Submitted by Heather on Sun, 06/16/2002 - 00:46
Posted in
When a leader is no longer leading, but is instead demanding, bullying, and being unreasonable, it is time to remove that leader. We (the payers) have done that as of 4PM GMT.
Nick (aka Tempest) and Cian (aka Graham) were reduced to player status by a majority of the players, and as a result have opted out of continuing to play.
I am sorry they chose to accept this judgement this way, but their leaving is of their own choice because of "creative differences."
So effective immediately this game is officially GM-less and all plot, universal, or charcter issues are open to majority vote and open discussion.
The first effect of this is the reinstatement of Alice (Black Jem) as a player to the game.
May God have mercy on our souls....
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The Real World Timeline
The end of Season 1 is rapidly approaching, and we are all feeling the time pinch. But of all the hare-brained ideas of the board founders, having a real world deadline (however arbitrary) will compell us to finish our storylines and move on to a new plotline...
So I propose that we KEEP the June 6 deadline as the end of Season 1
The plotlines we are trying to wrap up are:
The end of Kain and Aetolus The disposal/neutralization of the Cloch Cosan and Shards
The rescue of Kate and the Disbanding/Reformation of the Coven of Sindell
Killing off:
Talhu Tempest
The curing of Sorrow (I think...)This is a lot to accomplish in just a few short weeks.
However once it is over, there will be a mid-season
from June 6 to Aug 6 is Mid-Season. During that time, the game board will be LOCKED and no new post can be made to the main board, however, you are encouraged to post One-offs, solos, creative fiction, unrelated fiction, and anything you would like in the Game Board section (just not the Season 1 forum). These will be collected and archived (read: moved somewhere else) for later enjoyment.
The "rules" (God I hate that word) for Mid season are this...think of it as a guest appearance on another series...or a movie of the week. No over-arching plots. Time can vary wildly, and you decide whether it is real, fantasy , or whatever. Just let us know where it fits into your character's background.
After Mid-Season, Season 2 begins Aug 6 to Dec 6 and mid-season is Jan 6 to Feb 6 when we celebrate our first Anniversary.
Season 3 and 4 and the mid season will then follow this pattern:
Season N = 4 months.
Mid Season = 2 Months
and so on...
None of this is hard and fast, but it is a suggestion for the group. If you have any serious objections to this system, or alternate suggestions please let me know.[/]
[/]Character Profiles...
I was looking back over the character profies, and I realized that the profiles we originally wrote have evolved slightly as we have "grown" into our characters. Nothing has really changes, but some things have become much more clear.
Anyone who wants to RE-WRITE their profile is certainly welcome to email it to me at MrDave2176@olg.com and I will gladly replace your old one.
This is a list of the characters and profiles we have now:
http://www.latenightgames.com/labynight/gallery/index.html
Some suggested additions might include a "POWERS/ABILITIES", "CONNECTIONS/LINEAGE", "RELATIONSHIPS", or "CONTACTS/ALLIES" sections.
The Case of the Missing Zayn
We have not heard from Zayn for a while and I was wondering if anyone else had heard from her...
I am inclined to close her character off as yet another loose end at the end of Season 1 if she hasn't posted something to let us know what has happened to her character.
There is also Hector (whom I suspect is hiding out for Season 2) with a whopping ZERO posts who is also lurking near to a "loose end" status.
Wrapping up Season One
Doh!! Bad me.... Sorry, I meant to tell you. :oops: Slipped my mind. :roll:
I've spoken to Heather recently (the other Heather - Zayn) and she said that she was fairly busy with life (as if there COULD be life other than LABN, but some people are just weird, I guess). She would, however, be looking to pick it up again come season two....
I've also spoken to Greg recently regarding Stalker's lack of appearance for almost two months. Again, life has intruded, but he says he's catching up on posts and will be adding new material soon. He's considering Stalker to have been unconscious for several days after the holy water experiment.
