ItO solo - Part VI : Star of the Night

"Who could be at my door at this ungodly hour of the morning?" thinks Isabeau through last night's fading haze of cheap wine and bad dreams. "Perhaps if I continue to lie here quietly they'll go away. Oh! they're not going away. The knocking's getting more insistent, if anything. Oh, very well..."

She throws back the covers and finds a robe on the floor. "I'm coming!" she shrieks as she retrieves her pistol from the night stand and hazards a glance at the clock. She opens her front door a crack and is relieved to find her visitor is but a tiny street waif.

"It's just gone half eleven," grates Isabeau at the wide-eyed child. "Have you no decency? What's this about."

"Aye 'ave a missige fer yoaw," says the waif in an exaggerated, fake cockney.

Isabeau snatches the sealed envelope away. "Off with you!"

The child's only response is an outstretched hand and a pleading whine. "Pleeze, Missus, myte aye 'ave a pinny fer sum bred."

Her response is to cock her pistol. The urchin runs off.

Isabeau shuts her door, rubs the sleep from her eyes, then breaks the seal on the envelope. A single folded sheet of paper is within, bearing a short missive, evidently dashed off in some haste. It must be urgent.

"Have heard of yr adventures. In dire need of brave souls to undertake task. Come to back room of address on front, bring yr associates.

yrs etc,

Councilman Montoni

P.S. Pls excuse this informal note. I have dashed it off in some haste to underscore its urgency."

She throws on some clothes and a wrap and heads straight to Athalie's flat.


Scene 1

Chaos: average (d10)

Setup: the summons

NPC List: the Superior Order, PCs' patron, villain

Threads: the mission

[Q: Does anything untoward happen on the way to Athalie's? 50/50 (4+): O2 C2 - no, and...
+Event: Introduce a new NPC - romantic Visionary
Q: What does (d6=)she want? A Person may be chearful among his Friends]

But she's scarcely walked three blocks when she runs into an old friend sitting on the pavement and staring dejectedly down into a sewer grate. Her pet pig is tied to a lamp post nearby.

"Mortine! Why so mopey?"

"Oh, Isabeau! I am ever so lonely. I've nothing to do but sit here and watch the lights flickering down in the sewer."

"I... don't see any lights."

"They've stopped now. I think whoever was down there got eaten by something."

"I know the feeling... Look, my friends and I have been summoned for an important and, no doubt, dangerous mission. But you're welcome to tag along."

"I should love to! Come, Chatterton, we're going on an adventure."

[As she's joining the party, I rolled up a new character with the alternative equipment table in the Oddpendium.]

Mortine des Combres
STR 7, DEX 14, WIL 8, 2 HP
cricket bat (d6 B), glue, pig ("Chatterton")


When they are nearly to Athalie's flat, Mortine stops short, and a grave expression comes over her face.

"This is the edge of the Ghetto. Your friend lives here?"

"Yes, why?

"Perhaps I should wait here. I doubt she'd appreciate me bringing a pig into her flat."

"Ha ha! I don't think that will be a problem. Athalie may be « une affreuse juive », but wait until you meet her -- she's as treyf as they come!"

When they reach the flat block, they must climb five flights of rickety stairs to the very top. Mortine [STR 7] gives up halfway, and sits on the landing breathlessly whilst Isabeau continues up. She lets herself in with her own key, stumbles through the dark garret and pulls up a chair between Athalie's bed and the table bearing the empty bottles of last evening's debaucheries. And one last piece of cake, to which she helps herself.

"Time to wake up dear. We've been summoned."

"Summoned?" yawns Athalie. "By our Patron?"

"Worse -- the council. They sent a runner."

"Oh bugger off, my darling. I don't even live in your borough."

"It's a dangerous mission, my dear, and I need your help. Now, get out of bed you lush. It's time to go on an adventure!"

[Q: Any issues getting B? likely (3+): O2 C5 - no]

Fetching Bassianus is singularly uneventful. From his they proceed directly to the appointed meeting place. The Despair & Anchor is a quiet little pub frequented by clerks, bankers, solicitors, and others of that ilk; needless to say, our heroes never drink here. They ask at the bar, and the publican directs them to the back room.

