Restless Bones

"Pepper....."said the young Buffy [Kammy].

"That's Pepper?" asked the older Buffy [Zeno]. "I thought Redy dusted her."

Two Buffys stood examining the skeleton resting on the steel table. They were in the laboratory of the Wolfram and Hart building.

The younger Buffy covered her nose, "Eh, that smell. We did. I thought we did. "

"Like baked spider..." The older Buffy looked closely at the bones. she pointed, "You can see the fangs."

"Something about this isn't right...."

The older Buffy looked up, "Kaezin told me she might reconstitute... you know like orange juice."

"Reconstitute??"

The older Buffy continued, "She's half demon. The vamp in some ways is easy to kill..."

"But half demon.... not so much" The younger Buffy finished the sentence.

The skeleton twitched then quickly leaped from the table to the marble floor. A ghostly voice croaked, "Hello Ladies"

The young Buffy snapped, "Hey Pepper, you're looking rather boney."

Pepper gave a hoarse laugh.

"I knew you needed to lose weight but I think you took it a little far," continued Buffy.

"Yes, a little slender I will admit. Of course, no heart yet. It takes a while to grow back. So no heart...no fear of stakes."

"Yet assuming you are around long enough for it to grow back."

Pepper laughed. "Oh not to worry about that..."

"And why is that?"

"Because I'm outa here." Pepper bolted for the stairs. Both Buffys hollered as the skeleton disappeared out of the building and into the night.

----

The fog rolled between the gravestone. Somewhere a dog howled.

The two Buffys met on the broken ground near the Wolfram and Hart building.

The younger of the two spoke first, "She got away...."

"She can't get far looking like that...she will have to hide."

"Yeah, especially with all the stray dogs," added young Buffy with a laugh.

The New Sword

"It's a lovely sword," remarked Laken, "and so unique."

"That's a serious looking sword," added Buffy [Zeno]. "What does that symbol at the end mean?"

"Buffy...the other Buffy, thought maybe the pummel was important," said Kaezin.

Buffy and Kaezin had come to the Wicca Adademy hoping to find some answers about the nature of Kaezin's new sword. He had received the weapon in a quest to restore the Chalice of Juturna, the Roman Goddess of Waters and in doing so helped turn back the sea water that had threatened to swallow Sunnydale. It had watered down his beer he said.

"Protection," explained Laken, one of the head witches in the local coven.

"Like a shield of some kind?" asked Buffy

There was a gentle knocking at the door. Redy, the small dragon slipped quietly into the room. Buffy and Kaezin greeted her with smiles.

Laken elaborated, "This sword will protect those who bare it." She then turned and warmly greeted the dragon. "Hello dear one."

"...and it makes a great bottle opener," added Kaezin.

Laken continued, "You're a fortunate demon Kaezin but you earned this gift all the same... a champions sword."

"It's shiny," acknowledged Kaezin

"Caution," warned Laken, "Protection is a neutral thing. The power you wield can be so dangerous in the wrong hands. The sword is yours but not bound to you ..if taken it will serve
that master."

Redy interjected "So it isn`t just a sword?"

"Great," said Kaezin, "So the Mayor may want this added to his collection."

"Yes," replied Laken, "I imagine he would."

Laken again turned to the small dragon. "Tea Redy?" she asked.

Redy looked at the sharp thingy and thought it would be only a toothpick for the older ones of her family. "Tea," she smiled at Laken, "Thank you."

The Abyss (Part Two)

A total of eight players completed the Abyss Quest.
These players are, in order:
1. Kaezin Freng - winner of a Roleplayer + membership
2. Hathor Ronas
3. Merissa Frostbite
4. Spike Warwillow
5. Alanna Vilotta
6. Soara Jewell
7. Redy9 Shepherd
8. Darth Chrome

Congratulations to all who participated!

Sunnydale swallowed by the ocean.

Daring to enter the Hellmouth.

The Guardian.

The end of the quest.

The Chalice of Juturna.

