Dresden Files Las Vegas- Still Cannot Fix This Broken Machine

It has taken me awhile to get this posted. I actually had most of it written within a day or two of the game. I was just trying to come up with a song that worked for the session. I'm still not a 100% sure about the one I chose but it fits most of the events of the evening. It could also be a foreshadow to some future events, depending on how everything plays out (I just realized that this is the third song by Nine Inch Nails that I have used).

What a night! Political wrangling, back alley deals, and upheavals at the top were all in play. What took place could lead to so many opportunities, surprises, conflicts, and problems. What will the future hold?

The day dawned bright and hot (it is Las Vegas, bright and hot is always a good bet). Brandon was at work having a normal day when a letter came for him. The message was simple and to the point. Mason requested his presence at his house that night.

Neil started his day in the usual manner. Up early, exercise, coffee, and then out to hit the streets. Through his contacts, he found the streets abuzz with gossip. There was talk of power changes higher up. The feeling on the street was one of tension and apprehension. No one knew for sure what was going on and everyone seemed to be waiting to see how everything played out. After talking to his contacts, Neil started on his next project- researching real estate. He had his eye on the Baron's house. A few calls later, he had the information he needed to get the ball rolling on that (will Neil be getting a house?).

Shade's day started off normal but soon took a nosedive (to be fair, Shade doesn't know about two of the incidents concerning her but, all in all, the day takes a nosedive). She was tattooing a customer (okay, he was a junkie but, since he wasn't high just then, she agreed to do the ink). Deciding to give her idea one last shot, she asked the guy a few questions about who was supplying him and such. It took a bit of work but she did get a name- Jimmy the Hand. Even though he was a drug dealer, he fit at least two of her criteria. He was a human who worked closely with the Supernatural and he would probably have connections. Hopefully, he would be able to steer her towards a suitable candidate for the Board. With nothing to lose, she went in search for him. After searching awhile, she did find Jimmy. They engaged in social combat with Shade eventually winning. However, she wasn't able to get anything from him. Deciding enough was enough, Shade went back to work.

With night falling, Brandon headed out for his meeting with Mason. He figured that he would be dealing with more Spade business. He had not figured on the first person he saw at the house. It was Lucinda Wraith. After a polite (snicker) hello, he took a seat on the far side of the room. Eventually Mason entered the room. Not indulging in small talk, he got right to the point. He told Brandon that his main concern was corruption at the highest levels, meaning the Board members. He didn't trust any of them. He felt that most, if not all, had forgotten the reason for the Board being formed. Add to that the fact that someone was taking the Spades out and he was sure that Brandon could understand his concern. Brandon could. Then Brandon voiced a concern of his own. He wanted Mason's assurances that this was a straight deal. If a problem came up; it would be dealt with. No bullshit. Mason assured him that was the case. Brandon was satisfied. Then Mason told him why Lucinda was there. Every person who joined the Spades underwent a Soulgaze with another member. It would be Brandon's job (as a wizard) to do that but, he couldn't Soulgaze himself. Brandon wasn't happy with the whole idea but agreed to it (a soulgaze is just that. The people involved literally see the other's soul, see what kind of person they are. It also allows the other to see if a person is under a spell or is corrupted). Once that was done, Lucinda excused herself. Brandon and Mason talked for a bit longer. Asked about whether Neil would accept the job, Brandon said that he didn't know. Mason hoped that he would. A human could go places that the Supernatural couldn't. Then Mason asked about Shade again, if she could be trusted. He wanted to know if Brandon had noticed any changes in her lately. Brandon said he hadn't. Mason asked if Brandon would spend some time with her and get to know her better (would it kill the guys if they stood up for Shade? They may not be besties but she does stick up for them and she is keeping Wyatt a secret). Brandon said he would and they parted soon after.

Real estate deals being finished, Neil made a call to Max. He had a business proposal for him. Max agreed to a meeting. At the diner, Neil launched into his proposal. With the recent change up in the power structure, there were certain advantages coming available. One of which being the open seat on the Board. What about Max trying for that seat? Playing it cool, Max asked how that would be handled. Neil said that he knew of a possibility and wanted to know if Max would be willing to meet with said individual. Max said yes. Not wasting any time, Neil placed a call to Skavis (yes, that sound you heard was Shade yelling...definitely something very, very impolite). Neil explained the situation to him and Skavis told them to come right over to the Crucible. They did so.

