Ashen Stars- If you're going though hell...

...keep going.


Got together with Lana and Jay last week to create characters for the game that Jay will be running. The game is called Ashen Stars and I can already tell it is going to be crazy fun. It is a space opera setting (sort of- think Firefly meets Cowboy Bebop meets Star Trek) and it can be played as serious or as humorous as you want. Knowing us, it's going to have plenty of snark, fun, and massive amounts of high drama.

Game Background:

Seven years ago, the Mohilar had been defeated...barely. They had appeared in Combine space and quickly overran the Combine's defenses. The core planets had been irreparably poisoned. Billions of people/aliens had died. Industrial production had stopped. The entire economy collapsed. Untold numbers of ships had been destroyed. A last ditch engagement had resulted in a surprise defeat for the Mohilar. They abruptly vanished, leaving behind a decimated Combine.

Even though the war was not even a decade in the past, memories of it were growing vague and contradictory. This was due to a bizarre effect called the Bogey Conundrum. That the war was fought was not questioned. The destruction was also well remembered. However, just about everything else was fuzzy, at best. Flashes of memories would happen but trying to hold onto them was difficult.

Faced with the problem of trying to rebuild the Combine was a daunting task. Barely able to take care of the surviving inner core, the frontiers (more commonly referred to as the Bleed) were left basically to themselves. Realizing that some sort of law was needed, the powers of the Combine set up an organization known as Licensed Autonomous Zone Effectuators or Lasers. They are the law in the lawless Bleed. When situations arise, a call goes out. Lasers bid on the contracts and take care of whatever problem has come up.

Cast of Characters:

There are seven possible types to play in the game. I went standard human female. Lana decided to play a warrior locust/praying mantis species called the Kch-Thk. Jason chose to play one of the cybernetic and genetically altered cybes.

Lana's character idea is great. The Kch-Thk are a warrior race that eat anything and everything. In order to join the Combine, the entire race had to undergo genetic modification to quell that urge. No eating your allies/partners. Besides being bug like, they have a couple of other interesting characteristics. The Kch-Thk are not born. They go through a sort of migration into a larvae when they die. If they are deemed worthy, they are allowed to hatch. If not, they get fed to the other larvae. Their knowledge and personality are retained. Rck'rd (the name of Lana's character) is eight years into his current migration. However, something went a bit awry with it and he came out a little messed up. Okay, he was more then a little messed up. The war was a bit of a godsend to Rck'rd. He was/is an awesome fighter. It also allowed him to exert his dominance over the enemy. Once the war ended, he was at loose ends. How to show his dominance over the lesser beings now? He went in search of knowledge. After a bit of time and studying, he got the brilliant idea that, if he couldn't eat the humans to prove his dominance, he would fuck them into submission. That being decided, he started to study human behavior and social niceties. There was one huge problem with that. Actually, two major problems with that. Firstly, he is still a bug and wouldn't get very far while looking like that. That problem was solved with a bit viral manipulation. It allows him to look human and get the ladies. Secondly, even though he studied up on human relations, he isn't very good at it. It's a work in progress for him. If other members of his race knew what he was doing, they would think he was insane.

My character is a human female by the name of Carys. She had an...interesting upbringing. Her home planet is named Haven. It was a planetary experiment set up to prove that a society could be genetically planned/manipulated. Every person born has been genetically modified for their eventual place in society. Going to be a surgeon? You would be born with a high intelligence and dexterous fingers. Going to be a farmer? You would be modified to be strong and have endurance. Everyone would be satisfied and happy with their lives because that is what they had been born to do. It is a perfect world. Everything is overseen by a coalition of scientists. They are the ruling elite. Their experiment had been running smoothly for generations. There was no crime. There was no rebellion. They proudly pointed out their success to the other worlds. Then came Carys. Something went wrong. She was rebellious. She lied. She stole. She got into trouble. In other words, she was a typical human with free will. Frankly, they couldn't control her and she was fast becoming an embarrassment to the experiment. Then came the war and the powers that be cheerfully sent her off to (hopefully) die. In fact, they specifically requested that she be sent to the front. She didn't die. Once the war was over, the scientists decided that they wanted her back. They wanted to "fix" her and, if they couldn't do that, they wanted to erase her existence. She refused and met up in the Bleed with her friend Rck'rd. She is being VERY actively pursued.

Jason is playing a cybe. He too was involved in the war on the front lines as an officer. The cybes started out as human but due to their extensive genetic and cybernetic modifications, that status is up for debate. Some cybes believe that they are the logical next step in human evolution. Some even go so far to believe that they are a separate race all together. They are known as separatists.  Jason's character is one such. Other then that, not much is known about him (Jason is still fleshing out his character. I keep bugging him about details like a name and such but still waiting. I will update this when he finally gets everything to me).

Miscellaneous facts:

If you ask Carys and Rck'rd how they got their ship, they will tell you but it changes with each person who asks. The truth is that they stole it and they believe the original owner is looking for them to get it back. They also have a friendly competition going on about who can sleep with the most people. There is a dry erase board set up in the main living areas where they keep track of points.

The ship they own is of the Mandible class (We still need to come up with a name).

The game has an interpersonal ability called bullshit detector. Best. Ability. Ever. And, yes, we all took ranks in it.


That's about it for now. We will be playing this as a break from Dresden. More information will be coming as we get into the game proper and start romping through the universe. I cannot wait. It seems like it will be so much fun. Next entry will be the recap of the last Dresden game. I know...I know...I have been lax with timely updates but I will get better.

Dresden Files Las Vegas- It's A Dirty Job But Someones Got To Do It

Hello once again to all my readers (and by that I mean hi Lana!). It is time for me to update on the game. Readers of the Dresden books will know right away what happens in this installment. There is also a bit of overlap between the end of last session and the beginning of this one. That being said, it may have been a short session but it was action packed and so much fun. It also turned out very, very bloody.

It was the day after Brandon, Neil, and Skip had met with the Baron and Shade had met with Max. It turned out to be a normal day for all. The only thing to happen of note was a call from Uri to Shade. He told her to give Brandon a call. There was something going on that she could help him with and, if she agreed to help, her favor to him would be considered paid in full. She told Uri she would give Brandon a call later that night.

With the day over, Shade headed out to Legends. She had requested a meeting with Philip and Puck, without Heather. Getting there a bit early, she had a couple of drinks (Dealing with the Fey for ten years had turned Heather into a stressed out mess. Dealing with the Fey for six months had taught Shade the value of a pre-meeting drink). Philip and Puck finally showed up and they moved to a table. Once seated, Shade launched into the reason for them getting together. She explained that she was worried about Heather. Heather was stressed out and really needed time off from the job. Puck was confused. Heather didn't have a job. He paid for everything. All she did was take care of him. Why would she need time off? Logic not working (Shade didn't think it would with Puck but she was hoping that Philip would understand. That was the main reason for him being there), Shade went into total flattery mode...IE: the Fey were awesome and there was no way for humans to keep up and so on. It seemed to get through a bit. However, Philip clinched the deal by stating that he understood and that from now on Shade would have the last day of the month off. Not to be outdone, Puck declared that Heather would have the FIRST day of the month off. The meeting ended with Shade thanking Philip for his help and giving him a chaste kiss, which he managed to turn into something not so chaste (Philip thinks that Shade isn't interested but he is very wrong about that. She is very very tempted. Of course, she is tempted by more then a few different guys).

