Aberrant RPG - Ancient Aberrant

[metaphysician]

Session 68 – "The party steps out of the portal."

Session 68b – "The party walks overland, past great armies, over lake, to a castle, wherein they are the first to arrive. Many others gather, including the stranger Riothamus, and the smith ‘greets’ them all."

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[metaphysician]

Session 69 – "Those seeking the sword all introduce themselves to the smith. After, everyone goes to their rooms. Once to their room, the Darius and the party fill in each other’s blanks with regard to the other seekers."

Session 69b – "After some further discussion about the other contenders present, Artemis and Hermes wander off before dinner. They talk some more about her problems while swimming on the lake, and encounter Serekh fishing, and converse with him about his travels."

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[metaphysician]

Session 70 – "Hermes and Artemis finish talking with Serekh about lands near to Quetzlcoatl’s home. Meanwhile, Aral tracks down Jon Riothamus and Dr Seeker, and they speak about the future. Later, at the dinner, everyones’ meals are poisoned. When Aral loudly notices this, near-combat breaks out between the Ainu lords, defused by Aral and Serekh, mainly."

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[metaphysician]

Session 71 – "The meal finishes without further disruption. Afterwards, Aral returns to the room to write the story of Minos, while Quetzlcoatl is summoned to a meeting with the Patriarch, who attempts to persuade him to betray his party and give to him the sword. After leaving, Quetzlcoatl is attacked by ninjas."

Session 71b – "( Continuation from 71 ) After being knocked unconscious by the attack, Quetzlcoatl wakes in the room of Will, Michael, and David, who rescued him from the ninja."

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[metaphysician]

Session 72 – "Aral and Hermes, noting the fall of the mental link, search for Quetzlcoatl, and find him only after he’s being returned. Aral then goes off to drink and talk with Michael Donighal about many things, ultimately leading to a call for all good guys to form council."

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[metaphysician]

Session 73 – "Aral reports the planned meeting to Darius, and reveals what he has surmised of Anubis’ origin. Darius tells him what he can offer, and warns him to be careful around the three, especially the entire Dragos family. Then, the three groups meet, and discuss their goals, the opposition arrayed before them, and what they can do together. David and Artemis get transported to Mithras’ city at the close."

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[metaphysician]

Session 74 – "Everyone is gathered, and makes their claim for the sword, or in Raijin’s case, attempt to kill the smith first. Afterwards, Aral and Hermes talk with Raijin about various matters, and learn that Baal is almost certainly responsible for the death of the Ainu king."

Session 74 ( Artemis Solo ) – ( Continues from prior session ) "Artemis and David speak with Mithras, and intentionally fail to convince him to withdraw. Immediately afterwards, the two raid his harem to find the location of his treasure vault. . ."

Session 74 Addendum – "Flashback: Aral’s encounter with the Oracle of Time."

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[metaphysician]

Session 75 – "Knowing the location of the vault, Artemis carries David and flies straight down into it, smashing the traps on the way. David then forces a standoff with Mithras and his minions, using a dead man switch bomb. Thus, Artemis leaves with the Grail, the mysterious statue Future David wanted, and a note ordering the Patriarch home. She uses the card to visit Future David and give him the statue, before calling Quetzlcoatl for a return gate."

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[metaphysician]

Session 76 – "Traversing the gate, Artemis finds herself back in Thera with the others, who she shocks with her possession of the Grail. Everyone, including the Summer King, is quickly assembled, and the Grail is used to heal Minos. Afterwards, the party speaks with the Champion of Ra about their discoveries and plans, and then heads back to the Ainu lands. . ."

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[metaphysician]

Session 77 – "After returning to the Ainu castle, the party reports David’s status to his friends, and then give the message from Mithras to the Patriarch. During the night, Artemis speaks with William Cumberland about various things. The next day, everyone gathers to hear the smith’s choice: no one. Mass battle ensues. Hermes gets thrown by Toshimoko, Artemis attacks him in turn. Aral and Anhur kill Gokuro. Quetzlcoatl summons a hurricane."

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[metaphysician]

Session 78 – "The battle continues. Darius and Colin start choking each other. Aral attempts to jump through the distortion, fails, and kicks off to attack Lei Kung instead."

Session 78 Sidebar – "During the time Aral spent in the distortion, he envisioned many places and times, until encountering an older Rory Kincaid, who talked with him a while and then advised he turn back."

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[metaphysician]

Session 79 – "Hermes, after being thrown by Toshimoko, tries to control his flight, and is ultimately saved by Alaric, who was sent to spy on the whole event. Once landed, he heads back in. Meanwhile, Aral and Anhur kill a lot of ninjas."

