The Night Watch: Series Two, Thread One

[SteveD]

Oh man. I'm so tired, I might forget things here.

It wasn't a great season premiere. It wasn't bad, and we all had fun, but nothing really went that well either. We were all tired, and to an extent I think lost some of our enthusiasm the night before when we stayed up late drinking, swapping geek talk and making lots of silly jokes. Also, I probably over-prepared a little, with all the lead up, and was thinking too much about Buffy the show rather than Buffy the RPG (as usual, I completely forgot the combat rules).

Also, it wasn't that strong an episode, especially given that I was running it for Aussies. Australians can't take Australian things seriously, and then of course we were adding satire of how foreigners depict Australia on television....

But anyway. There was some good stuff, and here it is.

[SteveD]

It's one of those starts that make people wonder if they're watching the right show. In the background, the lilting tones of The Police's King of Pain. A long aeroplane shot of water, then we break over red desert, barren and rocky. Kangaroos hop past, maybe a quick glimpse of Ayers Rock. The Police fade out as we enter a deep dark rainforest. Some thick foliage is pulled back and we see our brave heroes - Tom, John, Eddie and Eirion. John has a pith helmet on.

John: My word, look at those ghastly beasts!

Pull out and we realise he's talking about fat shirtless American tourists. They're at a nature park, doing the rainforest walk. They follow their group out over the crocodile pit (we pass a Danger: Crocodiles sign) when suddenly there's a godawful snap. Then three more. And the bridge falls. Our heroes grab the sides, John clutching the young Charity. Tom and a half-dozen others hit the swampy water. Crocs suddenly wake up, and peel into the water. Tom looks around, and sees a croc rise up right next to him.

Roll credits.

New credit stuff: Fay (laughing behind her hand) and Rebecca (riding her horse) shown on the start (but no credit) as is Charlie. Miranda wearing a gorgeous sundress. John dancing goofily again, but a different dance. Tom glowing with a blue light and wielding his sword in mid air. Eddie arm in arm with a guy. Four stern fathers stand in the library. Eirion shouting some ancient spell words. A shot of four backs walking into St John's college arch. End shot now on Old Tom Tower with the sun setting behind it, rather than Magdalen Bridge. We'll work out the rest later.

[SteveD]

Caption: Three days earlier.

Heathrow airport. Prue stands with little Charity, explaining to John that he and the boys have been granted - in the Council's gratitude for dealing with the king - a two-week holiday to Orstralia, to see little Charity to her new home: being raised by Eirion's old adopted father, Terrence Blake. Blake is currently on a watcher exchange with Australian watchers in the Norther Territory. Eddie bounds in, tanned from Ibiza. Eirion is happy to see his friends having spent all holidays at college, helping Prue shelve. Tom is missing, because he can still be heard arguing loudly with the airport staff about his sword. They know its a sword, but the scanner won't detect any metal, so he says it should be able to go. So they call it a surfboard and let it through.

It's a long flight. The gang catch up on loose ends from last series (the full story of the King, Jack's out of his coma etc). Eddie buys Charity a gameboy, and one for himself, and spends all trip kicking her ass at Pokemon. Eventually, they land in Sydney and do a quick montage of all the sights, with each one intercut with a shot of the four holding up a map and pointing off screen. Some of it is stock footage from the early 80s. :)

Soon enough, they arrive in Darwin (where their baggage is not handled by kangaroos). They meet Blake (Alan Rickman) and Laurie (Alex Dimitriades), who is a prentice like them. He explains Australia's egalitarian watcher system (it's all apprentice based, no need for college). He explains the park (which is their watcher-cover occupation) is in a bit of financial trouble because Oz Zoo down the road is stealing customers, so there's japanese investors coming in. Thus, they'll have to stay out of the way of head watcher and park administrator, John "Macca" MacIntyre (Bill Hunter).

They say their hellos (Blake gets a frosty reception from Charity, played by new player Helga for this ep) and drive to the park. They check in and go off to look around, whereupon we find ourselves back at the start.

The boys hanging on pull themselves up and help others up. People panic, scream and run, including Charity. Tom (now mysteriously of torn short and damp, skin-tight pants) stares at the croc, not wanitng to move. Then he hears a cry and Blake throws him his sword from above. It's all very Army of Darkness: he leaps into midair, catches it, twirls it around in a figure eight, poses dramatically, and then proceeds to whack the croc on the nose with the flat, like he's spanking a puppy.

Meanwhile, Eddie tries to lower himself down to help others, blows it and lands in the water. Laurie runs down with ropes and ladders and with various swinging and pulling and straining they get everyone out. Laurie runs them all up to the gift shop for towelling off and safety checks and big, big just-between-us-bribes.

Eirion goes looking for Charity, and we have a touching scene where he explains that there won't always be crocodiles and it's not so bad. Investigations by the others indicate sabotage - a cut, not a break in the wires, and yet they all broke at once. The plot thickens.

Commercial.

[SteveD]

Ugh, v long. I'll try and make this a bit shorter....

Laurie sends the boys to tell Macca what's wrong, but not let him worry. They find him showing off his marvellous collection of ancient japanese and south east asian weapons to his investors. They fill him in in private and discover that Macca's a bit of a racist. He curses about the problem and asks them to investigate it for him (calling the cops would give it away). Then they all have lunch.

Blake tells the rest of the crew about Eirion's background, and mentions that one reason the park is in trouble is because the Council is changing its economic policies - and they are doingthe same with Eirion's bursary. Eddie offers to pay the difference. Charity continues to be surly, Blake is flustered but then rallies.

Blake: "Don't worry, boys, I had to raise another difficult child once."
Camera cuts to Eirion looking bashful.
Tom: (clueless) "Oh yeah? Who was that?"

Shit, SHORTER Steve!

Back to the scene of the crime, the gang decide it was ninjas - since whoever cut it had to be a good climber, invisible and carrying a katana. They consider hitting the books, but the library is one bookshelf. Compared to theirs - probably the largest occult library in England - it's SAN-blastingly small. Laurie explains that Australian spirits aren't written up in books. The gang takes the hint and goes to find the local Aboriginal sorcerer.

Ernie (Ernie Dingo) is found at a cafe, using a mobile phone. He explains he doesn't know much about spirits, but they should talk to Bruce at the pub. They go to the pub and ask for Bruce. Daisy behind the counter yells for Bruce to get his arse out here. A tall lanky figure sticks his ethereal body through the wall and goes "Keep your hair on, woman!"

Bruce is dead, but the Aussie's don't care. Bruce tells them a cock and bull story about how he was killed by Old Man Croc, the great Croc demon up river, then laughs and says "Only joking. I got hit by a truck!" He hasn't heard anything on the grapevine, but he says:

"No worries, I'll get on the ethereeealll plane - oooooohhhhhhooohhhh! (mocking spookinesss noises) - tonight and find out if everything's fair dinkum".

Charity, having followed our intrepid heroes to the pub meets Bruce as the gang go to huddle and discuss. They discover her a few minutes later and she announces that Bruce told her she was in mortal danger from this demon thingy. She yells at them that she told them so, that taking her away from her mum and friends wouldn't help. They rush back home and tell Blake who suggests confining her to her room. Charity snaps again and starts yelling about how they ruined her life and she was going to go to boarding school and have lots of friends and adventures and her mum was going to get better and they'd be a family again and they ruined everything! Then she stormed into her room and started listening to Oasis at full volume.

The boys set guards. But on Eirion's watch, Charity decides to slip out her window and run away. Hearing the noise, Eirion chases after her, but as he's about to head into the woods, he sees a shadow enter the building. Running back inside, he completely fails to notice the 6' diameter spider-demon on the ceiling...

Commercial!

[SteveD]

Oh, that was another good quote:

Laurie: Yeah, the park's even got some platypi.
Tom: What kind of pies?
Eddie: Ooh, do you have fruit platter pies?

Eirion walks into Charity's room - still gone. Turns around - sees 6' 13-legged wolf-jawed spine-ridged giant wolf-spider on roof. Grabs his baseball bat and lunges. Spider skitters over to him and bites his arm. Eirion screams. Other boys run into corridor in night clothes and start screaming and whacking spider thing. It runs outside. Boys give chase. When they get outside, the lights come on and Macca and Laurie are standing there pissing themselves laughing, with the spider back on its leash. Eddie takes this classic Aussie practical joke enormously well, by walking up to Macca and punching him hard in the face.

Meanwhile, Eirion finds Charity in the library. She's cracked open the massive gun collection in the "library" and is sitting on top of a dozen longarms, headphones on full, trying to figure out how to load the full-auto repeater. Eirion and the girl have an even more touching moment, Eirion explaining that Blake is one of the nice watchers, and her life will be full of adventure now. He gave her the necklace of demon teeth Blake sent him last year and said it could be her new friendship bracelet. It was very sweet.

Next morning, the gang went out riding to get away from Macca etc. Before they leave, Blake gives Charity her surprise: a pony.

Charity: What should I name it?
Tom: How about 'bribery'?

They ride and practice shooting some cans. Tom misses and a few protected species drop from the sky.

John: Tom! Those were protected species!
Tom: Not protected from me they weren't! I wasted them with one shot!

Meanwhile, a big branch falls on their heads - or rather, just misses them. It fell from fifty feet up and the end is one cut, just like the cables. Definitely looks like Charity is the target.

Commercial again.

[Burgonet]

As a quick side note, Eddie left after horseback riding, not really wanting to be around Colonials and guns.
That and encouraging a 10 year old girl to practice with firearms (thank you, John!) was a bit too much for him.

Carry on.

:)

[SteveD]

Yes, Eddie had to go play more gameboy - he was on level seven of Castlevania 2, I think.

Back to town, Bruce explains he saw a samurai spirit in the ethereal plain, training up and cutting shit. Back to the library, the boys find a very suspiciously ancient and mysterious katana in the asian weapons. It hums a lot - particularly around Tom. John finds a book about exorcisms which reads like it was written by Enid Blyton, but seems vaguely useful. Charity reads about what Slayers are supposed to do (eg what their watchers tell them to) and decides she's not going to be that kind of slayer.

While experimenting with the sword, Macca storms in, the Japanese behind him again, wanting to know what they've done to his collection. The boys explain there's a spirit samurai going around, possibly brought/caused by the investors. Macca, stressed out, starts to go a bit crazy. He bellows out something about the damn treacherous cowardly japs trying to ruin him cos they lost world war two. Eddie remarks:

"This guy doesn't need an ancestral curse to ruin him; he's got a mouth"

And ruin himself he does. The japanese leave, insulted. Macca's deal is dead and so is his park. Macca sits in shock, wondering about the past we carry with us. The boys have no sympathy (I think they just don't like Bill Hunter, myself).

Forgoing the crappy books, they contact Ernie the aboriginal and we cut to the Olgas at sunset. Aboriginals dance corroboree. Didgeridoos rumble. Our boys are all in warpaint, and they dance too, and chant. Dreamtime creatures flicker in and out of the firesmoke and the stars. And then the ghost-sword coalesces and the spirit of the katana unfolds and greets them. Eddie tries to talk to it, but it's looking at Tom. Or rather, at Tom's sword.

