As far as her official work goes, Daisy will play her part and not try to push for any information from her clients. Gotta keep work and well, work... separate!
I mean if some mid level bureaucrat just blurts it out... :)
Wren glances at the others, a wry smile playing on her lips. "You goin' to let a girl go alone? Well, we could always split into smaller groups. A couple of us find a local bar and listen to gossip, maybe drop some credits an' get some information. Others of more bookish mind could hit the library. At the least, we should pair off in case we run into trouble."
She glances at Harold and tips the big man a wink. "How about it big guy, buy a girl a shot of whiskey?"
Sure, I will buy you a shot of whiskey or two. I know I can use one while we are on this rock.
Arabella strikes out on her own. Wearing good walking shoes and carrying a staff, she sets off along a street with entertainment establishments that are not for tourists with lots of money. She figures if the psychics are hiding out here, they'll choose an unobtrusive place that is less popular than most.
She strolls with no particular goal in mind, letting the Tao lead her. She pokes her head in places, occasionally talking to proprietors or customers, never mentioning anything about psychics but periodically sending out thoughts about how nice it would be to meet someone else with psychic powers, figuring a true psychic might pick up on it.
On a whim, she picks up some hand ornaments with blue stones. 'Blue hands' might catch someone's attention.
She takes rest stops to have a cuppa or a bite, eventually turning around and heading back to the ship by a slightly different route, getting back in time for sundown and supper.
Anyone making any overt inquiries? If so, please make a Networking (Persuasion) roll.... You can increase your chances by spending money buying food or drinks for some strangers.
Nothing overt from Daisy. Never a good idea to mix business and, er.. business.
Arabella is confident enough of her ability to coax information from others that she talks to bartenders, blackjack dealers, and anyone who approaches her hoping to tell her something from the black market. She makes subtle mention of premonitions (always in a way that would normally be taken to be figurative, not literal) and the like, while spending some money on drinks, gambling, or black market goods.
Shepherd: +2
Result = 6 + 2 = 8
Reroll from Charismatic Edge
Shepherd: +2
Result = 1 + 2 = 3 (but critical fail)
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Along her travels, Arabella went to a slightly seedier part of town (which is still better-off than most Rim world's best parts of town) and found a bar.
After buying several rounds of drinks for everyone on the house, and everyone is in a festive mood, she asks as casually and obliquely as she can about psychics, not even mentioning the word. The person she was talking to froze, eyes darting to the room’s corners. “Don’t know what you’re talking about,” he muttered, his voice tight.
Arabella frowned but didn’t push. She turned to order another round when she noticed the room had gone eerily quiet. Conversations had stopped. Eyes followed her as she made her way to the bar. She decided it was time to leave.
She stepped outside into the cool night air and froze. A figure emerged from the shadows, their face hidden beneath a dark hood. He spoke in a low growl “You’ve been asking the wrong questions. There's no such things as psychics.”
Arabella tried to react, but it was too late. The world spun as something struck her head from behind. Darkness swallowed her, and the last thing she heard was the man’s voice again, calm and final. “Some secrets aren’t meant to be found.”
She comes to, not sure how much time has passed. A small group of passers-by has gathered around her, asking if she's ok. She checks her belongings, and except for the money she spent, everything's there.
Someone suggests calling the police, since she was attacked.
What do you do?
Wren smiles at Harold and looks for a bar (not a terribly seedy one if she can help it, but not upscale either) and buys a few drinks, keeping her ears open and asking about any interesting work that might be found. She doesn't have enough platinum to bribe anyone anyway, and is mostly just trying to get a feel for the place. If she hears of any underworld type criminals that might be looking to pay for a job, she'll make a mental note of the name and/or where to find them.
Modifier: -2
Result: 5 - 2 = 3
Arabella sits up slowly, gently touches the lump on the back of her neck. She waves off whoever suggested calling the police and looks around, trying to get her bearings.
Wren and Harold have a pleasant night on the town, getting into random conversations with bar patrons. Most everyone is happy with their quality of life due to the Alliance. Oddly, no one says anything particularly bad about it.
Arabella's head clears pretty quickly, the attack seemed to be carefully planned to just knock her out for a minute or so. If you want to, you can head back to the ship.
The meeting with Daisy's client goes pretty much as you'd expect, he was a gentleman. Brook has a blast at the library. She and Brook drive back to the town the ship is docked in during the night, and get back to the ship around daybreak.
Will Daisy take the appointment with the guy who's farther away?
Other than that, he enjoys the company, and keeps his ears open.
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Unless the group plans on doing something group worthy, Daisy will keep her second appointment.
