Session 1 - Wake Up

 

Sooth Cards

• Vizier


• Harvesting Spider


• Inevitable Cataclysm


• Savage Sword


• Devil


• Revolutionary


• Tyrannical Clock

 

The Story So Far

-- Dear Diary

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  In the Grey, I had decided to kill myself.

  
  

  
  


• Before that happened, I went to a groupon Lunar New Year feast at the Cinnamon Tree in Oakland.


• There were four others at my table: Alex, Simone, Fynlan and <Jordan's Character>. We had an excellent conversation about how wrong the world was, then went back to Alex's posh condo for drinks.


• In his condo, Alex performed a brief ritual. At its conclusion, we were back in Satyrine, in what appeared to be a hospital. However, there was nobody there... we investigated, and found a large number of vislae fused together into the walls, floor and ceiling of a single room, in a construct called a "Suffering Engine".


• We were attacked by two demons disguised as nurses. <Jordan's Character> shot one in the head, killing it. I disabled the other with a broken bottle, and Fynlan finished her off with his hands in a surprisingly brutal and uncivilized attack.


• After the death of these minions, a Devil manifested in the room. He blamed Alex for bringing him people who could fight back. We fought briefly, then stopped and conversed. When the battle started again, Fynlan drove the demon off with more shots from his magical pistol.


• Simone was able to collect some information about the Suffering Engine by using her Forte. I was able to collect some additional information, and to make the following connections: the Suffering Engine is a relic using the magic of the Enemy to create an artificial hate cyst, which encloses the terrible room made out of tortured Vislae.


• Gwyn shot one of the victims in the wall. Simone and I told him to stop.
  
• We were able to get out of the Hate Cyst because its structure could be damaged with magical weapons. Gwyn's gun was insufficient, and I was forced to summon the Time Blade to finish the job.


• Before leaving, I verified with Alex that he would be able to bring us back to this spot, though he would have to do so with the same ritual he used to bring victims in from the Grey.


• The others left to check out their houses, but I took Alex to speak with the <authority>. I filled him in on the whole situation and he promised to bring it to the <vigilante group>.


• I let Alex go. There is no legitimate authority here, so nobody to turn him over to. Alex claims that two members of his family are victims in the Suffering Engine; he has been bringing the Devil more victims in a bargain to try to save them. Obviously he is in the wrong... I asked him how any victims he has provided and he claimed (I believe lying) about 12... that is still a far greater amount of suffering than his 2 family members. Regardless, I have no moral authority to punish Alex. I've asked him to please, PLEASE, the next time he is given a chance to do the 'right' thing, he do it.
  
• I spoke with Heironymous. I had been terrified that it would be awkward, him distant, me uncertain... but it was fine. I mean, it seems like we've been apart for so long, but... the man is the only person I have ever called brother. Of course we'll be fine. Apparently, there are Nine Princes now, and Heironymous is sort of tight with the Blood Prince. Of course if anyone I knew would end up befriending a 'Blood Prince', it would be Rony.


• And then I discovered that the observatory is ruined. I'm living in tents inside of it now. At least Ol Bedlam Tom seems fine.

 

Emotional Summary

What a miserable homecoming. Satyrine is in ruins and is staying that way because of greed on one hand and complacency on the other, there's nobody minding society, absolutely no legitimate authority to enforce laws and social mores, and I don't even have my books. Someone is going to have to do something about these problems, and I don't now if there's anyone but me who even sees them.
 

Gains for Session

+2 Joy (and additional +1 from session 0 work)
+2 Despair (and additional +1 from session 0 work)
+2 Acumen