It calls his sword the Master, the Great Blade. It claims it appears when it heard the Master. (At this point, Tom asks why it was causing trouble. I deflected the question because I FORGOT TO WRITE THAT PART OF THE ADVENTURE. FUCK BEANS. Maybe it was tyring to prove how good it could cut stuff.) The sword looks at Tom skeptical about his line of questioning, and wonders if Tom is worthy of wielding the Great Blade. Tom goes, "well, yeah, I so am." The blade rattles its sabre. Tom says "Yeah, I think we fight now" and the game turns into SoulCalibur for a while. Tom's sword glows blue and so does he and he floats of the ground and has a big loud clashing struggle in the air. Meanwhile the boys try to dispel the spirit. Charity has a great idea of snapping the real katana in half, which she does. Severed from his totem, Tom easily collects its head. His sword stops glowing...but Tom stares at it, wondering....

Heading back, Macca chucks them all out of his park (since it is clear that Tom started this whole thing) and Blake decides he and Charity will go too. So they all fly back to Sydney and go to Bondi beach. Then there's a tearful goodbye at the airport, with lots of hugs with Charity, and friendship bracelets and presents for all, particularly Eirion who is her new best friend. The boys fly back home, probably happy to get back to somewhere they know. They walk into the library, tired, sunburned and bedecked in souvenirs, chattering happily, then they all stop, stunned.

Reverse to see Prue discussing Watchery books with the beautiful Asian girl we saw on the start. Black out. Credits.

Little zombie says "CRIKEY!"

[Craig Oxbrow]

CRIKEY!

Bruce is fantastic. I'm grinning like a bliss ninny.

Sorry it was a bit slow going, but it sounds like a solid start, and it's great to have TNW back. Charity as a temp PC was definitely a good call.

[Phantom Stranger]

Heh.


Pretty... bizarre, but very Buffy-abroad...

[SteveD]

Yeah, I think it was a bit too bizarre. I wanted to play up that Australia was different, all egalitarian and relaxed, the antithesis of Oxford (eg, they don't write essays or read books, they don't care about ghosts, they have weird spider demons as pets) but in the absence of Oxford, it just had nothing to react against. Would have been better if not a pilot (ie if Oxford had been set up more).

But yeah, some good stuff with Charity venting. Did we all get the metaphors, by the way? To make it clearer, that episode was titled "What We Carry With Us".

Next week: 2.2 - "Perfect Day".

[Burgonet]

All,

It was a lot of fun, and we did manage to finish the session in 4 tight hours, rather than the usual six or so.

Most of us were still a bit tired from the night before, combining that with a few beers and a lazy afternoon combined

to create a pleasant gaming experience.

Australian heat, barebeque meats, beer (in pure and Shandy form), and a relaxing afternoon however seemed to

prevent us from jumping up and down at length. I have promised to be more excitable next session, though.
;)

A few comments (mostly as player, some as audience):

Eirion
- Your Watcher is creepy! Playing a practical joke by attacking you with a demon? Is he a Pokemon master as well?? ;)
And not to worry about the stipend thing. Eddie will provide with no strings.
Unless of course you use Evil Magic. Magic is wrong. Remember that. Just. Say. No.
Sure, Jackie the Greek did help us with the King of Pain.
Eddie feels bad about that. He only wanted to save his daughter.
His evil, Undead daughter. Clumps of meat and china held together by Magic...
So, clearly, Magic is Evil. Just say no.


John
- You showed a 10 year old girl how the bolt-action of a rifle worked. For shame!
Beautiful helmet, though. I had half-expected you to monster out, and wrestly Barry Otto in were-marsupial form...


Tom
- Your beautiful Yankee accent is back, thanks to a quick visit home. I now understand you better again. Although John and I have sworn NOT to explain the rules of cricket again. ;)
Really.
Not again.

General:

- Am going to miss Charity. She seemed to have developed as a character that episode. Even threw a tanty, and

lied on at least three seperate occasions. ;)

- There is much satisfaction in punching the President of Earth in face. Just once. :) The line after I did so was: "And guess what, mate? I'm a poof!")

- Alex Dimitriatis was accurately portrayed by Steve. No real personality, and always no more than five feet away from a soccer ball. ;)

- Bruce Spence is literally in EVERYTHING. He was even in Peter Pan last week when I checked, along with 1/2 the cast of Neighbours.

- For the record, I'd already clocked the first Castlevania for gameboy mid session, was on the second, and pointed out that Tom's experience with the sword was 'very reminiscent of a game I'd just played'. I think Tom commented

something about 'the Tide of History' or such [cannot remember what is said in Soul Calibre I or II, it's that fighting quote from the beginning of each level].

Fun was had, should be interesting to meet Charlie next episode and get back to the serious business of studying in that pressure cooker that is Oxford University!
Well, more spoilt pressure, but still...

And who is Eddie holding arms with in the opening credits???

[SteveD]

And who is Eddie holding arms with in the opening credits???

Isn't that what you have to email me about?

Ade, mail me about your parents. Jody, mail me about your secret. Col....just mail me.

[Burgonet]

Originally posted by SteveD
Isn't that what you have to email me about?



... I'm trying to build suspense.

....

;)

But 500 pound says he's a hottie.

;)

[Craig Oxbrow]

Six hours is the usual? Six?

No wonder my pacing seems wonky, I've been comparing the amount of action to a game that lasts two or three hours longer than mine. This explains rather a lot...

[Mr. Analytical]

Good work as ever Big D.

Definitely weird though.

4-6 hours? You get more done than I do in my games and they last 6-8.

[morgue]

I have no comments on this except these:

* as a New Zealander, I am obliged to find Australian accents comical (while of course failing to see how my own accent is comical). Ho ho, funny Australians! "Eeetheereeeal"! Everyone knows it's pronounced "uthureil"!
* I have seen Bruce Spence's name three times today on the net. Odd.
* Last night I dreamed a post by SteveD that included the word 'milieu'. I don't remember anything else about it. I believe I have never dreamed about rpgnet before. This worries me.

Carry on, you crazy monkeys.

~`morgue

[EvilBrennan]

I've been waiting for this for a billion years.

And...I think I missed the season finale.

*Cries*
Someone tell me they taped it.

[Craig Oxbrow]

Here you go (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?postid=1466284#post1466284). You might have to wind it back a chapter to get the director's commentary.

[Phantom Grunweasel]

Huzzah!

I've missed this series.

[Jody Macgregor]

Originally posted by SteveD
He curses about the problem and asks them to investigate it for him (calling the cops would give it away).

I was hoping to investigate the competitors down the road, sneaking around Australia Zoo at night and then trying to rip Steve Irwin's face off to prove he was really Old Mister Wilson from the fairground, Scooby Doo style.

They consider hitting the books, but the library is one bookshelf. Compared to theirs - probably the largest occult library in England - it's SAN-blastingly small. Laurie explains that Australian spirits aren't written up in books.

Realising that this meant shelving would take about ten minutes rather than forever, Eirion wanted to move immediately.

Ernie (Ernie Dingo) is found at a cafe, using a mobile phone.

We had a lot of fun with this: 'And then the the rainbow serpent moved over the earth, creating the mountains and -- *ring ring* -- Hello? Nah, I'm busy right now...look, I'll email it to you tomorrow...right, where was I?'

[Jody Macgregor]

Originally posted by SteveD
It calls his sword the Master, the Great Blade. It claims it appears when it heard the Master. (At this point, Tom asks why it was causing trouble. I deflected the question because I FORGOT TO WRITE THAT PART OF THE ADVENTURE. FUCK BEANS. Maybe it was tyring to prove how good it could cut stuff.)
I just figured it was testing him to find out if he was worthy.

There was a nice moment later when Tom was speaking to the samurai while John and Eirion read Enid Blyton's 'How To Converse With Proper Spirits'.

Eirion: You need to speak very clearly. Enunciate!
John: Enunciate! Enunciate!
Tom (to spirit): Yeah, um, I'm like all master of the sword and stuff.

[colbabe]

Originally posted by SALette
- You showed a 10 year old girl how the bolt-action of a rifle worked. For shame!

Dude, she's the proto-Slayer. And look how expertly Buffy unloaded Jonathan's rifle in Earshot (3.18) - it's obviously a part of training already.

[Craig Oxbrow]

Originally posted by Jody Macgregor
Yeah, um, I'm like all master of the sword and stuff.
Da-heeee!

I should really be finishing my own writeup...

[SteveD]

speaking of which, Craig-o, did you see I replied to that?

Brennan, did you find the last series finale?

Regarding timing, it's pretty changeable. Early last series, eps were running at three hours, because we'd watch an ep of Buffy in there too. But by the end, things were stretching out because there was more to do, and I was getting better at injecting subplots (and letting the players inject subplots) - and also, there was more screwing around as we had more to talk about OOC :). Some episodes (like Fact and Fiction, which went about seven hrs, IIRC) were stacked with things to do and ran almost double the length of others.

Basically, we start about elevenish, and try to finish before dinner. Then after dinner we watch Buffy or Firefly.

That's also a problem - I haven't watched Buffy in at least a year, and it's harming my ability to write subplots. Col, I'm gonna need a lend of your DVDs....

Steve

[EvilBrennan]

I did.

A wonderfull masterpiece.
I love it when GMs and players paly off each other so well.

Thank you for the link Craig! :D

[Peter LaCara]

Both The Night Watch and the Adventures of Tarla Sha are back.

All is right with the world.

[SteveD]

the Adventures of Tarla Sha

What's that and where can I read about it?

[Peter LaCara]

Originally posted by SteveD
What's that and where can I read about it? It's an Exalted thing run by Jeffwik, that's been out of commission for like, 6 months, and is what origionally got me hooked on Actual Play posts.

I know that you're not exactly Exalted's biggest fan, but if'n you want to take a look at it, the most recent post (which I think has links reaching all the way back to the origional post) is here. (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=44662&perpage=10&highlight=Tarla%20Sha&pagenumber=9) It captures a lot of the parts of Exalted that I find enjoyable, much in the same way TNW does with Buffy. Doing a search for 'Tarla Sha' comes up with most of the threads too.

[SteveD]

Cool.

Craig, if your games are only two hours long, then you must be quoting all your dialogue. I just can't imagine how your game works. You must have no time at all for OOC chatter?!?!

[SteveD]

Also:

http://www.geocities.com/buffynightwatch/untitled.bmp

Craig rocks (although we'll have to get Charlie on there now).

Steve

[Craig Oxbrow]

Originally posted by SteveD
Cool.

Craig, if your games are only two hours long, then you must be quoting all your dialogue. I just can't imagine how your game works. You must have no time at all for OOC chatter?!?!
About three and a bit (although this week we spilled over into the pub for an hour extra, since I actually included action scenes). The OOC chatter is fairly low, since a lot of it can be and is brought IC (another joy of the setting). (I was tempted to include the OOC chatter about Best Ever crisps...)

Geocities evil. Boo.

You're welcome, Evil.

