NWO Grand Tribunal

[westernind]

What was Nodjmet up to?
I started by writing a few paragraphs about what it felt like, then re-read them and deleted because it looked so damn pretentious. I hate pretentious, and the thing is, I don't do creative writing so it's difficult to get over what I mean without heading there. Usually easier to stick to factual accounts and save the telling of stories for face to face, when people can read all the other channels apart from the words, and see that you mean it instead of putting on a mask. I can't write that way because my mind works in parallel, and mostly in feelings and images. In order to get that down on paper it needs stuffing into a funnel so a single stream comes out, then translating into language. There's plenty of language to choose from but it seems so restrictive when by touching someone you can get so much more.

I'll try to stick to facts.

I Had A Little List
First time I read the 29 page character brief, with about 55 footnotes, written in a style that was.. shall we say, less than transparent, I went into semi-shock as scarylady can attest. However, after some considerable effort and a heap of questions to Pete Wright, I eventually understood the main game plan.

1. Back in the dawn of time there was a Bad Sorceror called Malygris


2. He had been responsible, in successive incarnations, every time a civilisation fell


3. This ancient Nephilim's back, he's bad, and this time he's split himself into eight parts which are hidden in the souls of magi


4. He's calling the Hellstar - the Black Sun - straight towards us.


5. My task: identify the soul fragments, stick them back together, and throw him out of existence before this Apocalypse happened, or any of the other ones his soul-fragment hosts were planning.

I've missed out a lot of complications:

• the system of Great Wards that seal the world against the outer magics (and the Black Sun), in the shape of the constellation of Osiris (Orion), had been damaged by Philip the Black when he dammed the Nile, and subsequently broken by the Templars giving Christian burial to Ababwa, the Voice of the Nile


• trying to make sure that suspect magi weren't executed or otherwise offed before I got a chance to do the ritual (I was spitting when Narsis went down).


• all the reasoning as to how and why the magic worked; it's a tribute to the writers but especially Pete Wright that the theoretical edifice was pretty much bulletproof. It has to be in order for players to be able to extend and extrapolate.
  
• there were maybe 120 magi, most with hidden secrets, I had to nominate 8, and it had to be mostly right.


• apart from the True Name ('Malygris' - borne by the Monitor Internal) there was nothing concrete to go on. Only hints and tropes, signs, portents and tendencies. Red things, snakes, serpents, crawling things, phrases that might or might not be applicable ("a cold, crystalline intelligence", "a meddling malevolence")


• and no second chances. Only enough vis for one go (I used ninety pawns in the end!), and no way of telling beforehand whether my Little List had the right names on it.

In hindsight, you kick yourself for not spotting what is now obvious. Urizen, for instance; how could I have not realised he was up to extreme naughtiness? (Possibly, because I didn't see him around before Saturday afternoon and by then I'd already cycled through the roster of magi a couple of times. He just slipped through the net.) And poor old Vetessian the Black. He got fingered because he displayed so many of the attributes I was searching for, including an attraction to Sarsis and an uncanny resemblance to Ming the Merciless) despite the fact that the snake tattoo on the back of his neck was on the player not the character.

However, some people I just knew had to be on the Little List, on no evidence apart from intuition. And - I feel that I'm probably boring you by now - it all worked out very well in the end, if somewhat confusingly for those who hadn't been involved.

Some things I remember
Lyssa constantly prodding me into action - she hunted in my pride.
Stratocanthus asking my advice. (Not that I had any to give at that point.)
Snarling at Philip the Black from inside his own ritual circle until he very politely asked me to face the centre.
Healing the little bugger after Tybalt blew him up. But only because I had seen his soul - he wasn't evil, he just suffered from Lack of Self-Esteem.
Recognising the stressed look on Iago's face, as the one that had been on Jarane's.
Discussing cross-dimensional magical theory with Sidi.
Being right about Katherin the Veiled - that one doesn't die easily. BTW I still don't know how she met her final end.
Declaring Wizard War on Martayne of Kent - by accident
Telling Isengaart that he was on my list because I could think of no-one else, and his quiet acceptance of possible death or loss of his heartbeast, in a higher cause.
Hearing of Rederis reporting his own murder to Jarane. J: "Who was murdered?" R: "Me." J: "That'll be Divis Mal's responsibility."
Penan being (ir)responsible - again
Luca's sad look, borne down by the weight of responsibility
al Ma'Sir's book, after time-out; "stop biting cats stop biting cats stop biting cats"
Remigius, a very nice man whose ankles I wanted to furrily weave around.
Rrrrrrhodrrrri and Aneurin, portal-fixers and pride members.
Being right about Ferrault, even though I didn't know why.
Wanting to lump Sheikh Ali for his impenetrable pigheaded certainty about the divine. Not as much as I wanted to claw Michael Kanainainos though - couldn't even face talking to that one.
The pipes, the pipes! waaaaaaaiiiil!
A weeping Urizen appearing at my feet, totally unexpectedly
Getting a motion passed at Tribunal - virtually unanimously - that Jarane would have thoroughly approved of
Being believed. Not easy as a Criamon. It helped to have Pictures and Diagrams.
After the danger was mostly passed and even though she was self-appointed, Nodjmet got to be the Cat in the Prima's Hat.

