Luke realized that he wasn't going to be able to 'jump' these guys.
But Alex and Moonie were upstairs, obviously ... and very likely unaware of these men.

Luke made a decision.

Opening the door, with no attempt at stealth, he called out loud enough for everyone in the cabin to hear, "Gentlemen. You can put the guns away.  You are too late".

He wanted their attention on him ... and he wanted Moonchild and Alex to know that there were men with guns here.

   Moon Child feels something odd as she holds the mask, a strange vibrating of the mask in her hands, then a surge of something, like electricity that races through her from head to toes.  She has an overwhelming desire to wear the Spirit Mask and she does so in one smooth motion (having failed her luck roll:P ).  Once she does so, the situation goes from strange to bizarre!
   Once the mask is upon her face the ENTIRE ROOM CHANGES, in fact it is almost like a second scene is superimposed over the earlier room.  She can still see the faint outline of the Professor's room, but now there is something entirely new overlapping it!  Everywhere Moon Child looks, there are strange glowing energy...beings, in more shapes, sizes and textures than she could ever have imagined possible!  There are small man shaped beings that seem to be made of wood, piles of bricks that somehow move with stunted, human-like motions, glowing birdlike beings that seem like they are made of pure electricity, and glowing spiders crawling all over the place where the Professor's computer is in the 'other room' ; constantly moving arachnids that pulse like a computer icon...and Jade, the small dragon, sitting on the desk watching her.  Even the books fly about the room like odd paper bats.
   Alex is only a dim outline, though there is a large being INSIDE of him, something bird like, its wings folded around itself, as if awaiting some signal to burst forth.  Within Moon Child herself, she feels something stir, a glowing energy of some sort.

   Jade speaks to Moon Child once more, with the Professor's voice, his inflections and even his word choices, but the tone is somehow different...sadder:

  "Welcome to what the Shawnee once called the WANAGIYATA the Spirit Land.  It is aptly named, for everything here is made of some sort of spirit, literally everything!  I call this place the Umbra, the shadow of the physical world in which we exist.  It is actually an unimaginably vast continuum of which the Dreaming itself is but a one of many realms; it is a place of pure possibility.  The mask is a conduit, a portal, but it may only be activated by someone who is aware of the potential for spirituality, someone attuned to the energy known as magic, like a Shaman.  It is remarkable, but not unexpected, that you can utilize it."

   Both of the men, genuinely surprised, wheel around to face Luke, astounded by his complete lack of concern for his safety.  They quickly regain their composure however, the man with the cross-bow bringing his weapon quickly up into position.  The taller of the two men steps forwards and holds up his right hand towards Luke, his partisan (sort of long spear) switched to his left hand, his features sad .

  "Peace of the Lord be upon you, figlio mio.  You have been possessed by the demons that abide in these benighted woods, but fear not.  They shall be exorcised from you, cast back to the Inferno from whence they came.  Brother Angelo's aim is always true.  His bolt shall find the demon's wicked heart, and shatter the fetters that sunder you from Him.  Do not struggle my son, but surrender to His will, and let Divine Grace restore your soul to you, that you may come unstained this day unto the Kingdom of Heaven."

   He steps towards Luke (he is about fifteen feet from you now, his assistant is twenty or so) his hand making the sign of the cross as he recites: "In Nomine Patri, et Fili, et Spiritus Sancti..."  Behind him the cross-bowman annoints his bolt with a small vial of holy water...
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:20, Sun 21 Oct 2012.

Luke was flying by the seat of his pants right now.
He hoped that Alex and Moonchild, wherever they were in the place, were now clued in to the enemies presence and wouldn't be caught off guard as they would likely have been otherwise.
He also hoped that The Lady was watching him; and was entertained enough that she'd swing things in his favour, if only to see what he'd do next.


Luke smiled at the men, "I'd suggest, friend, that as this place is wired with hidden camera's, you might not want to do that.
Might I" he said, spreading his hands in a friendly and unthreatening manner, "propose an alternative plan?"

It occurred to Luke that he had only his initial assumption to link these men with MajCon.
Maybe they weren't MajCon! They certainly weren't acting like assasins from a major mining corporation ... well, as Luke would image such anyway.   And you know what they say about assumption: makes an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'mption' (or something like that).

"There is a meeting that I know your bosses are going to want to know about.  And it'll serve me for you to witness it also.
If you can restrain from exorcising this little fish here and now, you'll have the opportunity at much bigger fish instead", he concluded; as he graced them with his best 'used car salesman' smile.


