# Session S06
> [!overview]
> [campaign:: [[The Friend, the Fiend, and the Shadow of the Night]]]
> [session:: S06]
> [prev:: [[2024-09-29_S05]]]
> [session date:: 2024-10-06]
> [campaign date:: ]
> [my pc:: [[Elsa Johansson]]]
> [dm:: [[nellufy|Nell]]]
> [player:: [[reyescion|Reyes]], [[elcucuy| El Cucuy]], [[jim0phee]], [[Leah Ferguson|Leah]]]
> [pcs:: [[Dr. Niklas Windell]], [[Oskar Brodd]], [[Charles]], [[Elsa Johansson]]]
> [active npc:: ]
> [discussed npc:: ]
> [active locations:: ]
> [discussed locations:: ]
>
> ---
>
> (tldr:: Summary.)
%%
### Starting notes:
-
%%
## Notes
- Father Trosker is drinking in his office. Elsa and Charles are there.
- Doesn't know how much time Charles has left
- Strigoii mort can't be out in daylight; strigoii vii can
- Once a strigoii vii feeds enough, it will become a strigoii mort
- This is retroactively impact Charles
- Will need to get the ashes of the strigoii mort
- Remove heart, liver, kidneys, intesine
- Throw in the fire
- Let the infected drink it
- Drive a nail into forehead
- Drive garlic under tongue
- Smear it with pig fat
- Body face down
- Strigoii aren't happy about Christian symbols
- Specifically holy water
- Father Trosker blesses both Charles & Elsa
- One time use of a +2 to any skill *or* an item that we'd like to use
- We opt for blessing the people
- Charles uses his "medicine" somewhere in a private spot in the church
- Nests into a locked storage room
- Smokes his now blessed opium from his golden box
- Elsa writes in her journal about Other Elsa and the strigoii
- She increasingly feels that she's going to die because of this doppelganger
- Meanwhile Dr. Windell drags [[Pastor Jon Jonsson]] with him, and Mr. Brodd tries to be stealthy while following
- Dr. Windell is aware Mr. Brodd is following, and manages to shake him
- Dr. Windell takes a shortcut to his practice, but Mr. Brodd heads there because he had said he was going to his practice
- Outside his office, there is a lone gas lamp post, and "Elsa" is standing there. She looks paniced, and has a scarf wrapped around her neck
- (He also sees the window Charles smashed…)
- Dr. Windell told the priest why he was brought along, and [[Pastor Jon Jonsson]] doesn't seem surprised, a bit nonchalant
- He asks if Elsa has a sister, notices that she's panicked. Encourages Dr. Windell to go talk with her.
- Windell goes to the back of the practice and enters. (All of the medicine cabinets are locked, but the window is definitely smashed, and the whiskey is gone.)
- Windell answers the door and invites "Elsa" in
- She's scared; has been having visions and nightmares
- *This* Elsa is very pale, little redness in her cheeks. She seems cold, and has an occasional cough. Trying to keep her hands warm.
- Windell proceeds with a doctors visit with "Elsa"
- She doesn't know who to turn to
- Windell asks about the nightmares; feels more tired after she wakes up
- Nightmares about a tall man who is with a person who looks like her
- She *knows* that she's Elsa, but that there's this other person who seems to be Elsa.
- She can't eat
- Anxiety that someone out there is impersonating her
- Worried that she'll die without being married, as someone of her noble stature
- She's afraid to go out in the daylight; it makes her faint
- Asks not to be sent to the sanitarium
- Asks if she's often outside in the cold on her own » no
- The thick scarf warms her
- Camera pans to Mr. Brodd
- He makes it to Dr. Windell's practice; sees the smashed window
- Sees the pastor cleaning up glass
- He stands in a shadow across the street, watching to make sure they're okay
- He's a little less suspicious since the doctor *had* said he was returning to his office
- Failed [[Vigilance]] roll, and a pushed roll
- Brodd sees a shadow along the wall going down the alley beside the practice, going around the building towards the back
- Brodd meanders after it
- Camera pans to Dr. Windell and "Elsa"
- She is cold to the touch, but has a pulse
- She removes her scarf, and he sees there are puncture wounds on her neck
- Dr. Windell goes to get some laudanum for her
- Dr. Windell notices that there is a slow black mist seeping in from the bottom of the door, while on the other side of the door, Mr. Brodd sees this dark shadow turn into a mist and start seeping under the door
- Brodd runs to the front door to go grab the priest to run to the exam room
- The smoke collects in the corner of the room; Elsa seems oblivious to it
- Dr. Windell grabs a random bottle and gives it to Elsa, ushering her out to the front
- They all bump into each other, and Mr. Brodd sees "Elsa" » Fear test (+2 bonus) » 1 success, holds himself together
- "Elsa" stares at Mr. Brodd and her eyes widen » "It's you!"
