Firstly, I’m going to be posting different versions of this in different games that I’m in, but I want to make sure that it’s known why I’ve been absent for roughly a week - from the whole forum, not just this thread. And it goes like this:
1.So, as I probably posted previously, my computer decided to go berserk and I needed to reformat it.
2. It then decided that a day or two later would be a great time to die altogether. Problematically, I have no other device capable of browsing the web.
3. Then my nieces chose to visit for a couple days, and I was spending time with them.
4. At the same time, my mom has been recovering from surgery, meaning I’m doing more driving than usual…
5. ...my car wound up needing some heavy repairs…
6. ...and work has frankly become pretty uncomfortable for me, so I’m actively searching for a new job.
With all that said and done, I’ve lost a lot of spare time and a LOT of money. I did replace my computer (and hoo boy is the new computer nice), but as such I’ve realized that I’m going to have to drop out of a few games.
I will be LEAVING in this game, but I feel I needed to give an explanation for my absence anyway. And I don't mind trying to find a proper out for my character first - or just giving you control over his fate if you prefer. I'm cool with whatever you want.
I apologize for the inconvenience, and I sincerely hope there’s no bad blood caused by my absence.
(More specifically, I aim to post in the morning. However, I work tomorrow, so if I'm still downloading key software for my PC and such tomorrow or if my computer is dead... Well, yeah.)
Oh. I meant to meet everyone at the previously mentioned coffee place in my far older post first, so we could all go as a group instead. But then we can go to the same campsite?
Agent Silver plans to investigate things in the woods, hence the talk of a 'hike' on the phone. He figures that if anyone ever wiretaps the phone, he'll need a good cover reason for why they're where they're going. Paranoid, I know. Anyway, his plan is to go to the general area the hiker's body was found and work from there, hoping to find clues. He figures that location should be easy enough to find, what with all the police vehicles that would've left their mark and people that he can probably ask about that.
When Agent Silver sees the news in the morning, he grips his forehead tightly and sighs. Wiping his hand down his face, he begins calling Joe. He reaches Joe's voicemail.
I'm making this assumption since it makes it easier for me to write this post.
"Hi, Maxwell speaking," Silver says in a slow, more casual tone, like that of a friendly old man. "Joe, remember that hike we'd planned? Let's go ahead and do that today. I'll meet you down at that coffee place, the one with the donuts. Seven o'clock sharp, alright? Seven in the morning. Oh, and remind the others; I never wrote down their numbers. See you then."
Maxwell ends the call with a swish of his finger and sighs. It's going to be a long day, and he knows it. He starts gathering his things - including a certain guitar case, which he still hasn't opened since yesterday.
Silver puts on hiking clothes: sweat pants, jacket, beanie. He also grabs some utilities: binoculars, the camera, rope to throw in the back of the truck, and... Silver pauses. He notices the old Bible sitting on his bookshelf.
Silver stares at the Bible, then sets it down on its side. He heads into the kitchen, grabs a few bottles of water and a few energy bars, and heads out to the truck.
It was time to meet with the others, share information, and then plunge into the woods before another damned person died.
I'll be making an IC post tomorrow morning before work. I'd rather not wait so long that I forget the game exist, so I'll start having Agent Silver reach out to Joe and begin his part of the investigation.
Just waiting for the Kyle/Edgard encounter to resolve. I'll post after that, but I want to make sure Kyle gets some proper screentime (and maybe a chance to make a few more rolls).
Silver's going to pretty much demand that everyone start working as soon as dawn has struck. He wants to make sure nobody else gets hurt.
"You can do THAT research later," Silver says coolly. "There's still a monster on the loose, and we should focus on catching it. We need to start working early in the morning. Do research on something more relevant.
"And since they're already involved," Max adds after a pause, "they can stay involved, at least for now. But you and I are professionals. Those two are a kid and a conspiracy theorist. I don't want them getting hurt."
With that, Silver starts getting into his truck. "I'll get in touch with you at six o'clock sharp. We'll meet up - all four of us - and work out what we know before heading out. Whatever it is, it's in the woods."
