Category: Blades in the Dark

GM: Sean Nittner
Players: Karen Twelves, Eric Fattig, and Adrienne Mueller
System: Blades in the Dark, Quickset Rules v.7.1

The big finale of last session… was also the big finale of this session, since we spent this session taking some much needed Downtime™ and finding out how Harland fared dodging Vond and the Path of Echoes.

Rest for the Wicked

Excited to have Hix back and relieved to be done with Arden the crew got to some much needed indulgences.

Arquo returned home, told his parents (Arcus and Remira) that he had a good job, one that would pay the bills, doing honest work. He’d be fixing things up and working in the kitchen of the Cat and Candle. He dropped a bag full of slugs on the table to show them it was already paying off [1 coin]. Arcus’ reaction was one of concern. That was way too much jingle to make spending a few days working at a cafe. And what would the Lampblacks have to say about this change in career? Or that was what he was thinking. What he said was “I’m proud of you son,” though his hesitation in responding betrayed his ruse. Remira was also concerned but for different reasons. If Arquo left the Lampblacks, she would have even less sway over them, and the chances that Bazso would ever pay for her daugther’s sacrifice would be even smaller. However, she saw the coin in the table and wasn’t going to ask twice where it came from. Tonight, rat stew. Tomorrow, eel livornese! [Indulge vice]

Elke went with Nyelle [a previously not discussed spirit trafficker who is contact on the Smuggler’s playsheet] to “clean up shop” at The Six Arms, a brothel they acquired after the showdown with the Red Sashes [Turf, which they took as payment for helping the Lampblacks]. There were some spectral pleasures being offered, none of which considered ethical by Elke. She wanted whole ghosts, not carved up spirit essences, and consensual exchanges, which meant the ghost got something out of it. Nor would the ghosts be confined in spirit bottles or lightning cages!

Nyelle was curious. If ghosts could be bargained with, than surely there were things they wanted to. Could a market work both ways? What would ghosts have to offer for goods and services? Knowledge of valuables they had when they were living? Protection services? Who knows. She didn’t know how this was going to work yet, but she was happy to help Elke set it up, as this stood to possibly increase her market.

The madam of The Six Arms had no idea how to accommodate this change but Elke left Wester and Lynthia there to keep the peace while she wasn’t present [We started a new six tick clock to stabilize spirit trade that Elke could work on in the future, but for now she’d have to leave some of the gang behind to secure it]. Whether they understood or not, the gang and Nyelle helped Elke put up wards, sanctify the space, and otherwise make it possible for spectral communion. Weird! [Indulging vice].

Jadvyga, delighted to have found Dudridge and Sons invited Roslyn Kellis to come try on dresses and gossip with her. We delved a bit into their past and found that while Jadvyga was a useful person for Roslyn to keep on retainer, the noble valued her friendship as well. There were few people she could really talk to without having to worry about her words coming back to haunt her. Elke came along with them, which meant the field of gossip was limited to things that were not about her; and later as Jadvyga discovered after much throat clearing by Elke, that were not about Hix, either! Malcolm noted that Jadvyga had the perfect figure to display some of their fine wares at an upcoming exhibit and if she wold succumb to trying on several other dresses he would be delighted to have her as a model at the next event [Indulge vice, Devil’s Bargain that Jadvyga agreed to model for Malcolm.]

Research continues

Refreshed by her time confounding people with spectrology, Elke paid Roslyn of the Gills a visit at her shop and interrupted her work to ask more about the Dimmer Sisters. Roslyn helped decipher their tombs but regularly interrupted herself asking how far the DSS was coming with getting Lauren (Roslyn’s daughter) an sponsor at Charterhall University. [New clock: Expecting Lauren to have a sponsor for admission 1/4].

With her help Elke determined that the Dimmer Sisters would drown someone nearly to death, and when their body was at it’s weakest three sisters would combine their might to wrench the soul out. It involved an electroplamsic chromatography in which the soul in vaporous form entered a mobile phase and was siphoned out into the water, where it could be collected and the body would be left unharmed. Or mostly unharmed. Sometimes people actually drowned, and then they just had a dead person and a ghost, which rang the bells as usual and defeated the whole purpose. [Long term project to determine how the Dimmer Sisters created hollows complete]

With that knowledge in hand, Elke began to devise a ritual that would protect the soul from this kind of separation. She envisioned a spectral force field that would insulate the soul from extraction. [2/8 Ticks in the ritual complete. What effect does the ritual create and how is it weird? Protects the soul from being removed while someone is alive. A shimmering field around those protected is visible to those attuning to the ghost field.]

Some revisions to our History

[Some revising needed. At this point I realized there were two things I wanted to discuss changing.

1. I really didn’t want to bring another faction into the fold, so we revised Harland’s unexpected encounter at the Quinn’s Spirit Club to be with Edlund Scurlock instead of with the Wraiths.
2. As per the “to be improved” section last game, we revised Arden’s affections for Elke to be familial instead of romantic.

Those issues addressed, we jumped back into the game.]

Harland’s Night Out with Scurlock

Some attention was needed in the affairs of Harland Younghusband!

At Quinn’s Harland bumped into a dashing gentleman in old timey clothes, complete with frills on the blouse and a brocade jacket. The man had been watching him for some time and when Harland finally made contact with him, asked if he could buy our favorite merchant’s son a drink.

Attractive men in bars wanting to buy Harland drinks. Yes, please! After a few drinks Harland had given up a lot of personal information, but obtained nearly nearly none from the handsome man. In fact he had a hard time looking into his eyes directly, but that wasn’t so bad, there were lots of other nice parts of him to look at. A strong jaw, high cheekbones, a hawkish face with lustrous black hair, and skin so very full of life. Pretty as he was, Harland didn’t get the sense that his drinking fellow was going to make another move, too old fashion to take someone home on the first date, so Harland left him his calling card and made is way to other affairs.

Meanwhile Nyryx thought Harland was completely losing it, having conversations with no one at all and being distracted by drinking while he was supposed to be laying low.

Founding the Cult of Harland

Free of distraction Harland and Nyryx were able to start putting his plan into action sending the few proto members of his cult who were loyal to him to go spread the word, gather supplies, and find a venue to congregate in, while Harland evaded Vond. The made off with high hopes for a Path of Echoes that wasn’t ruled by Vond’s spectral fist. [Long term project to create a splinter cult completed. 2/4 ticks put on the clock to change vice from Faith to Obligation, with his new cult as his purveyors]. Nyryx offered to go assist them, which Harland accepted, unaware of the cost [Devil’s Bargain that Nyryx would consume some of the culstist that he possesed which would heal Nyryx’s final Level 1 Harm but also leave the cultist permanently changed].

Vond’s short attention span

[After Harland’s previous consort action to lay low (from a few sessions ago) we had to decide how well the ruse worked. He had evaded her assassins, but once he resurfaced would she resume her attacks or would she have turned her attention back to making vessels for her kin? We made a fortune role and decided that her eagerness to find Harland was reduced down to two dice due to other pressing concerns and Harland’s evasion. Result: Poor (1-3). I guess Harland has a bit of time to breathe before Vond or her minions show up again.]

Turning in his Coat

Arquo had just finished bathing and was inspecting the large bruise on his shoulder that was still purple, when his father Arcus and family friend Steiner entered. “Bazso wants to see you Arquo, I’ll go with you”. [Indulging vice]

They went to The Old Rasp, one of the Lampblack gambling dens that was still operational after the war. Arquo entered with his coat already folded over his arm. The meeting with Bazso was short and civil. Arquo wanted to move onto honest living and Bazso knew the Society was anything but that, but let him go anyway. “You left the army because it wasn’t right for you. You’re leaving us now. I hope things work out better for with with the society.” Which was equal parts encouragement and disappointment. Knowing that you don’t leave the Lampblacks without it getting a beating first, Arquo set down the jacket and braced himself for a pummeling. [Desperate sway, Devil’s Bargain to accept a beating. Complete success!]

As Arquo left he told everyone that if Major Crane comes looking for him, send them to his home. No foreboding at all…

The Grand Reunion

Arquo staggered in with a black eye and a cracked ribs. Harland arrived with a haggard I-haven’t-slept-in-three-days look on his face, and the gang was reunited. There was much rejoicing, telling of tales (“I got arrested!” “I was held captive!” “I had assassins come after me!”) and suddenly the realization that they had missed a week of school!

As they frantically worked to catch up, in a quiet moment, Elke told Hix about meeting Scurlock, and about how angry she was that she couldn’t kill him. Hix, who had usually been the shoulder to cry on, wasn’t having it. She told Elke she would have another chance and this time she wouldn’t fail [vicious trauma, ouch!]

What Rocked

Wow, the Spectral Society really has been through hell and back again. They’ve scraped their way through so far, but demons and devils be damned, they still have so much more in store!

I love that Elke is insistent on teaching people to respect and work with ghosts, when most of Dosovol reacts to ghosts as you would to a powder keg with the fuse lit. Valuable, possibly. Dangerous, yes. Fascinating, for many. But certainly not something you can become friends with. As a GM I’m not really sure what this is going to look like. Ghosts are mad and terrible. But not all of them are. Some are reconciled. Some are new and haven’t lost their humanity yet. Maybe Elke can find some peace with them.

Giving up the coat. Wow, that scene was rough. I’m so sorry for Arquo. He really thinks that he’s found a better life. All the pain he has in store…

Scurlock and Harland flirting was delightful. I love that it ended because Scurlock was too old fashioned to bed Harland on the first date. But Harland did leave his calling card and I’m sure Edlund will use it!

I continue to be delighted with our group and their flexibility to talk about issues out of character, find a solution, and then dive back in to play them out. Karen, Adrienne, and Eric, you all are wonderful!

Jadvyga is going to be a fashion model! Arquo drop a sack of slugs on his parents dinner table. Elke set up a spirit connection in The Six Arms. My crew indulges their vices in the coolest ways!

What could have improved

I’m still working on getting all the various threats and entanglements worked into the game without making it so overwhelming that the crew can’t do anything but dig themselves out of holes. It’s not that I don’t love having lots of problems on the table, it’s just a matter of having enough time in the game session to do them all justice. Currently we’re looking at:

• Vond’s hunt for the heretic Harland.
• First Mate Kamelin Prichard of the Ironmast and the faculty of Charterhall University looking for Captain Abram Booker’s log book.
• Major Crane and his retinue of well paid Bluecoats searching for Arquo, who they believe kidnapped Arden Keel.

All three of these are high tier factions (III and IV) that want things from the Society which is either impossible or fatal to provide!

Additionally, I’m working on introducing more University based scores and relationships as we want to see the society as students as well. So yeah, he’s looking at the kitchen sink!

GM: Sean Nittner
Players: Karen Twelves, Eric Fattig, and Adrienne Mueller
System: Blades in the Dark, Quickset Rules v.7.1

Picking up right where we left of last session, we found the Society making their way through the tangle of small canals that carve up Doskvol, all the way from the Docks in the south west to Nightmarket in the north east.

Arquo and Jadvyga “disguised” themselves as students by “covering” over their boils and burns and wearing student attire that they had found. Elke, who had been wearing a spirit mask and knew that if she removed it, would be recognized by Arden, went under the decks. Students dressed up as Grinders dressed up as students. The Bard of Avon would have been delighted.

Evading all tolls and check points

Major Crane was sure to hunt down Arquo and use all the resources that the Ministry of Trade would provide him to do so [1/4 Ticks on the Find Arquo Clock]. Arden was also a high profile figure, potentially recognized by many in the city. So the route they took was as circuitous as possible, and at the moment when they did come to a Bluecoat checkpoint, Jadvyga quickly turned down another canal and used a secret passage to evade them. [Risky Prowl with mixed results, a consequence of gaining heat, which Jadvyga resisted with Insight]

On the trip, because the crew focused their actions of fooling those looking from the outside, and not maintaining their ruse with Arden, he began to ask questions, targeted at Aqruo. He didn’t like him, didn’t trust him, and didn’t want to fall for his tricks. Arden eventually caught Arquo in a lie, as the ex-solider said he joined the Griders before they existed. Rather than reacting immediately Arden tucked that knowledge away, and later, when they had a moment alone, told Elke that she should be watchful, Arquo wasn’t who he said was. [Mechanically I asked the players if they were attempting to maintain their ruse with Arden and the opted not to, so I made a fortune roll to see how inquisitive he would be. He got a 6, so he quickly started unraveling the truth].

