DiscoDude: ---BEGIN SESSION---
DiscoDude: Session logging commenced
Ryusui|GM: It's the morning before the auction. A crowd of picketers has already gathered outside the entrance of Plimpton & MacReady's. The presence of folding chairs and even some tents suggests the protesters have literally been camping outside.
Ryusui|GM: Where are the two of you?
Casper: "Right, I think we can use this. How well can you fake an injury, Zeta?" Casper is... somewhere where he could see what's being described? (Not sure what you meant by the question.)
Ryusui|GM: So...a park across the street, where you can see the circus going on but where they won't pay you any special attention? That sound good? XD
Casper: (Yeah. Sorry; what I laid out was the entire plan that I had. I'm not going to come up with stuff like "details" anymore and let you just go wild.)
Ryusui|GM: <@!Zeta>?
Ryusui|GM: Casper just asked a question.
Zeta: "Fake an injury...? I think I can do it, unless it's meant to be fatal..." Zeta is looking around like a curious child, understandable, since she had never seen this concentration of people that weren't under the power of the one she is trying to stop.
Casper: "Good. How well can you sound injured over the phone? I'm going to call the police and hand you the phone. Say the address of the auction house, then that you were attacked by protestors outside when you tried to enter."
Zeta: "Uuuh, Well, I can try..." This is certainly a way to get people in trouble, get the police involved. His solutions were effective, if morally ambiguous. "What type of wound should I feign...?"
Casper: "Head injury with a blunt object, like a folding chair or a bike lock. Bonus points if you're visibly bleeding."
Zeta: "Hmmm... Sounds Hard... should we be doing it in public, though?"
Casper: "The more public, the better. We need to get the protesters out, and the police in. Once you make the call, I'll call up the local church and maybe make a Facebook post denouncing the items as Satanic to get a good counter-protest going to escalate matters."
Zeta: "...Fair enough...I hope we don't get in trouble over this." She takes a deep breath...Right, a hit to the head....by a folding chair, there are many of those, yeah... "We will need a chair as evidence...for later."
Ryusui|GM: There are free chairs, but you'll have your work cut out for you trying to steal one from among the protestors without being spotted.
Casper: "Alright." Casper appreciates well-defined work.
(So a Stealth roll to Create Advantage for the upcoming Deceive roll?)
Casper: "Actually, would it be possible to give me a bloody cloth now? Simply planting blood on one of the chairs and leaving it there might be more implicative."
Zeta: "...Hmmm, If you have a knife..."
Casper: "Perfect, I have several." He unclips several pockets.
Ryusui|GM: (He's Casper. Of course he has a knife. XD)
Zeta: "Just one, the sharpest one." she waits a few seconds and then tries to clarify. "We get more blood that way... More for the bandages, I mean." Oh.
Casper: "Scalpel it is. Hold still." Behind the tree, making sure no one is watching, he makes a small cut near the temple of Zeta's skull and presses some makeshift bandages to it.
Zeta: "Ahg...It hurts." Well, she doesn't show it, but she is biting her mouth. "Alright...Get the phone ready..."
Casper: Casper dials 999 and hands it to her. "Remember; state the address first, and try to sound distraught about your treatment. Be right back." Casper heads off to plant some blood on a chair.
Ryusui|GM: <@!Zeta>: "999 dispatch," the voice rings out over the receiver.
Ryusui|GM: <@!Casper>: People are going to notice you crossing the street and planting the blood, unless you do something clever.
Casper: (A simple Stealth roll won't suffice? What aspects are at play?)
Ryusui|GM: ([Crowd of Protesters] is the relevant aspect. This will be an Overcome against +3, because there are just so many eyes.)
Ryusui|GM: ( <@!Zeta>, are you gonna respond? )
Zeta: She takes another deep breath and begins faking her voice to sound more girly, stammering every word... "A-ah...H-hello...? T-they...Hit...me..."
Ryusui|GM: "Slow down, dear. Speak clearly. We're tracing you right now, but help will arrive faster if you can tell me where you're at."
Casper: Casper simply wraps the bandage around his hand and walks in like he belongs, keeping an eye out for any chairs left unattended inside a vacant tent; that will give him the cover he needs to properly work with the chair.
