Mouse Guard SPQM source material

Planning for some Mouse Guard SPQM work; illustrations and some guard related stuff.

Rollbeskrivningar till MG: SPQM på GothCon 2013

Fausta Livius Elerius

Fausta kommer från en familj med rötterna i Sapientia och har uppfostrats att tänka och planera. Hon har blivit en duktig patrulledare som ser till vad patrullen kan göra utan att ta för mycket hänsyn till individerna. Fausta är ganska beläst och tror på att det går att klura ut en lösning på i princip allt. Hon har i Asylum övertygats om vikten av kollektivet framför individen trots sin uppväxt med demokratin i Sapientia. Faustas tro på att en plan kan lösa allt gör att hon inte räds ens ugglor, vesslor eller vargar - så länge man kan göra upp en plan för att hantera situationen.

Faustas vän Manius är också centurio och de delade många och långa stunder i arkiven både under sin tid som tiro (rekryt) och senare för att studera.

Faustas fiende Nona Sennius Bambalio är ledare för en sekt som är tveksam. Visserligen får alla möss, även i Asylum, hedra och vörda vem eller vad de vill men villkoret är att de även hedrar viktiga förfäder från Asylum. De lärda i Asylum och Sapientia vet att det inte finns några gudar eller liknande, det enda övernaturliga som finns är vägen till Efterlivet för de rättfärdiga, förfädernas själar - ibland hjälpsamma, ibland motarbetande - och en del mindre naturandar som penater. De vet också vikten av att ha sina förfäder på sin sida, därför finns en utbredd förfädersdyrkan i Sapientia och Asylum och i statlig regi hedrande av vissa hjältar. Dessa hjältar ska enligt Asylums lag hedras av de möss som önskar åtnjuta gardets beskydd. Gör de det är de fria att tro på vad som helst och hedra vad som helst. Möss som inte hedrar dessa hjältar ska inte skyddas av gardet och i Asylum är det brottsligt att inte hedra hjältarna.

För ett par år sedan möttes Fausta (med patrull) och Nona inte långt från Asylum. Nona begärde eskort av gardet men Fausta beslutade att Nona och hennes sektmedlemmar inte skulle få beskydd eftersom de inte gav några raka svar på om de hedrade hjältarna. Eftersom det inte var klart att de inte gjorde det valde Fausta att inte heller anmäla dem eller fängsla dem trots att de var på väg till Asylum. Nona blev dock förbannad för att hon nekades vad hon tyckte var en rättmätigt förtjänt tjänst.

Fausta försöker ofta att inte stöta sig med dem högre i samhället. Det ställer ofta till så det blir svårare att genomföra uppgifter och att planer måste läggas om. Hellre än att konfrontera senatorer eller gardets tribuner försöker hon förbereda sig på att hantera de eventuellt besvärliga situationer som kan uppkomma om något inte är solklart. En bra plan kan hantera det.

Om Secunda
Ogillar Secundas impulsivitet men uppskattar å andra sidan att Secunda inte ger upp.

Om Caeso
Gillar Caesos respekt för lagen (har inte insett Caesos egoism).

Om Gnaeus
Gnaeus är överskeptisk till demokratin även om de är överens om republik som bäst. Gillar att Gnaues är försiktig men sedan står på sig.

Traits
Gravitas: A sense of the importance of the matter at hand, responsibility and earnestness. This replaces Driven.

Leader: The Guard is always in need of strong leaders. Such mice have a rare quality that inspires groups of mice to listen to them, even when they speak softly or indirectly. But it is important that these leaders do not abuse their powers and remain capable of following orders themselves.

Pietas: "Dutifulness" More than religious piety; a respect for the natural order socially, politically, and religiously. Includes the ideas of patriotism and devotion to others

Favoritvapen
Stötspjut: +1D Maneuver, Attack är Versus mot Attack, Attack är Independant mot Maneuver.

Secunda Clovus Ignatus

Secunda är född och uppvuxen i Asylum, hennes släkt har bott där i alla tider. Secunda är lite av en hetsporre och ogillar starkt att ge upp. Ibland kan man dock behöva omgruppera för att sätta mer tryck bakom sin lösning, alla problem har dock en lösning - bara den har tillräcklig tyngd bakom sig.
Secunda bryter rätt mycket med sina stillsamma föräldrar och en del av hetsporren i henne kommer av detta. I ett försök att lära henne lugn och disciplin kontaktade hennes föräldrar arkivet i Asylum och fick dem att ta in Secunda under hennes två första säsonger i början av henne karriär i gardet. Detta hade inte avsedd inverkan, om något tvärtom.

Secundas vän Mamercus Camilius Erasinus träffade hon för första gången som tiro (rekryt). De fattade tycke för varandra och hjälptes åt genom hela tiden som tiro. I början av sin tid som fullvärdiga pretorianmedlemmar tyckte de det var jobbigt att vara i olika patruller men så småningom insåg de deras vänskap kunde stärka deras respektive patruller och på så vis uträtta mer genom samarbete och förståelse och på så vis bidra mer till Gardet.

Secundas fiende Caela Iulius Eborius blev mer ovän med Secunda än tvärtom. En pojke valde Secunda framför Caela vilket gjorde Caela väldigt bitter vilket dessutom späs på av att hon inbillar sig att de häftiga och tuffa gardesmössen får fördelar i Asylum och dessutom får många fler flickor och pojkar.

Om Gnaeus
Har svårt för Gnaeus försiktighet.

Om Fausta
Står inte ut med Faustas eviga planeringsmani.

Om Caeso
Kan inte med Caesos regelfascism, regler måste böjas ibland för att få något gjort.

Traits
Virtus: Valor, excellence, courage, character, and worth. This replaces Bold and Brave.

Comititas: Ease of manner, courtesy, openness, and friendliness. This replaces Open-Minded.

Curious: Curious mice can find engagement in tasks, especially new ones but can on the other hand happen to stick their noses where they shouldn't be. There's a saying in the territories, ''Curiousity killed the mouse first''.

Favoritvapen
Gladius: +1D på envald handlingstyp i Conflict.

