her father reads out her letters edited but Athens has been stealing them and reading between the lines, says she needs convincing about the werewolf business and says her father almost called the doc for a checkup. They chat about her birth parents, Lydia says its genetic, her mother says the agency never tell them enough, they agree to do it out by the silage place after dinner and says that Janet will probably marry Tobias now and Lydia agrees this is better for all.

Sunny keeps on hanging with the docs, they have a cool place with bones, blankets, shelter, and is generally good.

Athens changes into dungarees and plaid, complains she has to wear dresses, Ariane tries to make everything nice, Jules talks about how being forced into skirts sucks, Ariane lends Jules a copy of Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit to hide around the house in response. At dinner Matthew says grace, does a sermon about household structures and gets Athens back in a dress, the conversation is light, Adam gets shown a lot of pictures of underground stations, and Matthew never directly talks to Lydia.

Later that night out at the Silage Shed its Elizabeth and the pack, then Matthew appears with a cross and a bible, asks Lydia to subject herself to the house and gods rule once this is done. She tells them god answered their prayers for safety in a weird way as shes immune to covid, there's a discussion about drinking tea from a thermos (that has the anti-delerium formula in it) and Elizabeth eventually convinces him, Ariane and Jules run a perimeter and Jules finds Athens hiding - who hands Jules a note reading "Is it true in London I can be a boy or a girl?" then when Jules confirms this she whispers she wants to go with/visit Lydia because they thinks their a boy, Jules braces them that many people won't accept it, they says their Reverend was accepting but their father was not, and Jules gives them their phone number in case everything goes to shit.

Meanwhile: Everyone's had tea, Lydia transforms into a wolf, her parents jump back and scream even if she does her best friendly waggy tailed dog routine, Matthew talks about black magic and tells her to get off his land, she says its genetic and if its dark magic he can cast it out with bible and cross. Elizabeth is not okay with things and still shocked her daughter can change into a wolf, says her husband couldn't cast it out even if its black magic despite talking a good game, Lydia says this is how she is immune to covid, hence she can treat and witness to all patients. She implores her mothers help as she's still learning about being a werewolf and a good christian together and Elizabeth asks if she should instead have married Tobias and settled down, finally settling on the idea that we should all be off the property before Matthew is done praying. Ariane suggests perhaps telling her mother that she literally kills demons now but Jules makes the executive call to leave, goes to fetch the bags while Ariane gets the car - and as we drive away we see Matthew in the rear view mirror with the shotgun.

2022-08-29

(The Bank Holiday Edition!)

Carlie and Holly are chilling while the previous sessions carnage is going on. Carlie has a new case, a file from the Kenyan Embassy about a Fertility Idol which she knots she one of the ones she stole for Diamond Annie (ooc: find ref), they're out of patience with the Met who have been putting basically no energy into this which has outraged the Kenyan government. She calls up Diamond Annie, who's already sold the box it was in - and also claims "client confidentiality" but says she could hunt it down and nick it, they arrange to meet in a Marylebone cafe.

At the high end French cafe they both look out of place, Diamond Annie suggests sitting outside (because last time she was here in her biker gear they basically tried to boot her) she indicates a shop known as "Thebes Antiques" which has a bunch of Egyptian stuff in the window while they exchange small talk about the pack and Carlie tells her the rest of them are on a "country jaunt" and reveals she's a PI now, suggests since Diamond Annie sold it just for money its not a tribe conflict to ask for this hint in getting it back, is warned the Antique Shop is run by someone who is "territorial" in a way like a garou, but not a garou, not a vamp or mythic, something closer to home.

Carlie texts Holly to ask WTF, who recalls Ariane talking about the other were-creatures, at the Pack House they chat about it, all were-species from Gaia, the animals she felt were important, different ones to watch or do different things. Carlie is quoted as saying "as a species we really need to work on our temper" and they moot the idea of buying the artifact but it tips their hand. Talk abouit other worlds they may access and if the owner of the shop may have a general issue with garou but suspect not because they're okay dealing with Annie. Talk of Bonegnawers and if they have any leads on this and how they may need to barter or trade for it.

