Don't Rest Your Head: Crossroad Blues
John Farish: GM. We played together a DRYH game at Dreamation.
Andrea Gastonguay: Nicole Savage, former actress
Adam Gastonguay: The Amazing Drago, magician
Me: Eric Wilder, invulnerable swordsman
Richard Flynn: Mike Spiaggi, former mobster
The four PCs were insomniacs who'd discovered the Mad City and their own powers within it. They were friends with each other and with Charlie Brooks. As the story began, Charlie died in front of Mike, Nicole was pursued because of a headline claiming she would kill the Wax King, Drago was pursued by Officer Tock, who worked for the Tacks Man, and Eric had just killed two needle hounds.
The Wax King and The Tacks Man were rivals for control of District 13. Our Heroes and the deceased Charlie owed the Wax King a favor. The Paper Boys wrote the articles and were known for being prophetic. Of course, they'd prophesied the Wax King's death many times before. He survived by not leaving his home and by killing his supposed assassins.
The Wax King's servants were the Blind Knights, mem and women with candle flames shining in their eyes. Some summoned Mike to the Wax King. Others joined Eric.
Eric was ready to go with them, but then the Tacks Man's Clockwork Cops attacked. The Blind Knights told Eric to go ahead while they held the cops off. However, when I made 1 roll for Eric, I used his madness power, and madness dominated. This meant I had to check off either a flight or a fight reaction. Eric had no flight reactions, so he attacked.
A short time later, the Clockwork Cops had killed the Blind Knights. Eric had killed the Clockwork Cops. He took their car, drove to Drago's favorite bar, spotted the fleeing Drago, and opened the door to let the magician in. Once Drago caught his breath, he had a couple of questions.
Drago: Why not a Buick?
Eric: They weren't driving one.
Drago: Why are you driving their car?
Eric: They don't need it any more.
Drago: You know, I've known you for a long time and -- you still scare me.
Eric: Good.
Drago: So... Want to see a card trick?
Eric: As long as I'm not betting on it.
It was a nice scene. The guy playing Drago was good at coming up with witty patter.
Meanwhile, Mike visited the Wax King, walking down a hall of wax that sucked at his shoes. The Wax King explained that he wanted Mike and the others to kill the Tacks Man. Mike wasn't sure that he liked this plan, but, when the Wax King said that he could collect his debt by turning Mike into one of his Blind Knights, Mike decided that killing the Tacks Man didn't sound so bad after all.
To sweeten the deal, the Wax King offered Mike control of District 13 once the Tacks Ma was dead. Mike asked about his other friends. The Wax King said that Mike had arrivé first. He also told Mike about the Paper Boys' article saying that Nicole had killed the Wax King. The Paper Boys had also predicted the end of everything, which could indeed happen if the Wax King and the Tacks Man went to war ia deadly earnest. But, this could be avoided if Mike and his friends killed the Tacks Man first.
Mike headed back to his apartment. Drago and Eric arrived to meet the Wax King, who told them what he'd told Mike, except for the bribe and the threat. They headed off in the Buick, looking for Mike and Nicole.
Nicole broke into Mike's apartment. She found his gun and pointed it at the first person who entered the apartment.
Mike: Whoa whoa whoa! With my own gun -- that's cold.
Nicole: What the hell is going on?
Mike: Most importantly: Have you started the coffee yet?
This was indeed an important question, as falling asleep is the worst thiug that can happen to a PC.
Mike: I don't hear the coffee maker. Oh -- keep talking. Mind, we have to get out of here.
Nicole: There are pieces of Charlie on the fire escape, and you're making coffee?!
Mike: I've had time to come to terms with the Charlie thing.
A little later, Mike tried to establish some facts.
Mike: Are you trying to kill anyone?
Nicole: No! I was going shopping!
Mike: Are you sure?
Nicole: I was buying -shoes-! (showing him) Look at this shoe!
Later:
Nicole: Maybe someone's already gotten to him!
Mike: That would be great cuz then we could take credit for it.
Nicole: Always the optomist!
Mike: You take your coffee with two sugars, right?
Later:
Mike: Where's the Wax King come in?
Nicole: Look, honey, I'm the looks part of this.
Mike urged Nicole to leave with him. She asked about Charlie.
Mike: I like to think that he wouldn't want us getting ambushed while we're burying his remains.
They left the apartment as Eric and Drago arrived. Eric told them to get into the car, and they did.
Our Heroes drove to an all night dinner, ordering coffee and a paper. Sure enough, the papers predicted that Nicole would kill the Wax King.
Nicole: But is there a good picture of me?
GM: Oh yeah, it's a great picture!
Drago: Where's the bit predicting the end of everything?
