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[5E OOC] The Further Adventures of James and Illeana

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rednblack

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« Reply #495 on: <01-26-17/1302:22> »
Here's a link for gerbermuhle: https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1CHWA_enUS625US625&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#tbm=lcl&q=frankfurt+gerbermuhle&rlfi=hd:;si:6780760138388380521;mv:!1m3!1d225.74051848592248!2d8.721567299999998!3d50.10598129999999!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i946!2i542!4f13.1

Since we're looking at the very least dealing with a high Magic target, James will think it's probably a good idea for Illeana to top off her tank, Essence-wise, or at least get to the point where it isn't negatively impacting her Magic rating, from an OOC perspective.

From Miss Senio's file, do we have car rental, hotel, or other such information?  Does it look like she's still using her SIN for purchases, or does it appear as though she's operating off of credsticks?

I'm going to bank that last 7 all-purpose Karma.  I may look at picking up another spec after moving back to the UCAS. 

A couple rolls are probably in order.  Let's see how well James does on his hotel search.  The ideal place is close to the city center, is Middle Lifestyle, and has covered parking.  Rolling Area Knowledge (1) + INT (9) = 10 dice.
hotel search: 10d6t5 4
Not bad.

James is also going to do a Matrix Search test for biergartens and fencing salles.  Both rolls are INT (9) + Computer (4) = 13 dice.

Biergartens: 11d6t5 3

Fencing salles: 11d6t5 3

With the information that we have, I'm not sure if James would be able to cross-reference any places Miss Senio has visited as being likely spots to set up overwatch at.  I know that criminals will often rob houses in what they think is a random pattern, but that pattern is actually a rough circle around where the criminal lives.  If she's trying to stay under the radar, she may be doing the same thing, picking up groceries here, or beer there, etc.  I could see Tracking + INT, or a straight INT + LOG, or no roll possible with the information available.  I thought about Security Tactics, but investigative work is well outside the purview of security professionals. 

ETA: I've updated James' char sheet.  It was painful deleting the Redline.  I've updated my Karma purchases, as well as made a separate list for Frankfurt specific gear, so I can keep all that straight.  I don't think I missed anything, but if something comes up I'll let you know.
« Last Edit: <01-26-17/1406:30> by rednblack »
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Tecumseh

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« Reply #496 on: <01-26-17/1850:56> »
Finding a hotel is no problem.

Finding biergartens is no problem.

If I remember without checking, it's Thursday evening, say dinnertime. Perfect time to hit a biergarten.

There are multiple fencing salles happening over the weekend.

I like the INT+Tracking idea. We can teamwork it. Rolling offline, Illeana only got 3 hits. You can add those to your Tracking roll, and can keep them all since we'll say your Urban spec applies.

If it makes you feel better, the Lancer is still with Stevens, so you can cradle that at night while you miss the Redline.

I'll post ICly either tonight or tomorrow.

Tecumseh

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« Reply #497 on: <01-27-17/0155:38> »
Correction, it's still Wednesday, not Thursday.

Gerbermühle looks like it's both a hotel and a biergarten, so I just made it both for convenience.

IC is up. I could have pushed it a bit further but I wanted to see the Tracking roll first.

rednblack

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« Reply #498 on: <01-27-17/1052:38> »
James has: INT (9) + Tracking (2) + Urban Spec (2) + Teamwork Dice (3) = 16 dice.
Tracking: 16d6t5 8
50% Hits!  That hits James' Mental Limit.

Next stop is to hit up a couple biergartens to spread some holos around.  An Etiquette test is probably in order.  James is willing to spread a little nuyen around too if it seems appropriate.  I'll toss in a Judge Intentions test too.

Etiquette: CHA (5) + Etiquette (4) + Tailored Pheromones (2) = 11 dice.
Etiquette: 11d6t5 4

Judge Intentions: CHA (5) + INT (9) = 14 dice.
Judge Intentions: 14d6t5 5

James will be willing to spread around 50-200¥ per place, up to 1,000¥ total.  I'm just going to roll 4 extra dice, and you divvy that up as you see fit.
cash money: 4d6t5 1

James is also going to be curious about the drones on the streets: their relative concentration, owners, models.  I'm going to do a Visual Perception test, and a Matrix Perception test to see what I can come up with.