Sorry for being such a slack girl and not letting you know this. Now, where do I report for my spanking??
Wrapping up Season One
Sounds like a good idea - I for one was already half way though a re-write of Kate's Character Profile anyway.
I also think it would be a good idea to add any major events that have happened to the PC in season one (as a kind of "previously on LA By Night") I think this might help any new members we might get at the start of Season 2 catch up with the story so far...
Because of this it might be useful to do the re-write in the season break...?
Call To Arms
In responce I'd like to try and sort out just WHO is going to be involved in the sub plot to rescue Kate - I have had vague interest shown from some people but nothing confirmed.
The date of the ritual of transpossession will be Tuesday 22nd Feb - GB time (it is currently Friday) I'm thinking that the rescue attempt will take that long to co-ordinate other PC's into position to take part.
So if you want in - can you please make a definate commitment (otherwise I need to make other plans) - can you either contact me or post something here?
Thanks All
Wrapping up Season One
Thanks for the "better late than never" update Heather. Spankings will continue until morale improves. Then again, spanking may Improve morale!
I have dropped an email on Jake/Hector and am still waiting for a reply. If I have not heard anything by Midseason, then I'll consider him a "loose end" and tie him up.
Wrapping up Season One
I am still trying to get the new design applied to all the pages, so its as good a time as any. Why wait?
Is anyone interested in a "self-edit" character sheet? I could dream one up and make the character Info sheets be editable by the Player (password protected, of course).
Wrapping up Season One
Ooh, a spanking, a spanking!!!!! :)
Wrapping up Season One
Dave, that would actually be damn handy. Assuming you wouldn't be busting a gut trying to fit it in with everything else you're doing... :)
Wrapping up Season One
Just so everyone is prepared - this whole 'losing two days' just means I will be littering the game board with Catherine Wiccham posts - YES even more than usual!
Simply because I had posts written that were just too good NOT to use. (Hope you feel the same) so anyway, keep up if you can, and I'll try not to go TOO bezerk!!!
Hee Hee
:lol:
Disaster!
AAAGUH! I accidently wiped out everything since May 20th. God. I need to make backups more often. I am very sorry and if anone has any posts from that date forward, please restore them!
I am really sorry :oops:
Wrapping up Season One
*Sobs into hands* Awww Dave!!!! *sobs again* okay, I have ALL the posts on the game board (so I'll post them back up pronto) but I'm afraid none of the character profiles or NPC profiles... *sobs again*
Wrapping up Season One
Okay - well I restored all the in-game posts since the 20th, just need everyone to re-post their Character Profiles...
sigh...
i don't have the latest versions of my profile... or valerian's... :cry: yeah, i'm currently fighting to stop me from throttling myself for not keeping backup copies...
anyway, if anyone happens to have copies of them (please god!), please email them to me at widowpoison@yahoo.com ok? thanks!
Wrapping up Season One
Yeah also if anyone has a copy of the revised NPC profile for Serapis, Inanna, Lucien (and maybe Heather or Dave might have one for Janus) could you e-mail them to me please at
kate_wiccham@hotmail.com
thanks all
Back on deck
OK, I'm back with a decent internet connection, and have restored the timeline to its former glory. :)
Profiles will be going up soon. (Dammit, I'm ALSO guilty of not keeping full backups, so goodbye modifications to Tash and I'll have to redo Ian from scratch. *Kicks self, then kicks Dave before kicking self some more.* )
Wrapping up Season One
OH! That reminds me, has anyone got a Profile for Zayn? And BTW has anyone heard from Heather who plays Zayn lately? I know she said she was busy with life (pft! like that's an excuse! Sheesh, hehe) but I just wondered...
Maybe she should go into the land of lost PC's like Wisewoman...
Any thoughts??
Wrapping up Season One
Seems reasonable to put Zayn in the "holding bin" as an NPC. I'll take care of that right after this post. She can always be "promoted" back to PC if (the other) Heather ever comes back to the game.
