The Price Recap: Transitions

Originally published October 25, 2013

Time for another recap of my Changeling: the Lost Chronicle The Price. We begin the final story in the World of Darkness: Innocents section of the game. A full index can be found here. By the end of this session the child characters will have their Seemings, Kiths, and in most cases their full complement of Contracts.

Our cast:

• Marco McQueen: 12-year-old sometimes-bully seeking respect and to reconnect with his father. Suspicious of Ruzena, a Changeling dating his father. He knows the Contract of Fleeting Spring.
• Miroslav "Mir" Callaghan: 13-year-old goth kid who wants to learn real magic. A harrowing experience in the Witch-House, gave him the Darkling Seeming. He traded the tormented lore he learned there to join the Guild of Shadows.
• Nicole "Nikki" Callaghan: sticky fingered 10-year-old sister who traded her emotional attachments for the gift of artistry. She has something like the Artist Kith and has learned the Contract of Mists.
• Rocco McQueen: 10-year-old genius hacker who was crippled in childhood accident. But he made a deal at the Night Market where he was infused with a permanent electrical charge. Now an Elemental, he wants to confront his absent mother.

When last we left our protagonists, they were in the Night Market, just after Rocco regained the use of his legs.

Transitions

We begin our session with a quick discussion of Seemings for the the two characters who have yet to acquire one, Nikki and Marco. The player of Miroslav was also running a bit late so he doesn't feature much in the first couple scenes. When he did arrive however he indicated he has chosen his Kith: Palewraith. His time in the Witch-House has left him translucent and hard to see as if he was fading away.

The Night Market bustles with activity. Crowded into a network of tight alleyways, merchant stalls press against each other, struggling for space and even touching stalls on opposite sides of the narrow pathways.

Rocco looks around, stumbling about on his newly invigorated legs. Past the brightly colored tents, the children can make out graffiti covered brick. The intersection where Dr. Salvador's lab sits is marked with a stylized eye and what looks like a hammer. While Marco talks with his brother about what happened, a trio of beautiful women come down one of the alleys chatting about some festival presentations.

Nikki overhears them discussing the need for a mural for the festival. One of the woman says it should show Venice in springtime. As they discuss the details, the little girl hurriedly sketches out a design. One of them sees the girl's drawing and smiles to others. She and her sisters discuss this precocious artist before introducing themselves as the Syzygy Sisters. They ask Nikki if she would help them with their project. As they fawn over the girl they propose that she join the Court of Jewels. Nikki mentions her bad experience with the other Guilds. The Sisters agreeing that the Union treated her quite unfairly and manipulate Nikki into following them. Miroslav trails behind to keep an eye on his sister.

The Syszygy Sisters are a Hob trinity that run the Court of Jewels. Nikki's player and I plotted this scenario out together. Nikki rolls Wits + Expression + 1 for her Drawing specialty. Despite her bonuses, she fails. She spends 1 Glamour to reroll her dice (using her Artist kith) and gets 4 successes.

This impresses them, opening one Door to join the Court. Her agreement to help with the festival opens the last Door (by satisfying an Aspiration). It also means they will make her more amenable to their group by giving her a Seeming.

The three women, their eyes sparkling like diamonds, pull Nikki into a stall. Chattering about colors and appearances they begin to snatch the color from the little girl's cheeks and hair, mixing rose and gold into them. One pulls a mirror in front of Nikki and hands her a brush. As the young artist paints over her reflection, the changes are reflected in herself. By the time she is done she resembles a beautiful painting, smelling of aromatic woods and oils.

Nikki becomes a Fairest Flowering. She also fulfills the Aspiration "Surrender further humanity for greater glory" and earns a Beat.

Elsewhere Marco is somewhat creeped out by his brother's changes and the changes that occurred to Miroslav. He seems unsure what to do when he notices something pulling on his sleeve.

Looking down he sees a tiny old woman in a drab shawl and burlap dress, tugging on his arm with a stick-like hand. She offers the help him. Her eyes roll back in her head and she shakes violently. Marco becomes even more upset at the weirdness around him. When the woman comes to, she explains she looked into his future. She warns him that he has many difficult choices before him. She offers to lead him to someone who can give him the ability to make those choices more easily.

Marco and his brother follow her as she leads them down the alley of the eye. Near the end of the path by a pile of trash and cast-off trifles, they see a statue of a satyr. Two stone horns curle back from its head and dirty encrusts its carved hair. Then the dirt sloughs off as it turns to them and begins giving them a spiel about the Goblin Fruits it is selling.