This week's TWH goes live some time after lunch. rawk!

[SteveD]

Yeah, we need to get that kind of immediacy what-you-say-is-what-you-say back a bit, methinks. One problem with a strong authorial stance which our game is tending towards (particularly Tom's player Ade) is that it distances us from avatarism, which can really harm the intensity. The fact that I suck at running NPCs doesn't help either. That's what was missing this week - that real edge of immersion, and the sense of awe at events that that encourages. We only got it in those few moments with Eirion and Charity.

That's what was missing from the last few eps of series one, too. Hmm....

Steve

[Craig Oxbrow]

And with Charity being played by Helga, that bodes well for the game with Charlie in the mix.

Anyway, I have links to embed...

[Peter LaCara]

Originally posted by SteveD
Also:

http://www.geocities.com/buffynightwatch/untitled.bmp

Craig rocks (although we'll have to get Charlie on there now).

Steve Wow. Apparently Craig does rock.

What's the text say? I can't make it out. Some of it looks like Latin.

[Craig Oxbrow]

Semper Fidelis, Semper Verus, Semper Occultis, Semper Vigilare
(between Pru and Miranda)
Moused in by hand, and then smudged slightly, to represent a childish scrawl (specifically Charity's)
Latin (possibly, self-translated) motto of the Watchers:
"Always loyal, always true, always secret, always watchful"

Fecit mihi magna qui potens est et sanctum nomen eius
(middle right)
Motto of Magdalen College:
"For He has done great things for me and Holy is His Name"

The big block on Latin on the bottom left:
part of the Latin introductory section in Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book, by M.R. James (http://www.fadl12200.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/mrjframes.html ). Read it, and the translation, here (http://www.fadl12200.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/alberic.html).

Eddie artefacted pretty badly, and John came out a bit pink for no reason I can determine, but I'm generally pleased.

Of course, I'd have to completely reassemble it for the season two update. Might be better to just do a different cover for that... Maybe a supplement cover...

[colbabe]

Originally posted by Craig Oxbrow
(I was tempted to include the OOC chatter about Best Ever crisps...)

I'd love to hear that. As the other players will be able to tell you, I'm a potato chip addict and connoisseur. There's a brand of chip that I seem to remember being called "Taters" which we can only get here in either Irish pubs or Irish gift shops which are to die for (especially the cheese and onion) and you guys probably get all the time, damn you.

[Craig Oxbrow]

By popular demand, it's on my LJ.

See if you can find it. (hint: try Ade's Friends.)

[Mytholder]

Originally posted by colbabe
I'd love to hear that. As the other players will be able to tell you, I'm a potato chip addict and connoisseur. There's a brand of chip that I seem to remember being called "Taters" which we can only get here in either Irish pubs or Irish gift shops which are to die for (especially the cheese and onion) and you guys probably get all the time, damn you.

Taytos.

[Craig Oxbrow]

We don't get them here, AFAIK.

What's Taytos, Precious?

[colbabe]

Originally posted by Mytholder
Taytos.

Of course! Thanks Mytholder.

[SteveD]

2.2 Prologue

London in August sweats, but Oxford...Oxford shines.

It was another perfect summer day. The light had a pure, clear quality to it, and bathed down with an unending richness as if it were the very first light to hit the newborn Eden. A cool breeze from the west nursed the corners of the town, removing any hint of humidity, and bringing with it a hint of hay and cut grass and other summer smells.

The streets glistened in the gorgeous light, and every car and shop window reflected back the shimmer of the perfect blue sky. The Cherwell burbled, heavy with laughing punters, and shone like a lamp where the sun hit it, only just outshining the burning green grass of the backs that ran along it. Nature was alive, and the town with it - tourist and local alike bustled and skipped along the narrow sidewalks, and spilled ever out onto the street. Despite the crowds, nobody hurried or pushed, for it was still the holidays, and there was nowhere they needed to be rather than here, in the town, on these shining streets.

Those that wound from the High into the Cornmarket would find that shining marbled street patched with jesters, bands and singers, and crowds around them in thick, clotted circles. Inbetween wove the charity collectors, no longer an annoyance, and men selling balloons and sunglasses and swooping paper aeroplanes. Passing further north, and turning right into the Broad would reveal more academic attractions as the staff of the Pitt Rivers and Ashmolean museums had set up children’s activities on portable tables. Finger painting and face painting were further down, and on the spot where the protestant martyrs were burned, a red-faced shirtless man was blowing a mighty bagpipe reel. Children and old men capered to the music. From the Covered Market, the bellows of the fruit sellers and the butchers could still yet be heard over it all, the summer heat making their cries suddenly twice as loud and ten times more exuberant, and the smell of fresh food carried with their voices on the cool, sweet breeze.

The girl stood for a moment in the midst of it all, and shut her eyes. It was the perfect day, she smiled to herself.

Then she turned and slowly began walking home, for although it was only early in the morning, she had much to get ready. In the crowds, nobody noticed how her movements seemed somehow practised and measured, that she stopped a second before the corner of Catte Lane to let an unseen bicycle whiz past, or that she grabbed the rolling apples from the couple’s split bag the second they hit the cobbles in Radcliffe Square. The Canadian tourists by the Mitre did feel it momentarily strange that she told them where to head before they told her their destination, but then, all tourists follow similar paths. Likewise, her arrival back at her college kitchens just as cook brought fresh muffins from the oven must have been, if not coincidence, simply a virtue of habit. No, not a soul was disturbed by her passing, and that was how she wanted it.

It was the perfect day, and she would do everything in her power to make sure it remained so, for as long as she was able.

[Craig Oxbrow]

Hmmm... Intriguing... :)

[SteveD]

For my players, if they are bored: Bridget Jones, Vampire Slayer:
http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?threadid=98085&highlight=Buffy

A damn fine session. Everything went really well. I filled an entire page with dream quotes, and still missed some. My players took the ball and ran with it, surprising and entertaining me, but I was also telling a mine and entertaining story that kept them guessing and confused. I definitely enjoy it more when I'm more in control like that...but that doesn't mean I don't like them running things either. But this was definitely a sweet spot, everything came together and I can die happy, knowing I'm on my game and everything works.

And now...

[SteveD]

Session Length: almost dead on five hours. But we did SO much, it will take me almost that long to write it up.

2.2 Perfect Day, in which we learn that Lou Reed and Percy Shelley are the same guy. Or something.

(Oh, that was one thing that went wrong - I chose some music and then left all my CDs at work. Luckily, my players came through. Although I still didn't havea copy of Lou Reed's song, which would have helped.)

Okay, prologue as above.

To the strains of Powderfinger's These Days, the boys wake up in their taxi. They flew in early this morning and dozed as they drove up the M4. Arriving at the gates of Magdelen (nor Mordor), the porter takes their bags up to their rooms. Pru meets them at the gate, and tells them she needs to tell them a lot, so meet in the library at 11am.

The boys go and get changed into civvies and are milling about when the music cuts in (I wanted Walking on the Sun, but had to settle for Moby's Bodyrock) - we pan up the steps as Miranda and Fay walk down in sundresses (one each). Backlit, with a hint of silhouette through the material, Miranda's hair now longer and sexier, perfectly skipping down the stairs like it was rehearsed...the word, people is yowza. Or possibly fanservice, as the anime people say.

John is a bit stunned. Tom is a bit...oblivious. Still. Miranda invites them to a picnic. It's such a perfect summer day, and it would be a great way to catch up. They agree to meet at noon.

In the library, there is a proper reunion. Gifts are exchanged (with John having to quickly cross out "from John" and write "from all of us" on the cards). Pru gets "The Ocker's Guide to the Ock-ult" and from Eddie a purse:

Eddie: See, it's a coin purse...and note how it is completely seamless?
Pru: Yes. But why does it say "genuine kangaroo scrotum" on it?
Eddie: Arg! The tag!

Pru talks briefly about Eirion's finances, and then introduces the new student joining them this year: Charlie. CharLOTTE. The boys are a bit stunned, and stammer and are lost for words (Attractiveness +4).

Eddie: Don't mind the others, they're just...
Tom: Nerds?
Eddie: I was going to say overwhelmed by your beauty, but...

Pru explains that Charlie's 2nd year, but doing some catch-up subjects:

Pru: She's a little behind...
Eddie: Yes, I can see that.

Pru finally notes that a coven of witches in Bath (yes, same one as Giles went to) have called to say they've detected some kind of residual magic in Oxford. In response, Pru's decided to teach them how to make magical dowsing rods! It'll be fun at the picnic!
Everyone is coming, see.

(Dowsing rods are just cleft sticks, like normal dowsing rods, but with a rub of quicksilver powder and a short latin recitation they detect magic not water. It's an old way that is still useful. Just whittle, recite and go!)

Tom: Right. Let's go get our rods together.

John and Eddie discuss the new girl. Eddie finally gets sick of John's babbling:
"I'm sick of this. She's got tits, get over it"

Charlie meets Miranda, her new roommate. Miranda gets to the point:
Charlie: I saw Tom, he's lovely.
Miranda: Yes. And if you steal him, I will rip your fucking skull off.

But they're sure they are going to be friends.
Charlie: Yes, I hope so. I've never had a female roommate before. This should be interesting.
Miranda: Yes, as long as you don't get horribly murdered....
Charlie: Oh, gee, I was planning on that for Wednesday but now you mention it....

And so on to the picnic on the Great Meadow. It is a GLORIOUS day. Cue the Vivaldi strings. The sun shines, the grass glows but is still cool. The Cherwell bubbles past. Rebecca brings her horse out and people have a ride (and Eirion sprains his ankle). Tom plays croquet (overhand) and wins soundly. Pru falls asleep reading Little Nell. Fat bees buzz over dandelions. Later, Miranda and Tom go for a walk, and there's some heavy petting as Miranda makes it clear she wants to get a bit more serious. Eddie explains his great theory that Tom and Miranda are a "collision of love". A road-accident in process. Fay sits next to John a lot and laughs at his jokes. John gives Fay a toy platypus.

John: It's sort of half beaver, half duck.
Fay: O. Is it a demon?
John:....I don't know!

The boys do some dowsing, but just get a general background effect. The beautiful day wears into afternoon. Miranda and Tom walk one way back, John and Fay the other. Everything is rather pleasant. The boys decide to head to the White Horse (and they invite Charlie) for tis only proper, on their first day. And so they do, and get a few rounds in and then it all seems a bit blurry.

And then there's the strains of These Days and the boys wake up in the taxi, on their way back to Heathrow, with no memory of the day before.

[SteveD]

My players did it perfectly, remembering their main jokes and redoing them. The end effect was just like it would be in a TV show, with highlights being shown, not the whole script.

The porter takes their bags up, Pru tells them to meet at 11am, Miranda and Fay descend the staircase. In the library, they meet Charlie again. Tom has a feeling of dejavu. He decides to talk to Charlie about it, and Eirion spots them together.