Wrapping up Season One
OK, guys, this is it. *Heather pulls on her jackboots and dusts off the black uniform...*
The time has come for us to pull out our collective fingers and get organised for the big collaboration that awaits us. The threads have been drawn together and all that remains is to get into the big climax.
This will involve pretty much everyone for the rescue of Kate and the subsequent opening of the Cloch Cosan at Poplar.
My availablity is, as always, a little fluid, and I'm willing to do the 'wee small hours' thing if necessary. We're in the middle of selling the house at the moment, though, so I may become unavailable at short notice. We just have to cross our fingers and hope.
Given that most people in this game have some form of regular employment, I would suggest a weekend might be the best time for us. We're already more than a week past our 'use by' date, but if Dave will promise not to hit us too hard I'm sure one more week won't kill us.
That said, I would have some difficulty with my Sunday daytime... which is GMT 0100 through to 0700. Pretty much all other times would be OK with me, though.
Checking my timezones, it would seem that a vaguely reasonable time for everyone might be Saturday GMT 1400. This translates to midnight for me, 2200 for April, 1500 for Louisa and Robin, 1000 for Dave and Adam and 0700 for Kris (all times are Saturday).
Please indicate whether this time is OK for each of you, whether yes or no. This would be Saturday 22 June. Speak up quickly if there is a serious issue with your time, so we can arrange an alternative.
Yes
I am fairly certain I can do that barring any work-difficulties.
Wrapping up Season One
Sounds like it will work for me as well.
Wrapping up Season One
Count me in, unless for some freaky reason my shift hours for next week get changed I should be home by 1500 ready, willing and able (if not a little shattered) - but I'm sure a high sugar/caffine fix will wake me up enough! :wink:
okie dokie...
sounds good to me... i'll keep myself free. 8)
i am going to make this work
Ok, I have a birthday party on Saturday for a close friend, but I will make this work. Count me in, as it is too important to me to not be there. Sounds good.
Wrapping up Season One
Well I'll be a little late since I don't finish till 15:00.
but I'll be there as soon as I can...
Wrapping up Season One
Fantastic!
Robin - I wouldn't stress too much about being a little late. Knowing us, it'll take us an hour just to get started.
Also, I've spoken to Greg (who plays Stalker) and he will also be available at that time (2200 Saturday for him). He'll find a way to join in on the rescue...
See you all there - I'll have to make sure I have a nap Sat. arvo so I can stay awake all night. :)
Wrapping up Season One
Well, we managed half of it. Not bad, considering how complex it gets with 8 people playing at once.
So the problem remains of finding a new time for the rest. Robin, Louisa, Kris and I had a bit of a chat about it and have found a time that suits all of us.... now we just have to find out about the rest of you.
It'll be next weekend, a little later than we had this time. From earliest to latest, the start times for everyone will be:
Kris - 2pm Saturday
Dave & Adam - 5pm Saturday
Robin, Louisa and Alice - 10pm Saturday
Greg & April - 5am Sunday (*wince* sorry, guys....)
Me - 7am Sunday
This is for the weekend of 29th/30th June.
Greg & April - if the 5am start is just too awful to contemplate, you might be able to negotiate with the English players for a slightly later start. If you're REALLY nice to them....
???
What's wrong with 5am thats the best time of the morning?
Wrapping up Season One
5pm is plenty doable. I am fairly certan I can clear my calendar for that time.
Wrapping up Season One
I've managed to talk to everyone about the times for the Poplar part of the finale - and we have the all clear. Yay!
So the times will be as stated above (GMT 9pm Saturday 29th June.)
See you all there. :)
That's a wrap??
Okay so, after the big edit that's it, end of season one (barring any post-apocalyptic work)
Just to clarify for NPC purposes.... who died? and who vanished through the arch?