Gnaeus Oppius Dignus

Gnaeus kommer från en familj som i alla tider levt i Asylum. Han är övertygad om kollektivets storhet och Asylums högre grad av kultur även om Sapientia får erkännas komma rätt nära. Gnaeus är dock väldigt skeptisk till de folkval som Sapientia tillämpar. Det ger för mycket makt åt okunniga. Bättre då att, som i Asylum, nyttja en begränsad form där folket kan rösta in representanter i folkförsamlingarna som sedan bestämmer vissa saker i samarbete med senaten.

Gnaeus är en duktig jägare och blev han bara lite bättre på Scout skulle han kunna bli mycket duktig även på att jaga banditer. Han har varit med om en hel del strid och banditkontakt och lärt sig en hel både om banditer och skogen men inte riktigt tagit till sig letandet och spåret eftersom det ofta sköts av någon annan som redan varit duktig på det.

Ofta är Gnaeus försiktig med att bestämma sig men har han bestämt sig så står han för det och är definitivt ingen push-over. Resonemang kan dock få honom på andra tanker men det går åt goda argument, logik och tydlighet.  Att Gnaeus alltid står på sig, tror på kollektivet före individen och är hyfsat gammal och inte har någon nära familj att förlora gör att Gnaeus är en ganska hård person med lite att förlora.

En gång i tiden var Gnaeus ganska deprimerad och övervägde på allvar att bara bege sig ut och försvinna i vintern och om inte vädret eller rovdjur dödade honom ordna det själv. Octavia som sedermera också blivit en duktig jägare, kanske till och med bättre gav honom dock en mening med livet när hon berättade om gardet (som hon redan var medlem i). De utvecklade en vänskap som dock bara är en vänskap även om de emellanåt kan ha lite vänsex (vilket en del misstänker och satt en del rykten i omlopp).

När Gnaeus var Tenderpaw tränade Gnaeus mycket med bland annat en mus vid namn Flavia Murrius Ulixes. Numesie klarade sig inte genom hela tiden som lärling och tiro och blev aldrig antagen. Gnaeus såg mycket av vad Flavia gick för och ansåg helt enkelt att gardet inte skulle gynnas av att anta Flavia, hon var helt enkelt inte tillräckligt engagerad och Gnaeus tycker tribunerna tog rätt beslut. Flavia ansåg dock att Gnaeus var nonchalant och inte stod upp för Flavia och stöttade henne och kanske till och med såg sin chans att komma före i urvalsprocessen.

Om Fausta
Uppskattar att Fausta planerar först och agerar sedan.

Om Secunda
Har svårt för Secunda och tycker Fausta är för slapphänt med regelbrott och galenskaper.

Om Caeso
Instämmer i Caesos tro på kollektivet och reglerna samhället vilar på, har inte insett Caesos egoism.

Traits
Firmitas: Strength of mind, the ability to stick to one's purpose. Replaces Determined.

Quiet: Mice are quiet by nature, but these mice are even more so. They’re quiet in everything they do— the way they speak, the way they work and the way they walk. Some sink so far into quietude, they have difficulty coming out of their shells.

Constantia: Military stamina, mental and physical endurance. This replaces Tough from MG RPG.

Favoritvapen
Stötspjut: +1D Maneuver, Attack är Versus mot Attack, Attack är Independant mot Maneuver.

Caeso Lusius Marsicus

Caeso är uppväxt i Asylum i en familj i en släkt som alltid bott i Asylum och ser framför sig hur han har framgång i gardet och bringar ära och penningstöd till sin familj och släkt och därmed även åt Gardet och i slutänden då Asylum. Caeso har klara egoistisk drag och är duktig på att se nytta för kollektivet i sådant som är bra för Caeso själv. Caeso ser medlemmar i senaten och gardet som förmer än andra möss i Asylum och möss i Asylum som förmer än andra möss. Caeso är duktig på att se moralvärden i olika beslut och handlingar men det är då moralen att det ska gynna Caeso, gardet och Asylum. Högre än alla möss är lagen och den ska ingen bryta, senator, gardesmus, nobiles, plebej eller annan. Det är lagen och ordningen som gör Asylum så framgångsrikt och att mössen utvecklat sin civilisation.

Caesos vän är en insektsherde som Caeso och dennes patrull hjälpte att klara nästan alla insekterna undan en storm som hade raserat herdens hela ekonomi och tillvaro. Caeso plockade fram sina insektskunskaper från sin ungdom och tidiga tid vid Gardet och tillsammans med hans skicklighet i att se väderförändringar kunde patrullen göra en insats och rädda herdens insekter och därmed dennes familjs tillvaro.

Caeso tog väldigt snabbt till sig reglementet för Gardet och en gång tidigt fick en gardesmus, Iona, reglementet noggrant läst för sig och omtalat att denne kände till och skulle känna till detta. Iona blev mycket förtörnad och har sedan dess sett det som en anledning till att hon inte blev befodrad till principales.

Om Fausta
Tycker Fausta är för slapp med Secundas regelbrott.

Om Secunda
Har egentligen inget problem med Secundas impulsivitet, däremot med regelbrotten som kommer av dem.

Om Gnaeus
Ser Gnaeus som lite lättmanipulerad eftersom Gnaeus ofta tar tid på sig att bestämma sig.

Traits
Iustitia : Sense of moral worth to an action.

Humanitas: Refinement, civilization, learning, and being cultured.

Jaded: Jaded mice have seen many things and don't easlily get upset or out of menatl balance but they can also become unengaged or not take serious things seriously.

Favoritvapen
Shield: +2D, -1D Recover from Fatigue.

Illerns konventskampanj i MG: SPQM så långt

This will be in swedish but it's background material for a campaign I've been running at swedish gaming conventions.

