The Cereal Box:Log

Session 1 "Nowhere To Stay, Nowhere To Go"

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

The player characters began on a train bound to Battle Creek from Chicago, most of them eager to start a new life in Battle Creek. The train trip was spent with the changeling characters and another changeling named April Jennings. They discussed their backgrounds somewhat, and were only briefly interrupted by a transit authority agent who may have been suspicious of Alana and Ernie for their unusual travel arrangements, but left them alone.

Upon arriving in Battle Creek, the group was "greeted" by representatives of each season. Spring's representatives, Tiffany McIvor and Sam, welcomed the group to Battle Creek, but admitted that Spring's welcome was of limited authority, given that they would not be in power until the 20th of the month. Sam sniffed the group over, but didn't seem especially interested in them. They handed the group the Map

Winter's representatives, Shaun, Cole and Jacqueline gave them a cold (pun intended) reception and, while they took some interest in Ernest and Evie, generally came across with a message of "GET OUT".

Autumn's representative, Roper, took pictures of them with a magical camera that took pictures of their Miens, and asked them questions about their plans, intimidating and mocking them in the process. He seemed to take some interest in Nikolai. Beyond that, he simply stood by and watched them from a distance.

Summer's representative, Jack Strong, was warm and said that the King of Summer was probably "the chillest Summer King you'll ever meet."

The player character's got a ride from Sarah, Evie's cousin, to Denny's, where they were approached by an ensorcelled mortal named Calista. She told them that winter would be causing them all kinds of grief as newcomers, and wanted them to meet with Arianna, a woman who wishes to become the new winter queen.

From there the majority of them (Nikolai and Evie excluded) went to Rodeway Inn (the hotel across from Denny's), where they bribed the receptionist into giving them a shitty room with no hot water (which Ernest took care of).

Evie and Sarah drank Fireball and partied at Sarah's apartment until there was a knock on the door. A lumberjack looking man with glowing red eyes asked Evie if she knew Carl Crowley. She admitted that she did not.

Nikolai broke off from the rest of the group, and was able to meet with a homeless changeling named Billy who agreed to let him stay if he could help him buy a dime bag of heroin from a local dealer who hangs out behind the abandoned Toys 'R' Us. Nikolai acquired it (in the process backing the dealer off when he asked if the "has anything to do with Billy"). As they prepared to wind down for the night, a lumberjack looking man with glowing red eyes asked Nikolai if he knew Carl Crowley and told Billy that this "was not for him". Nikolai admitted he did not (with repeated questioning), and the man left.

Monday, March 8th, 2010

The next day, Evie looked for jobs, Sephie went to work (mostly orientation and busy work), Alana, Ernest and April helped Hestia get a phone, and Nikolai realized how hard it is to look for work when you've got no fixed address and poor credentials. The session was adjourned with evening falling and the majority of the player characters looking at the prospect of where next to spend the night.

Session 2

The party discussed their options for places to live. They decided to check out the abandoned Toys 'R' Us as an option and, after breaking in, Nikolai looked into the back warehouse of the place and saw about a dozen changeling corpses hung from the rafters (appearing to have been there for quite some time). Eventually, they decided to stay in the woods near the Meijer off Beckley, where they set up a small campsite and waited out the night.

Meanwhile Evie and Sarah found Sarah's apartment infested with a "Biblical Plague" level of roaches. They left with slight fear and great disgust.

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

The party meets up, except for Sephie who goes to work at the urgent care clinic. Sephie treats a man who has blunt force trauma injuries to his ribs that he claimed were caused by a car accident, but upon examination, they were definitely from a fight.

The party went to the abandoned factory, which they broke into with some effort. They found a gang sign that looked like a "SZ", but didn't know if there was some significance to it beyond just gang activity. Sephie met back up with the group.

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

Alexander Smith called Alana and asked her how she was doing and what her work was. He asked about their housing and said that it would not be acceptable. He offered them temporary housing in the changeling ghetto. He also offered to reimburse them for the bribe they paid to stay at the hotel. He finally offered to look into getting them work. 65 23rd St. South in Lakeview.

The party was advised, and met up at the new house (with the exception of Nikolai and Ernie, who met with Eric Rowe about the ID) where Jack gave them keys and explained to them that they can stay in the two rooms of the place, but that they cannot open Hedge gates there or make any major changes to the property. April shipped Strong and Alana.

Eric met with Nikolai and Ernie, and took a shine to Nikolai, giving him his info and suggesting that they talk.

Session 3

The party had the opportunity to explore their new house, 65 23rd St. S, a two-bedroom half of a duplex home with few amenities. There was a basement not especially fit for any particular use (but dry, Strong assured them), and an attic full of what Strong assured them was really itchy insulation. There was a kitchen that was partially separated from the living room, which in turn had a plastic crate and a folding chair as its only furniture. One bedroom had a queen bed, the other a cot and a twin bed. The stove was electric, with one reliable burner. The dishwasher did not work. The microwave "doesn't go at the same time as the oven" and "there's nothing wrong with the fridge, but the water isn't hooked up to it." There was also a broken full size mirror in the hallway with a sign that said "do not repair or replace."

The party decided they needed food for their new apartment, and went to the nearby grocery store, where Ernie and Alana dumpster dived for food while Evie stole an entire pantry's worth through sheer brazen thievery, bringing the entire cart home with her. They began making food when they heard loud music from next door and decided to meet the neighbors.

Sephie, Nikolai and Evie went out to investigate, but were ambushed by a flock of bats that drove them to the side of the house, where they were attacked by a deranged changeling with skin like the white flakes on burnt wood, armed with a nailbat. The changeling ranted about how she was the deputy and would bring them to justice. When Evie tried to retreat back inside to get help, they were ambushed by a pair of vicious hedge-creatures that seemed to be completely silent lizard-dogs. After some struggle, Nikolai shot the woman, who went unconscious, and the party members inside killed the beasts which collapsed into leaves. Nikolai and Sephie went around the house to avoid their neighbor, who went out to see what was happening (with the gunshot and all).

Moments later, they received a knock at the door and their neighbor, Freddie Gibson, was there with the dying changeling. After some debate, they agreed to stabilize her and hold her there. They called Strong, who said he could deal with it in the morning and they just needed to hold on until them. Freddie smoked a lot of weed (with a weird chemical odor) and gave some "normal" joints to the changelings as a housewarming gift. His "heterosexual life partner", the ruggedly beautiful Aaron Mason (dressed in a toga and wielding an oversized plastic wine goblet) likewise came over and christened the event something of a party. The two related what had happened to Billy Goat - how during the war, he lost his one true love Clement Bonte, and one day in court spontaneously declared "this isn't fun anymore! Whoever sits in this throne next is the new Spring King for a year and a day!", an offer which Matthew Kingman took up. Eventually, everyone agreed to settle for bed, taking watches over the changeling they had captured. She begged for water until morning, but was not given any.

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

Strong arrived with two thugs, who rolled the changeling up in a carpet. He told them that he was surprised that Aaron hadn't said anything, because he knew her - an Autumn courtier named Darlene Selfridge. He said that the summer king would doubtless want to talk to them about this. The party all went to their respective jobs, with only Ernie and April staying home. Part way through the day, April declared that even though she liked Ernie, she didn't feel safe and that she wanted to go to Horrocks to be near the other members of the motley. They went downtown to do so.

At Horrocks, the party members were each confronted by Cole, who informed them that the winter queen demanded their presence and they would present themselves, as the domain was still under her rule. He ushered them into the furnished back of a moving truck and drove off with them. Schumaker appeared at Sephie's clinic and, likewise, ushered her off. Yamamoto appeared at Hestia's work and took her as well. All converged on the Floral Lawns Memorial Garden at the grave site of Solomon Bynes, where the Queen of Winter, Lyrissa Diamondheart, explained to them that the Freehold was being subverted and that, as outsiders, they were in a unique position to help her by getting information on the opposition. Since they had been approached by one of the potential usurpers' minions, they would be able to, essentially, spy for her - but that she wouldn't force them to do so. She told them that she could promise them a place in the Freehold if they would agree not to work against the freehold's long-term stability (with the understanding that they might, if they opted to spy on her behalf, work against her immediate interests). The changelings agreed, and Johnny Starlight, the Winter Court's most powerful enforcer, sealed the pledge, acting as the nemesis and warning them that if they broke their word, he would have absolutely no difficulty destroying them.

The changelings returned to work and, after their workdays, returned home, where they found a note on the door only reading:

I know what happened
1023 Avenue A, Springfield, MI 49037
Hedge gate at the arch
9 PM

Session 4

The motley prepared by eating dinner, and Sarah arrived to drive them to their meeting. After it was determined that she'd been drinking, they decided that she should stay with Aaron and Freddie. They were pulled over en route, and almost caught with an open container, but quick talking managed to avert this. They arrived at the meeting place, which was a middle school where there was an arch in the middle of nowhere and a bunch of creepy child faces on pillars.

Roper opened the gate and brought them in, guiding them through the dense fog of the Hedge to the Autumn Court's meeting place. There, they encountered the Pumpkin King, who expressed his dismay that they had turned over his mad courtier to the Summer Court (and that they hadn't even brought him a gift "as is customary"). They learned that the Pumpkin King had once been the champion of the Autumn Court and saved the Freehold from Solomon Bynes, the late King of Winter, who had enslaved the changelings of the freehold. A great purge had followed and numerous changelings loyal to Winter (and/or the True Fae) had been hanged. They offered to help the Autumn King in vague terms, but did not Pledge in any way. The Pumpkin King also incidentally mentioned that he hated Cincinnati.

The oracle, Holly LeClerc, announced that the reason that the courtier had gone rogue was that she had pledged herself to a Huntsman, a fetch-like being created from the shadows and reflection of the True Fae. It was revealed that Holly was letting the motley know because they're "the main characters." She revealed that the Huntsmen could be killed, but that this would not suffice to eliminate them permanently. Furthermore, that those who cooperated with the Huntsmen in bringing changelings back to the True Fae would be rewarded.

As they left the Hedge, Roper revealed that the Pumpkin King had lost his wife after the war, and that Holly LeClerc knew where she was buried. The Pumpkin King's great power came with the frailty that anyone who knew the location of her grave would hold power over him, and that Holly knew where she was buried and was, essentially, the shadow Queen of Autumn.

They return to find Sarah and Aaron cuddly together.

Friday, March 13th, 2010

Work happened. Alexander Smith, King of Summer, called about a meeting. Before the meeting, the motley hit up Salvation Army for stuff.

They arrived at the meeting at C.O. Brown Stadium, and were taken there by way of a utility hallway. The meeting was something of a formal meet and greet with the King, who expressed his desire to have a Freehold that works for everyone. Also present were Strong, a woman made out of leeches with a giant spider mount, an incredibly old, wizened changeling named "Granny" Lovett, a skinny wizened named Patrick Greer who seemed skeptical of the Summer King's goodwill. Smith offered a significant home to Granny, and something in the changeling ghetto to Greer. Smith stated that Lovett was one of the most powerful changelings in her previous freehold.

When asked what was done with Darlene, Smith stated that he would meet with the Autumn King. Strong carried on about what a great guy Smith was, and Granny offered everyone Werther's Originals, which only Nikolai accepted.

Session 5 "'Death' Of An Old Goat"

Eevie drove Sarah home and didn't come back, but told the rest of her motley that everything would be fine for a couple of days. They put up some of Ernie's drawings and one of April's (at Alana's urging) and tidied up the place. Eric Rowe called Nikolai to offer him some work taking a package from the Meijer to the Casino. After some hemming and hawing - and the implication the Rowe didn't feel he had other options for the job - he agreed to do so for him, but then some concern was raised over this being outside the Cereal Box.

Friendly cab company. They took a trip to the Casino. They dropped off the package to Paulie without seeing into the room. The casino has a strong draw, and they regained Glamour just for being in there, although Alana would have played in the casino (as if in a trance) but realized that she had no money. On their way out, a pure white cat watched them get in the cab. As they drove back into the Cereal Box, they were pursued just off the road by a dark man on a black horse of smoke, flanked by fae hounds (who appeared to be just a dude with dogs when viewed through mortal eyes) who instantly gave up the chase as they crossed the threshold of the Cereal Box.

The music was too loud next door. There was an argument and then it was turned down.

Saturday, March 14th, 2010

Hestia and Alana and Nikolai and Sephie work. Ernie is going to make some friends. April is the big sister.

Their neighbor from across the street, Carl Crowley, complained that the neighbors music was too loud and that it should only be two days a week. He asked them about their housing situation and suggested they look into getting it upgraded when possible, kind of implying that a squeaky wheel will get the grease.

Sunday, March 15th, 2010

At 4 in the morning, they hear a scraping at the door. Alana snuck around and found Eevie, dressed in rags and looking like shit, at the door with about an eighth of an inch of snow dusting her. She looked incredibly sick and was scraping at the door with a Badge made out of what looked like wood (and turned out to be horn). Alana dragged her inside, fearing for the worst. Eevie suddenly transformed into Billy Goat and activated an aura of command, prevent himself from being attacked. Near incoherent, Billy explained that he was trying to help them, that he had given a changeling - Caleb Martinet - to the Huntsman in return for the badge, which he said would prevent the Huntsman from taking them if presented to him. "I'm not going to use it," Billy said, "When the Huntsman comes for me, I'm not going to resist. Promise you won't stop him." Hestia pledged to "do what she felt was best" in regards to Billy, which Billy bound into a Pledge. Billy was placed in Hestia's bed. Billy pisses the bed and Hestia notices a lot of blood in his urine. Sephie discovers that Billy is on the verge of death and rotting away from the inside and so performs major surgery on him to save his life.

Session 6

Eevie came back and Alana put her in a headlock before confirming she was who she said she was. She was filled in and everyone took a nap before morning except for Hestia who make some breakfast.

Morning broke, and the motley prepared for church, except Hestia and April who stayed with Billy to keep him safe. Warehouse with a lighthouse attached to it. They met Craig Weston, the narrator, and spoke with Kingman afterwards. Kingman expressed concern for their difficulties, but generally seemed content to leave them to their devices. The meeting with Kingman was interrupted by Dahlia, who laid out her criticism of Kingman in no uncertain terms. Kingman gave them a ride home.

After the meeting, the motley returned to find that their neighbor, Isaac Oldman, was disappeared after a struggle (which had happened a few minutes before they came back). Despite Aaron, Freddie and Carl being there, they didn't seem interested in doing anything about it. The motley decided to chase after him, as he appeared to have been taken by a Huntsman, after they contacted Johnny Starlight and Roper to let them know about the situation.

They entered the Hedge and ended up at the crossroads, where they fought the Man With the Badge and his deputy. The deputy had a ring of keys, which she dropped when she was intimidated into fleeing the scene, that allowed them to release Oldman from the back of his police cruiser / carriage. Upon finally freeing Oldman, the Man With the Badge disappeared.

Johnny Starlight acknowledged that the courtier that they had dealt with was a former Summer Court changeling named Neveah Barringer (implying that Summer's perfect record without loyalists was now forever tainted) and ran into the Hedge after them, but not before Ernie spilled the beans about the presence of a Huntsman (which, to the motley's knowledge, was something only the Autumn Court knew about).

Session 7

Roper asked some questions about the badge, but was not given satisfying information. Hestia went back to check on Billy, who was still catatonic.

The party returned home. Eevie and Alana spoke with Aaron about his music and his feelings on Kingman, who he said was kind of full of himself, and more than a little weird, but generally has his heart in the right place. Hestia is going to work toward getting a proper driver's license. They discussed the Spring Laws that would be in effect when Kingman is in charge.

Monday, March 16th, 2010

Hestia gets her driver's permit. The motley works for the day. The motley acquired a large practical unassuming vehicle. Light blue Blackberry blue / purple van that a soccer mom sort would drive with the remnants of a stick person family that Alana managed to peel half off.

Nikolai and Eevie together help Hestia learn to drive. Billy's circumstances were assessed and it was determined that he would likely recover partially - that there might be long-term consequences for his over-the-top binge. Hestia realized that he deal with Billy made caused her to become striking.

Tuesday, March 17th, 2010

Once again, workday. Billy has a brief moment of responsiveness. The motley decided that they need to meet with the Autumn King again. They met with the Autumn King at their home. They made rice krispee treats, a spooky drawing and some gum. The Autumn King refused the treats because they contain Rumchata ("I can't touch it"). He asked to see Billy, told them he wasn't going to reveal the existence of the Huntsmen until after the coronation.

They learned that with the badge, they could become deputized.

Wednesday, March 18th, 2010

Yet another workday. Nikolai performed an augury on the badge and became convinced that it did not have any powers beyond making a person a deputy and keeping them safe from the Man With the Badge.

Sephie, Ernie and Nikolai went to Granny Lovett's house for the evening. There, Granny served them their favorite meals and made a Pledge with them to find their family, involving a draw of blood from them.

Thursday, March 19th, 2010

Work day! WOOORK DAY! Billy is somewhat ambulatory.

Nikolai did some research and came to the conclusion that the Huntsman is a private security guard meant to protect a collection of changelings and retrieve them. What this means as far as collection is concerned, is complicated. It turned out The Collector was Hestia, April AND Isaac's Keeper. Ernie's and Alana's Keeper could have been anyone, so it's hard to stay. Freddie's Keeper was the Dread Oubliette and Aaron's was NOT the Collector. They partied together. It was good time.

Dahlia came to their house to convince them to "vote" for her at the coronation. "Stand with me," she said, "and3 show Kingman that business as usual won't be tolerated!" Discussion was had regarding who they should stand with - if anyone. Dahlia admitted that it would not change the coronation since, ultimately, the Wyrd determined the outcome of such events, and the coronation would happen regardless.

Session 8

Friday, March 20th, 2010

Ernie looked into joining the Winter Court at the coronation, and learned that at the coronation, there will be an opportunity to pledge, during which anyone can join the Courts. Alana performed at amateur night at Hot's. Hestia performed as a street performer, which is weird in Battle Creek, but weird in a good way. Nikolai faked a heart attack and got very little attention.

Saturday, March 21th, 2010

Further Glamour harvest occurred, with Nikolai and Alana picking fights in the mall, Evie buying cute clothes, Hestia and Sephie losing an imaginary baby, and Ernie playing with his friends. They acquired a wheelchair for Billy Goat to use. They debated what they would do and discussed the possibility of standing with Billy. Eventually they spoke to Billy and he made them all absurd campaign promises:

• Nikolai gets his own Kremlin.
• Ernie would get a playground on every corner and a poorly secured credit card in every wallet
• Evie gets pumpkin spice EVERYTHING year round
• April gets her own animation studio and Community's Dan Harmon to write.
• For Alana, EVERYONE would require a green card ("easiest way to level the playing field")
• Hestia would get "1950's wedded bliss, and something in the end table to prolong the bliss"
• Sephie would get "pills... that you can give to me... an unlimited blank prescription pad with your signature pre-loaded on every page - I shall make you a queen! Dr. Queen: Medicine Woman!"

It is established that pumpkin spice lattes are AUTUMNactically delicious.

Sunday, March 22nd, 2010

The motley, apart from Sephie, attended a church service on how no matter how far you stray from God, it's always "just one step back." After this, they prepared for the coronation. Billy dressed as wildly as he could to make a shocking appearance to offend Kingman's sensibilities.

The coronation began with many of the familiar faces showing up. Nearly every changeling they had ever encountered was there. Refreshments were served and everyone awaited the crowning moment. Lyrissa removed the crown and asked who would be the Spring Monarch. Kingman stepped up and Dahlia stepped forward. Tiffany McIvor stood for Dahlia, which shocked Kingman, as she was his right hand, but no on else. Billy Goat "stood up" (metaphorically more than anything, as he only got to his feet for a few seconds) and the motley stood with him. There was a brief brawl over this as the Freehold devolved into name calling and chaos over the overt insult before Lyrissa forced everyone to come to order.

The crown was passed toward Kingman, but an upwelling of the Wyrd caused it to appear on a rejuvenated Billy's head. He stood up and, after Dahlia and Kingman both asked him to cede his throne to them, announced that he thought this was "going to be a lot of fun!" Billy declared his first edict - "Don't come to the party if you're not going to dance" and immediately turned the Hedge into a party zone. Evie joined the Spring court, Alana and Hestia joined Summer and Ernie joined the Winter Court.

Session 9

Monday, March 23th, 2010

5 AM, Alana, Hesita, Nikolai, April and Ernie managed to stagger out of the Hedge and make their way home. Evie and Sephie skipped work to stay at the Hedge party, one to party and one to care for Billy.

Tuesday, March 24th, 2010

In the wee hours of the morning, the party ended. Two days of perpetual partying complete, Billy prepared to reward his faithful with their own luxury accommodations, but the motley was less than thrilled with the offer and agreed they needed a house near the hospital and the college.

Billy met with Smith and discovered that his options were to either to wait to get cash (not credit, which is readily available, but untraceable physical cash for more than about $500.00 a day) or leverage his marker credit at the Firekeeper's Casino, which he decided was the best approach. Billy said that he could make a deal with the Wyrd to ensure that he would win at the Casino, and that he would just need to "make it a story that the Wyrd wants to hear!"

Billy reunited with his girlfriends Helen, who was turning tricks for drugs in an attempt to recapture the magical experience of Ensorcellment, and Lydia, who had returned to college (and was enthusiastic about the fact that it was not all delusion).

They traveled to the Casino to meet the Autumn and Winter monarchs there. Ernest acquired a pair of shoes that had the power to make him look like he belonged somewhere - barely - and April wasn't carded when Billy explained "she's with me." Each played some table games, with only Nikolai doing poorly (and April inexplicably doing exceptionally). Granny Lovett spoke with Ernest and told him that she had found his father in Oklahoma, but still did not know where his sister was, and believed that she would be able to find her if he could bring her an item that had belonged to his sister.

At midnight, Billy brought them to the high limit craps table where, with one mighty roll of the dice, he threw a hard eight to secure victory for himself and $50,000 walking cash. They cashed out quickly after that, as the motley spotted someone watching them in the high limits room (a nondescript looking man) and a conspiracy of white cats watching them as they left. They found out that the Autumn monarch stayed at the casino by himself for a while before leaving, but that he had gotten safely back into the cereal box. He seemed melancholy, and had been playing penny slots for hours ("I'm up almost $15!").

Session 10

Wednesday, March 25th, 2010

The player characters were summoned by Billy Goat, who explained first that he was now banned from the FireKeeper's Casino Hotel permanently as repayment to the Wyrd for enriching him. He then explained that while he did not believe that what he did could compromise the Cereal Box, that he knew precious little about the Cereal Box. He further explained that the other Seasonal Monarchs were not forthcoming with information on the Cereal Box, as it was one area they could hold over Billy's Head. Billy explained that he actually knew very little about the Cereal Box despite being a signatory to the original contract. He told them that the original contract could be found in a secluded grove in the Hedge and, with his permission, they could enter it and find the original contract (which was in a box protected against True Fae that any changeling should be able to open). Billy kissed each of them to give them permission to enter the hollow and sent them into the Hedge.

They entered the Hedge near the neutral meeting ground at Binder Park Zoo and stalked some ways. They found a place where bright yellow flowers grew amid the broken streets. Eventually, they encountered a buzzing nest of big eyed cartoon bees and were able to keep their cool among them.

They continued on until they encountered a Lumberjack looking mofo sitting on a stump who asked if they needed help or if he could so something. He elucidated that he was a Huntsman and that he was looking for Carl Crowley. He told them that for information, he would guide them to where they were going. They refused him and he threatened Ernie, saying that the law was coming for him. When they left, he followed them, and then lost interest when they refused to engage him further.

while on the path, they were attacked by a giant monster Dig'Em frog that they evaded until they got through the gate. Once through the gate, they saw a fenced clearing with a ribcage-esque canopy of trees protected a pool of magma with four pillars and a iron cases suspended from those pillars. Hestia entered the magma and tried to open the case, but could not. Alana parkour'd her way to the box and was able to open it without problems. Ernie was able to memorize and copy the entire contract, which consisted of complex legalese, references to other laws and contracts and obscure occult formulae. A few hedge ravens attempted to read the contract and even offered the motley a gold coin in return, but they kept the birds from seeing it.

They got out of the Hedge without further incident and gave Billy the information, for which he was very grateful.

They warned Carl Crowley regarding the Huntsman's inquiring regarding him, which did not seem to put his mind at ease or help him feel ok about things.

Session 11

Thursday, March 26th, 2010

A house was acquired near the hospital and college that the player characters could use as their new digs. Billy Goat sent movers. Baffled movers assisted them in moving.

Location: 3
Size: 3
Amenities: 4 - includes a vine trellis hedge gate just off the patio
Security: 4

Pool, hot tub, walk-in-shower, central air and heat, a refrigerator that orders food.

Friday, March 27th, 2010

The P.I. gave some new information regarding Albert Joad - he was informed

Nikolai read the book he was given and found it to be a relatively accurate analysis of changeling society, albeit with the accuracy of a 20th century weeaboo describing feudal samurai society. It had some useful information on changeling contracts and how they work, as well as a discussion of how changelings who fall to the typical foibles of fairy tales (such as straying from the path, eating forbidden fruit or otherwise acting in a manner prescribed against in fairy tales) will gain a connection to the Wyrd more quickly than others, and those with a very strong connection to the Wyrd can forge new contracts with the Wyrd.

