Through Sorcerer's eyes - Oct 24, in which all hell breaks loose and most hell doesn't make it

Part of a series analyzing Roger Zelazny's A Night in the Lonesome October through Sorcerer.

Starts here.

October 24

The wards that Jack and Jill left behind showed that Nightwind, Cheeter, and an unfamiliar, large wolf had come by to take a look. Larry insists that the latter wasn't him, and also tells him that Linda Enderby had left just after hearing about Rastov's death, and later, that the Great Detective has come along to take a look around. Snuff tells him where Lynette is kept, but he says that he will probably have to rescue her very late, to avoid giving the Vicar a chance to find a replacement, or otherwise exact revenge. He feels that he will be heavily involved in this.

He talks to Jack later, and towards the end asks whether his association with Jill, an Opener, so late in the Game wasn't unusual. Jack counters that Snuff and Graymalk seem to be getting along well, too. Jack doesn't think he'll manage to convince her to switch, and denies that he intends to. Snuff has more to say, but the clock strikes one and he can't.

The next day starts with some kind of spell that feels like an intense lightning storm in the house, with thunder, intense electrical flashes, hair standing on end, and strong winds that blow the books about. The Things are all released. Only the slitherers, formerly in the Mirror, are saved, and stored in a bottle of port wine. The other three are killed, the Steamer Trunk one by Snuff, the Wardrobe and Circle ones by Jack. Jill and Graymalk heard the tinkling of a bell and then some kind of dark dome covering the house as this was happening - they are only able to enter when Jack uses the "no-nonsense" rod to break the spell. This is contrasted with the Closing Wand, which is the name of his game tool. We get a bit of detail for Jack's relation to the Knife - since it's not clear who is whose master, it might also indicate a Binding rate of about 0 or +/-1, as with Snuff.

The fact that this intense spell involved extreme weather, particularly lightning, is interesting - seems related to the Thing in the Circle being close to using a puddle caused by excessive rain to escape, Graymalk almost being hit by lightning for possibly upsetting the Elder Gods (or possibly someone more mundane), and the endless thunderstorm around the Good Doctor's farmhouse, whose lightning has something to do with the Big Man/Corpse Man's life. Perhaps the best way to think of whatever happened is a sorcerer helping the demons break their Containments. The closed dome to the outside might be some other demon's, or possibly one of the Contained demons, using Cloak.

To dispose of the bodies, the four of them eventually decided to go with Snuff's idea of tying them up in Owen's wicker baskets, setting them on fire, and running away, a disturbing Halloween prank to fit the season. 

Sorcerers and Demons

• Jack - Binder of Snuff (probably 0 or +/-1), a wand, and a big knife (probably 0 or +/-1), as well as a Container of several Things. Keeps a curse connected to his knife which has him lose control to murderous urges. Has played the Game before, as a Closer.
• "Crazy" Jill - Witch, Binder of Graymalk, and a flying broom. Friendly with Jack, but a Closer.
• Larry Talbot - Possible sorcerer, definite werewolf, Binder of Large Plant. Pledges assistance to Jack, as they are both Closers. Large Plant confers some control over his transformation, but it in itself seems natural to the setting.
• Morris and MacCab - A pair of sorcerers who have both Bound Nightwind. They count separately for the purposes of conversation, although not clearly in terms of the rules of sorcery. They are very new in this endeavor.
• Owen - Druid, Binder of Cheeter (probably -2 or lower), and a sickle. Mistletoe, wicker baskets, and ropes.
• Snuff - a Passer whose Cover is a watchdog. High Will. Possible abilities: Command: dogs, Hold, Perception: heightened senses, Perception: sorcerous implements, Perception: sorcerous pattern, Special Damage: claws and fangs, Special Damage: holy hell. Able to trace paths between sorcerers. Keeps up with who has which tool. Able to communicate with Jack verbally right after midnight. Has played the Game before, as a Closer
• Big Knife with Old Writing on the Sides - an Object demon, manifests as a recurring noise and flashing eyes for the wielder as they lose themselves to slaughter.
• The Closing Wand - possible Object demon, an important Game tool
• Graymalk - a Possessor of a cat. Possible abilities: Cloak, Travel: teleportation. Possible Need/Desire: burying and uncovering things. A Closer.
• Large Plant - a Passer whose cover is a large flowering plant? Possible abilities: Boost: Stamina (werewolf transformation), Boost: Will (retaining faculties), Hint, Perception: Future
• Nightwind - a Passer whose Cover is an owl. Possible abilities: Perception: sorcerous pattern, Special Damage.
• Cheeter - a Passer whose Cover is a squirrel. Possible abilities: Hint, Perception: alignment
• Thing in the Circle - a Passer of high Will (although much weaker than Snuff's), communicative. Possible abilities: Shapeshift: general or numerous. Possible Telltales: smell, unnatural movement. Its Power might express itself through the environment when fighting against Containment. Becomes more powerful as the moon expands. Dead.
• Thing in the Steamer Trunk - High Stamina. Dead.
• Thing in the Wardrobe - High Stamina and Will, communicative. Weaker than Snuff's Will, possibly Stamina. Dead.
• Things in the Mirror - Unknown. Not communicating so far. Able to break out of their mirrors with time. Slither within their confines, change color when excited. Possible abilities: Special Damage: disease, Special Damage: stick, Taint. Now in a half-empty bottle of port.
• The Great Detective and his companion - Very perceptive, good at disguises (although the smell gives it away), not explicitly a player in the Game, but taking a keen interest in what is going on, to the point of moving into the neighborhood in disguise and befriending some of the players, and is on track to know what it's all about. Probably very high Will.

Sorcery and Setting

• Breaking out of Containments - like demonic attacks and the Good Doctor's type of Contact / Summon / Bind - strongly associated with weather effects.
• Loose demons are sometimes easier to kill than to re-Contain.