Setting up a deal with Mordis

Once in Nightmarket, Arquo quickly realized that while he could find a dozen different kinds of fried eel sandwiches (of which Elke was very delighted by) and hawkers with all manner of of other wares, Mordis was not a person you were likely to bump into by accident, nor someone with an ostentatious stall. The scoundrels, er, students started looking around and Jadvyga noticed a large presence of young purse snatchers and street urchins looming in the shadows. She reached out a few of them an arranged a complicated series of hand offs that left Arquo in an ally holding a many times fold and very dirty scrap of paper, only to be told that Morids was very busy, and they he would see them in a particular spot, in two hours. [Controlled Consort with a mixed result, taking extra time, which pushed the Finding Arquo clock up to 2/4].

During the time they were waiting:

• Arquo and Arden sneered at he each on a sidewalk near the stall of the famed smith Jira, who proudly displayed her fine weapons from the Dagger Isles.
• Elke found every manner of fried meat and other things she could sample.
• Jadvyga got lost among the clothiers and finally stumbled into Dunridge & Sons, where an very professional, very skilled tailor Malcom Dunridge, got all of her measurements and offered to start tailoring a few dresses to fit her. Only when she realized the time did she dart off to make sure she was there for the meeting [Jadvyga has found her vice purveyor].

Drawing unwanted attention

Just before the meeting was supposed to happen Arquo opted to get a bit more privacy. The electric lights that filled Nightmarket had not only been giving Elke a headache (while she was wearing her spirit mask) but also illuminated the streets just a bit too much for Arquo’s tastes. He started tampering with the wiring, and would have finished if not for an ill-timed patrol of Bluecoats that happened by. Elke noticed them in time to signal to Arquo, who scampered down before they noticed anything was afoot, but by the time they moved along, the opportunity was lost [Risk Wreck, Failed result, Opportunity lost and a Consequence of Heat, which was resisted by Elke with Insight].

Mordis

Not long after another street urchin approached, took the scrap of paper that they had earlier given to Arquo, and shortly after a figure bundled in robes and rags appeared. Mordis spoke in short phrases, their voice barely more than a whisper. They came at the behest of strangers who sought an imperial musket; an item with pedestrian utility but grand symbolism.

With some nudging form Arquo and Elke, Arden stepped forward and said he wanted the musket, and had his father’s fine dueling pistol to trade for it. Mordis reached out a gloved hand to take the pistol and the moment it was placed in his hand it disappeared under his rags with so subtle a flourish, none could tell where it went.

Mordis and Arden spoken and eventually agreed on the exchange, which would happen in Mordis’ home, several blocks away, to which only Arden would accompany him. [The negotiation was put to Arden, so I made a fortune roll for him and he got a mixed result. Mordis would do the deal, but there would be strings attached].

The other scoundrels wanted to attend as well but Mordis was steadfast that only one other would come with. Elke, knowing about strange dealings stayed went with Arden. Meanwhile stayed behind to clean his guns, but Jadvyga quickly took to the shadows and followed behind Elke and Arden [Desperate prowl due to all of Mordis’ street urchins watching out for him, but Jadvyga succeeded!]

Ghost Contracts

Mordis produced a key, seemingly out of nowhere, to open a locked door and let them inside their home. The building had only a single gas light hanging by the door, and so they could not see anything besides their immediate surroundings. A sturdy, heavy-looking desk with several old but serviceable quills upon it and an Imperial Musket, worn from use. Morids produced a contract, and instructed Arden to sign it. It would bind them both to the fairness of the trade and that neither of them would speak of where they obtained the goods to anyone.

Elke realized as Mordis wrote on goatskin parchment with ink that crackled with spectral energy, that this was a ghost contract, which could bind the signers to an supernatural oath. Arden signed without much thought (Elke didn’t tell him what it was) and was about to take the musket when he felt a burning on his arm. He quickly pulled up his sleeve to see what it was and saw a tattoo beginning to form on the inside of his wrist. He panicked and flailed while Mordis seemed to merely wince with discomfort, surely a tattoo appearing somewhere on their body, all covered in rags.

Elke tried to calm Arden down by explaining to him what it was, which was exactly the wrong idea. [Risky sway with a Devil’s bargain to tell him the truth. Failure result.] Arden’s eyes went wide and he lunged for the contract to rip it in half. Elke grabbed him and pulled him back. The tumbled into each other and he looked into her eyes, the feelings for her suddenly coalescing in his mind (Note, see what could be improved below. In play we described this as romantic attraction, but we’re going to revise to familial affection). [Resisting with Prowess].

It comes to blows

Arden, infuriated but unable to unleash his anger on Elke, grabbed the musket, stalked out, and made a direct course for Arquo, who he intended to crack his jaw with the butt of his new musket! Arquo saw it coming and got the jump on him. He sent a knee into Arden’s groin and the both when down on the ground wrestling for control of the musket.

As Elke ran to catch up she her the thundering boom of musket fire and when she turned the corner saw both men on the ground, Arquo with his pistol to Arden’s head, and Arden frozen in place. The musket was on the ground, and the famed Jira was pulling a giant sword from her stall to meet out her own justice, as the bullet had blasted a whole in the side of it.

They also heard the shouts and hustling of two bluecoats coming quickly!

Laggard

Jadvyga, perched in the shadows of Mordis’ demesne, opted to linger a bit longer after Arden and Elke had left. She slipped on her darksight goggled and with them could see all manor of curiosities. Strange weapons she did not recognize, masks of many shapes and designs, a jumble of thick textiles, some of which seemed to be moving of their own accord. Satisified with these bizarre sights, Jadvyga tried to creep out through an open window but found that it was barred. Just as she was inspecting it an albino crow, clearly a deathseeker crow from it’s runic markings flew in threw the bars and landed on her wrist without realizing it’s perch was a person. A moment later Mordis called for it and it flew down to him.

The moment Jadvyga was free of the bird, she called upon her Tycherosi heritage to slip, impossibly, through the bars. Just in time to here the musket go off! [Desperate prowl to make it out unnoticed, reduced to Risky because of the use of The Devil’s Footsteps to slip through bars no-one would suspect a person could get through. Mixed success with a complication that Mordis’ familiar noticed her, resisted with prowess, holding very, very still].

Chaos in the Streets

Elke grabbed Arden’s arm and pulled him to his feet. She shouted run and they all made haste. Jira, who saw the entire thing had her massive greatsword from the Dagger Isle’s in her hands and was calling the Bluecoats to catch them.

Jadvyga took this all in from the end of the ally, and sped to create a distraction. She slipped past Jira, grabbed a curved khopesh “jira” blade and the made to dart off with it, but make sure the weapon-smith noticed so she chased Jadvyga instead. For a moment the camera caught sight of Jadvyga pulling the blade gingerly from its braket and then Jira turning wide eyed and bringing her own greatword down cleave the theif’s arm at the wrist. There was a loud clang however, as Jadvyga pulled away just fast enough and “parried” the greatsword with the new blade of her own, she them darted with Jira on her tail. [Desperate setup action to improve the effect of Elke and Arquo fleeing].

Aqruo wanted to take side streets and duck down dark passages but Elke yelled to run straight for the boat, so they could get their in time to hide under it’s many tarps. Their plan worked, a mad dash gained the ground over the Bluecoats, but it also exposed Arquo who was winged in the shoulder by one of the bluecoats who had taken aim and shot him as he fled. [Risky Prowl with great effect due to the setup action. Mixed success resulted in harm, taken by Arquo].

Let’s be done with this already

On the boat ride back everything was awkward. Jadvyga felt bad about having lied to Arden. Elke was angry with Arden (and maybe Arquo as well). Arquo and Arden starred daggers at each other.

In the private dock under the factory, the Society pulled up, dropped of Arden and the musket with no love between them. Arden was a bit surprised. He knew that he loathed Arquo but felt like there was some bond between him and Elke. Clearly she didn’t feel the same way.

Above, still working away, Hix managed to ingratiate herself to some of the Grinders but only at the expense of Sercy’s enmity. [Consort by helping the Grinders package guns in a way that wouldn’t be detected to buy herself a downtime action (recovery) since they just happen to have some leviathan blood, which was her god’s chosen consecration. Complication was Sercy’s wroth]. They traded insults and cruel barbs [Hix is took her new trauma: Vicious] and when she parted, it was all Sercy could do to prevent herself from shoving Hix down the stairs as she descended them [Sercy is now an enemy for Hix].

Once they were in each other’s sight Hix ran straight to Elke and gave her the biggest hug, which Elke returned sobbing and saying how happy she was to have Hix back.

Library Loans Overdue

I capped the session with a flash forward to the original members (including Harland) all studying in Strathmill Hall to try and make up for exams and demonstrations they had missed. The door opened and in walked professor Augus Mendleson, then professor Una Farros, then professors Oilweather, Hellyers, Jayan, and Dansworth. Behind them was a woman dressed in formal naval attire, and finally following her was Grace…the extortionist. [The Leviathan Hunters got a Crit on their investigation to find who took the captains log].

Exciting times in Charterhall University!

Payoff

• Coin: 4 (all in the form of the Jira blade they quickly pawned)
• Rep: 4 (Targeting the Ministry of Trade)
• Heat: 4 (3 from the job itself, +1 for a high profile target)
• Entanglement: To be rolled later.

What Rocked

This has definitely been the most heist-like score the society has done so far. I enjoyed all the chases and back ally dealings. The exploration into Nightmarket and the encounters with some of it’s denizens.

A small detail but Aqruo was willing to give his own name (as a devil’s bargain) to gain an audience with Mordis. The strange merchant may come calling on Arquo some day in the future.

Wow. Talk about risky moves Jadvyga! Creeping into Mordis’ shop, stealing a Jira blade in order to cause a distraction.

I loved the relief and joy that Hix and Elke had once they were re-united. The two of them who are so aloof and guarded with others, were so filled with unblemished joy when they saw each other.

Jadvyga trying on all the pretty clothes and Malcolm Dundridge happy to size them for her but she hadn’t the coin or the time!

Arden channeling all his frustration and anger at Arquo and then it getting so messy in the merchant stalls when Arquo knocked him down a peg.

I’m still so interested to see what Arquo does about Major Crane following him. Will he let the heat fall on the Lampblacks, or will he take on the attention himself and bring the Ministry of Trade to the Society’s doorsteps?

Hix and Sercy’s bitter words to each other just before the hand off. “Time to go back to your Society.” “That’s right, not like you’ve ever be accepted in one.” Ouch!

What could have been improved

It occurs to me now that a better complication for Arquo failing to dismantle the street lights would be for Mordis to notice they had been tampered with and be more guarded in his dealings with them.

Karen asked after the game if we could have less “people falling for Elke” plots, which I agree, there have been a lot of people giving Elke very intimate attention. Some of these affections haven’t been romantic (Like Nyryx and Scurlock) but nevertheless, there have been a lot of people taking unwanted interest in her. I’ve got an idea for revising Arden’s affection for her, in that she reminds him of a younger sister, for which he has great love. I’ll run that by the group next session.

I regret bringing in some of the new faculty so they only appear during this disciplinarian moment. I’m going to shoot for a few flashbacks to show them under “normal” circumstances before we get to the actual reckoning that has come due.

I never know what to say when someone goes looking through a shopkeepers inventory, especially if they are known to be a merchant who deals in arcane and exotic items. I feel a little bit like it’s saying showing this strange disparity of wealth, but I know having owned a business, that inventory is usually pulling you under the current rather than bringing you up in the world. I started thinking immediately, what if they robbed the place… what would they find… and worried I wouldn’t know how to answer when they did.

