Date: June 13–14, 2057
Primary
Locations
- High House,
Alexandria
- Streets of
Alexandria
- Industrial
district outside central Alexandria
- Alexandria
Recovery and Research Entity
- Thoth Network
boardroom
- Medical wing
of the Alexandria Recovery and Research Entity
- High House
offices
- Philadelphia
Masonic communications network
- Alexandria,
during Rana and Marcus Blackstone’s evening date
Session
Overview
Session
Twenty-Seven begins on Wednesday morning with the party preparing for the
second formal Thoth Network board meeting.
The
peace gained during the ceremony at the Temple of the Unseen Sun still hangs
over them. Tariq has experienced his first restful night since the Storm. David
has completed the Rite of the Centered Mind. Yusuf has recovered physically and
carries the first lead connected to the five resurrected soldiers. Michael
remains at High House to monitor the board meeting remotely, protect the
attorneys attending through the Thoth Network, and continue developing his
technical systems.
Before
the party leaves, another connection forms around Majere Toman. Tariq discovers
that she has contacted him as well, and the board members soon realize that she
has reached out to nearly everyone connected to the Thoth Network. Her son,
Osprey Toman, remains safely at the Veil, but his mother appears to be
searching broadly for anyone who might know where he is.
Tariq
also formally requests a meeting with General Haziz Simmel, using the contact
Rana previously received from the general’s aide. The military base west of
Alexandria remains a growing concern, but the board meeting comes first.
The
four attending heroes choose to drive to the Alexandria Recovery and Research
Entity in order to preserve a normal public appearance. They do not make it.
As
they travel through Alexandria, they notice more civilians on the streets, more
drones in the sky, and more unknown observers watching for magical activity.
Several vehicles appear to follow them. When Yusuf attempts to teleport the
vehicle directly to the institute, an unknown powered individual intercepts the
teleportation and violently drags the party back to its starting point.
The
vehicle is destroyed and the ambush begins.
Positive
and negative energy collapse around the party in antimatter blasts. Military
drones launch missiles. A massive, spike-covered shapeshifter attacks by
stretching his body across the road and firing hardened projections. An unseen
telekinetic throws cars and debris. Two armed soldiers move into position.
Other operatives remain hidden on rooftops, in industrial buildings, and among
the observers lining the street.
The
ambush is designed with specific knowledge of the party’s abilities.
Teleportation
is blocked by an enemy later identified as Recall. Magic is detected before the
party arrives. Military drones are commandeered. Multiple attackers remain
concealed. The attackers know Rana is the priestess. They appear prepared to
isolate, exhaust, and injure the heroes before they reach the board meeting.
The
party survives by working as a team.
Tariq
restores Rana through Leadership and takes control of a CIA operative. Yusuf
restores David, protects civilians, and identifies hidden threats with X-ray
vision. Michael remotely seizes control of twenty-six drones and turns them
against the attackers. Rana heals David, disables two armed soldiers, and
pursues the telekinetic at superhuman speed. David becomes invisible and
creates hundreds of illusionary duplicates to divide enemy fire.
The
party does not defeat the attackers decisively. Spike retreats. Recall extracts
another combatant through a collapsing field of energy. The telekinetic
escapes. The attackers abandon the battlefield as the Egyptian military
response approaches.
The
heroes regroup, heal, and successfully teleport to the Alexandria Recovery and
Research Entity. There, the danger changes form.
The
facility is surrounded by negative energy, strongest near its medical wing.
Michael accesses the cameras and discovers two unidentified storm-touched
patients under care, Naguib Sawiris recovering in a private room, and Luka
suspended unconscious in a liquid-filled containment tank. Luka’s broken body
is the source of the oppressive energy, though he does not appear to be
actively draining anyone while sedated.
The
board meeting proceeds without supernatural domination for the first time.
New
members are confirmed. The Veil’s purchase is hidden among dozens of post-Storm
property claims. Dr. Kovacs receives her shares and board position. Remote
attendance is approved for future meetings. Rana’s planned public interview
becomes the center of a serious debate over security, corporate exposure,
religious interpretation, and the consequences of speaking for Ra before the
world.
The
board also defines Rana’s moral authority within the Thoth Network. If a board
vote ends in a tie, Rana will provide the ethical deciding vote. Naguib forces
himself to support the motion despite the Master’s apparent resistance, then
withdraws from the meeting as the strain becomes too great.
The
evening divides the party into separate pursuits.
Rana
goes on a real date with Marcus Blackstone, deliberately avoiding business and
crisis discussions. Tariq works with Mei Lin and Layla Karim to build the
Artifact and Relic Oversight Office. David establishes secure contact with the
Philadelphia Masonic Lodge and receives intelligence concerning an American
energy project through Monica Zaghloul. Michael studies Abydos, the Abydos King
List, Nigerian artifacts, bloodlines, and the magical significance of
cross-cultural royal records. Yusuf begins arranging security support for
vulnerable board members.
By
Thursday morning, Yusuf’s research confirms that Jade Dubois is a disciplined,
factual, and highly respected journalist with no visible personal agenda.
Michael’s history with her is more complicated. He once resented her refusal to
give credibility to his anonymously published investigations, but he recognizes
that her standards were consistent rather than malicious.
The
interview remains scheduled for Friday. The military ambush remains
unexplained.
Luka
remains in the tank.
And
the closer the party comes to building something capable of resisting the
Master, the more precisely their enemies appear to understand them.
The
Story So Far
Session
Twenty-Six transformed the Veil from an improvised refuge into the beginning of
a functioning community.
The
party gave Lucien an operating budget, authorized salaries and medical
staffing, began a resident census, and recruited Oren Best and Talia Moran for
the new Artifact and Relic Oversight Office. Isabella Rossi offered to help
residents understand their powers. Professor Charles Vanahue agreed to begin
developing an ethical structure for his ability to communicate with the dead.
In
the Temple of the Unseen Sun, the party conducted its most advanced combined
ritual. Rana led the purification and discovered that darkness continues to
press against Yusuf without having corrupted him. David learned to combine
arcane and divine magic. Tariq saw the intertwined currents within ley lines.
Michael learned to alter the Rod of Solar Judgment’s energy through ritual.
Yusuf gained greater control over the Belt of Giants.
At
the ritual’s conclusion, Michael bathed the party in cleansing solar fire.
Their
sins were forgiven. Tariq fell to his knees and later slept without the
spiritual weight he had carried since April 12.
The
session ended with preparations for Wednesday’s Thoth Network board meeting,
Rana’s public interview, the investigation of General Haziz Simmel, the secret
military base west of Alexandria, the mystery of Abydos, and the possibility
that long-dormant rituals performed before the Storm may now be awakening.
Session
Twenty-Seven begins with the party believing the journey to the board meeting
will be routine.
The
universe, displaying its usual commitment to administrative disruption,
objects.
Major
Events & Key Moments
1.
Wednesday Morning at High House
The
session begins shortly before 10 AM on Wednesday, June 13.
The
party prepares for the Thoth Network board meeting at the Alexandria Recovery
and Research Entity. Michael will remain at High House rather than attend
physically. His role is to monitor the attorneys participating remotely, defend
digital access, and respond if the Master attempts to harm or manipulate anyone
through the network.
The
other four will attend in person.
The
ceremony at the Temple of the Unseen Sun has changed their condition. They feel
calmer, more focused, and less burdened than during the previous board meeting.
David remains protected by the Rite of the Centered Mind. Tariq carries the
peace of forgiveness. Yusuf has recovered from the physical symptoms that
plagued him. Rana continues her daily communion with Ra and prepares for
Friday’s interview.
