GM: Sean Nittner
Players: Eric Fattig, Adrienne Mueller, and Karen Twelves
System: Blades ’68
Time Passing
Last session we did time passing (both in and out of Ironhook) but there were several moments we still wanted to capture in play so we had a few montages of the time as we passed form Elisar (winter) into Kalivet (spring). Flowers bloom under the BLUE, a new term starts at Charterhall University, and heavy coats were shaken off.
Paolo spent much of his time with Kassius as well as going to casinos, cafes and other crowded spaces to evade more assassination attempts. He grew an ill-conceived mustache but shaved it off before the score started. (Note all flashbacks to this time require obligator mustache shot).
Geraldine (formerly GRD-9) proved a pretty terrible housekeeper. She just threw everything away! Eventually she was asked to stop helping and Paolo’s room descended into chaos.
Patrick Noleburn visited Delta in Ironhook, where the configured a giant electromagnet to hold Delta secure while Noleburn tormented him “Are you there Rubens? Do you remember me?” As only Delta’s personality was present he was vexed, but he was patient, he’d wait until Rubens eventually broke free…just so he could torment him further. “Kenton was a good man, and because he followed you, he died in this place. I’m going to make you pay for that Rubens. However long it takes, I’m going to make you suffer like he did. Like I did!”
Nav tried to visit Delta but the bribe were too much. She sent letters instead. Most never made it. The ones that did were riffled through and often redacted. She numbered them so Delta would you know which ones were missing…most of them went missing. But he did learn about the horrible mustache.
Nav also spent more time with Harani and realized they had a lot in common. Harani’s “coup” was an attempt to retake what was rightfully hers, though of course the Ankhayat family in power didn’t see it as such. Harani was always followed (discreetly) by a bodyguard and so it seemed that she keep Nav at a distance, even as they grew closer.
Paolo’s debt to Mack Ransom, both in terms of stacks and favors grew. As it does.
Red Torque pulled off an incredible heist and stole a shipment of White Lotus from the SCORPION Syndicate. They learned that the Dirt Barons were the ones that got the Storm Surge schematics and navigational paths to Blaze. They are not happy [faction status -2].
Paolo spent time, as he always has, with members of Rowan House, in particular Major Rowan, the airship captain and military investigator. The signet ring wore heavy on his finger.
During a making up party with the Blackjacks (the were satisfied that the Patrol Hull project was stalled) another assassination attempt was made on Paolo. As he was riding one of their autocycles a hollow in an autopod crashed into him. Another attempt was made on Nav as well.
Eventually Nav got the un-redacted meeting minutes and traded them to Dunvil to call off his attacks [City Council faction status up to -1].
Delta released, Rubens still caged
Nav picked up Detla outside of Ironhook. Paolo had “forgotten” to come with so she stole his car. Delta looked dented and battered from his time in Ironhook, but Nav also winced when she got in the car.”
“Your hurt.” Delta said in his concerned voice.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re lying”
Nav shook her head “Don’t call me out when I’m lying Delta. It’s rude. I will be fine and that’s true.”
Delta noticed Paolo wasn’t present “Is Paolo hurt as well?”
“No. He’s on a job…okay, that’s a lie.”
“While I was in Ironhook I was told to hold something for someone connected to the Scorpion syndicate and it was found. They got mad at me.”
Nav assured Delta that was not his fault, but was concerned that the Rubens she knew was nowhere to be seen.
Delta was also unsure. “I haven’t seen Rubens in a long time. But I did see Noleburn. Dis Paolo get rid of the mustache?”
What’s Keeping Kassius
Before they could do the score, the Barons had to know why Kassius couldn’t just work for them in the first place. [4/5 result on a Gather Information, with a bonus die thanks to adding a section six towers to their hunting grounds]. “She brought me here and she can send me back. I don’t know how she does it, but she has the power of the rift between my world and this Doskvol. A snap of her fingers and I’m back in that place. Plus, if I left I think she would punish the other Kassius. He’s a square and absolutely no fun to drink with, but he’s also me…sort of. I just wouldn’t want him to get hurt because I did something rash.”
