The Nocturnum
Episode 11: The End of Innocence
Original Air Date: 4/17/2005This episode is based upon and expanded from the Angel Director's Screen adventure entitled, "Blood Brothers, Part 2." For details, please see that supplement. For those whose groups are going to play that episode, be forewarned that while we have changed details, there will be major spoilers contained herein.
Special Guest Stars:
Juliet Landau as Drusilla
Eliza Dushku as Faith
Iyari Limon as Kennedy
Alysson Hannigan as Willow
Norman Reedus as Walter Gray
Brief Synopsis
In the week since Drake has returned from the Twilight World, he has slowly recovered from his ordeal, both physically and emotionally. His eyesight has mostly returned, but he has been haunted by apocalyptic visions of two varieties: in one, he watches his evil alter-ego murder his friends while Drusilla turns the prophetic Slayer Janine into a vampire. In the other, he watches a city somewhere in Europe die overnight, leaving a single survivor: a sinister man, standing on a building and grinning.
Having decided Drake is recovered enough, Cyan and Anita ask John to get in touch with Amara. It's time for her to confront her ghosts. Anita gets a phone call from Giles in England; he informs her that he has dispatched Faith, Willow, and Kennedy to assist the group with their situation, and to take Janine back to England for indoctrination and training.
Draco calls Drake at Anita's house, just to taunt his "brother," and threaten all of Drake's friends.
Cyan accompanies Amara to Anita's house, where Amara confronts Drake, confesses to being his sire, and confesses to having killed Katherine the first time. During this conversation, Cyan proceeds to go through Anita's closets and dresser, "cleaning up" her room (i.e. trying to improve her fashion sense by throwing away all the clothes that aren't designer). Cyan finds an old engagement ring in Anita's jewelry box.
Meanwhile Drake, in an unreasoning rage following Amara's story, tries to attack Amara. She restrains him, offers a tearful apology for which she doesn't expect forgiveness, and tells him that if he ever needs her, he need only send out a call. She then leaves, giving Cyan a hug before she goes. Drake proceeds to destroy Anita's television set in a rage. The phone rings; it's Draco again, and he says, "So we've met our Sire, have we? I shall have to remember that." Drake then smashes Anita's phone and starts drinking. Cyan calls Anita to come help calm Drake down. The idea backfires when Cyan confronts Anita about the ring. Anita, angry, takes the ring from Cyan and storms out of the house after wigging out on Cyan about going through her personal things.
Amara returns to the Hive to bid her farewells to John, and informs him that there's a storm on the horizon, and that she and a renegade angel named Michele are building a coalition that will gather up the survivors against the rising darkness. She can't be more specific, but she tells John that she fears the Covenants will be decimated in the approaching Reckoning, and that the group's efforts may only put it off a few years, but that every month they buy affords Amara, Michele and their allies more time to prepare for the future battle.
During their conversation, an old friend appears at the hive: it's Walter, having returned from England after hearing of Drake's plight from "a little birdie"...named Nyarlathotep. He says he can only stay a few days, but is here to help resolve the problem and if possible, to kill Draco himself.
Anita picks up Willow, Faith, and Kennedy at the airport and brings them back to the Hive after getting them checked into a hotel. The group immediately goes to work researching Drake's problem. They have determined that Drake may, with help, be able to tap into Draco's mind and find out where the vampiric doppelganger is hiding. While Willow and John await Carrie for this ritual, Anita and Cyan go to hit the books.
As they research, a new prophecy appears in the books, reading, “And then the final sign came to pass, and the skies of the City of Steel burned with the fires of Hell, as the ground opened, the devil’s breath devouring the fifty and one hundred from below.” Anita and Cyan jump up and run to the window, and within minutes an earthquake rocks the city. The group sees a giant fireball leap into the sky from the middle of downtown and race to the scene, where they learn that a gas line has ruptured under the town square, causing an explosion that inflicted massive casualties amongst a crowd of people who had gathered for a local band concert. This latest prophecy seems to indicate that Draco and Drusilla are learning to control the prophecies Janine creates, to disastrous effect.
Anita takes Walter, John, Faith, and Kennedy to the Lava Lounge (a local demon bar) where she climbs up on the bar and demands information, lest she and her allies declare all-out war on the demon underworld. One demon calls her over and offers information for $300. Anita pays and he informs her that the Lyrok clan has re-captured Janine and they are camped out at the old abandoned jail. Anita and company go to the jail, only to find a setup: the Lyroks aren't there, but a gang of 8 veteran vampires lie in wait. After finishing off 7 of the vampires (Faith handles 3 and a half herself, counting the one she staked from behind to save Kennedy, who was grappled and bitten), the group interrogates the lone survivor, who reveals that the Lyroks hired a demon named Eyes to find Janine. If anyone can help the group, it's Eyes. The group let the vampire go, then send a gleeful Walter to chase him down and finish him off.