- Mr. Brodd grabs Dr. Windell and shoves him behind him
- Opens the door and it's the Strigoii! (Combat)
- The strigoii goes to attack Mr. Brodd with his claws (Brodd is battered and wounded, and he's angry from pushing the roll…)
- "Elsa" is frozen in fear
- Jon Jonsson throws holy water at the Strigoii, and the Strigoii recoils and hisses
- Dr. Windell throws some flammable liquid on the Strigoii, and lights it on fire
- The Strigoii has reduced the fire, and seems to be taking things pretty well…
- It looks like it's about to run because it's on fire.
- Brodd holds the door, as it changes into a mist and moves through the people as it exits out the front door
- "Elsa" faints, and Pastor Jon goes to help her
- Dr. Windell tells him to tie her up, because she's a vampire in the making » this makes the pastor uncomfortable, but goes to find rope
- (It's now around 11 PM)
- Dr. Windell goes to patch up Mr. Brodd so that he doesn't die. Kinda begrudgingly…
- Heals up to three conditions… That's good! (Brodd had 5…)
- Pastor Jon ties up "Elsa" (and is deeply uncomfortable with this!) » she's still unconscious
- Dr. Windell gets the sense he's reliving a traumatic experience
- Dr. Windell begins to interrogate Mr. Brodd about this duplicate Elsa while stitching him up
- Why are there two Elsas?
- Brodd asks for a drink, needs one badly
- When Elsa was a child, she was taken away and replaced by a changeling
- Her mother recognized it wasn't Elsa and that it wasn't Elsa
- They managed to find *their* Elsa, and her mother could tell it was her real daughter
- They didn't know about each other
- Mr. Brodd took it upon himself to handle the situation, but refused to kill the child
- Marta had left the household when she was wed, and had taken the changeling to her to raise
- Implied it was a bastard child of the house, and to keep it a secret
- Brodd assumes this is the changeling, doesn't know if they can become strigoii
- Both want to keep it a secret from their Elsa
- Conversation turns dark about what to do with "Elsa"
- They also decide to not talk too much about this with Pastor Jon, send him back to the church or along his way
- Pastor Jon has a dagger (looks like a holy symbol)
- Dr. Windell wonders if he should behead this "Elsa"
- Back to Charles and Elsa
- It's close to midnight
- Father Trosker looks like he's about to go to bed, in the rectory
- Elsa wants to go to Dr. Windell's office, she's worried about them
- A panicked knock at the front door, Pastor Jon's voice *very* panicked
- Charles opens the door
- A shadow chases Pastor Jon, and the Strigoii reaches out with his claws, but Jon dives inside the church
- The Strigoii can't get inside the church
- Pastor Jon explains the evening and her "sister"
- She tells him she only has brothers, and to tell her everything
- "Sister" has fainted, has marks on her neck, asked the pastor to bind her, fears she may
- What he did reminded of her own sister; killed in front of him while she was gagged
- Elsa knows that seeing a doppelganger is a foreboding of death, but in some stories, the doppelganger's actions may be premissions of their own future
- Charles starts to feel claustrophobic in the church, suggests to Elsa they should go catch up with Dr. Windell and Mr. Brodd
- Back to Dr. Windell and Mr. Brodd
- Mr. Brodd seems concerned about the idea of killing in general.
- Thinking maybe just leave her bound and gagged in the doctor's office so they can deal with the baker
- Dr. Windell seems to think they should deal with this more permanently…
- There's a furnace in the basement
- He doesn't want their Elsa to know about her
- Dr. Windell starts dragging the unconscious and bound "Elsa" down to the basement
- Mr. Brodd thinks it's to keep her down there while they deal with the baker
- Charles and Elsa walk through the mist, with Charles leading the way and holding her hand
- Elsa sees bats approaching from behind
- She's frightened (and failed a pushed roll), and the strigoii appears in the sky like he's about to drop on them
- She goes to flee and moves a zone away back towards the church
- The Strigoii looks like it's focused on Elsa, not Charles, and this kind of miffs Charles, who demands he comes talk to him.
- His attention goes towards Charles, and he drops on him (a death blow, basically)
- Elsa backs away from it further, but talking to it isn't helpful
- Charles realizes that talking isn't helping it because it's focused on being animalistic (drink bread)
- But that tapping into its humanity may help. (Elsa had said he baked really good bread, but was too frightened to be effective)
- Charles tries talking with it again (1 success), and he's observing Charles
- He responds and says he's thirsty, hungry… needs more…
- They talk calmly about what has been done to the baker (but Charles sees no puncture wounds), and Charles holds his hand out to him
- The baker is hesitant and reaches over his claw, and repeats "you fix what has been done to me?" and "who am I?"
- We don't know the guy's name! Never actually learned it.
