Session 19: Halloween

 October 25th, 2013 

The Irregulars met for lunch as usual and caught up on things in their lives, namely recent experiences with destroyed Hedge Gates. The group investigated the missing Gate Eric encountered first, taking note of the graffiti “Wake up” message on the wall, finding little of note that Eric hadn't already seen. They moved on to a destroyed fence archway leading from an alley into a back garden, which Tia had discovered after spotting Just Jack (who disappeared), then decided to meet up with Hannah at Goatskin's library at her request.

The reason for meeting up with Hannah quickly became clear, as she explained that the Autumn Court had a job for them and was using her (an Autumn Courtier) as a go-between. Some locations in town had reported thefts of items—firestarters, lighter fuel, paint thinner, and matches from local stores; fuel drums “misplaced” by a nearby factory; specific chemical compounds from the local university's lab supply—with no obvious sign of entry, which usually indicates changelings. Eric looked up the locations and memorized them, and the group researched the chemicals to realize that everything missing was basically bomb and arson materials.

Chiara also had a business card with an address on it from one fishy-looking changeling (in both meanings of the word) named Tom Chance. The location was a park in a densely packed urban residential area with other small businesses. When the group arrived, they found the place empty of people, but the ground was littered with rubbish leaflets including propaganda for a group of “bridge-burner” changelings (so called because they wanted to cut off the mortal world from Arcadia by literally destroying openings into the Hedge). While investigating, Tia sensed Hedge Gates nearby as well as an opening to a proper Trod, located in a nearby movie theater which was closed. Simon picked the lock so the group could break in to investigate.

The movie theater contained a Trod all right, with the gateway in the stage's proscenium arch. A quick peek in revealed goblin fruit, a nicely manicured path, and the sounds of fae hunting hounds, so the group decided not to overstay on the Hedge side. Further snooping brought the motley down to the basement, where Chiara smelled “burny things” just as the movie theater's owner himself returned to the building. Eric tried to distract him to no avail, throwing darkness over him and urging everyone else to silence, as Chiara and Tia were not quiet about the flammable materials gathered in the basement in a dangerous way. Eric dropped the darkness and learned that the owner was a changeling named Terrance who had used Contracts to improve his senses when presented with Eric's attempts at obfuscation. The Irregulars warned him about the major fire hazard in his basement, and he promised he would get someone to help him with it. He insisted the group leave, however, as they were trespassing on private property, and applied another Contract to make Eric more susceptible to fear as encouragement. The group left.

The motley discussed the most likely other Trod targets, if the bridge-burners were really planning to destroy a bunch of major Hedge Gates, and opted for one located in a cemetery. The mortal side of the Gate was deserted, but when they stepped onto the Trod they discovered none other than Just Jack on the path. Eric immediately tackled the skittish changeling, who told them about the Giant-Killers, the motley name for the bridge-burners, and how they strong-armed him into helping them steal supplies for their explosives.

Jack promised to lead the Irregulars to the park where he'd dropped off the stolen stuff, and took them down a smaller, winding Hedge-path. Jack seemed to grow more nervous the further they got, until they reached a set of ruins. Jack yelled, “I'm sorry, they made me do it!” and ran for it, as Tom Chance and four of his cronies stepped out in an ambush.

The group immediately confronted Tom Chance about what he was doing and how it was wrong. Chance defended his motives, explaining that it was for the good of everyone, not just changelings, and that sacrifices had to be made. Tia, of course, compared him to Hitler. Tom Chance decided there was obviously no convincing the Irregulars, and thus they needed to be removed from the picture. This meant a fight, with the Irregulars on one side, and the Giant-Killers (at least those present) on the other.

Tom Chance was taken out very early in the fight by Eric's fire Contracts and Tia's fireplace poker. Meanwhile the brimstone girl ran after some not-so-persuasive words from Eric, reconsidering whether she really wanted to stay in the fight. Mussolini the Bear ineffectively attacked Eric, got set on fire for his troubles, and ultimately ran screaming into the Hedge. Chiara shot Tweedledee a lot when he attacked her, while Tweedledum went after Tia before Eric tried to talk him out of the fight as well. The ogre instead called Eric “firefly” and tried to hit him as well, missing repeatedly before tripping and falling on a still-ablaze Eric, getting knocked out for his trouble. Everyone else rolled Tweedledum off of Eric.

The Irregulars found a Hedge exit nearby and dragged Chance out, planning to call Miguel only for Chiara's phone to figuratively blow up with texts, voicemails, and missed calls from Hannah and Miguel (the Hedge blocks phone contact). Terrance's theater was on fire, and the Autumn Court needed the Irregulars' help in getting it under control, given it was the site of a Trod. The Irregulars rushed through the Hedge to the Trod, at which point Eric took control of the fire to try to keep it away from the Gate arch. Chiara and Simon discovered all the fire extinguishers were missing, but they were able to repair an old-school fire hose, and Tia summoned rain inside the building. The fire department arrived and finished putting out the fire, and a cursory check didn't find any bodies in the basement, so the group contacted Miguel again.

Tom Chance and the Tweedles were under Autumn Court custody at Three-Stitch Sam's clinic, where Sam was very upset with Chiara bout all the gunshot wounds that she caused. Her defense was that Tweedledee was hitting her with a hammer! Unfortunately, the Autumn Court lacked proper facilities or personnel to hold the bridge-burners—not that changelings generally like doing that to each other anyway—and thus would have to release them once they recovered.

And finally, Halloween arrived.

NPCs Met
Terrance, the movie theater owner (and probable arsonist)

Enemies
Tom Chance and his Giant-Killers (Abigail Brimstone, Mussolini the Bear, Tweedledee, and Tweedledum)

Other Stuff
Session 18: An Eldritch Ritual (Part 2)

Session 20: Fantastic Beasts and How to Get Rid of Them