Session 23: Day Seven

Quotes:

"I have no genitalia." - Eric

"You need hard points for that dildo." - Allen

"I am not going to Fall just to satisfy your twisted little plans." - Eric

"You have discord. It's called your players." - Liz

"Talk is cheap, but bullets are cheaper." - Allen

"Toga! Toga!" - Star

Day 7. 12:01 AM. Chicago Illinois

Daimon, Dylan and Dana are travelling to Chicago, with plans of things to do with the tape from the Game. And at that time, Dana receives a message to return to Heaven - specifically, the Halls of Creation.

Day 7. In Heaven

Mazpatiel sees the three rescuers, as they are discussing things over with Joel. Joel waves him over, says "Debrief them", and moves on to deal with more pressing problems, which is the frothing horde of freed Judgment Malakim. Mazpatiel listens to t he tales of Maxwell, Blitzen, and Star.

Day 7. 12:30 AM. Chicago, Illinois

Dana and Dylan are discussing Dana's plans in the car about finding a place to duplicate a celestial tape and passing it off to tethers. Dylan doesn't really _know_ tethers of enemies or unrelated servitors in Chicago, so this is going to take some do ing. So Dana calls Dedan, and updates her on the situation as she knows it in Heaven, and Dedan just sounds tired. Dedan, in her piles of papers, does know of one friendly tether, which is a large Byzantine Orthodox church in downtown Chicago, which is to the Sword. So Dana gives these instructions to Dylan and he drives like a maniac to the tether. They go inside, and speak to the Seneschal priest, who, once the situation is explained to him, is more then happy to comply with their requests.

Day 7. In Heaven - Laurence's Cathedral.

The three ascend the Tether of the Sword and emerge at it's tetherpoint in Laurence's Cathedral. Unfortunately, none of them are servitors of Laurence, and they have no idea how to navigate the Cathedral. They all become thoroughly lost.

Day 7. In Heaven. Halls of Creation

Joel is trying to calm down the Malakim who are clamboring for _vengence_. But they are irrational, and he returns to the group, shaking his head. Options are discussed....

Day 7. In Heaven. Laurence's Cathedral

A Laurentine Malakite, on patrol, approach the three who obviously are not servitors of the Sword. He doesn't look particularly pleased to see them, and offers to 'show them the door'. The three are overjoyed to be released from being lost, and they are shown the door. Emerging into the streets of the Eternal Cities, they quickly figured out the direction to the Halls of Creation.

Day 7. In Heaven. Halls of Creation

Joel is explaining the problem with the Malakim, and options are explored with what to do about them. Send them to the Marches? Send them to the fighting in the Groves? It's difficult to tell. Joel opts for going to the Marches and seeing if he can get in to discuss this problem with the Archangel Michael. He is fairly positive that he's going to have a wait.

Dana, Dylan and Daimon show up at the Halls of Creation, to rejoin Maxwell, Blitzen, and Star. They begin to swap stories and explain what is going on. Dana attempts to explain some of the information that she knows.

An Ofanite of Creation zips into the Halls of Creation, buzzes the group, and tells them that Laurence has been captured in the Marches. When Maxwell figures out how this can be, Mazpatiel explains that while Laurence is good, David is old, much older , and much more experienced. So the group gets into motion - Maxwell and Star go off to talk to Jean about battlesuits, Blitzen goes screaming off to the Library to talk to Yves, and the others stay behind to try to calm the Malakim down.

Day 7. In Heaven. The Library

Blitzen goes to the Library, and finds a reliever that can show him the way. Surprisingly, Blitzen has absolutely no problem getting in to see Yves, almost as though he was expected. Yves is sitting behind his huge book, which is filling with text by itself. Blitzen asks Yves questions, and Yves answers, "So it has been written, so it is done." Unfortuately, Blitzen doesn't get much useful information, and decides to rejoin Maxwell and Star.

Day 7 In Heaven. Halls of Technology

Lo and behold, the person at the front desk is the same Seraph of Lightning whom they blew off when the battle suit was returned, and she is just giving the two others the Eye of Truth. As in, giving them the business. Maxwell and Star aren't allowed inside, they're forced to fill out forms in triplicate on why they want to enter the Halls of Technology in the first place. Star asks for Crayons, and this being Heaven, she gets the pack in 64 colors. Maxwell tries to fill out the forms electronicall y, and struggles with it. Suddenly, Blitzen shows up, and just sweeps through the doors, pushing past the Seraph and right inside. Maxwell and Star follow, still clutching their forms.

They make their way to Jean's office, which is closed, locked, and guarded by a pair of Malakim, who are more or less friendly. They take the forms, and fix them. And then, the Malakim give up where Jean is at, which is taking a tour of some of the B eta Testing labs. The three zip off to locate the Archangel of Lightning.

