Our cast:
- Marco McQueen: A Wizened Oracle who helps run McQueen Automotive with his father. Related to the Zerilli crime family, he also works as an informant to the few honest cops in Detroit.
- Miroslav "Mir" Callaghan: A Palewraith Darkling and member of the Guild of Shadows. He is intrigued by certain artifacts and puzzled by strange gaps in the Guild's occult library.
- Nicole "Nikki" Callaghan: The cold Flowering Fairest with the gift of artistry, she has become a world-class art thief.
- Rocco McQueen: Levinquick Elemental who seeks to push the boundaries of where he can go both physically and in cyberspace. He is also looking build a new guild, one for people like himself.
The Heist
Miroslav has picked the meeting location to be the Goblin Market which opens at the stroke of midnight.Rocco arrives a bit early. Making his way through the darkened streets, he is surprised how little is left of his old neighborhood. For every intact house there is an empty lot or collapsed shell. It is not clear how many of the standing homes are even occupied. The few working streetlights flicker in the warm spring night.
When he reaches the Goblin Market, he finds the old building still standing. Above him the crows rest on power lines as always. One of them calls down to him and asks if he is still interested in trading his voice when he dies.
As Rocco refuses it again, Miroslav appears out of the darkness. As they wait for midnight, the two friends catch up over last couple months. Miroslav reveals his efforts to find the Quill of Fate have paid off while Rocco talks about his efforts to create a new guild. Miroslav reveals he his last chance to find Hedge is in a few months when the time traveler's future timeline ends in a few months. As they talk about Mir's search, the crows interject with a rumor that someone is selling the time traveler blood at the market. They are not sure who though.
The stroke of midnight arrives as a distant church bell rings. The multicolored lights of the crack den switch on. Marco pulls up at the second bell toll. He steps out of his car in grease stained overalls.
We learn that Marco uses his Brownie's Boon to work nights and do twice (or more) of the work for the shop.
The two McQueens exchange pleasantries but Rocco doesn't seem interested in catching up. Miroslav decides to quiz the crows on the Slender Man. The crow recalls someone like that but that they were cut out. It doesn't explain what it means.
Ten minutes after midnight, a blond-haired woman walks past the guys. Rocco recognizes Nikki's alternate identity. He whistles as she goes inside. He tells the others they need to go in if they don't want Nikki to leave without them. Miroslav seems surprised.
The interior of the crack den is like they remember, down to the coat rack glamoured to look like a towering guard. The four locate an empty room smelling of pee to talk in.
Miroslave has them hold hands and calls on the darkness to obscure their conversation. Then he tells them his plan.
Miroslav uses Subtle Distraction. Since there is no real threat here, I just let it succeed.
He reveals that he discovered that the Quill of Fate inside a painting called the View of the Roman Forum. The painting itself is a gateway into a pocket realm of the Hedge, openable with a specific mixture of paints. The painting is held in the Detroit Institute of Art in their European exhibit on the second floor. They need to steal it and then enter the painting.
Marco though is reluctant to engage in the theft. His friends try to point how recovering the painting is important but it is his brother's argument that sways him. When Rocco comments about that there could be a demon in the painting, Marco can feel a flash of truth in the statement. Reluctantly he agrees to help.
I awarded a roleplaying Beat here.
With everyone in, the team breaks up the duties for casing the museum and dealing with security.
I decided to handle this in a different way following some advice from Demon: the Descent. Basically rather than focus on the prep and then ruin it to create tension in the actual heist, I had the players just do the rolls and then give each of them a point of narrative control for when the "unexpected" came up.
Marco as the least experienced member of the group was set to working out the escape route if the plan went south. He got to work on street routes and the quickest and safest way to get away.
Marco rolls Intelligence + Streetwise to work out a getaway route. He gets 2 successes. Under the new system this will allow him to narrate away one problem that might come up in an escape (such as unexpected police pursuit or traffic jam). Essentially he has anticipated this problem and prepared for it. Since he is an Oracle, I also allow him to use this ability to do the same thing for general issues.
Miroslav meanwhile digs up floor plans. He works out that the 2nd floor exhibit can be accessed via a window. Otherwise they will need to bypass the large (and loud) metal doors to get to the art. Exiting might be best through the Hedge.
