[DFRPG] Neutral Grounds One-Shot

[veovius]

NEUTRAL GROUNDS


Fillinth'Blanks - Martin, Retired Psychic Detective
VikingTeknician - Zack - Apprentice Wizard
xxblackmagexx - Sean - Metalhead Werewolf


Location:
Located one block east of Johns Hopkins, Neutral Grounds is a coffehouse and independent bookstore. It has a well-stocked occult book section which, in combination with the excellent coffee, has enabled it to become a regular hangout for the minor members of Baltimore’s supernatural community (although they do a brisk business with Johns Hopkins staff, too).

Another reason it’s attractive to supernaturally aware people is the sign located immediately below the “Fueled By Zeke’s Coffee” poster: “Accorded Neutral Ground.” Much like MacAnally’s Pub in Chicago, the internal architecture is irregular, the tables spaced oddly, and the bookshelves are all askew of one another.

Neutral Grounds does not offer WiFi, free or otherwise. Wireless Internet does not mix well with wizards, and even cell phone reception is unreliable within the shop. The clientele seems to take this in stride (a third sign on the wall exhorts patrons to “UNPLUG.”). Many patrons indicate that this is a big reason that they frequent this coffeehouse over others.


Face: Diane Basset, owner & manager
Neutral Grounds, a coffeehouse and book shop near Johns Hopkins. Raised in the supernatural community by her mother, Basset is a practicing Wiccan and possesses some degree of magical talent. Her clientele at Neutral Grounds
have dubbed her a “caffeinomancer,” and some customers are more than a bit serious. They say she adds the right spice and a minor effort of will to give the strong coffee she brews a bit of something extra.

Basset opened Neutral Grounds in 1988 and has been welcoming of anyone from the supernatural community in Baltimore. She petitioned Queen Mab to grant the coffeehouse Accorded Neutral Ground status, and Mab assented to the request; in thanks, Basset gives female customers a free espresso every Midwinter’s Eve, assuming that one of them might be Queen Mab.

(Accorded Neutral Grounds is like the supernatural white flag meeting place, backed by a Geneva Convention-type of treaty between all the major powers. Violating the Neutral Ground status is a Very Big Deal.)

http://i.imgur.com/20ToX3w.jpg

[veovius]

OOC: Zack, Sean, and Martin: You are all at least acquaintances with each other, if not good friends, and have known each other for a while. Whether you know of each other's abilities is up to you.

We need answers to the following questions. As you answer them, more questions will follow. We need these answers to help flesh out your characters, develop aspects, and help move the story along.

When you answer, reference the question # so I know which one you're talking about. First answer to each question sticks, unless someone else has something way better.

Without further ado, the first set of questions:

1. One of you is very close to Diane Basset. Who? How?

Martin Caputi - Aka James
As a retired Psychic Detective I most likely spent a lot of time getting know the people in the respective areas in the supernatural community. As a result I got to know Diane Basset decently well.


Martin became relatively close to Diane during his years of being a detective, so when the White Council approached him to look into the matter between the 4 individuals he took it without question.
The investigation didn't take very long, as he knew the reputations of the individuals involved, though he took care to make sure to get the full story from each of them. In his findings he discovered Sean's heritage and had to disclose the bloodline to the Wardens, but decided it was important to notify Sean of the necessity prior to divulging his secret to the White Council. Sean did not take this very well, but Martin assured him it should not affect any aspect of his life, and that he would make sure the Wardens we're aware of the "exceptional behaviour you showed in defending the life and livelihood of Diane" and the defense of the accorded Neutral Ground by Zack.
Since the occurrence Martin has made an effort to stop in at Diane's coffee shop twice a day for her spectacular coffee. A couple weeks have passed (At least) since the occurrence, Martin has seen and spoken with both Zack and Sean a number of times since, and the sprouts of what seems like a friendship seem to be forming between the three.


2. Who is Diane’s current boyfriend—is it Frank Williams, that guy who’s
been hanging around a lot lately? Is it someone else?

Frank Williams *IS* in fact, Diane's current boyfriend; they're not "Facebook Official", but that's more kidding themselves than anyone with an ounce of sense.


3. Why would Frank be a good match for Diane? Why wouldn’t he be?

He is a good match because in his life he has managed to tap a latent magical ability and infuse it into anything he bakes; a spell is, after all, just some convoluted chemistry. The fact that his specialty happens to be light pastries and treats is just a happy coincidence.


4. Eric McCullogh is Diane’s ex—tell us about him.

Eric McCullogh is a turbo-charged douchebag; believes firmly in the "Alpha Male" mentality, that women are to be convinced that they're only good for breeding and whatnot. Subscribes to philosophies like the Game and Taking the Red Pill. To anyone with two brain cells to rub together, this man is an ambulatory piece of ****.


