The Preppening

The session opens as all the other members of the round table have left. The group is now aware they have three weeks to prepare for the incoming battle. It's the next day and everyone awakes to a new addition to the base. A round wooden table. It has the same feeling of the one Kate and Moki have seen in their visions, but it isn't the same.

Yokai Moki is on the roof in her own head, but she can hear a set of vehicles pulling into the parking lot. Angarth is back along with many other people she's never seen before. They all seem friendly to each other. These groups have assistants to them. She can't quite make too many details out, but she sees Angarth and two others who somewhat match him in size

She also sees an older Leonin. Appearing in his 50's, but much more built. He wears tribalistic robes and there is a catfolk with him. Akin to what Katrina's glamour looks like.

Another man is there, along with Mr. Bravo. There's a man following her, and she's a dragon of some sort himself.

Coming down the road is a black limo. Stepping out are two very pale individuals. Moki can tell they're vampires. Everyone outside also hears the ruckus.

Moki heads down and looks to Katrina. She appears wide-eyed, unfortunately expecting this.

The vampires look like Azami's enterage. One is very old, wearing red platemail and a white trim. the other is younger, he wears a black jacket with silver platemail. The elder one seems like he'd be the head of one of the older families.

The man with Ms. Bravo is relatively unknown. Information on dragons is scarce as they were driven to near extinction. Kate and Moki recognize that he is likely the head of what remains of the dragons.

The Leonin is the head of the demi-human alliance. They all come inside. They have friendly banter between each other. Katrina is uncomfortable. It feels like an odd family reunion to her.

Katrina joins them. Socializing and all, acting as it's been a long time since everyone has seen each other. Azami appears, somewhat annoyed at the situation but seems to have expected it. Angarth seems to be having more fun than he should be.

Circeth looms in the rafters above, but realizes that she's been spotted by several others. She skitters down the wall and meets Hitomi. Circeth asks what all this is about. Hitomi responds that it's something about rules.

Circeth assumes that Kate would be needed, and fetches her. A scream is heard from where Kate sleeps, as she angrily joins.

Kate receives a phone call through the sword. Lorelai greets her and steps out of the sword and looks at the grand table, somewhat disappointed as she wanted to do a grand entrance. Lorelai holds a tarot deck on her.

The Retail Reaper makes his way in, still wearing his skeleton cloak.

Yokai Moki asks why they meet a day after the announcement for the rules. Azami replies that it's because a "certain minotaur" thought she was padding seats.

Katrina was the most likely candidate for victor.

The ceremony begins as the deck is placed on the table. But is interrupted by the door being kicked open by a man wearing a coat made of shadows. He pulls a chair back, kicks his legs up onto the round table and crosses his arms.

The cards are shuffled and one is passed to everyone. There's a moment of contemplation as everyone waits to make the first move.

Angarth puts his card down, Strength. He states, "I entirely oppose this entire ordeal. Invoking the rite just to fill the seat we have not had for a while to settle a small matter." He adds the rule: Anyone can go all out without consequences (he can use his full strength) His amendment: He must be personally in the fight.

The Reaper grins to himself, placing The Hanged Man He adds the rule: He gets rights to the conquered. Anyone he beats, he keeps.

The Dragon Leader places The Sun His rule: The time limit for the making is clamped to one day. If a victor is not found, then nobody is deemed fitting.

Azami places Death Her rule: Anyone can kill.

The dragon leader places an amendment: Everything must be restored to the best of their ability.

Lorelai places her card, The Lovers Her rule: She can call in people from other planes

The Reaper places an amendment: Only people under Lorelai can be summoned from other planes.

The Unknown Man places The Chariot. Not using his hands, but through one of the shadows in his jacket His rule: There must be catering His amendment: The only person in a team who must cross the finish line is the candidate

Katrina's rule and amendment is gabbed. They see her put down the Wheel of Fortune, and remember nothing.

The meeting adjourns and Kate moves to greet the unknown man. She gets the vibe that he's kinda like Diesel. She waits for an introduction from him that never comes. She asks what brings him here, what stakes he has, but he hopes there's steak. A shadow hand reaches from his jacket to ruffle her hair, and he says he has none, but the fight will be fun. He introduces himself as Cain.

As they shake hands, Cain recognizes that she's made a deal with death, calling him cheeky for trying to return to the material plane.

As he leaves, Kate notices he drives an old 70's style beat-up mustang. Something one would see on route 66.

The arena is a transformed version of the mall that goes 12 floors deep.

Circeth approaches Yokai Moki. She offers some advice, about her other self. About why she returned, and why she may seem trapped there. Yokai Moki and Red Moki enter Moki's auditorium in her mind.

Kate trained with Ken and Katrina (as well as anyone else who would listen to her) and raised her dex by 4.

Circeth opened the package that was stolen from her, which contained some nostalgic drugs and the purple robe. Later she'd ask Green to take her for a drive to "somewhere with lots of moonlight." She burned off some of the mushrooms on her skin, and became sluggish for a bit before returning to her dragonborn self.

She referred to the mushrooms as "Amanita Alucinari," and seemed to be stuck between mania about having succeeded on her experiment with them, and depression about the deaths of the gang. She also told Green that she gets along with the spores, and feels they're a part of herself emotionally. They discussed finding the dealer that helped Circeth get the samples that would become spore-Circeth, maybe learning more about where they came from.

Nathan builds his arms and learns about Ki from Green

Kate and Moki go to check on Skab. He looks different, he looked like a bunch of signs strapped together, but now appears to be breathing. Tubes and wires flow under, simulating muscles.

Moki mentions the third moki, and how it split up from her and Yokai Moki

Skab is a little less contemplating existing, and focusing on what's in front of him -- the fights. It dawns on us that one fight in part