POP 17: The Tower

The Tower is the eighteenth episode of Eidolon POP and the thirty-sixth episode of Eidolon Playtest Season 1. It covers the events from Quentin Brooks' past, as he and his classmates become servants of, then seek to undermine, The Estate.

Summary
Rather than open with a summary the events of the previous episode, as Luke Varner usually does, he expresses mock confusion about the fact that there were no events previously. After a few lines in this vein, he announces that it is "flashback time".

After the theme music, Luke Varner then proceeds to explain how this episode will be structured. Each player has been assigned a character in the flashback group, with Tyberius Wilson playing a younger version of his character, Quentin Brooks. Luke Varner has provided everyone with a small bio, their Eidolon, and will provide details of each level up they do throughout the session. The episode is structured as a series of vignettes. Each character will level up between the vignettes as time progresses.

As the episode proper begins, Luke Varner asks Ursula when she thinks it all went wrong. Ursula says there are many possible answers - when they got caught, when they accepted the job, when they chose their course. The actual answer, she says, is when everyone trusted Henry and thought he was a friend.

At this point, everyone's characters are announced. Fabby Garza is playing Ursula Bexar. Fabby Garza jokingly dismisses any similarities between that name and her main character, Ursa. As mentioned, Tyberius Wilson is playing Quentin Brooks. Zoe Tunnell is playing Caroline Rose. Mike Painter is playing Ron Moreau. Luke Varner similarly jokingly dismisses any similarity between Ron Moreau and Ronnui. Crystal Zaslavchik is playing Cactus Jack, who will be introduced later.

Finally, Luke Varner mentions that in each vignette, some characters will have hidden agendas they must fulfill in order to maintain continuity.

Scene 1 (00:04:37)
This scene opens on April, 2004 at the Joseph University of North Gibsonburg. Ron, Caroline, Ursula, and Quentin are in the same study group for an Algebra class. The group's fifth member, Henry, has been acting oddly the past few weeks. While previously extroverted and charismatic, recently he has been withdrawn and skipping class and study groups. However, this morning he sent a text to the group to meet him outside his dorm, saying it was really important.

Everyone catches up with him at a picnic table. They exchange pleasantries, and Henry apologises for his recent weirdness. He offers to show them something that will take the rest of their day, but he thinks they will like it. After countering any objections, Henry pulls out an old-style telephone from his bag. He places it on the table, picks it up, and orders a limo for five. Ursula and Caroline share a look of concern. Quentin places a reassuring hand on Henry's shoulder, asking if everything is ok.

At this point, the sky darkens and the nearby dormitory melts to reveal a limo. A pale man steps out of the driver's seat and welcomes everyone in. Caroline and Ursula express reluctance at how weird everything has become, but Henry asks everyone to trust him and offers to write a few of Caroline's soon-due essays. As everyone enters the limo, Henry explains that he had a successful job interview and is bringing them all as guests to a company party (and there is free alcohol).

The limo arrives by a massive brass fountain, outside a gargantuan mansion. Henry ushers everyone inside, dodging all questions about what exactly is happening. Servants open the door as everyone enters into a room with countless butlers and maids bowing to greet them. Past the servants is a banquet hall, seating a large number of older men and women. Henry heads to an open seat and instructs everyone to sit near the door. He promises everything will be "less formal" soon after some speeches.

Quentin queries a nearby waitress and asks her what working here is like. The waitress responds in a flat tone that it is profoundly fulfilling. This unnerves the study group, with Caroline and Ursula readying access to their pepper spray and brass knuckles respectively.

A large portly man and a petite woman arrive at the head of the table. The man greets everyone and announces it is the inauguration of the young Master Henry. He introduces himself as Baracchiel-Zita, the head butler of the Estate. He is announcing his retirement, that he will soon 'sublimate into the psychic rivers of The Undertow'. Joanna, the petite woman who followed him, is named as his successor, effective immediately.

After Baracchiel-Zita's speech concludes, Joanna takes the turn to introduce herself. She reassures the servants that being their boss does not negate their friendship. Joanna then conducts the inauguration of Henry as Master, using his full name for the first time: Henry Vladimir Dracula. She asks him if he has his hand-selected servants, and he gestures towards Caroline, Ursula, Ron, and Quentin. Everyone bar Quentin responds with concern, with the new Master asking them to go along with it.

Henry excuses himself, and takes the group to a nearby drawing room. The moment they are inside the room and out of sight, Ron grabs Henry and slams him against the wall, demanding to know what is going on. Henry explains that The Estate is a mirror of reality, where changes here ripple back to the world. Everyone at the banquet table were Masters, those with the authority to make those changes. His servants would be those helping him in this task. All the current Masters are "shitty rich old people", and Henry wants to change that.