- The strigoii is still hungry, and his eyes keep darting towards Elsa
- It grasps onto Charles' arm and Elsa talks to him, trying to talk him down
- The Strigoii lets go of Charles' arm, and it embraces her, drinking from her (+2 conditions)
- It hurts for a moment, but it feels euphoric
- He's being gentle with her, and releases her » he is satisfied
- Charles sees it as an addict getting its fix
- Charles feels a pang of hunger, but is able to hold it back
- She suggests they go back to Dr. Windell's office, and offers the Strigoii her arm
- Back to Dr. Windell & Mr. Brodd…
- Dr. Windell and Mr. Brodd have brought her down in the basement by the furnace
- Dr. Windell stokes the fire
- Mr. Brodd goes back upstairs to lay down in the front room
- Dr. Windell grabs setatives and tools and heads downstairs, just as "Elsa" starts to wake up
- He locks the basement door.
- Dr. Windell sedates her and she goes unconscious again
- He starts to get to work
- Mr. Brodd sees Charles, the Strigoii and Elsa
- Elsa is talking to him calmly. The Strigoii says there's a girl here, he wants her. Where is she?
- Elsa freezes, having forgotten about the other Elsa
- Mr. Brodd pulls Elsa behind him, and puts the scarf around her neck to cover it. He guides her to a seat.
- The Strigoii is fixated on the basement door, but doesn't attempt to open the door.
- He turns into a mist and head downstairs
- Dr. Windell failed a vigilence check, and the Strigoii got +2 stealth
- Dr. Windell has removed "Elsa's" head and arms, and is continues to dismember her
- A claw strikes against his back, and Dr. Windell screams out in pain
- The basement door is locked
- Elsa is somehow at the door first, but with three conditions, and 2 force at the best of time… yeah, not getting that open
- The Strigoii strikes Dr. Windell again, taking him down
- Brodd smashes the door open, sees Dr. Windell on the ground dying, and most of the body of "Elsa"
- Fear test » even with a success, he takes one mental condition
- Charles pushes into the basement, fails the Fear 2 test completely
- Goes to talk with the Strigoii
- Elsa goes into the basement to sees everything
- 3 physical and 3 mental conditions
- The Strigoii is angry at Dr. Windell and is a bloodthirsty rage
- Bites Dr. Windell, killing him
- Just before he dies, he apologizes to Elsa and tells her he loves her
- Sunlight comes into the basement from a small window
- The Strigoii turns into a very tired and weary baker
- The baker realizes what he has done
- Charles is ranting at the baker, demanding to know why
- Elsa has run over to Dr. Windell's body, and is craddling his body, just rocking him silent
- Mr. Brodd lashes out at the baker, and flings him into the wall
- The baker looks at the bodies and wonders if he did this » Brodd says yes.
- She looks at what happens, and notices the body of "Elsa" » this breaks her
- She collapses
## Epilogue
- Mr. Brodd, seeing Elsa collapses, decides to kill the baker » to perform the ritual to help save Charles and Elsa from turning
- Brodd sees this as justice (even if it breaks him)
- Charles locks the basement door, in agreement
- Elsa watches everything in silent horror, not able to move or react
- The body is prepared by the ritual, and both Charles and Elsa are given the ashes to drink to keep them from turning
- Two weeks later
- Proper burial for Dr. Windell with the help of Pastor Jon Jonsson
- Mr. Brodd has a burial for "Elsa", but her tombstone lists her as "Marta's daughter"
- Elsa hasn't spoken since they left the basement, and has panic attacks
- She attends both services
- She no longer trusts Mr. Brodd or Charles after seeing them kill the baker
- She still doesn't know about the changeling, and still thinks it was a doppelganger
- She's pale and thin from anxiety
- Mr. Brodd felt duty bound to Elsa which got him through
- He drinks more
- The stress and worry of losing Elsa gives him nightmares now
- Charles is a few days dry by the time of the funeral
- He is pale and thin and sweating profusely, looking for his next bout of medicine
- He misses the doctor
- Doesn't understand why they're burying the other woman, not knowing who she is
- Dr. Windell can tell his soul has left his body, feels release? No pain.
- Is he going to a good place?
- Before he moves on, he sees a ship leaving the docks of eastern Europe, heading towards Uppsala
- Sees a mother and small child, he wonders when they'll see papa again
- …but now Dr. Windell feels like he has unfinished business and comes back to haunt Elias and his practice…
- One last thing: Dr. Windell had the necklace with a ring on it that was supposed to be for her
- He was going to propose when he worked up the courage.
- She sits in the garden on a bench at her family's country estate with the ring and necklace.
- Mr. Brodd gives her some space to mourn in private, but when he returns, she is nowhere to be seen. Only the ring and necklace remain, with a flower seated on the bench