Sephie stocks her hospital room. Hestia practices driving. Ernie, Hestia, April and Alana went to get decorations and amenities for the new house. They created a trellis in the backyard to create a gateway to the Hedge. The local Hedge is a fragrant neatly trimmed grass lawn with the distant buzz of lawnmowers working the land. Vines and thorns grow along white picket fences and chain link reminiscent of suburbia. Immature Oopsalberries grow nearby.

Size: 1
Security: 1
Location: 0
Amenities: 0

They lounged in the hot tub for the evening. Sephie is interested in acquiring a puppy. His P.I. received instructions on how to proceed with the investigation. He sent pictures of the house, the surroundings and Albert Joad, which (at the cost of his clarity) sparked a resurgence of memory in Ernie, including the fact that "Gert and Ernie" was from watching Sesame Street, seeing that G was the letter of the day, G was for Gina and Ernie and Bert would be Ernie and Gert if they were Gert and Ernie. He also remembered that Albert Joad was, indeed, his father, that was, indeed, where he grew up (and he remembered having several hiding places throughout) and, furthermore, he remembered that at some point his father shouted at his sister that she was a "stupid whore." He felt antipathy toward his father. He learned that his family home was in Elsewhere, Oklahoma. "Olahoma where the win comes sweeing down the plan."

Nikolai returned his book, having gleaned most of nothing of value from it. The woman at the Magick Shoppe was happy to put out Nikolai's name looking for books on the topic of Fae magic.

Saturday, March 28th, 2010

Sephie went puppy shopping and everyone went to see "Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World". Hestia did not get it but everyone else thought it was great. Billy calls them and lets them know that Sunday, 7:30 PM, a whole group of 8 changelings would be coming to the Cereal Box, and Billy would like the motley to act as the welcome wagon for them instead of the usual vicious and aloof approach to the situation. Billy further told them they would present the keys to their old digs to the changelings so they could use it as their home.

Nikolai called Roper and received the Camera non Obscura from him to photograph the changelings (as well as a instant disposable camera for the other picture) and note taking materials. Alana spoke with Strong (who said he would be there for a head count) and Smith, who stated that he needed her to represent Summer. Ernie spoke with Johnny, who said he absolutely couldn't be there, but demanded immediate information on anything that happened ASAP. He also bought Rice Krispie Treats to hand out to the changelings.

Sunday, March 29th, 2010

Hestia decided to prepare a week's worth of casseroles for the incoming changelings. Sephie spruced up the old house to the best of their ability. Ernie collected job applications and information about Battle Creek.

7:00 PM rolled around. They all dressed up and met on the platform. 7:30 the Amtrack shows up, the doors open, and the train is filled with vines and a crumbling of sawdust and goldenrod blows out.

Session 12

The motley and Strong made their way into the train after briefly calling Johnny Starlight, Roper and Billy. Johnny explained that he had vowed not to interfere with the meeting, so... good luck with that.

The motley entered the train car, which had a (now closed) gateway to the hedge. They reopened the gate and found a trail of blood leading them into the woods, with indications suggesting that they were meant to find the trail. They skulked and followed the trail to a clearing where the Red Eyed Woodsman had bound all eight of the newcomers, who appeared to be drugged. He had already decapitated one of them (a canoptic jar woman they learned was named Ife Fatim). He demanded that they immediately give him the location of Carl Crowley, the True Name of Lyrissa Diamondheart, OR hand over the Man With the Badge's badge. The motley refused and a fight ensued, at the onset of which the Red Eyed Woodsman killed another hostage, a car man named Troy Benz.

Strong was attacked by a werewolf creature known as the Fruit Brute, which he threw into a nearby tree. Nikolai, Evie and Alana piled onto the Woodsman, while Hestia tried to intimidate him. April used her contracts to learn that the Woodsman is afraid of the Man With the Badge, but that didn't seem helpful. Sephie went to help free hostages.

The remaining hostages were Crystal Quartz, a jeweled woman, Elissa Krantz, a Cyclops, Orlando Wood, a leaf man, Chelsea King, a living vinyl phonograph, Joshua Carlisle, a butterfly man much like April (although his wings were torn off), and Blair Hopkins, a sort of anime jackelope. A fearsome battle continued, with the woodsman axing people, throwing a tree at them, and spreading narcotic poppies. Meanwhile, the trees pelted the changelings with disgusting fruit. Strong and the Fruit Brute battled and, with Evie's help, he killed it, delivering the thrilling one-liner, "YEAH! Yeah." Ernie declared it a "FRUITALITY."

Blair shook off her bindings, grabbed a sword-shaped chunk of hedge, and went about freeing the other hostages. Likewise, Elissa Krantz was able to break free of her bindings, and went on to assist. April and Sephie freed the rest. The woodsman was overcome, and, as the hedge violently shifted to a pacifistic tone, the voice of the Collector came through, promising to "bring the woodsman home", at which point, it begged them to kill it. Alana and Nikolai obliged, but Alana's coup de grace was somehow insufficient to kill it. When Nikolai killed it, it broke into pieces of junk like a fetch coming apart.

They made it out of the hedge, and Ernie told Johnny Starlight about the situation. Starlight congratulated them, but followed it by saying, "That's two on your boss Billy." Billy, meanwhile, was adamant that introductions should continue, and the motley took the newcomers to their house for medical attention before taking them subsequently to their new digs and showing them around.

It was determined that the Collector happened to be Chelsea, Joshua, Blair and Orlando's Keeper (Elissa's Keeper was the Lotus Eating Beast, and Crystal's was The Moleman Prospector).

Session 13

The motley photographed the newcomers and showed them their new digs. They discussed the monarchs with them and freaked them out about Roper and the monarch's usurpers. It turned out that Orlando (Do to his friends) had conspiracy theories about every single supernatural creature being real and secretly running the world (and aliens being humans from the future that traveled faster than light to earth, thus making a one-way trip back in time, and mummies being real, and a cabal of Vampires and Mages running the world from the shadows, and swamp creatures being real and breeding with people in New England, and the God of Abrahamic religions being a machine built by the Jews in the 6th millenium B.C. in an attempt to solidify what was previously several concurrent historical narratives into a single "true reality, and so on). Elissa explained that he was like this the whole way to Battle Creek and that she worked in logistics. Joshua was largely concerned with whether Spring was party time, and was pleased to hear it was (incidentally, he had a huge gaping scar on his chest from where he had been pinned through, and explained that he had ripped his wings off escaping.

The motley dreamed of the Red Eyed Woodsman:

Nikolai - Dreamt of fighting the Red Eyed woodsman in an "another time, another place" feel with a friendly air to it. Nikolai is a GENTRY'S GENTLEMAN, whatever that means.

Sephie - Had a memory dream of the fight with the Red-Eyed Woodsman. She knows in her heart that she has the JAILER'S KEY. She can free someone from bondage, real of metaphorical... for a price.

Hestia - Had a dream wherein she interrogated the woodsman, asking him several questions. (The Collector wants to reclaim what is his, and she's the one drawing him to the Cereal Box). THE BURNING QUESTION will give you the answer when you want it... but not all questions should be answered.

Alana - Dreamed about the experience of trying and failing to kill the Woodsman. (Dramatic Failure) Alana will know when the Woodsman is going to be in a scene but IT'S ALL FUTILE - she cannot truly defeat him.

Ernie - The huntsman tells him all the horrible things he's done - twisted the head off doves and eaten stray cats alive. He also says it was good of someone in the Freehold to open the door for him. He is interrupted by red and blue lights and a siren and suggests that Ernie sort of got off easy, but not really as he slinks into the night. Ernie is now a FUGITIVE.

April - Dreams of the woodsman pursuing her. Dreams that while she keeps hiding behind her friends, it was ultimately futile - that she was being pursued endlessly - that the woodsman was denigrating and desecrating her notebook. She burns the page of her notebook where she shipped the Woodsman and the Sheriff. She knows a SECRET she can't tell anyone just yet.

Monday, March 30th

They discussed their dreams and some of the ramifications, as well as whether to tell anyone. They realized that if Billy was the one who brought The Man With the Badge to the Cereal Box, someone must have likewise brought the Red Eyed Woodsman into the Cereal Box. They speculated regarding who might have done this and how.

Sephie expressed an interest in going to the gym to learn to fight. Nikolai and Ernie went to the Enchanted Attic, Nikolai for information on dreams, Ernie came for information on Vampires, knowing it will be of dubious value. Barb informed Nikolai that there was a man named Arthur Sullivan at the corner of Capital and Kingman who can "tell him more about the Wee Folk." Hestia walked by a construction site to provoke and spurn interest for glamour. Nikolai also rambled at the park about local urban legends to gain glamour. Nikolai fucked up and lost his ability to be spooky, but bought a pair of iron punchy things. Hestia did some research regarding her family, and discovered that her fetch and her fetch's husband had died some time ago. Alana vandalized cars. Nikolai researched dreams expanded his Wyrd and obtained a frailty: he cannot refuse food offered to him. Sephie volunteered at a soup kitchen and worked into the evening. Busy days all around. Evie went to Menard's and got some iron deck nails for her bat, then ran a couple of errands for Billy.

Session 14 "April Fools"

Hestia practiced driving with Nikolai, Sephie and Alana worked out while April hung out, Evie went to talk to Freddie about doing something nice for the Spring Court and learned that she would impress the hell out of Billy with some Hedge weed.

Ernie memorized a map of the Hedge roads to and from Battle Creek.

Nikolai met with Arthur Sullivan (the mothman) and discussed the politics of the Freehold, including and especially the fact that Billy was not so prepared as Kingman to be the leader. Nikolai pledged for the remainder of Spring for access to the mothman's library in return for allowing Sullivan to see any Tokens he gains access to.

Wednesday, My Dudes, April 1st, 2010

The morning was broken with Billy requesting Alana let him into Evie's room. Against all reason, Alana allowed this and Billy got Evie to agree to something wtihout further explaination. She suddenly became Queen of Spring.

Billy took her to get Starbucks and discuss what being Queen entailed, including telling her that she has the right to enact an edict. Together, they decided that Evie needed a dress to wear to the soiree he would be throwing that night at the church. They gathered the motley (who were morning pranked in harmless ways several times throughout the night) and went to the goblin market in Lakeview square mall.

Session 15

The Goblin Market was a shadow of the mall itself, and looked like what the mall would look like overgrown after centuries of human non-habitation, with post-apocalyptic-esque wagons and merchants peddling strange wares. A booth called Tokens GALORE had a SOLD OUT sign prominently displayed.

Ernie got seperated and a pickpocket pulled a hangnail from him before making a break for it. Hestia and Alana looked through a cart of "things that should have been, but never were," finding incredible albums and films on impossible or rare formats (Nirvana's 4th studio album "Rebirth" on scintasand; James Cameron's Avatar on Betamax; Boris Karloff's off-broadway debut that never happened; Half-Life 3 "but be warned there's a mandatory update that requires a connection to the company's dedicated server") as well as personal effects such as divorce papers, engagement rings and sealed letters.

While they were there, a wormlike Goblin named Tibble pulled Sephie aside and told her that he had a box containing "feels" that would give them power over the monarchs. The feels were from the "Queens" of the courts (which he explained only meant the reigning monarch of the Court in Lyrissa's case). He further explained that he had a feel that how power over both Kingman and Billy, since both sort of believed themselves to be Kings, and one over Lyrissa and Jeremiah, but nothing for Smith, whom he claimed "has no feels in him" and thus, could not be controlled in this way. They argued over price until Alana (who along with Hestia had overheard the dickering) offered an experience for it, which the creature solidified into a "feel".

The box contained several items that, when touched, gave the one who touches them an overwhelming and intensely specific emotion. A wedding ring gave nauseating head-swimming betrayal and abhorrent despair. A crochet needle gave an overwhelming dread, with a distant spark of hope like a single star in a black sky blanket of endless night (and a distant echoing voice saying, "I've changed my mind. I don't want to. No..."). A torn segment from a spiral notebook that appeared to be a journal, blank on one said, on the other said, "I told my young lover that surely HE could still enjoy this. HE could have fun. This isn't fun anymore. I do not feel I will set foot in the place again." that filled with a sensation of nihilistic numbness. Finally, a light blue glass dangly earring, perpetually cold, that filled with a sensation of haunting grief and fierce mercy for someone hated.

Evie purchased a hedgespun dress that was comprised of stormclouds with lightning coursing through it, with a hem makes the sound of spring rain as it trails. The ensemble smelled faintly of ozone and petrichor, and came with a pair of shoes that can step in the deepest puddle without making your stockings the slightest bit damp.

While Billy stepped away in search of something appropriately hedonistic and blasphemous for the shindig he had planned that night, Dahlia approached Evie and asked if she would surrender the crown of Spring to her. She argued that it should be clear to them by now that Billy puts grandstanding over the lives and safety of changelings, and that if Johnny, Roper and/or other very well experienced changelings had been there when the newcomers were kidnapped, less or no casualties would have occurred (and made it clear that she meant no offense to the motley, but was merely stating that two of the most powerful changelings in the freehold WOULD have been there without Billy's meddling). She insisted that this was the motley's opportunity to set things right and make a real, positive difference. Evie refused and April called Dahlia a bitch and stated she would now ship her with the Woodsman in retaliation. There would be kissing.

Evie stepped aside with Dahlia and told her that as a concession, she would like to hear what Dahlia thought would be a good edict for her to pass in her brief time as Queen. Dahlia said that she had been considering an edict akin to "Our greatest desire is always to have our needs met," meaning that changelings SHOULD desire (in Spring, the season of desires) to meet the basic needs of other changelings before trying to fulfill their own whims and fancies. This would renew the focus of the Freehold on trying to ensure that the weakest among them are protected. Evie said she would consider this, and everyone agreed that they WANTED to like Dahlia.

Billy said they needed to part so he could set up for his main event, and that they must be there by 8 (and would appreciate Evie being there a little early). They returned home to prepare, and Craig Weston showed up, telling them (in his own special way) that they would need to see Kingman at the Catholic Church.

Kingman explained that Billy had confined him to the church for the day, and that he could only leave at 8 to go to the party (and be unfashionably late). He expalined that Billy had constructed a wicker man at the church, and that he believed that Billy suspected Evie of being a loyalist and intended to burn her in the wicker man. He explained that this mirrored the first anniversary of the Paris Freehold's own strengthening, where a lowly loyalist had been made king for the day and then sacrificed in this manner to increase the power (something that would, eventually, be necessary with the Cereal Box). He told Evie that the surest way to protect her would be for her to concede the crown of Spring to him.

As they discussed, Billy texted her about how wonderful the gathering was going to be, and even sent a picture of all the liquor he had procured, with the blurry wicker man in the background. Hestia ASKED THE BURNING QUESTION "Is Billy going to burn Evie at the ceremony?", to which she received the response, "No. That was never the plan." at unknown cost. After urging Evie to keep the crown, Evie declined Kingman, who said he would pray for her, and he hoped God would have mercy on her soul.

At the party, the motley mingled.

Smith confided to Hestia that he HATED the day because he was pranked constantly by Billy and, while the pranks were harmless, they drove him nuts, but that the day had been entirely devoid of pranks and he was now very on edge. The finger sandwiches were, he concluded, not tainted.

Ernie spoke with Jeremiah who explained of Roper, who was wearing a gimp suit, that Billy had traded him "something he REALLY wanted" for his loyalty in performing a task that day. "Isn't that INTRIGUING?" the King of Autumn had asked.

Jack Strong was wear a latex fetish suit (freeballed, as everyone could tell) with a gray suit jacket over it. Johnny Starlight in a leather daddy outfit. All admitted that they had made a deal with Billy.

Billy pulled Evie aside and explained that he needed her to give the crown of Spring to Matthew Kingman as close to 10 PM as reasonably possible, but before 10 PM. He further stated that he was sure Kingman would ask for or demand it, but that if he did not, she should force it on him. "It will be great!" he explained, "I have the greatest thing planned! We'll all look back on it and laugh!" Evie hesitantly agreed.

Around 9:30 PM, Roper, Strong and Starlight unloaded several canisters marked "Kerosine" from the back of a truck and put them next to the wicker man. They then formed a line in front of it and waited. Immediately before 10, Kingman approached Evie and begged her to listen to reason and surrender the crown to him, which she did. Johnny, Roper and Strong grabbed him and shackled his hands and feet with fuzzy handcuffs, which Kingman exclaimed were iron, and threw him into the wicker man, padlocking him inside. They then began pouring kerosine on and around the base of it.

Billy, dressed as a sacriligeous pontiff and carrying a dildo cross staff, accused Kingman of "vile, unnatural" crimes, and demanded he confess to "save your soul, if not your life!" Kingman cried out for Billy to stop as Billy prepared to throw a road flare in. Lyrissa watched, intrigued, Jeremiah laughed, Smith ate finger sandwiches casually, Dahlia cried out in protest and several courtiers started to step forward. Elissa almost confronted Billy, but Johnny, Roper and Strong all reluctantly admitted that they would have to prevent her from interfereing, per the deals they had made.

Eventually, Billy offered Kingman a deal - he could confess his deepest shame in return for his life. They struck the deal, and Kingman confessed that he had traded his wife to a Vampire of the Lancae Et Sanctum in return for power to protect the Freehold. Stunned silence followed, with Billy explaning that this was all a joke, that the wicker man was a breakaway that, when lit, would drop him into a kiddie pool of green and blue Jell-O and, finally, that he had expected Kingman to confess to some puritanical garbage "like fucking a dude in a locker room or something."

Billy threw the flare and, as he promised, the wicker man broke apart and dropped him into the pool. Billy pulled out his iron dagger, and Alana told him to stop. "Why? What should be done with him then? Evie! You were Queen of Spring! What should we do with him!" Evie said she didn't know. Lyrissa gave a slow clap and shouted, "Bravo!" to Billy for his masterful play.

Billy regained his composure and told Strong, Starlight and Roper to "take care of Kingman, as we discussed, then restrain him somewhere to be dealt with later." They carried him off into the church. Billy then gave a brief extemporaneous speech. "It just goes to show," he said, "that no one is always as they appear. Sometimes, the ones who claim to be most morally upright are the most corrupt. Sometimes, the secrets they hide are truly horrific. You can never know someone. Imagine if, for example, a sado-masochistic drug-addled pervert who ambled his way back into power turned out to be a political mastermind who could expose and dispose of his greatest political rival in what looked like a lighthearted prank gone terribly wrong," he nodded, wiped a few tears of anger from his eyes and added, "That would be horrifying, wouldn't it?"

"By the way, Smith, I had my girls fill your car with shaving cream."

He then encouraged everyone to try to lighten up the mood, have a few drinks. With a bow, he excused himself.

Session 16

As the idea of how to punish Kingman was discussed, Lyrissa pointed out that nothing he did was a violation of changeling laws. This means that while Kingman was, rightly, humiliated and shown to be immoral, he had not harmed a changeling, dealt with the True Fae nor harmed a mortal claimed by another changeling. In response, Billy made his second declaration: "Even the Devil Asks Consent." He explained that no changeling could sell or traffic anyone - mortal or changeling - without their consent. They could still make deals, of course, even disadvantageous or exploitative ones, but not actually trade someone away. He declared, to mild protest, that this law would be applied ex-post-facto (and justified this by saying, "What? Do I need to give the human traffickers a chance to adjust their behavior, since this wasn't the law at the time?") at Billy's discretion. The punishment would be applied, he explained, based on the crime. April IMMEDIATELY expressed private concern that this means "Billy gave himself power to punish anyone however he pleases."

Alana gave Billy the diary note, which he responded to extremely poorly, asking her why she gave it to him and what he did to make her want to hurt him like this. When it became clear that Alana didn't know what the problem was, he told her that he needed to leave.

April 2nd

Kingman was sentenced at the stadium, among a crowd of changelings. He maintained, in his final statement, that he had PROTECTED his wife, since ghouls are never taken by the fae (Jeremiah and Roper confirmed that this is accepted wisdom). Before he was exiled, Alana gave Ernie the ring, which Billy, upon recognizing what it means, ordered it forced on Kingman's finger. ("Small, isn't it? Force it past the second knuckle. He'll probably have to have it cut off.") Smith was tasked with taking Kingman to an undisclosed location outside the Cereal Box to kick off his exile.

The player characters ate dinner with Billy. Billy explained that, despite the fascade he was maintaining, he actually hadn't planned any of that. He only intended to prove that Kingman's morality was absurd by forcing him to reveal his darkest secret. ("Like, maybe he cheated on his wife who is in Arcadia! Something sad, but humanizing!") Billy was pretty subdued.

He then went on to explain that he was concerned that the motley knew HIS darkest secret, and that it was considerably worse than Kingman's. He explains that they have a sort of "veto power" over him to keep him in check, since they can destroy him on a whim. "But if I cross a line - if you have something against what I'm doing - you need to tell me. Give me a chance to make it right! Don't just expose me!" The motley agreed that they don't intend to give up Billy's secret at all, much less without warning. Sephie told Billy he was family, so they toasted to family.

Session 17

April 3rd

The Billying being more or less complete, the player characters are left to their own devices.

Nikolai brings the Reverse Voodoo Doll and his suit of armor to the mothman, per his Pledge. He showed the tokens and was on his way.

Hestia passed her driver's test - barely - and is now a licensed driver.

Ernie and the motley wanted to find out how the postcards were planned out and sent to invite changelings. Weston agreed to meet at Sweetwater's Donut Mill to talk about how the names were chosen. When they arrived, and no one had anything to say to Weston, Weston declared dryly, "Everyone spoke at once."

Weston explained that he would stand by while Kingman looked through a phone book from the area they wanted to recruit from (chosen by Weston at random). Then, he would give a name (just a first name) which Kingman would pair with the address he was looking at when Weston gave the name. This used his oracular powers. He explained that the Summer monarch Smith then used his network of contacts to spread word of mouth among the newly escaped and unattached changelings within the freehold to which the postcard would be sent to improve interest and recruit additional changelings.

Roper "dropped by" Sweetwater's, picking up 3 dozens donuts. Weston said, "He was distasteful, but Autumn courtiers frequently were... present company mostly excluded." He clarified that he was talking about April, and Nikolai accepted.

He asked them questions about Billy Goat and why he approached them. "We saved him because it's the right thing to do," Hestia said. "I don't know what you're talking about this 'we'," Sephie joked. They didn't tell him everything, of course, and he recognized they were not being completely open with him.

When Sephie explained that she didn't know where he daughter lived, Weston asked Sephie if she had looked for her fetch and told Alana and Sephie about fetches, which they had never heard of before. He explained that, since they shared dreamspace with their fetch, that they could meet in dreams - rarely by chance, but easily by design. Ernie said he had no fetch and Weston suggested that his fetch was just a hide and seek champion. Weston also asked Sephie if she hadn't wondered how she was able to just use her SSN and personal information without anyone asking about it if she had disappeared 7 years ago ("It was unusual that no one seemed to think she was gone. She probably wasn't gone at all."). They thanked Weston and left.

Hestia established a goal to open a restaurant, hoping to convince Billy to bankroll her by promising him free food. Hestia left a voicemail for Billy and got a call back from Dahlia, who explained that she was taking calls for Billy, who she said was taking a nap. Hestia decided she would come see him directly. So she did, because somehow she was able to figure out where he was. She talked to him in his bedroom, and though he hit on her halfheartedly, he still seemed very depressed. He told her she should meet with Wendel. She told him he was coming out to dinner that night and he begrudgingly agreed.

Hestia called the Pumpkin King, who said he was anticipating her call. When she quizzed him, he was able to point out that Hestia's middle name is Sandra, maiden name Deville, and mother's maiden name MacGilliPhadrig. The Pumpkin King agreed to connect her with Wendel, who she was told spends too much time in the Hedge to reliably be contacted by phone. She now owes Jeremiah a dollar. When she asked what his address was so she could mail it to him, he declared, "No." and hung up.

Sephie was contacted by Granny Lovett, with whom she met, but who explained that he daughter was one earth, in North America, but that her fate and location were mystically occluded. Furthermore, she explained that her daughter's path had wound through Arcadia - she must have been Taken. Lovett said she could break through the occlusion, but that in so doing she would, by definition, draw the attention of the party in question, possibly bringing a powerful entity's interest to the Freehold. She served them some delicious food. She explained, as they left, that the entity is probably Fae, which would be safe to draw the ire of, since they're in the Cereal Box. She added that she wanted to call in Ernie's favor.

Alana and April played DDR for Playstation 2 (Butterfly is April's favorite song on there).

Billy came by for dinner with Dahlia. Dahlia talked about the program that she wants to open for changelings to begin businesses and careers in the community. She explained that Orlando Wood wanted to open a bookstore called "Wood's Books" focusing on conspiracy theories with an adjoining gun store where people could get their concealed carry permits. Meanwhile, Crystal Quartz is a tattoo artist whom Dahlia is encouraging to open her own business. Bill declined drinks, but Dahlia took a couple shots with Nikolai.