Holly then recruits Carlie for an Umbral patrol, they notice the basement ritual zone connects somewhere, a little like the Mirror to Church link, make a note for later. Outside they find people and bird spirits, everything is comfortable and familiar. Meet a particular Raven spirit who's a bit of a superior arsehole to them, it looms on a wall prying about what they're up to, tells them "London has her eye on you, making waves, making stories about the pack" and says that "London's Eyes and Ears" will be watching as they're in for an interesting few months and speculates if the pack will learn, rage, or be quiet - calling them angry violent creatures for the right reasons and a good cause.

They keep on touring, Carlie is sure she spotted Granny the True Londoner near the Themes, alerts Holly and they speculate if True Londoners are part human, part spirit, seem to exist in both. They follow her into the area under the Themes where Carlie hid before there's a candle lit and many posters of people with red crosses on, all from police/crime shows, or criminal characters by nature, the Mitchell Brothers have a red X on them, but the last in line is Helen Mirren portraying Jane Tennison from Prime Suspect, some notes around including one saying "True Londoners going missing again" with an arrow to the picture. Carlie checks back and finds theatre show posters going back to the 1800s. They explore more and find the tunnels go deeper, they feel unwelcome there, there are creatures and its easy to get lost and decide to leave. Holly mentions "If you want to discuss things?" to the darkness to hope they get in touch, as she does the candle by the picture flickers.

They shelve major investigations until Monday when the pack returns, do more research in the meantime. Talk about Mythics doing culture based magic, magic users, were-bears, and get a chinese to talk it over while eating.

The rest of the Pack arrives back unexpectedly early but also late, the next morning Jules and Sunny are up for breakfast, Jules says things went better than she thought and Lydia now likely cut off from parents, people wonder how she's getting on connecting with the Children of Gaia as a tribe and if they can provide support. Coffee is drunk, Holly catches everyone up on things from the Umbral Patrol. Carlie is clear she won't fight Helen Mirran, Holly and Carlie discuss which of her and the Mitchels is more powerful, wonder if the people pictured on the walls are things taken and twisted to fit something else. The BBC announces a one off Prime Suspect episode in which DCI Tennison returns for one last time.

There's talk of how characters work, why do spirits up end looking like them, Holly points out if you go to Sherwood Forest you'll probably meet Robin Hood in the Umbra. Jules talks of spirits of the mass consciousness. There is talk of the Wyrm - what is it? Does it have emissaries or just infect things? How best to fight it? Can it be killed? Ariane appears and is caught up more, suggests possibly finding and allying with the spirit of Tennison (as a crime fighter). Sunny suggests finding the Umbral version of the studio to maybe find the spirit, talk of London liking us and Ariane suggests this is a good thing! Sunny isn't sure she like things Ariane says are good like that. Ariane is told of the were-something and squees about how she was sure they were all basically dead and/or mythical, fills in the others on the war of the War of Rage more.

The tentacle creature attack Season_Six#We_Return_To_Your_Regularly_Scheduled_Awoo is at the start of next session time wise!

2022-09-05

Canonically the tentacle monster attack occurs here

It's now about 8am after thats happened. Carlie makes breakfast, Lydia and Ariane get the tea on. Jules owns up to the accidental creation of the gateway/portal/thing in the basement, saying it was supposed to mak it easier not tear a hole, but she admits "it worked too well". Holly suggests checking in on future experiments from the Umbral side more. There are comparisions of soap bubbles, packets, celebrations tins, and all things solid until they burst. We moot ideas on other locations to use but also that that risks something escaping while we're not there too much. Holly can see it has a good solid connection, so she, Jules, and Lydia go to investigate.

In the Umbral-basement theree's a gaping wound connected to a weird, deep, umbral place, deep and not too papery in the seal, more things may come, feels like it could be fallen into. Jules begins a 3 day research montage, everyone else gets the cleaning supplies to clean up tentacle monster, we debate if Lydia can incinerate it or if we should bleach it, but when we go to physically examine it its turning to black dust/particulate matter. So we dump a load of bleach on it and burn out our sinuses. Lydia packagse it up to take to the hospital for incineration, then we hoover up verything lft over. The portal location in the physical-basement seems firm and solid. Talk about if bleach is strong enough to get past our healing factors, Jules talks of acetone for paint. We talk about talking to bell about the portal to see if she knows where it may go, and make plans to talk to Angel Islington about the covid experiments.

