>>5853578

Welcome! This is the Noir Detective one-shot. I have plans for a full quest eventually, but this one-shot will be a kind of testing ground before I embark on a proper quest. Systems may change as I see what works and what doesn’t. You’ll create and play as a detective and attempt to solve a case that comes your way. Be warned, Los Diablos is not a kind city, and another missing detective will only make page 3 of the newspaper…

Dice system will be 2d6, Bo3. Players must vote for an action, and then the dice roll will be called. Votes will have dice DC displayed. E.g:

A man is waiting at the other end of the corridor, leaning against the wall and smoking a cigarette. You weren’t expecting anyone to be here. The lights are out, and you can’t see his face. Didn’t the cops say they’d already cleared the building? But you’d noticed that mobster standing in the crowd outside…

>Draw your gun and shoot! (Easy: Perception, DC 8)
>Call out to him, see if you can find out what he’s doing. (Challenging: Silver tongue, DC 12)
>Sneak away before he can notice you. (Heroic: Athletics, DC 15)

For those wondering where The End of the Republic III is, I beg your forgiveness and promise that it will be coming soon. This is just a lower-maintenance quest I’ll be running in the interim while I get my life sorted out a little (nothing serious, just moving house and a few other things).

>>5853579

First, your name. Who are you?

Name
>John Smiley. From the Old Country. Before it sank into the sea. Brown hair, tall, with a round and rosy face sporting muttonchops.
>Philip Chandler. A Los Diablos native, born and bred. You know this city all too well. Black hair, medium height, a long and thin face, cleanshaven.
>Arsene LeBlanc. From the Continent. Before the Internationale took over. Blonde, short, with a pointy chin, cleanshaven but for the faintest hint of a mustache.
>Write in.


Next, your skills. These will be what define you as a detective.

Pick 3 to be high, and 3 to be low. High skills will give a +6 to rolls. Low skills +0. The rest will be +2.

Skills

Investigatory
- Brainpower – How well you understand concepts. Affects your ability to research and learn new information.
- Intuition – Connect the dots. Figure things out. More of a feeling than a skill, it’s still a powerful tool that every detective makes use of.
- Perception – Notice things. A broken window. An imprint of a shoe. You ability to find evidence, and other details that might be of use. Also effects your how well you can shoot.

Social
- Silver tongue – Charm people. Get them to like you. Get information from them. People skills are important.
- Insight - Realise when someone’s telling the truth or lying to you. Get to know how they think.
- Deception - Lie, cheat, and conceal. From time to time you’ll need to hide things, from prospective suspects, an overbearing police officer, a woman who’s getting too close…

Physical
- Muscle – Your raw strength. Useful in fights, or lifting heavy objects. Or even just forcing people to do what you want.
- Endurance – How much damage you can take. Useful if you want to take hits and roll with the punches.
- Athletics – Your general fitness. How quickly you can run and navigate unstable terrain. Useful for pursuing suspects, or running away from hairy situations.

>>5853581

Perks

Pick TWO positive perks, ONE negative.

Positive perks
- Doctor. Know your way around medicine, how to bandage a wound, how to save someone’s life. Also how to identify cause of death.
- War veteran. You have an intimate knowledge of weapons and the way they work. Automatically pass any checks related to weapons.
- Impeccable reputation. You’re known for getting results. You may use this to automatically pass certain checks/ask for more money.
- A favour owed. Someone important owes you a favour.
- Mob connections. You have an in with some members of the mob. (Mutually exclusive with cop connections).
- Cop connections. You have an in with some members of LDPD. (Mutually exclusive with mob connections).
- Crack shot - +8 to combat rolls with a gun.
- Boxer - + 8 to combat rolls with your fists
- Athlete. +6 to athletics.
- Personal car. Old, and beaten down, but it’s yours. You can go anywhere you want with it.
- Sangfroid. You don’t show any emotions. Maybe because you don’t have any. Automatically pass deception checks. (Mutually exclusive with Coward)
- Just that lucky. Once per case, you may retry a failed roll.

Negative perks
- Drug addict. You started taking morphine, for medical purposes, but now its an addiction.
- Alcoholic. It helps you get through the day, but you’re addicted. Many are.
- A debt owed. You owe someone money. A lot of money. Enough that you have no idea how you’ll pay them back.
- A limp. You got wounded a while back, and now it’s permanent. – Automatically fails pursuit/flee checks. – 5 to athletics.
- Violent. You’re unstable, and prone to flying into rages. It only takes the smallest provocation for you to start a fight.
- Coward. You hate violence in all its forms. You can’t stand fights, or being threatened, and suffer a -10 to all related rolls. (Mutually exclusive with violent)
- Short. -2 to all social skills
- Weak spot. Love is hard. You fall all too easily for members of the fairer sex. Automatically fail all insight and deception checks with women.
- Shaky hands -8 to combat rolls with a gun.

>Write in positive or negative perk. (I reserve the right to veto)

>>5853581
>John Smiley. From the Old Country. Before it sank into the sea. Brown hair, tall, with a round and rosy face sporting muttonchops.

High
>intuition
>endurance
>perception

Low
>deception
>athletics
>brainpower

Perks
>boxer
>doctor
>violent

>>5853579
>Sneak away before he can notice you. (Heroic: Athletics, DC 15)
>>5853581
>Arsene LeBlanc. From the Continent. Before the Internationale took over. Blonde, short, with a pointy chin, cleanshaven but for the faintest hint of a mustache.

High
>Intuition
>Athletics
>Perception
Low
>Muscle
>Deception
>Brainpower
>>5853582
Perks
>Sangfroid
>Athlete
>Short

Sneaky detective

>>5853595
That was just an example of how the DC's are gonna be displayed

>>5853581
>Philip Chandler. A Los Diablos native, born and bred. You know this city all too well. Black hair, medium height, a long and thin face, cleanshaven.
>High: Perception, Intuition, Insight
>Low: Muscle, Endurance, Athletics
>Perks: Cop connections, Personal car, Alcoholic

>>5853581
>John Smiley. From the Old Country. Before it sank into the sea. Brown hair, tall, with a round and rosy face sporting muttonchops.

High:
>Intuition
>Insight
>Endurance

Low:
>Brainpower
>Deception
>Athletics

>>5853582
>Boxer
>Personal car
>Shaky hands

semi-random build lol, I hope we don't die.

File: the bridge.jpg (435 KB, 1050x1181)

435 KB JPG

Vote will be open until I wake up in the morning. In the meantime, here's a short lorepost about some of the factions in Los Diablos:

The Government
The Government understandably has a lot of interests in the city of Los Diablos. Even without all the crime, the city is on the cutting edge of science, entertainment, and culture, and The Government has a hand in every pie that makes a profit. Even so, it is often distant, preferring to work through middlemen and representatives rather than get its hands dirty through direct action. In Los Diablos most people deal with the men in City Hall, but the shadow of the Federal Government looms large in unexpected corners, and when G-Men become involved you know it's serious work.

The Mob
The Mob is, some say, the most powerful force in the city, though you'll never hear it said in City Hall or the more reputable clubs and hotels. Formed of all the major gangs and crime families, or 'Associations' as some like to be called, they rule the underworld with an iron fist. Gambling, drugs, pornography, racketeering, even murder here and there, there are few crimes that aren't somehow associated with The Mob. Formed of close-knit 'families', most (or all) have their roots in the crime organisations of Puglia, and the surrounding regions, from a peninsula on The Continent. While they're not all united, and often at war with each other, their enemies find themselves, sooner or later, sleeping with the fishes.

The Company
The Security and Protections Company. An international organisation, it has a strong presence in Los Diablos, which it publicly claims is a strong "investment opportunity". Nominally a simple banking and secure storage service, it is heavily involved in all sorts of activities, funding universities, media companies, and even private prisons. It insists that all its activities are "completely legal". Though many journalists and hack writers for the Yellow Press have tried, there has never once been a scandal involving The Company. Whether that's due to their discretion or influence in high places, none can say.