GM: Sean Nittner
Players: Karen Twelves, Eric Fattig, and Adrienne Mueller
System: Blades in the Dark, Quickset Rules v.7.1

What game are we playing?

Before the game started we talked about two things.

1. Would it make more sense to change the crew type to a cult? The reason being is that if Harland is going to recruit a new sect of the Path of Echoes it would be cool of the other crew members were involved. We talked about it back and forth and decided that for now, the crew would take the Anointed special ability (from the Cult crew sheet) and if the took more cult moves, might transition over to it completely.
2. The game has really drifted from the characters primarily be students. The school still comes into the game, but it’s rarely part of the scores. A lot of that comes down to me not making the school come alive with NPCs but it’s also that we haven’t focused on scores to improve clout within Charterhall University. We didn’t come to any conclusive decisions but decided introduce a few more of the CU cast as well as make one very important change to the crew: Harland would go out on his own to deal with the Path of Echoes. This way he didn’t bring a war with a Tier 3 gang to the Doskvol Spectral Society!

Arquo joining the DSS?

We flashed back to the meeting in the lab, just after Elke transferred Nyryx to Harland, rather, erm, physically.

After the transference Arquo approached and told them that his standing within the Lampblacks was not good. Last he left off Bazso was very displeased with him. And the society looked to be doing good things, and looked like maybe they could use someone like him…. so… could he join?

Harland and Elke both looked unsure of how to answer, and so instead asked for a moment to converse. They both liked him for sure, but Elke pointed out that he wasn’t a student… they were a student society! The went back and forth and finally decided to offer him a provisional membership, and that he could work for Esme in the Cat & Candle.

When they made the offer, Arquo, who had either been in the military or in a hardened gang most of his life, misunderstood and thought they were offering him a civilian job working at the C&C. A requirement from a life of violence and mayhem. He gladly accepted!

During the meeting though, Harland (with a wounded Nyryx inside him) kept finding himself standing over Elke, putting his hand on her shoulder involuntarily, and stepping between her and Arquo.

Help from Nyryx

After he was out of the lab and away from Elke, Nyryx spoke to Harland. It was still a rushed and pained voice, like it hurt him to talk. “Give me life and I will help you hide from the Path of Echoes.”

And so, when Harland did feed a drunken blacksmith to him, Nyryx was more than happy to take him to the same underground spirit club that one Oskarr Scurlock likes to visit. And there he found some sanctum, at least for a while… and during his time there, he both got to know, and got to be known by a group called the Wraiths.*

How Fares Hix

We wanted to see how Hix was doing so we picked up from when she had been carried off, rather roughly, by the Grinders. Blindfolded they put her in a canal boat and then took her back to their turf, which she could tell from the smell, was close to the docks.

Once there Hutton, the gang leader, looked her over, noticed her injured arm but didn’t see to care. In fact he looked distracted and never made eye contact. Hix tried to engratiate herself to him but he seemed too distracted to care about the words she said. [Failed Sway. Opportunity Lost]. Tak her upstairs and put her to work.

Above the canal dock Hix could tell she was still underground, in the basement of a factory that was clambering away above. There she saw members of the Grinders, many of them with open sores, boils, and deformities. They were packing away arms and munitions into common items, making sure they would be concealed even under close inspection. Hix was sent to hammer lids on crates. Hard to do with her injured arm!

So lets get her back!

The demands from the Grinders were simple, they wanted what the DSS took from them: Arden Keel and an imperial musket. For that they would return Hix. So the Society set off to make that happen.

Arquo, in his past had held onto a imperial musket many times. He knew that some soldiers “lost” theirs to a high bidder, or never turned them in at the end of their service. Others were smuggled and sold illicitly, but no matter what, they were like carrying a one way ticket to Ironhook in your pocket. Dangerous. He had a friend from the service, Celene, who now served in the very small contingent of Imperial Guard, a largely ceremonial position of guarding the Emperor’s estate in Doskvol, not that he had visited it in the last 500 years. Celene had mentioned offhandedly in the past that she knew a few soldiers who sold their rifles to a merchant in the Nightmakert named Mordis. And of course she had her own officially issued musket as well. [Flashback to Gather Information].

Knowing they might be able to get a musket, the real challenge was finding Arden Keel, the son of powerful family in the Ministry of Transport. And then of course convincing him to re-join the Grinders.

A letter was delivered in Keel manor and delivered to young master Keel. Due to good fortune the letter had not be screened by their security staff and made it into his hands directly. It was subtle enough that the casual reader would not know it’s origin, but poignant enough that Arden understood it was a summons from the Grinders. [Deception Plan, 1D6 rolled. Result:6!]

Meet at the Menagerie

The next morning, on what everyone assumed was a regular trip to the docks for a young man that should be looking in on his family’s affairs, Arden slipped away from his ward, Major Crane, and made his way to The Menagerie. The outdoor zoo filled with exotic creatures that have been shoved in cages and tanks, and often trodden through muddy fields by Captain Rye for public display.

In the canal dock beside it, camouflaged by tarps, was the Society, who had dressed themselves up as Grinders, complete with painted on boils and blemishes as well as bandages and bulky clothes. [Controlled Finesse to apply the disguise. Result: 6]. Elke, who was wearing her Sprit Mask so he wouldn’t recognize her called out to him. “Arden. Over here!”

Somewhat startled but quickly excited by the possibilities, Arden quickly raced over. He is a young man, new to the world in many ways, and confident because of it. He looked over his shoulder several times, concerned that his ward would find him, before greeting the “Grinders” to find out what what was going on.

They spoke for sometime and Arden seemed hesitant. He wanted to join the fight… but it sounded like the fight wasn’t quite happening yet. He was concerned that if he joined them and they didn’t leave Doskvol soon, his parents would find him again. Tired of these questions, Elke barked out an order “Arden. Get in the boat!” [Risky Command, Mixed result]

Arden flashed a fine dueling pistol to show that he was ready for action and moved to get on the boat, but just at that moment there yell from down the docks “Master Keel!” A man who was probably in his late forties but still very fit and still wearing a military haircut, came running down the docks after them.

Chase through the Docks!

Quick on her toes, Jadvyga pulled a silence potion vial form under her garments and tossed it towards the oncoming assailant, hoping to both silence and bewilder the man. Curses to the menagerie and all the hay they leave on the ground! The vial didn’t break, and when the man, Major Crane, saw her throwing something at him he redoubled his efforts shouting for Bluecoats, drawing his own pistol and firing on Jyadvyga. [Risky Finesses. Failure resulting in Harm and a complication]. Arquo saw the man running and drew his own pistol and fired several times to force him off his path.

Jadvyga dropped down into the boat but the bullet winged her shoulder and knocked her out cold. The silence potion eventually did it work, however, or part of it, as it seemed over and blocked the sounds of Crane calling the Bluecoats [2 Harm, 1 resisted by armor, the other resisted by Arquo with Prowess. Complication resisted by Jadvyga which filled up her stress track! Jadvyga too the Trauma: Soft]

Elke wasn’t waiting for him to reload. She ordered Arden to push them off the docks as she fired up the engine and started the get away. Arden, the son of a minister of transport, turned out to be quite handy on the water. The boat however is finicky, and only Harland can handle it just right. The few moments it took to start and the fact that there are bridges and side streets all through the docks meant that Crane was able to give chase on land [Risky Teamwork Finesse. Mixed results. Complication of a chase].

Elke, remembering the canal routes from her fine maps made a sudden course change under a bridge and down a canal that Major Crane couldn’t follow. [Resist with Insight]. As Crane tried to cross the final bridge and leap down onto the boat, Arquo swung an oar at the bridge’s rotten supports and collapsed part of it, causing Crane to be trapped up to his armpits in broken bridge! As the puttered off Crane got his first good look at Arquo and despite the boils Jadvyga had applied to his face recognized him clear as day. He yelled out at the top of his lungs. “Sergeant Llewellyn!” [Risky Wreck. Mixed outcome. Complication of recognition].

Arden’s Deal

After the excitement of the chase subsided, Aqruo turned to Arden and started interrogating him. Arden couldn’t fathom a Grinder in the service of the imperials, but was eventually sated by the notion that Arquo was a defector and apposed the the Emporer as well (only partially true).

After that, Spirit Mask Clad Elke told Arden that not only was he to return to the Grinders but he needed to bring back an Imperial Musket with him (It was Elke herself that took it from him when the rescued him). They suggested buying one in Night Market and knew a man who might be able to supply one for them at the right price. Arden had nothing of value on him…except his father’s fine dueling pistol. After a moment of hesitation he agreed that he’d do it. Nothing could go wrong! [Fortune roll to see Arden’s loyalty to the Girders resulted in a 6!]

What Rocked

I’m really glad we talked in the beginning about the direction for the game and the gang. I think having a health check on your game is always a good idea!

“Harland, it’s in our charter!” I love that Elke was so vehement that she wanted Arquo to join, but he had to do it by the books!

Harland taking on the Path of Echoes (or at least Vond) on his own. Wow, that is going to be crazy. I’m not sure he’s going to survive the encounter!

The little scene with Hix just broke my heart. I was so hoping that she would ingratiate herself to Hutton, but I suppose the man just has too much on his mind. I wonder how she will fare now. Trauma 3!

The heist was great! Send a cryptic letter, dress up as Grinders, dash away on a gondola! This was a Leverage episode!

I love that Aqruo now has a choice. Let Crane follow up and find out that he’s part of the Lampblacks (and thus putting the heat on them) or announce that he’s joined the DSS and face the wrath from the Ministry themselves. Either way, that is super cool!

As an aside I also love that two of the three players had made second characters and that those characters are so instrumental in the gang’s operations. The Doskvol Spectral Society has truly become it’s own entity.

I can’t wait for the negotiations in Night Market. Mordis is so strange, I wonder how it will go.

What could have improved

Could we have a redo on November 8th, 2016 please? Or all of 2016? Despite the game being a good one it was really hard to focus as the night just kept getting worse and worse. The future of our country aside, this was a great game.

GM: Sean Nittner
Players: Karen Twelves, Eric Fattig, and Adrienne Mueller
System: Blades in the Dark, Quickset Rules v.7.1

“Let’s go out to a nice place for dinner on our anniversary.”

“Sure, but let’s keep our regular Blades game as well.”

“Okay”

[I will not attribute the speakers but we are both such nerds!]

Flashback to the night in Scurlock Manor

Last session I really didn’t know what Scurlock was up to when Elke called on him. I mean he had a starting clock but we were up to eight downtimes now so surely he was past that. In between games I rolled him some fortune rolls to see how he was doing and sure enough he did finish that first clock, and a second eight-tick clock, and was working on a third.

The room appointed to Elke was decidedly boring. Portraits on the walls, old books that were popular reading fifty years ago on the desk, two wrought-iron candlesticks that would make a serviceable, if heavy club,  but really, nothing of import. She could not sleep though, so was not particularly startled when a servile knock was wrapped on her door. Mr. Jefferies apologized for the late hour but asked if Ms. Salkaran would be disposed to join Master Scurlock in the observatory.

Hating herself for it Elke was too curios to resist, and so joined him, outfitted in a heavy wool coat provided by Mr. Jefferies. Inside the outbuilding beside his manor Scurlock greeted her. This was the only building with electric lights (the rest of the house still had gas lights) and even they seemed to operate on ancient wiring, frequently dimming and then growing brighter on their own accord. A moment before midnight, Scurlock asked if he could show Elke something fascinating, and with her permission, he flipped heavy breakers to turn off all the lights in the room, whispered some arcane words, and then slowly as if spilled ink was spreading through the fibers of a wood pulp page, the darkness overhead was replaced by a skyline full of stars.

Scurlock warned against looking straight up, into the epicenter, for if Elke did, the demon of sky and stars would know her mind. Heeding this warning but otherwise taking in everything she could and doing her best to remember as much of it as possible, Elke realized these weren’t the constellations she was used to seeing the void sea, or at least it mostly wasn’t. For one thing there were just more of them, so many more stars, but also, the formed different shapes, or the same shapes but in different places in the “sky”.

