Moon Goddess: Scene 20

Introduction to this thread: The Moon Goddess Is A Harsh Mistress
Explanation of Mythic elements: What's All This Mythic Stuff?
Previous Scene: Scene 19


SCENE 20
In which Katja confronts the soldiers and rescues Nina thanks to an unexpected burst of power.

CHARACTERS
The Silver Huntress (her deity)
Soldiers/Police
Drachen (her old warhorse)
Nina Yazov
Nina's Mother (Anna Yazov)
Nina's Father (Mr. Yazov)
The Hard Man with the Nasty Scar
Susi
Yuliya
Igor
Deidre
Nina's uncle Ulrich
The target of Nina's hunt
Hamid
Professor Nasir
The Commissar
Fanquin Lanfeng
The girls from New Zealand
Crewmen from the smaller ship
Other passengers
Nora (the red-headed girl from New Zealand)

UPDATED THREADS
* Escape to freedom
* Solve the mystery of Nina's mother
* Decipher the writing on the menhir
* Deliver antique sword to the target of Nina's hunt
* Investigate the Moon Goddess Cult in New Zealand
* Rescue Igor/Nina

CHAOS FACTOR: 8

********************
Interrupt scene!

[PC Positive, Transform (with) Information. I'll proceed as expected and the interrupt event will enter play as soon as I can work it in...]

Katja pauses for a moment as she observes the scene on the dock. She knows her plan is desperate...

Katja: "We need to sneak off the ship and gain access to one of those automobiles. Once inside, I'll enact a Sanctuary ritual. It should prevent the soldiers from shooting at me, and by extension the rest of you while we drive into their midst. I've never held a Sanctuary for more than about half a minute. We won't have much time and I'm not sure where we'll go when it runs out."

The brunette who was recently freed from her bonds: "Wait! Nora, what about Anna's scrolls? They must be on the ship. Surely they might contain something useful."

CQ: Name of the other girl [Kleimo]? Marna

Nora: "We have no time, Marna."

Katja: "Wait, Nina's father is already dead. We have a minute so if it buys us an advantage. Do you think you can find it?"

Marna: "I'll try."

Marna races off into the ship with the blond girl at her heels. A very tense minute passes as Katja watches the soldiers force Nina to her feet in preparation to march her off. Amazingly [as per the interrupted scene], Marna returns carrying a small silver-engraved ivory chest. She lays it on the floor, quickly opens it, and withdraws the first scroll she finds.

Katja takes it and reads.

Q: Is it in German [Likely.. Katja must be able to read it and it certainly isn't in Russian]? Yes.

Q: Katja's hand-writing [50/50]? Yes.

Katja: "It's in German... in my hand! It describes a very powerful ritual of transformation. I can almost feel the power."

Without thinking, Katja begins to read the spell out loud. The other girls step back as Kata's eyes begin to glow silvery-white. As she reads, Katja's soft-spoken soprano gives way to a growling tenor. As she reads, her face becomes bestial with deadly looking fangs. Claws sprout from the ends of her now powerful hands and her arms, back, chest, and legs ripple with muscles.

Retaining her intellect but consumed with a thirst for bloody vengeance, Katja bursts through the cabin window...

ASIDE: For the duration of the scene, Katja's "Mistress of the Hunt (4)" will become "Mistress of the Hunt in Primal Form (4d10)". 

RISUS: She rolls 33 on her improved cliche

... and easily clears the distance to the dock and then some. She is upon the startled soldiers before they are even aware of her presence.

Q: Are the soldiers at least a 4 dice grunt squad [Likely]? Extreme no. In their startled state, this particular group is only a Group of Dumbfounded and Startled Soldiers (2).

Katja rips into the soldiers, hurling them aside, slashing at their throats, and making every effort to prevent them from raising their weapons. She rolls 28. The soldiers roll only an 8 and the critical is enough to leave them completely decimated. Some are killed, some were thrown into the freezing water, and others are running for their lives.

Q: Does Professor Nasir run for his life [Likely]? Yes.

Q: Does Nina realize it must be Katja [Likely]? Yes.

To Nina, Katja growls "Get on the smaller ship."

And with that, Katja races off after Professor Nasir.

RISUS: Katja rolls a 19 to pursue.

Katja is upon him in heartbeat.

Q: Does he draw the sword in his defense [50/50]? Yes.

Q: Is he impeded by the curse of the sword [50/50]? Yes.

Realizing that he is cornered, Professor Nasir tries to unwrap the sword that he is carrying. In the process he cuts himself on the very sharp blade. Katja doesn't give him any time to suffer the inevitable effects of the curse, as [roll of 29] she rips his throat out and takes the sword for herself.

Q: Are there soldiers mounting a defense [50/50]? Extreme yes.

There is smoke and rapid-fire thunder and Katja realizes that a group of Entrenched Soldiers (5) have formed up to oppose her behind a barricade. Riding her battle frenzy, Katja darts to one side, rolls, leaps to the other side and finally makes a mad leap towards their position as the soldiers try to track her movements with their firearms.

RISUS: In her primal form, Katja's cliche is appropriate vs. firearms. Katja rolls 17. The soldiers, however roll 23.

Katja fails to advance on their position, taking several bullet wounds in the process.

Q: Is Katja close to the building where they were holding Igor [50/50]? Extreme no (she's closer to the water).

Realizing the folly of a frontal assault. Katja dives into the water. Various soldiers leave their position to spot where she will surface. Even in her primal form, the water is too cold to swim far [she rolls a 4]. A Detachment of Soldiers (3) fire on her. [They roll 11 to her 12] She just barely evades their fire, swimming deep in an attempt to come up on the other side of the ship. She does and [rolling 13] quickly scales the passenger ship, scaring countless passengers in the process. Safe from their weapons, she attempts a healing spell. [Rolling 15] She heals her wounds so that she may rejoin combat
refreshed.

She glances towards the smaller ship and sees that Nina has been taken aboard by the girls from New Zealand.

The sword. She's still holding the sword.

Q: Does she feel and benefit from its power [50/50]? Yes. It almost makes her (considerable) hair stand on end.

CQ: What is the nature of its enchantment [Mythic Event Action/Subject]? Bestow advice. In addition to being a +1d6 bonus die item, it speaks to her in the voice of a long dead child seer.

CQ: What advice does the sword give [Mythic Event Action/Subject]? Extravagance of environment.

She feels its power. She can almost hear the voice of a child ... and then suddenly, Katja can visualize the entire battlefield from all angles.

Q: Is Igor still guarded [Unlikely]? No.

Q: Does she see reinforcements coming [50/50]? No.

She sees Igor struggling out of his bonds without a guard in sight. She sees the desperate soldiers looking about in terror, some of them advancing up the gangplank of the passenger ship to investigate the terrified screams. And she sees clearly that there are no more reinforcements coming.

Racing through a couple of cabins, she doesn't hesitate as she barrels down the gangplank towards the soldiers. She leads with the sword and the Soldiers (3) try to raise their weapons to fire before she is upon them them. [She rolls 17 to the soldier's 11.] She kills one, but the others halt her advance.

In a mad melee, the remaining soldiers on the gangplank stab at her with bayonets. She retaliates with a whirlwind of steel and claws. [Rolling 28 to their 8] She slaughters them to the man.

The Entrenched Soldiers (4) (reduced in power due to the soldiers killed on the gangplank) fire their weapons. Katja once again dives into the water for cover. [Rolling a 19 to their 18] Katja barely avoids their fire. From under the water, with a vision from the sword, she swims along the dock well behind their position. [Rolling 28] She stealthily climbs up and then races at them from behind their barricade. [Rolling 23 to their 10] She finds herself in their midst, hacking and slashing with reckless abandon. She kills several [reducing their cliche by 1 since she only rolled 1 for critical damage]. In the next turn, [rolling 26 to their 9] she completely finishes them off. There are no survivors.

Katja breathes heavily, the heat of battle giving way to the freezing cold of evaporating water. She feels herself shrinking into her normal form and a great weariness sets in. She is dimly aware of a heavy coat being draped about her curiously bare shoulders.

********************

CHARACTERS - Marna is added to the list. Nina's father and Professor Nasir are removed.

UPDATED THREADS
* Escape to freedom
* Solve the mystery of Nina's mother
* Decipher the writing on the menhir
* Deliver antique sword to the target of Nina's hunt
* Investigate the Moon Goddess Cult in New Zealand
* Rescue Igor

Updated Chaos Factor 7

Note: The remaining scenes of this episode are largely denouement. Due to the Christmas holiday (which I will mostly spend away from computers), these scenes will likely be posted starting in early January.

