| 10 May 1999 |
| 17 May 1999 |
| 24 May 1999 |
| 31 May 1999 |
| 31 May 1999 |
| 19 Jul 1999 |
| 26 Jul 1999 |
| 09 Aug 1999 |
Infinite Paths continues to rest. Mathias continues to teach Mikal the Rite of Summoning. Miranda learns Mother's Touch. Dominique continues to do research on her healing fetish.
Full Moon. Moot!
Chimera is summoned and the moot rites are performed. Rite of the Totem is performed and Miranda joins the pack officially, having learnt Talisman Dedication (no more naked girlies needing to be reclad midscene) and Mother's Touch (for which Dom is absolutely delighted).
Marshall is honored with Gathering for the Departed by the Sept. Rebecca, one of the kinfolk at the Zoo, sent a message to Mikal. The dingo puppy has been moved to Healesville sanctuary. Barry, Ken, Marcus and Kirsty (Get of Pennington) were chastised for breaking the veil and leaving large footprints and incriminating evidence everywhere. A reminder is made to be careful.
Cossack talks about the last ragabash moon and the Sept of Reconciliation. Killer of Children should have been freed again in this time, but a number of Uktena and other strong theurges came along and kept it bound and helpless. Discussions continue between Reconciliation and the Uktena tribe on where the bound spirit should be kept.
Monash End-to-the-Darkness (Rank 2 Jindabyne Stargazer council member) left a message with Gramee that he would like to talk to Infinite Paths about the events leading to Marshall's death. Especially, the big flood that seemed to have been triggered from within their protectorate, and that flooded Rockhampton to a height of 1.5 metres.
The moot concludes and the sept goes on their normal revel. About 1am, the pack congregates back at the cemetary. Moodai is summoned. Bunyip questions are asked:
A message is left at Cernunnos' that the pack will continue looking. Mikal quietly freaks out and contemplates telling his parents who... or rather... what he is.
None of the pack sleep well, they seem to being bombarded with dream images. Mathias manages to focus on two images: in the outback, with a curtain of stars which start to get swallowed from all sides until the last patch of light vanishes; Polly, who stares right at him. She carries the shield which the aboriginal spirit that fought the Killer of Children had during his battle. "I hate you, you killed the Wirrenun."
Mikal makes out one image: Antoinette Cloak of Morning at Reconciliation "It would eventually choke your heart, this darkness at your core." Miranda also manages to understand two images: Night, dark all around, being stared at by a wolf with green eyes and brownish fur. Not even blinking, watching everything you do; An aboriginal man, standing over a site covered in bodies, screaming in anguish at a sky full of storms. The mystical theurge just feels vaguely unsettled and wishes she had remembered her own dice.
The images eventually settled down into the all too familiar dream, but it's more atmospheric this time. It is quiet, the only sound being dripping water distantly, and each member stands by themselves next to a pool of the purest water. A skull rises out of the pool, dripping. The drops become blood and start to slow. Flesh starts to form, followed by a body and then fur and features. The body is nearly complete when a clawed hand cuts across its throat, and it stumbles back, blood spurting. A large, round rock drops from the roof, crushing the skull and kicking up an enormous splash of putrid water. All awaken.
The pack decide to continue Cernonous' quest, and opt to go to the contested caern at Etadunna. They take a day to prepare. Cossack says the area has been contested ever since the Jindabyne Council has been formed. It used to be a Red Talon area, but they never quite opened it. When the borders reformed, it became a Get of Fenris protectorate. Now there are two packs minding it, one from each protectorate. The Council doesn't want to rule on it - they don't want to be ignored.
Dom makes arrangements to take shifts at Carmel's when they return. Mikal shares some of his Get lore. If they return. Mikal reveals that the reason he left his sept is because he was regarded as being too much of a wussbag. Dom makes a healing talen by bargaining with a unicorn spirit to spend a few weeks helping out in a rape shelter. Now everyone carries the ability to heal, huzzah. The pack considers bringing 'bribes' to the Sept of Defiance to the Wyrm (somewhere near St Mary's peak in the Flinders Ranges) in order to pay chiminage. In the end it is given up as too hard.
Polly is questing-stoned for. No luck. Wherever she is, they're warded against the questing stone.
The pack take to the road, having hired (or not) a four wheel drive vehicle from the sept (or something). They stop at Mikal's uncle's place - Matthew Odinfriend. He's at the sept of Defiance to the Wyrm and not at home. Mikal writes a note to say "Hi. I'm in the area with my 'friends'. The present is for your 'friends'. Wuv Mikal." The note is weighted down with a case of Akvavit.
The pack continue on, until they reach Etadunna. It is quite late. After dark, in fact. But there is a very bright moon. There is a petrol station here, a pub, three weatherboard houses, a church and a station, but no train tracks. Strangely enough, the pub is where the action is at, with 10 or so vehicles out the front, including a police 4wheel drive.
Everyone goes into the pub, greeted on the porch by a couple of lads. They go inside inside where we're stared at. Wonder why. The cop is playing pool. The barman is sniffed and Mikal says he is kinfolk. The pack sit and drink a bit. They have some chips and salad, because the kitchen is closed. The barman indulges in some friendly chitchat with Mikal. His name is apparently Andrew and his wife's name is Doris (also kinfolk). Mikal insults the bartender by asking him if he knows who his father was while suttooolly attempting to find out if the barman knows he's a kinfolk.
The pack are woken at 7ish, and trudge down to eat breakfast. A guy walks in and asks for two slabs. He looks familiar to Mikal as being someone from Defiance to the Wyrm. Mikal's brain grinds until he recalls the guy's name is Olaf. Olaf recognises Mikal, but addresses him as snivel. Things progress poorly from there, but the pair vanish outside. Mikal explains that the pack is wanting to visit the caern on account of a mystic dream. Olaf declares that nobody is allowed to go to the caern and that Mikal will need to speak to Miles Korrin.
Mikal comes inside and passes on Olaf's message. Miles is explained to be the pack leader of Raging Storm, a Get pack. A Questing Stone reveals him to be somewhere west, possibly at the caern. The pack drive for a while, and then run off in lupus form, across the wide open plains. Nothing but scrub, dust and a pack of grumpy Red Talons.
5 lupus formed Garou rise up out of the dusty ground. The alpha addresses Mathias as Flies-like-a-stone, packleader of Head Harvest. He is a bit insistent that they go, the Red Talons guard the caern against all comers. Mathias attempts to exert his authority and the two stare each other down. That lasts about a second before the Red Talon frenzies. Strips are torn from both of them, but Mathias seems to be in trouble because he is not frenzying and is a bit concerned when his liver falls out. Mikal attempts to intervene, but Dom prevents him from shooting either of them with his shotgun. 30 seconds later, shot rains down all over everyone. Mathias is downed first, and Dominique leaps up to heal him while everyone else piles on Flies-like-a-stone. The beta from Head Harvest then squares off with Mikal, that challenge having been a little undecided. Mikal manages to freak her out by rolling his eyes back in his head and then out the bottom again. The beta looks away and says that her name is First-to-Bleed. They will allow Infinite Paths to pass, but will follow.
Soon enough the Get of Fenris pack who also guards the caern step through from the Umbra. It is Olaf and Miles and the rest of the Raging Storm pack. Miles sneers at Mikal and after a moment's testosterone induced posturing, the challenge is made. The only limitation is "All weapons at your disposal."
Mikal snickers up his sleeve as he has the gift staredown and a shotgun, but doesn't count on Miles' ability to jam the shotgun. Soon it's down to natural weaponry and with no aid from the fates of luck and a lapse of Foot-In-Mouth, he finally wins the battle. Mikal actually performs quite well, and it is only at the last that Miles actually lands an effective blow, even though it nearly cripples him. Smugness is barely held in check as he realizes he's beaten a rank 2 Ahroun.