Ariane, Lydia, Sunny, and Holly go to talk to Bell in the Southwark Cathedral tower. She's smiling and glowing, happy to see us, Ariane tries to tell and epic version of the story but Lydia tells her to shut up, she tells us it was "rearranging a pipe in plumbing, it was too deep and well constructed. She can't see where it goes, she only sees this place and things her sisters see (all the bells are connected?) but wants us to find its destination and tells us we should go consult Harry Styles who knows where all connections go, shes not seen him in ages but he can tell us whats out out there. Tells us that she and Harold had a link like she does with us, and she knows he's alive somewhere, far, far away, making his travllers guide (Holly is interested, Ariane squees about the narrative arc!). Holly knows she has a map, but also remembers her parents telling her about a book, so she and Sunny go in wolf form to chat to them about it. Ariane meanwhile catches Bell up on the Angel and Eddie, Grandmother, the flaming sword, etc. Bell wants to see the sword and says when Lydia gets it back we should show it to her or her sisters.

Carlie is meanwhile on patrol! She notes the graffiti in the area is getting better and our territory tag needs updating and reapplying, but all seems largely quiet. In the Umbra however she finds a weird spike of lightnign in a column outside a shop thats part of the Afro-Carribean community and it smells of ozone. She texts to say shes popping over to investigate and if she vanishes she "won't be having a good time" then hops into the Umbra. There she can see an energy block with a sword at the core of it, tries to take it but the lightening feels like it lashes out at her, slams her back (ooc: 2 aggrevated wounds), she gets back to the physical world, texts the group about glowing swords of light then sees there is a black gentleman with silver gray hair, playing dominos, her hairs stands on end and she can smell the ozone smell. She observes him playing his opponent until his wife calls him away and moves in to play against him. He says he lives near High Church (?) but comes in to town sometimes. Carlie asks about swords, he looks directly and asks what she knows, she asks if he's a mythic and he says he's "not one of those fools" who "tumble around with things they don't understand" and asks what she wants. Says she reached for the sword and got burnt, he says that in the old country thieves got branded, she asks about tresspasers and he says that this isn't "holy ground", she asks to be taught and he tells her that dominos is a game but "this" is not and suggests her friend with a sword teaches her, she replies that shes not "a sword" something else and he looks suspiciously at her.

They shake hands, and as they do Carlie has a vision - shes by a large old boat, smells of tobacco, trade, unwashed povery, and there is a wooden town of primative design. She's handed a big box to haul onto the ship and sees someone in fancier clothing leading a young boy to the ship addressed as "Mr. Hamilton", then snaps back to London, she asks if that was him and he tells her she'll "have many years to contemplate that, but not as many as me", she gives him her name and he asks to meet her friend with a sword on cathedral grounds tomorrow evening, so Carlie texts Ariane.

Holly and Sunny meanwhile wolf it up to her parents place as Carlie's texts come in, at her parents house they have a chat, give Sunny the good dog fusses, Holly apologises for arriving unexpectedly, catches them up a little on Styles, Bell, the map, etc. and asks if there's any sign of the book. They tell her about Great Aunty Margaret who left the book to Aunt Mildred who put it in "the loft" except it was then found on her bookshelf. They were going to give it to Holly for Christmas but figure its useful earlier, also they still think Harry died at sea. They give Holly The Onward and Continuing Tales of Harry Styles which is a first draft travellers guide to the Umbra, feels like Victorian vibes of Great Adventure! Sunny sniffs and gets the scent of Aunt Mildred's cat, dust, and the faint scent mark of someone who smells a little like Holly, so there's enough on the book to scent track him.

Back at the Pack House: Ariane tells people Bell wants to see the sword, Carlie says she met a magic sword/person and got a vision from a handshake, we talk about the ozone smell and ask if Jule's art patron Giannis Valatos is also a magic sword in the Umbra. Lydia treats Carlie's arm, Ariane plans a picnic, and there is a plan for Ariane and Lydia to go, and the others to be nearby in case it goes wrong. Holly starts a speed read of the book, but is distracted by a vivid description of Peter (hiding in cubes of rock, the singing, takes Christians to paradise and others to hell, he mapped out the rock/light/sound movements). There's a basic 75% version of the map in the back, it ends in "Continued in Volume 3". Carlie requests Ariane and Lydia not embarress her and that Lydia try not to convert the guy, there is talk of Lightning Weaver's, Carlie reveals she can listen in on phone calls and finds out she can do crime by agreement without being reported to the police. There's talk of her theft of the magical items from a church and the possibility of a were-bear or something similar.