The boys were having a meeting of their own. They had met at Brandon's shop and were throwing out ideas on how to get Serephina and her entourage out of town. Just asking was not an option. That left bribing or killing. Killing seemed the go to plan. They knew what would kill Red Court Vampires. They just had to figure out how to get most, if not all, of them at once. Neil came up with a brilliant idea. They knew where the vampires were staying. Why not make the building invisible? Brandon thought about it and decided that it could be done but they needed help. He knew just who to ask. While he was getting stuff ready for a spell, Shade called. Skip answered the phone. After Brandon yelled that he was busy, she asked to speak to Neil. Neil picked up the phone and she told him about the phone call from Uri. Neil said that her help would be appreciated but that she would want to wait a bit before coming over. Brandon was in the middle of something. Shade asked if he was setting anything on fire (with Brandon that is always a good guess). Neil said that wasn't it. Shade agreed to wait. Hanging up, Neil turned his attention back to Brandon and the spell he was casting. It was for the coyote. The spell went off just fine and the coyote showed up. Brandon told it that he had a favor to ask of the Trickster. He needed assistance with making a building transparent at high noon on a certain date. The coyote asked why. Brandon answered that it would be fun. The coyote said that he would have to ask his boss and that he would let Brandon know. The coyote loped off.

Meanwhile, Shade, having an hour to kill, called Heather and asked her to come to Legends. When she showed up, Shade told her about the meeting and what had happened. Heather was surprised that Puck and Philip actually agreed to a day off. She suggested that they get it formally written into a contract. Uri would help with that and Heather told Shade she would set up a meeting. That taken care of, Shade left for Brandon's shop, stopping for coffee and sandwiches on the way. After passing out coffee and food, Neil and Brandon filled Shade in on the plan. Shade agreed that it would work. While discussing it some more, the coyote came back. The Trickster would love to help. Of course, that would mean that Brandon would owe the God a favor. All they needed to do was make sure the Avatar was with them. Not a problem. Brandon called Wyatt and arranged for everyone to meet at Legends (Shade should start charging a fee for meeting there. That seems to be the go to place for discussions). Before heading out, one thing of note happened. Neil and Skip engaged in a Soulgaze. Brandon had warned Skip about looking into someone's eyes but he didn't listen. Neil saw Skip standing at all the possible crossroads. Skip saw Neil as the gunslinger he was and that he was a good man.

The meeting with Wyatt turned out good. After hearing what he was needed for, Wyatt agreed to show up. The rest of evening was spent in research (Brandon and Shade) and skulking (Neil). The next day, the group met up in front of the hotel and set up for the ritual. First, Wyatt checked for a ward. There didn't seem to be any. Neil ran interference between the group and curious on-lookers. Wyatt, unsure on what he had to do, waited in the circle with Shade and Brandon. At noon, Wyatt remarked that he felt weird. That was the Trickster working through him. Both Brandon and Shade channeled the power. As the spell went off, everything connected with the building disappeared. Everyone inside started to freak out. There were screams, not all of them human. The Red Court Vampires exposed to the sunlight burst into flames. Luckily, no one besides the vampires were killed. That would have been bad. After all that, they decided a drink or two was in order and headed out to a nearby bar.

The next couple of weeks were pretty tense. Brandon took out an ad in the local newspaper. It simply read, "Duchess, go home." Neil kept to his usual routine. Shade and Heather had their meeting with Uri and got their contract. Mitch Mitchell from Truthisodes arrived in Vegas to report on the disappearing building and his belief in a cover-up. He also decided to make Vegas his home base. Brandon, Neil, Skip, and Shade heard through the grapevine that the Duchess had not been in the hotel. However, she believed that the attack had been a White Council trick and couldn't get out of town fast enough. The Baron was more than happy to help her pack.

After everything had died down. Shade, Neil, and Brandon received an invitation to dinner at the Baron's house. Showing his usual elegance and refinement, the invites were very ornate. All accepted the invitation. The night of the dinner came. Neil and Christine were the first to arrive. Shade and Max showed up next. Brandon and Skip followed close behind. A butler answered the door and ushered all into a formal sitting room. The Baron poured drinks for everyone and proceeded to thank Neil, Shade, Brandon, and Skip for their help in his delicate matter (Just thinking about the Baron is bringing out the Victorian writer in me). While the Baron was talking, Shade and Brandon felt...something. Both knew it was a spell. Shade knew that it was something unfamiliar and big. The Baron and the other Red Court in the room stopped what they were doing and then just exploded. Their chests burst open, showering everything in the room with blood and tissue. Skip reacted first. He started hysterically screaming. Christine called Uri and told him what happened. Shade calmly poured Christine and herself more wine and waited in the sitting room for Uri. Neil and Max actually checked things out. Brandon pulled the still hysterical Skip outside. After a bit, a very disheveled Uri showed up and asked what happened. Shade told him what she had felt with the magic. He suggested that we should leave and stay somewhere safe until what happened could be figured out. He also pointedly told Max not to talk about what happened. Neil headed out for his bolthole in Brandon's basement. Brandon and Skip opted for a room at the Luxor. Shade refused to be driven from her place and had Max drive her home. He left right right away; he had some calls to make (so much for your "suggestion" Uri). Shade called Philip and told him what happened. Philip decided that this would be a fine time for a vacation in the Nevernever and told Shade to handle it. She was NOT happy with either him or his order.

After some time passed, the expected call from Uri came. Shade told him that Philip was unavailable and she would be dealing with this matter. Uri asked her to call Heather and to see if she could get Puck to head into the Nevernever as well. Shade said she would do what she could. She got a hold of Heather and told her to get Puck and met Shade at Legends. There Shade tried to get Puck to go. However, she couldn't. Heather stepped in at that point and, by using tears and flattery, got Puck to agree to go (Shade made a mental note of that tactic. It will come in handy). Shade and Heather headed to the Luxor. After hearing from Shade and Brandon what happened, the Board members debated what was going on. Finally, not having enough information, Warden Locke suggested that everyone find out what they could and they would meet again the next night.

The game ended there. As I wrote above, readers of the Dresden books will have a pretty good idea what event from the books happened that night. It was great fun and things will be very interesting in Vegas for awhile. Next Sunday we won't be playing Dresden. We will be making characters for an alternative game being run by Jay. The game is called Ashen Stars and it looks fun as hell.

Dresden Files Las Vegas- It Was Electric

Just like the Dresden books, our games follow a pretty set pattern. One or two sessions to go over downtime and to set up the situation. One or two sessions for action and whatever we do to fix the current situation. Finally one session for conclusion and more down time. The last session was downtime and set up. What we are getting involved in this time has the potential to really be bad. I know I ALWAYS say that but now we are dealing with the outside Red Court. The Red Court of Vegas tends to draw the more civilized members. The outsiders are much...much...much more predatory. However, I am getting ahead of myself.

It was the middle of June and the city was in full tourist mode. Not that Shade, Neil, or Brandon really noticed. They all had things going on. Brandon spent most of his downtime training his new apprentice on magic and the city's supernatural structure. Skip readily learned everything. He turned out to be pretty good at research. Of course, Skip did complain about not being able to use technology. Brandon found that amusing. Neil grunged out and made a play for the World Championship Poker title. His natural skill enabled him to get a seat but he did not win. He wasn't the first knocked out, however. In personal matters, he and Christine were still unofficially dating. Their relationship had finally been consummated, much to Christine's (and Uri's, I bet) relief. Shade put the finishing touches on the whole Freemont Experience deal. She set up an interview between Philip, Puck, and a reporter from 24/7- the hottest city magazine. The goal was to get the word out about the renaissance of the Freemont area and to bring people in. It was a success. Ungodly amounts of money should start rolling in for the Fey (Plan number one crossed off her list and onto number two).