We await the update.

Rolled 2 (1d4)

>>5853592
>>5853595
>>5853647
>>5853737
Rolling for character.

File: Office.png (618 KB, 894x488)

618 KB PNG

You are Arsene LeBlanc. From the Continent, before it was taken over by your "patriotic" countrymen and turned into the core of The Internationale. You and many other émigrés now called Los Diablos home, though most of the ones fortunate enough to escape were also rich enough to maintain a comfortable way of living. Not you though.

It's been a quiet day in the office the past few days. Your last case was rather boring, finding a woman's lost husband. She was worried he had been cheating, or perhaps found himself caught up with The Mob, but it had been more simple than that. You had found him in a bar drinking himself to death, apparently because of his nagging wife. You'd gotten paid and that was that. And now you had nothing to do.

You pour yourself another drink. Probably not a good idea if you're waiting for a client, but this late in the day and-

[I]A knock at the door.[/i]

Damn. You were banking on having the evening to yourself. You wish you had a secretary right now, but they're too expensive. Who knew detective work didn't pay regularly?

You quickly shove your glass and bottle into your desk and clean things up a little. You're not as drunk as you could be, and beyond a little stubble on your chin you look neat enough. Or as neat as you can be. Standing up, you stride to the door, behind which stands the hazy silhouette of a person. Opening it, you see...

>A dame
>A cop
>A tough guy.
>A man in a suit

>>5854232
>A cop

>>5854232
>A dame
Of course.

>>5854232
>>A cop

>>5854232
>>A dame

Giving it half an hour for tiebreak then I'm rolling.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

1 = Dame
2 = Cop

File: The Dame.png (1.19 MB, 1480x1080)

1.19 MB PNG

It's a woman. Tall, rich looking, blonde. Wearing a dark red jacket, felt if you're not mistaken, and loose black slacks. She's alone, which probably isn't a good idea in this neighbourhood, but maybe she has her own car. She looks confident enough to brave these
streets at any rate. She's carrying a small purse, big enough to carry personal effects, including a gun.

>Can I help you?

"Yes. Are you Mr. LeBlanc?"

Her voice has only the faintest hint of an accent. You can't quite place it. You nod in reply to her question.

>I am. Are you looking for a detective?

She smiles, a charming and cordial one that would put anyone at ease. The kind of smile for friends that aren't really friends.

"Of course."

>Well, come in then.

You open the door fully and walk back to your desk. She follows you, sitting down demurely in the wooden seat in front of it. You should buy a nicer one of those these days.

>How can I help you, Miss...?

"Miss Brean. Vera Brean. And I need your help, Mr. LeBlanc. I've got something I want you to find for me, something very important. I'll pay you well if you succeed. Think you could help?"

She's looking around at the room while she speaks, staring at all your memorabilia and furniture. It's nothing impressive. Some bits and bobs of sentimental value, filing cabinets and drawers filled with papers, a few newspaper clippings mentioning you or a case you solved. The light from the neon sign outside shines brightly through the windows, and you realise that you forgot to turn on the light. Damn. It looks like she doesn't mind though.

>Of course. What's the case?

She hesitates a moment, taking a moment to think, then looks directly at you. Her eyes are a deep green, and her cheeks are slightly flushed.

"Well Mr. LeBlanc. What I'm asking you to find has gone missing, and not because it's been misplaced. It's...

>A letter. A very important letter that might be... embarrassing to someone important. Not myself, but someone I know. They very much want it back before it accidentally falls into the wrong hands.

>A jewel. It's a rare and very precious artifact. It's gone missing from its case, and nobody knows where it's gone. I want you to track it down before it gets sold, or put away somewhere.

>A lawyer. He's gone missing, but we know he's not dead otherwise there'd be a body. He's part of a very important case, and its essential you find out what's happened to him.

>>5854372
>A letter. A very important letter that might be... embarrassing to someone important. Not myself, but someone I know. They very much want it back before it accidentally falls into the wrong hands.

>>5854372
>A letter. A very important letter that might be... embarrassing to someone important. Not myself, but someone I know. They very much want it back before it accidentally falls into the wrong hands.

>>5854372
>>A jewel. It's a rare and very precious artifact. It's gone missing from its case, and nobody knows where it's gone. I want you to track it down before it gets sold, or put away somewhere.

>>5854372
>A lawyer. He's gone missing, but we know he's not dead otherwise there'd be a body. He's part of a very important case, and its essential you find out what's happened to him.

>>5854372
>A lawyer.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>5854499
>>5854860
1
>>5854867
>>5855133
2

Rolling.

>A lawyer. He's gone missing, but we know he's not dead otherwise there'd be a body. He's part of a very important case, and its essential you find out what's happened to him.

She's confident now, decisive. Delivering the information she came here to deliver. You pull out a notebook and pen from one of your drawers and turn to a fresh page. The Case of the Missing Lawyer. You look across to her, your pen hovering above the book.

>Please, go on.

She nods, and continues her story. "He's been gone for two days now. He was working on a case, and when it adjourned for the day he returned to his office, as usual. The secretary saw him come in. But when court started the next day, he didn't turn up. We went round to the office, and the secretary said he was still there when the left. We thought he might have fallen asleep and overslept. But when we went inside he was nowhere to be found."

She pauses for a moment, then reaches into her handbag and takes out a pack of cigarettes. She takes one out and lights it, in a quick, practised motion. She takes a deep breath and continues.

"He didn't turn up the next day either. Or today. Which is why I've come to you, Mr. LeBlanc.

You nod. It's a simple enough story. Now to ask some questions.

>What's his name, general appearance?

"Oh, sorry, I should have started with that. It's Mr. Farrow from Porter, Farrow, and Rand. Mr. Farrow is in his 50s, ah, grey hair, and very thin. He wears a ghastly light grey suit and hat. He almost looks like he walked out of one of the movies."

Your eyebrows raise at that. Porter, Farrow, and Rand were pretty big law firm. Not the biggest or most successful, but they were up there. And one of their partners has gone missing?

>What's the court case?

Her eyes flash, briefly, before settling. She smiles at you.

"Oh, it's nothing. A quiet thing. You wouldn't have heard it in the papers."

You nod and make a note.

>Any Mob connections?

She blinks, and smiles at you. "No. I don't think so. He makes sure to stay away from that kind of business. Besides, don't they send out ransoms or something when they're involved?"

Or bodies, but you keep that one to yourself.

>Anything else?

She quickly shakes hear head. "No, that's all. And, Mr LeBlanc, I expect your full discretion on this. I want to keep his disappearance, and you finding him quiet. I don't like attention."

You've had stranger cases. Still, you have a feeling that there's more to this one than meets the eye. For one, Miss Brean seems remarkably hesitant to give you any information on what it is Mr. Farrow is actually doing for her. You don't even have a reason for his disappearance, and that's going to be tough on your investigation.

>>5855876

What will you do now?

>What exactly is the lawyer doing for Miss Brean? You need to know as much as you can if you’ll have a chance at finding him. (Medium: Silver tongue, DC 10)
>See if you cant figure out where he’s gone from the information she’s given you. (Medium: Intuition, DC 10)
>Spend some time observing Miss Brean. See if you can’t read anything from her. (Easy: Perception, DC 8)
>Why hasn’t Miss Brean gone to the police about this? They’re better suited for missing persons. (Formidable: Silver tongue, DC 13)
>The matter of your payment and daily rate. (Skip questions)
>Write in (May be subject to roll)

(I should also mention that 1,1 and 6,6 count as crits. A roll of 6,6 will automatically succeed a check even if you don't have the skill points for it.)

>>5855882
>Spend some time observing Miss Brean. See if you can’t read anything from her. (Easy: Perception, DC 8)
Perception is one of LeBlanc's best stats.

Side note, but since the character description for LeBlanc included short and short was the negative chosen is he super short?