We end by making plans: Jules and Carlie to the shop. Lydia and Ariane to the picnic. Holly and Sunny on backup.

2022-09-12

Carlie and Jules start at Thebes Antiquities around lunchtime. They're not too smart, and Carlie is posing essentially as an Errand Boy for her employer. There's stone carvings, Egyptian Artifacts, feels museum grade. Carlie uses "Annie" as an intro name, and finds out shes known as "Annie Elephants" here, they are offered tea in a nice back room, Jules can smell something like garou but not, almsot pork like resonance, but no Wyrm scent she can find. Mr. Jones enters and reveals he runs this place, he's police, Carlie introduces Jules, they chat about what can be done to get it back, agree she can buy it for about £35k and she asks about alternative pricing, he says if she can get him positive media exposure he'll drop it to £20k ("local expert helps recover stolen art" kinda thing).

He says this is his day job and Ariane's parents helped get him started, also reveals to Jules he was the one who hid the dead US Marine. Talks of attempting to get a Matisse authenticated. They chat, Jules outright asks what he is, he admits to being a wereboar. Outside Carlie calls Ariane who says this explains a lot they chat about evening meeting and talk about how the guy "is" a sword. Ariane talks to Jules about checking on Giannis Valatos in the Umbra to see if he is also a sword.

At the picnic at Southwark Cathedral, he arrives around 4pm, sets out a blanket, has snacks and dominos. Spots Ariane and Lydia as they arrive, visibly relaxes. Talks of shared interest in swords, ancient and modern, talk about cathedral grounds, make small talk, find he lives North of the River but comes south to see friends. Not carying a sword bag. We show him Lydia's sword first, he say it looks like Spanish Steel but isn't, has never met an Angel and isn't sure if its an Angels sword or not, is handed it and it goes off. They chat about training. He's never met an Angel but has met moving/talking statues and Gargoyles of the BM who are knowledgeable about certain things, they can "see the intent in your heart", the Grandese feel the BM is neutral but actually the gargoyles at the BM predate them, were moved from St. Pauls and somewhere before that, almost as old ast the city itself, but didn't go to a University.

We show him the Primrose-Morton sword, he takes it and basicaly electrifies it, when Ariane takes it back she gets shocked (ooc: 1 agg) and gets visions of old London docks, fish markets, etc. Tells us that this was hsi energy/Quickening the sword wanted to absorb it.

His own is an 18" cutlass, appears in a flash of lightening from his coat, always on him, never findable, lets us touch it, very solid. Talks about how he knows we're werewolves, we cautiously confirm, he doesn't smell of Wyrm. Tells us his name is Bembay Gordon from Sednevis, will live until someting happens (unclear) and killing others like him gets him their power and some of their memories. Lydia says its awful he can't trust anyone he tells us there are rules about fighting no Holy ground and if killed will wake in a few hours. She asks if there's anything we can do to help and he says its fine, he's 400 years old and very comfortable with his situation. Summons his sword to teleport back to his hand and stashes it in his coat. Can change if its lost/destroyed but takes time/energy.

Ariane plays dominos and drinks rum, Lydia briefs the pack, immortal, sends power to each other on kill, live forever, holy ground, etc. Sunny goes to sniff him, tries first tongue, eh doesnt' speak it, Carlie briefsly him that Sunny is a garou not just a dog, he lets her sniff (smells of ozone and carribean spices - smells a little like GV and her pal from the BM). Snuny and him chat of recipies, shiops biscuits and his secret jerk chicken, she tells the rest of us about the BM museum guy and her work smelling museum things for him, she mourns when scents are lost to history. Sunny manages to win smoe money from the dominos game of betting but feels hes manipulated it, so he offers to swap the pot of cash for a plantain curry competition where she makes one and he'll test it "to see if she has what it takes", they agree to meet here a week on Sunday.

We get the whole pack over and talk about what he knows/doesn't (Gargoyles, Angels, etc) talk about how we wish we talked about Dragons to see what his reaction was, takl of Barriers of Holy ground and what counts/doesn't. Return to the Pack House for a curry, and Lydia gets an email saying the hospital incinerator has broken down...