Mir rolls Intelligence + Academics and succeeds. After some discussion a basic entry and exit plan is formed.
Nikki meanwhile starts his preparations to zip line to the window. She also cases the museum. She's amused to see they are using some old and familiar security measures. Cracking this will be easy.
It was about here that my plans for pacing became unraveled. Nikki rolled Wits + Larceny to gauge the security system getting an exceptional success. I awarded her the condition Security Expert which gave her an automatic success verses this type of system. The real issue was that her Sleight of Hand Merit allows her to defeat all locks as long as she isn't observed.
Rocco meanwhile deals with the human element. With a bit of social manipulation he works out what their external communications are to the police. He then uses his computer skills to work intercepting them. He also messes with their guard schedule, placing all guards with disciplinary issues on the night shift.
Rocco rolls Manipulation + Larceny to get the external communications. Then he rolls Intelligence + Computers + Hacking to get into their systems and gets an insane 8 successes. He chooses to impose a Conditions on the guards. They will be sleepy and inattentive.
With the basics of the plan in place, Nikki gets to work on creating a replacement painting. Marco helps her by supplying paints and working on the frame. After some study, Nikki recalls seeing this work in a private collection. The copy in Detroit is a fake. She neglects to mention it to Marco though.
Nikki rolls Intelligence + Academics as she studies the painting realizing it is a fake. Marco rolls Intelligence + Crafts to help Nikki's Expression + Crafts + painting and copying Specialties. After a day of work, she has accrued 9 successes. Nikki spends 1 Glamour to add a Condition to the work. It will be easily transported, giving no penalties to Athletics checks while being transported. They finish the work on the second day.
The night of the heist arrives. Nikki waits on a nearby building for last of the businesses in the area to close. far down below her, a gang of drunk youths wander outside the museum. Waiting in a car down the road, Mir calls on Darkness to cloud the senses of these mortals.
Miroslav uses Darkness 2 again, getting two successes.
Her view dimmed by darkness, Nikki takes the zip-line down to the window second floor window. She pops its open with ease. She uses a flaw in the security system to momentarily disrupt it, slipping through the darkness to the security panel where she cuts off the motion sensors.
I should probably had some sort of roll to set up the zip-line. Getting access to the window itself was a Dexterity + Athletics roll. Unlocking the window required no roll as Nikki's Sleight of Hand Merit came into play. She used her earlier success to narrate her way past the security system.
At the guard desk downstairs, the head of security radios a guard named Joe. He asks him to investigate something moving by the cameras on the second floor.
Nikki tenses as she hears someone walking in the halls.
The guard meanwhile finds a cat belonging to another guard. While Joe and this other guard, Max, argue, Nikki gets back to work.
Here I let Rocco narrate what the guards find.
She quickly disables the security strip on the painting and erects the replacement. Switching them out, she carries the real painting to the window. She quickly flashes a light to the car down below and then opens the window into the Hedge.
Down below the others see the light and drive off.
So my thoughts on this experiment. I definitely needed more difficulty. I think I should have been more stringent on the security system rolls. Perhaps I should have removed the window. Otherwise the points when I let them narrate felt right so I think I will try this method again.
The team meets up at Nikki's safe house, the upper level of an empty warehouse by the docks. Here amid the smell of paints, she has hung up the large painting on a wall.
Nikki rolled Manipulation + Streetwise + 1 for her Striking Looks to use her Contacts to set up a safe location. With 4 successes she thinks it should be good for at least a week.
She earns a Beat for fulfilling the Aspiration of stealing the painting. She also has set up a safe house which is another Aspiration.
Miroslav reveals his research. The painting leads to a pocket realm of the Hedge, one that might include several connected realms.
Mir rolls Intelligence + Occult + 2 for his Library to research what to expect.
The motley prepares themselves. Nikki, Mir and Marco check their guns. Nikkie gathers some painting supplies while her brother loads a supersoaker full of paint thinner.
Finally after resting up they open the gateway. The paints come to life as the sounds of a bustling city emanate from the artwork. One by one they climb inside.