Casper: !f 3 (Stealth)
DiscoDude: <@Casper> rolled 4dF+3 for 1 [4dF = [-][+][-][-]]
Ryusui|GM: (hmm. wanna do anything with that?)
Casper: (Gonna invoke my high concept for the tie.)
Casper: (Only question is whether to get a boost or succeed at a minor cost.)
Ryusui|GM: (my thought is, you get spotted, but who spots you is not hostile/can't tell your intentions)
Zeta: "T-They....the...protesters....the avenue house at....Pimp- Plimpton and Mc- Mac-...Ready....It hurts...."
Casper: (My thoughts exactly.)
Ryusui|GM: "Officers will be there shortly. Get to safety."
Ryusui|GM: Casper, you reach the edge of the crowd without attracting any undue attention. There's a folding chair, white and pristine, perfect for planting a highly visible bloodstain on.
Ryusui|GM: And then a voice rings out in your ear.
Ryusui|GM: "Looks like they worked you over, huh?"
Ryusui|GM: The voice belongs to a large, gray-furred seal-lady in a dark blue padded coat. She's smiling; she doesn't seem to have a clue what you intend with the bandage on your head.
Casper: (hand)
Casper: (You misread; he wrapped it around his hand.)
Zeta: Ah, after she cuts the call, she peeks behind the tree, this people will get in quite a lot of trouble... "Hmmm, I better hide..."
Ryusui|GM: (oh, still)
Ryusui|GM: (she sees the bandage)
Casper: "Excuse me?"
Ryusui|GM: "The thugs they sent to try and scare us off." She points vaguely into the distance with her thumb and scoffs. "What they're doing here, today, it's not right. Even if we can't stop it, the eyes of the world need to be here, in this place."
Casper: "Oh, sure. It's not the cultural theft I'm protesting, though. They sugarcoated the details about the artifacts; they're satanic in origin. I'm protesting their treatment as 'cultural artifacts' that have value to begin with." He's not trying to convince her, per say; just make her go away.
Casper: He sits down on the chair, gripping the edges and rubbing his hand back and forth a bit as he does.
Ryusui|GM: She narrows her eyes at you. "You...have half the truth of it," she says, lowering her voice an octave. "That statue...it does not belong in mortal hands. It is an icon of a...a thing far too foul for even the word 'demon' to apply." She looks at you appraisingly, like she's told this story before and is used to others keeping their distance from her afterward.
Casper: "Is that so? I might know something about that. I figured that 'satanic' would be an easier term for someone like you to understand, but pretenses might not be necessary...?" (Interesting...)
Ryusui|GM: "The story is told in my family. My great grandfather, he dredged that icon up from the depths in his fishing boat. From that day forward...he was no longer my great grandfather. He did...terrible, unspeakable things. Partook in unholy rituals, rites of flesh and blood intended to bring about the coming of the creature. To align the very stars." Her eyes go wilder and wilder as she tells the tale. "Half his children joined his cult. The others fled in fear. We know not what became of him and his followers, only that it ended in violence and flame. And of the statue..." She shudders. "None in my family saw it again. Until it appeared on the news, in the collection being sold today."
Casper: "I see. So we're in agreement that it's better off destroyed?" He leans forward, gripping the legs of the chair around where they would meet the seat when folded up.
Ryusui|GM: "...You would help me do this?" She looks at you in disbelief.
Casper: "... Sure." Casper gets up. "That's what we were already doing, but we'll keep you informed." He walks away, back towards the park.
Ryusui|GM: She blinks at you as you depart, Casper. "Who are you?" she calls out, just as the sound of sirens in the distance just barely comes into audible range.
Casper: "A ghost." He hurries back to Zeta; if he can't get that bandage (and his hand) onto her head before emergency services arrive, he'll be left holding a smoking gun.
Ryusui|GM: The seal continues watching you for a moment, and then she turns her attention to the sirens. She glances at the chair you were sitting in, Casper, notices the bloodstains you left there...then flips you off and runs away from the crowd.
Zeta: "What was that about...?" Asks Zeta, who was totally watching that from behind the tree.
Casper: "I framed someone for attacking you. Let's get this bandage on you. I'll walk you over to the police."
Zeta: "...She looked like a nice person, you could have picked someone else..." Ah, she'll have to keep playing her pretend game.
