Sunday Afternoon Game Report - Rivers of London: The Roleplaying Game, Session 3
Yesterday afternoon, the Sunday afternoon gaming group came out and continued their campaign of the Rivers of London: The Roleplaying Game game. You can read about the previous session by following the link. This post is somewhat long, so I've put it behind a cut so that folks who don't want to read any detailed rpg posts don't have to.
CHARACTERS
PC James Rourke (SteveR) - Police Constable
Dr. Emma Thorpe (Tammy) - Forensics Specialist, Practitioner
PC Halley Caton (GM/NPC) - Police Constable
Game Date: Tuesday, April 12th, 2016
PCs James Roarke and Halley Caton go to #30 in the apartment block to chat with the Oduyas. They are met by the father, Thomas, and the mother, Amalie, and are welcomed into the home. After some basic niceties, Amalie introduces them to her maternal grandmother, Amalya, whom she calls "Grandmère". Over tea and biscuits, Roarke and Caton are told that their 9-year-old son, David, played with Billy on a regular basis. Billy usually stayed over with the Oduyas on the Sunday night, but on the day in question (the 10th), the Sykes boy didn't show up. David told them that something had come up and that Billy wasn't going to be able to make it. The Oduyas didn't question this, as Billy is a good boy, but a bit scatter-brained. Thomas mentions that their 4-year-old daughter, Rosalie, told them that she saw a strange man in the courtyard near the home, but he doesn't remember more than that. The Oduyas tell the two constables that Rosalie is staying with family in Camden, given the disappearances and all, and that David is currently in school, but with strict orders to come home immediately afterwards. Amalie tells Roarke and Caton that Lara Sykes also mentioned the "odd man" to Rosalie as well, but again remembers nothing specific about the matter. When asked about his whereabouts on the Sunday, Thomas tells the two constables that he was at The Blarney Mill, the other pub across the way on Neal Street, watching the EPL game with his favourite team, Newcastle. They lost to Arsenal 3-1.
Grandmère Amalya volunteers the information that there are two types of keycards used in the building, one for the main entrance and the other for the parking lot. The children only get the keycard for the main entrance. They learn that there is also a form of neighbourhood watch in the building that keeps an eye on the courtyards, but Grandmère opines that it's not very effective. When Halley comments on the subject, Grandmère says knowingly, "Some people see things, and others see...more." She is referring to seeing things that are relevant, but dances around that subject with Caton and Roarke doesn't have any input on the subject. When they are asked about the search that was undertaken for Billy Sykes, Thomas says that he was part of it, and the constables learn that the searchers checked the Demarest building next door, but didn't go inside due to the loud creaking. David went in the Demarest building once, but was hit by a piece of falling masonry and was seriously injured. He never went in there again. The three Oduyas also didn't believe that Billy would have gone in there on his own. While he's something of a risk-taker, he was hurt badly several times during some "adventures" (including once in the Demarest building), and had been taken to University College Hospital (UCH). While they ask for more information, Roarke and Caton are told they need to ask the Sykes if they want to know more about Billy's injuries and the like. As the two constables prepare to leave, Caton thanks the Oduyas for their cooperation and Roarke notices that Grandmère regards him with a grimace. He hears her voice in his head, en Francais. Before he can react, he forgets that she regarded him that way and spoke to him [Grandmère spends 2 Luck on a minor glamour to make him forget the whole grimace].
Roarke and Caton decide to go and interview the doorman of the building, Robert Wilson. They talk in a small room that's meant as a conference room, and Wilson tells them what he knows. On the day in question, he doesn't remember Billy leaving the Odham's Walk estate. He says that the keycard system did short out at 2:20pm, and so did the complex's CCTV camera set-up, even though they are not on the same circuit. He says this has happened several times in the last few weeks or months [he can't remember which], but adds that the other doorman, Frankie [Andrews], says that it's been happening regularly for about six weeks now. The building manager, Hakeem Salesh, told them that according to the technicians from the company that came in to fix the systems, that they're just "wonky" with different parts failing due to shoddy manufacturing processes. Wilson says that when the keycard system goes down, there is an "open door" policy, with residents identifying themselves through the showing of their keycards. The constables ask him about the strange man wearing the [Columbo-style] trenchcoat. Wilson says there are a lot of black folks living in the building, but he doesn't remember any fellow matching that description, not even when they mention the fact that he might have been smoking. Wilson tells them that he and Frankie [Andrews] only work the day shift, and that he was on duty the day that Billy Sykes disappeared.
