Friday Night Game Report - a|state Session 31
As noted elsewhere, I gamed with the Friday night group this past Saturday (rather than Friday, due to player circumstances). The Friday night players continued on with their campaign of the a|state gothic Dickenesian sf rpg. You can read about the previous game session in this journal entry. Since this post is quite long, I've put it behind a cut for those who don't want to read about the roleplaying game campaigns that I'm running.
CHARACTERS
Cyndra Jesspian (Kathy Bauer) - Former macrocorp house-servant
Edricka Hatchett (Angela Marsh) - Stringer
Marcus Hangworth (David Matchuk) - Lostfinder
Genny (Ellie Bauer) - Street Urchin
Adrian Thornbrooke (Mark Williams) - Driver
Burn 3rd, 997
At the Green Foxhound, Cyndra Jesspian is hard at work during her shift when there is a sudden silence in the bar. Turning, she sees what appears to be a man in an expensive suit standing at the door, sizing the place up, accompanied by a man with tattoos and a very dangerous air to him. A macrocorp man and his ghostfighter bodyguard. Seeing Cyndra, he strides up to her, and asks if she is who he believes her to be. He tells her he is Harrold Sung, of NYG, and that his associate is Fishblood; she is aware of who the ghostfighter is, his reputation preceeding him. Sung asks if they can talk privately. When she takes him into a private room at the back of the Foxhound, without his bodyguard, Sung tells her that he knows of her connection to Arclight. He wants to know what she's got on them or vice versa, and whether she'd be willing to "help NYG out". It would serve both their interests. Saying that he has no idea what her interests are, Cyndra tells him, "Thanks, but no thanks." He replies that he always gets what he wants, and says that he'll be back, and promises to be more persuasive.
Marcus Hangworth, Adrian Thornbrooke, and Habara arrive at Habib's Second Hand Goods shoppe to find the building has been broken into. Racing into the shoppe over Marcus's objections, Habara finds her uncle lying unconscious amidst the wreckage in the store. Through the ministrations of Marcus and Habara, Habib comes around and informs the characters that the store was vandalised by a pair of suits with muscle, who wanted the item that he'd received from his fence. Unable to give it to them, the two beat him up, and smashed up the store front. Adrian asks Habib where the item is, and he tells him that he gave it to another friend of his for safekeeping; he knew that it was dangerous to possess, and figured that someone would come after it. He tells Marcus and Adrian that it was a piece of metal resembling a silver corkscrew with a symbol of some sort on it. He draws them the symbol, a winged animal figure with an infinity symbol in it. Neither Marcus nor Adrian recognise the symbol, but Marcus says he knows someone who might.
Edricka Hatchett heads over to the eastern part of Folly Hills, and finds the Dead Scurt tavern. Entering, she asks if anyone has seen a Lostfinder named Marcus, and she learns from the barkeeper, Hammy, that there's a lostfinder who frequents the place, Marcus Hangworth, but he's not around at the moment. Figuring that he'll be back, Edricka talks to Hammy and gets nowhere in terms of any kind of personal interest story, staying there and waiting for Hangworth to return.
Genny (Underhill) comes out of the apartment she and Cyndra share, to do some food shopping and the like, and finds that Tarper Linnet, an old friend from the streets, is waiting for her just outside the shoppe she's heading for. She and Tarper share some gab, and then Tarper gets down to business. The seamstress apprentice tells her that several men of questionable employment were looking for her, asking questions among the Red Blades gang members. She doesn't know what they wanted, just that they were asking a lot of qs. Genny thanks her for the information, kisses her on the mouth, and heads for the Green Foxhound.
It continues to not be Cyndra's day, as a couple of male patrons become somewhat rowdy and start hitting on her... hard. Eventually, Cyndra's had enough, and takes the club that Vince Cavell, the Foxhound's owner, keeps behind the bar - and breaks the left leg of one of the patrons. This enrages his friend, but they are dissuaded from any action against Cyndra by the sparklock that Vince keeps on him most of the time. The man who's leg she broke, Cargill, tells her that this isn't over - he'll be back to deal with her "teasing ass" once and for all. She's not intimidated by his threats, but another patron, Joness, tells her that Cargill is a nasty customer, and that she'd better keep her guard up.