Casper: "Would if I could. Let's go."
Ryusui|GM: The crowd is already beginning to disperse at the sound of sirens. When the police arrive, Zeta's testimony and the bloody chair are enough to spur them into action. An altercation ensues, and a few protestors are taken into custody, but the owner of the chair and Zeta's purported attacker are not found. In the end, a handful of protesters remain, camped out in the park where the two of you hatched this whole plan, while three cars' worth of police remain stationed outside the auction house to keep them from "causing any more trouble."
Ryusui|GM: (Congratulations, [Crowd of Protesters] is now [Police Presence at the Auction].)
Casper: (Chaos has been replaced with order.)
Zeta: (We are not SMT, Caillou.)
Casper: (Which is a really good thing now that the goal is "make the auction go off without incident" instead of "steal it ourselves.")
Casper: (So what now?)
Zeta: (We hope the medics don't determine it was self inflicted =.=)
Casper: (I think we already resolved the scene. Now it's time to actually enter the premises and get a read on what we're dealing with.)
Ryusui|GM: (actually I'm figuring the two of you sneak out of the proceedings before they take you to see a doctor XD)
Ryusui|GM: (so yeah, skip ahead a couple hours, the police are established outside, you're on the premises as Xia's contractors?)
Zeta: (That would be correct!)
Casper: (Still some time before the actual auction, but yes.)
Casper: (That is, assuming we have the whole day to work with like I thought.)
Casper: (Set the scene, GM.)
Ryusui|GM: The auction hall is enormous and extravagantly appointed. While the auction today will likely only be attended by a few dozen extremely well-heeled bidders, the seating arrangements could accommodate a crowd twice or even three times that size. There are, already, a few early guests chit-chatting amongst themselves, accompanied by men and women in black suits and glasses - well-paid bodyguards.
Ryusui|GM: Mr. Xia leads your little party of two, flanked by one of his own bodyguards on either side.
Casper: Casper - of course - made sure the first response worker dressed Zeta's wound properly and that she didn't need to be carted off.
"At some point, once we finish introducing ourselves to the various other auctiongoers, I'd like to review all the staff and security with my partner. How much are we allowed to roam?"
Casper: (Basically (unintentionally), the plan is to Zeta-scan every person in the building. XD)
Casper: (Also, any other aspects of note appear now that we're inside?)
Ryusui|GM: (just the [Rows of Seats], the [Auctioneer's Podium], and the [Chatting Bidders])
Ryusui|GM: <@!Zeta>, you feel a high-pitched keening in your head. It's like the sensation you got when you saw the statue on TV, a noise and a sensation like a drill made of thousands of tiny teeth and slithering tentacles pressed into your skull just above your forehead.
Casper: (BTW, <@!Ryusui|GM>, does Police Presence at the Auction have a free invoke on it?)
Ryusui|GM: (Let's say yes.)
Ryusui|GM: <@!Casper>: "Arrangements have been made," Mr. Xia says. "You may freely visit the vault until the time of the auction. Most of the items will be guarded in some fashion."
Casper: "I'm aware. Even if we thwarted the agent they planted with you, they might have more insiders we'll need to eliminate. There's been a pattern of that with this group."
Ryusui|GM: Mr. Xia nods, nervously.
Casper: For the first hour, Casper is content to shadow Mr. Xia as he patrols around the other auctiongoers.
"Let me know if anything seems off about any of these guests, Zeta; you know the enemy better than I."
Zeta: "Ghhh....The statue..." She holds her head, coincidentally on the same spot she was cut... "...It might...be hard to check people...with it nearby."
Casper: (Looks like we inadvertently gave her a cover story for that, huh? XD)
Casper: "Use your eyes and ears, then." Casper can think fast in hostile territory, but he's no good at picking out someone hiding in plain sight.
Ryusui|GM: The intensity of the statue's presence is at the very edge of your ability to handle without losing control, Zeta. If there is a pawn somewhere in this auction house, or multiple, it's unlikely your built-in Cthulhudar will let you know unless they're right about to tentacle your face off.
Zeta: "That's not how...it works..." She grunts as she looks around... Ah, she could easily let go, but she can't. "The Auction...Should go fast....the longer I am in the area of that thing..."