Session 18

The dinner party continued. Dahlia explained that Billy was going to make a proclamation on her behalf that "We shall desire for the needs of all to be satisfied" as she recommended. Billy agreed nonchalantly and noncommittally.

April 4th

Granny Lovett collected on the favor from Ernie, saying that she needed him to pick up a Tempest Teapot from her and catch a tornado in it. She explained that he was going to "tornado alley" soon, and that it was, in fact, tornado season.

Lydia Kidder, Billy's girl (in a sexy schoolgirl outfit with an overcoat over it) pleaded with them to figure out what was wrong with Billy, and specifically accused several of them

Hestia insulted Johnny Starlight by asking him to come to a dinner party for Billy. He argued that she should stop trying to make important things trivial. Afterwards, Ernie tried to call Johnny Starlight to find River Delta, but he was unhelpful.

Nikolai spoke with River Delta, who stated that there are several approaches to looking into supernatural sadness. One would be to use a supernatural magic item, such as Ivey's mirror (a token that would allow a changeling to look into the soul of another), one would be to use a Fleeting Winter Contract, one would be to ask a Mage or Vampire. Ultimately, it would be up to him to figure out.

Session 19

Eevie stole booze and cheezy decorations for the party, and as well as artichoke dip and a tray of brownies. Hestia prepared a meal for looks rather than flavor. Ernie hung out with neighborhood kids to harvest glamour from their joy. Sephie cleaned the house and went to the gym. Nikolai got preemptively drunk, but did ok.

The invitees were: Jack Strong, who arrived 15 minutes early (this time in the same jacket and pants, with a white shirt and a stain on the tie). Freddie and Aaron and 10 . Freddie is wearing a tie-dyed shirt, sandals and jeans. Aaron is in a pair of cargo pants and a tie-dyed shirt. Roper Red arrives next, in a nice suit jacket with a turtleneck. Billy Goat Keller, Lydia Kidder, Helen.

Lyrissa arrives at the door being impolite, saying that they should have invited her directly instead of speaking with Johnny Starlight.

Roper told his story, and invited others to tell theirs. Nikolai told his. Lyrissa was invited to tell a story, but condescendingly told a story about how there were four monarchs and 3 of them used their powers to serve their petty goals, but one of them worked to make things truly a better place. Roper mocked her saying it wasn't REALLY a story because it had no moral and no purpose. Strong suggested that it clearly wasn't really a story about her either. Billy became agitated and insisted that Lyrissa needed to dance if she was going to come to the party. "So DANCE!" Lyrissa whispered something in his ear and then said, loud enough for everyone to hear, "We're the same, you and I." Whatever was said was enough to silence Billy, and Roper triumphantly declared that Billy had a secret, and that was DELICIOUS.

At the sleepy couch phase of the party, the guests discussed theories regarding the Cereal Box, discussing the nature of the Cereal Box. They explained how it works, and what would happen under a few hypothetical situations. It was explained, for example, that if a changeling were to make an oath on their Keeper's name and break it in the Cereal Box, which would normally alert the Keeper to their location, it would instead leave the Fae with the understanding that their quarry was somewhere that wasn't.

April 5th

Nikolai, Evie and Ernie rented a car and prepared for their trip to Elsewhere, OK. A small brown package was on Granny Lovett's porch containing a cookie jar with instructions stating that it was a "tempest teapot" into which storms could be placed. They started their road trip, traveling through OH, KY and TN, ending somewhere between Memphis and Jackson. They stopped at a truck stop to get something to eat, to discover a storm, which they determined to be supernatural, is rolling in. A man approached them at the door on their way out and said, "Howdy, folks. Can you give me a ride? I'm in a bit of pickle, heading West to the Ozarks. I got gas money."

"The name is Joe, but folks call me Sandusky."

Session 20 "The Elsewhere Tale"

Sandusky Joe, Eevie, Nikolai and Ernie found themselves in a storm of increasing fury an intensity. Joe confessed that he had done something WRONG that created the storm - he knew that his new companions would understand that what he did was strange, but had its own purpose. He thought that to understand his life, he needed to create more life, but he had created it wrong, and made some things that brought about the storm, and he needed "to lay those things to rest." They found a secluded spot on the side of the road and Joe cut himself to attract the creatures.

The creatures emerged from the woods. They were indescribable, but I'm going to describe them because that's how words work. The creatures resembled dogs that ambled on footless unbending limbs that resembled bones with skin pulled over them. They had jaws with rows of asymmetrical teeth that opened to a pair of rheumy yellow eyes that beadily peered out. Their backs were scaled with ridges of human fingers that rustled like feathers on the backs of shivering birds.

Meanwhile, in Battle Creek, the second half of the motley was intruded upon by the King of Autumn, who tippity tap rap-rap-rapped upon their window until they let him in. He told them that it was time to rescue Mary Kingman because not only is it the right thing to do, but the last thing he wanted was for an Ensorcelled mortal to be going around with Vampires with no further deals to consider. He explained that, through his sources, he was able to determine that Kingman was supposed to meet with the vampires that had his wife at a secluded tomb at the cemetery. He further explained that Mary is most likely enslaved by one or more vampires, and that the only known way to break the spell of a vampire is to kill that vampire. He also explained that they must be exchanging something for Mary Kingman, so whatever booty they find is theirs to keep. Jeremiah further explained that he would do this himself, but for political reasons, it's not expedient.

Hestia, Sephie, April and Alana went to the cemetery and, with some stumbling and difficulty, they managed to break into the cemetery and find the tomb, which bore an arcane symbol on its door that they decided must relate to a mystery cult or other secret society. They took up residence in the tomb, which was a sepulcher containing vaults for ashes as well as a large sarcophagus. They all took up positions of hiding except Hestia who waited for the vampires' arrival. Eventually, they heard the door open.

Meanwhile, the dog creatures attacked in the Ozarks. They storm grew more intense and they had a struggle with the creatures, in which Nikolai and Ernie were seriously wounded. The creatures were defeated and suddenly a great firestorm rose up around Joe, creating huge, sweeping blasts of flame, which were eventually captures by Evie in the tempest teapot.

The two vampires and Mary came down the stairs. Mary was wearing a dark cloak and the two vampires were a nasty looking Nosferatu with a rat-face and a crumpled, ugly half-tucked shirt and slacks combo, and a beautiful woman in a flowing white dress. After some questioning, they realized that the changelings weren't there to negotiate the continuance of the pledge with them (and, therefore, did not care about the rosary full of vampire blood that they were going to give them as an exchange). A fierce battle ensued, and Mary Kingman was knocked unconscious, while both vampires were killed. They called the Pumpkin King, who told them that they should bring Mary Kingman to him, primarily because she would give him power over the vampires of the city. Hestia rejected this because she wasn't going to turn Mary Kingman from one person who was "using" her to another person who would also "use" her. The Pumpkin King admitted that he wouldn't FORCE them to turn Kingman over to him, but said ominously that they were making a big mistake and might find her much harder to protect that they expect.

Session 21

The party arrived in Elsewhere, OK, around midnight, and was able to get a room at the Hilton, where they discovered that a UFC prizefight between Alana "Puma" Dias and Jane Jespero would be taking place at the Markwell Arena. Evie and Nikolai decided to harvest glamour at the local bar while Ernie got his things together and did some research on things. Nikolai hustled pool and Evie hit on a creeper (who turned out to be Albert Joad, Ernie's father). Alana's fetch was there and dragged her boss out.

April 4th

In Battle Creek, Mary came to and had breakfast with them. She explained that she needed to see her husband - there was a certain Pledge she had made "until death do we part" that she wanted out of. The party conceded that they did not blame her for this, but explained that Kingman had been banished and no one would know where to find him.

Hestia had to take possession of the building she was purchasing. Upon arriving there, she met with the realtor, who gave her the keys and told her "good luck." She quickly discovered that there was some sort of loud growling noise - like that of a DigEm frog - coming from within, which concerned her. She called Billy Goat, the King of Autumn and Jack Strong hoping to get some assistance, and requested that the remainder of her motley come out to help.

Looking inside revealed that the restaurant was fine except for the gaping hedge gate apparently spilling out of the kitchen. The party cautiously investigated and found a fetid swamp pool full of cat-sized DigEm nematodes.

Roper arrived at the restaurant on his moped, and he surveyed the situation. He concluded that he did not know why the Hedge gate didn't close normally - Hedge gates shouldn't stay open more than about half a minute at the very outside without someone actively holding them open - unless there was some key causing it to remain open. Further investigation revealed no key, but the party was briefly attacked by what was presumably mama DigEm. They killed the creature and continued searching for answers.

In Elsewhere, the party investigated the Joad house, discovering that Albert Joad lived alone and had removed any trace of his former family from the building. They disabled the security systems on the house and searched it. While searching, Albert Joad returned home with Alana's fetch. Panicked, they tried to make themselves scarce. Evie was able to basically disappear, and Ernie hid in the attic and Nikolai tried to sneak out the back. Alana's fetch, however, heard Nikolai and confronted him. Nikolai used his contracts to concoct a fake search warrant and presented it to Alana. Unbeknownst to either, exposing the fetch to an object created with Arcadian magic was triggering an awakening in the creature.

Whilst in the attic, Ernie found a hidden notebook marked "The Tragedy of Regina Joad". This he took and read, prompting him to remember that he and Regina ran away from home to escape their abusive father, meeting an old man at a train yard. Ernie disinctly remembered his sister taking his hand and telling him that it "can't possibly be worse..."

Ernie returned to the trainyard and had a moment, wherein he chose not to recover Clarity - if he must have a past, it is best that it remain nebulous, where anything can happen. He closed the door to the boxcar that he and he sister entered to travel to Arcadia, closing that chapter of his past.

Session 22

At Hestia's business, they explored the interior of the Hedge, soon uncovering that it was, in fact, once a Hollow, but now abandoned. There was evidence that it had not been occupied, likely, for several months. They found, however, some Goblin Fruit (more like Goblin Froot, amiright?) growing in there.

Alana's fetch found herself having difficulty with her morning warm ups, with her heart beating steadily no matter how hard she worked. Her head was swimming and she was dealing with hypoxia, but she fought through it and persevered, left with a strange sense that she was... matter. Just molecules and atoms connected to each other.

Evie called home, hoping that she was missed. Sarah told her that the infestation at her apartment was cleared up and lied to Evie about her parents checking in on her (presumably to make her feel better about how little they seemed to miss her).

Ernie drew a picture from memory of his mother, his father and Gina and a pool party with his grandfather Cy, intending to give this to his father. Then, the group threw the computer - saving the hard drives - away at a remote location.

Alana's fight with Jane Jesparo began, and Jane went down in three rounds, but not without putting up a hell of a fight. In the first round, Alana couldn't focus on the fight well, but still managed to do fairly well. between rounds, Alana saw through the ring girl's mask, realizing that she was a changeling, but not the significance of this. The second round, she fought with renewed vigor, and, between rounds, recognized Ernie, Nikolai and Evie as her friends and understood that she had promised to protect them. Finally, Jespero went down in the third round and Alana won the fight.

After the fight, while the crowd was still celebrating, Ernie gave the picture to his father and, activating the contracts of winter, filled him with a profound sadness, stating, "You drove us to something terrible, and I'm still not sure it was worse." He tried to duck into the crowd, but Joad was able to catch him. It appeared Joad was going to attack Ernie when Alana tackled him and kicked the ever-loving piss out of him while Nikolai created a scene. Evie and Ernie made it outside, where they saw Ernie's grandpa, who was compassionate toward the crying child. Cy offered Ernie a piece of hard candy, which he treasured.

In Battle Creek, the motley concluded that there was nothing further they could determine without finding out who owned the Hollow. Roper left and recommended that they lock up tightly. "Nothing from the Hdege should be able to wander out, but open Hedge gates swallow mortals all the time. Keep this place secure." The motley, however, needed to travel back via the Hedge to keep Alana's salvaged Froot tree alive.

Their trip back through the Hedge took them through a construction site, where Janglejaw - the clothing merchant from the Goblin Market - confronted them about not having proper PPE, and insisted that he would take them to the foreman to be given a job. They were introduced to Janice Tasker, who explained that this was part of a project to close off the local Hedge to outside intrusion, and that the project was just now coming underway as a major endeavor after being largely theoretical. The test case, she explained, was closing the Trod that was taken to remove Kingman from the Freehold, making it impossible for Kingman to use that as a route back or, moreover, for anyone to follow it directly. During the course of the conversation, she solicited Glamour and Goblin Fruit several times with no contributions offered.

Back at their home, Alana received a call from Nikolai, who tried to explain the unique situation with her fetch.

Session 23

April 5th

Alana and Fetchlana had breakfast without actually meeting each other, with April running back and forth between them to make sure they got fed. Hestia called Billy for advice on her portal, and he explained he had a task for them tomorrow night involving delivering Tokens to a changeling from the courts of Windsor in return for both the goodwill of that semi-neighboring Freehold and tokens of their own. In return for her promising him a kiss, Billy gave her advice on closing the portal, most of which amounted to "it would probably help to know who owned the place beforehand, since they almost certainly opened the portal."

The motley worked to close the portal at Hestia's restaurant. Dai Yujin owned Cantonese Moon - may have been hands off because he was using it as a Triad laundering scheme. Wendell Baker was a manager of the location. Hestia asked two BURNING QUESTIONS: how can we close the portal? and why was the portal open continuously? The answer to the first was that they needed to counter the emotional resonance of the open portal by creating a mundane way of closing it and fueling that with emotion. The answer to the second was that the protection of the Cereal Box was bleeding into the Hedge while the portal was open, so continually opening a portal would make that Hollow within the hedge a haven against the True Fae, but doing this blurred the lines between the Hedge and the real world.

The motley closed the portal by building a door which they tried to close with first anger (which failed) then disappointment (which succeeded).

Session 24 - Family Reunions

Eevie went to visit Sarah to talk with her about everything. Sarah promised that she would cover for Eevie as long as she needed.

Nikolai looked into the Playing Card Courts, discovering that each corresponded to an emotion, like with the Seasonal Courts, and that the distinctions in attitude between them was based on two aspects of games: information and chance, with each being either a Court of Truth or a Court of Secrets, a Court of Determinism or a Court of Chance.

Hearts - Random / Open - Opulence

Spades - Random / Secret - Paranoia

Clubs - Deterministic / Secret - Disgust

Diamonds - Deterministic / Open - Smugness

Ernie put effort into finding a job for Fetchlana. The MMA arena in Battle Creek was suggested, and a Lawrence Walker who owns the strip club Hots is looking for a new bouncer.

Sephie used the JAILER'S KEY to free Mary Kingman from her bondage to the Vampires. The key broke in the process, the PRICE was paid, and Sephie heard sirens in the distance. She recommended that Mary Kingman find a job.

April 6th

Nikolai dressed in a suit made out of shifting autumn leaves, while Ernie acquired a hoodie that looks to be made of blue spruce needles dusted with snow.

Fetchlana went to interview and Eevie left with her cousin for her own reasons.

The motley met with Billy to pick up the trunk full of tokens, which was so powerful that it trembled and smelled of sulfur. Ernie took the key to the trunk. The trunk was heavy enough that it was a two man lift, but could probably be hoisted by one.

On their way, they were ambushed by a changeling who called himself General Chalkos, who insisted he would be the Summer King when he deposed Kingman. He and his crew, which consisted of a camel-faced Broadback, an ensorcelled mortal, and at least one other person in his armored Humvee returned a badly beaten Jack Strong to the motley after delivering statements regarding his intention to overthrow the current summer king.

The motley arrived at the casino, where the majority made their way up to the hotel room designated for the meeting. They were ambushed by a group of Mages on their way up who nearly made off with their goods before another group of mages jumped in and counter-attacked. They first group fled in its entirety, and 2/3 of the other group fled, with one of them being rendered unconscious through combat. As one of the mages jumped out the window and managed to land safely on the ground, she turned to Sephie and called her "mom?" inquisitively before running.

The goods were delivered to Trio Monte, who handed over Billy's Tokens. The motley then left by way of the Hedge. They traveled near a construction site full of goblins and changelings who were working to reshape the Hedge to prevent the Fae from being able to attack anyone in or around the local Hedge.

April 7th

The goods were delivered to Billy, who expressed dismay that an item was missing from the set - the set had a pair of heart-shaped cufflinks, a gardening trowel, and a pack of cards with a diamond pattern on the back were in the box, but a blackjack he was expecting to be in there was missing. The Following Week

Sephie sought out a mage to help her locate her daughter. She spoke with the King of Autumn who, directed her to an associate of his - a friendly mage named Moria, who agreed to pass a message on to Sephie's daughter, Songbird.

Session 25

April 18th, 2010, Saturday

Tried to contact fetchlana. Alana's phone rings in bag. She throws the phone in the bag.

Sephie is contacting Billy about finding a mage.

Eevie approaches Alana about Fetchlana, Alana explains that she has super been avoiding her.

Dahlia told her that she could work as a changeling doctor for the Freehold, but that she should deal with her Fetch and join the Spring Court.

April explained that magic is just made up as we go along and that there must be a "crunch factor" measured in "crunch berries" and "impending sogginess"

Hestia is approaching Wendell Baker.

Ernie wants to find a way to help Fetchlana... but he can't.

April and Nokolai presented their plan to Billy, who agreed to it and also agreed to let him borrow his iron shackles in return for a favor, and said he would leave the fuzzy bits on. He also agreed that Nikolai could ask the Spring enforcer for her assistance, but made not promises there.

Call from a restricted number. Her daughter told her that she had "done enough already", "stop " and "yeah, you haven't done anything. EXACTLY."

Session 26

April 19th, 2010, Monday

Ernie created a picture of his changeling family which he made to include his sister in the mirror in the background of the picture. When he completed the picture, she was there with an odd smile looking very mischievous. Ernie reverently cared for the piece of hard candy given him by his grandfather, which he believed might be useful toward bringing his sister home.

Nikolai went off on his own and found a pond at the edge of the cereal box. He used this to open a gate and call his "grandmother," the Baba Yaga. She arrived flying in her mortar and pestle and urged Nikolai to return to Arcadia with her for a visit. Nikolai complied and joined her at her cottage where he asked her if he could borrow something of value from her. He did not know how long he stayed in Arcadia, though surely it felt like many days, and he came back - that evening in the mortal realm - shorter on Clarity, but carrying a fae token with him from Arcadia

Eevie ensorcelled Sara, who was relieved by the revelation that she was magical, and not just distant or on drugs. Sara's newfound fae vision allowed her to see that the Floral Lawns, which Eevie had chosen as the place to perform the feat, had fae magic all over it.

The changeling's home address was determined to be 335 East Emmett Street, as this served the story purposes well.

Session 27

A recap was had, given that there had been such a gap in gaming.

A few hooks reminded of:

   The box of feels still has two feels that haven't been presented to the ones who are vulnerable to them or understood.
   The restaurant has collapsed and needs to be fixed
   Sephie needs to find and kill her fetch
   Ernie needs to figure out what happened to his sister; and needs to create a beacon to bring her home

Ernie and Nikolai went to visit Jack Strong to look over his files on political day to day of the Freeholds, including minutes from official meetings and records of punishments. They read Lyrissa's file, which had her full true name in it and information regarding her work during the war, which suggested that she was instrumental in ferreting out interlopers from outside the freehold. She was never affected by Bynes' hearthooks.

They found out the hobgoblin Janglejaw was a winter courtier, and that there were three days worth of redacted files on him.

They read the file on Chalkos, which contained margin notes in unfamiliar hand for dealing with Chalkos. His full name Christopher Chalkus, he had severe PTSD after surviving an "unsurvivable" bombing in Iraq. He announced his recovery before the previous Summer Coronation, where he showed up demanding to be Summer King. It was put to a vote and he lost, humiliated, in a landslide. This was especially vexing to Chalkos, who insisted that this was not in any way the correct way to choose the monarch of Summer.

Dahlia Hawthorne's file contained information about her opposition to Matthew Kingman (both political and ideological) and a note that her Keeper was the Sultan of the Dry Springs.

They realized that the files were almost certainly Jack and/or Smith's, but Jack admitted that a lot of the information was just sent to him anonymously and/or was stuff he found out from questionable channels that he just stuck in the files to make them look better.

Alana, April and Sephie went to the Goblin Market seeking seeds and tools for cultivating goblin fruit. They were almost ambushed by the Woodsman, but Alana's warning signal protected them and they escaped without confrontation.

Hestia got a hold of Roper about talking to Wendell. She was able to contact Wendell Baker, and, after a terse and rather unfriendly meeting, he agreed to help with the restaurant and with providing Goblin fruit, but Hestia didn't want access to the orchard.

Nikolai gave up his darkest secret for limited conditional brief access to the files. Upon realizing and understanding what it meant that Nikolai was the Gentry's Gentlman, The Pumpkin King made an agreement with him for a Major Favor in return for "up to half his Kingdom" much to Roper and Holly's extreme dismay. Upon receiving the agreement, he threw up his hands and declared "I WIN!" with a manic laugh of glee.

Session 28

April 20th

The party woke up, as they frequently do. Morning happened. Mary Kingman said that she was trying to figure out where Metthew was, and was confused and frustrated by the fact that he hasn't pulled ANY of his $13,000 from his account (which she confirmed was still accessible). Mary said she was pleased that Kingman may have been Taken. April was aghast and excused herself.

Alana, Hestia and Sephie all went to clean up at the restaurant and got a dumpster.

April, Nikolai and Ernie went to check on the noobs at the changeling ghetto. They grabbed coffee and donuts for the noobs. They met Celia, Trevor and Skin-and-Bones. Apparently 6 new changelings had been put up the ghetto in addition to the ones that they had assisted against the Woodsman. They talked Trevor, a living shadow, into getting an ID as he did not have one. The others seemed confident that they had everything they needed in this respect.

Nikolai noticed for the first time that his horns are wooden and had memories of being in a desert in search of water with a prince. He had realized before this (whilst with the Baba Yaga) that he had newt eyes, and wondered briefly if he was discovering things about himself that he should have known of changing.

Billy invited the motley to a cocktail party. Alana wore a ladyish romper (the most feminine outfit she had worn to date). Ernie wore his best flannel and blue jeans. April wore a red flared party dress. Sephie wore a black over-the-shoulder cocktail dress. Hestia wore a dress with a tank top underneath and a cardigan on top. Nikolai wore his finest hedgespun suit. Before leaving, Sephie tended her Goblin Fruits.

Billy's party was fairly intimate, being just the motley, his girls and Dahlia. He told the motley that to once more feel truly himself, he would need them to scour the old Spring Meeting Ground for a Token mirror that belonged to Ivy Justaivy, his lost former lover who left the Freehold before he became the Spring monarch for the first time at 16 (5 years prior). The meeting ground was a place that Billy didn't feel he could return to, and the place was protected by methods meant to keep Solomon from entering the Meeting Ground after he conquered the Freehold.

April 21th

April was profoundly hungover. The motley agreed to focus on cleaning up the restaurant. Ernie conducted some pretty incredible repairs that fixed essentially anything that could be fixed. It would be one more day before the work is stuff they need professionals for.

April 22nd

The motley completed the work on the restaurant, leaving nothing but work that would require a professional contractor, roofer, electrician, plumber and/or other major professionals. Sephie once again took the time to tend to her small Goblin Fruit garden.

Hestia called Billy about putting the work in, but he admitted he couldn't afford to float the whole amount and cut her a check for two thousand - about a third of what she needed.

Ernie contacted Eric Rowe about getting an ID for Trevor. Trevor was very concerned about not having money or potentially owing money, but Ernie told him to just pay it forward and that he would take care of it. Ernie agreed to work on establishing a branch of an underground cellular network that Rowe was a part of.

Nikolai went into his fetch's dream and had a reminiscence of what he believed might have been his very first time in Arcadia, where he was a soldier working for Good Prince Kindhearted, and whom he helped to rescue The Swan-Cursed Daughter of The Knight Invisible from Koschei, the Deathless. Despite Nikolai firing the shot that saved the maiden, the Prince received the promise of a reward from the knight. Later, Nikolai found a well after traversing into a desert with his charge, the Prince. While the prince was lowered in the well, he threatening to cut the rope and leave him if the Prince did not sign off his Kingdom and Title to him. At that exact moment, a sandstorm kicked up and scoured away Nikolai's vision, but the Prince gave him the writ offering the promise when he rose from the well. Bleary-eyed Nikolai would have gone on, but at this point, the Fetch recognized he was in the dream, and the two locked in combat.

Session 29

Nikolai overcame his fetch in the dream, but left feeling exhausted and not at all rested. The difficulty of sleeping at the same time as his fetch on the other side of the world was also problematic the the process of invading its dreams.

April 23rd

The motley sought out the mirror at the former Spring meeting ground. They entered the hedge by way of an archway at the Leila Arboretum and had to traverse a hedge maze with truly nightmarish hob minotaurs guarding it. The beasts in question were fully twenty feet long, had a bellowing braying moo, mouths that opened like a horror movie alien, centipede like legs and apparent fury at all living creatures. By the motley's estimation, there were at least five of them.