Moon Goddess: Scene 19

Introduction to this thread: The Moon Goddess Is A Harsh Mistress
Explanation of Mythic elements: What's All This Mythic Stuff?
Previous Scene: Scene 18

SCENE 19
In which Katja meets the girls from New Zealand and witnesses a new turn of events on shore.

CHARACTERS
The Silver Huntress (her deity)
Soldiers/Police
Drachen (her old warhorse)
Nina
Nina's Mother
Nina's Father
The Hard Man with the Nasty Scar
Susi
Yuliya
Igor
Deidre
Nina's uncle Ulrich
The target of Nina's hunt
Hamid
Professor Nasir
The Commissar
Fanquin Lanfeng
The girls from New Zealand
Crewmen from the smaller ship
Other passengers

THREADS
* Escape to freedom
* Solve the mystery of Nina's mother
* Decipher the writing on the menhir
* Deliver antique sword to the target of Nina's hunt
* Investigate the Moon Goddess Cult in New Zealand
* Rescue Igor

CHAOS FACTOR: 8

********************
Interrupt scene!

[NPC Action (Professor Nasir), Imprison Plans... he's going to show up on shore (see below)]

Q: Is the lead girl Russian [50/50]? Yes (I'm assuming the others are not).
Q: Does she see Nina's mother in Katja [Likely]? Yes.
CQ: What is the older girl like [wikipedia]? Nova Scotia. I'm assuming she's fair skinned, freckled, and red-headed as well.

The red-headed young woman (holding the axe) says something in what Katja has come to recognize as Russian.

Katja shakes her head and replies back in English, "I'm sorry, I don't speak Russian. But you are the girls from the land of New Zealand, correct?"

CQ: What is the surname of Nina's mother [EE - Russian Surname]? Yazov

The red-head says, "Yes! You look like Anna Yazov. But she's been dead for years, and was she much older even then."

Suddenly, another young girl [Q: Blond (50/50)? Yes], this time a blond, says from across the cabin, "[CQ: Name (EE - Russian female)? Leonora] Nora, there's something happening on shore."

The red-head named Nora lets her gaze linger on Katja as she moves towards the window. She then looks and [Q: Does she recognize Nina's father (50/50)? Yes] stifles a cry of anguish.

Nora: "They are killing Mr. Yazov!" She looks back towards Katja sympathetically and pleadingly at the same time.

Q: Are there at least for girls [likely]? Yes, there are four.
Q: Does the cabin look like it's been inhabited by the girls for some time [50/50]? Yes.
Q: Are there signs of restraint [likely]? Yes.

Katja takes in the small cabin. In addition to Nora, there are three young women: the brunette girl with the red cylinder, the blond, and [Q: Brunette (50/50)? Yes] another brunette. From the clothes and other personal affects, it looks as if the girls have been in this cabin for a while. From their clothes, it looks like they have travelled from a much warmer climate (the cabin itself is strangely warm). Additionally, the blond girl is helping the smaller brunette out of restraints. Other ropes lay on the floor.

These girls were formerly captives. No wonder they were so eager to batter the two crewmen who were chasing Katja.

Katja marvels at the young women. As clear as day, they are the women that she saw printed on the paper under the sword in her dream. Amazing... wait... they said she looked like Anna Yazov. The man who was being killed was Mr. Yazov!

"Nina's father!"

Katja races to the window and looks down upon the scene on the dock.

Q: Is My. Yazov still moving [Unlikely]? No.
Q: Is Nina Visible [50/50]? Yes
Q: Can Professor Nasir be scene carrying the sword [Likely - implied by random event]? Yes.
Q: Is he walking out without being noted by the guards (who are mostly around Nina and her dying father) [50/50]? No. He is interacting with them.
Q: Is Nina crying over her dead/dying father [50/50]/ Yes

Nina is now on the ground, crying over her dead or dying father. She is cursing the soldiers in Russian as they threaten her with their weapons.

A man emerges from the building that housed Igor. It's Professor Nasir. And he's holding the sword! He turns it over in his hands as he walks toward the activity. Some soldiers move to threaten him as well, but they are stopped by one of their officers. With a word, the soldiers part to let him through.

He speaks to Nina in Russian and Nina spits in his direction.

Q: Does Nasir look sorry for what is happening to Nina [Unlikely]? Extreme yes.

Professor Nasir fights through tears as he continues to address Nina.

Katja: "Nora, can you make out what he is saying?"

Q: Through the window and from this distance, can Nora understand what is being said [Unlikely]? Yes.
CQ: What is he talking about [Brewers]? Jacquard Loom. Hmmm... I'll interpret Loom as meaning Fate/destiny.
Q: Has he betrayed the Yakov family before [Likely]? Yes

Nora: "He's sorry that fate has once again forced him to betray the Yazovs.... That bastard! He's the one who sold out Anna."

This time, the eyes of all the girls fall upon Katja.

Q: Does the blond ask Katja what she is going to do about it [50/50]? Yes

Blond: "Anna? It must be you! You have returned to lead your flock once again! Surely you can intervene!"

Katja: "I'm sorry, but I'm not your Anna. We share some kind of bond, that much I'm certain. But I am new to your world. And I'm afraid I don't know how I can help Nina or her father. There are so many guards, and I've called on the Silver Huntress so much already."

All the girls look to her, the hope in their eyes feels like it burns.

Katja: "But you are right. We must do something. The Goddess didn't guide us to this moment for nothing. Tell me, are you able to channel her power?"

Q: Are they [Very Unlikely]? Yes...barely (assume Nora only).

Q: Does she still have spells she can cast after her (presumed) months of captivity [Very Unlikely]? Yes, though I presume that she doesn't have anything dramatic at this point.

Nora: "I know some rituals. I receive them in dreams sometimes. I can create light and accelerate healing. If I could only pray under the moon, I might gain additional miracles."

Katja: "It's no matter. I'm fairly certain I can intervene in the disturbance below, but I'm less certain of my ability to get away. If only I knew how to operate those automobiles."

Nora: "I can drive. What do you want us to do?"

Katja smiles. "I think I have a plan."

********************

CHARACTERS - Add Nora as a separate character from the other New Zealand girls. Update Nina and her parents' names.

UPDATED THREADS
* Escape to freedom
* Solve the mystery of Nina's mother
* Decipher the writing on the menhir
* Deliver antique sword to the target of Nina's hunt
* Investigate the Moon Goddess Cult in New Zealand
* Rescue Igor/Nina

Updated Chaos Factor 8 (still a balance between being in control and being out
of control)

Moon Goddess: Scene 18

Introduction to this thread: The Moon Goddess Is A Harsh Mistress
Explanation of Mythic elements: What's All This Mythic Stuff?
Previous Scene: Scene 17

SCENE 18
In which Katja tries to get off the ship.

CHARACTERS
The Silver Huntress (her deity)
Soldiers/Police
Drachen (her old warhorse)
Nina
Nina's Mother
Nina's Father
The Hard Man with the Nasty Scar
Susi
Yuliya
Igor
Deidre
Nina's uncle Ulrich
The target of Nina's hunt
Hamid
Professor Nasir
The Commissar
Fanquin Lanfeng
The girls from New Zealand

THREADS
* Escape to freedom
* Solve the mystery of Nina's mother
* Decipher the writing on the menhir
* Deliver antique sword to the target of Nina's hunt
* Investigate the Moon Goddess Cult in New Zealand
* Rescue Igor

CHAOS FACTOR: 8

********************

Interrupted Scene!

[Ambiguous Event, Struggle (with) The Intellectual. I'll interpret this as some kind of disturbance on the shore as security officers try to arrest of group of "intellectuals". While technically ambiguous, Katja and Nina may try to use it for their advantage.]

After navigating a maze of corridors, Nina leads Katja to the aft side of the deck...

Q: Are there any passengers on the deck [Unikely in the cold]? Extreme yes. RANDOM EVENT (see below)

...and suddenly stop in a crowd of passengers watching some kind of disturbance
on shore. Katja lets her Moonblade vanish and Nina hides her sword.

Q: Does Nina use the crowd (and a roll of 9 on her depleted Super-Spy cliche) to blend into the crowd with Katja [50/50... the target would likely be somewhere between 5 and 15]? Extreme yes.