5. Diane and Eric broke up about a year ago. Why?

Diane and Eric broke up last year when he tried to propose to her with this ring (http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.likecool.com/Style/Jewelry/Diamond%2520Inside/Diamond-Inside.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.likecool.com/Diamond_Inside--Jewelry--Style.html&h=195&w=230&sz=16&tbnid=pybPYyDJvl330M:&tbnh=90&tbnw=106&zoom=1&usg=__novVjRyALwK7JZGMBid2xUJSaTE=&docid=iIJ6wCqaUoOLWM&sa=X&ei=6KhQUq3ZD8TEigKdx4CQBg&ved=0CEEQ9QEwAg). That was when the glamour faded, and she saw him for the misogynistic turd he really is. He still walks with a limp on damp days.


6. One of you had a big argument with Eric—who is it? What was the argument
about? Did you resolve the disagreement?

While it could be easily postulated that no-one gets along with Eric, there is a very special animosity between Eric and Sean; shortly after the breakup, Eric was outside Neutral Grounds, waiting for Diane to open the cafe. Sean happened to be nearby, also waiting for the cafe to open, as he had just come out of the after-party for his last gig, and needed some coffee with "that special something". As Diane approached, Eric caught sight of her, and immediately started spouting off with his Alpha Male bull****. Sean, who was feeling a tad delicate, asked Eric politely if he would "just shut the **** up until I get my coffee." Eric, being the turbo-charged douche, took his politeness for subservience and increased volume in an attempt to assert his fictional authority.

Spoiler Alert: This did not end well.

Diane and Zack, a local university student who had just finished an all-nighter, managed to prevent Sean from killing Eric (although they both sometimes wonder why); Diane made Sean some coffee with a mild amount of opiates in it, and Zack convinced a very stunned Eric that any legal actions on his part would be futile, as a missing person can't press charges or file lawsuits. Sean and Zack have been on friendly terms ever since, and Eric shows signs of permanent nerve damage, primarily with hands that never stop shaking.


Eric of course does not take his shellacking and embarrassment well, while he holds a more than reasonable fear and hatred for Sean, Eric also blames Diane for his disfigurements and abberations. Eric McCullough being a minor powered illusionist is able to hide the damage done to him from the public at large through continual glamours and purchased enchantments.

To effect his reprisal Eric petitioned the White council to sanction Diane and Sean charging that Diane had conspired to have Eric assaulted and maimed on recognized neutral territory. The council appointed the Wardens to investigate the matter as a breach of Neutral ground status is an established Big Deal. The Warden then recognizing a need for a more connected local information source contracted Semi-retired detective Martin Caputi to determine the facts of the assault and stem the tensions regarding the community's fear regarding the safety of Neutral Grounds Cafe. Martin's investigation required him to spend a significant amount of time at Neutral Grounds interviewing regular patrons regarding the three parties in the incident and revealing past history of interactions of the Cafe it's self. The investigations reveal the true nature of Sean who was decidedly reluctant to reveal his bloodlines, but forward regarding his altercation with Eric. Zack for his part played in the situation was as evasive as any other community member, though remarkable more polite than Sean, humbly recounted his actions and sensing the wider picture highlighted the facts of import to favor his new friend and ally. The investigation has resulted in defined proxemics of the the Neutral Ground sphere of influence for better or ill.

The finding of the Warden to the council has left Eric frustrated and feeling as if the council has treated him in partisan due to Diane's standing as the face of Neutral Ground. He has become fixated upon her as the reason he was denied justice. His delusion has led him to focus on Frank Williams whom Eric has deduced is a foundation supporter of Diane.

7. One of you was attacked by a ghoul on the street last week. How did you survive?


Last week Sean had been on his way home from yet another gig with a new band "Winterborne" It was one of the rare occasions Sean used his his transformation ability with smoke and pyrotechnics to mask the change (And avoid breaking one of the laws) He had opted to talk home this night instead of getting a ride due to the night air feeling warmer than usual. As with most events Sean had been hitting the bottle between sets to loosen up and become more sociable, so his senses had been somewhat dulled as he strolled along the poorly light streets that night. It was due to his inebriation that Sean did not hear or smell the ghoul coming. Sean did not know why the ghoul had chosen him, however the first thirty seconds of the fight did not go in his favor. Having similar special qualities in fortitude it was not easy for Sean and he had to resort to using a steel sign post to subdue the creature and finally remove it's head from it's shoulders.



8. Two of you are close friends—who? How did you meet? Describe your friendship.


At this point it can safely be said that Zach and Sean are fairly close, despite meeting only relatively recently; the bonding over a strong mutual dislike of Eric was fairly quick. (The conversation went like this: "That guy is a DOUCHE." "Yes. Yes he is." "Buds for life?" "Sounds good.") Zach goes to Sean's shows when invited, and even helps set up / tear down when he doesn't have anything pressing the next day. For his part, Sean appreciates Zach's relatively cool head, especially when Sean's been drinking: The young mage saw the need early on to have an "English to Belligerent" translator to make sure that there weren't any misunderstandings between Sean and, well.... everyone else, really.


9. One of you had a run-in with a Red Court vampire named Damocles Ravenborn last week. Who? Describe the situation—did it get violent? What was the outcome? (Picture below.)


