Session 4. Five of the Seven

The realm of the Ethros contains a towering skyscraper looming over the dull green horizon. The building is so vast that the Healing Scars cannot gauge its height; countless floors are lost in the clouds above. After a bit of debate they decide to enter the building. The Uratha pass through a set of revolving doors that lead to a lobby. An attractive young woman greets the Scars. She phones a spirit known as Killer-of-Lies and asks them to have a seat and wait. Elevator music softly plays in the background. The whole place reeks of "corporate America." Some time later Killer-of-Lies tactfully greets the pack. He is rather tall and dressed in very expensive business attire, perhaps Italian. Marcus attempts to explain their situation. After a brief exchange of dialogue the Ethros spirit is rather taken back at the mentioning of Rids-the-Pain. He requests that the Scars follow him immediately. With some reluctance, the Uratha follow him into an elevator and descend several levels. The elevator opens and the Scars enter the confines of a small library. Unexpectedly Killer-of-Lies quickly steps back into the elevator and closes the door. The elevator melds into the wall and disappears, leaving the Scars trapped. Eric Sky strongly feels something spiritual is out of place. He later comes to the realization that a gauntlet has been drawn between the werewolves and their essence. Their Uratha powers have been blocked somehow. After some investigation, they discover that the walls cannot be broken down; they are reinforced by thick steel. After some searching Marcus finds a first aid kit in the office. Sky researches various texts in the library and finds two unusual books bound by mystical powers. One of these books contains an accurate history of his life, exactly up to this moment. The last page even reads that he is holding this book. It would appear that the book is being written by itself; pages are added with every one of Eric's actions. The other book is similar in nature except that it is written for the girl named Tonya. Unlike Sky's, her book ends with the scene at the train; there are many blank pages after this point in the book. When searching the confines of the library the Healing Scars find that one room is completely locked out; a four digit code is required to open the door. Eric dusts the control pad revealing the last numbers entered were one, nine, and zero. After entering many different variations, one set of numbers opens the door: 1-9-9-0. Eric recalls that 1990 was the year they saved Tonya from the train by defeating Reckless-Hate. Somehow this must be all connected. The locked door was hiding a small room filled with even more books. Marcus Blair and Eric Sky notice the bloody pentagon inked in the center of the circular room, a clear indication of evil at work. A spiritual boundary separates them from the texts; anyone attempting to touch a book cannot maintain a hold and is fiercely burned. Eric Sky cannot make out the language on any of the books and suggests that it might be older than the First Tongue. Outside Nails experiences an unseen force pulling him into the newly opened room. As he enters a large book suspiciously "falls" from the shelves and hits the floor. Against Marcus and Eric's advice Nails picks up the book; it does not burn him. The words look like a variant of Chinese. Some of the words begin to form in Nails's mind. It is titled Resurrection. Somehow he can read small sections of the book. The word "Ethros" surfaces several times followed by one name: "Magaloth." He will have to search the contents of the book later, as it will take some time to truly understand the nature of this text. Killer-of-Lies appears inside the room as a holographic projection and tells them that the council has agreed to hear them. He regrets having them contained in this fashion. They agree to follow and ride the corporate elevator to floor 34,382. During the trip, Killer is curious why Uratha would want to defend such a spirit. Once on floor 34,382 they enter a board room filled with a dozen or so chairmen of the Ethros council. Their leader, Eternal Balance, is on assignment and is linked to the room via video conference. Actually, about half the seats in the room are rigged in the same way. A great deal of arguing occurs. The Ethros bicker about how they can't afford to let certain events repeat themselves. Marcus acts as leader and makes a plea to the council to defend Rids-the-Pain in trial. Eternal balance asks everyone to leave the room, save the Healing Scars Alpha. Eternal Balance is quite impressed with the Marcus's tact and grants him his request. In this private meeting he decrees he and his packmates will have to pass the Seven. The Seven is a test of sorts that allows the accused in question legal representation in trial. Due to Rid's sketchy past, his option to take the Seven was denied. Eternal Balance will let the Scars bear this burden in place of Rids. Eternal Balance makes a snide comment on how Killer-of-Lies is young and that the Ethros council are normally more swift and assertive. Marcus thanks him for his generosity. Killer-of-Lies escorts the pack back to the elevator. It appears the "rookie" has been scolded a bit by Eternal Balance. Marcus renders Killer speechless as he jokes about the young spirit being "just a rookie." Infuriated, Killer leads them back to the library and tells them the Seven will begin tomorrow. The pack undergoes a vision that night. Through