Lucinda pointedly ignores Ashton’s question and addresses Eva. “Any name you choose! Pick whatever feels right for your character, and write in on your sheet.” She turns to the rest of the group. “So. What’s everyone’s character name?”
“I-I’ll be... Alice,” says Bonnie, filling in her sheet. “Alice... Darkmist? And, um, I’m really stealthy.”
Gavin sighs and looks over his sheet. “Call me Jack, I guess. And... I’m good at... blood curses, whatever that means.” He starts filling in the paper.
Isaac simply says “Shade,” in a low voice.
"Choose my own name?" says Eva, lost in thought. Then I will be 'Mary'"
"Mel. I have the voice of ages echoing in my ears and under my words. Oh, and if I'm saying something, but you can't tell it's me, I'll hold my hand up in front of my mouth, 'kay? Or if it's something only one person can hear, I'll point at them with two fingers, like this."
"Call me Lianna Noir, mistress of the night!" Deirdre says with a flourish. Despite herself, she's actually looking forward to a bit of roleplaying.
You get closer to Lucinda, focusing on her intently—and for a brief moment, you feel as though you can see past something, and Lucinda's form changes. Her cloak is green, not black, and it just barely conceals her feet, which are cloven hooves resembling a deer's. Her fingers are long, sharp talons, and they smell vaguely of blood.
No sooner do you see this image than you feel an intense compulsion to tell nobody about what you've seen; it's very important to you that the game goes as smoothly as possible. Some part of you does remain lucid enough to fight against the compulsion, however, but you sense that doing so will result in significant harm against yourself.
---
Lucinda nods patiently at Ashton. "You can hold on to that. It's yours now.
Right, then, let's get started!"
Lucinda briefly explains the rules of the game, and how challenges or checks are generally resolved by a game of rock-paper-scissors (modified by your character's bonuses to various skills).
Sonoko, Blaze, and Clove will assist Lucinda by playing various NPCs (Lucinda hands each of them a few notecards which they glance at briefly), and Lucinda will be on hand to resolve any disputes and move the story along.
"You're all in the great hall of the Harvest Clan's forest palace," says Lucinda. "Baroness Violette sits upon her throne," she motions to herself, "and her attendants are busy preparing for the banquet." She gestures to the three behind her. "Your goal is to ensure the banquet goes as planned and prevent any sabotage."
Clove addresses Hayden. "Mel, the Baroness requests your presence. Please head to the throne room." They then walk over to Eva, Gavin, and Bonnie. "We've captured an intruder that we think may be working with a group of saboteurs. Will you help us interrogate them, please?"
Bonnie shoots Hayden a furtive, worried glance.
Blaze walks up to JJ and Deirdre. "Sorcerers, we should ensure that the hall is properly warded against attacks. Will you please come with me?" He motions to Ashton. "We could use your help as well, in case there are any hostile scouts in the area."
Sonoko approaches Isaac. "Lord Shade. I need your assistance with an urgent matter." Isaac nods passively and begins to walk off with her.
Deirdre bows. "Of course. We shall see to the Baroness's safety!" She smiles and follows Blaze.
Hayden gives Bonnie a reassuring smile, but quickly puts the girl out of her mind. Maybe a little faster because Bonnie was going off with Eva while Hayden was going to be alone, but not much faster.
So, the GM's the puppetmaster, and a dreamseer as well. Makes sense I suppose. Let's see where those strings dangle.
Mel walked quickly towards their new Baroness, dropping their voice as they closed the distance towards the throne room.
"So... I'm the only new one who gets called to go off alone all by ourselves. What makes me so special?"
Blaze crosses his arms as he walks. "I am Blaze, captain of the Baroness's personal guard. And you all? What are your intentions here tonight?"
He leads you into a different section of the forest, out of sight of the others.
Clove leads you, Gavin, and Bonnie into a different section of the forest.
"How long is this gonna take?" Gavin complains. "I've got a thing."
Clove titters slightly. "You certainly do, don't you?"
Gavin starts to respond, then falls silent.
As the others leave, Lucinda's demeanor changes dramatically. Gone is the cheesy "dungeon mistress" act. Instead, she gazes at you bemusedly and speaks in a silky, confident voice. "I think you already know that quite well. Tell me, cousin, why do you waste so many of your days with these mortals? Are you playing a game of your own?"
Something in her voice stirs memories within you, and yet you're quite sure you've never met her before. So why does she seem so familiar?
'Cousin.' That's not good.
