ratcatchers | Tears: Dance with the Devil

Greece

-Team arrives in Greece (left Mathieu behind to go through gate, and Dingo joined group)
- Nev gets the team kicked out of the first hotel
- Team meets Elle and Ettienne at a restaurant and everyone learns: 1) slime is bio, 2) negotiations stalled apparently by Alan, 3) specualate that Goddess may be in desolation zone, 4) Elle being called to the desolation zone and resists its offers of power, and 5) Ettienne has bonded to Elle and is no longer with the Watchers.
- Theo talks to a guid while the others prepare and scout out zone; discovers that there are alters and specific traditions (take and leave something), buys a map for 100$. Ettienne seeks out Theo and warns him that a survey has been done identifying 5000 fertile male demons in Italy (E has a copy of the list) for an unknown reason, also warns that Gawen could be used to keep Kaleth in line. Ettienne tells Theo this because Nev and Gawen don't trust Ettienne.
- Nev and Gawen fly the perimeter of the DZ and Nev is drawn in due to a desire to be bonded to Elle again. Further testing (thinking about Sophia) shows that the zone shows desires and Gawen has to drag him out by a rope.
- Julien and Dingo go to examine the Desolation Zone and don't get sucked in but Dingo finds "little friends" and investigates thereby making his aquatance of an over excited angel chemical weapon.
- The zone appears to have a transdimensional barrier holding in the magic.

Deslolation Zone
- Julien builds a turnip golem while Nev moaps.
- Map shows short routes (day trips) and one long route through the middle (spiritualists and suicides). They decide to take long route while negotiatons are on hiatus.
- Team goes in tied together but doesn't have as much problem as anticipated until Dingo talks a bit too closely to a "little friend' and sets off a bomb. At the alter each leave a personal token (I didn't write down what) and picks up a token (J=photo (andrew 5), T=mirror w/JC diamonds, D=angel music, G=watcher tag, N=engagement ring)
- Turnip acts as scout.
- Turnip finds a region that has been debombed and Nev/Gawen follow trail to house made out of scrap with light on.
- Night falls, t-field level increases, and they see the battle being replayed over head in magic sight.
- House owned by Rip (middle aged human female) and her friend Izzy (not seen until later) who they suspect of being the Goddess although she denies and says she doesn't know an Ellen. She's friendly and down to earth. Offeres the team shelter and food. She collects stuff and demines the region. Has met plenty of people going through. Buries bodies.
- Izzy shows up and hits most of the men like a ton of bricks such that half of them don't notice that she's a ghost. Nev is espcially hard hit. Izzy brought bunnies for dinner which Rip kills. Some of the men help her bring in bags of food from the alters. Her flirting (desire magic) and the discovery that she is the memory of Prince Isabella (sister of Prince Innis) finally drives Nev outside where he accidentally calls Sophie's memory into existance. She leaves when he tells her he wants Sophie not whatever this is. Gawen tries to help Nev out.
- Team discover that the magic battle was a sacrifice to prepare for an unknown but foreseen future battle. (Closing the gate?)
- Team stays the night and helps dig a mass grave in the morning. Squid doubles size. Nev talks to Rip about death and memory. Rip is cryptic.
- After a cryptic discussion with Rip she offers a gamble to Gawen (he risks staying to help her clean up, she will answer one question honestly and completely), Gawen turns it down due to family obligations, Rip offers it to the others as a favour for favour gamble. Julien takes it and fails. Julien must stay behind.