Death Toll:
Lucien - Stabbed by Serapis
Serapis - Strangled by Tempest
Tempest - Body explosion
Missing persons:
Aetolus - did he manage to get through the arch?
Kain - went through arch
Talhu - went through arch
Gone but not forgotten.... :roll:
Wrapping up Season One
So just where do we post the mid season stuff Dave? in one of the forums or will there be a 'Mid Season Thread' on the Game Board???
ok just a question....
i know u uys are probs really busy at the mo... but for peeps like me who are joining in mid season at ' june 6!' hello? that was like last month!!!!
i don't mean to be a bother.. but i'm getting restless..... ok and i heard that u already wrote the last post.. so if there arn't any objections.. could some one please post it!
also... ^^^^^ yeah will there be a mid season thread? it would make sense. i think that is a valid suggestion... ok running away now.. bye!
~*BoOj*~
p.s. would any peeps interested in doing a joint post with me please contact me?
melbourne
ok, i know everyone's pretty keen to wrap up season one... i have problems accessing the net now, being on holiday in melbourne and all but i'll try to get stuff on my side going as and when i can. (even if i have to lock my very good friend out of her own house in the middle of a very cold winter just so i can get her off the pc to do so! see what kind of sacrifices i have to make for this game!) :P
oh... and i've finally met up with heather!!! *beams* was sooooo great seeing you face to face at last babe!!! and yeah, she and i had tons of fun yakking away about labn and the rest of you guys. (anyone listening in to our conversation must have thought us to be either very weird or on drugs though.) :roll:
robin - jade and sorrow have a ton of things to work out... any chance we could work via email? keep me posted either thru private messages on thru email ok? (maybe we could both write separate posts and then email them to each other and do add-ons / edits?) i don't see how we're going to be able to start on season two otherwise... sigh...
Wrapping up Season One
Hehe, it was fantastic to actually meet up with someone from the board. And I think especially fitting that it was me and April, since Tash and Jade probably made the first in-game friendship. :)
And I have photographic evidence.... so as soon as the film is developed and I can find a scanner, we can prove that we exist in the same space-time continuum.
Enjoy the rest of your stay in cold, wintry Melbourne, April. I'm off to summertime in the US in two more days... *cheesy grin*
Finally!!!!
OK, I've finally received all the edits that I think I'm due to get. The post has gone up. YAY!!
So our first season ended a month late. Pah! It was worth it.... :)
Wrapping up Season One
I have locked the season one forum so only moderators can go back in and make edits as neccesary. I started the Mid-season forum with a little vignette about the fate of the 1318 Poplar building.
In the interest of keeping things together I decided to let the midseason flex to the shorter length. So we will attempt to keep on schedule with the Season 2 posts starting up Aug 6 (unless that presents a problem for anyone).
We might also start talking about the plotline for Season 2. We have some new players so for their benefit, I'm going to recap the ideas that have been going around:
* There is a malevolent presence under the site of 1318 Poplar avenue. It is millions of years old and is gigantic, primal, and powerful. It was breifly contacted in the 60s by the Circle of Osirus and it scared them into oblivion.
* There is a benign presence that protects 1318 Poplar as well, it has served the Sorcerer's Council (including WiseWoman) for centuries.
* Victor and Vrithetek have begun to act independantly of each other and may be separating into distinct entities.
* Alaric and the Order of Valor are still at large although Majestic 12 is hot on their heels. Their grand sceme did not work this time, but they may still succeed in rendering chaos in a grand war between the forces of darkness and light.
* Black Jem and company are now NPC for free use. Tash, Jade, and a few others all have bones to pick with them. They may recieve some unexpected assistance in the form of Valerian who is ALSO still at large.
* There is a prophesy of a child that has still not been fulfilled. Maria was born on the change of the milennia and may have significance to the prophesy. There is also the matter of the twins (still in a coma) in the hospital.
