Adventure Edition - Babes in London: Little Girls Lost Act Two Scene 3B

You can find the introduction to the Babes in London adventure sequence HERE, the background to Act One HERE, the Overview for Act One HERE., Act One Scenes 1-2 HERE and Act One Scene 3 HERE.

Act Two Preparation and Scene 1 can be found HERE, Act Two Scene 2 can be found HERE and Act Two Scene 3A can be found HERE.

To play or run this game you will need the following:

PLAYERS: Fireborn Player's Handbook;
GAME MASTERS: Fireborn Gamemaster's Handbook;

This is a piece of fan fiction. It is NOT endorsed or acknowledged by Fantasy Flight Games; it is IN NO WAY official; it DOES NOT indicate any form of relationship between myself and Fantasy Flight Games; and I DO NOT CLAIM any of the setting specific material or setting specific concepts as my own.

GMs, please note that there are two sizable cut-scenes interlinked with Scene 3A. They final one will be posted next week. You should not run Scene 3A until you have both cut-scenes, as they interrupt this scene when they occur. Scene 3B is only the first cut-scene. Also note that these scenes have not been playtested, so you may need to adjust them on the fly. If you do, I would be grateful for any feedback.

PLAYERS SHOULD NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SCENE THREE B: HOUNDS OF THE LAW

You stand before the wooden platform that should have hosted the trial. Lady Amintar, a magistrate from the port city of Elios, stands in the center of the platform and her body radiates the fury in her voice. “Three months ago the farmer Breytos left this freehold to try to sell his fleece in Elios. At that time it would have fetched three times the price he could have gained from selling it to the freehold.”

She waits until the murmurs rising from the community gathered around you subside. “Breytos died when his horses bolted on the road through Mairnon’s Pass, taking themselves and the wagon over the edge and into the Heirions River. I am here because the magistrates have retrieved the wagon and found evidence of Blisterionus on the harness of the both animals.”

There is a collective gasp from the people around you and now their eyes understand two things: Your presence, and the disappearance of Breytos’ neighbor – with Breytos’ wife.

Magistrate Amintar outlines the suspicions brought to her by Breytos’ daughters and the charge of murder laid against their mother and neighbor. “By the 101^st law it is said that: Sabotage leading to the foreseeable chance of death for another is murder and the saboteur shall be tried as a murderer. In this case we have conducted our investigations and bring the case before you only to find that the accused have disappeared. Fortunately someone among you noted the disappearance and there are volunteers for the hunt.” She looks directly at you and you bow.

There is a smattering of nervous applause from the assembled freehold. Your deeds are well known, but this is the first hunt where your prey is human. “Give them all the help they require.” With her last command ringing in their ears, the freeholders look towards you. You hear one mutter an excuse to his neighbor – something about having to take the sheep to pasture. It’s the start of an exodus. With a sigh, you realize two things – the reason you only received the call for help last night and that you’ll have to use the dogs after all.

PART A: INVESTIGATION

Let the PCs work out what to do. If they are aware of their draconic forms and abilities, they can use these, otherwise they take on the human disguise adopted by their draconic selves during this Age. They do have dogs available to them and a guide can be found to take them to Breytos’ house where one of the dead man’s daughters can be located. She can give them something the dogs can scent from and the hunt can begin – or the PCs can do some investigation first. If there is time, let the PCs move around the village asking questions.

• Research (Mental): If a character uses this skill

TH1: Karymnos, Breytos’ neighbor, was a fur trader and hunter. He has not been seen since yesterday evening when he was gathering supplies for another of his hunting trips. Breytos’ wife, Brinna, was last seen locking her doors an hour after dusk. (Neither of her daughters saw her this morning, however, but assumed she had business in the village – a fact that is easily checked and found to be false.).

TH3: Karymnos hunted mostly the eastern side of the mountain above the village but traded with another community on the other side of the mountain. There is a trail, used only by hunters and peddlers.

•  Knowledge (Atlantean Geography): Characters aware of Atlantean geography for this age may try to work out other ways Breytos could have taken to escape the village without taking the main trail.

