23rd session

Folks prepared to head into the jungle, having hired Guillermo Castillo as their guide, a man recommended to them by Francisco de la Vega, on whose land the part of the jungle with the ruins of Chichen Xoxul lay. But, they also hired an American guide, Rick Luke, having him disguise himself, and Joyce hired Mayan Zapatistas as muscle. For some strange reason, they did not trust Francisco de la Vega.

Lillian: We don't even trust ourselves.

Martin was, as usual, boggled by his companions' casual acceptance of the risk of dying.

Martin: Dying is -scary-! I don't understand why you people don't understand what is scary about it! Do you know what happens when you die? -Nothing-!

This was why he was scared of it. It was why Lillian was not scared of it. It was why Joyce was quite convinced that there were far worse things than dying.

Martin's player Spent 4 points and rolled a 2 for a total of 6 on his roll to Disguise Rick Luke.

(Somewhere in here, according to my notes, we established that Joyce was born in 1903, and that Vito had been 31 during Tatters of the King.)

Guillermo brought six porters. Rick brought six Zapatistas. the text says Guillermo will bring 6, while Rick will bring as many as the PCs +2. This just happened to be the same number, as there were four PCs, even though, in theory, Rick is bringing an excessive number of porters and Guillermo is not. Then again, Joyce had hired the Zapatistas, so equal numbers made sense here.

Guillermo packed lean, apparently expecting the entire trip to take no more than three or four days. As Joyce had hired the Zapatistas, she didn't let Rick choose their gear. So, Rick only packed excessively for himself, expecting to need at least a week's worth of supplies. After all, they were going to find Chichen Xoxul and rewrite the book on it!

Joyce: He's enthusiastic.

Lillian: He's cute.

Joyce: I still don't get it.

Lillian tried to explain using Isabella as a Richard analogy, which kind of crashed on the shored of Joyce's (probably correct) guess that Isabella doesn't swing her way.

Guillermo arrived with a vehicle, a yellow pick up truck. The color of the truck was specified in the text, as details are cool. And, this particular detail actually mattered.

Vito: Paint it -black-! (as everyone stares at him) We are all entitled to our bugf*ck moments!

Joyce and Lillian explained that Vito was just superstitious that way. Martin went off to drink and ignore the insanity.that Someone got black paint, and Vito started painting. Rick noted that black wasn't the vest color for camouflage. Vito came close to trying to intimidate him (one of the few things that would actually make Rick angry), but stopped himself, realizing that Rick meant well.

Lillian decided to keep Martin from drinking too much. After all, Guillermo intended to set a fast pace, aiming for 18 miles a day.

Martin: You realize we're all going to die in the jungle.

Lillian: And you having your wits about you might prevent that.

Martin: Are we really thinking I'm more likely to die drunk than sober?

Lillian and Vito: Yes.

Finally, Vito finished painting the truck black.

Lillian: I -like- it.

Now more psychologically comfortable, Vito got into a discussion with Joyce / Josh about which of them was more rugged and outdoors-y.

Martin: Are you literally swinging your mountain dicks at each other?

Joyce and Vito: Yes!

I asked if folks would be dressing appropriately or whether they would wear clothing that would get increasingly disheveled, torn, et cetera.

Joyce's Player: I dress Martin like Kate Hepburn.

Joyce looked like an Australian Ranger, complete with the pin holding up one side of her hat.

The truck went to the edge of the jungle. Another vehicle had been abandoned there, the one used by the previous expedition. The text assumes, not unreasonably, that the group will do the Yucatan right after Mexico City, and described the abandoned vehicle accordingly. I explained this and said that, given that five months or so had passed since Mexico City, the vehicle was in the appropriate condition for that amount of time passing. Someone had apparently tried to hot wire it, but whoever it was either had no idea how to hotwire something or didn't really care about doing it.

Folks headed into the jungle. Martin was not happy about the energetic pace.

Vito (maintaining their cover): What -- I thought this was going to be the capstone of your career?

Martin (maintaining their cover, not whining at all, nope): But it's -hot-, Uncle Vito!

Joyce: Vito -- turn around. (He does) Oh my god, you've got a big yellow bug on your back!

Lillian's Player: A lime hits you in the head.

Joyce: Ow!

Lillian (taking Joyce aside): Joyce, why is there an elegantly dressed black man standing behind you?

Joyce: Okay, fine, fine!

Eventually, they came across a stone marker with the top broken off. Guillermo said it just showed they were going the right way. He didn't seem to consider it of interest. Rick was very excited and started to take a rubbing. Martin covered for this by acting as of the fake Zapatista were doing this under his instructions.

The marker showed Xoxul warriors standing on the backs of decapitated Mayan warriors, offering an enemy's head to something at the top. Alas, the top of the marker had been broken off. Nevertheless, it was clear that the marker indicated where Mayan territory had once ended and Xoxul territory began.