They find themselves amid the Roman Forum. Everything from the people to the sky is made of oil paint. Nikki takes a quick look at her watch. The hedge spun device reads 10PM in the real world and 3 PM in the Hedge. The mysterious third gauge is ticking between 11:58 and 11:59 PM.
I let the players get a minor token if they wanted. Nikki's watch is one of these.
Miroslav can smell the Quill and leads the group down into the forum away from trhe empty archway they came through. They pass by the abstracted natives who try to sell them horses and fruits in accented Italian. Miroslav leads them to Constantine's Arch where the trail ends. As they admire the ancient structure, Nikki realizes it is a vast gateway deeper into this Hedge realm.
Nikki's Hedge-gate Sense Merit continues to be useful.
Miroslav spends some Glamour. The other side of the arch turns gloomy and dark. Nikki recognizes the dreary painting as that of a painting known as Shadow Lands.
Nikki rolls Intelligence + Academics to identify the painting.
The motley makes its way across the gray undulating landscape, their passage putting momentary prints on the soft oily ground.
Then they notice hands reaching up out of the ground to grab them. Nikki whips out a rag doused in turpentine without a moment's hesitation. The others attempt to avoid the grasping limbs.
Mir manages to escape but in his flight he loses the trail of the quill. Meanwhile Rocco trips and find several gray arms pulling him down into the paint.
Everyone makes Wits + Composure rolls as the ambush occurs. Marco and Nikki get bonuses for their Danger Sense Merit. Everyone succeeds and Nikki gets an exceptional success. I allow her to act in a surprise round as well as gain the Condition Sharp Eyed (+2 to a perception roll).
For initiative, Marco gets a 14, Rocco 13, Miroslav 11, the hands 9, and Nikki 7.
The guys all choose to Dodge. They roll double their defense as a dice pool against the hands attacks (dice pool 5). Marco and Mir beat their attackers handily. Miroslav then tries to run forward but loses trail by failing a Wits + Survival roll at a -3 penalty. Rocco is beaten by the hands and grabbed.
Nikki springs forward using her rag to obliterate the arm, melting it in the turpentine. The other arms quiver in fear and slink back into the paint.
Finally Nikki gets her attack. She rolls Dexterity + Weaponry - their defense + Willpower, getting 4 successes. The arm is destroyed.
The motley pushes on and Miroslav eventually recovers the trail. Following the scent over a rise, they come across a field of gravestones. Each has a tale written on it in an elegant script. Miroslav takes a moment to jot down some of the stories. Some he has seen before, others are new to him, and a few appear to life stories.
Past the field, they find a dark gray door lying on the ground. Nikki can tell it is another gateway. Rocco reaches down and pulls it open.
A bright orange expanse greets them, tingeing to yellow and red in the distance. The field of paint holds no landmarks. As Rocco steps through he can see the doorway itself only makes a faint outline. He scuffs an x by the door to find it later.
Following the scent, the motley wanders across the endless emptiness. With no reference for what is up or down, Miroslav prods the ground ahead of him with each step. Rocco meanwhile tries to memorize the way back.
Eventually they see a figure in the distance. As they approach they identify a tall man in blue jeans. The man is huge, standing over seven feet tall with piercing blue eyes. His fingers are smudged with paint, the same color as the gravestones.
Miroslav can smell the quill on him. He greets the stranger who identifies himself as the Tall Blue Man. The strange being offers Mir the Quill if he can supply him an original story.
As Miroslav considers the offer, he recalls the tombstones. The Tall Blue Man backs off, leaving the motley to debate his offer. While Miroslav and Rocco suggest tales to tell, Marco casts his gaze to the future.
Along many paths he sees death. Their best chance of success is not to play fair but to trick the stranger. He suggests distracting the Tall Blue Man with a story while Nikki picks his pocket.
Marco uses his oracle ability to good effect.
Miroslav stirs up his courage, calls on the power of the Hearth. He approaches the Tall Blue Man and weaves the most engaging tale he can muster.
Invoking Hearth 2, Miroslav rolls Presence + Expression +4 (for Hearth) + Willpower getting 5 successes. This beats the Tall Blue Man's Wits + Composure roll by 4.
Since the stranger is distracted, Nikki easily pickpockets him. She rolls Dexterity + Larceny to hide the Quill on her.
