Scion – Petro Campaign – Session 31
This account was originally found on Livejournal, I am not the original author—I am just a fan of the journal and have found reading it on livejournal clunky to navigate and rife with errors/instability (such as having to refresh multiple times due to the page in questions becoming unavailable often requiring multiple refreshes. The original post can be found here, published by DJ-Yomi, and was published on Aug 5th 2008
So, having dealt with all the formorians so far, we hiked deeper and deeper into the caves of Magh Slécht. The place was eerie, dank, foul-smelling, and cold. A feeling of rot pervaded the entire place, and it only grew stronger as we approached the body of Crom Cruach. Honestly, it was a far more…earthy…kind of atmosphere than that of Yomi, but something about it still reminded me of my own mother. Not that I’m suggesting she had anything to do with the place. She didn’t.
Anyway, we had to sneak through the caves for almost five hours. I didn’t want to give the party away again, so I cut off my music and drank the shadow potion that I’d gotten from some shinobi we killed awhile back, which helped make me more sneaky. And even though he’d normally be pretty obvious, Pierre was pretty subtle this time too. He and I are the sort of people who are seen, not the sort who hide from attention, so sneaking around is hard for us. ^_^
Anyway, we evaded the attention of any more formorians, and found the cavern that held the vast pool of water that could hurt the Black Dog of Cailleach (I remembered it’s name!). The pool was guarded by a couple of tough looking formorians and some odd crest-backed maggot-lizard thing (o_O). We were unsure whether to fight or not, so T-Bone volunteered to sneak invisibly to the water to gather what we needed. When he returned, with the water (conveniently stored in the 2-liter bottles Adam always seems to have around), he reported that there was another beast in the pool as well. It was some sort of gigantic conch with maggot-tentacles.
Anyway, we ultimately decided that while we were there, we needed to kill the beasts at the pool, if only so that they couldn’t cause trouble later. And so we did. I was going to mostly hang back and direct my friends in combat, but somehow Ray and Elisa convinced me to use the pistol I carry. I mean, it wasn’t going to do any good. It’s not like I know how to actually hit a target with it, and even if I did, I don’t know how to hit a target well enough to actually hit any weak spots and hurt it. The things we fight are tough enough to shrug off most bullets. But they were pretty insistent. After all, I wasn’t really doing much else, and since Ray and I coordinated our attack, I guess I made it a tiny bit easier for his blows to strike true.
Who am I kidding. Shooting at that shellfish thing was pointless. And Elisa and Adam made fun of me for closing my eyes when I fired. Now they’re on my case actually learn some marksmanship. *sigh* I guess they have a point. If I’m going to carry a gun, I should at least know how to use it safely. But I don’t think I’ll ever get good at it. It’s just not something I care about. Still, I appreciated their offers to help teach me how to shoot. ^_^ Elisa’s sweet, in her own way.
Speaking of which, Elisa has a secret! A good secret. She hasn’t chosen to share it with anyone yet, but I could tell, and we had a pleasant talk about it. Still, my lips are sealed. She’ll let the others in on it when she wants to, so it’s not really my place to reveal anything here. ^____^
Where was I? Oh yeah, the fight. It went as quickly and efficiently as usual, with T-Bone working his moon-magic to inhibit the enemies’ ability to defend themselves, and everyone else unloading the fury of the heavens on our foes. It was over pretty quickly. Ray kept the gigantic conch shell as a trophy. Mad Dawg had a fit when he saw it. ^_^
Anyway, we then had to hike another five hours out of the caves, and again managed to avoid the locals. By the time we emerged, it was almost noon. Still, none of us were the least bit tired (well, maybe T-Bone, a little), and the Black Dog was waiting, so we decided to go straight to the Isle of Skye to hunt the beast. I sent Tabby and Keiko back to the hotel with the van (and Ray’s conch) while the rest of us mounted Chase (Ray’s dragon), Rommel (Adam’s flying wolf) and Charlie (Anna’s Pegasus) and flew to the Isle of Skye. I rode with Ray. ^_^
Thanks to Anna’s insane tracking skills, finding the Black Dog wasn’t hard. It lurked deep in the forests on the island, but after about thirty minutes of hunting, we found it. Or maybe it found us. Either way, thick, dark mists enfolded us, obscuring sight and filling us with a deep chill. I think Adam and I were the first to see the hound (even if I could only do so thanks to Amaterasu’s blessings). It was a dark shape with red, glowing eyes and long, sharp teeth dripping with blood and rot, and I shivered as I watched it turn and stare right at us. It padded closer and closer, increasing its pace as it came until it charged Anna.
