Hocus Focus

Thursday, 21 February: 8 pm - midnight: Fiasco: Hocus Focus

Hocus Focus is a Fiasco playset set in Harry Dresden's Chicago. The PCs are not the heroes or even the major villains of the series. Rather, the PCs are second string criminals in the occult world, more or less, with high ambition and poor impulse control, as is the norm in Fiasco games. In the first act, they go about their business just as in any Fiasco game. The Tilt, however, is that Harry Dresden enters the story, complicating the PCs' lives, no doubt as their plans were _just about_ to go off brilliantly, or so they thought.

Kat Miller was the facilitator of the game. As Fiasco has no GM, she was also a player. She was also very relieved that all of us were familiar with the Harry Dresden books, even though not all of us had played Fiasco before. I gather that a game where some or all of the players were not familiar with the Dresden series did not go as well as she had hoped.

The PCs we created were:

• Kat Miller: Jasmina Azmidic, Denarian, missing a coin -- not her coin, but a coin she wants to give to Abraham (*)
• Me: Devora Janosi, wizard
• Dan: Mordecai "Morty" Janosi, witch hunter
• Howard (who was at Philcon and at least some of the filking Josh and I made): *Donny Walker, minor practitioner
• Bruce Negier: Abraham "Abe" Blank, sort-of fence, would be recruit for Jasmina

(*) Judas's 30 coins of silver each contain a bound demon. A Denarian is a human who owns such a coin and is voluntarily possessed by its demon.

We generated relationships between characters, as well as locations, needs, and objects.

Jasmina -- Devora: Relationship: Illicit supernatural contact / Wizard or Spellcaster. Wizards who are chummy with Denarians are in serious danger of having their fellow wizards separate their heads from their bodies. Need: I lost something, but I bet that bastard (Mordecai) has it. That is, Jasmina lost the coin she wanted to give Abraham. She is pretty sure Mordecai has it, but doesn't know who he is or what he looks like.

Devora -- Mordecai: Relationship: Estranged Siblings. Location: Tourist: Sears Tower, where Devora works. Mordecai became a witch hunter because of Devora, and that's not saying anything good about his relationship with her.

Mordecai -- Donny: Relationship: Fringe Element: Witch Hunter / Minor Practitioner. Location: Official business: City Morgue, where Mordecai works. Donny's the minor practitioner.

Donny -- Abraham. Relationship: Strictly Business: "Legitimate Business". Item: Questionable: Stolen Warden Sword. Wardens are elite wizards, often in charge of enforcing the rules of the wizard rule. The game is set after the wizards and vampires went to war, which means that many wizards got drafted as Wardens, and I think many of those got killed. Also, iirc, the person who used to make the Warden Swords cannot currently do so.

Abraham -- Jasmina: Relationship: Prey / Predator: Would-be recruit / Denarian. Need: I'm changing, and I'm scared of what I'm becoming. Abraham is the person to whom Jasmina wants to offer the coin, and he's the one changing. Bruce actually wanted to be a White Court Vampire, but the closest the playset has is White Court virgin / vampire wannabe. I might well ignore this in play if the player knew what he wanted, but for a convention one shot, it made sense to stick to the rules, and I think Bruce had fun doing so.

Mordecai's sister, Devora, called him to meet her at her office, and he did. She asked about someone who'd met an, ah, untimely end the previous night. Mordecai did eventually allow as how he'd had something to do with that, I think. Devora asked if he'd found something, something dangerous, and when he pressed her as to what, she gave him a list of things he should contact her about if he found any of them.

We agreed that this scene had gone either badly for Devora. She'd learned nothing substantial about the coin, while Mordecai now had a list of Powerful Items, after all.

Mordecai went down to a bar in or near the Sears Tower.

Mordecai (to bar tender, played by Howard): Roman Coke, but put the coke in a separate glass, and then throw it away.

Jasmina walked in, clearly too upscale for the place, and sat down next to Mordecai.

Jasmina: The stench of death is thick about you.

Mordecai (assuming she's talking about the ordinary smell that comes from working in a morgue): Oh, sorry. Lemon juice is all that'll get that out.

Dan established that Mordecai and Devora had a younger brother who died at age 3.

Mordecai: Everyone talks about him real nicely.

I forget whether we thought this scene went well or badly for Mordecai. The next scene involved Donny bringing the Warden Sword to Abraham. At this point, we knew that Mordecai had killed someone, a redheaded man named Rufus, probably a wizard, maybe a Warden, maybe not, probably up to no good. Donny was involved at least insofar as getting his hands on the Warden Sword. Neither Donny nor Abraham knew exactly what it was. Abraham was more of an information broker, but he was willing to take a look at the sword.