The wounded are being patched up when Mathias and Dominique start to notice these weird flies buzzing past them. Dom catches one and looks closely at it - it appears to have a skull head and a stinger of some sort. Mathias does a confirmatory Sense Wyrm - oh yes. More of these things seem to be coming along and people are starting to be stung and bitten. They begin to fight back, but realise most of the beasties are flying past, making a really annoying noise. Dom leads the way to the caern, getting bitten on the bum in the process. Infinite Paths charge to the caern, followed by Raging Storm. Head Harvest seem more concerned with the bug swarm, some of which are the size of small birds now.
At what Infinite Paths assumes is the caern is a large, if wilted, tree. However, the beasties are flipping into the Umbra. Infinite Paths step across, noting the ease with which they are able to do this. The bug things seem to be forming up some sort of swarm about a huge tree in the middle of a quiet green swamp, which is a bit of a shock after the warm desert in the Realm. The bane-bugs are clustered about 20 or 30 feet off the ground, making irritating buzzing noises. Mathias chooses to banzai through the cloud from the Realm, grabs huge handfuls of bugs and then plunges into the ground at high speed, splattering them all over the landscape.
Dominique makes a run for the tree and starts leaping up it as Miranda leaps up and slashes a bit at the collecting swarm. Mikal starts a Rite of Cleansing. More of the bugs seem to be coming, some of them now quite large, and they proceed to mix indiscriminately into the darkening cloud. Dom slashes at the swarm from her perch as Mathias stumbles to his feet, activating his Luna's Armor gift. Dominique is slashes at more of the bugs and Miranda takes a huge leap just as the cloud turns in on itself and starts growing tentacles and eyes and random chitinous bits. The pack quails briefly as the thing starts to make the same wierd warbling as they heard in the Scar. The sound that was attributed to a nexus crawler. Good. Dominique slashes at it anyway as Mikal stops the Rite and fumbles his gun. Miranda leaps up and grabs hold of a random piece of crawler. Dom starts to look a bit confidant as she carves out a chunk of spirit, but then her vision goes all odd, making it hard to see properly. Miranda swings up with her feet and tries to disembowel it, but suddenly turns into some sort of liquid and rains down on her pack.
The pack hears the howling of the Red Talon pack as it rushes to their defence, but there is no sign of the Get. Mathias is about ready to land his usual devastating blows when he is turned to liquid too. The nexus crawler attacks a random piece of swamp, and Dom falls out of the tree. Mikal's gun jams. Two of the Get appear and leap into the fray, as do the Red Talons. For their trouble, one of them gets tossed several tens of feet into the air, coming crashing down into the swamp. Miranda and Mathias bubble ineffectually at each other, then Miranda feels a strange tugging and instantly reforms. Mikal is tossed into the sky and blows a hole in the nexus crawler as he falls back down, but the incoming stream of bane bugs fills the hole almost completely before he hits the ground. Miranda leaps into the sky again and grabs hold of a tentacle, swings her weight up and slices downwards with a claw as Dominique, missing her jump slightly, nearly dissembles Miranda. The Red Talons and the Get are leaping up at the crawler, slicing chunks off, but the almost constant stream of tiny buzzing banes fills the whole. One of the Get screams as thousands of holes open up throughout his body, and then Dominique is subjected to the same thing. Miranda gets swept off and into the swamp. Her vision and Dominique's clear a bit. More Red Talons go into the sky.
Miranda is subjected to the stream of entropy and nearly falls over. Mikal runs up and heals her a bit, handing her the shotgun at the same time. Dominique executes a sequence of stunny maneuvers, shredding the spirit on all sides. Mathias suddenly reforms and starts leaping and shredding as Mikal runs up the tree to attack the nexus crawler. There is a shimmer a distance away, and another crawler appears. The Get run off to try and deal with it as Mathias deals a crushing blow on the spirit. The flow of little buzzing things has dribbled off, and the nexus crawler appears to be having some problems as whole limbs drop off or suddenly turn back into buzzing banes. Miranda empties the shotgun into the giant bane and it dissolves back into thousands of dying bugs, which splatter down around the landscape. The liquified Garou suddenly reform, although the badly hurt remain so. The second crawler disappears, apparently having been an illusion.
The wounded are treated as they are found, and the Red Talons split up, some going into the Realm and some in the umbra to look for corruption or what might have called the crawler. Mikal starts doing a Rite of Cleansing again, but is told to cut it out by a Red Talon. The Get perform some sort of pack Rite. Mathias and Dom step into the Realm and look around as the other two do the same in the Umbra. In the Realm, the caern tree appears to be nearly dead, badly in need of water. However, it has some folliage. Hanging from the branches are bits of twisted bark, which have stones, sticks, hair and bones woven into them. Mathias and Dom confer for a bit. In the Umbra, Miranda and Mikal are looking for signs of bunyip before Mikal gets bored and steps into the Realm. Miranda follows after a bit. The two Red Talons seem satisfied and step back into the Realm. The pack discuss things and decide to see if they can use their brief interlude of being treated as equals to ask the other two packs to bring forth the caern spirit. Dom starts summoning Moodai, but shortly one of the Get and a Red Talon step out and order her to stop doing Rites at a caern without permission. Mathias asks if they could call forth the caern spirit. They look suspicious, but when he says they are after information they say they will ask their pack leaders.
Infinite Paths moves into the Umbra and summon Moodai at a respectful distance. While they are doing this, Miles and Flies-like-a-stone seem to have some sort of argument/discussion. Miles approaches and demands to know why they want to speak to the caern spirit. Mathias says that they are seeking information on the bunyip, and want to talk if it will come. Miles agrees and sets some of the other garou to summoning. Moodai appears and Dom asks if he knows anything about this caern. He says it is a long way away. She asks about the nexus crawler, and Moodai's attention fades out. When it comes back, he says that it was sent there specifically to stop them reaching the caern. He doesn't know why or how.
In the meantime, the spirit of this caern is brought forth. A glowing figure appears deep within the tree and appears to come 'closer' before stepping out and taking the form of a 15' tall aboriginal woman. Her and Moodai share some sort of communication before she addresses Dominique. Mathias tries to mindspeak her as normal, but is blocked by something. The spirit asks what Dominique wants. She says she seeks a remnant of the bunyip to be a vessel to assist their return. The spirit doesn't look ecstatic. Its tone is definately depressed. It asks her whether that is what she wants, or just what she is doing. Dom is honest and says that to begin with, it was only what Moodai wanted, but the pack is now committed to such an end. The spirit demands something in return to prove her good intentions. Dom agrees, and the spirit reaches out and takes some of her gnosis, draining her in a not pleasant, but not painful way before indicating that the pack may have what they ask and returning to the caern tree. Dom relates what happened and asks Moodai about the spirit. He says that she is very sad since the death of all her children, and does not believe that the Garou either can or want to return the Bunyip (not or, xor. She wasn't clear which was the true state, but it was one, but not both. Anyway).
Infinite Paths step into the Realm and looka round. On the ground is a finger bone of a homid. Mikal checks it out and says that it is a Garou bone, he's fairly sure it was a Bunyip and that he might have been a theurge. Dom puts the bone somewhere safe. There is some discussion as to where to go now. The Get and Red Talons are bid farewell (their attitude to the pack at the moment is good) and they return to their 4 wheel drive, which appears to have a ticket. The pack looks left, right, forward and back and cannot see anything other than scrub and this road, so don't believe it. When they get close, they see it is a note from Tom, who was the Etadunna police force. He was worried they were in trouble (no one in car) and asks that they drop in on the way back. They do, but only Dominique goes in, because the others are all sporting serious wounds. She goes back to the caern, and they head off, looking for a road to take them to Broken Hill and from there to Sydenee.