At the picnic, Charlie tells Eirion not to get on the horse, but he does anyway. Eirion tells Miranda about Tom and Charlie. Tom starts second guessing Miranda "I bet you want a more serious relationship, right?". Miranda, cross about Charlie, drags Tom back to the college to "talk". Eddie mentions his collision of love again. He also tells John that Fay is interested. John doesn't believe him, but Eddie says that you heteros are so stupid, tht he can see it easily. John: "How? With your amazing homo-vision?" (probably the line of the session. Amber demons and homo-vision.)

Charlie starts to freak as everything happens AGAIN (she can remember it all). She goes back to college and (after finding a few books on stopped time stories) tries to make an indelible impression. The boys arrive back at the library to find all the tables carved up with marks and Charlie smashing clocks into tiny pieces with a hammer. The boys grab her and demand answers: Eirion: "Who are you possessed by?"

For some reason, around here, I have written this quote in my book, but I forget why:

Eirion: I need to wrestle. Urge to wrestle....rising!

Charlie babbles about how it's all happening again. She breaks their hold and runs into town looking for clocks to smash. The porter (knowing she wants clocks) suggests Carfax or Old Tom Tower. The others head to the pub to try and work this out.

And then they wake up in the taxi again.

[SteveD]

(Crap, I think I might have the timetable wrong. It was day two that Tom and Miranda were having sex. So it was also that day that Charlie knocked on her door, and she answered in a sheet. Then Tom appeared behind her wearing a toga and a laurel wreath. Apparently, they were "rehearsing a play". DP level genius.)

This time, both Tom and Eddie have an inkling. More second guessing goes down. The boys seem to know about the picnic before being invited. Tom is sure he's met Charlie before. Later, she begs Eirion not to get on the horse, and even Miranda echoes her sentiments. He gets on anyway, and falls off again. Charlie freaks and runs back again. The boys don't understand.

Eddie: What's WRONG with her?
John: I don't know. Maybe she's feeling the gender gap.
(long pause)
John: I so didn't mean that to be a joke.

This time, they get back to the library in time to do more stuff. Charlie hits the books, and makes herself a dowsing rod. Then she hears a noise, like someone calling for help, back in the stacks. She walks down the stacks and suddenly an ocean wave washes out. Pursuing further, she is suddenly beset by an ocean wave and a drowned corpse, leaping at her. She nails her fear roll and doesn't care. The figure turns back to looking more human (only blue and transparent) and curses the modern horror movie. He introduces himself: Shelley, Percy Bysshe Shelley.

Shelley is soon horrified to discover that it's daylight. He says he can't haunt under these conditions and demands to see the Master. Charlie goes to get Pru. Eddie arrives and is chuffed to meet a famous homosexual. They start doing opium and talking about poetry. Pru arrives to find them giggling and hangng off each other's arms.

Charlie desperately and badly tries to convince them that something is WRONG. It is very hard work and nobody believes her. But the presence of the ghost seems to point to something. They ring John (who went to the pub with Fay and found nobody there) and ask him to come in.

Eddie: John, I'm smoking with Percy Shelley!
John: Ah. Now that's some kind of metaphor, isn't it?

Charlie suspects Miranda and raids her room, stealing all her watches and clocks. The boys decide that if time is repeating, they should cast a memory spell on someone, so they can remember the previous day. Eirion (now with Sorcery 1) nails the spell but while they're casting it, the bells of Old Tom start to ring, and the ripples begin to spread...

And they wake up in the taxi again.

[Jody Macgregor]

Originally posted by SteveD
For some reason, around here, I have written this quote in my book, but I forget why:

Eirion: I need to wrestle. Urge to wrestle....rising!

Back on day one, while Miranda and Charlie were talking about Tom, Miranda said, "Tom's nice, he's just a bit shy." Cut to: Tom and Eirion back in their room, Tom pinning Eirion to the floor.

Eirion: I only moved a couple of your things!

Later in Miranda and Charlie's talk Miranda said, "He can be a bit blind sometimes," and we cut to Eirion poking Tom in the eyes.

On day two we repeated the scene, only this time Tom was experiencing deja vu so he put his hand up to block my eye-poke, Three Stooges style.

Tom: I didn't think that worked in real life.

By day three Tom was running around with Charlie instead of heading back to his room, so Eirion stood there with nothing to do and a strangely empty feeling. Hence the line, "Urge to wrestle...rising."

[SteveD]

Alright. These Days kicks in. Charlie wakes up and runs and knocks on Pru's door. Pru stammers: "this has happened before, hasn't it?". So relieved to have someone know about it too, Charlie hugs Pru.

The two of them meet the boys in the courtyard, as they continue to pre-empt people (even John and Eirion have dejavu now). They rush up the stairs with Pru and Charlie, pushing passed Miranda and Fay. Eddie stops for a moment to tell them they'd love to go to a picnic. Then they yank him along.

(memory hazy now....)

Shelley turns up again and fails to spook Eirion. Eirion finds out that the original book, with the fairytale story, got it wrong - there was no glass clock, just the work of some travelling wizard. He also finds that a spell to stop time on that level would be massively difficult, requiring at least a hundred sorcerers.

BEcause of time problems, John might be transforming earlier, so the Eddie goes and locks him in his cage, and Pru brings down some tea. Charlie and Eirion have an epiphany that Miranda said not to get on the horse (which was really good because it's the only clue I consciously remembered to include). Tom goes looking for his woman. The Master comes out and says Shelley has just presented him with a final demand - fix the time problem or all the ghosts in Magdalen will walk out - and maybe other colleges too.

Eddie: Ghosts are going on strike? So the underworld is run by socialists!

Meanwhile, the Miranda theory is gaining creedence, because Charlie has found her diary and the last ten days all have the same date. She mentions that she talked to "a clockmaker" and now it's all going to happen and she'll be able to get it right.

John: I know what we have to do!
Eirion: Yes. All we have to do is kill Miranda!
John: yee...no.

They decide that if only Miranda can have her perfect day, she'll stop this time silliness. But Tom still can't find her - she's gone. Panic is setting in a bit - the Master and Shelley on their backs, John changing, and time just keeps getting worse. Charlie has the brainwave to look up clockmakers in the yellow pages. Bingo, there's an old-school one in Blue Boar Lane. They arrive just as Tom tracks Miranda there. The door is shut, and a sign reads "back in five mins".

John: O. Well, I suppose we come back later then.
Charlie: (incredulous) Are you crazy? NO WE DON'T! (smash)
John: Oh, right, we BREAK rules. Sorry, forgot.

No sign of girl or clockmaker, but searching reveals some very fine silver clocks (think H4 in style and size). On the back of one there's an engraved word - London. Another says Bath. Another Cambridge. The Oxford one is missing. Charlie says "but wait, I have her watch....oh no, that was yesterday! I'm looking for a pocketwatch that doesn't exist anymore!"They run back to college to get the watch, but it's gone too, as has Miranda again. The kids make some Int rolls and realise the change always happens at 7pm. And what rings at 7pm?

The answer is Old Tom.

And the four set off, but before they can go three feet they're attacked by redcaps (evil fairies with blood-soaked caps and nasty claws), sent by someone called Lord someone to demand they stop screwing with Midsummer's Eve. Some people get badly scratched, but thanks to Eirion's magic, they're able to run past. Meanwhile, John hulks out and starts tearing into them. He follows them onto the roof of Magdelen - giant pocupine demon faces off a dozen clawed redcaps. Visually, it's like The Maxx fighting the Izs.

The other four run flat out for Christ Church. They're stopped by the porters, but Eddie does the movie classic of tackling them and the others run by. Cut back to more fighting on the roof - some redcaps go flying, but more and more swarm on John. The gang rush up to the top of Old Tom, where they find the Clockmaker, and a shame-faced Miranda.

The clockmaker (played by Desmond Llewellyn - Q from Bond) is a charming old avuncular character in a leather apron turing clockwork with a screwdriver. He explains he can turn time back on, but only if they want him to. Bad things are coming, and are they ready? There's certainly one person in the room who doesn't want time back on. Cut to Miranda, who explainsto Tom she just wanted them to have a perfect day together. And that she can't let time start again, because if she does, eventually, he'll leave her. So Tom has to convince her he loves her for real.

Brilliantly, early this morning Eddie had the solution, and he had Shelley write the girl a love poem. Tom reads it out to her, and it is beautifuland wonderful and turns out to be the words of Lou Reed's "Perfect Day". As Adrian said: "Five thousand DPs to Scott. No, five million DPs to Scott"

Miranda: I just wanted a perfect day.
Tom: It is a perfect day...when I spend it with you.

Miranda kisses him. The Clockmaker smiles, brings a clock from his leather apron, and makes a slight adjustment with a screw driver. "There" he says. Then he smiles and bids them goodday - no doubt they'll meet again in time. He walks out of the college and we lose him in the crowd...and then he's gone, only a few cogwheels and a hint of watchoil to mark his passing.

Back on the roof, the redcaps glower, and then depart, threatening to return if it happens again. John unhulks and is left half-naked on the roof. Some tourists are pointing at him. So he pretends he's being hazed and starts quoting Tolkein.

The boys regroup and decide that they're going to the pub. Sitting in the pub, they finally get to meet Charlie properly. As seven rolls around, they all watch their watches....tick....tick....tick.
7:01, and still there. And they raise their beers and toast to tomorrow, may it always come, whatever it brings.

Cut to the forest. The redcaps are on bended knee reporting the situation. A shadowed figure on horseback steeples his fingers and says:

"Oh what fools these mortals be...."

Steve

[SteveD]

Later in Miranda and Charlie's talk Miranda said, "He can be a bit blind sometimes," and we cut to Eirion poking Tom in the eyes.

ah yes, of course. That happened without any involvement from me, which was great. I love it when not even the GM has a complete picture of the show.

I also forgot all my subtle hints about the clock bells being out, and about using clocks for "time dilation dowsing", but I think I got most of it. Please post any other lines I forgot.

Steve

PS Shelley explained that he attended Magdalen, but was sent down (expelled) for writing a paper called "The Necessity of Atheism". In death, he haunts the place he hates trying to scare or convince people to drop out and become famous whoopsies like him. He was inserted to add pressure to the timing, but also because someone mentioned that they'd like a Lorne-like character, who could come in when needed, but not every week.

The Clockmaker? Who can say. Just a simple old clockmaker. He makes clocks. But sometimes his clocks are the size of the universe.

[Scorpio Rising]

Glad season II's rockin' it. I enjoy these AP's a lot.

- Scorpio tuning in next Watch-week....

[Professor Phobos]

Glad season II's rockin' it. I enjoy these AP's a lot.

As do I. Often very humorous.

[Craig Oxbrow]

Daaaaaamn. This show rules.

[Craig Oxbrow]

Originally posted by SteveD
Miranda: I just wanted a perfect day.
Tom: It is a perfect day...when I spend it with you.
Awww... :)

[colbabe]

Don't forget to mention that Shelley was being played by the always wonderful Colin Firth.

[SteveD]

Most of our readers might have guessed, since I mentioned it in the secret casting thread that they can read but you can't. :)

Meanwhile, I also forgot to thank my friend Murray, for coming up with the clocks being out idea, and Olof, for suggesting the whole redcap thang. They were originally going to be....something else I can't tell you.