Abraham (examining it): Is that royalty stuff?

Donny: Is it worth more money if it is?

Abraham tried to find out where Donny had gotten the sword, but Donny was evasive, warning Abraham that he didn't want to deal with those kind of people.

Abraham: I deal with those kind of people all the time. What _kind_ of those kind of people?

The upshot was that Abraham agreed to take custody of the sword and try to sell it for Donny. The next scene was either Donny going to see Mordecai, or Mordecai being in Donny's home when Donny came in, rather like Watchman's Rorschach being in Moloch's home. They had a discussion about the sword, which Donny said had caught his eye.

Mordecai: Did it say "Take me home?"

Donny: It did, kinda.

Donny tried to explain what happened next without actually saying anything incriminating.

Mordecai: You sold it, yes -- I understand what these words mean. Can we please speak English?

Donny seemed to want to avoid English for the language of Circumlocution.

Mordecai: To whom -- or, dear God, please tell me it isn't to _what_ -- did you sell the sword?

I don't think Donny actually told him.

I'm fairly sure that the next scene was Devora's. She was sitting in a restaurant when a bug flew by, and then another, and another, this being Jasmina's normal method of announcing her presence to her friend. Devora ordered more food as Jasmina either walked in or materialized from the bugs, I forget which.

Devora assured Jasmina she was working on getting the coin back, and that she even had an idea of where it was. Jasmina pushed Devora to tell her where. Devora didn't want the person involved to be hurt, and made that clear without letting Jasmina know that it was her brother.

Jasmina: Devora, Devora, you worry too much! Let me lift this burden from you.

She assured the wizard that she had friends, and that her friends could be discreet. Devora told her where the morgue was, and I basked in the knowledge that one's PC making really stupid decisions because it's just easier is totally in line with Fiasco.

Devora went to her office and wrote an email to her brother, trying to convince him that they should spend more time together, as they were family, after all, and maybe he could meet her tonight. She was hoping to get him out of the morgue so that he wouldn't try to get in Jasmina's way.

Now, as fans of the Dresden books know, wizards inadvertently hex technology that they're around. Sending an email on a computer is hazardous to the computer's health.

Dan: Make that letter as poignant as you want. Pour your heart and soul into it. But when you send it --

We decided that Devora clicked the mouse on the Send icon, and that she _thought_ it got through just before the computer fried. However, she was incorrect.

Abraham got into his car with the sword, planning to get it melted down. Devora materialized, I think in the form of a very large multipede. Jasmina asked him why he was melting the thing down. He explained that it was the simplest, easiest, quickest thing to do.

Jasmina: Short cuts are never a _good_ thing.

Why yes, yes, Denarian was counseling against short cuts. This was worrisome, but Abraham let himself be talked out of melting the sword down.

Abraham called Devora and invited her to dinner, intending to show her the sword and hoping she'd be able to tell him more about it, maybe point him to an appropriate buyer. When she saw the sword, she knew at once what it was and developed a migraine as Abraham started chatting about how he'd thought it might be a royal heirloom, but didn't recognize the crest, and things like that. We cut the scene, with Abraham chatting away in the background and Devora feeling the avalanche about to start in the foreground.

Donny went to the morgue, where he saw Jasmina standing outside, staring intently at the doors and glowing. Donny dialed Mordecai on his cell phone, but Jasmina had her flying bugs attack him and chase him from the scene.

Mordecai got the interrupted call and went over to the morgue. Even though Jasmina's cockroaches had gotten inside in the previous scene, there was no sign of them anywhere. Jasmina herself walked into Morty's office, however, reminding him of when they'd met.

Jasmina: You have an unhealthy interest in the dead -- and in making them dead.

Mordecai: In order: No. And maybe. Depending on who's calling the shots.

Jasmina: Have you ever considered what's driving you to this?

Mordecai: Yes. My sister is a bitch.

Jasmina, having no idea that his sister was Devora, was sympathetic. Family, after all, was important, and she had a feeling that he'd fit well into hers.

Mordecai (confused enough to be direct and honest): I'm sorry -- I don't know whether you just offered to adopt me or marry me. I don't know which of those just happened.

Jasmina: That depends on you. Let's start with adoption for now.

Mordecai: Sure!

He suggested they start from the part where he assumed that this was a trap and that the room was bugged.

Jasmina (amused): Oh, I _assure_ you the room _is_ bugged.

She offered him power to become more capable of fighting supernatural menaces, the big ones. After all, he knew his victories were just minor ones. Mordecai was quite properly suspicious and did not think this was at all a good idea.

Jasmina: Sometimes, it does take fire to fight fire.

Mordecai: Yes, but usually, water works better.