Zack had a small run in with Damocles Ravenborn last week. Damocles had been wandering around the cafe glamouring people and Zack had decided to approach him and request he stop. Damocles got up in his face about it and started threatening to tear the little "prentice" open from stem to sternum when Martin came up behind Damocles, placed his gun into the brain stem and whispered "walk on now, and I won't have to explain to the White Council why I spent 4 hours cleaning vampire brains off the floor and walls of a neutral grounds cafe."



10. Which one of you did Damocles Ravenborn try to glamour at Neutral Grounds last month? (Damocles is a loser Red Court vamp. He watches too much True Blood and keeps trying to glamour people. It’s kind of embarrassing. Kinda like the security guard who shows up with a tac vest and 8 handcuff pouches on his first day.)


Above, close enough

11. One of you saved the life of someone else at the table last week. Who? How? How did that impact your friendship?


The experience had gone a very long way to sobering up Sean and despite his constitution found himself succumbing to the effects of blood loss. He used his phone to call the last number on his phone who happened to be Zack as Sean had invited the young man to the show earlier. Zack had taken Sean to a healer and had placed a call to Martin to alert him and the Wardens of the ghoul's presence and the location of the body for clean up. The healer later remarked that the injuries inflicted by the Ghoul could have possibly proved fatal had Zack not gotten Sean back.


12. Sean, do people know that you’re a werewolf? How often do you “wolf out?” Ever done so in front of any of the other PCs? Ever on stage?


Sean likes to keep to himself largely during the daylight hours and enjoys small gatherings and conversations at Neutral Grounds. At night however he gathers at the Local Metal scenes and attends parties and releases even for other bands. He only manifests himself with stage theatrics to keep the mundane's fooled and keep the veil for others as he tries to respect their privacy. Some suspect that Sean is more than meets the eye, especially where his unusual physical feats are concerned. Enough detractors are willing to write off the stories of his supposed strength and resilience in a fight to Alcohol or drug use. In light of the Neutral Grounds incident the White Council and the Wardens are aware of Sean's heritage, however the community at large only suspects.



13. Zach, how do you feel about your master? Do you feel abandoned because he/she left town without you? Do you feel like you can rely on anyone at Neutral Grounds to fill in as a mentor?


Zach isn't too concerned about the wherabouts of his master; when he showed up to study one day, there was simply a note on a table: "Family Emergency, gone to Edinborough." As most students do, Zach has simply assumed that this is a random Spring Break, and so has slacked off hard on his magical studies; he figures he knows enough to get by.
The incidents with Eric, Damocles, and the Ghoul have opened his eyes a little bit; he had only a vague idea of the White Council before, and no idea of their mandates or methods of operation. To that end, he has started to look to Martin as a sort of legal counsel / advisor, as the dude's been around long enough to know how things work. It's not magical knowledge, but it's knowledge that will keep him breathing longer, and that is somewhat higher on Zach's list of priorities.


14. Martin, did you keep your talent a secret? Did that lead somehow to your
retirement—were you forced out? Or did you find a way to mask your vision as
something else?


For a Long time Martin was able to mask his gift as some inexplicable gut instinct, but the people who worked with him long enough started to recognize he was aware of events or incidents that he shouldn't really know, and began to question him about them. Until he was about 55 years old he didn't trust anyone with his secret and managed to keep it well hidden, or at least he thought. Right around that time he had been working a number of cases that he was inexplicably taken off of, and he got "promoted" to an alternative division, with a near non-existent workload managing a bunch of failed lackey cops. Martin saw it for what it was, them driving him off the force so he decided that his 27 years on the force was enough to retire on. He opened a small detective agency, taking on a few cases here and there, even some from the Wardens or White Council, and has been living off his retirement wages since. No one ever came forward with why they we're pushing him off the force, and no one ever mentioned his "Gift" but he assumed someone found out and decided he might be too much of a "Freak" to continue being a cop. "Probably some rookie paper-pusher who is scared of what they can't understand".

[Fillinth'Blanks]

Martin Caputi - Aka James
1) As a retired Psychic Detective I most likely spent a lot of time getting know the people in the respective areas in the supernatural community. As a result I got to know Diane Basset decently well.

[VikingTeknician]

Frank Williams *IS* in fact, Diane's current boyfriend; they're not "Facebook Official", but that's more kidding themselves than anyone with an ounce of sense.

He is a good match because in his life he has managed to tap a latent magical ability and infuse it into anything he bakes; a spell is, after all, just some convoluted chemistry. The fact that his specialty happens to be light pastries and treats is just a happy coincidence.

Eric McCullogh is a turbo-charged douchebag; believes firmly in the "Alpha Male" mentality, that women are to be convinced that they're only good for breeding and whatnot. Subscribes to philosophies like the Game and Taking the Red Pill. To anyone with two brain cells to rub together, this man is an ambulatory piece of ****.

Diane and Eric broke up last year when he tried to propose to her with this ring (http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.likecool.com/Style/Jewelry/Diamond%2520Inside/Diamond-Inside.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.likecool.com/Diamond_Inside--Jewelry--Style.html&h=195&w=230&sz=16&tbnid=pybPYyDJvl330M:&tbnh=90&tbnw=106&zoom=1&usg=__novVjRyALwK7JZGMBid2xUJSaTE=&docid=iIJ6wCqaUoOLWM&sa=X&ei=6KhQUq3ZD8TEigKdx4CQBg&ved=0CEEQ9QEwAg). That was when the glamour faded, and she saw him for the misogynistic turd he really is. He still walks with a limp on damp days.