But while it approached, we had time to grant all the supernatural protection we could to Anna. A single hit from the hound could have easily killed her, so I used my power over life to grant her a greater capacity to absorb injury. Adam blessed her with good fortune, Ray lit her bat on fire, and T-Bone helped inhibit the beast’s ability to defend. By the time the hound was close enough to attack, Anna was as ready as she’d ever be to fight the thing.
The fight was certainly epic. I gotta hand it to Anna, she knows how to fight! T-Bone helped to make the beast easier for her to hit, and everyone else (except me) helped distract it with their own attacks, though no one really did any damage except for Anna. Ray spent most of the fight coordinating the rest of us. Normally, I do that, but Ray’s an incredibly multitalented guy, and he probably has a better understanding of tactics than I do, so he did a great job. We were able to keep the beast off balance from the start. Meanwhile, I dodged and weaved near where Anna was fighting, and ever couple of strikes or so, she held her bat back toward me and I splashed the mystical water on it, refreshing the power that let her hurt the beast. Pierre actually forced the beast to the ground and probably would have gotten a nasty bite had Anna not finished it off so quickly
In the end, Anna slew the Black Dog. So that’s one less nemean monstrosity terrorizing the world. ^_^ I mean, if something’s going to terrorize the world, it should be a natural part of it, right? Like youkai, or…zombies. ^_^ Not titanspawn. >_< Anyway, I got a great picture of Anna standing triumphantly over the corpse like something out of a Vallejo painting. And we were able to harvest its fur (to make some badass armor) and a fang, which I think Adam said could make a really good knife.
Of course, it soon became obvious that the fight had been watched. Numerous ravens began gathering on the surrounding trees. They virtually filled the area and stared at us, their beady little eyes piercing right through us. It was quite intimidating, really. We figured that the ravens must herald The Morrigan’s arrival, so we waited. And when she appeared, Adam and I stepped forward to greet her, with Ray backing us up. She was a terrifying figure with blood-soaked hands and a skeletal head encased in an elaborate helm. In the darkness of the helm, I could see piercing blue eyes regarding us coldly from her bony eye sockets.
I greeted The Morrigan courteously on behalf of the group, and she asked what we wanted from her (I guess she got word from Hobnail that we wanted to see her). And so Adam, Ray, and I explained that we wanted to encourage greater cooperation between the Tuatha and the rest of the pantheons. After a short discussion, I think we received her tacit approval, though she did ask some very pointed questions about the degree of our cooperation. I helped her understand that even though our group disagrees about things a lot, and even though we have some interpersonal issues, we’ve actually proven ourselves very effective at teamwork. And in my opinion, our difference, and our ability to work together well despite them, has made us even stronger than we’d be if we got along famously all the time.