Förrförra sommaren (702 a u c) sändes patrullen på ett enkelt men viktigt uppdrag, postleverens med hemliga brev. Detta är inte den typ av uppdrag som Secunda sett fram emot i gardet utan ser det mest som en transportsträcka till ett viktigt handlingsfyllt uppdrag. Fausta däremot ser det som en god träning för de oerfarnare i patrullen för en av de viktigaste erfarenheterna är att skaffa sig rutiner och lära sig lägga upp planer. Dessutom är kommunikation och logistik kärnan i Asylums och Sapientias framgång. De levererar posten till Stameus, en stor gruvstad, och får post att leverera till Asylum. På vägen tillbaka från Stameus försöker en korp sno posten av ren nyfiken-het och på pin tjiv eftersom postväskan uppenbarligen är viktig för mössen. Korpen försvinner iväg med posten men mössen förföljer den och så småningom kommer de till dess näste där de hittar posten. Olyckligtvis dröjer de för länge och när de är på väg ned kommer korpen tillbaka och är denna gång betydligt aggressivare och det blir en strid på liv och död som patrullen håller på att förlora.

Plötsligt får de hjälp från en mycket oväntat håll, vesslor attackerar korpen och dödar den och plötsligt står den utmattade patrullen öga mot öga med lika många vesslor och det är bara en fråga om hur många av vesslorna som överlever att äta upp dem och huruvida någon av patrullmössen kommer stekas levande. Nu händer något ännu mer oväntat, tre gigantiska vesslor, och vesslor i sig är stora från början, faller de vanliga vesslorna i ryggen. Patrullmössen flyr i en inte särskilt ordnad reträtt men med postväskan i behåll. På något vis lyckas de komma undan medan vesslorna slåss med varandra.

De återvänder till Asylum med posten och rapporterar om vessleaktivitet långt inne i territorierna. Det blev ett handlingsfyllt uppdrag där Secunda fick handla snabbt och på liv och död. Även Gnaeus hårdhet och förmåga att hitta och undvika andra varelser i terrängen tillsammans med Faustas ledarskap var viktiga delar av att de klarade sig.

När en ambitiös fälla samma sommar (702 a u c) dödar en patrullmus och kunde tagit en hel civil karavan med sig så skickas patrullen ut för att undersöka den och eventuellt hitta spår efter vesslorna som förmodas ligga bakom så patruller kan söka efter dem och om inte döda dem så åtminstone driva ut dem ur territorierna.

Undersökningen visar till deras oro att det är möss som byggt fällan, möss med kunskap i gångbygge, möss som gruvmöss. Arbetet är stort och har krävt arbetsledare med teoretiska kunskaper. Patrullen söker runt och finner att mössen kommit från Stameus, en stad stor gruvdrift  inte så långt från fällan. De hittar dock inga misstänkta men uppfattar en asylumskeptisk stämning i Stameus och rapporterar vad de funnit om fällan och om stämningen i Stameus. De tycker stämningen i Stameus så pass oroande att de finner det nödvändigt att poängtera att det rent av kan förberedas uppror eller utbrott ur Alliansen i Stameus. Faktiskt så pass att det måste poängteras med eftertryck. Särskilt Caeso och Gnaeus såg beteendet i Stameus som ett allvarligt tecken på att mössen där inte samarbetar i det stora kollektivet som Musstädernas allians är, det samarbete som är själva grunden för kollektivets framgång och motståndet mot vesslorna.

 

Detta får till följd att en senator skickas till Stameus med ett ultimatum, ett ganska kort hållet sådant (optimaterna är i överläge för tillfället) och patrullen får i uppdrag att eskortera denne. Eskortuppdraget går bra ända till de på hemvägen blir inringade av vesslor. När de nästan börjat förbereda sig på att sälja sig så dyrt som möjligt och senatorn har talat med förfäderna och lånat en dolk för att kunna lämna jordelivet med den äran dyker plötsligt en jättevessla upp där de förskansat sig. Jättevesslan påstår sig vilja hjälpa dem komma undan de vanliga vesslorna. Det är förstås ingen som tänker lita på jättevessla som dessutom tittar lystet på dem hela tiden. De inser dock att de inte har något val och följer jättevesslan beredda på att få sälja sig dyrt till en jättevessla i stället. Jättevesslan leder dock mössen, vars doft försvinner i jättevesslans starka doft, bort från de andra vesslorna och försvinner. Patrullen och senatorn tar sig hem på helspänn. Optimaterna, till vilka senatorn hörde, är en gruppering i senaten som i mycket består av de rikare senatorerna och som värnar traditioner, nobiles, filosofi och Asylums överhet. Den största andra grupperingen är populisterna som tar upp folkets frågor, som värnar de bredare massorna. De är över lag inte heller lika styvnackade som optimaterna ofta är.

Under försommaren förra året (703 a u c)  får patrullen under lite hierarkiskt oklara omständigheter i uppdrag/order att eskortera en senator, en av de högsta i Asylum - en av sex praetor peregrini (utlänningsdomare) till Stameus, antagligen för att leverera nya krav och besked. Senatorn avviker under vistelsen i Stameus och visar sig möta upp med två jättevesslor. Efter att nätt och jämnt ha skapat en stand off mellan fyra möss och två jättevesslor lyckas patrullen föra med senatorn för att dömas i Asylum. Under en utfrågning lyckas senatorn finta patrullen och drar fram sin dolk och begår självmord och dör med en hälsningsfras till förfäderna. Patrullen återvänder frustrerad men med jättevesslornas kodmeddelande till pretorn vilket överlämnas till Pretoriangardets tribuner. Det blir mycket utfrågningar och hörningar i senaten men hur många som var med honom förblir okänt. På grund av senatorns hedersamma frånfälle får familjen behålla egendomarna och skickas inte i exil. 

Sluteffekten av avslöjandet av samarbetet med jättevesslorna blir en stor misstänksamhet i senaten uppblandat med möjligheter att smutskasta politiska fiender genom att associera dem till pretorn som mötte vesslorna eller att på annat vis antyda att de kanske är förrädare. Det är då inte vilket förräderi som helst utan ett brott mot högsta heligheten (bland annat självaste Asylum). För sådant kastas man ut från förrädarklippan i Asylum. 

