Daybreak: Sessions
30-Oct-2009: Devil's Night

Achaiah, Nithual & Meshail
Achaiah, Meshail and Nithual each received separate, simple, invitations. The invitations suggested the demon come to the Java Exchange Cafe at 7am on Thursday, October 29th. The invitations each had on it the demon's celestial name. With caution, the three each arrived at the cafe.

The coffee shop at 6:45am time was nearly deserted--a strange occurrence for a weekday morning--save for the two barristas and a sole patron who appeared to be a hipster in his early 20's. While one employee was busying himself with a textbook, the other was having her time monopolized by the customer. When interrupted by Nithual, the stranger suggested that the biker take a seat. After all, it wasn't quite 7am, yet.

The customer--and, apparently, inviter--seemed surprised only the three arrived. He bore a tray of enough coffees for seven besides himself. Four of the invitees were missing.

The stranger explained that he was Jedediah, a Seraph of the Wind. He needed little introduction beyond that. Most of the city's resident celestials knew him to be the foremost gun-runner in the area. Nithual had slightly more intimate knowledge of the Most Holy; a few years ago, in the hunt for a Renegade, the two celestials had worked together to a satisfactory conclusion. That did not, however, seem to endear either to each other.

Jedediah informed the trio that a cadre--nee, a regiment--of Malakim were on their way to Detroit. The large amount of strange occurrences in Motor City had not escaped the Host's notice, nor had the recent revelations regarding the Krzkrk'N Prophecy. The latter item also had the Seraph's attention.

There was a radical militant Christian organization in Grandmont called The Michigan Citizen who had information Jedediah wanted. Supposedly, in this organization's hand, was part of the codex to Krzkrk'N's writings. For reasons of his own, Jedediah also wanted the organization dismantled. While the codex was only of current importance to Meshail--as the others were still not privy to the knowledge of the prophecy--the secondary objective was in line with the demons' goals. As additional incentive, Jedediah informed the demons that were they to not cooperate, the Malakim would be informed of their home base locations.

The trio decided that using Friday Night--Devil's Night--would be a perfect cover for their operation. It would set Maphiat up as a target for the Blackwings and provide a distractions to any corporeal forces, as well.

Meshail informed Rose of the situation... well, that's not exactly true. Meshail mentioned "Malakim" and Rose decided to take a vacation. This left her radio spot open and the Punisher opted to place his own servant in the vacant spot, to have a "Devil's Night" show that night and rile the populous into either lighting fires of their own or taking action against the night--so long as more people were out on the streets and causing trouble.

Nithual and Achaiah, meanwhile, decided to investigate the building they'd be raiding the next night. It was a well-secured two-store building with many video cameras. It seemed the organization brutally cleaned up the streets and confiscated drugs, weapons and other nefarious miscellany. There was also the rumor of some sort of celestial defense, but the two were not ready to chance giving away their nature at this point, so whatever defense may be in place would have to wait until the operation went into effect.

Hoping to gain access into the building to better investigate, Nithual surprised his drug-dealing associate by haranguing her in the middle of the street, condemning her for the distribution of recreational pharmaceuticals. Alerted to another pusher in the neighborhood, three men began to chase after Achaiah, one drawing a gun. Nithual placed himself in front of the bullet and took a hit to the shoulder. The interruption allowed the Habbalite to escape--though she didn't realize it was Nithual's intervention that saved her as much as it was his fault she was in danger.

The interior of the building was as secure as its exterior, but the likely location of what they sought was not entirely concealed. A large, double-barred metal door was inset in the wall, presumably leading to a basement. Nithual was patched up by the three and mentioned that his gang also sought to get rid of drug-dealers and gun suppliers. He tactfully left out that the end goal was to run the drugs and guns themselves.

While the Impudite completed his limited survey of the organization's interior, Achaiah returned to her bar and vociferously complained that The Michigan Citizen had shut down what looked to be a promising rave. Many patrons were upset and promised to "do something."

The next day seemed abnormally quiet and uneventful as the trio waited until nightfall for their machinations to be put into effect and their caper to begin.

Evening fell and fires could already be seen in nearby areas. Nithual ordered his gang to circle the neighborhood and help ensure the building's safety--at least until they left--and the three demons travelled to the Michigan Citizen, Meshail in his car and Achaiah on the back of Nithual's bike. The three humans the Nithual had dealt with before were dragging three other beaten, bloodied and unconscious humans (likely heroin addicts, based on body type) into the building.

In order to avoid the cameras at the front door, the three demons entered their celestial forms and entered the building. A shield of some sort, however, prevented them from celestially moving into the basement. Nithual positioned himself under the door's security cameras and, after returning to his corporeal form, dismantled the cameras and opened the basement door.

In the basement, the three battered humans were being nailed to crosses on the wall. Nithual and Achaiah set upon the hyper-militant Christians, while Meshail searched through the rows of catalogued weapons, drugs, porn and miscellany for the scroll--the codex. As the battle between demons and humans progressed, small ripples of Disturbance were sent through the Symphony. The ripples were exponentially raised when one of the humans died by demonic hand. The three only hoped that there was enough happening between Malakim and Belial's servitors to mask or muddle their noises. Once the humans were dispatched, Meshail led his allies to a wall safe. Nithual snapped the lock, and the Habbalite of Media retrieved a scroll, black hardcover book and a gold amulet.

As the three exited the building, they were confronted by Jedediah and three figures wearing chain-mail armor and carrying swords--they might as well have had wings and halos and carried banners with Laurence's picture. Jedediah requested the scroll and Meshail obliged only to have the Seraph leave them to their fates with the angels of The Sword. Fortunately, a moment of escape was provided when a firebomb was thrown at the feet of the armored angels, igniting a fight between servants of Fire and The Sword.

Meshail's car was destroyed, as were the tires of Nithual's bike. As was much of Detroit. The rabble-rousing through Meshail's servant had worked almost too well. Fires had been lit throughout Motor City and the total extent of the damage would be unknown for days. Amidst the sound of sirens which echoed through the city, the Taker picked up his bike and returned to the Jingo Hawk's headquarters. Achaiah found her apartment building on fire and the Tether to Drugs under attack; she sought safety in her bar. Meshail's apartment was unharmed and he examined the book liberated from the Michigan Citizen; a book that turned out to be one of the few copies of the Black Bible. The book cover itself had a circular indentation which seemed to be the same size as the amulet. Placing the amulet in the book destroyed the book and freed a powerful Shedite, who quickly vanished into the smoke-filled skies.

Detroit was now, officially, out of the frying pan and into the fire.