I love playing Criamon magi, and Nodjmet was wonderful.

Comments

[lupercal.livejournal.com]

You were absolutely awesome! How you managed to get the right conclusions both before and during the game, I shall never, ever understand. But you did, somehow, and I am sooo glad that you did! Thanks for absolutely making my game as a player as well as a Ref...

And I'd completely forgotten about al-Ma'sir's book! That is going in my list of favourites things right now!

[kneeshooter]

Were we in the same game?

Nope, didn't think so :-P

[oldnick.livejournal.com]

My own thought - followed rapidly by "Thanks Roz, for explaining things clearly that the debrief assumed that everyone understood, and which I had no clue about".

Mine was the world of sharp knives, not world ending cataclysms apocalypses.

[jfs.livejournal.com]

What was your motion? I was trying not to focus too hard on the politics so as not to overwhelm Iago.

[westernind.livejournal.com]

"Anyone who turns up to a Tribunal pretending to be another mage is barred from attending and voting."

[jfs.livejournal.com]

I'd have preferred 'killed and eaten' but yes - I do remember hearing it and applauding quietly.

[scary-lady.livejournal.com]

I can see how from your angle I "hunted in your pride". From mine I "gave all possible aid to an aspect of the Mother".

And no, I don't care who you are the Mother of. The Ladies Sewing Circle (or Cult of Diana) didn't make those kind of distinctions.

By the end you were part of my family. If I could draft you into Mercere, then I would. But the Prima's Hat is much more appropriate.

[binidj.livejournal.com]

Sorry about the Narsis thing, if it's any consolation that particular event sent me off in completely the wrong direction ... thank goodness for Lissa being able to add two and two together!

Ah...

[harrytc.livejournal.com]

...but it was also that that got me to you - as the Red rage, aiming to thank you for killing such a dissolute idiot - and hence, 2 or 3 hours later, me healed...

Funny thing, life.

[oldnick.livejournal.com]

It may have sent you off in the wrong direction, but apart from missing the event itself, it certainly helped me in my direction.

[westernind.livejournal.com]

What was that direction?
Go on, I'm learning more on this thread than anywhere else and I didn't interact with Uncle Pop much!

[oldnick.livejournal.com]

Pop's hatred for Narsis, his need to see Narsis destroyed before (as it turned out) Narsis turned him into a demon of hatred.

Mennon pointed Pops at Hector, someone he'd have eventually got around to, and Hector's determination to do something then resulted in the two of them, plus Montfichet paying a visit to a graveyard near Pliny's house late on Friday night.

The things they discovered there (mashed up corpses of young mages) were the link between Narsis & Pliny, and resulted in Narsis' death. The fact that three of us went out together, only two could 7-league stride back, and Pops being the one who could walk that city alone safely, resulted in the death happening before Pops could be involved (a bad thing for Pops).

However, it also made the friendship / co-operation between Hector & Pops, changed the balance of the relationship between Mountfichet & Pops, gave Pops the time to deal with (make safe his own position in) the Hassan 'killing' and made secure his position both with the Qaballah, and with House Mercere.

[pauln.livejournal.com]

There is no God but God is such a central tenet that it's impossible not to be pigheaded about. Glad I didn't get lumped or scratched though - especially having seen the fight with Sarsis.

[kt-peasant.livejournal.com]

I knew it was going to be a good event when the first person who spoke to me, within twenty seconds of me timing in, wanted a Quaesitor to confess a murder to.