Stopping that night in Morodanah, Mathias sees something a bit odd.
Look.
What?
A brown hill
Oh
After driving all day, the pack swing into Cernonous' driveway about an hour after sundown. They see that there is already a car in the driveway, and lights on in the house. Dom jogs in and Cernonous says that he has guests - go around the back and upstairs. The pack does so, but Mathias sneaks around and finds somewhere to listen from - Cernonous' guest is a woman, and after a bit more listening, Mathias picks the voice: Inanna, the other Child of Gaia Jindabyne member.
After an hour or so, Cernonous sees Inanna off, and all but rushes upstairs. The pack spends another hour or so explaining all that happened. They speculate on who might have sent the nexus crawler, and come to the conclusion that a group of talented theurges could have done it, or a more powerful wyrm thing. Cernonous says that he would like to do some preliminary tests to find out whether or not the bone fulfills his needs. The pack, being a bit skitish to actually give him the bone, drive to his labs in one car, while Cernonous goes in another.
The pack kick around for a bit while Cernonous does his tests in triplicate. Dominique rings Emma and lets her know that they are ok. He finally straightens up and says that the bone is suitable. His next move is a bit trickier. He needs to find a willing mother for the potential bunyip clone. The pack ask him what his requirements are. Well, female obviously. Garou would be best in order to protect the foetus. Someone who can keep secrets, and can be trusted to keep this one. Young would be good. As Cernonous has been talking, he has not been looking at Dominique. The rest of her pack, however, have slowly been looking at her. Mathias asks if they can have a moment to talk things over. Cernonous leaves for a few moments. Dominique says "Yes" before anyone else gets a word in. The short discussion that follows is basically that Dominique is happy to try and do this. Cernonous comes back in and looks visibly relieved when Dominique says she is interested. Miranda asks whether he had alternatives in mind, and he says yes, there are a couple of other people who he had in mind, but that would mean letting others know. There is a discussion about who knows what he is doing. Cernonous has informed Darius, and he has told Michelle Leaps-Beyond-the-Reach-of-the-Wyrm. He has spoken to another couple of Garou, who if they consulted each other, might get an idea of what he might be doing. Infinite Paths says that they have told Cossack and Emma.
Cernonous says that he has some further tests and beginning experiments he would like to do. He will arrange for Dom to have a gynacological exam tomorrow, to see if she is able to be the host mother. In the meantime, Dom and Mathias go back to Cernonous' while Miranda and Mikal keep watching. Miranda talks to Cernonous about some of what he is doing. She more or less grasps the science, but Cernonous is cagey about the spiritual side of what he is doing (duh, he's a rank 4 theurge, and she's a rank 1 ragabash). He needs to be able to get enough DNA as a physical base for -
Miranda wakes with a start, looking at the clock. It is 4:30am. She vaguely remembers talking with Cernonous, but must have drifted off. Mikal is snoring in a chair. Cernonous says that she just drifted off to sleep a few hours back. Both of them are a little freaked by this, and Mikal wanders around to wake himself up. He has a good look at the campus, and gets an idea of which buildings have line of sight on the labs. Miranda checks out the Umbra - Cernonous' lab exists in the Umbra, and its quite pretty. It is also warded from the outside world.
Mathias and Dom shift change at about 8am. Miranda goes home to sleep. Mikal goes out and buys low-light binoculars and then to sleep. Cernonous arranges a referral for Dominique, who goes to a clinic and is prodded and poked. She comes back and Cernonous says he should know by the end of the day whether she is a suitable host. They kick around while Cernonous does mysterious things.
The pack get together at dinner and go off to have a meal. Cernonous has started to take volumes of notes when they get back. He says his friend rang from the clinic and yes, Dom is fertile enough. Cernonous will want to speak with her before things go much further, because the process is a bit intrusive. Dom and Mathias go back to Cernonous', Mikal and Miranda keep watch.
Mikal is stalking the grounds about midnight. Miranda is sitting in the lab, listening to the faint click-click sound of Cernonous typing in some of his findings in between some long term experiments. Miranda suddenly feels a flash of white light. She looks around and is about to call Mikal when there is a sudden barking roar and a cry of pain from where Cernonous is. Glass starts to be broken and one of the fluoro lights is smashed. Miranda launches herself into the melee - she can see a crinos-sized figure and Cernonous, sprawled over his computer and bleeding badly. The crinos is a bunyip. Miranda tries to block the bunyip from hitting Cernonous any more than it already has, to give him time to recover and defend himself.
Mikal is immediately opposite the labs, on top of the psych buildings when he sees this. He runs back a bit, puts down the binoculars and starts to call Mathias. He then takes a runnnig leap across the 40 or more feet to Cernonous' lab on the 3rd floor. Well, most of the way. As his phone is picked up, he plows into the window of the 1st floor of the building, smashes glass everywhere, bounces across the labs, scattering glassware everywhere. He panics and steps into the Umbra.
Mathis, nearly asleep back at Cernonous', is rudely awoken by his phone. He stumbles about, picks it up and listens for a voice. Instead he hears the sounds of smashing glass and a siren going off. Making a wild stab in the dark that something is happening at the labs, he speeds next door, wakes Dominique and the two of them leap into the Umbra, speeding along in lupus.
Miranda is still desperately trying to defend Cernonous as the bunyip spirit(?) wrecks the room. Alarms start going off, and the bunyip leaps them both and kills the speaker. Cernonous has made it to Crinos form, but it desperately wounded. The bunyip leaps back and goes Miranda, who tries to block the blows. The bunyip snaps her head back and drops her to the floor. She stumbles around a bit, but is then hit again, and everything goes grey. Her last coherent thoughts are of flying.
Mikal steps into the Umbra and plunges a floor. A storm is beginning to start up in the Umbra. He leaps up and grabs hold of Cernonous' invisible lab. Torturously, he climbs along and makes it in through an Umbral window. He sees the bunyip bone floating in space, with a weird light show, almost like lasers flashing from it back and forth. He steps into the Realm. In the flashing, buzzing light from the smashed fluoro tubes, he can see a crinos-shape ahead of him. He looks closely, and guesses it is a bunyip. He lets fly with a shotgun, and blows a glass cabinet to pieces. He lets fly again and seriously hurts the bunyip, then tosses the gun to one side. He bounds towards it and slices it with his claws. It falls to the ground, and begins to unravel. Mikal looks around the lab, looking for Cernonous and Miranda. He finds Cernonous, but he has been killed. Mikal looks around for Miranda, and it occurs to him that the windows that have been broken look a bit like a crinox silhouette. He looks out and down, and sees Miranda in a broken heap on the ground. He also sees the approaching campus security and hears the sound of approaching fire engines. Mikal leaps out the window and heals Miranda, biffing her until she changes to lupus to limp off less conspicuously (Look Bob, a dog with its entrails hanging out and one leg half torn out. Shit, put the thing out of its misery). Mikal finds his phone, turns to lupus and runs off a bit.
On their way there, Mathias sees a pair of dark coloured wolves about 200 metres ahead of him, skulking along in the same direction as the pair of them are. He howls out a greeting, and the two start and then run like mad things for umbral storm. Mathias and Dom give chase, but are outdistanced.