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[metaphysician]

Session 80 – "The battle continues. Hermes tried to persuade Toshimoko of the true culprit in his king’s death, and fails. Quetzlcoatl falls to a poisoned blade thrown by Reiha. Darius breaks free of Colin, and rushes for the sword; Raijin arrives and gets in his way. Hermes air blasts Toshimoko, and draws his attention, while Aral gives a speech to all involved."

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[metaphysician]

Session 81 – "Aral, after finishing his speech, is incapacitated by a Chosen ninja, who is thereafter killed by Anhur. Hermes dodges Toshimoko’s death blast, but Artemis is incapacitated by it. Following the speech, though, several of the Ainu break off their fights, and free Kincaid from the machine trap, allowing him to drive off Darius and guard the spacecraft taking the sword to the sun. Once it takes off, the time travelers disappear, and Riothamus orders the evacuation of everyone else. Alaric shows up, and offers to take Artemis away for healing."

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[metaphysician]

Session 82 – "Artemis wakes up in Camlann, having been healed by the Summer King. Alaric then returns her to Thera by means of throwing her into orbit. Meanwhile, the others recovered Jon, and all returned to Thera, where they discussed what has happened, and how to get the guests to their home times."

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[metaphysician]

Session 83 – "While discussing the matter of getting the five guests home, a sixth guest arrives: Colin. He offers to take everyone to their home times, to keep things tidy. Much discussion ensues, about his trustworthiness and Darius’ own quest, mainly. In the end, Will, Michael, and David go with him, their futures’ safe. Riothamus and Dr Seeker stay to make their own way home."

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[metaphysician]

Session 84 – "After Colin leaves with the others, the group talks about how to get Jon and Anastasia home. Hermes and Dr Seeker head out to the site of the rift, while Aral and Jon talk about their backgrounds a bit. While traveling, Hermes asks some questions of Seeker about her plans, and the wisdom of time travel."

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[metaphysician]

Session 85 – "On returning, Hermes proposes his idea to help Jon and Dr Seeker without going with them. This leads to an extended argument about responsibilities, the likely fate of the two, and various means of getting the party home. In the end, Hermes, Quetzlcoatl, and Dr Seeker return to the rift to do some experiments, and Aral and Jon start drinking."

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[metaphysician]

Session 86 – "The three scholars experiment with the rift and Quetzlcoatl’s powers. After a few variations, the rift blows up, dragging Quetzlcoatl and Dr Seeker through time, and leaving Hermes behind. The two arrive in the white void, and are attacked by distortion ghosts. In desperation, Quetzlcoatl calls out to the elder David, who yanks them out of imminent death into an imminent party. After wiping Dr Seeker’s memory and talking a while with Quetzlcoatl, David sends them both into the distant future, where a mysterious Chosen confronts them over almost causing a traffic accident."

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[metaphysician]

Session 87 – "Hermes returns to Thera, and reports the loss of his two comrades. After some extensive swearing, the party gathers and visits Minos for advice, eventually deciding to speak with Anubis once again. Meanwhile, Dr Seeker and Quetzlcoatl are arrested somewhat brutally by Caestus Pax, and thrown in a cell at T2M headquarters. After seeing a commercial about him on a nearby TV, Quetzlcoatl attempts to contact Justinian Dragos, and convince him to help. Unfortunately, Dragos is convinced he must be insane when he claims to be the Mesoamerican god Quetzlcoatl, and refuses."

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[metaphysician]

Session 88 – "After Dragos refused to help, Dr Seeker and Quetzlcoatl linger in the cell. Quetzlcoatl makes a few more failed attempts to contact people telepathically. The two refuse cooperation to a detail of T2M novas who come talk to them. Later, a mysterious woman arrives with guards, and knocks them both unconscious. They wake in more extreme confinement, and the woman tortures Quetzlcoatl to get Dr Seeker to lower her psychic defenses. After Dr Seeker acquiesces, Quetzlcoatl burns his health in order to open a gateway to carry them to the last known location of Justinian Dragos. . ."

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[metaphysician]

Session 89 – "In the age of Thera, Hermes, Aral, and Jon travel to Heliopolis and speak with Anubis again. Jon is shocked at seeing Anubis’ real face, and eventually relates that Anubis was once Alexander Dragos. . . a villain of enormous evil from Jon’s own time, thought dead. . .and would remain the High Priest of the Cult of Ra into his time as well, one of the great forces for good. Meanwhile, Quetzlcoatl and Dr Seeker wake to find themselves in a different set of restraints, with Justinian interrogating them on who they are, whats going on, and why they just destroyed three floors of his skyscraper. After suffering a massive megasocial mismatch, they both allow telepathic contact. Then, they are moved to a more comfortable waiting area. Back in Thera, the group travels to Samothrace, where Anubis asks the Oracle a question, and is answered by. . . himself. A message left by Alexander Dragos fills in some further information about how and why he ended up in the past."