While it could be easily postulated that no-one gets along with Eric, there is a very special animosity between Eric and Sean; shortly after the breakup, Eric was outside Neutral Grounds, waiting for Diane to open the cafe. Sean happened to be nearby, also waiting for the cafe to open, as he had just come out of the after-party for his last gig, and needed some coffee with "that special something". As Diane approached, Eric caught sight of her, and immediately started spouting off with his Alpha Male bull****. Sean, who was feeling a tad delicate, asked Eric politely if he would "just shut the **** up until I get my coffee." Eric, being the turbo-charged douche, took his politeness for subservience and increased volume in an attempt to assert his fictional authority.

Spoiler Alert: This did not end well.

Diane and Zack, a local university student who had just finished an all-nighter, managed to prevent Sean from killing Eric (although they both sometimes wonder why); Diane made Sean some coffee with a mild amount of opiates in it, and Zack convinced a very stunned Eric that any legal actions on his part would be futile, as a missing person can't press charges or file lawsuits. Sean and Zack have been on friendly terms ever since, and Eric shows signs of permanent nerve damage, primarily with hands that never stop shaking.

[xxblackmagexx]

Eric of course does not take his shellacking and embarrassment well, while he holds a more than reasonable fear and hatred for Sean, Eric also blames Diane for his disfigurements and abberations. Eric McCullough being a minor powered illusionist is able to hide the damage done to him from the public at large through continual glamours and purchased enchantments.

To effect his reprisal Eric petitioned the White council to sanction Diane and Sean charging that Diane had conspired to have Eric assaulted and maimed on recognized neutral territory. The council appointed the Wardens to investigate the matter as a breach of Neutral ground status is an established Big Deal. The Warden then recognizing a need for a more connected local information source contracted Semi-retired detective Martin Caputi to determine the facts of the assault and stem the tensions regarding the community's fear regarding the safety of Neutral Grounds Cafe. Martin's investigation required him to spend a significant amount of time at Neutral Grounds interviewing regular patrons regarding the three parties in the incident and revealing past history of interactions of the Cafe it's self. The investigations reveal the true nature of Sean who was decidedly reluctant to reveal his bloodlines, but forward regarding his altercation with Eric. Zack for his part played in the situation was as evasive as any other community member, though remarkable more polite than Sean, humbly recounted his actions and sensing the wider picture highlighted the facts of import to favor his new friend and ally. The investigation has resulted in defined proxemics of the the Neutral Ground sphere of influence for better or ill.

The finding of the Warden to the council has left Eric frustrated and feeling as if the council has treated him in partisan due to Diane's standing as the face of Neutral Ground. He has become fixated upon her as the reason he was denied justice. His delusion has led him to focus on Frank Williams whom Eric has deduced is a foundation supporter of Diane.

[Fillinth'Blanks]

Martin became relatively close to Diane during his years of being a detective, so when the White Council approached him to look into the matter between the 4 individuals he took it without question.
The investigation didn't take very long, as he knew the reputations of the individuals involved, though he took care to make sure to get the full story from each of them. In his findings he discovered Sean's heritage and had to disclose the bloodline to the Wardens, but decided it was important to notify Sean of the necessity prior to divulging his secret to the White Council. Sean did not take this very well, but Martin assured him it should not affect any aspect of his life, and that he would make sure the Wardens we're aware of the "exceptional behaviour you showed in defending the life and livelihood of Diane" and the defense of the accorded Neutral Ground by Zack.
Since the occurrence Martin has made an effort to stop in at Diane's coffee shop twice a day for her spectacular coffee. A couple weeks have passed (At least) since the occurrence, Martin has seen and spoken with both Zack and Sean a number of times since, and the sprouts of what seems like a friendship seem to be forming between the three.

[veovius]

7. One of you was attacked by a ghoul on the street last week. How did you survive?

8. Two of you are close friends—who? How did you meet? Describe your friendship.

9. One of you had a run-in with a Red Court vampire named Damocles Ravenborn last week. Who? Describe the situation—did it get violent? What was the outcome? (Picture below.)

10. Which one of you did Damocles Ravenborn try to glamour at Neutral Grounds last month? (Damocles is a loser Red Court vamp. He watches too much True Blood and keeps trying to glamour people. It’s kind of embarrassing. Kinda like the security guard who shows up with a tac vest and 8 handcuff pouches on his first day.)

11. One of you saved the life of someone else at the table last week. Who? How? How did that impact your friendship?

12. Sean, do people know that you’re a werewolf? How often do you “wolf out?” Ever done so in front of any of the other PCs? Ever on stage?

13. Zach, how do you feel about your master? Do you feel abandoned because he/she left town without you? Do you feel like you can rely on anyone at Neutral Grounds to fill in as a mentor?

