Session 8. Conspiracy, Incorporated

The Healing Scars make preparations for their journey to Lancaster. Nails purchases some body armor. Eric creates a small fetish out of Deacon’s computer. On the way to Lancaster the pack stops at a rest station. Nails confronts Marcus and informs him that he is no longer Alpha. Marcus fires back that this is not up for debate currently; that they can discuss the matter later. Nails again tells the Uratha that he is the Alpha and will fight if necessary. One-on-one combat breaks out. In the end, Marcus is overpowered by Nails as they struggle about in a grapple. Several times Blair breaks free only to be confronted by the Blood Talon. Through some impressive social persuasion, Marcus convinces Nails to temporarily ease his attack. Nails then calls to his fellow packmates to vote and choose who will be pack Alpha. After some debate, Eric, Sam (who oddly gets a vote), and Deacon make their choice. Nicholas “Nails” DeWinter becomes the new Healing Scars Alpha. After a long conversation between Nails and Marcus, Marcus agrees to be his beta. They finally reach Lancaster and book a room in one of the hotels. A voice message has been cryptically left for Marcus Blair. The receptionist was paid to route a message to whatever room they were staying in. Deacon performs a thorough sweep of the hotel room for any bugs, finding none. Agent Wade from the CIA has important business to discuss and asks Marcus to call him back. The Healing Scars debate the results of calling back the CIA agent. Deacon is notably worried about the CIA and wants no connection to this situation. Tonya says she dated a guy in the KGB who has connections in Lancaster. She might be able to set up a meeting but wants the Scars there for protection. They agree. She sets up a meeting for later that night. They decide to hold off calling Agent Wade in hopes that Tonya’s connection pays off. At the club, Tonya talks with on old flame named Fillip. He tells her that the CIA are working with the MIA and are everywhere. Crime is down due to all the increased special agents mucking around. Fillip recognizes Sam Sky, who is Eric at the time, as an ex-member of the local KGB gang. Sam owes their employer Alexis 1,000 pounds, which is paid out by Deacon. The first 500 anyways is paid. Fillip calls his boss and arranges a meeting at the park, tomorrow at 8. Meanwhile Deacon woos a girl and gets her number. They leave and prepare for the next night. Back at the hotel room, Deacon does a little prying online and finds some info about the town. Lancaster is fairly small; the only real areas of importance are the park, a museum, and Lancaster castle. The castle catches their attention. It doubled as a prison and held the execution of some nasty witches back in the day. In the previous session, Pentex had phoned Marcus demanding Chelsea. They claimed to be holding Lindsey hostage and would kill her in 24 hours, if he didn’t agree to deliver the girl. The “clock”, as you might say, is ticking down and Marcus is running out of time. Chelsea is in the shadow with OMD (Old Man Diaper, Shadow Wind) as Marcus has no intention of making a trade. There is little he can do. He’s not even sure if they will call, seeing as Marcus got rid of his phone since it was bugged (see last session). The 24 hour comes and goes. Nothing has happened. Eric Sky uses his connections with the dead and searches the immediate area for a spirit. Perhaps someone in the land of the unliving can offer a clue. In doing so, he discovers a terrible truth. The spirit of Lindsey is in the hotel room with them. She is dead. Eric informs Marcus of this unfortunate event and acts as emissary between the two. Lindsey is confused but eventually realizes that she is no longer alive. She tells them that Pentex killed her shortly after her capture. Marcus apologizes for all that has happened. She forgives him for everything and asks him to look after the girl. Lindsey crosses over into the unknown and, as Marcus drains the spiritual essence from her body, she finds peace. Marcus, with nothing else to loose, makes the call to Agent Wade. Unfortunately, the number is no longer in service. Is Wade connected to Pentex? Only time will tell. Previously in London, a new murder/rape took place and had “Junior” written all over it. But the scent at the crime scene was not David’s and also led the Healing Scars to a bus stop. After a bit of prying they discovered that this bus stop was going to Lancaster. Nails decides there is always a chance that the scent of the killer is fresh in Lancaster and the Scars might be able to track it to the source. Using their keen Urathan instincts (and much of the day) they finally find the killer’s scent which leads directly to…Lancaster castle. But someone else is there, and it is not the killer or any affiliate of Simmons. A man with CIA written all over him approaches asking for Marcus. It is Wade, who in a lone conversation with Marcus begins by apologizing for the lapse in his phone number. Pentex is on to him, and he can hide no longer. Wade dedicated his life to exposing Pentex for the evil that they are and it’s about to cost him his life. He doesn’t explain why or how, but it appears that Wade has accepted his fate. He wishes Blair the best of luck, giving him a manila folder crammed with files. He leaves. Marcus opens the folder and scans them over. The majority of the articles deal with wolf deaths related to a parvovirus. The notes suggest some kind of conspiracy and draw several relations to Pentex, identified as an Alaskan company. His investigation is cut short by their Alpha, who reminds him that they have more important business: entering the castle and finding the killer. Eric Sky uses the Two World Eyes gift and takes a gaze into the Shadow. What he finds is a fiery image of David Simmons that knocks him to the ground. The castle is crawling with Junior’s mojo. After steeping into a nearby locus the Scars get a full glimpse of the castle from the Shadow. A dome of fire shells the entire place, preventing entrance (Ben kicks himself again for not buying the manipulate fire gift). They will have to find a locus inside the castle if they want to confront him. The Scars try to find a way to break into the castle. Eric pulls out his whip, the Conduit Fetish, and “castlevanias” himself to the roof. Nails feels something is out of place. The resurrection book, still in his possession, is calling to him. He opens the book and enters into a trance. Beside him now is a young version of Simmons, who engages in a playful conversation. He asks Nails why he thinks he’s bad. Upon hearing about Nails oath to the Destroyer Wolf to kill him, the boy confesses to Nails that the Destroyer also contacted him. Confused, Nails pushes this aside and continues that he will put the boy down and that Junior is not Father Wolf. He agrees with the Scar’s alpha to a point. He says that Father Wolf is inside of him, guiding his actions in an attempt to right the wrongs of his own people. He tells him that wolves had their chance. Simmons and his followers are going to purge the gauntlet entirely. The age of the Border Marshes is over. Once the link between the physical and the spiritual world is severed, he will rule between the two worlds of Father Wolf. Problem solved. Nails wants no more of this banter; his vision ends. DeWinter must confront his master and ask the Destroyer himself on the matter. He gathers his rage and focuses his power into the warrior form. As mighty Gauru he smashes clinched fists into the castle walls. The force is incredible, if not legendary. One side of the stone wall is reduced to splinters. Through the hole in the wall the Destroyer Wolf gazes at his child, offering him the answers he seeks. “You cannot trust this Simmons, this abomination of our people. He is a coward; he is weak. He slithers as a snake, and in his slipperiness he has tried to fool you. I have never spoken with him, but he would like you to believe this. That is because his is a poison, trying to twist and infect through misdirection and confusion. Remain steadfast in your efforts! He is a false prophet, a blasphemer of the highest offense. This domain is gathering place of those who would follow his bidding: humans, Pure, and even our kind. They are lost Sheep following their Shepard. Answer this: what good is a Shepard without his Flock? Remove them and the Shepard is a Shepard no more.” Destroyer fades. Nail knows what he must do. He will destroy. He will kill them all.