Walking into the bar, they were greeted with some heckling. They really didn't fit in with the regular clientele. In the back they found Skavis. After sitting down, Neil told him about his proposal. Skavis seemed interested and told Neil to go on. Of course, Skavis being Skavis couldn't seem to eager and had to throw a few insults Max's way. With effort, Max held onto his temper. He also wisely kept his mouth shut and let Neil continue to do the talking. Neil pointed out the fact that it wouldn't hurt to have a friend, so to speak, on the Board. After a bit of contemplation, Skavis said okay but that Max would have to agree to do as he said for a year- work with him, vote as he voted, and so on. Neil then stressed the point that this alliance couldn't be flaunted openly. It wouldn't help either one if it was known that Max was beholden to him. There was some more back and forth but terms were agreed upon. Skavis would suggest Max as a candidate for the seat and Max would work with him. Max said that would be okay unless it conflicted with his interests. Business concluded, Neil and Max left. 

After leaving Mason's, Brandon figured he was due a nice relaxing evening. Heading to the MGM, he had a few drinks and bought a ticket for the boxing match slated for that evening. He even placed a bet. Unfortunately, he picked the wrong guy. Still, he enjoyed himself.

After work, Shade caught up on her second job. She called Marissa, the changeling who was in charge of the Freemont Experience expansion. Things were going splendidly. More people were moving in and the area was well on it's way to being the hip place to live and work. In August, an art fair/block party was being planned. Satisfied, Shade hung up and left for the Board meeting.

At the Luxor, the Board members were mingling about before starting. Shade went to talk with Puck and Heather. Soon after, Skavis showed up and came over to join their group. He was his usual charming self (in other words, he came over and promptly tried/said something blatantly sexual). Shade and Skavis talked about the upcoming meeting. He asked her what she thought would happen. Shade told him that she figured people would throw out a few names. Then Locke would name his candidate and then everyone would vote that person in. Skavis then wanted to know if Shade would vote for herself or is she would just be a Locke ass kisser. Shade laughed at that and said that being on Locke's good side really wasn't a problem. Locke loathed her. Shade asked if he had anyone in mind. Skavis said that he did. He planned on nominating Max Torelli.

Finally, everyone headed in and after Locke showed up, the meeting started. The first order of business was what to do with the humans addicted to the Red Court saliva and the dead Baron's territory. After some discussion, the care of the humans and the territory was given to the Wraiths. They had the means to control the addicts. It was also agreed to revisit that decision in a years time.

Next on the agenda was what to do with the empty Board seat. That started a lively discussion. Angelica brought up Shade's idea about giving it to a human. Shade spoke up and admitted that she hadn't been able to find a good candidate. Skavis stood up then and nominated a drug dealer he knew. No one took him seriously. Locke asked again if there was anyone. And again, Skavis stood up. Sounding impatient, Locke asked if he had someone in mind. Skavis then nominated Torelli. Shade seconded it. The debate started. Skavis said that new blood was needed and that Max would bring business opportunities to Vegas. Uri said that they had spent too long getting the Mob out of Vegas to let them back in. Shade countered that the Mob was still in Vegas and that it made more sense to have the Mob representative on the board where they could keep an eye on him and control him if necessary. Unfortunately, the vote did not go in Max's favor.

Then Locke proposed that a seat on the Board be eliminated by combining two into one. He suggested that either Uri or Angelica lose their seat. That did not go over well. Uri was pissed as hell. It was brought up that it set a bad precedent. What would stop other seats from being eliminated? After all, the Vampires could be consolidated, as could the two Fey courts. Emotions were running high. Everything from indifference to worry to anger was swirling about. Since no one really liked that idea, Locke said he would be fine with taking a long vacation (he kept muttering something about Tahiti and Tawney in a bikini) and letting someone else be the Chairman. Uri nominated himself. Shade seconded it. Angelica about ruptured a blood vessel disagreeing. She said that Uri's very nature made that a mistake. Shade pointed out that Uri's nature as half demon fit in perfectly with Vegas. After all, wasn't Vegas the breeding ground for the seven deadly sins? Why not have their earthly representative head the Board? A vote was taken and Uri was named as the new Chairman- with the decision to be revisited in a year.

