October 2011

A few days ago, the supernatural landscape of New Orleans shifted with the elimination of the Red Court of vampires. The implications of that sudden shift are quickly becoming apparent.

The night before

Rikard Baldurson promoted Jeanie Lafitte (Jean) to the manager of the Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar—his other responsbilities demanded his attention. That evening, as Jeanie was tending the bar for her late night regulars, she was approached by someone she had only heard about through the Bojangle network, Empty—a formor servitor. He used a dazzling clam-shell charm to hypnotize Jeanie into recruiting people to ride the 9 pm Algiers ferry, Friday night. Apparently, “the view of the fireworks will be spectacular.” (Strangely, neither the Beignet Festival nor CrystalCon has been advertising fireworks…)

Jeanie used all her considerable social skills to persuade people the rest of the evening, and the next morning alerted her fellow Bojangles to the strange invitation.

Gathering the gang

Calvin received message from his father, Santi. Apparently, something big was “going down” at the Bank of New Orleans that evening. He didn’t give any details to Calvin, but encouraged him to stay away. This was unusual because usually his father has tried to involve him in the family business. His father seemed legitimately nervous about this particular event. Calvin disobediently went to the bank to see if he could help his father in some way. He was interrupted by a visit from this grandmother, who wanted him to run an errand for her into the Bayou. Torn between family “responsibilities”, Calvin recruited Jeanie to help him, and they sped to the Bayou in his Birthday Porsche.

Greer also received an assignment from her boss, Sheriff Knottyham, to help investigate a recent attack at a small unincorporated community outside town, Shell Beach. She and her partner Molly, headed out. On the way she spoke to her cousin, Hunt. Hunt, in an abundance of concern for his cousin and a desire to spend time together after his long absence, caught a ride with fellow wizard David, and offered to meet her there an lend a hand.

Simultaneously, Hugh was getting a cold hot dog breakfast from a street cart, and noticed Carl beckoning him from a nearby gutter drain. Carl informed Hugh that unnatural things in Mosquito Bayou needed to be resolved. At Carl’s prompting, Hugh recruited Sunny as back-up (as well as transportation).

Finally, Susanna, being her “brother’s keeper,” after a conversation with her mother, decided to check in on her older brother Solomon. He had recently left the army and moved to Shell Beach, and has been behaving strangely.

Strange things afoot at the Circle K

As a Champion of God however, it was hardly a surprise to Susannah when by divine providence all eight people arrived at the Shell Beach gas station at the same time—moments before a group of grunches emerged from the bayou and attacked. The group quickly dispatched the grunches and their pet alligator. Jeanie took out two beating them with cheap liquor bottles. Sunny protected a group of frightened people by creating a large veil to make them all invisible. Molly alerted the group to one more on the roof, which jump down to attack David, but he magically (and violently) ripped the moisture out of him.

Finding Fort Proctor

The group, now deciding that they are best as a team, continued into Shell Beach to visit with Solomon and investigate the crime scene, and procure a boat. Solomon (and the rest of the residents) seemed blissful. He was more than happy to lend them his boat. The group determined that the previous attack was grunchs, who captured people and pulled them into the bayou. Molly led the group to the end of town, when she was sniffing out the source of the strange blissful emotion that permeates the town.

The group took their large motorboat towards the lake where they discovered Fort Proctor. Sunny discovered the presence of powerful magical wards and other enchantments. Using “the sight”, David witnessed a vortex of swirling energy being slowly drawn into the fortress.

After unsuccessfully trying to break, climb, and fly into the fort, Mnemosyne emerged from the front gate (Great Aunt Mnemosyne to Calvin). Although the heroes still have significant questions about the motivations of the Titaness, she didn’t seem to present an immediate threat. In fact, she considered the residents of Shell Beach her children, and under her protection. She encouraged the group to go help protect her children by addressing the grunch problem. As the group departed, Mnemosyne privately addressed Calvin—“My mother likes you. I haven’t decided yet.”

Exploring Mosquito Bayou

Deep in the Mosquito Bayou the group discovered an abandoned Red Court outpost near an ancient portal. Periodically, when the tides align through time, this portal allows Jurassic period creatures, plants, and insects to travel into our time.

The Red Court has been protecting this portal waiting for something useful to travel through. Coincidentally, when something big finally emerged (a 30 foot “Razana":”https://www.cnn.com/2017/07/04/world/giant-crocodile-razana-study/index.html”) the Red Court had already been destroyed. Instead a group of grunches attempted to befriend this beast by feeding it the residents of Shell Beach. The group heroically fought off more grunches and alligators as Jeanie maneuvered their small ship to solid ground. Galloping out of the woods, the Razana destroyed their ship with a terrible roar. Hugh distracted the creature, while David dissected chucks of with his disintegration ray. Hunt and Sunny used earth magic to immobilize it with magic. Greer and Savanna then each took out one of its eyes. All this coordinated effort allowed Calvin to massively increase the gravity directly below the beast, crushing its bones.

Wrapping things up

The problem of the portal remained. Hugh summoned a few Feu Follet of the Cour Des Marais, and between their fey magic and the efforts of the wizards, the portal was deactivated.

Inside the Red Court outpost, the group discovered records and correspondence between the vampires with those in the Plaza Tower. In addition to monitoring this portal, they have been pushing back against the Formor who have been eager to establish a foothold in this bayou. Finally a letter from the Red Duke outlined how a powerful Formor weapon had been acquired, and is being held in a special vault in the main branch of the Bank of New Orleans.

Preview of coming attractions

Immediate loose-ends:

• Immediate problem: Stuck in a bayou with no boat.
• In a few hours, SOMETHING is happening involving Sugar and Vice and the Bank of New Orleans.
• Tomorrow is the Annual Beignet Festival, which, to Sunny’s delight, has been combined with CrystalCon (hosted in New Orleans for the first time this year).
• Tomorrow, at 9 pm, a ferry leaves the French Quarter to Algiers point. This is only remarkable because the Formor seem interested in covertly recruiting people to be on that ferry. Apparently, “the view of the fireworks will be spectacular.”

Longer term loose-ends:

• Giaus Proctor’s church, “ Victory After Mortality Parachurch” has moved to meeting in the Superdome. He has openly declared himself a vampire, although most people and the media don’t take him seriously, the parishioners love it. Every month the crowd grows. Hunt has been asked to investigate, but prudently—the White Court are members of the Unseelie Accords, so openly hostile actions would have … implications.
• For the last few weeks, Jeanie has had the strong feeling that something is watching her.
• A couple weeks ago, there was a mysterious murder copycatting the Louisiana Axe Murderer from decades ago. Paul James (Susannah James’ brother) has been assigned as the lead detective on that case.