With that, Silver revs up his vehicle and drives off.
On the bright side, free XP! That's two XP so far, and both come from dealing with the Agency. I need to improve my Sharp eventually.
"I hear you," Silver answers slowly. "Results will be had." With that, he ends the call and stows his phone away, wiping sweat off his brow. It could have been a lot worse.
Silver heaves out a sigh and does exactly that. He heads out the morgue the way he came, trusting the others to meet him outside, and makes a quick call to his superiors.
Maxwell really didn't want to have to call the Bulwark over this.
I'm going to try and ask the Agency to get rid of the video record for tonight. Agent Silver REALLY didn't want them to find out he wasn't the only one working there, and he knows they'll eventually find out this way, but he'd rather not become a fugitive or the like. Now, to roll +Sharp, which is a -1... I'll spoiler the roll in case you'd rather I not make it right now, so you can see the result after that decision.
Euuuugh... Yeah, I don't like the idea of having to beat up the security officer, but it might be for the best to stay and do so. Or at least yoink his radio from him. With that said, if we use the roll above and modify it for Kick Some Ass, it'd be 4+1=5=a failure. I'll stay. Should I reroll or take the failure?
Agent Silver grits his teeth and tries to shove the officer back onto the floor as he gets up, then dash down the hall and lead him away from the others... and go disable the cameras while he's at it.
Acting Under Pressure to escape the pursuer and get to the room in question.
Cursing, Silver snaps at the group, "Deal with this thing - I'll go make sure we aren't on Candid Camera!" With that, Silver darts out of the room.
Here we go - Acting Under Pressure here. Silver wants to see if anyone's coming, and to hopefully find a way to get into the police department itself and turn off the cameras.
Since we're making a lot of commotion now, I'd like to make an Act Under Pressure roll to go and find that security room with the cameras. Given that everyone else probably has the corpse handled, Agent Silver wants to make sure A) nobody is coming and B) the cameras don't have the group's faces at the end of the night.
Agent Silver starts reaching for his gun, then quickly reconsiders and yanks out his knife instead. He rushes away from his post and wordlessly tries to slice the corpse's throat.
Kick Some Ass:2d6 + 2 ⇒ (1, 6) + 2 = 9
I think my knife has 1 Harm. Trying not to use guns because LOUD. Maxwell's instinct is "oh shit, it's a monster, GET IT"
"We should clean that up," grumbles Silver. "Otherwise they could find out you've been here." He goes to fetch cleaning supplies - surely there's some nearby - and do just that.
My instinct says that Kyle could Oops! into the general area we'll be going next - probably the woods, where Dan Hurtz was found dead. Maybe we can time it so that Kyle stumbles into something shortly before the other characters find and help him?
"Edgard?" Silver says with surprise. His brain starts replaying a certain memory over in his head...
The memory:
Maxwell's cotton-filled ears were bleeding, and he could barely hear the sound of gunfire anymore. He remembers that very clearly: the flash of gunfire he could see, but he couldn't hear it, and the banshee's wail seemed more like a quiet, peaceful hum in his ears.
He knew better, of course: that banshee was the reason one of the brightest, youngest agents in the Bulwark was lying on the ground in front of him, dead. Silver had only just barely realized what they were facing in time for everyone to cover their ears with something, but the young man hadn't been quick enough to save himself.
Maxwell didn't know whether a banshee was a ghost, a weird sort of faerie, or something else. However, he did know that silver would work a lot better than regular bullets. Yet every time he leveled his gun to fire at it, the creature seemed to just... shift out of the way. His bullets couldn't touch it.
But as they fought inside the abandoned house, the strangest thing had happened: the cupboard in the kitchen the banshee fought in came open. There was no good reason why it should have, but it did. Out from there fell a salt shaker that must have been at least ten years old, and when it hit the kitchen counter it burst in the air. Salt got on the banshee, and somehow it seemed more... physical.