- i am teh metaplot D

[thenewgirl]

Oh yeah..

Don't forget about the "cahootiness"!

I cannot for the life of me remember what that was in reference too now...

13 days 'til episode 3........

* sigh *

[Craig Oxbrow]

I dunno, but it's funny whatever the context. :D

(Will Miranda screwing around with magic form the basis of episode two every season?)

[SteveD]

Describing Miranda and the Clockmaker: "They're all cahooties" and then later "and then they make with the cahootiness".

(Will Miranda screwing around with magic form the basis of episode two every season?)

Absolutely.

And yes, two weeks off this time.

Jody, we need to talk...

Steve

[Craig Oxbrow]

Duly noted.

Hmm. Off to ponder episode 3.2...

:D

[SteveD]

You know, just once I'd like to see an actual play written by players. Not necessarily my game or my players, I just think it's more interesting that way, because GMs know too much. It's interesting to see what the audience thinks of it.

Loose session this week. Bit tired, over-written and underplotted, and not much structure to it all. And we were chatty. But it was still fun and lots happened.

2.3 Fools and Horses

Prologue

A welsh folk tune plays over the welsh hills. Pan down to reveal a small village. Bucolic folk stand aghast and restrained. In the centre of the village, a huge pyre has been erected and around the central trunk, tied securely, are the beaten and grumpy figures of Tom, John, Eddie and Charlie. They struggle in vain as robed figures approach, chanting. Their leader throws back his cowl revealing a horned chin. He tells them their blood will give sustenance to their great unholy god, and bends to light the pyre with a torch….

…and then comes a riding horn, and he hesitates for a moment. Long enough for a crossbow bolt to pierce his wrist causing the torch to drop to the ground. The robed figures turn in fear and confusion. Riding over the hills at full gallop is Eirion, standing in the saddle of his huge white horse. He holsters the crossbow on his back and pulls his sword, then rides into the cultists. The battle is short and bloody, interrupted only by a quick cut of Tom and John trying desperately to blow out the torch. Eirion calmly engages the leader, and with a stroke, takes his head. He dismounts his mighty steed, unties his friends and tells the poor farm folk that all is safe. A buxom welsh peasant runs into his arms, thanking him for saving all their lives and saying how she’s ever so grateful. Then she turns into an alsatian, and then Tony Blair gives her Best in Show. There’s lots of applause at Crufts, and the whole stadium seems to be thumping on their seats…

Oh wait. That’s the door. Eirion wakes from his sleep, his nose still in the book of Cymric legends he was reading. Tom exits the shower and opens the door. It’s John and Eddie, looking chipper and ready for breakfast. Cue a long tracking shot as they get ready and head down. They pass Joe and Mike, their new fresher stairmates on the way down, then pick up Charlie and head around the quad to the dining hall. They pass a lot of people: the Master takes John to task for risking the architecture in his demon form; the american twins, Jessie and Lizzie are like oh-my-gawd that Charlie is Rani Purnima’s daughter, Pru demands they report to the library after breakfast, Xiao invites John and friends to join the Tolkein society which is being restarted with a celebratory debate on modern fantasy chaired by the Master, newly arrived Professor Krzlecki complain that that boyish pulp isn’t real fantasy and hopes the boys will study some real literature with her this year. Finally, the Porter pops is head in over their eggs and bacon baps and asks John where he should put it.

“Put what?”
“Your horse sir”
“My what?”

Credits. Now with added Charlie goodness (smashing clocks and zapping redcaps). Eirion’s shots now include the horse charge. Fay still isn’t listed but she has more shots in the video now.

[SteveD]

(Should also point out that I was tired then, I'm exhausted to the point of agony now and my notes are incomplete. So I have a limited grasp of what happened, who said what, and what order it all happened in. Sorry.)

Indeed, rushing to the courtyard reveals a large chestnut stallion – sent by John’s father to begin John’s grooming for the title. Rebecca and Miranda come down, and Miranda announces that Rebecca has got her into the pony club and she’s going to be buying a horse in installments. Along with this new one, and Charlie’s horse, they can all go riding together. What larks!

Cue sarcastic agreement from the boys about having such a jolly old time at pony club. Eddie in particular is not impressed; he sees his cousin becoming everything he is increasingly rejecting, and he’s not happy. Eirion also looks upset.

Back in the library, the group are all a-babble about recent events. John can’t stop talking about the news about the LotR film news (“How are they gonna do Bombadil?” he wondered to himself) while Pru is telling them that it’s impossible that they saw a dozen redcaps in broad daylight, and demanding research. Then the topic of Miranda comes around. Clearly, the girl is becoming a safety risk. Pru suggests increasing library security.

Charlie: Or Tom could just take her out to dinner more often.

Charlie is generally in favour of sparing the rod and using psychology instead – making friends instead of an intervention. But Eirion inspecting the library finds another magic book out of place (love potions) and Miranda’s bookmark in it.

Charlie: Let’s not jump to conclusions. I borrow Miranda’s bookmarks all the time.
Eirion: (gasp!) So it was YOU!

Tom has the simplest solution:

Tom: I’m thinking valium.

The gang decides to let Charlie handle things and go to Pony Club. Eddie stays behind to sulk. Tom sits and watches and is Very Supportive. Miranda learns slowly but well. Eirion wanders around showing his experience with horses, particularly when the twins (who of course have their own ponies) are mis-saddled. He fixes them up, and they are most appreciative. Later, they ask for a hand dismounting – assuming him to be the stable boy.

Eirion: I don’t work here. I’m not actually the stable boy.
Jessie (or Lizzie): Oh sorry. You just look so…common.

(I’ll take GM Introduces Themes With Subtlety for $1000, Bob – NOT.)

The team return to college and some go off to the fantasy lecture. The Master talks about tolkein's Viking inspirations. Christopher Tolkein rants about modern mythmaking bullshit. Krzlecki argues for Kafka, Borges and Marx as the saviours of fantasy. It's all very dull, apart from Miranda trying to prod John into getting it ON with Fay. She does the same thing at the pub, where they meet up afterwards, maneouvering the two together. But John is too busy holding forth to Tolkein geeks about the nature of elves in the Silmarillion. Fay listens intently, but doesn't understand where the redcaps fit in with it all. tom and Eddie talk to the freshers. Eirion is absent, doing things. The girls arrange to all go riding again in the morning. Eventually, everyone goes home to bed.

Next morning, we do a parallel shot - more knocking at the door. Eirion opens it to reveal the porter, who asks him where he wants him to put his horse. Eirion smiles and tells him to send it ahead to the pony club.

Commercial.

[SteveD]

Ah crap, I have no idea what happened next. Did...Miranda and Charlie have words before they went riding? When did the argument with Pru happen? HELP ME, please.

[SteveD]

I'm pretty sure that Charlie talked to Miranda before she left. She was cunning, and it was a good scene, basically getting Miranda to admit that she's not at all dissuaded from using magic, and would be quite happy to whip up some love potions so Charlie could get with John. Which of course started the infamous Magdalen rumour machine up...

The gang met at the pony club again, surprised to see Eirion riding his shining white mare (whose name escapes me). Eirion outrides everyone, even Rebecca and her incredible arabian. John and Charlie talk, and touch arms, much to Fay's lip-biting. Miranda gives Charlie a love potion of reasons I now forget. Miranda seems much better on her horse than yesterday. John tries to get Fay on a horse but she's so nervous she makes the horse crazy and it doesn't really work.

At this point, John and Fay went to a cafe for breakfast. Eddie was also in a cafe, sulking, with someone. His phone went off - Pru summoning the troops to the library urgently. Commercial again.

[SteveD]

Fuck it. I lack the strength and the sanity to do this properly. You'll have to wait another day for the rest.

[EvilBrennan]

Damn.
That's a looong commercial break.
Rest up.
^_^
Sounding good, as per usual.

[thenewgirl]

Hmm OK... trying to remember...(only 'cause you said "help!")

This is additional stuff to what you have written so far, from the Charliecentric universe of me:

DAY 1:

Charlie is made both proud and embarrased about who she is when the barbie twins ask her for her mother's autograph.

John recieves gift hampers from his Mummy and a letter from his Father telling him to join the pony club. Charlie is happy that most people want to go riding, she has a horse too and she hopes the fact that they have at least one activity in common will help her make some friends.

At breakfast Charlie wonders why people like dull books about cockroaches when there are so many corking murder mysteries available.

Inexperienced Charlie is a bit useless with the RedCap research. She is somewhat relieved to hear that nearly being over-run by small scary creatures is not a normal occurence. Charlie is surprised at the boy's reaction to finding Miranda's bookmark in the magic book in the library, to her mind, they are hardly normal themselves. After her recent "many bad days in a row" experience however she conceeds that such things may not be good and persuades them all to let her talk to Miranda.

Charlie shares her horse with Eirion when they go riding.

Charlie talked to Miranda after 1st day riding before they went to bed I think. Charlie told Miranda that she wasn't sure if she wanted to use a love potion on someone 'cause if they got together how would she know it was real or not? Miranda asked if Charlie wanted John, Charlie said yes to make her story more plausible then winced as she realised the possible gossip repercussions. She invites Miranda to come with her to see her mum for a "girls" day sometime.

DAY 2:

Eirion tells Charlie he got his horse as a present from Terrence (his guardian in Australia).

Miranda gives Charlie the love potion to use on John. Miranda says something like "Just go for it, it's only a little push". Charlie pockets it... feeling a little worried that Miranda would resort to magic with such haste, but mostly touched that she would make such an effort to help her.

Charlie talks to John about Fay mentioning RedCaps at the pub the night before. She urges him to use his manly wiles and find out how she knows about them.

Charlie cuts her ride short, invites Fay to join her and Miranda when they go to London (she feels bad about making Fay feel bad). She leaves them and joins Eddie in a cafe where they talk about clubs in London and her older brother James. Charlie decides she likes Eddie very much and she invites him to come along on the London trip too.

[cue Eddie's phone ringing]

[Craig Oxbrow]

Originally posted by SteveD
You know, just once I'd like to see an actual play written by players. Not necessarily my game or my players, I just think it's more interesting that way, because GMs know too much. It's interesting to see what the audience thinks of it.
DEM (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?threadid=97936) is written up by meself, and then checked over and posted by Joe. I think he altered two sentences last week.

Anyway, good stuff again, getting into a clearer relationshippy ongoing storyline. Something I'm looking at myself now...

[dalziel_86]

I was very, very tired at the start of the session, having had waaay too little sleep in the past week. Thus, Tom didn't get a whole lot of dialogue in the early parts of the game.

Later though, I did funny things. So, y'know, look out for them, so you can see how cool I am.

Hell, after the game I scored points in the MSTing of 'Unbreakable'. And it's not even a game you can legally score points in. I was that funny. I am teh cool.

I am teh cool, I am teh cool, I am teh cool, I am teh cool.

I'm done now. :D

[Craig Oxbrow]

Points for joshing Unbreakable? I must know more.

[SteveD]

We were all in very fine form, but the bit about Elijah (Sam Jack) breaking his wrists masturbating as a teen won Ade a So Very Wrong Point.