He pressed for more information.

Mordecai: And you're doing this why?

Jasmina: Because I _like_ you.

We all agreed that Mordecai was not going to take Jasmina up on her offer. Bruce described the camera pulling away to show that Abraham was watching through the window from outside, hearing Jasmina offer the coin she had told Abraham would be his to Mordecai (if not in so many words). We took a break and set up the Tilt.

Dan and I got the high black and white totals, so we were the ones making the decisions about the Tilt. Just why was Harry Dresden about to Ruin Everything? Well, two reasons:

1. Dumb Luck: Someone has an attack of conscience and calls Harry Dresden.

2. Business: A worried parent.

Bruce asked if Abraham could be the person having an attack of conscience, and the rest of us agreed. After all, he was changing, he was afraid of what he was becoming, and he'd seen Jasmina offer "his" coin to Mordecai and realized that his future was not as secure as he'd thought. And, Harry was in the phone book. Dan and I agreed that the worried parent should be the mother of Devora and Mordecai.

Kat told us that every scene either had to have Harry Dresden in it or had to have his influence felt. We started with Abraham setting up a meeting with Harry, and with Dan playing Harry for that scene.

Abraham went over to Harry's office after setting up the meeting, and knocked on the door. Harry showed up behind him, having just arrived, and let him in. Abraham explained that he had, ah, come into possession of an, ah, object, and tended not to ask certain questions. But, he now felt the object might be best off in Harry's hands. Harry pressed for details about the object.

Harry (lifting a stapler from his desk): Does it look like this?

Abraham: No.

Harry (lifting a coffee mug from his desk): Does it look like this?

Abraham: No. It's a sword.

Harry: Specifics. I like it!

Abraham explained the whole story, and concluded that he was in over his head.

Harry: And you're coming to this conclusion now?

Abraham: So I'm not as bright as I look.

He even told Harry about the Denarian, Jasmina.

Harry: They're never named Sue.

I think the rest of us decided that, some day, we had to introduce Sue the Denarian into some game we ran.

Meanwhile, Donny called Abraham to ask about the sword.

Abraham: I kind of liquidated it.

Donny: How much did you get for it?

Abraham: My life!

Donny: Yeah, but I can't get any of that.

Abraham: I'll buy you a nice dinner.

Meanwhile, Harry Dresden, now played by Howard, went to the morgue to see Mordecai. The mother was actually worried about her daughter, but could only give Harry contact information for her son. She had Cassandra's Tears and had a vision about Devora being devoured by cockroaches.

Harry: Something about the vision bugged her.

Mordecai: Wait. You talked to my _mother_?

Harry: She was very Concerned.

Mordecai: I get the feeling you capitalized that concern.

Harry explained that Mordecai's mother had Feelings.

Mordecai: Feelings-with-a-capital-F.

He had no objection to telling Harry how to find Devora.

Mordecai: She works at the Sears Tower.

Kat (channeling Harry for the moment): Oh good, a big elevator.

I gather that in the first Dresden book, Harry and an elevator didn't get along.

Devora decided to do a divination spell to find the missing coin. It led her to her brother's office right as her brother opened a coin purse belonging to the dead man and the coin fell out. We decided that the coin purse had been enchanted to hide the coin from Jasmina.

Devora: I've been looking for that!

Harry called for gloves or a cloth and, quite intelligently, wouldn't let Devora be the one to retrieve the coin.

Meanwhile, Bruce decided that Abraham's story was basically over. As he had a scene left, I suggested that one of the Knights of the Cross just happen to have his car break down in front of Abraham's home when Abraham was trying to get out of town. At this point, those players more familiar with the later books in the series than I am said that Sanya would be the correct knight to use. So, he and Abraham started to head out of town.

Meanwhile, Jasmina arrived at the morgue. I think she grabbed the coin and ran, pursued by Harry. Donny stumbled onto the scene.

Kat: Can I just grab you and force Harry to give me the sword or I'll tear you to shreds?

Howard: Sure! I'm a plot device!

Kat: In your _own scene_!

Meanwhile, inside Morty's office, Morty and Devora were working frantically to keep Jasmina's bugs at bay.

Devora: I need that stuff you use on the bodies, that fluid.

Mordecai: Formaldehyde!

Devora: Yes, and the things you use to hold the skin open when you cut into the body.

Mordecai: Tongs. You really have _no_ idea what I do, do you?

We agreed that the brother and sister should realize that they worked well together, and that they should be working together on the right side.

Mordecai: We should be out there!

Devora: What are you talking about? (realizing he's right) We should be out there.