The
board meeting is still dangerous. For once, however, they are entering it
prepared.
2.
Majere Toman Contacts the Board
During
his morning business review, Tariq finds an email from Majere Toman.
When
he tells the others, they discover that she has contacted the entire board. Her
message is not a formal corporate proposal. She is trying to reach anyone
connected to the Thoth Network who might know something about her missing son.
Osprey
Toman is safe at the Veil. He has not contacted his mother.
He
followed David’s instruction not to tell anyone where he went, and he remains
uncertain about how she learned to contact Rana and the other board members.
Rana
decides to respond after the meeting. She intends to tell Majere that she has
met Osprey and that he is doing well, but she does not want to reveal the
Veil’s location without first considering Osprey’s wishes and the community’s
security.
The
Toman family thread moves from coincidence into direct contact.
Osprey’s
mother has found the board. She does not yet know she has also found the people
sheltering her son.
3.
Tariq Requests a Meeting with General Simmel
Tariq
decides that the party can no longer postpone formal contact with General Haziz
Simmel. Rana provides the contact information she received through the
general’s aide. Tariq directs his staff to reach out and request an official
meeting.
The
request is not framed as an accusation.
Publicly,
General Simmel remains a national hero, a respected military strategist, and
the man credited with preserving archaeological sites during the Middle East
War. Privately, Scrambler described him as a power-hungry madman whose son
controls a military unit of powered former prisoners.
The
party has also identified a secret military base west of Alexandria near Borg
El Arab Prison and possible hidden Library of Alexandria repositories.
Tariq
wants answers. He chooses diplomacy first.
Given
the people involved, this may simply mean the confrontation will have better
catering.
4.
The Streets Have More Eyes
The
four attending heroes leave High House in a large, expensive Clausius-powered
vehicle. They drive rather than teleport
because they want to preserve normal appearances. The Thoth Network’s board
members arriving by car looks less suspicious than four of the most powerful
people in the world materializing in a secure parking area.
Conditions
in Alexandria have improved since the early weeks after the Storm. More
civilians are on the streets. More businesses are active. Traffic has returned.
But the party notices something beneath the normal movement. There are
watchers.
Some
appear civilian. Some are likely state or intelligence observers. Others are
difficult to identify. The party’s danger senses indicate that multiple people
are searching for magical signatures. Anyone
capable of detecting magic would recognize the vehicle as carrying an
impossible concentration of power.
Drones
fill the sky. Most are military. Others move briefly, capture information, and
disappear before the military systems can identify or destroy them.
The
city is recovering. It is also becoming a battlefield of surveillance.
5.
The Vehicles Behind Them
Yusuf
notices at least three vehicles remaining behind the party for an unusual
length of time. He cannot prove they are following, but their position and
behavior are suspicious enough to report. The party considers abandoning the
drive.
Rana
suggests teleporting the vehicle directly to the institute’s usual arrival
point. They have done this before: driving partway to maintain appearances,
then teleporting the vehicle into the secured circular drive.
Yusuf
agrees. The teleport begins normally. The world dissolves into the familiar
sensation of shapes and location reforming around them. Then something grabs
them.
6.
Recall Tears Them Back
The
teleportation fails violently.
The
party begins to materialize at the Alexandria Recovery and Research Entity.
Before the transition completes, an external force seizes them and drags them
backward through the teleportation effect.
They
reappear near their original location. The vehicle does not survive.
The
heroes find themselves sitting among shattered seats, torn metal, and scattered
wreckage. To outside observers, it will later appear that missiles destroyed
the vehicle. The party knows the car was first ripped apart by the failed
teleportation and only then struck by weapons.
Several
attackers have already positioned themselves around the site. The ambush was
waiting for a teleport. The party later identifies the individual responsible
as Recall, a powered operative capable of dragging teleporting targets back to
their point of departure.
This
is not random violence. The attackers know how the party travels.
7.
The Antimatter Opening
Before
the party can react, black, star-filled voids appear at the front and rear of
the wreckage. The voids collapse inward.
Positive
and negative energies meet around the heroes, producing antimatter detonations.
The attack stuns several members of the party and causes severe physical
damage.
Rana
fails to avoid the initial collapse and is bruised, injured, and stunned.
David
suffers the worst of the first strike. The antimatter leaves him staggered,
disabled, stunned, bruised, and injured. Tariq withstands the damage. Yusuf
also survives the opening attack, though the ambush has only begun.
The
enemy does not offer demands, warnings, or identification. They attempt to
incapacitate the party immediately.
8.
The Drones Fire
Military
drones in the sky redirect toward the wreckage and launch missiles.
Tariq
is targeted, but ordinary military weapons cannot harm him. Explosions erupt
around him without penetrating his protection. Yusuf is struck by two missiles.
He endures both impacts. David is hit by two additional attacks while already
staggered and disabled, increasing his injuries. Rana is struck as well and
suffers another bruised and injured condition.
To
observers, the drone attack appears to be the cause of the destroyed vehicle.
News footage will later show explosions and military-grade munitions, not the
interrupted teleportation or antimatter fields that actually began the assault.
Michael,
monitoring systems from High House, notices military channels scrambling in a
manner similar to his own interference with drones and droids.
Someone
has commandeered the military systems. He begins preparing a response.
9.
Spike Forms from the Road
A
large powered attacker rises from the street.
His
body had been spread flat across a wide section of road, with hardened spikes
protruding from the surface. When he stands, his form gathers like water
pulling itself into the shape of a massive humanoid.
His
build resembles the Rhino from Spider-Man, but his body is far more flexible.
Spikes cover him, and he can stretch, flatten, reform, and propel himself
between points. The party later refers to him as Spike. Spike launches hardened
projections and rapidly moves closer to the wreckage.
At
the same time, cars and large amounts of debris rise into the air and are
thrown toward the party by an unseen telekinetic. Yusuf avoids the debris. Rana
escapes the impact.
Tariq
is struck but protected by Evasion, suffering only a bruise rather than a more
serious injury. David cannot react in time and is struck again, adding another
bruised and injured condition to an already dangerous state.
The
ambush contains at least three distinct powered attackers:
Recall,
who prevents teleportation.
Spike,
who attacks physically through an elastic, armored body.
An
unseen telekinetic, who turns the industrial street into ammunition.
10.
Leadership Restores the Party
The
heroes begin the first full round of combat. Tariq moves first.
He
teleports sixty feet into the air, escaping the immediate wreckage and gaining
a view over the battlefield. He projects his presence toward his allies,
reinforcing them through Leadership. Tariq spends a hero point to remove Rana’s
stunned condition.
Then
he passes the initiative to Yusuf. Yusuf reaches toward David, who remains
slumped among the ruined vehicle seats. He invokes his own Leadership and
orders:
“On
your feet, soldier.” The command breaks David out of the stunned condition.
The
party’s first response is not an attack. It is restoring the two allies most
damaged by the ambush.
11.
Michael Seizes the Drones
From
High House, Michael reaches through the city’s systems with his Data Link and
Machine Control abilities. His processing speed allows him to operate
approximately eighty times faster than an ordinary person. He takes control of
twenty-six drones across an eight-block radius.
Only
four were actively attacking the party. The rest include military surveillance
drones, private devices, civilian systems, and unrelated machines that happened
to be within reach. A few may have been children’s toys or commercial
equipment, because modern warfare apparently now includes commandeering
somebody’s birthday present.
Michael
redirects some drones to provide him with video feeds. He sends others against
Spike.