Silver had taken the shot then, and his shot had connected. The creature wailed one last time before collapsing, and Silver and the other agents had gone forward, took a few pictures, and read the spirit banishing rites they had been given before they experienced how dangerous the ghost really was firsthand. The rites had worked, and the dead and wounded were recovered by the Bulwark. But Silver never did find out why the cupboard door had slipped open. It was a matter of extraordinary luck...
Now, as Maxwell hears the young man's voice, a strange observation came to his mind: hadn't Edgard been in that neighborhood that night, and hadn't he had a flashlight in his pocket? Maxwell frowns a little. But he's just a kid...
"The body's in the cooler in the examination room," Maxwell explains, stepping into that room as he spoke with the invisible people. Getting a sense that Joe and Eugene were still in the other room, he adds a little more quietly so that only the invisible college student can hear him, "Just promise me that you'll make your exit should anything really bad start happening, Edgard. You're young, and I don't want to have to be the one that delivers bad news to your parents."
"Magic?" wonders Silver to himself as he turns toward the sound of voices. He hears Eugene's accusations first and grimaces, and that grimace doesn't fade when Joe speaks.
"Firstly," begins the old man, "you should've told me you were bringing someone else. Secondly, that man's going to give up every detail about what we see to the internet, and that's going to get more people hurt. Bad call.
"However," he says in a cold, angry tone, "the Bulwark is here to protect Yorkton and its people - something you can't seem to figure out, 'Tin Man.' So, no, I'm not going to shoot you just because you don't know what the Hell you're doing."
Twisting his neck from left to right, Maxwell begins by motioning for the invisible men to follow as he goes into the examination. "Dan Hurtz. As suspected, it wasn't an animal or the like that killed him; however, whatever tore into him was finger-like in shape. I whatever creature did this was clawed and very strong, but not a simple predator - it didn't bother to eat the body. There seems to be evidence that suggests he was pinned when he died. Maybe magic could reveal more.
"Then there's Andrew Campbell." Agent Silver drops the report for Campbell on the computer desk. "Read it. It's interesting, and I'm drawing blanks. There might be more information on the computer, but it's password protected."
He hasn't heard Edgard speak, so he doesn't know he's there. Also, we need to find a way to meet up with Kyle next.
Also, Edgard would probably notice that Silver seems way more articulate and deadly calm than the way he seems when he's working at the college.
At this point I'll wait for the other players to catch up. The only other thing I'd like to possibly do now is find a way to help them get inside so they can do stuff relevant to the task at hand (use magic to determine more about the corpse's cause of death, hack the computer, hack the computer, connect the dots, etc). Otherwise, Agent Silver's probably just going to take a quick picture of the autopsy notes and the coroner's report so he doesn't forget any of them later.
Having brought his digital camera with him and not wanting this information to make it to the web, Agent Silver takes pictures of the corpse from a few different angles, just in case. Then he starts checking to see if there's any documents on the computer or on the desk that mention the autopsy, something someone else has already written that might provide some useful clues...
Silver decides to investigate the office and examination room first, just in case the body's already there - or in case someone's around and he hasn't noticed them. He keeps his eyes peeled for anything useful...
Read a Bad Situation time! Rolling, if you'll let me. I have Tactical Genius, so I use my Cool here; I don't think my +1 Forward applies in this situation, however, since I'm not acting on the information I got when surveying the place earlier.
Read a Bad Situation:2d6 + 3 ⇒ (6, 3) + 3 = 12
Spending 2 of my 3 Hold. Are there any dangers we haven't noticed? What's most vulnerable to me?
Okay, cool. Silver's just going to get inside and get to the body for now, potentially trying to leave an easy entryway for the rest of the group (just Joe, he believes) to get in. Maybe he can open up a window somewhere?
It's an opportunity that can't be wasted. Agent Silver would rather wait for Joe, but if he waits he might never have so perfect an entry again. So, he sends a quick text message to Joe:
Hey, don't wait for me outside. I needed to warm up. Just meet me inside, alright?