Meanwhile, Sanya had a feeling he might need to make a small detour. So, everyone converged on the fight. Now, Donny was carrying something useful -- I forget whether it was bug spray, a second sword, or another silver weapon, but it was something that could hurt Jasmina. Perhaps he should use it, stabbing backwards (I think) at Jasmina.

Howard: Let's not have him be that smart. Let's have Dresden cue him.

So, Harry caught his glance (but no soulgaze, as we forgot, but that came up at a more appropriate time alter), and indicated silently what he needed to do. Donny did, managing to get away from Jasmina. He ran away, but found the Warden's Sword. He grabbed it and took it with him.

Kat decided that Sanya had carried the coin that Jasmina wanted to give away. They had been lovers. She wanted to make sure it went to someone special. But, now that she saw Sanya, she wanted him to take up the coin again, to return to the family, as it were. He wanted to convince her to give up the coin. And he moved closer, making her think he'd kiss her, but he was trying to take her coin away while she was trying to slip him the other coin. Neither succeeded (and, indeed, if one sticks strictly to the books, they couldn't, as taking up or letting go of the coin has to be voluntary).

Jasmina tried to kill Harry, but as she was about to strike the killing blow, Devora attacked her with magic, distracting her for long enough for Harry to escape. This betrayal infuriated Jasmina, and she turned her wrath on Devora, having her cockroaches devour the wizard, just as Devora's mother had foreseen. This was oddly satisfying, as it was pulling off making a prophecy come to pass. I think Abraham may have helped out in the fight as well.

At this point, we all rolled for our outcome. This tends to be random, but this time, there was a certain cosmic justice in the results. One wants a high total, whether black or white.

• Devora: 1 black
• Jasmina: 6 black
• Abraham: 7 white
• Mordecai: 4 white
• Donny: 0

Abraham had the best ending. Sanya suggested he might want some training, and Abraham agreed. He changed his business model, now employing people who would serve as security for wizards, knights of the Cross, and other good guys. He became quite competent in martial arts.

Devora became infamous among wizards. Her story was used as a cautionary tale about What Not to Do. I tried to find a way to make things even worse, and we agreed that her spirit was bound, not unlike Bob in the Dresden books, and she was summoned forth again and again to tell her tale of how she thoroughly screwed everything up. This may not be precisely accurate as far as the way death, spirits, and the afterlife works in the books, but it was fine for our purposes.

Donny ran straight into three Wardens while trying to get away with the stolen Warden sword. One of them picked him up and relieved him of the sword, utterly unimpressed by his attempt to explain how he was, um, keeping it safe for the Wardens, yes.

Then, he was soul gazed. We tried to figure out what kind of wizard's soul he saw into, as the effect works both ways. Someone suggested that it was the soul of a burned out wizard who'd been through hell, metaphorically and perhaps literally. I suggested it was the soul of a wizard who was committed to what was right, showing Donny what Donny might have been, but never would be. We decided that it was both: the soul of a wizard who'd been through hell and burned out, and then climbed his way out of the depths of despair.

Wizard: I really should kill you, but you're just not worth the effort.

He tossed Donny aside. The three wizards left with the Warden's Sword. Donny was left lying in an alley and drooling, his sanity shattered.

Howard: And I feel this _coin_ underneath my hand.

Someone: An insane Denarian with the shakes and drool!

Someone: It's Hell for the Denarian, too!

Meanwhile, Jasmina had been tricked and rejected by Sanya, and she had to go to Nicodemus to admit that she had lost the coin.

Kat: And he tells her, "Don't worry, Jasmina. The coin has found a new owner."

And, that new owner, rather than someone with potential, like Abraham, or someone with, in her opinion, even more potential, like Mordecai, was just Donny, drooling and broken.

Kat: The other Denarians say nothing, and there's no laughter heard, but it's clear that they are all laughing.

And, they mocked both Donny and Jasmina, not by direct mockery, but by showering Donny with praise for his greatness and wisdom, and telling Jasmina how proud she must be of him and congratulating her.

Technically, I suppose Mordecai should perhaps have had a worse ending than he did, but it was interestingly ambiguous, and unexpectedly poignant. First, his mother's speech at his sister's funeral involved not only talking about how his sister had messed up, but also how Mordecai had messed up by failing to protect her.

Dan decided that Mordecai had lost his hand in the final battle. This meant that he could no longer be a witch hunter. He gave up his job at the morgue, and started over as a janitor. About two years later, he was a messenger, and delivered a package -- to Harry Dresden. About five years later, he was practicing martial arts in a dojo, slowly learning to compensate for his missing hand.

Then, he went home and went online on his computer. And, in his inbox, there appeared the last email his sister Devora ever sent to him, saying that they were, after all, family, and should get together more often.