He
leaves the original attack drones firing at Tariq, knowing that Tariq is immune
to their weapons. This preserves the appearance that the drones remain under
enemy control while preventing them from injuring vulnerable allies.
The
battlefield changes. The party now has an airborne surveillance network. The
attackers do not yet know it belongs to Michael.
12.
Rana Heals David
Rana
uses her entire round to heal David. Her power grants him an immediate recovery
attempt against his worst condition. David succeeds and removes the disabled
condition.
He
remains staggered, bruised, injured, and badly shaken, but he can now use his
magic without immediately falling into a dying state. The healing does not
restore him completely. It gives him the ability to act.
13.
The First Escape Attempt Fails
David
uses his one available action to teleport the party to the Alexandria Recovery
and Research Entity. For a moment, they
appear in the circular drive outside the institute.They are still sitting in
the remains of vehicle seats, but they are away from the attackers. Then Recall
activates again. The party is dragged back to the industrial street.
Recall
spends his action reversing the teleport, but the failed escape confirms the
enemy’s tactical purpose. The party cannot simply leave while Recall remains
active. Their most reliable transportation power has become a trap.
David,
whose identity and confidence are deeply tied to teleportation, is visibly
disturbed. The attack has found the exact point where magical freedom becomes
magical confinement.
14.
Spike Fires Again
Spike
closes to within thirty feet where possible and launches another series of
hardened spikes. Yusuf attempts to deflect one attack but fails. A large spike
strikes him squarely in the chest. He remains standing. David is struck again
and suffers another bruised and injured condition. Tariq is hit at range but
withstands the impact. Rana is struck, but her toughness holds.
A
rotating field of mirrored positive and negative energy then moves toward Rana,
resembling the floating, bladed constructs from a horror film. She avoids the
effect.
The
attackers continue focusing heavily on David and Rana. David’s teleportation
threatens the ambush. Rana’s healing threatens its ability to produce lasting
damage. The enemy understands both roles.
15.
Yusuf Saves David from the Debris
The
telekinetic lifts fragments of vehicles and wreckage into the air. The debris
compresses into a dense floating wall and launches toward David. Yusuf
intercepts the attack. He successfully deflects the mass, scattering wreckage
around David rather than allowing it to crush him.
The
defense is one of Yusuf’s clearest Sentinel moments in the battle. David is
already injured and staggered. Yusuf does not attack the telekinetic. He
protects the ally most likely to fall.
16.
Two Soldiers Enter the Fight
Two
armed men emerge from between industrial buildings. They wear battle gear and
appear, at a glance, to be Egyptian soldiers. They carry ordinary weapons and
move into prepared firing positions. The party cannot immediately tell whether
they are actual soldiers, disguised operatives, or members of a larger
intelligence force.
They
spend the round moving into position rather than attacking. The battlefield now
contains visible military-style personnel, concealed powered attackers,
compromised drones, possible intelligence observers, and fleeing civilians.
Yusuf
raises the central concern:
Not
everyone in the area is an enemy. The heroes must identify targets before using
broad destructive powers. The attackers chose a populated street for a reason.
17.
Michael Finds the Rooftop Operative
Michael
uses his drone network to search the rooftops, vehicles, and industrial
buildings.
He
identifies approximately a dozen possible suspects. Most cannot be confirmed
because civilians, intelligence observers, drone operators, and enemy
operatives are all reacting at once. One man stands out.
He
is positioned on a rooftop roughly three hundred feet ahead and to the left.
His attention remains fixed on the battle rather than escape. He appears to
look almost directly at a drone without realizing Michael controls it.
Michael
concludes that the man is involved. He splits the attacking drones. Five
continue engaging Spike. Five attack the rooftop operative. Spike ignores the
drone fire.
The
rooftop man is not seriously injured, but the barrage destroys part of the roof
and drives him out of position. He disappears from view, either fleeing through
the building or dropping from the far side. Michael has not defeated him. He
has forced a concealed participant to move.
18.
Yusuf Maps the Hidden Battlefield
Yusuf
activates his X-ray vision and scans the surrounding buildings while shouting
for noncombatants to seek shelter. He identifies several important groups.
Behind
the party, the vehicles that had appeared to follow them have stopped. Their
occupants are using advanced vision equipment and observing rather than joining
the attack. Yusuf believes they may be CIA or another foreign intelligence
service.
Inside
four buildings along the road, several people sit before electronic equipment.
They appear to be monitoring magical or powered activity. Yusuf does not
believe they were waiting specifically for the party. They were likely watching
the area for any significant event. He identifies panicked drone operators
whose systems have stopped obeying them. These people are not part of the
ambush.
Most
importantly, Yusuf finds the telekinetic. The man stands in a doorway
approximately fifty feet ahead and to the left, arms extended toward the
battlefield.
Farther
down the road, Yusuf notices buildings containing more equipment, likely part
of the attackers’ original staging area.
He
shares the information with the party. The battlefield is no longer invisible. It
is simply crowded with too many competing factions.
19.
David Creates an Army of Himself
David
is physically close to panic. His teleportation has failed twice. He remains
staggered and heavily injured. The enemy appears to possess direct counters to
his usual escape methods.
He
responds with an old magician’s answer: Misdirection.
As
a free action, David turns invisible. At the same moment, he creates the
illusion of hundreds of duplicates spreading across the battlefield. Every
false David gestures silently as though casting a spell. The effect resembles
an army of Arcane Knights filling the industrial street.
The
telekinetic later responds by throwing destroyed drones and debris through the
illusionary figures, eliminating many false images while failing to locate the
real David.
The
spell does not damage anyone. It creates uncertainty. For the first time since
the ambush began, the attackers must guess.
20.
Rana Drops the Soldiers
Rana
targets the two armed soldiers. She uses her biochemical shockwave while moving
past them. The soldiers are minions and cannot withstand the attack. Both are
immediately knocked to the ground. Rana then accelerates away from the center
of the battle, running approximately one thousand feet down the street and
around a corner.
Her
movement serves two purposes. It removes her from the concentrated attack zone.
It creates distance for a future high-speed strike through the battlefield.
As
she runs, Spike recognizes her. He calls
out a warning to the others:
“It’s
the priestess.” The attackers know who
Rana is. They may have planned around her before the battle began.
21.
Spike Withdraws
After
identifying Rana, Spike retreats. He stretches his body forward in a rapid,
unnatural motion. His mass extends between points like a giant slinky before
collecting several blocks away. The movement takes him out of ordinary line of
sight.
The
enemy does not appear interested in fighting to the death. Spike has completed
his role in the ambush and begins disengaging once the party regains
coordination.
The
attackers came prepared to injure, delay, and test the heroes. They did not
come to sacrifice themselves.
22.
The Telekinetic Destroys the Drones
Michael’s
drone network remains active above the battlefield. The telekinetic seizes
several drones and slams them through David’s illusionary duplicates.
The
attack removes multiple false images and destroys some of Michael’s controlled
machines. More drones begin dropping from the sky.
The
destruction creates a secondary problem. Egyptian military systems are being
destroyed in public, and emergency units are already beginning to respond.
The
party is not merely fighting attackers. It is rapidly becoming the center of a
confusing international incident.
23.
Tariq Controls Frank Dupont
Tariq
turns his attention toward the suspected CIA observers behind the battle. He
selects one man and uses Mind Control. The target fails to resist.
His
name is Frank Dupont. Frank carries a light pistol or revolver beneath his suit
and uses advanced observation equipment. He does not appear powered. Tariq
commands him to aid the party. Frank responds in the most aggressively American
manner available.