GM: Oddly enough, the weather page: Tomorrow, rain. Then non-existence.
Drago: I hate to think what the funny pages are like.
Eric: I read the funny pages.
GM: Five minutes later, you stop screaming.
Drago's player: Oh my God! Marmaduke makes sense!
The papers also predicted that Drago would kill the Tacks Man. The group discussed this, and Eric raised the question of whether it would be bad if the Mad City were annihilated. The other three agreed that it would.
For reasons I forget, Eric and Drago went into an alley. They found a body in a dumpster -- the body of the waiter in thk diner who was even now serving coffee to Mike and Nicole!
Eric and Drago came in. I think the fake waiter escaped. Fortunately, despite having sipped the doctored coffee, Mike and Nicole were still conscious. I'm not sure what would have happened if they'd fallen asleep.
There was much discussion about whether to split up, but folks decided to stay together, given the headlines. I think folks discussed passwords, in case they got replaced by something, like the thing that replaced the waiter. Eric noted that the Thing might figure out that there were passwords.
Drago: Well, you'll probably die before telling him.
Eric (flattered) Thank you!
Drago (gesturing at Mike): And he's a face, so he'll forget them by the time we leave.
Everyone got into the Buick, and Eric drove to the Tacks Man's part of town.
Mike: So... are we going there to talk to him or to kill him?
The others explained that, for now, at least, they were only going to talk to the Tacks Man. They approached openly and were admitted to his office.
The Tacks Man, whose fingers were long, sharp tacks, was courteous and tried to persuade the group to kill the Wax King. After all, the wax of the king's domain spread and might eventually cover everything. The group suggested that some third party was trying to create a war between the Tacks Man and the Wax King. Eric asked about the needlenosed hounds and the clockwork cops that had attacked him. As he now suspected, the Tacks Man had not sent them. The Tacks Man agreed that if the group dealt with the third party, he would not pursue his war with the Wax King at this time, subject to the Wax King's not pursuing it with him.
The group headed back to the Waxs King, talking this over en route. They did not like the idea of a Nightmare that could take on their identities.
Drago: I don't want this guy stealing our act!
Later:
Mike: Can we do something that hurts less than thinking about it?
Drago: Sure, stab yourself in the thigh a couple of times.
Nicole was nervous about going to see the Wax King, since the papers were reporting she killed him. Drago suggested she pretend to be a prisoner.
Drago: You want me to put you in handcuffs?
GM: You keep asking that.
Nicole: No! I'd break a nail!
The group spoke with the Wax King. Eric talked about the various attacks by the Tacks Man's forces, and Drago interrupted to explain that the important point was that a new Nightmare was impersonating Clockwork Cops and might be impersonating Blind Knights as well. Might there be some way to tell for sure?
Someone: Secret handshake?
Someone: We can try to wax philosophical with it.
The Wax King said that the candles in the eye sockets of a fake Blind Knight -might- go out in a stiff wind. The candles in the eye sockets of the real ones would not. He made the same agreement that the Tacks Man had made, not to pursue the war if the Tacks Man didn't, and if the group cleaned up the mess.
Mike: If we do this, that clears our debt to you?
Wax King: Yes.
Drago: Okay, not just a face.
The group headed out, checking the paper en route.
Paper: Rain. Possibility of oblivion.
This was cheering news.
Drago: Who knew a possibility of oblivion was a good thing?
The group found the Nightmare they sought on a rooftop. It was their old friend, Charlie. He had gone mad and become The Razorblade Man, faking his own death. He had murdered some of the Paper Boys and taken their place, writing the articles to stir up hostilities.
Drago: I ought to use you in the act.
Charlie: Oh, I'll think about that when I'm wearing you.
Nicole: Nobody wears this face but me!
Charlie: Oh, but it'll look so much better on me!
Me: I let her get in the first shot. Her honor's been insulted.
Someone: Hey, killer with big sword and Savage opens with her gun -- we fighting now?
Someone (to Drago): Maybe you could saw this guy in half.
Someone (about Drago): He's trying to drag him down to his level.
Someone: He's a magician. He'll never get him down to his level!
It was a weird, desperate fight on a rooftop, with various Madness and Exhaustion talents battling Nightmare powers. In the end, Our Heroes destroyed the Razorblade Man, all too aware that any of them might well crack and become a similarly inimical Nightmare in the not so distant future.
But, at least the Mad City now had a future.
Paper: Rain. Existence will continue.
The GM noted that the success of this scenario hinges on one odd thing.
GM: No one ever asks what was Charlie's power. The world's greatest actor.
Mike's player: Well, when a guy's bleeding on your floor, you don't ask, "What cool shit can you do?"