Ron counters that this argument is essentially 'change the system from the inside', which historically has been ineffectual. Caroline expresses skepticism over the reality-changing claims. To provide proof, Henry pulls out his Blackberry phone and shows her that her blue dormitory room doors were actually red up until a week before. He explains that this was a relatively safe minor change, that there is a system for approving changes, and that major changes go to a vote of all Masters. With his servants help, Henry suggests there may be a way to not follow these rules. This convinces Quentin and Ursula.

When Ron presses for further details, Henry explains that he doesn't know the specifics, but changing rooms in The Estate allows them to rewrite moments in time. After expressing ethical concerns, Ron is finally also convinced by the argument that the current Masters are already acting unethically. After settling the matter, Henry declares its time to obtain their Eidolons.

Joanna directs everyone to the Eidolon ceremony, taking Henry to his own room. He is given a deck of tarot cards and is told to head in alone. Joanna and Henry's new servants introduce themselves to each other. She summons two servants, who lay out a table with four wine glasses to prepare for Henry's return. A few moments later, Henry steps out and reveals his chosen tarot card as The World. Joanna gives him a small knife and he uses it to squeeze his now glowing-orange blood into the wine glasses. Henry reassures everyone that by drinking his blood, they'll get superpowers.

Ursula is first to drink the blood, and her Eidolon Pink Bullets emerges. It is a mini-version of Ursula as a bear girl that can turn into a teddy bear, with a pink aura that shifts shapes between various weapons. Next is Quentin, then Caroline, then Ron. Caroline gains Roses, a feminine figure covered in roses. Quentin gains The Love Below, a big spider. Ron gains Feel Good Inc, a revolver engraved with its name that can turn emotions into bullets.

Joanna says these Eidolons will serve them well, and there will be plenty of work to do tomorrow. For now, there is plenty of food back in the banquet hall.

Before the scene ends, Luke Varner pauses for some players to create ties. Quentin states that Ron is 'a real jerk' and that there may be something between Caroline and Henry. Ursula declares that Carly (Caroline) is the closest thing she has to a friend, and that Quentin is too eager.

Scene 2 (00:45:59)
A few weeks later, in the middle of the night, Henry Dracula and his servants are walking through a hallway of The Estate. Though none of them have been back to school since they got here, they have been using the rooms in The Estate to retroactively make all their missed assignments successful. Despite Dracula's claims that they'd be helping him directly, they have had to do servant work around The Estate (e.g. cleaning). Despite that, they've managed to do some recon work and located a key room in one of the other Masters' history. If they clean this room, he won't have become a Master in the first place.

Dracula attempts to enter the room, but finds it locked. Ursula is able to pick the lock and enter, accidentally disturbing Cactus Jack who is hiding in the grandfather clock. In the middle of the room is a small child, around five years old, surrounded by ornate furniture. Cactus Jack introduces himself to the intruders, and asks who they are. Dracula asks if he is from the Zoo, and it turns out he is.

Ursula attempts to explain that they're here to do something in the room, to which Cactus Jack interjects that this is his home and should be given the chance to consent. The child, Ursula explains, is one of the people who imprisoned Cactus Jack and run The Estate, and they want to stop that. There is a debate about whether the child, Bradley Attenborough, is actually a person or merely a shadow memory. Cactus Jack jumps on the child and admonishes him for being one of his jailers. The child complains that it hurts, and he doesn't know anything.

Growing impatient, Ron Moreau shoots the kid in the head. Cactus Jack and Caroline are shocked, Ursula says she was about to do the same. The dead child bleeds a weird oily substance and begins to deflate. Ron tells everyone to leave, and invites Cactus Jack to join them. Cactus Jack accepts, and offers use of his ability to tunnel places via corrosive mold. Dracula questions why his name is Cactus Jack, to which he explains he is from the state of Arizona in The Undertow.

Cactus Jack rallies everyone with a call to kill the rest of the Masters. Caroline unsubtly digs at Dracula over this, given he is also a Master. Dracula explains exasperatedly that he is only a Master so he can kill the others, to which Caroline insists this may come back to bite him. Everyone leaves.

On scene end, players form ties. Cactus Jack finds Ron a real sharp-shooter, and Ursula lacks confidence. Ron says he's absolutely had it with Henry's shit, and Caroline is the person he trusts most here. Caroline believes Henry is making this up as he goes along, and that Quentin desperately wants to be liked.

Scene 3 (00:57:54)
Yet several weeks later, the group has slowly been picking off Masters. Caution is needed, as there would be immediate big trouble if any other Master realised what they were up to. As their numbers shrink, this need for slow caution grows.