>>5855908
I'll say you're 5 foot exactly.

>>5855882
>Spend some time observing Miss Brean. See if you can’t read anything from her. (Easy: Perception, DC 8)

>>5855882
>What exactly is the lawyer doing for Miss Brean? You need to know as much as you can if you’ll have a chance at finding him.

>>5855908
>>5856294
>>5856405
Roll 2d6+6

Rolled 3, 6 + 6 = 15 (2d6 + 6)

>>5857019

>>5857019
Should mention it is Bo3.

Rolled 1, 4 + 6 = 11 (2d6 + 6)

>>5857019

Rolled 1, 3 + 6 = 10 (2d6 + 6)

>>5857019

Aurebesh?

>>5857023
>>5857543
>>5857603

Roll: 15, DC: 8, SUCCESS

You nod and spend some time writing down notes, ostensibly about the details Miss Brean has given you, though you make sure to sneak clandestine glances at her as you do so. It often pays to tell what a client's state of mind is. The most striking thing about her is that she's perfectly calm. Not a hint of worry. Of course, she could be concealing it and putting on a brave face for the good detective, but you don't think so. Her posture is relaxed, casual, as if she's doing a simple business deal. Her cheeks are flushed, but only with makeup. Her breathing is regular, while her nostrils aren't flared at all. And she's looking with bored interest around the room, as if everything in it is a bunch of curiosities that she doesn't really care for.


No, it seems to you that she isn't too worried about this case at all. She's interested in what you do, but you get the feeling deep down that there's something else going on here, but you can't quite place what.

She notices you looking at her and gives a disarming smile. You smile back and finish writing in your notebook.

>Thank you very much for that, Miss Brean, that will do nicely. Now, my rate.

She nods, seriously.

>Twenty-five a day, plus expenses, and a 50 dollar fee up-front. That'll do?

She nods her head, all business. "That will do nicely Mr. LeBlanc. I already have some money here."

She reaches into her purse and takes out two notes, twin twenty-fives. "I hope you find him Mr. LeBlanc."

>Don't you worry, I see cases through to the end.

"I think you will, Mr. LeBlanc." She stands up, and you rise from your own seat to escort her to the door. Before she leaves, she briefly turns to you, her green eyes shining every so slightly.

"Oh, and Mr. LeBlanc. Please be careful."

You nod once, and watch her leave. Returning to the office you hear the low hum of a powerful car driving off outside. You have a case now. Time to get to it.

First order of business, your gear. Heading to the rack by the door you reach out for your suit...

Choose your suit!
>The Classic: Trenchcoat and fedora. Do you need anything else?
>The Working Man: White collared shirt, waistcoat, and pipe.
>The Nice Guy: Black suit and tie. Half-empty pack of cigarettes included.
>The Consulting Detective: Deerstalker hat and Ulster Coat. Also comes with a pipe, and an air of intelligence.
>Write in

With your suit on, you reach for the shelf next to it which holds your weapon of choice...
>The .38 Special. The classic service revolver. Snubnosed.
>The Colt 1911. Three world wars!
>The Walther P38. Stylish, and a badge of roguish charm.
>The Browning Hi-power. The game was rigged from the start.
>Write in.

>>5858767
Sorry, was very busy today.

>>5858805
I have a hunch this lawyer is actually hiding from her.
>The Working Man: White collared shirt, waistcoat, and pipe.
>The Colt 1911. Three world wars!

>>5858805
>The Classic: Trenchcoat and fedora.
>The .38 Special. The classic service revolver. Snubnosed.

>>5858805
>The Classic: Trenchcoat and fedora. Do you need anything else?
>The .38 Special. The classic service revolver. Snubnosed.
Maybe would've picked another pistol but considering QM counts votes for different things whole and not separately, I just don't want The Classic trenchcoat to lose.

>>5858805
>The Working Man: White collared shirt, waistcoat, and pipe.
>The .38 Special. The classic service revolver. Snubnosed.
I get the feeling that we might want to be discrete.

Going to need a tiebreak between The Classic or The Working Man.

>>5858892
No, I do consider votes separately. Just with character creation I counted each one as whole since there were too many options.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>5859288
The Classic = 1

The Working Man = 2

File: .38.png (1.86 MB, 985x727)

1.86 MB PNG

Rolled 94 (1d100)

(Rolling for how much money you have in the bank)

You grab your waistcoat and button up your shirt collar. You stuff your pipe into one of your pockets, you'll need to get some tobacco for it today. Reaching over to the shelf next to the coathanger, you grab your snubnoed .38 and put it in your other pocket. You don't expect you'll need to use, but on the streets of Los Diablos it always pays to be safe. With that done, you head out of the office.

The building you office in is a dingy place, not entirely run-down, but certainly somewhere that's seen better days. The lights in the hallway outside are dim, probably due to the landlord being cheap and not wanting to change them. There's a man smoking a cigarette at the other end of the hallway, his hat shoved down right over his head so you can't even see his eyes. You lock up and take the stairs instead of the elevator, two at a time now that you have a case to drive you on. Though you don't have much to go on you're already moving like a bloodhound with a scent.

Outside, the skies are cloudy, overcast like so many days in the city. It's late afternoon, and soon the nightlife of the city will be in full swing. All the glitzy glamour girls, tramps, whores, members of society, and the low-down criminals, all out there playing the games that keep the city spinning. You'll probably have time enough for one trip today, unless you want to stay out late, something ill-advised for those who aren't experienced in the dangers of the city streets.

In any case, you hail a taxi, and give him a dollar to take you where you need to go.

[/green]Money now $49![/green]

Where will you start your investigation?
>The lawyer's practice. It's where he was last seen, so you'll start there, working backwards from the very beginning.
>The bars and clubs. There's always people in the know, you just have to find them. Someone out there just might know more about the case than Miss Brean.
>The newspaper. You need information more than anything else. What was Mr. Farrow's career like? What case was he working on before he disappeared? Why, indeed, would he even disappear like that?
>Write in?

>>5859506
>Rolled 94 (1d100)
>(Rolling for how much money you have in the bank)
Oh my!
>The lawyer's practice. It's where he was last seen, so you'll start there, working backwards from the very beginning.

>>5859506
>The lawyer's practice. It's where he was last seen, so you'll start there, working backwards from the very beginning.

>>5859506
>The lawyer's practice. It's where he was last seen, so you'll start there, working backwards from the very beginning.

>>5859506
>>The lawyer's practice. It's where he was last seen, so you'll start there, working backwards from the very beginning.

You step out of the taxi at the lawyers. Porter, Farrow & Rand. It's a small building, enough room for the partners, their staff, and papers, but nicely built, probably from the early days of the city. Ionic columns typical of the time mark it out as such. The white limestone walls seems grey in the overcast afternoon, and the lights are already shining inside. You nod your thanks to the taxi driver, and step inside.

The interior is covered in dark wood panelling, giving the place an air of richness and understated hushness. The walls are tastefully decorated with old paintings and plaster figures, all of them arranged in perfect symmetry. A tired looking girl is waiting behind a counter at the other end of the room. You walk over. Her eyes barely perk up when she sees you.

"How can I help you, sir?"

>I'm LeBlanc, the detective. Miss Brean has hired me to investigate the disappearance of a Mr. Farrow. Could I look around the premises, get your story?

Her eyes wide, a little. "Oh. Miss Brean said she hired someone. How can I help?"

>I'd like to have a look around, see if I can't find anything, maybe talk to you as well. Were you the last person to see him?"

She nods. "As far as we know. I saw him come in, and he was still here when I left. I don't know much else."

She says she doesn't, but who knows what kind of details she might have seen that night, or forgotten to tell someone.

>Can I see his rooms?

"Of course. Right this way, sir." She stands up and leads you down one of the buildings corridors, evidently their office wing based on the names on the walls. Frank Porter. Timothy Rand. Edmund Farrow. It's decorated with similar statues and paintings in the main entrance hall. She reaches into her pockets, draws out a key, and unlocks the door.