Visual Perception: INT (9) + Perception (6) + Visual Spec (2) + Vision Enhancement (2) + Specifically Looking (3) = 22 dice.
Perception + Visual + Specifically Looking: 22d6t5 4

Matrix Perception: LOG (4) + Computer (4) + Matrix Perception Spec (2) = 10 dice.
Matrix Perception: 10d6t5 3
I figure there's probably not much need for a roll in this case, as most icons won't be Running Silent, but I wanted to get an idea of how thorough he'd be.

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Tecumseh

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« Reply #499 on: <01-27-17/1333:17> »
That's some good rolling. James will catch the scent. I'll do another IC post with the lead. James is pretty effective on his own so we'll say the total gratuities are only ¥100.

As for the drones, James would describe the coverage as "snug". As Edsger said, basically the whole town is owned by AG Chem or FBV or their subsidiaries. Extraterritoriality is thorough to the point of there being little meaningful civic space. Most of the drones are for surveillance and might be packed with a taser but little more. Their intent seems to be to discourage malfeasance simply through their presence. If they can't handle a threat, they'll summon someone (or something) who can. They are owned and operated by the aforementioned AA-corps.

Overall the city is neat and orderly. You could describe it either as "German" or "corporate conservative" or both. There is almost no physical grime or graffiti. The only graffiti that exists is in the form of AROs, and even that is pretty modest compared to other sprawls. It's not an oppressive sense of security like you might get in Manhattan, but there's definitely the sense that there's not a lot of slack to work with.

rednblack

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« Reply #500 on: <01-27-17/1344:16> »
Any courier drones, preferably from home-grown corp that may have a local presence in Frankfurt? Florists, UPS, and the like.
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Tecumseh

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« Reply #501 on: <01-27-17/1444:34> »
Sure, I don't see why not. Flowers, groceries, meal delivery, etc. It would take a lot of research to determine if they were really a mom-and-pop or just a corporate subsidiary, but there's probably something that fits whatever you're looking for.

rednblack

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« Reply #502 on: <01-30-17/1751:56> »
Let's see about finding hostels via Computer Search.  James has: LOG (4) + Computer (4) = 8 dice.
Computer Search: Hostels: 8d6t5 4
That should net a workable list, and perhaps even trim down some unlikely candidates.

Just got a brief IC in.  Things are a little hectic today, so I had to keep it brief.
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Tecumseh

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« Reply #503 on: <01-30-17/1922:42> »
I probably should have included a bit more of a lead in my last IC post. The little dude (human, as it turns out) is supposed to be a good lead rather than a dead-end due to lack of details.

James indeed finds some hostels. They can pick up the trail there. Others in the hostel will confirm that Senio was there on Saturday and left with a man matching the little guy's description. He was driving a Porsche Aguilar and seemed to be contemptuous of the hostel. She was carrying her bag(s) and has not returned since. The little man said he was taking her to "Solomon".

rednblack

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« Reply #504 on: <01-31-17/1148:08> »
Yeah, I guess James could've pursued the little guy angle a bit harder at the biergarten too.  I didn't see it at all as a dead end, though.

"Solomon," that's interesting.  James is going to push an angle with Anders that he will discuss in the car with Illeana: painting the short fellow to be some sort of abusive ex.  He's going to see if he can get Anders to show him lobby footage, to make sure it's the right guy, and then snap a pic with his cyber eyes.  Related question, do James and Illeana have any expectation of continued communication with the Benandanti or information from them?  Can we flash a pic of this guy, and see if they know who he is, or anything about Solomon?