Mikal is lurking near the front of the bio labs when he sees the campus security show up. They rattle the doors and yell "Get Sam, he has keys" over the siren. Finally 'Sam' shows up and unlocks the door. The three campus security guys run in and the siren stops, making the fire engine sirens seem much louder. In a brief lull, Mikal hears a roar and a brief spluttering sound. He sneaks up to the door of the labs, and can smell human blood. Mathias and Dom barrel into the Uni about then and peek. They see Mikal. Mathias uses Mindspeak to contact Mikal, who briefly fills them in. Dom decides to step through to try and help in the Realm, but botches. In the Umbra, Mathias is about to step through as well, but stops when he hears a noise. From above, about where the Umbral manifestation of Cernonous' lab is, he sees two large forms jump from the sky. Both seem to be Crinos. One has very large ears. Almost bat like. The other notices Mathias and yells, then leaps towards Mathias, who steps sideways faster than he would have ever thought possible.
Mikal is handed a healing talen, and he rushes off to find Miranda. Miranda reviews her option and lets loose a Howl of Succour that almost wakes the dead. Mathias runs upstairs, over the bodies of three dead security guards. He looks rapidly around the lab, finding Cernonous' notebook and lab book before piffing them out the window. He can see the fire engines pulling up outside the building and starts to swear. Mathias wrenches the gas pipe out of the wall, finds two live wires and sparks them just as he steps sideways.
In the Umbra, things are a bit more passive, although the area is starting to loose some of the bright shininess that it had. He looks around for more salvagable stuff, but doesn't really find anything. Looking out from the broken windows, he spies something a distance away. It flaps closer and closer, and quickly reveals itself to be a bane. Mathias and the bane fight briefly before the bane neatly slices him half in half, and he drops to the floor.
Mikal finds Miranda and heals her up. The two of them confer for a few moments while watching the pretty explosion from the 3rd floor of the labs. Firemen start running in the door, some in breathers, some with lockbars for the gas. The panic about Cernonous' body and the shotgun as the light from the broken windows flickers and dies, with a faint pfft sound. A small crowd is starting to gather, security guards, random people at the Uni late, passersby. Mikal and Miranda bolt for the front door, Miranda is glabro. Mikal is tackled and dumped outside by two firemen, as Miranda ducks under a third and runs upstairs. Mikal battles briefly with the two firemen trying to save his life by not letting him into the burning building before using Staredown on both of them and getting them to run away. Miranda, meanwhile has made it to the second floor where she is bear-tackled by another emergency worker, banging her head hard on a railing of the stairs.
As Mikal comes barrelling upstairs, he sees two firemen carrying Miranda downstairs, and blood coming from her temple. A third is walking ahead of him, talking to them. Mikal comes roaring up the stairs and the third fireman whirls. Mikal uses Staredown on him. Having nowhere to go, the guy lashes out and kicks Mikal in the head, and then bolts out the space left behind. Mikal crashes to the next landing, bleeding profusely from the head. The two firemen rush downstairs and put Miranda down and try to treat him. He Staredowns one as Miranda, having recovered a bit, runs up the stairs again. The remaining fireman says "hey" and then runs away as Mikal reaches into his primal memories and says "boo".
Miranda reaches the top of the flights of stairs and bursts into the labs. The lab is covered with white foam, and there are four figures in emergency gear. She immediately gets down on her hands and knees and starts looking around. Two of the figures grab her legs and she is pulled out from the room, scrabbling futily at the ground. Mikal chooses this moment to arrive, and tries to knock the respirator from one of them. Miranda gets up as Mikal is half tackled to the wall, and finds herself facing the final two men. Mikal stares another one of them down, and he eventually runs screaming back into the lab. Miranda is grabbed by one of her opponents, and then grabs the other. One of them, sick of all this wrestling, tries to punch her out. Miranda takes it like a trooper and then spins his friend into him, knocking them both off balance.
Mikal decides enough is enough and tries to change into glabro form. How about crinos? No? His remaining opponent shouts for help down the stairs and then executes the most perfect pin he ever attempts. Too bad Mikal chooses this moment to actually suceed in changing form. However, the force of the pin is not lost, but translated - Mikal, now in crinos form, is suddenly pushed headfirst down the stairs, thumping his furry arse all the way to the next landing.
Miranda breaks free of her oppopnents and makes a break for the lab doors. One of them does a sliding kick and manages to trip her, so that she falls on her hands and knees just inside the doors of the lab. Mikal, having leapt up the stairs, scared the piss out of all three men still there, attempts to come into the room as Miranda stands up, blocking the door. Mikal gets hit by the rebounding door, knocked down and onto the legs of one of the firemen, who screams right in his ear. Mikal frenzies.
Miranda rushes around the half charred, all foamy labs. She finds Bessie/Wyrmslayer (the shotgun) and then Cernonous. There is a roaring screaming sound from outside, and then 6 quick shots in a row. She lifts Cernonous up, and starts heading for the office. As she dives into the office, two, or maybe three figures burst into the labs, diving behind lab tables and such. Miranda runs to the window and hurls Cernonous threw it. Well, more against it, with a meaty splat. At that point, the office door explodes, and people wrestle Miranda to the ground, and then push a gun into her face. Miranda is staring into a glabro face which looks at Cernonous and then half-snarls before emptying the gun into her head.
Time passes.
Mathias awakens in a small room. He is facing Herman Cartright and Mother Pasta, who is extremely pissed. Herman opens the conversation with "Your explanation had better be phenomenal." Mathias proceeds to spill his guts at length, explaining about them helping Cernonous, getting a token of the bunyip, coming back to Sydenee, posting a guard, seeing Black Spiral Dancers, bone being stolen, being butchered by a bane. Some point during the conversation, he realises that he is anchored to the wall by a silver manacle to his foot. Mathias asks about Dominique, and Herman sends someone out to find her. Herman and a still annoyed Mother Pasta leave, suggesting that they will be back soon.
Miranda is woken and consulted also at length. She is also manacled to the bed. She mentions the bunyip and Herman's face goes a bit odd, as Mathias had been talking about BSDs. Mikal is questioned, although he is netted to a wall and missing some fingers. Mikal also spills his guts. At the end of his explanation, Mother Pasta starts cursing him in Italian. Herman responds in kind, trying to calm her down. They leave. Dominique is rescued out of the gauntlet by Misery-Loves-Company, led by Eustace Blunt and questioned. In the end, the pack is brought together, and Herman and Innana, looking very upset, talk to them at length about the events of the night. Innana says that there will be a Council meeting soon, and Infinite Paths will have to be there to let all know of Cernonous' death. She leaves.
Herman suggests that the pack get the hell out before Mother Pasta comes back and tries to kill them. She is really pissed, not only about Cernonous' death, but also about the sundry following events, including the knowledge that there were Black Spiral Dancers near the caern. She has intimated that she thinks that Infinite Paths led them there (unknowingly) and thus put her caern in danger. Herman and Andrew (packleader of So Much for Subtlety) question them about the BSDs. At some point another member of So Much for Subtlety comes in and says that someone did Cernonous' place over early this morning. He and Andrew head off. Mathias asks if they can be of help following up the Black Spiral Dancers. Herman is quiet for a bit, and says that they could probably help with any mop up, if necessary, but for the moment, go away. The pack crawl back to a motel and crash for several hours after ringing Cossack and bringing him up to date a bit.