The room is neat, like the rest of the building. Too neat. Anyone would be able to tell it's been freshly cleaned. The wooden desk in the centre of the room is empty, except for some pens and blank paper, and the books are stacked neatly on the shelves. The chair has even been pushed in.

>Mr. Farrow's a cleaning freak, is he?

The girl is quick to respond. "Oh, they all are, sir. Mr. Porter, Farrow, and Rand. Some of the junior clerks are even yelled at when the stationary is misplaced. They're very strict, Mr. Detective."

You nod. A reasonable explanation.

>Where are his case notes?

"Oh, sorry sir, I can't allow you to see those. Our policy I'm afraid. Can't budge on that. I wouldn't want to get into trouble with the partners."

You shrug. Worth a shot.

>>5860571
What shall you do? (Pick as many as you want)

>Investigate the office. It's been cleaned, but you never know what you might find. (Formidable: Perception, DC 13)
>Talk to the girl about the night he disappeared. (Medium: Silver tongue, DC 10)
>See if you can't find his case notes, read what he was working on when he disappeared. (Heroic: Deception, DC 15)
>There's something strange about the room being cleaned. Who would have done it? And why? (Legendary: Intuition, DC 14)

>>5860572
>See if you can't find his case notes, read what he was working on when he disappeared. (Heroic: Deception, DC 15)
>There's something strange about the room being cleaned. Who would have done it? And why? (Legendary: Intuition, DC 14)
>Investigate the office. It's been cleaned, but you never know what you might find. (Formidable: Perception, DC 13)

If I'm not mistaken sangfroid allows LeBlanc to clear the deception check

>>5860572
>Investigate the office. It's been cleaned, but you never know what you might find. (Formidable: Perception, DC 13)
>Talk to the girl about the night he disappeared. (Medium: Silver tongue, DC 10)
>See if you can't find his case notes, read what he was working on when he disappeared. (Heroic: Deception, DC 15)
>There's something strange about the room being cleaned. Who would have done it? And why? (Legendary: Intuition, DC 14)

>>5860643
>>5860772
Roll 6d6, bo3. (I'll apply skill bonuses after the fact)

Rolled 5, 1, 5, 4, 2, 2 = 19 (6d6)

>>5862000

Rolled 5, 6, 4, 5, 3, 2 = 25 (6d6)

>>5862000

Rolled 3, 4, 3, 3, 2, 3 = 18 (6d6)

>>5862000

Updating later today

>>5863224
Nice. Loving the quest so far, it has a nice atmosphere.

>>5862011
>>5862072
>>5862246
>5,6 + 6 = 17, Perception DC 13 = SUCCESS!
>5,4 + 0 = 9, Silver Tongue DC 10 = FAIL!
>3,2 + 6 = 11, Intuition DC 14 = FAIL!

(Deception check automatically passed) Though I realise automatically passing a check is a little OP, so I might change that into a simple +6 or something else.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFjbsoXunuI

You tell the girl that you'll want to talk to her later, but for the moment you begin to investigate the office. You're not sure whether the cleaning is something suspicious or not, but for now you focus all your attention on the room itself, trying to finding something to work with. The cleaning has made things difficult, but you hope you can find some sort of clue that'll lead you on.

It takes a while, observing the desk, the colour of the floor, points of entry into the room, but eventually you find it. Everyone gets sloppy, and whoever cleaned the room didn't do a good enough job. In the wastepaper basket by the door there are several crumpled letters, most of which are the usual ads and invitations to parties or somesuch, but at the very bottom of the basket, lying within the pages of a lawyer's magazine is an envelope addressed to a Miss Brean, 401 Southview Heights, Sternwood. Within the envelope is a letter. It is a letter of resignation.

Dear Miss Brean,

It is with the greatest hesitation and shame that I begin to write this, but you have always been a good and faithful friend, and I am afraid your brothers would not take it as well as you would. The details of this case are so oblique and arcane that I am starting to see shadows even in the eyes of my own Partners, but I must put my trust in you...

You look around. The secretary is waiting patiently in the corridor outside, but you get the feeling that you better keep this letter private, until you can read it away from any prying eyes. Furtively tucking it into your waistcoat pocket, you stand up and replace all the discarded trash. Time for an interview.

The girl is useless! She can't remember a single goddamn thing about the night her boss disappeared! Only that he came in, she left, and she never saw him again. Not even a general time of day, only "late in the night". You'd almost suspect that she's been trained, but that would complicate things greatly, and you don't think anyone would go to such lengths. Well, anyone you're capable of dealing with. Government Spooks are known to be pretty thorough...

You try a different tact. If she won't unlock the firm's files for you, you'll have to do it yourself. You ask for the restrooms. The girl, suspecting nothing, quickly gives you the directions, a practised motion, and doesn't even watch you as you leave. Once you're sure she's out of sight, you slip off your shoes and make your way back to the main hallway. If she catches you here you're in trouble, but she doesn't hear a thing.

File: A bar somewhere in the city.jpg (82 KB, 600x600)

82 KB JPG

>>5864007
The office is as clean as ever. Moving quickly, you head to the filing cabinets, which are locked up tight. But you'd be a poor detective if you could be defeated by a lock, and soon your rifling through its contents.

The most recently dated file is from about 2 weeks ago, a custody dispute over some kind of object. Between Party "B" and the Howard Phillips Museum of New Anglia. Mr Farrow is representing Party "B". Unfortunately for you, the case notes are written in the most indecipherable legalese, and you'll have to actually sit down to study the damn thing to make heads or tails of it. Grabbing the files, you head out, holding them by your side, out of sight, as you greet the secretary and thank her for all she's done. You doubt she'll notice the theft, and it's not as if Mr Farrow is needing them at the moment. To decipher the case notes you must make a successful brainpower roll, and it will take several hours of the day to attempt a read-through.

Outside the air is cool, the first stirrings of the night beginning to make themselves known. You take a moment to sit on a low stone wall just outside the law practice to review all that you've found, and attempt to make some sense of things.

Fact 1: Mr Farrow seemed like he was about to resign from his case.
Fact 2: The last case he was working on was between Party "B" and The Howard Philips Museum.
Fact 3: His office had been cleaned, thoroughly so, after he had disappeared.

Something strange is certainly afoot. You can't make any conclusions just yet, but The Facts and the circumstantial details hints at... someone trying to bury this case, bury it hard. Nobody just up and disappears like that. The girl said she couldn't remember anything, but can you be sure she wasn't lying? She tried to stop you from touching the case notes too. You can safely discard the Howard Philips museum, you doubt they'd be the kinds to disappear a lawyer, and you doubt the people he represented wanted to get rid of him. But who? Could it be The Government? Though it wasn't as oppressive as those totalitarians in The Internationale, there'd always been rumours that dissidents were disappearing or suddenly silencing themselves. And this was certainly a disappearance. The room being cleaned so thoroughly would also be something a Spook would order. But if it was the Government you were up against...

You shake your head. You shouldn't worry about that kind of thing, not now. Now you have to make the next move.

Letter of resignation gained!
Case file gained!

You may review both of these at the office, or in a place where you can study them (such as a library, or bar).

>>5864018
Where shall you go next?
>Back to the office. Time to review the evidence you've gathered.
>The bars and clubs of The City. Now that you have some pointers, you need to find out what other people know.
>A newspaper stand. One of the late night ones. Those are always the best places for rumours and whispers of The City...
>The Library. You need to research this more, like who the Howard Philips Museum is, Party "B", see if the case doesn't turn up in some newspapers or journals.

>>5864018
>The Library. You need to research this more, like who the Howard Philips Museum is, Party "B", see if the case doesn't turn up in some newspapers or journals.

>>5864023
>The Library. You need to research this more, like who the Howard Philips Museum is, Party "B", see if the case doesn't turn up in some newspapers or journals.

