ST note: There was something weird about Phil Logan, P.I. (played by
Nick Atlas). Wherever he went, voice-over narration in his own voice would
follow. This peaked on Lammas Night, 1998, when several kithain in
his presence at the Two Trees suddenly found themselves in a scene from
a 1940s gangster movie that hinted darkly at a telescoped version of the
Duchy's past. This is based on the script for the STs and co-opted
player characters, worked out by Joe Walter and myself over lunch:
Once the characters are in place:
Cue weirdness: Everything goes black and white. Everyone is in
a fancy restaurant. Tom is the Ogre, Baron Sean is Duke Asterlan.
They are parleying for peace. Although the year is 1969 or 1970, everyone
is dressed for the 40s. The Ogre and Asterlan look like rival mob bosses.
Standing near the Ogre is a femme fatale type (played by a confused Maggie
the bartender). Phil Logan is there, as himself, a teenage shoeshine boy
(not that he ever was one). Other PCs are made to act the part of
random waiters and diners. Joe narrates.
"It was the summer of '69, the summer of love..."
And so on. [I wish I had a record of Joe's ad libbing. - E.]
Asterlan begins with something along the lines of "I thought we agreed
to come alone."
Ogre: "Toothie here comes with me everywhere."
A.: Tell her to back off. I know what she is.
O.: Have it your way, pal. Back off, doll.
Dragon Lady: I don't trust the elfie big shot.
Ogre (pulls out dragon wand from jacket): I said, back off.
Dragon Lady reluctantly complies.
The two continue to parley. The Ogre says the sidhe have no right to the mortal world, they abandoned it, it belongs to the commoners now. Asterlan talks about noble birthright, the might of his armies, the fact that the Ogre can't win a two-front war against the sidhe and the nunnehi.
At some point, a waiter (Duke Brendan, just a projection in this flashback -- no player character acts his role) pops a cork. That's the signal. Player characters are told, you are really sidhe knights. They pull out tommy guns and blow the ogre away. (He falls face forward into a plate of pasta.)
The dragon lady, wounded, starts shooting random sidhe.
Asterlan tells the sidhe to get out, he'll take care of the dragon lady.
Brendan urges the reluctant ones: "You heard 'im, go! I'll help the boss!"
Sidhe run out. Asterlan and dragon lady struggle, both losing their guns. Brendan throws a gun -- deliberately -- to the Dragon lady. She shoots Asterlan, then Brendan shoots her. Both bodies fall, and Brendan grabs wand from table and crown from Asterlan.
"Sorry I had to do that," he says to the still forms. "But don't worry, lady. I still remember our deal."
A sluagh appears at the front door. For no good reason, she is dressed like a showgirl. She glances at the corpses without apparent interest.
"Are you done making a mess, Brendan? There is much to do. The trod back to Chi Mu will close in a few moments."
"I'm on my way, Lily. And it's 'boss' now. You've been very helpful."
"Naturally... boss."
Brendan looks around, then hurries out.
The shoeshine boy slowly crawls out from under a table, and cautiously picks up a large revolver left by the departing sidhe. As soon as he touches it, the scene returns to color.
"That dead guy's blue!" he exclaims in shock.
Scene ends, leaving player characters standing or lying unhurt in various
curious positions, with full memory of what they have just witnessed.