Traitor Game XXI: "Samhain Is The Halloween Game?!"

[tangentman]

The Prologue: All Hallow's Eve

“This business of the multiverse, I must confess, both thrills and frightens me…”

Damien Thorn, dressed in an impeccable suit, sat behind his desk, stroking the head of his favorite Doberman. Before him lay the battered, slumped body of a Roman Catholic priest drawing rasping, shallow breaths. Looming over the priest was a tall, severe, evil looking woman.

“I wonder if it didn’t frighten you as well, Father?” Damien continued. “Countless realities with countless forms of evil. Where the struggle between myself and the wretched Nazarene counts for absolutely nothing.”

Damien rose from his seat, and strolled around the desk to better face the priest. The Doberman emitted a low growl. “Tawdry hells and devils with unlimited and ridiculous comic strip powers...I confess, Father, these things lie outside the simple duality I am comfortably used to…outside the purpose of my unholy birth to a jackal mother….”

He sighed. “But of course, I cannot ignore it. And I must claim this power of other hells, other worlds. I must Ascend, and then I can be comfortably free of the return of the Nazarene.”

He then addressed the woman. “Dear, dear Mrs. Blaylock – you have served me so well. Would you please hand over The Darkhold?”



“Of course, Master!” Mrs. Blaylock responded. “Oh Little One! How you’ve grown! I’m so proud!”

Damien accepted the Darkhold from Mrs. Blaylock with a wicked smile. He then turned to the Priest. “Incidentally, I feel I should let you know - your efforts to try to stop me from gaining The Darkhold have been a great honor to my person. You were one of my Father’s most celebrated enemies, Father Merrin!”



"The Darkholde is not yours yet, Evil One!" A woman hissed in a throaty alto. The speaker emerged from the shadows, a beautiful, dark-haired woman in a tight, vintage dress. Her green eyes flashed defiantly as she held up a severed hand that glowed in crepuscular fashion. Madame Xanadu held the glowing hand out as if to ward off Damien Thorne. "Let the Hand of Glory bewitch you, holding you enthralled in its power!"

Mrs. Blaylock growled as she pulled out her ritual knife. "Bitch! No one may accost my lord so!" She lunged at Madame Xanadu with a blood-curdling scream. The madwoman had every intention of sinking that blade in the woman's throat.

She never made it, as she ran headfirst into a mystical barrier created by a younger red-head. "Now, you just wait one minute there, Scary Poppins! There'll be no stabbing of the cartomancer on MY watch." Willow Rosenberg gave a definitive nod. Blaylock screamed in gibbering, inarticulate rage.

Willow just rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah? You know what I say to that? Excutio!" Hand held open, a glowing orb of light shimmered into her. Willow hurled it with all her strength. The bolt of light slammed into the crazed disciple, sending her crashing through the banister behind her.



Before Damien could react, a third woman joined them. "Be still, O' bastard spawn of Satan!" Her voice was paper-thin, low, tremulous, yet managed to hold an authority of considerable gravity. Unlike the first two, she was a wizened crone. Her eyes spoke of wisdom gained from several lifetimes of experience. She slowly stroked a black cat that purred in her arms.



Agatha Harkness faced Damien with a thin smile stretching even thinner lips. She waved her hand and the air crystallized around Father Merrin. The elderly witch invoked ancient words of power. Madame Xanadu and Willow exchanged looks, then began reciting in unison with Agatha. Father Merrin vanished from sight. "Father Merrin is a conscientious man who deserves better than writhing on a floor before the likes of you."

TBC

[tangentman]

Damien Thorne’s face turned feral. “Then, hag, let THAT be your epitaph!” Clutching the Darkhold tightly, Damien’s eyes turned white. An unholy chorus of Latin emanated slowly, chanting “Ave Satanis, Ave Damien” in a shrill crescendo, filling the ears of the witches as they felt their throats tighten and they dropped to the ground.

"Real... original... Vader... choke on... THIS!"