>>5864023
>The Library. You need to research this more, like who the Howard Philips Museum is, Party "B", see if the case doesn't turn up in some newspapers or journals.

File: The Library.jpg (70 KB, 726x458)

70 KB JPG

>>5864036
>>5864105
>>5864731

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiP7jKdAhD0

The night isn't getting any shorter in Los Diablos. You'll head to the Library, get some research in during the evening, and then head back to your apartment. The Library is open 24 hours, convenient for those who want to get in some late night study, or even just an escape from the tumult of the day before they return home. You hail a taxi and are quickly whisked away to the City Library.

Money now $48!

The Library itself is an old building, old and grand. Built during the early golden days of Los Diablos, it's marble columns and limestone walls have become faded with age, but no less distinguished. It's halls are long and tall, far taller than one would think, reminiscent of some ancient palace with large columns holding up the roof, the long wooden shelves interspaced between. The collection is vast, filled with thousands of books, and there's a plentiful amount of secluded study rooms set apart from the main hall. Taken together, The Library may be one of the most impressive buildings in all the city, even accounting for all the modern skyscrapers and entertainment halls. Indeed, it's one of the few public institutions that still receive funding from The City, though some suspect it's only due to the influence of a few sentimental members of the Old Money. Regardless, it's just about the only part of the City where silence reigns absolute, the walls somehow blocking all noise of the outside world from entering, a quirk of the architecture perhaps, though some say it's something else. The Head Librarian is a slippery old man by the name of Smitts, bespectacled, with greying hair and a permanent smirk on his face. He wanders the halls of The Library ensuring that visitors experience at least a modicum of discomfort while they're there, and this evening he's at the desk to greet you as you enter.

"Good evening, Mr. LeBlanc. Welcome to The Library. What service may we offer you today?

His rat-like smile is wide as he looks at you, and you can't tell whether it's a sneer or simple grin. He probably likes it that way.

What shall you do? PICK ONE

>Research the case using their archives. Try to find out what the Howard Philips Museum is, and whether that might lead you to party "B" (Trivial: Brainpower, DC 16)
>Get a private study room and examine the case files. See if you can't figure things out what exactly the dispute is about. (Easy: Brainpower, DC 10)
>Look into cleaning services. See what kind of people would do a deep clean of an office at such short notice. (Heroic: Brainpower, DC 15)
>Read the letter of resignation. See if you can't figure out some clues from it.
>Write in. (Roll may be required)

>>5864994
>Get a private study room and examine the case files. See if you can't figure things out what exactly the dispute is about. (Easy: Brainpower, DC 10)

>>5864994
>>Get a private study room and examine the case files. See if you can't figure things out what exactly the dispute is about. (Easy: Brainpower, DC 10)

>>5864994
>Get a private study room and examine the case files. See if you can't figure things out what exactly the dispute is about. (Easy: Brainpower, DC 10)
Also kek from the first option unless it was a typo
>Trivial
>16(!) DC

>>5864994

>Get a private study room and examine the case files. See if you can't figure things out what exactly the dispute is about. (Easy: Brainpower, DC 10)

Sorry I'm late QM, this quest is based.

>>5865173
Shoot, that was supposed to be DC 6, my bad.

>>5864994
>Get a private study room and examine the case files. See if you can't figure things out what exactly the dispute is about. (Easy: Brainpower, DC 10)

>>5865033
>>5865128
>>5865173
>>5865286
>>5865554
Roll 2d6, Bo3.

Rolled 2, 6 = 8 (2d6)

>>5865834

Rolled 3, 5 = 8 (2d6)

>>5865834

Rolled 2, 2 = 4 (2d6)

>>5865834

>2,6 + 0 = 8, Brainpower DC 10 = FAIL!

You smile politely, and ask Mr. Smitts to book you a private study room for the next several hours. He's quick to oblige, and soon you're in a small but comfortable room with a desk, chair, and lamp, everything you need to begin work. A small window in the wall separates you from the rest of the library. You have the legal case notes in one hand, and a dictionary of legal terms in the other, so you sit down and get to work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4MQjzDOpaA

It's tough work. Much tougher than you imagined. The basics are clear enough, the case is about a dispute over the ownership of some property between the Howard Philips Museum and Party "B", but trying to decipher anything else from that is beyond you. The legalese is dense, almost a different language entirely. The intricacies of Los Diablos law in addition to the wider federal law and past precedents don't help either. For example, what the hell does "allegations of improper and misleading juror conduct leading to the interference and subversion of proper justice, as outlined in Fonda v Cobb, 1954" have to do with a dispute over ownership of a piece of property? You can't even tell what kind of property the case is about, whether it's a piece of land, a house, an object, or something else. The most you've figured is that Party "B" is a group of people since it's always referred to in the plural, but everywhere else you're stumped. There's hundreds of pages in this file, and you sure as hell don't have the time to painstakingly go through them all, tracking down every little reference and meaning. After several fruitless hours, you give up, no closer to understanding what this case is about then before. Maybe you're just tired. Perhaps you need to come at this again from a different angle, a fresher mind. Packing up your papers and turning off your lamp, you leave the room.

Outside, the library is dim, the lighting turned down to reflect the evening outside. There's not many people here at this hour, a few tired looking students, and one or two others. Across the hall you can see a man smoking in the darkness, barely illuminated by the light of his cigarette. He's tall, very tall, and as you stop in the middle of the hallway it almost seems like he might suddenly stretch and touch the roof, filling it with his smoke and glowing cigarette. You notice that you can't see his eyes. It's very quiet. Your hairs are standing on end.

You shake your head. It's rude to stare. Those papers must have gotten to you. It's getting late, and it's high time you got to bed.

Returning the book about legal terminology to Mr. Smitts and muttering out of earshot about how useless it was, you walk out the front doors of the library and find it's lightly pouring. You can already feel the water soaking through your shirt, and hoping that the plastic cover you've put the files in will be enough, you quickly hail a taxi and head home.

>>5866767

- $1 taxi fee. Money now $47!

Your apartment is a small thing, near the office, a simple brick and mortar tenement with creaky wooden floors. It's cheap, but surprisingly good for the money. The neighbours aren't mysterious or overly nosey, the nights are usually quiet, and the building keeps you dry and warm on wet nights like these. Your apartment is on the middle floor, giving a nice view of the street, the neighbouring apartment, and not much else.

Dinner is a slightly stale sandwich and an even staler pie. Good thing you left them here this morning. Hanging your waistcoat on a hook by the doorway and hanging your wet clothes on your dinner chair, you ready yourself for sleep. Looking outside the window by your bed, all you see is a few flickering street lamps and someone lighting a cigarette in the darkness. You slowly drift off to the sound of rain falling by your windowpane.

The next day the sun shines brightly, heralding a fresh day. You can still hear a little dripping water from the roof. Making yourself a short breakfast of canned beans, you get into your uniform and think about what you'll do today. There are a few things open in the morning that aren't at night, so maybe you'll try one of those? Or perhaps you'll try and crack those case files again, now that you've slept on them.

What shall you do today?
>Head to the police station. See if you can't weasel some information out of them, perhaps a file on Mr. Farrow and his associates.
>Go to the Newspaper. Their records are vast, almost infinite, and there's surely something in there that can give you a hint, if you have the eyes to see it.
>Try the library again. You can get some research in, maybe a better go now that you've already read through the files once.
>The courts. There's no better authority on matters relating to the law. Though it's honestly a coin toss whether they or the police are more corrupt.
>Write in.

>>5866777

>Try the library again. You can get some research in, maybe a better go now that you've already read through the files once.

Try again!

>>5866777
>Head to the police station. See if you can't weasel some information out of them, perhaps a file on Mr. Farrow and his associates.

>>5866777
Hopefully this lucky trips post will herald a period of good rolls in this quest.
>Head to the police station. See if you can't weasel some information out of them, perhaps a file on Mr. Farrow and his associates.
>Observe our surroundings for suspicious men smoking cigarettes following us

Going to need a tiebreaker.