The Abyss

"The consequences of the time rift had began to show its age, the Scoobies thought they’d seen it all. But little did they know what the ‘new future’ holds for them. Ever since the beginning of the spatiotemporal crisis, our heroes had set course for a new journey into a multitude of parallel futures. One of these futures, was on course to hit Sunnydale with an aquatic force. This future belonged to a timeline where Good had lost the war against Evil, every last slayer defeated, and the Earth overrun by Evil itself.

"Many centuries ago, ‘The Guardians’, a pagan stronghold whom kept a close eye on the first Watchers, predicted this fate would one day come. As a desperate measure to defend the future Earth, they’d cursed Sunnydale with a spell that would submerge the city in water, and along with it, the Hellmouth. In order to do this, they had stolen the Chalice of Juturna (Roman Goddess of water), and shattered it, scattering its pieces far from the Hellmouth. However, The Guardians failed to foresee the reality that stands today… every generation living together and breathing the same space."

[from game guidelines by Javelin Somerset]

The new way of getting to class.

Hathor and Xander fighting a demon-ammonite.

[Congratulations to Kaezin Freng and Hathor Ronas the first two players to complete the quest: finding all sixteen pieces, solving the riddles and restoring the broken chalice to wholeness.

Congratulations and thank you to Javelin Somerset who designed and developed this weekend-long puzzle game.]

The Slayer's Scythe (Part Three)

EPILOGUE

Buffy-bot stood quietly in the jail cell, her lost scythe now resting in her right hand. The voice that whispered in her head was silent now, as if it had completed it task and had no further reason to exist.

Officers Freng and Rosenberg had left the station house. The last thing Officer Freng had said was that "the Mayor will be informed." Buffy-bot wasn't sure why but she thought this was important.

The door of the police station hissed open.

"I don't understand this world..."

Buffy-bot looked up at the new voice. It was Glory.

"You have a nice toy and I want this toy..."

"I have found my scythe," announced Buffy-bot.

"..this Scythe in my bedroom. Perfect. Oh you are a robot. Sorry, you don't understand. Humans don't understand me."

Buffy-bot looked at Glory and stated, "You are Glory... you have lost your key."

"Yes Buffy-bot. My thing, it's my KEY. Have you information Buffy-bot?"

"I can't tell you. I must protect Dawn."

"No," replied Glory with a smile, "you must love me....you can tell me all."

The Slayer's Scythe (Part Two)

The sounds of battle filled the abandoned house - electrical discharges from the Tesla maces crackled and the clang of swords and axes.

Buffy-bot wandered calmly from room to room fixated on her task. She stopped and asked the small dragon who stood in the doorway. "Do you have my scythe?"

The dragon replied with a steady stream of crossbow bolts that hit Buffy-bot with series of thuds. Buffy-bot started swinging and didn't stop until the dragon stopped moving.

Buffy-bot kept looking until she suddenly came across it behind the old sofa.

"Oh, there is my scythe," she reported to no one in particular. "I found my scythe."

"Very good," said Officer Freng, "Let's get it back to the station."

Willow [Faith C] tried to argue with Buffy-bot. "It's Buffy Scythe, not yours."

"I must take it somewhere safe. I know.... I will take it to the police station."

"It was somewhere safe." cried Willow, "The police are evil, Buffy-bot. They are tricking you!"

"Office Freng... he is Sunnydale's Finest... he will know what to do," declared Buffy-bot.

"They are not the good guys," explained Willow.

"I will go there now," declared Buffy-bot.

"Nuuuuuuu!" cried Redy, the dragon.

"No you won't," said Willow.

----

Buffy-bot had walked some distance from the abandoned house when Willow caught up with her. Willow struck Buffy-bot and Buffy-bot struck her back. Their battle raged across the broken ground of the darkside of Sunnydale. They traded blows wordlessly, evenly matched until the police officers and Scoobies rushed to the scene.

"You are Willow...you are my friend...Willow I have to get my scythe to somewhere safe," Buffy-bot tried to explain.