At about 7pm, Mathias is woken by his phone. It is Pox, who suggests that something eerie is happening that they might want to look at. Where were they? Paranoia runs rampant, and Mathias says he will meet them there, then rings Herman to confirm it was Pox. Finally sorting out transport, Infinite Paths run through the umbra. As time passes, it becomes clear that they are running towards a large umbral storm. They start running through high winds, and eventually find Pox and the rest of Streetsweepers standing a respectful distance away from a frenzying bunyip crinos. It looks exactly like the one that attacked Cernonous. It is also covered with small sores, weeping or bleeding, and being swirled around by hundreds of tiny banes. The rest of the Garou are swiping at them from time to time, just splatting them on Crinos paws. Pox explains that this afternoon, the Bunyip materialised and caused havoc in the Realm, between its destructive tendencies and then high winds and instant storm. After a time, the spirit breaks up and the storm starts to disappear. Dom and a couple of the Streetsweepers go and talk to Herman, while everyone else searches the area for the Black Spiral Dancers. They find a small corruption bane and a couple of pollution banes (the area being a bit industrialised), but nothing more than that.
Dom talks to Herman and a couple of other theurges. She puts forth the theory that the bunyip is being summoned by the BSDs and if they can break the summoning, then maybe they can save it. Herman mumbles something about spirit wards, but isn't really sure - most of the rites he knows are either probably insufficient, or he's not willing to effectively demonstrate them in front of a possibly wyrm-corrupted bunyip spirit. The possibility of cleansing talens comes up and he says he will see what he can do.
The pack cons Herman into lending them a car. They drive out to where the BSDs were first seen, but can't seem to locate it. They try from the Uni, and apart from the scent of Misery-Loves-Company they can trace two Garou scents. One leads straight away to the south east, the other back and forth a bit, then around in circles, heading vaguely west south west before vanishing in Redfern somewhere. The pack step out (2 crazy white people talking to their dog late at night in Redfern, in the World of Darkness... hmm) after spending a relaxing time in the gauntlet, leaving Miranda in the Umbra. They snuff around, but find nothing. They eventually escape back to their car without being tomatoed too much.
Infinite Paths decide to head back to the University, to see if they can pick up anything new. On the way they leave a message for Herman a the Rocks, asking him to call them. They sneak in, but the Uni is fairly quiet. Miranda finds somewhere quiet and changes to lupus form. The pack hunts around to see if they can find the notebook and labbook that Mathias flung from the window. The notebook is gone, no trace of it, but they find a dryish spot that looks as if the labbook was there until quite recently, as well as footprints leading up to that book. Miranda snuffs away, but finds that there is absolutely no scent associated with the footprints. "Oh" think the pack. "Good." Through the police tape and upstairs. There is the smell of many feet, mostly police and firemen probably. There is more tape over the doors to the lab. The pack hunt around inside Cernonous' erstwhile laboratory. Most of the fire retardant has de-foamed into a white powdery substance. They find that the computer's hard drive has been taken and the boards seem to have shorted out sometime. There are many pairs of footprints around the place. Most of the scent of humans, but some are familiar Garou scents.
In Cernonous' actual office, it appears as if the police may have gone through things trying to work out why he was attacked and kidnapped or killed. Dom suggests looking for a safe, and eventually finds one inside a cupboard. Miranda notices it is powered in some way, but pops the lock with no real investigation. The contents are refrigerated, and seem to be samples of some sort - some are in test tubes, others in sealed beakers. They are labelled, but the labelling seems reminiscent of both Garou pictograms and shorthand - Mathias thinks they are similar to the notes he saw in Cernonous' notebook. As they debate the matter, Mathias sneaks into the Umbra. The labs seem to have been damaged quite severely by something, but its unclear what. He sneaks back.
After some debate, the samples are removed from the fridge and taken in small eskies, heading back to their motel. Herman calls them on the way, and asks them about anything they may have found. They ask about the Uni, and he says that So Much for Subtlety were there, but much earlier than the mystery footprints. They let him know that many things are missing for the lab. Herman talks to someone locally and then says that they have Mikal's shotgun and a few other bits and pieces, but not the harddrive or anything important. The caern is planning to let the police do all the forensic work and then steal it. Herman mentions that he may have a cleansing talen for Dominique, but he'd like to talk about it at the caern. The pack agree, and say they will be 20 minutes. They drive to the motel, load their barfridge up with mysterious biological samples and then head back to the Rocks.
They are let in by Rana (member of So Much for Subtlety), who takes them to see Herman, who has his feet up and is having a beer. They swap notes for a bit - Streetsweepers and Misery-Loves-Company are out and about looking for the bunyip spirit, So Much for Subtlety are taking a break at the caern. Infinite Paths brain dump most of what they know at Herman - that someone has been sneaking about, stealing evidence. Herman hands over bessie. He also hands over a well-polished stick to Dominique. He explains that there is a fairly significant spirit bound into the stick and he had a hell of a time explaining to her what they wanted her to do - (scare off the corruption on the bunyip) - all in all he would prefer that Infinite Paths didn't have to use it, but it was available if they needed to. They shudder a lot and then go back to the motel.
Once back at the motel, Dominique, Mikal and Mathias, summon, find and convince a stick-insect to be bound into their fridge for a while and to hide it in plain site from the motel staff - it being a bit hard to explain why it is full of medical samples to the guy who comes to restock it. Mikal crawls into bed as Miranda, Dominique and Mathias spend a few hours deciphering Cernonous' scrawl. They come to the conclusion that at least 8 of the test tubes are partially processed samples from the bunyip bone. The other samples seem to be from thylacine bones, and human bones. Their translation is shaky at best, but these samples seem to be fairly important. They are just about to give up and go to sleep when Mathias' phone rings - a rather static-ridden phone call later, they are on their way to Balmain to find Eustance and Misery-Loves-Company. The storm has got worse and seems to be here to stay. Trees are down, power is out.
At Balmain, there is a swarm of bug-banes filling the area. Misery-Loves-Company are crouching behind some shelter and explain to Mathias that they have been watching the bunyip from a distance. It seems to be just randomly destroying things. The other members of Infinite Paths tap Mathias heavily on the shoulder, and point at the rushing bunyip. It gallops towards them, and people scatter. The pack tries to pin it, but it disappears. Mathias steps sideways but can't find it. Mikal looks into/through/within the gauntlet and sees it moving away. Dom and Mikal step into the Realm before the bunyip has pierced the gauntlet. As it appears, they leap on it and nearly pin it. It leaps up and away, but doesn't shake them. Dom and Mathias sit on it as Mikal does a cleansing. Miranda comes through and guards, having told Misery-Loves-Company to spread out and look for BSDs
As Mikal finishes the Rite, he is swamped by a number of quick impressions - the gnosis expended in the rite is taken by the bunyip and sent along a mystic connection to the bone - the bone lies in darkness, underground, in a false place, resting on tiles in some sort of pattern - there were a number of figures surrounding it, directing wyrm taint at it - the sudden influx of purity broke their concentration and dispersed what they were doing - the bunyip is very, very angry.... Mikal sits down on the ashphalt for a bit, and tries to calm down. Misery-Loves-Company show up and say they couldn't find anything. Mikal braindumps at everyone and adds that he thinks it was towards the sun, but that is the best he can do. They look at a map, and find that from Balmain, very few things are 'towards the sun', so that actually helps. Misery-Loves-Company head back to the caern, Infinite Paths go back to the hotel to sleep.