Drake is unable to maintain focus to tap into Draco's mind and decides to sleep on it and try again tomorrow. Cyan and Willow are also exhausted and agree to meet up early the next morning to continue their researches. The next morning, Cyan and Willow go to CMU to look at Mythos tomes for more information about Drake's condition. Willow is floored at the dark knowledge contained in the books, and expresses concern about Cyan's meddling with dark magics. Cyan assures Willow that she only uses magic when it's necessary. Willow is skeptical, but accepts Cyan's assurances and leaves her with a warning about the consequences of using too much magic.
During their researches, Cyan and Willow see yet another prophecy leap into existence [this prophecy is as appears in the Blood Brothers, Part II episode.] This time, however, something is different. Also leaping into existence are two spells: one appearing in each of the books, and each offering a possible solution to Drake's problem. The two theorize that the spells are a result of Janine's attempt to assert her own will into the prophecies, but that the signals are garbled. The Cast now has a problem and a choice: one spell will sever the bond between Drake and Draco, allowing one to kill the other, and the second spell will recombine the two into a single entity, where they must undertake a battle of wills to become the dominant personality. Both spells look legitimate, but neither is certain. Further, the Cast has no way of knowing for sure what spell is the right choice.
Meanwhile, Drake finally achieves a link with Draco and is able to determine that his alter-ego has holed up in an abandoned school. A modified locator spell reveals one of the three local abandoned high schools has been warded against detection.
The Cast debates for hours about which spell to use on Drake, who removes himself from the argument out of fear that Draco will tap into his mind. This changes when Cyan and Willow research a spell to cloud Drake's mind from intrusions. In the end, the Cast decides to try and rescue Janine before dark and see if she can rewrite the prophecy, but if their mission fails, they will try the spell to sever the bond between Drake and Draco. The episdoe ends as the Cast prepare to assault the school where the villains are hiding, well aware that Wolfram and Hart, the Lyrok Demons, and the Black Sorcerer have all also been tearing the city apart looking for Janine, and that as a result they might have much more to contend with than a few vampires...
Great Quotes:
(Regarding Amara)
Jamie: Anita! We're getting low on coffee beans
Cyan: You're a young, attractive woman. You need like 50 pairs of sexy, cute underwear.
Cyan: We need to get Alan to maryr you. He loves you; you love him.
Drake: One monster or another. It's still a monster.
Cyan: I know you've been through a lot, Drake, but so has she. She's in love with someone she can never have.
Walter: I've mostly been wandering the world. Like the Incredible Hulk.
Walter: So who's this?
Walter: I killed dracula about 12 times. Did you know he's harder to kill than Nyarlathotep?
Walter: Slayers!? Multiple??
John: That was Anita. Apparently she's picked up some girls and wants us to go meet them.
Walter: So anyway, I found this place called a Deeper Well, that's like a hole in the ground, where they keep Old Ones. Not like Nyarlathotep, though. Different kind of Old One or something. You should see it, it's incredible. Goes all the way through the planet! I wanted to drop some explosives down there...but they wouldn't let me.
Cyan: Look, just because my back hurts doesn't mean I don't want sex.
(After seeing the fireball arise from downtown)
Willow: What the heck was that!?
(out of game comments):
Anita: I'm going to the Lava Lounge, where I'm going to ask some demons for information. And if they don't cooperate, I'll beat the information out of them.
Bouncer: Every time you people come here, there's trouble.
John: Anita, why don't you stay here and keep the car running? We'll take care of this.
Vampire Lieutenant: Listen moron, haven't you figured it out yet? We set you up! We lured you here to kill you!
Cyan: Geez, can't a girl take a pee in the morning without having a gun pulled on her?
(Walter comes out of Anita's spare room in boxers, scratching himself)
Drusilla: All around the mulberry bush, the Draco chased his godhood. Draco's lost, his head has grown hot, and Pop, goes the Slayer!
Draco: English, Dru. You should try it sometime.
Drusilla: “Cake for all, cake for none, eat the cake it turns to blood. He doesn’t listen, Miss Edith. Told you before, we did. Try to change the stars, and the stars never change.”
Anita (impatient, to a customer): Yes, we have Silver Ravenwolf's new book, it's over on the shelf. God almighty...