The game proper started with a call made to Shade. It was Philip asking if she would meet him at Legends. Of course she said yes. Getting there, Philip informed her that there was going to be a christening that Saturday and a party afterwards. Apparently Angelica was adopting a baby boy. They would not be going to the church but they would attend the party. Philip went on to inform Shade that her Saturday would not be spent working but would rather be spent getting properly ready for said event. Since he was paying for it, Shade agreed (Though she did give a fairly epic eye roll to his statement. Shade dresses in classic, vintage, retro styles and always looks good).

Brandon received a call about the christening and the party from Angelica. He told her he would be happy to attend. After hanging up, he told Skip what was going on. Skip became very excited about the whole thing. This would be his first event with all the major players being around. Brandon made sure to give Skip a few warnings- chiefly about vampires and how they were to be avoided at all costs. Then came the shopping. Both men went out and bought new suits for the happy event.

Neil got his call from Christine. She asked if he would be available for an event Saturday. Neil said he would be. She told him it would be a christening and party. Neil being Neil went out and bought the most annoying toy he could find. He, unlike Brandon and Skip did not have to go shopping (that man has more suits then a clothing store and has one for any occasion).

Saturday came and Helena picked Shade up for her day of pampering. She got the full treatment- hair, nails, makeup, new dress, new shoes. It took all day but the end result was that Shade looked stunningly beautiful. Brandon, Skip, Neil, and Christine showed up at the church and went in to sit down. Skip kept asking questions and rubbernecking. Uri was not there but most of the other major players were. The christening went off without a problem. The godparents were Drusilla Malvora and Warden Locke (Just think about all that. The half Fey baby fathered by Brandon was adopted by the Scion of Heaven, Angelica, and now has a vampire and a Warden as godparents. That kid is going to be a psychologist's wet dream in about eighteen years).

Evening came and it was time for the party. People started to filter into the ballroom. Brandon was there with Skip. Shade, not slipping in quietly as she would usually do, made an entrance on Philip's arm (She is actually gaining quite a bit of confidence in herself and her abilities. Not to mention that she knows she looks damn fine). Neil and Christine arrived shortly afterwards. The usual cast of characters showed up as well. Skavis looked his usual scuzzy self. Locke looked his usual tacky self in an electric baby blue suit. Uri managed to make a white suit look good. One notable entrance was made by Baron Drake and his entourage. Instead of the usual five or six, he came in with about twenty members. However, there seemed to be tension between the Baron's usual minions and the new members. Of special note was a lady wearing a sexy, slut red dress. Drake and the lady, named Countess Serephina, separated as soon as they entered. There was one other thing noticed about the newest Red Court vampires. They seemed extremely predatory, like they were culling the weak.

This being Skip's introductory affair, Brandon took him around the room and introduced him to everyone. In true douche bag fashion, Brandon made it clear to some that screwing with Skip a bit would be okay. Shade took great delight in discombobulating Skip a bit (It was the pushed up breasts that did it). Neil milled about saying his hellos and keeping an eye on the unknown Red Court members. He noticed that they were never alone and also noticed that they all avoided the major players, especially the slutty looking woman. After a bit, Shade mingled as well. She even managed a civil conversation with Locke (She doesn't quite know what the problem is between them. She happens to like him very much. Maybe she needs to tease him a bit more).

After making his rounds, Neil was approached by Serephina. They made polite, and not so polite, conversation. Well, it was all polite but the undertones to most of it was not. Social combat ensued between them. Finally, having had enough, Neil ended the conversation by introducing her to Locke. She was not happy about it. However, Neil seemed pleased.

Brandon and Skip were eating when they were approached by a plain-ish woman in business attire. She introduced herself as Rita Wilson and asked if she was speaking to Brandon. Brandon answered yes. The Accountant pulled out a stack of paperwork for Brandon and Skip to fill out. Apparently, taking on an apprentice had put Brandon into the score book. Brandon tried to get out of it but Rita called over Skavis to set Brandon straight. Skavis was amused by Brandon's lack of understanding about the point system and didn't hesitate to announce that to the room.

Right after that bit of fun, Shade and Neil noticed that Penny was being harassed by a new Red Court vampire. Not hesitating one bit, Shade headed straight towards the two. Neil took a more roundabout path. Getting close, Shade started talking to Penny about how good it was to see her and that they really needed to catch up on all the news. The vampire, not liking the interruption, snarled at Shade to leave and mind her own business. He followed that up with a push. Off balance a bit, Shade grabbed Penny's hand and pulled her closer. Neil, noticing things were getting out of hand, made his way over and suggested that the vampire stop bothering Penny and Shade. Penny, just wanting to get away, let out an ear piercing scream which brought the room to a standstill. The vampire was not happy and was even less happy when he tried to push Neil away and ended up face planted into a cake. The vampire's night got even worse when he straightened back up. Shade stepped forward and held the sickle to his throat (Yes, Shade hates violence and really doesn't want to use it but, after what happened to Tess, she will not let another friend be hurt). Baron Drake bustled over, talking about the insult being done to the vampire. His eyes told another story though. Serephina was not pleased with what happened either. Drusilla absolutely exploded over the whole thing (Penny is her daughter). The words 'blood feud' were mentioned. The Warden stepped in and told Serephina and the other Red Court Vampires they would have to leave. They did so. The rest of the night was fairly peaceful.

The next day was uneventful for everyone. Shade did take the afternoon off to get a new tattoo on her left shoulder. It was of a Celtic inspired apple with a sickle making up the side curve. The sickle had various runes faintly etched into it. That evening Brandon received a call from the Baron, asking for a meeting. He agreed. After hanging up, Brandon called Neil and told him about Drake's call. He wanted to know if Neil would skulk around the area a bit and attend the meeting with him and Skip. Neil said he would. The area for the meeting was mainly office buildings and was not in Drake's usual territory. It didn't seem to be a trap or anything like that. After a quick trip to the shop, Brandon and Skip met up with Neil and waited for the Baron to show. Drake and his people finally arrived and they all went inside. The Baron first wanted to extend his apologies for the behavior of his brethren. They were unable to follow the rules of Vegas. He then explained that he really wanted Serephina and her crew to leave but she outranked him. Therefore, he couldn't just ask her to go. That was where Brandon, Skip, and Neil came in. He wanted them to get his unwelcome visitors out of Vegas and he didn't care how they did it. They could bribe,scare, or kill them. They just had to go. Brandon and Neil said they would help him with his problem. The Baron seemed relieved.

Shade, not being at the meeting, was having a fairly quiet night. She had come to the decision that enough was enough and invited Max for dinner...in her apartment. Halfway through the meal, she bluntly asked him when things were going to get a bit more sexual between them. A bit taken aback, he asked her what she wanted from the relationship. Shade answered that she wasn't planning on sending out save the date cards if they had sex. However, there came a time in a relationship where it either stayed as friendship or led to something more lasting (a full blown relationship)and more physical. She wanted to know if he was open to exploring that option. He said he was, with caveats. The date ended happily and with a bit more action (when I first wrote this, I couldn't see how they could work out but as the game progressed, it became a possibility and then a definite. Still not sure if it's going to lead to an actual wedding but I hope so.)

Dresden Files Las Vegas- Just Don't Be Afraid To Live

The gaming session should be titled side jobs but I want to stick with the song lyric thing I have going. Even though none of us met up in our individual endeavors, we all managed to get things advanced. Neil showed his temper, solidified a foothold or two for people, and made an enemy. Shade advanced her blockade of Skavis, got some questions answered, and brought home a kitten. Brandon broke back into poker games, met with the Warden, and acquired an apprentice. We all had a great time. Now on to what happened.