Around 8am, Mathias' phone rings. Herman asks them to come to the caern. Right Now. They all fall out of bed and head to the Rocks - it should be past dawn, but it is still night-dark. When they get there, they are directed into the Umbra. Standing above them is a 100' tall punk girl, head thrown back, looking into the storm, which is even worse in the Umbra. They wonder aloud what the hell is going on when Mother Pasta barrells up to them, accusing them of bringing disaster after disaster to her caern, first Cernonous, then the BSDs, then this! Her stream of abuse goes on for several minutes while Infinite Paths try to keep their cool. Eventually she stamps off to talk to someone else and Florence (caern warder) comes and speaks to them. Apparently the caern totem (the punk) manifested at dawn and has been sending her strength out into the storm - there is some supposition it may be to the bunyip, so Moodai is summoned to check it out. He climbs up her fishnets and disappears into the storm. Florence demands to know everything they know about the situation. Mathias wisely spills his guts, including the connection with Darious. Moodai comes back down from the spirit and says that she is sending all her strength to help the bunyip in some way. Moodai is asked to ask his children whether they know of somewhere that the patterned floor might be. He goes into a trance. Herman yells to Infinite Paths that the bunyip has manifested in Canterbury, so they grab the Streetsweepers and head off.
Police cars stop the traffic several times and suggest that unless they have to be out in the storm that anyone on the road go home and stay indoors. With the help of Streetsweepers, they get to Canterbury fairly quickly. The two packs split up and go looking for the bunyip. Infinite Paths find it fairly quickly, and Mathias lets out a howl, enhanced by Call of the Wyld (new! enhanced Call of the Wyld!) to summon Streetsweepers. It also summons some of the hundreds of banes in the area. Infinite Paths dispatch them fairly quickly, even though Dominique gets one caught down her throat. Mathias tries to use Mindspeak on the bunyip spirit, conveying that they are friends, here to help, need to know the bunyip's name and where the bone is. The spirit's quick response is that it amazingly angry at the Garou (but the anger is undertoned with a sense of despair and terrible loneliness), recognises them as the ones who helped before, does not know its own name... and it gives Mathias a quick impression of whence it came. It has fled from the bone towards the southwest. The bone is sitting amidst a pattern on the floor of a hollow space just below the ground. The pattern is of a dreamtime spirit, a bad spirit, of false beauty and feathers. It is being tapped to provide more strength to corrupt the bone. There is a group of beings around it.
The distraction of Mathias' call seems to cause a lapse in its concentration and the bunyip is almost sucked away. The pack finds Streetsweepers and head back to the caern via Redfern (which is in a worse state still compared to the rest of the city). They tell Florence everything they have found out and ask to ring Bartholomew Wise-in-the-Ways-of-the-Wyrm. He is home, but says that he was coming that way anyway. They describe the spirit and he says that it sounds like a Brolga spirit. He is heading off now, and should be there in 2 hours or so, but wants to speak to Florence first. She goes pale while talking to him, and hangs up. Mikal starts a questing stone rite, trying to find the Brolga spirit. He does extraordinarily well, and starts to get a response - before his stone explodes. Florence passes him, and hands him an automatic rifle - she comments that Bartholomew suggests that the description and the amount of sheer spiritual power being brought to bear leads him to believe that there is a Hive nearby. The others hear this and shudder a lot.
Mathias places a few calls and asks that Cossack send what help he can. He agrees and says that he will ring around and see if he can stir up some other people as well. The pack make a few preparations, and then consult with Florence. She suggests that some more precise idea of where the BSDs are hiding would be good. The Streetsweepers are starting at Coogee and working their way back, if Infinite Paths wants to sweep around, that would be of great help. Mathias points out it would also get them out of the caern. Florence just nods sagely. When can we get to be a caern elder, mummy?
The pack drive around with their newly aquired automatic weapons. They head out perpendicular to the line they have and try another Questing Stone. Mathias' stone explodes with no response. Oh well. They cruise around, sensing for Wyrm. They decide to scour Centennial Park and start picking up a considerable amount of Wyrm from some of the lakes. Mikal goes swimming without checking the Umbra. There seems to be a strong current - it could have something to do with the many hundreds of litres of storm water pouring out of the sky. Infinite Paths investigate for a bit, and find that there is a large pile of wyrm gloop in the Umbra where the surface of the lake is. It seems to be being washed down a grate and into the storm water drains, but the pack decides that it is obviously guarding the entrance to the Hive. They investigate around a bit and consider going and getting some scuba gear. The gloop is only in the lake closest to the west, although there is some indication that it is trying to move into the other lakes too.
Mathias' phone rings. It is Christine Elliot. She says that they are at the motel rooms that Infinite Paths rented as Cossack had some information for them. Could they come back and meet Hand of Lore? Mathias says sure and then stands there trying to work out whether its a trap. He looks at the phone's display again - there is no signal being received (because of the storm probably) and the last call was from Eustace Blunt - late last night. They head for a phone box, ring the Rocks caern and tell them about the lake, and say they are going back to the hotel. They then head for the Rocks. That'll fool em! Once there, they explain about the yucky lake. So Much for Subtlety get some stuff together, including two talens of air. Mathias places a call to Graeme who says that yes, Hand of Lore should be there by now. Cossack isn't available, he's off doing rank 4 things. Someone performs a Rite of the Questing Stone on Christine, and she is indeed in Sydney, but nowhere near the motel rooms. Mathias also calls Grinding Stone and gets Jana Jett. She says that Malajimbarra is not available - he's off doing some Uktena stuff near Pitjantara. Mathias suggests there will be a fight here soon, and she says that people are thinking of coming to play. They bid each other farewell.
To the lake! So Much for Subtlety let loose a few rounds into the lake to see what happens. Nothing. Oh well. Andrew and another packmember wade out into it and then go down the stormwater drains. Infinite Paths goes to find a drain entrance and yell down it, in case its not connected up. They eventually hear Andrew who says there is absolutely nothing down here, the wyrm peters out after a bit. They are wet and cold, and are planning to go back and destroy the gloop in the lake. Infinite Paths join them, and both packs splatter their way through what turns out to be a big puddle of corruption banes. That done, So Much for Subtlety head back to the caern. The pack is standing and debating what to do when Streetsweepers buzz past. They went back to the caern for a bit and were told about the lake, and thought they'd check it out. Mathias offers to start from here and head back along their line, if they want to go to the Sept and work outward. Pox agrees and heads off.
Hours past as Infinite Paths crawl across the Sydney countryside. It is slow and dull work, with that loverly edge of devastating consequences if they fuck it up, so they are all getting tetchy. They return to the car, soaking wet again and prepare to head off to the next spot 200 metres away. Miranda checks that the ak47 she scored is still there, and hears a tap tap next to her ear. It is a policeman, and he has four friends. They do not look happy. Maybe its the automatic rifle. The pack is commanded to get out of the car and lay down on the ground. They do this, except Mikal who tries to look innocent and gets knocked to the ground. He claims its a toy. A policeman takes the gun and has a look at it. Miranda tries to stop it from working, and make it look like a replica, but it doesn't work, and the policeman does not believe Mikal, especially when he sees the full clip of bullets. And the box of shotgun shells. They start to head towards the pack with handcuffs. Mathias has one arm cuffed and sweeps the cuffee off his feet, leaps up and starts pushing the other policeman off-balance. Dom also leaps up and runs towards a policeman, so he shoots her. She doesn't pay any attention, which unnerves him a little. She runs up and headbutts him, breaking her own nose and leaving her half stunned with a ringing sound in her ears.