Gasping for air, Willow extended her hand and unleashed a bolt towards Damien. The Satan-spawn easily blocked the bolt using the indestructible tome.

Fortunately, Willow's maneuver gave Madame Xanadu the opening she needed. "We...are not...so easily killed, abomination!" Reaching into the folds of her gown, Xanadu plucked out a vial. She uncorked the glass bottle, and a silver mist wafted from the bottle.



The mist blew quickly through the room, as if driven by Xanadu's force of will. A face coalesced in the mist, a woman's face twisted in agony. She opened her mouth and shrieked, a keen that nearly burst Damien's eardrums. Xanadu smiled cruelly. "Enjoy the Banshee's song, Damien--for what little time you have left in this world!"

Yet, Damien wouldn't admit defeat. Staring into the Banshee's eyes, he exerted his demonic will against the spirit. Against the Anti-Christ, a ghost simply wasn't menace enough. However, this ploy distracted him long enough to allow Agatha to break his hellish grip. The ancient sorceress rasped,

“By rite, blood and pact,
Satan-son be Traitor Game bound!
Eve of Samhain and eternal night,
Let we two engage this fight
Till Traitor is found, or naught are left
Victory, destiny, warp and weft!”

And in a binding flash of light, the witches and Damien all vanished…

******
Only to reappear, all of them, in the elegant lobby of an American hotel:



“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE???!” Damien spat in a demonic hiss “I’LL SEE YOUR SOULS BURN IN ACID FOREVER!!!!”

"Oh whatever. The only acid is whatever it is you're tripping on. Like it or lump it, Mister, you and we are bound to a special game... a traitor game. Something WE have experience in and you're totally all NOOB to.

And something tells me that we aren't the only mistresses of the dark who're gonna kick your pointy-tailed ass! Face it, 'devil lite', you're no Crypt Keeper."

Willow gave Damien an angry look and then turned on her heel before she nervously turned to Agatha.

"Did I sound butch? I was trying to sound all butch...

Should I have growled or something?"

[tangentman]

Xanadu shook her head with a gentle smile. "You were fine, Willow." Spinning on her heel, Xanadu shot Damien a decidedly unfriendly glare. "Willow spoke the truth, Damien Thorne. By powers even greater than your liege's, we are all bound to this place.

We--the Witches Three--challenge you to a 'Traitor Game'. Neither man, monster, nor devil may leave these grounds once the game begins. As you are bound to the Overlook Hotel, so, too, are we bound here. The terms of the game are simple, Thorne, yet all creation dances along the razor's edge while we play.

First--each side will be empowered to choose three champions. You are allowed three 'Traitors', compelled to serve you faithfully, sworn to kill victims of your choosing once per round." However, Xanadu held up a single finger.

"Our own agents will work their wiles to unmask your traitors. One of them is allowed to kill any they believe to be your traitor in kind."

"But calling them 'agent,' 'traitor,' and 'vigilante' is SO boring, y'know? It's like calling your pet cat 'cat.'

Ooo! I know! Since we're all halloween-vibe, how about 'Tricks' for the traitors, 'Treats' for the agents, and... um...

Oh! 'The Great Pumpkin' for the vigilante! He'd only appear in the most sincere Traitor Games to... um... kill traitors..."

Xanadu and Harkness collectively rolled their eyes. "Miss Rosenberg's...unfortunate predilection for whimsy aside, these are the pawns in our game."

Exchanging a meaningful glance with her "Sisters in the Art", Xanadu explained the rules further. "Second, the laws of the games occasionally grant the players certain...powers over the outcomes. With these powers, they may alter the outcome of the votes, gain immunity from banishment or your Traitors, or even alter the results of an entire round. They may even conquer Death itself--though such use of these powers may only be used once."

"How about we give them the form of something fun, like halloween candy? We could call them Lolliplops or something!

That'd be neat!" Willow ticked a glance at Damien. "And powerful! Wickedly powerful, devil-boy!"