It was a morning in mid-march and Neil was having coffee when his phone rang. It was Johnny Bullwickie, a low level bookie and one of Neil's contacts. He needed a favor and asked if they could meet. Neil agreed. Apparently Johnny lost a sure bet and was in deep with a local loan shark. He wanted Neil to run interference to give him time. Neil told him he would see what he could do. Then he asked who the shark was. Johnny told him it was gentleman by the name of Sal "fat fingers" Fredrico. Happy, Johnny left.

Neil asked around about Sal and was able to find out that he was a mid range loan shark and one of the last of the old guard. He wasn't a made man (not being 100% Sicilian) but he was definitely connected. He was also considered more or less honest. However, Sal was known to be harsh with missed payments- like, trip out to the desert harsh. With a bit more time, Neil learned that Sal ran his business out of an Italian restaurant called Gaspaccios. Needing food anyway, Neil went there for dinner. After being seated and ordering, Neil took a read on the room. It seemed that all the action was in back. The restaurant was a front for Sal's business. Sal was there and was surrounded by security types. Neil finished his meal, tipped, and left. He could tell he was watched as he left.

Shade's day was, thankfully, normal. She spent the day at her shop. Around lunchtime, she called and set up a meeting with Philip. She wanted to see how things were going with the Freemont Committee and to start the second stage of the plan. Philip agreed to meet her that evening. After closing, Shade headed out to Legends. Getting there, she spotted Philip and sat down with him. Asked about how things were going, Philip answered that it was coming together. Shade was pleased to hear that. Then she launched into the next part of her idea. Now that he had control of Freemont, it was time to expend his influence outwards. That meant making the whole area the "it" place to be, especially among the young. Shade pointed out there were many buildings begging to be turned into loft apartments and such, not to mention the empty business spaces. Philip liked the idea of more influence and profit and asked Shade to get a list of properties together for him. She said she would. One other good thing between Philip and Shade. After Tess got out of the hospital, Philip surprised Shade by hiring Tess to work at Legends. That way she would be under his protection. Shade was very grateful for that.

After dinner, Neil placed a call to Max Torelli. Neil told him that he had a line on a possible business proposition and wanted to know if Torelli would be interested. Torelli was and suggested they meet to talk. Meeting at a local bar, Neil told Torelli about Sal and his business. He thought that Torelli just might want to talk to Sal about doing business together. Torelli said he would be open to talking with Sal and asked Neil if he would speak to him about it. Neil replied that he would be happy to do so. Business concluded, Torelli asked Neil what had been happening in Vegas. More specifically, he asked about a certain incident in December. Neil answered that he had been on vacation and wasn't sure about the whole thing (Of course we all know what incident he was asking about. Shade and Max have been seeing each other but she hasn't told him about her new job with the Fey Court and all the stuff that came after that. As for Neil, he didn't want his role in all that took place to be commonly known).

Brandon had a very quiet day. He went to work and then went home to get some rest. He was still recovering from the kidney skewering. Even douche bags need a break now and then.

Early the next day Shade started researching the buildings in her area. She needed to get addresses, names of owners, and such. It was slow going but she managed to get some of what she needed (She is really working hard at this. She feels she has to prove herself worthy of the position). Then she spent the rest of her day working.

Most of Neil's day was routine. He woke up, worked out, and such. That afternoon he went back to Gaspaccios. After being seated, he asked the waiter if he could speak with Mr. Fredrico. When asked what it was about, Neil answered it was business. The waiter spoke with Sal for a minute and told Neil he would been seen. Social combat between the two ensued. Neil told Sal about Torelli and the business proposal. At first, Sal seemed hesitant. It took a bit of back and forth but Neil took him out. The end shot was that Sal might be interested and needed to meet with Torelli to discuss things. Neil said he would set it up and then stated what his cut would be for doing so. He wanted Sal to give Johnny more time to pay back what he owed him. Sal wasn't able to do so. Apparently Johnny's marker had been bought by a Harold Larson- for double what he owed to Sal. Business concluded, Neil left.

Brandon woke up and went to work. That night, feeling a bit bored, he went in search of a couple of poker games. He found one off the main strip in one of the many dive bars. By the end of the game he was slightly ahead. Feeling good, he headed home. The good feeling quickly ended when he listened to the message on his machine. It was Skip saying that he needed Brandon's help and that he was at the campus. The sound of sirens could be heard in the background. Brandon headed out to the college campus. He drove up to smoke, fire engines, and people milling outside of a burning dorm. Skip spotted him and came running over. He started babbling about a book, messing around, and fire being everywhere. Brandon told him to get into the car. They drove to the shop and went downstairs to the workshop. There Brandon was able to get the full story out of Skip. Apparently he had been trying to disprove the existence of magic. While reading one of Brandon's books, Skip had inadvertently cast a spell. Brandon explained that magic was indeed real. To convince the still disbelieving Skip, he called the coyote to the shop and made it visible to them. Finally accepting that it was real, Brandon and Skip continued to talk. Not wanting to send Skip into shock, Brandon stuck to the more general stuff. There would be time to cover the details later.They also watched to news coverage of the fire on TV. Fortunately, there had been no fatalities. However, a few of the victims were in critical condition. Brandon hoped it would stay that way. Killing with magic, even accidentally, was a beheading offense. He decided to spare Skip that information for the moment.

After leaving the restaurant, Neil went on the search for Johnny and Harold Larson. His contacts told him that Larson was a contractor and was currently working on a rest stop in a park just out of town. He also learned that Johnny had been grabbed off the street. Putting two and two together, Neil stopped by the construction site. Looking around, Neil heard something and walked over to investigate. A man came around the corner and asked him what he was doing there. The site was shifter territory and Neil should just leave. Neil asked the gentleman about Johnny. All the guy would say was that Neil would have take it up with Lexi. Neil asked him to tell Lexi to call him.

The next day brought early morning phone calls for all. Neil got a call from Lexi. She was not pleasant at all and managed to piss Neil off...massively piss Neil off. She told him to stay out it and that she had plans for Johnny. Neil tried to reason with her but she wouldn't listen. That turned out to be a HUGE mistake. After that call, Neil called Skavis and left a message about a truly incredible business opportunity. He gave Skavis a time and place for a meeting. Shade received a call from Philip asking about the list. Apparently days of the week and time frames are not a Fey strong point. Shade told him that she would have everything ready that night. Philip went on to say that he had talked with Puck and they would both be there. The Fey would be working on this together. With the deadline two days early, Shade spent most of the day finishing her research. She also bought a kitten which she named Periwinkle Jones. She truly had a home now and wanted to complete it.

Brandon's call was not unexpected. Locke wanted to know what was going on and wanted to know if Brandon knew a Skip Matthews. Brandon gave a short version of the night's events and agreed to bring Skip in for a meeting. While getting ready for the meeting, Brandon talked to Skip more about magic, the rules, and such. They headed to the Luxor and went up to Locke's suite. Tawney got them settled and went to get Locke. He walked in wearing one hell of a gaudy suit- purple. He asked them if they would like something to drink and chatted away. Asked about what happened, Skip told Locke the whole story. Still jovial, Locke asked if Brandon would take Skip as his apprentice. He also let Skip know the consequences of accidents. Skip paled at the mention of beheading (The truly creepy part of it all was that Lana played up Locke's jovialness the entire time beheading was being discussed. There is just something so wrong about being so friendly while talking about killing). Brandon agreed to take Skip as his apprentice but he also warned him that he (Brandon) would not go down with him if he (Skip) fucked up. If that happened, Brandon would kill Skip himself.

