Dresden Files Las Vegas- There's A Reckonin' A-Comin' And It Burns Beyond The Grave

What a gaming session. It only took place over a few hours but what a wild ride. Things are heating up- literally. You know, I am seeing a very common thread in this and previous games. Something or some things are going to burn. And it usually involves my character. In the Bastet game both my house and office burned down. In the Mage game I burned down an abandoned building. In the New Orleans Dresden game my shop exploded and Jason's character almost died in a burning hotel. Earlier in the Las Vegas game, Brandon accidentally burned his shop down. Now, in Las Vegas, fire has struck again. Just so our GM doesn't get nervous, I loved it. Lots of action and I was able to pull out the spontaneous Evocation idea I had been holding. Plus it opens the chance to put a few ideas I have into play. I know that Neil has been quiet these past couple of games but that will change as well. I will need all his help (and Brandon's- if he is still talking to Shade after the giant frog demon thing. More on that in the recap).

All that being said, it's on to the game.

It was the middle of the night and Max, who had been sleeping peacefully, woke up to the smell of smoke. He shook Shade awake and told her they had to get out. Her building was on fire. They each grabbed a few things and ran down the fire escape. Going to the front of the building, they were able to see just how bad it was. Without hesitation, Shade used her magic to burst the water main in an attempt to contain the fire (I always figured on buying Evocation and this seemed to be the high stress situation that would cause her to finally be able to tap it). In the distance sirens could be heard.

Due to past events and the sheer ferocity of the fire, Shade suspected a spell had been involved. She cast about and was able to detect a faint magical trace. She also caught a dark energy coming from Max. When she opened the Sight, she saw that there was dark entity clutching him around the neck and heart. It was made to cause bad luck and to erode resources and reputation. It wouldn't directly cause death but death could result from what it could do. There was something else. Both the trace of magic and the curse had the same "flavor". It wasn't the same spell as the one from the spirit house of hell but it seemed to have come from the same person. As Shade was telling Max about what she saw, the fire trucks arrived on scene. However, due to the curse, the driver did not see Max and Shade. Max was able to get out of the way but Shade was hit. Luckily she escaped with just a few bruises. Totally annoyed, Shade asked Max to call Brandon. He started to dial when his phone died (wizards can fuck up technology, especially if they are emotionally agitated. I would say that being cursed, watching her business burn, the spontaneous Evocation, and almost being run down would make Shade VERY agitated). It took a few orders but Shade finally convinced one of the paramedics to call Brandon and get him on his way there. Of course, the paramedics phone died right after that. Even more annoyed, Shade strongly suggested to Max that he call Neil. It took three tries and three different pay phones before Max was able to get enough information to Neil to get him on his way.

Brandon finally arrived at the burning shop. He went up to Shade and Max and asked just what the hell was going on. Shade told about the curse and asked Brandon to check her out with the Sight. Even though he made a few snippy comments, Brandon looked at her with the Sight and saw that she was under the same curse as Max. It was entwined between them. Not good news.

A few more minutes passed before Neil arrived. The message he got had sent him to the wrong house. After being brought to date on what was going on, he called his insurance company and started taking pictures of the damage. He made sure to keep Brandon out of them (due to the earlier fire at his magic shop, Brandon was known to the insurance companies as a suspected arsonist). Just to remind everyone that the curse was still working, Shade found out that her insurance policy showed as being lapsed (yep, curse still working). Needing to get rid of the curse, it was decided that everyone should meet at Brandon's shop. The drive there was eventful thanks to the curse. A drunk driver almost took Brandon's car out. Thankfully they made it there in one piece and went immediately to his basement. Hoping to stop or lessen the effects of the curse, Brandon cast a ward around Shade and Max. He then called Skip and told him to get down there. There was research to be done.

Neil, happily unaffected by the curse and drunk drivers, drove up right after them. As he exited his car he saw three figures going into Brandon's shop. They looked like punks up to no good (the curse is working overtime). As they entered, Neil followed right behind. It seemed that the curse did not increase intelligence. The group remained unaware of Neil even after he lit a cigarette. He finally asked if he could help them. When they turned around, Neil flicked his cigarette into the face of one and punched the guy standing next to him. That robber dropped unconscious. The first one tried to hit Neil, who dodged easily. Neil kicked (I think it was kicked. It could have been punched but I seem to recall a spectacular kick move. So we will go with that) the third guy out the door. The first would be robber started babbling about being sorry and such. Neil loaded all three into the truck of his car and headed out to the desert.

With the arrival of Skip, the research into the curse started. Brandon and Skip went through books while Max and Shade talked about how to find out who was behind it. Shade told him that there was a way to force Phillip to tell her the name but she really didn't want to go that route. After some searching, Brandon discovered that the only "cure" for the curse was time. It would end at daybreak. However, until then the effects of the curse would only get worse. He then suggested once again that the two of them go into the warded room (the one that held Wyatt).

Finally reaching an area far outside of the city, Neil stopped his car and let the three robbers out of his trunk. He then told them just what they would be doing if they didn't want to end up in a grave. First they would have to turn their lives around and strive to be better people. To prove to him that they were taking this to heart, they would have to call a certain number every week and tell whomever answered just how they were doing the right things. If they didn't, they would be taking another trip out to the desert and would be digging their own graves. Neil gave his goodbyes and drove back into town.

Neil had just made it downstairs and was being brought up to speed on what had been found out when a very loud crash came from upstairs. A few seconds later a huge toad thing burst into the room (okay, the curse is now working overtime). It rushed at Max who shot at it. The bullet hit it as it ran into the ward around Max and Shade. The ward absorbed some of the attack but the demon managed to almost disembowel Max. Shade, with her newly discovered Evocation skill, attempted to turn the water in it's blood to ice. The beast roared in pain but didn't fall. Neil punched the toad things and hit it hard enough to leave a gaping wound in it's hide. Shade once again used the blood to ice spell and, with the damage already done to it, was able to kill it. The toad demon dropped and dissipated into ectoplasmic goo.

The fight over, Shade rushed to Max's side and frantically asked Brandon to summon the coyote. Knowing that the Coyote God couldn't work directly in Vegas, she asked Neil to get Wyatt there as soon as possible. Wyatt showed up in about fifteen minutes. Brandon told her that the coyote was there. Shade made a deal- a favor for a favor owed. Coyote agreed and, working through Wyatt, started the healing process on Max. His bleeding stopped and he seemed to be breathing easier. Angelica, who had been called by Neil, walked into the basement right then. Neil, Brandon, and Shade explained what had happened and Shade asked if she could help. The only thing she could do was to perform a blessing, which she did. Unnoticed by anyone but Brandon, when Angelica saw Wyatt  a flash of recognition crossed her face.

All that was left was the clean up. Skip, who had turned a bit green at all the blood, went for a mop and bucket. Neil choked Shade unconscious and pulled both her and Max into the warded room to await daybreak. Brandon took stock of the damage done to his shop. When day finally came, Neil removed Shade and Max from the room. Shade called a few of Max's men and had them come to Brandon's. They asked what the hell had happened but didn't believe her when she told them. One of the guys also had Periwinkle (her kitty) in a carrier. Apparently their house had collapsed (really??? the curse just had to get one last shot in).

That pretty much ended the gaming session. What a night. Curses, demon toads, and almost a death. Does it get any better then that? We will have to see what the next gaming night brings. I think it is this Sunday. Can't wait!

Dresden Files Las Vegas- Walked On Some Thin Ice But Never Like This

This recap has been written for a couple of weeks but something wouldn't let me post it. As I have stated in previous posts, I use lyrics from songs as the titles and the one I originally had in mind really didn't fit all that well. However, it did fit the next Dresden session perfectly. So it was back to YouTube. This one definitely fits better since the excitement of the evening was Brandon being a douchebag.

It was a short session this past gaming night but what a session! I could give a few hints or spoilers but I think I will just begin the recap and let everyone be surprised. Okay, one small spoiler. The grand douchebag strikes again. Brandon is so much fun.

