City of Mist (Inactive)

Game Master inxpitter

"Yes, but I'll explain once everyone gets here, so I don't have to explain it several times."

"Anyone else want anything while I'm at it?"

Sure, can you grab me a water?

I know some folks pulled night duty, but for the sake of narrative, we can say you guys got cat naps here and there. Also, for moving forward as Wade will busy with studies, we'll assume he's present as well.

"So we were nearly hacked while I was doing some research of my own. I've made sure that they can't immediately do it again, but just to be on the safe side I've gotten everyone burner phones. Don't use these except to contact each other. I've also gotten a bunch of new computer equipment, and hidden weapons caches throughout the hideout. Once we're done here, I'll show everyone where they're at. If any of you want anything specific when it comes to firearms, let me know and I'll see what I can get."

Firearms? Luke gulps. I'm pretty sure if I try to use one, I'll shoot myself in the foot. In a non-figurative sense.

Luke takes a sip of his coffee. "Thanks for all the work you do, Donovan."

"Fredrick and I looked into Mark's father, the one who runs a shoe store. We informed him of his son's death, and...he didn't take it kindly. I'm worried that whatever killed Mark may be after him as well, however, so I'm planning to come back tonight to look around."

Donovan nods at Luke's compliment and says "Not a problem."

"So I didn't come away empty-handed." says Donovan as he plugs an external harddrive into his computer, which clearly has no internet access, for anyone who knows how to look.

"It looks like there was a death similar but not identical to Mark's, except this death was caused by the spine missing, not the heart. A rookie detective named Sinclair filed the paperwork on it."

Zenna pulls over paper and pen and starts taking notes.

She writes down that they need to follow up with Detective Sinclair.

Okay, follow up with Sinclair. Got it. What else do we have?

"According to our new... source, Mark was a dealer. I'm not sure if it's connected with this supernatural death, but it is a lead we should follow. And we know his supplier - someone called Wizard. I'll check with our databases if there's any info on the guy."

"What did he deal? I can 'talk' to some people in my neighborhood who tend to know about such things and see if they've heard any scuttlebutt."

"Don't know that, I'm afraid. Worked for Silas, but that's most likely not his real name."

Luke bows his head to think. Mark dealt drugs? Did his father know about it? No, any parent like that wouldn't let their kid go around doing something so dangerous. Why would Mark need to do that anyway?

"Be careful here, Wade. Anyone who goes by an alias of 'Wizard' is either a nutjob, or someone like us."

So it seems like this is a low energy scene: info gathering, look out, etc. Everyone go ahead and establish what you're doing and make the appropriate rolls or state what you're on the lookout for.

"Wade, any chance you can get yourself assigned to this case? that would make our jobs considerably easier, as we wouldn't have to root around in databases for evidence."

"Shouldn't be too hard. I'll head out to the station."

All right, Wade wants to be assigned to this case, check if police has anything on Silas and Wizard, read reports on the drug trade in the Mark's neighborhood, and check with Sinclair on those other similar deaths.

Convince the chief to be assigned on the case: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (6, 1) + 1 = 8 +Beguiling voice
I assume chief will want something in return.

Investigate Silas and Wizard and drug trade: 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (2, 2) + 2 = 6 +Criminal law, +An eye for details
That's a fail.

Not sure what to roll to check with Sinclair. Convince? Investigate? Both?

Zenna takes notes and updates the whiteboard at the hideout as they go, as people bring find out information about Sinclair and "Wizard" she writes it down, so everyone can see what they have learned.

"Wade, you sure you want this?"

Police Captain Suarez looks up from a file to give a quizzical look. A bit hefty around the waistline, "Chief" Suarez has grown comfortable in looking after his precinct and was all too happy to take the promotion when it was offered to him. In his office at the local station, Wade sits on his desk and watches him flip through the files of Mark's recent murder, the same documents who's medical prognosis was altered by Frank down in the morgue area.

"I mean, sure I can give it to you, but you know the procedure, you have to convince Sinclair to let you have it."

Sinclair was a good cop, but he did have his rougher edges. He was constantly on the lookout of other's trying to take credit for his accomplishments and seemed concerned about climbing the ranks, even farther than the Chief.

" Okay... here's the deal. I have a friend of the city coming by my place tonight and he's a bit of a gun enthusiast. While I have a few I keep for sentimental reasons, I was hoping I could borrow Mateba for a night. You can keep it secured, but I'd really love to show it off."

He's offering to put pressure on Sinclair to give up the case to you, but you'll be without your Trusty Gun Theme for one night. If you accept, mark fade, if you refuse, mark attention.

Anyone else want a scene?

Wade hesitates before taking his favorite gun out and unloading it.
"Tonight's your night to show off Chief." He grins "That's one hell of a gun."

Police Captain Suarez look of concern splits into a huge grin as he gingerly picks up the gun. He takes a solid minute looking it over and admiring its construction.

"One hell of a gun...." he agrees, before setting it down. He picks up his desk phone and begins typing in a number.

"Sinclair will be getting explicit order to pass the case and move on to....more pressing matters. Go ahead and wait for him in the break room.