Shade closed up a little early to get ready for Philip and Puck (mainly Philip). The two of them, with Heather, showed up and seemed excited about something. They had come up with a great plan. That alone made Shade gulp her drink. They told her that they thought her ideas were great and they thought she should be their liaison between the building owners and themselves. Basically, it would come down to they would help get things going but then Shade would be doing all the work. Not having that, Shade made a counter proposal. She would start things off but she would find someone to take over. Frankly, she had enough to do. They happily agreed and left. Heather stayed behind to talk...and drink. The poor girl was stressed out. Taking care of the Fey is not an easy job and Heather admitted that she had gone into the job thinking about the power, respect, sex, and other perks. She hadn't thought about the actual work. That started Shade thinking about a way to help her. Then Shade just had to show off her new kitten, Periwinkle.

The meeting time came for Neil and Skavis. It took place at the rest stop. Neil told Skavis what a wonderful opportunity the place was. All it would take to turn it into a profitable enterprise would be to cut the trees down and build a tourist center. Neil made sure to say all this in a very loud, easily overheard voice. Skavis asked Brandon why he was telling him about this, especially since the area was shifter territory. Neil replied quietly that the bitch, meaning Lexi, had made him look bad. Now it was his turn to make her look bad and to make Skavis look good in the process. Skavis told Neil to get the deal started. Neil lost no time getting things started. A few phone calls and he had the planning commission working on getting the permits. He called tree removal to check things out for getting rid of the wooded area. He even called in surveyors to do their thing on site. The expected call came soon enough. Lexi was furious. Neil asked if she wanted a meeting but she declined. She told him that she would let Johnny go and forgive the debt. Neil would have to call the whole deal off. Neil agreed. The end shot was that Johnny was released relatively unharmed. He was pathetically grateful to Neil and swore that he owed Neil his life (He may have made an enemy but Neil showed that he was a man of his word).

Neil had one more meeting the next day. It was between Torelli and Sal. That deal went off without a hitch. Sal got a strong patron, Torelli got a solid foothold in Vegas, and Neil got a nice payoff. Everyone won. After the meeting, Torelli had a date with Shade. She had called him earlier that day and invited him to dinner. When he showed up and they had eaten, Shade asked him if he remembered their meeting in Frankie's hotel room. He did. She then asked about what she saw. She wanted to know if he was aware of his ability. He was (That was good to hear. Shade had planned on talking him into a tattoo to show him his ability). He could see what people really looked like (It was Know True Self). He went to tell her that when they first met, her tattoos glowed when he used his power. She asked what he saw now. He said it was basically the same except her ears were pointed and her face was more angular (That would be the Fey aspect, which worries Shade. She still hasn't told Torelli about her new position and she needs to. She knows that he will eventually hear gossip about it and that gossip will include that she is sleeping with Philip. It isn't true but he does have the quick to anger aspect and hearing that the girl you're sort of dating is sleeping around would not make anyone happy). They talked some more and then he left.

That ended the session for the night and it so much fun. We all got to do stuff and get into situations. Well, except for Shade- for once! The next gaming night is just a couple of days away and we can't wait!

Dresden Files Las Vegas- Another Turning Point

I know it has been a few weeks since I posted. We took a few Sundays off from gaming due to work and just needing a break. Then, just as I was getting ready to start writing, the four of us started playing The Old Republic on Wednesdays...and I started playing it every other damn night. I fully blame Jason, Lana, and Jay for my new addiction.

In other news, there will be a new game starting soon. Jay will be running it so Lana can have a break and get to play too. We are still deciding on just what it will be. All the options sound good. I will be posting that game as well. More on that as we get it set up. Now, on to the Dresden game.

The gaming session was fairly short since we were just wrapping up the story arc.

The fight was over and (almost) everyone had survived. Ambulances were called for the wounded. Christine was treated and released by the paramedics. Brandon was taken to the supernatural hospital. Tess was taken first to the emergency room and then to the psychiatric hospital (Sly had REALLY fucked her up mentally). With the wounded cared for, Neil dropped Shade off and then took Christine home. However, the night was not over for Shade and Neil.

After cleaning up and grabbing a sandwich, Neil picked Shade up and they headed into North Vegas. Unbeknownst to him, they had a meeting planned with Skavis (Shade got the impression that Neil would have liked to wait for the morning but she was not going to give Skavis time to do any damage control).

Getting to the Crucible, Neil and Shade went inside. Neil, having been there before, didn't get bothered. However, Shade, being new...tattooed...and female, did. One of the patrons tried to hit on her. Neil promptly put him in his place with a few scathing remarks (Yes, Shade was more than capable of handling it but she was curious to see just how good Neil was at it. Frankly it was no contest. In Vegas terms, the asshole caved like a house of cards). Spotting Skavis, Neil and Shade made a stop at the bar to get a couple of drinks before heading over. Neil ordered something fruity just to annoy Skavis, who really likes those drinks but can't drink them around his pack. Shade just had a scotch. Finally reaching the table where Skavis and his cronies were sitting, Neil told him that the three of them had something to discuss and it would be best to do so in private. One of the men at the table seemed irritated by that. Social combat between Neil and the vampire ensued. It took a bit but Neil came out ahead. As Skavis, Shade, and Neil left for the backroom, Neil ordered a round of drinks for the bar- his drink to be specific. There was also a vaguely insulting comment towards the vampire. The White Court Vampire stood and started social combat again. Neil's answer, "Just sit, stay, roll over, and enjoy your free drink." The idiot totally lost the battle.

In the back, Skavis sat down at his desk and offered seats to Neil and Shade. With everyone seated, Neil started talking. He told Skavis that, because of the night's events, he was on the wrong side of a very serious situation. He pointed out that Sly had caused the sort of trouble that wouldn't be ignored. Skavis was surprised at that (That was the other reason Shade wanted to be there. She wanted to know if Skavis knew about the plan or not. If he had, all bets were off. She doesn't believe that he didn't know something was up but he really didn't know just how far Sly would take it). He had no idea just what Sly had done. Shade then told him that Sly had kidnapped and attacked people she shouldn't have, not to mention the attack against Neil, Brandon, and herself. Neil spoke again, telling Skavis that it really didn't look good. It looked like Skavis was weak and couldn't control his people. Luckily, there was a solution. First, the invites were to be rescinded, asap. Second, Skavis had to turn Sly over to the offended parties. That way, Neil went on, Skavis would come out looking good and in control. Skavis agreed. Neil and Shade left.

The rest of the story arc was spent in tying up loose ends. Skavis did rescind the invites and after a week or so, the Winter Court was no more in Vegas. Skavis also handed Sly over to Philip. What happened to her is unknown. Not even Shade could get the answer out of Philip. Surprisingly, the Summer Court opened up talks with the Spring Court. Uri was pleased with the results of the investigation and ended up giving Neil, Shade, and Brandon a bonus. As for the rest of the downtime for us and the city:

- Brandon spent some time recovering from his wound. He also had his grand reopening. It was a success. He also made sure to put the Fey sword in a safe place. The coyote finally did get back to him. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to say much about Wyatt purpose. Brandon also decided to pimp out his car.  

- Neil went on a trip to Atlantic City and won a SHITLOAD of money. With his winnings, he was able to set Wyatt up in his own place and gift Shade and Brandon with all the magical supplies they could want. He was also able to buy the land on which Shade's shop sits (Yay! Now Skavis can't!).

- Shade spent her time (and money) on her shop. She fixed it up a bit more. Nothing over the top, just a new floor and some other cosmetic fixes. She also made sure to pay the bills and such for Tess. She also talked Neil into teaching her how to play poker.