Agatha nodded calmly. "Very well, Willow." The witches waved their hands in unison, and a "Trick or Treat" bag appeared, filled to the top with glowing candy. "Though frivolous at first glance, it seems somehow fitting for Samhain. Let our game begin, then, Damien..."

"Totally get ready for Traitor Game XXI: Samhain Is The Halloween Game?!

...

Too much?"

[tangentman]

Welcome to Traitor Game XXI


Halloween players so far...

Edward Scissorhands (Ben Morgan)
The Ghostbusters (DoctorDoom)
Etrigan (The Purple Skull)
Randall Flagg (moonknight)
Gossamer (vintage Looney Toons) (Froggy)
Psycho Mantis (Metal Gear Solid) (Deadpooligan)
Pyramid Head (Silent Hill) (Radioactive Zombie)
Ragdoll (Secret Six) (Jeremi)
Jackie Estocado (Image's The Darkness) (bushboy)
Hannibal King (Tomb of Dracula) (Joe Acro)
Bigby Wolf (Fables) (Schornforce)
Ghost Rider (Ghost Rider) (Superheroic)
Mr. Hyde (BBC version) (hamboy)
Dr. Jackman (BBC Jekyll/Hyde series) (Cthulhudrew)
The Monster's Mate (Chris Lang)
Elektra (Elektra: Assassin) (Elektra Natchios)
Thomas Raith (The Dresdent Files) (Michael P)
Brook (One Piece) (KingofPie)
Michael Myers (Halloween) (Kevin M)
Eddie Draven (The Crow) (Just A Shadow)

[tangentman]

Character Slots--If you're a newcomer, and you want to play a character who might fall under a slot no longer available, let Indigo Al or me hear your idea anyway. We're willing to show flexibility to new folks.

Roles--There are 6 special roles in this Traitor Game.
Tricks--No, not slang for "gay hook-ups" or "johns". For the Halloween game, "Tricks" are the Traitors. They're the "Bad Guys"; they're out to win by killing all other players. Allowed a kill 2 out of every 3 rounds.
Treats--The Agents, the "Good Guys" of the game. Two "Treats" are allowed to guess a Traitor's identity once per round. They're helped by...
The Great Pumpkin--Our Vigilante, who is allowed once per 3 rounds to kill a suspected Traitor.

PM me if you're interested in playing a "Treat" or "The Great Pumpkin". PM Indigo Al if you want to be a "Trick". (heh-heh)

Madame Xanadu addressed the players. "The stakes for which we play are incalculably high. Therefore, we struck a pact with Damien to grant you all the power to survive. For outstanding game play, you may earn," she gave Willow Rosenberg an incredulous look, "'Lolliplops'...how undignified...will impart special powers that are acquired upon spending, ahem, 'Lolliplops'."

Lolliplops

1 Lolliplop will give you an extra vote or vote change.
2 Lolliplops will grant you immunity from banishment or being killed for one round.
3 Lolliplops will bring your character back from the dead or banishment once per game.
4 Lolliplops lets you bring back another character or buy a clue.
5 Lolliplops gives you the "It's The Great Plop Twist, Charlie Brown!" When this happens, you can change the outcome of one round. Undo a banishment and kill, or banish a player you think should go. Only once per game, naturally.

Lolliplop Bank

(0) Edward Scissorhands (Ben Morgan)
(4) The Ghostbusters (DoctorDoom)
(3) Etrigan (The Purple Skull)
(1) Randall Flagg (moonknight)
(1) Gossamer (vintage Looney Toons) (Froggy)
(2) Psycho Mantis (Metal Gear Solid) (Deadpooligan)
(1) Pyramid Head (Silent Hill) (Radioactive Zombie)
(2) Ragdoll (Secret Six) (Jeremi)
(2) Jackie Estocado (Image's The Darkness) (bushboy)
(1) Hannibal King (Tomb of Dracula) (Joe Acro)
(3) Bigby Wolf (Fables) (Schornforce)
(1) Ghost Rider (Ghost Rider) (Superheroic)
(0) Mr. Hyde (BBC version) (hamboy)
(1) Dr. Jackman (BBC Jekyll/Hyde series) (Cthulhudrew)
(1) The Monster's Mate (Chris Lang)
(2) Thomas Raith (The Dresdent Files) (Michael P)
(1) Brook (One Piece) (KingofPie)
(1) Michael Myers (Halloween) (Kevin M)
(1) John & David (Donald M)
(2) Eddie Draven (The Crow) (Just A Shadow)