Casper: "Hm, it's unlikely it's one of the other patrons, anyway. We're heading to the vault, Mr. Xia. Have one of your guards page me if there's trouble." He pats the pager he placed on his belt.
Ryusui|GM: There's three dour-looking guards in the vault. They have radios and dark glasses, much like the ones accompanying the bidders, but they have dark red uniforms instead of black, and the auction house's logo monogrammed on them.
Ryusui|GM: There are a few expensive-looking items scattered around on tables - strange twists of coral, jeweled urns, stacks of dusty books bound in suspicious material - but there are also a number of heavy safes, and a few precious objects stored in glass cases. Necklaces of dubious provenance, ritual blades, generally glittery things of shiny metal and gemstones.
Casper: "Don't be alarmed. We'd like to check on the items our boss wishes to buy."
Zeta: "Y-Yes...Make sure it is the real deal..." She however whispers to Casper. "I Would rather stay away from it, if possible..."
Casper: "Check the room itself while I do that, then. It's possible that the infiltrator is using more practical and less human methods to undermine security."
Ryusui|GM: One of the guards grumbles. "You'll want the manifest," he says, pointing to a document on a nearby desk. "Tells you where everything is." He makes it clear, with his stare alone, that you are not to remove the manifest, or anything else for that matter, from the room.
Casper: "Right." He nods to Zeta. "You let me know if there's anything off."
Casper: (Actually using your Academics and Investigate at some point would be appreciated. :3)
Ryusui|GM: Zeta, the closer you are to the statue, the harder a time you'll have staying...ferret-shaped. If you want to investigate yourself, this will be a compel.
Zeta: "I'll Try..." (Zeta will very much try to.)
Zeta: (However, I'll use a Fate point to avoid the effects of the transformation if that option is available.)
Ryusui|GM: (that's the deal on offer)
Ryusui|GM: At any rate, the statue doesn't appear to be out in the open, or in one of the cases. That leaves one of the safes, and there are dozens of them.
Ryusui|GM: The text on the manifest is cryptic, but with some effort, you should be able to decipher it and figure out where the statue is.
Zeta: (Righto, Rolling for Investigate, but using a Fate point on not becoming the big eldritch monster while doing so.)
Zeta: !f 2
DiscoDude: <@Zeta> rolled 4dF+2 for 3 [4dF = [ ][+][ ][ ]]
Ryusui|GM: Ah, you're familiar with this shorthand. It takes you a while to figure out which item is the statue - the word "statue" is not used at all, just a list of descriptors - but soon you can point to the exact safe the item is in.
Casper: "Safe number...?"
Ryusui|GM: (you can literally just point to the safe XD)
Casper: (Casper isn't the one reading the manifest. XD)
Zeta: "...That one over there." She points at the safe.
Casper: "Right. Guards, can you tell me what the procedure is for safe items once the auction begins? I was hired as a security consultant after our employer got a tip that someone was after the statue he wanted, and I'd like to discern any weak points in security."
Ryusui|GM: "No offense, sir, but we can handle security just fine without any outside contractors," one of the guards says, clearly annoyed by the implications of your statement.
Casper: "I don't accept 'can.' I've had enough experience in the field to know that 'invincible security' is an oxymoron. Case in point, I'll also need to interview the staff, including the three of you. This group has a history of infiltrations and subverting assets."
Ryusui|GM: The guards shrug, one after another. "Interview away." One of them looks at Zeta: "But don't try anything funny!"
Zeta: "I am not a clown..." She seems a bit embarrassed to be looked at, specially when trying to keep her eldritch form inside her and not outside. "...Could you...not look at me...?"
Casper: "When were each of you hired, and how would you describe your history with the company?"
Ryusui|GM: The guards each, in turn, rattle off their resumes (or CVs, as the case may be), going all the way back to education and place of birth. Each of them came to work with P&M around three years ago, entering the auction house's employ across a nine-month time frame. Nothing at all leaps out as suspicious.
Casper: "Right. Even if you can't describe the specific procedure, can you at least tell me who has access to a safe's contents up to when it leaves with the buyer? And when, if that's something specific? There's only so much time before the auction."
Ryusui|GM: "P&M guards are the only ones who have access, up until the buyer -" "Or buyer's representative." "-or buyer's officially designated representative receives the item."