>>5866777
>Try the library again. You can get some research in, maybe a better go now that you've already read through the files once

File: angrily.gif (926 KB, 498x278)

926 KB GIF

>Massive headache all day, hard to think
>Look at thread, mistake votes for 3 way tie
>Call for tiebreaker when there isn't a need for one
>Now there really is a tie

I'm an idiot. Updating tomorrow.

>>5867852
Just caught up, this is an excellent quest.
>>5867852
> Try the library again. You can get some research in, maybe a better go now that you've already read through the files once.
Tiebreak to the tiebreak

File: City morning.jpg (343 KB, 1055x1600)

343 KB JPG

You decide you'll try for the Library again. After you've had a modest breakfast of coffee, eggs, and a rasher of bacon, you put on your waistcoat, grab your pipe, and leave your apartment for the city streets, which are still damp from the late-night rain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BlHRPXPx-4

You take a tram this time. The hustle and bustle of the city is in full swing this time of morning, as businessmen, both legitimate and shady, go to work, filled with cars, buses, taxis, and people, rushing to and fro. This is where the city din begins, and it doesn't stop until the early hours of the morning.

The morning, you think, is when the city looks best, a time when it's almost angelic instead of looking and feeling more like it's namesake. The buildings seem lighter, more friendly even, though intellectually you know it's just a trick of the light. At least the criminals usually aren't up and about this time. You spend the bus ride looking out the window at the buildings of the city as they pass by, changing from the residential apartments and corner stores in your neighbourhood to the taller office buildings and private towers of High End, gigantic skyscrapers where the city's Men of Power and the rich live and work. But like it or not they're the core of the city, the people who run it, mould it, and own it.

The bus trundles along gently before you get to the Old Section, near the city centre, where The Library resides. Not many people get out at this stop. But once you're out on the street it's only a short walk in the early morning sun to The Library's front steps, the wet pathways steaming in the light of the sun.

[green]-50c bus fee. Money now $46.50![/green]

Inside, The Library is as cool and quiet as ever. Mr Smitts is again there to greet you at the reception desk, a ratty smile on his face.

"Mr LeBlanc! Back so soon? I do hope you find what you're looking for. If you need anything, please, don't hesitate to ask. What can The Library do for you today?"

[b]What shall you do?[/b] PICK ONE
>Research the case using their archives. Try to find out what the Howard Philips Museum is, and whether that might lead you to party "B" (Trivial: Brainpower, DC 6)
>Get a private study room and examine the case files. See if you can't figure things out what exactly the dispute is about. (Easy: Brainpower, DC 8)
>Look into cleaning services. See what kind of people would do a deep clean of an office at such short notice. (Heroic: Brainpower, DC 15)
>Read the letter of resignation. See if you can't figure out some clues from it.
>Write in. (Roll may be required)

>>5868532

>Get a private study room and examine the case files. See if you can't figure things out what exactly the dispute is about. (Easy: Brainpower, DC 8)

I think we’ll get there with another attempt

>>5868532
>Get a private study room and examine the case files. See if you can't figure things out what exactly the dispute is about. (Easy: Brainpower, DC 8)
Fresh day, fresh head, better results (hopefully).

>>5868532
>Get a private study room and examine the case files. See if you can't figure things out what exactly the dispute is about. (Easy: Brainpower, DC 8)

>>5868532
>Get a private study room and examine the case files. See if you can't figure things out what exactly the dispute is about. (Easy: Brainpower, DC 8)

>>5868532
>Get a private study room and examine the case files. See if you can't figure things out what exactly the dispute is about. (Easy: Brainpower, DC 8)
Just needed a pair of fresh eyes.

>>5868556
>>5868562
>>5868573
>>5868631
>>5868757
Roll 2d6, Bo3.

Rolled 5, 3 = 8 (2d6)

>>5869301

Rolled 6, 5 = 11 (2d6)

>>5869301
Surely.

Rolled 6, 2 = 8 (2d6)

>>5869301

You ask for a private study room, and once Mr. Smitts leads you there you thank him, and waader off in search of legal books to help you in your research. Ignoring the last one you used, you find several other interesting looking books which you think might be some help, and bringing them back to the room you dump them on the table and pull out the case file, wrapped in plastic to keep it safe from the rain. Cracking it open, you spread the sheets and papers across the table, prop a legal dictionary against a pile of books, and get to work, sifting through all the dense and obfuscatory language, trying your best to push your meagre brainpower to its limits.

A little after noon, several hours since you started this morning, you’re done. Somehow, you’ve managed to clear through the murky wall of legalese, case precedent, and obscure laws from the beginning of the century to lay bare the most essential facts of the legal case. The general summary is as follows:

>>5870049

[b][green] “B” vs The Howard Phillips Museum.[/green][/b]

It is a case over the ownership of an ancient Inkan artifact, a mirror, determining whether it rightly belongs to The Howard Philips Museum, or Party “B”, who Farrow is, or was, representing. Interestingly enough, Party “B” seems pretty determined to keep their names out of any official records, and it’s only when you look at some personal notes by Farrow that you determine “B” is the Brean family, represented by the brothers Mark and Henry. The case has been long and difficult, and you can safely ignore most of the finer legal details, but the interesting thing is that the Breans seem absolutely determined to get their hands on the artifact, and the museum seems determined to not let them have it, despite several offers, and hints, but no proof, of threats.

But now the dispute seems close to an end, the judge was about to hand down his ruling last just a few days ago in fact, were it not for the disappearance of Mr. Farrow. Since he has been such an integral part of the case from the beginning, the Breans are unable to proceed and the Museum cannot put in anything of their own until the Breans do so first. A strange development all around, you would think that both parties would want it over instead of put into limbo. There’s certainly a lot to think about.
Sitting back you stretch your arms and look out the window. The sun is still shining brightly outside, and traffic is as busy as ever. The notes have been helpful, but there’s a lot that’s nagging at you. For instance, why are both sides so eager to keep ahold of this mirror? Who would want the lawyer to disappear? And why is Miss Brean the one hiring you instead of her brothers?

[b]What shall you do now?[/b]
>Call by the apartment of the Brean brothers. The address is in Farrow’s notes. See if you can’t ask them some questions about what’s going on.
>Head round to the offices of Carruthers and Sons, the legal representatives of the HP Museum, see if they won’t be willing to tell you more.
>This all strikes you as very strange. You should go to a club and ask around about these people. There’s a lot of places that sell that kind of information.
>Write in.

>>5870050

>Head round to the offices of Carruthers and Sons, the legal representatives of the HP Museum, see if they won’t be willing to tell you more.

I mean, maybe the brothers are occult weirdos, the museum doesn't want to part with its valuable artifact?

Not sure how Miss Brean factors in yet, but presumably she's lied to us BIGLY so far.

>>5870050
>This all strikes you as very strange. You should go to a club and ask around about these people. There’s a lot of places that sell that kind of information.

>>5870050
>This all strikes you as very strange. You should go to a club and ask around about these people. There’s a lot of places that sell that kind of information.

>>5870050
>Head round to the offices of Carruthers and Sons, the legal representatives of the HP Museum, see if they won’t be willing to tell you more.
I think we will have better luck striking the clubs at night or in the evening rather than in the middle of the day, anons.

>>5870050
>Head round to the offices of Carruthers and Sons, the legal representatives of the HP Museum, see if they won’t be willing to tell you more.

The Howard Phillips Museum, huh?
So we’re in for that kind of quest… interesting.

File: I wish office buildings l(...).jpg (326 KB, 600x1672)

326 KB JPG

You pack up your notes and the legal case file, and with a word of thanks to Mr. Smitts, which only elicits you one of his trademark leers, you head on your way, taking a taxi to the offices of Carruthers and Sons, the lawyers representing the Howard Phillips Museum. You have to admit, you've never really heard of the Museum before, but they must have some resources if they've taken on the services of this law firm, which has been representing them throughout the case. You know that here more than anywhere else lawyers don't come cheap.