Apologies for the whiny bitch routine. I was sooooo tired. And now...

The gang clomp along the balcony to the library. As soon as they push open the door, Pru grabs them and yanks them into a corner. They stand facing her, oblivious, as she babbles, pointing behind them. Finally, they turn.

There's a lion on the reading table, eating some Moliere.

There's much gibbering while trying to stand perfectly still. Charlie darts out, making the lion get off the table. Eirion tries to talk to it. It stares at him, hungrily. Charlie comes back with one of the meat hampers John was sent by mumsy and slides it across to Leo. What she doesn't tell the guys is she put Miranda's love potion in it. The lion eats, and then pads over to Eirion...and starts humping his leg. There was a quote around here, but I don't quite remember it, it was something like:

John (or Eddie?): We've been through a lot together - fighting demons, and vampires, and blowing up ancient sorcerers. But this really beats all.

While this is going on, Charlie and Pru and John talk about Miranda's love potion. Pru says something about how magic is allowed, but sorcery is forbidden. Cut back to Eirion, with the lion curled up on his lap. He lights a cigarette with his finger-tip. Marvellous. Pru comes bustling back in and tells them not to smoke in the library, saying "remember what happened the last time it was set on fire?"

Tom: what happened?
Pru: Well...it was set on fire....

Pru mentions a missing magic book, and everyone blames Miranda (and thus Tom). Tom is relaxed about the book\;

Tom: I'm sure it's lion around somewhere! (the first of endless lion puns)

John wants Miranda to be made a watcher and taught magic. Pru goes nuts saying that watchers don't LEARN magic, only the background. NEVER sorcery. Not in her school. Over her dead body. Sorcery ist verboten! Charlie freaks out, thinking she's being singled out too and runs away. GREAT scene.

Tom: What's wrong with her?
Pru: Oh, who knows. Her psychic powers were not what I was referring to.
Eddie: She's a psychic? And you were going to tell us this when? In the fullness of time?

At this point, Joe bursts in and says that his flatmate Mike didn't come home last night, and he's a bit freaked and worried. And the last time he saw him, he was talking to Miranda at the White Horse The team snap into action like a wet noodle. Charlie went to the pub to check it out. Eddie calls on Lt Harker (see last series) John and Tom questioned the students. And Eirion went down to the stables, and started yelling at his horse.

"I know you know something, horse! You better tell me!"

At which point the Porter just happens to be walking past....

[SteveD]

At the White Horse, Charlie finds a symbol out back, painted in (possibly) blood. She doesn't recognise it, but when John arrives, he does - it's the white hand of Saruman, the symbol of the Uruk-hai. It's not occult, it's fictional. And it's right where Mike disappeared. Back at the library, people share notes, and figure out its got something to do with books and stuff. Tom asks, re the orks: "Pru, is there something you need to tell us? Or something you told us about that you need to UNTELL us?". Pru mentions she was reading CS Lewis recently, about "Aslan the big preachy lion". Someone asks her if the lion tried to save her soul. The theory is confirmed when Jessie (or Lizzie) is found screaming in the quad about a cockroach with a man's face - Ms Krzlecki's Kafka fetish. Tom suddenly remembers what he was reading, his eyes bug out and he runs back to his room. While the next conversation takes place, we see him fighting some tentacles through the library windows. (you know hack hack hack, disappear, reappear held by tentacles and screaming, disappear, reappear covered in black ichor).

The conversation meanwhile, becomes serious when Eirion confesses - he took the book, he cast a spell, and it's probably his fault. Pru is so shocked she can't speak for a bit. The others yell at him a bit. Pru's mouth goes all straight and she takes the book and reads. Turns out its a gateway spell - they can shut the gate to stop more dream creatures coming through, but they'll have to kill those that already exist. To clean up this mess.

Somewhere around here, there was a need to identify a corpse (I forget why), and Eddie invented a word:

Eddie: yeah, so we should have no problem corpsesexing.
John: corpsesexing?
Eddie: Yes, identifying the sex of a corpse. Corpsesexing.
Tom: corpsesexing?
Eirion: Eddie invented a new word!
Tom: That's....that's not a word invention to be proud of, dude.

Cut to that night - the team are armed for bear and patrolling the campus. A bunch of Tolkein roleplaying geeks rush up and tell that these freaky LARPers dressed as orks just raided their Fellowship meeting and took Joe...woah, is that like a +1 broadsword?

John tells them to go call the cops. They follow the trail of destruction out of the common room, out the gate and to the street, where it goes down the sewer. They look at each other. Eirion casts light on his fingers, and they form a marching order. Someone wonders if this is all just a game of D&D. Tom replies "Well, I'm a fourth level American!"

[SteveD]

John leads the way, figuring the orcs will be heading west. He tries to figure out which character he might be in the novels. Charlie has an idea:

John: Maybe I'm Eomer?
Charlie: (who wasn't listening) You!...like...horse-man-dude!
John: Eomer.
Charlie: buh. I talk good.

John figures out where the orcs are going and deicdes they need horses. They get out of the sewers, saddle up and ride to South Park where there's some woods. Eddie, suddenly the Gimli of the gang, rides behind Charlie. Tom steals Miranda's horse. They ride down the street, into the woods, and there they spy the uruk-hai - six in number, with Joe and Mike in a net being dragged behind them. John yells something suitably Tolkish and they chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarge!

Charlie and Eddie flank the edges, trying to stop them running away, and not get killed. Tom's sword is like Glamdring, and takes the head of every orc it touches. Eirion blinds them with his light spell, and his horse kicks a few. But seeing him a mage, they swarm on him, and he gets two spears stuck right through his body before he can fight them off. Finally, there is only one left, and he runs away. Thinking quickly, Charlie glances at a spear, stares hard, spends a DP and ZOOM! It shoots away and goes through his neck. They burn the bodies and take Eirion to the emergency room.

Next day. Library. Eirion bandaged from hip to chest and in pain. Pru comes in sombrely. She says she thought she made her expectations clear. She blames herself for giving them too much freedom. She says she takes no pleasure in what she's about to do, she's just very disappointed.

"Eirion Lewis, for the act of forbidden sorcery, as stipulated in the Watcher's code, you are hereby suspended from the council for a period of no less than six weeks, whereupon we will examine your case and decide if you are fit to resume your studies. You will also be excluded from the university for this time. You will pack your bags and leave by the end of the day."

Eirion pushes back his chair and walks out. Pru goes back to her rooms. Eirion realises there's one last loose end. He gets a rifle and goes to find his horse.

The gang run after him though, and convince him not to do it. They all agree to pay for the horse's upkeep, as well as paying all Eirion's accomodation off campus for the period. Maybe the poor boy can get a horse after all.

Unseen, the horse winks at the camera. Roll credits. Grr. Arg. NEIGH!

[SteveD]

Change of plans next sesh, methinks. I was going to do the Father's Visit episode, but I might instead do something else about Pru...and other things.

Jody, you could play an NPC, or I can easily find a reason for you to be involved. Certainly less arbitrarily than having you come back for the Father's Visit.

Steve

[Craig Oxbrow]

Originally posted by SteveD
We were all in very fine form, but the bit about Elijah (Sam Jack) breaking his wrists masturbating as a teen won Ade a So Very Wrong Point.
Ahahahahahahaaaaaaa! Also, EWWWW!

Pru mentions a missing magic book, and everyone blames Miranda (and thus Tom). Hmph! Men!

Anyway, teh utter spectacu-roxxor as ever.

[Elemental]

If I manage to run a game like this at some point, I'll die happy.

[Burgonet]

Originally posted by SteveD
Somewhere around here, there was a need to identify a corpse (I forget why), and Eddie invented a word:

Eddie: yeah, so we should have no problem corpsesexing.
John: corpsesexing?
Eddie: Yes, identifying the sex of a corpse. Corpsesexing.
Tom: corpsesexing?
Eirion: Eddie invented a new word!
Tom: That's....that's not a word invention to be proud of, dude.


The word came up in conversation with Detective Harker. She made a quip about last season's episode, involving grumpy old men, a corpse, and a cover up.

Eddie said: 'No, no. There's no problem this time with corpse-sexing.'

Eddie just couldn't bring himself to say the word with its usual F word second half.

Later on, I mentioned the conversation with Harker to the boys. Hence, the rest of the conversation quoted above.

Oh, and for the record, I try to get at least two Dracula jokes in every time I ring Harker. For example:

----
H: Hello, Inspector Harker.

E: I do not drink... wine. Are you free to talk, Miss Harker?

----

H: Yes, what is it?

E: Dracula has bought Carfax Aubbbeeeey! Have you seen my surfboard?

H: Smythe, you are not funny, you know that?

E: So, going to marry an accountant, then?

----

Etc.

[Fade]

Could someone post a link to Series 1? I don't seem to be having much luck with the Search function.

[Craig Oxbrow]

The unaired pilot (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?threadid=33087)

The start (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?threadid=55141)

The middle (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?threadid=63395)

The finale (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?threadid=68281)

The discussion as if the show existed (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?threadid=68369)

And more, including creative differences! (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?threadid=97983)

[Burgonet]

Ask, and someone who by chance was on, will do what he can:

Season One, part one (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=55141)

Season One, part Two (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=68281)

Season One, part Three (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=68281)

That should cover it.
But as a silly aside:
Where we talk about the show as if it were a real programme (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=68369&highlight=The+Night+watch)

Hope that all helps.

[Fade]

Thanks muchly. Insubject: Night Watch was only turning up two threads for some reason, neither what I was looking for.

[dalziel_86]

Originally posted by SteveD
We were all in very fine form, but the bit about Elijah (Sam Jack) breaking his wrists masturbating as a teen won Ade a So Very Wrong Point.
I was actually thinking of the bit where the newspaper showed an artist's impression of David Dunn, and I predicted that it would be a block of wood, in reference to Bruce Willis' acting range...

...but that other thing I said was cool too. :D

Tom: I'm sure it's lion around somewhere! (the first of endless lion puns)
Including such classics as "I think he's lion to us!", and "This is the end of the lion!" (upon hearing that the lion had been killed). :D

Someone wonders if this is all just a game of D&D. Tom replies "Well, I'm a fourth level American!"
This was followed by debate about what would be class skills for the 'American' class, aside from the obvious 'Firearms'. :D

John leads the way, figuring the orcs will be heading west. He tries to figure out which character he might be in the novels.
Tom scratched his stubble and said "Still not king". :D

[SteveD]

H: Yes, what is it?
E: Dracula has bought Carfax Aubbbeeeey! Have you seen my surfboard?

H: Smythe, you are not funny, you know that?

E: So, going to marry an accountant, then?

So far, this is the best idea for a TNW spin-off: Eddie quits the Watchers, Harker quits the force, and they move to London and fight crime! He's a very swish gay man rebelling against his father and with a finger (or perhaps more) on the underground werewolf rave scene. She's a no-nonsense ex-cop trying to save the world and amend for a past she can't forget.

THEY FIGHT CRIME!

