Episode 8

The eighth session of the campaign. As the finale, was split into two for the longer time, and more time ensued after this episode during a break between Chapters. Surprisingly, only one irl convo occurred, but there was a two-shot during the hiatus so somewhat appropriate.

## Summary

### Episode 8 Part 1

We return to Mischa and Levy near the clearing where the first encounter with Ghost first went down. Running towards them is Jacob, who gets intimidated(?) by Mischa's channel divinity spell, then Mischa immediately comes back to 'dig hole.' Jacob in his weird form, looked down at his scabbed at claws where it looks like he'd been trying to get them off. When suddenly, Ward calls Levy! They're in the tunnels being chased by something, soon hearing a familiar voice in the distance. Ward tells Levy to get the headache book to Fletcher, saying he won't want it but he *needs to have it*. And Ward promises to keep running. And ends the call.

Mischa kind of hears the call and remembers they grabbed Ward's bag with some books inside. Levy wants to go after Ward immediately with Mischa, but knows he has to 'do his thing,' not having Hunted in a while, but he insists it can wait. It is debated ooc on how tracking down Ward will count as a Hunt, which did not have a concrete answer. They know there's a way to the tunnels in a nearby farm. Mischa turns to Jacob and says they'll deal with him later, Levy hopping on Mischa's back as Jacob boils upon Mischa and Levy's competence.

As they get to the farm, we cut to Abby back at the mansion. In the middle of the night, she sneaks out to the room with the safes. Abby speaks to whatever to help her open the safe. Her hand moves, and she can't tell if it's string or another hand moving it, but it goes to the lock. Before being yanked back then tracing something onto the side of the safe. Abby panicked though, and lost it. She pleads for a response, and she gets one. It's like someone kneeling in front of them grabbing her hands. Something whispers in her ear "Find them before it does." Abby sputters, but it just progressively louder says "Find them!" before Abby swings at it. For a second she sees dark brown hair and golden glasses. She actually gets a long wait as she goes outside and smokes until passing out.

Later Fletcher gets up and finds Ziggy in the kitchen. They check down the hall on Mischa. Surprise, bitch ain't there. Fletcher goes and checks on the safes, still there and totally fine no one touched it. Or the bed. Window's open though. Fletcher begs for someone in the group to go to therapy. Ziggy is better! But having a tad bit of a breakdown. But a chiller one! Not helped by Fletcher catching up Ziggy on... *everything*. Go watch the video, it's comedy gold. Ziggy thinks all trans men might be werewolves for a second and tries it. Good shit. Blair and Mags wake up alone respectively, hearing... all of that, from their rooms. The four of them converge in the kitchen, Abby coming in shortly after. We Stan Ziggy. Mischa and Levy are still gone. A light argument ensues as there is a hand outside the window :) In front of the driveway before going into the woods.

Cut back to Kitty and Levy! They find a well sized hole and after a bit inside they find Ward. Dead. Curled up into the wall, an eye gone, colder than Levy. Kitty turns back into Mischa and tried to heal them, but they're gone. But, there's something familiar to Mischa, something similar to when he died. He picked up Ward and the two leave the hole, notably around 7 then, to the mansion. They get back, and see the hand! They go through the backdoor instead, and come back in. Ziggy seeing Mischa carrying a dead body. Another debate ensues, assuring Ward would be fine, if the group should leave or stay, should Ward be close to the safe only they could open, and Abby saying to carry the books would be easier than carrying the safes. Mischa brings up the book that Ward talked about, the one that Fletcher needed to read.

Fletcher backs up and sees a... pink diary on the table. Levy assured the book didn't hurt them or Ward, but maybe Fletcher could read a book. Abby covers for her safe cracking as a vision, thinking it could have been Ward. They recount that part, thinking 'get them' could relate to their death. Mischa goes to get the book out of the bag, but book's not in the bag. Books in Fletcher's hand. The book seemed to take different forms; pamphlet to Levy, the script from the movie to Abby, Blair's Ebony Crest map to Blair. After a second everyone sees a thick leather bound book. Ziggy comes out of the bathroom, sees whatever Fletcher is holding, and immediately goes back to the bathroom. Levy goes to the safe, nearly vomits, Mags following behind them laughing.