Quickly filching a discarded blanket and parka for cover, Nina leads Katja into the thick of crowd. Moving closer to the rail, Katja is able to see a crowd of security officers surrounding some older men on the pier. One of the soldiers smashes one of the men's nose with the butt of his weapon.

RANDOM EVENT (From above): NPC Negative (Nina's Father) Kill Love... eek!

In Russian, Nina screams what could only be "Father!".

Suddenly all eyes are on Nina. The guard who had assaulted her father stabs the prone man in the chest with a knife affixed to the end of his firearm. Nina screams and the soldiers on shore rush towards the gang plank.

Q: Does the crowd part to leave Nina (and presumably Katja) isolated on the deck [50/50]? No.

The crowd on the deck begins to move and Nina and Katja are swept up in the confusion.

Q: Are Nina and Katja sepparated [Unlikely]? Yes.

Katja is suddenly aware that she is alone as Nina is carried off by the crowd. Riding the crowd a few more moments, Katja tries to duck into a hiding place.

RISUS: She'll rolls 17 vs. Mistress of the Hunt (a fairly applicable cliche). [Q: Is this enough to succeed (Very likely)? Yes]. She succeeds.

Minutes pass. Katja is alone.

Thinking quickly, she remembers that she still has spells that she prayed for. The deck is currently empty but there is a fantastic commotion on shore.

Q: Would be possible to jump onto another ship from the deck [Very unlikely]? Yes, though it won't be easy.
Q: Is the deck of the other ship clear [Unlikely]? No, there are crew men watching the events on shore.

Looking to a smaller ship docked behind this one, Katja guesses that she could make the leap with effort. But there are two crewmen on the deck, watching Nina's father die on the shore. If she jumped, they might raise an alarm. She could continue to hide, but if they caught Nina and made her talk... and even if they didn't make her talk, she couldn't leave Nina and Igor to face death or imprisonment. She had to act.

Counting to three, Katja runs at full speed towards the rail. She rolls 11 on Mistress of the Hunt [Q: is this enough (Unlikely)? Yes] and clears the gap between the ships, rolling on the deck as she lands.

Q: Do they stare blankly in surprise [50/50]? Extreme no!
Q: Do they rush to protect her [Unlikely]? Extreme no! Damn!

The crewman see her and immediately as someone trying to avoid capture by the government. Whether they are naturally law abiding or trying to curry favor with the port authorities, they rush to grab Katja and restrain her.

Q: Can Katja escape with a simple TN roll [Very unlikely]? Yes.
Q: Is a roll of 13 on Mistress of the Hunt enough [50/50... likely between TN10 and TN15]? Yes, RANDOM EVENT (see below).

Katja scurries through their legs and races around to the water side of the deck, looking for cover.

RANDOM EVENT (from above): NPC Action (Girls from New Zealand), Decrease New Ideas... wow, that's out of left field... knocking somebody out would surely decrease their capacity to have new ideas.

As Katja races around the deck, she hears a shout followed by two "THUDS" followed by a "Pssst! Oy!"

Katja turns and sees two under-dressed young women, one holding a red metal cylinder and the other and single-bladed axe that is too big for her. Below them are the unconscious bodies of the men that were chasing Katja.

Katja smiles, looks heavenward, and says "Thank you!"

********************

CHARACTERS - Add unconscious crewmen and the other passengers.

UPDATED THREADS
* Escape to freedom
* Solve the mystery of Nina's mother
* Decipher the writing on the menhir
* Deliver antique sword to the target of Nina's hunt
* Investigate the Moon Goddess Cult in New Zealand
* Rescue Igor

Updated Chaos Factor 8 (it was heading for a raise until the very last random event)

Target Numbers and the Single Slayer

This past weekend's Slaying Solomon premier was snowed out in the storm of the century (I can say that because 1996 was so last century). Still, I have been thinking more about using Risus as a tool to help run Buffy: The Vampire Slayer RPG. Specifically, I have thinking about magic.

Now, Buffy actually comes with a really simple magic system. In a nutshell, magic spells are rated on a scale of 1-6+. There are a few handy charts that translate what types of effects are appropriate for a given power level. The Magic Box supplement expands these tables and there are a small handful of modifiers based on tweaking out the spell definition.

I haven't found too much need to simplify that.

However, there have been times when the flow of the game is such that I don't want to break stride to consult the Buffy tables to define a new spell. In some cases, I can wing it by comparing the new spell to an old standard (we make heavy use of a Power Level 3 seeker spell). In other cases, I use Risus.

The Risus Companion describes a pretty nifty magic system in the section called "Target Numbers and the Single Showoff". This system is so simple and elegant that I borrowed it wholesale for Silverlode and Dragonspire. The gist is that the difficulty of casting a spell is tied to the dramatic impact of the spell and how generous it is to other players (easy) and how much it steals their limelight (hard). I use this system so much that I've internalized the chart and can mentally translate the Target Numbers to other systems. In the case of BtVS:RPG, I translate them as follows:

Simple (TN5)	Power Level 1: Any effect up to and including that which helps the party achieve something as a whole, or that acts as a tool to facilitate another activity.
Ordinary (TN10)	Power Level 2: A standard effect that is meant to overcome a single obstacle that faces the character, or handle the character's share of an obstacle that faces the party.
Complex (TN15)	Power Level 3: The effect would hog the scene a bit.
Difficult (TN20)	Power Level 4: The effect would entirely upstage the other players, turning the other characters into bystanders for the rest of the scene and then some.
Dangerous (TN25)	Power Level 5: The effect would shortcut (or instantly rewrite) the whole scenario.
Impossible (TN30)	Power Level 6: The effect would utterly wreck the campaign world or campaign plot line.

I should add that it is easier for a Buffy character to succeed at a Power Level 5 or Power Level 6 spell than it is for a Risus character to succeed at a Dangerous or Impossible spell. Therefore, I'd almost certainly adjust the Power Level upwards, make spell component prohibitive, and introduce severe consequences for failure. 

Finally, I should say that I do like the Buffy system when I actually have the small amount of extra time needed to define spell effects. I would love to go the other way and use the Buffy system in certain Risus games. That will have to be another post for another day.

Christmas Crazy

Christmas is almost upon the Risus Monkey household and I'm waaay behind schedule on doing my part to ensure the crass commercialization of the holiday. And the holidays are inherently hectic. When it's all over, I'm going to want a vacation from my vacation.

Anyway, there hasn't been a lot of non-Mythic posts lately, but I hope to rectify that soon. I've signed on to run a Pirates vs. Vampires chat game in the coming year, so I'll definitely be blogging my preparations. I'm specifically going to need to work out how to handle ships combat. I'll be heading over to Risustalk to hash that all out and will post the results here.

And I hope that folks are enjoying The Moon Goddess is a Harsh Mistress. The action is picking up as we head towards the final scenes of this episode. There's a lot of Risus in these posts, as combat plays an important part.

Moon Goddess: Scene 17

Introduction to this thread: The Moon Goddess Is A Harsh Mistress
Explanation of Mythic elements: What's All This Mythic Stuff?
Previous Scene: Scene 16

SCENE 17
In which Katja and Nina attempt to ambush two guards, take their clothes, and leave the ship undetected. It doesn't work out so well...

CHARACTERS
The Silver Huntress (her deity)
Soldiers/Police
Drachen (her old warhorse)
Nina
Nina's Mother
Nina's Father
The Hard Man with the Nasty Scar
Susi
Yuliya
Igor
Deidre
Nina's uncle Ulrich
The target of Nina's hunt
Hamid
Professor Nasir
The Commissar
Fanquin Lanfeng
The girls from New Zealand

THREADS
* Escape to freedom
* Solve the mystery of Nina's mother
* Decipher the writing on the menhir
* Deliver antique sword to the target of Nina's hunt
* Investigate the Moon Goddess Cult in New Zealand
* Rescue Igor

CHAOS FACTOR: 7

********************

The scene is altered (ask some questions to see how).

Q: Instead encountering two female members of the crew, do they encounter a single crew person of Katja's size [50/50]? No.
Q: A single woman of Nina's size [50/50]? No.
Q: Two smallish (but male) guards [50/50]? Yes.

Roaming the halls of the ship looking for two female crew members to ambush, Katja and Nina instead come face-to-face with two armed guards. They are men, but not particularly large.

Q: Are the guards looking for Katja or Nina [Unlikely]? No.

One of the guards tips his hat to Katja (who was dressed in reasonably attractive clothing by Nina). Katja smiles and drops her purse.