The session started right where the last ended- the group plus Uri in the bar.

After feeling the rush of Fey power, Uri excused himself. Shade explained to Brandon and Neil that what everyone had felt was a huge surge of Fey magic. Somewhere, probably the Nevernever, the Fey were behaving badly. The three decided to meet up at Legends and investigate. Brandon needed to get a few items. So he and Neil took off to his place before heading to the Fey bar. Shade found Max and, after a short discussion, was convinced to include him. She and Max also stopped at their house so Shade could change (a cocktail dress and heels were appropriate for a wedding, not for possible trouble).

Fully armed, everyone congregated at Legends. Luckily Tess was working. She replied in the negative when asked if she had seen any of the Fey. Hoping to get some idea of what was going on, Shade started towards Phillip's office. She was stopped by a bouncer but Brandon convinced him to let her through. On the desk, she found a few papers written in Gaelic. Shade couldn't read them but she took them with her. Done there, Brandon and Shade opened a gate to the Autumn Fey realm.

Once there, the change was noticed immediately. The realm almost thrummed with power. Whatever had happened had certainly made a huge difference. The group of four was stopped by a guard tree. It took a bit of social combat but Shade, with a well timed reminder that she had been the Autumn Lady, was able to convince it to let them pass. A short walk had them at the Fey Manor. It teemed with all sorts of Fey- both Autumn and Spring and it was decorated for a celebration. Some trolls at the door tried to send them away but eventually let them inside.

Inside, the party was in full swing. There was drinking, eating, dancing, and general merry-making. Helena spotted Brandon and made a beeline for him. Flirting outrageously, she asked Brandon about their son. She didn't seem to happy when he told her he had given the baby to the church. As she led him deeper into the house, she remarked that she would have to raise the next one herself (poor Brandon- taking one for the team!). That left Shade, Max, and Neil to follow. As they entered the inner courtyard, the number of Fey was staggering. The numbers had exploded. At the far end, there were four thrones set on a dais. Two were occupied by Phillip and Puck. Both of whom looked more relaxed then Shade had ever seen them. The other two were occupied by unknown Fey. One was supernaturally good looking with golden hair and wearing full regalia. The other was more austere and had stag horns. Shade recognized the second as the unconscious figure she had seen there before. The High Kings of Autumn and Spring had been awakened.

As Shade looked around for Heather, Neil took out his phone and started scanning the crowd with it. A few of the guests showed up. Since Fey didn't, that meant those beings were "real". While doing this, something caught his eye. It was just a flash but he noticed a figure on the roof of the house. Whomever it was seemed a bit on the sneaky side. Neil moved into the house to investigate further.

Shade finally located Heather and asked her to explain. Heather said that it was because of Shade and the prophecy that the Kings had been awakened and wasn't it wonderful. Shade tried to point out a few of the not so wonderful things about the whole mess but Heather was too drunk to really care. Not getting anywhere, Shade asked if she could talk to Phillip. Heather happily led Shade and Max to the dais. Once there, introductions were made and Shade formally greeted the High Kings. Spring was very open and seemed amused by everything. Autumn was like a black hole- everything taken in and not one damn thing given out. Finvarra (the Autumn High King) told Shade that because of her stepping (and changing) on the dais, Phillip had realized how to wake them. For that she could ask her favor. With careful (and very polite!) phrasing, Shade replied that the balance of Vegas was a delicate thing and that she wanted to know what their intentions were to help keep that balance intact. More specifically, were there going to be any more forced changes and grown humans being turned into Changelings. Finvarra told her that Vegas was not their concern and in no danger.

After a bit of a search, Neil was able to find his way to the roof. There wasn't anybody there. However he was able to spot scorch marks on the tiles. He figured where he was was an excellent vantage point and settled down to watch everyone below. he hadn't been there for too long when he heard a voice say that things were changing and that change was good. He looked around and next to him was an old Indian guy with long, braided hair. The Indian just smiled as Neil snapped his picture. All that showed up on the screen was a smiley face.

While all this had been going Brandon and Helena (one thing about Helena- she would be better known as Helen of Troy. You know, the face that launched a thousand ships and caused a ten year war. Remember this for later. It plays into Brandon's biggest douchebag comment to date) were not having the happiest of reunions. Brandon, with his usual tact, had brought up the subject of the Summer and Winter Courts and how they could react to the whole situation. Helena told him that with the High Kings being woken balance would be restored. Brandon asked just how they were going to do that. After all, Spring and Autumn had gotten their asses kicked before. He wanted to know just how far they were going to go with the "restoring". Helena launched into a history lesson about the Fey war. Brandon replied that maybe they deserved to get their asses kicked and maybe they deserved it now. Helena's reply to that was to demand her right to challenge him to a duel...in a very loud voice.

The Fey reacted to that with a cheer. Shade and Neil reacted to that with an "Oh shit!"(when are they going to learn not to let Brandon out of their sight for too long?)

Finvarra asked just what had caused the challenge to be issued. Helena answered that Brandon had insulted Autumn and Spring and told him what had been said. Brandon admitted that he had indeed said those things. Finvarra agreed to Helena's request. It was to be with swords and to the death. As they faced each other, Brandon started things off with the following comment, "By the way, your sister was hotter." Helena did not appreciate the comparison and attacked. She managed to get through Brandon's shield and hit him on his not quite healed ribs. Brandon then attacked and opened a huge gash on her side. She swung and connected once again. 

Watching from the roof, the old Indian turned to Neil and said that it looked someone who owed him a favor was getting his ass kicked, In the crowd, Shade turned to the dais, telling Max that she would stop this. Max asked her how she would do so. Shade replied a life for a life. She would owe the Fey a favor for saving Brandon. Max stopped her and said that a life would be what they wanted. Shade agreed to wait a bit but if it came down to it, she would make the deal.  

Just as things were getting dire, the duel ended. Neither Brandon nor Helena were dead. The old Indian stopped things by appearing between them. Finvarra told Coyote (that's who the old Indian was) that he had no business being there. Coyote just smiled and told the High King that Brandon owed him a debt and that he would leave if Finvarra took it on. Finvarra had no such desire and declared the fight over. In a grand gesture, Brandon dropped to his knees and formally apologized to Helena. Coyote just looked at Brandon, shook his head, and both Brandon and the Indian poofed out of the Fey realm. Neil, Shade, and Max left by more conventional means (if a portal could be considered conventional).

That ended the session for the night. Brandon's mouth is going to get him killed at some point. What a fun time! The next session has been played and I will be posting that in the next few days. It's only getting better and better. Can't wait to see where it all goes!

Dresden Files Las Vegas- We're Living Up Never Enough Won't Hold Us Down We Feel The Rush

Part 2

The day of the much anticipated wedding between Skavis and Malvora finally arrived. Shade, Neil, and Brandon met for breakfast and some talk. First up was the Spade positions that needed to be filled. Shade pointed out that Mason had only told Brandon he had to make the final choices. There was nothing stopping other members from keeping an eye out for potential recruits. There was also no time frame set. That being said, Shade offered up a possibility- Mitch Mitchell from Truthisodes. Brandon wasn't too pleased with that suggestion but Shade listed a few pluses to having him join. Brandon, still not convinced, asked her to check him out and let him know. Next up was a game plan for the inclusion of a Winter and Summer Court personage. Neil (being the only person at the table who wasn't on a Fey hit list somewhere) said that he would get the ball rolling on that. The only problem with the Fey would be the inability to Soul Gaze them. Neil then wondered out loud about a sentient ghost. Brandon and Shade thought that would be a good possibility and Shade made a mental note about looking into the appropriate ritual.

With rituals in mind, Shade then brought up Wyatt. She had a plan on how to get some information on just who was watching him. She would construct a ritual where she and Wyatt would be connected. The spell would not go off until the person (persons? entity? god?) spied on Wyatt. It would allow Shade to glean information about who or what was behind it. If it worked, she wanted to include Neil and Brandon in the spell. The more people involved would hopefully mean more learned. Brandon and Neil agreed. The problems of Vegas had long overshadowed Wyatt and more attention needed to be paid to his situation.

