1. GM Edwin's Zeitgeist Campaign

Game Master Insnare

Delft wiping a tear from his eye, says "I have the boys working on the evidence you have gathered from the Doctor, the warehouse and you should swing by HQ this evening. I have to get the paperwork finished and most likely a warrant."

Do you have anything you want to do?

get healed, get food, mull on clues. we should sit down somewhere quiet and discuss possibilities

Sarya would want to mill hr contacts for information... Could you open 3 private tabs for each one of them so Sarya can do this fast?

good call, i ought to get some students at the university working on possible meanings for the more esoteric phrases.

Falko snaps back to reality and turns to Delft: "We'll need a boat to get to the Mayor..."

Falko would rest.

Delft says, "Meet me back at HQ at 8pm. I should have something for you."

@Sarya, due to the time involved in travel and so forth by 8pm you will have enough time to speak to two of your contacts in Bosum Strand and North Shore but not enough time to speak to the one in Cloudwood/Nettles

Sarya 1

Sarya 2

Chretien, what would you like to do?

I guess I'd like to have Jonathan, the one most likely to remember all the seer's words correctly, jot them down and I'd take them to the University. I'd take it to some of the professors/historians i thought to be most interested in the esoteric, maybe connect a few dots on what some of the lines mean. Maybe take Jonathan with me, if he isn't busy.

Lukas

Isabella

Sounds good. Going with Cretien and copying down Nevard's words

Falko drifts away from the plaza, floating numbly alongside the oily waters of Parity Lake, heading west to Bosum Strand and his small flat. The air is filled with the usual soot and he gets a fit of coughing from it.

Slowly, like floatsam, he drifts along the canal, lost in thoughts and fears, stopping from time to time to glare at Cauldron Hill.

What lies under? What has been covered and long forgotten, at our own peril?

He reaches his street an hour later, takes a deep breath, straightens his jacket and rearranges his white lace cravate using innate magic, then summons a disarming smile to his lips. Wearing his confident mien, Falko steps inside his favourite cafe, though inside, he remains filled with fear and doubt.

So Chretien and John, you guys want to take the vision that Nevard just gave him and try to look some references in the historical library or am I missing something?

Isabella

Lukas

Isabella

Move forward?

Sure GM

that's the gist of it, yeah. looking for someone who knows a lot about prophecies or books that contain prophetic references.

Yup whatever cretien needs help with johnathan will assist

Johnathan and Chretien spend the day hitting the books in the University library trying to find someone who can help them. They get a couple of students who are willing to do the research.

BACK AT HQ

The five of you exhausted get into HQ and all of your colleagues are extremely proud of you.

The door to Delft's office is wide open and Falko, Angua, Chretien, and Johnathan recognize as the two Achaz arsonists chained to a very intricate espresso machine and around each of their necks is a 50 pound bag of coffee beans.

Behind the desk sits Delft looking at some papers and then as he notices you, he says, "After this morning and after noon it is finally good to have some good news. People have taken Nevard's precautions very seriously and the Nettles is all but a ghost town. It seems these two Achazi have been left for you with a magically locked note that can only be opened by one of you."

Magically Locked note

Sarya takes the note and reads it then mentally scolds herself... Her voice is low and almost like a moan...

"I need coffee..."

Cretien sees the machine, the men, and the sacks. In a moment, a smile and a frown cross his face.

"Damn, so caught up i forgot simple courtesy... ACI, could you have one of the men deliver a note for me?"

Cretien hastily pens a note, blowing on it to dry the ink.

Morgan, greatest apologies for the lack of courtesy on my part. Swept up in the shadow of a beast half a world away, or under our streets possibly. Will make every attempt to visit. Please send flyers to RHC, I will distribute around the University, drum up business. -CD

Delft shrugs and says, "Not a problem." as he takes Chretien's note for Morgan Cippriano.

He stands up, grabs his documents and says "Lady and Gentlemen, follow me"

He walks with you over to the main conference room and one of the officer's has drawn out what looks like a manor house that Chretien, Falko, Johnathan and Angus have already visited and then inside you also see the chief, Saxby with a stack of documents.

Delft says "After nonstop pouring over the documents you got from the doctor and then signature analysis on the jaguar lab warehouse and then a tertiary interrogation of the Achaz in the other room, we have enough actionable evidence to search the manor of one Mayor Reed Macbannin. Whom you visited a few days back before going up Cauldron Hill. AS you all know, the mayor of the Nettles and Cauldron Hill is not elected but chosen based upon a certain level of proclivity in the Arcanic arts be it witchcraft, wizardry or the occult. In addition, he does have at least twenty staff members. How complicit they are in his crimes or their loyalty to him remains to be seen. I would suggest caution and that we hit him first thing in the morning. It's a good assumption that he doesn't know that we know about him. So staying another night in the safe house makes the most sense."

Sarya snaps to attention despite her weariness as she remembers the "sting"...

"That reminds me we have a ghost to catch... Would you like to prepare the sting now Chief?"

Delft says, "As far as I recall, the ghost is supposed to contact you tomorrow evening. So, we can set that up after we bring down the crooked mayor."

A beaming smile dawns across Falko's tired face when he sees the machine, then hears Sarya: "There seems to be a natural connection between law enforcement and coffee intake. Just as well we get a machine for the RHC offices! Let me see if I can get it to work!"

And he starts like a child, until Delft sobers him back up to task...

He follows, intrigued to see the Big Boss present. He asks: "The ghost mentioned an island. Does Macbannin owe such a manor? You think that night he's the one who planned the attack on Nevard?"

Cretien keeps a watchful eye on Falko's tinkering, lest it damage the machine.