Once they reached the former meeting grounds, they met a group of hobgoblins that wanted to be recognized as a fifth court - the Court of Leap Day (which Nikolai convinced to change to the Court of Strange Days) which would have domain over Leap Day and the days on a 5 row calendar that are split at the end of the month (typically the 24th/30th, 25th/31st in months starting on a Friday or Saturday with the appropriate number of days). Tibble, who had sold them the feels, was a member, as was an intelligent DigEm named Crowak, three trollish things that called themselves The Bruvs, Bettina (a feathered Naga that was hot for Billy and Nikolai), Turin (a bipedal elephant thing) and Mukkayla (an algae monster tat was also hot for Billy).

The motley agreed noncommittally to present the creatures' case to the monarchs, while April stole the mirror that they had come for. Traversing out of the maze was surprisingly easy, and the Motley emerged victorious.

As night fell, the motley was treated to a vignette in which Craig Weston narrated the events leading up to an attack by Mary Kingman who wanted to know where her husband was taken. Weston told her he did not know, but brought her to Smith.

Session 30

April 24th

Once the motley realized that Mary was not home, they became desperate to contact her. Mary's phone went straight to voicemail, however. The motley speculated she might be killing Vampires. They tried to call Smith, but got a hold of Jack who explained that Smith had left on business for the weekend and that he was in charge. He said he needed to talk to Hestia about business that somehow involved her cooking.

After breakfast, Hestia and Jack made an agreement regarding her making him meals to take home (and ended up inviting him over and, after determining that all his friends were people he worked with, gave him a hug). Jack insisted his tears were caused by a condition he made up called "optobliga." In return for the agreement, Hestia was "blessed with the wealth she would need to rebuild the restaurant." Jack was overjoyed with the arrangement and explained that having a home-cooked meal every day would always give him something to look forward to. Hestia prepped several days' worth in advance to ensure she wouldn't miss a day.

Ernie did some work for Eric Rowe on the network he requested.

The motley went to Sephie's fetch's house, where they saw a black cat. They found no security or occupants, and the house was full of medical charts and books, with no evidence of anything for any sort of non-academic pleasure, nor any proof that the fetch had - or acknowledge having - children. They saw a picture of Arcadia in the seldom-used study that caused all who saw it to despair. The cat scratched Nikolai viciously, but the blood got cleaned up perfectly. While they were there, they stole some paperwork so they could look into the fetch's finances.

The motley had ice cream in BC when they went home to plan. They looked into Fetch Sephie's finances and determined that the home has been through 5 years of mortgage. They discussed the fact that they didn't see a litter box and, further, that they might help Sephie to go into her fetch's dreams if they don't just kill her.

Jack came over for dinner and it was vaguely awkward, but he was vary pleased and took home a doggy bag.

Sephia was able to make it into Cadence's dream. I0t was a vast library / auditorium full of books with Cadence studying in it and looking at pictures of her mother(s). When Sephie confronted her daughter, the women asked, "Is this some Corraline bullshit?" and Sephie sheepishly admitted that it was, in fact, some Corraline bullshit. As they had a heart to heart (with Sephie's familiar, the black cat - manifest as a great beast in the dream - looming over them) Other Mother appeared and viciously slashed Cadence's throat. They defeated her, but not before Cadence was seriously injured and the dream dissolved.

Session 31

April 25th

The changelings woke up ready to face another day. Nikolai and Sephie discussed the dreams they went into.

Ernie contacted Johnny for advice on how to help winter, and he explained that following and giving orders is largely a summer thing that is part of the reason he left the summer court. He also spoke with Chelsea at the flophouse to determine how well things are going and she took a note of Ernie's number.

Hestia prepped meals for Jack Strong. She called him darling when she gave him lunch and even gave Jack a house key. He was overjoyed and delighted by the whole affair.

Nikolai called Billy for advice on crafting pledges, but got a hold on Dahlia. Dahlia directed him to a reclusive Autumn courtier named Maag Brunt for his needs - the changeling being double infamous for assisting the Autumn king (of all people!) in crafting pledges, and alleged that Brunt had formerly crafted pledges with "Arcadian entities."

Alana went to work and was stocking at Horrocks, but was confronted at work by ICE agents that were actively inquiring regarding her contradictory immigration statuses. The Man with the Badge captured her as she fled, and strongarmed her into contacting her motley. The Man explained that he was after Ernie, but that he did not intend to take him to Arcadia - just to see "someone who really wants to see him." He further explained that, if the motley gave him the badge back, he would arrange for a meeting with this person outside of Arcadia - allowing them to come to his window. Ernie admitted that he wanted to see his sister, but not so badly as to allow that - and, further, he admitted that he was concerned she might be happy in Arcadia and, if that was so, he wouldn't want to take it from her. After deliberation, the motley attacked the Man and, hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned, they defeated him.

Upon doing so, they returned to their home. Nikolai showed the badge to Sullivan and, after doing some research, became convinced that the Badge was now something that could be magic, but no longer had a spark of magic in it.

Session 32

The badge started to burn white hot, and Nikolai yeeted (yote) it into the back yard. The badge started to cool down. After it cooled down, he brought it back in and put it back on his nightstand where it had burned a nice divot for itself.

Ernie's recurring dreams came up, he saw moonbeams extending down to his balcony out his French doors. Ernie chose to walk down the moonbeams to the moonlit beach below. He sees a second set of footprints on the beach and a detailed drawing on the beach of Ernie with a young woman. Words drawn on the sand, "Ernie, I miss you - I want to see you" He then awoke.

April 26

They brought Hestia to the lotto office in Grand Rapids where they cashed the ticket. This gave her a dot of resources and the events at the lottery office were completely uneventful.

Jack contacted them to let them know that Smith would be returning on a train. He came over for dinner and they arrived at the train station. Smith was curt and evasive about anything regarding Mary Kingman. They went to McDonald's for ice cream, had awkward conversation about how Smith is not answering questions with Mary Kingman. Eventually, the went to his office, and speculated regarding whether Smith lived there.

You are cordially invited to a MASQUERADE BALL to be held on the 29th of this, the month of APRIL. We spend so much time showing each other our true faces, let this be an opportunity to show our MASKS. The BALL will begin promptly at 5 PM at the Center for the Performing Arts, but feel free to arrive FASHIONABLY LATE. Your sovereign, Billy Goat PS: Present this at the door to give access to your motley and any hangers-on. Arrive together or not at all.

Nikolai put it into his outfit for safe keeping.

April 27th

The groups split into guys and girls groups to go to the mall to shop for clothes for the party. Since it's prom season, there are a lot of dresses, and April is enthusiastic about trying them all on. She gravitates toward dresses that are very extra in light tones and autumn shades. They all planned to get their hair and nails done on Thursday.

Ernie and April made their own masks. April made a butterfly mask. Ernie made GLORIOUS masks.

The motley went to the casino to collect glamour. April managed to sneak in and ended up looking at jewelry at Swarovski.

The dealer called them out for coming to the Casino on a Tuesday, saying that "mosts \[changelings\] come to the casino on a weekend." They annoyed him to recover Glamour. Sephie comforted people who had lost. April failed to recover glamour and looked at jewelry at Swarovski. Alana bumped into people to annoy them.

Nikolai received a black business card with gray numbering - "if you need anything from a friend"

April 28th

Ernie completed his work on the masks for the ball, having made glorious masks for the entire rest of the motley.

Ernie's picture changed to reflect the picture of the beach, and while it unnerved him, he was able to shake it off. Nikolai hunted for glamour by being a creeper at a bar.

April goes out for some sort of thing and returns giddy and delighted. No explaination was forthcoming, and Alana was concerned by default.

Sephie's garden is almost ready to sprout, but needs some final oomph to make it go.

April 29th

The motley prepared for the masquerade and arrived at the Civic Center. The string quartet playing along with a DJ.

A man named Jonah approached the motley and told them that a mutual friend named Wolfgang would like a moment of their time. Wolfgang explained that he is the most powerful Autumn courtier in the Freehold, that the Pumpkin King is treacherous and would bring about the fall of the Freehold and was evil. He gave them a crochet hook that he said was "proof" of this.

Jack Strong proposed to Hestia to a string quartet rendition of "True Colors," and a horrified April admitted that she thought he had a "real" girlfriend. Jack presented a 4K diamonds, and Hestia accepted his proposal. A tearful overjoyed Jack kissed her! Some Poeple Wait a Lifetime...

Session 32

The badge started to burn white hot, and Nikolai yeeted (yote) it into the back yard. The badge started to cool down. After it cooled down, he brought it back in and put it back on his nightstand where it had burned a nice divot for itself.

Ernie's recurring dreams came up, he saw moonbeams extending down to his balcony out his French doors. Ernie chose to walk down the moonbeams to the moonlit beach below. He sees a second set of footprints on the beach and a detailed drawing on the beach of Ernie with a young woman. Words drawn on the sand, "Ernie, I miss you - I want to see you" He then awoke.

April 26

They brought Hestia to the lotto office in Grand Rapids where they cashed the ticket. This gave her a dot of resources and the events at the lottery office were completely uneventful.

Jack contacted them to let them know that Smith would be returning on a train. He came over for dinner and they arrived at the train station. Smith was curt and evasive about anything regarding Mary Kingman. They went to McDonald's for ice cream, had awkward conversation about how Smith is not answering questions with Mary Kingman. Eventually, the went to his office, and speculated regarding whether Smith lived there.

You are cordially invited to a MASQUERADE BALL to be held on the 29th of this, the month of APRIL. We spend so much time showing each other our true faces, let this be an opportunity to show our MASKS. The BALL will begin promptly at 5 PM at the Center for the Performing Arts, but feel free to arrive FASHIONABLY LATE. Your sovereign, Billy Goat PS: Present this at the door to give access to your motley and any hangers-on. Arrive together or not at all.

Nikolai put it into his outfit for safe keeping.

April 27th

The groups split into guys and girls groups to go to the mall to shop for clothes for the party. Since it's prom season, there are a lot of dresses, and April is enthusiastic about trying them all on. She gravitates toward dresses that are very extra in light tones and autumn shades. They all planned to get their hair and nails done on Thursday.

Ernie and April made their own masks. April made a butterfly mask. Ernie made GLORIOUS masks.

The motley went to the casino to collect glamour. April managed to sneak in and ended up looking at jewelry at Swarovski.

The dealer called them out for coming to the Casino on a Tuesday, saying that "mosts \[changelings\] come to the casino on a weekend." They annoyed him to recover Glamour. Sephie comforted people who had lost. April failed to recover glamour and looked at jewelry at Swarovski. Alana bumped into people to annoy them.

Nikolai received a black business card with gray numbering - "if you need anything from a friend"

April 28th

Ernie completed his work on the masks for the ball, having made glorious masks for the entire rest of the motley.

Ernie's picture changed to reflect the picture of the beach, and while it unnerved him, he was able to shake it off. Nikolai hunted for glamour by being a creeper at a bar.

April goes out for some sort of thing and returns giddy and delighted. No explaination was forthcoming, and Alana was concerned by default.

Sephie's garden is almost ready to sprout, but needs some final oomph to make it go.

April 29th

The motley prepared for the masquerade and arrived at the Civic Center. The string quartet playing along with a DJ.

A man named Jonah approached the motley and told them that a mutual friend named Wolfgang would like a moment of their time. Wolfgang explained that he is the most powerful Autumn courtier in the Freehold, that the Pumpkin King is treacherous and would bring about the fall of the Freehold and was evil. He gave them a crochet hook that he said was "proof" of this.

Jack Strong proposed to Hestia to a string quartet rendition of "True Colors," and a horrified April admitted that she thought he had a "real" girlfriend. Jack presented a 4K diamonds, and Hestia accepted his proposal. A tearful overjoyed Jack kissed her! Some Poeple Wait a Lifetime...

Session 33

Hestia dancing with her fiancee. April asks Alana to dance.

Ernie danced with Jaqueline Yamamoto.

Nikolai dances with Holly LeClerc who asked her questions about her ambitions.

Persephone is approached by a woman in a business pants suit appraoches the individual on the Spring Throne and pointing at the painting.

Dahlia was captured.

Billy danced with Hestia and asked if she had "figured it out" yet, and when she said she had not, he promised she would.

"Did we put an actual power hungry tyrant on the throne?" "Yeah, but it was a protest vote."

The Motley returns home and goes to bed.

Night of Fucked Up Dreams

Ernie dreamt of his father and his Keeper and ended up abandoning his dream motley to escape from the Collector. He drove towards a beach at his sister's request, but woke up. He talked to Nikolai about how to get into dreams, then found himself driving with him to Pasedena. Wake up again. Walk down to the beach. His sister was at the beach, and they went to a malt shop, Wish You Were Here

Nikolai dreamt of his Babushka - the Baba Yaga - who replaced his missing eyes.

Hestia dreamt about her husband sitting on his own grave. "You're moving on" "I felt it was time." "I just... I was hoping that 'til death do us part would be forgotten and we would never be apart." He embranced her and told her he would always love her. In her hand there was a golden ring - her husband's wedding band. Hestia cried.

Alana is in high school - she's never been here before. She's in a dream she's never dreamed before. This isn't her dream. She sees April kissing a girl backstage

Sephie had a dream where Other Mother came to visit her in her dream and looked over the house and looked at their van.

April 30th

Jack came over and explained that he was worried about Billy, but that as long as no one makes him angry, he's sure it'll be fine. He was delighted by the lunch and mentioned that he needed to set dates and choose colors for the wedding.

Ernie is planning to contact Eric Rowe to set up a support network. Hestia is going to call a house meeting. Sephie is going to inform you that the van needs new license plates, the house needs a security system. Nikolai wants to visit Maag Brunt on the North Side. Alana is going to talk to Ernie about the thing with the gubments.

Fetch with benefits Kind of infetchuous Self love

Session 34 "Ivey My Queen"

Hestia called a house meeting to discuss Jack Strong. They discussed if he would move in. They decided they should probably create an addition of a master suite to house Hestia and Jack. They tried to call Billy to see who owns the house. They worked to improve their Hollow.

They then decided that it was important to get the drop on Other Mother, since she seems to be looking into thing with them for an attack.

They went to the house at about noon. Alana is hiding in the tree there (4/0). Nikolai, Hestia and Sephie went into the house. Ernie is hiding in a bush (5/1). Gnomes by Wil Huygen's and Good Faeries/Bad Faeries by Terri Windling and Brian Froud and Grimm's Fairy Tales. Sephie destoyed the painting of Baron Munchausen's Castle in the sitting room. They cut down the painting and they left ashes in the sink.

Eevie goes to the hospital and specifically looks for someone from the crime section to visit there as well as the birth announcements to see if she can find a baby to visit. Mostly because she wanted to have two different wards to investigate. Since she planned to get a coffee at the cafe. A woman there suggested that coffee and a ham sandwich - the woman looks like Sephie.

Eevie went to Fourth Coast to waste time as an older gentleman in khakis and a sweater vest who noticed her. She realized he was supernatural and changeling adjacent, and waved to him. They went for a walk together. He explained that he had lost some very strange things. He said his name was Jim. After walking to the house, she became afraid of him and he left of his own accord.

Hestia wrote a note to Cadence and gave it to the cat, "We're going to try to take care of other mother. I hope you feel better." The Motley returns to Battle Creek at this point, then returned home. They fortified the house with cameras and booby traps, but did a generally poor job of fortifying the residence. Nikolai laid down to rest, but realized that he forgot to lock up on his way out.

Billy admitted that he forgot he answered his own phone now. He also admitted that he didn't remember who legally owned the house. He told her building anything on it should

Nikolai planned to visit Maag Brunt. Maag was eating hominy with fake maple syrup. He told Maag his story and Maag explained that the Freehold is and has always been a mess. Maag offered to help him understand pledges.

April tried to put a positive spin on Hestia's meeting where she invited all the girls to be her bridesmaids. They discussed bachelorette party plans.

Ernie is working to create his support network, moving money between accounts and talking to construction companies.

Persephone tried to sabotage Other Mother's life, but Other Mother convinced the hospital administration that she was the victim of a bizarre identity theft.

After a convoluted series of events, Billy declared that "Pluto is a planet - it looks like a planet, it acts like a planet - that makes it a planet! And any who acts like a member of this Freehold, shall be a member of this Freehold!" Initially, it was concerned that the True Fae would do this, but Billy pointed out that to be a member of the Freehold, they would have to be IN the Freehold, and that wouldn't count. Then the Court of Strange Days was remembered and Billy conceded that they must be members now, and that "This will be an interesting story." He left.

April lamented, "Billy is fucking insane" after he left.

Session 35

Hestia got quotes for her restaurant and was able to wheel and deal to bring things under price. Hestia asked Ernie to assist her in expediting the process, and he forwent the option to bring the hobs into it (which would have been considerable savings), and instead worked with changelings within the community (exceptional success).

Ernie got Jack, Jude, Donald, Celia, Orlando, Elissa and Blair to help; Jack was there to supervise, and everyone else was a newer member of the freehold looking for work. Alana came to keep people safe and April will absolutely not leave Ernie and Alana's side.

Nikolai contacted the Blackjack dealer from Firekeeper's and was told that he could find what he needs to learn about himself. They met for donuts and coffee, and April came along, delighted to get donuts and bring them back for the motley. He mentioned that he had met with both the Pumpkin King and Alexander Smith (which he believed to be an assumed name) and that there was a great neon turtle that spit coins that was the spirit of the casino that somehow factored into Smith's "master plan" (which April was interested in, but uncertain what she would trade for such a thing). He offered to tell Nikolai the name of all his Keepers in return for "his health," which took the form of eating 18 (!) donuts. Nikolai became hyperglycemic as a result of his decision.

He gave Nikolai the names, in order, Prince Kindhearted, Koschei the Lich, the Collector, the Baba Yaga (who was kind to him) and finally the Erlking.

The motley went to sleep. Nikolai recalled his time with Prince Kindhearted, learning that he and the Prince went to the Capital, where, knowing he had no Kingdom, Prince Nikolai presented himself to the King to marry his Beautiful Daughter. The Daughter agreed, but the King told him he needed to defeat the Great Army that had amassed against him and even now descended on the Capital. Servant Kindhearted called upon the Knight Invisible to help him slay the army, and together they did. Then Prince Nikolai presented the note, which sadly for him, actually declared that he was a liar who had tried to rob the Prince of his title. This was a Saturday May 1st

Hestia worked on the place. April, Nikolai, Ernie and Alana went on a run and April carried on about holidays. Sephie called Billy who, in a light coke rage, told her she should kill her fucking fetch so fucking dead - just burn her goddam house to the ground. They discussed transportation, and Sephie admitted that she thought that her van was known to the fetch and would be a risk to use. Billy suggested that she rent a car.

Sephie called the hospital and masqueraded as her daughter Cadence to get her fetch on the phone. After some back and forth, she baited her fetch into meeting her at the church for a "May Day Celebration" sometime between 7:00 and 9:00 PM. Billy was delighted and said that Smith will definitely want to be there because he LOVES revenge.

They prepped for the slaughter. Billy was, surprisingly, dressed in a conservative clerical vestment.

Ernie modified Billy's vestments into an attractive dress for Sephie. Sephie called into work for the night, saying there was a family issue she needed to resolve. Sephie fed the blood to the saplings, which responded splendidly. The motley prepared for bed and began.

Nikolai remembers being a tree in faerie, rooted in place, unable to move or see. Barely able to hear or speak.

In the middle of the night, there was a knock on the door. When Ernie answered the door, he found his sister Regina there, weeping and faded, her visage like a black and white photograph.

Session 36

Regina came inside and complained about everything. She said she would prefer to sleep on the sand in Belize. Ernie returned to sleep.

Sunday, May 2nd

April, Alana and Nikolai go for a wet post-rain run in the cool after-rain. Regina comes out with Ernie for breakfast and met the motley.

After some discussion, Regina explained that she wanted to bring Ernie back to Arcadia, which he refused, telling her that if that's what makes her truly happy, she should return on her own. She explained that she promised she wouldn't go back without Ernie. She tried to bring up every bad thing that happens in the mortal world such as "What if our father shows up?" and "Won't we get old and die someday?" All we rebutted.

The motley took a trip to the Arboretum. On their way, Regina metnioned that sometimes people don't know what they want and you have to force them to learn what they really need and Ernie responded to this by nearly banishing her from his presence. Regina was reticent, and apologized. She admitted she doesn't understand the world beyond Arcadia anymore and needs help. They arrived at the Arboretum to discover that Regina is allergic to flowers. She takes one of every postcard from the rack at the gas station.

Jack came by and after a discussion of the nature of overtime work and picked up his lunch.

Regina apologized to Hestia for being so critical of her cooking and asked to be taught to make food so she can have no one to blame if she doesn't like it but herself. Hestia seemed underwhelmed by this apology.

April agreed not to see the demon without Alana after briefly discussing what information she might want from him. Ernie listened to music with Regina and she was disappointed by the lo-fi nature of reproduced sound. Hestia went downtown to get away from everyone. Alana spoke with Nikolai about his experience with the demon.

While at the mall, Hestia came upon Trevor, who had stole a club from the goblin market. Hestia was able to divert the suspciously mundane security away from it. Trevor admitted that he wanted to impress Billy enough to give him a new place to stay, and that he believed the club, an ornately carved club, was Billy's.

Bill and Ernie texted back and forth:

Need 2 talk. C u 2morrow? Ok, what time? When u fr3? Anytime after 10 aM, where? Anywhere. Anytime. 10 if I'm awake. Ur place f cool? Sure. ye y yes

Nikolai dreamed of his time as a tree, and remembered that he began wailing when woodcutters came to take the tree down, but eventually resigned himself to the fact that death was preferable to such an ongoing miserable existence. He then held his tongue when the next woodcutter came and, when the tree was cut down, the power of the release of Koischeii's spirit killed the woodsman. The Collector then came and scavenged both of their remains.

Monday, May 3rd

Billy, Helen and Lydia stopped by, primarily because Billy wanted to meet Regina (possibly for carnal reasons). Upon speaking to her briefly, he recognized that she had unorthodox loyalties and took Ernie aside to suggest that they put that thing back where it came from (or so help me). Meanwhile, Regina discussed how she thinks she would like to be part of the Freehold (which means she IS now part of the Freehold per Billy's rules). Jack Strong came over during this and upon having a brief conversation with Regina, appeared lost in throught, during which Billy informed him that he could not harm Regina.

Session 37

Sephie stayed home to type up resgination letters, while the rest of the motley went to work on the restaurant. Regina was sad and in pain the whole time. Sephie wrote resignation letters, appreciating Clippy's assistance writing (the only person who was ever excited to see Clippy).

The motley went to sleep.

Nikolai dreamed of being a bookshelf, with no ears and eyes, he could only feel the stories through his flesh. The books (other changelings), constantly murmured, giving him a million tiny stories. "Now to take this bookshelf and carve away everything that isn't a Nikolai." She reshaped him with saws, screws and a plane until he was a real boy. The last thing that happens is she scooped out his worn out eyes and replaced them with newt's eyes. Nikolai is ALMOST HOME.

Alana dreamed of April being betrayed by her girlfriend at a football game. April ran into the woods where she saw a beautiful woman clad in flowers, who asked "Child, are you lost? My name is Ivey - I can take you home." Alana realized that YOU CAN PROTECT THEM.

Hestia dreamed of her wedding... Something old - her husband's wedding ring; something new - Hestia was gifted a fae necklack of timeless ice by Lyrissa; something borrowed - a pair of shoes from Eevie (because Hestia doesn't wear heels) "you can borrow these - they're definitely borrowed"; something blue - a blue garter. The wedding was outdoors at the Spring meeting church. "I want to look in the mirror a minute more. This won't happen again." The Collecter, however, came to ask her to come home and she walked a darkened path, knowing that she could LIGHT THE PATH.

Sephie dreams of picking up a shift at the coma ward. She entered the next patient's room. The patient was awake. "Oh, you're not supposed to be here. You're supposed to be at the University finding your daughter." The man is very weak on his feet and asks to move around. He told her he gave her the key so she could set her daughter free. He explained that everyone in Battle Creek shared dreams and that here "it's a shorter walk" to get to someone else's dreams. Sephie was given the gift of PERFECT MENDING. "I need you to lock the doors," the patient told her, "Something is trying to get in again."

Ernie dreams of his sister eating his special candy. She commented that the candy was the first thing she ate that tasted really good. After the earthquake, something came up and pressed against the window - the Collector, who looked in and asked, in surprise, if this was Battle Creek and how it could even be real. Ernie realized that one way or another, he needed to LET IT GO.

There was a brief 3.1 magnitude earthquake during the night.

Tuesday, May 4th

The motley wakes up.

Reginae explained that she dreamed her teeth fell out and Ernie was trying to sew them back in with his special powers while Sephie was giving 'nerve gas' to numb her while Ernie worked.

Hestia looked at fixtures for the restaurant and spoke to Wendell about their business arrangement. (2 successes) She also discussed menu options with Wendell - the menu was mostly American comfort food with Franco-Italian influences and old world rustic food. Their food tastes are very different.