TH1: There are numerous small trails all over the mountain. Some even lead to communities on the other side but are mostly used by peddlers and hunters.

TH3: If Breytos wanted to avoid using the main trail and reach a port, he would try to reach Marethykos, a village on the other side of the mountain. From there he could make his way down to the sea and take passage from the fishing village of Kykos to any of the ports. Marethykos is two days away which means the runaways won’t reach it until tomorrow mid-morning at the earliest (tomorrow evening if they stop to rest for the night).

Other Notes: A guide can be found to lead them to the trail to Marethykos. Slender and wiry, this otherwise pretty young lady bears the scars of a lion’s strike across one shoulder and the top of an arm. If asked, she calmly informs the character that she forgot that mask cats hunt in pairs. If pressed for details a shadow crosses her face and she changes the subject to the location of the path, where she leaves them. Her name is Alyssia and she is a hunter by trade. If PCs are actively trying to gain more information from her they can make an Air (Interaction) test. The following THs reveal the following information:

TH1: Alyssia knows of no other trails that the runaways could have taken as a short cut but Karymnos was a skilled hunter and had his secrets.

TH2: No-one else has used the track for days.

TH3: Karymnos pack-horse has a distinctive track mark. His near-fore hoofprint has an indented triangle on the inner left-hand side.

PART B: THE CHASE

From here, the PCs match their skills at hunting and tracking against Karymnos. The hunter has used the main path for much of the way, both for speed and to hide his trail. After 6 hours of traveling in the dark and 3 hours of hard riding, he left the trail and headed down the mountain, using rocky outcrops and stony ground to hide his diversion. He is heading for the Heiron’s River where he has arranged to meet a boat to take him and Brinna to Elios – which is in the opposite direction to which he will be expected to go.

If they are using the dogs, the PCs reach the rocky outcrop where Karymnos left the path around mid-afternoon. Read or paraphrase the following:

The dogs are looking tired but very pleased with themselves. Eight hours of tracking and they think they’re still on the trail. The trail turns a corner and the trees give way to a bulge of rock that extends across the path and up and down both sides. The dogs stop. One sneezes. Another rubs its nose. The third dog glares at you as though it’s your fault and the fourth sits down and looks confused. It’s the lead dog that picks up the trail again. After two more sneezing episodes, it begins to pull you away from the trail and over the rocks leading down the mountainside.

If the PCs want to double check the dogs’ decision they must make an Air (Senses) TH3 test against Karymnos’ Air (Stealth) TH1 test in order to notice that something has disturbed the rocks and nearby shrubbery. Otherwise they can follow the dogs. (Go to Part C: Rendezvous)

If they are not using the dogs, the PCs must make six Air (Senses) TH3 tests while following the trail. Success means they note some tangible sign that he has passed along the trail be it a distinctive hoof mark, a scrap of cloth from a woman’s dress, evidence that someone ‘had to go’ in the bushes not far from the trail, a discarded handkerchief etc. Once they reach the rocky outcrop at mid-afternoon, have them make another Air (Senses) TH3 test against Karymnos’ Air (Stealth) in order to pick up and keep the hunter’s trail. (Karymnos had a TH1 to leave the trail successfully at this point due to the rocky nature of both the trail and the ground beyond it.) If they fail to pick up the trail at this point, they come across a hunter’s camp further on and learn that no-one has passed that way all day – the hunters can help put them back on the trail if they need it, or the PCs can back track, making tests until they pick up the trail again. When they find it, continue with Part C: Rendezvous.

PART C: RENDEZVOUS

If PCs are using the dogs:

Dusk is closing in, when the hounds begin to bay. Well, so much for the stealthy approach! Ahead of you, just beyond an outcrop of rocks you hear a shout of angry frustration and a woman’s cry of dismay.

PCs have finally caught up with the runaways. Karymnos is a desperate man and slips into hiding the moment the hounds begin to bay; his plan is to make his way into the river and let its current carry him downstream and to the other side. He has given Brinna instructions to do the same and the pair split up, confusing the dogs with a choice of two scent trails. As PCs round the outcrop, read or paraphrase the following:

Apart from a horse, still tethered to a tree, a picnic blanket spread in the late afternoon sun, and the hastily discarded remains of someone’s supper, the area beyond the outcrop is empty. The dogs reach the blanket and then begin circling to regain the scent; there is sudden confusion as the lead hound tries to continue the pursuit in one direction and the second lead lunges in another.

Let the PCs work out how to handle this before allowing them to close the pursuit. Because Karymnos is trying to be stealthy, he is moving slower than any PC and dog combination but the same cannot be said for Brinna who is fleeing headlong for the water, discarding pieces of clothing (and anything else that might slow her down) as she goes.

If PCs are not using the dogs: Have them make three Air (Senses) TH3 tests against Karymnos’ Air (Stealth) TH3 (it’s hard to hide traces of the pack horse’s passage through the undergrowth). If the third test is successful read or paraphrase the following:

From behind another outcrop of rocks, you hear the sound of voices, soft laughter and the restless stamp of a horse.

Let PCs work out how to tackle this situation. Whatever they do, as soon as they show themselves, Karymnos and Brinna try to bolt for the river, heading in two different directions as described above. In this case, however, Karymnos won’t be trying to be stealthy unless he manages to lose whoever is following him in the undergrowth.

KARYMNOS – ATLANTEAN HUNTER

Era Mythic; Race Natural being; APL 4; Init 8; Aspects Fire 4, Water 3, Air 4, Earth 3; Health 3m; <3/ 3+ / 6+ /9+ / 12+ / 15+ / 18+ / 21+; Size/Reach 0 / 2; Armor 0; Karma 3; Stride 20 ft. (Moderate)

Combat

Throwing Dagger 4/L , Recurve Bow 10/M, Long Sword 10/M,Fist (2) 3/L, Kick (2) 4/M, Sequences Knife Fighting

Abilities

Skills Athletics 5; Knowledge: Finances 4; Knowledge: Geography 4; Knowledge: Law 3; Medicine 3; Melee 5; Ranged 6; Senses 5; Stamina 4; Stealth 6; Travel 5; Will 5; Edges: Allies: Smugglers 5; Circumspect 3, Deft 3, Stealthy

BRINNA – ATLANTEAN FREEHOLDER

Era Mythic; Race Natural being; APL 2; Init ; Aspects Fire 3, Water 3, Air 3, Earth 4; Health 4m; <3 / 6+ / 9+ / 12+ / 15+ / 18+ / 21+ / 24+; Size/Reach 0 / 2; Armor 0; Karma 15; Stride 20 ft. (Moderate)

Combat

Fist (2) 3/L, Kick (2) 4/M, Sequences

Abilities

Skills Athletics 4, Knowledge: Farming 4, Knowledge: Finances: 2, Knowledge: Mythic Culture (Atlantis) 2, Stamina 4; Edges Allies: Freehold, Durable, Network: Freehold.

PART D: SENTENCE & REWARD

Once the capture (or apparent loss) of Brinna and Karymnos is resolved read, or paraphrase, the following:

Well, they led you a merry dance, but you caught them in the end. The scene of their capture fades, and you find yourself standing once again before a wooden platform and Lady Amintar. Brinna and Karymnos kneel before her, their heads touching the boards.

“… the penalty is death by drowning,” the Lady Amintar is saying. The stern look fades from her face and she glances down at you with a smile. “And for my hunters I have a new title. You are awarded the position of Hounds of the Law and your services will be retained in perpetuity.”

The scene fades and you find yourselves arrayed before Anika’s desk with one thought resting uneasily on your mind. The summons to the trial had come from a member of another brood and you had answered immediately – but now you can’t remember why. You really wish you could, because someone out there appears to owe you a favor.

Allow the PCs to work out what they wish to do next. They may wish to continue searching the house, or they may have completed their search and wish to go elsewhere. If PCs have searched the house and Anika’s room, and garnered all the clues they can, go to the section titled: ‘Finalizing Scene Three’.

  

END OF ACT TWO SCENE 3B

Next week, I will be posting the final cut-scene, Act Two Scene 3C.