The Porcelain Dolls: Session 27 (July 29 2016)
Constance goes to meet with with Lyssa, only to find Tavrul’s son Derret already there, ostensibly to lodge a complaint against the dolls for accusing them of the kidnapping, threatening Bryan, and killing one of their guards. Lyssa flat out asks if the Billhooks took Aleira, and Derret lies, saying they had nothing to do with the kidnapping. Lyssa immediately slashes his throat and throws him out the window. Constance informs Lyssa of the Dolls’ intention to assault the Billhooks in order to get Aleira back. The subject of territory comes up, and Lyssa mentions that the Billhooks are beholden to the Circle of Flame. She doesn’t forbid Constance from attempting to take the turf, but she advises against it.
Shade speaks to Kelyr and gets confirmation that the Billhooks took Aleira, and he knows where she was taken. He gives Shade the address of an apartment block not far away from the slaughterhouse. Shade tells Kelyr that he’s working on a solution to his problem.
The Churl’s Girl Burl:
The Dolls know that the Billhooks have taken Baszo’s daughter, and they know where she was last seen. Now they have a plan to get her back. It’s not subtle. The bad news is that the Billhooks know they’re coming, and have had time to prepare.
The Engagement roll is a 3. Kamali and Boots scope out the safe house, and it’s obvious that the girl is not there. However, there are about a dozen Billhooks laying in wait. Kamali throws a firebomb (known locally as a Skovlan Porridge, because no one in Doskvol would have heard of a Molotov Cocktail) through an open window. This has the desired effect, as Billhooks begin pouring out of the building to escape the fire and smoke. Boots covers the front door (lining up all his guns on the parapet of the building across the street for easy access). Kamali intercepts anyone attempting to leave via the back door. With advantages in both position and surprise, they are able to easily pick off the Billhooks and prevent any of them from making it back to their HQ to raise the alarm.
Meanwhile, Constance and Gloves are heading up to the front door of the slaughterhouse. The guards on the door see just the two of them and laugh, but they go pale when they see what Shade has summoned with one of his Rituals: an Earth Demon. He has a specially prepared vial containing his blood and a small quartz crystal, which he smashes on the ground. Instantly, the street erupts and disgorges a hulking 10 foot tall monstrosity made up of cobblestones, rocks, dirt, and the odd geode, and it wants to destroy. Shade very nearly goes into Trauma just summoning it: Magnitude 4, and Shade spends extra Stress up the Duration to an hour because he doesn’t know how long he’ll need it. It reminds me of this:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jz_Q9ch2B4Y/VjI3rHvV_RI/AAAAAAAARNM/GOzzjVxz6zo/w220-h201/bc2.gif
Shade sets it loose on the front doors of the slaughterhouse, and it makes short work of both the guards and the doorway. Constance and Gloves slip in, and the main force of about 20 thugs armed with meat hooks and cleavers is waiting for them. That’s when Constance gets to work. She brings out that damned boat anchor of hers, and starts swinging. Between Constance, Prichard & his Lampblacks, and the rock monster, the advance guard doesn’t stand a chance.
While this is going on, Kamali and Boots arrive on the scene, and Shade manages to keep the beast from smashing them when they enter. Boots heads up the stairs to peek around the doorway, and gets a crossbow bolt whizzing past his hear for his trouble. Kamali climbs up the outside wall to try getting in a 2nd floor window, and gets the same, but this one actually hits. Armor keeps her from getting injured, but it delays her actually getting inside the building.
Boots makes a Desperate roll to charge the crossbowman, and hits, taking him down. He finds the door to Brynn’s office ajar, and there’s a warning shot from a pistol. Boots makes another Desperate roll to shoot his opponent blindly, and once again makes it. He enters the room just as Kamali is getting inside through the window.
Constance and Prichard arrive, and everyone finds that Brynn has the girl tied to a chair, and her bodyguard dead from Boots’ blind shot. They inform her of Derret’s fate. Seeing that she has lost, she concedes. When Constance asks how she would like to die, Brynn draws herself up and goes out with dignity, on her feet. Boots puts a bullet in the back of her head. Constance unties the girl and Prichard takes her home. Shade allows the rock monster to destroy the building before discorporating.
Notes:
This session really exemplified the whole “looking at NPCs through crosshairs” mentality. I needed to illustrate Lyssa’s impulsiveness and fiery temper, and the crew also learned not to ever try and lie to her. Gloves isn’t the only one with that ability.
One of the things I love about this game is that I can run it at the drop of a hat, with little to no prep. We usually run about once a week, but there have been a couple of times when we’ve been able to double up.
Another thing I love about this game: Contrary to popular opinion, I don’t hate combat. I hate combat that gets bogged down in tediousness and minutiae. This session was a gigantic combat. In any other game this would have been an 8 hour slog, but we accomplished everything related above in a little over two hours. I love that this system lets you craft these grandiose scenes of conflict and violence, and lets the PCs be the badasses everyone wants them to be, but it doesn’t concern itself with who’s standing next to who, how long it takes to perform an action, or even what weapons a character is carrying. It lets the fiction take care of all those concerns.
However, it was noted afterward that the fight should have been a lot harder than it was. I have resolved to not make things too easy in the future, and to not be afraid to hammer them with incoming Harm, as they can always roll to Resist (unless they’re Stressed out).
#dontmesswiththedolls
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jz_Q9ch2B4Y/VjI3rHvV_RI/AAAAAAAARNM/GOzzjVxz6zo/w220-h201/bc2.gif