After a moment of speaking about these stars, many of them lost or faded so dim that we can no longer see them, Scurlock flipped the breakers once more, the electric lights slowly came to life and the star map receded. Scurlock told Elke that he was working on project that perhaps only she, as Salkaran would understand, and that if she wished to join him in working on it, it might benefit her as well. He produced a bronze mask, clearly one that once belonged to a Spirit Warden, or perhaps a facsimile of one, and said that he sought to know who they were, to unveil them. Elke was silent for a long time, and then he asked her to think on it. We cut the scene with Elke struggling between her hatred of Scurlock and her fascination with this potential knowledge.

Harland on the Run

Before starting Harland’s scene we had to ask what would happen back in the Opera House. Would Vond trust the ghosts that returned with news that Harland had turned against her? And if so, what would she do. The person who had the greatest sway at that point was Geraldine. She knew Harland’s plans and could either keep quiet, or perhaps even defend him, or she could turn on him and give everything to Vond. [I asked Eric to pick a number of dice between 0 and 5 that represented her loyalty, then make a fortune roll. After a bit of discussion we decided that Geraldine was opportunistic and only had one die of loyalty. He rolled and got a 1…]. Geraldine spilled EVERYTHING!

Only knowing that thing were pretty bad, Harland headed back to his workshop, where he quickly refilled his breast pocket container with his own personal tinctures. He scrambled furiously through the lab, reached out across a filled with precise alchemical tools and and from across it drew…a pick axe!

He was heading to the Dimmer Sisters abandoned manor, he was going to dig up the mask of the Hierophant so that he could actually take his place, but doing so alone would be dangerous.

Harland crept, quietly as he could, into the dorms to find Stras. And he found her, only she was having a screaming match with Grace at the time. From inside her room he could hear her “Just tell me what you know, and I’ll tell him when I see him!”

“First off, my information goes directly to Harland only. And second, you think I’m giving this away? He’s going to pay me for this!”

The argument continued but Harland wasn’t here to hear it. He slinked away into the darkness.

A New Order

On his own, with trusty pick axe in hand, Harland dug into the burnt out remains of the Dimmer Sister’s old home. Clearly already ransacked several times, Harland wasn’t sure someone else hadn’t beaten him to it. There were however, several offerings that had been left outside. Food, mementos, scented herbs, and other small gifts that had been left in the garden. Fools praying to dead gods.

Inside Harland tore the place about until he found the bolt hole that the a few of the Dimmer Sisters used to escape during the final raid. It led into the canals, and from there, could have done anywhere. Inside however, he found where the Hierophant was held, and although it did not have his mask, while there they did afford him pen and paper, and on them he wrote several sermons. Quite provocative ones at that. Change a few choice words, add epmhasis here, remove it there, and he’d had the start of some very rousing speeches [Long term project to create a Path of Echos splinter cult, 2/8 ticks complete].

Arquo the Handy

It seems like ever since he arrived, Arquo has been the go to criminal. He’s ever so helpful! Harland found him at his parents house, re-boarding up a window that had previously been boarded up, the boards had been stolen, and he was boarding it again. Harland surprised him and there was a horrible crack as the hammer which was meant for a metal spike instead clattered into the board instead, narrowly missing Arquo’s fingers.

Flashback to the earlier days in the Path of Echoes, back when they still met in the secret basement rooms in Morlan Hall, and before Vond had moved them to the Opera House. As she changed the direction of the order Harland first tried to suss out who were on board with her xenophobic ideology and who just wanted to do witch-y seances and make out while possessed.  His subtle questions were rebuffed as the students didn’t want to say anything that might get them in trouble, but when he began to give them Vond’s orders, he was quick to tell who jumped to attention and who hung around in the back. Syra was ready to do dirty work, Thistle, Tesslyn, and Lizete, all three friends, were trying as hard as they could not to be noticed [1 stress Flashback. Devil’s Bargain that one of the students, Syra, would take notice of him and what he was doing, and would remember it later. Controlled Study with a mixed outcome. Tried again with Command, also a Mixed outcome, succeed but but in a Risky situation.]

With their names and descriptions, Harland and Arquo split up to go find them. Harland went to a study lounge where he knew Tesslyn often frequented and though he found him, Tesslyn was surrounded by others. While Harland waited in the shadows for the others to disperse, or for Tesslyn to head out on his own, he was surprised by a chipper voice coming from behind him.

“Hi Harland. What are you up to?” It was Syra. She was smiling. Syra was always enthusiastic and quick to smile. This was normal enough.

Harland tried to dodge her questions, so she changed from the inquisitive to the imperative. “Let’s go see Vond together Harland.” Still smiling.

And when that didn’t work she put a dagger in his back and said, still smiling, “Let’s go.” [Remember that “in a risky situation”]

Harland, his hands shaking, nervously told her that he need to take a restorative to calm his nerves, then with her permission imbibed his tonic, and moment later spun around to thrash the acolyte. He failed utterly, and she plunged her blade into his abdomen. However, the alchemically enhanced muscles in his body spit the blade out and she watched in horror as his skin sealed itself back up. Syra saw what happened and fled. The act of healing the wound so quickly drained the normal boost Harland’s concoction would normally grant, and left him to fatigued to give chase. [Failure on a risky roll resulting in harm as well as loss of an opportunity. Harm resisted with Battleborn, which comes as a result of Harland’s alchemy].

After this Skrimish, however, Harland persisted and with Arquo’s help rounded of all three friends. They were interested but still needed some convincing as defying Vond was probably worse than a death sentence! [4/8 ticks on creating his own cult].

Missed Connections

Harland thanked Arquo for his aid and asked him for one more favor, to deliver a message to Elke that if she needed him she should leave a red carnation on her windowsill and that when he came he would knock three times. It was too risky for them to meet any other way.

Arquo came to deliver this strange message when he found Elke looking absolutely wretched. She was still nauseated [Harm 1] herself and ravenously hungry as a result of carrying Nyryx within her soul chamber. Nyryx was mostly non-responsive but he seemed averse to anything that would cause further exposure. Leaving her apartment or certainly leaving Elke!

Arquo gave the message, which Elke dismissed as nonsense, but shortly after an arrival of a tincture from Quellen as well as six fried eel sandwiches came [1 Coin spent for a Recovery action. Harm healed].

Healing the Haunt

Instead of doing any of the carnation nonsense (which Arquo mistakenly took for a romantic gesture), Elke told Arquo (the second time he came back, the first time she was too sick and her tiny apartment filled with too many weird things) to help him find Harland directly. They tracked him down to a laboratory. Not his lab mind you, but another that he was using.  When Elke entered she sprung a tripwire and a vial was flung across the room at her. It bounced off her chest and fell harmlessly to the floor. Elke the called out to Harland and told him that he needed to use thinner glass, that apothecary grade glass is specifically hardened to be shatter proof under all but the most intense of forces.

Harland showed himself from the corner in which he was hiding and greeted Elke with great fondness. He had heard about her arrest, and Scurlock, and Nyryx and was genuinely concerned (that same concern, again Arquo mistook for romantic affection). Elke asked if he could help her. Nyryx was still hurt and needed to feed on the life force of someone to recover.

Harland had another possibility, but it wasn’t an easy one. He, after pledging his undying loyalty to Vond, had been taken by her out to the deathlands to a Spirit Well, where he knew the ghosts could go to feed off the energy there and recover. Unfortunately, the only way he got their safely was with Vond’s protection. Doing so again would require a cadre of whispers warding the ghosts off, or perhaps someone with access to a lighting tower that could project the lighting field to envelop a path to the well.

This plan was considered and then summarily rejected. Or at least postponed until there were resources brought to bear to make it possible.

Instead seeing that Elke was very distraught about killing someone to feed Nyryx, and not being quite as squeamish about murder himself, Harland offered to take Nyryx himself and to help the ghost. Elke tried to eject Nyryx but he clung to her like a child being pulled into a room for a spanking. It required them to get very close, for Elke to force him out, and for Harland to inhale him deeply. The wild jerking and throbbing, the hands on Elke’s hips to brace her, and the closeness of their mouths… none of it was lost on Arquo.

Another Attempt

Harland first tried to find another person on the street the could accost and feed to Nyryx, but each time he found someone there were others that he thought were too close by. Maybe it was his paranoia, maybe not, he couldn’t be sure. [Controlled Hunt, failed. Trying another method]. Instead he took his alchemical enchantment, went into a bar, and got into a fight. After beating someone up he dragged them into the alley behind the bar [Controlled Skirmish, mixed out come, complication] and was about to feed him to Nyryx when the hairs on the back his neck went up and he noticed blue mist forming from the electrical lights in the street and itself crackling with electricity.

Shoal, an Akorosi ghost in league with Vond, came to take Harland’s life! As lighting crackled around it, Harland drew a blade that he had crafted for the purpose of fighting specters. He cut his hand and the blood, in thin rivulets trickled down a channel carved into the blade. As the ghost descended full of wrath, because of Nyryx’ presence he was not afraid, and with his blase he cut into the vaporous form. Where it touched his blood, the blood ignited into a red flame which burned the ghost horribly, destroying it on the spot [Skirmish, with great effect due to Ghost Fighter, a Fine Blade, and Not to Be Trifled With. Devils Bargain, +1 Heat]. Several from within the pub saw this display of burning blood and crackling electricity… and many would tell the story of it afterward!

Ghost dispatched and victim at hand, Harland fed Nyryx allowing him to recover further [Recovery Action].

Protection from Soul Removal

Back at Strathmill Hall, Elke poured over tomes to learn more about protecting the soul. [More ticks on that Long Term Project].

Gaming in Style

Did I mention we mixed our anniversary and gaming. So good.

What Rocked

Oh, the misunderstandings of Arquo were so good. I loved the crush on Elke that is budding for him.

Dang, two attempts on Harland, both thwarted but both close calls. So much for downtime!

Harland being so paranoid… and being right!

Harland not talking to Stras…when Grace had information for him even!

The real distress that Elke had over killing someone. What has she done? What has she become?

All the hate Elke has for Scurlock…and all the fascination she has with his projects. The way he drove her crazy using her family name.

Wow, Elke really cares about Nyryx. I’ve always thought that ghost must have some hidden agenda or something about him that Elke would abhor, but now, I don’t know. I think even if he does have some terrible secret, he’d try to change it for her. She’s brought him back from the brink. He’s sill hurt [Harm 1] but he’s in possession (hah!) of his faculties now, and that means so much to him.

A new splinter cult, for real? That is so cool. After the game Karen and I were talking and it might actually make a lot of sense for the gang to change from smugglers to a cult.

On Monday night I started asking all those questions I had been pondering from the end of last game. From those I came up with Scurlocks projects, what the Leviathan Hunter captain Abram Booker was up to (decided against using Strangford as that was just too close to home) and what the Path of Echoes were doing. Rolling up some random traits for characters, filling in some clocks, and thinking a bit through their goals helped so much. It was so great to have a game that offered me those tools so I didn’t have to do all the work myself. Plus, rolling on charts is fun!

We played most of this game at Grand Lake Kitchen while celebrating our anniversary! Gaming with friends and family that I love while eating wonderful food and exchanging gifts…what could possibly be better?

What could be improved

When we get to next game I need to start asking Elke the Ritual questions. Should have done it this session. I think she’s far enough into the process of protecting a soul, that the first two questions should be asked.

What is up with Harland’s blood alchemy. Next session we’re going to get the skinny on that too! He said it was human blood that powered it all. Who’s blood and how does it have these effects on him and on ghosts?

GM: Sean Nittner
Players: Karen Twelves and Adrienne Mueller
System: Blades in the Dark, Quickset Rules v.7

For being a “downtime” session, this game was intense. I love the Spectral Society so much! Eric wasn’t well so he couldn’t make the game but we didn’t finish downtime, so we’ll see Harland’s actions next week!

All the Arrests!