Casper: "What about during the auction, when the item is presented?"
Ryusui|GM: "It's on the auction floor, by the podium." The guard doesn't say "duh" but it's in his voice.
Ryusui|GM: "Anyone tries to nick it, they won't get far. There's a whole room of witnesses and, well." He pats the unmistakable bulge of a holster. "We got special license to carry."
Casper: A thought occurs to Casper.
"Does the auctioneer handle the items at all?" And then another. "Also, can any of you tell me who in particular placed the statue into the safe, as well as anyone who handled it directly after that?"
Ryusui|GM: "Auctioneer never handles the items," one of the guards says, clearly tiring of this topic of conversation. "Auctioneer's assistant takes 'em out of storage and puts them up for display. And before you ask, no, not even the staff get a free pass from us."
Casper: "Is the assistant the one that receives deliveries and puts them into storage as well?"
Ryusui|GM: He frowns. "We have a whole team of 'experts' like you and your ladyfriend" - he snorts, as if he has trouble believing either of you are any kind of expert - "who examine, appraise, and catalogue the lots that come into our auction house. You think one person is responsible for handling all the junk-" "Ah-hem." "-all the valuables we've got stashed away in here?"
Casper: "Is there a way to know who among the staff and contractors handled a specific item directly, then?" 'My custom rifle for a solid lead! Please!'
Ryusui|GM: The guards look at each other and grin wickedly. "You could always conduct...interviews," one of them chuckles. "Next to the manifest, you'll find a list of everyone involved with this estate sale. You're welcome to, y'know, get out and find these people, figure out which one of 'em touched your precious statue."
Casper: "Just those who will be here tonight. I can't be sure that the icons of this group aren't... inspiring, in all the wrong ways," he says like it's the most normal thing in the world.
Casper: "Zeta?"
Zeta: "Hmmm, Alright, I'm on it..." Well, she starts checking the new list, she would have dozed off if it wasn't because of the seriousness of the situation...
Zeta: (I assume I roll investigate again?)
Ryusui|GM: I'm gonna tell you this, Zeta: there are dozens of names. The list is written in the same shorthand, so you don't have to worry about deciphering it, but there's nothing about schedules. In fact, if you understood the guard correctly, it's entirely likely that none of these people will be on the premises tonight - their work is already finished.
Zeta: Ah, so that is how it's gonna be...she yawns. "None of the people that handled the statue will be here... their 'shifts' are over..."
Casper: "Then the assistant is the only relevant lead? Or are they not here either?"
Zeta: "I don't think so either...Unless i read this wrong, but I doubt that."
Casper: "Hm. So is that it? Are we out of leads?"
Ryusui|GM: Mr. Xia already provided all the info he has about the auction house's permanent staff. You know what the assistant looks like, but you haven't seen her on the premises yet.
Zeta: "I suppose so....We will have to wait until the fated hour occurs, then..."
Casper: (Ah, that manifest was just about contractors and contributing workers, not the on-site staff. Can't blame you for misreading.)
Casper: "Well, can any of you tell me where I can find the auctioneer and his assistant at this moment?"
Ryusui|GM: "Auctioneer's on the floor," one guard says, nodding back the way you came. "Assistant's late."
Zeta: "Hmmm... we can talk to the auctioneer, then."
Casper: "I'll keep that in mind. Any opinions on either? Both history and recent behavior. Last question."
Ryusui|GM: The guard shrugs. "We move expensive old garbage for rich people. Define 'normal' and 'abnormal' for me." The other two start laughing.
Casper: "... Thank you. You were quite adept at giving straight answers. Let's go meet the auctioneer, Zeta."
Zeta: "I think It was useless talking to them." Zeta affirms... "At least we know where to go if something goes missing..."
Ryusui|GM: The auctioneer is an old man. He might be a dog, or a rat, or even an otter; age has sagged his features to the point you can't tell for sure what he is. He's astonishingly alert, though, turning to face the two of you as you approach. "May I help you, sir? Madam?"
Casper: "Yes, hello. Casper and Zeta Fullbright, we were hired as consultants by Mr. Xia. We got a tip that someone had intentions to make a certain item disappear; an item that our employer wants. The security itself seems competent, so I wanted to interview anyone that would be handling the item directly tonight. Your assistant is where our focus is, but you are a person of interest as well. Do you mind if my own assistant asked you some questions?"