Marcus tells Habara to take her father for treatment, and that he and Adrian are going to seek out his friend for information. The two set out for Wilbarth Rogerson's Inquiries store in Fogwarren by way of Adrian's place and his lorry. A better way to get around, but Marcus tells him that it's best if they take a water taxi. They're in a rush, and Fogwarren is some distance from Folly Hills. Adrian says he knows just the person, and they head down to the Green Canal docks, and the water taxi of Max Barnes.
At the Dead Scurt, Edricka is tired of waiting around for Marcus Hangworth to return. A street urchin, Saley, comes in and tells her she has info that the stringer will be interested in. Edricka flips her a coin or two, and Saley tells her that she just saw Marcus Hangworth and a large man heading for the Green Canal dockside. Edricka leaves some money for her afternoon's drinks on the table (Hammy scarfing it right up), and dashes out of the Scurt, racing for the docks as fast as she can go.
Genny arrives at the Foxhound, and one look at her panicked face convinces Cyndra to take her aside and find out what's wrong. Genny tells her what Tarper Linnet said about the questions being asked about her, and Cyndra expresses her thoughts as to whether this ties in to the questions Harrold Sung was asking. Genny says she doesn't think so, as the men that Tarper described don't seem macrocorp. Even as they debate matters, Vince Cavell interrupts them to say that there's a young lady of questionable origins who just entered the tavern, and is demanding to see Genny. Genny goes out to see who it is, and is surprised to find Tarper. She tells her that "Gadget" Hawkins, one of the Red Blades, has just been found stabbed with a llive. And the word "Genny" was carved into his abdomen...
This past Friday's game session of a|state was one of the more enjoyable sessions of the game I've had the last while (and that's saying something!), as there were so many little things going on, a few red herrings got put into the mix, and the player characters were left a bit disorientated. That said, the players told me afterwards that they are loving the intrigue and plot twists that seem to be going on in the game, and are looking forward to seeing how all the "merde" (to quote Kathy) is going to come down.
To be honest, after the disaster that occurred with the Airship Pirates game before this, it has been a relief to come back to the a|state RPG and the world of The City and re-discover some of the joy of roleplaying that I had been sorely missing of late. And while I don't know when I'll be running the next session of the game on the Friday night players, I'm definitely looking forward to it! :)
CHARACTERS
Cyndra Jesspian (Kathy Bauer) - Former macrocorp house-servant
Edricka Hatchett (Angela Marsh) - Stringer
Marcus Hangworth (David Matchuk) - Lostfinder
Genny (Ellie Bauer) - Street Urchin
Adrian Thornbrooke (Mark Williams) - Driver
Burn 3rd, 997
At the Green Foxhound, Cyndra Jesspian is hard at work during her shift when there is a sudden silence in the bar. Turning, she sees what appears to be a man in an expensive suit standing at the door, sizing the place up, accompanied by a man with tattoos and a very dangerous air to him. A macrocorp man and his ghostfighter bodyguard. Seeing Cyndra, he strides up to her, and asks if she is who he believes her to be. He tells her he is Harrold Sung, of NYG, and that his associate is Fishblood; she is aware of who the ghostfighter is, his reputation preceeding him. Sung asks if they can talk privately. When she takes him into a private room at the back of the Foxhound, without his bodyguard, Sung tells her that he knows of her connection to Arclight. He wants to know what she's got on them or vice versa, and whether she'd be willing to "help NYG out". It would serve both their interests. Saying that he has no idea what her interests are, Cyndra tells him, "Thanks, but no thanks." He replies that he always gets what he wants, and says that he'll be back, and promises to be more persuasive.
Marcus Hangworth, Adrian Thornbrooke, and Habara arrive at Habib's Second Hand Goods shoppe to find the building has been broken into. Racing into the shoppe over Marcus's objections, Habara finds her uncle lying unconscious amidst the wreckage in the store. Through the ministrations of Marcus and Habara, Habib comes around and informs the characters that the store was vandalised by a pair of suits with muscle, who wanted the item that he'd received from his fence. Unable to give it to them, the two beat him up, and smashed up the store front. Adrian asks Habib where the item is, and he tells him that he gave it to another friend of his for safekeeping; he knew that it was dangerous to possess, and figured that someone would come after it. He tells Marcus and Adrian that it was a piece of metal resembling a silver corkscrew with a symbol of some sort on it. He draws them the symbol, a winged animal figure with an infinity symbol in it. Neither Marcus nor Adrian recognise the symbol, but Marcus says he knows someone who might.