Right after the meeting, Shade left, bought some candy, and went to the Nevernever. Even though she hated to disturb him, she needed to tell Philip what happened at the meeting. Getting there, she gave the candy to the pixies, who were very happy to eat it. They took her to see Philip. She told him what happened. They also talked about Freemont and Philip seemed pleased that it was going so well. Before leaving, Shade did bring up what had happened to her and that she hoped that Philip wouldn't start experimenting with it. However, if he did, she really didn't want to know. The term she used was plausible deniability.

That pretty much ended the gaming session. There will be two month time span between the end of this arc and the beginning of the next. In that time, Neil was able to get a hold of a shit load of money and buy the Baron's house...and all the furnishings (told you Neil was getting the house). He also bought a fleet of motorcycles and accepted Mason's job offer. Brandon spent his time getting to know his Fey sword better and getting a scabbard made for it. He also started taking fencing lessons. The art/street fair went off without a hitch, which made Shade happy. She also started to spend some time individually with the Changelings. She just talked with them about choosing to be human or Fey and how they feel about it. By doing so, she hoped to get a few to become full Fey and to impress Philip even more (at least she's good at doing Fey stuff).

See what I mean about the possibilities? I cannot wait for the next session to see just what will happen with all the changes taking place. Will the White Council make an appearance? Will Angelica be proved right or wrong? Just who is killing the Spades and just what action will Mason take with what happened to the Board? Will Locke get jailed in Tahiti for sexual harassment? Okay, that last was just for fun.

Dresden Files Las Vegas- Some of Them Want To Use You

Finally sitting down and getting this written. I have been busy with real life stuff (that being my speak for playing computer games) but I promised to get this updated before the next session and I will! The night was very, very fun and interesting. Not much action but lots of deals. To put it in proper Vegas terminology: The hand has been dealt. Now to see who raises, calls, folds, or bluffs.


It's summer in Sin City and it's not only the temperature that's heating up. Political turmoil is in full swing and it's getting harder to tell friend from foe. Under the table deals are being made and trust has, indeed, become a rare commodity.

The next evening came. Neil was still hiding out in Brandon's basement. Brandon and Skip were enjoying their stay at the Luxor. Shade had another Board meeting to attend. After all the members showed, Locke told everyone that he had spoken to the White Council and knew some of the details about what happened. The White Council had won the war. A certain wizard by the name of Dresden had enacted a blood curse on the Red Court and wiped it out completely. Everyone was pretty well stunned. That amount of power was almost unheard of. Locke then brought up the empty Board seat. A couple of suggestions were thrown out. Shade put out the idea of a pure human, someone with no supernatural power at all who would represent the mortal element of Vegas. A couple of Board members seemed receptive to the idea. Alas, Locke wasn't one of them. He basically shot her down and announced that he had his own candidate in mind (At that point, Shade kept quiet. Once he said that, she knew the seat would go to whomever Locke wanted and she didn't see the point of fighting a battle she didn't have a chance in hell of winning. At least right at that moment). Next on the agenda was what to do about Dresden. There was talk of killing him. Paranoia reigned supreme. Shade had to point out that the attack hadn't been against the Baron personally and she didn't think Dresden would be showing up to get them all. She said that if Dresden showed up in Vegas, he should be dealt with. Barring that, let the White Council deal with the problem. The Board voted to ban Dresden from Vegas. Business being finished, the meeting ended.

As Shade headed out, Locke asked her to give a message to Brandon- The danger was over and they needed to get out. He didn't want any freeloaders around. Shade went to Brandon and Skip's room and delivered the message, which really pissed Brandon off. Really, really pissed him off. She also left a message for Neil telling him that the danger was over and he could go home. Done with that, Shade went to have a drink at Legends and then headed home for some much needed sleep. After Neil listened to Shade's voicemail, he headed home. Opening his door, he noticed a card that had been slipped under it. It was the ace of spades and it had an address and a time on it. Thinking it was a threat, Neil left for a very public place. Brandon (still pissed as hell) found a similar card slipped under his door. He reacted quite differently. He threw the card out onto his lawn.