* The mysterious amulet may still have another part to play
We have lots of fertile ideas to play with, and as always the story is free-form and may go any number of ways before it comes to an end. So for the next month or so enjoy the break, play around and do some thinking!
Wrapping up Season One
I saw this posted on The Bronze - i have no idea who did it but I just loved the way that this person had summarised Season One - see what you think...
Wrapping up Season One
Wow. I never thought it'd be possible to summarise the entire happenings of Season One into one short paragraph, but obviously it can be done.....
It's fantastic to learn that people out there are reading the site and the story, and seem to think it's not too bad. :)
What The Bloody Hell...
Why do we need another forum? To eliminate clutter.
What is this forum for? Non-Game discussion between members only. THis will reduce the signal to noise ration of links, sites, chatter, gossip, and getting-to-know-yous
Can anyone read what I post here? Only registered members of this board...your friends.
A Message from Sherlynn
Dave,
Well, just as I was about to finish, my hard drive fried and I've lost not only my computer, but my character thingy. I'm hoping that Gateway (my computer manufacturer) will be able to retrieve it or at least reconstruct some of it. And to sing more of the blues, I won't have a (home) computer for at least 2 weeks. Can't do it at work, law firms are not really conducive to RPGs as a rule. I will just have to submit when I get my computer back.
Just FYI -- my character is Parasol, brainy extremely religious slave child of a Montgomery Alabama plantation owner and slave (circa 1858, I think). She starts out kinda bratty and unaware and gains character. She's the mother of a child sold off by her father, vamped by Angelus, kills her father (also vamped by Angelus and Darla), through brains and the help of the plantation's other slaves manages to oust Darla & Angelus from the plantation, takes over surreptitiously running the plantation splitting the assets between the slaves, who also keep their assets on the down low taking a bundle with them after the Civil War, moves heaven and earth to find her daughter, and follows her progeny through their generations (and history), keeping herself sometimes in the background, sometimes fostering a relationship with them, eventually ending in LA with her great-great...granddaughter, an artist & poet. She sings (used to sing gospel/spirituals at the plantation church). Torn by that pesky religion that was he
I'll submit as soon as I get my home computer back.
Take care,
Sherlynn
Wrapping up Season One
For those of you that don't remember...Sherlynn is the person who registered on the BOARD before sending her profile. She is still not an activated member.
She tells part of her story here in this email so I thought I'd share it. And we will pray to gods of hardware manufacture that she gets her machine back up soon.
...
I saw that post too.. Isn't FaithsSexKitten someone from this board?
Wrapping up Season One
Well, so far the story is very interesting.
Wrapping up Season One
I don't think so. Does anyone know for sure?
Wrapping up Season One
FaithsSexKitten was the one who told me about this site.. I went and joined.. but I thought he/she was one of 'em in this site???
From Sherlynn
Dear Dave,
I finally got my computer back yesterday! It was like living without a phone or refrigerator. My hard drive was not able to be saved but I managed to do the below today. I can abridge it further if it's too long. Let me know and let me play. Anyway...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Female Vampire
Name: Parasol
Birthdate/place: 1830, Montgomery, Alabama
Affilliation: The cult of Fascion, sorta, she will feed on reprehensible assholes.
No position yet
Description: A cinnamon-skinned black woman, appears to be in her late-20s. Average height. Her hair is reddish-brown with flecks of gold and grey. It's very long, wild and unruly. Her eyes are green. Her features are a sharp and a strong mix of African and Caucasian. Those who look at her have no doubt that one of her parents is black. She's extremely stylish for whatever historical age she is in; she could accessorize a burlap sack. But she's no sissy. When times call for down 'n' dirty clothes, she's got 'em. She has a beautiful singing voice.