The old woman interrupts the partially petrified Changeling. She introduces the boys to the satyr Innus and explains to Inuus what Marco really needs. The elderly Changeling nods and begins to prepare a potion that will allow the boy to illuminate the future. He mixes herbs and oils with the ashes of a Tarot deck, the shards of a crystal ball, and the milled remains of runes. Then he adds a dash of a shiny powder to the liquid. The substance flashes, becoming a rainbow potion with a light mist rising from it. He hands it to Marco.

The child sniffs the mixture, breathing in a heady dose of ozone and ancient dust. Then he gulps it down.

A barrage of images assaults his senses. Marco sees an infinity of different futures stacked on top of each other like layers of film. He glimpses a grown up Nikki lifting a painting from a museum wall, flashes of himself standing over his mother's bleeding body, Mirolsav joining other black cloaked figures in a room made of books, his father's funeral, Hedge again but younger this time, and his friend Chris both as a cop, all grown up, and as a dead child.

Rocco sees his older brother shudder and drop the flask. His hair turns white and he visibly ages before his eyes, turning into a shrunken adult. The younger child calms himself down and squints at his brother. The Mask, the illusion that hides the true appearance of a Changeling, still resembles Marco except that his hair is now bleached white.

There isn't much of a system to detect the Mask. I improvised by having Rocco roll Clarity to see it.

Now Marco also has his seeming: a Wizened Oracle.

Rocco decides to look for his Changeling he found on the school's computer system: Troll. The two McQueens scour the Market for anyone who might know about this person. Inuus points him down the alley to Tooth, a knowledgeable Hob. They find the towering turquoise cloaked figure selling potions and abstractions in an ornate booth. He or she looks down from its darkened cowl with a single glowing eye as it listens to their request. After a moment, Tooth points them to the Dogmen.

"Finding" Troll was a straight up Manipulation + Socialize roll which then led to a series of quick encounters.

They walk down the alley marked with a skull to a trashcan fire where the Dogmen are selling giant ants roasted on sticks. Rocco tries to talk to the dog headed figures but they reply in yips, growls and barks. Finally he asks them if they know where Troll is. They yap and bark between themselves before producing a floppy disk with Troll written on it. Rocco makes an attempt to buy some ant on a stick but lacks anything to pay the sullen creatures with. He promises to buy food from them later. Once it is clear there won't be a sale, the lead dogman snatches back the stick with a menacing growl.

Walking back the way they came, they run into Miroslav and a changed Nikki. The children discuss their next move as they navigate the Market. Along the way Marco keeps a careful watch on Nikki. The young girl notices and becomes suspicious. They eventually decide to split in two. Marco follows Mir in his quest to find an interesting book while Nikki and Rocco search for a good deal on Goblin Fruits.

The older boys find a cadaverous man selling books and a variety of odd items. Something seems familiar about the tall blue skinned figure and his dark suit but the children can't put their finger on it. Miroslav leans up to the display and focuses his attention on picking out the magical items from among the oddments.

Miroslav uses the Spellbound Contract for the first time. This is Spellbound Autumn from Lords of Summer. He rolls Wits + Occult+ Mantle (Shadows) and succeeds.

He senses that the bone comb and copper coin on the table are magical, as are two of the books in a box by his feet. The creepy doll behind the table is also magical. Miroslav looks at the books. The first one opens to reveal an empty space inside. The second sticks for a moment, but he pries it open to reveal a dictionary. Something about the words seems important. The merchant asks if Mir is interested in the Book of Tales. He informs the teen that the book reveals hints of future events allowing the user to make better choices.

Mir offers the jar of empty promises for the book. The merchant seems interested but also asks for Mir's memory of his last birthday. They haggle and Mir is able to work him down to his memory of his sister's birthday.

We use Cutting a Deal from the World of Darkness book. Miroslave rolls Manipulation + Persuasion but does poorly relative to the merchant. The final price is a bit higher than he might have liked.

Rocco meanwhile pulls Nikki over in front of a stall of strange purple fruit. He tries to get the Nikki to reveal why she hasn't been acting much like herself lately. He is concerned that something has changed about her. Nikki is confused and points out that a lot has changed recently.

Rocco's player asks if he has noticed that Nikki is no longer attached to others. I let him roll Wits + Empathy +1 (for his familiarity). He realizes the effect but not the cause. Unfortunately he isn't very forthright.

As their discussion continues, a blond furred cat person keeps trying to get them to buy his Murples and Death Melons. Rocco tries to ignore him and finally asks Nikki what deals she has made in the Market. She tells him straightforwardly. Now realizing that she traded her attachments away, Rocco starts thinking that they need a pledge to ensure they and their friends can trust each other. The merchant tells him he needs a motley pledge and offers to throw one in the bargain if they buy some fruit.