Deciding that's vague enough to keep anyone from knowing the real intent behind the message - anyone besides Joe, that is - Silver makes his way toward the building.
I'd actually like to try and disable the security cameras before I go to the body. So, my Cool roll is to get to the room where the cameras are controlled safely and unnoticed - unless such a room doesn't exist in the Morgue.
Agent Silver won't be doing much of anything in this time period besides watching the morgue. I can always say that he went and grabbed a burger while waiting and scoping the place out in case anyone wants to stumble into him. I'll be waiting otherwise.
Agent Silver doesn't waste any time getting his truck and driving down to the morgue. When he gets there, he sits in the parking lot for a short while, then drives around to a parking lot opposite of it at a nearby McDonald's. He studies the outside of the morgue very carefully, mentally cross-referencing it with his knowledge of the police department.
He's got to find a way to get in without being noticed.
Rolling Read a Bad Situation using my Cool (thanks to my Professional abilities).
Read a Bad Situation:2d6 + 3 ⇒ (5, 4) + 3 = 12
Gaining three hold. Asking three Questions: What's my best way in? What's my best way out? Are there any dangers we haven't noticed?
Yeah, I'm thinking that with some creative magic from Joe and some cool-related rolls from Silver, we should be able to get in. Silver uses Cool for reading situations, so it's +3 to that which potentially grants a +1 to acting under pressure if acting on the knowledge which means +4 for the break-in itself. Not bad.
"My contact won't be helping, either," mutters Maxwell as he puts away his phone. "And the risks involved with waving a fake badge around are pretty high. Got any ideas?"
I'm wondering if maybe you could Use Magic to go invisible? That's something beyond human limitations. Alternatively, could I make a Read a Bad Situation roll once we've driven to the police department so Agent Silver can try to find another way in?
"I'll give him a call. There's not much we can say over the phone, but he'll make clear whether he can help or not."
With that, Maxwell removes a phone from his pocket and steps over toward another side of the store. He makes the call.
Rolling Manipulate Someone. Maxwell is going to keep the message in a simple, coded phrase that he and the cop on the force both know. I'm assuming they've got a little rapport, but that their relationship isn't friendly - but full of bribes of some kind.
Again, sorry about my two day absence. It shouldn't happen again.
"I don't know anyone in the coroner's office," answers Maxwell, "and I don't believe my... associates are going to be helping us on this one." Maxwell frowns and leans on back in his seat, enjoying a good, long sip from his coffee. He thinks before he speaks again.
"However, there is something I can do. There's a sergeant working on the force, old guy, that might be able to get us a look at the body. However, he never does favors like that for free, and he doesn't always say 'yes.' He might be our best ticket in.
"Otherwise, I have a fake CSIS badge I confiscated on a previous case. If we dress smart and act sharp, we could get in that way - but I don't care for the consequences associated with impersonating a member of the Service.
"What's your opinion, Joe?"
Are those kinds of assumptions fine, Zaith? If not, I can fix that.
Good to know, Zaith. I'll assume Max just chose to take the bus because... reasons, this time, but later on he'll use a car or something.
"Business," Silver says as he accepts the cup of coffee with a grateful nod. He sits on down in front of Joe, his expression rather serious. "You and I have been around the magic block together a couple times before. I'd like you to help me out again, and I'm willing to pay you for your time.
"Tell me, do you watch the news? A hiker by the name of Dan Harbuz was found dead this morn, muscles pulled out of his body - very unnatural, and certainly not the work of an animal or thug." The old man takes a sip from his coffee, sets the cup back down, and folds his hands together. "I plan on finding and killing the monster responsible for this, and I'd like you to help me."
Alright, I suppose I'll mark XP for a failed roll.
Maxwell is quiet for a moment before he answers, "I'll let my results determine the answer to that question. Agent Silver out." The old man ended the call and rubbed his forehead. Business as usual.