There were a few other odds and ends. The new Mr. B was announced but his identity was kept a secret. Wyatt loved his hat and wore it as much as possible. The tattoo on Wyatt was identified as the purest mark of the Trickster known. That pretty much solidified the idea that Wyatt was his representative on earth. Tess, after a couple of months in the hospital, came home. She wasn't the same but she was better. As for the rest of the city, all seemed stable and quiet. But for how long?

Brandon got that answer at the end of March. One morning he was woken up by someone ringing his doorbell. He stumbled to the door, opened it, and saw a basket on his front step. Inside the basket was a baby. A note pinned to baby's clothes said, "Here's your son. Take good care of him." In shock, Brandon did the only thing he could think of. He took the baby to the church and Angelica. Luckily for Brandon, she was there. When she asked Brandon about how he got the baby, Brandon lied and told her that someone had left it in his car. Even more luckily for Brandon, she believed him. Relieved, Brandon left...without his son.

Thus ended the evening. I can't wait to see what happens next for our characters!

Dresden Files Las Vegas- Show Me How It Ends

Remember when I wrote last week that things were going to get very bad, very fast? Well, they did. It only took about twelve hours for things to go from "we got this shit handled" to "this shit's gone way too far". To be fair, it was mainly due to Shade. Okay, it was all due to Shade...at least the last hour of it. It was an intense scene with the very real possibility of character death but somehow we managed to survive. Now onto the session!

Shade started her day early. She had come up with an idea to distract Philip from his "let's just kill Skavis" mindset and needed to do some research. She went to the library and looked up a few articles on the Freemont Experience. Luckily, she was able to find what she was looking for. Armed with the information, she called Philip. Harold answered and Shade told him that she wanted a meeting with his father. He told her to come to Legends. Philip, Helena, and Harold were there when she arrived. Sitting down, Shade started talking. She told Philip that she had an idea on how to expand his territory, raise his prestige, and hurt Skavis at the same time. North Vegas, Skavis territory, funneled down to a point- the Freemont Experience. She had the names of those behind the Freemont Experience. All Philip had to do was make a few deals and expand his area of influence there and to either side. Doing that would effectively block Skavis from moving into Downtown and the Strip. Shade pointed out that it could also sway some of the Changelings to chose the Fey. Philip seemed impressed (Shade has no combat skills, so she has to use her brain. Shade also has a few more ideas about the whole expanding territory idea but she is saving them for when she needs to distract Philip again).

Brandon and Neil, having spent the night in the basement, had moved onto the Frost problem (Wyatt had fallen asleep). The warded room gave Brandon the beginnings of an idea. Since it was possible to summon and trap small fairies, why not the large ones? The warded room seemed a perfect place for that. They decided to experiment with it. They threw a piece of paper into the room and Brandon tried to burn it. The spell stopped at the ward. A stronger spell was also unable to get through. Thinking some sort of conduit might work, they placed a stick on the ground- half in the room and half in the basement. Brandon cast his spell through the stick but it was once again stopped at the door. However, Brandon felt something, like there was a hole in there somewhere. That something, a specific something, could get through. Brandon suggested they try Neil. Surprisingly, Neil agreed to the plan. They tried it and it worked. A Summoning spell, channeled through Neil would get Frost in the room. Once in there, she wouldn't be able to get out. It would take quite a bit of power and time to accomplish it though. To make it doable, they would need help. Realizing that, Neil called Shade and left a message on the machine (I think we outdid ourselves in the first 15 minutes of the game with two great ideas).

Shade, finishing up with the Fey, called Neil. He told her they had come up with a plan to deal with Frost and to come over. Getting there, she joined the three men in the basement. Not knowing Wyatt, Shade introduced herself. They shook hands. Feeling his power, Shade asked Brandon and Neil what was up with him. They tried to dance around the subject but Shade wasn't buying it. Finally Brandon explained that Wyatt was like a living directory to Vegas. He could find anybody. That over, Neil and Brandon explained their plan to her. Shade thought it was brilliant. They also told her their idea of getting the Fey involved in the ritual. Hearing that, Shade called Legends and told Harold the three of them needed to speak with Philip. Harold said Philip was still there and to come right over. Once there, Brandon and Neil laid out their plan to Philip and asked about the possibility of getting Spring involved. Philip said it could be possible but that he would need to check out the ward. Back in the basement, Philip tossed a couple of spells at the ward. Even though the second was pretty powerful, he was not able to break through it. Brandon then said something that got Philip's attention. He said that all we had to do was wait for Frost to show back up in Vegas. He had no intention of trying to pull her from the Nevernever, where she currently was. Philip asked how he knew this. Neil and Brandon, both trying to protect Wyatt, tried to convince Philip that he didn't need to know (Wyatt had tried to locate Frost for the boys earlier but said she wasn't in Vegas). A bit of social combat later, they managed to do so (Shade, after a few tries to help, took herself out and escaped to the bathroom. She is learning that divided loyalties can suck. Must come up with a plan to avoid such things in the future).

The meeting over, Shade left for her shop. Neil called Uri and set up a meeting. They made it to Uri's office and headed in. Neil and Brandon gave Uri a brief rundown on the Frost situation. Then Neil asked about security. They needed some protection to do what they had in mind. Uri asked them to specify the nature of the danger. He didn't want to know what the plan was. He just wanted to know the odds of the plan succeeding. Satisfied with their answer, Uri told Neil that a man by the name of Carter would be calling him.

Once the meeting was over, Neil and Brandon split up. Brandon went looking for Jeremy Running Mouse. Finding him at the Luxor, Brandon asked him about the Coyote Trickster God. Jeremy gave him the basics. Brandon went on and told him about his trip out to the desert and how he met up with the old man. Brandon's description of the old man left Jeremy speechless for a minute or two. He told Brandon that who he described sounded like his uncle Charlie. Jeremy warned Brandon away from him; he was a little unbalanced. After promising Jeremy to hang out sometime, Brandon headed home.

Deciding that a bit of Holy intervention wouldn't hurt, Neil headed to church. He was also looking to find Angelica Black. The priest told Neil that Angelica would be back soon and that he could wait. Eventually she showed up. The priest introduced them. After a bit of small talk, Neil pulled out his gloves and asked her about the possibility of making the holy item aspect permanent. She seemed dubious about it. Not about doing it but about finding something like that. She told Neil that she would look into it. As he left, Neil got the expected call from Carter.

After a normal day of work and customers, Shade was hungry. She hadn't been to Snick's for awhile. So, she closed up and headed out for some dinner and girl talk with her best friend Tess, the bar manager. Getting there, Shade learned that Tess hadn't come in. That was not like her. Figuring she was sick, Shade went to Tess's apartment to check on her. As she went to unlock the door, it opened. Inside, Shade called for Tess but got no answer. The apartment showed signs of a struggle and in the bathroom, Shade discovered some spilled blood. She took some with her back to her shop and did a locating ritual. The way pointed to North Vegas. Shade packed up and headed out.

On his way home, Neil got a call from Harold. The meeting between the three and the Fey was a go for tonight. Neil then called Brandon and told him about the meeting. Brandon left for his shop. Neil's next call was to Wyatt. Wyatt, sounding distressed, told Neil that Frost was back in town and that something very bad was going down. There was a chick and a guy like Frost there. They had a young lady and Neil's lady with them and bad things were being done to them. He gave Neil the address. The next call Neil made was to Carter telling him the house number and that it was going down now. His last call was to Brandon. He left a message on the machine telling Brandon the details and to call Shade. Getting to his shop, Brandon got the message. A call to Shade went unanswered. He locked up and headed out but not before leaving a note for the Fey.