"So many questions. Does not a Baroness owe hospitality to her guests? Or at least reciprocity? My answers might not be gems, but there are still those who would find them precious, and I would hate to leave you with a debt unbalanced by being too free with those words.
"What do you say? An answer for an answer? To be broken off by either of us so long as the scales are in balance."
"I am Lianna Noir. I serve at the Baroness's pleasure."
Who would you like is to interrogate?" Eva asks. "it seems to be taking us quite a long time top reach them. Where are they?"
Blaze stops and turns to JJ. He lifts a meaty arm and delicately traces the outline of JJ's chin, smiling. "You, I think, are my favorite."
He glances at the others. "We must strengthen the palace's wards. And to do that... we'll need something very special."
Clove stops and swivels to the three of you. "Why, it's quite obvious, isn't it?" They motion to Gavin. "Jack is a traitor. We must extract information from him to track down his co-conspirators."
"Uhhh, say what?" Gavin looks confused.
Lucinda nods gracefully. "Sounds reasonable. You have a question, then?"
"Will you respect my rights to the mortals I brought with me?"
"Ah, well, here's where it gets a bit complicated, my dear." Lucinda produces something that looks like one of the character sheets that Clove handed out earlier. You only got a brief look at them earlier, but looking at it now, the runic pattern along the border is suddenly... recognizable. It's a language. A language you are well acquainted with.
"You may no longer have quite the rights that you thought you did."
A set of puzzle pieces in your mind click together, and a name comes to you: Baobhan Sith.
That silverware you grabbed earlier isn't silver at all, it's steel. Iron...
These aren't vampires. They're fae.
And those documents your friends filled out aren't just character sheets. They're contracts.
Blaze gives Ashton a twisted smile.
“Exactly.”
Suddenly, Blaze’s hand transforms into a massive set of talons, and he slashes at JJ’s throat...
...only to recoil in pain as his talons abruptly burst into flame before they can reach their target. JJ’s character sheet spontaneously burns up as well, leaving behind nothing but ash. Blaze stares at JJ incredulously. “What... are you?!”
Ashton and Deirdre: A compulsion hinders you from physically acting against Blaze or communicating his true nature to anyone else in any way. You feel that you could fight against this compulsion, but it would cause great harm to your person.
JJ: You feel no such compulsion.
Eva nods. "I am sorry. I did not realise Jack was the traitor." she turns to Gavin and smiles. "Clove said that you are a traitor, and that we must extract information from you to track down your co-conspirators. Where are your co-conspirators? I am sure that telling us now would save a lot of time. You should tell me because I am a vampire with many friends."
Wow. Premades really are cursed.
Quickly Hayden scanned the contracts, hoping it was representative enough of what her friends had signed unwitting.
"Peacebonds, and Oaths of Secrecy..." She winced, That might see a couple of them Cu Chulainn'd no matter what they do.
But what she was really looking for, was what harms her friends had agreed to.
Deirdre gasps in shock as Blaze suddenly grows claws and lashes at JJ. She feels a powerful compulsion preventing her from fighting back or calling for help. Ashton steps up to protect JJ, but Deirdre is nowhere near as strong as him. She wants to help, but isn't sure what she can do... Except get somebody else to step in.
"Ashton, JJ! Hold on! I'll come back!" she promises before turning to run, in search of Hayden!
Apart from what you already know, the contract seems to compel the participants to attend regular LARP sessions and allow themselves to be drained of blood, without resistance. Based on what you know about the Baobhan Sith species of fae, this blood-draining is not necessarily fatal at first, but over multiple feedings, it saps the victim of their will and eventually leads to death.
Resisting the terms of the contract also causes physical harm to the signer, and the contract itself is indestructible (under normal circumstances, that is).
Based on your experience with fae dealings, you might be able to renegotiate or even void these contracts if you're able to offer Lucinda something she might want. Such contracts can also be completely voided and destroyed if the signer has protection from an entity that is significantly more powerful that the fae who created the contract.
You get a bit turned around running through the woods, and you run into Sonoko and Isaac. Sonoko's hands are similarly transformed into talons, and her mouth is latched on to Isaac's neck. Isaac's expression is a mix of euphoria and resignation.
Sonoko releases her mouth from Isaac, revealing a small puncture wound on his neck. Sonoko gives you a bloody grin. "Hello, Lianna. Have you come to participate in our bonding ritual?"
Blaze barely seems to register Ashton's presence; he seems solely focused on JJ. With lightning speed, he flees back in the direction of Hayden and Lucinda.