2022-09-19

(The Pack goes to the hospital, finds the MOD is there investigating a possible "gray goo" of speading soot, identify it via the Stargazers as issues from The Realm of Creeping Soot, enter an Umbral Rift, see a Black Pyramid, fight a tentacle monster, escape, and find they've lost 4 days to Umbral time screwyness - The Bincident)

Lydia opens by telling us about the hospital incinerator, we tool up, put Ariane's big mirror in Carlie's car and head over. Once we arrive we park up near the general services building (incinerator, heating, water, etc) and notice a large white truck outside the service entrance, Lydia clocks it as being out of place and the DVLA website won't tell us about it. A couple of guys approach the van, both feel like military/squaddie types. Carlie turns herself invisible and goes to check it out. The rest of the pack debate stopping them or not if they try and leave.

Carlie over hears them saying things like "Strange thing, never seen thatb efore" and notices they have EOD&S (Explosive Ordnance Disposal and advanced Search, Army Engineers 101 Regiment) written inside the van and she can see a few more of them in the building looking obviously concerned. She looks inside, finds a big pile of carbon dust, and it looks like its spread from the incinerator to take over half the building. Carlie nudges her way carefully inside, listens to an Engineer of some kind explain the dust has eaten 3 offices, a dump area, etc, and is spreading. Carlie sees a guy pull out a bulky mobile phone, calls MoD Boscombe Down, names himself as Captain Williams (an explosives guy) and wants a major telling about a possible grey goo scenario with a science team dispatched immediately. She sends a summary to the group chat, we google the place up, she asks us if we think the fire made it grow?

Meanwhile: Holly, Ariane, and Sunny got to check out the Umbra, they find a "hole" like the one in the basement that goes somewhere, Holly attaches a thread. Ariane suggests putting something in and Holly chucks in a bottle cap from her magpie swag, which tarnishes, goes dark, and collapses into rusty dust as it gets closer. Sunny sniffs at the dust and makes herself sneeze. Ariane and Sunny return.

Meanwhile: Jules is attempting to reassure Lydia who's panicking about things. In response to the messages from Carlie Jules wonders if we can dilute it, Ariane wonders if it amplifies what we put into it (i.e. is this it amplifying the bleach and fire), Lydia asks if we should call Derek Watford and there is a voted veto. Ariane suggests phoning in a faked bomb threat to try and call them off until Lydia points out how hard it would be to evacuate the hospital. Lydia then suggests calling in the Stargazers as Sunny has their number. We call them on speaker so Sunny can stay as a dog.

The Stargazers think the tentacle monsters are a new thing they've not seen before, but rifts like this between dimensions are something they've seen. They tell us such things are anchored either on one side or both - and since we've killed one tentacle monster there must be another hiding on the other side. When we describe things they tell us this sounds like the Realm of Creeping Soot and tell us we can probably last about an hour in there, so get in, kill the monster (or whatever is holding it) and get out.

The pack calls Carlie back, makes a plan, gears up, and gets into the Umbra. As we cross into the rift it feels like a long distance to the other realm so everyone is a little off balance. It's a mostly blank plain, a white cold star giving sickly light to a gray sky, one large Black Pyramid in the distance, and dust up to our knees (ooc: distance and dust makes everything -1 dice). We see movement off to the right, Sunny sniffs and sneezes and another tentacle monster appears with 8 large spikey tentacles protrouding, one going back to the rift. The Pack dog piles it - Ariane wrecks her sword edge on it, Holly bites at it, Carlie goes in with the knives, Lydia goes in with the holy sword, and Jules and Sunny go in with claws. As we smash off its pointy tentacles it keeps cycling which one is holding the rift open, eventually it reaches out and spikes/paralyses Carlie and Lydia, Jules smashes Lydia free and Ariane smashes Carlie free - then Lydia goes in with the sword followed by Jules clawing and shoving her blade even deeper and the thing cracks open - its core pierced and it turns to dust. Holly and Ariane dig for Ariane's sword and get it back, Carlie chills out everyones rage and the whole pack piles back through the rift.

On the other side in the main Umbra: Jules is the last one through, the portal shuts with a sucking sound. We notice Carlie and Lydia have off colour injured skin where they got stabbed, which Holly identifies as Spirit Brand's (marks that can be active/inactive to show a spirit has touched your soul, mostly Garou wear them like tattoos to show off their alliegences) that are inactive, so others will know they fought something big. Ariane tries to big this up as part of their legend, Holly suggests it could lead to free drinks and talks about how to cover it up, Carlie worries about her beach body. We look for a way out but the mirror (hence the car) is gone, we trek to the hospital for a mirror.