Falko, the island was mentioned in the Knowledge local check which referred to places where they have houses called manors... sorry for the confusion. :)

Delft says "I would think so. After you went to Cauldron Hill with the Skyseer and then the Skyseer called a rally, he probably figured that Nevard's visions could ruin his plans. This is your collar, so I want you guys to run point on this mission. His manor complex is big and we really cannot surround it because the rear exit leads up Cauldron Hill, and the mayor has the protective amulets. If you want to go up the middle we can or someone has another idea."

You may use the prestige system to request backup from Risur(the army), Flint(Police), The Family(rogues)... Sarya, if you want to request backup from the Dreamies... please PM me about details. Thanks!

"Before we go to this manor I believe we need to thank the person who gave us this most delightful machine..."

Sarya takes a sip of coffee brewed straight from the machine... Then proceeds to gulp another cup followed by a second...

Sarya isn't likely to requisition support form the Dream Merchants, their specialty is more magical and economic then assault... I don't think we have enough prestige with any faction to call in reinforcements but that doesn't mean some good old fashioned diplomacy can't do wonders... To the coffee shop!

"Hmm... We'll need help for the assault. I'm not sure I want to bring the army on this. Sergeant, do you think we could ask for the police to help, or did yesterday's event burn all our bridges?" says Falko as he passes tiny cups of espresso around. He seems to have found a second calling as a barista.

Delft looks a bit befuddled and says, "I am the assistant chief not a sergeant. Son, you must've gotten your bell rung today. The police when they hear that the RHC who saved Nevard from those crazy jaguars need a little help I am pretty sure we can get some folks."

You can get four officers for tomorrow's raid, if you want more from the police You would have to give me the number of police you want, go to the precinct and then diplomacy them. You could go to Morgan for help. Or even contact Gale with the canary thing she gave you.

Ha so we finally get to dig one step closer toward the answers. Splendid

But do we want to get more innocents killed?

"We should try to get help from the army, right? This sounds dangerous. Falko why wouldn't we? Maybe we go in ahead, say we need to sleep atop cauldron hill again...when he escorts us up with his guards, the army can take the mansion? I'm not much for tactics...just thinking out loud," he smiles slightly embarrassed.

You don't need backup. if you don't want it. Your choice

Delft looks at Angus and says, "I am glad you are amused."

Delft says, "Getting the army is an option, with Nevard dead, the excuse to go up Cauldron Hill is gone. But you can give it a try."

"I'm a skyseer," Johnathan says with a grin. He looks to Cretien for this thoughts on the matter, usually accepting them as gospel.

"He is THE Skyseer I'd say! And sorry about that Assistant Chief. I guess I always wanted to call my boss 'Sarge.' Sounds so tough! But I agree this is not the place, and the army wouldn't know what to do with me." he says with a disarming smile.

"I guess the army could be involved, but I don't know these guys, and I'm worried they would have their own agenda. It's easier to tell the police what to do than the army. I guess that's why I suggested them instead. But I'm not against using 'real' muscle, and I LOVE your idea Johnathan!"

We don't need the army. In fact we can get the job done ourselves.We will have the element of surprise.

Delft says, "Angus, I like your enthusiasm but Macbannin is a well connected man and I wouldn't be surprised if someone at the courthouse where I got the search warrant didn't tip him off that we are coming. Sure I implied that it would be tomorrow afternoon, but he is a canny man. Either way my crippled ass is going over the top with you, but it is your show and collar."

"I understand the idea that more force can tip the scales in our favor, but I'd suggest saving our allies for more... corporeal foes."

Johnathan nods, "It's decided then."

Cool, I will move it forward then.

You all leave the leave HQ in unmarked carriages to the safehouse for the evening to be totally healed.

Sarya takes a carriage to Cippriano's coffee and a man in his early 30s is closing up shop for the evening. He turns the key in the lock and turns around and faces Sarya, "How may I help you?" in a heavy Chryssilir accent.

GM is this the owner or one of his employees?

Your character wouldn't know.

Do we wait for Sarya? I'm not sure about timelines. Perhaps she has enough time to get this part done before we strike?

Falko enjoys the rest. He purchases a nice bottle of red and shares it with his companions, relaxing before the assault. He passes around some of his tobacco as well: "The more I learn about this city, the more I feel like I'm watching a pot over a low fire with its lid sealed, wondering at what is simmering..."

Sarya, tell me how many reinforcements you want to get from them and I will give you a Diplomacy DC

Sarya is primarily looking for "stealthy" forces, say about four to five level 2 rogues.

Sarya you need to complete a DC 28 diplomacy to get the favor and another DC 24 to get it on time

Note GM that Sarya will take whatever help she can get, if she could say get a trap busting rogue that would be wonderful...

diplomacy1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19

diplomacy1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21

The man says to Sarya, "Morgan is currently on a business trip but we can provide you with one bravura for tomorrow morning. Had we a bit more time it would have been possible to get you more help but most of our bravuras are busy working on Familial business."

"I understand, tell Morgan that I will meet him back here when I return to discuss his business proposal."

If you want to do some preattack slumber party RP feel free... I will move it a bit forward to just before. the attack

As the sun slips out from behind Cauldron Hill you are at the gates of Macbannin's Manor but still far enough away that you haven't been spotted.

Delft has shown up ready for action with his pistol in one hand and his cane in the other. As promised a bravura has come as well, looking for Sarya. The police and the rest of the RHC are serving to protect the perimeter so no one escapes.

Delft says "How do you want to go about this? We have search warrants for the premises so we can kick down the front door, or we can be stealthy or something else?"