The Porcelain Dolls: Session 33 (September 07 2016)
Continuing to get the Moon’s Daughter up and running:
Shade works on finding people who are disreputable enough to work as drug dealers, but not so disreputable that they are a business liability. He has a list of people in mind. I throw down two clocks, one for filling the positions the Dolls need (completing it gets the back room properly staffed), and the other for the list of potential applicants (every failure is a tick that depletes the list). Each is 6 segments. Unfortunately, his first three attempts are strikeouts:
* (3 on Hunt roll) The first, a Severosi named Matteo, is incredibly twitchy. Shade Attunes, and gets all manner of red flags from the guy’s demeanor, especially when drugs are mentioned.
* (1 on Hunt roll) The second, a Skovlan named Frans, turned up dead a couple of days ago, and had already been carted off to the crematorium. When it comes out that Frans had made the mistake of picking a fight with someone who vastly outmatched him and was also incredibly tall , it’s decided by all the players that it was Constance.
* (2 on Hunt roll) The third, a tough-as-nails local named Irene, had reportedly had enough of living hand to mouth every day, and went off and joined the the Imperial Army.
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Constance goes to speak with Mordis in Nightmarket. She buys a dodgy stick & a meat pie, and explains the situation. They make a deal for Mordis to supply Blue Cloud in quantity, and Constance will get the usual wholesale discount. Constance mentions also wanting to sell other product. Mordis says he doesn’t deal in Bloodneedle for personal reasons, but he knows someone who can supply Dream Smoke, and he will will provide an introduction, explaining that his acquaintance is a bit nervous, and if Constance attempts to approach him on her own she’s likely to get an axe thrown at her head. The next time Kamali heads through Nightmarket, Mordis informs her that the introduction has been made, and gives her an address to pass on to Constance.
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Constance and Gears go to visit Gloves in Ironhook. They attempt to smuggle in a dagger, but it’s found. Constance is able to bribe the guard to give it to Gloves along with the care package they’ve brought him (containing food and other items). They meet with Gloves, who looks a little worse for wear. Gloves asks for Dream Smoke to boost his popularity, and tells Constance about Hook, who had been terrorizing him a bit before Tavrul stepped in. Constance brings him up to speed on current events on the outside. When Gloves heads back to his cell, he finds the care package with the dagger tucked inside.
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Shade gets frustrated with his lack of progress , and goes to get help from Setarra. He tells her his troubles, and she tells him to recite the rest of the names on his list as she brushes her hand against his cheek. She is able to find them easily (now he’s rolling two dice on Hunt).
* (4 on Hunt roll) First they find the next guy on Shade’s list, a gutter rat named Andreas, in a flophouse in Nightmarket. He’s perhaps a touch happier to see Shade than he really should be, and keeps looking over his shoulder. When pressed about it, it comes out that two Severosi legbreakers are under the impression that he stole 4 Coin from them (the fact that it happens to be true seems to be beside the point). He reveals that he still has the cash, but is dismayed at the thought of having to give it up. When Saul di Renzo and Basaba Centanni show up, Shade negotiates with them, and gets them to agree to not break Andreas’ fingers if he gives back the money, and Shade takes responsibility for him. They frog-march Andreas back to his hidey-hole to retrieve the cash, and he promises to show up the next day at the Leaky Bucket. Shade tells the legbreakers that Constance is working on opening a boxing club soon. They give him their card (“di Renzo & Centanni – Protection”).
* (6 on Hunt roll) Then they track down Muhammad and Samir, two Iruvian brothers. Shade explains the situation, and they are happy with the prospect of coming to work at the Moon’s Daughter.
Now they’ve exhausted Shade’s list, and are only halfway to getting the personnel they need. Fortunately, Setarra knows some people who should be reliable.
* (Another 6 on Hunt roll) They head to the rooftops in Charterhall, where they find Luther and Ezra, two shadows currently casing a building across the street. The burglars are startled that someone was able to sneak up on them, but bow respectfully when they see Setarra. Shade gives them the offer, and they defer to Setarra. She says it’s alright, and they agree, and will meet Constance at the Bucket in the morning.
* (2 on Hunt roll) They head to Charterhall to a tavern (Cat & Cradle), Setarra heads straight into the back room, only to find no one there. She is confused for a moment, before she heads to the corner and overturns a barrel to discover a dead body stuffed inside, apparently the man she was expecting to come and talk to. She is barely able to contain her anger, and quietly asks Shade to go and lock the front door. Manners Maketh Man, indeed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWYLFizhjHs
Notes:
I dropped a few subtle hints regarding the extent of Setarra’s powers and abilities that I’m quite pleased with.
#dontmesswiththedolls