Back in the physical world: the hospital is empty, there is absolutely no one here. Lydia suggests getting home via the Umbra. Ariane checks the news and finds Guy's and St. Thomas's is isolated and we've lost 4 days of time, much of the building has been lost to some kind of soot. Jules texts Liz to explain, and everyone goes back home via the Umbra. There is general worry that The Guild will lean on Holly, and the rest of us, for an explanation.

2022-09-26

(Lydia pick's up her messages. There's a discussion on handling information about the event. Carlie and Lydia go for a drink and chat about bad parents and anger management. Lydia, Ariane, and Sunny visit the Met and assure Derek Watford we handled everything, we get Carlie's car back. Jules works out what went wrong with the ritual (no addressing, wild stargate), Holly checks The Styles Journal and finds the place sucks, Lydia tells Jules people died and she is understandably upset, we make policy for future disposal of Umbral creatures and talk of managing the narrative around this event, Lydia gives the Bishop his sword back, Ariane asks for a trip to Sword from Holly)

At the Pack House, Lydia has messages from her work (shifts missed, please contact supervisor, please contact The Met, someone from her church checking in) but nothing from family. She angrily texts them that she's fine.

There's a discussion about what to tell The Met, essentially absolutely no supernatural stuff, we get her to call them on a group call and she gets the "St. Bart's Incident and Response Line" because they're checking up on people and want her to sign in with her NHS ID, she hesitates about giving it to them, Carlie facepalms, the others indicate its okay, and offer her trauma counselling, they also won't confirm who's missing and who's not.

Carlie talks about abandoning her car, Ariane talks about doing a bunch of research on the event. Derek Watford then calls up as he was worried for Lydia and thought the goo had gotten her, he also checks in on Holly, and says he has Carlie's vehicle. He wants us to tell the Met nothing but tell him everything please. Lydia and Ariane arrange to go there and meet the cops (Carlie is notably stone faced through the whole discussion) and The Guild obviously are "looking forward to seeing Holly again". Carlie and Ariane bicker about if Watford actually cares for Lydia, and Carlie takes Lydia for a drink to talk about her shitty parents.

Meanwhile: There's a research montage: its been classified as a Terrorist Incident, and an "unknown substance" was introduced to the machine room that combined with design flaws from the 70s, causing its collapse. The hospital was evacuated in 24 hours in an orderly fashion, 4 unnamed people are missing.

Carlie and Lydia's Drinks: Carlie starts with an apology and sympathy for realising the people you grew up with aren't so great and says the rest of the pack probably don't get it. Lydia claims her parents are just as she thought but she isn't. Carlie suggests she's better because they taught her compassion and acceptance which they won't do and says her job as Ragabash is partially to help put everyone in a better state of mind and reminds her that she was the one who saved her from Watford. Lydia falls back on her religion that she has "god on her side" and Carlie keeps trying to get her to admit that shes not totally 100% fine right now and that Carlie is the only one observant and stubbon enough to keep poking her, and its okay to be angry at people who have done wrong. Carlie talks about how her anger has cut her off from her parents, her degree, her job, her friends, and the only thing left is the Pack and being Garou. She implores Lydia to not play act or put on a front but instead feel whatever she's feeling right now. Lydia says her parents upbringing taught her to control her temper absolutely. Carlie reminds her how much she rages when she has a viable target (e.g. a demon) in front of her "when you have something in front of you you kill it, then keep going like you're on duracell, its all anger you've not processed" and suggests this drives her to act like "a blender on legs". Tells Lydia she wants her to be clearer thinking instead of holding onto her anger until she gets the excuse of a demon, doesn't want her to engage in sex or debauchery or leave the chuch just have a healthy outlet. Lydia reminds her she already left the church, or the church left her. They talk about how there's things you can't tell others, but you can rely on the Pack and each persons resources and knowledge, Carlie insists she won't abandon one of her Pack sisters, and says it doesn't have to be talking to her but she wants Lydia to talk to someone because anger curdles and destroys if you bottle it up and one day there won't be a demon in front of her when she gets angry. Lydia insists that she doesn't know what Carlie wants her to do because Carlie keeps insisting "she has feelings she doesn't have", she says this is just like working the covid wards she just has to get on with it. Carlie attempts to suggest others get on with it while feeling their feelings and Lydia just says they waste a lot of time. She talks about how she feels like the biggest risk to her parents and is angry with Watford for putting them in danger without warning them. Carlie says she has anger but admits it and keeps it under control ("For example I haven't stabbed you with a nail file once") and says that anger is a danger when someone loses their temper, its not a danger if you don't carry your anger with you. Carlie tells Lydia she doesn't think she's a danger to her family but still has a right to be pissed off with them and with Watford who tried to kill her on a boat. Lydia responds that her family gave her the greatest gift bringing her up to control her temper and then remarks that "vengence isn't up to me". Carlie indicates that Lydia's outbursts during combat are "temper tantrums not vengence" and that its dangerous and she gets out of control, tells her feeling bad about rejection is normal and she has to deal with it or one day she'll pull the face off a pack mate, or Watford, or a sibling. Lydia is puzzled and wonders if Carlie feels Lydia is better at controlling her temper than her, Carlie then references the nail file again and says "this is me under control" and says she gets her anger out steadily by venting it and one day Lydia will explode without a target.