[b]"Shall I give you the report?" Sinclair ennunciates, glancing at the two other officers sitting at a small table on the other side of the break room. He whips out his notepad and steps in closer.

"What the hell is going on Walton?" he hisses in your ear. "Why you going after my case?"

"Sorry Sinclair." Wade whispers back, and tells some of the truth. "The last dead guy, Mark? I met him one time. He was worried about his father. Besides you don't want it, or am I wrong?"

"Not the point Walton," Sinclair spits back. "Doesn't matter if this is personal, for the greater good, or if you got bit by a radio-active spider... Everyone is going to notice I've been taken off a case, and you've been picked to replace me. People are gonna talk about how Detective Wade Walton needs to pick up Johhny Sinclair's slack."

He pushes the notepad into your chest, letting you catch it before it hits the floor. The 5 o'clock shadow bristles, as he rescinds his scowl at you so the other officers don't see.

"His forensics were clean, no drugs in his system. All witnesses say he just fell over. Probably just heart failure before his time."

Wade, you get two Clues to ask about the case, that the police could reasonably answer. This can include leads, witness reports, dna, etc.

Wade returns to the group with the report and his findings.

Zenna adds Wade's findings to the white board so that everyone has access to the information. She also works on the new computer system to coordinate research, and works on her novel in the hideout during the downtime.

Right now she is trying to track down who "Wizard" is, trying several different internet searches to see if anyone online has mentioned him.

Investigate: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (2, 5) + 1 = 8
+Internet Researcher

Let's see what we have on DNA and witness reports.

Wade, from looking over the reports you focus in on DNA and witness reports.

There was some DNA found on the scene that correlates to being a male of Irish descent, though the official report states this is most likely cross-contamination from the crowded crime scene. Your detective senses nudge you otherwise.

As for witness reports, you read the following:
Noriko (age 22, female, asian): "I don't know what happened, he just like, groaned and fell over, I didn't even know there was blood till I almost stepped in it. Wild."

Barry (age 43, male, caucasian): "Poor kid. Can't even imagine. Had a look like he couldn't even believe something, then fell over dead. Yeah, unbelievable. Huh? Anything fishy? Well, didn't see anyone running off with a shank if that's what you mean. There was this gang in an alley, but they didn't cause any trouble. Shady guys though."

Cody (age 18, non-binary, african): "You've gotta believe me, there was a spark of green light right before he fell. A laser sight maybe? But it flashed, some colored smoke, I don't know. But if that's a new weapon, you must know something right? It was off on the other side of the street somewhere."

Zenna, you finally manage to pin down a buried internet message board on a legacy World of Warcraft server where some local teens are talking about some "Wizard" that has the hookup. The last post was only a couple weeks ago, before the admins shut the thread down. It seems those in the know claimed you could find him in the alley's of Saffron street, Goldenrod Lane, in the vicinity of the Starlight Strip.

Zenna shares the possibly valuable, likely questionable information with the rest of the group, asking if they want to all go investigate together. Not the kind of place where you want to split up, you know?

Sitting up in the chair he had been lounging in, Fredrick looks towards Zenna "If you think this lead is worth following, I will go to investigate it with you."

"I will offer my help as well. I'll likely have to get changed though." Donovan says as he looks down at his t-shirt and shorts.

"Also, thanks to a generous donation from an acquaintance, I have a stock of "most likely illegal" weapons. Wade, if you don't want to carry your service weapon into the fray, I have some pistols that I'll be more than happy to give you. I also spread some love out throughout the base, so we can deal with intruders as needed."

Wade makes a note to follow the lead on the Irish man and on this green spark.

"I'll join as well. After all, I have some experience with those kind of places and individuals."

"Donovan, you're just in time with this donation." Chuckles Wade. "I'm without my gun for some time, so those will come in handy. Of course, I'll have to run a few checks on them after all this."

"They're likely sold illegally or stolen. I took them from someone who didn't need them anymore."

Luke makes his way to the local library, making a beeline for the culture section. If it was some kind of fire or stealing souls, this would be impossible. He pulls a book off the shelf. A Beginner's Guide to Greek Mythology Luke opens it up, his eyes flicking from page to page as he flips through it. Finished, he returns it to its proper place and moves on to the next - an encyclopedia on Hindu culture. Ripping someone's heart out is a unique murder method. It's not very convenient, either. That means it must be taken from something - like how my "hands" come from someone else."

Luke pores over the books he can find, asking the library staff for help frequently.

Investigate: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Diligent Student tag, reflecting Luke's familiarity in looking for specific information in this manner.

Luke heads to the library as the rest of the team make their way to the dark alleys of the Starlight strip.

Luke spends a couple hours pouring over books of Greek and Hindu topics, trying to find some tether between the string of events.

You can one relevant question to what you're researching, but I choose the option that lets me give you fuzzy or partially true information.

The rest of the crew enters the alley as they near the Starlight strip. There's a musky stale stench in the air, and you can see the telltale signs of cardboard homes left packed away so others won't claim them. You see a couple of dirty looking folks talking near a corner of an old over-priced bistro, most likely waiting for the scraps of the dinner rush.