Wilson tells the police officers that there are no other entrances, other than the means in off Long Acre (the main entrance), the somewhat concealed side entrance on Neal Street, and the parking garage entrance. The Neal Street entrance is and can only be used by the building owner, and hasn't been used in at least 10 years that he knows of. When they ask to see that entrance, he agrees to take them there, noting that it uses an old-fashioned heavy duty lock. They arrive at the entrance, and see that one has to use a relatively heavy, old-fashioned key to unlock the inner door to the vestibule. No keycard here. Wilson fetches the key and opens the door, and the constables see a dirty, dusty space, with no obvious tampering of the outer door or the two door locks. [There are no signs of footprints and the like, and the dust is only disturbed by the opening of the inner door into the vestibule.] Roarke and Caton thank the doorman for his time, and head back into the main ground floor level of the complex.
Emerging onto Long Acre once again, Roarke and Caton make their way to Shelton Street, and the entrance to the underground parking lot of the complex. They see two entrances to the garage, one a large set of hangar like sliding steel garage doors with an attendant booth, obviously used for businesses and loading vehicles, and the other a smaller set of sliding steel garage doors with a keycard plinth obviously used strictly by residents. They make their way to the attendant's booth to find it occupied by a burly, somewhat large and muscular man. Stanley Walljammer (call him "Walls") is an Australian, who agrees to answer their questions. He likes rugby, not "prissy" football, hates the Irish, and was not working on the 10th; the business entrance to the parking lot is closed on weekends, and deliveries made on weekends must be done through the street entrance. Walls says he remembers that the keycard system has gone down several times in the last few months, but when that happens, the residents' garage entrance closes and then locks up. It means the residents have to park on the street, and some of them have gotten ticketed by the meter dollies; they've gotten pretty incensed about this. When asked, Walls tells Roarke and Caton that the last keycard failure was some three weeks ago [the day of Ellie Barton's disappearance]. They are interrupted by the arrival of a commercial delivery, and watch as a routine Lansbury Shipping Inc. lorry makes a delivery to one of the businesses; they sell and deliver lots of fish pies and fish-related products. After seeing how Walls goes about the admittance of the lorry into the underground parking lot, they thank him for his time and depart. They have to be back at Charing Cross police station soon.
Roarke and Caton arrive back at Charing Cross station some time in the early evening (6:30pm or so) but find that tea will have to wait. They are told to report to one of the conference rooms on the ground floor, and find the place is waiting on them and a few others to arrive. PCs Priscilla Hollings (minus her partner, Robert Smyth), Esai N'gombo and Steve Wendell are present, as is DS Woodrow and a woman that they recognise as DI Miriam Stephanopoulos. The briefing on the case and what is known so far begins. DS Woodrow begins the briefing by having PC James Fredericks, one of the two officers who responded to the original call from Robert Sykes about his missing son, talk about what happened to begin with. Fredericks says that he and his four-man team responded to the call made by Robert Sykes at 8:15am that morning. They found the distraught parents were highly agitated and Fredericks and his partner, PC Jack March, managed to calm them down and learn the facts of the case that they could. The other two officers, PCs Richard Wayles and PC Angela Drake (an amateur forensics novitiate), did a recce of the area near the Sykes home, and it was Angela who marked the evidence spots in the courtyard at 10:30am. Roarke inquires as to whether any of the original team noticed any strangeness with the chocolate packet from the confectioner. Caton notices that one of the other police constables reacts to this, but she doesn't recognise the officer in question.
DI Stephanopoulos expresses an interest in PC Roarke's attitude on the matter, and takes him aside. She questions him further, and learns about his sensing the [vestigia] of the cigarette smoke, taste of chocolate and hoof beats on cobblestone, but tells him she doesn't know what they mean but that she knows someone who might. She talks to him for a few more minutes, and then dismissing him back to the briefing, leaves the conference room (and makes a call to the Folly).
At 6:45pm, Emma Thorpe, a forensic medical examiner and a practitioner, just leaving work at the Mortuary, receives a phone call. DI Stephanopoulos tells her that her forensic services are needed at an apartment complex in Odham's Walk in Covent Garden. There's some evidence that needs working with, that may also have what may well be a Falcon signature attached to it. The evidence was found at 10:30am this morning, but there's no way to know how long it's been sitting there. She needs to get to the scene of the crime *now*. Regardless of what she finds out, she's to make sure the evidence ends up in lock-up. She's to send the report to Stephanopoulos as soon as possible, and she'll determine whether it's a Falcon case. The forensics report isn't a priority per sé, but if there are magical elements involved, she's to get in touch with Stephanopoulos; Thorpe's contact at the Folly, if necessary, will be DI Peter Grant.