this vision Helo "Shadow Wind" manages to break through the shadow realms and commune with the Healing Scars. He warns them about the Ethros and their mind games. The Ethros clan often uses riddles to confuse their prey during their capture. Helo also mentions that some things cannot be taken at face value, the laws and physics of shadow realms vary from the physical world. He answers as many questions as he can before his powers begin to fade and their connection is lost. THE SEVEN. ONE. Killer-of-Lies greets them the next morning with a simple message: they have exactly 7 hours to escape from the library. After uttering these words he disappears back into the elevator. The first of the Seven has begun, and time is not on the Healing Scar's side. Their weapons are gone, undoubtedly taken during the night. The pack tries various things such as breaking the walls and looking for an escape route, but all these things reiterate that the library is unbreakable. Nails seems much more interested in his book than the first trial of the Seven and instead continues searching for more answers in its pages. After pouring over the text, he is consumed by a vision. He finds himself inside the Ethros realm in a different time. The skyscraper has been replaced by a castle. An unholy army of thousands marches to destroy the realm. The horde is lead by a figure in black, Magaloth, riding a winged serpent. Nails smirks at the thought of the conquest. This Magaloth character knows how to throw a party. The Ethros do their best to defend the realm from Magaloth's army. Countless Ethros perish. After the long and gruesome battle, the walls of the castle are breeched. The Ethros realm has been overun. The vision ceases. Meanwhile, Marcus and Eric both agree that there must be a way to escape the room without actually leaving it. In his frustration, Marcus finally gives up. He decides that he might as well pass time by reading something as well. In his recent search, he found a copy of Twain's "Tom Sawyer." In the midst of reading, he accidentally solves the first puzzle. By reading the book, he has mentally escaped the room and himself for that matter, by fictionalizing with the story's characters. The answer to the riddle hit him and, with the 7 hours nearly up, tells Eric to grab a book from the fiction section and read it as well. Since Nails has been reading the Resurrection book he also has passed the first trial. When the 7 hours have passed, Killer applauds their efforts and tells them to rest; the next trail will begin tomorrow. TWO. They awaken and find that they have a new prisoner. The young woman is bound with metal chains. Killer-of-Lies enters and tells the group that one of them is a traitor and must be subdued. Killer gives them a large rope and tells the Scars that this traitor must be tied in 7 hours, when he returns. After he leaves, the Scars untie the girl, who tells them her name is Rain. Rain is a mage, and when she learns that they are werewolves she is quite disturbed. She tells them that her powers in this realm have also been sealed by some barrier. Rain has no idea where she really is; immediately after exorcizing a spirit from a small child she was brought to this place. Nails wants to tie the girl with the rope and end this test. They argue for a while which leads to a dead end. Through some analysis of the riddle the pack deduces several clues: the traitor may not be the girl and to solve the puzzle the traitor doesn't need to be found. With this information Eric Sky formulates a different plan. After judging the size of the rope, he concludes that everyone could be tied together. With everyone in the rope, they will pass the test. When the 7 hours are over, Killer-of-Lies returns to find the group bound together. The Scars, and prisoner, pass the test. Killer sneers and tells them not to get carried away, as the harder tests have yet to come. He also mentions that while they passed the test, they still do not know who the traitor really is. THREE. Killer-of-Lies returns the next morning. The spirit informs them of their next test. In 15 minutes, a manticore will be released inside the library. They all have to survive the fiend's attacks for 700 seconds. The Healing Scars quickly formulate a plan of attack. Nails breaks off a leg to a table for a make-shift club and holds his ground in the main lobby. Marcus Blair goes to the office and grabs the first aid kit. Rain's protection is left up to Eric Sky. He takes the girl into the fiction room and finds a suitable place to hide. They wait. The 15 minutes pass. Unexpectly, Rain enters convulsions. She begins to twist and change. Sky immediately retreats the scene and shouts at his packmates. It would seem that Rain is the manticore. He tells Nails not to kill it, as everyone in the room, Rain included, must survive to pass this test. The transformation has taken place, the visage of Rain has been replaced by a hideous beast. This "mythical" animal is massive, at least 15 feet tall. The manticore closely resembles a winged lion with a scorpion's tail. It breathes fire and its tail is laced with poison. Eric Sky, as usual, has a plan. He makes his way to the restroom and finds a fire extinguisher. He also breaks a mirror and makes a dagger out of the glass. Marcus rummages through the office. Using his crafts to the limit, he creates a make-shift sword out of random supplies in the room. He quickly fumbles through the medicine cabinet in the office. He also has a plan. Taking