RPM:3 Burned Agent

← Prev: RPM:2 Sorcier Scum or Double Agent   |   Next: RPM:4 Prison Break →

Starring: 🏹 Ehsan, Hugo, 🐺 Ildefons, 💃 Milady Rosalie
Guest Starring: Zephyrine, Iosif Kettleblack, Lemuel, Camille, Donat Baguet, Armand Girard
Challenge: Sorcier attack on ships in the dock; Investigating the Ebenese Coins; Is Zephyrine a double agent?
Location: La Magie de Prison, Albatross Point Wharf, The Peasant & Courtesan, Eben Consulate
Date Played: 22 Nov 2016

Explosions at the Albatross Point Wharf

You rock back on your heels from the shock of a thunderclap and a pillar of violet flame erupts from the docks. As you make haste to the docks the streets are in chaos. The young are fearfully running in all directions while the more mature shopkeepers calmly but quickly close shutters and begin loading firearms. Another explosion rocks you, followed shortly by another, with each shock accompanied by a pillar of violet flame.

As you arrive at the docks you discover the burnt body of a Sorcier wizard smoldering in front of a large corpse of a wildblood of burden (an unintelligent wild blood, elephant) and a wagon full of what used to be caged dogs but are now piles of ash.

Further down the docks, a docked ship is bathed in purple flames that are turning orange and red as a natural fire catches on nearby buildings. Silhouetted by the flame are a motley mass of dock workers who are trying to put out the fire but can’t because of several well-placed longarmsmen.

Two more ships are sinking into the sea, one near the docks and another that is further away and barely visible through the smoke and haze of the fires. A soot-covered dockhand rushes you, pointing feverishly in the direction of another ship, and this one has a swirling vortex of runes coalescing above it.

💃 Milady Rosalie: Well, isn't this a site to see. It looks like the Sorcier have decided to really open up on us. It feel like they have gone a bit far, though. Usually they want people left to rule over, and this distraction is too vast for their usual modus operandi.

I know full well my duty is to get to the dock, but there was a boy that got separated from his mother that I had to care for first. I know what I went through when I lost my son, and there is no way I am going to bring that upon someone else.

This wasn't too hard of a task, but it was a bit emotionally draining. It let me get to the ships in time to try and nullify the floating runes above the ships. I had to focus all of my energy into it, and the backblast threw me through the deck into the ships hull. I wasn't injured, but it has been a long while since I've had an effect like that. I hope that my old powers aren't coming back. Curse of Blood's Betrayl, or whatever they called it. I do not wish to see or cause that much death again.

Hugo: The Sorcier have attacked the docks – if only they would accept the new world. There is little I can do to help combat the destruction already in progress on the docks, but I can try to ferret out the source. I came upon a Sorcier agent in the middle of a ritual – Ildefons and I managed to stop him.

🐺 Ildefons: Ildefons was at the Eben embassy, attempting to organize a hunting expedition with the delegation, when the explosions happened. He opted to finish his business (which was after a long wait) before rushing off to the docks. On his arrival, the situation was already fairly well under control 00 Ehsan had counter-sniped most of the counter-revolutionaries, Hugo had rooted out the violent sorcier agent, and Rosalie had negated the next explosion from occurring. Ildefons sniffed the trail and launched Berta into action to finish off catching the sorcier terrorist.

At the Embassy, Ildefons worked with Camille, a leader of the delegation, who's fairly liberal about integration of the wildblood kind into society (ie, isn't hung up about "hunting"). Arrangements are made and attempts were made to make the event official.

🏹 Ehsan: Apparently it's impossible to have a quite day of archery practice in the damned city. Strange sounds and quakes come rocking through the city, the origins of which are at the wharf. Citations be damned, I mount Sameen and ride down to the docks as fast as she'll carry me to deal with the destructive scene taking place.

I take higher ground and deal with the archers surrounding the area who were picking off the dock workers. The task proves quite easy, though the fires raged while we dealt with the caster and tried to suppress the magics. Not everything can be taken care of sometimes and this time it was the infrastructure that suffered. At least we could save a decent amount of citizens.

🎲 DM: In the chaos of the docks there was only so much that the characters could do, and so the fire from the explosions burnt down significant portions of the wharf.

The Questioning and Execution of Donat Baguet

💃 Milady Rosalie: The pompous braggart responsible for this appears to be an operative of the Sorcier, acting out of some sort of splinter group or the like. He appears to have some information, but it pretty tight lipped about it. When questioned about Zephyrine, he gave a noticeable tell. I put in the suggestion that Ehsan talk to to Zephyrine. One of them has a soft spot for the other, I'm not sure which. I'm sure there's a joke in there somewhere; if only Hugo were nearby.

It didn't take long, though, for orders to come up for his execution. Ehsan came up the stairs in a hurry, but a bit late, as the guillotine game down on Gahuet, leaving a Donat hole where his neck is. Hah! Puns are never in bad taste if they happen to the truly awful.

Hugo: My compatriots attempted to strong arm the prisoner Donat Baguet – I do not feel that someone of this ilk would be swayed by such means. As proof, he yielded nothing in the way of actionable information.

🐺 Ildefons: The terrorist, Donat Baguet, said he was acting as a "lone wolf revolutionary to restore the sorcier to power". Long story short, nothing came of him other than he was and was not acting alone, and he confessed. Among his possessions were a pile of freshly-minted Eben coins.