Anita: Yes, sometimes I actually do my job and wait on customers.
Guest-Star-O-Rama: Faith, Willow, Kennedy, and Walter all show up for the festivities!
Cyan goes through Anita's closet and throws away all her t-shirts, jeans that don't have name-brands, old sneakers, and anything that isn't "fashionable." She then goes through Anita's Jewelry box and finds an old engagement ring. She leaves one pair of old, white, cotton, "I have no clean underwear" panties on Anita's bed with a note reading, "What the hell is this all about?"
Amara finally confronts Drake, who attacks her with a broken whiskey bottle. After she leaves, Drake smashes Anita's TV and raids her liquor cabinet.
Draco calls Drake to taunt him, marking the first time the two have confronted one another.
Drake's reaction upon seeing Walter back: punch him in the face, then help him up and say, "your turn."
A fireball leaps into the air as a gas line explodes under downtown Pittsburgh. The event is prophesied five minutes before it happens.
Anita stands on the bar in a demon club and threatens the entire demon underworld if someone doesn't give her information about Draco.
Following his vision of Draco, Drake comes up the stairs whistling "Pop Goes the Weasel." Walter takes up the Chorus. Anita laments letting these two stay in her house.
The cast spends an hour of real-time (several hours in-game) debating which spell to use on Drake: Sever the Tie, or Two Become One. Anita seeks advice from the Twilight Order, who tell her to follow her heart.
Cyan: She's in love with you, Drake
Drake: Bully for her.
Anita: I'll get some on my way back. Drake just cut my phone in half and I have to go now.
Anita: Who the hell needs 50 pairs of underwear!?
(Drake covers his face with a pillow)
Anita: Why are you so obsessed with this!? For God's sake!
Cyan: Because it's bugging the hell out of me! Was the ring from him?
Anita: I don't want to talk about the ring! (Storms out)
Cyan: It's your house! Shouldn't you be throwing me out?
John: Drake's sire, Amara.
Walter: Wow, it's true. You really don't kill them anymore.
Anita (calmly): Walter...remember what happened last time you started announcing about Slayers?
Walter (loudly): Yeah, you put your gun in my face!
(patrons begin looking up)
Anita: Yes...well, I've gotten a lot more creative since then. (Walks away)
Walter (To John): So when exactly did she become phenomenally scary?
Cyan: Cool!
Anita: I'm heading for the Point.
Drake: I'm booking a one-way flight to Boca Raton.
John: Felt like an earthquake.
Drake: No, earthquakes don't do fireballs.
Jason: Anita, John, Walter, and two Slayers walk into a demon bar...
Eric: What's the punchline?
Group: That is the punchline.
John: Wait a sec...isn't there an anti-violence spell over the Lava Lounge?
Anita: Fine. So we'll drag them outside and I'll beat the information out of them. Who's coming?
Faith: I'm always up for some ass-kicking.
Kennedy: I'm in.
John: Someone needs to make sure you all don't get killed.
Anita: Well, if you people would cooperate I wouldn't be forced to make trouble, would I?
Bouncer: I'm not afraid of you, Executioner. Do you really think I'd be the bouncer of a demon bar if I was that easily intimidated...or beaten? If you'd care to take me up sometime, you just let me know.
Anita: I'm not impressed (walks past him)
John: Don't take it personally. The last thing that impressed her was Dagon. (Walks into the bar).
Anita: Why should I stay out here...again?
John: Because your boyfriend would turn me into a toad if I let something happen to you.
Anita: Fine. Whatever.
Walter: Why can't she come in? I think she should come in. It'll be like the old days. We'll kill some vampires, have some fun...
Anita: You know, I just walked into the Lava Lounge, got up on the bar, and threatened everyone in there, and then walked out with my ass happily intact. And yet, someone here still doesn't think I can hold my own against vampires, so I'll just stay in the car.
Walter: When did she start taking orders from you?
John: It's not an order. We just need someone to keep the car running so we can get away fast.
Walter (exasperated): Nobody kept the car running in the old days!
Anita: And why would you do that?
Vampire: Aside from the fact that you've been killing us for three years running? Just for fun.
Anita: And wow, look how much fun you had. You gave us a nice big pile of dust to sweep up.
Vampire: Fine. You let me go, I give you information. That's the deal.
Anita: No, here's your deal. You tell me what you know without me having to ask again, and I'll give you a five-minute head start before sending Walter here after you. Think fast, because I'm not offering again.
Walter: Morning.
Drake: God, I wish I was still blind.
Drusilla: Draco, my darling, you know better. Where's the fun in that?
Great moments: