February 11, 2008

At The Investigators Office

Kyra reviewed the annulment document and agreed to its terms.  They signed the document, Smith handed the carbon copy to Kyna, and put the filing cabinets back.  When they looked up, the elf was gone.   They verified that the detective was still alive, and left and went back to the diner to talk to Grandma about Zoe’s heritage.

At the Diner

Kyna, Ely and Walter returned to the diner to have Zoe talk to Grandma about her origins.  Grandma pushed pancakes on them instead.  Kyna insisted that Grandma tell Zoe her true origins.  Walter could tell that she was holding back something.  Ely could tell that she was avoiding the question.  

Grandma admitted to being a witch.  She said that Zoe needed to ask her mother, who was missing.  Kyna suggested using Zoe’s blood to locate her.  Grandma said that would be dangerous.  She intimated that the Winter Court have something against Zoe.  Her mother said her name was Daphne, but that was not likely her True Name.  

Ely asked if Zoe’s father knew her mother’s true nature.  Grandma responded that the diner had been an accorded place for a long time.  Her son knew his wife was “eldrich.”  Grandma did not know why her daughter in law left.  Zoe was reluctant to pursue her origins.  Ely bet Walter a slice of pie that Zoe would not learn her origins before the Ides of March when the play was to be performed.

About the Theater

Ely noted that there was still a week before Huggy Bear was to report his findings about the theater, so they lobbied Zoe to pursue her origins in the Nevernever.  They considered what they knew:

  • The director of the production company was a Mage.  
  • His daughter, the female lead, was also a Mage, but not as strong.
  • The play was to be performed only once, on the Ides of March, as part of a spell.
  • The theater was located on a lay line.

They elected to wait for Huggy Bear’s report.  In the mean time, Kyna prepared spells and empowered here equipment.  Zoe updated her blog with her adventures.  Walter saw some patients.  Ely saw clients at the diner.  He also got Kyna a copy of her marriage license.  She had investigated that marriage and found that it had been performed in Las Vegas.

A Secret Admirer?

A bouquet of flowers appeared at Zoe’s door on Valentine’s Day.  They were in a wine bottle that still contained the wine.  She removed the flowers and drank the wine.  It was the best wine she had ever drank.  She deduced that it was from Dionysos.

February 18, 2008

News from Huggy Bear

A week later, a messenger arrived at the diner with a FedEx box from Huggy Bear.  Kyna opened the box.  It contained a Palm Pilot.  She handed it to Ely, who turned it on.  It said “See second package.”  Ten seconds later, another messenger arrived with another box containing papers in Latin.  It was Huggy Bear’s report:

  • The director was a Mage who was teaching his daughter.
  • The play was a spell, but had never been completed.  The script was not the spell,the performance was.
  • A pentacle was built under the theater that contained the entire theater when it was built.
  • There was also an article about how the Freemasons built Washington, DC.
  • March 15th was known to be a day of power.

It was decided that they should try to infiltrate the theater indirectly.  Walter was tasked with befriending the actress at the diner, but she rejected him hard.  Kyna contacted a wizard friend for advice about the spell.  Her friend said that the spell would be for immortality, and that a large number of people would be in danger.  

Ely joined the technical staff by bribing an electrician to be sick and referring him as his replacement.  Zoe could not get an entry into the theater in any capacity, but Walter got a job there as an usher.

Kyna researched how to make the spell fail.  Killing the Mage was an obvious choice.  But interrupting the performance such as pulling the fire alarm, causing an actor to mess up their lines or be off cue, disrupting the pentagram, etc.  Ely considered making friends with someone in demolitions, but he did not know anyone.  He suggested replacing the programs with programs for MacBeth.  Ely also recommended doing as many things to disrupt the spell as possible.

They still had a month before the performance.

The Group

  • Zoe Kallas – waitress at grandparents’ diner in Arlington; journalism graduate looking for a real journalism job. (Changling who has no clue, mother was fey of Summer Court)
  • Ely Vantide – debt collector – all kinds of debt. (Emissary of Power for a Dragon)
  • Kyna Quinlan – wizard of Irish descent. New to the White Council. Muscle for Ely
  • Walter Ballard – were-leopard and therapist to the Supernatural.