Q: Does Nina take the hint and go for a knock-out blow of the a guard as he bend down to pick up Katja's purse [Likely]? No (I'll assume the guard doesn't bother to bend down).

The guard just stares at her.

Katja looks at the guard and says (in German), "aren't there any gentlemen in this country?" She then clutches her holy symbol and attempts to cast Hold Person [TN9] on the larger of the two. With a roll of 20, she succeeds by a wide margin (so much so that I won't bother having the guard resist).

Nina then winds up with [Q: The butt of her pistol (50/50)? Yes] the butt of her pistol and tries to knock out the surprised smaller one.

NOTE: Up until this point, I haven't defined Nina's cliches. I'll define at least one of them now.

Q: Does Nina have at least 4 dice in a cliche that involves knocking out mooks (something like Super-Spy or Intelligence Operative) (Likely)? Yes.

Nina rolls 15 on her cliche to knock out the remaining solider.

Q: Is this enough to knock him out without a fight [Very likely]? No! That means we'll start a combat.
Q: Does the soldier have at least Tough Russian Soldier (4) [Unlikely]? Yes.
Q: Does the soldier shout for help before fighting back [Unlikely]? Yes.

Letting out a shout, the soldier balls his fist and prepares to strike Nina. Nina crouches into a combat stance while Katja grabs the other soldier's gun and brandishes it.

RISUS: Katja is Teaming Up with Nina but has no relevant cliches. Thus, the rules for When Somebody Can't Participate are invoked (adding two dice to everyone).

The soldier rolls 28 on 6 dice. Nina rolls 16 and Katja doesn't roll any 6's. Thus, Nina loses 3 dice due to a critical [1d6 damage if margin is 10+] as a powerful blow sends her sprawling.

Katja rushes to Nina's side with a quick word of encouragement and attempt to heal her and boost her spirits with divine magic. She rolls 10 to perform the minor healing and Nina gets up with only a bloody nose (she is now only 1 die down in her "Super Spy" cliche).

Q: Does Nina have a secondary cliche with 4 dice that will help in this situation [50/50]? Yes.
Q: Remembering the Indiana Jones character that inspired her, I'm guessing that it is something like "Fencing Master". Is there anything lying around that she can use as an improvised sword [Unlikely]? Extreme yes! Nina had her sword the whole time.

Nina whips out her previously disguised sword and prepares to strike. In a hushed whisper, Katja says "don't kill him!".

Q: Does Nina go for the kill [50/50]? No.

Nina instead aims to inflict pain. She rolls 23 to the soldier's 22. He is now down 1 die from a painful stab-wound in his right arm.

Q: It has now been several seconds, do the combatants hear anybody else approaching [Unlikely (the odds will go up every turn)]? Yes.

Katja: "End it now or we must flee!"

In a rage, the soldier moves to pick up his rifle and aim it at Nina. Nina pumps her Fencing Master cliche to 5 dice in a dramatic lunge. Katja summons her Moonblade and assists.

RISUS: When Somebody Can't Participate no longer applies so every uses their regular dice totals.

The soldier rolls 14. Nina rolls 23. Katja casts her spell but doesn't bring it to bear in time [she didn't roll any 6's]. The soldier drops to two dice as he takes another sword wound in his shoulder. Nina was aiming for the heart.

The fight is taking place in a narrow hall below deck. One soldier is frozen in place and another bleeding and yelling in pain. Nina and Katja are both brandishing weapons (a sword and mystical scimitar respectively).

Katja: "Get him to yield!"

Nina: "I think we're beyond that!'

Nina attacks with her (now reduced) Fencing Master cliche, rolling 9 on 3 dice as her emotions get the better of her technique. Seemingly unwilling to kill the guard, Katja doesn't offer much help [she didn't roll any 6's to assist]. The soldier rolls 7 and loses another die, as his wounds have almost caught up with him.

Q: Do more guards show up now [50/50]? Yes.
Q: Another two [Likely]? Yes.
Q: Are they mooks (a 3 die grunt squad) [50/50]? Yes.

The wounded guard yells something and the other soldiers advance with their guns pointed forward, shouting things in Russian. Nina is about ready to lower her sword when Katja utters another prayer to the Silver Huntress in attempt to summon a celestial wolf [She rolls 14 on TN12 and succeeds]. It appears in front of the advancing soldiers and starts attacking.

The Celestial Wolf (3) attacks the soldiers but only rolls 5. The soliders bring their guns to bear, shoot, and roll 7 to wound it. Nina chooses this moment to finnish off the wounded soldier. She rolls 10 to his 1 and puts him down.

Nina: "Come on, while your demon wolf fights those two. Let's run!"

Katja follows and the two try to find another way off the ship.

********************

CHARACTERS - No change (soldiers already on the list and the celestial wolf is a temporary ally).

UPDATED THREADS
* Escape to freedom
* Solve the mystery of Nina's mother
* Decipher the writing on the menhir
* Deliver antique sword to the target of Nina's hunt
* Investigate the Moon Goddess Cult in New Zealand
* Rescue Igor

Updated Chaos Factor 8

Moon Goddess: Scene 16

Introduction to this thread: The Moon Goddess Is A Harsh Mistress
Explanation of Mythic elements: What's All This Mythic Stuff?
Previous Scene: Scene 15

SCENE 16
In which Katja and Nina encounter a security checkpoint while boarding a ship for England.

CHARACTERS
The Silver Huntress (her deity)
Soldiers/Police
Drachen (her old warhorse)
Nina
Nina's Mother
Nina's Father
The Hard Man with the Nasty Scar
Susi
Yuliya
Igor
Deidre
Nina's uncle Ulrich
The target of Nina's hunt
Hamid
Professor Nasir
The Commissar
Fanquin Lanfeng
The girls from New Zealand

THREADS
* Escape to freedom
* Solve the mystery of Nina's mother
* Decipher the writing on the menhir
* Deliver antique sword to the target of Nina's hunt
* Investigate the Moon Goddess Cult in New Zealand

CHAOS FACTOR: 6

********************
The scene occurs as expected.

Q: Is Igor with Katja and Nina [50/50]? Yes.

Q: Is there a long line people waiting for security to check their travel papers [Likely]? No.

Q: Is it snowing [50/50]? Yes.

The weather has taken a turn for the worse and a steady snow falls from the sky. The docks are surprisingly free of civilians, though many people in uniform can be seen. Katja is dumbfounded at the sight of the enormous metal behemoths. On her world, ships were made of wood and only a fraction of the size of these giants.

Q: Is Nina still dressed in her uniform [50/50]? No

CQ: (get a bunch of names of Nina's cover story from EVERYONE EVERYWHERE)

Nina: "We're approaching a checkpoint. Remember, I am Eva Biehl and you are my younger sister, Helga. We were visiting our sister Magda Kovalyov in Kronstadt. She is married to Oleg Kovalyov, a fisherman. Best to let me do the talking."

Katja: "What about Igor?"

Q: Is Igor still walking with them [50/50]? Yes

Q: Does Nina say that Igor will make his own way through security and that they do not know him [Likely]? Yes

Nina: "Igor will be making his own way through security. We only just met him. We will say that he claimed to be trade representative, if we are asked."

Sure enough, they encounter a checkpoint on the way to the ship. Igor goes through first.

Q: Does Igor have any problems with security [Unlikely]? Yes.

Q: Is he pulled out of line [50/50]? Yes.

He presents his papers. The soldier examines them closely and Igor looks nonplussed. But the guard is not letting him through and Igor begins to get angry. Another guard comes up and they converse in Russian. Igor continues to argue and they eventually pull him out of line and escort him to a small building.

Q: Does this appear to bother Nina [50/50]? Extreme yes.

Katja is obviously distressed. She looks to Nina for encouragement and is horrified to see the look of extreme anxiety on Nina's face. Something is wrong. Thoughts of a return to prison almost paralyze Katja. In her desperation, she reaches into the heavy coat that Nina gave her and pulls out Nina's mother's holy symbol. She begins a small prayer under her breath.

Q: Does Nina notice and try to stop Katja's spell [Unlikely]? Extreme no.

When the guards return from their post and prepare to receive them, Katja strides forward and begins reciting a prayer to the Silver Huntress that she wrote with Bix in better days. The prayer is in Pembroke (English in this world), but if her spell is successful it shouldn't matter.

RISUS: Katja is casting an Enthrall spell. It will be a simple TN9 roll to cast the  spell. Katja rolls 18. An outstanding success!