However...
When Daisy returns and finds out Arabella was attacked.
"Why those scum! Should we all go back and try ta' find the cads?"
Harold's offer to buy drinks for everyone loosens up their tongues .
Arabella returns to the ship and reports on her encounter.
"Either that place is where the psychics all hang out or they had a bad encounter with the Alliance after someone talked about psychics."
When Daisy returns and finds out Arabella was attacked.
"Why those scum! Should we all go back and try ta' find the cads?"
"Someone else perhaps can learn more but be careful what you say or you'll get a bump like me. Don't worry about revenge. Just find out who goes there, who seems to run the place, and so on. Maybe Brook should go, in case they are psychics and they pick up on his abilities."
Is it possible that Brook would have found anything useful about the planet or its history with psychics when he was at the library? In my head I am seeing the FIRST library scene from Harry Potter, after which Hermione tells them anything else will have to be found in the Restricted Section. Just wondering ...
It's not likely that the Alliance would have anything anywhere in a public library regarding something they claim doesn't exist...
You're sitting in the corner of a dimly lit tavern, nursing a cheap ale and scanning the room. Your ears perk up when you overhear a gruff man at the next table muttering to his companion.
“...needs someone quick, someone quiet. Not just anyone, though. Needs to be good.”
You lean over casually, and whisper “Sounds like you’re describing me.”
The man raises an eyebrow, looking you up and down. “You a thief?”
“Best in the district,” you say with a grin, swirling your drink. “What’s the job?”
The man snorts. “Not for me to say. But I know someone who knows someone who’s looking.”
Your grin widens. “Then tell me where to find them.”
The man scribbles an address on a scrap of paper, sliding it across the table. “If you’re as good as you say, they’ll be waiting. If not... well, let’s just say you don’t want to disappoint.”
It takes two days for Daisy to go to and come back from her second appointment.
If no one has anything else they want to to , Arabella can try to find a job to take them to another planet.
"Y'all think it's worth revisitin' that place ta' see if there are some people we might be looking for, or do we think it's just a wild goose chase?"
"Definitely revisit the place. It just better not be me. I'll stay in the area within comm range, in case anyone needs back-up."
Arabella is shy about venturing out again until someone has checked out the place where she had her unfortunate event. She'll accompany anyone to the area and point out the place, but she will stay in the shadows or the sidelines.
Brook had planned to go with Daisy, but is willing to stick around also. He is clearly agitated that someone attacked Arabella.
"We could absolutely stake the place out together if you would like. I could even go in asking around to find out who attacked my friend."
Wren tells the others of what she learned, finishing up. "Could be a shiny payoff, and the contact might know something besides. Wouldn't say no to an escort while I check this place out. 'Course, once the job starts you'd just be in my way..."
So, who's going to the bar, and who's going with Wren?
Brook had planned to go with Daisy, but is willing to stick around also. He is clearly agitated that someone attacked Arabella.
"We could absolutely stake the place out together if you would like. I could even go in asking around to find out who attacked my friend."
"No need to mention the attack. That will probably just put them on the defensive. Just observe what you can about who is attending, eavesdrop as you are able to see what people are talking about, and maybe talk up the bartender to find out if anything exciting ever happens in the area. That might provoke a comment my experience, or if it doesn't, that tells us something else."
"I think Daisy might be better for this job, now that I think about it. We should wait for her to get back from her jobs and you can keep her company to see if anyone picks up on your special talents. Daisy is better with getting people to feel comfortable and maybe get them to reveal something they don't intend to."
Arabella will use the time to try to locate a shipping job.
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"Sounds like a plan. Brook and I will go have a drink or two."
"Sounds like a plan. Brook and I will go have a drink or two."
"This may be the time that I try tequila ... let's do this."
Daisy and Brook - please describe what it is you say and do at the bar, then Daisy can make a Persuasion roll. Eavesdropping without doing anything active would be at a -2.
Anyone going with Wren?
Sorry, eavesdropping would be a Notice-2.
Once at the bar Daisy seems hesitant to talk about anything that might get her bonked on the head (hey, look at that Cautious hindrance!) but finally gets up the nerve after a few drinks to mention people with 'odd' abilities.
It will be things like, "Oh, I hear some people can read minds. Sounds scary. I bet they'd have ta hide that."
Or: "If I could lift things with ma' mind I wouldn't have ta' get up and go to the bar for a drink!"
Nothing loud or overt, of course. Her tone says "Aw, those poor people have to hide who they really are..."
You may apply the Attractive edge as needed.
Harold Goes with Wren, to the possible contact.