Spade business finished, the wedding was next on the agenda. Brandon and Neil said that neither of them would be going. Sensing a backstory, Shade asked why. The previous night's shenanigans were related. They also told Shade about the retribution they were planning on the child killing vampire. Shade agreed with them totally and wished them good hunting. Business concluded, breakfast ended with the three of them going their separate ways. Neil left to start the process of getting in touch with the Fey Courts. He also had a wonderful exchange with Skavis about a bill for his ruined suit and furnishings. Brandon went to work. Shade headed to her business to set up the rituals she would be needing for the wedding that night.

Day faded into night. Neil and Brandon met with Mason to work out the details of their trap. Neil would use his contacts to set up a house and get the Malvora vampire there. Brandon would be there observing and making sure it went down as planned.

Rituals concluded, Shade met with Max for a pre-wedding drink and to once again assure him that she would be okay. The wedding and reception were being held at the Scaramouch Academy. Arriving, Shade took a moment to get the "feel" of the event. There was a feeling of joy, which was to be expected. There was also an undercurrent of uncertainty bordering on the edge of fear. Shade stopped to chat with Skavis for a bit and took great fun in their usual banter. With the wedding about to start, Shade took a seat with Uri and Christine. Before the vows were made, the victims for Penny and Fredrick were brought in. Penny's transformation into full White Court went as expected. Fredrick's, on the other hand, was not as it should have been. While Penny's sacrifice had died in fear and pain as she fed, the girl for Skavis to sacrifice went from fear to love and happiness. Definitely not what was expected. It seemed that Skavis could feed off of positive emotions. The rest of the wedding went off without a hitch (Christine cried throughout the whole thing). The undercurrent of fear Shade experienced earlier became stronger.

The wedding concluded, the reception started and Shade set off to fulfill her own agenda. Taking note of each major player in attendance, she approached them one by one. There were a few strings that needed to be pulled. Drusilla was first on the list. The two of them talked amicably for a bit. However, Drusilla's manner became frosty when Shade brought up what Skavis had done and that perhaps it would be wise to take the jester a bit more seriously. Next was Lexi. Their conversation revolved around the casino. The Were Ferret proffered an invite to Shade and Max to stop in- which was what Shade was after. She had heard rumors about death matches and Shade wanted to check it out (it's not an issue yet but needs to be watched closely. It could fast turn into a problem and steps may need to be taken). That done, Shade approached Melinda. Nothing of consequence was talked about until Shade brought up the fact that someone was trying to kill her, Neil, and Brandon. Melinda was more confused then anything at hearing that. She couldn't think of any reason for that to be. Thanks to the buffing rituals, Shade was fairly certain that she was telling the truth and had nothing to do with it. They said their goodbyes and Shade walked over to Locke and Stone.

While all this was going on, Brandon, Neil, and Mason were putting their plan into action. Thanks to Neil and his resources, an appropriate house had been found and everything was ready to go. Neil called the vampire and told him where to go. Mason and Brandon were already there and waiting. From his vantage point in the closet, Brandon saw the Malvora vampire enter. Even though Mason appeared the same to Brandon, it was obvious that their guest saw Mason as a child. It was very creepy to hear a child's voice come from the ancient Black Court. Just as the other vampire was readying to feed, Mason dropped his act and revealed himself. What happened next could only be described as a bloodbath. Mason ripped his victim to pieces...slowly and with great force. Brandon decided that he really didn't want to be there anymore and made his way to the door.

Back at the reception, Locke was drunk and seemed hell bent on embarrassing himself and Tawny. Shade saw the look of disgust on her face when Locke demanded she get him another drink and slapped her ass. Stone was living up to his name. At least he was until Shade mentioned the attacks on her and the men. A look of alarm flashed quickly over his face. It came again when Shade told the two of them that whoever was behind the attacks has used magic to kill humans. Shade noted the reactions but didn't comment. A few more pleasantries were exchanged and then Shade left them. Last on her list was Uri. Shade came up to him and asked him to dance with her. While on the floor, Shade (already sure that Uri wasn't behind the attacks) came straight to the point. She told Uri that someone high up had been trying to kill their group and they had broken the First Law of Magic. That stopped Uri cold. He and Shade left the reception so they could talk about the attacks in private. As luck would have it (thanks to a fate chip!) Neil and Brandon were in the bar drinking.

With everyone there, Uri was able to hear the entire story of what had happened. Just as they were finishing the story, the group felt the ground shake- like Vegas was experiencing an earthquake. Shade felt and recognized the accompanying wash of magic. She looked off into the distance while saying, "Dear God Phillip, what have you done?"

So that ended the session and what a one it was! Just what in the hell are the Vegas Fey doing and just how bad is it. Could they be closer to finding out who was behind the attacks? Will they be able to find out who or what is watching Wyatt. We will hopefully find out more on Sunday. Can't wait!

Of course, all this just adds to my ever expanding list of things I want to do in game. To give Lana a heads up (and maybe some game ideas), I am going to list them here. Some are big plot things and some are personal character things. I am enjoying playing a normal person for once and want to explore more of that as well as the overall group story lines.

1: Set up the ritual for Wyatt and see if it works. If it does, get Neil and Brandon involved.
2: Need to get in touch with Heather about Fey's behaving badly.
3: Check up with Penny and Skavis now that they have turned.
4: Question/investigate Stone and his reaction.
5: Visit the Were casino.
6: A meeting with Locke when he is sober.
7: Do a ritual to find a sentient Ghost for the Spades.
8: Look much deeper into Wyatt's past, especially if any players today were connected to the gang that attacked him. It's possible. We are talking about beings that live for centuries.
9: See about using my fat stack of cash to buy Snicks and get Tess out of the Fey mess.
10: More interactions between Max and Shade, especially their personal/intimate moments.
11: Soul gaze Max.
12: Research and meet with Mitch Mitchell. Also, invite Tawny out to lunch to see if she would be a good candidate.
13: Meet with glassblowers and metal workers for, what I am calling, iron puff bombs.  
14: Get Max to use his gift or use the Sight on Christine to see just what the heck she is.

That's all I can think of right now but I am sure more will coming.

Dresden Files Las Vegas- Or Would You Rather Be The Architect Of What We Might Create

One of the best ever gaming sessions we had was in the Mage game. We were breaking into the Technocracy headquarters to retrieve an artifact. It was a definite "are you really sure you want to do this" moment and I remember the tension increasing with each roll we had to make and every step we took. One fuck up and we would all have to hand over our character sheets. It was a watershed moment. The tension wasn't near as high in the last Dresden game but I started to get that same feeling, even if it was just a little bit. It feels like we are right on the edge of a chasm and will we fall off or manage to jump it? What a wonderful feeling! I love it! It means that things are going to get fun, messy, chaotic, dangerous, and exhilarating! I won't give any spoilers but will just get right into it.

The game picked up a month later (the 28th of October) and Shade, Neil, and Brandon had all been busy- in their own ways. Brandon spent his month working on his shop and working on Skip. With his newly forged contacts, Brandon was moving into the realm of magical item buying and selling. The time not spent doing that was spent on stabilizing Skip, helping him deal with his grief, and healing their relationship. Neil kept up his buying spree and announced the grand opening of Fine Detailing and Car Wash. Shade kept busy as well. She delved deeper into the Freemont Experience. It had expanded fairly rapidly and she was looking for a few specific people and businesses. It took some time but she was able to get the information she needed. She also found out a hugely surprising fact. Some of the people she talked to were now changelings.

It was three days before the much anticipated Skavis/Malvora wedding and things were all a tizzy. Brandon received a letter at his shop. The only item inside the envelope was the seven of spades. Understanding the message, he went to visit Mason that night. After going inside, he asked Mason what was going on. Mason told Brandon that he had called him there for something specific. He wanted Brandon to find his successor. Brandon was stunned. Mason went on to explain that during the fight with Sly and the zombies something in his mind had broke. He was in pain and no longer wanted to continue living. He also tasked Brandon with filling out the rest of the Spades. After a few moments of thought, Brandon said that he might have a few ideas and told Mason about Wyatt. Mason said that he would leave it to Brandon as he no longer trusted his own judgment. He then spoke of the Board. Only Uri and Locke knew for certain about the Spades and only Uri knew that Mason was the Ace. He warned Brandon not to trust any of the Board members and to keep the Board out of Spade business. Brandon swore on his power to do as Mason asked.

