This Soulgaze that I described above happened during Session 1 of our Dresden Files Campaign set in Boston: “House of Cards”. The opening story encompassed the first two sessions of that campaign and was just about the best introductory RPG story I have had the pleasure to be involved with. At every turn, the stakes got higher, and just when we thought that we had a solution to one problem, the gamemaster threw another complication at us. By the end, we were juggling three or four plot threads against a hard deadline for each. Well done, and very in the flavor of the Dresden Files. Also, the gamemaster used some of our character generation stories as background bits for this scenario. If you have the slightest interest in checking it out, including a writeup of those sessions, our forum is here:
http://coloradospringsgamers.yuku.com/forums/41/The-Dresden-FilesBut now I will give a more complete answer about why Raz was not in trouble for escaping from prison.
Raz was denied bail before his trial and thrown into prison, which was perhaps reasonable since the rich young man owned his own jet and so was considered a flight risk. He knew that he needed to get free in order to clear his name. But there were also the plots of the powerful fae butler of the Thorne mansion, Myrna. Myrna made some Bargain long ago with one of Raz’s ancestors to guard the mansion and the Thorne family (or at least that is what Raz believes; he does not know the details of this Bargain and that has always made him uneasy). In any case, Myrna had Raz’s lawyer (who just happens to be the demonic benefactor of one of the other characters) slip Raz one of Myrna’s rings during a client meeting. Raz recognized the ring, of course, and planned to use it as a sympathetic connection to stumble his way through the Nevernever to Myrna’s side.
Raz encountered his cellmate Bill as I described in a post above. Bill was no trouble to Raz after a Soulgaze. For one, it revealed to Bill that Raz was not the sort of man to harm his sisters, and for another Bill was terrified of true magic.
Midnight approached, the time when barriers between worlds were weakest. Raz was waiting, having already set up a magic circle using items found in his cell. He knew that he would be missed; he just planned to return to his cell by morning. Just when he was about to open a rift from his cell into the Nevernever, Myrna opened one from the other side. She had homed in on her ring to find Raz’s cell. Myrna was disguised, but Raz recognized her by her actions. Accompanying Myrna in the Nevernever were another fae and Raz’s sisters Ariadne and Hypatia. Myrna’s plan was for Raz to escape with her. To cover for Raz during his absence, Ariadne would stay with the extra fae, glamoured up to appear as Raz. Myrna’s thought was that Ari knew Raz well enough that she could play his part. Raz opposed the idea of leaving his 17 year old sister in prison, but eventually bowed to the logic of the situation. Besides, she had volunteered. But Raz insisted that Bill would not stay in the same cell as Ari. So Raz, Myrna, Hypatia, and Bill departed the cell into the Nevernever, with Raz’s sister Ariadne and the extra fae playing the parts of Raz and Bill, respectively, for as long as it would take.
Bill underwent some brainlock due to the experience of travelling through the Nevernever as his first magical adventure, but he recovered. During the subsequent adventures that night and next morning, Bill was able to adjust pretty well to a world of magic. He hotwired a car for Raz, and acted as a getaway driver. When it was all over, Raz and Bill returned to their cells with nobody the wiser. When Bill was released from prison a few weeks later, Raz hired him as his chauffeur, a job he still holds. Bill is glad that he has a chance to earn an honest living, and despite ogres, faeries, vampires, and pixies, thinks Raz is a pretty decent boss.