He
gets into the vehicle, orders the other agents to join him, starts driving
toward the battlefield, and begins firing wildly from the window. The other
occupants demand to know what he is doing. Frank does not explain. He is under
Tariq’s control.
The
CIA vehicle begins weaving through debris toward the heroes while its
passengers experience what must be a very confusing morning at work.
24.
Michael Joins the Battlefield
Michael
leaves High House. He becomes insubstantial and teleports to a position
approximately one block from the battle. Until this point, he has fought
entirely through machines. Now he arrives physically, still using his altered
form and technological senses to approach without exposing himself
unnecessarily.
The
party’s remote support becomes a fifth body on the field. Recall has not yet
attempted to reverse Michael’s teleportation, possibly because he arrives
outside the main extraction area or because Recall is already preparing to
withdraw.
25.
Yusuf Attacks the Telekinetic
Yusuf
targets the identified telekinetic with the Eye of Thoth. The blast strikes the
doorway and surrounding structure. The telekinetic appears to shake off the
effect. It is unclear whether the attack failed to connect fully or whether the
man’s defenses absorbed it.
The
important result is that the hidden attacker is now under direct pressure. He
can no longer manipulate the battlefield without being targeted.
26.
Rana’s High-Speed Strike
Rana
reverses direction. She runs from one thousand feet beyond one side of the
battlefield, crosses through the combat zone, and continues another thousand
feet beyond the opposite side. During the movement, she attacks the
telekinetic.
Her
move-by action allows her to strike without stopping. She uses an autofire
attack and lands an exceptionally accurate hit. The surrounding doorway and
building are damaged. The telekinetic remains standing after making his save.
Rana
continues beyond the battlefield and regenerates her final injured condition.
By the end of the movement, she has returned to full physical health.
27.
David Senses Someone Missing
David
searches for Spike but cannot locate him. Instead, he realizes something else. A
nearby individual remains undetected. The person is within approximately fifty
feet, but David cannot see, sense, or identify them. Yusuf’s X-ray vision did
not reveal them. Rana’s True Sight did not identify them due to her poor notice
result.
David
only knows someone is present because the absence itself feels wrong. He does
not attack blindly. Still invisible and staggered, David flies to the roof of a
nearby building and takes cover near the wreckage of a destroyed drone.
The
unknown figure remains unidentified. The ambush may have included an attacker
who never revealed any ability at all.
28.
Recall Extracts the Hidden Operative
Recall
activates again. A spinning field of positive and negative energy forms around
an area of the street. For a moment, the party sees the outline of a humanoid
figure within it. When the field collapses, the figure is gone. Did Recall extract someone from the
battlefield or was this the unseen opponent. The identity is not confirmed. It
may be the hidden rooftop operative, the unidentified nearby figure, or another
member of the ambush team.
Recall
does not attempt to drag the party back again. The ambush is ending.
29.
The Telekinetic Escapes
The
telekinetic sees the withdrawal and does not remain behind. He uses his own
power to propel himself away from the industrial district at high speed. Spike
is already gone. Recall has extracted another operative. The rooftop suspect
has disappeared.The telekinetic abandons the battlefield. The enemy team
disengages in coordination rather than collapsing into panic.
They
may not have defeated the party, but they accomplished several things:
They
stopped two teleportation attempts. They injured David severely. They
identified Rana openly. They tested the party’s responses.
They
exposed the heroes to public observation and military attention. They escaped
without leaving a confirmed powered prisoner behind.
30.
Frank Drives Through the Battlefield
Frank
Dupont reaches the battle area under Tariq’s command. The CIA vehicle runs over
the two unconscious soldiers Rana knocked down. Frank continues firing wildly
while the other agents shout at him from inside the vehicle.
Tariq
recognizes that the battle is over and sends the car down a side road. He
commands Frank to continue driving for five minutes before the control ends. The
vehicle leaves with the other agents still demanding an explanation. Tariq
releases the mind control.
The
CIA has not helped the party in any meaningful tactical sense. But it has
removed itself from the battlefield and carried its own witnesses away in
confusion. A modest success, by intelligence-service standards.
31.
The Military Response Approaches
The
party sees Egyptian military vehicles approaching the battle site.
Dozens
of drones have been destroyed or compromised. A civilian vehicle exploded.
Armed men were seen in the street. News systems have begun reporting the event.
The
party does not remain to explain. They regroup on and around the industrial
buildings.
Michael
reaches David and uses the Eye of Horus to restore him. David succeeds strongly
on the recovery check and removes all remaining conditions. The Arcane Knight
is physically restored. Emotionally, he remains shaken.
The
enemy’s ability to reverse teleportation has reminded him that powers are not
absolute. Someone with the right counter can turn his greatest strength into a
cage. The party prepares another teleport. This time, Recall does not stop
them.
32.
Arrival at the Institute
The
party successfully teleports to the Alexandria Recovery and Research Entity. They
appear at the familiar approach to the facility. No force drags them back. The
relief is immediate.
They
have escaped the street, but they arrive disheveled, bloodied, and visibly
affected by the battle. Rana has healed her own injuries, and Michael restored
David, but clothing and appearances still show what happened.
Before
entering, everyone checks the area. Tariq’s danger sense detects negative
energy radiating through and around the building. Rana’s True Sight identifies
the strongest concentration near the medical facilities. The energy resembles
the oppressive atmosphere associated with Luka and the Master, but nobody is
actively drained.
The
board meeting has not begun. The party has arrived at another dangerous place.
33.
Michael Searches the Medical Wing
Tariq
mentally contacts Michael and asks him to investigate the medical area through
the facility’s cameras. Michael accesses the internal systems.
He
finds two unidentified storm-touched patients under medical care. They are
unconscious or heavily sedated and appear to be recovering in a condition
similar to the party’s own post-Storm hospitalization.
He
finds Naguib Sawiris seated in a private hospital room. Naguib is preparing to
participate in the board meeting remotely through a secured video connection.
Then
Michael finds Luka. Luka is suspended in a large transparent tube filled with
liquid. A breathing mask covers his mouth. His body remains broken, damaged,
and incomplete. He appears unconscious. The negative energy radiating through
the facility comes from him.
Michael
does not believe Luka is actively draining anyone while unconscious.
Dr.
Kovacs is not in the medical wing. She is leaving the cafeteria and heading
toward the boardroom because the party previously asked that she be added to
the board. The doctor appears to have placed Luka in containment. That decision
required extraordinary courage. It may also have created a dangerous reservoir
of trapped energy.
34.
The Security Procedures
As
the party enters, Marcus Blackstone’s board agenda and security materials load
onto their Thoth phones. The facility’s authentication systems verify their
identities.
Blackstone
requests formal approval for Naguib to attend remotely from his hospital room.
The board has already accepted similar accommodations, and nobody objects.
Blackstone
also provides a private update concerning the Veil. The purchase has been
hidden among approximately forty other post-Storm claims for abandoned or
unclaimed properties. This prevents the Veil from appearing as a unique
corporate priority.
The
legal team has further obscured the transaction by grouping it with unrelated
acquisitions and the surrounding parcels connected to the property. The Veil
remains on track for purchase.
Its
protection begins with the least glamorous magic available: Real-estate paperwork so complicated that
nobody wants to read it.
35.
Entering Without Being Drained
The
party enters the boardroom. For the first time, they do not feel their energy
being drained. They do not make saving throws against domination. They do not
enter already weakened by Luka or the Master.
Naguib
appears on a large monitor from his hospital room. He looks better than during
the previous meeting, though still unwell. The room itself is more comfortable
than before. Food, snacks, and drinks have been provided. The atmosphere
resembles an actual board meeting rather than a ritual chamber wearing a
corporate suit.