The checkpoint guards, Nina, and several bystanders enthralled. Katja grips Nina by the arm and gives her solid pinch. Nina recovers and realizes what is going on. While Katja has the attention of the guards, Nina walks over the to the small building.

Q: Is Igor currently unguarded [Unlikely]? Extreme no (he is guarded by several soldiers that have not been affected by Katja).

Q: Does Nina have the sword [50/50]? Extreme no (it's obviously with Igor).

Continuing (and repeating) her prayer in a divinely melodic voice, she watches Nina pacing by the door of the guard building. Igor has the sword in his luggage. His luggage is in the building. Katja is powerless to help as long as she maintains her Entrallment...

Then Katja has an idea. She beckons for Nina. Continuing her prayer, she uses gestures to try to tell Nina to ask the Entralled guards to provide assistance.

RISUS: This will be a base TN7 roll for an ideal cliche. Katja has no ideal cliches. Her cleric cliche might have marginal relevance, but she is unlikely to succeed on a TN17 roll. Her Mistress of the Hunt cliche might include the ability to gesture to hunting partners. Again, this is a tertiary ability at best (for a TN17). It's either that or Self-doubting Chosen one (which could be TN7 in this desperate circumstance). Yes, she'll roll on her Chosen-One cliche... and fails.

Q: But does Nina figure it out for herself [50/50]? No.

Frustrated and feeling like she couldn't possibly keep this up much longer, she smiles as she repeats her prayer and walks forward towards the ship, her own bags in her hand. She looks back and Nina, pleadingly.

Q: Does Nina follow [Very Likely]? Yes

Nina grabs her own bags and marches up the gangplank. Nina beckons for the guard to remain behind on the dock. On ship, she halts her prayer and goes below deck, trying to ignore the stares of crew and passengers alike.

In hushed tones, Nina says "We cannot leave the sword. It's the reason we are going."

Katja: "I did what I could. It's not my fault that you couldn't use my distraction. Besides, I thought you had this all planned out."

Nina: "Igor must have been recognized. I didn't think it was possible."

Katja: "Recognized? You mean they were looking for him?"

Nina: "They couldn't possibly have been looking for him. It's been years."

Q: Does Nina mention that Igor was associated with her mother's organization [50/50]? No (we'll just leave it at that).

Katja: "We'll get the sword or it will come to us."

Nina: "What are you talking about?"

Katja: "My vision. The Goddess has shown me the sword in a dream. We're meant to have it. This is merely a temporary set-back."

Q: Does Nina react angrily to Katja [50/50]? Extreme no (interesting).

Nina: "I wish I had your faith. As it is, I don't see how it's possible."

Katja looks at Nina sympathetically, imagining that she can see the pain of regret in her eyes. Nina loved her mother but their differences drove them apart.

Katja: "Let's get to our cabin and we'll try to come up with something. When is the ship supposed to leave?"

Q: Later this afternoon [Likely]? Yes

Nina: "It leaves later this afternoon."

Katja: "Then we must act quickly."

Katja paces about the cabin for several minutes.

Katja: "What about your military contacts? Do you have any favors that you can call in?" 

Q: Does she [50/50]? no (just barely).

Nina: "I suppose. But I'm not supposed to be here. And I'm not sure how I'd call in my favors from here."

Katja: "I don't understand you. I thought were a powerful state official. You have connections that kept you safe when they hunted down your mother's former associates."

Q: Does Nina admit that her power is slipping [50/50]? Yes

Nina: "Why do you think I desperately stole you from your cell? My leverage is drying up. My power is failing. I was in danger of being sent to Siberia myself. When I discovered you in your cell, I saw my chance to correct the situation. But it's all falling apart. If Igor talks, they'll send soldiers on board the ship and we'll be discovered."

Katja: "Well, we can't let that happen. We must act. Come with me. We need to leave the ship and get closer to Igor."

Nina: "And how do you propose we do that?"

Katja: "I'm making this up as I go. But I had enchanted most of the witnesses that saw us onto the ship. The effects will have worn off, but we should not be recognize if we disguise ourselves as crew or dock-workers."

********************

CHARACTERS - No change

UPDATED THREADS
* Escape to freedom
* Solve the mystery of Nina's mother
* Decipher the writing on the menhir
* Deliver antique sword to the target of Nina's hunt
* Investigate the Moon Goddess Cult in New Zealand
* Rescue Igor

Updated Chaos Factor 7

Moon Goddess: Scene 15

Introduction to this thread: The Moon Goddess Is A Harsh Mistress
Explanation of Mythic elements: What's All This Mythic Stuff?
Previous Scene: Scene 14


 SCENE 15
Wherein Ivan shows up at Nina's apartment with the cursed sword (making any meeting with Mororov conclusively unnecessary).

CHARACTERS
The Silver Huntress (her deity)
Soldiers/Police
Drachen (her old warhorse)
Nina
Nina's Mother
Nina's Father
The Hard Man with the Nasty Scar
Susi
Yuliya
Igor
Deidre
Nina's uncle Ulrich
The target of Nina's hunt
Hamid
Efim Mororov
Professor Nasir
The Commissar
Fanquin Lanfeng
The girls from New Zealand

THREADS
* Escape to freedom
* Solve the mystery of Nina's mother
* Decipher the writing on the menhir
* Deliver antique sword to the target of Nina's hunt
* Investigate the Moon Goddess Cult in New Zealand

CHAOS FACTOR: 5

********************
Interrupted Scene! 

[NPC Positive (Igor), Kill Business]

Katja wakes. Immediately she is conscious of voices speaking Russian in Nina's kitchen. One voice is certainly Nina's. The others is more unfamiliar.

Q: Is the bedroom door locked from the outside [50/50]? No (it was either never locked or Nina unlocked it this morning).

Dressed in a nightshirt, Katja pads down the hall and peaks into the kitchen. She sees Nina having an intense discussion with Ivan.

Q: Is the cursed sword on the kitchen table [50/50]? No.

Katja: "What's going on?"

Q: Does Nina tell Katja that Igor found Mororov's dead body in the early morning [50/50]? Extreme yes.

Nina: "Igor tells me that he found Comrade Mororov's dead body in alley behind his shop early this morning. Igor thinks he was poisoned. No matter, he was able to retrieve the sword. We should count our blessings, this makes everything easier."

Katja: "He wasn't poisoned. It was the sword. And what was Igor doing at Herr Mororov's residence in the middle of the night?"

Q: Does Nina answer Katja's question [50/50]? Yes

Q: Was Igor spying on Mororov [50/50]? Yes

Nina: "When Igor arrived in the city last night, I had him observe Mororov's shop from a distance. I didn't want other interested parties to get to the sword before we did."

Q: Did Igor hear the rear-door of the shop open [50/50]? No.

Q: Was he clued in by a a ray of moonlight, like in Katja's dream [50/50]? Yes.

Igor says something in Russian while looking at Katja.

Nina: "He says he saw a silverly light shine upon the store, brighter than the ambient moonlight. When he followed the light, he found Mororov's body. He says it looked like he was poisoned."

Eyes-wide, Katja says, "Like I said, he wasn't poisoned. It was the sword. Ask Igor if he checked the blade for blood, or Mororov's right hand for wound rot. By the Goddess, I was there! I saw what Igor saw."

Nina: "What... ok."

Nina asks Igor something in Russian.

Q: Does he act suprised (and possibly frightened) at Katja's vision [50/50]? Extreme no.

Igor looks at Katja with (what seem to her) knowing eyes. Yes, he understands!

Katja: "Ask him about papers written in... I'm not sure what you call the language but they talked about a Moon Goddess Cult in the land of New Zealand. There was a picture of some young women. Please, ask him."

Nina translates, and Igor responds.

Q: Does Nina say that Igor saw they papers [50/50]? Yes.

Nina: "He says he saw English-language papers with a photo of young witches. Why?"

Katja: "They are important, I'm certain of it. We must go to New Zealand!'

Nina: "We must go to Australia. We have the sword. I'm not deviating from the plan to investigate Moon Cults. That is just like something my mother would do. No."

Q: Does Igor enquire as to the nature of the conversation [50/50]? Yes.

Igor asks Nina something as she answers. They have a short argument.

Q: Does Nina offer to stop in New Zealand after Australia [50/50]? No.

Katja: "What was that about?"


Nina: "Nothing."

There is an uncomfortable pause in the conversation.

Katja: "Now what?"

Q: Do they board a ship to Australia within the day [50/50]? Extreme yes.

