Session 13: The Winter Court's Errand Part 2

 October 8th, 2013 

Tia prepared cookies for their meeting with Tybalt, in the hopes that she could win him over with baked goods (Francois thought this was an excellent idea). The motley headed to the Dexter Training Ground park, adjacent to the Cranston Street Armory, where they found a note on a bench directing them to a nearby Hedge-Gate. Tybalt waited for them in the Hedge, and when they approached he demanded a Hedge-Duel. He was briefly interrupted by Tia presenting him with cookies, which he grudgingly admitted were tasty. Then Simon agreed to the Duel.

They settled on “surrender” as the terms of victory, and the Hedge readily agreed to the challenge. As soon as the Duel began, though, Simon surrendered (while making preparations to attack if necessary). Tybalt was angry at the situation, arguing that this wasn't how Duels worked and spoiling for a fight, so he attacked Simon. Simon tried to attack back but was unsuccessful. Then Chiara shot the ogre and Tia hit him with her poker, so Tybalt ran rather than fight a hopeless fight. Simon tackled him, then punched his lights out.

The group argued over what to do about Tybalt, finally settling on leaving him on a park bench with some healing fruit and a note to not cross them again.

The Irregulars then headed to Handsome Jack's apartment to continue their investigation now that all the commotion about the fire had died down. The motley used Eric's emergency exit to get back in (after accidentally ending up halfway across town), then investigated the apartment for more clues. There wasn't much that Eric hadn't already found, though a bit more charred today, but at least things weren't actively on fire anymore. They found the broken Hedge-Gate and were able to repair it and use it, though for some reason Chiara got it into her head that it led to the Keebler kitchen.

In actuality, the Hedge-Gate led into a Hollow presumably belonging to the three Jacks. It contained very simple furniture, a cloudy mirror, and an outdated security system, as well as three doors—one of which was the entrance from Handsome Jack's apartment—and a crumbled section of wall that led out into the marshy Hedge outside. The group covered up the mirror with a scrap of canvas from the burnt-out apartment, then searched further within the Hollow. They found a small collection of papers with journal entries on them, talking about the horn and how they didn't like it. The other two doors led into an alley behind a library and a fence gate out in the countryside, so the group decided to check out the library further.

There they found Just Jack hiding under a table in a back corner, but he didn't run when they approached. They offered him some of Tia's cookies, which he accepted, and Chiara calmed him down and talked to him about what they were searching for. Just Jack told them about Jack Fable's cabin in the countryside where he liked to hide. The group agreed to let Just Jack hide out in their own Hollow with Hannah while they investigated the cabin. They found the simple camping cabin out on the shores of the Scituate Reservoir just as the sun was going down, the only sign of human presence a solitary lit candle inside the building. As they explored around, they noticed too late that there was a gas leak, just as the building went up in a fireball (due to the candle). Tia patched up Simon, who'd taken the worst of it, and then the group heard noises from the dock on the reservoir and rushed over to find Jack Fable trying to escape via boat. Tia rushed headlong at the end of the dock, leaping out onto the boat and capsizing it, at which point she grabbed the horn, tossed it ashore, and rescued Jack fable who couldn't swim. Francois immediately sat on Jack Fable to keep him from running.

Jack Fable demanded the horn back, insisting it was rightfully his, a “gift from Faerie,” and they couldn't keep it from him. Eric offered to trade his mirror for the horn, making a pledge that Jack Fable would leave the horn alone after the trade. Jack Fable agreed, but then immediately invoked a Contract to summon gale-force winds and a miniature localized dust storm to impede everyone else and knock out Simon again. In the confusion he grabbed the horn—taking the Pledge-breaking penalties—and ran for the dock again.

Eric quickly tackled Jack Fable to the ground, causing the horn to fall into the water. Chiara scrambled to snatch the horn out of the water and ran for it, while Tia helped Eric subdue Jack Fable. Jack Fable broke down due to his low Clarity and the loss of the horn.

The Irregulars took pains to muffle the horn so it couldn't even accidentally be sounded, then called Mr. Gone to meet them back in Providence for the hand-off. They gave the horn and Jack Fable to Mr. Gone, receiving their payment and a promise that the Winter Court wouldn't call them for any other errands except as paid contractors, and Mr. Gone then left with his charges. The motley reassured Just Jack that things would be fine now, and sent him home.

NPCs Met
Just Jack, Darkling moonborn whose motley has the hunting horn.

Enemies
Tybalt

Jack Fable, Beast skitterskulk who wanted to keep the horn for himself.

Other Stuff
Session 12: The Winter Court's Errand (Part 1)

Session 14: A Strange Conspiracy (Part 1)