Shade was deep in North Vegas territory. The spell led her to a rundown neighborhood. Trying to pinpoint a likely house, she noticed a group of fairly nice cars parked in front of one. Just then, a nondescript van pulled up and she saw some guys jump out. They all had guns. She also saw Neil drive up. He noticed her as well. He gestured for her to come over. She pointed to the house and, getting confirmation from Neil that it was the right one, ran towards it. As she did, Brandon pulled up and met up with Neil.   

Shade pulled out the sickle and her gun and ran to the front door. She shot out the lock and kicked the door open (See what I mean by this whole thing being Shade's fault?). Inside she saw Christine and Tess sitting on chairs in the center of the room. Christine was badly bruised, bloody, and pissed as hell. Tess just looked...broken. Whatever had happened to her had broken her completely. Around them, Shade saw five others. One was a tattooed and pierced biker chick (Sly). Frost was there, as was a nicely dressed Fey gentleman. Two Ghouls rounded out the group. 

*To make the fight easier to follow, I am going to post it just as I wrote it- in a semi-list form. That way I don't miss anything and it keeps the fight rounds straight. The fight starts from when Shade busted in the door.*


First Round:
Frost, with a sneer, told Shade to give her the sickle and the hostages would be released. Shade retorted for the bitch to come and get it. Sly, a Skavis vampire and Frederick's second in command, echoed Frost's comment. The nicely dressed gentleman (the unknown third Fey) opened his Sight on Shade, assessing her. While all this was going on, Neil and Brandon moved quietly up to the house. The security team, finally in place, opened fire into the house and hit a couple of the Ghouls. Sly hit the ground and Shade took the opportunity to attack her with the sickle, managing to hit her. The Ghouls did not like being shot and attacked the security team.

Second Round:
Sly pulled out a knife and stabbed Shade. Luckily, the cut wasn't too deep. Frost decided to take out the security team. She cast an ice spell, aiming it towards the back of the house. The Fey gentleman just looked about keeping an eye on what was happening. He seemed unconcerned with the ongoing fight. The security team kept shooting. Shade, still fighting with Sly, shot the vampire and hit her. Neil, avoiding the bullets, rushed into the house and moved to the center of the room where Christine and Tess sat. He managed to get them free. Brandon made his grand entrance into the fight by casting a fireball. However, he lost control of his spell and the fallout started the house on fire.

Third Round:
Not liking being shot, Sly tried her mind power on Shade. A feeling of despair washed over Shade but she was able to shrug it off (A little fire and despair wasn't going to stop Shade from taking Sly out!). Frost was NOT happy about the house being on fire and turned her attention to Brandon. She attacked him with a spell. He was able to block the blow with his shield spell. The Fey gentleman, deciding enough was enough, tried to open a way into the Nevernever. His spell failed. The fallout opened a rift but it turned out to be a bad place. There was a flash of light and black flames engulfed the area (Sound familiar? Yep, it was hellfire. He had opened the rift to Uri's territory. Not good for the Winter Fey). The security team continued to fire at and occasionally hit the Ghouls. One of them, Carter, went hand to hand with a Ghoul. Another team member lost his head, literally, when a Ghoul ripped it off. One of the Ghouls was killed. Shade was still intent on taking Sly out. She shot Sly once again and put another bullet into her (Have to say this. I fully expected to die in this fight. Shade has no combat skills. However, the dice gods were on my side. I rolled four +'s, three times...in a row). Sly looked like hell from it all. Brandon tried to take advantage of the Hellfire and cast a spell to try and move the Fey gentleman into the Rift. The Fey was able to block it. Christine got the hell out of the house. Neil had to help Tess. There was no way she could get out on her own.

Fourth Round:
Giving Shade a look loathing, Sly fled from the house. Frost, now fully intent on killing Brandon, pulled her sword and approached him. The blow she delivered was vicious. She stabbed him through the gut and twisted the blade. The Fey gentleman figured that closing the rift would be good. He managed to do so. Carter, still going hand to hand with the remaining Ghoul, blocked an attack and countered with a punch to it's face. Another security guard took a shot at Frost and hit her in the shoulder. Outside, Neil saw Sly leave the house. He picked up one of the security team's weapons and pulled the trigger. He hit her in the back. She fell to the ground but managed to get up and kept on running away. Shade, who had seen the attack on Brandon, moved to him and started to pull him out of the burning house. With the last of his strength, Brandon pulled the sword from Frost's grasp and took it with him. They made it out just as the building collapsed on those still left in there.

Thus ended the night's gaming session. Everyone survived. Well, except for a couple of the security guards. And maybe Frost and the other Fey. The night isn't over for our heroes though. There is still much to do and it could get even worse from here! Let's see. There is a visit to Skavis, a visit to Philip, a visit to Uri, and a visit to the hospital to come. Yep, things can get worse.

Dresden Files Las Vegas- It's Hard to Believe We Need A Place Called Hell

Hello again all. It's been awhile since I posted here but, with the holidays and such, we took a few weeks off from gaming. We had another session last night and it was sooooo good to get going again. The pieces are being moved about the political chessboard and things are getting murky as hell. I love it! Things are getting surreal as hell and I REALLY love that. I don't think any of the players wanted to end last night and I know we can't wait til next week to see what happens next.

Before starting this post, I have to say that I have finally figured out the one thing that was giving me fits with the game and characters. The songs for each player's character. I listen to music while I write and I like to give each character their own song- one that best fits their personality or motivations. For Brandon, the problem wasn't finding a song. It was narrowing it down to just one. Shade was a bit more difficult but I managed. Neil was damn near impossible. I found three or four that came close but were not just quite right. Today, I finally found one that fits. So, I can now more easily get into the writing mood. Yes, it's weird. Just chalk it up to my OCD tendencies and deal with it.

Here are the songs and artists. Just in case you want to check them out.

Brandon- All Star by Smash Mouth
Neil- The Pretender by The Foo Fighters
Shade- The Middle by Jimmy Eat World

Now on to the night's happenings.

Last session ended with Skavis and Frost making their grand entrance into the party. This gaming session started right after they came in. Neil quickly scanned the crowd trying to read people's reactions. The two Fey Kings looked pissed as hell. Uri looked worried, most likely due to the very real possibility of violence. Skavis looked worried, most likely due to the very real possibility of violence being done to him. Frost looked smug. Shade, also reading the crowd, saw all that and a bit more. Warden Locke looked amused (Shade doesn't buy his shtick one bit. He may not know every detail but he sure as hell knows what's going on. He's just too lazy to get involved...yet). Lexi, the Wereferret, looked eager. Shade was certain that Lexi and Frost knew each other. The rest of the Board members had no reaction. Brandon's reaction was priceless. He had been talking with Baron Drake when the two had entered. Spotting Skavis and Frost, Brandon stepped to the side a bit- the better to use the Baron as cover.

Shade looked back towards Philip. He was headed straight for the two. Moving quickly, she managed to intercept him before he got there and told him that he was going to ask her to dance. He tried to get away but, with some inspired fast talking, she convinced him that a confrontation would not be a good idea at that time. They moved to the dance floor where Philip's attention was thankfully turned to Shade (Or, not so thankfully. He IS Fey and everyone knows what that means when it comes to sexiness and looks. Shade had to keep reminding herself that he is technically one of her bosses).

After a quick look around the room to check for any other signs of trouble, Neil walked up to Skavis and Frost. He handed Skavis his card and started talking business. Wanting to defuse the situation even more, Neil managed to pull Skavis away from Frost and did so in such a way as to make Skavis look awesome. Frost looked amused by the whole thing. The two of them started talking specifics. Neil asked about properties, available cash, territory involved, and such. Skavis pulled up the information on his phone. Neil mentally noted some of the information for further investigation.