He will slip his sleeve gun on, and the low signature knife into the top of his boot, slipping his pant leg over the handle of the knife.
Once at the bar Daisy seems hesitant to talk about anything that might get her bonked on the head (hey, look at that Cautious hindrance!) but finally gets up the nerve after a few drinks to mention people with 'odd' abilities.
It will be things like, "Oh, I hear some people can read minds. Sounds scary. I bet they'd have ta hide that."
Or: "If I could lift things with ma' mind I wouldn't have ta' get up and go to the bar for a drink!"
Nothing loud or overt, of course. Her tone says "Aw, those poor people have to hide who they really are..."[dice=persuasion] 1d8
[dice=wild] 1d6
You may apply the Attractive edge as needed.
IN CONVERSATION:
"Bet it's much harder to hide than you'd think too; would be like trying to use your left hand for things when you're right handed. Have to imagine you'd slip up even after you got good at hiding."TO DAISEY, QUIETLY:
"That was exposition by the way, not supposition, just so you know. I didn't need a job with you guys at ALL, nope, not one bit. But I did slip up. I did need to leave that place; accidently did something "impossible" - oops."
After Daisy and Brook have said their things, a few minutes later you hear a whisper behind you : "You were warned once".
You look around, but the crowd is pretty thick around you and you can't identify who said it.
Nothing else happens for the rest of the night.
As they leave, Daisy watches out for anyone following to make sure they aren't followed to the ship. Once there she'll fill everyone in on their adventure.
"Well, no clue if they're psychics or a+!$+&%s but they sure don't wanna talk about it."
"I'm not surprised you got the same reaction I did," Arabella says. "My suggestion was to just gather information on who is there, so we can perhaps get some idea who might be in charge. Since they know the Alliance is likely looking for them or groups like them, they clearly can't admit to anything for fear of reprisal. Maybe we should just notify the group we're trying to help as to where they can go to try to make a connection."
"Sounds like a better plan than us going back. I guess technically we've helped them folks already.."
Bryce says "If they're truly that paranoid, then just telling them 'Go here to talk to someone that can help you' would probably be seen as a setup for a trap. We're probably going to have to earn their trust first, somehow".
"We could share stories and some corroborating video of our encounter with the reavers coming out of the Alliance controlled part of that derelict space-liner. That should show the locals we are not Alliance shills."
I dunno. I think at his point any one of us that went back would get dead..."
"We will meet back at the ship later, then? Compare notes?" She smiles at Harold, giving the browncoat a nod, then heads off toward the address she collected, in order to meet their contact.
"I'm not surprised you got the same reaction I did," Arabella says. "My suggestion was to just gather information on who is there, so we can perhaps get some idea who might be in charge. Since they know the Alliance is likely looking for them or groups like them, they clearly can't admit to anything for fear of reprisal. Maybe we should just notify the group we're trying to help as to where they can go to try to make a connection."
"Interesting. Especially given that we did NOT get the same reaction you did, at all. We got an admission that the people who attacked you somehow knew that Daisy & I are associated with you ... even though we were miles and miles and miles from here when that happened."
Brook looks pensive for a moment.
"So that means they followed you or us, or they read our minds, or some combination of both. Truth be told, I'd even be willing to go back by myself. Put a note in my jacket, and hang a note in the forefront of my mind ... I am one of you. We want to help. Truth be told, I'm not all that easy to take out if I use my powers. Just a thought."
Harold comments to Wren as they amble off.
You know, I am kind of worried about what happened to Arabella here on this rock
Wren frowns. "Seems like she might 'ave poked a hornet's nest there, don't it? Could be it means we're on the right track in findin' these psychics, though."She pauses for a moment, then glances sideways at the big man. "You believe in that stuff, Harold? I never seen nuthin' like it my travels. Oh, I seen folk that seem to be able to read your mind - but I always figgered it was them just readin' yer face like, or body language, ye know?"
She trails off, her own face set in a thoughtful expression, then she shudders. "Can't say as I like the idea of anyone diggin' around in my head like it were a book or somethin'. It ain't right."
"We could send an anonymous message, with information on the Alliance either trying to create reavers or to control them. We have some video footage I saved from the video recorder we had running when that Reaver burst out and attacked. Then we could head off on our next delivery mission and let them chew on the fact that we're not working for the Alliance and then return to check the water again."
He chews on what Wren said for a couple of minutes while they walk along.
Hoping that the case is that we are on the right track.
He ponders for a few more steps.
As for belief, I will hold off on that, until I see proof of it. and people poking around my melon, is not on.
his face brightens a bit.
I guess we can get our self avowed psychic to teach us how to block the thought stealers