With some more questioning they learned that Kassius is pretty free to roam during his active hours, but they must give extensive reports when he comes home. He isn’t monitored, but his actions are audited.
Normally in Blades ’68 (and Blades in the Dark) you don’t need an actual plan to start a score. The rough shape of one is enough, but in this case they didn’t really know where to start. Finally they settled on trying to either get Castelle to give him up (a hard proposition considering she very much does not like the Dirt Barons [-2 faction status], Kassius is very valuable to her, and his existence outside Comber house is a liability to her) or find a way to break his hold… which meant talking to someone who understood such things. Someone like Lydia Rowan in House Rowan, you know, the castle that’s always been in Six Towers.
Lydia Rowan (paranormalist, brilliant, affectionate, dramatic) was more than happy to see Paolo, but first Major Rowan (Blackcoat, dedicated, skilled, ruthless) wanted to make sure Paolo was not endangering the house by bringing his friends onto their grounds. Once reassured, he shared the family moto “Roots of the Rowan Tree grow strong withing you”. You know, as he and Paolo always say to each other when they meet.
The entered under the portcullis, past many guards with muskets and swords, through heavy oaken doors that took multiple servants to open and close, and into the drafty drawing room of the Rowan House, where Lydia greeted them. “Oh Paolo, it is so good to see you as always.” She took his hand, felt his pulse, draw her finger across his palm and told him he was destined for greatness. Nav rolled her eyes so hard she tool level-1 harm. She was fascinated by Delta (a new fangled contraption) and asked if she could disassemble him to see how he worked. The Barons all said “No” in unions. Oh well…maybe another time.
Delta, who was now sometimes Rubens, started recording and immediately Lydia took notice. “Is there another spirit here?” She asked. Paolo said “First, there’s not spirits, but second, no, this is just Rubens.” Ruben’s clarified that this was his memory but she was not put at ease yet. Only when Paolo swore on his signet ring that Rubens would never share anything he saw or hear here with anyone but those present, did she relent.
Since they didn’t want to go to the dungeon, Lydia took them to the observatory, which had a giant telescope that was dusty from neglect. “There’s nothing to see anymore, now that that horrible array fills the sky” she lamented.
This was the perfect segue. “What if there was a Doskvol where the array didn’t exist?” Paolo hoped to have an air of mystery.
“Oh, you mean the work through the rift?” He was profoundly disappointed that she already knew about it, and about Visitors like Kassius, but at least it meant there wasn’t any explaining to do. Lydia would be happy to help Paolo, as he was a loyal pledge to House Rowan.” [Aquire Asset: Paranormalist. Paolo got a Crit on the result Tier +2 and since he gets improved result levels on Acquire Asset rolls, we called it Tier +3 which is perfect since Rowan House is Tier 4]
Controlled situation
[For the first time, the Barons got a six on their Engagement Roll. A controlled situation]
Paolo didn’t really tell Kassius what they were up to. He just drove them to Rowan House as if it was a date. “Are we going to a museum?” When Kassius protested Paolo deflected “Remember when we went to eel racing, that was weird, but I kept an open mind, didn’t I?”
Bu the time the were in the dungeon of Rowan House and Lyida was pricking him with a needle to mix his blood with herbs that she feed to the roots of the Rowan tree however, he needed some real convincing. “Why are you trying to do this?” His gaze moved from Paolo to the other Barons. Nav was just about to say that they wanted him a fixer, when Delta started replaying recordings of Paolo saying how much he cared about Kassius and that he wanted to free him. Instead of being won over however, Kassius was worried [1-3 result on a controlled sway. Tying again but it’s risky now]. Delta tried again by sharing even more intimate recordings. “Look this job sounds like a disaster. Best case scenario, you get me free and go to war with SMF. Most likely, Castelle sends me back to my world AND you go to war with SMF!” [1-3 result on a risky sway. The opportunity would have been lost, but Paolo resisted]. Paolo told him hey were going to figure something out, they always do. He was not convinced, but ameliorated for now.