From the information Zenna found, you should be looking for a man in an old top hat and a tattered suit. So far...no sign of him.

Donovan walks into the Bistro and orders some food to go. Once it comes out, he heads over to the homeless people and says "Here. It might not be much, but it's better than waiting for leftovers."

Once they started eating, Donovan would say "I'm wondering if you guys could help me. I'm trying to look good for my boss, and I'm looking for someone around here called the Wizard. I promise you that my boss just wants to talk to him, not start anything. Think you could at least point me in the right direction and help me look good as the new guy on the job?"

Zenna steps back into the shadows to give Donovan room to work, hoping he will get some information. ... She doesn't especially want to shapeshift into something appropriate to this area.

Go ahead and give a convince roll Donovan.

I think given my lie that Working for the Man works for this roll, but I don't see much else applying.

Convince: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (2, 4) + 1 = 7

Wade will stay slightly behind Donovan with changed appearance - no need to spook the guy by the infamous Wade's face.

How about "From what does the murderer gain his powers from?"

Working for the man might work for the lie, but it doesn't do you any favors with these guys, so I'm not applying it.

It might be an honest gesture on your part, even if camouflaged by a framework lie. From the scowls forming on their faces, you feel as if your proactive charity is seen more as an insult than anything.

"Piss off," one says, "we don't need your charity." Though contrary to the words, the two of them leave with the to-go container.

The two of them take off down an alley, and five seconds later you hear mangled yells and both men are on the ground, back shuffling as fast as they can.

Back to Luke,

It seems that with the topics your researching, while there are certain aspects that appear in mythology, nothing clicks into your mind like it usually does. Its the 3D puzzle piece that looks right, but belongs to a different puzzle.

"Look, there's no...." sputters Donovan as he is rejected. GD Pride! he thought to himself. Leaving the food, he sighs and then turns back to the group, just in time to see the two men come backing up on all fours.

Turning, he walks to the mouth of the alley and says "Are you guys ok?"

Zenna continues to watch, hoping Donovan's tactics will get them some information.

Wade rushes down the alley - yelling and crawling on the ground is rarely a good thing. "What happened?"

The scene is....grisly.

There's no other word for it.

What used to be a woman lies in the alleyway, torn asunder as if someone took a blade to her.

"Tina?" one man asks, almost as if disbelief. Then he other man realize that the three of you have converged on them. Dirty, one covered in her blood, they both scramble to their feet and begin to flee away from the body.

There's a scream as someone from the street sees the scene, and it occurs to you a call to 911 is not far off.

Pulling out his phone, Donovan immediately begins taking pictures of the corpse, then of the alley for good measure. As he works, he says "Wade, is this within your precinct's area of jurisdiction?"

Once he has taken pictures, he will start looking around for a purse or wallet, grabbing a plastic convenience store bag from a dumpster to pick one up if he finds it.

Default, Is it in my precinct's jurisdiction?

I'll let you decide that Wade, whatever you think is more fun.

All right. Let's say no.

"Actually it's out of our jurisdiction." Wade takes out his phone and quickly takes a few pictures of the crime scene. "So we better get out of here and fast, or there's going to be some tedious paperwork."

Okay, I'm gonna try and find the victim's address from their wallet/purse, so we can go see if there are any clues there.

Zenna helps Donovan look for ID.

Do we need to roll for that?

Nah, this is more searching than "investigating"

Donovan, upon the first few minutes of careful rummaging of the victim's possessions, it is clearly apparent that this was a homeless woman. There's no wallet, purse, or id, but a dirty canvas sack with a lot of used soda cans in it. The woman herself is a bit grimy, her nails have dirt under them and her brown curly hair has knots like a briar patch.

As for injuries, the entirety of her back seems to be dark with blood, as if a clean line had hit her down the middle perfectly.

It seems some people have also seen you, a group of strange people covered in shadow, seemingly mugging a wounded woman. And then the smartphones come out.

Since Wade already told them to leave rather than stepping in and handling it, when people start noticing them, Zenna figures she should leave.

She shapeshifts into someone other than herself so as not to be recognized (Not too different, but just enough so that someone that thought they recognized her would realize it was only a resemblance), lets people get a couple of good shots of the random face, and then quickly moves in the direction the fleeing men went... not necessarily to catch up, but to see where they go in order to question them later. One was covered in blood, so she thinks she might be able to spot him if she moves fast enough.

Fredrick will attempt to move away in the opposite direction that Zenna is moving. He attempts to use his unassuming nature to its full advantage.

Sneak+Non-threatening: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (6, 4) + 1 = 11

Once he leaves the sight of the people around the alleyway, he will look towards the rooftops. Making sure that nobody is around him, he will find a dark corner of a few buildings. Feeling the increase in his strength that always comes from moving out of the light, he will quickly try to scale the building, augmenting his physical strength with a quick burst of thrust from his flaming wings. Once up there, he will look around to see if he can find any evidence of anybody else having recently been up there.

Investigate+Stronger in Darkness+Jet Thrust: 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (3, 2) + 2 = 7