Eventually Rocco deigns to acknowledge the merchant and his porcine companion. The fruit seller explains that the Murples are very ripe and won't last long. He is willing to make a good deal for them.

Nikki sketches a crude picture for one of the purple skinned apples. The Murple tastes like purple and she can feel the Glamour well up inside her.

Nikki doesn't too well on dice rolls this session otherwise her artwork would have earned her more. Murples grant 1 Glamour.

She offers a street shark tooth for more. Coot, the merchant, is intrigued and offers a dozen for one. Rocco makes a counteroffer: two street shark teeth for three dozen. They haggle but the skull faced squashes also on sale make Rocco edgy. He settles for two street shark teeth for thirty Murples.

Another deal cutting roll. Nikki helps getting 1 success. Then Rocco rolls Manipulation + Persuasion +1 (Nikki's help) -4 (as his Madness Condition comes up). Despite the penalty, he and the merchant come up even. Rocco earns a Beat and we average the offers.

Nikki meanwhile is intrigued by the Death Melons. She trades a knuckle bone found in the Witch House for one.

Death Melons restore 1 Willpower point but taste horrible.

Their tasks at the Market complete the children look at Nikki's map. While they are a long way from home, new sections on the map show a rough way back. As they make their way back through the thorns, Marco keeps his eyes on the young girl. Nikki confronts him about it and he mumbles out that he just thought she was pretty. She focuses on navigating back, asking Rocco to commune with the Hedge in spots when she gets a little lost.

Navigating back is a Wits + Survival roll with a +3 bonus from the map and a further +2 bonus from help via Rocco's Contract of Dream. It takes her two rolls (a half hour each) to make the trip.

As for Marco's focus on the future art thief, he lies to her about his feelings to cover up what he knows. He rolls Manipulation + Subterfuge vs. her Wits + Subterfuge. The little girl fails and he manages to cover up the real reason, claiming infatuation instead of distrust.

Marco takes the opportunity on the way back to discuss what he saw with Mir. The goth kid seems unworried about his sister's possible future and is more interested in his own. Nikki hears her name in the discussion and confides to Rocco that his brother seems to like her. She doesn't like him back. She thinks Rocco should talk to him.

They return home via the same door they left, in the empty apartment where Charlie is staying. The young Changeling runaway is gone but a few blankets, a broken rake, and knife are there. Nikki glances to see anything of worth is there before hurrying home.

The children are lucky. Returning to their apartments, they find neither Mr. McQueen or Mrs. Callaghan are home yet. Mr. Callaghan is happy to see his children again. While they were out he bought some wine and apple pie for the New Years Eve party that night.

The Callaghan boys are less fortunate once Mr. Callaghan comes home. Marco's father is very upset when he sees what he did to his hair. They argue but in the end Marco manages not to be sent to bed early.

Marco rolls Manipulation + Persuasion -2 (Doors) +1 (holiday bonus) to convince his father to stay up late despite the fact he 'dyed' his hair without permission.

New Year Eve goes fairly uneventfully for the children. Shortly after the ball drops they are sent to bed. Marco and Rocco wake to find their father still home, enjoying his day off. Miroslav however finds that Mr. Callaghan has left. Nikki questions her mother about it but she claims he had to go to Georgia unexpectedly.

But Nikki knows she is lying. She files this fact away for future blackmail.

Nikki gets an exceptional success on her Wits + Subterfuge roll vs. her mother. She gains the Condition: Caught in a Lie which will give her an automatic success with her mother in a future Social roll.

Then she and her brother notice a police car pull up outside the front window. A pair of officers head for the front door. The two brace for a knock at the door but instead they hear the police head upstairs.

The children suspect but do not know that their father is a grifter. Their mom however does a 'side business' at the drug store.

Curious Mir and Nikki sneak upstairs to the Gambols apartment on the second floor. They can hear the police talking inside. Mir manages to hear that a child has gone missing: Yvett.

Then Nikki stumbles on the stairs and an officer pokes his head outside.

The children want to eavesdrop so I had them roll Wits + Stealth. Mir gets two successes. Nikki fails.

Miroslav quickly explains they are heading upstairs. The two hurry up to the third floor and knock on the McQueens' door.

Rocco wheels himself over and lets them in. Mr. McQueen greets them from the couch as he sips some beer.

Miroslav gets Marco and Rocco into their bedroom before telling them about Yvett's kidnapping. The children speculate that the Under-King must have been involved. He wanted the little girl as his bride. And they told him where she lived.