Fletcher opens up the book. "A Guide to Rituals," with 3 scratchy eyes scrawled in. Fletcher immediately closes and the debate goes back to dealing with either the hand or Tall Nick. Levy tries to pocket the safe and that's why they were ill, and Mags and them have a little spat about it. Levy refuses to leave the safe, even with the burning ring in their pocket.

New figure outside in front of the driveway! It's the Director! The group sputters about escaping, possibly ok with a hit and run charge, and Fletcher goes and tells Ziggy what's going on in the bathroom. Ziggy comes out and apologized to Mischa about how they reacted when first told. And Mischa is a wolf, and that is ok, Ziggy is happy for them. Also Ziggy made a fuck ton of unlit Molotovs. They kiss Mischa on the forehead, tells Fletcher don't die and sprints up the stairs. Blair, during that entire discussion, looks and finds runes like from Ward's place, all around the windows and corners, and little glass ornaments with weird red shapes in them. There was a reason they were stopping at the drive way. And since Jacob lives somewhere else, the runes probably weren't made just for him. The group discussed again a new plan, and Abby talked about wanting to go outside and talk to Howell, thinking she can get some information out of him. She dismissed it after insistence on people needing to stick together or no one going alone.

During this debate, Fletcher's read the book! And Mischa was talking to Ward's corpse, trying to convince them to come back for Levy. The book was mostly blank, except for one page near the back. It said "Current:" with a smiling mask with brown cheeks beside it. There's faint indents of ink and letters, and Abby, Mags, and Blair see a dim outline of a third eye appear on Fletcher's forehead as she looked.

A detailed description of something called "The Unknowing." A detailed plan and the next page said "Plan B: Reviving the Ringmaster. In the case of the host - Current: Nikola Orsinov - is disposed of in the Unknowing, instructions provided in how to revive the Ringmaster." And went on to speak about someone figuring something out, Nikola who's turned into a big player for the Stranger, but Fletcher knows nothing about it. "Bringing about each Fear, touching a mortal body, bring about those bodies, their Unknowing, their Fear will feed into the Ringmaster, it will bring the circus alive. 14 are required. Preferred alive, okay dead. A servant of the Stranger is required none the less. They will be the body, the host. Must be completed before the frost dies." Before winter is truly over.

### Episode 8 Part 2

After Fletcher read out what was in the book, Abby points out her association with the Web, Mags with the Dark, and Fletcher is, 3 of us in unison say, Eye. Small discussion over that revelation. Abby starts to ask Blair something, but Mags talks about how the Dark is in it whether the group likes it or not. They speak about how the ones outside are looking for a way in or want us to break it. Mischa points out, how could they get in. Abby brings up fae rules, that the group was invited in.

The team agrees to leave the safes with Levy, and the group agrees to a split; Mischa stays with Ward's corpse, Levy stays by the safes, Fletcher and Blair check out the basement, Mags sets up traps outside the room with safes, and Abby would be look out in case anything changes. Blair gives Abby the stranger danger necklace and the group goes off.

The basement is bolted up, and Blair brings out her crowbar and gets it open. Fletcher points out its the fourth weirdest thing this week so barely questions, but Blair tries to assure her otherwise; saying she learned how for a reason. They agree to talk about it later. The basement looks normal, with a fuck ton of wine, notably old lanterns, and a huge ass wooden trapdoor. There's so much wine down there! The room seems empty of people though. Blair asks if Fletcher had any idea about the Eye, and they say they weren't sure. The conversation ends awkwardly.

And we cut back to Abby.

#### *Side Chat*

Irl Convo during the hiatus, "*The 3rd-8th Wheels Kicked Out Discussion*" ensued.

The rest of the group shuffled into a kitchen, Mischa immediately going to wash dishes to distract himself. Blair not wanting to fight simply asks Abby if she wants anything, to which she refuses. Fletcher brings up how Ward is alive, Mags joking that they'll have to see if they start rotting - making Mischa zone out and insist Ward aren't dead and he isn't either.

Fletcher and Mags send out the idea that maybe the group could fill or hide the entire safe in concrete. The former brings up how easy it would be, but agree that it'd be difficult to approach Ward about it right then, saying maybe asking Levy do bring it forward. But from there Mischa started zoning out. Mags tried to get him out of his mind, but when they get him out Ward calls in the group.

#### Summary Continued

> Next Session: Episode 9
>
>

Episode Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1rbeAKfa\_k & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j\_qeYHE\_u8g