Folks continued on. A thunderstorm broke out, despite weather conditions being utterly unfavorable for that. The path got slippery, and, while none of the tourists fell (all spending 3 points of Athletics, iirc). One of the guides fell down the muddy slope. Rick ran down after him, to make sure that he was all right. Guillermo said to get the men out and added that the path at the bottom joined up with the one at the top further ahead.

Rick said they'd found something at the bottom of the slope. The others made their way down and saw what he'd spotted: another stone marker, like the first, but with some of the top intact. It showed a sphere that was not the sun, as would usually be expected, and part of the creature to whom the head was being offered. It looked not dissimilar to the one Joyce and Martin had seen.

Joyce (in French, looking at the picture at the top of the monolith): You son of a b*tch! You tried to eat my plane!

Rubbings were taken, and folks reunited and started setting up camp. Then, someone noticed that Guillermo didn't seem to be around. He returned before anyone got actively searching for him. When Lillian asked where he'd been, he said he'd gone to take a leak.

Lillian could tell he was lying, but pretended to believe him. She let Joyce know what was going on. One of them "accidentally" made Martin's tent collapse while Martin was still inside, as a distraction.

Joyce then followed Guillermo's trail out of camp. Guillermo had met someone and then returned to the camp. Joyce followed the other set of tracks until it was washed out by the vain, then returned to update Lillian.

Joyce: Our friend met someone in the woods.

Lillian: Color me amazed! Son of a b*tch.

I believe Vito and Martin were updated, and perhaps Rick as well. At least one of the five or one of the Zapatistas kept watch at all times during the night so that neither Guillermo nor his guides could secretly try anything.

The next day, after folks had been walking for some time, Guillermo suddenly ran off in a different direction than the one folks thought led to Chichen Xoxul. Joyce pulled her pistol (I think), and I think the porters attacked.

The Zapatistas, Rick, Lillian, and Vito shot at the treacherous porters. Martin dove for cover, and I gave Martin's Player Rick for the brief combat.

Joyce shot at the zig-zagging Guillermo, whose hopes that someone would chase after him and fall into one of the pit traps he zig-zagged around were cruelly dashed. He was shot down, though not killed, and interrogated.

To no one's great surprise, he and the porters he had hired worshiped Golxumal. He told the infidels that only those who revered or impressed Golxumal would survive entering Chichen Xoxul. He didn't think his god would find the group impressive.

It was clear that he was willing to die before telling them cult secrets. Lillian's player found what I considered a cool way of using Assess Honesty to learn the one thing Lillian wanted to know, which was whether Francisco de la Vega were the head of the cult. This, not coincidentally, is the only useful piece of information the cultists in the jungle have that they might reveal.

Lillian: Nice to know he takes orders directly from his god, and not from de la Vega. That means we don't have kill de la Vega. I'm glad -- he was nice.

Sure enough, as the player hoped, Assess Honesty helped Lillian notice a slight smirk, as if Guillermo were thinking, "Oh good. They don't know he really is the head of the cult.

I think Lillian still liked Guillermo. He was competent and comfortable with the macabre. But she was quite clear that he was an enemy. After some discussion, folks decided to leave the dead porters and to leave the wounded porters and Guillermo to die or crawl back to civilization or aid.

Martin: Joyce, we're sure Golxumal can't just make zombies out of these folks?

Joyce: No.

Vito's Player: Joyce's Drive is to shoot problems till they stop moving.

Joyce's Player: It's called Adventure, thank you.

Martin's Player decided not to roll a Stability test, but to go ahead and take a 2 point voluntary non-mythos Stability loss, as his companions had shot the porters to cripple them and then left them to the jungle, where they might well die horribly from being eaten by ants, exposure, infection, or some other unpleasantness.

Finally, the group spotted an opening in the jungle that revealed what they were sure had to be Chichen Xoxul.

Joyce had some advice. She said that if there were, say, a bunch of statues of the Outer Gods, it was crucial to touch the one of Nyarlathotep first. After all, Nyarlathotep was the Messenger, and communications to the Outer Gods were supposed to go through It.

Joyce: It wouldn't hurt to invoke Nyarlathotep for a sentence beginning with Gol-Goroth.

Vito: I am going to remember you saying this for the rest of my life, however short it may be.

Joyce also suggested that, at some point, it might be wise for her to collect everyone's weapons.

Joyce: I do not want you using them on yourselves.

I think Lillian and Vito decided to keep their weapons, at least for the moment.

Martin: Third of all -- have my gun, have my knife.

I forget what first and second of all were.

GM: There's just one problem with this.

Lillian: Rick.

Martin: Can you knock him out, then tie him up?

GM: How Machiavellian.

Joyce: It's Martin.

Vito then made a touching speech about how they were walking into something they might not survive, but he was honored to have them as travelling companions.

Joyce: Thank you, Vito. I wasn't sure I was going to laugh again for the rest of my life.