Back at Charing Cross police station, Stephanopoulos informs DS Woodrow that she's taking over the case. The officer who reacted earlier to Roarke's inquiry about the strangeness of the chocolate packet from the confectionery seems to panic at this new change in case management.
Stephanopoulous goes through some of the roads of inquiry that need to be dealt with now: The two pubs (The Farthing & the Fife, The Blarney Mill) and their proprietors and staff; Whether the business loading area can be accessed from the residents' area in the parking garage; The CCTV footage of the apartment building and the courtyards (if any); The confectionery (Woolery's Confectionery) and the toy store (McCurdy's Toys and Games (established 1950)); Any cameras in Odham's Walk complex; The two reporters (one mainstream press, the other tabloid); The PCSOs; The London Transit Authority officer; The Franklands; The Votumbes; and The Bartons. She tells them they need to learn certain things. What do the missing children have in common? Was it an inside job? What caused the keycards at the apartment complex to fail? The Demarest building - perhaps find money for a full scale search. PC Roarke will lead it, if feasible. Research the Odham's Walk building itself.
Stephanopoulos tells Roarke that his involvement may be minimal with some of the efforts. "Although I suspect you may be busy with other things soon enough." She wants their reports on the day's activities by 10:00am the next morning. After dismissing the large group and bidding them a good night, she asks PC [Adam] Rigby to stay behind. He's the officer that Caton saw was panicking.
Sunday afternoon's session of the Rivers of London: The Roleplaying Game campaign was pretty decent for the most part, as the players began to get into the investigative elements of the case and Tammy's forensic examiner and practitioner finally got the call for working the case (though that won't happen until the next session). She still seems happy enough to play Halley Caton, Steve's James Roarke's constable partner. I rectified some of the mistakes I made in the beginning of the case file, and think I've salvaged matters somewhat nicely. We'll see how I feel about that when the case file is complete. The players told me afterwards that they were intrigued by several of the non player-characters that appeared in this session, notably Grandmère Oduya and the Aussie garage attendant. I think they're still overwhelmed somewhat by things, but part of that may have to do with the fact that three weeks went by between game sessions and that they're not really keeping any notes about the case events separate from the other stuff happening.
Overall, it was a good session of the Rivers of London: The Roleplaying Game RPG, but I do have to sharpen up a few of my skills and do a bit better job of organising the sequence of events that the players have to focus on with their investigators. In any event, I'm looking forward to the next session. :)
CHARACTERS
PC James Rourke (SteveR) - Police Constable
Dr. Emma Thorpe (Tammy) - Forensics Specialist, Practitioner
PC Halley Caton (GM/NPC) - Police Constable
Game Date: Tuesday, April 12th, 2016
PCs James Roarke and Halley Caton go to #30 in the apartment block to chat with the Oduyas. They are met by the father, Thomas, and the mother, Amalie, and are welcomed into the home. After some basic niceties, Amalie introduces them to her maternal grandmother, Amalya, whom she calls "Grandmère". Over tea and biscuits, Roarke and Caton are told that their 9-year-old son, David, played with Billy on a regular basis. Billy usually stayed over with the Oduyas on the Sunday night, but on the day in question (the 10th), the Sykes boy didn't show up. David told them that something had come up and that Billy wasn't going to be able to make it. The Oduyas didn't question this, as Billy is a good boy, but a bit scatter-brained. Thomas mentions that their 4-year-old daughter, Rosalie, told them that she saw a strange man in the courtyard near the home, but he doesn't remember more than that. The Oduyas tell the two constables that Rosalie is staying with family in Camden, given the disappearances and all, and that David is currently in school, but with strict orders to come home immediately afterwards. Amalie tells Roarke and Caton that Lara Sykes also mentioned the "odd man" to Rosalie as well, but again remembers nothing specific about the matter. When asked about his whereabouts on the Sunday, Thomas tells the two constables that he was at The Blarney Mill, the other pub across the way on Neal Street, watching the EPL game with his favourite team, Newcastle. They lost to Arsenal 3-1.