“The ritual that binds this man has a counter ritual and it is stored in a grimoire. Find that grimoire, take it or destroy it, and he will be safe here. At least he’ll be safe from it’s power.” Lydia showed Paolo one such ritual and even reading a few of the words out loud made him feel nauseous, like there was something heavy and dense in his stomach, trying to get out. “If you read it and this is how you feel, you know you’ve found something.”
Guest Passes
Kassius, with the disguised Dirt Barons got past the first security checkpoint at the ground floor. There were camera but the disguises worked well enough to fool them, and Cassius got them all a guest pass and the got in the very long elevator to the top floor.
“Hello again” the resonance echo greeted Delta, and was impressed when Rubens responded and clearly has a greater sense of self. The echo was the same he saw last time. A distinguished man in his 50’s with a collar around his neck and a stab wound in his back. The man asked that they not abuse the hospitality of Comber house again, though he wasn’t holding his resonance breath.
Kassius got off on the 38th floor to do his intake, as he normally would (meeting with his counterpart).
Paolo and Delta got off on the 44th floor, the office of Kassius Carver, well appointed with a fountain, a beautiful view of the city, glass walls, and many conformable amentias. We flashed back to Paolo making an appointment under an assumed name to meet with Kassius but the receptionist knew something was off. He politely asked Paolo to wait with Detla in the conference room. As they entered they were followed by two Ironclad Protection agents and the door would have been closed (locking them in) but Paolo’s charm convinced them he was harmless…for now [1-3 result on a Risky/Standard Sway. Resisted being locked in the room with them]. Paolo noticed that two more Ironclad arrived a few moments later to take their place, allow the two guards to keep their full attention him.
Delta used the wireless communication to talk to Paolo so neither the guards not Rorick (the resonance echo) could overhear and together they planned to pull off the “My hull is malfunctioning, get help!” con. Paolo lit a cigarette and after a few puffs put it inside Delta’s compartments. Delta internally sabotaged a a few subsystems [Devil’s Bargain: Level-2 Harm Malfunctioning] to make it even more believable, and very soon, there were many, many people, trying to figure out what to do with this smoking, sparking hull [Crit on a Group Desperate/Limited Sway thanks to Synchronized Watches, a setup action for Nav].
Once Paolo said there was toxic smoke coming out, the Ironclad revealed the reason for their name and super high tech armor extended out from under their clothes over their entire body.
The 50th Floor
When the elevator reached the top level, Nav could see Paolo had done his job. People were racing about trying to get the situation under control. She quickly took in the penthouse floor. The amenities were luxurious, but most notably the ceiling was BLUE. An entire array was build into it to give the impression of the open sky above. Nav did not like this.
The staff were distracted enough that Nav made her way to a bathroom and climbed into the ceiling above, however instead of being constructed from lathe and plaster or steal beams, it was an arcing plasmic engine powering the array. Carefully, she made her way across the catwalk and with perfect timing dropped down through an open panel just as the door to Castlle’s office was about to close (a receptionist was coming out and Nav dropped down right behind him [Success on a Controlled/Standard finesse. Position improved by Nav’s Wetwork ability and the setup action].
She rolled into Castelle’s office and had only a moment to act. Castlle was facing the windows outside (her office was almost fully made of glass and was nauseating because you could look right down to the city below) listening to a report on the phone. Withing giving Castlle a chance to react Nav shot her with a tranq dart and she fell the the ground, leaving someone on the other end of the line saying “Hello, Castelle? Hello?” [Mixed result on a Risky/Standard Hunt].
Next time on…
We called the session there (due to timing) but determined that Nav found a heavy iron key on Castelle’s body that opens a door in the basement of Comber house. That’ the score will continue next time.