As Nikki wanders away from the Tall Blue Man with the quill hidden in her person, Miroslav's story comes to an end. The dour giant deems the story unoriginal and reaches out to grab the Darkling.
Miroslav slips out of reach and the motley runs for it.
Miroslav dodges, getting 3 successes to the Tall Blue Man's 1.
The Tall Blue Man chases after them but they easily outpace him. While Nikki leaves a trail in the paint for the others to follow, Rocco recalls an odd spot that they passed, a spot where a wall of orange would allow them to hide in this featureless plain.
The group slips behind this obstacle, leaving the giant to become lost in the endless expanse of color. The Tall Blue Man rages off in the distance, shouting that they will never escape and that there is no way out.
The group all beat the Tall Blue Man in a Stamina + Athletics roll. Rocco in his attempt to recall the way back rolled an exceptional success on his Intelligence + Composure roll. He chose to imposes the Lost condition on their pursuer.
The motley then quickly makes their way back to the door. Once back through Miroslav turns his supersoaker on the entryway, obliterating it with paint thinner.
The thieves then make their way back to the Roman Forum region. Along the way they speculate if there was another painting tied to this realm and if the paint thinner is now slowly destroying it.
At this point I awarded 3 Beats to Miroslav. Two for the Aspirations of "recover the Quill" and "learn something new in painting" and a third for resolving his Condition Scent of the Quill.
Marco also gets Beat for his Aspiration of helping Miroslav find the Quill.
They return through the Arch of Constantine unmolested. But when they return to their original entry point they find the gate won't open.
Miroslav calls upon his contracts and finds that the gate can only be opened at midnight in the real world. Nikki checks her watch and finds they have about 20 hours.
Miroslav uses Spellbound 3 to discover this. Nikki's token turns out to be very helpful.
With time on their hands, the motley takes to exploring the painting. While Rocco enjoys himself scaling arches and columns, Nikki focuses on the artwork itself, working out how she might create such a thing. After several hours she begins to sense of how to do it. It won't be easy but it is possible.
Nikki rolls Intelligence + Occult to work out the basics of hedge spinning what is basically a mobile Hollow.
Miroslav meanwhile focuses his attentions on the gossamer Quill of Fate. Vibrant feather glows shimmers with rainbow color. He determines it has the power to rewrite fate in magical texts such as the Tome of Ages or his Book of Tales. But he needs a final ingredient: an ink forged of time and fate. Hedge's blood would be perfect.
As the day wears on the group gathers to talk. Rocco plays with an oil paint fruit he traded for while he talks avidly bout his goal to reach the Hedge-Net, an internet realm of the Hedge.
Marco meanwhile begins haltingly filling them in on recent event in Detroit. He reveals that Miroslav and Nicole's mother is desperate straits. Their mother has fallen into debt and now owes the Mob. Nikki sees Mir's shocked reaction and wonders why she doesn't feel the same way.
Nikki earns a Beat for the Aspiration "Recognize the loss of her connection to her mother." Also after some discussion Rocco earns a Beat for the Aspiration "Prove to Nikki that he has changed."
Miroslav and the others immediately turn to how they might rescue her. Rocco considers taking on her debt, replacing her as far as the Zerilli's are concerned.
Marco also reveals that he has been working for the Family himself. His work has been focused on dealing their vehicles: fixing bullet holes, losing vehicles, and altering upholstery. He also reveals his grandfather is out of prison and back in charge of the family. Uncle Angelo is now a capo.
But there are more ominous tidings. Their old home, Reichardt apartments, is abandoned. Ruzena has been spotted at the Goblin Market. And Mrs. McQueen, their mother's fetch, has gone missing.
I award another roleplaying beat here.
When the clock strikes midnight they exit. They have things to do.
Experience time! Nikki fulfilled 3 Aspirations. Rocco and Marco each fulfilled 1 while Miroslav fulfilled 2. He also resolved a Condition as did Rocco. Nikki resolved 2 Conditions. I missed them in the write-up as things were going pretty fast. That's 10/4 =2.5 ~ 3 Beats. Adding 2 roleplaying Beats and the session Beat, this adds up to 1 Experience and 1 Beat.
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