History:
Parasol is the daughter of Allen Willamen-Smyth, wealthy and powerful plantation owner in Montgomery, Alabama. Her mother was Carriage, a house slave. Her father, a dedicated bachelor, doted on his slave daughter, raising her with all the advantages of a white child. She lived in his house. He educated her himself, teaching her philosophy, American and European history, French, Spanish and Italian and as she grew, gave her charge of the plantation's accounts. He never let her associate with slaves other than those in the house, except for allowing Carriage to take her every Sunday to the church he let the slaves keep. Parasol flourished.
On her 25th birthday, he returned from a European buying and investment trip with a new slave Loxum, an African trained as a blacksmith and Darla and Angelus, a brother and sister that he met on the voyage home. Although her mother had little to do with her upbringing and generally disapproved of the manner in which her daughter was raised, she still had a close relationship with Parasol. Carriage felt it important to impress upon Parasol that though she had advantages unheard of for slaves, she was a still a slave. Parasol listened, but didn't believe her father felt that way about her.
Naturally, the plantation's slaves didn't much care for Parasol. She didn't talk like them, nor did she endure what they did. They also didn't think she had quite the right concept of her place in the world. Yet each Sunday, in church, when Parasol would sing spirituals like an angel, their resentment would dissipate – a little.
Darla and Angelus monopolized her father's time. He slept all day and went out every night with them. He became short with Parasol and her mother and mean to the slaves. The plantation, previously as benign as a plantation could be, became besieged with cruelty. Parasol continued keeping the accounting for the plantation, and noticed that money was missing. Parasol suspected Darla and Angelus' influence.
Parasol fell deeply in love with Loxum at church and she became pregnant, which since he was never awake during the day, she managed to hide from her father for nearly 6 months. She stayed up one night until dawn to wait for him to confront him about the books and to tell him of her pregnancy. Her father nearly beat her to death, demanding to know who the father was. Carriage told him about Loxum to save her daughter. Parasol noticed that Darla and Angelus watched the scene with icy eyes.
Her father strung Loxum between two trees flogging his back to shreds. Parasol looked on, horrified. He abruptly stopped just as the sun came up. Loxum didn’t survive the beating and Parasol was banished from the house and her father's life and sent to live in the quarter with the other slaves of the plantation. Parasol gave birth to her daughter and named her Chinaka, a name Loxum had told her was his mother's and means "God Decides." As soon as Parasol’s daughter was born, her father sold Chinaka to slave traders from Virginia, spiriting her away in the dark. Parasol screamed the screams she had heard so often from other mothers losing their children into oblivion, while she had coolly entered the sale amount in the black column of the books. Parasol prayed to God, her God for the strength and wisdom to find a way out of the madness.
Though banished to live in the quarters, Parasol still took care of the books, no longer out of love but because she wanted to suss out a way to find her daughter. There was more money missing. There was livestock missing. Slaves had gone missing, presumed to have run North. Elysian Fields was losing money and Parasol’s father was rarely around during the day.
He took to stalking the plantation at night with Angelus and Darla. Parasol followed them one night and came upon them in a clearing, slaves and livestock strung up, cut and bleeding, draining blood. The three of them were drinking the blood, sometimes from the cuts, other times from tearing at their necks with their teeth. Angelus and Darla were kissing passionately under rivers of blood pouring from the mangled bodies above them. Parasol gave herself away when she saw that one of them was Carriage and her father’s face was buried in her neck, growling, grunting, rubbing against her mother and drinking her blood. Parasol screamed from her gut.
All three turned to regard her, their faces twisted in a way Parasol had never seen a human’s face do. Parasol had never known rage, even when Chinaka was torn from her out of spite, but this night she could hear the blood in her ears and tasted the copper from the blood all around her in her mouth. She knew she was no match for the three vampires around her and resigned herself to dying, but not without hurting at least one of them. She picked up the heaviest tree limb from around her, swinging it in an arc while they closed in around her. The limb, armed with a pronged branch, caught her father in his back and he just dissipated, bursting into dust from his skin inward to his bones.