Casper: (The guards were likely jokes, but a literal fast-talker might be more Zeta's weight-class if a mental conflict breaks out.)
Ryusui|GM: He adjusts his glasses. "I would enjoy a chat with the lovely young lady," he says, smiling broadly.
Zeta: "That's not my..." Zeta sighs....cautiously. "Well...We have some questions to ask you..."
Ryusui|GM: "Ask away!"
Zeta: "Has your assistant been acting strangely as of late?" She sounds pretty bored, to be fair she almost fell sleep while trying to resist the call of an eldritch element back there.
Ryusui|GM: He shrugs. "Define 'strangely.'"
Casper: Casper thinks back to what the guard said about her being late. Combined with how they may have thrown a wrench into the cult's plan yesterday...
"Anything out of the ordinary from how she usually acts. Actually, I heard she's running late; is that unusual? What happens if she doesn't show?"
He makes a mental note to make a beeline for her the moment she shows up; she's probably been compromised today.
Ryusui|GM: "She might have run into a delay at the takeaway. Good heavens, I hope not. I was looking forward to a nice curry before the proceedings."
Zeta: "A nice...Curry?" Zeta raises her eyebrows.
Casper: 'Some delay.'
"If she does turn up, we'd like to know as soon as possible. If she doesn't, what happens? Will you take over her duties for the night until she does?"
Ryusui|GM: The auctioneer raises his in turn, Zeta. "Curry? Something brown with some meat and vegetables in it served with rice? Are you unfamiliar with the concept?" He turns to you, Casper: "I don't know. It's not happened in all the years I've been here." He pauses. "Well. There was the unfortunate business back in '97, I suppose. One of the guards had to take the responsibility." He brightens: "I suppose that would happen again, if my assistant failed to show."
Casper: "I'll keep that in mind. Do keep us informed. The tipoff our employer received didn't mention anything about how this group would try to get at the item. From what we do know, they do have a history of compromising assets on-staff, and I'd like to make sure your assistant isn't being coerced in any way, assuming she isn't absent outright."
Zeta: "Ah, I- I never heard of the word before." She looks away, so that's what the rice was being paired with on those restaurants on the way here.
Ryusui|GM: "Good heavens! I couldn't imagine our Jocelyn being coerced into acting against the interests of this institution!" The auctioneer actually looks genuinely shocked at the insinuation. "But I'm certain she'll be here shortly."
Casper: "Very well. Zeta, let's return to our duties for now. Hopefully, we'll get to speak to 'Jocelyn' before the auction tonight."
Zeta: "Mhhmm...Hopefully...Although I would like to try this curry too..."
Casper: 'And we might have other avenues of investigation in the meantime.'*
Ryusui|GM: "I'm certain there'll be enough for everyone," the auctioneer says, absently.
Casper: (Ah, so 'takeaway' means catering in this case?)
Casper: "This event is being catered? Excellent."
Zeta: "Ah...! I'll look forward to it then!" Oh, she looks a bit happier, perhaps even more awake now.
Casper: (Are we reaching a good stopping point? I feel like we already changed the timeline near the beginning a little.)
Ryusui|GM: ( <@!Casper>: it's what we'd call "carryout" in the US)
Ryusui|GM: (or "to go")
Casper: (Got it. I'd have expected a caterer to handle an auction, but what do I know? XD)
Ryusui|GM: (this is for the staff; when he says "enough for everyone" he means "maybe there'll be some extra for you" XD)
Casper: (Question on the stopping point stands; does getting the police out there and doing the whole "Begin the Investigation!" thing seem good enough for one whole timeline-changing "Adventure?" (We've entered the final hour before my self-imposed bedtime.))
Ryusui|GM: (Place: Plimpton & MacReady’s Auction House, Edinburgh, Scotland, surrounded by police)
Casper: (So final lines, then?)
Ryusui|GM: (last lines!)
Casper: "Ah- You meant for the staff. That makes more sense..."
Zeta: "I wonder how it tastes...." Nope, she's lost on the land of imagination, hope there is some left for her...
Casper: (<@!Ryusui|GM>?)
Ryusui|GM: (let us...)
Ryusui|GM: !end