That same night, Shade and Max were at home eating dinner when Max asked Shade who Wyatt was. After a slight hesitation, Shade answered that Wyatt was a friend. She knew him through Brandon and Neil. Max went on to say that he had passed Wyatt in front of her shop and he had said to say hi to her. Knowing that the subject was not going to be dropped, Shade said that it was obvious that Max had "looked" at Wyatt with his talent and knew he was special. She went on and explained to Max that Wyatt was one of those things that were bound to come up between them that needed to be kept secret. Wyatt was very, very special and the three of them were intent on keeping him under the radar. Max understood thankfully. Their talk turned to magic and people in general. Shade was actually surprised that Max wanted and valued her opinions and insights about the major players.

Neil's night turned out to be anything but quiet as well. He was in one of the smaller casinos when a very attractive woman came up to him. She seemed nervous as she pressed a special poker chip into his hand. Melissa (as she was named) told him that she had been sent to Neil in the hopes that he could help her. Some people were chasing her. Neil asked if they were following her right now. She wasn't sure. Neil sprang into action. The first order of business was to get her somewhere safe. As they left the casino, Neil noticed a couple of guys watching them. Watching turned into following as Neil and Melissa took off on his motorcycle. The chase was over pretty quickly. The driver of the SUV couldn't keep up with Neil. The two of them reached one of Neil's safe houses and he got Melissa settled. Neil told her to write down everything she had done for the past couple of weeks. He wanted absolutely everything. Melissa agreed to do so and asked if she could call her mother at least. Neil told her not to and that he would contact her mother to let her know that Melissa was safe. As Melissa settled in, Neil called a few of his guys. He wanted them to check out Melissa's apartment.

In the middle of all this, Neil's phone rang. It was Brandon wanting to meet up to discuss company business. The two of them met up at a nearby dive bar. After getting drinks, Brandon told Neil about his meeting with Mason. They sat there for awhile discussing the ramifications of Mason's demise and the future of the Spades. They agreed that some restructuring was in order. The Ace, whomever it would eventually be, would still be the head but there would be a "court" consisting of the King, Queen, and Jack that would act as a check. The night passed without any more problems cropping up.

The next saw Brandon doing Brandon stuff and Neil doing Neil stuff. For Brandon that meant work as usual. Neil stopped by to talk with Melissa. She gave him the list of her activities. The only incident that stood out to Neil was a fight that had taken place at her job. Shade's day was busy. She had made an appointment to see Phillip. Arriving at Legends, she was ushered into his office. After the hello's, Shade got to the point. She told Phillip that she wanted the name of the person Sly had referred to after the fight. Phillip flat out refused. Shade pulled out the information she had gathered in the past month and told Phillip that the information she had would ruin Freemont. If Phillip wouldn't give her the name, she would give the information to someone who could use it. Nonplussed, Philip replied that he had given his word and that he couldn't give her the name. He wasn't angry. He seemed more distracted and hyped-up then anything. He then said his goodbye's to Shade and said he was sorry he couldn't help her. Shade replied that she was sorry for what she had to do. After a quick call to Max to let him know that she was okay (I don't think Max trusts Phillip one bit), Shade then called Skavis to see about a visit. Skavis told her to come over. She did so. Once there and after the usual sexual innuendos were thrown about, Shade got down to business. All the information she had to take down the Fey's influence in Freemont she gave to Frederick. She told him it was her wedding gift to him. Skavis was very pleased. The rest of the day passed uneventfully for the three.

That night Brandon called Shade and asked to get together. They needed to talk. Shade agreed and Brandon said he would pick her up. After a bit of a drive, Brandon and Shade pulled up to Mason's house. recognizing from her earlier visit, Shade asked Brandon just what the hell was going on. Brandon told her he would explain inside. They entered the house and Brandon told Shade about the Spades and everything that they did. He then asked if she would be interested in joining the group. If she was, they would have to Soulgaze each other. Of course Shade said yes and, after the Soulgaze, she took the Queen as her card.

That is where the session ended. See what I mean about the tension starting to build? All three are Spades now and all are in the Court. Mason is going to suicide and what then? There is the wedding coming up and everyone knows from past experience what that means- something is going to happen. Phillip is not himself at all. Frankly, at the mention of blackmail, he should have gone into a rage and then there is the whole adult human into changeling thing. That does not happen. How is Phillip doing it? And what about Melissa. How does she play into it? So much coming together. I cannot wait for Sunday!

Dresden Files Las Vegas- Know Me Broken By My Master

It has truly been too long since I wrote anything and it's past time to get caught up, especially since we are playing Dresden this Sunday and I want to be up to date. As I was reading through my notes and thinking of an appropriate song, I hit a roadblock. Generally it only takes a few minutes to come up with something that fits but I just couldn't this time. So I decided to stop thinking of it from our perspective and started thinking about from the villain's. Perfect! Had the right song pulled up in one minute...tops (yes, I know the song is actually about his heroin addiction but it fits dammit).

Anyway, back to the game. It was an amazing night. We had a huge ritual, encounters with zombies, and a full on take out the bad guy fight at the end. On to the re-cap.

The game started with Brandon, Shade, and Neil discussing the best way to neutralize the house and the Phages trapped therein. After a bit of brainstorming, it was agreed that a ritual would be best. That meant that other magic users would have to be involved. Brandon started working on that right away. Shade, having her own ritual to prepare for, left for her shop. Neil went in search of back up (time and experience had taught us the wisdom of back up).

Neil went to the park that was the home of the Pixies. He met up with Janks and made him an offer he couldn't refuse. For the fee of a vending machine contract/negotiation, Janks and a few other Pixies would show up at the house for the banishment and keep an eye out for escaping Phages. After seeing the house, Janks made it perfectly clear that the Pixies would only be following the escapees and nothing else. Frankly, that house scared the hell out of anyone who looked at it and rightly so. Brandon, in spite of being the lovable douche bag that he is, managed to get quite a few sorcerers lined up to help. Shade put the finishing touches on the separate ritual she would be doing. The plan being that Brandon and the others would do the banishing while Shade cast a ritual to "follow" the spell back to it's source in an effort to find out who was behind it. With everything in place, everyone met up at the place of evil.

The ritual got off to shaky start once the other sorcerers saw just what was there. However, they all agreed to stay and help. With the salt and herbs scattered, the actual spell casting could start. Brandon and the others built up their power and began the banishment. Meanwhile, Shade took a map and started her own spell. Neil and the Pixies started a pool on who would pass out or run away first. It took a bit of time and effort but the banishment was finally complete. No Phages escaped. As for Shade's spell, it worked as well. Her blood had dripped on the map over the warehouse district and spelled out House Skavis. Pleased with their success, Shade, Brandon, and Neil went to their homes.

The next morning everything seemed nice and normal. Neil did his morning routine of workout and minion check-ins. Brandon opened his shop for the day. Shade, feeling a bit lazy, was enjoying her coffee when she got a frantic phone call from Lars. A member of the Yakuza was there for a tattoo and was scaring the hell out of him. Shade left for her shop to get to work and to get Lars out of the building.

Day turned into night. Neil was out casino hopping when he had the feeling that he was being watched. He turned just as someone came up behind him. Neil managed to dodge out of the way of the punch aimed for his head. Neil recognized the guy as the hoodie wearing zombie who had ripped Harold's head off. First using a chair to keep the zombie off balance, Neil then reached out to pull the hood over it's face. As he did, Neil felt "something" battering at his mind but was able fight the effects off. Neil proceeded to beat the hell out of the zombie and also managed to drop his cell phone in it's pocket. After watching the zombie make his escape down a sewer manhole, Neil settled in for a long (very long and very slow) pursuit.