He didn't rush out of his apartment door, first stopping in the kitchen to have a quick breakfast of milk, eggs, and fruit before gathering his equipment: a flashlight, a knife, his pistol, a protein bar, a bottle of water... Pausing, Maxwell stared at the picture on his phone yet again, at the body.
With no post-mortem analysis, Maxwell had to come to his own conclusions. The muscles on the victim seemed to have just been ripped out, inside-out even, and Maxwell wondered whether that was a deed of pure strength or of magic. He hadn't been eaten, so the monster didn't act out of hunger. Was it intelligent...?
Frankly, this was exactly the situation that would normally call for a whole team. As it was, Maxwell felt his life was being treated as a little too expendable for the purpose of testing him. One wrong move and he'd be dead. He needed help.
His decision made, Maxwell grabbed the last two thing he needed: his camera. It had no online connection, unlike his phone, so it wouldn't send the photos he took to the internet and would have to be delivered to one of the Bulwark's offices, but it involved less risk of someone with the right tools getting the information. As he neared the door, Maxwell thought about the body one last time, frowning.
Just in case, he decided, and opened the wall safe in which he kept his most dangerous equipment. He removed from it his C7A2 assault rifle, and he broke it down so it fit neatly inside his old guitar case.
Just in case.
I'm going to assume Silver doesn't have a vehicle of his own, since that's something I'd need to pick during character creation.
--------------------
The bus ride to Arden's shop didn't take very long. Mr. Silver, as everyone who knew him called him, smiled and spoke with a few other passengers about the weather, then the locale happenings, and then the deaths of those two young folks last night. Yes, very tragic. No, he didn't know Campbell personally. He wished their families comfort and God's blessings.
As he stepped off the bus, Silver thought about what the Agency might think if they knew what he was about to do. Chances were that his phone had a tracking device and they'd know where he was at the very least. Nevertheless, if he had to choose between being chewed out by the Agency and being chewed up by a monster, Maxwell knew what he preferred.
And so, as he stepped in through the door and the little bell overhead rang to alert the proprietor to his presence, Silver smiled across at the casually but neatly dressed Mr. Arden.
"Good morning, Joe," he said with a smile. "How's business been so far today? And do you mind if I set this down?" Silver held his guitar case up.
"Can we trust that you can handle this case swiftly and discreetly?"
"Affirmative, ma'am," answered Maxwell in a steady tone as he stared at the image on his phone. It was a horrific mess, but horrors didn't faze him much anymore. "I'd like access to any relevant data we have on the victim, especially a postmortem analysis of the body if one's been conducted yet. Estimated time of death and any information circulating within the police department might also be useful."
Would you like me to roll Sharp for that ("when you deal with the Agency")? I'll let you roll for me if you'd like to save time; Sharp is -1.
Maxwell sets the phone down as he dresses himself for a hike through the woods. The phone is on speaker, but the walls of his bedroom are soundproof, and there are no windows in it: a necessary precaution given his occupation. As he tugs on his shirt, Maxwell adds, "The news report didn't mention where the body was found. I'd like to start there if you can tell me."
Pausing, Maxwell looked at the wall where he'd hung a small memento: a series of feathers and beads of purportedly magical significance that was supposed to bring good luck to the owner. He didn't believe a lick of it, but buying a trinket of Arden's had been a good way to thank him for the help before...
"And am I correct to assume this will be a solo operation?"
Ok going to set a few ground rules before we start.
1. This is meant to simulate supernatural TV series like Supernatural, Buffy, Sleepy Hollow, Lost Girl and numerous others. Keep things to a PG 13 rating so swearing to a minimum and the gory details to what restrictions you might see in such series.
2. Sexual conduct should be handled tastefully. If sex scenes do too get involved, please use a "Fade to Black" mechanic, using an implied interaction rather that go into descriptive details.
3. If something is offensive or crosses the line you have the option of "X" carding the interaction. Merely tell me and we'll adjust the scene appropriately to something acceptable by the players and the keeper.
That all seems very sensible, thanks.