The next day started early for Neil. He called Wyatt and asked if it was possible for him to see who had sent the card. Wyatt wasn't sure if he could do that and told Neil to meet him on his lunch break. At noon, Neil brought the card and a sandwich for Wyatt. Wyatt was unable to tell who had handled it. However, he was able to tell where the rest of deck was located. It was the address on the back. Neil thanked Wyatt and left to check it out.

Getting there, Neil saw that it appeared to be an empty lot. Driving past it a couple of times, he lobbed his cigarette into the lot and watched as it seemed to disappear. He parked his car and got out to look things over. Reaching the point where his cigarette had disappeared, he tossed a rock. It too vanished. He knew something was off and tried a few more experiments. They involved a hollow tube, using his phone to try and get a picture of what was on the other side, and sticking his finger through. The whole time Neil was being watched by some of the neighborhood's retirees. He was probably the most amusing thing they had seen in months. Deciding what the hell, he stepped through. Inside the veil, it was dark. There was also an old, rundown house. Neil first checked the front and back doors. They were locked and he was not able to jimmy them open. Next, he checked the windows. No luck there. They too were locked. After trying kick the door in and failing (I swear, we have the worst luck with doors in any game we play. I can think of five different times we have tried to kick one in and we have never succeeded), he simply broke a window and entered the house. It was dusty and the furnishings looked old. He opened the fridge and saw it was filled with blood. It also contained some fruit, of which he took an apple. Searching the rest of the first floor, he found a drawer full of cards, many different decks. Satisfied, Neil left his version of a calling card. He placed a poker hand neatly on the table and put his apple core and a business card with it. He did sweep up the broken glass before leaving (say what you want about Neil, at least he is polite when he does something illegal). His last act before driving away was to phone in an anonymous tip about a drug deal and murder taking place at the address of the lot.

Shade's day started early as well. Max called her and asked if he could see her that night to talk- business, not personal. She said that was fine. Her morning was spent tattooing a few people, one of which was a "special" design. With nothing to lose, she asked the gentleman if he knew anyone in the mortal community who was in the know about the Supernatural element. Someone who stood out a bit. It took some doing but she got an answer. The guy gave her Neil's card. Not what she wanted (of course she could have hired Neil to find who she needed but she really wants to do this on her own). After a bit of thinking, a name came to her- Sal Fredricks. She went to the restaurant where he did business and asked to see him. The meeting did not go well. After telling Sal who she was and what she needed, he asked how much it would be worth to her. Not having the funds to pay him off, Shade told him so and bid him goodbye (Frankly, if he was too stupid to see the advantages to having a Board member owe him a favor, Shade didn't want to deal with him). Back at her shop, Shade worked until Max showed up. What he wanted to talk about was interesting, to say the least. He first brought up the possibility of an alliance between the Autumn Court and himself. Shade agreed that could be possible but she would have to talk it over with Philip. Then he asked her if she would vote for his taking the open seat on the Board. That surprised Shade. Max was an outsider and part of the Mob. Both of which were not really welcome in Vegas. She told him that she was working on getting a human in that seat. However, if a candidate she felt was better suited didn't get put out there, she would support his bid. Satisfied, Max left.

Brandon's day was normal. He was still angry as hell over what Locke said. He vowed, that after everything he had done for Vegas, everyone could go and fuck themselves if they needed help. His day finally ended and he headed home. Once again, he found an ace of spades slipped under his door. Once again, he flipped it onto his lawn. Deciding that a bit of magic was in order, he called Skip. The two of then spent the rest of the evening fashioning a ward. Brandon wanted to keep everyone but himself and Skip out of his house (they set the ward to keep everyone but those wearing a special amulet out). It took awhile but they got the spell set. Skip amused himself by taking his amulet off and on and trying to get through the door.