Starting off the session I had two entanglements to resolve and hey, look how fun these were:

The Usual Suspects. The Bluecoats grab someone in the periphery of your crew. One player volunteers a friend or vice purveyor as the person most likely to be taken. Make a fortune roll to find out how well they resist questioning, or pay the Bluecoats off with 2 coin

This result was hilarious because instantly all three of us agreed it had to be Andrel Rowan. He’s the consummate fuck up, and had probably been blabbing his mouth about robbing Magistrate Clelland. Thank the forgotten gods word about the missing journal hasn’t gotten around yet!

Interrogation. The Bluecoats round up one of the PCs, to question them about the crew’s crimes. Tell them what they want to know or resist with your Resolve to avoid jail time and exposing the crew to warrants for their arrest, or pay them off with 3 coin.

This one was a little more immediate. The raid on the Red Sashes Dueling School was a very loud and very obvious event. As the repeated thrum from Bellweather Crematorium rung out and the deathseeker crows began flying to Crow’s Foot, soon the Bluecoats showed up in force. The fight was over, the Red Sashes had been routed, but the Bluecoats were arresting everyone they could catch!

Arquo, once he heard the sounds of their whistles and the beatings of their truncheons bolted for the Society’s boat in the canals below. Elke, watching the vaporous form of Nyryx filled with a burning electroplasmic round, could not move, and consequently hardly resisted when the Bluecoats threw her in manacles. She did, however make one passionate command to Nyryx to “Flee”. He didn’t have the energy or the will himself to do anything, so Elke channeled some of her own essence into him to give him strength. Not liking any one in Sprit Mask or anyone doing anything with ghosts the Bluecoats quickly bludgeoned Elke and dragged her off. As she left though she saw the form of Nyryx wafting down through the floor into the levels below. [Desperate Command to act as Help of Nyryx who has Harm 3 and cannot perform actions without Help].

Lockup

The prisoners were all processed with a similar level of apathy and cruelty. Shoved, shouted at, and generally mistreated, they were forced into a wagon, then into the station, and finally into a cell. When it was all said and done Elke sat in a room with three Lampblacks, a Red Sash, and a Docker, all staring daggers at each other. Muttering threats to each other should anyone have the stupid idea of saying anything at all happened.

When Elke did get pulled out and taken in for interrogation it was familiar faces. LaRose who she knew to be a greedy bastard that liked to take and take and take. And Frost, an investigator that Hix was slowly forming a bond with. Together they worked her over but she dodged their questions, claimed to be a confused college student with no understanding of how she ended up in a Lampblack Coat or what she was doing with a spirit mask or any of the other illegal items on her person. [Resist with Resolve]

Her stonewalling worked, at least for a while. They weren’t going to let her go, but they would poke at the edges to see if anything came loose from the others arrested before circling back around to her.

Posting Bail

After the first round of questions though Elke stopped LaRose, who she knew would be keen to get a payoff, and asked him if he could send a message to someone to post her bail. Hix was being held hostage by the Grinders, Harland was off dealing with the Path of Echoes, Nyryx was nearly destroyed, everyone she knew was either gone or in trouble of their own!

So, in a moment of desperation, she addressed herself by full name and lineage to the man who she believes killed her grandmother, Lord Scurlock. Damn! [Risky Sway. We started a 4 tick clock called Scurlock has leverage on Elke, and put two ticks on it, one for the roll and a second as a Devils Bargain for referencing her family name].

By using Scurlock’s name, she also suddenly convinced the Bluecoats that they were a lot less interested in her, and much more show on their own shoes or perhaps their fingernails. [Reduce Heat, because she used Scurlocks name, it added a tick to Scurlock having leverage on her 3/4]

Meeting Lord Scurlock

Some time later a very nervous Bluecoat pulled her out of her cell and put her in an armored carriage. He told her to shut up when she asked questions and for a long time he just left her their. Sometime after a small chest was placed on top of the carriage and a driver began driving it away from the station, through Doskvol, into Six Towers, and eventually to a large manor house. The driver, who also didn’t want to answer questions, dismounted, rang the giant knocker at the gate and then after a few nervous moments bolted, leaving Elke alone, locked in an iron bound carriage.

A short while later though, the door to the carriage opened and a single pale hand with long perfect fingers reached inside to help Elke step down from the carriage. As though she was touching something that had just died, Elke gingerly took his hand and exited the carriage to find a tall man, perhaps in his mid thirties, with prominent Akorosi features, awaiting her.

Edlund Scurlock introduced himself and Elke could hardly help herself form feeling like he was the kindest, most noble man she had ever seen [Insight resistance to break eye contact with him and look down]. Reluctantly she allowed him to escort her, along with his porter carrying her belongings, into the manor. It was then when she realized that the artifact was also in that crate, and how disastrous it would be if he got his hands on it. Nervous as all get out, she tried to finagle a way to get away from him but it was too late. The were inside and and he had noticed something about the chest, it resonated in a way that gain his attention.

Elke bluffed and said that it had her spirit mask, one she had made herself, and eventually consented to show it to him, but he insisted it be later, after she was fed and and dry.

Aquro trying to keep it all together

Meanwhile Arquo had returned to the Cat & Candle with the other Society members and saw that they were all disarrayed. All of their leaders were gone and they didn’t know what to do. Ogre spoke with him, asking for his advice and he tried to keep them calm and on point. When he told them that he saw Elke get arrested though, Ogre called for all the society members to empty out their pockets and put everything of worth on the table so they could bail her out.

As the assembled their coffers, Arquo drank from Vey’s flask and took a moment to calm his nerves and bandages his wounds [Recovery action].

Dressed in one of Harland’s shirts (his was covered in blood) Arquo offered to take the payment to bail out Elke. On the way out he gave the DSS some tips on how to keep it together until she got back!

An evening in Scurlock Manor

Still ever the gentleman, Edlund shared a delicious mean with her, then gave her private quarters to sleep the night, and finally during the night his servants laundered (and in the case of her recent lampblack coat, tailored to fit) all of her clothing.

In the morning he fed her once more, read her demeanor again (still hateful of him) and asked to see her spirit mask creation. She had to open the chest (for fear of accidentally touching the circlet), so that she could find her spirit mask safely, and Scurlock nearly saw all of its contents, but she slammed it close quickly after pulling out her spirit mask. Clearly acting strangely, though he didn’t press the matter then. [Risky Finesse, Mixed result with a consequence that he saw the artifact.  Resistance roll to avoid him seeing it, ending in stressing her out]. He handled the mask and appreciated it’s craftsmanship, then handed it back with a smile.

She left in his carriage, distraught, promising herself next time she would be prepared and she would end him [Trauma taken: Reckless].

Bailing out the Wrong Society Member

When Arquo arrived at the station, Elke had already left, but just mentioning her name caused a ripple of unease to spread through the station, which he attributed to her great power. Hearing her name though Rowan popped up and made some noise [This was a hilarious moment where I asked the players if they wanted to see how Rowan did on his own, and pointed out that he had exactly zero dice in keeping his shit together].

Somewhat confused and disappointed, Arquo didn’t want to let the Society down, so he paid some “administrative fees” and sprung Rowan…just in time! On the way bay Rowan told Arquo all about the DSS, at least from his perspective:

“They’re terrifying and they have this demon that they put inside you and it burns a hole in your soul and it hasn’t happened to me yet, but it happened to my friend Drav and when he got back he was beaten almost to death. You don’t ever want to cross them and once you join there’s no going back and maybe you should be glad you have another coat you can wear. I’m just sayin'”

Arquo, who had heard a much different story at the Cat & Candle too this with a grain of salt, but he did believe the part about them being dangerous.

When the two returned the crew was pretty universally disappointed that it was Rowan he brought back instead of Elke, but there was nothing to be done for that. Seeing that they were still a bit shell shocked Arquo suggested that they go back to doing their normal activities until the leaders return [And being a gang that is both Loyal and Independent, they set about doing just that]. Bazran grab his truncheon, Vey pulled out her school sash, and the went out to patrol the streets of Charterhall and keep them safe for students!

Meet the Parents

The Society seemed to be doing alright but it wasn’t his home. He couldn’t go back to Lampblack headquarters, at least not without facing Bazso, so Aqruo did what he always did when he was lost, he went home.

Arquo’s parents were old lamplighters, back from when the lit gas lights and before Bazso took over and they became a gang. They were poor and depended on Arquo both for money, but also for taking care of their own unfinished business [Arquo’s vice is Obligation to his parents]. His sister was a Lampblack who died in the war. In it was her ghost the one that Elke summoned the ghost of from outside the Red Sashes to distract the Spirit Wardens (though Arquo didn’t know this). After she died his parents leaned on him for even more.

His father Arcus, who believes in hard working paying off eventually, was trying to end the war. He had been working with Roric of the Crows to keep things peaceful in Crow’s Foot, but after Roric died his hold slipped as well. His mother Ramira however wanted justice for he daughter. After she died Bazso should have taken care of the family, that was his job, and he let them slip through the crack.

Arquo couldn’t pay their rent but he did give them the good news that he killed Mylera Klev that night, the woman who killed their daughter, so vengeance was had at the least [Woah, this was such and amazing twist. I love how Adrienne picked up all these disconnected pieces and put them into Arquo’s backstory to make it feel like he’s always been part of the world]. Over the next few hours he told them the entire story of how they defeated the red sashes [Indulge Vice with a Devil’s Bargain of telling them about the scary ghost shit that Elke did and all the other gory details].

Returning the Ring

Elke desperately wanted to get the ring back to Bazso as soon as possible so he didn’t notice it was missing and send someone after her. Also, she wanted to be on his good side so she could study it later! She bundled it up and strapped it to her chest and the covered that with a sweater and her newly tailored rain slicker coat.

With Jadvyga at her side, she headed out to the Crow’s Foot in search of Arquo. He had told Bazran where to find him if they needed him, and Elke needed him. The found his parents place, which was in the basement level below the street, with cellar windows showing dim yellow gaslights below.

When they arrived Arcus and Ramira both game sideways glances at Arquo. Two college girls knocking at his door? Soon though, when they heard that Elke wanted to make a delivery to Bazso, Arcus put on his own coat and said he would escort her (as he know from his son’s tale that it wouldn’t be safe for Arquo).

Arquo left the up the door where Shrift was on guard. She knew Arquo was in shit with Bazso, but also thought he was pretty damn awesome for killing Mylera, so they chatted while Elke, Arcus and Jadvyga were allowed in.

Soon after, when it was clear that she was safe, Elke dismissed her various chaperones, returned the ring to Bazso and ask if she could learn more about it. He agreed, but wanted her to understand it first, and that understanding only came at the bottom of a bottle. We had a lovely montage of them drinking whiskey, handing up the taxidermied animal heads he had recovered from the leaky bucket, and talking about death, and what really happens, and what if there was a place you could go after to find peace. Bazso didn’t want to leave this world, only to come back three days later as a monster. Nor did he want his body destroyed to prevent the same. [Long term project to gain access to the Empty Vessel]

Saving Nyryx

Elke had asked Aquro to meet her back at the Cat and Candle later. He wasn’t sure what to make of that. Was this young woman in college interested in him? Well yes, and possibly romantically as well, but for the right now, she needed someone who could help her track down Nyryx. She could attune to the ghost field but he knew Crow’s Foot and she thought they would need both. Together they set off after him and after many hours found that below the dueling school, the levels kept going down. Down below the basement and below the canals, below the subbasement, and into strange cellars and hallways and finally down further on rickety old wooden steps and into an ancient rail tunnel, unused but still liked with track. [Mechanically I had them do a group action where Elke was using Attune and Arquo was using Hunt, but I realize now that I should have handled that by having Aqruo do a setup action with Hunt rather than have two different actions rolled in a single group action].

A weak glow coming off a swirling vapor saturated the ground in front of them. Beside it was the spent electrplasmic shell, finally burnt out. Elke ran to it but she was startled and surprised when a vaporous creature that was all claws and fangs came flying at her. Arquo dove and knocker her out of the path [Protect action, the third he’s taken to protect Elke from danger!]