Of course, he was also happy to dive flamboyantly backwards through the open door that stood behind him now, if it became apparent that his rouse wasn't working.
At least, he hoped, he had given Alex and Moonchild enough warning, and preparation time, to get themselves safe.

 "James? Are you there? What is this place? And why can I use the mask when it belongs to the Indians?"

 She looked toward Alex then did a double take when she noticed the animal spirit inside him. Then she looked down and saw inside herself a ghostly horse-like form of a pearlescent hue, slender of leg and dainty of hoof, radiantly glowing. She gasped and wondered what amazing thing she'd witness next!

 The spiders were amazing and she hoped they didn't indicate danger, because she was fond of non-poisonous spiders, but had a healthy respect for the ones that were venomous! She always removed those from around the house and barn!

 The other more bizarre things were truly strange and somewhat unnerving! What on earth were the brick stacks anyway?

 "The Spirit Umbra? Are you sure I just haven't slipped a cog or two instead? And where are you James? I see you as a small flying lizard or dragonette. I thought Jade was female, but I guess I assumed wrongly."

 She swallowed a lump in her throat and tried not to show how worried she really was for him. He was all the family she really had left, she feared she'd lost him when he hadn't returned!

 "James, are you alive somewhere?Or have you passed over to another realm? I miss you very much! I wish I could see you as my James! Are you trapped somewhere? Maybe we can rescue you!"

   The MajCon man hesitates for a moment, gesturing for the other man to hold his fire.  He stares intently at Luke, his brown eyes searching, the spark of interest within them is intense...and his expression is a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

   "You have seen the very nest of these unholy devils?  Figlio mio, you are indeed blessed, it is a miracle you live after an encounter with such merciless creatures!  And so I wonder...why are you willing to lead us there, to even dare  return there yourself? Is this some manner of deception meant to ensnare all of my Order?  Answer me, I charge you, if still you heed the Holy Name of God!"

21:09, Today: Secret Roll: LoC rolled 9 using 2d6. Reaction roll "MajCon soldier"( Reaction rolls are done on 2d6 so I rolled surprisingly well for you).
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:12, Sun 28 Oct 2012.

Luke looked the man in his eye, and considered him a moment. Then, somber and true, he answered,
"Sir, I do heed the Holy name of God.  I do.
And that is why I hope that, as his servants, you can help me.

Why will I return to their presence, you ask? Because, friend, I must.  They have a hold that I cannot break.
And I thank the Lord for sending you to me, for you may just be my salvation.
THAT is why I am hoping that you will return and witness for me the event I must attend.

But understand, I am bound against leading you there," he finished, "So you must follow me against my wishes ..."

And with that, Luke sprang out through the open doorway, and began to run like the spirit of Jackalope; hoping that the two men would follow.
If they even remotely believed him, maybe they could not, in good consciounce tho their god, let this opportunity slip. And making them give chase, now, would both deny them any further, immediate backup, and might give Moonchild and Alex a chance to escape this predicament.

   The two men appear confused, and the one who had been speaking seems about to reply, when Luke suddenly sprang out the door!  The MajCon agents are on their feet and pursuing quickly, out into the dark night and even darker woods.

   Meanwhile, inside, a startled Alex watches from the top of the stairs.  He tries to make sense of what little he has witnessed of the exchange between the strange men and Luke.  Concerned, he runs back to MoonChild!

Luke attempted to outrun the men.  He really did want to loose them in the woods.
Luckily, the fact that they had followed proved that they had believed him, and wanted to be led to Luke's apparent rendezvous ... so if they caught up with him, they would then hang back, presumably ... which would give him further opportunities to outrun or loose them.

In essence, this became a test of stamina.  And Luke had always been an athlete.

   Jade watches her, eyes never blinking, then shakes its head, speaking again with James voice. "Male, female, these things are not relevant to the incorporeal denizens of this realm, Moon Child.  Spirits may manifest in whatever aspect it is most useful for them to be.  As I said, James is not present, in fact he is quite lost in the infinitely enigmatic Umbra.  I am his spiritual guide, his totem so to speak.  I am with him now, and yet I am also here with you, such is the nature of the Umbra."
   Jade flies up so that it hovers before Moon Child, looking directly into her eyes. "One day, perhaps, you will come and find him, and bring him back beyond the Mist, to your mundane world once more, but not now. You are not yet prepared for such an endeavour.  The Umbra is a place where reality is mutable, and many things long forgotten by modern humanity resides.  Ancient things, terrible things, hidden here and forgotten, things that you are not ready to face.  You are but a Fae Childe, newly awakened from her Chrysalis; to the wonder of Glamour and the potential of her own Magick.  James was like you, a Lost Childe, who is only now beginning to truly understand his own heritage, his destiny."