The
board members greet one another. Then news notifications begin arriving
concerning the battle in Alexandria. The party’s damaged clothing answers any
questions about why they look as though they drove through a war zone. They
did.
36.
New Board Members Are Confirmed
The
first major business concerns the new board members proposed during the
previous meeting.
The
board confirms Dr. Kovacs. Two international bankers are also approved:
Glau
Zoff, a German female international banker introduced by Naguib Sawiris.
Phi
Morsaw, an Indian male international banker recommended by Mei Lin.
Additional
members may also be processed without lengthy scene-by-scene votes, but these
three are the most clearly identified. Naguib confirms that he purchased Dr.
Kovacs’ required shares as promised. She is now both a board member and
extraordinarily wealthy.
This
creates an immediate complication for Rana’s earlier hope of recruiting her
into direct medical work at the Veil. Dr. Kovacs may still help, but she is no
longer simply a physician who can quietly transfer to a hidden clinic. She has
become one of the owners of the most powerful company on Earth. Human resources
departments were not built for this.
37.
Office Updates and Corporate Resources
The
board receives financial, legal, and operational reports. Funds approved for
international aid through the United Nations are being processed. The company’s
available resources remain nearly impossible to measure through ordinary
corporate limits. The United States is still technically wealthier than the
rest of the world combined, but the Thoth Network is the second-largest
concentration of wealth on Earth.
David
asks about the formal establishment and budget of his Arcane Magic and
Oversight Office. The legal department confirms that the office structure and
accounts are being created. They cannot assign a realistic upper limit to his
budget because magical artifacts may be the most valuable resources in
existence.
Instead,
they provide legal guidelines for balancing risk and opportunity. The system
includes a mathematical framework similar in spirit to the Pythagorean theorem:
enter known factors, calculate the remaining risk, and document the decision.
The
company will not tell David that an artifact is too expensive. It will ask
whether retrieving it is worth the likely catastrophe. This is considered
governance now.
38.
Naguib Requests Remote Meetings
Naguib
reports that his health is improving under the facility’s medical staff. He
publicly compliments Dr. Kovacs and confirms her board appointment. He then
asks the board to temporarily amend its rules.
The
existing bylaws require physical attendance. Naguib expects to spend time at
the United Nations once his health improves. Other board members must travel,
manage international work, and avoid predictable routes after the attack that
morning.
He
proposes allowing authenticated remote attendance for the next three board
meetings.
The
Thoth Network’s own platform will be used rather than an ordinary third-party
service. Authentication specialists explain the protections designed to prevent
impostors, shapeshifters, compromised accounts, or manipulated video feeds from
joining.
The
proposal passes. The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 19, after
lunch, and will occur remotely through issued Thoth phones. The board no longer
needs to gather in one building. This improves flexibility.
It
also reduces the number of opportunities to ambush nearly the entire leadership
of the world’s most powerful company in traffic. A surprisingly relevant
amendment.
39.
Naguib Communicates About Luka
During
the discussion of remote meetings and medical care, Naguib begins emphasizing
certain words and phrases. The communication is indirect. Michael recognizes
that Naguib is trying to tell the party something without alerting the Master
or anyone monitoring him.
Naguib
is keeping Luka sedated. The containment is working for now.
He
does not openly discuss the tank, the negative energy, or Dr. Kovacs’ decision.
But the pattern of highlighted language confirms that he understands the
situation and is cooperating with efforts to restrain Luka.
Michael
later concludes that Dr. Kovacs was responsible for placing Luka in the tank. Naguib
may have authorized or accepted it. The Master’s vessel is being held
unconscious inside a medical containment system. Nobody knows what happens if
the sedation fails.
40.
Mei Lin Is Not Controlled
Tariq
mentally asks Rana to examine Mei Lin. Mei
Lin did not participate in the Veil’s purification ceremony and has remained
deeply troubled since learning that she was controlled for an extended period. Rana
studies her aura. Mei Lin is not under magical control. There is no indication
that she has recently been possessed or manipulated.
She
is angry, suspicious, and emotionally unsettled.
Her
distrust is not directed only at the party. She distrusts the board, Naguib,
the company, and the entire structure surrounding the Unknown Pharaoh
collection. She knows that her scholarship was used under false pretenses and
that everyone around her may have been controlled.
Mei
Lin believes Rana is well intentioned. That does not mean she believes Rana is
free. Ra controls part of Rana’s life. Tariq studies True Speak with an evil
skull. Naguib is possessed. Yusuf may be tied to Luca.From Mei Lin’s
perspective, trust without proof would be irrational. She is not hostile. She
is paying attention.
41.
The Interview Debate Begins
The
board turns to Rana’s public interview, scheduled for Friday.
The
public campaign supporting the transition from Mansour Media to Thoth Media
will begin around the interview. That makes Rana’s appearance a personal,
religious, political, and corporate event simultaneously.
The
board members do not object to Jade Dubois as interviewer. They object to the
scale of uncertainty. Mei Lin describes the interview as a cowboy move. She
respects Rana and believes in her personal goodness, but she does not believe
anyone can control what follows. Rana’s previous public acts changed global
religion, politics, markets, and public belief. The interview may do the same.
Questions
arise concerning security, location, crew access, corporate exposure, and how
Rana’s words will affect the company’s value. Several board members have
already experienced threats since becoming wealthy and visible. Some report con
artists attempting to gain access. One banker describes an attempted
kidnapping.
Their
concern is not that Rana intends harm. Their concern is that her choices alter
everyone’s risk.
42.
The Company Cannot Control the Questions
Rana
asks Marcus Blackstone whether the interview contract prevents questions about
the company. Blackstone explains that the journalists will not accept dictated
questions. That independence is part of why Jade Dubois was selected.
The
production has agreed to security measures, privacy for people not
participating, and a personal-biography focus. Rana can refuse to answer
questions or redirect them, but the Thoth Network cannot order the journalist
not to ask.
Rana
emphasizes that the interview is not intended to promote the company. Blackstone
and the others remind her that her connection to the company is part of the
public story.
The
entire board survived the same plane crash. They gained powers and they became
owners of the world’s second-largest concentration of wealth. The company’s
rise, the contest, the Storm, and the survivors cannot be separated cleanly in
the public imagination.
Even
a personal interview will raise corporate questions. The board can prepare.It
cannot erase the context.
43.
Rana Explains Why She Must Speak
Rana
makes it clear that her decision to participate in the interview has never been
about publicity.
Since
Ra revealed himself through her, billions of people have been left to interpret
those events on their own. Rumors, speculation, conspiracy theories, and new
religious movements have already begun forming. Rana believes remaining silent
would allow others to define Ra's message without guidance, increasing the
likelihood that people could justify violence or extremism in his name.
She
explains that she hopes to communicate several important truths. Ra's
appearance does not invalidate existing faiths. She is not demanding worship. She
wants people to understand that preventing unnecessary suffering and choosing
compassion matter more than religious labels. Most importantly, she hopes to
prevent others from using her experiences to justify causing harm.
Marcus
Blackstone continues supporting the interview, arguing that avoiding the
conversation would simply leave a vacuum for others to fill. Mei Lin remains
unconvinced that good intentions alone can control the consequences. The
discussion ends without eliminating the risks. The board accepts that Rana
understands those risks and intends to move forward anyway.
44.
The Plane Crash Cannot Be Ignored
Mei
Lin reminds everyone that the interview cannot focus only on Ra. The public
already knows about the plane crash.