Under tidig sensommar (703 a u c) blir patrullen utskickad som en av fem patruller som ska eskortera en handelsskeppskonvoj. Handelskonvojen som på hemvägen ska frakta, för Asylum, mycket viktig säd till vinterförråden har getts fem triremer med en gardespatrull på varje (på den gamla goda tiden innan det utarmande Vesslekriget hade varje skepp haft 5-6 patrullers bemanning utöver skeppsbesättningen). Resan norrut går bra och konvojen anländer till Lostora och deras last av förädlade varor omsätts i silver guld och framför allt säd. Det mesta av hemresan går också bra, ungefär två tredjedelar av vägen.

Konvojen attackeras av pirater. Det hade i sig inte varit ett stort problem då även piraterna lider av det, efter Vesslekriget, nedbrutna samhället. Det visar sig dock att de attackerar tillsammans med två minkar. Minkar är enorma vattenlevande vesslemonster och det är enbart Faustas patrulls oräddhet och samarbe som räddar deras trirem från undergång. Tre av de andra förstörs och kantrar och besättningarna börjar drunkna. I detta kaos bordar piraterna två handelsskepp och sänker ett tredje (triremer sjunker normalt sett inte) och försvinner i väg. Den femte triremen eskorterar de få kvarvarande handelsskeppen med överlevande söderöver medan patrullens skepp beger sig iväg i den riktning piraterna försvann.

Det finns trots allt inte hur många ställen som helst att gömma mer än fem piratskepp (biremer) och det krävs en stor befolkning för att kunna bemanna skeppen. Patrullens skepp hittar såsmåningom piraternas nattläger (vare sig biremer eller triremer är lämpade för dygnet-runtsegling) och gör strandhugg en bit bort. Patrullen smyger bort till lägret för att bekräfta misstankarna. Väl vid lägret upptäcker de att det inte bara är pirater där, minkarna är också där samt både triremer och fraktskepp från Navalia. Navalia är en av de tre dominerande städerna i Musstädernas allians (Asylum och Sapientia är de två andra) och är en övervägande handels- och flottmakt. Patrullen retirerar till sitt skepp och beger sig i gryningen söderut med så långa dagsseglingar de kan. Hela resan diskuteras och ältas frågan vad de ska göra när de kommer hem. Att piraterna ska fångas in och skickas till gruvorna är inget snack om saken. Piratledarna kommer troligen dömas till döden. Minkarna måste även de dödas för om de får avkomma och fäste i innanhavet kommer det bli katastrof. Utan ett lugnt och seglingsbart innanhav kommer Musstädernas allians bryta samman på grund av de förlorade logistikmöjligheterna. Frågan är dock vad som ska göras med informationen om att navaliaskepp är involverade.

De skulle kunna låta bli att nämna det för sammanhållningen i alliansen. En dag kommer vesslorna tillbaka och då måste de vara enade. Då kommer det också märkas om Navalia följer Asylum och Sapientia i att fånga in piraterna, bränna deras boplatser och jaga rätt på och döda minkarna. I så fall kanske det går att lita på navalia som helhet ia lla fall. Om de tvekar eller avstår så är förräderiet tydligt och ute i luften om patrullen delger sin information. å andra sidan så är lagen och mos maiorum (förfädernas sed) tydlig. Navalia har förrått aliansen och slagit sig samman med pirater och begått brott mot högsta heligheten, de har samarbetat med vesslor (minkarna). En annan trängande fråga är hur minkarna kommit in till innanhavet. Det tillsammans med de ökande förekomsterna av vesslor på senare år är mycket oroväckande. Rapporterar de allt kommer alliansen falla samman men å andra sidan så går det kanske ändå inte att lita på navalia i ett krig mot vesslorna ändå.

Medan Fausta och Secunda tvekade bestämde Caeso och Gnaeus sig för att berätta och vittna i senaten. ett sådant flagrant brott mot lagar om heligheterna och mot förfädernas sed kunde inte gömmas. ett litet tag hängde alliansen i sköra trådar och den interna politiken i asylum blev än spändare beroende på vad man trodde om vittnena men på förfrågan berättade och bekräftade även Fausta och Secunda och frågan om vad som hänt ställdes i hårda ordalag till Navalia (röster höjdes för assimilering av Navalia till Asylum och ett upphörande av deras självstyre). Navalia avrättade ett antal sjösoldater, skeppsbesättningar och befäl och frånsade sig ansvaret för vad som hänt och pratade om myteri. Delar av deras armé och flotta dekimerades även för att tilltala Asylum. Under tiden attackerade gardet piraternas tillhåll och tog befolkningen som slavar och lyckades med stor manspillan (fråmst i trirembesättningar) döda minkarna. Under förhör av pirater kom det fram att minkarna hade färdats tillsammans med vesslor som fördats i territorierna vilket fröklarade att ingen märkt något. Den myckna vessleaktiviteten hade döljt de två minkarna. Pirater påstod dock att samarbetet med Navalia var större än det verkade och sanktionerat på hög ort. det tolkades dock som försök att rädda deras skinn eller om det möjligen ignorerades för att rädda Musstädernas allians.

Sandra gets recognised and some meet a rock star, DRYH c3s4c

Sandra is satisfied that her work were used in almost exactly the form she delivered it. So much for her boss thinking that he knew better than her. She knew that she had understood Vincent. When the show is over Vincent disappears behind the stage and Sandra goes to look for some way to get behind the stage and talk to him. She is almost immediately stopped by a beefy guy that says ''No visitors'' and folds his arms tighter over his chest.

Meanwhile Maurice is walking further and further into the corridor. It seems to be slightly longer than the last time but then suddenly he arrives to a big hall but this time it's not a exhibition but some noisy party where they play loud rock music and young people misbahve and jump around. Maurice frowns as his looks around him. As Maurice arrives the show seems to end with a ''I see them. Don't see them?!? That's odd, d, d, d, d'' and people in spider comstumes crawl away in the darkness that rises as the stage light dimnishes. As he looks around him he sees Sandra walk by. He walks over to her as the youngsters shout for one more and Sandra gets stopped by some personel. As Sandra explains more another guy acknowledge and disappears through a door as Maurice appears.

Maurice asks Sandra what she does here and learn that she designed the stage act and then goes straight to the important things. The door is still open. The door in The cathedral and They can still come out there. Sandra isn't interested and doesn't understand what's so important with it and why it would stop whatever it is that Maurice is so worried about. As they stand there Erik appears as well. Sandra and Erik talks shortly on what can be done to the hotel lobby to make it harder for unwanted people to show up.

