Play@YSDC

OOC:   Everybody roll Sense Trouble.  

OOC:   OK, quick questions:
Does Clarence has a gun that Ian knows about?
Are the thugs right behind Holly and the others? Would it would be possible for them to run back to the hotel or the thugs are between them and the hotel entrance?
Would it be possible for everyone to get in the car before the thugs reach us?  

OOC:   Clarence could reasonably have a gun, considering his profession. I'll leave the choice to him. Ian, though, has no idea whether Clarence has it or not.
The hotel main entrance faces a square with a little park in the middle. There's a small road on the side of the hotel, leading into the square, where your cars are parked. Two of the thugs are behind Holly and the others, exactly between them and the hotel entrance. One of the thugs is walking towards the car in the side street. The other two are moving towards the cars from the park.
Holly and the others might make a rush towards the car, but it's highly unlikely that all of you could enter inside before the thugs reach you. Still, you could try (it would be a Fleeing or Athletics roll against the thugs).  

OOC:   After Ian screams, each of you can reroll Sense Trouble to a difficulty of 3. Any of you that score a success is now aware of the asian thugs. Otherwise, you still hear him screaming (obviously), but have no idea why he is telling you to rush to the cars. if you decide to run to the cars, give me an Athletics or Fleeing roll (feel free to spend as many points as you wish, obviously). Otherwise, just describe your action.  

OOC:   Christopher Fontana
Sense Trouble Roll (1pt spend)
[dice]0[/dice]  

OOC:   The thug is speaking in a language you absolutely don't understand, that sounds completely different from anything you've ever heard. Also, it is extremely disturbing to hear, and all of you must roll Stability.

Christopher and Father Flanagan reach the car, but Holly doesn't. The thug's punch deals 4 damage to you. You can try to free yourself with a Scuffling roll.

Clarence can shoot any of the thugs, if he so wishes.  

OOC:   Christopher will make the hotel staff telephone for an ambulance, explaining that two people have been shot (plus a stabbing). He will also commandeer any medical or first aid supplies that are readily available from the hotel (if any) taking them back to the scene.

He'll also be anxious to get any 'independent eye-witnesses' to the assault to stay at the scene to give statements.  

OOC:   Let's get things squared away with the police and get healed up at a hospital. Christopher will get in contact with the pilot, explaining they're delayed a day or two and that they will want to get back to Boston and then onto LA.

Are there any other loose ends here that anyone can think of? How did someone learn of our investigation? Were we under surveillance going to interview Henslowe and Job? Did someone at the Sanatorium 'rat us out'?  

OOC:   I think we need to question the thug, to find out what he knows, and how he knew about us.  

OOC:   Clarence is being treated at the hospital. It's probably a couple of days more until he can be released. The thug is there as well, under police surveillance. You can make a 2-points Credit Rating, Bureaucracy or 1-point Cop Talk spend to obtain any information from the police about the investigation. The rest of the group has mostly minor bruises, so no need for particular medical care.

You send a telegram back to Boston (or inform the pilot, that will in turn inform Janet back in Boston), and the following day a man is sent to you from Boston to act as "bodyguard" and help you in the investigation. His name is Mungo Cameron, and looks like an ex-con. He reaches Ian, Christopher, Holly and Father Flanagan (still acting as NPC until you return to boston) at the hotel. Clarence is still in hospital.  

OOC:   Christopher will make drawings of the tattoos that the Asian thugs sported (those that he remembers) and try to elicit help from the others to try and ascertain who they were. Does Savannah have a 'triad' gang (or similar)? We obviously don't want to 'stir up the hornets nest' but I think we ought to try and find out who is setting 'armed ruffians' on us.  

OOC:   Streetwise could give you some information in that regard.

First though introduce your characters to the newcomer and put him "up to speed". Clarence is still in hospital, so for now just the other there.  

OOC:   The team is at the hotel, except for Clarence that is currently at the hospital and can't participate to the scene.

Clarence, though, might wish to make a spend on Credit Rating (2 points), Bureaucracy (2 points) OR Cop Talk (1 point) to obtain some information about the thug from the policemen that are keeping watch on the two wounded people at the hospital.  

OOC:   Assuming there's no objections..  

OOC:   Thinking things through a few things occur to me (but maybe not to Christopher) ... however other characters may had had similar thoughts.

Someone has found out about the investigation and wants it stopped. As I see things that leads to two (maybe three) ways that 'someone' could be onto us.

1) Someone close to Janet Winston-Rogers doesn't want us to proceed.

2) Someone is keeping tabs on Henslowe and/or Job.

3a) Someone (Fr. Flannigan?) discovered the Henslowe's accounts and Ian discovered that they are in a bad shape - where has the money gone? An old bed-ridden lady and a gardener, spending all that much?
3b) Did we get a satisfactory reason/answer as to how/why Job ended up in Savannah? He was convicted in California (right?) so he should be 'locked up' there (right?) So, why is he at Joy Grove?