Mikal and Miranda react to this sudden kerfuffle by changing form - Mikal goes to glabro and Miranda to crinos. Mikal runs over and tries to punch a cop, but just bitch-slaps him instead. The other cop plows into Mikal and knocks him over. Mathias leaves the two prone police and runs to the guy who is looking a bit strange at Dominique, punching him in the throat and knocking him down. Miranda runs up and tries to bodyslam a cop, but just bumps him as he shoots Mathias. Mathias yells ow. Mikal uses Staredown on the policeman on top of him, and he runs for the hills. The policeman whom Miranda is standing next to looks at her and puts his gun in her face and pulls the trigger (he has long arms). She gets cross and starts kicking him to knock him down. Mikal grabs the auto that the policeman dropped and runs over to get the clip. Mathias turns towards the policemen who are getting up as Mikal yells "Nobody move" and points the rifle at them. Dom runs over and grabs their guns, and it looks as if it is all going to be relatively pleasant for all concerned when Miranda kicks her cop in half, leaving him twitching on the ground with a broken spine and stopped heart. Mikal looks at Mathias, who looks sad but nods. As Mikal prepares to shoot the two surrendered police, one of them grabs Dom's hand and head, and spins her around into a human shield. Mikal puts a shot into his eye. He misses the fleeing policeman, and leaves the final two to Dom and Mathias who deal with them in a short and ugly fashion. Miranda and Mikal chase the final policeman to ground as the car is loaded up with bits of police. Dom, Mathias and Miranda go into the Umbra, where they proceed to kick Miranda to death. Mikal drives the car along the streets of King's Cross, along a pier and into Elizabeth Cove, stepping as he does so. The pack slowly makes their way back to the Rock's caern.
It becomes fairly readily apparent that if there is a BSD hive around, it is well hidden. Someone suggests maybe the Sydney tunnell, so Streetsweepers and Infinite Paths both leave and check the site out. After some brief searching around, it seems that it was not to be the case - the tunnel is full of nothing. Some confusing discussion about satellites and tall buildings happens.
The pack decides to see what, if anything, is happening at their motel after the bogus phone call. They drive back at a pace, and sneak up to the site. Mikal goes around the back and throws a branch through the window and bounds in. Nothing seems to have been disturbed, no Hive has been established in their motel. They check out Mathias' room. On the bed are 5 sticks. Much examination is done of the sticks. They are gum wood, recently worked in some fashion. They contain a spirit. There is no scent other than wood, and there is little scent of eucalyptus (says the GM, trying to hint that they are old). Mathias examines the wood closely, and thinks that the pieces were once all the same piece of wood - but there are bits missing. Mikal attunes to the spirit within. It is a strange spirit, an Epiphling. Being from a part Stargazer sept, they have some experience with such spirits, but this one is even weirder. It is a spirit of finding. It is attuned to the sticks, and also to something connected in some way to the sticks. Mikal cautiously activates one, and feels a strong pulling to the north-northeast. This direction is marked out on a map, and it crosses their previous line somewhere in King's Cross.
The pack leap into their car. The hoon along towards King's Cross, but are stopped by a headon with another car - a delivery van that seems to have swung out of control and into the wrong lanes. Mikal, in his concentration on the stick, had forgotten to put his seatbelt on, and shoots out the window of Pox's beaten up car and headbutts the delivery van, dinting it. The others get out of the car, and examine the other vehicle. There were two people in that car, and the driver has been killed in the crash. The other person has been badly wounded, so Miranda treats her a bit. Mikal shakes his head, and clears the rain from his eyes, just in time to see the stick he is holding suddenly shatter like glass. The other sticks are checked, and they seem fine.
The pack steals a 4 wheel drive. Eventually. They hoon off to the far side of King's Cross and use another stick, which gives them a better sense of where whatever it is, is. They drive around the back streets of King's Cross when suddenly the stick does a sharp left hand turn. The house it points to is just another in a long series of half-boarded up terrace houses. They drive past, and return to Ear-to-The-Ground. People are gathered together, and information is exchanged. The Sept elders are a little concerned as to where the sticks came from, and are worried it is a trap. It is decided to get some confirmation that the house is at the very least wyrm tainted. Mother Pasta sends Streetsweepers with Infinite Paths to reconnoiter the site. The two packs tool up a little and head off.
| reconnoiter \Rec`on*noi"ter\, Reconnoitre \Rec`on*noi"tre\ (r?k`?n*noi"t?r), v. t. [F. reconnoitre, a former spelling of reconna[^i]tre. See Recognize.] 1. To examine with the eye to make a preliminary examination or survey of; esp., to survey with a view to military or engineering operations. |
Once there, there is some discussion over whether they should approach through the Realm or through the Umbra, which is a near-match for the Realm (cos its old, like). Streetsweepers eventually head into the Umbra and Infinite Paths in the Realm. Infinite Paths move up to the house - it is a solid stone building, two stories, part of a set of terraced houses. The front garden shows some signs of care, and the windows are barred, not boarded up. After some discussion about whether they should get a car and drive it through the front door, the pack move up to the front door, which Mikal kicks down. Dominique and Miranda stay at the door while Mikal and Mathias go inside.
Mikal leads the way down a plain and ordinary hallway - there is a closed door at the end, and a stairway on the less. Suddenly, they all feel a spiritual-sound, almost a ringing sound as if something was released, but tainted strongly with Wyrm. The roof above Mikal disintergrates and a large black Crinos drops out of the hole. Mikal stumbles backwards as Mathias yanks on his collar. Another crinos appears at the top of the stairs and fires a shotgun at Mathias, who dodges to one side. Mikal empties both barrels of his shotgun into the BSD in front of him, but is surprised to find it has little effect. The crinos at the top of the stairs fires again as Miranda tries to get a clear shot at him.
Mikal fumbles to reload the shotgun as the BSD in front of him leaps and plunges the dagger in his hand into Mikal's chest. Mathias starts dropping back as the BSD with the shotgun leaps over the railing and down with a handgun out. Miranda takes advantage of this clear shot and fires a 3-round burst at them, but they mostly shrug it off. The BSD with the handgun fires once and Dominique flips backwards into the garden, the gaping whole in her chest spraying blood. The BSD with the knife runs forwards and slashes Miranda's throat open. Mathias leaps over to Dom and uses the talen to try and stem the flow of blood. Mikal, his wounds full of burning flame, leaps to his feet and slashes wildly at the BSD with the handgun as it empties the remnants of the clip into him with little effect. Mikal slumps to the ground, at the last tearing the heart from the BSD.
In the meantime, Mathias leaps to his feet, carrying Dom, and is slashed across the back by the BSD with the knife. He gets the drop on it, and steps sideways, and then bounds across the now pestilent Umbra using Leap of the Kangaroo. Miranda becomes as Rage, and uses the last of her life to kill anything nearby. As Mathias and Dom reach the spot where they left the car in the Realm, they catches up with two of Streetsweepers. Following them all are the other three, sprinting for all they are worth, and being chased by at least two more BSDs and a horde of banes. Mathias suddenly collapses to the ground screaming and holding his head with black gloop coming out of this orifi. Dom slaps him around a bit until he recovers, and then all the remaining Garou sprint back to the caern circuituously, but fast.
They gasp out their story, and the caern explodes into action. Over the next 30 minutes, packs are organised into combat rolls and a senior Bonegnawer uses a powerful Gift to stir the humans to start looting and rioting. Only 2 of Streetsweepers return in this time, and Pox is not one of them. Infinite Paths, the 2 Streetsweepers and a few other Garou not in packs or not fit enough to fight are left to guard the caern as they all move out.
Two hours pass.
The caern totem demanifests (not disintergrates) and the storm changes pitch. Garou wounded start to filter into the caern. After a pitched battle, the Hive was captured, but several BSDs got away with the heart of the caern and its spirit. Christine, from Hand of Lore captured the bone, but it was confiscated by Mother Pasta. Fully 1/3rd of all the Garou that went are dead. One of the missing Streetsweepers was found rocking backwards and forwards in an alley, but the rest are dead. Marion Perry died defending Alex her packmate. So Much for Subtlety lost two packmembers including Rana. All the remaining Garou are badly injured.