The back room is a cozy affair, with old weaponry and skulls adorning the walls. A brazier burns with heady incense atop a claw-footed tripod, and behind it a moaning spirit is encased in a great bell jar. A man in an expensive suit sits in a wicker chair, a black cat perched atop his shoulder.

"Ah, Miss Isabeau, so good of you to come promptly," says the man without getting up, "and I see you've brought friends along. Allow me to make introductions. I am Councilman Montoni, Head Councillor pro tem. Here on my shoulder sits our treasurer, St Aubert."

The cat yowls something approximating a greeting.

"And in the bell jar is poor Ludovico. I'm afraid he was killed during the, ah, disturbance, but we were able to contain his etheric form here to maintain a quorum."

"Leeeeet meeeeeeee diiiiie," moans the spirit.

"Chin up, old chap, I'm sure once Miss Isabeau and her companions have solved this little conundrum of ours, you'll be allowed to pass on. And as to that: there is a schism in our council. Some of our members have formed a little cabal, and are trying to wrest power from the remainder of us. They are holed up in the council fortress, having sealed all the exits and windows with some sort of energy barrier. We've been trying to breach the outer defences with a hired cannon, but to no avail. If you and your associates can find a way in, you'll be rewarded with an Exemption on your council tax. You're very much in arrears, Miss."

"How many of your fellows are holed up inside?"

"There are [1d6=] five of them. Plus some servants, clerks, and the like."

"Five? I thought you had a quorum here."

"We do. The other three of us are supervising the soldiers. With the cannon."

"Can you tell us about the building?"

"It's listed, grade II, and very ancient. It was once home of a great wizard, or so it is said."

"Can you tell us anything else?"

"Not really, no."

. . .

Out in the street before the pub, Isabeau stops and addresses her companions.

"Well, that's worse than I expected. This is my mess. I'll understand if you don't want to come along."

"Oh, pish," scolds Bassianus. "You know we'd not desert you."

"Thanks ever, you two. Three, if I may count you, Mortine."

"Of course. But how shall we start? They gave us less than nothing to go on. They couldn't even offer a guess about how to break in to their own chambers."

"It's obvious where to go first," says Athalie.

"And where's that?"

"To the library!"

[I had no strong opinions on how to start the second adventure, so before starting the game I rolled on the Adventure Generator Tables in the d30 sandbox Companion to get some ideas. As usual, not all of the results got used, but it was good to have things to riff off as it progressed.

1d30--
Trigger: summoned by group
Goal: investigate location
Obstacle: find hidden/lost entrance
Location: stronghold
Loc. feature: gallery
Phenomena: disembodied voices
Villain goal/reason: domination/control
Artefact: necklace
Theme: darkness/night
Key NPC: scribe

To set the first scene, I asked the Oracle--

Q: Who are the group from the Trigger result? Ministers of a superior Order = a political cabal within the local council
Q: Whom do they contact? (1d4) 1 Athalie, 2 Bassianus, 3 Isabeau, 4 all at once: Isabeau
Q: Why exactly? penal Effects - she's behind in her council tax payments.

Here follow the PCs' updated character sheets, and new portraits to show them maturing with the rise in levels. The adventure continues below.]

Athalie
STR 13, DEX 14, WIL 17, 10 HP
pistol (d6), sword (d6), steel wire, scented candle, 8s
Ugly Mutation (crableg-claw d6, no fine manipulation, 2-h mêlée weapons Impaired)

Bassianus
STR 6*, DEX 11, WIL 7, 4 HP
musket (d8), hatchet (d6), crowbar, flashbang
Pain Idol
*currently at 11 due to the effects of Titan Paste

Isabeau
STR 17, DEX 10, WIL 10, 9 HP
pistol (d6), sword (d6), acid, animal repellent, antitoxin, 4s
Prosthetic Hand


Scene 2

Chaos: average (d10)

Setup: to the library!