-$1 taxi fee. Money now $45.50! You have $94 in the bank.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ9mdolKKq4

The taxi ride is short, whisking you through the rush of the city with a smoothness expected of all taxi drivers. Carruthers and sons are based near the centre of town, just on the edge of High End, in a large brick office building that rivals some of the residential towers in height. Buildings like these can be filled with hundreds of businesses, and it takes you a few moments once you've stepped into the lobby to read all the plaques on the wall and identify the location of Carruthers and sons. Suite 2, Floor 45. Near the top. You sweep your hair back a little, and practise your smile in the elevator while it rises to the floor. You don't think you'll be in any toothpaste advertisements anytime soon, but it'll do. Once you get to Floor 45 you step out the elevator and quickly locate the offices of Carruthers and sons. It's one of only two suites here. Do they really have most of the floor to themselves?

Squashing your curiosity for the moment, you reach out and ring the buzzer. It's only an instant before a tinny voice comes from the small speaker set next to it.

"Carruthers and sons. How may we assist you today?"

>Ah, thank you. I've found myself needing some representation in a certain matter, and a friend has recommended me your services. Would I be able to have a meeting with someone from the firm?

The buzzer is silent for a moment, then the door clicks.

"Please come in."

You open the door, and step inside. The room itself is nicely furnished, modern, but tasteful. A secretary is writing something down in a notebook and doesn't glance at you when you walk in. Sitting down on one of the chairs you wait patiently for a few minutes in the silence of the waiting room. It's very quiet in here. You can't hear anything but the ticking of the clock and the secretary scribbling on her paper. After a few minutes a door opens, and a middle aged man in a suit comes out to greet you, offering his hand, which you shake.

"Hi! I'm Samuel Carruthers, one of the partners here. It's good to meet you. Would you like to step into my office, Mr...?

>Doyle. Arthur Doyle.

"Of course, Mr Doyle. Right this way."

>>5871042
He leads you through the door he just opened down a corridor with several opaque glass doors and windows, all of them seemingly empty. At the end he opens one that leads into an office space with the bare essentials, desk, chair, lamp, shelves. You’ve seen plenty of them and you’re sure you’ll see plenty more. Sitting down in the main chair he motions to a seat in front of the desk, and you quickly sit.

"Now, what can we do for you today, Mr Doyle?"

How shall you go about this?
>Pretend to be a prospective client, someone interested in hiring their services. A friend has told you about their splendid work on their last case, maybe Samuel can tell you more?
>Pretend to be from the museum. You want an update on the case against the Breans and you’ve come in person to get it.
>Be upfront, tell them that you’re a detective investigating the disappearance of someone involved with them, and that you need as much information as possible.
>(Heroic: Perception, DC 15) Try and read the room, figure out exactly who they are first. What kind of place is this?
>Write in.

>>5871043
>(Heroic: Perception, DC 15) Try and read the room, figure out exactly who they are first. What kind of place is this?

>>5871043

>Be upfront, tell them that you’re a detective investigating the disappearance of someone involved with them, and that you need as much information as possible.

But don’t reveal who hired us, of course! His reaction may be informative.

>>5871043
>Pretend to be a prospective client, someone interested in hiring their services. A friend has told you about their splendid work on their last case, maybe Samuel can tell you more?

>>5871043
First:
>(Heroic: Perception, DC 15) Try and read the room, figure out exactly who they are first. What kind of place is this?
Then:
>Be upfront, tell them that you’re a detective investigating the disappearance of someone involved with them, and that you need as much information as possible.

>>5871048
>>5871095
>>5871140
>>5871160
Roll 2d6+6, bo3.

Rolled 5, 6 + 6 = 17 (2d6 + 6)

>>5871764
9

Rolled 1, 2 + 6 = 9 (2d6 + 6)

>>5871764

Rolled 1, 4 + 6 = 11 (2d6 + 6)

>>5871764

Watch THIS

>>5872000
Dodged a fail there.

>>5871764
>Rolled 5, 6 + 6 = 17, SUCCESS!

You sit back in your chair and smile at Sam Carruthers, while you quickly review everything you've seen and everything you see in Carruthers himself. You're not sure what the situation is, but you shouldn't jump headlong into something without an idea of what it is, one of the premier rules of detecting.

First, the offices. They're quiet. Apart from yourself, Mr Carruthers, and the secretary, you haven't seen anyone here, even though it's the middle of a workday. There's no telephones ringing, typists typing, or even another partner consulting with clients. That's extremely unusual for such a wealthy firm. And then there's the office itself. It has all the hallmarks of a personal office you'd see in any business, but everything here is clean, and most importantly, unused. The desk you're sitting at doesn't have any scratches,

Finally, there's Samuel Carruthers himself. He looks like any lawyer, but on closer inspection you see that his suit is subtly worn, the threading a little frayed, even discoloured slightly. The collar button of his shirt is undone too, an extremely unprofessional for a supposed lawyer. If he is one. There wasn't even a sign on the door with his name on it, or any of the other doors you passed in the hallway outside, not like at Farrow's.

This isn't a law firm at all. At least, not a normal one. It's has a secretary, and you're meeting one of the supposed partners as a would be client, but there's something else going on here. Something that isn't just the regular underhanded dealings of a business in Los Diablos.

Still, it doesn't seem dangerous. Samuel doesn't look like the kind of guy to carry a piece, and if you're right there's nobody else here but the secretary. No, if anything they're both here just to give the place the impression of being inhabited, fool curious visitors like yourself. But why?

You'll chance it. You'll be upfront, tell Carruthers that you're a detective investigating a case, gauge his reaction from that. The truth sometimes takes people offguard.

>Well Mr Carruthers, if I'm being honest, I'm really here for a case your firm has already worked on, not for me but for someone else. I'm a detective you see, and I'm investigating a missing person, and I think you can help me with that. Have you heard at all of a case where your firm represented the Howard Philips Museum against Mark and Henry Brean? Do you think you can help me out Mr Carruthers?

>>5872738
Samuel Carruthers face is momentarily one of utter shock, before the man reasserts himself. That caught him off guard for sure.

"Oh. Oh, that is a surprise. Well, Mr Doyle, uh, I'm not sure what I can do for you. Our files are, uh, private. If you're really desperate for information, uh, I'd have to have a chat with the man in charge, see what he has to say. You know?”

There. "The man in charge" He answers to someone else, and you're sure it's not the so-called head of the firm. Someone else is running this business. Someone influential enough to set it up in the first place. This place can’t be cheap, and it sure as hell isn’t easy to fake a law firm like this. But who could it be you wonder? And what could they have to do with the case?

What shall you do next?


>Try and convince him to get the files on the Brean vs Howard Philips Museum case. That’s all you want, you won’t bother him further. (Medium: Silver Tongue, DC 8)
>Bribe him for the files. This guy isn’t a major player, and he knows it. $20 should do.
>Try and figure out who’s in charge here. Someone’s running this place, but who? (Challenging: Intuition, DC 12)
>Write in. (Roll my be required)

>>5872739

>Try and convince him to get the files on the Brean vs Howard Philips Museum case. That’s all you want, you won’t bother him further. (Medium: Silver Tongue, DC 8)

Let’s not push it - let’s focus on solving our case before we start pulling apart the bigger conspiracy

>>5872739
>Try and figure out who’s in charge here. Someone’s running this place, but who? (Challenging: Intuition, DC 12)

>>5872739
>Try and convince him to get the files on the Brean vs Howard Philips Museum case. That’s all you want, you won’t bother him further. (Medium: Silver Tongue, DC 8)

>>5872739
>Try and convince him to get the files on the Brean vs Howard Philips Museum case. That’s all you want, you won’t bother him further. (Medium: Silver Tongue, DC 8)

>>5872740
>>5872741
>>5872834
>>5873013
>Try and convince him to get the files on the Brean vs Howard Philips Museum case. That’s all you want, you won’t bother him further. (Medium: Silver Tongue, DC 8)

Roll 2d6, bo3.