Alana received a text from an unknown number. Alex Smith "Jack is having me pick up his lunch today." Smith ended up speaking with Regina privately with a Pledge on his Title to not to harm her and to return her when he was done (Wendell was quick to point out that they could kill Regina to overthrow the Summer King, but insisted that he was just thinking out loud and neither wanted to hurt Regina NOR overthrow the Summer King, whom he generally liked), after which she announced that she wanted to join the Summer Court at the World's Longest Breakfast Table.

Nikolai learned that nibbling goblin fruit alleviated his pain, and Sephie was able to make a chemotherapy-esque soltion to give him.

Ernie determined that a woman named Candice Robin was attending classes at KCC - astronomy, weight lifting, English and math for liberal arts students - and had a SSN that matched that of Sephie's daughter.

Wednesday, May 5th

Sephie spoke with her daughter at the college; eventually they came to the amicable agreement that they should have coffee that Sunday at Sweetwater's.

Nikolai visited the Autumn archives, at a nondescript house off of Emmett street near the bridge that was, apparently, Holly LeClerc's home. The archives were themselves a puzzling arrangment of apparently sentient objects that responded to and answered questions.

They asked questions:

What is the Pumkin King's Ambition? Drew three tarot cards - the Lovers (as represented by the Pumpkin King and a living ragdoll) - the Sun (as represented by a giant shadowy figure with six arms holding forth a bright glowing bundle of blakets) - and the Knave of Wands (as represented by the Pumpkin King himself) Whisper in their head said - "I will have what I seek..."

What are the pumpkin King's frailties? Again, three tarot cards - Ten of Cups (each cup is a rocks glass with the Pumpkin King pushing them away) - Five of cups (knocking over cups and being stared at while looking nervous) - three of swords (crochet needles in his heart)

Who is Wolfgang?

They search for information on Wolfgang, but cannot find anything but info on a Mirrorskin names Jonah Crates. Ernie remembered that they were led to Wolfgang by a mirrorskin changeling they had never before seen.

What happened to Ivey?

They searched for information on Ivy McCree (aka Ivy Justayve) and found a book they were instructed to place behind the crystal ball and view through a hand mirror. The result gave a poem:

Ivy McCree The beautiful queen She's gone on to The forever dream

And highlighted several entries from the glossary: Silver Cord - the line that connects the soul to the mortal realm, if broken, it leaves the soul trapped in the astral realm. Paragon - one who - a small pentagon who grows to a larger pentagon, like a map. Apotheosis - ascension beyond mortality to achieve transcendence or godhood

Session 38

The motley convened to discuss what they were going to do with the information they had gained. Would they tell Billy? Would they tell anyone? What would happen? Why was Autumn so keen on keeping important information from Billy? The motley agreed that telling Billy would probably result in him doing something suicidal or dangerous.

They also contemplated what would happen if a changeling ascended as Gentry within the Cereal Box (which SHOULD be impossible) that would create a closed system where they held the power.

The motley worked on the construction project at the restaurant. The motley briefly discussed travelling to the moon after Orlando told them that the lunar module with the door on it was currently on a sound stage in California. Ernie made spacesuits before they realized it was impractical.

The motley sleeps and have a mundane night's sleep.

Thursday, May 6th

Sephie and Nikolai go to the Enchanted Attic for information on Mages. (Nikolai incidentally relied on only 1 luck for his roll, whatever that means) Together they were able to find some work on magicks. The Way Things Are - The Story of the Five Towers (authored and hand signed by by H. Phlox). She explained that she had several dozens copies of it and hadn't been able to sell it.

The book contained a portion on Arcadia - being both incredibly beautiful and dangerous - and that Time works "correctly" there (as opposed to "hurtling headlong to the end of time like a man who is plummeting toward the earth who thinks that, 'yes, this is how space works - always falling!'.").

Ernie spent some time managing his changeling network to make sure everyone is getting the support they need (increasing the dots in Allies: Support Network to 4).

Hestia meets with her contractor and requests an audience with Smith.

April knows people who have secrets.

Hestia and Alana met with Smith, who explained that he had plans to include the Firekeeper's Casino Hotel in the Cereal Box, which will, unfortuantely, require bringing the Cereal Box down for a while. He also stated that this plan would explicity result in the FKCH becoming the new Summer meeting ground.

Alana requests work with the Summer Court and got a comission to look into the matter of the Huntsmen and solve the issue.

April revealed her SECRET, explaining that she thought she had found the other half of the horn and bone (badge of horn, the knife of bone). She pointed out that Lyrissa had an accessory that she always wore in her hair - a bone knife. She told Nikolai, she believed that this was directly connected. They discussed the possibility of breaking the badge. They spent the rest of the afternoon experimenting and performing an augury on the badge to determine what its properties are. Additional information was gained on the workings of the Huntsmen as a result.

Nikolai was determined to make a token that would make them invisible to the Fae, and realized that they would be able to make a token to protect from the True Fae, but realized this would be a process.

The motley finished working on the restaurant.

Alana is going to try to delve into her lost memories to see if she's encountered the huntsmen or otherwise had experience with Arcadia as her fetch.

Session 39

Friday, May 6th

Hestia went to her restaurant with Wendell to sign off on the work. The Foreman bragged about finishing ahead of schedule. The design was a 50's throwback family style restaurant with a large permanent fixture table. Large orders of furniture and equipment were being brought in. Presence + Expression to make the last design decisions (1). Jack Strong stops by in the afternoon and makes a giant show of fawning over the design and the alacrity of the workers. He wondered if they could have lunch cooked by the chef to be the first customer in the restaurant, to which Hestia agreed.

Ernie went on a bike ride and Regina came with, riding on the pegs. They rode down the linear trail near where it follows the river. Regina complains of the smell of the river and swampiness, and Ernie explained it was rotting vegetation. They crossed the bridge to get away from the river.

Alana and April and Nikolai went to the Y to go swimming. The membership cost them a fair chunk of change. Nikolai harvested Glamour off the man giving them the tour by annoying the hell out of him. April explained her suspicion to Alana and told her that Nikolai was planning to confront Lyrissa about it. They both expressed distress that this was a thing at all. "Why don't you try the butterfly stroke?" - April "I'm already having a stroke!" - Nikolai

Sephie went to the coffee date with her daughter, having finished reading the book. There is a repeatedly repainted "red" Baretta. Cadence was inside and said she was glad that she actually showed up. Cadence explained she was studying earth science and astronomy. "I don't think I can remember a time when you weren't working two jobs." "That wasn't me." Sephie explained that she had worked for the clinic in Battle Creek, but that had to end. "Is this a pod person situation?" "Yeah, pretty much." Cadence and Sephie discussed their encounters with Arcadia and how they differed, and Cadence explained that she would like to know how their powers were similar, different and related. Cadence said she would tell her cat Mera that Sephie is ok.

The motley returned home, all having largely accomplished the things they planned to, and Nikolai decided to also read the book Sephie grabbed from the occult store, and realized that a strong, serious reading of it would probably take a week. Alana decided to have some alone time to delve into her memories to remember anything that might be important regarding her fetch. After some work (and distraction with her fetch living such a different lifestyle), she was able to remember that when the fetch looked in the mirror she would frequently see herself reflected in the Hedge as if every mirror was a gate. She recalled on one particular occasion, feeling an apprehensive fear and seeing a glade containing one side with a fireplace and large heavily scarred table, and the other side having a hanging punching bag and couch with TV and a gun and badge hanging up. The Red-Eyed Woodsman entered the glade and she looked away.

Ernie realized that the knife Lyrissa wears in her hair is a combination of an ivory voodoo knife and a combat knife. They also meditated over and investigated the earring from the feels box, and Ernie decided that the sensation of grief seemed to have a moral component and that the sensation of mercy brought to mind someone who realized that their revenge was going too far. Nikolai was able to coax a more vivid separation of emotions from it (like a thin-layer chromatography of the emotions) and felt it as satisfaction, brief fear, resolve, bitter mercy, remorse, numb regret and warm renewal.

Saturday, May 7th

Do called them up and suggested that they go to the moon, pathfinding their way there. The whole motley decided that they absolutely wanted to go to the moon. Orlando showed up and suggested that they all go on a journey. April gets 9 successes (!) on her pathfinder roll to take them to the moon and they march 5 hours there. Orlando takes a selfie with the space suit and they enter the door they found in the hedge badlands to get to the lunar module. When they opened it, there was a suck of back-pressure air and they walked out onto the lunar surface...

...which turned out to be in Arcadia. And they were largely convinced that it was the collector's domain.

Session 40

Ernie, Nikolai and Orlando explain the situation and the motley decides they want nothing more to do with this. It's disappointing, especially since it neither proves nor disproves the question of whether the moon landing was real. The motley searches for a hedge gate to return home. April pathfinded them to the nearest doorway, and, en route, they were accosted by 3 goblin dune buggies, styled somewhere between mad max-esque raiders and moon rovers. Nikolai waylaid one, but the other two went in for an attack.

One of the carts was swarming with goblins. Orlando was able to blind the driver so the cart missed him and drove off into the distance. Goblins armed with a surgical tubing flail, goblin with a canister of compressed gas, a goblin with a broken beaker, and a goblin with nailbat accosted him.

The other remaining cart had a goblin with dynamite fruit on spears and a rotund goblin driver that looked together like Waluigi and Wario. They missed Nikolai and Ernie hit their explosive spear with a stone, knocking over the skinny one. Nikolai and Sephie took on the goblins struggling with 'Do. Together, the defeated the goblins, destroying the remaining buggy and defeating the ones attacking 'Do (including sending one skyrocketing into the sky and exploding with a well placed stone).

The motley found an archway and left the Hedge into the real world in the wee hours of the morning. Sephie distributed goblin fruit to all the unwell, but it was not a solid healing. Hestia left food for Jack with a note and everyone slept in until late afternoon.

The motley spent their time waiting to heal (until Wednesday, my dudes) and harvested Glamour.

Wednesday, May 12th

Ernie increased his Academics in hopes of creating a new "safe haven" that will be an improvement over the "changeling ghetto." His goal was to eventually sets up small businesses that will employ newcomer changelings. His major motivation is to reduce overcrowding.

Sephie is contacting a realtor to sell her fetch's old property. Sephie makes contact with a realtor named Kyle Kirstens. The house is now on the market as a rental property and increases her Resources.

The planned soft opening of the Restaurant on Friday will be a small royal opening for the monarchs and their two perferred guests. The servers, wait staff, dishwashers and cooks are all members of the changeling community for this event.

Friday, May 14th

The motley prepared the finishing touches of the Hestaurant, officially dubbed "Granny's Plaace." The formal guest list has been returned: the Pumpkin King is bringing Roper Redding and Holly LeClerc, Billy is bringing Lydia Kidder and Helen Moore, Alexander Smith brought Janice Tasker and Granny Lovett, and Lyrissa is bringing Johnny Starlight and Shaun Schumaker.

The settings were placed with Expression 3 and the food produced Crafts 3. Janglejaw Crookfingers showed up, and Lyrissa she congratulated Janglejaw on the ascendancy of his court. He put on a paper crown he made from a napkin. They seated the motley members in the groups with their respective monarchs. Jack and Gina were also present.

Chalkos threw down the gauntlet on Smith and after unpleasant negotiations, and demanded that traditions of Summer be upheld. A duel was demanded with each of them (and only THEM, not a champion who will fight in their stead) is permitted to bring thier own weapon, no seconds, 10 witnesses. Smith named Billy as the judge and Chalkos accepted without hesitation. After some argumentation, they agreed that the fight would be immediately before the coronation to take place in the Hedge. Smith excused himself to the restoom and returned (especially) pale.

As Janglejaw left, he opened a hedge gate that refused to close initially and then sputtered several times. April suggested that the Cereal box was, in fact, getting very soggy indeed.

Session 41

The motley returned home to go to bed.

Saturday, May 15

The grand opening of Granny's Place with real people rather than make believe fairies was scheduled for today.

Nikolai tried to make determinations about Chalkos' compound. He obtained survey results, but there's not blueprints on file. There's an overhead picture of the general area. A main road with a side road. 8 rows of buildings with a u-shape. 16 feet between fence and buildings, 20 feet between the fenceline and the forest, single entrance. Nikolai scours for denim to throw over the barbed wire to cross the fence if necessary.

Ernie plays with his friends and brings Regina with him. While she's an impediment to enjoyment, he is able to absorb glamour.

Sephie worked at solidifying her relationship with her daughter, partially by inviting her out to dinner at the restaurant. A week from Friday was the soonest she can do.

Hestia is running her restaurant. She had a very up and down day, but opening was a success and it's clear that the bills will be paid.

Alana and April were working on changeling science to try to figure out how the crunch and sog factor worked, which apparently involved submerging Cap 'n' Crunch in melted ice cream (which Alana refused to let April, Regina and Ernie eat due to the absurd level of sugar in it). They agreed that to determine the rules of the Crunch Factor, they would need to open hedge gates to determine crunch factor - three opened by the same person with a stopwatch to time it.

They decided Oak Hill Cemetery toward the middle, Denny's as the very edge, and Freddy and Aaron's place; finally, somewhere outside the zoo (the Binder Park Golf Course) as a control. They called Freddy and Aaron, who agreed at the cost of 2 bottles of wine and a promise to buy and eighth.

First they opened the gate at the cemetery: an archway was opened for 16.7 seconds and then the mirror for 16.8 seconds (possibly an error?).

As they were leaving, an old man accosted them, briefly taking Regina hostage at iron knifepoint. He demanded they tell him where his "brother" Solomon Bynes was and, after they explained to him that Bynes was killed a long time ago, he asked if that meant that he could finally leave the cemetery and be himself again - revealing that he was, in fact, Solomon Bynes' fetch. He traded them a "key" to the hedge gate at the mausoleum for assistance, and Ernie gave him a phone. He told them there was a cult with a symbol of an eye based on a musical fermata that met fairly regularly in the cemetery, but didn't really have more useful information for them.

The motley proceeded to Freddie and Aaron's. They accepted the wine and sold an eighth to Nikolai, which they warned him he should take care when smoking because they suspected their dealer was adding glass dust to up the weight. They explained that their experiments with growing hedge cannabis had been dismal failures. The gate they opened above the fridge was open for 15.2 and the mirror was open for 15.4 seconds.

Finally, they traveled to the Neutral Meeting Ground at the Zoo and opened the hedge gate in the archway. This stayed open for 17.1 and 18.5 seconds.

They moved to the golf course outside the cereal box, where an open gate remained so for 15.0 seconds and the mirror for 15.0 seconds as well.

They then tested the mirror while moving. Outside the zoo - 18.6 while moving, 18.8 while stationary. They tested the car door, which lasted for 17.1 seconds. The mirror was then tested again and opened for 18.8 seconds and wobbled when closed.

The testing developed a four part theory of how the Crunch Factor works:

• Crunch factor is not evenly distributed throughout the Freehold.
• Crunch factor tends to be lower toward the edge of the Cereal Box
• Crunch factor tends to be more concentrated in places where changelings congregate
• Crunch factor tends to drain through hedge gates, and when it does so, it holds the gate open and does so cumulatively

The changelings decided to get some sleep.

Sunday / Monday May 16 / 17

Ernie discussed with Eric Rowe the need to unkill Bynes. They went with middle names to use Martin Charles Solomon as a name. Rowe mentioned that he had personally dealt with Bynes, who was "killed by someone who really hated him." Ernie also asked about bodies (in hopes of designing a barometer for measuring crunch factor) and Rowe admitted he had a waiting list and could not guarantee delivery.

Session 42

Barrier has fallen. 1 hr to go, everyone is pretty solidly convinced that they're safe.

Craig Weston meets with the motley has a discussion involving bad feelings and insights. The Collector killing Mary Kingman.

Tuesday, May 18th

Nikolai asked Smith whatever happened to Darlene Selfridge and Mary Kingman. Smith explained that Selfridge was banished and Mary Kingman was (wink, wink) nowhere he knew of, and last he knew she was in his care, and she definitely did not (wink wink) do anything - or be encouraged to do anything - that would break the laws of the Freehold and would require that we do something about it.

Hestia decided to hire managers for the restaurant to free up time. Ernie used his support network to find viable candidates. Hestia wanted to set up the interviews for a string on Wednesday.

April made 4 successes toward writing her thesis... with glitter gel pens.

Wednesday, May 19th

Spehie wants to go to the Goblin Market to get a housepet. April and Alana will go.

Hestia and Nikolai will be interviewing.

Harpreet Singh - Boogeyman - 5 successes on his check, 4 on checking - organizational skills /

Celia Rice - Sloth - 2 successes on her check, 4 on checking, - strong customer service skills / slow

Elissa Krantz - Cyclops - 2 / 1 - (slept with Billy Goat)

Blair Hopkins - Jackalope - 1 / 3 - "Talk about cardio bunny." "KNOCK IT OFF" Skips everywhere.

Janglejaw - Wants to get his foot and rest of him in the door. Has a resume, you may see it, but not now because he needs to type it up. Sold curios, not curios, applejacks, lots of armoires and no legoires. Monarchs, apparently, set their own hours, like Billy who only runs the Freehold as and when he sees fit. I'm a great manager! Everyone has to work harder when I'm around. Janglejaw wants an Arby's to call his own. "If they were unruly, someone else would be ruly at the time." I would suggest that Billy relieve his tension. The king of summer knock the table over and challenge him to a duel to the death, and back down. If it's the autumn king, you tell him you know where you hid the candy. I'd make sure the winter king I have a wonderful time... not me anymore, Lyrissa, who should have a wonderful time.

Ernie, Alana, April and Sephie went on a trip to the market to find Sephie a pet. 3 successes to find a pet. Given some memories as change.

Hedge crow - "He'll be coming for yoooou!"

25% Just remember, you deserve this. It's not omnivorous, but plants count as meat for it.

"It's my emotional support ti~animal." They disguised it as an emotional support dog.

3 kittens and a large tiger cat. "It will be elephant size."

Thursday, May 20th

Nikolai called Granny Lovett and asked about tokens and was directed to Samuel Venters ("Toucan Sam") who acts as the finder. Nikolai was invited to eat at Lovett's but realized he did not have to... making him more keen to do it. He agreed to be over tomorrow at 6 PM.

His favorite is the running flytrap. Red (snap - bite), yellow (crackle - roar), blue (pop - mobility). Rich lime green named "Tony"

Ernie decided to make himself nice clothes to look respectable. High end stereos for money.

Smith came by with Jack. Jack "I love kittens!" Training Smith is slow going, and Smith is really bent on having a chance to learn to fight dirty. For Alana it was a nice light workout.

Nikolai, Regina and Ernie went to the store to get a sewing machine, a bunch of cloth for new clothes and a high end sound system for Regina. Ernie soundproofed the room so well that very little audio escapes at all. Everyone is very impressed.

Friday, May 21st

Hestia had an unpleasant dream about her childhood, playing dressup and collecting flowers to play at her wedding day! She would play in a grove of trees and play at getting married. She dreamed of getting lost and finding her way to a rustic cabin where she found herself slowly approaching a voice that beckoned her. She went down a hallway of doors with collections such as "entymology," "stamps," and finally "mythology."

"You left me. You left holes in my colletion. Hand me that screwdriver?" The tool itself was an alien tool that was a "screwdriver" in idea only. He sets up a cabinet and puts a chess set on display. The rooks look like Cerberus, the knights like Hermes, the Bishops appear as oracles, the Queen has an actual gold crown, "And, this is my newest piece" The queen had a crown of flame, and the king is a powerful ogre.

A mylar balloon that says "Happy Birthday," a bottle of champaign and a box of chocolates.

It was learned that Jack Strong is not a very good liar and cannot choose not to answer a specific question with a comparable level of specificity. Regina became uncomfortable when the collector was discussed, and excused herself to her room. The party discussed the order of operations for dealing with the Collector.

• Find, expose and remove the traitor from the Freehold
• Prove the Cereal Box is degrading.
• Lower the Cereal Box
• Lure the Collector into the Cereal Box
• Remove his heart and make a new Cereal Box

Session 43

We pick up our session at the end of the breakfast meeting. Nikolai considered how trustworthy the powerful changelings of the freehold were, and a chart was created:

Level of Power / Amount I Trust Them

Jeremiah - Moderately / Not

Roper - - Obscene / Mostly

Lyrissa - Moderately / Not

Smith - Minor / Pretty Reasonably

Jack - Moderate / Very

Johnny - Obscene / Mostly

Billy - Very / NOT -- also less of a threat

Granny Lovett - MOST / AFRAID

Hestia brought Jack into the kitchen and told him to be careful and let her know if anything weird happened.

Nikolai was formulating a plan for infiltrating Chalkos' facility. Current plan is to distraction and infiltrate elsewhere. Sephie proposed training the kittens for surveillance and guard duty.

Sephie decided that she would shop for a birthday gift for Cadence. Sephie called Cadence to see if they were on for the night. Light powder blue is her favorite color. Cadence's favorite flower is Iris and Hydrangia. Sephie decided that she wanted to plant hydrangias at the house.

Alana trained Smith and discussed the possibility of cheating on the challenge with Smith. It turns out, April is creeped right the heck out by Smith and his lack of visible organs (brain, skull - he's just completely uniform in his opacity, like a block of parrafin wax) and the fact that she couldn't see the food going down his throat when he ate just went to amplify that. Smith explained that he can see and hear spirits, and interact with them slightly, but he couldn't really control them or cajole them. He suggested that as a possible source of an edge. He also mentioned vampire blood, sorcery, "super soldier drugs", using pledges to lend him skill or litearlly any other way of gaining his edge. "My priorities are to live and keep my crown, in that order."

QUEST: Pledge Smith skills (optional)

QUEST: Cripple Chalkos (optional)

QUEST: Make Chalkos fail to make it to the duel (optional)

QUEST: Get Smith super drugs (optional)

QUEST: Get Smith spirit power (optional)

QUEST: Get Smith magic (optional)

QUEST: Get Smith vampire blood (optional)

Nikolai got 2 full drug cocktails from Freddie by way of an order taken by Aaron.

Sephie and the girls went to pick out jewelry for Cadence. Sephie settled on an aquamarine necklace. April browsed and found a set of chakra earrings that she expressed loving desire for, tried on, but ultimately put back.

That evening, Sephie had dinner with her daughter, who had requested that she be called Songbird exclusively. Songbird went whole hog on appetizers getting steamed soybeans and cheese sticks, while Sephie had meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Songbird explained that she wasn't a vegetarian, but that she was trying to cut back on fried food and meat ("cut back... not necessarily quit" as she ate a cheese stick) She explained that Firestarter and her are NOT dating, but that they had a thing and, Idk, she didn't want to put a label on it. She went to a Taylor Smith concert with Aeson and they both LOVE the song Today Was a Fairy Tale. Aeson had never heard Taylor Swift before the concert, but Songbird was glad she introduced it. Then, during the meal, a wispy old man with a skull mask appeared and said to return the magic item she stolen on pain of death. Apparently undeterred, she and her mother finished dinner and, when Sephie offered her a necklace as a gift, she freaked out and left.

Nikolai left his wallet and gun in the cab after a dramatic failure. He arrived at 6:03 PM, but Granny's grandfather clock said 8:45 (with the second hand going backwards). She offered him goblin hands to eat, which he refused (because they were not offered in good faith). She told him that she had concerns about the Kinderfanger and, beyond that, about the Chronophage - a fae that she said she had a vision of the future portending Nikolai dealing with him. She called him out, and suggested that she should probably just kill Nikolai to prevent him from dealing with this dread being. He countered that if not him then someone else and, furthermore, that he would try to defeat the fae, regardless of his relation to them. Granny demanded he pledge with her for the protection of the freehold.

Granny's Pledge Year and a Day - Banishment Greater Favor (Cookie Jar) - Poisoned Boon (See the vision) Greater Forbiddence (Nikolai may not endager the freehold) Maag Brunt's Catch: If you are PREVENTING an equal or greater threat to the freehold, you may endanger the Freehold to any degree whatsoever. EVEN if you engineered the threat, as long as you didn't ACTUALLY bring the threat. E.g. if you set it up for two fae to enter the Freehold and remove one of them, that would be sufficient.

Nikolai saw a vision of the Chronophage, a great True Fae comprised of an infinite number of overlapping possibilities, with two arms that reach into the past, two that reach into the present, and two that reach into the future. The Fae brought Nikolai into Arcadia for forever; he was unable to leave.

Ernie was intent on getting a hold of Callista Moore, a paralegal who works for Arianna Lassar.

Saturday, May 22

Ernie contacted Callista Moore, who explained that her boss Arianna wished to stand as Loyal Opposition to push the Freehold toward a liberal approach to newcomers.

Billy called and explained that he would be holding a coronation the next day for the Court of Strange Days the next day to allow them to control the Freehold on their given days. No one liked this idea which was, by Billy's own admission, terrible. Session 44: Hunting the Snark

Hestia decided she needed to do second interviews with Harpreet, Celia and Elissa.

Harpreet and Celia can, Elissa cannot, open on Monday. Hestia decided that this would be a semi-working interview - to see how they would behave under practical positions and make sure it's the best fit. Elissa would interview on the 25th. (The current head waiter is a man named Sam Namier.)

Celia's performance was less effective, but she seems to have potential. She explains she prefers 2nd shifts.