A crowd had gathered around them - police officers, Buffy's friends, vampires and the dragon. Each one trying to be helpful.

"The Cops, are... not your friends.," said Willow

"Follow me back to the station," said Officer Rosenberg [Bellarata].

"Bring it to the dragon. It will keep it safe," whispered Redy.

Buffy-bot found this very confusing. She looked around and called out, "Spike..?" He would know what to do.

"Yes," answered Spike.

But then the voice that whispered in her head grew louder, and it drowned out all other voices. Buffy-bot turned to the police officer.

"You are Officer Freng... you are Sunnydale's Finest," she declared.

"Yes," replied the police officer, his eyes giving off a red demonic glow, "and you need to come back to the station with me."

"I need to come back to the station with you," Buffy-bot echoed.

"..or hand me the shiny scythe.."

Willow cried out, "No! Don't!"

Buffy-bot raised her arm slowly and she carefully handed the scythe to Officer Freng.

"No Buffy!" screamed Willow.

"Buffy!" said Spike.

"Nuuuuuuu!" cried Redy.

Then Officer Freng did something that Buffy-bot didn't understand at all. Officer Freng threw back his head and laughed.

The Slayer's Scythe (Part One)

Buffy-bot 2.0 marched through the sewer. Her scythe was here somewhere. She knew it. The voice that whispered in her head said it was so.

She turned the corner of and saw something more precious to her than the missing weapon. It was Spike rushing towards her with his Tesla mace ablaze and in his right hand.

"You are Spike...you have washboard abs," she announced.

Spike slowed his approach. "Looking for something Slayer?" he asked. Here was her anchor. He would know what to do.

"Have you seen my scythe Spike?"

"Listen, you have to find the scythe and bring it to me."

"I lost it."

"No, you must find it...find it and bring it to me."

"It's under there," Buffy-bot pointed to the ground.

Spike made a noise then he ran away down the tunnel. Perplexed, Buffy-bot watched him go.

----
Soon she came across several police officers who also looked like they were searching for something.

"I found Spike," she announced. "He will help me find my scythe."

Officer Willow Rosenberg [Bellarata], the soulless vampire, asked, "Do we need Spike?"

"I need him very much," replied Buffy-bot

"It does look like the scythe from the records I hope." remarked Officer Freng, his red demonic eyes flashing in the dim light.

"He will help find my scythe."

"Good," replied Officer Freng. "Now find the scythe."

Buffy-bot thought this was very nice. Everyone she spoke with so far encouraged her to find her scythe. She tried to be helpful, "Maybe Willow knows...she used my scythe and it bleached her hair."

"Yes," commented Officer Rosenberg, " and not a good color for us either."

"I miss Spike," sighed Buffy-bot. "I will find him."

As she wandered off, she heard Officer Freng asked his companions, "Who is monitoring the Scoobies?"

----

The ground near the cemetary was broken and uneven. Buffy-bot saw Spike up ahead in front of an old abandoned house. He was standing side by side with Willow [Faith C] and Xander [Soara]. Behind them stood a small green dragon.

The police officers had the house surrounded but Buffy-bot paid no attention to them. There was only one person she wanted to talk with.

"Hello Spike...I missed you."

"Hello Slayer...bot ...thing."

"You have washboard abs," she remarked.

"Oh please," said Spike.

Willow laughed.

"Oh Spike, oh Spike. I need you Spike," implored Buffy-bot

"Spike don't listen to her," warned Willow.

Redy kicked Spike to wake him up. "Oi!" hollered Spike.

"Will you help me find my scythe?" asked Buffy-bot.

"Spike! It's not Buffy, you know that," said Willow.

"Think I'm falling for this robot?" snapped Spike.

Meanwhile, Officer Freng pointed to Redy the dragon "Do you have a license for that thing?"

Officer Rosenberg interjected, "Sir, I can have animal control on the line in seconds."

While the police prepared for their raid, Buffy-bot walked into the empty house.