Parasol stood transfixed, murmuring a prayer for God to protect her. She was reciting the Lord’s Prayer when Angelus took her neck, mocking her faith. She felt that the next breath would be her last. Angelus unhinged from her neck and looked at her, asked her if she wanted to live. All Parasol could do was to ask God to forgive her, but yes – she wanted to live. She wanted to rid Elysian Fields of their pestilence. She wanted to find her daughter. She wanted.
Angelus grinned, tore his wrist open and stuck it in her mouth and she drank. It felt like warm honey was coursing through her. She no longer felt the heat of the night. She could hear everything around her for miles. The blood on the ground smelled like baking bread. She collapsed.
Angelus carried Parasol back to the house, putting her in her old room. She felt drained and just wanted to sleep. She watched as Angelus pulled the heavy drapes closed. Darla was fingering the toiletries on the vanity that used to be Parasol’s. They were both talking to her, telling her things, things she knew to be important, but she couldn’t understand. She was just dog tired and wanted to sleep and forget the images that were swirling around in her head; horrible yet compelling and attractive images. She tried to whisper a prayer but the words stuck in her throat. Angelus and Darla were laughing as they closed the bedroom door behind them.
Over the next few months, Parasol knew what her life – or more precisely – death would be like. Angelus and Darla were insinuating themselves more and more into the fabric of the plantation. They were holding onto her as they buried what was left of her mother on that warm Sunday night.
They showed her how to survive and although she didn’t like it, she did it, draining first the hands of the plantation, then slave traders, then the slave bounty hunters. Parasol promised them they would live if they told her if they had ever came across a child of about 3 named Chinaka, and then ate them anyway. Angelus and Darla made fun of her, but she got stronger, knowing what it took to survive, and never closed her eyes to Angelus and Darla.
Elysian Fields became pariah to all around Montgomery. Slaves started disappearing again, either from Angelus and Darla drinking them or because they were so frightened of being at Elysian Fields that facing the perils of the Underground Railroad was the safer route. Parasol, still keeping the books, watched the wealth of the plantation fritter away. She knew Elysian Fields could fall prey to those who thought her father gone. She was never around in the daylight to defend it.
Late one Sunday after the last service, Parasol slipped away from Angelus and Darla and walked down to the little church. She tried to mumble a prayer, but again the words stuck in her throat. She knew she was evil, a demon, but the thought of God knowing her predicament comforted her. As she put her foot on the step of the little church, a flush of fire went through her.
The congregation turned to look at her in the doorway gasping and shrunk from her; her face had changed. Parasol looked at her foot on the doorstep and started singing a song, carefully humming whenever the word God, Lord or Jesus occurred.
When she finished, her face had changed back and she said, “My father is dead. He killed my mother by drinking her blood. I am a vampire, no longer connected to the being I worshipped here with all of you. But I’m a smart woman, raised to think. No one knows my father is dead. Angelus and Darla are draining Elysian Fields, my home, our home, like my mother. I want it back and I need your help. If you help me, I will make sure that you, your children and your children’s children are provided for all of their lives. I’ll give you your freedom and in turn your children’s.”
The congregation was silent.
“Now, you’d be doing me a favor by taking that cross hanging up there and driving it through my heart; that’ll release me. But if you do, what I want to give all of us will be lost. I propose that we impale Darla and Angelus instead. They killed my father. They killed my mother and they killed me. I propose we trade the devil for the witch.”
Her mother’s best friend, Dresser, finally stood up and said, “How can we believe the promise of a demon?”
Parasol countered sadly, “You can’t. I don’t know how this demon inside me works. I have thoughts and feelings that horrify me, and yet I like them. I am in this church, I smell your blood, and it smells so good. I can’t even mention G-G-G, His name. But as I stand here, right now, my promise is one I will keep. You can run North but you’ll get rich here.
“I can see you’re not convinced, nor should you be. I will start the moves to get rid of Angelus and Darla. If you wish to join me, be in the clearing behind the pond tomorrow midnight, and we will all be free. Oh, and bring weapons. You can kill me then if you want.”