Rocco breaks up the conversation by bringing up the idea of making a motley pledge. He points out that by making the pledge they will be able to trust each other and also be blessed by the Wyrd. Nikki asks that they make no lying to motley members part of the pledge. Rocco and Miroslav readily agree. Marco is hesitant but also joins. Then Miroslav points out they need a ceremony.

Heading downstairs, they gather in Miroslav's room. At Miroslav's urging they all don cloaks, even Mr. Skittles. Then they each cut themselves with Mir's ceremonial dagger. He mixes the blood with the mashed up remains of the Death Melon. They eat it and swear the pledge.

My players enjoyed adding theatrics.

In the end they swore the standard motley pledge. They choose as their bonuses: Fast Talking 2 and a +1 bonus to Subterfuge. Marco has Fast Talking 1 so he is boosted to level 3. Nikki complains lightly about how her bonuses (from Fairest, Flowering, Motley Pledge, and Mantle) and penalties (from being a sociopath) make her social rolls so complicated.

It is also pointed out that Marco was the last person to get away with lying to a party member.

The ceremony over, Rocco brings up the question of whether it is safe for Mr. Skittles to be eating so much Hedge stuff. They notice the little dog is a bit stranger than they remember. His eyes are oddly glassy and one of his claws has been replaced with a thron. Mir hypothesizes that he may be turning into a Hob.

He focuses his magics on the dog. Then he tells them that Mr. Skittles hasn't turned into a magical creature yet.

Spellbound Autumn 1 again. This time he uses the catch (toughing the creature) to avoid the Glamour cost.

Newly aware of what she has 'lost', Nikki tries to recapture her old bond with her dog. She mimics how she and Mr. Skittles used to play. Rocco however is unconvinced. While Nikki plays the other children gear up. Mir grabs his dagger and Marco picks up a baseball bat. Nikki points out that Dad always said "weapons just slow you down."

They find Charlie before leaving. The young Changeling has just come back from scouting out a possible location for her to make a home in the Hedge. Nikki convinces the girl to come help them rescue Yvett. The Beast is reluctant but agrees.

Nikki rolls Manipulation + Persuasion - 2 to convince Charlie.

Watching her reactions, Mir guesses that the girl is just naturally cautious. She was rescued from cannibals after all. But he also notices a glance toward Marco that suggests she may have her own reasons for joining them.

Miroslav rolls Wits + Empathy and does fairly well. Charlie's vice is Cowardice (hence her reluctance). She also might have a thing for Marco.

They creep down to the basement and into the storage room. They open the mirror gateway in the basement. Navigating the Underhedge they soon reach the root lined tunnels where the Under-King keeps his court.

Two quick Intelligence + Survival rolls (with a +3 bonus from the map) leads them back to the location they visited 4 sessions ago.

They creep quietly along, keeping space between each other. But Nikki trips over a slender thread. There is a snap and a net pulls her up into the darkness.

Everyone rolls Dexterity + Stealth. Rocco and Mir get 3 successes. The others do worse. Nikki actually fails and chooses to Dramatically Fail for a Beat.

Suddenly tiny men in rat furs surround them pointing tiny spears at Marco and Charlie. Mir and Rocco slip into the shadows. Nikki shouts to be let down from up above. As they release her she complains that they didn't leave the path and that they are just friendly visitors. She points out they helped the Under-King not long ago.

Nikki angrily rolls Presence + Persuasion vs. the lead brownie's Resolve + Composure (-1 from Fast Talking).

The brownies lower their spears and apologize. They offer to conduct them to the king. Not quite mollified, Nikki asks for the rat skull around the leader's neck.

Nikki rolls Manipulation + Persuasion (with a minus -2) vs. the leader's willpower again. She doesn't succeed this time.

The tiny man doesn't budge, telling her the skull is his badge of honor for defeating the Great Horde. He does however take them to the king with a honor guard of three.

The children are led through the labyrinth of roots to the hidden grotto. There the deformed king sits on a high throne. But now a second throne has been built beside it. A tense Yvett sits on it cradling her black cat. A silver crown sits atop her head.

Mirolsav looks out from the shadows. The girl is afraid but also drawn to the strange world. She looks unchanged so far...

Mir does well on his Wits + Empathy roll. He learns Yvett is okay but Spooked.

Experience time! Nikki accrued two beats (for an Aspiration and Dramatic Failure), Rocco earned one (for his Madness Condition), and Mir earned one (for his Aspiration). We average this for 1 Beat. I also awarded 2 Beats for roleplaying (once at the market and another at the Motley Pledge ceremony). Adding in the Session Beat each player earns 4 Beats.