NPC List: the Superior Order, PCs' patron, villain, scribe, Mortine

Threads: find lost entrance, investigate location

[The Quickest Route across Town: d%=up the hill, then back down]

The library is just over the hill from the pub. Since everyone has already brought their gear with them, they set off straightaway.

[Q: What happens as they go up? Suppose every charitable Disposition - chuggers]

Chuggers
STR 8, DEX 12, WIL 8, 1hp
Driven to collect from all passers-by. Will attack unless the target signs their petition, incurring a debt of 1d100 shillings.
Truncheon (d6), Never check morale, Critical damage Impairs their attacks but does not cause unconsciousness

The mid-day crowds are not so dense as to impede movement for a change. But halfway up the hill, the explorers are greeted by a terrifying sight. About a dozen persons in smart clothing, all sporting the same bright yellow cap, are accosting all passers-by, clip-boards at the ready. Those who do not donate to their cause are swiftly beaten down by their wooden truncheons. Many try to flee, and some even fight back, but there is no single way past them up the hill.

"Everyone split up!" says Bassianus. "It will be easier to evade their clutches if we go singly. Now, move!"

[To manoeuvre past, each party member needs to make both a WIL save (finding a clear route) and a DEX save (dodging past). A 2,14 ok; B 15,15 fail; I13, 12 fail, M 2,3 ok]

Athalie winds through the throng, dashing past a slower pedestrian to leave them firmly in the sights of a descending clipboard. Mortine slaps Chatterton on the bottom, and sprints after her squealing pig. Having to leap out of the way of the beast unbalances several chuggers long enough that they can't catch her.

Bassianus is not so fortunate. [1d3=] A pair of crossed clipboards bar his way, as a pen is held out accusingly towards him. "Spare a coin for the victims of Tinea Pedis?" Isabeau is not far behind him, having been stopped by [1d3=] two more of the brutes, one of whom is even now telling her she has a kind face. A fight to the death ensues.

[Round 1]
Bassianus responds with his hatchet, splintering one of the clipboards and bloodying the hand carrying it [2 damage, critical (attacks now impaired)]. The chuggers belabour him with their truncheons [4+3dmg to 0hp, 7STR, no crit] but he does not fall.

Meanwhile Isabeau is locked in battle with the other pair. "Die, you fiend!" she screams as she thrusts her sword, but it is deftly parried by her opponent [1 damage]. "You have a really great style," comes the rejoinder. Their counter-attacks are largely ineffectual [1+3 damage, she's down to 5hp].

[Round 2]
Bassianus fears for his life. He takes the flashbang from his belt and throws it down before him. The chuggers are momentarily blinded, and he escapes in the chaos.

Isabeau nearly severs her first assailant's arm at the shoulder [6dmg to 4 STR, crit], but he only screams out in pain, "it's less than the price of a cup of coffee per week!" and, like his fellow, continues raining blows down upon her. Fortunately she receives only a few minor bruises, fending off the worst of it with her sword. [2+2=4dmg, 1hp left]

[Round 3]
Athalie sees Isabeau is in real trouble, and takes careful aim with her new pistol. The shot rigs out, and [5 damage to 1d2=] the injured chugger drops like a sack of pamphlets at Isabeau's feet. Isabeau lays into the other, who is bloodied but undaunted [5 dmg, no crit]. Isabeau stagers back under the furious assault, but parries every blow [1dmg to 0hp]. Bassianus unlimbers the musket from his back.

[Round 4]
Bassianus' ball speeds through the brain of Isabeau's last assailant [7 damage kills]. She scurries away whilst the rest of the chuggers are either still blinded or signing up other prey.

[Q: Any repercussions from fighting in the street? 50/50 (4+): O3 C0 - no (neither accolade nor reproach)
Q: What happens going down hill? silent Even or Morn]

Once again together, the little band crest the top of the hill and go down the other side. The street through which their route takes them is completely deserted. No lights in the windows, no pedestrians on the pavement nor carriages in the street -- not even rats in the gutter. Everywhere is stillness and silence. Unnerving, unnatural silence.

Their pace increases.

next post: from Library to Underground