Brandon decided a night out would just be grand (will he ever learn? Every time Brandon decides to go out for fun he gets in trouble. Usually bad trouble). He was at a club enjoying the music and the possibility of female companionship when he was punched in the back. The force was enough to cause him to stumble into his dance partner. He turned to see who had punched him and came face to face with the blond zombie guy. Not wanting to fuck around, Brandon cast a spell to magically push the zombie away. The spell he used did nothing. It seemed to hit something around the zombie and splits around him. For his trouble, Brandon got a fist to his face. Brandon, being his usual chivalrous self, threw his partner at the zombie and bolted from the club.  

At her tattoo parlor, Shade was finishing up the job on the Yakuza gentleman. She heard the door open and looked up in time to see the female zombie shamble inside. She and the others were hit with a mental attack. Shade and the head Yakuza guy fought it off. His guards weren't as lucky. One dropped to the ground screaming and crying in fear. The other shot himself in the head. Shade decided to get the hell out there and pulled the head Yakuza guy along with her as she ran out the back. Looking back, they saw the zombie burst out from the doorway and start to follow them. They managed to get away (the zombies were the slower shambling zombies. thank god!). When they reached a place they could stop, Shade pulled out MASSIVE flattery and was able to convince the gentleman he hadn't lost face. She did get lots of money as well.

While Neil was slowly following his zombie, Shade was heading to the Luxor (even the undead would not dare start something there). She made a call to Max and asked him to get Tess and come there. She then called Neil but zombies don't understand smart phones and, as such, couldn't answer it. She called Brandon next and left him a message about what had happened when she got his machine.

Brandon had been home but had only stopped long enough to gather his gear and leave again. He made his way to the Luxor (see- shit hits the fan and it's party time at the pyramid). Brandon found Jeremy Running Mouth and asked him if he had seen Shade or Neil. After answering in the negative, he asked Brandon what was going on and Brandon told him what had happened- with suitable embellishments, of course. Taking a chance, Brandon asked the main desk and found out that Shade and Max had rented a suite. Brandon went up to the room and he and Shade shared their adventures. That only left Neil. After looking through her purse, Shade came up with some burner numbers for him. It took a few tries but eventually Shade got Neil on the line and they agreed it would be a good idea for everyone to meet up. That also included Max, over Shade's objections. With coffee and sandwiches, of course.

A few hours later, the group pulled up to an old warehouse. The zombie had gone inside. While checking things out, Brandon caught the flicker of a shadow near the car. Turning, he saw Mason appear out of the shadows. It only took a few minutes to bring Mason up to date. That being done, everyone walked to the door and went in.

The flicked on in the pretty empty warehouse. Empty except for three zombies and a horror show of a figure standing off to the side. It was Sly. Half of her face was missing, the flesh flayed from the muscle. A magical aura surrounded her. Some of it was from the Fey curse she was under. The other was from an unknown source. Her eyes burned with madness, hate, and pain.

Author note- I am looking at three full pages of notes on the fight. For the sake of time and space, I am going to condense things a bit. It was definitely a hard fight and it took us about an hour and half to get through it. I won't include every dodge and attack and such but I will give the highlights.

Considering their history, it was only natural for Sly to throw the first mental attack at her. Shade shrugged it off easily. That was quickly followed by a group mental attack from the female zombie. At the same time, the blond zombie attacked Max and hit him. The hoodie zombie attacked Brandon but he was able to dodge out of the way. Neil made his way to the female zombie and threw a punch that unfortunately missed. Shade and Max both fired their guns at Sly. Shade missed but Max hit.

Deciding to up the ante (yes! got my token Vegas gambling reference in), Sly tossed lightning into the group. Brandon tried to counter her spell but was not able to do so. Neil, Brandon, and Max dodged but Shade and Mason were hit. The zombie female attacked Neil, who easily moved out of the way managing to knock her off balance as he did so. The hoodie zombie and Brandon were locked in combat, attacking and dodging. Mason, showing off his Black Court badassery, tore the other male zombie apart- actually ripping his head off.

Still laughing madly, Sly threw another spell at the group. Everyone except for Shade was able to get out of the way of the attack. Brandon and the hoodie zombie were still throwing punches at each other. The zombie girl went for another mental attack against the group. The only one who caved under the attack was Mason. He fell to the ground screaming.

With one zombie dead, everyone doubled up on the remaining zombies. They had to get through them to get to Sly. Both Shade and Neil punched the female zombie who fell to the ground. Brandon and Max went for the hoodie zombie. Brandon went back to what he does best and set the zombie on fire. Max punched the zombie from behind. The now on fire zombie tried a psychic attack against Brandon but failed. Sly tried to take out Neil with a mind attack. After shrugging off the attack, Neil moved towards Sly.

Brandon and the burning zombie circled each other, Brandon tried another sword thrust but missed. The zombie moved in and broke Brandon's ribs with a grapple. Neil, having got to Sly, punched her hard enough to break her jaw. She screamed in pain. Max turned to the female zombie and punched her hard enough to take her out. He then turned back to Brandon and "his" zombie. Between the two of them, they were able to defeat the zombie. Shade came up behind Sly and, using her gun as a club, cold cocked her.

After all that, the fight went out of Sly. There was a heated discussion about what to do with her. Brandon was all for killing her. Shade leaned more towards getting information out of her and then letting her go. Of course, Sly had to swear on her power to never return to Vegas and to never kill or harm when feeding. She also had to answer their questions. Sly agreed to all their conditions. She told them that the Autumn Fey had given her to someone and that someone was high up in the Vegas hierarchy ... Just as she was about to tell the name of the person who had sent her to attack them, she screamed horribly and collapsed. She was dead.

The game ended there for the night. What a cliffhanger! We now know for sure that someone pretty high up has it out for us but we don't know who it is. There are a few we can rule out but that still leaves plenty of suspects. And we have even more exciting events taking place. there is the casino the shape shifters opened and let's not forget the Skavis/Malvora wedding. So  many possibilities for mayhem and trouble. Also, I can't wait to officially become a Spade!

Dresden Files Las Vegas- It's Sabotage

It has been a few weeks since I posted and what exhausting weeks they were! First I flew to London to close a real estate deal. Then I hopped over to Paris to check out the spring fashion shows. Finally I ended up in New Orleans for Mardi Gras...

...okay, I am lying. I actually spent most of these past weeks playing Diablo. It wasn't my fault though. Blizzard changed practically everything in anticipation for the expansion release and I got sucked back into the game. You would not believe the number of legendary drops I landed. I also got my first green (set) item. Talk about whetting the appetite. Damn you Blizzard!!

As exciting as that was, it was not as exciting as Dresden. We had fights, rituals, murder, and zombies! Someone is out to get us and we have no idea (as of now) who this person is or what we did to piss them off.

The game started with Brandon and Skip arguing upstairs. Any pretense of self control was thrown away as Skip had a total breakdown. Skip shouted that Brandon had no idea how he felt about having to keep a part of himself secret; that Liz had been the only who wanted to be around him. Brandon, with more composure, answered that he did know what Skip was going through and that Skip had to understand that his neck was on the line too. It ended with Neil and Shade coming upstairs and Skip storming off in tears.  With that crises resolved (or at least as resolved as it's going to be for now), the three went to visit Patience at the Historical Society. If anyone had information about the Phages, it would be her.


The idea to talk to Patience turned out to be a good one. She had quite a bit to tell Shade, Neil, and Brandon. Phages were, she said, spirits from the Nevernever. Usually spirits of sorrow, they fed on humans and their emotions. Though there could be Phages that fed on positive emotions, they were almost always tuned the negative. They could be summoned, compelled, and bound. Holy items were one defense against them (she didn't say anything about ceiling fans though- sorry Neil/Jay). Patience went on to say that the Phages actually possessed a person. That explained how it was able to cross Skip's ward. Armed with the new information, Brandon, Neil, and Shade left. Brandon went to his shop and started to put out feelers to the local sorcerers. Neil and Shade went to Luxor to look up a friend- Jeremy Running Mouth.