So... if someone is keeping tabs on H and J then there is probably someone (staff member) keeping an eye out; that would mean that the Asian thugs are 'local' as the attack on our group happened soon after visiting the Sanatorium.

If it's someone close to Mrs W-R then is highly likely that the Asian thugs are not local and (perhaps) followed us down from Boston (are the timings possible?) after all an 'insider' could find out where we were staying.

It also seems that the Asian thugs (and/or whoever sent them) is unaware of our visit to the Henslowe place - if they were then they would probably be aware of our digging and deduce we 'found stuff' - it that were the case wouldn't they want whatever we found?

Anyway... these are just my ramblings and as I said probably something that Christopher would not 'think of'.

[To be honest, the attack seems 'out of place' - maybe it's just meant to impress on the players that 'things are serious'.]  

OOC:   Clarence will spend 1 point on Cop Talk, to get info on the thug.  

OOC:  

OOC:   My suspicions are that we were watched, they saw us find the book, and now they want it. Who could have seen us or known that we were looking around? - I point the finger at Currthers the manservant.

 

OOC:  

laitang wrote: My suspicions are that we were watched, they saw us find the book, and now they want it.
Who could have seen us or known that we were looking around? - I point the finger at Currthers the manservant.

I don't think that's the case, we were just 'warned off' - they already had a note (suggests that they don't speak English), so that implies the attack was in reaction to whatever we did before the trip to the Henslowe place. This probably also means that we can expect to be watched/followed from now on and our 'enemy' knows that LA is likely to be our next stop.  

OOC:  

Mr. Handy wrote:3b) I asked about this. It was Dr. Keaton's idea to have Job brought to Joy Grove to see if he'd have more success trying to treat them both together. He didn't.

Also, Henslowe was willing to give us his notebook, but for some reason he felt the need to say we should "ask Frank Hickering". Why? He could have said "Go to my study. You'll find instructions inside a book named ...". Was he suspicious of Dr. Keaton? Or am I looking to much? Never liked that Keaton guy.  

OOC:   Assume that you have one full day before Clarence is discharged. What would you like to do in that time?  

OOC:   Clarence waits for his wounds to heal.  

OOC:   OK, I'd like to move on quickly to Los Angeles. Perhaps we'll just play a short scene with Janet, and handle the rest as OOC. Just tell me what kind of preparations you want to make, and anything you want to investigate in Boston.

- All your investigative and general abilities pool are refreshed.
- To refresh your Stability, you must spend some time with a Source of Stability. Describe a little scene of ordinary life with a Source of Stability of your choice. Use it to flash out your character and the Source of Stability him/herself. Anything will work fine, from going shopping to watching a football game, from going to the theatre to discussing the case you're working on. Send the scene as a private message to me once it's done

Mr.Handy,Use this nightmare as lead-in to the scene. You have it the night before meeting your Source of Stability. You're trudging through the Georgia swamp behind [your source of stability] when the ground opens up beneath [him or her], the water rushing into a hole in the ground, lined with yellow, human teeth - dozens and dozens of teeth. For a moment, your friend is falling feetfirst into the hole, but then the mouth snaps shut, chewing [him or her] in half in three terrible bites. [He or she] screams, blood spraying from [his or her] mouth. The swamp-water-filled mouth gurgles out a scream. You snap out of sleep with a start, all but screaming yourself.

 

OOC:   Sure, no need to hurry.

Also, each of your investigators (excluding Cameron) gain 1 investigative ability and 2 general ability build point.

You all refresh your lost health points.

You also get to conpletely refresh your Stability by spending time with your Sources of Stability, so no need for Psychoanalysis - for the moment. You'll have plenty of chances when things get serious  

OOC:   Yes.  

OOC:   CanI please take:

Interrogation 1
First Aid 2

for Christopher?

===
In Boston

Christopher will spend more time researching the 'Death Cults' book and set his secretary into the 'files' to get any 'phenomenon' information regarding LA at the time of the events at the farm and since then.

He'll pack his regular 'paranormal investigation kit*' including photographic equipment plus a pistol and ammo - a FN Browning High Power 9mm semi-automatic (if possible) and clothes.

*Torch/Flashlight + spare batteries, note pads, pencils, pen-knife (swiss army style), talcum powder, chalk, artists charcoal, a small 'grater' the type you get in a puncture repair kit, measuring tape, a variety of stoppered vials and 'test-tubes', small selection of brushes, thermometers, spools of thread and cotton, extendible probe (like a car aerial), a mirror that can be attached (threaded) onto the probe.

I'm kind of thinking here that the full kit comes in two suitcases or a small trunk with a small valise/brief-case that contains a 'light' investigation kit.