The Porcelain Dolls: Session 57 (March 08 2017)
Kamali visits a bookstore in Silkshore run by a woman named Kazima, who gives her some info on U’Duasha, and the fact the the pillar imprisoning the Demon Prince Ixis was shattered some time ago, and the rumor is that the demon escaped.
When Constance wakes up the next day, Gears is nowhere to be seen, but he has left behind half a dozen small glass vials and a handwritten note with instructions on how to administer his pathogen. Shade is also MIA for the time being.
Constance calls a meeting. She wants another wave of instability among the docks to keep up the pressure, as well as to identify the primary sources of food among the restaurants and pubs in the Docks and taint that supply so the dock workers start getting sick in a few days.
She also wants someone to investigate if the Dockers have any connections to the Bluecoats.
Preparation for Protection Collection Interception:
Constance will sit this one out (at least the legwork), as she is too well known in the Docks.
Moira taps Nyyx to help her scope out the local pubs. She is able to identify at least one supplier: Bailey & Sons.
Kobb investigates the Bluecoat connection. He contacts Sgt Bartlett, the Bluecoat in charge of the investigation into the piano theft. A conversation ensues during which an arrangement is proposed and accepted, and a bribe (the first of many) is paid. He asks about the local businesses in the Docks, and gets info on half a dozen companies that pay protection to the Bluecoats.
Kamali investigates the more upscale import/export businesses to figure out which ones are paying protection and to whom. Boots will come along as backup. They are able to get fairly good info on five establishments that pay protection to the Dockers.
Gloves goes door to door to the pubs and restaurants in the Docks, presenting himself as a purveyor of fine Iruvian spices, in order to determine who their current suppliers are. He is also able to identify several local suppliers.
Constance hears everyone’s reports. She decides that the crew will hit all of the collections at once.
* She assigns Kobb to bribe the Blucoats to stay away from the Docks for the evening.
* Constance, Kamali, Boots, and Prichard & the Lampblacks will carry out the hits.
* She assigns Moira to coordinate the rest of the crew and signal as each bagman is hit.
* Boots clarifies with Constance that they are NOT hitting any of the places that pay protection to the Bluecoats.
The Protection Collection Interception:
Moira is staking out the Docks from the rooftops. Nyryx is with her. He has possessed an athletic young man of about 15 for the occasion.
Kobb is able to distract all the Bluecoats in the Docks for the entire evening by taking Sgt Bartlett and his buddies to the Black Tree. Much alcohol is consumed, and a good time is had by all.
The job is very meticulously planned, but in the end doesn’t go as well as they expected. Constance stakes out her first warehouse to find that the bagman is not sticking to the schedule. Moira signals her, and she moves on to the next one. She approaches him as he exits the warehouse, but has to use Glorious Visage to get the envelope. She spends the rest of the job randomly giving away coins to anyone she can find, because this is His Design (-1 Coin at the end).
Boots holds up a guy and gets the envelope without a word. He leaves the guy conscious, so Nyryx jumps down, possesses the guy, puts him to sleep, and as the guy is falling forward, jumps back into the kid.
Prichard and three of the lampblacks mug one of the guys. After he hands over the envelope, they proceed to beat him within an inch of his life.
Kamali and Boots meet up at the secondary rendezvous, but Constance isn’t there. They go after the guy who was supposed to be collecting from the fist warehouse. Boots approaches him and makes a show of Valter being menacing, and Kamali blitzes him from behind just before he attacks the dog. Constance shows up just as it’s resolved.
The crew meets up at the factory. Kamali is counting the take when Constance addresses the issue of Mrs. Dunne’s piano with Kobb. They agree that if it is Kobb’s intention to return it to Marian, then it should be discovered by the Bluecoats and returned to her very publicly. This will strengthen Kobb’s relationship with Marian, as well as his relationship with the Bluecoats.
Notes:
Nice basic heist. There were half a dozen stickups, and each one got to feel unique.
#dontmesswiththedolls