6.30.2024

Scion: Requiem for the Fallen Cities, Session 2

 If anyone is paying attention, you're correct that you've seen this campaign name before. A game slot came open and I have been wanting to run Scion 2nd Edition for a while, so I asked the gang if they wanted an entirely new chronicle or to pick up an older one. We decided to revive an older run with the updated rules and Taylor set to work converting his old character while David pretty much remade his with a little more depth and took some joke elements out. The rest of the lot made completely new characters because they weren't in the original run. You can read what happened in the previous chronicle here.

Photo by Mike Mezeul

Tom Begay, a scion of Yolkaiestsan, had continued his lightning storm to call other Scions to the area. His band wanted to bolster numbers because they believed with the increase in sightings of things both paranormal and mythical, that the titans were poised to make a move against the children of the gods. Alex was already staying in Las Cruces and had made contact with Tom on a tip from Steve Sherwin before that group disbanded.

Having all just recently gotten their visitations and hints that they needed to seek out lightning, the four other Scions converged on Las Cruces and started poking around the White Sands National Monument, not far from the city, to figure out what was going on. Tom recognized them for what they are and gave them the run down, though he didn't have as much information, having been somewhat distant from his band since he was working at White Sands. He told the band that he would get in touch with his own group and send word that he was sending them to Las Vegas to meet, so that the more experienced Scions could inform these newcomers about the "coming war."

They agree, exchange phone numbers and go off to their respective lodgings for the night. The next morning, however, they are attacked in the parking lot of a motel as they're preparing to take off by some grayish humanoids seemingly made of sand. The heroes sustained just a little damage before being able to disperse the sandy beings to a cheering crowd of onlookers who thought maybe they were a traveling show or tv or movie stars practicing in the lot. The PCs made their goodbyes to the assembled crowd and headed for Las Vegas.

Along the way, the band would periodically see people out of the corner of their eye on the side of the road, colored ash gray or in the sepia tones of sand but would disappear from sight when looked at directly. Then, another weird thing happened when they stopped about two hours outside of Vegas and noticed that the sky had two suns; one that hung at the midday position and one in the correct spot. Only the Scions seemed to notice this, as Cahir's goons couldn't even see the noon sun.

The group traveled on into Las Vegas, heading to a pin dropped on their phones with no seeming source. They arrive shortly after to a large estate in a nice neighborhood. The house is in the Mediterranean style, with columned porticos and large courtyards. They are met at the gate by two of Tom's band: Shelley, a local politician, and Elena, an LVPD detective. They tell the band they asked to meet here because one of their number, a Scion of Ra named Ben, has been killed, apparently on the eve of his apotheosis, and they are investigating. Since another pair of eyes wouldn't hurt, they ask the PCs to look around and then they can compare notes.

The inside of the house would be relatively spartan if it weren't for the dearth of Egyptian relics seemingly on every surface. Everything is neat and has its place, which makes the next scene all the more striking. The door to the study from the hall is open, but a key is in the lock, showing it was opened willfully, the French doors leading to the balcony are torn asunder. One is completely off its hinges on the floor and the other barely hangs from the frame. Blood is splattered all over the room, as well as a little pine resin here and there. There is shattered furniture strewn about the room and small flecks of healthy flesh near the balcony doors, though if it's from the victim or the assailant is anyone's guess.

Alex checked out the security system, but didn't tamper with it, while the rest of the group went outside into the courtyard and down to the entry gate following a trail that Arne had picked up. The trail eventually ran cold, almost as if whatever it was had just disappeared completely, so Yrsa Read the Runes to seek what their next course of action would be. They knew answer lay in three women and a man so they went back to Shelley and Elena to learn about some people they had mentioned earlier that they felt bad interrogating about Ben's death because they're all close.

The PC band gets contact info for the four and decide to contact a man named Keegan, a Scion of Lugh, since he's the only one not considered part of Ben's band and seemed like a rough character. They find him playing basketball at a park and pull him aside for questions while Connal takes his place on the court, needing to get some energy out. Keegan is forthcoming with his answers and freely admits that he and Ben had physically fought very recently, but that is just how they were. He pointed his own finger at a woman named Jackie, because she was jealous of the newest member of Ben's group.


We left off here. It was getting kind of late and was a great stopping place. Hopefully, this short interview will make the players think of some questions for the others next time.


Cast of Characters
Alex Saito, Heroic Scion of Tsukiyomi
- Taylor
Arne Berg, Heroic Scion of Skadi - David
Cahir MacManus, Heroic Scion of The Morrigan - Chris G
Connal MacManus, Heroic Scion of The Morrigan - Jon G
Yrsa Vinter Strand, Heroic Scion of Skadi - Sam

Notes
•David and Samantha chose Skadi completely separately, so this was a pretty odd coincidence. Jon and Chris wanted to play brothers (because being real brothers isn't enough) and went with The Morrigan for aesthetics.
•Sam really carried the fight with the sand things. She was really the only player rolling consistently enough to damage the things repeatedly.
•Bonus points to anyone spotting either the overall theme I'm going for or know where I'm pulling some of the scenario from.



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