Dead Garou include:
The sun dawns on a ravaged city. Sydney has sustained several hundred million dollars worth of damage over the weekend, and its populace has apparently gone insane. The premier has declared a state of emergency, and a number of emergency powers have been invoked, including curfews and military presence in the streets.
Thousands of people were injured and hundreds killed. The storms of the weekend have been described as the worst natural disaster in Australia ever. Basic utilities are not expected to return to some parts of the city until at least next week. Almost every charity and society help group has turned out in the hundreds to assist those who have lost people or property.
Accusations of negligence have already been brought against the Bureau of Meteorology for not predicting the storm - their weekend predictions were for fine and sunny, and the microstorms that began on Saturday were completely anomalous. They have thrown their data open to anyone who is capable of analysing it and asked for confirmation of their original predictions.
Many people are missing, believed killed. Wild reports of attacks by monsters in the streets are rife. A few places have been... changed in ways that the authorities are having trouble explaining. The Veil is very flimsy at the moment.
At the Rocks caern, the mood is of a hard won triumph. Many Garou have fallen, but they have routed a Hive - even now, preparations are being made to cleans the area. However, that will need to wait until the many wounded are healed and the dead given their proper respect. Garou have come to the caern to offer their help in any way possible - Cossack shows up around lunchtime with The Scryers and sometime is spent with the Sleeping Lore people, offering comfort for the fallen. Cossack's presence does a lot towards redirecting the raw hostility that is being directed towards Mathias and Dominique - fair or unfair, they are being blamed for the precipitous actions of the day before. Discussing it with Cossack a bit later, he points out that the Jindabyne council are going to want a full accounting of what happened - the losses that have occured in the last month have been considerable.
The caern totem is chatted to by Herman, and he says that she felt the call of the bunyip and the strength of the corruption being brought to bear, and responded to it with her own power. As the totem is now responding, moon bridges can be opened, and all those from Sleeping Lore are some of the first to travel through.
Most of the rest of the Sept is waiting when the remnants of Infinite Paths and Hand of Lore arrive, and all of them seem to share their loss. Cossack says that as Sept Leader, he will contact the Defiance to the Wyrm Sept in Flinders and the Singing Sand protectorate in Perth to let them know of the loss of Mikal and Miranda respectively.
It only becomes clear towards the end of the day that there is no sense of Moodai, nor can either Dom or Mathias summon him. There is a distinct lack of his presence.
Mathias, Dominique and other involved parties are called to the Jindabyne council. Once there there are separated and interviewed. The Council are given a chance to ask questions at the end of the interview. At some of the questions, members of the Council object, at others, people just nod.
Dominique is interviewed shortly afterwards
Other packs and individuals are also brought before the Council, and it is nearly midnight before all are called to stand before the horseshoe table again. Innana leaves her seat and stands in front of the Council table.
"The Jindabyne Council regards this matter as being far from settled However, for the moment, we have reached the following decisions"
"Cernonous engaged in what he did of his own free will, and knew of the consequences. His death is unfortunate beyond words and his wisdom and kindness will be sorely missed, but his actions and their repercussions were his own."
"Regarding the pack Infinite Paths. In the course of their investigations, they willingly gave assistance to both the Red Talons and the Get of Fenris tribes. They were motivated by the best of intentions at the request of a Council member, and behest of their totem. They acting in a matter about which there is almost total ignorance and lack of any progress despite one hundred years of searching by the Garou."
"However, they were also responsible for the endangering at least one caern, and possibly a second. They are also responsible for the deaths of 3 of their pack, and possibily responsible for the deaths of the other garou who fell in the assault on the hive. They are also partially responsible for the deaths of hundred of humans, and damage done to mortal institutions, and to the Veil."
Innana pauses, looks down as if collecting her thoughts, and then looks up again, directly at Mathias and Dominique. "When one is pushing the frontiers of something, one must accept the responsibility for all the consequences of that endeavour. We deem it that your pack accepted your own fate, but that you had insufficient regard for the fate of others whom you involved. Actions taken and decisions made show a certain lack of forethought or wisdom for the possible consequences. It is possible that such a young pack does not posess the depth of experience necessary to consider the connotations of all their actions. Thus, taking into account their heavy losses, and the disappearance of their totem avatar, the Jindabyne Council has ruled that from this moment on, Infinite Paths no longer exists." There is a considerable stir from the crowd in front of the Council. "The Council refrains from acting against individual members of that pack at this time, but has decided that as far as Mathias Rourke and Dominique Lalor are concerned, all future matters pertaining to the Bunyip are to be examined only with the Council's knowledge and consent."
Christine Elliot steps forward and asks to be recognised - when the Innana does so, she asks in a clear voice what the council intends to do about the traitor. After the hubbub dies down, Christine says that during the battle, she was alone with one of the Dancers who laughed and asked "how do you expect to win when you are betrayed by your own kind?" This causes some consternation amongst the council. After a brief discussion, Innana says that they don't know whom the Dancer was referring to - possibly a reference to themselves.
The Council has decided to examine the bone fragment at the centre of the whole mess for themselves. The bone is to be given into the custody of the council. Mother Pasta gives it to Tjinderi Knowing-Smile.
Innana addresses the crowd at the last. "This matter is not closed. The council will continue to watch the participants in this matter extremely closely, and will act quickly if such a situation occurs again." The crowd breaks up and starts to moonbridge away.
Marion, Mikal and Miranda's funerals are held this night in the cemetary in the Umbra. Stories are told of each fallen Garou by their packmates and caernmates. The Sept is understandably a bit shaken about the death toll of the last month, and all seem to be as heavily involved in the rites as possible. Mathias is asked to speak of the deaths of Mikal and Miranda, and then Christine steps forward to tell of Marion's death.
Cossack touches a brand to each of the pyres, finishing the rite of Gathering for the Departed. "Marion Perry, Sings-of-the-Street, go to Gaia. Mikal Ahrens, First-to-Fight, go to Gaia. Miranda Heath, Quests-for-the-Lost, go with Gaia". Cossack then begins howling, which is taken up by the rest of the sept.
Dom finds Mathias and explains to him a strange dream that she had:
Dom realised she is sitting in a forest, and a large, reddish wolf spirit trots up to meet her. Dominique nods greeting, "You're back." Nothing like stating the obvious when you're not sure what to say.
The wolf says, "I have come, yes. I have a message." The wolf speaks in garou tongue, but it is mixed with concepts of spirit speech. The wolf says, "During the last moon, someone (ambigious|plural|singular) made a serious mistake. When they realised, they tried to rectify the situation as best as they could, but the one who was primarily responsible fled." The wolf says, "That one may seek revenge against you. Others seek to watch you more intensely than before."
Dominique tries to inhale a scent, and the scent she receives is ent you receive is entirely wolfspirit.. "Why do you tell me this? Who has asked you to bear this message? Is it a message for me(singular) or me(pack)? How will we know/find/defend against the one who seeks revenge?"
The wolf says, "I tell you because it is (necessary|right|proper) that you know. You, and the one who walks with you are in the most danger, but those to whom you are close may be hurt by the (anger|rage|innappropriate fury) of the one who fled. That one is one who is close to the spirit world - he has fled far and hid, but may return. Some seek to defend you from him, and will tell you when he approaches."
Dominique asks, 'What was the mistake made?
"This one is (not permitted to say|unsure of the truth).
Dominique asks, 'Who are /you/?'.
"I am wolf."
Dominique asks, 'Why would this one seek vengeance against us? Who is it who watches us? And why?'.
The wolf replies, "Because you are dangerous...."
The wolf fades, leaving just his eyes until they too fade.