Elke realized it was Nyryx and that he was feral and desperately in need of something. She commanded him to put himself together but it was impossible, so she commanded him again to “Stop”, which he did, but only because of her force of will. Then she brought him into herself and felt as though he was ripping her apart from the inside [Risky attune roll with mixed result. Result was 2 Harm, resisted down to level 1: Nauseated].

Knowing that he needed to feed on life force, and that he needed it desperately soon, Elke and Arquo raced back up to the surface, tracked down a homeless man in an alley and expelled Nyryx so that he could feed. The man bolted once he saw something spectral happening, but Arquo tackled him and, terrified himself, held up on top of him just in time for Feral-Nyryx to dive inside of him and then slicing him apart from the inside, a hundred razor blade cuts erupting all over him.

As the bell tolled again, Arquo finally throw the body to the side of him, and once again his shirt (well, Harland’s shirt) was soaked in blood. This was not what he was expecting, and he was pretty sure it wasn’t right. But that’s a conversation for another time. [Downtime Action, Recovery for Nyryx, reduded from Level 3 to Level 2 Harm].

Elke took Nyryx back into her again. Crying, trembling, sick, an exhausted she leaned into Arquo, who was also a mess, and the meandered out of the alley together, leaving the eviscerated body of some stranger behind.

Fin.

What Rocked

I love that Elke called on Scurlock to help her. It was so deliciously painful.

I love the moments beween Arquo and his family. So great to see people just interacting like people.

Rescuing Nyryx was brutal but so amazing. Hardest “Recovery” action ever.

I love that Elke used the fear of Scurlock to reduce Bluecoat interest in her and thus reducing heat.

It was so fun to tell this distorted version of the truth from Rowan’s perspective. So good.

I love that Elke got to keep the Lampblack coat. Now that it had been tailored to her, Bazso told her to hold onto it “It’s just a coat.”

I love Arquo’s parents not being sure what was up with Elke and Jadvyga showing up… and that there might actually be a spark between Elke and Arquo.

So much good stuff.

What could have improved

I should have had Elke take an action to win Bazso over, and based on how well she did set the number of ticks on the clock until he let her have access to the circlet again.

I handled the group action (Hunt/Attune) wrong. See above.

I probably should have had Scurlock use some more superpowers in the form of “you suddenly want to confess all your sins to this man who can absolve you” or something like that. Elke would have probably resisted them all, but he had the position and should have pressed it more.

We should figure out what “leverage” Scurlock has so when that clock fills, it’s got punch!

I realized I didn’t consult the book to look at Scurlock’s descriptors before portraying him. He’s enigmatic, cold, arcane, old-fashioned. I played up the enigmatic and old-fashioned for sure, but certainly not cold. In fact, he was very gracious, in an overly formal way. I think that is okay though, Scurlock in general may not be the same as Scurlock with a true member of the Salkaran line.

There is a certain bandwidth threshold I’m concerned about. In my head right now the Society has pressure from the Grinders (to get Hix back), are on Vond’s hit list (so much Revenge needed here), and is about to face to serious heat from a Leviathan Captain who is missing his journal. It’s all happening at once, but just in terms of keeping all our marbles straight I need to find a way to make each of those threats into something tangible so they aren’t just looming problems, but specific actions. Some things for me to ponder?

• Which Leviathan Hunter captain did they steal from? Strangford? Linea? What would they do in response? How would Charterhall University reaction as an institution?
• How will the Grinders apply pressure for them to recover Arden Keel and the Imperial Musket? What happens to Hix if they delay?
• What will Vond do now that she knows the insurrectionist was her second in command? She craves destruction. Will she physically/spiritually attack Haland immediately or is there another way for her to play this? How much does he actually threaten her? What are her options now? What do the other members like Skinner, the Master of Secrets, and the many, many ghosts want?

GM: Sean Nittner
Players: Karen Twelves, Eric Fattig, and Adrienne Mueller
System: Blades in the Dark, Quickset Rules v.7

Lampblacks HQ

A large underground warehouse in Coalridge, once a processing plant, retrofitted by the Lampblacks to serve has their headquarters. The coal furnace in the wall sill burned to keep the room warm and dry and filled with a red glow. Old rail carts had long ago been re-purposed to store and transport more valuable goods.

In one corner were makeshift cots, holding the wounded. Eight Lampblacks, most of them with horrific burns from an explosion  the Sashes had rigged in one of their store houses. When the Lampblacks were pushed hard and looked to their caches of ammunition, lucre, and drugs, they found they walked right into a trapped planned by Mylera Klev’s master alchemists. Now they moaned and groaned as an old sawbones attempted to cut away what was lost to save what remained.

Adjacent to that was a table loaded with pistols, blunderbusses, muskets, spare ammunition, knives, hatchets, billy clubs, and the odd charms. An impressive array for an individual, but hardly enough for a gang to make a real assault with. Clearly everyone had been turning out their own pockets to round up munitions for a final raid.

In another room, muffled by a closed door, someone was being beaten senseless. Their muffled moans made it clear they weren’t cooperating despite the punishment. After a time, Milosh walked out, his fists covered in blood and viscera.

As far from the cots as it could be placed was Bazso’s heavy oak desk. As the Society entered, led by Cross, they saw Bazso, his shirt open revealing a bushel of thick hair beneath, his sleeves rolled up showing bracers and gold arm bands, as well as a host of tattoos between them. Across from him sat a bundled up and deformed figure. One shoulder was clearly much higher that the other, the spine twisted to accommodate.

Uneasy Negotiations

While all of the Society was allowed it, it was clear there was one chair open at Bazso’s table, and it was meant for Harland. When he sat, Bazso greeted Harland with a sturdy shake and from a velvet lined box pulled a set of whiskey tumblers, the only thing in this place that was not covered in a thin coat of soot. As he poured, and Hix in particular noticed the empty pour he started with, he eyed each of the people at his table to size them up. He quickly saw that Harland was here to help, but out of his own self interest, not any sense of loyalty [Mechanically, before they could begin negotiations Bazso was able to read Harland, he could have resisted but elected not to. Knowing the Society was not totally dedicated to them shifted Bazso’s expectations, but it wasn’t a deal breaker for him]

As the leaders discussed the current situation, one where the Red Sashes are were using allies to pick off the last of the Lampblack holdings while themselves staying secure in their dueling school, Hix could not help herself but try to figure out who this other person at the table was. The figure had a faintly noxious smell about them, and shifted unnaturally under a heavy coat. Besides murmuring a bit about wanting to get on with it already during the first toast, the figure had been relatively quiet throughout.

She tried to get a good look at the figure beneath her cowl, knowing that if noticed it would look like she was staring…and she was noticed, and it did. The woman lunged out and pinned Hix’s arm to the table with one hand and with another pulled a dagger “I won’t work with these scum, Bazso, not until I get back what they took from me. As she stood and her cowl fell away, Sercy of the Grinders, who had half of her face horribly burned away by acid, revealed her own identity and that the Lampblacks were also calling in favors from the Grinders…who remember that the DSS stole from them! [Hix made a risky survey to identify Sercy, she got a mixed result and I chose two outcomes, that she had a consequence (pinned with a knife to her) and that she was in a desperate situation (negotiations paused until Sercy was addressed)]

Hix wrenched her arm free, but Sercy’s grip was like iron. She thought that she was going to pass out, but something coursed through her giving her momentary strength at a terrible cost [Hix resisted the consequence of being pinned but rolled poorly on the resistance roll and took enough stress to be taken out. She had just taken the Ghost Contract special ability and was going to try an use it. In the name of the Keeper of the Flame I offered her a temporary reprieve from Trauma (she could continue acting) in exchange fro the Keeper taking it’s toll [Level 3 harm, the specific effect to be determined]. Inhumanly she snapped free and turned Sercy’s blade away for a moment to make a plea that they forget about the past and work together toward a common goal.

“We’re forget about the past when the past debts have been paid! You took from me and now I’m going to take form you until you make it right!” [Hix rolled a bad outcome [1-3] on her desperate action. Oh noes]. Two Grinders stepped out of the the shadows and grabbed Hix by the arms “I’m taking your rail jack and I’m going to hold onto her until you bring me back what’s mine, Arden Keel and my missing musket!” [At this point the surge of energy was gone, Hix was stressed out and taken out of the scene. Adrienne was prepared with another character, a Hound from the Lampblacks named Arquo]

Harland, who had been stunned during this exchange, tried to cool things down. “We’re not here to pick a fight with you or your allies Bazso. Let’s stop messing around and make a plan to take out the Sashes.” [Command action to show that the Society was more professional than the Grinders as well as to convince them to leave Hix here rather than drag her off. Bazso agreed that this had gotten out of hand. Hix would stay here under his supervision until the fight was over, and after that, assuming there was an after that, the Grinders would take her until debts were settled. Now could we get to this assault plan already?

Of course not…

Almost Dead

Because Elke came here with only Nyryx cocooned inside her and without and spirit jars felt very ill prepared for any kind of confrontation. She looked around at her surroundings, saw the eight injured Lampblacks and muttered to Harland that none of them were doing any good right now, but if one of them happened to die and if the Lampblacks had a spirit jar she could hold it in, then she might be able to add something to the fight herself.

Harland, always the hawker trying to sell some kind of wares, put the moral dilemma on Bazso “When you join the Lampblacks do you join for life, or do you join forever?” [Oh damn Harland, did you just command Bazso Baz to let you kill one of his dying crewmembers so that you could use their ghost in a battle that Bazso really needs to win? Yes, I guess you did. And then you rolled a crit on that desperate action. By the Forgotten Gods and he Devils alike!]

Bazso did not have a spirit bottle, that wasn’t his thing, but he did have something else, something he never thought he’d show to strangers, but desperate times call for desperate measures. He sent Arquo to retrieve and article from his vault.

The Empty Vessel

An artifact, perhaps a pre-cataclysmic artifact, of unknown origin. This large silver circlet approximately 6″ in diameter is marred by a black scaling that has built up around it over time, such that only the edges still gleem of silver in the light. If this circlet is placed on he forhead of someone just before they die, the spirit is automatically exhumed and held in the circlet. After three days the spirit vanishes, believed by the followers of the Empty Vessel to have passed on to some better place. The body, during that three days however, becomes a Hollow under the command of the one who bears the circlet. All living who touch or attune to the circlet are confronted by visions of the Abyss which will paralyze them unless their will is strong enough [Must be resisted each time the artifact is used]

Bazso had been using the circlet for those who died in his service, believing he sent them to a better place, but horrified with the result, had been sending the bodies to the furnace for cremation so no one knew that he had been creating hollows. Now in the form of Arquo (who wore heavy gloves to handle it) he was lending it to the Doskvol Spectral Society so they could use it to bolster his forces.

Body and Soul

Just in school girl awe of this newfound curiosity, Elke couldn’t wait to see it put to work. Though Baszo couldn’t personally kill his own crewmember, he did turn a blind eye to her doing it. Which she did without hesitation.

She sat down on the cot of Templeton, one of the worse off. She drew the ritual dagger that she had taken from the Dimmer Sister’s sanctum and plunged it into his throat, then quickly covered the wound with the monogrammed kerchief Harland had given her earlier when she was upset. Blood ran through the yellow fabric and saturated the HY sewn into it’s corner. As his life faded, Elke placed the circlet upon his forhead and attuned to it as his soul was drawn into it. She fought off the agoraphobic response to touching the abyss and continued to attune until she had grabbed hold of Tempelteon’s spirit, contained within the ciclet, and in doing so commanded both his body and the ghost within. The skin became cold and smooth, the blood stopped pulsing, and the body straightened in the bed…ready for it’s master’s command.