Anyway, The Morrigan told us that she’d do as she see fit, not as her pantheon demands. So I don’t know if she’ll be open to greater cooperation with other pantheons in the future, but I think she will be. In any event, she made a really dramatic exit, erupting into a cloud of blood and ravens that flew in all directions. Her helm and graves fell to the gorund and rusted instantly…I think Ray kept them. He loves hi souvenirs! ^_^
I look forward to being able to do cool stuff like that when I become a goddess. ^_^
Oh, one other thing. She told Ray she wouldn’t hold his father’s vices against him. I guess Raiden’s hit on her once too often. Which probably means he hit on her once. Fortunately Ray is not his father. Sure, there are some echoes there, but really Ray’s pretty different from the Raiden I’ve met. Different in a good way. And I think The Morrigan saw that. ^_^
Shortly after returning to Donegal, Adam phoned me up and asked me to meet him a Ray to see Siobhan, without anyone else. I was intrigued, and joined them in the garden park. It turns out Adam needed the blood of a leanan sidhe for some sort of occult thing he’s working on. He also needed the tears of a banshee, and apparently Aife provided those, even if they weren’t hers. Adam seemed a bit worried about how Aife got them. Maybe I’ll ask her. Anyway, he needed some of Siobhan’s blood, and she was naturally reluctant to part with it. She was, however, willing to enter into a sort of oath in exchange for the blood. Adam, Ray, and I had to swear an oath, and if we break our word within the next year and a day, horrible things will befall us. But as long as we don’t harm any leanan sidhe who are associated with the Tuatha, we’ll be fine. And I know I for one have no intention of doing so anyway. I am rather flattered that Adam considered me specifically when he chose people to take the oath though. I hope that’s a sign of trust.
There was one other boon granted to us for the oath. I chose to have fate work for Tabby since she’s sorta my bodyguard, so as long as she’s acting on my orders, fortune should favor her. And apparently, if I manage to acquire any other elite shikome, it’ll work for them too. That’ll last until someone breaks the oath or it expires in a year and a day, and Siobhan offered to renew the oath then if I wanted. We’ll have to see. ^_^
So now we’re hanging out in Donegal, waiting to meet with the Tuatha before we head back to the States. I’m sure they’ll let us know when they’re ready. In the meantime, I’ve been trying to relax, enjoy Ireland, and get to know a few of my shikome better. I really miss Echo, though, and hope to go home soon. She sounded fine on the phone, but I could tell she missed me too. Our conversations get more and more amorous each time I call.
Fortunately, my shikome haven’t really been causing too many issues, per se, though as usual life with the shikome is interesting. First off, Tabby and Sera are having a bit of a tiff over Kaori. Tabby likes Kaori an awful lot, which is one reason she treats her so roughly when others are around. I actually asked Tabby about that, and she says it’s because she feels weak to Kaori’s charms and doesn’t want Kaori or the other shikome using that against her. She’s gotta maintain a strong front. But in private, she’s sweet and nice to Kaori, who she kinda sees as “hers.” Unfortunately, Sera was sort of hitting on Kaori. Nothing came of it…but it pissed Tabby off. And it actually pisses me off too. Sera is not really bisexual. I know that well enough. She’s just incredibly lonely and full of remorse over Amy’s death. And I imagine Emilie had a little to do with Sera’s behavior too, because Emilie can be a manipulative little trickster when she wants to.
Anyway, I need to help Sera find a guy. I mean, she needs someone badly, and not one of the shikome. Her loneliness is really affecting her judgment. She’s been a good caretaker for the shikome, but it’s obvious that her nagging regret over Amy is going to keep making her do things she’ll probably regret. So I’m going to have to have some of the others look after the shikome, and I’ll keep Sera with me and Keiko from now on.
That brings me to Ray. I was trying to think about who might be a good match for Sera, and it occurred to me that Ray’s followers…well, Michael or J.P. specifically, might be good for her. They know her, they’ve fought together against the titans, and they’re aware of the supernatural. I mean, I really think that Sera needs someone who knows about all the supernatural stuff we deal with. That way she can really be comfortable about who and what she is, which is what she needs. So I asked Ray if he’d see if Michael or J.P. are at all interest in going out with Sera to see if anything clicks.
Ray and I also talked about his dojo. I nagged him about never inviting me to see it, and so we arranged for a visit soon. And we also arranged for him and his followers to teach my shikome how to fight. I was a little…hesitant to ask him about that because I know he dislikes the shikome. But they are soldiers on our side of this war, and the better trained they are, the more effective they’ll be. And I’m also hoping that he can help instill better discipline in them. I’ve done what I can to instill the Amatsukami virtues in them, but I’m sure Ray will help a lot.