Edricka Hatchett heads over to the eastern part of Folly Hills, and finds the Dead Scurt tavern. Entering, she asks if anyone has seen a Lostfinder named Marcus, and she learns from the barkeeper, Hammy, that there's a lostfinder who frequents the place, Marcus Hangworth, but he's not around at the moment. Figuring that he'll be back, Edricka talks to Hammy and gets nowhere in terms of any kind of personal interest story, staying there and waiting for Hangworth to return.
Genny (Underhill) comes out of the apartment she and Cyndra share, to do some food shopping and the like, and finds that Tarper Linnet, an old friend from the streets, is waiting for her just outside the shoppe she's heading for. She and Tarper share some gab, and then Tarper gets down to business. The seamstress apprentice tells her that several men of questionable employment were looking for her, asking questions among the Red Blades gang members. She doesn't know what they wanted, just that they were asking a lot of qs. Genny thanks her for the information, kisses her on the mouth, and heads for the Green Foxhound.
It continues to not be Cyndra's day, as a couple of male patrons become somewhat rowdy and start hitting on her... hard. Eventually, Cyndra's had enough, and takes the club that Vince Cavell, the Foxhound's owner, keeps behind the bar - and breaks the left leg of one of the patrons. This enrages his friend, but they are dissuaded from any action against Cyndra by the sparklock that Vince keeps on him most of the time. The man who's leg she broke, Cargill, tells her that this isn't over - he'll be back to deal with her "teasing ass" once and for all. She's not intimidated by his threats, but another patron, Joness, tells her that Cargill is a nasty customer, and that she'd better keep her guard up.
Marcus tells Habara to take her father for treatment, and that he and Adrian are going to seek out his friend for information. The two set out for Wilbarth Rogerson's Inquiries store in Fogwarren by way of Adrian's place and his lorry. A better way to get around, but Marcus tells him that it's best if they take a water taxi. They're in a rush, and Fogwarren is some distance from Folly Hills. Adrian says he knows just the person, and they head down to the Green Canal docks, and the water taxi of Max Barnes.
At the Dead Scurt, Edricka is tired of waiting around for Marcus Hangworth to return. A street urchin, Saley, comes in and tells her she has info that the stringer will be interested in. Edricka flips her a coin or two, and Saley tells her that she just saw Marcus Hangworth and a large man heading for the Green Canal dockside. Edricka leaves some money for her afternoon's drinks on the table (Hammy scarfing it right up), and dashes out of the Scurt, racing for the docks as fast as she can go.
Genny arrives at the Foxhound, and one look at her panicked face convinces Cyndra to take her aside and find out what's wrong. Genny tells her what Tarper Linnet said about the questions being asked about her, and Cyndra expresses her thoughts as to whether this ties in to the questions Harrold Sung was asking. Genny says she doesn't think so, as the men that Tarper described don't seem macrocorp. Even as they debate matters, Vince Cavell interrupts them to say that there's a young lady of questionable origins who just entered the tavern, and is demanding to see Genny. Genny goes out to see who it is, and is surprised to find Tarper. She tells her that "Gadget" Hawkins, one of the Red Blades, has just been found stabbed with a llive. And the word "Genny" was carved into his abdomen...
This past Friday's game session of a|state was one of the more enjoyable sessions of the game I've had the last while (and that's saying something!), as there were so many little things going on, a few red herrings got put into the mix, and the player characters were left a bit disorientated. That said, the players told me afterwards that they are loving the intrigue and plot twists that seem to be going on in the game, and are looking forward to seeing how all the "merde" (to quote Kathy) is going to come down.
To be honest, after the disaster that occurred with the Airship Pirates game before this, it has been a relief to come back to the a|state RPG and the world of The City and re-discover some of the joy of roleplaying that I had been sorely missing of late. And while I don't know when I'll be running the next session of the game on the Friday night players, I'm definitely looking forward to it! :)