For speaking with Anders I could see Negotiation or Con.  Considering the lie part, I'll do Con, but let me know if that's off.  James has: CHA (5) + Con (6) + Fast Talk (2) + Tailored Pheromones (2) = 15 dice.
Video Feeds from Ander: 15d6t5 5
Perfecty average, but I think it will hold.  I left off any Subject is Friendly bonuses.  Anders appears helpful from the IC, but that doesn't mean he's friendly.

I thought about trying to enlist a local food delivery service or florist in getting eyes on this guy, or his tag numbers, but without any databases at our disposal that information is largely irrelevant.  The Solomon name is going to be the best lead, but I'm unsure how to capitalize on it right now.  I'm assuming the name doesn't mean anything to Illeana, and so it won't likely to James either.  One thing they could do is try some of the muscle car forums, and see if a pic/profile/name matches with what Anders provides -- if he provides anything -- but that would probably take awhile.

The fencing salles are still something to consider now that they have a description.

I'll post ICly when I know if James was able to finagle a picture of this guy.
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Tecumseh

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« Reply #505 on: <01-31-17/1301:55> »
Anders is actually a hostel guest (hence the "sharing a room with five other men" line), but with a roll like that you can con the proprietor into thinking that Senio might be in an abusive relationship. Illeana's appearance coupled with Senio's behavior would add bonuses to that story ("plausible evidence"). No bribe is necessary; the proprietor is concerned about human trafficking and doesn't want pimps or ganders hovering around hostel guests like vultures.

From that, you can get the necessary camera feeds to get a picture of the guy. No need to snap a picture with cybereyes; the proprietor will give you the necessary MARKs to download directly.

Updating Edsger is not expected nor required but you can leverage him for Matrix support if you like. I might suggest that your Computer Search pool is decent enough to try on your own first, but do whatever James would do (operating independently vs. outsourcing to experts).

I don't have a name for the skinny human yet. Something aristocratic and pompous. He's connected to the Faustus Society. A bit of research will uncover that he's a "legacy" member of the Society, as his father has been a member since the 2050s.

The Solomon name doesn't mean anything to James or Illeana. Research might uncover the meaning.

rednblack

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« Reply #506 on: <01-31-17/1707:12> »
I don't have a name for the skinny human yet. Something aristocratic and pompous. He's connected to the Faustus Society. A bit of research will uncover that he's a "legacy" member of the Society, as his father has been a member since the 2050s.

Heinz-Christian Strache is the name of a leader of Austria's far right Freedom party that seems to hit the right notes.  Tabbart Herzog is another possibility, Herzog being the German word for Duke, and Tabbart means brilliant which could well show the high hopes daddy Herzog had for his legacy, to say nothing of his humility.

James is going to ask Illeana to assist in these computer searches, which is probably a necessity due to the fact that a lot of this information will probably show up in German.  She has LOG (5) and Computer (2) for her assist.
Computer Search: skinny man: 7d6t5 3

James has: LOG (4) + Computer (4) + Teamwork (3) = 11 dice
Computer Search: skinny man: 11d6t5 5
That's fairly decent.

I'm going to assume that Illeana may be pursuing her own angle on the Solomon front, so I'll roll that solo.  If she has nothing going, and you want her to do Teamwork, feel free.  James has 8 dice.
Computer Search: Solomon: 8d6t5 3
I think I'm going to Edge this.  I probably should've pre-Edged with the dice pool, but I didn't.  We'll post-roll Push the Limit.
Edge: Push the Limit: 5d6h5 4
So, that's 7 Hits total.  Not bad.

James is at 4/5 Edge, which will hopefully refresh if there's enough time for sleeping among all that Computer Searching.  Just as likely they'll make a long night of it.

I should consider spending that 7 Karma on a Computer (Search) spec.

I'm going to delay my IC again until the results of these rolls.  It'll give me a bit further push.

Off-topic questions, related to me thinking ahead toward Salem:
Does Illeana remember Daria?  Have she seen her since the obelisk?
Do you have any information on Daria or her previous coven that hasn't been related yet?
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Tecumseh

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« Reply #507 on: <01-31-17/1751:13> »
7 hits will get the job done. "Solomon" is actually "Salomen". The "Salomen Club" is the Final Club related to the Faustus Society at Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main (Goethe University for convenience). The club is "final" because after you join it you cannot join any other clubs. The name comes from a line in Marlowe's play: "Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris."
 