At the Luxor, Shade and Neil quickly found Jeremy. Shade led him to the bar for a drink and some talk while Neil excused himself to make a couple of calls. Standing apart from the other two, Neil placed a call to one of his police contacts. Neil asked him about any other weird suicides. After checking, Scott came up with a couple of cases that were odd enough to merit a look. Back at the bar, Shade asked for Jeremy's help. It took a bit of doing but Shade was eventually able to get a short list of local ectomancers that could shed more light on the phages. Neil and Shade left the Luxor; Neil to get on with his day and Shade to work where she called Brandon and gave him the names supplied by Jeremy.


Of the three names Brandon had, he was able to get a hold of two- Madame Fortuna, a local psychic and a Harold. He set up an appointment with Madame Fortuna's receptionist for that evening. His call to Harold wasn't so easy. From the beginning Harold seemed sketchy and nervous. Brandon finally convinced Harold to meet up with him at a nearby Olive Garden. It took the promise of a consulting fee and a free lunch to do so. Getting to the Olive Garden, Brandon was waiting when Harold walked in. He was a bigger man that was very careful to not touch anything. His attitude had not improved since the call. He was still nervous and more then a bit angry. After ordering enough food for three, Brandon and Harold started talking. Brandon explained the two cases (Elizabeth and Tess) and what had happened at the morgue. Harold said that didn't seem the normal m.o. for phages. He threw out the knowledge that they could be intelligent and communicated with and suggested that Brandon summon it. Other then that, he didn't have anything more to add. Harold brushed off Brandon's offer of a continuing collaboration and left the restaurant with his fee and leftovers. Brandon paid for the meal and headed back to his shop.


Neil's day was going as usual when he answered a call from Christine. She asked if he had pissed anyone off lately. Neil answered in the negative and she hung up. A few minutes later Christine called back and asked him to meet her for lunch. Neil said yes and named a place and time. After being seated, Christine asked again about the possibility of Neil pissing someone off and explained that something weird had happened. She was out when a creepy looking guy came up and touched her. She could feel something try and go through her. Neil asked if she would recognize the guy and she said yes. He had been a hobo with dark hair, pale skin, and some facial scruff. The two took a ride around the neighborhood looking for the guy. At a convenience store they got a positive response. With a better description, Neil put the word out that he was looking for the guy. It took some time but eventually got a lead on the guy and headed to where he had been spotted. Neil found the guy and followed him on foot. The bum ducked into an alley and attacked Neil as he came up. The fight was short but very painful...for the bum. After receiving a vicious jab to the throat and a broken kneecap, the bum was on the ground and in great pain. Neil watched as a black mist poured from the bum's mouth and eyes and dissipated.


Brandon worked the rest of the until it was time for appointment with Madame Fortuna. Getting to her place, he saw that it was the stereotypical gypsy fortune teller place- dark lighting, creepy knick-knacks, and incense. When he went into the back, Madame Fortuna took one look at Brandon and dropped the mysterious mystic act. She made it perfectly clear that if she had known he was a sorcerer he wouldn't be there. Brandon tried to get more information out of her but she didn't have anything new to add. Business concluded, she not so politely ordered Brandon to leave and not come back


Shade spent her day working (she does have to do that occasionally). After closing up, she called Brandon's store and asked Skip about Tess. She was told that Tess was awake and seemed okay. Shade stopped at Brandon's shop to collect Tess and told her that she would be staying with Shade and Max for a few days. They stopped at Tess's apartment to grab a few things and headed to Shade's. Max was pretty understanding about having a guest. They were having some wine and conversation when Shade received a call from Neil. He briefly explained what had happened with the bum and they agreed to meet for breakfast. Shade called Brandon and let him know what was going on.


At breakfast, the three shared their stories and information over bacon and eggs. While talking, Neil's phone rang. It was Scott, his police contact. Apparently there had been two very unusual deaths the night before and he thought Neil should know considering his interest before. The bodies had been torn to pieces. The names of the victims were Harold and Madame Fortuna. Appetites pretty much killed, Shade, Brandon, and Neil drove to Shade's tattoo parlor. Using a divination ritual, Shade was able to "project" what had happened to Harold onto a mirror. They watched as the door to Harold's apartment busted in and a big male entered. The man was zombie-like with decaying skin and what seemed to be glowing eyes. Harold attempted to flee but was caught. The zombie ripped his head off before starting on the rest of him. It was pretty gruesome.  




After seeing that Neil and Brandon left to check a few things out. Shade, knowing that Brandon and Neil could work faster then her, spent the day with Tess helping her to heal faster. That involved the two of them getting Mani/Pedi's and doing some shopping (rituals are great. You can pretty much do whatever you want. However it takes time. Lots and lots of time. Besides, Tess staying with Shade had kind of killed any intimate time with Max and that was not making either Max or Shade happy).


Brandon placed a call to Wyatt. Unable to get him on the phone, he called Neil and asked if he would text Wyatt about lunch. Neil did so. Meeting for lunch, Brandon asked Wyatt how he was doing. After a few more pleasantries, Brandon told Wyatt everything that was going on and then asked if he had heard of any zombies running about the city. Wyatt answered in the negative but agreed to take a look. He removed his hat and concentrated a few seconds. He "felt" that there was something in Vegas that shouldn't be but it was blocking his sight. The closest he could get was an area in North Vegas, specifically a house. Brandon thanked and left to call Neil. After hearing what Wyatt saw, Neil agreed to meet Brandon at the house.


Brandon and Neil arrived at the house and saw that it was an old, decrepit, boarded up hovel. The aura around it reeked of despair. Taking a look around, Brandon and Neil noticed that the area was strangely deserted. There was not a single person about- no dopers, bums, prostitutes, or any other types that should have been about. They called Shade and told her where to meet them. When she got there she noticed the aura right away. Brandon and Shade decided to open the Sight to take a closer look at the house. With the Sight Brandon saw the house was filled with phages, their eyes glowing. He could see that they were bound there. Shade's Sight affected her even more. She saw everything that Brandon had seen plus there were spelled Eldritch chains holding the phages inside. She also knew that she could recognize the spell caster if they used a similar spell in her presence. It was too much and Shade passed out. Neil, being a gentleman, attempted to catch her, saving her from hitting her head. Brandon and Neil stood on the sidewalk debating what to do then.


Thus ended the night. What an enjoyable session! Someone has it out for us and we have no idea who. All we have are zombies and phages coming at us and our loved ones. Will we be able to figure it out? The next gaming session has been played so I know how it turns out and I will say that it is awesome. I will get that one posted as soon as I can. I can't wait until we play again. Lana should definitely be proud of this story-line.

Dresden Files Las Vegas- Devil On Your Back, I Can Never Die

It's been a week or so since I posted the hiatus/what happened in the meantime post and it's time to get onto the night's session. I am liking the longer breaks in the game  It gives me a chance to really think about what I post and to make sure I get everything written down.


The first session back in play went very, very well. The time seemed to fly by and we wasted no time getting back into the thick of Vegas problems. Of course if we didn't, it wouldn't be much fun. Some bad and nasty's have come to visit and we are once again in the wrong place at the right time!


It being a Wednesday, Shade got up and headed out to work. Her new tattoo artist, Lars, was already there and handed her the mail. It was the usual stuff until she got to a plain white envelope. Opening it, she pulled out an Ace of Spades. The only writing on it was an address.  Since the existence of the Spades is only rumor, Shade isn't really too concerned. After taking care of a few work details, Shade made her way to the address on the card. It was in a bad part of town and seemed to be nothing but an old, rundown house. She walked up to the front door and knocked. She thought she felt...something but, being a practical person and taking note of the thugs watching her from across the street, she decided not to investigate inside. She did write her own message (Next time don't be so cryptic. Thank you for the note) and slipped it under the door.