14. Martin, did you keep your talent a secret? Did that lead somehow to your
retirement—were you forced out? Or did you find a way to mask your vision as
something else?

[veovius]

http://i.imgur.com/20ToX3w.jpg

[Fillinth'Blanks]

Zack had a small run in with Damocles Ravenborn last week. Damocles had been wandering around the cafe glamouring people and Zack had decided to approach him and request he stop. Damocles got up in his face about it and started threatening to tear the little "prentice" open from stem to sternum when Martin came up behind Damocles, placed his gun into the brain stem and whispered "walk on now, and I won't have to explain to the White Council why I spent 4 hours cleaning vampire brains off the floor and walls of a neutral grounds cafe."

For a Long time Martin was able to mask his gift as some inexplicable gut instinct, but the people who worked with him long enough started to recognize he was aware of events or incidents that he shouldn't really know, and began to question him about them. Until he was about 55 years old he didn't trust anyone with his secret and managed to keep it well hidden, or at least he thought. Right around that time he had been working a number of cases that he was inexplicably taken off of, and he got "promoted" to an alternative division, with a near non-existent workload managing a bunch of failed lackey cops. Martin saw it for what it was, them driving him off the force so he decided that his 27 years on the force was enough to retire on. He opened a small detective agency, taking on a few cases here and there, even some from the Wardens or White Council, and has been living off his retirement wages since. No one ever came forward with why they we're pushing him off the force, and no one ever mentioned his "Gift" but he assumed someone found out and decided he might be too much of a "Freak" to continue being a cop. "Probably some rookie paper-pusher who is scared of what they can't understand".

[xxblackmagexx]

Last week Sean had been on his way home from yet another gig with a new band "Winterborne" It was one of the rare occasions Sean used his his transformation ability with smoke and pyrotechnics to mask the change (And avoid breaking one of the laws) He had opted to talk home this night instead of getting a ride due to the night air feeling warmer than usual. As with most events Sean had been hitting the bottle between sets to loosen up and become more sociable, so his senses had been somewhat dulled as he strolled along the poorly light streets that night. It was due to his inebriation that Sean did not hear or smell the ghoul coming. Sean did not know why the ghoul had chosen him, however the first thirty seconds of the fight did not go in his favor. Having similar special qualities in fortitude it was not easy for Sean and he had to resort to using a steel sign post to subdue the creature and finally remove it's head from it's shoulders.

The experience had gone a very long way to sobering up Sean and despite his constitution found himself succumbing to the effects of blood loss. He used his phone to call the last number on his phone who happened to be Zack as Sean had invited the young man to the show earlier. Zack had taken Sean to a healer and had placed a call to Martin to alert him and the Wardens of the ghoul's presence and the location of the body for clean up. The healer later remarked that the injuries inflicted by the Ghoul could have possibly proved fatal had Zack not gotten Sean back.

Sean likes to keep to himself largely during the daylight hours and enjoys small gatherings and conversations at Neutral Grounds. At night however he gathers at the Local Metal scenes and attends parties and releases even for other bands. He only manifests himself with stage theatrics to keep the mundane's fooled and keep the veil for others as he tries to respect their privacy. Some suspect that Sean is more than meets the eye, especially where his unusual physical feats are concerned. Enough detractors are willing to write off the stories of his supposed strength and resilience in a fight to Alcohol or drug use. In light of the Neutral Grounds incident the White Council and the Wardens are aware of Sean's heritage, however the community at large only suspects.

[VikingTeknician]

9) At this point it can safely be said that Zach and Sean are fairly close, despite meeting only relatively recently; the bonding over a strong mutual dislike of Eric was fairly quick. (The conversation went like this: "That guy is a DOUCHE." "Yes. Yes he is." "Buds for life?" "Sounds good.") Zach goes to Sean's shows when invited, and even helps set up / tear down when he doesn't have anything pressing the next day. For his part, Sean appreciates Zach's relatively cool head, especially when Sean's been drinking: The young mage saw the need early on to have an "English to Belligerent" translator to make sure that there weren't any misunderstandings between Sean and, well.... everyone else, really.

13)Zach isn't too concerned about the wherabouts of his master; when he showed up to study one day, there was simply a note on a table: "Family Emergency, gone to Edinborough." As most students do, Zach has simply assumed that this is a random Spring Break, and so has slacked off hard on his magical studies; he figures he knows enough to get by.
The incidents with Eric, Damocles, and the Ghoul have opened his eyes a little bit; he had only a vague idea of the White Council before, and no idea of their mandates or methods of operation. To that end, he has started to look to Martin as a sort of legal counsel / advisor, as the dude's been around long enough to know how things work. It's not magical knowledge, but it's knowledge that will keep him breathing longer, and that is somewhat higher on Zach's list of priorities.

[veovius]

IC:

It's 7am, on a Wednesday morning in the fall. The air is chilly, but the morning sun is bright, just over the horizon, reflecting through the buildings. A few normal-type people are milling the streets, going for morning jogs, heading to work, etc.