Aquo, who was somewhat familiar with the object, saw Elke’s prolonged exposure and knew what it might do to her exposed flesh so he pulled her away from it before it would shatter her fingers like icicles. Protected as we was by the gloves it still sent shivers down his spine and left him unable to stop shaking [Mechanically Elke resisted Harm 3: Frozen and reduced to Harm 2: Frostbite. Arquo stepped in to resist again and reducded it to Harm 1: Shivvering, which he took himself]

Assault on the Red Sashes

Along with the Grinders in their own barges, the Society took their nimble canal badge (thank you for your generos contributions to student wellbeing Charterhall University) through the underground canals of Crows Foot and to their underground canal entrance.

As they approached, and Elke wondered at what occult defenses they might have, Harland reminded her that he scouted the area before [Trigger Flashback, 2 stress] and oh yeah, there were Path of Echoes allied ghosts guarding the building. That particular revaluation not only made them realize how little the left hand was talking to the right, but also reinforced Harland’s determination that the Path’s leadership was corrupt!

Before the badges hit the door, Elke sent Ring, a former Path of Echoes ghost to enter the building convince any other ghosts that they were with them, and then give the Society the all clear once it was safe to enter [Engagement was 1D6, bumped to to 2d6 because of that last minute flashback, and the scoundrels rolled a 6!]

The door to the canals had two Red Sashes standing guard outside it. A few moments after Ring left the group, a third Red Sashes, groping at his own throat came through the door, coughing and hacking, trying to expel the ghost from his body. Ring slipped away, but that left three Red Sashes standing in the door, with the full force of the Society, the Grinders, and one lone Lapmblack (Arquo, who went along to aid in coordination) ready t bear down on them.

Fight!

The first altercation included Harland drinking his transmogrification potion and Elke watching in some horror as the muscles in his body filled disproportionaly with blood and alchemical stimulatns, causing him to wither in muscles that were not needed but burst blood vessels and grow grotesquely in areas that were! Though the Iruvian swordsman disarmed his Halbard, Harland could not be stopped. He choked the Red Sash to death with his own hand.

Arquo meanwhile very carefully lined up a shot as the barge was costing in and just as it stopped he breathed out and shot the red sash in the head, dropping her instantly.

The Grinders let fly several shots, ripping through the third who was still fighting off the recent possession.

Labyrinthine Halls

Safely inside, the scoundrels knew they needed to get up to the main floor where the grinders would plant a bomb that would open a large hole in the building for the Lampblacks to pour into. However, as they looked down these shadowy hallways filled with red drapes that concealed passages (and more) the realized they had no idea where they were.

Arquo recalled back to earlier that evening during the interrogation [Flashback] that Milosh was leading, when he tried to get the broken and battered Red Sash to give him directions, however the man had been beaten too severely to be of any good. [Bad Outcome, Missed Opportuniy]. Arquo tossed the bloody map to the floor calling it useless just as the hallway began to fill with fog.

Just before it became impossible to see, Elke saw a red sash fly through the air and wrap around Templeton’s throat and begin dragging him forward. Elke command the body of Templeton to go forward and destroy, which despite being impaled with a long blade, it did so without hesitation. She further commanded Cavelle, one of her new ghost cadre to possess another one of the Red Sash swordsmen, and finally she send the spirit of Tempelton upon the whisper that summoned the fog to surround him and cut him off from the Ghost Field!

She succeeded in all of these things but with his final control over the tempest, the Whisper caused all the fog to coalesce into spears of ice that lanced toward Elke!

Myelra Klev

Protected by her heavy coat (courtesy of the Lampblacks) and by Aqruo jumping to block some of the spikes with his own body (wow, he’s got a thing for protecting Elke) Elke shrugged off the attack and the crew advanced.

Harland sent Arquo ahead to follow the fleeing whisper, who lead him up the stairs and too the main foyer of the Red Sashes Dojo.  Above the could hear Red Sashes arming themselves and preparing to run down the stairs. Outside were the Lampblacks, waiting for the main doors to be blow open.

Between them was Mylera Klev, dressed in her night robes, sword drawn and ready.

Arquo lined up a shot and pulled his trigger but even though he clipped her, it seemed in an instant Mylera appeared behind him and ran her sword through his belly [Level 3 Harm: Impaled]

Knowing there was no time to plan a bomb, Harald pulled a sledgehammer from his back and called for Elke to send Templeton ahead with him as well. The two of them charged and the door and ripped through it with main force, bashing huge holes with each hammering thud. In moments the door was open and a grand melee began.

Personal goals in a sea of violence

When the two forces clashes it was a bloody mess. The Lampblacks reinforced by the Doskvol Spectral Society and the Grinders against the Red Sashes, aided by the Dockers and the Path of Echoes.  In all the carnage, each of our scoundrels set about their personal goals.

Elke did not want anything to remain of Templeton’s body so she sent it to fight so savagely and recklessly that it would be destroyed [Risky command which she succeeded at with a cost. The body was, among other things, beheaded. However in order to give command she was exposed and Nyryx, who had been watching over her was shot with a flaming electroplasmic round, Level 3 Harm: Burning Form]

Harland wanted no trace of the Path of Echoes behind. He rallied his forces to destroy the ghost there, but in doing so drew their attention to him [Desperate action to destroy them, consequences was the last three ticks filled up the clock]. One of the ghosts escaped and now Vond is aware of his betrayal!

Arquo, seemingly for personal reasons, and perhaps because she just stabbed him, sought out the death of Mylera Klev. Though she was a tricky target, she was eventually overwhelmed. She called out something in Irruvian and two of her students which a striking physical resemblance to her, reluctantly fled, but she stayed to and fought till the end. Just before the final shot Bazso called out for Arquo to hold (he wanted her captured not dead) but the Hound would not say his hand, and he killed her. The bullet passing through her and into one of the large lamps behind her her…blackening it! [Hunt action, consequence is Bazso’s ire].

What Rocked

In order to prevent the other Lapmblacks from recognizing Templeton (and realizing one of their own had been turned into some kind of abomination) Elke and Halarnd took off his heavy coat and put Harland’s spirit mask on him. When Templeton was later beheaded and his head rolled down the steps of the dojo, Harland donned the bloody mask once more before facing the Path of Echoes ghosts. We couldn’t have planned anything more awesome.

Harland and his quote a game, This one was do good!

I had a lot of fun with these physical challenges. The DSS does a lot of conniving and tricking and not a lot of stabbing or shooting, so it was a lot of fun for me to see some of that on screen.

On that note, Karen x-carded as scene where I was about to get to graphic, good call!

Them Empty Vessel is connected to Hallows and Bazso has been hiding this the entire time? Woah? I wasn’t expecting that. Thank you John for including such evocative ideas in the Devils section of the QS7! This should make for some very interesting interactions between Elke and the Lampblacks in the future. And if Hix wants to butter up Una Farros, she’s another person who would be very interested it…as would a few other important folks in the city…

What could have improved

I didn’t roll to see who won the fight! I should have brought it to a fortune roll at the end but just assumed the Lampblacks won given the aid they have been given. Dang, what a thing to forget! It was late but still. Dang!

GM: Sean Nittner
Players: Karen Twelves, Eric Fattig, and Adrienne Mueller
System: Blades in the Dark, Quickset Rules v.7

Doskvol – Season 2

As the DSS had just completed downtime and several other faction clocks had completed, we decided to fast forward a month where they DSS had a strong hold over their new claims, new business opportunities arose, and the city kept churning.

The war between the Lampblacks and the Red Sashes reached a crescendo, the Path of Echoes were holding a trial for a captured Dimmer Sister for her crimes against the un-living, and infighting between professors at Sparkwright Tower had escalated to the point of public debate!

 Stay Clear of Crows Foot

Notices were posted on the walls of Charterhall Academy that due to recent explosions in Crow’s Foot students were warned to stay clear of the district. (Read: The war between the Lampblacks and the Red Sashes has reached it peak!)

Sparks flying from Sparkwright Tower

In the middle of the night Hix felt something in her arm. A terrible pang and agony that lasted more than a minute and then nothing. It was numb as though the life had been snuffed out of it. In time, over the next hour, feeling returned and she felt normal again. Normal enough.

The next day, however, she found out there was a terrible disaster during the night. A lightning tower (her lightning tower) had flickered off and a storm of ghosts had flooded into the city. It was only out for over a minute (105 seconds exactly) but in that time dozens, perhaps hundreds of ghosts entered the city and attacked the residents of Dunslough with an unknown fury. All available Spirit Wardens were dispatched as well as the Rail Jacks at Gaddoc Rail Station to contain the breach.

Hix arrived at her Electropasm and Magnetism class late to find her mentor Augus Mendelson and his chair Una Farros in a screaming match about what happened. Augus accusing Una of sabatouging his tower and Una accusing Augus of incompetence. Hix turned-tale and walk right out of that class, unlikely that she’d learn anything that day anyway.

Respectable Ghosts Summoned to Stand Trial

Ashlyn Scapa, Attorney of the dead, was asked among other respectable peers, to sit on council to judge the innocence or guilt of one of the Dimmer Sisters, who was charged with the unlawful imprisonment and trafficking of Akorosi spirits. Scapa, given the approval of her crew, consented to be in the trial and be part of the jury. The rest of the DSS did not attend.

Downtime continued

As news of the other factions activities began filtering to the Spectral Society leaders, they realized there was more work to be done. Cue the spending of coin and rep!

Elke, savvy to the nationalism of the Path of Echoes, and still wanting a cadre of undead attendants started asking around for ghosts that didn’t make the cut. Non-Akorosi who the Path didn’t find worthy. Harland, who was connected with Vond’s recruitment seemed like the best place to start, so she sent him ask around for them…

Which he did by asking Vond for the spirits that she thought were untrue and then he promised to go hunt down and destroy these defectors for her! Vond, eager to root out any sedition sent Harland with a last if names and her strong support. However this same faith she placed in Harland because to sew the seeds of suspicion in her as well [Inquisition to find the unfaithful 1/4 ticks].

Harland tracked down Cavelle, a Severosi spirit (loud, cunning, feeds on chaos) and began soliciting him to join the Spectral Society. The meeting was going well, until he heard the scrape of a boot on cobblestones behind him and realized that he was being observed. Harland turned, lunged into the shadows, and grabbed hold of Geraldine Winthrop, assistant to Skinner (Vond’s attendant).

She struggled to break free but he held her fast and, with little time to think, told her that Vond was weak and had to be taken down. Harland would be the new Hierophant of the Path of Echoes soon and if Geraldine sided with him, she could rule with him! [A desperate action if I ever saw one!] Geraldine, not the most loyal by nature appraised Harland’s offer and decided that she could gain form it either way. Should Harland win, she would gain prominent position. If he failed, she would disavow him and be the first to bring his broken body back to Vond for punishment. Plus, it seemed like if she said no right now, he might snap her neck.

“When life gives you lemons, cut the lemon in half and say the other half is false and turn against it!” – Harland, on starting a schism.

Geraldine rubbed her sore throat and and nodded “Yes, you will be the next Hierophant and you will make me the Master of Secrets!”  (a role, unlike the Hierophant, that is currently occupied, yikes!)

Eventually, however the defectors were rounded up and Elke had a new cadre of ghosts at her disposal [Longest acquire asset roll ever].

Spiritual Services Needed

With the Dimmer Sisters missing, all of their clients were at a loss for their spectral services. Some of them went to mystery cults in the Church of Ecstasy, some went to small spirit wells where Path of Echoes adherents worshiped, some called on their corner essence traffickers, but many, because of their reputation, came to the Cat & Candle to ask the Spectral Society to exorcise a ghost, fill them up on Dream Essence, or compel their undead relatives to behave like civilized flatmates.

Elke said she would help out any who were really in need but addicts who sought a high off essences, in fact any one who wanted an essence (which we’ve defined as piece of a ghost that has been carved off) would not be served. Ghosts in need would be helped, those causing trouble destroyed, but none would be mistreated!

A new patron you say…

Andrel Rowan, the unharmed of the deadbeat pair told the crew that the ledger he carried had been confiscated by a faculty member, but due to it’s nature, he wasn’t sure if they still had it or not.