Brandon had been at work for awhile when he noticed that Skip was late. With the tension between them, it wasn't too surprising. Having had enough, Brandon called Skip. A very distraught Skip answered and replied to Brandon's questions with a "Fuck Off!" and slammed the phone down. That got Brandon's attention and he drove over to Skip's. There he was greeted by the sight of cop cars and flashing lights. Going up to the actual apartment, Brandon saw that the door was open and cops were milling about. Brandon asked one of the cops just what in the hell happened. The cop asked him about his relationship to Skip and if he knew an Elizabeth Dandridge. Just then a cop led Skip into the hallway. He had blood on his hands and looked in shock. Brandon asked if he needed anything and received a look of death as answer. Having much practice ignoring death glares, Brandon told Skip that he would find out what was going on and that, if needed, a lawyer would be provided. Not being able to get anything more from the police, Brandon went back to his store and called Neil. Before he left he was able to detect the ward Skip had set and tell that it was intact.


Neil, after doing his usual morning routine (running and the daily minion check), was having lunch when he received Brandon's call. Brandon explained the situation as well as he knew it and asked Neil if he would use his contacts to check things out. Neil agreed to do so and after eating started making calls. A well placed officer was able to tell Neil that Skip was a person of interest in a possible suicide/possible murder. Other then that, he was only able to learn that Skip would be released after his questioning. Neil called Brandon back and let him know what he had learned.


After being released, Skip made his way to the Sleight of Hand and Brandon. Brandon only asked one thing of Skip- to tell him that he had not killed her. That set Skip into hysterics as he denied having anything to do with her death. Taking Skip downstairs, Brandon poured a couple of drinks into him and got the whole story. Liz had been fine as far as Skip knew. A little down and sad but nothing that would explain what happened. Skip told Brandon how he had woken up that morning and found her in the bathtub with her wrists slit. As he talked, Brandon "checked" him out just be sure he was telling the truth. He was. Brandon then asked if Skip had accidentally summoned anything or pissed anybody off. Again, Skip answered in the negative. After getting what happened sorted out, Brandon offered his spare room to Skip, who accepted. They stopped off to grab some of Skip's personal items and while there Brandon saw the bathroom. The word bloodbath best described it.


Figuring that enough time had passed to make a call again, Neil phoned his police contact and was told that Skip had been released and that the case would be filed as a suicide. The only fingerprints on the weapon were hers and no other footprints had been found at the scene. Covering the bases, Neil called around to ask about any new White Court Vampires in town. He learned that there was more then a few new in town but none that seemed to be dangerous or loose cannons. Neil's last call was to inform Mason what had happened.


After dark, Neil was out and about when he felt a shadow appear behind him. It was Mason himself (with the coolest entrance routine ever). Mason first asked if Neil's friend Shade had received his message. Neil answered that he didn't. The talk then turned to Skip and that situation. Mason told Neil to keep his eye on things and to keep him informed.


After the card incident, Shade's day was uneventful. With the work day over, she headed to meet max for dinner. They talked about the day's events. Max asked her if she had heard about some sort of gruesome murder and if so, should he be concerned. Shade replied that she hadn't heard anything and that she would keep an ear out for anything going on. They had a nice dinner and a nice evening- even if Max did rather subtlety bring up children (Thank god Max is very, very rich and doesn't ask Shade to cook. The child issue is going to have to be dealt with Shade explaining to him about why she doesn't want them right now, if ever. That conversation is going to be interesting!).


Brandon spent his night babysitting a grieving Skip.


The next morning the death of Elizabeth was on the news. Shade, after watching it, called Brandon and asked if it was okay if she came over. Arriving there with coffee and breakfast, Shade went right over to Skip with an "Oh sweetie" and lots of hugs. It took some doing but she managed to convince Skip that he needed to eat and get cleaned up. While he was doing so, Brandon and Shade talked the situation over. Realizing that something magical could be the problem and needing to get at the apartment or body, they called Neil. If anyone had the contacts to get them access to either, it would be him. There was some talking back and forth about the best way to go about things and they eventually agreed to meet at the city morgue later that night.

In preparation for that night, Neil got together a semi-realistic badge and some made up files of currently open investigations to which he had made a few minor but critical changes. Brandon called around to the newspapers asking if they had any knowledge of upswings in the number of suicides for the city. It took a bit of work but he did find out that there had been four or five just in the past couple of weeks. Shade spent her day preparing for the Divination ritual she would be using on the body.


Not wanting to deal with a great number of people, Brandon, Shade, and Neil met up later that night and went to the morgue. Knowing that looking like you belong is half the battle, they all walked in with confidence. They were able to get to the autopsy room without incident and then it was time for Neil to take over. Walking directly to the medical examiner, Neil pulled out his files and started interrogating him about the "discrepancies" in his examination notes. At the words internal investigation, Fred turned pale and caved into Neil's request that he step out of the room to answer questions.


With those two out of the room and Brandon acting as a shield, Shade walked over to the drawers, pulled open the one containing Elizabeth's body, and activated the spell. Right away she could tell that the wounds were self inflicted. She saw what looked like a magical sooty hand print on the girl's arm. Her emotional state at the time of her death was pure pain and anguish. She also saw a dark looking ghost that was feeding on the corpse. It only took a second for Shade to see the specter... and for the specter to see her. It let out a horrible scream and reached for her. The shock of what she saw caused Shade to lose control of her magic and lights, computers, and outlets all started sparking and going out. In the chaos the ghost managed to attack Shade and it seemed to pull energy out of her, leaving her feeling a bit sad (Listening to the Cure bummed, not listening to Morrissey angst. Had to get that clarified). While Neil was sending Fred away (at a run!), Brandon turned and attacked the ghost with a spell, pushing it out of the room. Shade moved back to where Brandon was and the two of them managed to combine their wills to destroy the ghost. It shrieked and crumbled into dust when the spell hit it. Deciding that there was nothing else to do there and not wanting to answer any inconvenient questions, the three left. In a very controlled hurry.


Still feeling the effects of the ghost touch, Shade told the two men what she had seen and then told them she was going to her shop to be alone. That wasn't any good, so she called Max and asked him to meet her there. He did and she told him all that had happened- Skip, the body, the ghost, everything. Afterwards, she felt a bit better and they spent the night upstairs.


Brandon and Neil left the morgue for Brandon's house. To their not so happy surprise, they found that Skip was not there and they left to go looking for him. Once again, with his excellent contacts, Neil put out the word for everyone to be on the lookout for Skip. They stopped first at Skip's apartment and talked to the cop guarding the door. The cop told Neil and Brandon that Skip had been there but had left when he couldn't get inside. Brandon asked if he could leave a note, just in case Skip came back. The cop agreed. Their second stop was to the Sleight of Hand where they found the shop lit up and the door unlocked. They found Skip downstairs frantically looking through the books, hoping to get some sort of answer to what happened. It took a bit of social combat but Brandon was able to get Skip calmed down enough to tell him of the night's events. With a starting point, Skip spent the rest of the night looking for information on the feeding ghosts.


The next morning Shade woke up and went downstairs to her tattoo parlor. She noticed the message light on her machine was blinking and hit play. It was a call from Tess, sounding sad and lonely, asking if Shade wanted to get together because she was feeling a bit down. Shade called her back immediately. Tess seemed even more sad and upset then in call from the night before but told Shade not to bother with coming over since she was so busy with work, her husband, and stuff. Shade hung up and raced over to Tess's apartment. Shade let herself in and, using the Sight, saw the same type of ghost feeding from her best friend. Knowing she couldn't handle it there and by herself, Shade called Max and asked him to come over to help her get Tess to Brandon's. Shade then called Brandon and let him know what was going on. She also asked him to call Neil and have him there. It took a bit of manhandling but they managed to get Tess to Brandon's shop, where they were able to dispel the ghost.


Thus ended the game for the night and what a night it was! It looks like we have a new bad thing in Vegas. Now we just have to figure out if they are being sent by a person or group or if they are a side effect from the generally darker Vegas. The next gaming night is set for the 23rd, so I will be updating after that exciting session. I cannot wait!