Yurev talks to the student that shall help him with his 20's outfit and notice that he has a competitor. He memorizes the guy's look and goes looking for a bar as he leaves. Yurev finds a newly opened bar in the stage hall and orders eight vodka shots on a tray since he has noticed the other hanging around looking bored. He walks over to them and gives them one shot each. As Maurices bites his shot in two pieces a short argument arrises between him and Yurev on how to drink vodka shots adn yurev ends it with ''I buy drinks. I decide how to drink.'' and finishes the last shot by himself since that french guy doesn't seem to know how to drink.

A guy from the personell appears and says that they can come in and meet Vincent and leads them into a corridor. Yurev and Erik follows Sandra. Yurev wants to tell him that his maths sucks. Erik is hesitant to meet one of his customers like this but Yurev pushes him after Sandra. Maurice at first wants to leave but there's a mob of drunken people in his way and before he knows it he on the inside of the door to the corridor that leads to Vincent Warmer the Rock Star. As they walk down the corridor they see a door with a star on it and then suddenly two doors with stars on them. A moment ago it was only one door. Sandra decides she can talk to Vincent some other day and that she has had enough of these weird things. erik that was hesitant from the beginning feels the same way and floolws Sandra back while Maurice and Yurev enters one of the doors. Yurev wants to see what the drop-out is like these days and Maurice finds this as a way away from the loudness and unruly mob in the hall.

Maurice and Yurev gets showed into a room with loads of rock parafernalia and in the middle of it Vincent ready to sign some stuff. Yurev reminds Vincent of the course in discrete mathematics but Vincent disagrees on it being ''discrete''. As Maurice looks disoriented and like he wants to leave Vincent tells him to not be so shy, grabs a poster and signs it for him. Vincent states that the students will find it very cool if Yurev has a signed poster on his office and signs one of the small posters for him as well.

Yurev looks at the poster that consists of several smaller pictures. Among the things there are black widow spiders with their characteristic hour glass markings in red on the bellies, a strange man that bears uncomfortable resemblence to The Curator at the exhibit in Mad City holding Vincent (in stage outfit) in a lead, toys, something looking like a old times asylum. The tour is named ''The Nightmare Returns''. The itenary holds several places, Linköping among them. ''Rock On'' Yurev says, Vincent laughs and they leave.

Maurice leaves and takes the bus back to the city centrum to find the door again. He walks to the cathedral and enters the door again and walks down the corridor. Sandra returns to the office to try to catch up with the rest of the stage design now that her computer lost the last two months of work for her. As a collegue arrives later on the saturday he finds a letter for Sandra in the mail box although there's no post delivery on saturdays. Surprised he hand Sandra a hand written letter. It's a note from Vincent that he really liked her design work and is looking forward to the rest. Later when her boss arrives and of course is upset about Sandra doing the design in the wrong way and maybe making the whole firm be ashamed she just holds up the note in front of his nose and watch him fall silent. He suggests that they shall have a meeting about the rest of the design but Sandra desperately states that she has no time for that since she has so much to catch up with. Her boss is busy as well and walks away as Sandra dives into her work and outs on some aggressive hard rock in her headphones.

The Rock Show, DRYH c3s4b

Erik ponders whether that person he met, Sandra, could help him and his father to make the necessary changes to the hotel lobby to keep unwanted people out or at least give a good warning. Erik's father is most worried about the more unruly elements of the city like drunken students while Erik feels that the police is a bigger problem. That Sandra worked with design as far as he understood it.

Yurev works until some time around midnight where he realise that he doesn't have that much stimulantia that he really feels safe from sleep. He avoids the culverts and walks across the area between the buildings of the university. The university has some kind of arts budget they have to spend every year wich renders some new more or less nice looking things in a park in the other end of the university. There's everything from a distorted girl to iron beams to a weird chtulhuiod yellow something. As Yurev walks over the edge of the slope from the lower end of the university to the upper end he suddenly, between A building and C building, sees that weird yellow statue. The first thought is of another stupid freshman prank but it moves and not like it it was sitting on some kind of cart but rather as if it was moving by itself in an as unearthly way as it's unearthly looks. As Yurev tries to understand what he sees it enters a door at approximately the same spot as where Yurev entered Mad City but it's not the same door. Yureev decides that he doesn't need his bike to get to town tonight and instead walks all the way down through the university area to a bus stop and takes one of the last night buses into town, to Travel Center close to Park Hotel where Erik works.

In the meantime Maurice has decided that he has to solve this door business on his own. When he arrives at the cathedral he takes three memorial candles and leave some money, fetches some matches and then he heads for the door and enters it.

Yurev crosses the road to Park Hotel and immediately finds Erik in the lobby. They greet each other and Yurev buys some speed. As they chit-chat Yurev warns Erik for the university area. It seems to have some connections to Mad City. They also mention Maurice and his door and agree that a plan is a good thing. Erik isn't that hot on returning to Mad City but Yurev is more neutral as he sees having monsters at the university area is a problem. Besides eating students or maybe non-students lured there by false university applications the monsters are slowly eating Fermat's Great Theorem. As Yurev mentions this Erik becomes slightly reserved though and they end their conversation. Yurev leaves a ticket to Late Summer-X for Erik and leaves. To Erik's surprise the main attraction at Late Summer-X is Vincent Warmer, one of his customers, the rock star. Erik then returns to watching the TV.

Yurev looks up where White is located and finds out that it's at Trädgårdstorget and that it's on the way to the bus that goes to his home in Ryd. He decides to pay her a visit. She seems to be the kind of person that works and stays up and probably is found at work when it's not later than some time after midnight.