Sean, you've just finished a show the night before, and you've been partying it up all night long. A guy was supposed to meet you first thing to talk about trying out for the band, since he works midnights. You decide to meet him before you pack it in for the night, to get it out of the way. You can't remember his name, but he's that guy with the red mohawk. You're sure you won't miss him at Neutral Grounds, where you agreed to meet him.

Martin, you've just finished a tail on another cheating husband, and you've got some incriminating photos on that DSLR camera of yours. On your way to the office to upload them, you catch yourself driving towards Neutral Grounds, even though it's not exactly directly on the way there. Hey, what the hell, sounds like a good time to grab a coffee.

Zack, you've pulled ANOTHER all-nighter for that class you're taking at the local university, finishing off that paper before its due date this morning. You decided that an "extra-special" coffee would be just the thing to help you clean it up before submitting it.

You all run into each other just steps from the door. After greeting each other, the three of you head for the door. Although the shop just opened, the dusty wooden-block sign still hasn't been flipped over from "Closed". Usually Diane and the two morning baristas are pretty on top of things, so this is unusual. Also, the lights haven't been turned on yet, and you aren't greeted with the typical smell of delicious pastries and baked goods that emanate yards from the front door.

As you push open the door, you are immediately assaulted by the coppery smell of blood. Around the corner from the front door, Tom and Alicia, the two college student/baristas, are lying on the ground, appearing rather dead, judging by the pool of blood around them both. There was definitely a struggle, as some of the small tables have been knocked over, and a couple bookshelves have had their contents knocked onto the floor. The main counter appears to have been swept clear, as the pastry display case is on the floor, along with the tip jar and the sugar, cream, straws, and lids.

What do you do?

OOC:
If you accept a Fate point, Sean, Martin, and Zack, you could be "GROGGY, NEED COFFEE" (Aspect). Do you accept?

[VikingTeknician]

OOC:
If you accept a Fate point, Sean, Martin, and Zack, you could be "GROGGY, NEED COFFEE" (Aspect). Do you accept?

OOC: I Accept.

IC: Considering the fact that Zack is now borderline psychotic from both sleep deprivation and a few unresolved PTSD issues from Ghoul Night, he starts heading towards the espresso machine; he's seen this thing in action enough to try to hammer something caffeinated out.

[Fillinth'Blanks]

I do Not Accept.

I tell Zack to be "careful walking, I need to check the scene."
to Sean "come inside, to the left, and change. I need your nose on this."

[Fillinth'Blanks]

I start to look around, seeing if I spot anything out of place, or stands out (Other then the corpses), "Zack make an extra two while you're over there, but keep your eyes peeled for anything out of sync. Once you're awake open your sight and tell me what you see"

"I"ll be right back, going to grab my camera" - leaves and runs to the car to pick up his camera and see if he has his phone.

[xxblackmagexx]

OOC:
If you accept a Fate point, Sean, Martin, and Zack, you could be "GROGGY, NEED COFFEE" (Aspect). Do you accept?


OOC:Accepted

IC:

Sean tramped through the doorway heedless of otherwise grave concerns and ignoring everyone in the roof Live and dead alike. He took hold of one of the coffee containers and began shoveling unground beans into his mouth chewing on them with the container gripped tightly in his other hand. He looked around the room as the raw grounds slid down his throat. It would yet be a few minute before they took on their affect.

[veovius]

OOC:

Sean Barnes - Werewolf - BM
FP - 1+1=2
Physical 000
Mental 00
Social 00
High Concept - Metalhead Werewolf
Trouble - SNARL!!!
Other - Neutral Grounds Regular, Groggy NEED COFFEE


Zack Meyer - Wizard - Viking
FP - 4+1=5
Physical 0000
Mental 0000
Social 00
High Concept - Apprentice Wizard
Trouble - No Idea How Much I Don't Know
Other Aspects - Neutral Grounds Regular, Groggy NEED COFFEE


Martin Caputi - Detective - Blanks
FP - 3
Physical 00
Mental 00
Social 00
High Concept - Retired Psychic Detective
Trouble - I'm Too Old For This
Other Aspects - Neutral Grounds Regular


IC

SEAN: You groggily stumble your way over behind the counter. The smell of blood is overpowering to your keen nose, but you manage to step around the debris and bodies to get behind the counter. The taste and aroma of freshly roasted Columbian Light starts to overwhelm the blood. As you finally look around, chewing, satisfied that you'll be hit with a caffeine overdose soon (without the usual magical kick, though), the room finally comes into focus and you take in the details.

What do you do? Are you changing?

ZACK: You start heading to the back, right after Sean pushes past you. Once you make it to the espresso machine, you start figuring it out. It's not quite as easy as it looks from the other side of the counter. It's going to take you more than a Few Moments to get the hang of it.

Are you doing anything else? Sight? Sight is a pretty Big Deal. Be careful; once you See something, you can't Unsee it. Forever.

MARTIN: You've run to your car quickly, which was conveniently parked right outside, and grab your camera and phone. As you look around.... I'll need an Investigation Roll. It'll take about half a minute, after taking into account Quick Eye, for your initial observations.