[Michael P]

I half-listened as the witches explained the rules of the game. The particulars were new, but the general gist -- that a game would be played for the fate of Earth, the Nevernever, and realms beyond that I couldn't possibly imagine -- I'd gotten from Lara when she sent me on this errand. I had to laugh when the nature of the game was explained in full. Protect her own back while putting me at risk of my life. It was almost enough to make me nostalgic.

I sized up my fellow players. A pale, submissive freakshow with blades for hands. Four scientists, already scanning the area, and us, with their little gadgets. A man in a trenchcoat radiating demonic power. A beast of chaos in a man's shape. A shambling, hairy thing, barely intelligent. A powerful telepath draped in military fatigues. A... creature, the look of which was eclipsed in repulsiveness only by the smell. A fop dressed like Raggedy Andy. A sullen Italian man wearing some kind of metallic armor. A vampire, I couldn't tell if he was Red or Black, who looked like he'd just woken up from a three-week ebnder. A pair of werewolves, one disheveled, the other thin and nervous. A patchwork zombie woman with a Marge Simpson hairdo. An escaped mental patient in revealing red spandex. A talking skeleton. And me, a tortured good-guy incubus with a cavalry saber and impeccable dress sense.

I read their fear, confusion, elation, as easily as telling the color of their eyes. It was like walking into a party with a full buffet and all the other guests stuck in traffic. You could feed on any one of them you like, said the thing inside my head. Or all of them. Win the game and take a stocked fridge as your prize.

I tried to ignore it and waited for someone to make the first move.

[Radioactive Zombie]

PYRAMID HEAD'S PROLOGUE!

Somewhere in Silent Hill, one of Umbrella Corporation's more successful bioweapons, Tyrants, struggled against the heavy chains wrapped around it, tied to a steel chair welded into the ground. Instinct was to ignore the surroundings except for threats, of which there were none, save for the random cockroach or a twitch from the torn dummy in the corner. Eventually, perked its head up as two hostiles came out of the dark, rotting room, holding strange metal pieces that apparently formed a triangle. It roared in anger at the two freaks, and kept on thrashing, snarling and trying to wiggle its way out of the chains until the metal pieces snapped in place around the Tyrant's head.

Only then, the Pyramid Heads cut the chains, freeing their new comrade, who stood and took a few lumbering steps, getting used to its new encumbrance. Another Pyramid Head came in from the dark, this time handing the former bioweapon a massive kukri (at least, in shape).

As soon as it wrapped its hands around the handle, the newest executioner disappeared, leaving behind three very confused Bogeymen.

[Radioactive Zombie]

Gravity did not like Pyramid Head's noggin.

As such, there was a large hole in the lobby floor where the Pyramid head spawned, Great Knife dug into the receptionist's desk. The executioner raised one arm and tried to drag itself out of the hole...

[tangentman]

Madame Xanadu greeted the earliest arrivals. "Welcome to the Overlook Hotel. Enter freely and unafraid." The mysterious woman beckoned them inside with a small flourish. "I am Madame Xanadu, your hostess for the Traitor Game. I realize most of you are uninitiated in the Games. Ask any questions which may come to mind, and I shall endeavour to answer them as truthfully as I am able."

Two women remained steadfastly at her side. "My companions are Willow Rosenberg," she pointed out the redhead, "and Agatha Harkness. They are my sisters in the Art. With their assistance, I shall offer what guidance I may throughout the game."

[Radioactive Zombie]

Still having not dragged himself out of his self-made crater, the executioner's hand floundered about.