After breaking and entering, Neil went on a shopping spree. He knew that whomever had sent the card was a vampire and he wanted to load up on vampire killing tools. His first stop was to a store to get a couple of stakes. Then he stopped by the church to get them blessed. Then it was off to the gun shop. He wanted something with a bit of firepower. He also wanted some wooden bullets. The clerk seemed a bit taken aback by that. He told Neil that he should go with a shotgun. They spent a bit of time discussing the possibilities. Neil left the shop after putting the order for the gun and with a promise by the clerk to look into the wooden pellets. One last stop was on his list. Before he could get to the store, he noticed that he was being followed by a patrol car. He stopped and asked the officer what the problem was. The cop asked Neil if he had been in such a such neighborhood earlier that day. They had received a tip about a possible murder. They had also received a few calls about a car matching his that was seen in the vicinity. Neil played it cool and denied that he had ever been there. After searching his car, the cops let him go (old, bored retirees will get you every time). Neil went back to his search for a high intensity UV lamp that was portable (he definitely wants every base covered). With his shopping finished, Neil drove back to his place. As he was unlocking his door, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned and saw that it was Mason.

After speaking with Max, Shade left for Legends, hoping Harold was there. He was. She told him that she needed to get to Philip in the Nevernever and asked if he knew an easier way then having to do a ritual. He didn't but he told her to get a hold of Helena. if anyone would know, it was her. Shade called her and asked her about it. Helena said that she could do it but not until the morning. She was catering a huge event. Shade thanked her and said that she would try on her own. Back in her basement, Shade cast the ritual and opened a rift to the Nevernever. Luckily, her point of entry turned out to be in Autumn's land. At the manor, she ran into some pixies. After making them some caramel, they agreed to take her to where Philip was (they also got her to promise to bring candy with her whenever she came to there).

They set off with the pixies leading the way. Entering a maze, Shade was led to the center. She saw Philip kneeling on a dais in the center. He seemed to be communing with something or someone. In front of him were two biers. The mummified remains of Fey were on them. Shade tried to get the pixies to inform Philip that she was there. They refused. Not knowing what else to do, she stepped onto the platform. With the first step, she could feel the power surrounding her. It only took a moment to realize her mistake. With her second step, she could feel the human part of herself being drained away and it being replaced by Fey. It took everything in her to move back to safer ground. She had managed to get Philip's attention however. He looked at her in amazement. No human had ever stepped onto the platform. In the few seconds she had been on the circle, her hair had grown longer, she seemed taller and thinner, and her ears had formed into slight points (Philip kept touching them until Shade told him to cut it out). Philip asked why she had come there. She told him about the Red Court and what Locke had found out. Then she brought up Max's proposal of an alliance. Philip asked if she trusted him. Shade said that she did. Philip nodded and told her to do what she thought was best. Business concluded, Philip opened a portal back to Vegas and Shade went home (one last thing about the whole experience. Shade is going to keep an eye out for any "new" Autumn Fey showing up. Hopefully Philip won't experiment with the whole human into Fey thing but Shade isn't taking any chances. She knows Philip way too well. That will definitely have to be stopped).

Neil turned to face Mason. With a smile, Mason told Neil that he hadn't had an invitation refused in awhile. Realizing the miscommunication, Neil explained that he had taken the card to be a threat and not an invitation. Mason asked Neil if he and Brandon would come to his place for a talk. He then left. Neil called Brandon to find out if he wanted to check out an invisible house. Perplexed but game, Brandon agreed.

They all met up at the empty lot. Looking at it with the Sight, Brandon saw that it seemed to be formed by the despair of ghosts. The three of them walked through the veil. Skip was very impressed. After knocking on the door and being invited in, Mason, Brandon, and Neil went into the sitting room. Skip was sent to the kitchen. Mason started the conversation by telling the two about the Spades and their role in Vegas. He went on to say that in the past few years seven of the Spades had been killed. Not by accidents, by murder. He feared that someone had learned who they were and were wiping them out. Being the Ace, he believed he was being saved for last. He spoke of his distrust and contempt for the Board (he did say that he would have included Shade in the deal but, because of her involvement with the Board, he wasn't sure if she could be trusted. What was worse was that Neil and Brandon didn't stick up for her. Shade would be very hurt if she knew that). They had turned from acting for good of Vegas to being part of the problem. The end shot was that he wanted Brandon and Neil to join the Spades. At first, Brandon flat out refused. Why should he do anything for Vegas when he had been treated like shit (Locke REALLY pissed him off)? Mason assured him that would not be the case if he accepted the job. It took a bit of convincing but Brandon accepted. Neil said that he would have to think about it.

That ended the session and it can only get better. Tomorrow night we will find out what happens next and we cannot wait!  

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!