During their meeting with Professor Hellyers the DSS also noticed that she shared about three square feet of her spacious office with a frail old figure who kept his hand scribbled notes in neat stacks which were piled high in his desk, or what little of the desk he still claimed.

Believing they could butter up this pushover, the Society approached Professor Andris Oilweather, scholar of Imperial Anthropology, and asked him if they could bend his ear.

Initially gracious to see young students but clearly more interested in returning to his work than carrying on conversation, Elke got Oilweather’s attention by blurting out that Hix may soon be in need of a new sponser, and that she was very fond of History. Hix followed up on the lie by quoting some bits she remembered from Vond talking about the first Unity Wars and quickly the old man was enamored!

He let slip that Polonia Clelland, of the houses of Jurisprudence, had confiscated the ledger and was holding onto it until it could be returned to the rightful hands of Captain Strangford.

The scoundrels watched her house till she left, broke in, tossed the place (to make it looks like a normal robbery), grabbed the captains ledger (which they were disappointed to find was written in a cipher) and made it out before Rowan (who only came because he could identify the book) could alert the Bluecoats (which he seemed to be trying to do with is his careless and vengeful demeanor)!

Payoff

Coin: 5 (this was originally a 10 coin job but the first half had already been paid)
Rep: 0 (nobody was told where the book came from and the theft looked like a robbery)
Heat: 3 (smooth and contained, against a high profile target)
Entanglements: The Usual Suspects

Cross, unexpected

Returning from the spoils, delighted the job went as well as it did, and that they got paid, the Society returned to the Cat and Candle to find Cross, of the Lampblacks waiting for them.

“The time is now. We need your help. Will you fight beside us?” Cross, believing the Harland was the military leader that defeated the Dimmer Sisters (which is at least partially true) and that he commanded several of the Path of Echoe’s forces (also, at least a little true) can to see if they could help them in their final showdown [Both the Lampblacks and the Red Sashes filled up their respective clocks to destroy the other gang and rather than just say they were mutually annihilated, I decided to bring it down to a final confrontation that the Society could affect one way or the other]

What Rocked

Holy hand grenades of Electroplasm Harland! He’s the kind of guy that falls down a whole and just keeps digging deeper. I can’t wait to see if, scratch that, how, this whole thing explodes. It’s going to be a fireworks show for sure! All because they wanted to acquire some ghost assets!

How quickly Hix will turn when the opportunity presents itself. I thought for sure she’d balk at Elke’s suggestion that Oilweather might be her new sponsor but she jumped right on board. Goes to show what I know!

I love that Elke has established some standards for what kind of spirit trade they will deal in. Trying to be ethical in the field of spectrology is a new one for Dosovol!

What could have improved

I fell down a bit on this score. I meant to foreshadow that there is a lot more going on here. A leviathan hunter captain’s journal being stolen isn’t a small infraction, nor is it something that will be missed. +1 Heat for a high profile target doesn’t really capture the significance of this theft. In my mind, this is by it’s nature a two part score. First doing the job (easy enough) and then dealing with the repercussions, which again I don’t think I hinted at all that well.

GM: Sean Nittner
Players: Karen Twelves, Eric Fattig, and Adrienne Mueller
System: Blades in the Dark, Quickset Rules v.7

Drinks on the Dimmer Sisters

Elated with their recent acquisition, the Society celebrated at the Cat & Candle and we described the aftermath of their conquest.

Irelen, without his patron was kicked out of Charterhall. He has debts due and there are people looking to get paid. Irelen has disappeared but chances are he’ll be bad (loyal, enigmatic, obsessive).

After talking about his fate, the crew got to arguing among themselves over:

• How to handle Ring, Wester, and Lynhtia who joined from the Path of Echoes but have always been on the outside.
• Whether or not the Society is a “gang”.
• If they should help Cricket, who is withering away under Vond’s possession.
• If the Path of Echoes are our people or if they are the enemy.
• Not if, but when Hix should break up with Salia (she had been leading her on since that incident in the costume shop and Salia was to enamored to be able to tell).
• Why Elke has such a problem with Scurlock. He had sent the ashes of her grandmother back to the Dagger Isles with his condolences after she passes away.

Troubles with Slen

Harland, still trying to recover from his pneumonia, got an unexpected visit from Slen, who had a black eye and a big old chip on his shoulder against Ogre. “I want your student patrol leader brought to me so I can give him the ass kicking he deserves…”

There were many “woahs” and “calm down” and maybe some “that looks bad, why don’t you come sit by me and I’ll tend to it” until Harland got the story out of Slen

Two students, Drav Brogan and Andrel Rowan had been fronted a large sum of coin to acquire some documents for Slen’s captain. The two numbskull not only frittered away the coin but they also lost the document. As Slen was demonstrating what a bad idea it is take money for Captain Pratt, he was suddenly jumped by Ogre and Vollette and the two of them worked him over and let those shitheels Brogan and Rowan scamper away. All in the name of protecting the student body! [Entanglement: Gang Trouble based on their flaw: Principled]

Once calmed Slen told Harand he wasn’t mad at him, but that he did need Ogre’s head, or at least to show his own crew that he could beat him within an inch of his life. Harland, as he often does, promised everything, with no idea how to deliver it.

Society meeting

Collectively the Society decided that they did not want to either offend Slen by refusing him or give up Ogre for a beating. They would adopt these two wayward students into the game (retroactively) thus offering them their protection, and make it right with Slen by finding the missing documents and turning them over.

Drav Brogan, connected to a wealth family and a complete fuck up himself, was not going to be anyone’s pawn however, and he called on the card of his well to do family. Harland countered with his weller-to-doer family and then laid out the ugly part of the plan. Brogan would be possessed by Nyryx (during the two day ritual) and during that time, they would let Slen and his sailors beat the living hell out of him.

Harland and Hix met Slen a Salia’s place and convinced him that it was Brogran that had really caused him the trouble, and getting revenge on him would be even better, plus the DSS would complete the job for them and put things right with his captain. Slen reluctantly agreed and started wrapping his fists. [Brogan takes Level 3 Harm: Crippled]

Damn Doksvol Spectral Society, damn.

Downtime

Affairs settled, the crew turned to their own projects.

Elke continued her investigation to understand the means of a ghost’s possession [Long term project].

She also, adjacent to this wanted to develop a warding that would protect a soul from being removed from a living body. Elke asked Roslyn of the Gills if the Dimmer Sisters know of such protections and the apothecary revealed that such knowledge in their old manor home, but few wanted to enter that place for fear of it’s lingering wards. Elke rounded up a force to go in and despite a hollow guardian ambushing their exploratory mission, they managed to recover a tomb from Dimmer Sister’s library and make it out unharmed. [Long term project, this one to fuel a ritual. 1/4 ticks, complication arose due to using an enemy for assistance].

Hix, rattled by all her recent encountered look to find solace at Salia’s den of pleasure. After the meeting with Slen, she glided over to Salia who has been avoiding her all night. This was a tipping point for Salia. She thought, at first, that Hix was genuinely fond of her, they had shared that mischievous exciting moment in the theater dressing room, limbs entangled with each other, full of passion. After that though, Hix had all but ignored her, and she felt it. Painfully she felt it. But Salia is tough. She provides pleasures for coin. She knew better than to get involved. Of course she did.

And yet, and yet. Here was Hix, worn out and looking for a hit of something strong and a warm body to wash it down with. I asked how she was going to play this and told her that her relationship with Salia was on the line [Mechanically, after this encounter, unless Hix did something to ameliorate it, Salia would change form close friend to enemy]. Hix said all the right words to both seduce her in the moment and convince her that it was all in her head, and sadly for Salia, it worked [Hix rolled to sway her and got a crit, exceptional success]. Hix enjoyed an evening of delights and left Salia explaining to all her friends how Hix really does love her and does care about her, she was just hard to understand sometimes. [Indulge Vice. Note: see what could be improved]

Harland, at the prompting of his crew mates visited Riven Montgomery-Beaumont to start healing from his Spectral Pneumonia. Riven, in his tell tale style was sure Harland would lose a lung…if not for his amazing medical expertise.  [Recovery]

Once treated, Harland returned to his workshop to complete his sovereign glue project, which he not only completed, but began a process by which he could manufacture it in bulk [Long term project completed and excess ticks rolled over into a new one]

Hix then went about trying to reduce heat for the crew by spreading rumours about other gangs activities [Reduce heat] and she wrote a letter to Frost’s superior officer praising Frost’s work [Long term project to gain frost as an ally]

Invite to a fancy art show

Following up on Professer Hellyer’s invite, Elke and Harlad, dressed as well as they could, went to her private art show. The found her apartment was up on the top of Charter Wall with an amazing view of the city. The building itself was lined with translucent windows which revealed indistinct movement inside. As they approached the hairs on the back of Elke’s neck rose and she sensed something was happening behind those windows. Never a person to go anywhere without her spirit mask, Elke donned the mask to see a macabre scene in the large panes of glass: ghosts in torment, reliving scenes of bodies being stretched into disfigurement, mutilations, and other sadistic images. The things of nightmares…all dancing through the windows [Mechanically, Elke would have had nightmares but she resisted it with Resistance Roll].

Quickly Elke removed her mask and was able to breath again. The door opened and they were greeted by Thena Hellyers and invited inside, where strange performance art was on display. Bodies in motion, thought in this cause all bodies unbound and moving freely. When Elke pressed Thena bout the strange happenings in the ghost field she revealed that those tortured souls were her family and a burden she had to live with. Harland picked up that the performance art was having some effect, in minor, in quieting the disturbance in the ghost field, but it was a temporary solution at best.

Fun times in Doksvol!

Crew Roster

Leaders: Elke, Hix, Harland
Members: Jadvyga, Stras, Ogre, Bazran, Vey, Volette, Ring, Wester, Lynthia, Scapa, Roslyn of the Gills, Brogran and Andrel.

What Rocked

I love how the society turned things around with the students. They were it a pretty bad spot, forced to either turn on Ogre or Slen, but managed to find the middle ground and punish Brogan instead. There is still plenty of fallout here, they’ve got to do a job for the sailors and they have added two new members to their crew that are really not going to be good for them in the long run, but they staved off disaster for a day.

The mini dungeon crawl into the Dimmer Sisters abandoned manor was this tiny little excursion that added some danger to downtime, it was fun times. The idea to present danger there came from a principle that I’ve been applying which is that when a PC takes downtime action with their enemy and wants to get the extra +1D to the roll, I make sure that some threat is presented, some clock is escalated, or some other complication occurs .With Augus this is typically him learning more about Hix and advancing clocks. In this case I added a threat to the action where there normally wouldn’t have been one. I like that your enemies can help you out mechanically but still stay enemies that you have to guard yourself against.

The mess with Thena Hellyers looks to be fun. I may have had Thena be a bit too up front about her troubles, but I still think it will be a delicate balancing act. She doesn’t want to destroy her family and yet they are really haunting her like nobodies business.

Behind the scenes a whole bunch of clocks filled up during this session, which means that at the start of the next game, I’ve got all kinds of fun stuff to reveal about the Lampblacks and Red Sashes, the Path of Echoes, and the Foundation and the Sparkwrights. Yay for game mechanics that prevent me from having to sort all this business out on my own!

What could have improved

I thought I knew what was going to happen with Hix and Salia. I thought Salia was going to dump Hix and we’d see what Hix would do without her closest friend and vice purveyor. But that isn’t want happened at all, and in the end Hix was far more awful than I was expecting. This isn’t something we did callously, but it was really not what I expected.

What we produced is an abusive relationship where one member of it is gaslighting the other. On the surface, that isn’t something I want to include in our game without more discussion about it. I think we should look at tools like the x-card to ask how much, if any of this, we want to keep in the game. Alternately, we can include it in the game, but be really conscious and respectful of what’s happening. The focus of Blades can shift as needed. Sometimes it’s a heist game of high action, other times is a intrigue game of politics and crime, and sometimes it needs to be a drama about the human spirit. Making sure our treatment of this doesn’t glorify or normalize abuse is really important to me.