By: maya@tcp.co.uk (GR Cogman)
A mighty kaboom in the Symphony, as a local (wherever is convenient) Tether is attacked and then destroyed. If the players get there in time to do something, they get to face off with a gang of skinheads, led by a dark man in a leather jacket - this man actually performs _the_ action that defaces/destroys the Tether, and disappears in the blast of Celestial power, which should strew the PCs around the place.
Who is the man in leather? A Malakite of David. Who are the gang? His Soldiers and followers. What's going on?
Ah, that's more interesting.
Alternatively, the above actions have already taken place, and the PCs are asked to look into it by Superiors (David, or their own bosses, or whoever the Tether belonged to.)
Slugs of Vapula. Really.
Your local dubious and unwise Scientific Laboratory (I'm sure there's one around) has been experimenting, with diabolical inspiration, with these slug-like creatures the size of a sausage or so, that can link to the brainstem and control a person's actions. These slugs could theoretically be controlled remotely. Wonderful.
At least, the Shedites who are possessing the slugs think that it's wonderful. They're in the slug, the slug is in the human, and they're almost totally hidden. Also, no will struggle, as the slug controls the body autonomically, and they control the slug mentally.
So we have a Balseraph of Vapula based in the Evil Lab, a Djinn of Vapula there guarding the Mother Slug (you know, the one that lays all the eggs, the _big_ one), a Lilim of Haagenti in a local diner (more on her later) and several Shedim of Vapula having fun.
Their intentions: to trash the Heavenly Tether (doing/done), to establish (another, if there's already one) an Infernal Tether, to field-test the slugs, and to breed more.
Assuming nothing goes wrong. ("If it weren't for those meddling kids and their Kyriotate!")
The Malakite and several of the gang were eating at the local diner (their usual hangout). The Lilim of Haagenti spiced their food with some slug eggs. At an appropriate later moment, the slugs seized control: during the confusion, one of the possessed gang managed to put a Nifty New Device on the Malakite, which stopped him going Celestial.
Why is this important? Going Celestial dumps the slugs. It's the easy answer for Celestials, which is why they used this new and bug-ridden prototype to stop the Malakite doing it.
Why did they send him in to trash the Tether (and thus lose their convenient Celestial guinea-pig)? They needed someone of Celestial Forces to do the final thing which stopped it being a Tether. (Suit to your campaign.)
Where is the Malakite now? A Remnant. All his Forces gone, but the slug gone too. He's currently wandering the streets aimlessly, void of purpose or most of his memories. If the remains of the still-possessed Gang run into him, they'll do their best to kill him permanently. If found by the PCs, he has enough memories left to direct them to that diner that he remembers...
The players are likely to find their way to the Diner: given that the Lilim of Haagenti hanging round there is not stupid, she'll notice obvious investigating Celestials, and _will_ recognise the Remnant Malakite if they're dragging him along. Cue (a) attempt to egg the PCs, and Malakite, if possible (a Lilim of Haagenti serves _good_ food, and they want to blend in, no?) and (b) probable arrival of gang to try and grab the Remnant, and (c) interference by Geased random bar members. It's a tough bar, with truckers, gangboys, the like. The Lilim has probably built up a few geases by now.
This done, the players should possibly have as clues (a) a Lilim was around, (b) a squashed slug or two, (c) the Remnant, (d) an example of Vapulaic technology that stops someone taking Celestial Form - either from the ruins of the Tether, or from one of the gang-members who intended to use it on them, (e) the possible babblings of an overconfident Shedite, (f) anything else.
Why build an Infernal Tether (the demons, that is)? Well, what better way to celebrate when you control a hapless (and tough) street-gang of David's? Hm, perhaps there's someone from Kobal's mob on their team too. Besides, it makes for a nice scene - possibly a good finale.
Hopeful solutions involve removing the slugs from innocents, stopping an Infernal Tether being established, utterly trashing the Lab and the Slug Mother and any relevant documentation, and kicking those Demons back down to Hell. The first is likely to be the most awkward: possible solutions include (a) Celestial Healing, (b) earthly surgery, (c) some possible allergy of the slugs to a particular chemical or food, (d) using the tech that the slugs were originally bred to work with to order them to leave the bodies and then self-destruct.
Ka-Splat.
With thanks to the Archangel Beth, Tyler@Ambermush who created a certain set of slugs, and various films (you know which ones). Opinions welcome.
Maya, Elohim of Eli in service to Blandine
And someone ran a game with this, and supplied a writeup of how it went.
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Elizabeth McCoy <arcangel@prismnet.com>
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