Before I forget though, Zaitherin: do you think the Bulwark should remain a private organization, or would you prefer it to be actually related to the government (but still dubious and clandestine)? Since I'm cool with either, I figure it's worth asking for your opinion.
@Edgard Falk: That sounds good to me. A banshee went crazy - one of Maxwell's few real monster hunts he's taken part in so far (as he's still new to this) - and one of the other agents died in the ensuing battle with the creature. Modern weapons just weren't doing much. But then Edgard helped him out, and while it saved Maxwell's life and destroyed the Banshee, it got Maxwell's teammate killed. But Maxwell doesn't realize that Edgard is the reason the Banshee was beaten.
@Kyle White: Sounds like we're pretty well set up. Good stuff!
@Eugene 'Tin Man' Caldwell: That sounds good. Agent Silver burned Eugene's map. And if you want, Eugene may have managed to get something of Silver's that gives him a little more insight into the Bulwark; loses his old information, but gets something else out of it.
A couple changes to note: instead of working at a middle school my character works at the college those crazy kids are going to. Also, his outfit will change based on his cover for a given mission, but he will default to wearing what I will list as a Plaid Jacket and Jeans for maximum "I'm totally just a regular old man" vibes.
Okay, my newest ideas for character links given the above info...
Maxwell Silver - Kyle White
I'm going to couple your idea of your character being suspicious of old Max with Max having orders from the Bulwark to keep an eye on Kyle. This is because Kyle follows Tin Man's blog and generally seems a bit TOO curious about the supernatural.
Generally, Maxwell thinks your character is a good kid, but definitely realizes he's gotten a bit wise to the strange happenings around town and would rather he not get involved. After all, he's literally just some kid. The supernatural is dangerous.
Maxwell Silver - The Tin Man
Maxwell actually once had orders to "deal with" Eugene after he posted some information on his blog that the agency considered dangerous. Maxwell did NOT want to actually kill Eugene, so he would've tried to scare Eugene out of posting the relevant materials at first. I assume Eugene wouldn't back down easily though, so Maxwell would either A) have brokered a deal with him involving information or B) have destroyed something Eugene was using as a source of information. Your choice.
Maxwell Silver - Joe Arden
I think we're pretty squared away here. Maxwell has worked with Joe off the books and actually trusts him enough to go to him when he thinks he's in over his head. Besides, it's easier to ask Joe for help than his mysterious superiors.
Maxwell Silver - Edgard Falk
I'm having trouble deciding on a link for your character. I've narrowed it down to three ideas:
1. You're on the Bulwark's watchlist, like Kyle. Maxwell would probably view your character with some suspicion and have a basic understanding of the fact that he has magic.
2. "You are related. Tell them how close." What if your chaaracter was dating Maxwell's niece? Maxwell hasn't started a family, but he could have siblings that did, and maybe one of them has a daughter that's going to this college the group seems centered around. This allows Maxwell to be the old man sitting on a front porch polishing his shotgun at some point.
3. "They pulled you (and maybe your team) out of a terrible FUBARed mission." I'd be happy to let you decide the details on that one.
Thanks for selecting me as well. I can pretty easily do a post per day, as an FYI, and on certain days can post several times.
Also, we pick a bond with each of the other hunters, right?
Anyway, hm... I think I'll suggest the following character links right now:
Maxwell Silver - Kyle White
They pulled you (and maybe your team) out of a terrible
FUBARed mission.
My thought is I'd like to give your character a stroke of "badass normal" right away by having the heart-of-gold college kid have saved the old war veteran from a really bad situation somehow. Any thoughts?
Maxwell Silver - Joe Arden
You met on a mission and worked together unofficially. And successfully.
The way I see it, the Bulwark doesn't like spellcasters much. I figure they were both hunting the same monster and just happened to have bumped into each other (and maybe scuffled briefly). But when they realized they were on the same side, they pooled their resources and worked together.
Sound good?
Also, @GM: May I change my standard outfit from a shabby suit to a worn trenchcoat? Or is that laying it on a little thick?
