Cinnamon Buns and Cereal Killers
| Cinnamon Buns and Cereal Killers | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Blood in the Machine | |||||||||
 Orson Cordova's MARK | |||||||||
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| Factions Involved | |||||||||
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ShadowHaven Mistah Jay Charity Horace | Aztechnology | ||||||||
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Itztli Doris Captain Boomerang Fintan |
Andres Gutierrez Orsen Cordova Leopard Guard | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Doris' sanity | some weird screaming server racks | ||||||||
Summary
Mistah Jay hires Captain Boomerang, Fintan, Itztli, and Doris to investigate a steadily increasing magical background count encroaching on his gang's turf.
Background
Andres Guillermo Gutierrez, an Aztechnology middle manager, suspected blood mage, and serial killer preying on Jay's people, had been captured by Haven runners and handed over to Mistah Jay for interrogation. Based on what they had managed to learn from him and the feeling of creeping despair in his people, Mistah Jay assumed that Andres had more associates still loose in the Redmond Barrens. He had assumed that their base was somewhere near one of the Stuffer Shacks that Andres managed to the Southeast of the gang's turf.
The Meet
The team is directed to meet Mistah Jay at his gang's primary compound, where Charity Horace greets them with freshly baked cinnamon rolls. Mistah Jay explains what they've learned from Andres' interrogation: that there were more blood mages in Seattle, Andres' had asked to transfer from LA to Seattle, and Andres has recently stopped acting like himself. He informs the runner team that while they have not been able to locate the mages' base of operations, it is most likely in a district immediately Southeast of his compound, close to where Itztli and the previous team captured Andres. Mistah Jay offers a total of 60,000 NuYen to the team in exchange for locating and capturing any more blood mages. The team agrees, with the caveat that they get Charity's cinnamon roll recipe, and arranges to have Andres transported back to the compound along with his personal effects for further examination.
The Run
The entire team summons spirits for protection, except for Itztli, who already has a guardian spirit with her. Fintan and Doris project to the suspected area to search a wide area, while Boomerang and Itztli drive to the location where Andres was captured, a building immediately next to a Stuffer Shack. Fintan and Doris find a heavy, depressing background and few spirits willing to speak with them, and decide to meet with the other two to search for clues. Finding no suitable psychometry objects, Doris hacks into the Stuffer Shack's host to pull down their security footage and finds a half-pyramid, triangular mark on the footage. There's little to see on the footage other than the previous runner team obtaining snacks and several of Andres' visits. The footage has clearly been tampered with.
The team returns to the compound and Boomerang summons an earth spirit to search for any sign of a blood mage's athame or underground structures with a high background count. The earth spirit, a proud member of the local 414 Union, accepts the request, eventually returning with reports of a cavernous area with lots of wires and the movement of the only athame in the area. While the athame is assumed to be with Andres on his way to Mistah Jay's compound, Doris believes that the wires are most likely part of a large Faraday cage. Boomerang believes there may also be a large amount of power infrastructure routed to the area, as the ground already acts as a strong enough signal inhibitor.
The next day, Andres arrives at the compound and transferred to a secure warehouse on the compound. The warehouse is coated in FAB II and features a large amount of cover inside for the purpose of breaking line of sight in the event that Andres manages to escape. The blood mage is mage cuffed, mage hooded, blindfolded, and strapped to an extremely sturdy chair for questioning. As Doris moves to question Andres, Itzli jumps ahead and kicks him in the gut, asking if he can remember her. He claims to not know her and is unsure of his own name. After failing to get any sensible information out of him with questioning, Doris secretly utilizes a Mind Probe spell to try and make sense of his rambling statements.
She witnesses fragmented memories of Los Angeles, an unconscious man, and a different life. The two most vivid memories are of a blond haired, blue eyed man in a hospital bed being stabbed, and a ware clinic in LA called Genetique. While assensing him, Itztli and Fintan realize that his blood sugar is low. Doris realizes that he may be diabetic and feeds him one of the cinnamon rolls she brought, then assenses him. She notices that he has an autoinjector that Mistah Jay's team missed and appears to have a fragmented aura, with part of his soul missing. This puts most of Mistah Jay's crew on alert.
Still wanting more information, Doris performs a psychometric reading of Andres' athame and witnesses several of the sacrifices it was used to commit. She hears the name Orson Cordova, clearly sees the underground structure where he was hiding, and realizes that this athame is especially ancient and has been used for a large number of murders. She throws it across the room, stress eats a cinnamon roll, informs the others, and insists that the athame is destroyed. Fintan contacts David Harsmen with the general description of the location, who then puts him in touch with Warboss.
Aftermath
Orson Cordova and Andres Gutierrez are both captured and in the custody of Mistah Jay. The server racks are found to be fried, but are packed away in secure storage for possible future examination. Orson, Andres, and all evidence are shipped to a secure location away from the compound. The athame is presumably destroyed in an appropriate manner.
Rewards
- 16,000 NuYen
- 5 Karma
- Charity Horace's Famous Cinnamon Roll Recipe
- 2 CDP
- RVP and CDP may be exchanged to take Mistah Jay as a 4/1 contact or Charity Horace as a 3/1 contact.
Game Quotes
"Don't worry, a few pints of Guiness and you'll be fine!" - Fintan |
Deafening silence. |
"Look at this stuff, isn't it neat! Woudn't you think my collection's com - " - Water Spirit |