JJ: All that comes to you is an echo of Malphas's words: "I could offer you my protection in any perilous situations you encounter from this point forward... I would choose the exact form such protection would take..."
"There's no need for such primitive methods." Clove delicately caresses Gavin's neck. "We will find the truth in his blood." Their hand transforms into a set of talons.
Gavin freezes in place, his face locked in an expression of horror. Bonnie seems similarly unable to move.
Eva, you are under a similar compulsion as the others; physically acting against Clove or telling others about their true nature will result in harm.
Deirdre freezes up as Sonoko grins at her. She stares at the puncture wound on Isaac's neck with a mixture of fear and morbid curiosity. She ought to keep running, but... "Bonding ritual? Wh-what do you mean?" she asks.
Sonoko reaches a bloody talon out to you. "An ancient vampire tradition. We will need to be a cohesive unit to battle the saboteurs and protect the Baroness. Come, join me. I will be gentle."
You feel compelled to allow Sonoko to drink your blood. Again, you could fight against this, but it would harm you.
Her mind screams at her, but Deidre's body seems to have taken on a life of its own. Slowly, she steps closer to Sonoko...
Thrice-damned fool! Why didn't you bind her tighter so no poacher would dare accost her?!
"So. You have the contracts. You have a question. You have me all alone." Hayden gave a slow smile, a gleam in her eye that had nothing in common with the twinkle that normally lived there.
"I know there's something you want.
Tell me."
Eva steps forward to try to do something to help Gavin, but feels strangely incapable of acting against Clove. For a moment she pauses and then speaks up. "I thought vampires preferred virgins?"[b] she says. [b]"Would you not prefer my blood to his?"
Hayden:
Lucinda strokes her chin. "I'm sure you know how your father can be quite singularly focused. I'd like a favor from him, and I think perhaps you can help me. I'd like you to-"
She is interrupted by Blaze, who darts into the clearing with superhuman speed. His hand is transformed into a set of talons and appears badly scorched. "One of them..." He staggers, catching his breath. "One of them is protected!"
---
Ashton (and presumably JJ if you follow):
You can't move quite as quickly as Blaze but you do start to approach the clearing, where you see him talking to Lucinda. Hayden is nearby as well.
---
Eva:
Clove stops and considers you. "Hmm. You are looking a bit traitorous yourself..." They smile and begin to walk toward you. Gavin seems relieved, but shoots you a worried glance.
---
Deirdre:
Sonoko hungrily licks the blood from her lips and beckons you closer.
Hayden's cold smile only widens. "It seems you might have bitten off more than you can chew. That can happen when you decide to poach without doing your due diligence. You can still ask me a question, or ask your favor, but sooner might be better than later. I'd hate to see you get pointlessly hurt. Now, I would never be so gauche as to force a debt upon you, but I can help you, if you ask it of me, nicely."
Deirdre steps forward, seemingly in a daze...
JJ:
You hear Malphas’s voice in your head:
“Do you truly? Fire can be difficult to control, and it can spread. I’ll give you what you ask if you make an effort to truly intimidate... even if it means frightening your friends.”
Eva backs away nervously as Clove approaches her, before glancing over at Gavin and Bonnie. "Um,.. Ok" she says, ",but only if you let them go."
Lucinda's jaw drops momentarily and she narrows her eyes at Hayden. "I... Very well. Promise you will contact your father within the week and tell him I request an audience with him. In return, I will..." She eyes JJ warily. "My terms are negotiable."
JJ: You feel a burning heat rising within you, begging to be let out. If you don't release it somehow , it threatens to burn you from within...and something tells you that Malphas's protection doesn't necessarily apply to his own power.
---
Eva:
Clove considers your request. "Alright. You two can take a walk, give us some privacy. Just as long as you promise to be a good girl..."
Gavin and Bonnie appear to unfreeze, and they both frantically run away, back towards the direction of campus.
JJ launches a fireball in Blaze's direction; it narrowly misses him and instead grazes Ashton's shoulder, destroying part of his shirt and leaving a first degree burn. (Ashton takes 1 harm.)
Lucinda raises an eyebrow at this display, but remains focused on Hayden.
---
Deirdre:
Sonoko caresses your neck delicately with her talons, as though searching for the perfect vein...
Eva watches as the others leave and then turns to Clove and nods. "I always try to be a good girl."
Ashton: No sooner do the words "turned into a claw" escape your lips than you feel a tingle on your right side. That tingle quickly turns into a slash of pain, and you feel a deep wound open up, even though nothing has visibly touched you. (Take 2 more harm.)