Jean is indeed taking a tour of the Beta Testing labs, walking past row after row of gleaming silver battle suits in pristene testing labs, followed by a gaggle of servitors. Upon seeing Max, Star and Blitzen, Jean tells them most of the answers they were seeking (plus some) before they even ask any of the questions. Sometimes it's good to know an Archangel who is undeniably Good. The three get an update on Archangel Marc, who was sent to the Groves to try to get David to back down from his current c ourse of action.

Day 7. In Heaven. Halls of Creation

Dana and Dylan discuss their own personal options that they are facing. Mazpatiel attempts to calm the Malakim down, without much success. Dana takes her own turn discussing the Malakim problem with Joel. Then Dana goes to bond with some Dominican C herubs, because they need love to.

Taking advantage of being left on their own without parental supervision, Daimon suggests a minor roadtrip. It doesn't take much effort to dig up celestial photographic equipment in the Halls of Creation, and they are off to the Groves, so that Dylan can fulfill his geas and just get rid of it for good and forever.

Day 7. In Heaven. The Groves

Maxwell, Blitzen and Star make their way to the Groves to attempt to give support to the Archangel of Trade. Star has a sudden idea as they pass the healing triage units, and now that the fighting is basically ended for now, she can gather a large gro up of Seraphim of Flowers to follow her to the Halls of Creation to settle the frothing Malakim down. They follow her, leaving Maxwell and Blitzen on their own. The other two make their way in.

Daimon and Dylan make their way through. In celestial form, Daimon is a heinously good warrior, and making through undetected and unseen is no real stretch. They get to a vantage point where they are looking down at a large, cleared training field wh ere presumably Michael had once trained troops, and they can see Marc talking to David, surrounded by Stone Malakim.

Day 7. In Heaven. Halls of Creation.

The Novalians make it to the Halls of Creation, and they are placed in a position to give good coverage to the main room where the Malakim are being kept. They are forceably made peaceful, so they don't go on a rampage. The Creationers see this as a good reason to celebrate (it doesn't take much) and the music starts. On the overhang over the main room, a Malakite in his multicolored pants stands on the railing, and screams "Mosh Pit!" In a word, Mayhem Ensues. The hashish comes out. The Dominica ns are _not_ pleased.

Day 7. In Heaven. The Groves

Maxwell and Blitzen get to a position where they can easily see Marc and David. They had been largely unmolested by the Stonies, who had no interest in picking fights. They can see the argument which is going on, and that Marc isn't make much headway . Blitzen notes that the Archangel David is extremely dissonant.

Blitzen tries to get through to approach, but he is rebuffed by David's guards who tell him he cannot approach. He tries to explain that he has evidence, but he's still rebuffed. Blitzen sends the guard to go ask David, and David says absolutely not, even when Marc is waving him over. Taking Marc's cue, Blitzen comes over and tries to state his case. David, obviously losing it, is uninterested, and worse, on dropping Dana's name, associates him with traitors. As Blizten backs off, Marc tries to pu rsuade David to at least hear the evidence. On this, David stabs Marc with his sword. Marc goes down, forces pouring from a gut wound.

So Blitzen turns, and grabs the fallen Archangel. He starts running out of the Groves as fast as his resonance can take him, and tries to shake pursuit. He shakes it just long enough to get out of the Groves, and go screaming to the Halls of Technolo gy.

From the trees, Maxwell, Daimon, and Dylan can all see Dominic step out of the darkness. Maxwell and Daimon cover their ears (I'm not listening!) while Dylan, the Stone Malakim, and David listen to Dominic talk about his new Heavenly Order, mesmerized . Dylan is listening too closely while he's taping, and Dominic suddenly starts to make complete sense. Utter sense. Daimon starts to back away from Dylan, (I loved you, man, but I can't see you anymore...) as Dylan starts to walk out onto the training field.

Dylan steps out to confront Dominic, and Dominic smiles.

Maxwell leaves the Groves, again unmolested, and sees from the sky a blackish strange haze hanging over the Eternal City. Not knowing what to do, he makes his way back to the Halls of Creation.

Day 7. In Heaven. Halls of Creation

Dana, after bonding with Cherubim and realizing her attuned and his Mercurian friend are no longer in the Halls of Creation, hands her tape from the Game to Star, and prepares to mount some sort of rescue. All of the sudden, her attuned is in some sor t of trouble. She is, as it were, unsuprised.

Mazpatiel hears the report that the Spires are on Fire. Gabriel is burning them. But what are you gonna do, you know?

Day 7. In Heaven. Halls of Technology

Blitzen drags the Archangel of Trade, who is bleeding forces profusely, to the Halls of Technology. He is immediately besieged by concerned servitors of Lightning, who he yells at to get Jean. In a moment, the Archangel of Lightning appears, thanks B litzen, and starts the order to barracade the doors and close down the Halls from all intruders. Blitzen also saw the smoke over the Eternal City, and mentions that he should probably go join his Mistress. Jean nods to him, and gets Blitzen fitted with a relic Ofanite-based flamethrower. Blitzen makes it out of the Halls of Technology just in time as the final portal is closed down, and goes to join Gabriel. Again, Mayhem Ensues.