Nina: "We are going to Australia as soon as possible. Now that we have the sword, I see no reason to delay. I would like to be out of the country as soon as possible, just in case somebody suspects my involvement in your escape. There is a ship leaving for England this afternoon. We will be able to arrange transport to Australia from there."

Nina: "Igor will watch you for a few hours while I arrange things."

********************

CHARACTERS - Mororov is removed from the list (yep, he's dead).

UPDATED THREADS
* Escape to freedom
* Solve the mystery of Nina's mother
* Decipher the writing on the menhir
* Deliver antique sword to the target of Nina's hunt
* Investigate the Moon Goddess Cult in New Zealand

Updated Chaos Factor 6

Moon Goddess: Scene 14

Introduction to this thread: The Moon Goddess Is A Harsh Mistress
Explanation of Mythic elements: What's All This Mythic Stuff?
Previous Scene: Scene 13

SCENE 14
Wherein the Silver Huntress delivers a message of justice achieved.

CHARACTERS
The Silver Huntress (her deity)
Soldiers/Police
Drachen (her old warhorse)
Nina
Nina's Mother
Nina's Father
The Hard Man with the Nasty Scar
Susi
Yuliya
Igor
Deidre
Nina's uncle Ulrich
The target of Nina's hunt
Hamid
Efim Mororov
Professor Nasir
The Commissar
Fanquin Lanfeng

THREADS
* Escape to freedom
* Solve the mystery of Nina's mother
* Decipher the writing on the menhir
* Deliver antique sword to the target of Nina's hunt

CHAOS FACTOR: 4

********************
Interrupted scene!

NPC Positive (Silver Huntress) - Gratify (from) Illness. As I interpret this,
the cursed sword is rumored to cause illness. Somehow this gratifies the Silver
Huntress. Perhaps the child killed by the sword was one of her chosen. Now, it
punishes her enemies. So she is positively affected by one of her enemies
getting sick (from the sword). The logical choice is Efim Mororov or the
Commissar (randomly choose Mororov).

How this become an interrupted scene is not obvious. I think anything that
involves the Silver Huntress usually will come in through a dream. So Katja is
asleep when she dreams of the Silver Huntress.

Q: Is Katja sleeping in Nina's town house [Likely]? Extreme yes (she in Nina's bedroom).

Q: In Ktaja's dream, does she find herself in the clearing with the menhir under a full moon [Very likely]? No.

Q: Is she in a snow-covered, empty street outside Mororov's shop and residence [Likely]? Yes, and RANDOM EVENT [PC Negative - Delay Investment. Interpreted as not actually manifesting or speaking directly to Katja just yet.]

Katja dreams.

A full moon shining down upon the glistening snow conveys a message to Katja that the Goddess is with her on this evening. Looking around her, however, she finds herself in an alien land of stone buildings and abandoned streets. Accustomed to primeval forest in dreams like these, Katja is momentarily taken aback. Though she feels the power of the Goddess, there is little sign of her. There are no words. Just a single shaft of moonlight illuminating a store-front across the street.

Q: Is the true nature of Mororov's shop concealed behind something mundane [Likely]? Yes (let's say a book seller).

Instinctively, she follows the light to a door. Naturally, it opens easily. Inside, she finds a musty shop that is crowded with books. It is too dark to read the titles, as the silver moonbeam only illuminates another door in the rear of the shop. That door also opens to her touch.

Q: Is Mororov here [Likely]? Extreme no. Odd... but I can work with it.
Q: Is the sword in sight [Likely]? Yes, and RANDOM EVENT [Move away from thread (Solve the mystery of Nina's mother - Passion trials)]
CQ: What is the clue [wikipedia]? Citylink Wellington (interpreted as news clippings from New Zealand that hint at the rise of Silver Huntress cult).

The room beyond is crowded with painting, crates, statuary, and medieval weaponry. Upon the desk is an exquisite cavalry saber, its blade shining in the moonlight. A few drops of blood near its gold and ivory hilt drip onto some very unusual looking scrolls.

Katja approaches and realizes that the scrolls are really just sheets of flimsy paper with impossibly regular writing and black-and-white images of young girls with painted faces. The girls carry spears and are dressed in light-colored tunics and sandals. The writing is Tempian [Latin], but the language in Pembroke [English]. At least, she thinks it is in Pembroke. In the shifting nature of dreams, she can only catch words or phrases here and there. "New Zealand", "Moon Goddess", "corruption of our youth", "communist". Katja wonders what it all means.

Just then, Katja notices that there is more blood dripping on the desk and floor. The moonbeam follows her gaze and illuninates a subtle path to a rear door. She follows and finds the body of an older man in the snowy alley. His right hand has swollen with gangrene and there is a puddle of vomit next to his head. Katja not only knows him to be dead, but she also knows him to be Efim Mororov. In the light of full moon, somehow Katja knows that the Silver Huntress is glad.

Katja wakes.

********************

CHARACTERS - Mororov is not removed just yet (the dream may be of the future). The girls from New Zealand are added.

UPDATED THREADS
* Escape to freedom
* Solve the mystery of Nina's mother
* Decipher the writing on the menhir
* Deliver antique sword to the target of Nina's hunt
* Investigate the Moon Goddess Cult in New Zealand

Updated Chaos Factor 5

Moon Goddess: Scene 13

Introduction to this thread: The Moon Goddess Is A Harsh Mistress
Explanation of Mythic elements: What's All This Mythic Stuff?
Previous Scene: Scene 12

 SCENE 13
In which Nina takes Katja with her to visit a professor to gain information on the sword before going to the antiquities dealer.

CHARACTERS
The Silver Huntress (her deity)
Soldiers/Police
Drachen (her old warhorse)
Nina
Nina's Mother
Nina's Father
The Hard Man with the Nasty Scar
Susi
Yuliya
Igor
Deidre
Nina's uncle Ulrich
The target of Nina's hunt
Hamid
Efim Mororov
Professor Nasir [name from last scene's complex question]

THREADS
* Escape to freedom
* Solve the mystery of Nina's mother
* Decipher the writing on the menhir
* Deliver antique sword to the target of Nina's hunt

CHAOS FACTOR: 3

********************
The scene occurs as expected.

The scene opens with Nina and Katja walking into a [Q: Library (50/50)? No. Office (Likely)? No. Classroom then] classroom while the students transition to another class. Professor Nasir is organizing papers and doesn't notice the two of them until they are practically next to him.

Q: Is he startled [Somewhat likely]? Extreme yes.
Q: Does he appear to be startled more by Nina [50/50]? No. Given the strength of his reaction, I'm going to assume he recognizes (or thinks he recognizes) Katja. Therefore, he is likely an associate of Nina's mother.
Q: Does he utter Katja's name when addressing her [50/50]? Extreme yes (they share the same name)!

Professor: "My God, Anna-Katarina!"

Nina (in German, for Katja's benefit): "Don't be a fool, Professor. My Mother was much older even when she died, and that was years ago. As fate would have it, though, this young woman shares my mother's name."

Katja: "Please call me Katja, Professor."

Professor: "How is this possible?"

Q: Does Nina expect the Professor to know anything about magic [Likely]? No, which seems weird. If he associated with her mother, then he likely had come into contact with the supernatural.
Q: Is he a man of Science! [Likely]? No. That means he has to be a more conventional scholar (at least as far as Nina is concerned).

Nina: "Your guess is as good as mine. You know what my mother would say, of course. She would say it was the hand of the Goddess or magic or some other nonsense."

Katja gives her an accusing look. How could she doubt...

Professor: "But she is the spitting image... is this why you are here? To solve some mystery concerning this young woman?"

Q: Is this the case [50/50]? No.

Nina: "Perhaps. But first I need your help with a small matter of State."

The Professor's eyes darken and assumes a more formal posture. "Of course. I'm always happy to do my duty."

Q: Does Nina switch to Russian [50/50]? No, she'll continue in German for Katja's benefit.
Q: Does she expect Nasir to know Mororov [Likely]? Extreme yes.
Q: Does she expect Nasir to have positive reaction toward Mororov [50/50]? No

Nina: "I'll be visiting Comrade Mororov concerning a cavalry sword taken from the Hermitage. Are you familiar with the item?"

Q: Is he [Very likely]? Yes.

Professor: "Cavalry saber that once belonged to Peter the Great, correct?"

Nina: "Yes. Anything special about it?"

Q: Does Professor note that it's being sold with Party sanction to raise money for the State [50/50]? Extreme no.
CQ: Who is selling it [Wikipedia]? Richard Greenbury of Marks and Spencer. I'll interpret it as a Commissar in charge of one of the State Department stores.