There is a discussion back at the house before the police visit: where Ariane suggest Lydia reply "no comment" and "we're investigating" to Watford to keep him away from knowing our liability and to control the narrative. Holly suggests telling him we sorted the gray goo issue. There's a discussion of "no comment" vs. "we're investigating it" and Carlie suspects if we don't bring him in on things he'll poke it.

Later at New Scotland Yard: Ariane, Lydia, and Sunny go to visit: Lydia tells the desk sargent she's here to see Watford, he comes down, checks her ID, we pass of Sunny as a "very useful assistance dog". Watford says she can tell St. Bart's to pass all enquiries through him, tickles Sunny between the ears and gets growled at, then takes us outside for a less observed chat. We tell him it was an umbral thing and we got rid of it, he says he'll wait for the howl for details.

Gives us the keys and an authorisation card for Carlie's vehicle (in Peckham) and tells us everyone is non-plussed on what happened, he stuck his nose in for the Grandese of London, assumed an esoteric element because our vehicle was here and we were missing when he went to the Pack House to check. Tells us the MoD took a sample to Boscombe Down and lost a chunk of it to gray goo before the thing turned to soot. Says the 4 people lost were: Lydia, a Bomb Disposal MoD officer, a hospital engineer, and a homeless guy called Big Jimmy who was probably sleeping in the building. Lydia and Ariane say they'll pray for the other missing 3 people. Watford says its getting pinned on faulty architecture and worries the conspiracy people will have a field day. There's talk of aliens and if the Deep Umbra has aliens (or things that look/act like aliens) we confirm that the whole thing was "werewolfy business". He asks Lydia about her parents and finds out they're not on speaking terms, he offers to contact them for her. Everyone (except Watford) then goes to collect Carlie's car.

Back at the Pack House: Jules realises what happened was that she basically set up the magic circle and dialled at random, not enough firm addressing so the Realm of Soot was able to latch onto it, she "fished uncautiously", also that the ritual won't quite work as she intended it drawns the two named realms together rather than making an simple easier gateway. Holly checks The Styles Journal and it basically says: don't go here, and that "my coat still lies somewhere under the dust" and that "he doesn't know what watches from the Pyramid". There's some discussion of Liz and Jules dating, talk of how her potential birth present went boom in the basement, Jules argues to deflect and the general consensus is that it was fixed. Ariane, Lydia, and Sunny return in the car, Jules fills them in on how things work and Lydia reveals that 3 people died because she didn't specify something specific and instead something awful latched on. Jules shouts that "I didn't intend people to die!" and Lydia just responds "They did though", she heads up to her room (someone goes to check on her? Carlie? Sunny? Holly?). There is emergency talk of disposal plans in the future: Close holes, or maybe open a hole to drop it in. Talk of managing the story: We tracked the thing to the deep umbra, it was punching holes/holding them open, we killed it. Talk of aims: Ariane suggests no matter what we aim higher than The Guild who hunt people for money and don't ask too many questions (she admits that we also sometimes have hunted people for money). Talk of giving the Bishop his sword back and Lydia texts the Bishop, fills him in, then goes to hand it back the next day. The Bishop is impressed with her demon slaying. Ariane asks Holly to arrange a visit to Sword...