Steve

[Jody Macgregor]

Originally posted by SteveD
Jody, you could play an NPC, or I can easily find a reason for you to be involved.If I'm playing an NPC I could kick back and take notes and maybe write up the next session so you have a break. Also, I could attribute all the best lines to myself.

[SteveD]

possibly, possibly. Still deciding which one I want to run...


I'm sad the players never did the full Miranda intervention. Because it's always fun when players throw a lighted match into a keg of gunpowder...


:D

[thenewgirl]

I'm sad the players never did the full Miranda intervention. Because it's always fun when players throw a lighted match into a keg of gunpowder...
:D

Hee hee, girl talk saves the day! Well, puts off the alarmingly inevitible for a while anyway....

[Burgonet]

Originally posted by SteveD
So far, this is the best idea for a TNW spin-off: Eddie quits the Watchers, Harker quits the force, and they move to London and fight crime! He's a very swish gay man rebelling against his father and with a finger (or perhaps more) on the underground werewolf rave scene. She's a no-nonsense ex-cop trying to save the world and amend for a past she can't forget.

THEY FIGHT CRIME!

Steve

Hey, I'm all for it!
Eddie going to get his own spin-off series sounds like a hoot.

Just spare us James Marsters.
That damned actor shows up in EVERY spin off at some time.

:)

Although Seth Green guest starring in the pilot would be a welcome addition...

;)

[Craig Oxbrow]

Originally posted by SteveD
possibly, possibly. Still deciding which one I want to run...


I'm sad the players never did the full Miranda intervention. Because it's always fun when players throw a lighted match into a keg of gunpowder...


:D
:eek:

[Burgonet]

Originally posted by Craig Oxbrow
:eek:

As far as Eddie is concerned, Miranda is on her third strike.
Much as he does not mind her company, a third time toying with magic solely for her own purile amusement will not go down well with Eddie, or John, I suspect.

Now Eirion and his escapade.... that's a tougher question to address.

[Craig Oxbrow]

I think this is the first time I've ever been quoted as saying :eek:

Fair point, she likely isn't making any friends with this kind of thing. Although, hey, the first time wasn't puerile amusement, it was overwork.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[dalziel_86]

Originally posted by Craig Oxbrow
Fair point, she likely isn't making any friends with this kind of thing. Although, hey, the first time wasn't puerile amusement, it was overwork.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Y'know, Craig, you really should give Steve a contact number so he can call you up at 3am your time and ask what Miranda would do in a given situation. :D

[Craig Oxbrow]

Maybe once I become a hermit. :p

[colbabe]

Originally posted by Craig Oxbrow
Points for joshing Unbreakable? I must know more.

Actually, half of it was a MSTing, and half was pretty much a viewer's commentary track on the DVD. A lot of the MSTing was making comments like "Stop, villain! I am Brucewillisman!" and picking on Robin Wright Penn for being the Princess Bride. The commentary was a dialogue on comics and superheroes in general, but of course it was so overpowering that a lot of the movie dialogue was lost under the volume - much like some of our gaming sessions, but hey. ;)

[colbabe]

Originally posted by SALette
As far as Eddie is concerned, Miranda is on her third strike.
Much as he does not mind her company, a third time toying with magic solely for her own purile amusement will not go down well with Eddie, or John, I suspect.

Now Eirion and his escapade.... that's a tougher question to address.

Indeed - I was pretty adamant with Steve about bringing it up in the episode, 'cos John had had enough. Nice reversal with Eirion now using magic irresponsibly as well. Now John's torn between his Watcherly duties to ban sorcery, and the practicality of having two skilled sorcerers in the fight against evil.

[Craig Oxbrow]

Somewhat serious point: I'm Miranda consultant, but Steve's TNW head writer. I don't to be International Weird Possessive-Of-My-Character guy. Well, as much as I can avoid it. *twitch twitch* :D

And poor Charlie. Now that's how to drop a superpower secret. (mutter mutter everybody being pretty fine with lycanthropy mutter)

[SteveD]

What was the point of contention upon which Ade suggested I call Craig and ask him? Twas amusing, anyway.

[SteveD]

Indeed - I was pretty adamant with Steve about bringing it up in the episode, 'cos John had had enough. Nice reversal with Eirion now using magic irresponsibly as well. Now John's torn between his Watcherly duties to ban sorcery, and the practicality of having two skilled sorcerers in the fight against evil.

My work is done.

Well, no, it isn't, but that bit seems to have worked really well. I was v happy when Col came up with that idea, it set up a perfect one-two punch.

Steve

[SteveD]

Although, hey, the first time wasn't puerile amusement, it was overwork.

Miranda always starts with a VERY good reason. There's nothing puerile about having a romantic Oxford summer last a few days longer.

[Craig Oxbrow]

Absolutely.

[Jody Macgregor]

These things always start with good intentions.

'I don't have a pony. Everyone else has a pony. Why don't I have a pony? I deserve a pony. I'm going to magic one up from another dimension.'

[SteveD]

'I don't have a pony. Everyone else has a pony. Why don't I have a pony? I deserve a pony. I'm going to magic one up from another dimension.'

'Oh dear my teacher got eaten by a lion'

Such a slippery slope...

[Craig Oxbrow]

Wanting a pony is rather more puerile than wanting someone else to have a perfect day. *snoot*

Puerile is my new favourite insult. Expect to see it in TWH writeups soon.

[SteveD]

Do.

Not.

Mock.

The Pony!

[Burgonet]

Originally posted by Craig Oxbrow
Wanting a pony is rather more puerile than wanting someone else to have a perfect day. *snoot*

Puerile is my new favourite insult. Expect to see it in TWH writeups soon.

Glad you like it, Craig.

And I don't really care how good Oxford days are.
Playing with the timestream is just WRONG.

Even Doctor Who thinks so.

And he's a Doctor.

PS. Watched The Four Feathers on DVD a few nights back.
Was nice to see Eddie's supposed actor in his throes... he even got to use a cavalry cabre in it!
:)

[SteveD]

Just posting stuff...here's John's letter from pater re the horse:

From Lord Charles Henry John Benedict Crofton Chetwynd Chetwynd-Talbot, Earl of England and Ireland, Earl of Shrewsbury and Waterford, Earl Talbot, Viscount Ingestre, Baron Talbot.

To The Marquis John Charles Edward Beaufort Chetwynd Chetwynd-Talbot, Marquis of Shrewsbury and Waterford, Viscount Talbot.

John,

Your recent disregard and disdain towards this house and its traditions notwithstanding, you remain our son and heir. It is our opinion, however, that your conditioning for the latter role has abated, and remains insufficient for the standards of the peerage to which you are inherit. In accordance, we herewith send you your own beast so that you may begin proper training in all manners of parade. So as to assure us that your training is satisfactory to our desires and in keeping with the demands of this house, you will make use of one of the schools listed on the attached for your tutelage.

We hope your studies continue well.

Yours etc
Earl Talbot
(Father)

PS Mother sends her love, and much of the summer lambs.

[SteveD]

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

I JUST SEND LOTS AND LOTS OF SPOILERS TO THE MAILING LIST!

DELETE DESTROY DO NOT READ!

The post is called "Pru". I'm gonna go and try excise it from the database.

[Craig Oxbrow]

Originally posted by SteveD
PS Mother sends her love...
:(

Massively dysfunctional family relationships are a bit of a theme in the Watch games, aren't they...

[Burgonet]

Originally posted by SteveD
ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

I JUST SEND LOTS AND LOTS OF SPOILERS TO THE MAILING LIST!

DELETE DESTROY DO NOT READ!

The post is called "Pru". I'm gonna go and try excise it from the database.


<img src="http://www.doh.ru/images/homer/00000032.gif">

[colbabe]

Originally posted by SteveD
PS Mother sends her love, and much of the summer lambs.

An odd line in itself, until the baskets of mutton were revealed. Thankfully, Charlie didn't forget them when we encountered the lion. (Although we'll excuse the slight plot hole of Charlie being able to get into my room without the key. Unless she telekinesisised it open! Still, more good rumourmill action there in any case. "John, did you give Charlie a key to your room?")

Hey, John's a Marquis! I had always wondered what rank of peer he has.

[SteveD]

Surely the baskets weren't kept in a bedroom, but given to Cook to store for you - in a kitchen open to all?

[Burgonet]

Originally posted by SteveD
Surely the baskets weren't kept in a bedroom, but given to Cook to store for you - in a kitchen open to all?

I would have thought they'd be stored in the refridgerator, in the props department, off set.

I reckon the 2nd AD's been nicking some of it.
Explains him bringing chutney and bread to most of the early half of the second season shoot.

;)

[thenewgirl]

I figured they'd be stored in the kitchen..... (I thought I heard you tell the porter to take care of everything!)......but hey, if you want to keep large joints of meat in your bedroom far be it from me to comment! Everyone is entitled to their little foibles.

:D

[Craig Oxbrow]

Originally posted by SALette
I would have thought they'd be stored in the refridgerator, in the props department, off set.

I reckon the 2nd AD's been nicking some of it.
Explains him bringing chutney and bread to most of the early half of the second season shoot.

;)
Hey, don't look at me, I don't eat red meat...

[colbabe]

Originally posted by thenewgirl
......but hey, if you want to keep large joints of meat in your bedroom far be it from me to comment! Everyone is entitled to their little foibles. :D

Hey, Eddie was doing so a long time before John even thought of it.

:D

So the rooms don't have fridges then?

[thePill]

Arrrrgghhhh!!!

When did this season start up? Somebody needs to lend me tapes. Will pay money for Nightwatch tapes!

[SteveD]

So the rooms don't have fridges then?

No. First up, they're TINY (bed, desk, small cupboard, one square foot empty space and that's it) and second, every meal is cooked for you anyway.

You don't even have toilets and showers in your rooms - there's one per staircase.

Steve

[SteveD]

2.4 Prologue

(For those of you watching this in Visu-Brain, Mr Taylor is played by Mr Peter Cushing, and Mr Tyler by Mr Christopher Lee. They previously appeard in 1.4 In Loco Parentis.)

Mr Taylor listened to the plan with a polite smile.

You always listened to the plan. The customer expected it. It was All Part Of The Service. Mr Taylor often thought that it was most important part. Sometimes, he allowed himself to speculate that if only there were more people to listen to plans, and admit that they were, in analysis, fiendish and majestic and masterly, then there would be less plans put into action, and perhaps less villains as well. He glanced at Mr Tyler, who nodded very so slightly, as if to so: and less work for us, too.

Mr Tyler could say a lot with a nod.

The plan finished, Mr Taylor smiled and bobbed his silver-crowned head behind his mahogany desk. “Indisputably brilliant, if I may say so, sir” he said. “But now, we must inquire about which precise section is it with which we can be of assistance to sir?”