Questioning Zephyrine

🏹 Ehsan: Questioning the captured Sorcier with the ridiculous name proves completely useless. He talks in circles for hours and no amount of threats or promises will get him to give us any kind of useful information. Rosalie suggests I talk to Zephyrine. Her name was the only thing of note that the man seemed to respond to at the very least.

At least Zephyrine has her illusions to keep her mind occupied while in her cell. Honestly they could do a bit more to keep her at least somewhat comfortable. The state of the room is ridiculous without the guises she casts over them. I'll be talking to a guard after to make sure conditions are at least somewhat improved. Talking with her does prove useful though. She gives me a name of some new leadership within the ranks of the Sorcier. This is good information but I hesitate to leave. Talking with Zephyrine is....a surprisingly relaxing and natural thing to do and I don't wish to break the rapport we had for a least a few more minutes. Unfortunately (or fortunately, the man was infuriating) I am late with my news, but am just in time to see Donat's head severed cleanly off with the guillotine. Though he is dead at least we have some useful information to use for the future.

((Daryl's Notes))): Zephyrine suggests that since the sorcier leadership lost their heads, she isn't sure who is likely in charge now, but gave some (ungiven to us as players) names, with the resurgence of violence and shows-of-power, she has ideas but isn't much for revealing them.

Meeting with Officials

🐺 Ildefons: Ildefons and Rosalie worked with officials toward get the Eben hunt funded and expanded into an official event within the RPM and/or government. They were a success. As part of this, Rosalie also met with Armand, an old friend of hers, inquiring about Zephyrine's status as a double agent. He, through much allusion, said that she was [when one reads between the lines], but that she is no longer needed.

Also, during this time, Ildefons was set up as a "poster child" for a not-failure of a purchased commission. While he's not terribly thrilled with the prospect, he agrees to do it. He is to appear before the senate. Armand needs this so he can continue to find the military via commissions.

Hunting with the Ebenese Envoys

💃 Milady Rosalie: Ugh, it looks like I have to spend the evening with some Eben 'Coons. Never trusted them, and when they took our bags to our room, they just stood there with their paws out, like they were expecting something.

There is a hunt going on. Evidently some take on a traditional fox hunt. I suppose there was some joy out of it all, and some of the Wildbloods honestly aren't that bad to be around. I do like the accompaniment of One Tusk at times, and a few here seems as driven as him. Though, I fear, some may be a bit too clever for their own good.

Hopefully Hugo is able to get some good information while we indulge in this activity.

🐺 Ildefons: Ildefons, with good success, set up a successful hunting course for the dignitaries to follow and participate. The Eben coins are brought up as conversation during the hunt, and the ambassadors say they haven't seen the coins yet (etc). We show ours that we've found [the evidence], and they are in awe of them, and ask to borrow them to show around. We agree. But, something's fishy for sure.

Ildefons has a sticky-for-a-while aspect of "Rapport with the Eban Assembly" with 1 free invoke.

🏹 Ehsan: It seems that Ildefons set up some kind of hunt to build relations between Eben and the city. Personally I find it strange that a people of animals would want to hunt more animals, but I don't question it much. They're a strange race and I'm unfamiliar with their customs so I go along with it. I'm used to such diplomatic activities considering my background. Hunting for sport though isn't common practice back home. I've participated a few times before I left when we entertained visiting nobles though.

The Ebeneese seemed impressed with Sameen when they first saw her so I use my equestrian skills to do a few tricks and show off her speed to dazzle them a bit. My companions seem to talk with them a bit about the currency we came across. They seem quite interested in it, which is a bit surprising. It is from their home country, surely they must have seen it already.

After the hunt there is a bit of a dinner reception combined with a small ball. I mostly keep to myself and the evening goes quickly (and thank the dragons no one asked me to dance). We return back to our base and Hugo is lounging around quite drunk. He found some useful information be sneaking into the Eben Embassy and doing some eavesdropping at a bar (explaining the drunkenness). He passes out in the middle of talking, but at least we got most of it out of him.

Sneaking around the Embassy

Hugo: We have decided to investigate the Eban emissary – I was tasked with infiltrating the grounds while the rest of my companions went on a hunt with the dignitaries. I manage to scale the embassy and listen in on a heated conversation between a ship captain and one of the remaining dignitaries. The captain seems to be an interesting lead and I decide to follow him. Surprise, he is heading to a tavern to meet with his crew – I manage to piece together some information and relay it to my companions before succumbing to the alcohol I was forced to imbibe. You know, to keep up the ruse.

((Daryl's Notes)): During the breakin, Hugo overheard a near-violent exchange between the captain of the Bluebird [see session #1 red herring] and a loose cannon of a wildblood. The captain points out that his ship has been in town "weeks" and is damaged.. Hugo tracks the captain, who pays his sailors. He tracks the sailors and engineers a way to check out their coins: a good chunk of them are freshly-minted Ebenese coin. More fish.

Off Camera

🐘 One-Tusk: The Trade Federation's accountants took a look at their budgets, and decided that they were paying too much for longshoremen, and thus proposed a cut to wages. I had to drop everything and rush to a union meeting- this may become a strike. I hope it does not.

🐺 Ildefons: Ildefons tells OneTusk about Zephryn's status, and Rosalie's misplaced plans to save her or spring her; plans with which Hugo and Ehsan seem to agree. Iledefons and OneTusk will work together, counter to them, to see that she is properly executed. Her skills are far too dangerous to be left out there.