Every
member of the Thoth Network board survived the Alexandrian Storm after winning
the same contest. The shared disaster, thirty days of missing time, miraculous
recoveries, and sudden appearance of extraordinary abilities are already part
of the public record.
Rana
explains that she intends to answer honestly. She boarded an airplane. It
crashed. She awoke in a hospital thirty days later. Beyond that, she knows
little more than anyone else. The room grows noticeably quieter. No one present
truly understands what happened aboard Flight 142. They experienced it. They
survived it. Yet the event that transformed all of their lives remains one of
the campaign's greatest mysteries.
45.
Defining the Rana Protocol
Rana
asks a practical question regarding the "Rana Protocol" approved
during the previous board meeting. Everyone refers to her as the company's
ethical authority, but she wants to understand precisely what that
responsibility means.
David
offers the answer. If future board votes end in a tie, Rana should cast the
deciding vote based solely upon what is morally right rather than what is
financially beneficial or politically convenient. The proposal immediately
resonates throughout the room.
Rather
than making Rana another executive, it formally establishes an independent
moral check within the company's governance. David presents the idea as a
formal motion. Naguib visibly struggles. His hands begin shaking. Small
involuntary movements ripple through his body as though resisting tremendous
internal pressure. Despite the obvious effort required, he forces himself to
second the motion.
The
board votes. The proposal passes unanimously. Whenever the board reaches an
impasse, Rana will become the deciding voice of conscience for the Thoth
Network.
Almost
immediately afterward, Naguib excuses himself from the meeting. The timing is
impossible to ignore. Whatever influence the Master still exerts over him,
supporting Rana's new authority appears to have required a painful act of
resistance.
46.
The Meeting Concludes
With
the day's major business complete, Marcus Blackstone reviews the remaining
agenda items. Dr. Kovacs has officially joined the board. The international
banking appointments have been finalized.
The
Veil purchase remains successfully concealed within dozens of ordinary
post-Storm property acquisitions.
David's
Arcane Magic and Oversight Office continues moving toward full operation. Tariq's
Artifact and Relic Oversight Office begins formal staffing.
Remote
board meetings have been authorized. Rana's interview remains scheduled for
Friday. The next board meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 19, using the
newly approved remote participation system.
For
the first time since the Storm, the Thoth Network completes a board meeting
without magical domination, psychic assault, or supernatural manipulation
occurring inside the boardroom itself. Considering recent history, everyone
quietly recognizes that as genuine progress.
47.
Mei Lin's Continuing Investigation
After
the meeting ends, discussion turns toward Mei Lin's current work.
Although
she does not oversee a formal department, she continues researching the Unknown
Pharaoh collection, the decoded bloodline records, and everything surrounding
the mysterious archaeological project that originally brought many of the
current board members together.
She
admits that nearly everything she believed before the Storm has become suspect.
The project she thought she had been hired to research was only part of a much
larger operation. The Unknown Pharaoh was real. The bloodlines were real. Someone
had been preparing for the Storm long before it occurred.
Now
Mei Lin wants to understand who knew the truth, why they knew it, and how much
of history has been deliberately hidden. Her distrust has become motivation. Rather
than withdrawing from the investigation, she intends to expose it completely.
48.
The Evening Divides the Party
With
the board meeting adjourned, the party disperses to pursue individual
responsibilities before Friday's interview.
Rana
changes out of her damaged clothing from the morning ambush before meeting
Marcus Blackstone for the evening. The date is intentionally kept separate from
company business, the Arbiter Network, and the growing list of global crises.
For a few hours, they simply spend time together as two people learning about
one another.
David
prepares secure communications with the Philadelphia Masonic Lodge. Tariq
returns to High House alongside Mei Lin and Layla Karim to continue organizing
the Artifact and Relic Oversight Office.
Yusuf begins developing a comprehensive security program for the Thoth
Network's vulnerable board members. Michael devotes himself to research
surrounding Luca, Yusuf's future, Abydos, the Abydos King List, and the
connections between ancient Egyptian and Nigerian royal traditions.
The
ambushers remain at large. For the moment, however, everyone has
responsibilities that cannot wait.
49.
Michael Prioritizes Yusuf and Abydos
The
discovery of Luca suspended inside the containment tank leaves Michael deeply
unsettled. Although Luca appears stable, Michael recognizes that the
arrangement cannot be permanent. If Luca dies, whatever force inhabits him may
seek another vessel. If the containment succeeds for too long, the accumulating
negative energy could eventually produce consequences no one understands.
Both
possibilities point toward Yusuf. Michael quietly elevates Yusuf to his highest
personal priority.
His
historical research therefore becomes more focused than ever before. He studies
Abydos, the Temple of Osiris, the Abydos King List, the reign of Djet, and
records linking Egyptian dynasties with ancient Nigerian kingdoms.
Rather
than viewing the King List as simple history, Michael begins considering it as
a magical record of identity. A True Name may consist not only of a person's
birth name, but also their titles, lineage, accomplishments, and place within
history.
If
ancient civilizations preserved those identities correctly, history itself may
provide the key to protecting Yusuf from suffering Luca's fate.
50.
Yusuf Begins Building Board Security
The
morning ambush demonstrates that extraordinary wealth without extraordinary
protection is a dangerous combination. Recognizing that several board members
possess influence but no powers, Yusuf begins planning dedicated security for
the Thoth Network's civilian leadership.
Traditional
executive protection will not be enough. Security personnel must understand
powers, teleportation, mind control, magical detection, compromised technology,
and supernatural threats alongside conventional tactics. Rather than protecting
only individuals, Yusuf begins constructing the foundation of an organization
capable of protecting institutions.
51.
David Contacts the Philadelphia Masonic Lodge
David
completes the lengthy authentication procedures required to communicate with
the Philadelphia Masonic Lodge. After nearly thirty minutes of ritual
verification, coded responses, and identity confirmation, he establishes secure
contact with Monica Zaghloul.
Monica
shares intelligence concerning the American energy initiative previously
discussed through Masonic channels. Although she possesses valuable
information, she admits she does not understand the connection between the
project, Senator William Thompson, and Pulse.
David
emphasizes that he wishes to build an honest relationship based upon mutual
trust and accurate information. Before ending the conversation, he asks whether
the Lodge would welcome a personal visit. Monica confirms they would.
However,
she cautions that openly entering the United States as a publicly known
storm-touched individual would almost certainly attract government attention. If
David chooses to come, he should plan to arrive quietly. The invitation remains
open.
52.
Aetherforge Requires Additional Time
Michael
reviews the progress of the Aetherforge artificial intelligence project.
Development
continues successfully, but the system proves more complicated than
anticipated. Integration, testing, executive controls, and information
architecture all require additional refinement before deployment.
Rather
than rushing completion, Michael accepts a brief delay. The projected
completion date moves approximately two days, from June 14 to June 16.
The
delay is disappointing but necessary. A system intended to organize the world's
knowledge cannot afford careless mistakes during its first moments of
operation.
53.
Expanding the Artifact and Relic Oversight Office
At
High House, Tariq meets with Mei Lin and Layla Karim to discuss the future of
the Artifact and Relic Oversight Office. Conversation quickly turns toward
recruitment. Mei Lin observes that the collapse following the Storm has left
many of the world's leading archaeologists, historians, and museum specialists
unemployed or underfunded.
The
Thoth Network possesses something few organizations can currently offer:
Reliable
electricity. Funding. Medical care. Security. Transportation. Access to newly
discovered sites. Instead of waiting for applications, Mei Lin recommends
actively recruiting the world's best researchers. Tariq agrees.