Additional details: The club provides its members with well-furnished lounges and sitting-rooms, a library, pool table, dining room and bar. Lunch is served daily, dinner once or twice a week, and even occasional breakfasts. The charges for these meals are kept low so that members can attend as frequently as possible. It also boasts a private squash court, an outdoor garden (that can be flooded in the winter to convert it into a seasonal ice rink), and space for fencing. Presumably, from details overhead from Heinz-Christian the Baron Krauss von Espy, it has lodging quarters and is extensively warded too.
 
As for getting inside, there is a strict guest policy. Guests may only visit once (in their lifetime) and must be accompanied by a club member. Members bringing guests should only be seldom and the guests should be "the better kind of person." Female guests are frowned on except for social events like sporting matches. Bringing too many female guests to the club is grounds for expulsion. (Remember, the Faustus Society is an old boys' club.)



As for the Salem questions, Illeana does not remember Daria. They have not seen each other since before Aspen. Illeana would not know Daria if she saw her. (According to Ryo, Daria's portrait in Illeana's commlink was a Wiccan symbol.)

Daria would be pissed that Illeana betrayed the coven and sided with James. Presumably Daria received a report from her Black Lodge handlers that Illeana was seen with Ace (and the others) fleeing from Aspen in an RV, which led to a fight in which Black Lodge assets were killed. (* see below) Daria, of course, does not know the circumstances (i.e. the amnesia), but Daria's ultimate loyalty is to the coven, so she won't be too open-minded about her former sister's circumstances. As I mentioned earlier, it's an open question whether Daria resents Black Lodge too or whether she appreciates the "support" they provide.

The coven is aligned with the Mother Earth policlub / magical group. See Loose Alliances, p. 47-52, 148. If you don't have it, I might be able to send you the relevant pages. Daria herself is a blank slate to work with.

* Did I ever tell you that the guy you shot point-blank at the end of Chapter II (after the RV battle) survived? I rolled it out behind the scenes. James rolled terribly (2 hits) even with the point-blank modifier, and the guy soaked well. He still went into Overflow, but DocWagon was able to get to him in time to stabilize him.

rednblack

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« Reply #508 on: <01-31-17/2256:17> »
I started an IC awhile ago, but I've only been able to get on it intermittently.  I'm going to be posting another tomorrow morning, which will take us through the research, and probably into the fencing salles.  Let's see if we can con our way into a guest pass at one of the most exclusive clubs in Europe. 

If you get to this before I've posted again and want to offer any direction on the salles, I'll take it.  Otherwise, I can fake my way through some stuff.
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Tecumseh

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« Reply #509 on: <02-01-17/0207:20> »
Con-ing your way in will be a tall order. I don't want to say that it's impossible, but even if you get in then odds are good you'll get sniffed out quickly.

There's a separate entrance to the club for guests. It's expected that their host will escort them in. You could potentially have Edsger hack your name onto a list, but he'd have to connect you to a member. Once inside without a member host, or assigned to a host that doesn't recognize you, then the jig would be up.

Under other circumstances Illeana might suggest magically cloaking your appearance and/or just brainwashing a host, but given the nature of the Dr. Faustus Society (an exclusive magical group) that's unlikely to succeed.

You think Senio is inside but you don't actually know. She could have moved by now. Options are the B&E route (the sneak-and-peek), or you could try to corner Heinz-Christian the Baron Krauss von Espy outside of the club and have him lead you to her.

The Salomen Club has space for fencing but that's more to imply that its members do fence rather than the actually fencing would have to take place there. Of course, it's not impossible that the fencing would take place there either. I don't know anything about fencing or its etiquette so if you're familiar with the world then it would be better if you took the lead in order to get the details right. Are there invitation tournaments with outside athletes? If so, maybe James can get himself on the list, or perhaps the brave duo simply attend in a social guise.