Meanwhile, Brandon went to the bar, got a drink, and kept an eye on Frost. She was soon joined by a very upset Puck and Heather. He demanded to know what the hell she was doing at the party. She retorted that she had been invited. Brandon, deciding that an intervention might be in order, walked up to the two. He got there just in time to hear Puck ranting about how insulting it was for Frost to be there. Putting his hand on Puck's shoulder, Brandon told him the bitch wasn't worth the time. Having made her point by being there, Frost said she would leave. Brandon, Puck, and Heather headed over to the bar for drinks and conversation.

Meanwhile, on the dance floor, Shade was trying to deal with Philip. His ire at Frost being there had turned towards Skavis. Since Skavis had issued the invite, Philip would just kill him. That way, the invite would be void. Shade tried to convince him that would probably cause more problems then it would solve. Philip didn't seem swayed by that argument. He left Shade on the dance floor, heading off to plan Skavis' death (After dealing with Philip for an extended time, Shade is convinced that Heather didn't start off as flighty and scatterbrained. She got that way by dealing with the Fey so much). Deciding that some sanity was needed, Shade walked up to Neil and Skavis, who were still talking. When she got there, Neil introduced himself and handed her his card, acting like he didn't know her very well. Shade played along and asked if he would come talk her for a bit about some things. Neil agreed and they wandered off together.

Brandon had finished telling Heather and Puck about our current exploits at the bar. When Skavis appeared, he excused himself and went off to find Neil and Shade. When he got to where the other two were, they all compared notes. After they split up, the evening started winding down. Brandon went off to talk with the Baron and then went to see Locke. They had a good conversation and seemed to get along very well (they are alike after all- a scary thought). Afterwards, he gathered up Lucinda and made his exit for home. Neil and Christine met up and she requested that he stop working for a bit so they could at least enjoy the rest of the party. Neil agreed. They ended up dancing, eating, drinking, and having fun. Shade talked with Helena about Philip and what he was planning. Some of what she heard reassured her; some didn't. She still had to come up with a plan to stop the whole "kill Skavis" thing. Then Shade found Drusilla. She had one question to ask- was the man who murdered David dead or still alive? Drusilla answered that the man was no longer among the living. Shade thanked her and went to find Neil.

Brandon made it home safely. As he walked up to his front door, he saw that he had a visitor. No, not the coyote again; it was Wyatt. Wyatt was in desperate straits. Brandon invited him and asked what was wrong. Wyatt told him that he couldn't handle what he was seeing anymore. All he had to do was think about a person or place and he would 'see' it in his mind. Nothing he did would stop it. Even drinking didn't help, since he couldn't drink enough to get drunk. He wanted Brandon to take whatever was causing it out of his head. Brandon suggested that they go and see Patience. Maybe she could help them with some answers. They did so and got a very cold reception. She told them to come back in the morning. Back at Brandon's place, Wyatt tried to drink himself unconscious while Brandon looked through some books. By the early morning, he had come up with an answer. Wyatt seemed to be the walking avatar of Las Vegas. As far as Brandon could tell, some being of power had invested Wyatt with it. Remembering the contract they had found with Wyatt, Brandon called Neil. Afterwards he went to bed.

After the party, Neil, Christine, and Shade left together. Shade had asked Neil if he could take her to where Ana had been killed. He agreed to do so. Christine dropped them off at the car rental place. She gave Neil a kiss and told him to give her a call the next day. Neil and Shade drove to the vacant lot where the murder took place. Shade asked Neil to keep a lookout while she talked with Ana's ghost. Neil looked sceptical but agreed. Walking to where the blood stain was. Shade turned on the ghost sight. Ana was there, circling about and looking confused. Holding out the apple to get and keep her attention, Shade talked with her about what happened. Ana wasn't able to tell her much. She didn't know who had sent the Winter Court after her. After getting back to the car, Shade asked if Neil would take her to the warehouse where they had found the killer. He did. As they drove there, Shade told Neil what Ana had said (Neil was pretty nonchalant about it. All he saw was Shade talking to empty air. Shade thinks he doesn't believe everything he is being told about the Supernatural). They finally got to the warehouse but the killer's ghost wasn't there. Shade wasn't too thrilled by the only option left to talk with him but she will do it. Neil took her home after that. Before exiting the car, Shade told him to call Christine when he got home. He thought she would be asleep but Shade knew better (Even though Shade has no interest in Neil and Christine knows that, Shade knew she would still wonder about them being together. Neil may be able to read people but he, like most men, has no idea how to fully understand the female mind).

Finally at home, Neil grabbed a few hours of sleep until Brandon called him. Being told that Brandon needed the contract they found with Wyatt, Neil said he would email a copy to him. Brandon cheerfully told him that would be swell and to send it to electronicsdon'tworkaroundme.com. Remembering that wizards and electronics don't mix, Neil cheerfully clarified that the address was BrandonW at electronicsdon'tworkforme.com.

Shade's day started out pretty normal at the tattoo shop. During a lull, she heard the door open and looked up to see a woman walk in. She seemed to be in her mid 30's and dressed in a nondescript business jacket and skirt. She introduced herself as Rita Martin, the Accountant. She had some paperwork for Shade to verify and sign. It had to do with the hiring of the pastry chef. According to Ms. Martin, there were running accounts of who had what and the effect it had on prestige in the Board ranks. Apparently, hiring the pastry chef had raised Autumn's prestige and lowered Locke's. Secretly amused by the whole thing, Shade signed everything. Satisfied, Ms. Martin left.

After his morning routine, Neil drove over to Brandon's place. Wyatt let him. When told that Brandon was still asleep, Neil got his revenge by waking him up. After looking over the contract, they talked. Wyatt had no memory of signing it or who had offered it to him. The last thing he remembered was the Billy Gang beating the shit out of him. Finally, Brandon decided what the hell and opened the Sight on Wyatt. What he saw was the outline of a man with Las Vegas inside. On Wyatt's shoulders rested two paws. Looking up, Brandon saw a coyote head hovering over Wyatt's. It was not the messenger coyote; it was the Trickster himself. The image was too much. Brandon passed out. Not knowing what to do, Neil and Wyatt moved him to the couch and went out to grab some lunch. About half an hour later, they got back just as Brandon woke up. Deciding to concentrate on the visions, they went to Brandon's shop to see if the room where he had been sealed would protect him. It was one of the areas that appeared blank to Wyatt. They got there and went to the basement. Unfortunately, Wyatt could not go in. Brainstorming some more, Brandon and Neil came up with the idea of spelling Wyatt's hat. It would act as an item of warding. It would have to be recharged every so often but would give Wyatt some relief from his visions.

Shade's day ended with a phone call. She made a call to Skavis and asked if he would come to her shop for a talk. He seemed reluctant at first but finally agreed. When he showed up, Shade poured him a drink and asked him to sit down. Pleasantries over, Skavis turned on the attitude and asked what the hell she wanted. Shade answered that she wanted answers. She wanted to know who was behind the invites. Skavis denied knowing who it was. All he was concerned about was that he got paid for the invites. More social combat occurred. Finally, Shade was able to take him out. He totally lost control. After a rather epic rant from him, Shade poured Skavis another drink and repeated her questions. He told her again, he didn't know who was behind it. He made the calls and got the three million for the three invites. That was news to Shade. They knew about Rhyme and Frost but had no idea there was a third Winter Court Fey in town. Also, since Shade had learned that Summer was harassing Spring, that meant there was somebody else issuing invites. Skavis got a hold of himself and, after throwing a few threats her way, left the shop.

The evening ended there. What a wonderful murky, messed up situation! I cannot wait until next Sunday. I have a feeling things are going to get very bad, very fast. Should be one hell of a time!