A Little Pro Bono Work

A Little Pro Bono Work
Part of God Save the Queen
Date 2081-05-24 GM Kryosite Location A strange Metaplane
Factions Involved
ShadowHaven Queen Elizabeth XXIII Shark	Assorted Spirits

Summary

Shark went on a journey through the metaplanes to provide legal counsel to a a young oni who had found himself in some trouble, meeting his mentor along the way

Background

After a run in the Ork Underground where his legal acumen wasn't respected, Shark decided to further pursue his magic. He asked Legal Eagle about initiation, and Legal Eagle recommended a local free spirit who could open a gateway to the metaplanes that would allow anyone to get through without dealing with the Dweller on the Threshold or any other weird mage drek.

The Meet

At 2 PM, Shark heard a knock on his door, and a young Oni woman asked him for help on behalf of Queen Elizabeth. He followed her through the Underground to a basement in the Barrens, where Tasuo, the Queen's Steward, was sitting in an astral gateway being created by Queen Elizabeth XXIII. She explained that Tatsuo had gone on a metaplanar journey after coming home and saying he was in trouble with KE, but wasn't back yet. Shark agreed to defend the young man, passed through the gateway, and went to rescue Tatsuo.

The Run

Upon emerging from the gateway, Shark was in an ancient forest, filled with impossibly large flora. He followed a path before him and came to a stream, where he had a brief altercation with a kappa, who wanted to play with him. After being fooled by a glamour, Shark found himself in the water, and zapped the kappa with his elemental body, which conducted through the water and hit the kappa before the kappa offered any threat. This upset the kappa, who threw a tantrum, only having wanted to play, not fight. After calming down the kappa, Shark got to the other side and followed the path onward.

The forest shifted to an old birch grove, where he met the Wise Warrior, Odin, who was sitting by a campfire clad in mail and leather. When asked about a strange red-faced horned man who came through, he refered to Tatsuo by name and said that they had talked at length. He then barred Shark's way forward until Shark could tell him his name, recognize him as his totem spirit, and answer the question "What is the source of true power?", the answer being "knowledge". This prompted Shark to ask Odin about Tatsuo's case, and Odin happily shared the details. Tatsuo had been accosted by a few Humanis types, tried and failed to flee, tried and failed to use a non-lethal response, and then fired off a high-Force Ball Lightning spell, killing one of the attackers. It seemed like a clear case of self-defense, and Shark even knew the Stuffer Shack nearby and could get the security footage. Better-informed, he continued on his path.

Shark finally found Tatsuo in a much darker forest, where shadows were longer and the trees were skeletal and dying. He was in a hollow dead tree stump, maybe 12 feet high, trying desperately to hold up a mana barrier to keep out a Nightmare and a Shade who were both circling him and trying to feed. He had been in this metaplane for weeks, time having flowed oddly as it occasionally does in such places. He was exhausted and terrified, but Shark managed to get through to him and snap him out of the fugue state he seemed to be in, only for the Nightmare to get through the barrier and terrify him all over again. Shark managed to punch the shadow spirits to death pretty handily though, freeing Tatsuo and leading him home safely.

Aftermath

Tatsuo was well-defended, and the murder charge was deemed to be justifiable homicide in self-defense. The Queen remembers this, and always pays her debts. Shark learned to take a minute to stop and ask questions, because that is the Wise Warrior's way.

Rewards

• Queen Elizabeth XXIII as a contact at Loyalty 3
• 5 karma
• Discount on initiation
• 2 CDP

Game Quotes

Amusing quote from game.