Grandmère Amalya volunteers the information that there are two types of keycards used in the building, one for the main entrance and the other for the parking lot. The children only get the keycard for the main entrance. They learn that there is also a form of neighbourhood watch in the building that keeps an eye on the courtyards, but Grandmère opines that it's not very effective. When Halley comments on the subject, Grandmère says knowingly, "Some people see things, and others see...more." She is referring to seeing things that are relevant, but dances around that subject with Caton and Roarke doesn't have any input on the subject. When they are asked about the search that was undertaken for Billy Sykes, Thomas says that he was part of it, and the constables learn that the searchers checked the Demarest building next door, but didn't go inside due to the loud creaking. David went in the Demarest building once, but was hit by a piece of falling masonry and was seriously injured. He never went in there again. The three Oduyas also didn't believe that Billy would have gone in there on his own. While he's something of a risk-taker, he was hurt badly several times during some "adventures" (including once in the Demarest building), and had been taken to University College Hospital (UCH). While they ask for more information, Roarke and Caton are told they need to ask the Sykes if they want to know more about Billy's injuries and the like. As the two constables prepare to leave, Caton thanks the Oduyas for their cooperation and Roarke notices that Grandmère regards him with a grimace. He hears her voice in his head, en Francais. Before he can react, he forgets that she regarded him that way and spoke to him [Grandmère spends 2 Luck on a minor glamour to make him forget the whole grimace].
Roarke and Caton decide to go and interview the doorman of the building, Robert Wilson. They talk in a small room that's meant as a conference room, and Wilson tells them what he knows. On the day in question, he doesn't remember Billy leaving the Odham's Walk estate. He says that the keycard system did short out at 2:20pm, and so did the complex's CCTV camera set-up, even though they are not on the same circuit. He says this has happened several times in the last few weeks or months [he can't remember which], but adds that the other doorman, Frankie [Andrews], says that it's been happening regularly for about six weeks now. The building manager, Hakeem Salesh, told them that according to the technicians from the company that came in to fix the systems, that they're just "wonky" with different parts failing due to shoddy manufacturing processes. Wilson says that when the keycard system goes down, there is an "open door" policy, with residents identifying themselves through the showing of their keycards. The constables ask him about the strange man wearing the [Columbo-style] trenchcoat. Wilson says there are a lot of black folks living in the building, but he doesn't remember any fellow matching that description, not even when they mention the fact that he might have been smoking. Wilson tells them that he and Frankie [Andrews] only work the day shift, and that he was on duty the day that Billy Sykes disappeared.
Wilson tells the police officers that there are no other entrances, other than the means in off Long Acre (the main entrance), the somewhat concealed side entrance on Neal Street, and the parking garage entrance. The Neal Street entrance is and can only be used by the building owner, and hasn't been used in at least 10 years that he knows of. When they ask to see that entrance, he agrees to take them there, noting that it uses an old-fashioned heavy duty lock. They arrive at the entrance, and see that one has to use a relatively heavy, old-fashioned key to unlock the inner door to the vestibule. No keycard here. Wilson fetches the key and opens the door, and the constables see a dirty, dusty space, with no obvious tampering of the outer door or the two door locks. [There are no signs of footprints and the like, and the dust is only disturbed by the opening of the inner door into the vestibule.] Roarke and Caton thank the doorman for his time, and head back into the main ground floor level of the complex.
Emerging onto Long Acre once again, Roarke and Caton make their way to Shelton Street, and the entrance to the underground parking lot of the complex. They see two entrances to the garage, one a large set of hangar like sliding steel garage doors with an attendant booth, obviously used for businesses and loading vehicles, and the other a smaller set of sliding steel garage doors with a keycard plinth obviously used strictly by residents. They make their way to the attendant's booth to find it occupied by a burly, somewhat large and muscular man. Stanley Walljammer (call him "Walls") is an Australian, who agrees to answer their questions. He likes rugby, not "prissy" football, hates the Irish, and was not working on the 10th; the business entrance to the parking lot is closed on weekends, and deliveries made on weekends must be done through the street entrance. Walls says he remembers that the keycard system has gone down several times in the last few months, but when that happens, the residents' garage entrance closes and then locks up. It means the residents have to park on the street, and some of them have gotten ticketed by the meter dollies; they've gotten pretty incensed about this. When asked, Walls tells Roarke and Caton that the last keycard failure was some three weeks ago [the day of Ellie Barton's disappearance]. They are interrupted by the arrival of a commercial delivery, and watch as a routine Lansbury Shipping Inc. lorry makes a delivery to one of the businesses; they sell and deliver lots of fish pies and fish-related products. After seeing how Walls goes about the admittance of the lorry into the underground parking lot, they thank him for his time and depart. They have to be back at Charing Cross police station soon.
