Moon Goddess: Scene 16

Introduction to this thread: The Moon Goddess Is A Harsh Mistress
Explanation of Mythic elements: What's All This Mythic Stuff?
Previous Scene: Scene 15

SCENE 16
In which Katja and Nina encounter a security checkpoint while boarding a ship for England.

CHARACTERS
The Silver Huntress (her deity)
Soldiers/Police
Drachen (her old warhorse)
Nina
Nina's Mother
Nina's Father
The Hard Man with the Nasty Scar
Susi
Yuliya
Igor
Deidre
Nina's uncle Ulrich
The target of Nina's hunt
Hamid
Professor Nasir
The Commissar
Fanquin Lanfeng
The girls from New Zealand

THREADS
* Escape to freedom
* Solve the mystery of Nina's mother
* Decipher the writing on the menhir
* Deliver antique sword to the target of Nina's hunt
* Investigate the Moon Goddess Cult in New Zealand

CHAOS FACTOR: 6

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The scene occurs as expected.

Q: Is Igor with Katja and Nina [50/50]? Yes.

Q: Is there a long line people waiting for security to check their travel papers [Likely]? No.

Q: Is it snowing [50/50]? Yes.

The weather has taken a turn for the worse and a steady snow falls from the sky. The docks are surprisingly free of civilians, though many people in uniform can be seen. Katja is dumbfounded at the sight of the enormous metal behemoths. On her world, ships were made of wood and only a fraction of the size of these giants.

Q: Is Nina still dressed in her uniform [50/50]? No

CQ: (get a bunch of names of Nina's cover story from EVERYONE EVERYWHERE)

Nina: "We're approaching a checkpoint. Remember, I am Eva Biehl and you are my younger sister, Helga. We were visiting our sister Magda Kovalyov in Kronstadt. She is married to Oleg Kovalyov, a fisherman. Best to let me do the talking."

Katja: "What about Igor?"

Q: Is Igor still walking with them [50/50]? Yes

Q: Does Nina say that Igor will make his own way through security and that they do not know him [Likely]? Yes

Nina: "Igor will be making his own way through security. We only just met him. We will say that he claimed to be trade representative, if we are asked."

Sure enough, they encounter a checkpoint on the way to the ship. Igor goes through first.

Q: Does Igor have any problems with security [Unlikely]? Yes.

Q: Is he pulled out of line [50/50]? Yes.

He presents his papers. The soldier examines them closely and Igor looks nonplussed. But the guard is not letting him through and Igor begins to get angry. Another guard comes up and they converse in Russian. Igor continues to argue and they eventually pull him out of line and escort him to a small building.

Q: Does this appear to bother Nina [50/50]? Extreme yes.

Katja is obviously distressed. She looks to Nina for encouragement and is horrified to see the look of extreme anxiety on Nina's face. Something is wrong. Thoughts of a return to prison almost paralyze Katja. In her desperation, she reaches into the heavy coat that Nina gave her and pulls out Nina's mother's holy symbol. She begins a small prayer under her breath.

Q: Does Nina notice and try to stop Katja's spell [Unlikely]? Extreme no.

When the guards return from their post and prepare to receive them, Katja strides forward and begins reciting a prayer to the Silver Huntress that she wrote with Bix in better days. The prayer is in Pembroke (English in this world), but if her spell is successful it shouldn't matter.

RISUS: Katja is casting an Enthrall spell. It will be a simple TN9 roll to cast the  spell. Katja rolls 18. An outstanding success!

The checkpoint guards, Nina, and several bystanders enthralled. Katja grips Nina by the arm and gives her solid pinch. Nina recovers and realizes what is going on. While Katja has the attention of the guards, Nina walks over the to the small building.

Q: Is Igor currently unguarded [Unlikely]? Extreme no (he is guarded by several soldiers that have not been affected by Katja).

Q: Does Nina have the sword [50/50]? Extreme no (it's obviously with Igor).