The lizard boy seated opposite grinned, showing a feast of interlocking incisors. “The, the library, yes. I need to get in, in, in”

Mr Taylor raised an eyebrow, seeming confused. It was also Part Of The Service to require Further Explanation. “The library? But sir already has the book. Is it the spell you require, because we have – “

The demon chortled with sickening self-satisfaction, and drool dripped off his forked tongue. “No, no. Not the ssspell. It’s.…” the lizard trailed off, then lent conspiratorially across the desk. Mr Taylor looked deeply pleased to be taken into such confidence, and leant across to meet him half way. “Talked to wizzzardssss. Talked to m-mediumsss. Library iss the best place. Everybody can sseee, everybody knowsss. Booksss leaking out, into real world, into hisstory. Real hissstory. That’s why it worksss,” he added, with a triumphant raise of his eyebrows.

My Taylor sat back, expressing sudden understanding and amazement. “Very good sir. Quite clever. So all that is required is safe passage into the town?”

The lizard nodded…then the exuberance dripped off his face as Mr Taylor’s body language suddenly changed. He sat back and steepled his fingers. He looked at Mr Tyler. The client was always right until the moment came to discuss the fee. Then Mr Taylor was in control.

“Expensive,” was all he said, with a note of sadness in his voice, and perhaps even regret that he should be forced to say such a terrible thing to such a nice man.

The scaled freak pulled a soiled bag of silver coins from his belt. “I can pay, yesss. They sssaid – “

Mr Taylor blinked slowly, and wrung his hands with deeper regret. “Things have changed, sir. Security has increased. Our price has unfortunately done likewise.”

The lizard paused in counting out its money and looked from Mr Taylor to Mr Tyler. People often did this, but they always eventually turned back to look at Mr Taylor. Mr Taylor was the suggestion of expense. Mr Tyler was the full stop.

“Dissscount?” said the demon, hopefully.

Mr Taylor could not quite contain his shock. The word – along with bargain, sale, or any mention of crazy, crazy prices – was not one that was uttered in an establishment such as theirs. But the customer was always right, even when uncouth. “Perhaps, sir,” he eventually returned, with only the slightest shudder, “we could offer some kind of financial arrangement, if sir could indicate that his actions would provide…intangible benefits for our other associates.”

The lizard smiled again, his tongue flicking so fast it was a blur. “Even if it not work, library still might go boom, they ssay. Then the Watchersss all in big, big trouble.”

“Mmm. And if it does work?”

“Then the Watchersss all dead.”

[Craig Oxbrow]

Yiiiiiiiiiiiii!

[Jian]

Originally posted by SteveD
No. First up, they're TINY (bed, desk, small cupboard, one square foot empty space and that's it) and second, every meal is cooked for you anyway.

You don't even have toilets and showers in your rooms - there's one per staircase.

Steve

Depends on the college doesn't it? In-college accomodation tends to be like that - but you tend to get a shower, loo, kitchen (with fridge) per landing (so per 4 rooms or so).

Oxford rooms are tiny - one more reason they are inferior to our mighty institution on the Cam.

It's traditional if you're drunk and inconsiderate to stuff other people's fridges full of your beer.

Jian

[SteveD]

Oh, a kitchen per landing? Didn't know that. Okay, we'll go with that then.

Steve

[happyelf]

You fools! You've given him kitchens to play with???!!

Well, don't blame us when you all end up getting cooked by nazi canibals or squashed by a rampaging fridge or something. . . .

[Craig Oxbrow]

Once you've faced a lesbian steamroller, an angry fridge holds little fear.

[SteveD]

Right then. Apologies if I run out of time halfway through this.

Prologue as stated.

Cut to the library. Adrian complains that we always start in the library. I counter by saying we find a new camera angle, coming through some side-stacks, shot low. We find some of the gang (Tom and John) at a table. Pru is nearby SLAMMING books onto the shelves peevishly. John is writing up extra notes for Eirion. Tom is reading a Colonel X book, and other copies scatter the table. When Pru is mad, she reads Colonel X. And leaves them out for others who might also be annoyed by certain actions of certain people that shall remain nameless but I think you know what young man.

Cut to Eddie and Charlie standing next to a closed door of a ww2-style boarding house in North Oxford. They walk back, discussing how very, very, VERY ugly Eiron's digs are, and how it sucks he's been forced to stay there. It's a late, whimsical night when they arrive back at the library. The kind of night where nothing happens. Until they look up to find Shelley standing in the middle of the table.

"Don't mean to bother anyone, but are you aware there's some kind of giant frog person in your stacks?"

Investigating quickly, the boys stumble onto a familiar face - Giz, the lizard boy, major domo of the King of Pain, standing in a magic circle which is exploding with light and smoke. He yells something about them being too late and then there's this winking of green light, like some door into another dimension and then ZOINK! Everything shuts down and the book slams shut. The title reads "Colonel X Rides Again".

The gang carry the book back to Pru, trying to figure out what's going on. What could the demon possibly gain by going into a book? The blurb says it has something to do with the Old West...and then they notice the windows. For a second, outside, there is the dark red of fire against the sky. It's the sight of Oxford town burnt to the ground and vampires picking off the dead. It flickers, than it disappears.

The gang talk to Pru and she says the book talks of the young Prof X's experiences in the Old West, wherein he meets a snake-oil peddlar who might have indeed been based on the real King of Pain. Perhaps somehow, he's found a way to use the book to alter history...behind them the windows flicker again, and more smoke pours off the charred remains of Oxford's spires...

But the book is still resonating with magical energy. Maybe they can go into it, with a spell and figure out what happened. The gang look at each other. Seems they have no choice. Time to saddle up.

Credits, around here. But there was a great line just before them.

[SteveD]

The boys stand in a magic circle...John amusingly dragging a large bag of swords with him. Pru hands Charlie the spell to get back. She tells them to be very careful - she'll go get Eirion and try to hold down the fort here. And if they get into any trouble, just press their markers...wait, no. That was timeline. Just read the scroll.

And KABLAM!

Suddenly the guys are bouncing around in a somewhere carpetted. Boxes are landing on them, as are two other people, a pretty young girl in a bonnet and a rough-about guy in a rumpled suit . The ground is moving. John looks out the window of the carriage.

The desert rolls by at high speed. There are cacti and mesas. He's in the old west.

The gang pull themselves up to discover Eddie has someone got changed during his jump. Now in chaps, a pink shirt and a big white hat, he introduces himself as the famous Pink Rider, then swings onto the roof of the carriage and sees to the runaway horses.

Eventually coming to rest they meet Ms Prudence Pryce, a haberdasher's assistant, and Mr Xavier, English journalist. John goes to introduce himself and suddenly ZAM! he's not John, he's Riverboat John, ace gambler from Nawlins! Tom steps forward and offers his hand and ZAM he becomes Black Hat Tom, wanted gunfighter from back east, wearing close-fighting black and a flat black hat.

I thought about doing this TO my players, but they did it themselves without any prompting (just a DP). It was GLORIOUS.

Charlie, terribly confused, remains Charlie. So Pru pulls her aside and asks "Excuse me, are you from the, uh...."real" world?"

[SteveD]

Erg, feeling very light headed now and still don't have my notes. More soonish.

Steve

[dalziel_86]

Originally posted by SteveD
Tom steps forward and offers his hand and ZAM he becomes Black Hat Tom, wanted gunfighter from back east, wearing close-fighting black and a flat black hat.
When asked, Tom gave his name as Marty McFly, though I kicked myself later for not giving the name Michael Fox...

Charlie, terribly confused, remains Charlie. So Pru pulls her aside and asks "Excuse me, are you from the, uh...."real" world?"
I think it was at this point that Charlie's player actually pulled me aside and asked what was going on, and how we were transfoming. Like so much in this game, it just happened because we said so. :D

[Craig Oxbrow]

And this is as it should be.

[SteveD]

Some good lines I've missed:

Tom on (old) Pru and (old) Colonel X: Their relationship is special.
Charlie: You mean special bus special or special flowers special?

Pru examines the book after Giz goes through:

Pru: This book is throbbing with magical energy!
Tom: (cutting eddie off before he can open his mouth) shut up.

I should also point somethings out:
Jody, Eirion's player, was playing the young colonel X (also called Mr Xavier). And the entire cast of Firefly is in this episode. Why? Because my middle name is fan service. And because if I was making this show for real, that's whatn I'd do - and the fans would dig it.

And also, the entire game was scored by Marty Robbins, from his album "Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs". Plus Al Caiola plays Magnificent Seven, and plenty of Johnny Cash. God bless my dad's LP collection.

Anyway, yes, the boys were turning into cowboys and calling each other pardners before you could lick a cat. John got confused

Young Pru: Thank you sir.
Riverboat John: My pleasure pardner.
Tom: I think she's actually a ma'am, not a pardner.

Pru explained how she was reading the book in the library in the 1960s and she discovered some holes in it. with a quick spell, she was able to step into them. It only works with colonel X, but that's okay because she loves them. She's been in a few others, but this is her favourite. She's the chaste and beautiful haberdasher's daughter who steals the young Colonel X's heart - but at the end, he leaves her instead of marrying her so as to avoid trouble with the law and go seek adventure, which is why he was forever a bachelor in the books. (Yeah right says Eddie)

She tells Charlie she'll get her some proper clothes in town and they ride into Judgement, population 53 (crossed out) 52.

(Incidentally, you guys need to roleplay out or specify explaining to Charlie more. We need to know exactly what she does and doesn't know.)

[SteveD]

Arriving in Judgement, the gang discover that things are definitely cinematic as opposed to historical - all the cowboys have hats, the saloon girls hanging over the hotel balcony are actually gorgeous, there's not a trace of horse manure anywhere. Pru goes to her shop, Xavier and the other three go to get rooms in the only hotel, the Palace.

Pushing open the saloon doors they find a classic old west saloon, complete with honky tonk piano. Miss River, the waitress, says howdy as she glides past with drinks. Behind the counter sits Miss Inara, her cool eyes following everything that happens in her place. She gets the boys some drinks and starts some conversations. The gang notice lots of people in town are sick, Inara says the doctor can't explain it. something bad in the air. Discovering Xavier to be english, Inara recommend he talk to the stuff old English guy upstairs. This turns out to be a Mr Wexford Giles (guest star Anthony Stewart Head). He makes conversation.

Xavier (in cockney): We both hail from the same town, so I figure we should look out for each other.
Giles (in polished Oxford): Yes, well, absolutely, although perhaps rather different parts of that town. Excuse me.
Jody: Goddammit, am I destined to be lower class no matter who I play?
Me: Yeeeees.

During all this, John and Tom are confused because Eddie can't seem to drop his accent. Eddie also has a wife called Susan (btw, his car is called Susan in the real world. Not sure we covered that, it's very sweet) and knows an awful lot about his home in Oregon. It soon becomes apparent that somehow Eddie got cross-wired and completely fictionalised himself! (a plot idea that would later prove to go absolutely nowhere, but was durn entertaining)

[SteveD]

Of course there was a barfight. Badboy McFly went looking for one and he found it at the badboy table - where was hanging out two desperados from the Jayne gang - One-Eyed Zoe (now with eyepatch) and Washboard McGee. Wash threw the first punch...and then all hell broke loose. And beautiful stuff it was, as my players threw in every cliche they could find.

Tom and Wash went crashing through a table. Suddenly everyone in