Roarke and Caton arrive back at Charing Cross station some time in the early evening (6:30pm or so) but find that tea will have to wait. They are told to report to one of the conference rooms on the ground floor, and find the place is waiting on them and a few others to arrive. PCs Priscilla Hollings (minus her partner, Robert Smyth), Esai N'gombo and Steve Wendell are present, as is DS Woodrow and a woman that they recognise as DI Miriam Stephanopoulos. The briefing on the case and what is known so far begins. DS Woodrow begins the briefing by having PC James Fredericks, one of the two officers who responded to the original call from Robert Sykes about his missing son, talk about what happened to begin with. Fredericks says that he and his four-man team responded to the call made by Robert Sykes at 8:15am that morning. They found the distraught parents were highly agitated and Fredericks and his partner, PC Jack March, managed to calm them down and learn the facts of the case that they could. The other two officers, PCs Richard Wayles and PC Angela Drake (an amateur forensics novitiate), did a recce of the area near the Sykes home, and it was Angela who marked the evidence spots in the courtyard at 10:30am. Roarke inquires as to whether any of the original team noticed any strangeness with the chocolate packet from the confectioner. Caton notices that one of the other police constables reacts to this, but she doesn't recognise the officer in question.
DI Stephanopoulos expresses an interest in PC Roarke's attitude on the matter, and takes him aside. She questions him further, and learns about his sensing the [vestigia] of the cigarette smoke, taste of chocolate and hoof beats on cobblestone, but tells him she doesn't know what they mean but that she knows someone who might. She talks to him for a few more minutes, and then dismissing him back to the briefing, leaves the conference room (and makes a call to the Folly).
At 6:45pm, Emma Thorpe, a forensic medical examiner and a practitioner, just leaving work at the Mortuary, receives a phone call. DI Stephanopoulos tells her that her forensic services are needed at an apartment complex in Odham's Walk in Covent Garden. There's some evidence that needs working with, that may also have what may well be a Falcon signature attached to it. The evidence was found at 10:30am this morning, but there's no way to know how long it's been sitting there. She needs to get to the scene of the crime *now*. Regardless of what she finds out, she's to make sure the evidence ends up in lock-up. She's to send the report to Stephanopoulos as soon as possible, and she'll determine whether it's a Falcon case. The forensics report isn't a priority per sé, but if there are magical elements involved, she's to get in touch with Stephanopoulos; Thorpe's contact at the Folly, if necessary, will be DI Peter Grant.
Back at Charing Cross police station, Stephanopoulos informs DS Woodrow that she's taking over the case. The officer who reacted earlier to Roarke's inquiry about the strangeness of the chocolate packet from the confectionery seems to panic at this new change in case management.
Stephanopoulous goes through some of the roads of inquiry that need to be dealt with now: The two pubs (The Farthing & the Fife, The Blarney Mill) and their proprietors and staff; Whether the business loading area can be accessed from the residents' area in the parking garage; The CCTV footage of the apartment building and the courtyards (if any); The confectionery (Woolery's Confectionery) and the toy store (McCurdy's Toys and Games (established 1950)); Any cameras in Odham's Walk complex; The two reporters (one mainstream press, the other tabloid); The PCSOs; The London Transit Authority officer; The Franklands; The Votumbes; and The Bartons. She tells them they need to learn certain things. What do the missing children have in common? Was it an inside job? What caused the keycards at the apartment complex to fail? The Demarest building - perhaps find money for a full scale search. PC Roarke will lead it, if feasible. Research the Odham's Walk building itself.
Stephanopoulos tells Roarke that his involvement may be minimal with some of the efforts. "Although I suspect you may be busy with other things soon enough." She wants their reports on the day's activities by 10:00am the next morning. After dismissing the large group and bidding them a good night, she asks PC [Adam] Rigby to stay behind. He's the officer that Caton saw was panicking.
Sunday afternoon's session of the Rivers of London: The Roleplaying Game campaign was pretty decent for the most part, as the players began to get into the investigative elements of the case and Tammy's forensic examiner and practitioner finally got the call for working the case (though that won't happen until the next session). She still seems happy enough to play Halley Caton, Steve's James Roarke's constable partner. I rectified some of the mistakes I made in the beginning of the case file, and think I've salvaged matters somewhat nicely. We'll see how I feel about that when the case file is complete. The players told me afterwards that they were intrigued by several of the non player-characters that appeared in this session, notably Grandmère Oduya and the Aussie garage attendant. I think they're still overwhelmed somewhat by things, but part of that may have to do with the fact that three weeks went by between game sessions and that they're not really keeping any notes about the case events separate from the other stuff happening.
Overall, it was a good session of the Rivers of London: The Roleplaying Game RPG, but I do have to sharpen up a few of my skills and do a bit better job of organising the sequence of events that the players have to focus on with their investigators. In any event, I'm looking forward to the next session. :)