Roll dice in this format, without the spaces:
4d3 - 8
Which gives you this:
[roll0]

[VikingTeknician]

After I see Sean just go ahead and eat the coffee raw, I'll just throw one of the drip-makers on; Now that I'm thinking a little more coherently, and am aware that Something happened, I'll turn on Sight to see if I can give my erstwhile mentor a hand with his Detecting. The thought of images etched in my skull doesn't enter my brain, as it's still Too Damned Early.

[veovius]

I'll need the following, Zack:

Decide what you're looking at, specifically.
I need a Lore roll so you can do an Assessment on what you're seeing. Since you don't have it on your skills, you can decide what level it's at, based on your remaining open slots. Given you don't know much, I'd say it's probably 1 or 2. That's up to you though.
I need a Discipline roll so you can defend mentally against what you're seeing.

No stopping now! :D

Edit: For the rolls, roll as above, and add the skill. Just thought I'd make that clear. Also, you basically just self-compelled, so enjoy a Fate Point! 5+1=6

[xxblackmagexx]

Having gone through the initial caffeine surge sean gives his hesd a shake before placing the coffee can back on the shelf re capped. He then looks at the mess on the ground and sighs annoyedly. "You have got to be ****ting me." Sean then recalls the old man asking him to shift. Given the special circumstances sean shifted in place and looked upon the gore with his enhanced senses to pull some details from the mess.

[Fillinth'Blanks]

Investigation Roll
[roll0]

Martin checks to make sure he has room on his camera, and stays away from Zack so the wizard doesn't fry his electronics (Having worked with the council a few times before he learned to keep his electronics as far away from them as possible after losing 3 or 4 cameras to their presence.) Martin takes a few photos of the scene, trying to get every angle he can think of then asks Sean and Zack what they have.

[veovius]

Just waiting on Zack's rolls, the Sight will kick in much sooner than your investigation roll completes.

[VikingTeknician]

Lore Roll
[roll0] (I decided he would only have 1 in Lore at most)

Discipline Roll
[roll1]

From behind the bar, Zack looks at the bodies of the baristas, and the blood on the floor (hoping that neither he nor Sean have walked through it, as alertness is also bringing an awareness that they are IN A GODDAMNED CRIME SCENE)

[veovius]

Lore Roll
(4d3-8)[-1] (I decided he would only have 1 in Lore at most)

Discipline Roll
(4d3-8)[1]

ZACK: With your lore of +1, that brings you to a 0. As you focus on bringing open your Sight, you instantly get blasted with all sorts of images. When you practiced this with your mentor, it was under very, very controlled circumstances, in a dark room, with only one object of very minor significance present. He wasn't even in the room. All of a sudden, you realize this may have been a bad idea.

As your mind thinks along terms of Earth, you see the walls of the cafe as giant dirt berms, like a defensive wall in Afghanistan. They appear to be propped up with supernatural squiggles, inscriptions, and other things that you can't even begin to describe. Many of the squiggles have a Faerie style to them, but that's just some of many. You have no idea what it means.

You try and focus on the bodies on the floor. They appear to be non-magical, and simply mundane humans. They do have some lingering "dust" about them, that seems to be remnants of being around so much magic all the time. Kind of like picking up pollen when walking through a garden. Their hands, especially, are just coated in it, apparently from handling Diane's drinks all the time. They have holes in their chests, leaking dirt all over the ground. You see drag marks in the dirt floor leading from the main area out the door, where they disappear. They've also got some kind of vine or weeds growing in and out of their heads, covering their eyes and mouth. Also, you see footprints in the floor leading to the back room.

There's a hell of a lot more going on in this place, but a) something about this place seems designed to futz with magic in general, like a jammer, and b) you're way too scared to look around more. The Faerie-type squiggles already make your brain hurt, and the other magic at the edges of your vision feel like a sledgehammer about to come down if you flick your eye around.

Speaking of your brain hurting, with your roll of 1, plus your Discpline of +2, you get a 3 (Good) to defend. The scene "attacks" you mentally with a Fair (+2) intensity.

[roll0]

... More on the next post.

[veovius]

So, with a total attack of +2, you manage to withstand the mental assault. It shakes you a bit, as this a bit further than you've ever gone before, but you reach depths of your mental tenacity that you didn't know you had. Must be from digging deep on the field.

So now, you may either keep your Sight open, or close it. If you keep it open, you'll get another chance at more information, but they'll get another "attack".


MARTIN: With your roll of 0, plus your Investigation of 4, you get a Great, or +4.

You quickly discover that there are a few holes in each person's chest, of a handgun variety. Without more equipment, you can't determine caliber. As you look around, you fight a series of matching bullet holes in one of the bookshelves near the back of the store. Roughly judging by their height, it appears that both victims were shot while standing. There do not appear to be any ligature marks on their wrists to suggest that they were being held by ropes. Judging by the coagulation of the blood, you estimate that they haven't been dead more than a couple hours, at most. Now that you're looking at it from a different angle, the sun hits a faint set of drag marks leading out the door, which is probably why you didn't trip on anything when you came in.

The area could be called "The Store Is A Mess" (This is an aspect that you can tag later).