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[metaphysician]

Session 90 – "Aral, Hermes, and Jon follow Anubis back to the Temple of Ra, where he unlooks a secret vault containing a time machine. Using it to open a portal following the temporal trail of Dr Seeker and Quetzlcoatl, the three arrives some distance outside the vast arcology of Addis Ababa. Approaching quietly, they gather some information inside the city that confirms this being the arrival point of the other two, and acquire a vehicle to travel to the Temple of Ra some distance away. On arriving, they find the place totally ruined, as if from a massive battle, and draw several conclusions from this fact. Finally, the group travels via Hermes’ speed to Scotland, and enters one of Jon’s old secret bases. After investigating it for signs of occupancy, they attempt to contact Dr Seeker via radio, and run across one of Justinian Dragos’ fertility advertisements, leading to some fell conclusions."

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[metaphysician]

Session 91 – "After coming to dire suspicion of Justinian Dragos, the group waits for the return of whoever was using this base, and after a brief scuffle, meets Dr Michael Ballard. . . the Silver Templar. An extended conversation reveals how Ballard found the hidden base and came to be the second Silver Templar, and he shows a documentary about Justinian Dragos, complicating much and revealing little. Shortly thereafter, a return radio message comes from the Avalon Foundation, who received the transmission sent for Dr Seeker, reporting that she was in their care, and requesting a meeting with those who sent the message. The group ponders the virtue of trying to track down the missing pair independently, and Ballard mentions Helios as a possible way to do so."

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[metaphysician]

Session 92 – "Jon inducts Michael Ballard formally into the Templars, and the party leaves instructions for him to contact Helios if they do not contact him in five hours. Then they leave to accept Justinian’s offer of meeting, and are taken to an unknown location. They meet Justinian, a young Rory, and two of his other companions, and are reunited with Quetzlcoatl and Dr Seeker. An extended verbal duel ensues as the party attempts to suss out Justinian’s true goals, but is interrupted by a message from one of the conspirators, and a mass assault on the stronghold. Justinian declines Aral’s offers of help and sends the party with Rory to return to their own times via a machine in the basement. The group takes a side trip back to the Temple of Ra, and views the destruction of the place at the hands of the Corruptor, a dark being of power to rival Minos. After the vision fades and before they can return, the group is confronted by a force of novas and soldiers, lead by one recognized by Jon and Dr Seeker. . ."

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[metaphysician]

Session 93 – "Battle opens between the two groups, with Jon confronting the man we learn was his adopted son. . . and that Riothamus and Seeker were not believed to actually be dead, merely banished. Several party members are grievously wounded, but in the end, the enemy force is left dead, and the group returns to Justinian’s base. There, they are taken to a giant machine, and returned to their home times right before someone called ‘Seraph’ arrives to destroy everything."

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[metaphysician]

Session 94 – "Having returned from the future, the party speaks with Anubis again, and both tells and learns some things about the future. The party then travels to Thera, and reports back to Minos, a report interrupted by a game of kickball with some children. Afterwards, Aral heads off the visit his family, Quetzlcoatl speaks with a veteran ambassador to Mithras about the dangers of the upcoming party, and Hermes researches both time travel and space travel, with some potential success."

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[metaphysician]

Session 95 – "Quetzlcoatl decides to accept the invitation to Mithras’ party. Everyone prepares to go, information is gathered, Serekh is hired. Finally, the lot stand before the gates to the grand throne room of Mithras, ready to be formally presented. . ."

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[metaphysician]

Session 96 – "The party is introduced to Mithras, and then begin wandering amongst the crowd. Aral spots a similarity in body language in some of the other guests, which leads to N’Kal, Si Ma Yi, Telemachus, and Serekh discussing their teacher, the Eastern Master ( among other things ). Alaric and Brigantia show up, to much fanfare, followed shortly by heralds of Baal. . ."

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[metaphysician]

Session 97 – "Baal enters the celebration, and offers as a ‘gift’ four fleshcrafted dancers. . . formed from four Mallorean noblewomen. After some social mingling, Serekh is volunteered into performing before the crowd, and sings a song, in English, that not-quite-overtly declares hatred for his father, amongst other things. Later, an argument breaks out between the Brahman representive and Sita, the Kshatriya, which Aral intervenes in to little effect."

