Session 09

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The party escapes death, and upholds a deal.

## Characters

* The Party
* Hollis Tucker
* Naberius MacLaughagan
* Zacharie Toure
* Nate
* Eben
* Turret
* Carly
* Pax Furyk
* Catalina Adams

## Summary

The person the ghouls attacked in the alley is very dead, and the party decides the best option is to run away from the ghouls. However, ghouls are very fast, and when it becomes obvious they are catching up Sam turns around and stabs one of the ghouls, at which point it's time for the party to fight for their lives.The fight is mostly distracting the ghouls in succession, so their focus is never on one person for long enough to kill them. Nyx gets pretty torn up and loses her crowbar, while Colby tries and fails to shoot one of the ghouls. The ghouls are left with enough damage that they're taken out of commission, so while still alive they can't do any more damage.

At this point, the party is able to leave for Asa's apartment to get some basic patching up at 4 in the morning, and Sam manages to convince the party to visit Hollis before trying to get in contact with MacLaughagan. Nyx is curious, having only ever heard of Hollis, while Asa and Kuno will not be attending.

### **Don't Bring Demons Here, He Said**

##### **Sunday, November 8th, 542:**

The next morning, Nyx, Sam, and Colby stop by Hollis's apartment. Characteristically, he isn't happy to see them, but is willing to answer their questions. He doesn't know much, if anything, about Lower Plane illnesses, but based on knowledge a friend of his had and the description of the growth in the sickroom Nyx gives, he says it's likely a demon got pissed that their deal was being neglected and set up a time bomb to kill all the kids. According to Hollis, the only way to deal with something a demon did is with another demon.

When the three of them return to Nyx's apartment to meet Asa and Kuno, Asa has locked Kuno in Nyx's bathroom. Sam, Nyx, and Colby explain what they learned from Hollis, and the party debates the best way to get MacLaughagan's attention that Nyx's doorbell (which has been broken for some time) rings, and when Nyx answers the door she reveals MacLaughagan.

He had heard the party might need his help, and was on his lunch break, so figured he would drop by. The party explains the basic situation, which MacLaughagan had known was something to do with the warehouse but not the specifics, and MacLaughagan says he has a day off next weekend, and could check out the situation then--he has more enemies than friends among his fellow demons, and is likely to be willing to mess with another demon's plans. The party, lacking any better options, agree, and have a week to kill.

### **Magic Drugs**

##### **Tuesday, November 10th, 542:**

Over the week, on her way back from the grocery store, Nyx sees an irregularly large crowd on the street. Pushing her way to the front, she recognizes Zacharie doing a street show, and exhibiting better magic than Nyx has seen him do ever. When he sees her in the crowd, Zacharie finishes his act, and is excited to see Nyx. He shows off how much money he got from this show, and when asked about his sudden magical proficiency, tells Nyx about some drugs he found through the grapevine, and gives her his last dose, for a rainy day. Nyx tries to interrogate him about the drugs, but he doesn't know anything, and heads off to get a meal with his latest haul. Nyx also acquires a gun license.

##### **Friday, November 13th, 542:**

Colby is out at a coffee shop, picking up a hot chocolate for himself, when he is run into by an anxious man who introduces himself as Nate, and insists on buying Colby a new drink.

### **Problem...Solved?**

##### **Saturday, November 14th, 542:**

On the weekend, the party takes the long train trip and walk to the warehouse district. They pass through the same block that affected Sam and Colby last time, but the terrible feeling has vacated.

The party meets Eben after wandering around the district for a bit, who leads them to the right warehouse, where they find MacLaughagan. Turret is unimpressed, to say the least, but, lacking in options, spends an hour untangling the Web enough to create a doorway for MacLaughagan (and the party) to enter through. MacLaughagan is disgusted by the growth in the sickroom, telling Turret he made just the right enemy, and says the problems should be fixed in a few months.

On the way out, he notices Carly and her fire hands, and after checking through a list sees that she isn't on "the record," which means he can do something about the fact that the fire hurts her. In exchange for a chocolate caramel she had, he draws the fire creature out of her hands and crushes it before giving it back and proceeding to leave.

### **It's Time to Fight the Cops**

The party travels back to their area of the city, and stops at Back At 'Za before ending up at Nyx's apartment. Nyx brings up the drugs she learned about from Zacharie, and Sam wonders if they could be connected to what he heard from Kitty and Silas about folks going missing.

The party doesn't have very much time to talk, however, because Pax shows up half-consious and bleeding from what he cites as an encounter with COAST. Asa heals him, though isn't able to do anything about an odd wound he has that's resistant to magical healing, and he has a shower, before pulling out his file folders and digging through them. Asa recognizes a photograph of two blurry figures as matching the photograph he has of the people who took his family, and demands an explanation.

Pax has been looking into Eldridge's operation, which is difficult, akin to tracking ghosts, but he has a few names and a starting point: Hattie Cline, Astra police officer, who operates out of a district on the other side of the Toska District. Pax figures if he goes down the line of people, someone will be able to lead him to Eldridge. He has basically no information on the people who Asa recognizes, aside from a few blurry photographs, but does know that someone called Devereaux is connected: he shows up enough that Pax managed to get a surname.

COAST has also been encroaching more than usual--apparently, everything is going wrong all at once, including the increase in ghoul population. According to Pax, getting bit by a ghoul or getting any of its fluids inside of you is a good way to get turned, but if they are damaged enough they stay down, because they don't heal the way upyr do.

After hearing what Pax has to say, and that the party is likely going up against an Astra police officer, Asa calls Cat to ask her advice. According to her, fighting an Astra officer is a good way to get killed, but if they can be caught off-shift and the party manage to get their gun away they might have a chance.

## Quotes

**James:** "Colby you're like Jesus right, can you like *"begone, thot"* these things?"

**Abby:** "I don't think we can make any plan that will survive first contact with MacLaughagan."

**Parker:** "I think that any day we manage not to perish is worthy of celebration."

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