The whole group headed towards Chichen Xoxul. Then, Joyce, Vito, and Lillian heard the telltale sound of a bolt-action rifles being readied.

Folks took cover as they could, Martin diving to the ground and using Stealth to get out of sight. I think he tried to use ventriloquism to confuse the enemy.

Lillian's attempt at Stealth went less well. As when Guillermo made his move, I handed Rick Luke over to Martin's player. But, while the ambushers were quickly dispatched, some of the Zapatistas were wounded, and Rick was shot badly enough to lose consciousness.

Oddly, this relieved the group. Folks liked Rick and did not want him dying or going insane or both, and, while this was wholly unplanned, the one way to keep Rick from insisting on accompanying them was for him to wind up unconscious. The ambulatory Zapatistas were instructed to carry Rick and their other wounded companions to safety and civilization. I think Vito handed out money as a hazard pay bonus. They left the cultists' bodies (including Esposito's) on the ground.

I think Joyce's player said that Rick was played by Brandon Frazier

Martin's Player: He's a crazy!

Vito's Player: Is that the pot calling the kettle?

Martin's Player: Yes.

Folks took a moment to prepare themselves.

Vito (to Martin): I look forward to getting you and Jeremiah's kids presents.

Joyce: Last cigarette I'm ever going to smoke, and it's Costa Rican!

They entered Chichen Xoxul.

Someone spotted the remains of one of Sanchez Dominguez's men. He had been bitten in half by the creature who had attacked Joyce's plane, or one very like it. The upper half of his body had been eaten. Around him were spent rifle casings, a canteen that had held water, a flask that had held Nectar, and a bloody sheet that had been the first page of a letter from Jonathan Brooks.

A Page of Jonathan Brooks's Letter to Sancho Dominguez

Joyce (reading it): We're f*cked. We are so f*cked!

Vito's player said that the most horrifying thing was the humanity of the cultists, which I take as a compliment to the authors and to myself and the others running this campaign and bouncing ideas around.

Meanwhile, Vito asked Martin where they needed to go. Martin consulted his notes, which were titled "What the F*ck This Jungle?", and concluded that they needed to climb the pyramid.

Before they could, they were attacked by warriors who appeared from nowhere and threw spears. Some hit their mark. However, the one thrown at Vito passed harmlessly through him as if it were a ghost spear, or perhaps as if he were himself a ghost. The spear hit the ground, solid, and I think Vito took it.

Folks ran for the pyramid as Martin called out to the warriors in Mayan, correctly guessing that they were Xoxul from about the 16th century.

Martin: We agreed to talk to your god regarding another who is using his name. We mean you no harm, but we will defend ourselves.

Sadly, this had no effect. They ran up the steps of the pyramid, finding it constructed a little oddly. There was an observatory below an altar room. The altar room was partly open to the air; the observatory had slits.

As the Xoxul began moving up the pyramid, the group figured out that the altar room opened into the observatory below when enough blood -- or any other liquid, like water -- flowed into the channels on the floor. They dumped water in. The door opened, and a shot rang out from the room below, the bullet hitting Lillian --

-- only to pass harmlessly through her as the spear had passed through Vito.

The gunman was Alvar Vasquez, the lone surviving cultist from Mexico City. He was at least half mad, but then, Lillian had spent some months in a mental institution. She managed to calm hin down as everyone entered the observatory and the Xoxul warriors --

-- vanished as quickly as they had appeared.

Alvar Vasquez had hidden in the pyramid five months ago, yet only two or three days had passed for him. He was a Nectar addict, and he was out of Nectar. He had some idea of the strange properties of the observatory, and he had taken notes in Spanish, which Lillian now read.

The observatory was made of read stone with spells written on it in pictographs. When the observatory was sealed from inside, the spells were complete.

Some of those spells were protection spells. People inside the observatory were more or less safe from everything outside -- so long as the doors stayed closed.

What was outside the observatory was subject to... change. With the doors closed, the red room moved in space and time. Alvar explained that there seemed to be a set, smalll number of stops that the observatory made. He had been too terrified to leave the observatory, lest he become stranded when it moved on.

He was too rattled to give any coherent information about where and when the red room traveled. Joyce guessed that one of the stops was "Chichen Xoxul in the good old days" of the 16th century. Vito made some kind of Stonehenge joke, I think.

Joyce: I am throwing you out of this pyramid.

She didn't, of course. Martin decided to create a Hyperspace Portal from the observatory to New York City. On further consideration, he decided he didn't want anything coming through the gate to his home city. So, he decided to make the gate lead to Tennessee. After all, no one cared about Tennessee!

Joyce, who rather did swatted him or, at least, gave him a dirty look, and someone suggested in character what I'd noted out of character: The gate could open onto / into the hangar where Joyce kept her plane. Martin decided that this made sense. He started working on creating the gate as the observatory door was shut.

Closing credits rolled as the observatory took off for points unknown...