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Postgame01
Wizard Peabody,
At the behest of the Council, I am assuming the duty of reporting on matters of significance involving local supernaturals in the greater Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area (“Metroplex”). This, of course, is due to the untimely demise of Warden William Myers during a violent confrontation with the local Red Court. The lack of a White Council presence has been keenly felt, but is offset by the correspondingly reduced Red Court presence as well. The flourishing of other supernatural groups in light of this power vacuum has been and should continue to be a fascinating study.
However, I digress. As requested, here are the details regarding the matter that took place on September 23, 2011.
As near as my meager divination skills have been able to determine, everything began when a local Wyldfae Changeling (known simply as “Mac”), a purveyor of Southern United States open flame cuisine (hereafter referred to as “barbecue,” or simply “BBQ”) obtained the services of three local supernaturals:
- Mr. Jamie Harper, a sorcerer of some local renown, known as “The Wardsman” (see Warden Myers’ previous reports regarding Harper Security)
- Mr. Conor O’Neill, a Wyldfae Changeling musician (unaffiliated with the local Accorded Courts, but with underlying ties to Summer)
- Ms. Elena Torres, a former federal law enforcement officer marked by ancient Powers of the Americas.
The matter at hand was mundane in nature – that of a murdered body found in a cooking vessel (“smoker”) that Mac needed rid of in a quiet manner. In addition to that service, the trio successfully identified the body, and the cause (and causor) of the death – and managed to redress the offense in quite a creative manner.
While the underlying matter was mundane, it is significant enough to report mainly for the gathering and active influence of these three individuals – an act uncommon among the local supernatural community (known as the “Freakshow Confederacy”), who tend to be of relatively insignificant power and reluctant involvement. This could mark the emergence of a nascent Clandestinus Comitatus, so I will continue to observe these three individuals – my divinations indicate that they will become influential supernatural players at some point in the future.
The matter was also significant due to the tangential influence of the local Winter Court through the street gang known as the “OCT.” I will strive to provide more detail on the level of influence that Court exerts on local events, but I hesitate to press my divinations at this juncture.
As always, in loyal service to the White Council,
Hiyashi Keisuke
Watcher of the Way, Dallas, Texas, United States
GM Session Summary
The heroes arrive at Joe’s BBQ in East Dallas at the request of the owner (a Changeling nicknamed Mac unaffiliated with the Courts). They discover a charred and nearly obliterated human body in the smoker! She was murdered with a knife!
Who would do this? Why? … “Mac” the owner of Joe’s BBQ hires the heroes to get rid of her body (Mac doesn’t want cops involved! If they show up it’ll get out that a human body was nearly cremated in his smoker and he’ll be ruined!).
When he learns the victim was a nice restaurant critic girl that was investigating “The BBQ War” (what she called World War Q)… he’ll also pay to find her killer, and exact vengeance. He liked that sweet girl.
Mac tells the heroes of a BBQ War going on between four restaurants (two in East Dallas, two in Deep Ellum)… was the girl collateral damage in World War Q? Something more sinister?
Leaving Mac to strip and clean his smoker of all the… uh… residue (a 3 day operation involving harsh chemicals) the heroes set off to earn their pay. The first unpleasant step? Disposing of Noreen’s body.
The heroes investigate and discover that the victim was a girl from Tyler, Texas named Noreen. Though she wasn’t a journalist, she had graduated from SMU’s school of journalism and was looking to get into the biz. Apparently she stumbled across a major cocaine smuggling/distribution operation and got herself killed trying to “break a big story” and perhaps get her foot in the door with the Dallas Morning News. The heroes track down the clues and bring the killer to justice and interrupt the smuggling operation (by virtue of exposing which BBQ joint is the front)!
In a tidy act of social engineering, they arrange to have the killer executed by his own gang boss for “stealing” six-digits worth of cocaine (which he didn’t do… he was framed by the PCs who actually flushed it all down the toilet).
- Date of game: 9/22/11 GM: Wolfhound
- I wanted to start us off with a Scenario that had “Pure Dallas” themes… BBQ and restaurants are a big part of that. Plus I’ve been doing a lot of smoking (mainly ribs and pork shoulder) on the weekends recently and may have had BBQ on the brain.
- Advancement
- Significant Milestone (found out more about the goings on in Oak Cliff, with The OCT, and Hell-T’s cocaine operations)
- I had planned for this to be a two session scenario but y’all just rocked it.
- Per the Core book’s suggestion, now that we’ve had a game to see how the system goes and whatnot, feel free to make adjustments to your character’s Aspects (ignore the Minor Milestone’s “only change one” restriction in regards to Aspects).
- Misc
- Special thanks to the writers, director, and cast of Castle Season 3 Episode 20 “A Slice of Death” for the core plot for this adventure.
- Here are my game notes for this scenario hopefully somebody finds them useful for their games too. No promises in regards to grammar/spelling, I didn’t originally write them with publishing them in mind.