Layla
begins identifying potential candidates through her academic connections in
Alexandria, Cairo, and beyond. The office expands from a small internal
department into the foundation of what may become the world's premier
archaeological organization.
54.
Rana and Marcus Blackstone
That
evening, Rana honors her promise to Marcus Blackstone by keeping their dinner
free from work. Neither of them discusses board politics, legal strategy,
corporate affairs, assassination attempts, or divine revelations.
Instead,
they simply enjoy one another's company. The evening proceeds peacefully. No
emergencies interrupt them. No supernatural forces interfere. For a campaign
defined by ancient gods, conspiracies, and apocalyptic threats, the quiet
normalcy of the evening becomes remarkable in its own right.
55.
Researching Jade Dubois
Thursday
morning begins with Yusuf completing his investigation into journalist Jade
Dubois. Everything he finds reinforces her professional reputation. She is
respected internationally. She carefully verifies information before
publication. She has repeatedly accepted dangerous assignments in pursuit of
important stories. Very little is known about her private life. She previously
interviewed General Haziz Simmel, demonstrating her willingness to question
influential figures directly.
Michael
reflects on his own history with Dubois. Before the Storm, he often felt
frustrated that she ignored investigative reports published anonymously by the
Nigerian Prince. At the time, he believed her support might have prevented
future tragedies. Looking back, he recognizes that she simply refused to
publish claims she could not independently verify.
Her
standards never changed. If she interviews Rana, she will almost certainly ask
difficult questions. She will also ask them honestly.
56.
Preparing Rana's Biography
The
production team contacts Rana regarding the opening biography segment that will
precede the interview. Rather than beginning with miracles or Ra's appearance,
the broadcast intends to introduce the woman behind those events.
The
producers request photographs, hospital records, and details from Rana's career
as a nurse and humanitarian worker. They hope to show viewers the life she
lived before the Alexandrian Storm. Rana agrees. She wants the audience to
understand that compassion defined her long before extraordinary powers entered
her life.
57.
Continuing the Daily Communion
Thursday
morning also includes Rana's continuing spiritual practices. She performs the
Alignment of Purpose before once again entering communion with Ra. Although
previous communions revealed broad themes, she continues seeking clearer
guidance before speaking publicly to the world.
She
also establishes one important condition for Friday's interview. Everyone
directly involved in producing the broadcast should first participate in the
Alignment of Purpose.
The
request surprises the production team, who express interest in documenting the
ceremony itself. Whether cameras will ultimately be permitted remains
undecided.
58.
David's Ring Ritual
David
prepares to spend several hours bonding with his newly acquired magical ring. Before
he begins, however, the Game Master reminds him that the ritual already
occurred during the previous evening. The bond has been completed. The ring has
become part of David's growing magical arsenal. Its capabilities will reveal
themselves during future adventures.
59.
The Question of Luka
Before
concluding their discussions, Michael returns to the question that has troubled
him throughout the day. Luka remains unconscious inside a containment tank. No
one knows how long the sedation can continue safely. If Luka dies, whatever
inhabits him may simply seek another vessel. If the containment continues
indefinitely, the steadily accumulating negative energy could eventually
produce an entirely different catastrophe.
The
party has delayed the crisis. They have not solved it. For now, Dr. Kovacs'
decision has bought valuable time. No one can say what happens when that time
expires.
60.
Rana Responds to Majere Toman
Rana
finally answers Majere Toman's message. She carefully avoids revealing the
location of the Veil. Instead, she tells Majere that she has personally met
Osprey and assures her that he is safe, healthy, and doing well. She asks how
she can help and leaves the next conversation open to whatever form Majere
prefers.
For
the first time since Osprey disappeared, his mother receives confirmation that
her son is alive. The mystery surrounding the Toman family remains unresolved. Their
reunion, however, has taken its first step.
61.
Looking Toward Friday
As
Thursday's planning concludes, the party reviews its immediate priorities. The
military ambush remains unexplained. General Haziz Simmel has been contacted
but has not yet responded. The hidden military base west of Alexandria still
demands investigation.
Michael
believes Abydos should become the group's next major expedition because of its
growing importance to bloodline research and True Name magic. Rana's interview
now stands only one day away. No final decision is made regarding Abydos before
the session ends. The heroes choose instead to prepare for the conversation
that may influence billions of people before pursuing their next archaeological
expedition.
The
session closes with the party standing between two very different battles. One
will be fought with words before the entire world. The other still waits
beneath the sands of Egypt.
Character
Spotlights
Rana
Al-Masri
Rana
enters the session balancing three increasingly demanding roles: healer, High
Priestess of Ra, and corporate leader.
During
the morning ambush she is stunned by the opening antimatter attack before Tariq
restores her through Leadership. Rather than retaliating immediately, she uses
her first opportunity to restore David, removing the injuries that threatened
to take him out of the fight. She later incapacitates two armed soldiers
without killing them before using her extraordinary speed to strike directly at
the hidden telekinetic coordinating much of the battlefield.
At
the board meeting, Rana continues serving as the party's moral center. She
confirms that Mei Lin is acting from reason rather than outside influence and
carefully explains why she believes the interview must proceed despite the
enormous risks. Her greatest institutional responsibility arrives when the
board formally defines the Rana Protocol, granting her the deciding vote
whenever ethical questions leave the board evenly divided.
The
evening allows Rana a rare opportunity to set those responsibilities aside. Her
dinner with Marcus Blackstone deliberately avoids discussion of politics,
divine revelations, or corporate affairs, reminding both characters that
ordinary human relationships remain worth protecting despite the world's
transformation.
By
Thursday morning she resumes her communion with Ra, continues refining the
message she hopes to deliver during Friday's interview, and insists that the
production staff participate in the Alignment of Purpose before filming begins.
Tariq
Mansour
Tariq
begins the session preparing for diplomacy rather than conflict by requesting a
formal meeting with General Haziz Simmel.
When
the ambush begins, he immediately restores Rana through Leadership before
taking a commanding position above the battlefield. Throughout the fight he
directs allies, attempts to identify hidden attackers, and ultimately turns the
enemy's intelligence observers into an unexpected advantage by mentally
controlling CIA operative Frank Dupont.
Inside
the boardroom Tariq continues expanding the Thoth Network's organizational
structure while supporting David's proposal defining Rana's ethical authority.
Later
that evening he works alongside Mei Lin and Layla Karim to transform the
Artifact and Relic Oversight Office into an international organization capable
of recruiting the world's leading archaeologists and historians.
Throughout
the session Tariq demonstrates an increasingly important transition. He is no
longer simply reacting to events. He is building institutions intended to
outlast him.
David
Hassan
David
experiences the most physically demanding session since the early days
following the Storm.
The
opening ambush leaves him stunned, disabled, staggered, and severely wounded.
Rana's healing allows him to remain active, while Yusuf repeatedly protects him
from attacks that could have finished him.
After
discovering that Recall can reverse his teleportation, David abandons direct
escape attempts and instead overwhelms the battlefield with hundreds of
illusionary duplicates while remaining invisible himself. The tactic forces the
attackers to divide their attention and prevents them from locating the real
Arcane Knight.
Following
the battle Michael completely restores David through the Eye of Horus.
At
the board meeting David shapes the future of the Thoth Network by proposing the
practical implementation of the Rana Protocol, transforming Rana's ethical
authority into a permanent element of corporate governance.
His
secure communication with the Philadelphia Masonic Lodge establishes an
important international alliance while opening the possibility of future travel
to the United States.
The
session concludes with David continuing to expand both his magical abilities
and his network of trusted allies.
Yusuf
Khalid
Yusuf
serves as the party's protector from beginning to end.