   Alex shouts for Moon Child, his voice echoing in her ears, as if he called her from somewhere far away.  There is an urgency to his voice, a tremor of anxiousness, of fear.  Within the young man, his spirit totem wavers and becomes misty and indistinct.

   "You are needed by your friends.  The Mask of Tecumseh you wear is desired by many, and it is for you to decide who shall be its bearer now.  The Kithain are in very grave danger from a very determined enemy.  You have the power to aid them now.  Return to your world, now wiser than before.  Any do not fret, for one day you will return to this place, and you will not need the mask to do so.  You are Fae, and the Earth is not their true home.  We will speak again, Moon Child.  When you are fully ready to return, give your Totem Spirit its name and it will guide you here.  Farewell until that fateful day is upon us...and you will be welcomed home, Lost Childe."
   In a flash of emerald light, the dragonette disappears.  The Umbra is gone, and Moon Child stands in the Chimerical Room, holding the Spirit Mask as a frantic Alex speaks up behind her:

   "We've got company!  A group of men who were in the cabin, and just chased after Luke when he ran out.  Are you okay, you look sort of...strange?"

 She looked around for somewhere to hide the mask, but feared it would do no good. She tried to get her mind back to the here and now away from the spirit guide. It was all too confusing to deal with right now!

 "What? Where? Yes, I am ok. But how do we keep the mask safe if there are people wanting to steal it? Oh dear! Come, there has to be a way out of this mess. Do you have any suggestions? if they've gotten in, they had to have broken the protections here. I don't want to risk using the void gun again while our friends are out there somewhere and would be left behind. And I'd fear where we'd go, we might not get back."

   Luke has a slight head start on the MajCon agents, but they are hard on his heels, seemingly intent on catching him, although they never quite seem able to close the distance.  In fact, these men, although apparently tireless, appear burdened in some way, so that Luke has a very good chance to evade them amid the trees, in the dark of the deepening night.  Eventually he can no longer hear or see them, having lost them some ten minutes back.

   Alex looked back towards the door to the Chimerical room, the door that lead to Professor James study.  He was fighting to keep his composure, clearly whatever he saw had unnerved him.  He turned around and replied with as much dignity as he could muster:

   "Moon Child, the men left, running after Luke, but I'm pretty sure they will probably send more, at least I would if I were after an ancient freaky Indian spirit mask I suppose!  We can't stay here that's for sure.  I think we need to go back to the Changeling's Tree and ask them what to do with it, they have more experience with these kinds of things don't they?"

 "Oh, they left? That is strange isn't it? But yes, we must take this to them at once! Come, let me close this door and we will go while we can!"
 She closed the door and sealed it before turning back to him holding the mask in her hand. She grabbed his hand and went out of the room then out of the house as fast as she could. She looked around for the men, but didn't see them. She stopped only long enough to try to lock the door again behind them, then headed toward the tree.
This message was last edited by a game editor at 04:00, Mon 03 Dec 2012.

   Alex follows, looking around nervously while Moon Child locks the cabin.  Its dark and cool, with a gibbous moon silvering the treetops surrounding the old place.  Somewhere nearby an owl hoots ominously.  Alex looks nervous, and taps Moon Child on the shoulder.

   "That mask gives me the creeps.  let's get out of here before someone else comes looking for it."  He then realizes that Moon Child is already moving purposefully and runs after her, not wanting to be left alone.

=======> link to a message in this game
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:41, Fri 30 Nov 2012.

This message was last edited by the GM at 06:04, Sun 10 Mar 2013.

 She led the others into the cabin, if cabin you wanted to call it. It had some modern amenities, and appliances, as well as old fashioned backups. It had solar, and wind generators, and hydro electric from a creek down the hill, but it also had a wood burning furnace situated outside and down the hill slightly, that fed into a basement area. It had old wood burning fireplaces, as well as gasoline powered generators for winter, when things got really icy. It had stored dried foods smoked by them and also canned and pre-packaged things from survival stores. They were prepard for nearly anything, including the unthinkable. There were even 1 or 2 escape tunnels out from the cabin just in case of fire.