Professor: "It's not being sold by the State, if that's what you mean. There are rumors as to who is responsible, of course. Very dangerous to say his name."

Q: Does Nina suspect the same person [50/50]? Extreme no.
Q: Does Nina mention that she's in the NKVD [50/50]? No (but it doesn't rule it out).

Nina: "You may safely tell me who it is, Professor. The State needs to know who is selling off its treasure."

Professor: "Am I really safe? How do I know the information won't be used against me?"

Nina: "You don't."

Katja: "Excuse me. I'm not from here and I'm not a citizen of your country. Seems to me that if you told me, Professor, I could offer some measure of protection. This is important."

Q: Does Nina glare at Katja [50/50]? No.
Q: Does a roll of 3 vs Noble Family cliche succeed in convincing Professor to tell (Very Unlikely)? No.

Professor: "You may resemble the Anna-Katarina that I know, but I do not know you. Forgive me, but trust is a rare and precious commodity in this land."

Nina: "Fine. We'll deal with who is responsible for stealing the sword later. Is there anything else you can tell me about it?"

Q: Does the Professor volunteer anything else [50/50]? Yes.
CQ: What [Brewers]? Pickanin'ny (west indian term for a young child). Clarify with a hit on the Mythic Subject/Action Table: Intolerance Food. Hmmm... Ok, I have an idea.

Professor: "They say the sword is cursed."

Nina: "These things are always cursed."

Professor: "This one seems credible. I've heard stories. Mostly old wives' tales of milk curdling and wine turning to vinegar. They say it's inhabited by the spirit of a child slaughtered by Peter's champion while razing a rebellious village in the Caucasus. The Tsar fell ill shortly after the sword was returned to the castle. He never recovered. The sword wasn't suspected, at first. But then ill-luck continued to plague the Tsar's champion. He finally committed himself to a monastery to repent for his sins. His diary explicitly blames the sword for the Tsar's death, though it remained in the collection of the Tsarina."

Nina: "You believe this?"

Professor: "Does it matter?"

Katja: "Why would someone want to buy a cursed sword?"

Nina: "Why indeed?"

Q: Does the Professor mention anything else [50/50]? No
Q: Doe he mention that he knows who is trying to buy it [50/50]? Yes.
CQ: Who (clarifying the Target) [wikipedia]? List of Earthquakes in Sichuan. Weird. I assume he's Chinese, then. [Everyone Everywhere - Chinese Male]? Fanqin Lanfeng

Professor: "I have no idea. But I hear that Fanquin Lanfeng is interested."

Q: Is Nina surprised (angry) that he knows this [5050]? No.
Q: Does Nina mention that there are others interested [50/50]? No

Nina: "I think we're done."

Q: Does the Professor try to extend the conversation with Katja [50/50]? Yes.

Professor: "Wait. Must you go so soon? Katja, I would love to hear your story. I had great fondness for your namesake."

Q: Does Nina let Katja stay with the Professor alone [unlikely]? No.
Q: Does she agree to stay for lunch [50/50]? No

Nina: "If you were more helpful then we could find time to stay. As it is, we must be going."

Q: Does the professor offer up the name of the Commissar to get them to stay [50/50]? No.

Professor: "Very well. Perhaps we'll meet again soon?"

********************

CHARACTERS - Add the Unknown Commissar and Fanquin Lanfeng (he may or may not be the same person as the "Target").

UPDATED THREADS
* Escape to freedom
* Solve the mystery of Nina's mother
* Decipher the writing on the menhir
* Deliver antique sword to the target of Nina's hunt

Updated Chaos Factor 4

Moon Goddess: Scene 12

Introduction to this thread: The Moon Goddess Is A Harsh Mistress
Explanation of Mythic elements: What's All This Mythic Stuff?
Previous Scene: Scene 11


 SCENE 12
Wherein Katja nervously endures her first police/military checkpoint outside of Saint Petersburg/Leningrad.

CHARACTERS
The Silver Huntress (her deity)
Soldiers
Drachen (her old warhorse)
Nina
Nina's Mother
Nina's Father
The Hard Man with the Nasty Scar
Susi
Yuliya
Igor
Deidre
Nina's uncle Ulrich
The target of Nina's hunt
Hamid
Efim Mororov

THREADS
* Escape to freedom
* Solve the mystery of Nina's mother
* Decipher the writing on the menhir
* Deliver antique sword to the target of Nina's hunt

CHAOS FACTOR: 3

********************
The scene occurs as expected.

Q: Has it been more than one day since Katja's hunt [50/50]? Extreme No.

Q: Did Katja have hunting dreams [Likely]? No. He real hunt was probably sufficient.

Rising early in the cold winter's morning, Katja helps herself to leftover bear stew for breakfast. She slept soundly and dreamlessly (but not in a bad way... her moon-hunt was more than enough excitement last night). In fact, Katja is in a very good mood. She is looking forward to seeing the city of Saint Petersburg. An urban environment should tell her much more about the world that she now finds herself in.

It doesn't take long for Nina and Igor to join her for breakfast. They eat quickly and proceed to load up the car.

Q: Does Katja see anybody else in the house [50/50]? No.

Q: Are the horses still in the stable [Somewhat likely]? Yes.

Katja stops by the stable to thank the white horse one last time. She eyes the crossbow. A fine weapon, she thinks to herself. Too bad Nina would never let me bring it. Or would she?

Katja emerges from the stables and asks.

Q: Does Nina let Katja bring the crossbow [Unlikely]? No

Nina: "Don't be absurd. Weapons are not permitted in the city. Let me clarify, primitive weapons are not allowed in the city. Soldiers and police officers may carry firearms."

Q: Does Nina give Katja a gun [Unlikely]? Extreme no.

Katja: "I'm dressed as a soldier..."

Nina: "No!"

Q: Does Igor accompany them to Saint Petersburg [Likely]? No.

Q: Does Igor have much to say to Nina [50/50]? Extreme No.

Nina then says something to Igor in Russian and Igor merely nods and returns to the house.

Nina: "Come along Katja, it's just us two now."

Katja: "And Igor?"

Nina: "He may catch up with us later. For now, he has other matters he must attend."

It is only a matter of hours before Katja sees signs of the approaching city. The forest gives way to farmlands and scattered villages. Despite the presence of more automobiles, Katja cannot help but get the sense that this is a poor land. And very drab. Her hopes for the city start to diminish.

Suddenly, Nina says: "Checkpoint ahead. Pretend you are asleep or sick or something. Curl up the blanket and do not show your face. Whatever you do, do not speak."

The automobile slows as Katja does what Nina asks.

Q: Are they allowed to pass the checkpoint with a minimum of fuss [Likely (given Nina's military uniform command experience)] ? Extreme yes.

Katja tenses up, expecting a confrontation. But Nina doesn't even speak. Apparently, they just waved her right through.

A few minutes later: "You may get up now. It's all over."

Katja: "That was easier than I expected."

Nina: "Soldiers are trained not to question superior officers. These soldiers were well trained."

Katja: "Now what? Do we visit the antiquities dealer?" [Q (50/50)? No]

Nina: "Not yet. Remember that I am already supposed to be in Saint Petersburg. I need to make an appearance to strengthen my alibi."

CQ: Where does Nina go to make an appearance [Wikipedia]? Ahmed ibn Nasir (sufi poet and teacher). I'll interpret this as a professor.

Q: Does Nina teach (in addition to her to other duties) [50/50]? No

Q: Does she perform research [Likely]? No. Hmm, I'll assume she is at least associated with a professor. Unless...

Q: Does Nina hope to board Katja in a dormitory while she performs other duties [5050]? No. Ok, an associate it is.

(we move on to the next scene and the meeting with the professor)

********************

CHARACTERS - Add the Professor

UPDATED THREADS
* Escape to freedom
* Solve the mystery of Nina's mother
* Decipher the writing on the menhir
* Deliver antique sword to the target of Nina's hunt

Updated Chaos Factor 3 (the minimum)

Moon Goddess: Scene 11

Introduction to this thread: The Moon Goddess Is A Harsh Mistress
Explanation of Mythic elements: What's All This Mythic Stuff?
Previous Scene: Scene 10

SCENE 11
Wherein Katja will be given a horse, crossbow, and spear for a late afternoon hunt; a ritual follows under the full moon.