Harpreet did well, and his off-putting nature seemed to be a limitation to his effectiveness, but otherwise he was very technically skilled. Harpreet prefers 3rd shifts.

Hestia decided that she wanted to write up a mock schedule putting them on 2nds and 3rds respectively, but decided not to sell herself on anything permanent or call anyone back until she interviews Elissa.

Sephie plays with her kitties and works on training them (2 successes), and anticipated that they would be the size of a small housecat - the size of a small house. Alana, however, demonstrated her exceptional skill with training cats.

Ernie is checking in with his changeling network to determine if his Changeling Network is doing well (3), which it is for the most part. Jacqueline Yamamoto is cataloguing and sorting the changelings of the freehold in this respect. Isaac Oldman is working towards ensuring universal employment. Regina offered to help.

Nikolai wasted the day, as people do from time to time.

Alana dreamed of her time in the jungle, being pursued by hunters, and experiences being hit with a poison dart and dragged back to a house.

May 23rd, 24th, 30th, 31st

9 AM hedge of the neutral grounds, with each of the changelings wearing good suits to make a good impression. Ernie got 4 successes on Pre+Com to make an impression. The majority of the Freehold were present.

Billy, dressed as a cowboy, passed on the crownn to Janglejaw, whose crown was one of of mangled barbed wire interspersed with thorned and wrapped in tinsel and garland. Janglejaw, in turn, grew man-sized, symmetrical and almost human, but still decidedly goblin (and, possibly, mistakable for a changeling).

Janglejaw explained that the defining event of his rule should be a Snark hunt, and explained that the Snark was a questing beast. He recited several lines from The Hunting of the Snark by Lewis Carroll.

"He remarked to me then," said that mildest of men, ⁠" 'If your Snark be a Snark, that is right: Fetch it home by all means—you may serve it with greens, ⁠And it's handy for striking a light.

"'You may seek it with thimbles—and seek it with care; ⁠You may hunt it with forks and hope; You may threaten its life with a railway-share; ⁠You may charm it with smiles and soap'"

The motleys involved were issued forks and an envelope containing a map that they would "know when to consult." The motleys were directed to a set of footprints they were told was the Snark's trail (still warm) and they were warned to avoid the vicious mucus that it spews from its udders and its gnashing teeth. (They were also warned to avoid Jubjub birds, Jabberwocks and Bandersnatches) The Snarks was described as a bluish-orange cowbunny with spider eyes and udders.

The motley travelled until they tracks crossed a lake (still visible upon the surface) with a massive riverboat captained by a goblin upon it. The goblin demanded payment for passage. Ernie offered it the fork as "A nasal cleansing device" and was able to barter passage for 2. They offered the goblin hyperglycemia but he already had it. Alana was able to persuade him, by way of knock knock joke, that he was expected to bring a gift. April gave him the knowledge of a food that was so sweet she wouldn't eat it. He took this and immediately dropped dead from hyperglycemia, allowing them to take the ferry.

They make their way accross the lake and it inverted so they were underwater, bringing a sudden night upon them. Alana hissed at an albatross that had alighted upon their boat.

The sun was shining on the sea, Shining with all his might: He did his very best to make The billows smooth and bright-- And this was odd, because it was The middle of the night.

They crossed the lake and found themselves disembarking in the morning after eating what they can.

They came upon an old, abandoned campsite with a dilapidated tent, followed by additional tents arranged like a forest thereof. The tents increasingly look like parts of the landscape with a tree that appears to grow bags of food suspended from it. They realized that they arrived in Snipe territory, and realized that hunting a snipe might give them a competative hunt.

Roper's motley crashed into the area and Roper's grabby arm Extenda-Saurus Rex token was used to bring several baskets down from the tree for the eating. The motley engaged in a snipe hunt and captured one of the rare creatures, which they placed in a bag.

They continued to a hill that went uphill both ways and then to a grouping of bridges that went down into a chasm. The motley was able to climb down, while Nikolai simply walked to the lowest bridge and Hestia, noting this, follwed him. They then bunped into motorcycle climbing a tree on eight spidery legs. Jillian Cripps. In return for a story (Gert and Ernie) Jillian drove them back.

After doubling back, they returned to the snark tracks, which brought them near a lighthouse. With a startling blast, the snipe exploded from sniper fire, which lured out the Snark. While the motley faced the snark, Hestia and Nikolai tried to take down Chalkos and his men in the lighthouse, but were injured seriously and subdued with flashbangs. They did, however, succeed in injuring one of Chalkos' men.

The rest of the motley worked to, against form, tame the questing beast and, after some truly remarkable work by Alana, the creature was tamed. The goblin appreciated the changelings valuing the lives of one of their own, and everyone present gained a point of Wyrd, with Billy becoming downright frightening in the alien beauty of his fae mien.

May 25

The motley took a moment to take stock of Who was not at the coronation (Granny Lovett, Johnny Starlight and Craig Weston were not there, aside from Regina, of course). It was suggested that because Chalkos and several of his men were there, they would be absent in a week, and perhaps vulnerable.

Session 44

The motley returned home from the Hedge to find Regina, who had used every vessel and dish in the kitchen and was maudlin about having been left alone. They warned her that she would be alon again, and decided to try to arrange some sort of babysitter.

Sephie called Songbrd and asked her how things are going and determined if she was available this weekend to check up on Regina and such. She said she would be and apologized for leaving suddenly.

Ernest called Arianna and apologized for missing the meeting and rescheduled for 8 PM this evening. He then took a shower and went to bed.

Nikolai determined that Craig Weston, Carl Crowley, Wendell Baker, Granny Lovett, Arthur Sullivan, Arianna Lassar, Johnny Starlight, Herbert Wolfgang, Tiffany McIvor, and Maag Brunt weren't weren't at the coronation, but that essentially every other member of the Freehold was. Jillian Cripps was present in the Hedge, but had not been at the meeting and also seemed to think things were already over.

Hestia checked up on the restaurant, which had a few no calls no shows but also correspondingly low business. She then went out to hunt for glamour by scandalizing some unsuspecting dude in front of his girlfriend.

The motley rested until the meeting with Arianna. The meeting was set at Sweetwater's Donut mill.

At 12:30, Billy banged on the door and Nikolai answered. Billy explained that the painting of Dahlia was gone and that she knows all his plans and ideas. He thinks that whoever took Dahlia could be dangerous to him because anyone she allied with would have that power over him. Billy traded a promise that Nikolai would give him the information he asks about that situation in return for an automatic rifle with appropriate ammo. Billy was vague about how the painting worked. It turns out, it was a small part of the real world encapsulated in Arcadia and Dahlia was in there. Nikolai suggested traveling through the Hedge (and time) to find the portrait. Nikolai asked Billy to find a token for him to exchange with Granny Lovett. Nikolai called Granny who agreed to help and also mentioned that "the clock stopped" without further elaboration.

Nikolai mentioned to Billy that they were meeting with Arianna. April gave him shit about the whole thing and also hit him with a rolled up tube of paper, informing him that he should not do anything stupid because "I love you." They then napped and all (including Regina) went to the donut mill.

Granny added that the clock had chimed 10 PM (at 9:45).

Arianna charmed Nikolai after he realized that he had once been in the realm of her Keeper.

Session 45

Nikolai held a family meeting to explain what happened with Billy and Granny. They speculated regarding who had Dahlia. April pointed out that an individual who wants to be a Queen is a "pretender," and Nikolai accepted that he might have overlooked that.

Wednesday, May 26

Morning comes.

Sephie is going to play with the kittens (2 successes) and gardening (3 successes).

Hestia is going to her restaurant to figure out who was absent and rearrange the schedule accordingly. It turned out, Hestia's plan was to run the restaurant like a 1950's diner, primarily to focus on changelings as the target audience.

Ernie is going to work towards setting up his support network to try to make it work out. Ernie recruited Jacq Yam & Isaac Old; Regina working beneath Yamamoto. Jack helped him find and accountant that is willing to run dodgy sounding books. Wilson Monroe.

Alana and Nikolai train with Smith. They tell him about the Nazi / KGB drugs they're going to give him. The Man with the Badge comes in, accompanied by his (proverbially) weasel-faced cadet. After the Man With the Badge left, Nikolai went right into his spiel about the first clause of the Contract of Stone and trained him (conspicuously refusing the seriously injure him despite him admitting that he had never been so injured in his life). They speculated as to why the Man With the Badge would be interested and came to the conclusion that they could employ him as a weapon (!) because he doesn't count as a person. (The tiger was also suggested as such)

Late afternoon. They created a whole pageant for how to collect glamour by having Ernie crash his bike, Nikolai fake a heart condition as he tries to help, Sephie perform medical care, Alana steal the bike, April try to help (and fail) and Hestia tried to make people feel shitty, but it failed. Hestia then failed to kick a person's crutches out from under them, embarrassing herself and giving up on getting glamour.

Martin admitted that he was working for Arianna Lassar, which made Ernie worried, and he said he would talk with her. Martin was not aware that she was a changeling and disturbed by the revelation.

Ernie ordered a large number of hand-me-down tools on Ebay in hopes of getting April what she needs to build her crunch-o-meter.

Sephie had Cadence (Songbird) and Firestarter over to talk about ; they had Billy's Club.

The motley slept. Nikolai was awakened in the middle of the night by Granny, who informed him that the painting no longer existed and that Dahlia was free now. She also informed Nikolai that her clocks had struck midnight.

Subsequently, Jer called and informed Nikolai that he would be cashing in on his deal on Friday. After he asked if this had to do with the Chronophage, Jer deamanded that Nikolai exaplin what he knew to him. Nikolai sounded like he was going to try to weasel out of the contract as he told Nikolai the would be going to Arcadia together, and the Pumpkin King - who is known not to cuss - told him that he will "NOT fuck this up for me." Nikolai informed him that for his favor of up to half his Kingdom, the Pumpkin King must help him become King of Autumn. "Done" was the response.

Session 46

Thursday, May 27th

Nikolai broke the bad news to his Motley. A discussion of the tense differences between English and Russia resulted in the recitation of the pun "You cannot go running at a campground, you can only ran, because it's past-tents."

Sephie puts together a medical bag for the trip to arcadia including a lot of bandages, IVs of goblin fruit, etc. She also planned to bring one of her kitties with her. She took some time to train her cats, which were at that stage where they could be relied upon NOT to be detriment.

April and Alana were able to steal a durometer from the garage of a handyman running a garage sale. April created a mighty distraction while Alana plundered the garage. April's distraction was so good that stealing the money would probably be trivially simple.

Hestia went to WalMart to slap a woman, implying that she's having an affair. She does manage to collect a small amount of glamour from mostly bewildered people. She then did this again at Meijer, which worked as well.

Nikolai decided to go with Ernie to Sullivan's library to attempt to research the Chronophage. He found a leaflet written by an A. Francis Williams entitled "Time," which had a long list of things about the Chronophage. The author suggests:

• Time is linear. There are no other "timelines"
• The Chronophage can "create" alternate "timelines" and "extract" and "place" things in them, but they're ephemeral and cease to exist after he finishes with them
• The Chronophage does not know its own future and past, despite existing in them simultaneously; this confusion is not predictable
• The Chronophage chooses its changelings based on their ability to bring him more changelings

Other information:

• Saying it's "weak to life energy" isn't correct, but its ability to manipulate things is based on its life energy
• Things that are "permanent" are its weakness
• Fate is its weakness

Further details:

• The Chronophage has a compulsive need to correct the chronology of things as presented; e.g. lining up objects from oldest to newest

Nikolai reminisced about the order of his Keepers: Prince Kindhearted - Koscheii the Lich - the Collector - Baba Yaga - The Erlkoenig

Baba Yaga - Erlkoenig - Koscheii - Kindheart - Collector

At about 2 PM they fininshed their research; Nikolai resolved to call Firestarter about his sword, but decided, instead, to call Firestarter and just see if he knew where some platinum-iridium could be found. Firestarter said he could ask around, but he didn't know. Nikolai set up to go to the Autumn archives at 7 PM.

April needed plans for how to convince the durometer to measure the crunch factor. Alana promised to help her when she had a chance. She helped Smith train. April asked Ernie and he suggested "horses for horsepower" and "inchworms"; April accepted the plan to steal inchworms from the butterfly garden at the zoo. They left with a few inchworms in tow which they released near the bowl of cereal she was marinating the durometer in.

"Had anyone else defeated the Chronophage? If so how?" The magic 8-ball says, All Signs Point to No "This is frustrating" rolls over to a yes

Firestarter told him that Chalkos agreed to sell him platinum-iridium bullets and would meet with him at 3 AM.

"Will Nikolai be able to come back?" the pendulum rusts through and breaks

"Does anyone else in the freehold, other than Chalkos and Firestarter, have platinum-iridium?" The myth of Orpheus.

They exchanged the voodoo doll with Phlox for the metal and had a brief and, apparently, ugly discussion of what they could do power-wise. But eventually Nikolai felt badly for him.

Friday, May 28th

Ernie made the sphere into punch daggers. Nikolai meditated to prepare to enter Arcadia.

Regina explained that she was concerned that it would depress her to come close to Arcadia again, so she decided to stay home.

Saturday, May 29th

3:00 AM

The motley met with Jeremiah in the wee hours of the morning outside the Autumn meeting ground. They following him into a hedge path he opened along the Equinox Road to Arcadia. As they traveled, Jeremiah explained that he had made a deal with one of the Fae that would permit him to "get what he wanted most," but that now that he had Nikolai - who could leave Arcadia at will - it was no longer necessary for him to hand over a changeling to the Chronophage as payment.

They arrived at a gate to arcadia inside the pendulum door of a massive grandfather clock. Nikolai and Jeremiah entered the Chronophage's domain together and the Chronophage presents Jeremiah with the ragdoll woman Tasha and an infant. It explains that the child, whose name is Victoria, was taken from a timeline wherein Jeremiah and Tasha never were taken to Arcadia, but died in a horrific car accident on their way to a date night. Jeremiah took the child. The Chronophage demanded that Nikolai hand over his tongue, which he did after much shouting, demanding and coaxing from Jeremiah and the Chronophage. It took his tongue and ate it, and Nikolai realized he was no longer THE GENTRY'S GENTLEMAN. He attacked the Chronophage as Jeremiah had a brief meltdown over not getting his way, but then left Arcadia, hoisted his wife, and ran. Nikolai fought the Chronophage briefly, but did not take the opporutnity to leave Arcadia. He demanded his things back from the Chronophage, and it gave him *a* tongue, but not *his* tongue, obstentiously because it was sick of watching him try to talk without it.

Nikolai challenged the Chronophage to a duel, and it asked him when. He said, "Now, and in the hedge where you are limited." The Chronophage agreed. This did not seem like the best decision.

Episode End Credits

Session 47 "Wibbly-Wobbly Timey-Wimey"

Nikolai began the duel with the Chronophage who shunted him forward in time 3 rounds and used various powers to duplicate itself and increase its power. For a few rounds, Nikolai held his own (and tried to summon the Baba Yaga to come to his aid or at least waylay the Chronophage). The fight suddenly took a turn for the worst. Baba Yaga showed up and explained she couldn't interfere in the duel, but did thrown one of the Chronophages into her mortar and pestle.

Eventually, Nikolai was defeated by the Chronophage, being horribly killed a dozen times over and taken to Arcadia. The motley was horrified, but could do nothing to stop him.

As the motley left the hedge, Jeremiah was dealing with Wolfgang and one of his associates, who were interrogating Jeremiah (and sort of Tasha and Victoria) with a video camera. Jeremiah says "See? It's fine!" but when he's told it's complicated, he says, "See? It's complicated!"

Sephie grabs a car seat for Jeremiah.

Seaphie spoke with Jer about the situation with his daughter and asked if it was all worth it.

Jer leaves with his wife.

Everyone goes to sleep at 5 AM and wakes up. 10 AM

Sephie collected and prepared goblin fruit. As she was doing so, a tool letting out a low pinging beep was sitting in a bowl of cereal. The tool measures the crunch factor, but can also temporarily bolster supernatural barriers. Episode End Credits

Sunday, May 30th

(a strange day)

The motley negotiated with Phlox to teleport Nikolai back to their home using the sympathetic connection created by the vial of his blood. In return, Nikolai would, once again, give Phlox a reverse voodoo doll.

Session 48

The motley slept until morning. Cadence also stayed until morning.

Ernie had an idea regarding what they could do during the Strange Days re: Chalkos' lair and wanted to enter dreams to talk to James Sullivan, the dreamer.

They talked to April about The Forever Dream. It sounded as if Ivey had been trying to "help" her and give her a "makeover" which changed her completely. She remembers Ivey "Disney Princessing" and she and the other forest creatures would follow her about. She was then caught in a butterfly net and pinned in a display case, where the Collector would look at her periodically. She said, clutching at her chest, "It still hurts."

Nikolai and Ernie went to Arthur Sullivan's to research the Arcadian Realm of the Forever Dream. A history of the Cereal Box had some information on Ivey as the ruler of Spring. She was a plant woman who gravitated toward flowery places. Her frailties were laid bare (cannot desecrate nature, loses power when her feet are "not planted on the ground", harmed by herbicides). She and her people took out and forged the first Contract of the Cereal Box on the heart of the King of Wellville. They learned that Ivey had stopped visibly aging in her mid-late 30's and that she was about 60 when she hooked up with 16-year-old Billy. They researched this, and the process of becoming a True Fae (which is treated primarily as theoretical).

Hestia made food to bring to Tasha (and the baby?). She helped Jeremiah clean the house, and there was a thick air of hostility between Jeremiah and Hestia, although Tasha seemed to genuinely appreciate everything she did. Tasha explained that Jeremiah was stressed and argued that he really did want what was best for everyone. When she was asked if it was worth it, she responded, "I don't know." Hestia spent most of the afternoon helping out at the house.

Sephie asked about the mages that attacked them. Songbird explained that she's a member of an organization dedicated to the preservation of magic and that the mages they were fighting were dedicated to destroying and hording magic.

They drove around the neighborhood to measure the crunch factor. At the meeting grounds, the crunch factor was approaching a 4.5, at the Hestaurant, it was a just under 2, and outside the Cereal Box it was a 0. Average of 3.3. A single hedge gate opened immediately dropped it by about 0.5 until the gate was closed, then there was a very small lingering decline. At the motley's home, the crunch factor is just below a 3. At the original meeting ground locations are not over 2.0. They decided to head to Freddie and Aaron's and take measurments there. Outside was just over 1, but entering it went up a bit. They went next door to the changeling ghetto and found a 0.8 rating on the mirror, which seemed to follow the mirror.

"This is Jack. I'm out for a snack. Call me back! *BEEP*"

Met up with Smith for training. He said a freebooter named Stephen Sullivan lived in the house and there was some discussion of who he was friends with (not many, but Ivey, Arthur and Holly may be some of them). The mirror led directly to an Arcadian Realm.

Seaphie spoke to Ernie about making something for Firestarter to trade for the Club.

Nikolai and Ernie performed an augury to determine where the mirror went, giving Ernie a sensation described as "the opposite of going home." That was almost certainly the Collector's Realm

The motley goes to sleep hoping to contact James Sullivan, the Dreamer. Hestia and Nikolai were able to make contact with Sullivan and ask him several questions, finding out that he was trying to prepare them for an upcoming battle that he could foresee, but not directly advise them regarding the outcome and nature of it. He revealed that if the Cereal Box was brought down, it would kill him. Thus, it is important that when the Cereal Box is brought down that the Dreamer be awakened first.

Deal with Chalkos - one or both

Collector - connected to all

Lyrissa knows knife

Smith is tied to your destiny

Mary Kingman is w/ her husband

Dahlia is dreaming

Billy's instability

Ivey McCree is the neighbor

56 - you have 2!

Session 48

The motley slept until morning. Cadence also stayed until morning.

Ernie had an idea regarding what they could do during the Strange Days re: Chalkos' lair and wanted to enter dreams to talk to James Sullivan, the dreamer.

They talked to April about The Forever Dream. It sounded as if Ivey had been trying to "help" her and give her a "makeover" which changed her completely. She remembers Ivey "Disney Princessing" and she and the other forest creatures would follow her about. She was then caught in a butterfly net and pinned in a display case, where the Collector would look at her periodically. She said, clutching at her chest, "It still hurts."

Nikolai and Ernie went to Arthur Sullivan's to research the Arcadian Realm of the Forever Dream. A history of the Cereal Box had some information on Ivey as the ruler of Spring. She was a plant woman who gravitated toward flowery places. Her frailties were laid bare (cannot desecrate nature, loses power when her feet are "not planted on the ground", harmed by herbicides). She and her people took out and forged the first Contract of the Cereal Box on the heart of the King of Wellville. They learned that Ivey had stopped visibly aging in her mid-late 30's and that she was about 60 when she hooked up with 16-year-old Billy. They researched this, and the process of becoming a True Fae (which is treated primarily as theoretical).

Hestia made food to bring to Tasha (and the baby?). She helped Jeremiah clean the house, and there was a thick air of hostility between Jeremiah and Hestia, although Tasha seemed to genuinely appreciate everything she did. Tasha explained that Jeremiah was stressed and argued that he really did want what was best for everyone. When she was asked if it was worth it, she responded, "I don't know." Hestia spent most of the afternoon helping out at the house.

Sephie asked about the mages that attacked them. Songbird explained that she's a member of an organization dedicated to the preservation of magic and that the mages they were fighting were dedicated to destroying and hording magic.

They drove around the neighborhood to measure the crunch factor. At the meeting grounds, the crunch factor was approaching a 4.5, at the Hestaurant, it was a just under 2, and outside the Cereal Box it was a 0. Average of 3.3. A single hedge gate opened immediately dropped it by about 0.5 until the gate was closed, then there was a very small lingering decline. At the motley's home, the crunch factor is just below a 3. At the original meeting ground locations are not over 2.0. They decided to head to Freddie and Aaron's and take measurments there. Outside was just over 1, but entering it went up a bit. They went next door to the changeling ghetto and found a 0.8 rating on the mirror, which seemed to follow the mirror.

"This is Jack. I'm out for a snack. Call me back! *BEEP*"

Met up with Smith for training. He said a freebooter named Stephen Sullivan lived in the house and there was some discussion of who he was friends with (not many, but Ivey, Arthur and Holly may be some of them). The mirror led directly to an Arcadian Realm.

Seaphie spoke to Ernie about making something for Firestarter to trade for the Club.

Nikolai and Ernie performed an augury to determine where the mirror went, giving Ernie a sensation described as "the opposite of going home." That was almost certainly the Collector's Realm

The motley goes to sleep hoping to contact James Sullivan, the Dreamer. Hestia and Nikolai were able to make contact with Sullivan and ask him several questions, finding out that he was trying to prepare them for an upcoming battle that he could foresee, but not directly advise them regarding the outcome and nature of it. He revealed that if the Cereal Box was brought down, it would kill him. Thus, it is important that when the Cereal Box is brought down that the Dreamer be awakened first.

Deal with Chalkos - one or both

Collector - connected to all

Lyrissa knows knife

Smith is tied to your destiny

Mary Kingman is w/ her husband

Dahlia is dreaming

Billy's instability

Ivey McCree is the neighbor

56 - you have 2!

Session 49

Monday, May 31st

A Strange Day...

Ernie and Nikolai obtained goods at Menard's and Hobby Lobby to obtain equipment to make an awesome sword for Firestarter and get binoculars and video equipment to surveil Chalkos' compound. (Int+Crafts=8(!))

April wanted to present her findings to the monarchs, but the motley suggested that they could not trust Jeremiah, Lyrissa OR Billy with this sensitive information. Smith is uhhhhh... maybe not as well.

Lunchtime It's not lunchtime That won't happen until 12 PM Smith has just informed me I need to raise my per diem

I charged $20 for consulting Smith said, "That's so low it's insulting"

So I'm gonna' double All my lawyering fees There is no pay freeze I'm gonna' make that bank!

Jack showed up - having left the woods early (thus missing the final night of the Strange Days) - Saturday: Is this our first date? They discussed the broken mirror and whether they could simply destory it, and Jack said that as long as Smith was ok with it, he didn't see why not (as Smith was the one who left it there).

Sephie and Alana attempted a Wits + Animal Ken. Alana (7) and Sephie (1) trained the cats. Sephie wanted to bring them on the stakeout with them and gathered goblin fruit to keep them healthy.

The motley staked out Chalkos' storage facility. Regina decided to join the motley because Chalkos is Smith's enemy. They parked the vehicle some distance away and Ernie searched for a position to stake out. It's the middle of the day. Ernie found what he thought was a good stakeout place, and that getting there would presumably be difficult. Ernie was able to find a path that would bring the rest of the motley there. They were able to get to the point with only Alana making considerable noise.

They scoped out, spotting 2 changelings (an ogre of some variety and a tasmanian devil woman). Suspicious looking gresy / oil-stained box that was put in a different unit. They observed a pizza delivery, where the main entrance security guard dropped pizza off to all of the other ones present (leaving a sign indicating he would return).

They waited until dark so they could leave under the cover of night. They draw a map together - April doodled the Tasmanian Devil Woman and the Ogre Man eating pizza together vaguely erotically.