One week, Dracula summons his servants to his penthouse. The penthouse is much fancier than the servants quarters, and has a view of the ocean despite none being nearby. This disparity bothers Ron, Caroline, Ursula, and Cactus Jack. Quentin defends Dracula, claiming he needs to keep up appearances.

Dracula explains to Cactus Jack that he became a Master to double-cross all the other Masters. Cactus Jack challenges Dracula over the state of the Zoo and how his plan ends with him as the sole Master. Ursula attempts to reassure Cactus Jack that they will handle the Zoo soon, but he doesn't think that's soon enough.

Dracula acknowledges all the troubles everyone has been facing, and says he's been doing some research into ways to speed things up, and that's why he's summoned everyone here today. He found some books in the library, and is now a wizard (though this is unimportant). What is important is he found a way to summon something The Estate is afraid of. An old goddess. Ursula consents to this plan, to which Dracula reveals he had already gone and summoned Lady Luck. This sends a ripple of dismay through his servants, with Quentin jumping in to defend him yet again. Ron and Caroline plead Quentin to have a spine, to which he spinelessly agrees.

A woman with beautiful blonde hair and a sparkling red evening gown is suddenly reclining on a nearby grand piano. She says Henry explained the situation, and she's on board with any plan that undermines The Estate. Cactus Jack wishes he had Luck on his side during his saloon poker days, which is apparently how he got imprisoned. Lady Luck vanishes with a request for them to call when its time to get to work. Ursula collapses in Henry's bed, expressing doubt over the plan. After everyone pressures Ursula into re-committing, Dracula announces they have another shadow-child of a Master lined up to kill tonight.

Off to the side, Ron pressures Quentin for his opinion on the situation. Quentin offers mild criticism of Dracula's lack of consultation with them, albeit couched in language about how a leader needs to take charge. Caroline and Ron offer wider, hasher complaints over Dracula's lack of consideration towards them. Quentin attempts to defend Dracula, when everyone is interrupted by a knock on the door. Joanna is here with Dracula's nightly ice cream sundae. Tonight it is vanilla bean.

Dracula dismisses Joanna, then complains he would have rather had a strawberry sundae and offers the vanilla bean to anyone who wants it. This further fuels Caroline's frustration in the disparity between their existences, informing Dracula that all they have to eat in their quarters is sandwiches. Plain, cheap sandwiches. She further pushes him on why he spends no time with them. He claims this would raise suspicion. When Cactus Jack suggests killing Joanna, Dracula explains she is an Angel and likely immortal. This surprises Caroline and Ron, who state they had never been informed angels were a thing.

Dracula insists they could be learning these things from a training manual, but Caroline pushes back that they never got one and they never see Joanna and have the chance to ask for one. Dracula exasperatedly argues that they are missing the point. He has to balance pretending to be a Master and helping them eliminate the others. Caroline immediately picks up on this wording, reminding him that it is they who are helping him with this plan. We're all helping each other, Dracula retorts.

As the scene ends, ties get updated. Ron states that Henry is already in the process of betraying them. Quentin states that if Caroline thinks something is up, then maybe something is, and that Ron respects his opinion. Ursula adds one for Cactus Jack, saying he has been through a lot. She also updates the tie with Caroline, saying that she won't tolerate this place for much longer. Cactus Jack asserts that Henry doesn't care about Shades, Caroline is the only one with her head on straight, and Quentin has no spine. Lastly, Caroline suggests Henry is being corrupted by power and ice cream.

Scene 4 (1:16:08)
Time jumps ahead again, with things going more smoothly thanks to the aid of Lady Luck. Two Masters per week, rushing towards the concerning state of "Henry is the only Master left". Joanna has been acting more suspicious of everyone, requiring frequent check-ins. This night, Dracula and his servants are targeting Alistair Alexey, an Oil CEO. Caroline is still hesitant over the fact that they're killing what look like children, even though they turn into shadow goop afterwards.

They get inside Alistair's room, and find Michael-Valentine inside.

Appearances

 * Baracchiel-Zita
 * Cactus Jack / Bittersweet Symphony
 * Caroline Rose / Roses
 * Gabriel-Bede / I've Had The Time Of My Life
 * Henry Dracula / Hot Blooded & Bat Out Of Hell
 * Joanna
 * Lady Luck / Poker Face
 * Metatron-Homobonus / 9 To 5
 * Michael-Valentine / The Ballad of Michael Valentine
 * Raphael-Hubert / Hungry Like The Wolf
 * Ron Moreau / Feel Good Inc
 * Satan-Genesius / I Write Sins Not Tragedies
 * Quentin Brooks / The Love Below
 * Selaphiel-Anastasia
 * Stapleton / Life Is A Highway
 * Ursula Bexar / Pink Bullets