[scary-lady.livejournal.com]

She beat me to it, but it must have been an eye-opener for you when BOTH of us confessed.

[kt-peasant.livejournal.com]

Nothing, but *nothing* that Lyssa confessed to would ever surprise me...

[delvy.livejournal.com]

Thank you also for helping wrap up the end for a certain small boy.... :-)

[november-girl.livejournal.com]

What made you put Katharin on the list?

BTW in answer to your implied question, she met her final end by being stabbed in the torso five times whilst Dorian/Tytalus held her arms. This was, of course, at her express request. :-)

[westernind.livejournal.com]

She was on the list correctly, I might add. ;-)

I don't know. Instinct for a troublemaker. Just... something. Did your sheet say anything about mottled vipers, by the way? May I read it?

Go on, you have to say more than that. Why did you get yourself stabbed up?

[november-girl.livejournal.com]

Nope - nothing about nottled vipers at all. I'll forward you the most recent sheet via e mail if you like.

She got herself stabbed up in a ritual because she knew she was dying and wanted a good way to go out. The Graveyard of Archmagi needed protecting. Mar Oscurus made the suggestion that someone should cast some magic to hide it. Spells like that are two a penny to her, but what would be really good would be to have a powerful spell that could react to any situation intelligently. So she got Phillip to conduct a ritual to kill her and turn her into that spell = a permanent guardian to keep the graveyard hidden to those who shouldn't see it.

[westernind.livejournal.com]

That ruddy Phillip - making the Red Offering again! (I wonder if it counted if the willing sacrifice was still around in a different form.)

PS

[westernind.livejournal.com]

there was one concrete fact. I had heard that she had almost died, but hadn't managed to cross over. That was an indicator that there was something inside that wouldn't let her die - as with Martayne of Kent, who I was also pretty sure about. And Tamar, of course.

Re: PS

[november-girl.livejournal.com]

That's interesting.

A brief history of Malygris

[lupercal.livejournal.com]

Your part in it all was hinted at in the conversation in your sheet with Vukovin. He was the vessel for Phar’achaté, (the Demon Of Schadenfreude, and also Urizen's (or rather Malygris') original familiar from Susran).

You (unwittingly) bore my Shadow part, (or Khaibit), to whom Phar’achaté was drawn, since your time in the Monastery of St. Nerius (as Tanesta).

Hope that makes some sense...

Re: A brief history of Malygris

[westernind.livejournal.com]

oh, it was the Khaibit? I'd thought it was the Sahu - because of the snake that Olybrius saw.

Neither, of course, were 'culpable' parts...

Re: A brief history of Malygris

[lupercal.livejournal.com]

I believe Malygris (ex Tytalus) bore not only the Ren, but also the Sahu; hence her apparent duality of gender...

Re: A brief history of Malygris

[binidj.livejournal.com]

So which bit did Hector have stuffed in him then?

Re: A brief history of Malygris

[lupercal.livejournal.com]

Hector/Tamar had the Ba; the Animus or essential behaviour. Whilst Hector had the curse that prevented him from wielding any weapon that could kill (although he found (olive-shaped) ways around that), Tamar had no such limitation...

Re: A brief history of Malygris

[sack-boy.livejournal.com]

A snake *and* a fish.

feeeeeeeesh!

[westernind.livejournal.com]

Apparently the fish references were also apocalytic - relating to the ending of the age of Pisces.

Thanks for the explanation

[november-girl.livejournal.com]

Hmm I guess I missed the hint. Actually, even on re-reading it now, I miss the hint!

Re: Thanks for the explanation

[lupercal.livejournal.com]

You really shouldn't worry too much about that; I was writing and missed most of the hints! The characters who were subconsciously carrying the parts of Malygris should never have realised that they were; that job was left to poor Nodjmet. If the parts realised what they were, there was a greater chance that they would seek to rebel against the paths Malygris wanted them to follow; even Urizen only became conscious of what he was a few weeks before the Grand (when he died at the Apocalypse Party after meeting himself, but I'm not going to get into that...!)

Re: Thanks for the explanation

[november-girl.livejournal.com]

Apocalyse Party??????!

Re: Thanks for the explanation

[westernind.livejournal.com]

It was in the Gazetteer. Urizen held an party to celebrate the upcoming Apocalypse, I think at the end of 1203.