[Chris Lang]

...and then her world went white.

The next thing the Monster's Mate knew, she and 'Fang' found themselves unceremoniously dropped in front of a strange mansion.

The Monster groaned. It was a confused wail, a wail that the Monster's Mate understood. It meant 'What happened? Where are we?'

The Monster's Mate was not sure how to answer that question. But she took a good look at the mansion. It was dark, ominous, and threatening ... just how she liked old mansions. And she heard voices inside.

"I don't know, but it sounds like there's another party going on inside. I'm sure they won't mind that we decided to drop in! Ah-haha, ha-ha!"

She walked in the door, followed closely by the Monster. As she did, she thought she could hear her old friend Ethel Ennis singing that familiar song...

"The full moon
brings out the monster in you
A strange tune
seems to be playing for you
Could you be someone's invention?
So unreal as you feel tonight
Did you sell your soul to the devil
At that Monster Party last night

Mad! MAD! MAD ... Monster Party
Did you sell your soul to Mephistopheles
Tell me, baby, tell me, tell me please
If you made a date with the devil, not me...
If you know my fate, honey, level with me..

The cold night
brings out the creature in you...
A strange light ...
seems to be falling on you
I know it's not your intention
To hide from me so tonight
Won't you tell me, baby, what happened
At the Monster Party last night?

Mad! MAD! MAD ... Monster Party
Last niiiiight!"

OOC: I wasn't sure of that one line in the last verse (the one after 'I know it's not your intention'), but I just had to include this song...

[tangentman]

OOC: Schorn, I'm "ghost-writing" Willow for a quick line. Jump in anytime you want to "take the wheel".

IC: Willow frowned when she saw Pyramid Head's ordeal. "Aww! Mr. Pyramid Head...thingie is stuck in the hole!" Despite the creature's scariness, knowledge that he was a player took a little edge off the "Fear Factor".



Raising her hand, Willow activated the telekinetic aspect of her magic. "A little 'Witch Fu' and you'll be unstuck in no time! Up, up you go!" Invisible hands of power gently grasped Pyramid Head and tugged him out of the hole.

Agatha watched with a wary eye. In a maternal tone, she gently said, "Be careful of that one, Willow. Though he is among the players, he is no less dangerous for that fact." The younger witch's lip stuck out in a pout. "I know, but I didn't wanna leave him in that hole. That would be...y'know, rude."

"Yeah, and we wouldn't want Martha Stewart coming down on our heads for committing the '10 Traitor Game Hostessy Faux Pas'--of which I'm sure that leaving pyramid-headed guys floundering in craters has GOTTA be one of 'em!" Buffy Summers stepped up to her best friend. "Hey, Will. Madame X sent me and Anita ahead to get the 'house' ready."

Turning away for a second, Buffy greeted the players with a sunny smile. "Hi guys! I'm Buffy, I'll be your resident Slayer and 'Social Director' for this Traitor Game. I'll keep you busy with fun and games between the, y'know, murdery fun and games."

[bushboy]

Jackie sat in the lobby, apparently talking to his barely open suitcase.

"You catch all that, boys?"

"Yeah boss."

"Totally."

"Game on!"

"Tits."

Gunther was drooling.....

[tangentman]

Madame Xanadu arched an eyebrow at the last "darkling's" remarks. Out of the shadows, a small gargoyle snapped stony jaws at the shadow-imp. The gargoyle missed--it was only a warning snap. Immediately afterwards, Madame Xanadu cut a cautionary glance Jackie's way.

[bushboy]

Madame Xanadu arched an eyebrow at the last "darkling's" remarks. Out of the shadows, a small gargoyle snapped stony jaws at the shadow-imp. The gargoyle missed--it was only a warning snap. Immediately afterwards, Madame Xanadu cut a cautionary glance Jackie's way.

Jackie simply shrugged and smiled, while one of the Darklings took a leak on the Gargoyle's head.

"Bad doggie!"