CHARACTERS
The Silver Huntress (her deity)
Soldiers
Drachen (her old warhorse)
Nina
Nina's Mother
Nina's Father
The Hard Man with the Nasty Scar
Susi
Yuliya
Igor
Deidre
Nina's uncle Ulrich
The target of Nina's hunt
Hamid
Efim Mororov

THREADS
* Escape to freedom
* Solve the mystery of Nina's mother
* Decipher the writing on the menhir
* Deliver antique sword to the target of Nina's hunt

CHAOS FACTOR: 4

********************

The scene occurs as expected.

About an hour before sunset, Igor parks the car in front of another dacha. Like the previous one, this dacha has an attached stable.

Nina: "We're later than I expected. I hope you will still have time to perform your hunt."

Katja: "I think so. I'll need to get started right away."

Nina: "Come with me and I'll get you equipped."

While Igor moves transfers supplies to another vehicle, Nina leads Katja into the stable. Someone has obviously been here recently as the stable is warm and the horses (there are two) are munching on oats.

Q: The previous scene indicated that Nina would give Katja everything she needed for the hunt. One assumes that this would mean a horse, a modern crossbow (and bolts), and possibly spear/light lance. Is this correct [Very likely]? Yes.

Nina shows Katja the horses and says, "You are free to take either one. The brown one is faster, while the white is more adept at navigating the snow. Just remember that even though we are giving you a horse and a weapon you have no place to go. You are in the middle of the Russian wilderness. You have no friends and you do not speak the language. I hope you will do the smart thing and return to us after a successful hunt."

Katja nods dismissively. "Of course I'm going to return. Thoughts of flight crossed my mind, but it seems to me that the only way for me to do the will of the Goddess is to remain close to you. Your mother and I share some kind of connection. I need to find out what that means, precisely."

Nina: "Good. I'd give you a rifle but I suspect that you wouldn't know what to do with it if I did. I do have a hunting crossbow that's in pretty good shape. It even has a rifle scope on it... here. Look through it to help you aim. He's a quiver of a dozen broadheads. Would you like a hunting spear?"

Katja: "Yes, I think that will do nicely."

Nina: "Good. I'm going to eat something. Igor tells me that larder should be better stocked this time. If you bring back meat then we can cook it up later."

With that, Nina leaves Katja alone. Katja picks up the crossbow and marvels at the design. Back on her own world, she had an exquisite light crossbow that was enchanted for range and accuracy. From the look of it, this crossbow is at least its equal, especially when you considered the "scope". The spear is serviceable, if a little long for her small size. Alone, with weapons and her choice of mounts, Katja feels free. She could run if she wanted to. But where? Nina is right. She has nowhere to go. And she still isn't certain if Nina is working for or against the will of her goddess. She has to stick things out a little longer.

Then there is the language issue. Recalling her initial meeting with the members of Outsider's Aegis [see below], Katja shudders at the thought of having to learn a new language in a hurry. But there seems to be little choice. Tomorrow, she would begin asking Nina for language lessons.

Katja selects the white horse. Pure speed would do her little good in tonight's hunt. She needed white camouflage and sure feet. After securing the horse's saddle, Katja leads it outside, mounts up, and heads down a small path into the forest.

Q (Risus): I'm going to say the TN for finding game will be 7 (halfway between cinch and challenge for a professional of a perfectly applicable cliche). Katja rolls 11 vs. Mistress of the Hunt so she succeeds.

Q: Is it a simple TN roll to conclude the hunt [50/50]? Extreme No. That means that it will be a full Risus combat.
Q: Is the foe better than cliche 3 [Unlikely]? No.
Q: Is the animal a cunning stag that will lead Katja on a dangerous chase through the forest [50/50]? Extreme no. I'm going to say that it is a Half-Starved Bear (3).

Katja follows a trail to clearing and is surprised to come across a large brown bear with a crazed look in its eyes. What it is doing awake when it should be hibernating, Katja can't even guess. She quickly fires her crossbow at the animal and maneuvers the horse to keep her distance. The bear attempts to charge into melee range.

Katja rolls 15 on Mistress of the Hunt. The Bear rolls 12 and takes a crossbow bolt in its haunch. It does press in to melee range, however. It leaps at Katja in an effort to pull her down from the horse. Without time to reload the crossbow, Katja tries to steady the horse and stabs it with a spear.

Katja suffers a penalty for not having proper tools (the horse is not trained for battle and the spear is too heavy). She rolls 4 on two dice, which ties the Bear's roll on its damage-reduced cliche roll. The bear fails to knock Katja off her horse, but Katja fails to inflict any more damage on the Bear.

Wheeling the horse back away from the bear, Katja tries another tactic. She utters a prayer to the Silver Huntress and attempts to conjure a Moon Blade (a scimitar of radiant moonlight). If successful, she'll hack at the Bear as it closes again.

Katja rolls 15 to the bear's 4. Using the optional rules for critical hits [see below], her tactic is wildly successful. She neatly severs one of the bears claws and opens a mortal wound accross its chest. It collapses in a heap and Katja keeps her distance while it dies.

Under the light of the full moon, Katja dismounts and offers up the heart of the bear to the Silver Huntress. Unable to lift the huge animal, she creates a makeshift sledge and drags the carcass back to the dascha.

Q: Does she find Igor smoking a cigarette on the porch, waiting for her [50/50]? Extreme no.

Igor and Nina are in the house, unfazed that Katja has brought down such a huge beast. Wordlessly, Igor does take over for Katja and carries the animal off for butchering. Katja, however, keeps the severed claw as a memento of her first hunt since her release from prison.

********************

CHARACTERS - No update

UPDATED THREADS
* Escape to freedom
* Solve the mystery of Nina's mother
* Decipher the writing on the menhir
* Deliver antique sword to the target of Nina's hunt

Updated Chaos Factor 3

********************

BACKSTORY NOTES: When Katja fled her her homeland, she spoke the local equivalent of German, English, and Latin. The language of region she began her adventuring career in was pseudo-Celtic. As a result, she spent several adventures having to speak through translators (usually her fellow adventurers in the Outsiders Aegis).

RISUS HOUSE RULE (Critical Hits): For this game I will use a house rule that allows critical hits in combat if the margin of success is 10 or greater. If a critical hit is achieved, 1d6 dice of damage is applied (rather than a single die).

Buffy On The Brain

My Game Master Brain is currently focused on writing the Slaying Solomon season (six) premier. We use Eden's BtVS:RPG, so not a lot of Risus relevance here... except...

I should mention that even when running something as simple as the Unisystem, Risus can be a handy GM tool. I've discussed this at length for D20, but it also applies to Buffy. A fully-functional Risus character can be described in just a few short words. This beats even the extreme shorthand that Eden proposed for their NPCs in BtVS:RPG. I don't always use Risus in this way, but occasionally it does come up. I guess it's because I naturally think in terms of the Risus-scale. For Buffy, I still need to keep tabs in the book (even after years and years of running it... go figure).

So how would I use a Risus character in Buffy? Let's take an hypothetical example:

Ada Godfrey: The Coolest Watcher You Ever Met (4), Coffee Shop Concert Promoter (3)

In game, this is all that I typically need. If I need to make a roll for Ada, I can easily translate the Risus dice to an attribute or skill. Assuming a perfectly applicable cliche, the total bonus to the skill roll* is equal to double the cliche dice. Tangentially-related cliches get knocked down 1 or more dice before conversion, while cliches that actually call out or strongly imply noteworthy attributes get small bump instead.

Thus, if Ada had to make a double Will roll, I'd translate that to a +10 on the fly (2x4 + 2 because strong mental attributes are strongly implied). A research roll would be similar (not counting for occult library bonuses). For shooting a crossbow, she gets a straight 8 (double her cliche dice).

The advantage to this system is that it goes beyond the Muscle/Combat/Knowledge of the BtVS:RPG shorthand. You can use it like a Risus cliche to make rolls to book a new rock band at her coffee shop (2xConcert Promoter=+6) or to charm an impressionable young student with her coolness (2xWatcher=+8).

There are a few more stats that come up if the NPC gets into combat. For Life Points, I use 10 times the most appropriate cliche (+/-10 as needed). The number of Actions and Initiative are figured by converting the most appropriate cliche directly to Dexterity. For Ada, that means I'd probably give her 40 Life Points and base her Initiative and number of Actions on a DEX of 4. If she were less physically competent, I'd use 30 LP and a DEX of 3 instead.

* Game Master in Buffy are encouraged to not even bother rolling for minor NPCs. An average roll of 6 is assumed. The above formula does not add this number because I often like to roll for my NPCs.