 "Make yourself at home. There's deli meat and cheese in the frig, and produce if it's not too wilted. There's cans of soup in the cupboards, and breads in the freezer and the frig. There's bunks in the basement, and a bathroom there and one up here."
 "Meanwhile, I'm going to go find My cat, so don't let him out please. If he's still in here."
This message was last edited by a game editor at 06:26, Sun 10 Mar 2013.

Yuri prosaically hunts down vittles and works to make a rough stew (with enough for all) with what he can find.

While working, he gestures around.

"Who owns all this?  Her?" He adds, nodding off in the direction Moon Child went.

Think it was her uncles place." Rhic Replies as he looks through the fridge and makes a couple of sandwiches, offering one to Yuri as the man cooks. He opens a container from the back of the fridge,makes a face and puts it back hurriedly. " I don't know what it was... but it's on it's way up the evolutionary tree as we speak."

  She's a nice enough girl, smart, kind of quiet...But after what we've been through she's not bad to have around."

Yuri finishes off his makeshift stew, which proves to be decent, if not exactly gourmet cuisine.  After everyone who wants to has eaten, and Moon Child has found her cat under the desk in Prof's old study, the fiveof you are sitting around in the living room and contemplating everything they've been through thus far.  Strange alien puppet masters, changeling faerie children and ancient religious societies, not to mention weird native spirits and old secrets, time ships and portals to weird places just seems a lot to swallow in such a short time.

After he finishes his bowl of stew, Yuri thanks Moon Child for her hospitality and turns to go, mumbling something about being safer back in mother Russia.  He adds, however, that if you ever need a good mechanic, to look him up, and he writes his number on a scrap of paper and places it on the table before he goes.  He does not look back.

After some time, Alex who has been playing with his iPad, blinks, and its almost visible, that moment when his revelation strikes.  He looks at the rest and says:

"I think I know where Charlotte hid her ship, the one she mentioned.  I think she left it at the university!  I can't believe I was that dumb I didn't see it before.  We need to go and find it before someone else does."

 She was slowly eating her stew, chewing on the fact that Yuri seemed not to want to be around her for some reason. She was a bit miffed, because all she had done was take her pony and other animals to visit an old folks home when it all hit the fan.
 She looked up at Alex with a puzzled look.
"How do you figure that?"

"It's worth checking out." John spoke up as he sat down with a bowl of stew and a mug of coffee. He looked over at Alex hoping he could better explain his hunch." I'd like to see if we could find it. There might be something in it that can explain whats going on."

Alex met their questioning gazes with a sheepish grin.  As he starts to think back, he furrows his brow unconsciously.

"Something Charlotte said to me when we were captives of those crazy Puppet Master aliens.  I was asking her if we could make a break for her ship so we might get out of that place and she answered:

'Oh, my ship isn't here.  Its carefully hidden so the annoying, but thorough Mario'Nek won't think to look for it.'

I asked her where it was and she smiled that odd quirky smile of hers and replied:

'There is no Frigate like a Book
To take us Lands away
Nor any Coursers like a Page
Of prancing Poetry –
This Traverse may the poorest take
Without oppress of Toll –
How frugal is the Chariot
That bears the Human Soul'

"That's a poem by Emily Dickinson, I do know my nineteenth century poets, well fairly well anyway.  I didn't quite know what to make of her response at the time, I may have been a little distracted.  But I know that she came to the University to find me, Luke told me that's where he met her.  More importantly...
There's a Emily Dickinson Wing in the University Library!  That's got to be it right?"
This message was last edited by the player at 04:28, Mon 14 July 2014.

" Well, that is as good an idea as any." Rhic nodded and took a bite of his stew. and repeated the poem to himself several times." It make sense even if it's a bit thin to go on."

Luke had eaten heartily of the stew ... some might even suggested rudely.  Not in his manners, but just the pure quantities imbibed.
But he was in good spirits, and chatted openly about 'the adventure'

Oh, it was weird as hell, and he was as confused as anybody about the events ... but something in it all had ignited the spark of escapade within him.

When Alex made his revelation, Luke grinned.
"That's true, that's where she found me, before she died, in my arms.

Well, I'm up for the next exciting episode.   And besides, these woods creep me out. Let's get back to the man-jungle", he smiled.

"But I guess a good night sleep here won't go astray, first, eh!"