Sandra has had several hours of work without being disturbed when the door bell rings a gain and she walks over to the office door to answer the intercom at the outer door at street level. Yurev answers with a straight on ''Hi, it's me Yurev. Do you want to go to a party tomorrow?''. Sandra asks him if he is sure that he has come to the right person. As he seems quite sure on that she asks him what party it is and then tells him that she already has a ticket to Late Sumer-X (after all, she is a student) and hangs up. ''See you there!'' Yurev says and leaves. Sandra returns to work. It seems like she actaully is gonna make it and mange to do all the design for the small part of the set Vincent Warmer is gonna use tomorrow night. It's gonna be way harder though to manage to finish the rest of the stage set before the tour starts after that mysterious file disappearance though. Later the next day she is finished. She feels like she has understood the rock star who ordered the whole thing and noone of her bosses will have the time to inspect or criticise her work. Something good in all the stress. Sandra sees to that the drawings and instructions are fetched by the rock star's people and then goes home to have a shower and food. She had decided to go to Late Summer-X already before Yurev came around and for amoment she thinks of relaxing a while until it's time to get to the university but instead she decides to go back to work for a few hours. Then she's definitely gonna see what the rock star's personel has done with her design.

During the day Erik has decided to go to Late Summer-X. The students are good customers for some stimulantia and it would be a good opportunity to uphold and broaden his network at the same time as there's a party to participate in. He's not gonna sell anything though, only work his network.

Yurev is going to Late Summer-X as well but he's there for the party. Out of a hunch he also checks Sandra's grades and finds out that they're good.

    It is only Sandra who actively watches the whole show and she finds out that they have almost to 100% followed her design. There are some slight changes made and something that couldn't be done the right way on short notice but still, it semms her design was appreciated. The show is centered around a young adult's room in his apartment. Vincent Warmer plays the role of the man through the songs and his actions on the stage. The stage show, which is a part of the coming full stage show, begins with a song about a boy or a man or a boy or a man or a lunatic. It seems that the man is longing back to some point in his youth where everything was simplier and also before some traumatic accident of some kind. The man is having terrifying nightmares, among other things there live monsters under his bed that apparently ate his cat (and only left an ear, a paw and a tail). It's almost like it could have been for real or maybe it's only the man's nightmares. It's hard to tell and kind of creepy. Erik can't avoid noticing that the phrase about the monsters eating the cat is the same phrase as Vincent were humming when he waited to buy some stuff the night when the police arrived and they both fled to Mad City. To Yurev it's kind of creepy that the monsters living under the bed are spider-like, maybe some kind of black widows bent on world dominion or the like. It do associate to the strange partly spider-like monsters Yurev met in the university culverts. The show ends with the man becoming crazy and placed in an old-fashioned asylum where the last song takes place. The song tells about how his parents don't want to take care of him, how the doctors wanna examine him, electro shocks and other things. The crazy young man sits in his cell with his favourite harmless toys (as a rubber bat and ball) and during night strange things come crawling under the door and the toys come alive. The whole concert ends with spooky ''I see them! Don't you see them?!? Hm, that's odd, d, d, d''. Sandra is satisfied that her work was used and that she als realises where the food for the latest bad trip came from. Apparently from working with this crazy stage show too much.

The door must be closed I say! DRYH c3s4a

Yurev stays at work to try to figure out some of the rest of Format's Great Theorem. Sandra works her ass off to finish the part of the stage set up that shall be used tomorrow (although her work for some weird reason has been set back several months by disappearing file data). Erik works or at least is at work at his father's hotel. Maurice on the other hand is drawing up plans for retrieving the key to the door in the cathedral and preparing himself by gathering a few tools beforehand. In his wardrobe he finds a jacket and trousers that might fit Sandra to make her fit better among the other people in Mad City. He completes the outfit with a hat. Maurice puts his tools for retrieving the key in a woven bag: flashlight (has been to use last time), hammer (always useful), small bottle of cognac (not full) i a plate package, 2 garlics (they were there in the kitchen and Maurice uses garlic most often, might come in handy), army water bottle (from the first big war), Mad City bond paper, bag of Mad City coins and the local telephone directory (Maurice don't trust those new things like cell phones or Internet). Then he heads for Trädgårdstorget and Whites. Since it's evening the gate is closed (going to apartments as well as White's office).

Maurice uses the intercom to call White's office. On the top floor Sandra annoyed walks to the intercom to answer, ''White''. ''Is it you? It's me, Maurice. Let me in.'' Sandra hangs up and returns to work. Maurice waits a little but the door doesn't unlock so he calls again ''There were an error, the door didn't unlock''. ''Who are you?'' Sandra asks harshly. ''It's me, Maurice'', Maurice declaration is met by a ''I don't know any Maurice''. ''No, of course we don't know each other, that takes a longer time but we have have met quite intensely lately'' Maurice answers and follows up with ''I have clothes for you as well''. Sandra tells him that she is busy and can't help him closes whatever door it is he's talking about. As she tries to get out of the conversation somebody calls her on videochat and she hangs up on Maurice once more.It's her boss that wants to check that everything is going OK and also has some useless tips and changes she shall use. Maurice gives up on Sandra and heads for Park hotel instead.

As Maurice arrives at the hotel he finds Erik as expected in the lobby although he think the hotels has become worse than when he was young. Erik greets him in a reserved way. He is a customer after all but still, those things that happened and that crazy french guy...

''We must do something about it!'' Maurice says. ''Do something about what?!?'' Erik asks him. ''The door'' Maurcie answers with his french accent ''The door in the cathedral is still open! Wide open!''. Erik looks at the strange man and ask him why he would be interested in a door in a cathedral. ''If we can go in there they can come out there and that's very bad'' Maurice answers without really answer anything. ''Don't you see that?!?''. Erik points out that there apparently goes a train between Mad City and Linköping so why can't they take the train? And if he's so eager to close the door, why don't he just go and close the door? Upset Maurice explains that the key to the door is on the inside and that he needs help to find the key. Erik don't want to go there again now that he escaped from there and firmly say ''no thanks''. Erik offers him ''goods'' if needs more of that otherwise he will have to find somebody else. Erik has him to leave. Maurice crosses the street to The Travel Center and takes a bus to the university.

