A series played using Secrets & Shadows. This post is published under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 licence.
Oracle Question: Is moving ahead via a scene change okay? Yes [5] No [4]
Ten minutes later we were outside the Local History Museum. I tried to keep my hand steady as I unlocked the side door, glad that it was shielded from view by a tall hedge. I crossed my fingers and hoped that the alarm code hadn't changed since the last time I'd helped open up several months ago.
Oracle Question: Is it still the same code? Yes [6] No [1]
As I hastily entered the code the alarm stopped its countdown to sounding. Silence fell over the museum like a cloak. From the corner of my eye I noticed Everette pacing and gesturing. He appeared to be whispering something under his breath while moving his hands through a complex series of motions. He did this across the side door, and then turned to ask where the other entrances were.
Striving: [4] [2] +Faerie +Glamour = 8
Partial: Gain a condition, Reveal off-screen badness
The door air around the door seemed to shimmer as in a heat haze; I found that the harder I tried to focus my attention on it the more my mind slid off of it. Everette stood patiently for a moment and the repeated his request more firmly. I looked at him and for a moment I swear I saw some kind of shifting pattern of light around him. I shook my head, first the door and now this; I really hope this isn't the onset of a migraine. Pushing that thought aside I motioned for Everette to follow and began navigating towards the main entrance.
[Museum gains the condition "partially concealed"]
Meanwhile...
As the pair strode back to the car Leigh's face was a mask of cold fury, Jocelyn knew her mentor had an intensity but had never seen them this angry. Leigh opened the rear door and hauled out a black canvas duffle bag. The contents clattered together with ominous intent.
"If the wand isn't enough, then maybe this will do the trick" Leigh muttered grimly as they slammed the car door. Jocelyn shifted nervously and gripped the wand a little tighter.
We stood side by side in front of the large oak doors of the museum. They towered over us and I realised it had never really occurred to me just how prominent they were. Apparently Everette was thinking along the same lines, he turned to me with both hands outstretched.
"Regrettably Oak, like Hawthorn, has never been a close ally of my family. Jon, I will need your assistance to ward this door."
Striving: [6] + [3] +Witch +Magic +Faerie +Glamour = 13
Success: Gain 2 points of Currency (full concealment)
We held hands, Everette chanted softly in a language I couldn't follow, maybe Gaelic? My head began to swim and I felt unsteady. Just as I was certain I was about to fall I felt arms around me. Everette had one arm across my back and one palm pressed against my chest as he led me to a nearby chair. As he gently lowered me into it his face was pale. He seemed drained somehow and yet still deeply concerned for my wellbeing.
"Even our combined working will only last so long. We must gather ourselves and prepare a more lasting solution to our problem."
"Our problem?" I wasn't so far out of it that I didn't catch that. "This is your problem. My problem is you." I rose from the chair, wobbled slightly, and then did my best effort at staggering off in a huff towards the curator's office. That was always much safer ground for me, a place where I'd learned so much and spent so much time.
Oracle Question: Is there a mcguffin in this room? (Unlikely) Yes [5] No [3] [2]
My route took me near a small but prominently placed display case of items for the upcoming exhibition on folk magic. The case contained the handwritten notes of the Victorian collector who founded the museum, along with some items from the exhibition collection; a long wooden spoon carved to resemble a ram, an old leather pouch thought to contain human hair, and a small wax-sealed jar of pickled apples. It's the jar that caught my eye, I'm sure I didn't bump the case but nonetheless the jar trembled as I passed by. Fearing the worst and knowing I had a stash of painkillers in the office I pressed onward.
Oracle Question: Is there a mcguffin in the office? Yes [5] No [4]
The curator's office was filled with the usual clutter of paperwork, an overflow of books from the small museum library, and a few pieces in a state of makeshift conservation. One such item in the process of being attended to was an item from the archives, not normally on open display. It was cloak or cape, it had a very simple design that suggested the understated elegance of a much more expensive garment. The history of fashion isn't my area and I wasn't familiar with this item. To be honest I had no idea the museum archives had anything this old or valuable.
Oracle Question: Will Everette steal the first mcguffin (apples)? Yes [3] No [5]
As I sat in the armchair which was crammed in between a bookcase overladen with books and a desk overflowing with paperwork, a tumbler of water clutched in my hand. Following a tentative knock the door opened and Everette entered, his hands held out in a gesture of peace. I think he was on the verge of apologising when his eyes landed on the cloak.
Oracle Question: Will Everette attempt to steal the second mcguffin (cloak)? Yes [3] No [6]
He stood transfixed by it for what seemed like several minutes, and then finally cleared his throat and edged his way around the table where the cloak was laid out. He crouched beside the armchair and looked at me intensely as I down a couple of painkillers. Disheveled and tired, I took off my glasses and rubbed my face as I tried to figure this guy out.
Striving: [4] + [4] +Clever +Observant +Shrewd = 11
Doubles: Offer a hard bargain or an ugly choice. You can have answers but you have to go full Galadriel and get the answers from him. Ask up to 3 questions, then roll - Questions.
Success: Gain a condition "power surge."
• What’s your character’s beef with the hunters?
• What’s your character hoping to get from me?
I was tired, I was cold, I possibly had a migraine coming on, I was done. I rose from the chair and towered over him. I felt electricity run up my spine as I did so, and as I raised my arms out to my sides I could feel the thrum of power through my fingers. I felt strangely distant, like everything was happening behind a veil. The words that came from my mouth were spoken in my voice but I didn't know them.
"By the blood of the Graeae I bind you, by the words of the Phorcides I command you. Who were those people and what do you want from me?"
"I... I suspect they are hunters. They must know I am of noble blood and seek to gain personal power from it." He paused, trying to tear himself away from my gaze, but unable to free himself. "I knew you were of the line of Three and that you would be able to aid me in this and... other matters."
Striving: [6] + [1] - 2 = 5
Secret of Hidden Power [1]
Failure: Take something or someone away.
Oracle Question: Does the power surge reveal us to the hunters? Yes [X] No [No] Spend 1 point of Full Concealment for automatic No.
I felt reality snap back, and a jarring sensation as I found myself fully in command of myself. Realising he was free Everette staggered back, a look of horror on his face as he considered what had just happened. He laid a hand on the desk, I thought to steady himself, but then he brought his other hand up and began another series of gestures. This time his hand made sharper, more determined motions and his words were more sibilant somehow. The lights in the room began to dim and his outline become blurred, moreso with each pass of his hands. The lights flickered off, plunging the room into complete darkness, and when they returned Everette was gone. I dashed to the door, still closed, and checked the hallway just in case; no sign of him.
Oracle Question: Does the teleport spell reveal us to the hunters? Yes [X] No [No] Spend 1 point of Full Concealment for automatic No.