Night falls and they rest. As they were putting back the cats, Tony managed to signal to Alana and Sephie that they had been spotted during the whole thing. Nikolai had the idea that he would use a trojan horse to bring his motley in. Regina mentioned that she could change her face (she did her best Hestia impression, much to Hestia's dismay). Tuesday, June 1st

Nikolai visited the Enchanted Attic and discussed secret societies in Battle Creek. She mentioned werewolf packs (by way of gangs), the mage Orpheus (who used to have a considerable number of followers), The Rock Four Square Church ("full of pagans who believe in fairy tales"); he showed her the symbol of the secret society he had seen at the cemetary. She found one that was related to the Golden Dawn, but not the same. She makes a phone call and looks into the symbolism, determining that it's part of a secret society "The Golden Sunset," concerned with guiding their souls AFTER death. The Bardo Thodol (also known as the Tibetan Book of the Dead). The Psychadelic Experience - Timothy Leary and Ralph Metzner. Nikolai surmized that he believed the individual on the phone was Phlox. Motorcycle Clubs - The Hell's Angels, The Iron Coffins, The Omegas. Nikolai purchased a bottle of holy water "blessed by a high priestess, steeped in rosemary, sage and jasmine."

Taking food to the Pumpkin King's wife with April. Jeremiah tried to block them out, but could not. Roper was hanging out as well. They ate, and Hestia insisted on watching Victoria some day soon so that the Pumpkin King and his wife can go on a date, and he hastily insisted that Friday would work best for him.

Training Smith (3 total successes) to avoid a 1 v 1. Smith implored Alana to explain to him how he was going to cheat. She said they would think of something.

Ernie is making the blade (done on Wednesday 25 x 7 x 9)

Session 50

The motley decided to hear out the Man with the Badge regarding his proposition for Alana, but first needed to locate him. Nikolai had the clever thought to use blood in the hedge to attract the Man with the Badge. They stopped at the donut mill to pick up what they need. The proceeded to friendship park and left the donuts in a gate through the rearview mirror. A few minutes later, an old police car showed up with the Man with the Badge in it, accompanied by three oversized fire ants.

The Man with the Badge offered to erase Alana's criminal record in return for something he wanted - Chalkos. They discussed this at length, considering several possible plans involving double-crossing Chalkos, the Man with the Badge and/or the Red-Eyed Woodsman. April got confirmation that, as informants, they would be kept in the strictest possible confidence. The Huntsman informed them that it would be until the turn of the season and gave them a whistle that would bring him there. "Upon receiving him, my deal will be done." Alana made the pledge with the Huntsman.

Ernie called Johnny Starlight to arrange a meeting with Lyrissa to discuss the Huntsmen. She agreed, by way of Johnny Starlight outside the Old Toys 'R' Us. They promised Jack a burrito to be on standby (under a pledge). Lyrissa is in a "sporty" formal dress and Johnny in a fitty suit. They put all their cards on the table and went inside with Lyrissa while Johnny remained outside.

They eventually gave Lyrissa the feels, which resulted in her breaking down and admitting that she had killed a changeling named Stephen Martin to prevent the Huntsman from taking him after she accidentally marked him on her behalf.

They had a taco party with Jack and discussed his furniture (primarily milk crates).

The motley went back home to get sleep.

Wednesday, June 2

Nikolai, Alana and Ernest spent a total of about 8 hours foraging for promise leaves and were finally able to find 3.

Sephie checked on her goblin fruit and determined that they were not spoiled, but wasn't certain if they WOULD spoil. She WANTS to teach them to patrol their home and disguise themselves as mundane beasts. They also wanted to create a hedge key to let them go in and out.

Hestia was cooking and bringing the food to the Pumpkin King and his wife and checking on her restaurant. She socialized with them briefly (making a fairly good impression) before heading to work.

Ernie was able to create a permenantly enhanced +2 knife (4L and +2 to non damage actions with it). He also kept up on his support network.

Alana contacted Smith to let him know about April's presentation. He agreed to hear them out that night. Smith explained that this isn't new information, but that it does confirm what he needs to do - rebuild the Freehold to include the casino. Alana told him that she thinks that they need to make a deal with Chalkos and Smith agreed, but told her that the only possible deal he could think of was to oust Jack as the Enforcer and give it to Chalkos to start his war with Faerie, and "this is really all Jack has" and on top of that, Jack is unwaveringly loyal, whereas Chalkos could never be trusted. They finished stretching and headed home.

Dahlia called them and told them to come to the Arboretum to meet, as she was concerned about Billy. They arrived and Dahlia explained that she was liberated by one of her close friends in the Cereal Box, but that she didn't want to admit who could break into his penthouse unnoticed. She explained that Billy has lost his mind and that Ivey was talking to him through the hand mirror they recovered for him. Nikolai determined that she had higher Clarity than him. The connection from the mirror to Billy might not be severed by destroying it, but MIGHT if the mirror is destroyed by cold iron at the meeting ground. She gave them the mirror and Nikolai opened a gate straight to the center of the meeting ground. They smashed the mirror and heard a voice on the wind, "No, no no no no NO NO NO NO! YOU WILL NOT RELEASE MY HOLD ON MY KINGDOM!"

Session 51

The plants in the clearing wilted and started to wilt away from the clearing. The hedge maze began to melt away and the noise of the infuriated centataurs in the distance. The motley escaped back to the Freehold through the gate they came through. Nikolai went back through the portal. As Nikolai is about to leave, the plant life attempted to grab Nikolai, who managed to shake his way free of the thorny vines that lash around his leg. The motley returned to tha Arboretum.

The motley boarded their vehicle and returned hom to sleep.

Nikolai dreamed of a sapling, which he stomped, sending tendrils of roots digging through the soil and awakening him with a start.

Thursday, June 3

Ernie mentioned to Hestia that he was prepared to hook Firestarter up with the trade item they prepared for him to exchange for the club. She called Songbird and she said they could meet tomorrow after class (2 PM) and would talk to Firestarter about where to meet up.

Ernie, Nikolai and Sephie went out to hunt glamour. Sephie went out to hunt at the soup kitchen (3). Nikolai goes to spook some day drunks (3+1). Ernie went and played with the neighborhood kids (4).

Hestia, Regina, Alana and April all went to the Hestaurant with varying plans to work. Regina wore headphones.

Helen and Lydia came to the restaurant and advised the motley that Billy was not waking up that morning. They said that they put him in the back of the Range Rover. April realized that the power over Billy was, in fact, magic. Alana contacted the rest of the Motley who agreed to convene at Billy's Penthouse. Helen and Lydia explained that Billy had dealt with Lyrissa and that they had a back and forth where it was a "you know I know you know I know" situation; Billy asked to be left alone with Lyrissa and Helen and Lydia went to bed together, and became too distracted to eavesdrop.

Nikolai considered what sort of magic might cause sleep; sleeping beauty, snow white, and other stories where a curse triggered eternal sleep; he considered Rip Van Winkle et al.

Hestia asked Lydia and Helen to leave the room so they could try to enter Billy's dreams. Sephie: 16, Hestia 9, Ernie 15, April 13, Regina 12, Nikolai 17, meaning all but Hestia made it into the dream.

The dream is a watercolor rendering of the old Spring meeting ground. Nikolai called out to Billy and followed the response of "polo"; oragami birds followed them; the landscape became more solid and realistic and the ground is covered in kudzu. Billy was there in full faun form, trying to assemble a mirror. Billy was agitated and erratic, but every member of the motley managed to convince him that he should wake up. Billy was remorseful of everything, but could not figure out how to wake up.

Sephie gets a text from her daughter about where to meet with her tomorrow about potentially exchanging the item that Ernie had made for Firestarter for the club that nominally belongs to Billy.

Nikolai wakes up from the dream and contacts Phlox, who teleports there.

Sephie would meet with Firestarter and Songbird tomorrow during evening twilight at Sojourner Truth monument. Nikolai takes Phlox home.

Regina confronted Ernie about telling Billy what was good for him.

Session 52

Nikolai took Phlox home, more or less wordlessly.

Ernie explained to Regina why he felt that he coulld convince Billy not to do what he wanted, and Regina seemed to accept that.

Billy explained that they needed to help him select a new King, and eventually settled on Freddie (who arrived with Aaron and two guys in tow) and Billy quickly initiated a power exchange, giving

Phlox 'I'm sure you plucky little guys'll pull through just fine." "Don't be a stranger, be a customer!"

Nikolai owes Phlox a minor favor.

What now? Let's try to break the spell. Billy had finished with Lyrissa and fell into slumber, where he found Ivey and started to draw close to her. He talked to her like he was there with her, and the experience was more vivid.

The motley mostly returned home to have dinner, with Nikolai buying him Popov, Jack and (lol) Fireball.

"Jack will get you off!"

Friday, June 4th

Things on the schedule:

• Meeting with Songbird
• Spa day and mani-pedis with Tasha
• Jer and Tasha seeing The New Daughter

Ernie headed to Menard's to get a large amount of Roudup and souping up the backpacks (extended Craft).

Hestia picked up Tasha for a spa day. "We'll do them better the next time around... oh wait" "They blind you with vegetables, they cover you with mud and hot wax, and they step on you... and you pay them?" "Yes." "What is safe word?" Left the Cereal Box and went to Red Robin, despite how inadvisable that is, but ended up with delicious burgers and road rage issues.

Training Smith. Asked about why Freddie is in charge (convinced him everything was fine, thinking successfully).

Sephie was meeting with Firestarters and Songbird along with Nikolai and Ernie about the exchanges and debts they needed to square up. He traded the club for the sword and Nikolai gave him three bottles of liquor. Songbird asked her mother what was going on, and offered to help her in any way she could. Nikolai explained that he craved violence and, not knowing what to say, Firestarter said he was "a man after his own heart," unsteadily.

The motley planned to contact Chalkos.

Nikolai went to the Enchanted Attic. Purchased a large handmade dream catcher and a small pendant dream-catcher. The large one was made by an Oran Guadalupe-Twogoats "Thinks Like a Mountain." When asked, Nikolai said that "I have a church I attend." Barb mentioned a book club that met every other Tuesday. Barb recorded Nikolai's name in a book regarding to the book club. Barb threw in lavender incense.

Friday night, Roper sat in the walkway and read "Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman." "I am large, I contain multitudes." "He always gets this way when he eats a whole rack of ribs."

Tasha asked Hestia to be Victoria's godmother. Hestia accepted, Jer went inside infuriated.

Before going to bed, Nikolai hung the dream-catchers.

Saturday, June 5th

Nikolai contemplated creating an antimagic token. He believes it might be able to prevent magic from outside the Changeling realms, but hard to say. He decided to research.

Ernie, Alana and April were discussing the possibility of finding the specific locations for the new meeting grounds. The general consensus in the motley was that the casino would be best suited as the neutral grounds.

Ernie continued to take care of his support network. Through several shell companies, he created fly-by-night construction / refurbishing company that would employ changelings. With 3 successes, he was able to organize the actual workplaces and hierarchies.

The motley discussed how to convince Chalkos to help.

The motley was able to get Chalkos' email from Firestarter ([email protected]) and sent an email asking Chalkos for assistance in the matter of killing the Huntsman. Within 30 minutes, Chalkos responded asking for a number. On the phone, they could hear cars. They admitted to making a deal with the Huntsman, and convinced Chalkos to work with them. He agreed to do it before the fight, but admitted and insisted that he recognized this could be an ambush. He didn't want to fight in the Cereal Box or Hedge if he could avoid it. Chalkos stated that he had some farmland in Belleview that he could mow part of a cornfield for. Chalkos wanted to examine the token and that he would only agree to it if only one member of the Motley went. Nikolai agreed because Ernie couldn't drive. 10 o'clock tonight was the agreed upon meeting time.

Nikolai will be sent to the Meijer parking lot.

Hestia was still going to go on the date with her fiancee.

10:30 AM - Alana receives a call on her phone. Granny Lovett called to inquire regarding Billy's current sleep habits. She said a little bird had told her something. Lovett asked what Alana thought Smith's odds were against Chalkos. She explained that she had the long-term stability of the freehold weighing heavily on her. Navigation menu

Session 53

Ernie played with neighborhood kids to restore his glamour. Nikolai, likewise, hunted for glamour at the YMCA by aggressively lifting weights in an intimidating and unpleasant manner, and got a bit glamour drunk. Hestia prepped for her date with Jack. Alana was feeling unwell and stayed in bed with April ministering unto her with delicious chicken soup. Sephie helped Hestia with a makeover for her date with Jack (exceptional success). Jack arrived in his silver gray Toyota camry. Hestia wore her dress with a shawl and Jack wore his good JC Penny Suit. Jack is 31.

Nikolai's plan was to meet with Chalkos' occult specialist.

Katie Malone Libra - Green and Yellow - 3,7,11 - Daffodils are my favorite flowe Date with jack at Clara's on the River.

Granny Lovett showed up at the meeting place and spoke with Nikolai about the tokens of the Collector's Huntsmen. She asked about breaking them and attempted to use a cigarette lighter to damage the badge, which proved damage resistent. She even attempted to back over the badge. She confirmed that Chalkos will be pleased by the nature of the badge. The true danger of the Huntsmen is that they are hard to follow. She asked Nikolai who he supported. They agreed that Christopher (Chalkos) will be the one to cut himself with the knife to summon the Huntsman. The Cereal Box is curdling and spoiling and growing thin.

Back to the date, the street is very suddenly vacant

Nikolai is driving home.

Three hounds of the Wild Hunt, two soggies and the Earlkonig attack them; Jack Strong was severely injured in the pursuit and had a badly broken arm.

Nikolai suffered from the Crunchatized Condition after using the Crunchatizer too many times trying to dispel the Earlkonig.

Session 54

Sephie evaluated Jack back at the home, and determined that it would take 3 weeks for Jack to recover and, without further magical assistance, it would be unlikely that he would ever get completely back to normal. He decided to call in based on this.

Sunday, June 6th

Hestia is reading a book and keeping Jack company; she is suffering guilt from her feelings of responsibility for Jack's condition.

Alana and Sephie played with cats to try to train them further, teaching them exceptionally.

Ernie works on his Roundup gun, but realized that he needed additional equipment for it... and got pretty serious about, using a two-stroke engine from a weedwhacker and sets himself up with a powerful blast defoliant weapon.

Nikolai meditated upon the nature of the soggies, and decided that the cause of the incursion was fae magic. Nikolai realized that he would gain a deeper undestanding as soon as he understood why the soggies were embodied in physical form.

The motley sent email to Chalkos suggesting that the ambush against the Huntsmen take place in such a way that it can be dealt with before the Coronation. Chalkos suggested that some dates were set, but exact planning will be based on the full amount of the strike force, and he'll need to get the input from his occult expert.

Roper was called regarding the red eyed woodsman and requested Roper's aid. Roper agreed to help, but also wormed information on the soggies and the Earlkonig (though not by name) out of Nikolai.

Ernest called Johnny Starlight, who agreed to help and explained that Roper and Chalkos get along "like a dog and a sealion" inasmuch as "they don't interact, so it doesn't matter."

Ariana Lassar's phone was answered by a man, who took a message. A half hour later, Arianna called Ernest. Ernest made a pledge with Dahlia not to intentionally cause harm to or restrain Dahlia. Ernest informed Arianna that Jack was injured and would not be avaliable. Arianna pointed out that literally all the enforcers in the Freehold would be absent if Dahlia went with. Ernest agreed that was a good point, and passed on it, though Dahlia stated that she would provide the information anyway and Arianna provided her email.

Content with the day's accomplishments, the motley went to sleep.

Monday and Tuesday, June 7th and 8th

Hestia watched a movie with a recovering Jack Strong, taking only a few brief breaks to care for Jack.

Nikolai is going to meditate further, hoping to unccover mysteries regarding Billy's status and how to correct it. He considered the fact that the Forever Dream was where he was in his dreams. Nikolai realized that the only way to get Billy free, is to convince him to give up a point of Wyrd and cut his ties to Ivey.

Ernie continues to work on his backpacks, and is able to complete them.

Sephie has to care for Jack, and preps her medical bag to be well equipped for the battle with the Huntsmen.

April returned with books on Name Magic and Eastern Magic from the Enchanted Attic. She specifically emphasized the importance of Name Magic to her current tasks. She suggested that True Name Magic can be used to summon anyone, especially in naturally fluid places such as the hedge. Nikolai said she should focus on keeping safe, and she excitedly explained she would focus on keeping the motley safe at any cost.

Session 55

The motley made a number of preparations on Thursday for the confrontation on Friday.

Chalkos advised them to come to the farm around 6 PM to begin preparing for the preparations.

April recommended burying the hatchet with Chalkos and trying to work something reasonable out and Alana joined in. There was an argument regarding Chalkos' immoral behavior that had counterpoint against the motley's own immoral behavior ("Billy kidnapped his opponent! We tried to buy a corpse!").

5 PM rolled around and the motley drove to Chalkos' compound, where they came upon a hedge of pine trees. They arrive at the compound and are urged into a parking spot. He informed them that they would be covering all the vehicles with camoflage netting.

For the man with the Badge, Alana will let him know to come here. For the Red Eyed Woodsman, he needs to stab himself. They discussed the possiblity of allies, weapons, locations and plans. Ernie infused Sasha.

Holly pointed out crow spies present at the farm. Ernie has scattered improperly timed watches around the premesis as a prophylaxis against the Chronophage. Ernie stabbed himself with a Lethal damage, and Alana blew the whistle.

The Red-Eyed Woodsman, the Man with the Badge and an entorage including vehicles for the both of them (a tractor for the Woodsman and the patrol car for the man with the badge).

Johnny Starlight managed to disable the patrol car (but not before it seriously injured

Alana charges his vehicle. There was a fearsome battle, during which the Man with the Badge was defeated and the Red Eyed Woodsman was badly injured. Chalkos subdued a leechfinger changeling that was assaulting Regina. As the motley fought, a horn was heard blasting in the distance announcing that Prince Kindhearted was on his way.

Session 56

Nikolai and the Red Eyed Woodsman exchange blows and nearly bowl Hestia over.

Johnny Starlight the tractor and climbing up it.

Ernie pulls his sister away from the garden and listens to her ramble about Arcadia as she meets Sephie so she can treat Regina's wounds.

Hestia and Alana, together, pin the Red Eyed Woodsman and finally dispatch him, burning him away into a shriveled stump.

Nikolai flashed back to his time with Prince Kindhearted. Nikolai remembered agreeing that anyone with whom he is bound would be a weapon unto him. He and his ten attendant knights find himself

Prince Kindhearted commissioned a riding sword for Nikolai and granted him the bond of the weapon with illegal cold iron, that now includes part of Nikolai.

Alana tries to break the badge (Hardness: 3, Size 2, Durability 5 X)

Starlight disabled the tractor.

Stabalized Regina, who made Ernie very sad.

Prince Kindhearted took Nikolai accross

Ernie managed to destroy the knife.

Roper was sliced by the Knight Invisible, who seems to be stalking the field.

Nikolai remembered the exchange between Kindhearrted and the Lich. He remembers accepting that he was paid what he was owed.

Alana destroyed the badge. The Huntsmen are destroyed.

Ernie told Prince Kindhearted to LET IT GO... Kindhearted gave him a coin and told him that he would someday make a great faerie.

It's a double edged sword.

Ernie: Become Respected Member of the Freehold Regina: Tasting from Arcadia One More Time Alana: Logal Troubles, Become Respected April: Confront Something that Truly Frightens Her

Nikolai squishes up the coin with a nail

Sephie, Ernie, Regina, Roper

Alana wants to parley with Chalkos and the rest remain.

Nikolai agreed to back Chalkus as Summer Monarch, and Chalkos agreed to pass on the Summer Crown when the time came.

Chalkos returned to the freehold.

In the glove compartment is an ivory domino inlaid with ebony; with a beautiful picture of battle creek; a postcard bound for their home. "Wish you were here."

Regina told Ernie that "I think I need to see dad."

Session 57

The motley rallied at their home and got some sleep, suddenly reminded that the World's Largest Breakfast Table was tomorrow and, furthermore that Billy could not possibly be in attendance.

Sephie had a memory dream of killing her fetch.

Nikolai remembered being in the cavalry with Prince Kindehearted.

Alana dreamt of being a wild beast in the jungles of her homeland.

Ernie had a memory dream of Regina's experience and remembered the fairytale ending after her father's abuse and came to an understanding of why his sister wanted what she wanted.

Hestia dreamt a dream of her summer wedding with rows and rows of chairs and every changeling in the Cereal Box in attendance, with the crown surrendered to her willingly by Smith and Chalkos. The Collector offered Hestia the most perfect, beautiful moment, crafted by the Chronophage. Something blue: a blue jay. Something old: a locket containing a picture of her old husband and the blessing to move on.

Saturday, June 12th

Alana woke up everyone in the Motley who didn't wake up on their own and Hestia shared her dream with Alana, while Hestia tried to relax.

April suggested they "Weekend at Bernie's this whole thing."

Nikolai suggested that maybe Billy can just "wake up" for this important event. Also that maybe they can just say Billy couldn't make it. Also, Brian Henson "doesn't do that".

Ernie realized that he could fix the mirror and possibly wake him up.

Regina pointed out that she can change her appearance.

"No one better than a nurse to remove an Ivey (IV) from someone!" - Jacob

Ernie convinced Freddie and Aaron to delay their plan.

Sephie used Perfect Mending.

The party goes to Billy's. Freddie and Aaron are there. The party saw through Freddie's disguise almost immediately. He hooked up Alana and Nikolai up with hair of the dog (wine for Nikolai, actual magic for Alana).

Sephie used PERFECT MENDING to fix his heart.

They convinced Billy to make his offer contingent on denying all other loyalties.

They would have to leave just about now to make it on time.

The motley proceeded to the Breakfast Table, where the changelings of the Freehold has set up their area and are eating a sumptuous breakfast.

Craig Weston, Roper and many others were present. Ernie mingles with the newbies in the Freehold while Sephie checked on Roper. Hestia promoted her restaurant.

Alana spoke with Smith, who became agitated that she hadn't "taken care of" Chalkos. Ultimately, he explained that "safe" places from the Freehold are not "good" places.

Billy gave his speech, wherein he announced not only that the newcomers were now fully fledged members of the Freehold, but also that he would leave the Freehold at the start of Autumn and "sail to distant shores"

Session 58

Ernie hobnobs with the people from the flophouses, finds out that Blair is having difficulty finding work because she doesn't have skills or needs .

Hestia works with her Granny's Place people and finds Tasha and Victoria, slipping by The Pumpkin King to talk to her. He eventually stormed off after suggesting accusatively that Hestia would serve mimosas at brunch tomorrow. Eventually, he stormed out, announcing he was going to find his brother.

Chalkos and his men told stories of their exploits, making themselves sound like superheroes to the motley's general heroics. Ernie resolved, after failing to contradict Chalkos' story, to dunk on Chalkos, possibly via a radio play.

Billy announces now that there are a number of goblins and hobgoblins in the Freehold. Janglejaw gives a speech about Strange Days. October 24th and 31st are Strange Days, which will probably go over PHENOMENALLY with the Pumpkin King.

The band has a mortal in it that has some kind of dark magic, but the rest are forgettable.

The Pumpkin King returned with a bottle of pills, which he shook like a rattle at Victoria before Hestia separated from them.

Smith appraoches Alana a second time and expresses his concern once more, suggesting he should "live it up" like Billy.

Sunday June 13th to Friday the 18th

Hestia and Ernie are working on the addition to the house (will be completed on Friday).

Ernie also wants to set up an AM radio station and compose a radio play to make the motley look good, for which he wants to recruit April with Nikolai's assistance.

Sephie is going to open urgent care private practice for changelings, but doesn't even know where to begin.

Nikolai has acquired a part time job at the college library, which gained him full faculty access to the library.

Smith calls Nikolai to ask about less than savory methods of winning the duel. They discuss a number of possibilites, including werewolves, magi, vampires and Maag Brunt, as well as picking up powerful drugs.

They had the Pumpkin King and his wife over for brunch and asked him about his plans. He informed Nikolai that Holly would be running things when he is king and that he set Smith up with his brother, Phlox, and that both parties paid him. "My money is on Smith."

Monday, June 21st

Smith burnt himself out killing Chalkos, pulling his skull out of his head (after ingesting a murder spirit, 100 mg of methamphetamine, wearing a duster given to him by Phlox).

Text from Kalingrad

dearest grandson; There is a shark circling your island and your island is sinking ... do you wish to come hone for a while?

Nikolai responded I need to take care of my friends, but then I will come home for a while.

A few changeling

Radio Free Fae

Cincinnati's The Culture (with Maven of the Morning Drive) and Lansing's the Thorns (with DJ Hamlin)

The duel ended with Smith killing Chalkos after belching black tar in his face and eventually ripping his skull and spine out of his face.

Session 59 "Summertime"

The duel over, the crowd scatters and Chalkos' men bag him and take him out. The gang went to the Hestaurant and ate and drank. Hestia gave out free food to fulfill her Virtue (given her willpower issues), Nikolai was abrasive at the bar and Ernie pretended to be a mildly abused child to recover glamour. Sephie is checking up Jack, who is now ambulatory.