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[metaphysician]

Session 98 – "The party splits up between several conversations. Aral talks with N’kal about conflicts in the world. Hermes discusses city design and defense with Marduk, a minor noble. While talking with Baal, Telemachus briefly shifts to elemental visage, against which Aral holds his composure better than Baal for a moment."

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[metaphysician]

Session 99 – "The party halts for a span, as Tezcatlapoca and his entourage arrive, with much spectacle and a ‘gift’ for Mithras. The party finds it disturbing that one of his underlings is a goddess of life. . ."

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[metaphysician]

Session 100 – "After Tezcatlapoca arrives, the party ponders how to turn his ‘gift’ against him. Amidst this planning, Aral is struck by a bought of insanity, and after several intermediate stops and attempts to dissuade him, trades himself to Mithras in exchange for several benefices. He is in turn, handed over to Old David Dragos. Meanwhile, after waking up again, the rest of the party follows up on one of the pieces of information he bought, and heads to Megiddo. . . the location of Finn. After getting knocked unconscious ( again ), they speak with Finn, and learn of his disturbing current state of mind."

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[metaphysician]

Session 101 – "Hermes and Quetzlcoatl report back what they have discovered with Finn to the Champion and Xenos, and after suggesting some ideas, get quickly sent out to assist White Crane and Zhang Fei in their efforts to overthrow the August Personage of Jade. The two meet with White Crane, and are joined by the Lioness of Byzantium, who will also accompany them. The basic strategy is discussed, some more is learned about the Jade Empire, and Zhang Fei nobly resists the urge to tell stories. Afterwards, with time on their hands, Hermes goes off to do some experiments, with Quetzlcoatl’s aid. This results in a temporal rift dumping both of them in the White Void, again. After finding Darius distinctly uninterested in helping, the two proceed to travel through the Void, while thinking of a way out. . ."

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[metaphysician]

Session 102 – "While traversing the White Void, Hermes and Quetzlcoatl try contacting several people. After a brush with William Cumberland while he’s holding together the universe, and an unusually clear talk with the Oracle of Samothrace, Hermes is ( mistakenly ) convinced that all options are suicidal, save for attracting Colin’s attention. After some angsting, Hermes agrees to such, which leads the two of them to an encounter with the elder David, instead. After some conversation and revelation, the two are geas bound again, and sent back to their home time."

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[metaphysician]

Session 103 – "While cleaning up the mess of his laboratory, Artemis returns. She greets the two with word of her trip into space, inspiring some new thoughts on the parts of both Hermes and Quetzlcoatl. They in turn fill her in on the latest events, much to her dismay regarding Aral. Next, the three report to Minos, who confirms that she does not in fact show signs of entropic taint at the moment."

Session 103b – "After Minos approves of Hermes bringing Artemis on board for the Jade Empire endeavor, the three talk briefly about their individual natures."

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[metaphysician]

Session 104 – "Interlude: Aral wakes up in a fluid-filled tube, and witnesses an encounter between David and Dr Sevarius. Meanwhile, back in Thera, Artemis runs across an old acquaintance, leading to the party searching for her old home. On finding the village, Quetzlcoatl scans for images of her childhood, finding that her parents do not resemble her physically. On returning, Hermes takes Artemis to meet with White Crane, to formally offer her help, as well as discuss a new tactical option available. This leads into Zhang Fei giving Artemis answers using his big magic stick, and certain exasperated exchanges about his own ( and others ) roguishness."

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[metaphysician]

Session 105 – "Artemis takes a brief visit to Hadrian, asking a question to set her on a trail into her past. After returning, she finds Hermes in the Rhadamanthine gymnasium. He shows off a new trick, which works better than expected, and loses gym privileges for the damages. After being so banished, they meet up with Quetzlcoatl, and all return to Artemis’ home village. Using the information given by Hadrian, they view into the past, to see. . . the baby Artemis being given to her ‘father’ by a monstrous Chosen."

Session 105 Artemis Solo – "Artemis uses the card given to her by the Winter King to contact David again. After a brief conversation about herself and her relationship to others, David offers to help her track down her father."

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[metaphysician]

Session 106 – "After returning to Thera, Hermes has a brief encounter with an Academy lab accident, and leaves with an experimental gadget. Meanwhile, Artemis receives a message from David, pointing towards a portion of the Black Forest, and assembles the others to help her go look. After a brief visit to Albion to pick up Alaric, the group gated to the Black Forest. . ."

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[metaphysician]

Session 107 – "A brief accident with the vest separates Hermes from the group ( off panel ). The rest seek out the scent, and find it. Quetzlcoatl locates where the Grendel in question is likely to be found, and the group starts moving towards him. . ."

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