His
suspicions regarding the vehicles following the party provide the first
indication that something is wrong before the ambush begins. During combat he
restores David through Leadership, repeatedly protects vulnerable allies with
Deflect, identifies hidden enemies using X-ray vision, and carefully
distinguishes civilians, observers, and combatants despite the confusion
surrounding the battlefield.
His
restraint becomes as important as his power. Rather than treating everyone
nearby as hostile, Yusuf consistently reminds the group that innocent people
remain trapped inside the conflict.
After
the battle he immediately begins planning expanded security for the Thoth
Network's non-powered board members, recognizing that wealth alone has made
them valuable targets.
Although
Yusuf spends much of the session protecting others, Michael's research
increasingly suggests that Yusuf himself may become one of the campaign's
greatest future responsibilities.
Michael
Adeyemi
Michael
spends the first half of the session fighting a battle from miles away.
Using
Data Link and Machine Control, he seizes control of twenty-six drones,
transforms the city's surveillance network into reconnaissance, identifies
concealed attackers, and redirects hostile military hardware away from
vulnerable allies.
Once
the immediate crisis stabilizes, Michael teleports directly into the battle and
restores David through the Eye of Horus.
His
discoveries inside the Alexandria Recovery and Research Entity prove equally
significant. Michael identifies Luca as the source of the facility's negative
energy, discovers the containment tank maintaining his condition, and concludes
that Dr. Kovacs likely placed him there.
The
remainder of the session centers on research. Michael investigates Abydos,
royal bloodlines, Nigerian artifacts, and the possibility that historical
records preserve the structure of True Names themselves. His growing concern
for Yusuf becomes the defining motivation behind nearly every decision he
makes.
Mei
Lin
Mei
Lin continues rebuilding trust after months of manipulation.
Rana
confirms that she is neither possessed nor magically controlled. Her caution
stems entirely from experience.
Throughout
the board meeting Mei Lin repeatedly challenges assumptions rather than
opposing the party itself. She questions the risks surrounding Rana's
interview, reminds everyone that the plane crash cannot be ignored, and
continues searching for the truth surrounding the Unknown Pharaoh project.
Later
that evening she becomes instrumental in shaping the Artifact and Relic
Oversight Office, recognizing that the collapse of academic institutions
provides the Thoth Network an unprecedented opportunity to recruit many of the
world's greatest archaeological minds. Her skepticism has become one of the
board's greatest strengths.
Naguib
Sawiris
Although
confined to a hospital room, Naguib continues demonstrating that he remains
capable of resisting the Master's influence.
He
supports Dr. Kovacs' appointment to the board, quietly communicates that Luca
remains safely sedated, and ultimately forces himself to second the motion
establishing Rana's ethical authority despite the obvious physical pain doing
so causes.
His
struggle suggests that moments of free will remain possible. Those moments may
prove critical before the campaign reaches its conclusion.
GM
Notes & World Narrative
Session
Twenty-Seven marks a turning point in the campaign's opposition.
The
Alexandria ambush is the first battle clearly designed around the party's
established tactics. Recall neutralizes teleportation, the opening attack
disables key support characters, hostile forces identify Rana immediately, and
the battlefield itself is selected to limit the party's ability to unleash
large-scale powers without risking civilian casualties.
Rather
than attempting to destroy the heroes outright, the attackers gather
information, inflict damage, and withdraw in an organized fashion once military
forces begin responding.
Equally
significant is the board meeting that follows.
For
the first time, the Thoth Network functions as a genuine governing institution
rather than a collection of powerful survivors reacting to disaster. Offices
continue expanding, corporate procedures become formalized, remote governance
is approved, and Rana's ethical authority becomes a permanent constitutional
safeguard.
Meanwhile,
the campaign's mythology continues evolving.
Michael's
research suggests that True Names extend far beyond individual words, instead
encompassing history, lineage, titles, accomplishments, and identity preserved
across civilizations. Ancient king lists, bloodline records, and forgotten
archaeological sites may therefore function as magical archives capable of
preserving truths lost elsewhere.
The
session ends by emphasizing that knowledge has become as important as power.
Understanding
history may ultimately determine who survives the future.
Loot,
Clues, & Reveals
Items
Acquired
- David
successfully bonds with his new magical ring.
- Dr. Kovacs
formally joins the Thoth Network Board.
- Glau Zoff and
Phi Morsaw become official board members.
- The Arcane
Magic and Oversight Office receives formal organizational approval.
- The Artifact
and Relic Oversight Office begins international recruitment.
- Rana receives
formal ethical tie-breaking authority within the board.
- Secure remote
board meetings are officially authorized.
- David
establishes secure communications with the Philadelphia Masonic Lodge.
Clues
Found
- Recall
possesses the ability to reverse teleportation.
- The
Alexandria ambush was specifically designed around the party's known
abilities.
- The attackers
recognized Rana as the Priestess before engaging.
- Multiple
intelligence organizations were monitoring magical activity throughout
Alexandria.
- Luka is the
source of the negative energy surrounding the Alexandria Recovery and
Research Entity.
- Dr. Kovacs
appears responsible for Luca's successful containment.
- Naguib
continues resisting the Master's influence in brief but meaningful ways.
- Mei Lin is
acting entirely of her own free will.
- Jade Dubois
maintains an exceptional reputation for integrity and factual reporting.
- Abydos and
its king lists may preserve essential information concerning True Name
magic and bloodline identity.
- The world's
leading archaeological experts have become available for recruitment
following the collapse caused by the Storm.
Reveals
or Twists
- The morning
attack was a carefully planned ambush rather than a chance encounter.
- Teleportation
can now be directly countered by hostile powers.
- Luka remains
alive but contained inside a medical suspension chamber.
- Rana's
ethical authority becomes a permanent feature of Thoth Network governance.
- The board can
continue functioning remotely without gathering in one location.
- Michael
concludes that protecting Yusuf may become central to preventing another
tragedy like Luca's.
- Majere Toman
learns that Osprey is alive, though his location remains secret.
Active
Plot Threads
- General Haziz
Simmel and the requested meeting.
- The secret
military base west of Alexandria.
- Recall and
the remaining unidentified ambushers.
- Spike and the
telekinetic who escaped.
- The
organization responsible for planning the ambush.
- Luca's
containment and the growing negative energy surrounding him.
- Naguib's
continuing resistance to the Master.
- Rana's
worldwide interview with Jade Dubois.
- The future of
the Veil.
- The Artifact
and Relic Oversight Office.
- David's
Arcane Magic and Oversight Office.
- Abydos and
the Temple of Osiris.
- The Abydos
King List.
- Nigerian
royal bloodlines and True Name research.
- Yusuf's
possible connection to Luca's destiny.
- The five
resurrected soldiers.
- Osprey Toman
and Majere Toman.
- The
Philadelphia Masonic Lodge.
- Aetherforge
AI.
- The unknown
truth behind Flight 142 and the Alexandrian Storm.
Next
Session Preview
Friday
has arrived.
Rana
stands one day away from the most significant interview in human history,
preparing to explain Ra, the Storm, and her own transformation to a world
desperately searching for answers. At the same time, the party must determine
how to respond to an enemy capable of countering teleportation, coordinating
complex ambushes, and disappearing before they can be identified. General Haziz
Simmel has yet to answer Tariq's request for a meeting. Luka remains suspended
between life and something far worse. Michael believes Abydos may contain
answers capable of changing everything they understand about bloodlines,
ancient magic, and True Names. The board has survived another meeting.
Whether
the world survives what comes next remains an open question.