Continuing (and repeating) her prayer in a divinely melodic voice, she watches Nina pacing by the door of the guard building. Igor has the sword in his luggage. His luggage is in the building. Katja is powerless to help as long as she maintains her Entrallment...

Then Katja has an idea. She beckons for Nina. Continuing her prayer, she uses gestures to try to tell Nina to ask the Entralled guards to provide assistance.

RISUS: This will be a base TN7 roll for an ideal cliche. Katja has no ideal cliches. Her cleric cliche might have marginal relevance, but she is unlikely to succeed on a TN17 roll. Her Mistress of the Hunt cliche might include the ability to gesture to hunting partners. Again, this is a tertiary ability at best (for a TN17). It's either that or Self-doubting Chosen one (which could be TN7 in this desperate circumstance). Yes, she'll roll on her Chosen-One cliche... and fails.

Q: But does Nina figure it out for herself [50/50]? No.

Frustrated and feeling like she couldn't possibly keep this up much longer, she smiles as she repeats her prayer and walks forward towards the ship, her own bags in her hand. She looks back and Nina, pleadingly.

Q: Does Nina follow [Very Likely]? Yes

Nina grabs her own bags and marches up the gangplank. Nina beckons for the guard to remain behind on the dock. On ship, she halts her prayer and goes below deck, trying to ignore the stares of crew and passengers alike.

In hushed tones, Nina says "We cannot leave the sword. It's the reason we are going."

Katja: "I did what I could. It's not my fault that you couldn't use my distraction. Besides, I thought you had this all planned out."

Nina: "Igor must have been recognized. I didn't think it was possible."

Katja: "Recognized? You mean they were looking for him?"

Nina: "They couldn't possibly have been looking for him. It's been years."

Q: Does Nina mention that Igor was associated with her mother's organization [50/50]? No (we'll just leave it at that).

Katja: "We'll get the sword or it will come to us."

Nina: "What are you talking about?"

Katja: "My vision. The Goddess has shown me the sword in a dream. We're meant to have it. This is merely a temporary set-back."

Q: Does Nina react angrily to Katja [50/50]? Extreme no (interesting).

Nina: "I wish I had your faith. As it is, I don't see how it's possible."

Katja looks at Nina sympathetically, imagining that she can see the pain of regret in her eyes. Nina loved her mother but their differences drove them apart.

Katja: "Let's get to our cabin and we'll try to come up with something. When is the ship supposed to leave?"

Q: Later this afternoon [Likely]? Yes

Nina: "It leaves later this afternoon."

Katja: "Then we must act quickly."

Katja paces about the cabin for several minutes.

Katja: "What about your military contacts? Do you have any favors that you can call in?" 

Q: Does she [50/50]? no (just barely).

Nina: "I suppose. But I'm not supposed to be here. And I'm not sure how I'd call in my favors from here."

Katja: "I don't understand you. I thought were a powerful state official. You have connections that kept you safe when they hunted down your mother's former associates."

Q: Does Nina admit that her power is slipping [50/50]? Yes

Nina: "Why do you think I desperately stole you from your cell? My leverage is drying up. My power is failing. I was in danger of being sent to Siberia myself. When I discovered you in your cell, I saw my chance to correct the situation. But it's all falling apart. If Igor talks, they'll send soldiers on board the ship and we'll be discovered."

Katja: "Well, we can't let that happen. We must act. Come with me. We need to leave the ship and get closer to Igor."

Nina: "And how do you propose we do that?"

Katja: "I'm making this up as I go. But I had enchanted most of the witnesses that saw us onto the ship. The effects will have worn off, but we should not be recognize if we disguise ourselves as crew or dock-workers."

********************

CHARACTERS - No change

UPDATED THREADS
* Escape to freedom
* Solve the mystery of Nina's mother
* Decipher the writing on the menhir
* Deliver antique sword to the target of Nina's hunt
* Investigate the Moon Goddess Cult in New Zealand
* Rescue Igor

Updated Chaos Factor 7