The Nocturnum
Episode 5: The Feast of Annis
Original Air Date: 5/6/2005The original text for this adventure can be found here.
Brief Synopsis
Detective Joe Knonaem calls Blake Investigations, asking if they can come examine a crime scene with occult overtones. There have been six Amber Alerts issued within the city over the past two weeks, and the police are at a loss. Each site finds left behind a handwritten letter thanking the mothers of the girls taken, and a series of lines drawn in blood on the walls.
Research reveals that the lines are in fact Ogham, the ancient language of the Druids, and investigation reveals that the druids have set up a fraternity on campus. One of the frat's ex-members reveals that the society has been corrupted by a young woman named Brigit, who has seduced most of the fraternity into assisting her with a ritual that will make her dark goddess (actually an Old One named Black Annis) flesh. The children are to be sacrificed at midnight on Sunday morning.
Things take a slight turn for the worse, when a new prophecy appears magically in the pages of one of Anita's books, predicting the beginning of the end when the waters turn to blood. Within moments, the entire sky turns crimson, casting a blood-colored hue on the entire city...including the waters of the three rivers.
Draco continues his association with the mysterious dark magician who hired him to kidnap the girl now in Wolfram and Hart's custody. He also ransacks the Arcana and makes off with a large number of occult books and resources.
When a seventh child is kidnapped, the group discovers that the Pittsburgh Hellmouth actually has a second opening, in Schenley Park. They are attacked by Brigit's assassins--Oden Tal females under her mental control--and beat foot to the park, only to discover Brigit has played them again; she's using a tiny portal to draw energy from the park to the basement of a nearby abandoned church, where she's performing the ritual! Cyan and Anita use magic to force the portal closed, while John and Drake race to the church. A vicious battle ensues, which lays Drake low while John follows Brigit through a new portal back to the park. With the help of an Oden Tal (freed of Brigit's mental control) John manages to stop Brigit's ritual. Brigit escapes through yet another portal (what is it with this chick and portals?), the Oden Tal offers her apologies for the actions of her and her sisters while under Brigit's control, and the group and the Oden Tal part with respect for one another.
The children are all rescued, and the next morning the group is given the keys to the city, along with Civilian Heroism Awards. John is approached by the Knights Templar, and accepts their offer of membership.
Great Quotes:
Anita: Of course it's Schenley Park. Why do you think all the bad stuff keeps happening there?
John: So right about now, Nyarlathotep shows up to taunt us about how little we know.
Anita: John, why does your phone keep ringing?
Anita (to Draco, on phone): Be a good boy, Draco [pronounced with a short "a" rather than a long one] or I'll have to do something about it.
(note left in Anita's office by Draco):
Phone Conversation re: Brigit
Re: updating Hive Arcana security
Anita (after cutting the Ko from an Oden Tal): Well...that was effective.
(Phone Conversation between Joe and Anita)
John: Cause that's where the freaks hang out?
Anita: Would you stop saying his name!
John: But he gave me an M-16!
Anita: If I give you a tommy gun, will you shut up?
John: It's Drake.
Anita: Well answer it!
John: It's the evil one calling.
Anita: Give me the phone.
John: No, don't talk on the cell phone and drive.
Dear Slayerless Watcher:
It's DrAco, not Drahco. Try Researching the English Language.
I've helped myself to a few books. Hope you don't mind.
-D.
John: Have you gone to pick up Brigit, yet?
Joe: She's in a public place. It could be pretty ugly if I send men in to arrest her.
John: *sigh* If I go in there, it won't be subtle, Joe.
John: I'm going to install fingerprinting scanners. Fingerprinting is expensive, true, but ID cards can be stolen.
Cyan: So can fingers.
Joe: Miss Blake, I was just attacked by a crazy chick with ridges radiating a lot of heat.
Anita: They're demons. I have one right here.
Joe:...
Great moments:
Draco breaks into the Hive Arcana after closing, trashes Anita's office, and steals over half her occult library.Anita takes out an Oden Tal assassin in one fell swoop by sweep kicking the demon, then stabbing her Ko when she's down.
John and Cyan both wind up hospitalized following a run-in with the Oden Tal.
The group meets Silas, a demon described as "a tall, gaunt demon with black skin and glowing teeth." Silas is a powerful sorcerer who has certain contacts and information about the underworld...and who specializes in protection spells. It is Silas who rescues John and Cyan from the Oden Tal.
The group has their first run-in with Brigit, a half-Oden-Tal witch of great power.
The group gets awards for heroism, and is brought on retainer by the police as independent consultants in occult-related cases.
John is approached by the Knights Templar, and accepts membership in the ultrasecret Covenant.