After thinking about it awhile, he agreed. I’m so happy! I’ll have to be sure to warn him about all the little quirks my girls have. ^_^
Speaking of which, I figured something out about the four latest shikome (Kaori, Emilie, Sophie, and Steph). Through some odd twist of fate or divine providence, they each seem to represent a different aspect of…shikome-ness. Emilie’s the crazy one. She most strongly manifests the shikome insanity…though it’s a quiet insanity, not the sort of raving violence usually associated with shikome. Violence is more Sophie’s thing. Sophie represents the shikome hunger. That’s why she’s so insatiably cannibalistic (not that I let her indulge those cravings very often). Kaori represents the desire to reproduce, which is why she’s always thinking about ways to justify biting other women. I mean, she’d much rather turn a club full of women into shikome than she would attack or eat them, whereas Sophie’s just the opposite. And then there’s Steph. She represents the ecstasy of being a shikome. That’s why she’s so mellow. I mean, she’s perfectly happy to just dance the day away, and the only time you really see her manifest other shikome tendencies is when she can’t dance.
Anyway, I thought that was interesting. What really made me realize it, though, was a talk I had with Emilie recently. That talk convinced me she was pretty damn insane…almost schizophrenic. I didn’t set out to talk to Emilie at first, though. First, I wanted to talk to Kaori about Tabby’s treatment of her. I was a little worried, and didn’t want Kaori to feel abused or despised because of the way Tabby treats her. I treasure all my shikome, and wanted Kaori to know that. Anyway, as we talked about Tabby and other things, somehow Keiko came up.
To make a long story short, it came to my attention through Tabby, Kaori, and Emilie that Keiko, though trustworthy, is good friends with Miko. I knew that already. Keiko’s known Miko since Miko became a shikome. But I didn’t realize how much they remain in contact. They still talk on the phone regularly. I can’t begrudge that. I mean, technically speaking, Miko isn’t an enemy in the larger sense. But she is kinda my personal nemesis. I really fear her desire for me and what it might make her do. I mean, I already know she wants Echo out of the way. So Tabby suggested I speak to Emilie. Emilie’s a voyeuristic little sneak, and so she’s always spying on people and picking up on little tidbits of information.
So I asked Emilie about Keiko and Miko. I won’t go into detail…suffice it to say that Emilie’s a rather colorful conversationist…and she can easily creep you out if you’re not careful. She knows more than she should. I guess it’s the clarity of madness… And I have to admit that something about it really got under my skin. It didn’t just creep me out, it kinda turned me on. But not to the extent that I was tempted to do anything I might regret.
Anyway, by the end of our discussion, I felt pretty comfortable in Keiko’s loyalty. I actually feel absolutely terrible that I’ve been doubting it so much recently, because I really do trust her. In fact, I believe that her loyalty to me is such that Miko could drive her to commit suicide before she’d betray me of she were forced to make such a choice. I don’t think Miko would do so intentionally, though.
So I’m worried about Keiko. I can’t lose her. She’s one of my best friends, and I rely on her more than I can really express. She’s been going through a really hard time lately, and I just hope that I can find the strength somewhere in this divinity of mine to help her through it. *worry*
But aside from that, I think I need to meet with Miko to reach a mutual understanding. Although my fear of her is in some ways a delicious counterpoint to the joy in my life, and therefore empowering in a way, I can’t go on anxiously waiting for her to try using my friends against me. So I asked Keiko if she could arrange a meeting soon, just me, Miko, and Keiko (Tabby and Echo would really, really complicate the issue). Keiko agreed gladly, and she helped explain a little of what Miko’s thinking now. What she told me gives me a good idea of how I can try to relate to Miko. Hopefully I’ll be able to figure her out a bit better soon and she won’t be such a potential threat. Given the escalating war with the titans, I’d rather not have to deal with enemies on my own side as well. We’ll see what happens.