Dresden Files Las Vegas- Be My Mirror, My Sword, My Shield, My Missionaries In A Foreign Field

I have always found that a sign of a great gaming session is how quickly time passes and this last Sunday, the time just flew! After a break we once again stepped into Vegas and it's cast of characters.




Due to the break, the game picked up a year from the last session. To get back into character, Lana sent out emails asking what our characters would have done in that time, what aspects we would want to change, and what skills and stunts we would like. She also sent out a general "state of the city' email. So, that is where I will begin.

In the last year, the political climate and situations in Vegas changed dramatically. Uriel has held onto his position as Chairman of the Board by his teeth, through some protests of the different factions from time to time. It sometimes seems like he doesn't want the position, but Locke has declined to retake the position and no one else seems to want it. He more or less has been able to negotiate truces/peace treaties with different factions of the supernatural world, cementing Vegas' "neutral spot" reputation and enforced by written treaties. However, infighting within Vegas has reached an all new high, especially between Skavis and the faerie courts.

Instead of being satisfied with the point system (though that is still in place and used), occasionally "accidents" will happen to a few people. The faerie courts have not been quiet, especially as their population has expanded almost exponentially as changelings have either flocked to the city or been discovered to have been in the city. Literally overnight both faerie courts have become major powers, and seem reinvigorated. As mentioned above, they are locked in conflict with the Skavis branch of the White Court vampires, as they are expanding into Skavis' territory to the north... again, almost at an exponential rate. Over the summer, Skavis seemed to be holding his own, but when Halloween hit, there was a massive influx of faeries as many, if not all, of the changelings in the city made their Choice and became fae.

The pixies formed their own kingdom, more or less, with King Jenks calling it the "Court of All Seasons". They do tasks for people for a price, and the King seems pretty canny on what jobs to take, and what ones not to take. They've kept a low profile, but it's not uncommon to see them flitting back and forth.

During the summer, The Call of the Wild hotel & casino finished construction, which is a jungle/wilds theme adult amusement park. For those in the know, it's owned by the shifters in general and has an additional add-on underneath, which is rumored to be a gladiatorial arena where people fight to the death.

With Max and Shade marrying, Max seemed to calm down quite a bit and grow into his role as a liaison between Marcone's freehold in Chicago and the freehold of Vegas. He and Uriel hate each other, but put aside their differences to work on business first. The drug trade has also increased in Vegas, mostly likely due to the Red Court's absence. However, there are still rumors of a 'red club' or 'red chess court' and sometimes even 'red court' going on, and investigative reporter Mitch Mitchell has been to Vegas many times, reporting on the mysterious organization, which he believes is responsible for underground slave trading.

That's rather unusual as there has been a massive influx of supernaturals into town, of all types, most of which feed on humans (of course). While they have been informed of the rules, the strong arm of the Board has been busy keeping order. Missing persons cases have been being closed at a record rate, with many children and young adults being found safe and returned to their parents.

Two factions have kept their own in relative order, though, those being Skavis and Malvora. All new Malvora vampires simply go to the Academy and stay, or don't find the lifestyle to their choosing and leave. All new Skavis family members--not that many of them migrate to Vegas being busy elsewhere--end up staying, quite contentedly. There were rumors that Frederick was going to marry Melinda Raith, but in late September, it was announced that Frederick Skavis and Penelope Malvora were engaged (and threw an immensely huge and more than a bit gothic engagement party). More rumors say that Drusilla is ready to step down as the head of the Malvora clan and Penny is due to take her place, but those are unsubstantiated. The Malvoras have been trying to treat with the fae courts to back off of Skavis, but so far little headway has been made. The Raiths seem to be staying out of any conflicts, and the head of the House Melinda simply watches.

With alliances between factions, the board members have been arguing both for and against melding different factions and shrinking the governing body of Vegas. Nothing has been done about that yet though. They seem to be busy trying to keep the White Council out of Vegas, though it's impossible. A few White Council wizards have been spotted here and there throughout, but they mind their manners and don't go out of their way to cause trouble. Trouble finds them though, as many of the sorcerers resent their presence and go out of their way to make any stay uncomfortable for the wizards. Most of the sorcerers, no matter what cabal they belong to, are downright hostile to the wizards, and they've been refused service in many places, some wizards being banned from the strip entirely.

The Spades have been kept busy putting Vegas' collective foot down for troublemakers. Generally, Robert only asks the Spades keep order subtly, at their own discretion. Only when a bigger problem arrives does he ask them directly to do something. Although nothing "big" has happened, there are plenty of smaller disputes and problems to keep their hands full simply diffusing situations.

With all those new arrivals, the Nevernever has taken on some flavors which were not there before, seeming to take a darker turn. The faerie courts are brighter than ever though, but inbetween them in the Vegas Nevernever lays a dark mist. The massive ley line along the strip is, of course, noticeable and used for navigation, but if one steps off the path, they have only their own luck and skill to get them through to get out alive and unscathed. The corollary here is that Vegas is slightly darker as well, as one side of the veil reflects the other, and vice versa. A cloud of tension hangs over the city.

Wyatt has kept a low profile, and somehow manages to continue to be undetected. He's adopted a dog, a mutt, and just works, when he's not out in the desert tracing exactly where his boundaries are, physically. He's easy to get ahold of, and is generally more than willing to help out in what ways he can. Every once in a while, he says he sees or feels something watching him, but he can never pinpoint where or who.

The city is not the only thing in a state of flux. Each of our cabal has also been busy, in one way or another.


Brandon spent most of his year pissing people off, which wasn't too surprising. His apprentice Skip found a girlfriend and found out what happens when your girlfriend and your mentor dislike each other. Things became even more tense when Skip decided to tell Elizabeth about his being a wizard. Brandon objected strenuously and physically. Things are still very unsettled between the two men.


Brandon had even less luck with women. After a successful insemination (at least as far as she was concerned), Helena proposed to Brandon that he continue his stud duties. Brandon found that idea not to his liking. When telling her so in true Brandon fashion, he was less then diplomatic. In fact, he was rather insulting. Whatever Autumn favor he had rapidly declined at that point.


Apprentices and female Fey were not the only people Brandon had to contend with during the year. He received offers of affiliation from both the Vegas sorcerer factions and the White Council. Already being a Spade he declined both, the White Council a bit more forcefully then the city magic users.


Neil (Jay didn't give out much information about how Neil spent his year, so most of what I am putting here is a bit speculative. I have a vague idea of what he did but nothing too concrete. If I am way off base and either Jay or Lana reads this, please let me know!) spent a good part of the year traveling about playing poker. When in Vegas, he spent much of his time setting up his new office and making his rounds. He seemed to make some sort of deal involving the Pixies and the sewers. He also set up a new version of the "Red Court" (this is blatant OC knowledge but I am putting it in because I am sure it will be big in game). Right now, the existence of the group is only rumor.


Shade's year was very busy. She shocked more then a few people when she stepped down as Phillip's Autumn Lady. Phillip was NOT happy about it but with some fast talking, Shade managed to keep any bad feelings at bay. She maintained contact with the Freemont Experience liaison Marissa. With Freemont rapidly expanding, she also brought in another tattoo artist/piercer for her shop.


Shade kept in touch with Neil, Brandon, Skip, and Wyatt. She also started to spend more time at the Historical Society talking with Patience. King Jenks of the Pixies tried to extort more money and goods from Shade but she managed to keep the deal between them as first started.


On a more personal note, Shade and Max did get married. For awhile it seemed like Shade would be a runaway bride due to a few issues. Max being a mortal would have a normal lifespan. Shade being a wizard would live for hundreds of years. She wasn't sure if she could stand the pain of watching him grow old, die, and then spend the rest of her years missing him. However, true love trumped whatever fears she had about a mortal and a wizard being together. The wedding was perfect. The bride was beautiful. The groom was nervous and handsome. The reception was classy, elegant, unique and fun was had by all who attended. They have been married for about six months and are very happy.


That pretty much brings everything up to date and the second part of this post will deal with game session proper.