various drugs, he attempts to make a sleeping agent. He dips the blade of his weapon into the chemicals. With some luck, perhaps his creation will bring the beast down. Using its towering wings, the beast soars to the top of the ceiling and rests on an archway. With foul breath it rains down a stream of fire in Nails direction. He dodges the blast in the knick of time and leaps into the air towards his attacker. As the two battle the scorpion's tail penetrates Nails's body. The poison digs deep but cannot take hold; Nails's iron-will amazingly nulifies the toxin. He vicously clubs the beast over the head causing it to fall back and crash onto the floor below. With blade in hand, Marcus rushes the manticore and stabs its side. Eric also enters the room and helps the others keep the beast at bay. Marcus's concoction works well, the substance eventually knocks the animal out. After the 700 seconds pass, the manticore changes back to Rain again. She is beaten and bloody, but the sword wound is not fatal. Killer-of-Lies applauds their efforts and whisks the girl away. He tells the Scars that they need not worry about her any longer. Eric screams as Rain is taken away. FOUR. The next day Killer-of-Lies meets them once again. The spirit tells them that this next test is very simple, but often proves hardest of all to accomplish. Each member must confess a secret. This secret must be severe enough to question each other's loyalty. Killer informs them that the Ethros know the Scars better than they know themselves and will be able to tell if they are lying. After a great deal of reflection, each member confesses a secret. Eric Sky admits that he has a twin brother who looks exactly like him. He tells them that Sam represents everything he doesn't want to become and that he's afraid that he can't escape his brother's mistakes. Nails tells them that he used to be a Predator King, one of the Pure tribes. The Pure are the worst of the Forsaken's enemies. Nails tells them that is all they need to know about his dark ties. Marcus confesses that he has doubts that he should be a trusted member of the Scars, let alone their Alpha. He admits that he doesn't know his past and many recent visions have led him to believe that he is in league with a corporation called Pentex. With this information revealed Killer-of-Lies returns and reveals a secret of his own: the girl named Rain is really Tonya. Eric is quite angry and demands he return her. Killer-of-Lies tells him he'll do so when he's "finished" with her. FIVE. The next day Rain is brought back to library as Killer had promised. She has been tortured and is barely alive. The spirit informs them that he'll be gone for a while; they will have to make due with what they have. Lights fade as the power is shut down. The room becomes very cold. Rain/Tonya has been nearly beaten to death. When Tonya finally regains consiousness she tells the pack that this test can only be beaten if someone dies. Killer-of-Lies plans to wait until someone starves to death in this prison. Nails uses his survival skills and plots out a plan at making the best of their resources. The vending machines have a few snacks left in them. The water fountain is turned off, but there is a small amount of water in the reservoir. Rain pleads with Eric to let her go; that she has to sacrifice herself. When Eric is not looking, she grabs a shard of glass. Eric quickly wrestles it away from her. There must be a better way. Each member of the Healing Scars silently formulates a plan. It is as if they can read each others minds, the sign of a true pack in action. Without saying a word the three Uratha put their plan into action. Nails grabs Tonya and begins to choke her. He wants to put an end to this nonsense. Eric quickly intervenes and he and Nails trade blows. Nails tosses Eric, slamming him against the wall. In a blind fury Marcus charges Nails with his sword drawn. The two Uratha connect. Nails intercepts the blade and turns it against the Alpha. The blade, still covered in toxin, pierces Marcus's flesh. He lets out a howl of pain, collapsing on the library floor. Eric recovers and rushes to his ally. Marcus has perished, or so it would seem. Nails tosses the blade to the ground and demands for the next trial; he has met the challenge at hand. An elevator appears from the wall and their captor, Killer-of-Lies, emerges. He slinks towards Nails and congratulates his bold manuver. As soon as Killer is in attacking range, both Eric and Nails grapple their target. With hands trembling in fury Sky snaps Killer-of-Lie's neck. The spirit is dead and the 5th trial has been passed: someone has been killed. Nails and Sky check on Marcus's condition. The wound does not look serious, and the toxin from the blade has put him in a deep sleep. Killer-of-Lies has also made another critical error; the elevator door is still open. Without a moment to loose, Nails and Eric each carry Marcus and Tonya and enter the elevator. The doors automatically close, and they begin to rise. The entire building begins to shake. Alarms sound and red lights flash as an emergency compartment in the elevator opens, revealing a stash of automatic weapons. An emergency message is broadcast throughout the building. It is in First Tongue. One word in the message catches Nail's attention. It is a word he read in the resurrection book, the dark word "Magaloth." The message reveals that his forces are attacking the realm. With guns drawn the Healing Scars prepare for battle.