After some confusement at the university involving Maurice, a few students and a collegue to Yurev Maurice manage to find Yurev at his office. Apparently the ''russian that deals with maths'' isn't a specific enough descirption to find Yurev spot on. Yurev invites him to his office and arranges for some tea for both of them. Maurice pours some cognac in their tea. Maurice explains that he's worried abut the open door and that he has to find the key to lock. Yurev suggests that he should contact a locks smith and have him to switch locks. If not possible he could remove the door and put a new door with a new look there. If he can't remove the door he can destroy it. A sledgehammer can solve a lot of problems. Yurev is a little reserved when he realises that Maurice isn't sure on where the key is except than it is in Mad City and don't really have a plan for finding it. Maurice is sure though that the corridor goes to the museum and The Curator seems to be communicatable man. Yurev says that he as well has a lot of work to do and can't really agree on that it went well the last time and thinks there's a need for a plan. Yurev uses his listening-to-complaining-students-face and retreats to other thoughts while Maurice go on about the importance of closing the door and how bad other maintanence staff do their work and other things. Yurev won't follow on any wild goose chase and tells Maurice to think it over again and come up with a plan. ''Besides that'' he says ''we need to rest a little. Here, have a ticket to Late Summer-X''. Yurev gives Maurice one of the tickets. Maurice leaves after having disconnected Yurev's telephone receiver, asked if he can borrow it and put it in his bag. Yurev helps him out from the offices and fetch a phone receiver from another office and connects it to his phone.

Phew, Linköping again, DRYH c3s3c

Suddenly the train blows the whistle and soon after starts to brake and slow down (making a lot of noise) and the train pulls in on a small almost never used station in southern Linköping near Tannefors. Hurrying they jump off the train before they miss the opportunity. As the train pulls away again they see that the train is made for older narrower rail sets. In some way the more modern wider rail sets at the station narrows where the train are and then widens again behind it. Once again, weird.

Sandra desperately looks around her to find one of the newpaper stands that the local bus and train company pays for. She grabs one of the free papers and look at the date. It's the day after they ended up in Mad City, shortly after 8 AM, about the time they ought to be at work (for those who work at daytime). Yurev calls his mentor and tells him that he has had a rough night and needs to stay home and will be at his office tomorrow again.  Sandra says ''Hi'' and leaves to get to work as soon as possible. Maurice joins her since they are going approximately the same way. Yurev Leaves to get home and Erik is ambivalent, he ought to go to work tonight on the other the police might be watching the place and searching for him. Still he has his side business to think of and to meet those customers he need to be at the reception at his father's hotel.

Yurev takes a long walk homewards to clear his mind and gather his thoughts. Sandra and Maurice go separate ways in the inner city of Linköping. Maurice walks home and leaves the coin bags he has with him from Mad City and then walks to his work at the cathedral. Sandra goes directly to work. Erik decides to visit his father to check the state of the searching of the hotel and if they're looking for him.

At White there's some commotion. The first question Sandra gets when arriving is wether she were at the office anything this night.Apparently there were a breakin at the office this night. Sandra tries to play unknowing. Everybody thinks it's strange since it seems that noone has stolen anything, for example all the expensive computers are still at the office. The current theory is that the thieves heard the guard company arrive and fled before they arrived. The large open office space where there last night appearred the whole stage set that Sandra's working with is looking normal again. The only trace of anything happening is the kicked-in office door.

Sandra sits down to work since she has lots of work to do to finish the stage set before deadline and it's also her thesis work and the work that will bring her her first spotlight moment, a jumpstart for her career. As she opens the file it is empty although the file application showed a size of gigabytes as expected. Sandra looks at it in shock but with relief she realise that there's an automatic hourly back up. She retrieves the latest backed up version of the document. The computer works for a while and sadnra grabs a cup of coffee. When she gets back she has another file of several gigabytes that's empty. Sandra sighs and calls the ever-so-comptent-or-not IT firm they have a support contract with. They promise to come over and have a look at it. As he puts it ''It probably just has to be retrieved from the back up''. Since White is quite a big customer they're soon there (meanwhile Sandra is having some more coffee). A technician arrives and promptly sits down by her computer and retrieves the same back up as sandra already has retrieved earlier. ''That's it'' he says and stands up to leave. ''Sandra stops him ''Just wait a minute'' and opens the file - empty. ''That has no meaning to me'' the technician says in an attempt to get away. ''Means?!?'' Sandra says ''It's empty!''. ''You mean it's the wrong content?'' he asks. ''No. I mean that it's empty.'' Sandra tells him annoyed as she is. The technician doesn't understand what she means with empty. To him there seems to be a lot of loose phrases from obviously a lot fo places. ''You haven't happened to cut-and-paste a little wrongly?'' he suggests. As Sandra has him to read some of the phrases she realises that he sees something in the file while she doesn't and to him it's just loose meaningless phrases.

Sandra tells him that this is totally wrong. He tries to calm her by telling her that they wil just use the second newest version of the back up. Sandra has another cup of coffee meanwhile. ''Ok, now it's restored'' he says ''By the way, I fixed your mail as well''. Sandra stops him from leaving and looks at her mail and miss like the last three weeks of mail. She tells him that she miss mail and asks why he had to touch at all. ''But it didn't work as supposed anyway'' he answers. ''I want the mail I had. I need that for my work'' Sandra says and has a hard time to not yell at him. Ok I'll fix that. You go and have a cup of coffee in the meantime. When Sandra returns and once more stop him from quickly leaving there's more than three weeks of mail missing. The IT guy looks nervous and promises that a collegue of his that knows e-mail in and out shall be here before lunch. Sandra sighs but realises that this is as best as it gets right now and sits down to try to get something done. Before doing that she has to tell her mentor and boss how the IT guy not fixed averything and had to break her mail. 

Well before lunch the other IT guy arrives and ''just needs to borrow her computer for a few minutes to fix it''. After a while she hears a ''The mail's fixed'' followed by a clonk from the door. Sandra runs after but doesn't manage to catch him. She returns to her computer. The latest four to five weeks of mail is missing. Very upset Sandra calls the IT firm and have them to call the second IT guy and have him to return.