Hestia contacted Granny Lovett and asked her what could be done about their cheating monarch and how she could assume the throne. Granny told her that there were options, most notably that she could do something great for the Freehold in service of summer.

Ernie contacted Chelsea King to offer her voice acting work and a DJ position on his nascent radio station, and she also recommended 'Do, though with the caveat that it was because he had experience. He also contacted Isaac Oldman and left a voicemail.

Sephie spoke with Songbird about love, sex, school and the evil warlock that keeps sending her menacing messages. She was doing well in classes and thinking of changing her major from astrophysics to engineering. She was sincerely uncertain if the warlock could do anything BUT send threatening messages.

They discussed the Dreamer and how to fix the Cereal Box without killing the Dreamer. April pointed out that the current plan is the best way to get a 50/50 vs a 100% failure. They determined that the signatories might not need to be the monarchs, but it would be helpful to have the Paris contract to compare with. He contacted a changeling in Paris named Jean LeBou (a frog-man) who explained to him that he isn't willing to give more info than that monarchs always HAVE been the signatories, not whether they MUST be.

Tuesday, June 22nd

Ernie is dolling himself up for the coronation and Regina said she wanted a magical dress. Jack dressed up in his finest, as did Alana. Nikolai wears his leaf tuxedo. Sephie wears her nicest scrubs. April wears a high neck open back dress in rainbow hue. While they were getting prepared, Alana get a nail cestus.

The Motley makes their way to the noontime coronation of Alexander Smith, who is wearing a hedgespun military uniform with shifting medals that reflect what he's saying. He announces that it is his intention to unify the Freehold. He expresses that he is sick to death of people saying that he is a milquetoast ruler, and that he is not merely going to unify the Freehold and reforge the cereal box to include the Firekeepers Casino, but set an example for what Summer should represent and carry out a form of Chalkos' desire - to stage a war from the safety of the Freehold and make it a refuge for all.

Phlox and the dealer from the Casino were waiting outside the coronation and Jeremiah wanted to avoid them because he was certain his brother wanted something from him. Jeremiah left, however, and Phlox acknowledged, but did not confront him, which caused him distress and annoyance. It turned out, they were both there to speak with Smith, and were in no hurry.

April asked Alana on a date, admitting that she wasn't actually sure if Alana was into girls at all. Alana admitted that she wasn't sure she was into ANYONE, but agreed to go on the date.

Session 60

The motley left the coronation, having exhausted their desire to be there.

Jack is 25 and spoke of the nuances of different microwave dinners after Hestia suggested he was 37 and mentioned that she herself was 28 (or 80 - older than Jack's Grandma, but younger than his Great-Grandma, which makes her his Super Grandma).

Hestia became:

AWKWARD WITH JACK -1 to interactions with or about Jack; may attempt 1/day to clear

Ernie and Nikolai went to the radio station. The station had machinery, production, pre-production and a waiting area, as well as a library. The front area should be reception. They planned to speak with Do about radio station there. The place needs a remodel and rearranagement. He talked about adding a break room. Do complained about the sound proofing and, being a former radio station, it seems that a number of things not frequently used might have been housed in the adjacent church.

As they were exploring, Nikolai caught a glimpse of a creature he believed to be a Hidebehind, a sort of vicious cryptid that is virutally impossible to spot, as it's always in someone's blind spot. Do suggested that trapping it between two mirrors should fully disorient and drive it away. The most important thing, Do claims, is that as long as they're there in a group and always kind of looking at each other, they're safe, as the creature doesn't premit itself to be spotted. Do further clarified that cryptids are just cryptids - not spirits or aliens - and that Catholics can hurt vampires because of their mass of collective faith. He also confirmed that there would be no terrible water leaks.

Wednesday, June 23rd

The motley woke up after a solid night of sleep. Nikolai and Alana had plans to meet with Smith to discuss the logistics of reforging the Cereal Box. Smith's secretary can pencil you in at 1 PM. They met him at the city tax and accounting department. Smith suggested that he was pleased that they had taken and interest in "civic planning." He said that there was a physical manifestation of each meeting ground that connects it to a Hollow in the Hedge, allowing them to be tied back. He admitted to being uncerain if this was 100% necessary, however. He explained, further, that he wants to reforge the contract in a way that prevents it from needing to be torn down and rebuilt every single time. He admitted that he dealt with the great spirit of the Casino - a massive powerful Turtle spirit. He suggested that he might not be able to take part in the ritual to dedicate it - the motley would likely have to. Alana argued that keeping the Casino neutral would help keep the balance of the Freehold, and Smith, after an uncomfortably long break, suggested that because the project of the Summer Court, he didn't want it to be poached. Brenda McMichaels, he said, could join for the ritual to establish it as the neutral ground. He then ended the meeting by saying that Chalkos' men need to be "brought to heel" as they are "rambunctious and salty"

Nikolai considered how to occlude the location after the ritual is performed. Nikolai recognizes, that he doesn't REALLY need to occlude the ritual if the window of time is limited to hijack. Nikolai and Alana return to the motley that afternoon.

Ernie was working on getting water an utilities established for his radio station.

Sephie is spending the morning discharging Jack and traveling into the hedge to check on her garden and play with her cats. The cats were playful, the hedge fruits were progressing well. Hestia encouraged Jack to pack up stuff so they can start moving it. Jack mentioned that he only needed two or three cardboard boxes, and after brief discussion, it's determined that this will contain, more or less, the sum total of his possessions.

The motley convened regarding the Casino and generally agreed that it should be the neutral meeting ground, especially as they include representatives of nearly every court in their motley (and EVERY Court if Sephie decides to join Spring), leaving them uniquely situated to act as arbiters of this. They suggested several locations:

Autumn:

• Lumber yard in Pennfield
• Bowling alley?

Summer:

• The Air National Guard Base
• Fort Custer Park

Winter:

• Funeral home by Urbandale (Bachmann Hebel)

Spring:

• A place for a club? Maybe somewhere that would be a club scene!

Strange Days:

• The Mall? Maybe a blank storefront.

Session 61

Hestia went to work.

The motley discussed the placement of points in the new cereal box and went to Arthur Sullivan's library to research the Hidebehind along with Do. They determined that it is a creature that may be capable of teleporting between any two places that could not be seen and might melt into maple syrup upon death. They harassed / murdered lumberjacks with its razor sharp claws. It also abhors the odor of alcohol and cannot abide being caught in a mirror.

Sephie has decided to join the Spring Court and takes up its mantle, which she does without substantial pomp or ceremony.

The motley discussed plans to meet with the monarchs, expressing hesitancy regarding whether to speak to ANY of the monarchs. Johnny advised that Lyrissa could meet with them at 3 PM Friday. They admitted that Smith approached them first, but that no one else has been spoken to before them. The motley

Hestia is going to try to go on another date with Jack - Applebee's! Jack explained that he got his job in accounting by making a pledge and basically did nothing to get it. Is it going to be weird doing it a second time? After explaining that there was a lot of pressure on a third date - hanky-panky-wise - they decided that this was their second second date and planned a third date on a path by the river near the college. Hestia permitted Jack to kiss her on the cheek.

Ernie is working on a visual representation of the Cereal Box that can be modified to showcase the information as appropriate.

Hestia picks up Jack's moving supplies and unpacks the boxes, noting how sad his life waas. Jack comes to pick up Hestia and they go for a walk together. They acquired additional underwear for Jack. She manages not to feel ever more awkward after ssing his life. He explained that things in the world have changed and expectations are different but that she doesn't need to change. Hestia finally felt something of a connection.

Jack asked Hestia point blank if it was the third date, or just the second second second date, after explaining that most people KISS on the third date, they finally kissed. Jack explained that his birthday is December 27th and then suddenly realized that he didn't know Hestia's birthday, which was July 23rd.

June 24th

Thursday at 3 PM, the motley goes to the meeting with Lyrissa. Hestia went to work. Regina has discovered that there are groups on the internet devoted to collecting postcards.

The motley showed up at Lyrissa's study, where she and Johnny Starlight were waiting for them. They explained the crunchatizer and she seemed hung up on the meeting grounds being stronger. She also singled out the point in the ghetto where the Equinox Road was opened. They explained that it was Stephen Sullivan, who Lyrissa explained was not a real person, but a name that was made up when an anonymous scapegoat was needed. She suggested that anyone who would say that has something to hide. Further, Lyrissa pointed out that the problem with the Cereal Box is that the entire concept is flawed. The fact that it DOES degrade is because it was never done correctly. Her plan to correct the flaw in the formula was twofold: first, the points of the cereal box should not be the static properties of any single court, but rotated between all of them widdershins, thus confounding the fae expectation of static power structures; second, the heart that powers it must be ALIVE. The motley mentioned that The Collector is their ideal candidate for "guy whose existence we use to power the Cereal Box," mentioning that he seems tied to about a third of the changelings in the freehold. Lyrissa mentioned that she knew this and it seemed odd, and the motley suggested it was kismet (although Lyrissa thinks it was something deliberate by Kingman and lamented that she didn't have the wherewithal to question him as he was gone).

Lyrissa brought up the fact that a changeling undergoes apotheosis and becomes one of the Fae, and suggested that this would be the best and easiest way to get the heart of a True Fae. She even explicitly pointed out that Billy is clearly planning to do so and bluntly stated, "I won't let Billy return to Arcadia."

When the motley left, Ernie received a call from the Pumpkin King stating that they were to come over immediately because he had something important to discuss with them.

Session 62

The motley proceeded, as directed, to the Pumpkin King's home. He advised them that Victoria and Tasha were not present - the better to discuss this matter.

Although the Pumpkin King initially believed that the motley was conspiring against him (in speaking to Smith and Lyrissa first) . Through conversation, they learned several things - that there had been no True Fae blood to use when sanctifying the points of the cereal box, which unfortunately necessitated the use of the blood of changeling traitors. He also explained that Stephen Sullivan (who had allegedly used the mirror in the changeling ghetto to create a path to Arcadia) isn't real. He's a character the monarchs use when they need to keep a secret.

They discussed possibilities and it was suggested that part of the problem with the Cereal Box is that it has boundaries set by stagnant points at its edges, which he presumed bled power. He thought a central point would work well (as it did in Paris, where the Eiffel Tower acts as a central point of the Paris Freehold). Throughout the meeting, Jer was eating pickles, olives and cheese. Alana deduced that that was all he had and was able to prepare. Hestia wrote a grocery list and offered to shop on behalf of the Pumpkin King, his wife, and her goddaughter.

The motley also learned that Holly has a copy of the Paris accord and wanted to get access to this, but allegedly she keeps it very much under wraps. Ernie suggested that the Sojourner Truth memorial would be an ideal central point. After the meeting they returned home.

Session 63

The motley turned in for the night, exhausted from dealing with hostile monarchs all day, and slept a largely dreamless night.

Friday, June 25th

Hestia shopped for groceries on behalf of both the motley and the Pumpkin King. Alana asked if Hestia would take Alana shopping for clothes for a date while she's out, since Alana doesn't know what to wear. Sephie came along. Hestia also went wedding dress shopping. They shopped at all the ususal places, and fell upon a summer dress in a bold colorful marbled effect. Meanwhile, Hestia chose a pink floral print dress for her wedding. They dropped off the groceries, and Tasha said it was strange having a child that knew you much better than you know them. Hestia held her goddaughter and there was some brief but meaningful bonding.

Nikolai wanted to determine if there are other requirements for the Dreamer, and how hard it would be to procure a backup Dreamer in case the worst happened. Ernie assisted, by leveraging his political savvy to interpret the contract. With a few hours of research, the confirmed that it must be:

• a mortal
• who dreams
• is ensorcelled
• suffers from a severe mental issue that prevents them from rejecting the nightmarish dreamscape

They felt there were still parts of the equation that they did not have. Arthur Sullivan asked them about the Cereal Box and its reforging and what they were researching. They explained that they would be hoping to using the current Dreamer, but that they needed a potential backup. Arthur's expressed concern for "Jimmy", and explained that this was ultimately what was best for him. They said that his power of attorney was Smith (who used Billy's money to keep him safe and healthy). They assured him that they hoped to keep Jimmy. He added that Straid, the previous dreamer, had become obsessed with several changeling in the freehold and had been giving them prescient dreams. The changelings concealed that Jimmy had visited them in their dreams, and discussed how it is that Jimmy is kept unconscious and dreaming.

The motley all arrived home at more or less the same time and puttered around until April and Alana's date. April was very geeked out about the film in the way that only a young adult Disney fan could be, and talked about how scared she was when the toys (in Toy Story 3) were starting to fall into the incinerator and how The Claw was one of the best callbacks she had ever seen. As part of the moviegoing experience, they snuck snacks into the theater (April taking special pleasure in the forbidden hiss of contraband pop being opened). April attempted briefly to hold Alana's hand, which alarmed her a bit, so April gave her space without withdrawing affection. In the end, they ended the night by talking about how it was a little weird that they'd still be sleeping together and that they cared very deeply for each other.

Saturday, June 26th

Smith texted Hestia first thing in the morning - "Need to talk to you. Can you come by this morning?" At his office, a large number of Chalkos' former men were present, but aloof, and Asmondi was shooed out just as they arrived. Smith, who was in the midst of some sort of less accounting looking paperwork, explained that he wanted Hestia to run things because he can't work well as the iron fisted tyrant and will need Hestia to be the next Queen of Summer. He went on to explain that he wanted summer to be a time of warmth and nurturing rather than bellicose hate, and that, given how things went with Chalkos, he would be facing an endless string of challengers if he went on like this (as everyone recognized that he mostly won because of things that were largely not repeatable). He wanted to still run the majority of the Freehold's day-to-day from the background, but wanted Hestia to be a figurehead (and assured her that she would also make decisions). He also suggested that if, God forbid, anything happened to Jack, Alana would be a fantastic enforcer (but that he would love nothing more than to never hit a punching bag ever again). Finally, he asked April to stop drawing him kissing people because it made him uncomfortable.

Regina was upset that Hestia was so dismissive of Smith because she has very little experience running things, while Smith has been at it for a while, but eventually the motley came to the understanding that Hestia wanted to be in charge in a real capacity and was afraid of just being a puppet ruler.

When Sephie went out to care for her cats, Snap brought her to the edge of the Hollow, where she was shocked to find that the cat had dragged in the partially dessicated head of Isaac Oldman with a chess pawn in his mouth.

Session 64

Sephie went to get the motley and told them what the cats had found and brought the motley to the head. Oldman had been dead for several days and the decapitation was not the cause of death. Alana spoke with the cats who advised that they had found the head some distance from the hollow while walking in the hedge. The pawn was glued in place with magic glue and is mundane. Alana changed out of her date clothes.

The cats lead the motley to the edge of a digem swamp where the heavily chewed remains of Isaac Oldman in the swamp. Two entry wounds in the back. April is disconcerted. Alamna searched the area, and confidently determined that the body had been moved. Ernie, meanwhile, determiend that he was shot twice and probably dead. Ernie found himself several rocks that (7 successes). En route, however, April realized they were going somewhere they had been before - the door to the lunar rover in the Collector's domain!

They found a few splotches of red martian earth amid the gray lifelessness of the lunar landscape with small plants growing in it. Sephie was able to determine that Isaac died on the 21st and found a bullet fragment amid the dirt. Ernie believes a changeling did this. The motley specualated as to why this might be, and expressed concern that there was a Collector loyalist somewhere.

A goblin named Bigun Hugesize parleyed with Nikolai and revealed that he had been here a week prior confronting a group of four and ambushed one of them (killing him), and there was a struggle. He accused Nikolai of wanting to beat them up again to extract double tribute when Nikolai suggested that the goblins should run over Nikolai if they see him again looking haggard. Having learned this, the motley made their way back.

The motley returned to the swamp where the body was and discussed what to do. They agreed they could not leave the corpse there, but were uncertain as to how to dispose of it and who to tell about it. They brought him back with a wheelbarrow and a tarp to bring the corpse back to their Hollow. They turned in for the night, with plans to create a miniature morgue and contact several changelings about this in the morning.

Alana dreamed about being at the cinema (a distortion thereof that is both huge and isolated) and an incredible feeling of awkwardness. Alana feels a hand rest on hers and a warming, calming sensation spreads through her - giving her the sense of a presence with April. As she turns, the head of Isaac Oldman falls off his body as she wakes. April admits to dreaming about their date and Isaacs body.

Sunday, June 27th

Ernie is asking around to try to find Isaac Oldman's associates. Vanessa and Do both suggested that Isaac was probably around. Crowley seemed suspicious of the situation and said he would head over and check up on him in a little bit.

The motley preempted this by heading to the house and breaking in, to find signs of a struggle, including a shard of fingernail going into the linen closet. Further signs of struggle cut a furrow through a Hollow, culminating in a lump of cancer like thorny growth in a corner. Nikolai was confident that he wasn't here, so this wasn't him. Alana took the broken fingernail to see if it matches up. After additional investigation, they determined forced entry through the bedroom window. The motley locked up and left.

They checked his computer, and determined that he was very concerned with rehoming changelings and played a lot of video games (never having finished Mass Effect).

They then got a chest freezer in which to place his remains and used that as a makeshift morgue.

"Hestia, what's your favorite song?" "Unforgettable" She said that played at her wedding. Regina said she was creating a postcard collection. Regina then introduced Hestia to internet shopping.

Session 65

The party turned in for the night and had a relatively quiet night.

Monday, June 28th

The motley discussed the possibility of how to proceed. They agreed they would tell Smith about the situation.

Hestia calls Smith. Smith agreed to be there by 9. Smith arrives more or less on time.

"What's the significance of the pawn?"

How are we going to determine who has done this heinous thing?

"Is it possible that he was a loyalist?"

Around noon Holly arrived to perform a seance (Nikolai tried to foil this by "pouring one out" for the dead).

Roper licks his lips and Holly holds the head.

"This is all the Pumpkin King's fault, and you know why."

Nikolai is innocent.

A mannequin, a lizard or reptile, and a living smog

Nikolai pledged to bring the perpetrators to justice prior to the end of Autumn.

Having resolved the situation, the motley eats lunch.

Ernie talks to Regina about talking to their dad. She said she's fine doing it in dreams, but would like to do it when the moment's right. Ernie suggested practicing lucid dreaming, and Regina enthusiastically endorsed a plan to work on it.

Regina did yoga with Alana and, for once, did better than Alana at yoga.

Ernie and Nikolai went and disturbed people at bars, pretending to be a distraught grandson and a drunken grandpa.

Hestia prepares dinner and works on planning her wedding with Jack.

Smith suggested that the body should be embalmed and prepared and that Eric Rowe should be present to fabricate a method of death. Eric explained that he had hit his head and that he had sat to stew for a minute. "It has been a solemn duty doing business with you.

Tuesday, June 29th

Hestia working at her restaurant. Ernie researching the radio station. Ernie and Nikolai went to disturb the disturbed Mage.

"Make Songbird choose a boy. This is dumb. Everything is dumb. I told them she was like the protagonist of a YA novel, and she was like, "You're right," completely missing them point. Also, it's how the Warlock is trying to find her."

April suggested that if they were in danger, she would realize which one she was more worried about. April hit Nikolai when he insisted that they should be put in mortal danger. Sephie said she doesn't think they're at the point in their relationship from doing anything.

They then found Nikolai, badly injured in the laundry room with a bottle of whiskey saying, "I am injured. You have to help me. I love what's you've done with the place - really opens it up. What have I missed?"

Session 66

Nikolai looks up at the motley and smiles weakly. He explained that he was sent back in time by the Chronophage. He asked where the other Nikolai came from and, upon being informed, insisted it was strange that the motley thought HE was weird. He explained that Isaac Oldman was being taken by a Scarecrow, a Dirt Cloud and a Frog woman, and he knew they were going to exchange him to the Collector for something, but he couldn't face them all, so he killed Crowley to prevent him from being Taken.

Nikolai explained that his mission was to stop a dangerous fae rival to the Chronophage, and that he had failed many times, and each time he failed, the Chronophage had thrashed and killed him repeatedly. He said that he kept believing he would succeed, but always failed, and knew that preventing the re-creation of the Cereal Box would prevent it from taking, but literally had no idea why or what actually happens. He knew that he had an adversarial relationship with basically everyone in the freehold at some point, but believed that the source of the problem would be apotheosis, and had a few candidates in mind, most notably Billy.

Billy had said the exact phrase that Ivey had said before leaving for Arcadia. Granny was very powerful, and perhaps secretly ambitious. Jeremiah might be pushed over the edge, but he did not know what conditions might elicit this. Holly might be on the verge of a breakthrough, and that concerned him. Roper once outgrew his skin. He expresses distrust for April but doesn't explain why. He says Alana... has a strong punch (to whiich she responds that he will be fine if he doesn't *deserve* to be punched). Sephie might be a danger if he daughter is threatened. Nikolai, of course, did not believe he had ever had to deal with Nikolai. He further said that Phlox once "drowned in sadness." He furhter stated that he was somewhat wary of all the monarchs (including and especially Lyrissa and Billy) and their defenders. He expected Chalkos to be a threat, but was surprised that Smith had killed him.

He admitted that there were several people he was not concerned about: Arianna Lasarra and Martin Solomon, for example. He had barely remembered Maag Brunt, Wendell Baker or Aaron and Freddie, and therefore thought of them as no risk. When he was told that July 18th is Hestia's wedding, he immediately insisted that was too late, but he wasn't sure by how much. He further stated that he knew that the motley would not consent to the destruction of the Cereal Box, so they really needed to prepare to take on whoever is about to achieve apotheosis.

They discussed the frailties of the more powerful changelings, and listed the ones they knew, with Nikolai (now dubbed "blue Nikolai" because of the blue sharpee pen mark April put on the back of his hand):

• Lyrissa cannot offer hospitality unless asked.
• Smith has to try new things
• Billy cannot cross water without a bridge without experiencing disaster (and is thus, terrified of flying)
• Granny must ALWAYS offer hospitality

Everyone speculated regarding what Roper could or could not eat, but felt it was related.

They discussed how to get Sephie's daughter in front of the monarchs to evaluate their power levels. They decided they could accomplish multiple things at the same time if they moved up Hestia's wedding and tricked Songbird into picking one of her boyfriends as a guest, or a first dance, or to catch the garter belt, but Hestia was largely unwilling to go through with moving the wedding up, for fear of her dream.

Jack returned home and came comically close to discovering the second Nikolai several times. Due to a dramatic failure, thought, Jack was alerted to the presence of the other Nikolai, and they explained that they encountered a True Fae, but and Jack wanted to know where and why. Everyone refused to say, but he admitted that the largest reason he developed the frailty he did was that he has trust issues and, on top of that, that he's the Summer enforcer and needs to know about True Fae threats. The pacified him by asking if he trusted Hestia and promising she would tell Jack before he got married.

Session 67

The motley continued to discuss their options regarding how to deal with Sephie's daughter, eventually agreeing that the plan should be to eliminate the threat to Songbird rather than "deal with" her love triangle. Alana gave an impassioned speech about how Songbird is the VICTIM here, and she REFUSES to make the victim have to change her life because she's under attack.

Wednesday, June 30th

Nikolai spent the morning acquiring a crystal ball, and was able to find one that would work for both scrying and counter-scrying. Ernie decided consecrated the tool to make it much more powerful. Nikolai was warned to keep it covered - not because it's dangerous that someone could see through it, but because it's a lens that will focus light.

Songbird arrived for lunch and was informed about the warlock situation. Alana and Hestia convinced Songbird that this is not a benign situation, since most stalkers escalate after initially making benign contact. Songbird recognized that this was, of course, important and true, and admitted that this was an issue that needed to be addressed (while mentioning that she knew how Phlox felt about her love triangle, but "He doesn't understand how friendship and love work").

The warlock made contact with Songbird again at this time, appearing as a frightening white-haired wizard with a long beard. "Behind the curtain," and using the scrying crystal ball he had acquired, Nikolai was able to see that a middle-aged middle eastern man with a goatee and shaggy black hair was sitting in sweatpants with a bowl of oatmeal making the threats. Through a window visible in the living room, Nikolai could see a north-facing lake. Through counter-scrying, Nokolai was able to scope out the apartment and the motley determined the most likely complex for it to be. The motley determined that there was a coffee house named Beaner's nearby. They discussed numerous ways they could stake out or assault the location.

By magical manipulation and clever triangulation, Nikolai was able to view the apartment from where he was again, which gave him the impression that it was a ground floor apartment. Nikolai determined that this was a ground floor apartment and became very certain he could open a hedge gate there. They discussed what steps they should take and the motley settled on invading the place and signaling their compatriots from outside.

They justified a strike against him on numerous grounds, not least the threats against Songbird (which suggested she had three days to submit to the Seers of the Throne lest doom befall her. They further argued, "He was trying to steal changeling things!" to which Songbird suggested, "Well, to be fair, so were we." The motley shot back, "But you didn't throw lightning at us, shoot us, or throw us out a window."

The motley decided that they should infiltrate exclusively via hedge gate to avoid leaving any traces for mortals and non-changeling to follow.

3 beats