CD Issue 9: Technical difficulties beyond our control Report
General Summary
We opened with our heroes tasked with hunting a mystic beast terrorizing the denizens of Old Town. The proprietor of the Parca School for the Arts. The Gremlin was a formless entity known for possessing machinery, causing it to malfunction and endanger hapless citizens. The students of the school were often tasked with protecting the city from more mystical threats. Siren quickly cast an utterly reliable spell to track the spirit down the misty streets of Old Town. A magical malaise had settled over the streets, not only hampering vision but also Malware's swarms of tiny minions. The Gremlin seemed to make its bed at a nearby Bus Terminal, and the crew believed it to be laying in wait inside a bus that was on break. A sassy bus driver refused to abandon her route, threatening to batter Paladin. Siren laid down a totally reliable protective circle around the bus and the team prepared to wage war against the tiny beast. But the mystical compass Siren had summoned had lied, and the protective circle failed. The Gremlin was actually in a nearby vending machine, firing a barrage of cans at the spell caster. Siren responding by gathering her most powerful magic, which backfired horribly. Her power looped back on her, stunning her. It was not her finest hour. Paladin jumped to her defense, shielding Siren's body with his own. The Gremlin quickly depleted it's ammo, and made its escape into the aforementioned bus, trying to tear down the street and do more damage. Paladin was not having it and seized the bus with his mighty strength. The Gremlin was ethereal and used the lights to jump down the block ahead of the heroes. Aliena knew a trick to snap Siren out of her fugue, laying caring hands on her cheeks, whispering comforting rooms, and slapping the bajezus out of her. Siren snapped out, and they pursued the creature. It found its way into a streetlight, tricking cars into a deadly wreck. Malware had sped ahead and managed to save the hapless driver from injury. They reached out with her nanobots, trying to capture the Gremlin, but it eluded the trap. It jumped into Malware's jetpack, attempting to drive them to damage the city they swore to protect. Siren saw her chance, throwing a sphere around the spirit, forcing it to abandon its new toy. It surfed on Malware's swarm, jumping into the sky to unknown parts. But Malware was able to track it, and accompanied by Aliena, chased it into clouds. Breaking through the magical fog, they caught sight of the creatures new home: A security service assault dirigible, armed to the teeth. Aliena decided to take a chance and end this, charging up her Deyan power and releasing a powerful EMP. While Malware clung to the balloon of the zeppelin, and the sparks flew. The blast crippled the vehicle, causing the carriage that held the crew (and the Gremlin) to fall from the sky, plummeting to the ground. Paladin saw the danger, and ran to intercept, catching the massive mobile bunker in his hands before it could devastate the onlooking crowds. They cheered in appreciation for the feat. Aliena cut open the craft, and from the skies Malware caged the Gremlin with their technological tools. But Malware was far from safe, their flight ability disabled by the Aliena's EMP. Quickly hobbling together a makeshift paraglider, they descended from the sky. But the device only got them so far down, and as it fell apart Siren reached out with a magic carpet, cushioning the blow. The crew of the police craft departed, thanking the team but being unwilling to part with the gear that the Gremlin was trapped within. Paladin gave a mighty speech, and the Captain was moved into trusting the team. But before the team could leave, dark forces reached out, draining Aliena's light from her. A threatening voice echoed in her mind. "I have found you Lightbender, and you and your kind will pay for the wrongs done to my people" Paladin caught his friend before she fell, and Malware searched the area only to find a pile of Canopy Slims, the telltale sign of Aliena's mysterious stalker, 'Felicity' . The team headed back to the store, their prize in hand. There was much celebration at their victory, some comfort given, and some hilarious banter. Paladin inquired of Aliena just how a human would go about asking someone out on a date. Aliena knew all about the food and the chewing, and suggested doing some of that together. In turn, Aliena needed some hugs, shaken by the shadowy assault she had suffered. Siren was reassured that despite her failure, nobody blamed her, and nobody feared her. Malware shrugged off some poorly worded solace by Siren. Upon their return, Decima dropped the Gremlin into a magical prison. As a prize, she offered to answer any one question for the heroes. After a brief huddle, they decided that Siren was the choice. "Who is my father?" she whispered, the question that had haunted her all the days of her life. "Your father is dead" Decima replied "He was Albion, formerly Covenant Prince of the Center ." "You're a princess?" Paladin asked, shocked, closing out the issue.