Maurice goes home and leave the coins and his bond paper. He also replaces his watch with his extra watch, not as good but still reliable. Then he goes to the cathedral and start working. While there he ofcourse checks the smal door under the preacher's pulpit. It's closed but unforutanately still unlocked. Maurice moves some stacks of chairs in front of the door. That way nobody, hopefully, notices the door and if somebody tries to enter the church again there will be noise. He has to find the key and lock the door for good. After that he starts to do the cleaning and meanwhile he carefully looks for eventually disappeared things. Later that day, coming for preparations for today's service, the bishop and two priests arrive. As they walk through the cathedral to the back room they finish a discussion on some rock star. One of the priests are very upset and almost go as far to say that it's The Devil's music while the bishop is quite calm and tells him to relax and that it's just a show. Kids always loves what their parents hate and thereby rock stars do what they do to appeal the kids. Nothing to worry about, just cool down.

Erik arrives to his father's place and his father is relieved to see that everything's OK with Erik although he asks where Erik was during the commotion and why it was possible for the drug dealer to try to pose as portier. The police has been silent regarding what exactly happened but they suspected that drug dealings were done in the lobby of the hotel and did a razzia. During this the drug dealer tried to pose as portier and the were some kind of commotion, maybe even a fight, and the pusher managed to get away and disappear among all the people going to and from the train station. Eriks agrees on that it is kind of messy and noisy around the hotel during certain nights. Erik tells his father that there had been surprisingly much commotion this night and that some joker had been banging on the windows and that he had run outside to try to catch the guy. Apparently this happened meanwhile. To his father Erik suggest that they get some camera outside and maybe a locked lobby or a gate at the border of the garden around the hotel. The police, according to Erik's father, will be continuing their hunt elsewhere as it seems very stupid if the pusher should reappear at the same place where he almost got arrested. When he leaves he tells his father to call him if the police wants to talk to him - so he can prepare himself and think of there's anything special he wants to tell them.

Yurev strolls around the city waiting for the shops to open. He's gonna search the pawn shops and antiquarians to find a mechanical watch as they seem more reliable when strange things happen. He finds and buy one but it do hurt a little. As Yurev passes by one of the rain water holes down to the gutters he hear a ''pftui'' as something big were spitting and a piece of a formula comes flying up and lands on the street and starts to roll down the quite steep main street. Yurev thinks it's part of Fermat's Great Theorem and starts to follow it to catch it before it falls into the stream at the end of the street. Luckily for Yurev the piece hits a tree at the end of the street, bounces of that to the side and stops against a building's wall. Yurev picks it up quickly and cleans it as a bypasser looks strangely at him. Yurev ignores her. She doesn't understands anyway. He then goes to the cathedral although he only has found one mechanical watch and gives it to Maurice as a replacement watch for the one Maurice sold to get them all money. Since he's there Maurice gets them some coffe and they sit down but don't really dare to talk about what has happened since other people arre around. Maurice has a theory that it's the germans. They have been trying to conquer France the whole last centuary and hasn't stopped. There were rumours about the nazis and occultism during the second big war. It must be them germans again. Yurev doesn't say anythng on this since he's less usre about why this is happening.

The second IT guy arrives at White and actually manage to fix Sandra's e-mail although for a while there is yet another week of mail gone. With the clarity of the one knowing better the other one he tells Sandra that she shall not configure her mail client for POP. Sandra almost explodes again and tells him that it's not she who has configured the damn thing. It's they who has done that. The computer has worked until the first guy arrived today and fucked it up. The second IT guy leaves and speaks to the office boss about something. Shortly Sandfra hears her boss' upset voice: ''Invoice!?! If I get an invoice for this I'm gonna personally return that to you administration department. You tell your chief that!''

Maurice has decided that he has to gather the others and try to get this door thing solved soon. After all they are the only ones understanding at least a few things about this. Yurev gets a new SIM card and a new smartphone but he has to get a slightly simpler one since he has spent some money lately.

Yurev takes the bus to campus and his work althoug he avoids the culverts, A building and the open space outside A building. At the university web site and posters at campus Yurev sees notices that there's still tickets left for Late Summer-X, a special extra Summer-X especially for the returning Vincent Warmer who will do part of his show as the main consert at the event. Vincent Warmer did study at the university shortly before switching to the rock star career. Yurev actually had him on a maths course, to Yurev he's known as ''The Drop-out'', noone has failed so completely ever at a maths course. Still, could be interesting to see. He do play some kind of hard rock although it is kind of whimpy hard rock according to Yurev. Vincent do some kind of horror show but Yurev can't really believe that that stoopid can perform something scary at all. Still, could be interesting, Yurev gets four tickets. Then Yurev goes to the department where the textile teachers reside to try to get one of them to make him a 1930's costume to better blend in when he continues his hunt for the rests of Fermat's Great Theorem and stop the monsters from destroying it. He actually manage to interest one of them to do, partly by giving her a ticket to Late Summer-X.

Yurev's player gathers his 3 Discipline dice and the game master rolls 1 Pain dice. Noone rolls any successes so Yurev wins and Discipline is dominating. Game master uses the two markers for Despair and removes Yurev's player's sixes and then it is an even cut between Pain and Discipline. The player and game master rolls a die each to solve wich should be dominating. After two rolls it is decided that Discipline is dominating. Yurev is in such good condition htat y
the player can't use any of the bonus when Discipline is dominating. The textile teacher is convinced.

Yurev thanks her and returns to get a new ticket to Late Summer-X. He then goes to his office to type the formula into his computer to get a back up copy of it. He also creates a copy on his USB disk and on his personal Google sites wiki page. As he sits there he hear a silent yelp from the cellar. The yelp is cut of with a silent thump againt the floor, the ceiling of the cellar. Yurev finishes it and leaves a soon as possible.

Erik returns to his job in good time to check that it seems OK and to be there when the rock star arrives to buy some ''stuff''. Vincent is soon there and the dealing is quickly done. As he hands over the ''stuff'' Erik asks Vincent what kind of place it was. Vincent looks perplex. Erik tries to explain and refers to when he SMS:ed Vincent. ''Aha'' Vincent says ''You mean when you had your bad trip the other night?'' Erik drops the matter and the rock star leaves.

Erik's player uses one marker of Hope to remove on check on Exhaustion and Maurice's player uses the other one to remove a check on Exhaustion as well.