Day 7. In Heaven. Eternal City

Maxwell, finding no use for himself at the Halls of Creation, mentions to people that he's going to help his fellow Servitors of the Sword to save Laurence's Cathedral from the flames. He leaves and goes to the Eternal City, where Joduthun has taken c ommand of the Swordies. Maxwell, being of sound mind and fairly calm, starts ordering the destruction of the connector between Laurence's Cathedral and the Spires. Lacking other authority figures, those who were left to guard follow Maxwell's orders, an d the disconnect begins.

Day 7. In Heaven. Halls of Creation.

Dana gathers some of her new found Cherubim friends, and mounts a rescue of the Lilim from the Groves. Daimonique is just fine, and is emerging, looking shaken, from the Groves. The lilim recounts what happened to Dylan, and they all return to the Ha lls of Creation.

Star is just consumed by the giant Creationer party, and is seen in the middle of the group yelling, "TOGA! TOGA!"

Dana returns about the same time Joel does from the Marches. Mazpatiel, Dana and Joel discuss the burning of the Spires and the status of their Hearts. They don't know what will happen when Gabriel gets her hands on them, and doesn't really want to k now. They pick up two dominican malakim who look vaguely strangely sane, and with Dana's cherubim, decide to at least get to the heartroom to do something with the hearts. They head to the Eternal City.

Day 7. In Heaven. Eternal City

Maxwell and his group finish breaking down the connector between the Spires and the Cathedral. Max hopes this will help to protect the Cathedral from some of the flames.

Day 7. In Heaven. The Groves.

Dylan is standing in the middle of the field, and Dominic is very pleased to see him. Dominic tells Dylan that he'll be a part of Dominic's New Heavenly Order. And all Dylan has to do to prove his allegiance is to murder all those who have had contac t and conversations with the Archangel Raphael. Dylan goes to do Dominic's bidding, knowing that the only one he has seen do this is Dana.

Day 7. In Heaven. The Spires.

Dana, Joel, Mazpatiel, two other cherubs and two Dominican Malakim find a window into the Spires that they can easily get through without getting burned or getting attacked by the Servitors of Fire. They make their way in, and as the last person goes in, they are spotted by Blitzen, who comes in after them. Again, the Spires try to eat the group, but the Dominicans know the way through innately, even though the corridors keep changing and tentacles come up from the floor, trying to drag them into the walls to consume them. They get to the large doors with the huge locks. Mazpatiel comments, on seeing the locks, "Those weren't there before." Between Blitzen and the Malakim, they can pull them off the doors. Beyond the doors is just... blackness. They enter, and the flourescent lights above click on, and they see before them rows and rows of empty racks. Where the Dominican Hearts once were, there is nothing but dust. Mazpatiel peers into the holders, hoping the Hearts have just shrunken or some thing.

Behind them comes a voice. "They're gone. The Hearts have been removed."

The group turns, and see a very rumpled, tired, wild-eyes Archangel Raphael staring them down. Blizten asks him what has happened, and he waves a hand. Not important. What is important is that they get out of here. Dana, of course, doesn't like him much. So they decide to descend, and Blitzen suggests they descend outside the tether of fire in Saginaw, Michigan. The group, sans one Archangel, find themselves in the parking lot of the tether. It's only 2am on Earth.

Day 7. In Heaven. Laurence's Cathedral.

Maxwell, after things are safe, make his way to the armory. He is not bothered or even questioned on the way. He gets in there, and there are racks and racks and racks of weapons. He searches through the weapons and, yes indeed, on a rack in its she ath is the Kubatant. He pulls it down, and then spends some quality peaceful time in the armory, meditating.

Day 7. In Heaven. Halls of Creation.

Star is upstairs in one of the rooms, in an expansive king sized bed with Midian, Malakite of Creation and lover of mosh pits. She has decided that he's clearly her new boyfriend. She smokes a cigarette, and feels the peace. In her life, things are currently good.

Day 7. In Heaven. The Spires.

Dylan, after a few tips on directions, follows Dana to the Spires. He finds, in the back, a large, inviting open door, which he passes through. He walks alone through the Spires, and the madness of the outside world recedes. After walking for some t ime, he walks into an expansive throneroom, filled with angels who don't look quite right for some reason. He smiles, and they smile back. The place is filled with peace, and strangely colored light streams through the windows. One of the angels near t he door holds out a hand to Dylan to take, and says to him, "Welcome, brother. Welcome to Hell." Dylan takes the hand, and he feels himself change... fit in... and become one of them.



Flaming edge graphics from Our Domain Gallery of Graphics
The "In Nomine" and "flaming feather" graphics are
(C) 1997 Steve Jackson Games, Incorporated.
Used with fnord.