How could I have not realised he was dodgy...

Re: Thanks for the explanation

[november-girl.livejournal.com]

I didn't spend a huge amount of time trying to digest the Gazeteer, mainly because I didn't have/make time to, but also because Katharin wasn't around and therefore too much knowledge about what had happened would have been wrong. So I gave it a quick read and that was about it. As it was I had some bits and pieces that stayed with me, and I think that was better for my overall play.

I might go back and re-read it now though!

Re: Thanks for the explanation

[scary-lady.livejournal.com]

Because EVERYTHING Criamon do is incomprehensible, even to other Criamon.

Re: Thanks for the explanation

[binidj.livejournal.com]

Actually I think there were two schools of Criamon magi: those who were desperately trying to explain some really abstruse concepts; and those who were trying to obfuscate what they were doing, whether because they were basically no good, or because they were just being awkward.

The first lot could just about communicate with each other, though it wasn't always easy. The second lot had no intention of actually communicating anything useful and so were incomprehensible.

Re: Thanks for the explanation

[binidj.livejournal.com]

Incidentally, when I say "basically no good" I am talking from a moral standpoint (eg. "they're up to no good") rather than from a judgemental stance on how they were playing their character.

We Have Charts And Graphs To Back Us Up...

[westernind.livejournal.com]

I figured beforehand that a Criamon's got about a minute to make the pitch. After that even the most tolerant of the other houses' magi has started to glaze over. Hence the diagrams; stab a clawtip at something they recognise, and you've caught their attention.
Then you can burble on for much longer about how the world's going to end unless they help you out.

Re: Thanks for the explanation

[binidj.livejournal.com]

I did try to tell you (pretty much every time his name cropped up) that he was dodgy. It's entirely possible that Hector had a bit of a Cassandra complex going against him.

[westernind.livejournal.com]

He did have amnesia going against him. ;-)

Re: Thanks for the explanation

[lupercal.livejournal.com]

Well, of course! Why do you think I was still wearing my Apocalypse Party Hat, eh?

Re: Thanks for the explanation

[november-girl.livejournal.com]

I thought you were always that stylish, dahhhhling!

Re: Thanks for the explanation

[westernind.livejournal.com]

I was really hoping that hat hadn't crumbled into dust; so I could wear it at College of Archmagi meetings.

Re: Thanks for the explanation

[lupercal.livejournal.com]

Well I wasn't wearing it at the time I crumbled, and Criamon had a very similar one on when al-Ghani met the Founders, so I would assume they are handed down Primus to Prima for such special occaisions... Urizen liked Nodjmet very much indeed, even if Malygris didn't!

BTW, I have jul1et to thank for that millinery wonder...

Soul lego - or as Pete put it, sticklebricks

[westernind.livejournal.com]

just out of interest... what other characters knew about the eight part soul-lego game? I never found anyone else, but surely Nodjmet couldn't have been the only one. (From a metagame point of view - what would have happened if I'd not turned up?)

Re: Soul lego - or as Pete put it, sticklebricks

[lupercal.livejournal.com]

Whilst a number of the other characters had "bits" of the puzzle (Olybrius, Martayne, Sarsis, Rederis, Le Grand Dame, the Inner Circle, Averroes, al-Ma'sir, Vestris from memory...), you were the only one at this game that had everything so to speak, mainly because of your (as a players) grasp on the metaphysical aspects of the game, and a want to pursue them in your downtime etc. Obviously at Rome there were a few more involved (Lapsit etc) but here you were pretty much the only one who could piece it all together.

If you'd not turned up, then most of the at game stuff would have continued much as it did for those people unaware of Malygris and his machinations (we'd probably had to have plot-dumped a little more on people like Sarsis and Rederis), however the what happened next bit would have been much bleaker, because you just about crushed every Apocalypse that was going to occur, as a result of your correct actions. The Hellstar would have started effecting the world within 2-3 years and the parts of Malygris would have continued prodding the other Apocalypses, just to hedge their bets. With Lapsit "inconvenienced", you really were the world's last, best hope...

Re: PS

[scary-lady.livejournal.com]

Yes, that was in Rebekah's brief, which Em has given me to read.. She found Katherin on the banks of the Styx, but not dead and therefore led her back.