Parasol removed her smoking foot from the step of the church and set off for the house. If she could have prayed, she would that they would join her tomorrow night. It would be either death or freedom for her, not unlike the lot of a slave.
* How fitting the moon is full. * Parasol thought as she, Angelus and Darla walked to the clearing. She had dressed up completely this evening; her skirts were swishing on the road. She could smell the vanilla she had put behind her ears. Angelus looked at her the way he looked at Darla. Darla was none too pleased. Parasol felt her power and didn’t care.
She told Angelus and Darla that the plantation would be theirs. They were white and could deal with people who wouldn’t deal with Parasol. Parasol suggested they sell the plantation, the slaves; take all the money left in the bank and go to Europe, where a woman of Parasol’s color was an attraction. And they could course through Europe living as they wished. Parasol expressed the desire to be part of their little family. They liked the idea, especially Angelus who regarded Parasol with admiration at her plan.
Parasol told her that she had a surprise for them, in the clearing. They would be pleased and sated and should follow her.
As they reached the clearing where her mother had died and she had killed her father, she turned to Angelus and Darla. She said the surprise is that she wanted to be free. Parasol said she wanted to live forever if not in His light, then certainly in His presence if only from afar. The slaves of Elysian Fields came out of the trees armed with crosses and stakes and shovels and manacles. Angelus and Darla looked, for the first time that Parasol could know, afraid.
The slaves set upon Angelus and Darla, stabbing with the stakes, but the vampires were too fast and strong for the slaves. On the slaves side was numbers. For each that Darla or Angeles killed, four more were upon them. Parasol, being held by Dresser with a stake to her heart, watched from the sidelines as Darla and Angelus were losing. The vampires ran for their lives. Parasol called after them to never return to Elysian Fields. And it was done.
Dresser took the stake from Parasol’s heart and told her that she was prepared to set her free. Parasol said, “I’ll never be free. But I promise you that you will.”
Parasol spent the next few years building up Elysian Fields. She never told those she dealt with that her father was dead. Elysian Fields made everyone in Montgomery richer, though no one really believed that her father was alive. Parasol learned that wealth could make people believe the unbelievable and accept the unacceptable.
She drank only cow or pig’s blood and the occasional slave trader or Klansman. These last feedings gave her an indescribable joy in killing.
With the help of the slave telegraph, the telling of stories between slaves on plantations, she found her daughter, Chinaka. She brought her and the slaves who had been raising her to Elysian Fields. She gave each of the slaves their papers. The slaves all stayed for the money that Parasol gave out each month and because she kept her promise. Parasol suggested that they tell no one and each dig a deep hole and put the money there until they were emancipated – which have to happen eventually.
Her daughter grew old and died, as did her granddaughter and great granddaughter and great great granddaughter. Parasol was a satellite around each of them, sometimes in their lives, sometimes not. Because she knew how to run a business, Parasol prospered through the years, keeping businesses through the ages. She came to Los Angeles with her progeny, fittingly named Chinaka, an artist, to run her gallery.
Special Powers: None other than vampire strength and senses. The love of God is still in her flesh, though she still can't utter his name.
Wrapping up Season One
Is there any question at all? I say activate her...
Logout! Its not a bug its a feature...
Becasue the Zion3 uses the same software as LaByNight I had to make a slight modification to the cookie system. That meant renaming the cookie from its boring old name to a new exciting name that does not conflict with Zion3's Exciting cookie name.
The upside is no more conflits. The downside, it means you must log back in. You may even need to clear out all of your cookies and log in again to create a new one.
If you DO clear your cookes, close all your browser windows right after and start a new instance of your browser...that will make sure its a clean start.
Sorry for any inconvenience, but if we have players flipping back and forth between the games its important that it not screw up their experience at either game.
Besides...its only this once...really :oops: