Babes in London: Act Three, Scene 1A (Part 1: Meeting the Artist)

SCENE 1A: MEETING THE ARTIST

The artist wasn’t in his Islington studio; staff there directed you to Camden. After a bit of a juggle with transport and traffic, you arrived in Camden and, after asking a few questions about unicorns and painters, you are standing in front of the gate that will take you into the rooms, secondary gallery and studios of one David Markovin—fantasy artist and painter of unicorns (among other things). The pocket-sized front lawn is bordered by a neat array of lavender, roses and low-growing somethings, and divided down the centre by a path leading to the patio and front door, where a unicorn set in stained glass waits to greet you. Below it, a small, brass plaque announces: ‘Welcome to the Markovin’s Madness: Please, come in.’

Give PCs a brief moment to react.

If they decide to try to enter in a more surreptitious manner, read or paraphrase the following: The windows on the lower ground floor appear to have been boarded up from the inside and there is no way to reach the rear of the gallery as it shares a wall with the buildings on either side. The only other alternative entrance would be the green-doored garage, but it is closed and locked. There are balconies lined by large, closed windows on the second floor, but you’re sure you would stand out against the cream-colored walls of the gallery if you climbed them, and it wouldn’t be long before a passer-by called the police.

If PCs decide to try and enter by the back way, play it by ear. There is a small garden area behind the gallery, which contains a couple of fruit trees and a small table and chairs beneath a miniature gazebo similar to those found in public gardens. The back door is unlocked, and the Setite assassins will have entered by the time the PCs have located the back yard. When they enter, go to scene 1B, adapting it to the PCs location and responses, and the battle to rescue the artist from the Setites.

If PCs decide to enter through the front door, before looking for a rear entrance, read or paraphrase the following: The unicorn doesn’t speak, of course, but a small bell tinkles as you open the front door. The room you enter is the professional face of David Markovin. It’s a gallery that fills the front half of the lower floor of the flat. Its walls are off-white, and numerous paintings are displayed along them. Beneath each picture is a small label with the painting’s name, date of completion, a short description, and a price. One thing’s for sure, this Markovin chap doesn’t shy away from making a profit from his work! A young woman dressed like a Romanian gypsy is dusting a painted vase that stands on a pedestal between two of the paintings. “Can I help you?” she asks as she walks to the counter and tucks the duster away.

This is Mischief Overton. She has no explanation for her name and is insistent on finding out what the PCs want. She can be convinced to see if David Markovin will meet them. (Any reasonable request or argument will do this, providing an Air (Interaction) 2 test is successfully made.) Mischief asks the PCs to wait, and goes to see if ‘Mr Markovin’ will meet them, returning to take them upstairs to the studios shortly thereafter. Read or paraphrase the following on their arrival:

This area, you think, is the working face of David Markovin. A number of canvases stand in an open, wooden-floored workspace that takes up the front half of the second floor. Stands holding paint, brushes and what smells like mineral turpentine are scattered about between the canvases in progress, and another pile of canvas-clad clutter lines the front wall. Paint splotches have dried and faded into the floorboards and large windows lead out onto what looks like a narrow balcony. A middle-aged man with fuzzy brown hair and the first signs of premature baldness is washing a paint-brush at one of the sinks along the rear wall of the room. His light green eyes are bright with curiosity behind their light, wire-framed glasses and he has a pleasant smile: “Thank you, Mischief,” he says, then: “Can I help you?”

NOTE: This adventure is not sanctioned in any way, shape or form by Fantasy Flight. It is not an official product, and I am in no way affiliated with them or they with me. There is no relationship between us. This adventure is mine, for fun, and for you, because some of you asked me to finish it.

Also, if you like this adventure and want to play it, please go buy the official rulebooks from somewhere where the original creators and publisher of the setting will be paid. I got mine from a Melbourne game store, but I’ve found PDF versions of the Player's Handbook and the Gamemaster's Handbook are now available from DriveThruFiction. If you enjoy their world, this is the best way to thank them.