[veovius]

SEAN: It's going to be a little bit before the caffeine hits you. Give it a few more minutes.

Right before you shift, you take your clothes off before you shred them to bits as you twist and grow into shapes that a human could never do. Luckily you're behind the counter.

Right away, you smell lots of blood. Normally I'd need an Investigation roll, but given what Martin already learned, we won't get anything new. You smell the faint smell of cordite, still lingering in the air. The air smells... kind of odd. You're catching a whiff of something ..... dead. Not like these dead people. Like, really really dead. Dead and decaying. But it's a pretty faint whiff.

There's also a smell of sweat coming from the back room....

[VikingTeknician]

I'm turning the Sight off; this place in general doesn't approve of my use of it, and I'm not going to antagonize an entire building.

OOC: Assuming it's another Lore roll:

Lore Roll
4d3-8

OOC: This die roller isn't working for reasons I cannot comprehend at the moment.

[Fillinth'Blanks]

Martin takes a close look at the drag marks in an attempt to discern what was dragged away based on general size and what not.
"Sean smell anything unusual? any chemicals other then gunpowder in the air?

Starts taking pictures of the scene and bullet holes to make sure he has something before the cops muddle up the scene.

Once he has as much info from Sean and Zack as they have, he calls the Wardens on his phone (Steps outside to call, away from Zack) "Hey, it's Martin... we got a problem at the Neutral Grounds Cafe... get here asap, this store is a mess..."

[veovius]

ZACK: No roll needed to turn it off, given that you've passed your defence roll. Also, dice roller doesn't work if you hit preview post first.

MARTIN: It's consistent with heel marks, as someone's dragged away. Sean mentions the weird death in the air. You take some pictures, and get what you can get in a hurry. When you make the call, it goes straight to voice mail. The Wardens are a bit stretched thin, and the local Warden is in charge of a region, rather than just the city.

It comes to your thoughts that it's been a few minutes since the store normally opens, but no one's outside the door yet. If people aren't here yet, they will be soon.

[Fillinth'Blanks]

"We need to get out of here soon... People are going to start coming soon... lets leave out the back."

[veovius]

As you all talk to each other, you hear a sudden crashing from the back room. The door opens, and a haggard-looking male stands in the doorway. He has a bit of a spaced look to his eyes, but they have a funny, single-minded purpose in them. His tattered clothes, camo pants, and coat suggest that he's from the street. After he eyes all of you, he yells "YOU'LL NEVER STOP HIM!!!" and.....

[veovius]

COMBAT:

Zones: There are three zones: main area, back room, and out front. All of you are in the main area.

Scene Aspects: The area has the following:

- The Store is a Mess
- Neutral Grounds
- Table and Chairs

Groups: Well, it's all of you vs the one dude you've seen so far.

Initiative: The one with the highest Alertness goes first. Looks like that's Martin. After that, well, none of you actually have Alertness listed, so you'll have to decide which skill slot you want it in, if at all.

[VikingTeknician]

OOC: I maintain that, as a student, I am actually almost religiously unaware by default; this will probably change over the next few weeks, I suspect.

[xxblackmagexx]

OOC: Until the caffeine kicks in I don't think Sean is all there yet, until that or a more direct stimulus causes his adrenal glands to spike he is probably a little slow on the draw.

[veovius]

OOC: Ok, can all of you go through your sheets, and decide where you want Alertness to be? Martin, if you want to swap it out, you may, if you really want to, but it would make sense for a cop to have high alertness.

[VikingTeknician]

OOC: I would say that Zack's Alertness would be Average (+1)

[veovius]

OOC:

Sean Barnes - Werewolf - BM
FP - 2-1=1
Physical 000
Mental 00
Social 00
High Concept - Metalhead Werewolf
Trouble - SNARL!!!
Other - Neutral Grounds Regular, Groggy NEED COFFEE
Skills: Alertness +2

Zack Meyer - Wizard - Viking
FP - 4+1=5
Physical 0000
Mental 0000
Social 00
High Concept - Apprentice Wizard
Trouble - No Idea How Much I Don't Know
Other Aspects - Neutral Grounds Regular, Groggy NEED COFFEE
Skills: Alertness +1

Martin Caputi - Detective - Blanks
FP - 3
Physical 00
Mental 00
Social 00
High Concept - Retired Psychic Detective
Trouble - I'm Too Old For This
Other Aspects - Neutral Grounds Regular
Skills: Might +2

[veovius]

So Martin charges at the thug, trying to pin him against the wall, unsuccessfully. Sean leaps over and takes a chomp on the guy's leg, giving him a "Light Flesh Wound" (Minor Consequence). Yelping in pain, he draws a gun and misses shooting Sean in his furry head.

Martin draws his gun in return, and just misses putting a hole in the thug's head. Sean takes advantage of the flesh wound and bites his other leg, breaking it (Broken Leg, Severe Consequence). The thug also gets a "Twisted Ankle" (Moderate Consequence) while trying to hop around.

Martin tags (for free, no fate point burned) Broken Leg and Twisted Ankle and pistol whips the thug in the face, knocking him soundly out (Taken Out).