Crimson Grove Rises

Crimson Grove Rises
Part of None
Date 2084-03-24 GM Bulldogc Location Redmond Status Threat Level: Medium
Factions Involved
ShadowHaven Elijah Warrington	BLOOD MAGES
Fading of the Dawn Zahhak Nikini Ember	Nina McNeill Dexter Young Emilie Milligan Mack Milligan
Casualties and losses
	All of them

Summary

Local druid circle succumbs to blood magic.

Background

Local druid succumbs to the charms of a blood adept and goes missing. Her local tailsmonger is concerned and hires some runners to track down and find out if she is ok or rescue her if she got into trouble.

The Meet

The team met up with Elijah at his shop in the Redmond Barrens. The team awkwardly introduced themselves and the meet was underway. Elijah is worried about a group of druids that use to frequent his store. They recently stopped coming buy and Elijah wants them located to ensure they are safe. He offers the runners 4kY for this services and provided the address to he circles leader, Nina McNeill. The team agreed and the run was on.

The Plan

The team planned to investigate Nina's apartment for clues and go from there.

The Run

The team broke into Nina's apartment only to find it abandoned and in some disarray. With some investigation much information was learned. Nikini discovered a hidden journal behind a tile in the bathroom. Reading though it she discovered that Nina met a new boy friend a few months ago. This new boyfriend began to seduce her into joining the ranks of a blood magic. The following few months Nina converted the rest of her circle, succeeded in binding a blood sprit and laid plans to transform it to a great form blood spirit. The team was notable shaken at this prospect. They also discovered the address of the other two members of the circle, Dexter Young and Emilie Milligan. With not much else to do here the team advanced over to the 2nd location. On their way out Zahhak's astral spirit spotted something briefly as it arrived and then immediately fled on the astral. Undenounced to the team, it had just spotted a watcher spirit conjured by Nina to watch over their houses. The spirit immediately returned to inform her of what had been happening.

The second apartment was a much different location from Nina's place. The apartment was surrounded with an astral barrier, a small lodge used by the circle. Zahhak's spirit managed to successfully slip through the barrier and the team dropped any active spells and stepped through to find a small elevated background count. Inside they found what appeared to be the circles place of worship, a small druid circle created within the home. Searching through the living space, Ember located a deactivated commlink, having no skills to do so, Ember payed a contact to break into it and recover some messages. The commlink held recent texts informing the couple that Nina needed assistance with a ritual, and that she had found a new space for them to perform it, providing an address. The messages alluded to attempting to conjure a great form spirit of some kind.

With information in hand the team gathered their heavy gear and met at the location, an old church is the rats nets. Assensing the doors Zahhak found yet another barrier, this time a stronger lodge. With secrecy out the window they team buffed up and decided to smash the barrier. Zahhak summoned a spirit of man to attack and while Nikini engaged it in astral combat. The barrier fell quickly and Dawn smashed down the door with a single blow. Entering the team each felt a sickly presence as the background count rose to 3, hatred and murder looming. They noticed a set of stairs leading down in the corner and chanting coming from them. Dawn became a drake and proceeded quickly down the stairs with the team in tow.

In the basement the team discovered an alter room, 4 armed cultists guarded the door flanked by a pair of bone spirits. Behind them the three Blood mages, performing some ritual around a blood spirit. Mack watching from the side with a flaming hand axe in hand and full body armor. Dawn quickly charged Mack and engaged him in combat while Ember fired at Nina. Nikini controlled a pair of the cultists, ordering them to shoot each other while Zahhak set upon aiding the team and having the spirit of man engage the bone spirits. Shortly after starting the battle the mages complete their ritual. The blood spirit growing to greater size and danger. It immediately moved to the center of the room and exercised some of its new powers, causing extreme Hemorrhages to two of the cultists, Dawn, and Ember. The team managed to shrug off most of the attack and continued to press. With the ritual complete the three mages engaged the team as well and the battle was fully engaged. It didn't take much longer for the team to complete the job, Ember rushed the mages while narrowing avoiding a massive ball of flaming blood (Force 22 Pyrohemetics) and ended the fight by putting a full spread of bullets into Nina a point blank range.

Aftermath

A single captive survived the battle. The team rescued them and burned the church to the ground. Elijah was saddened by the news of his former customers but thrilled that the team was able to remove the blood mage threat. He provided the team their money and offered his services as a tailsmonger for their troubles.

Rewards

Rewards 13RVP

4,000Y (2RVP) or Tailsmonger services, Foci, Reagents up to Availability 14 at gear rates

8Karma (8RVP)

4 Bonus CDP (2 RVP)

2CDP (normal from doing a run)

1 Street Cred (1 RVP)

+10 rep the Streets of Redmond

Counts as an initiation ordeal

+2000Y negotiation bonus

Optional

Elijah Warrington 3/3 (5 RVP)

Game Quotes

"Boots! You wonderful child!".

"I don't know, considering her taste in boyfriends, I think she's kinda dumb.

"So you're melee butt-smacking?.

"...I guess the hardened armour stayed in spirit?.

"A handy side benefit of drakes. Arson..

Player After Action Reports (AARs)

Zahhak

I appreciate having a large drake walk in and act like a massive bullet-sponge, makes my life easier.

Fading of the Dawn

I could get used to this. Another hit against a nice hidden-from-view underground target, and bastard opfor that we weren't gonna leave alive anyway? Makes it nice to be able to go scaly without anyone but my coworkers seeing, and while I don't trust 'em much, there's professional standards. Plus, while it's sad that a Circle went astray, it's good to for another to clean it up.