Rolled 3, 5 = 8 (2d6)

>>5873243

I’m enjoying the fact that we seem to be an average detective and not a super sleuth

>>5873247
Thanks anon. I want to keep things relatively grounded, and your skills so far reflect that. When I get round to doing the proper Noir Detective quest (since this is a test run I probably won't continue after the case is closed) you'll have some opportunities to improve/temporarily boost skills, but it won't be anything major. Holmes would probably have 20 in perception or something incredibly broken like that in comparison.

And I'm not skilled enough to write someone as clever as a Holmes or Poirot anyway.

Rolled 5, 1 = 6 (2d6)

>>5873243
Rollan
>>5873365
What might the actual noir detective quest be about? In general terms, I wouldn’t want to spoil anything. Also, would you run that after you finish the star wars quest?

Rolled 5, 1 = 6 (2d6)

>>5873243

>>5873385
It'll be broadly similar to this, think of it like a series of cases, whereas this one shot is an example of only one. It'll be the same setting as this one, though at a slightly later date. The story is still in the planning stages at the moment, but there'll probably be one overarching case/mystery that you'll try and solve, while taking up jobs like this one to keep the bills paid. The City will be getting worse, with a three way struggle for power between the main factions and groups like the communists, cops, old money, etc. scrambling to respond while you solve your cases in the midst of it. Think of this thread as an example of a single case you might try solving in the main quest, but you'll also have opportunities for side cases, personal matters, character progression, etc.

Schedule wise I'll probably restart Star Wars a couple weeks after this is done, finish that thread and then start alternating between Noir Detective and Star Wars to keep myself refreshed.

>>5873247
>>5873385
>>5873392
>Rolled 3,5 = 8, SUCCESS!

You give Samuel Carruthers, if that's even his name, your most charming smile, and lean towards him. You don't need to worry about who's running this place. All you need is the information for your case. You won't go poking around a hornet's nest if you don't have to, and if you can convince Carruthers of that he might just relent.

>Look, Samuel. All I need are the files on this case. I have to find this missing guy, and I think those notes can help me. From what I heard you can't even use them anymore since the case is frozen without the guy I'm looking for, and if they're sitting around collecting dust then what's the point? That's all I want, I won't bother you about anything else. No need to pester your bosses. Hell, I'll even return them once I'm done. How does that sound?

Carruthers hesitates a moment while he tries to read you. You do your best to radiate an honest, unassuming air. You think you do a good job of it when Carruthers stands up, shrugs his shoulders, and sighs.

"Well, if it's just the notes. I guess it can't hurt. What's it called again?"

>Brean vs Howard Philips. From about a week ago.

Carruthers nods. "Alright, I'll go have a look. Just wait here."

You give him another smile and sit back in the chair as he leaves the room. Another sign this guy isn't actually a lawyer, no way in hell would they just hand you their files like that. It's a curious mystery, what this place actually is, but
if you're not being paid to find that out there's no need to go digging. Carruthers returns to the room a few minutes later.

"Here you go. And give it back once you're done, okay?"

You nod and continue smiling while you make promises to return once you've solved the case. Once you're back out on the street you sit on a nearby bench and start reading. Interestingly enough these notes don't look like legal case notes at all. It's more of a brief on the case and everything the firm knows. Further proof that Carruthers and sons is not all they seem. Still, they seem pretty thorough, so you won't complain about missing a trip to the library again.

>>5873534
Carruthers and sons was representing the Howard Philips Museum against the Brean Family, who, it turns out, have had dealings with the Museum before. In fact, it was the Brean Family itself who “donated” the mirror to the museum in the first place, though the current members dispute that, which is the core of the legal case they were involved in. Curiously, the file has character assessments on the opposition, Mark and Henry Brean, and Mr Farrow himself, their chief representative.

Mark and Henry are both self-made men, rich even without their family’s money. Both veterans from the last War, where they were stationed in the southern jungles, they returned to Los Diablos and prospered, while still maintaining close connections to their family. Both are fierce and extremely loyal, though it borders on arrogance at times, something that Carruthers and sons assessed as a weakness. However, the file does not think that the brothers are the brains behind the Brean family, only it’s mouthpiece. Who that might really be the file doesn’t say.

Mr Farrow on the other hand is different. He is loyal to the Brean family, having represented them in several cases over the years, but he is also intelligent, and has a strong moral compass, surprising for a man who has a career as a lawyer. Perhaps that’s what got him into trouble? The file doesn’t have much else on him, concluding that it would be impossible to turn the man against the family even if there were blackmail material, which there isn’t.

>>5873535

And finally there’s the object at the heart of the case. The Mirror. It’s an old artifact, supposedly from the ancient Inkans from the South, a rather striking example of their craftwork, with a luminous green jewel set in its frame. The Breans want it by all means possible, and the Howard Philips Museum refuses to give it up. Or, someone won’t. There’s no mention of the Howard Philips Museum in the notes here, only that Carruthers and sons must not let the Breans have The Mirror. Strange. And there’s also a notice about an attempted break-in at it’s location about a day or two after Farrow went missing. What’s so special about this mirror?

You’re about to finish when you note that there’s a note scrawled at the very end of the folder, slipped there by someone recently perhaps. It’s short, and written in a fine hand. It reads:

“Farrow has written further letter to B. MUST get hands on it BY ALL MEANS POSSIBLE. Klund currently in possession. - CL

You sit and think a moment. There’s certainly a lot to reflect on here. The involvement of the Breans, Farrow himself, and the mirror at the heart of it all. But where has Farrow gone, and why?

It’s a little after midday. Where shall you go next?
>Go visit the warehouse the Mirror is being stored in. There’s an address here. There might be some clues there, like who tried to break in.
>This talk of a mirror and jewel intrigues you. Why would there be such a big dispute over it? Time to visit the library again.
>Now that you’ve looked at the other end of this case, you might want to take a closer look at the Breans. What’s their angle? A visit to the brothers might clear some things up.
>The letter. Someone has a letter from Farrow obviously meant for the Breans. But who is Klund? Maybe it’s time to his the streets and ask around.

Also, roll a perception check. DC 14. 2d6+6.

Merry Christmas anons! To celebrate, I will be giving you all a free pass to use on a SINGLE (1) check of your choosing. Choose wisely! And I hope you're all having fun on this most special of nights!

Rolled 2, 1 + 6 = 9 (2d6 + 6)

>>5873536

>The letter. Someone has a letter from Farrow obviously meant for the Breans. But who is Klund? Maybe it’s time to his the streets and ask around.

Klund has got to be a clearly a less-capable stooge of the Carruthers-backers, maybe he’s been arrested and jailed?

Check the local prisons for people of this name?

Rolled 1, 6 + 6 = 13 (2d6 + 6)

>>5873536
>The letter.

>>5873536
>The letter. Someone has a letter from Farrow obviously meant for the Breans. But who is Klund? Maybe it’s time to his the streets and ask around.

Rolled 1, 3 = 4 (2d6)

>>5873727

Rolled 3, 5 + 6 = 14 (2d6 + 6)

>>5873536
>Now that you’ve looked at the other end of this case, you might want to take a closer look at the Breans. What’s their angle? A visit to the brothers might clear some things up.

Updating tomorrow, currently enjoying Christmas.

File: City street.jpg (188 KB, 1024x646)

188 KB JPG

>>5873623
>>5873628
>>5873727
>>5873796


You need to find that letter. And to do that, you need to find Klund. But who, or what, is Klund? Several things come to you. Klund could be the individual in possession of the letter or a group. It might even be the name of a business. It could be a common hoodlum, or a corrupt cop, or even a fence. It seems like an impossible task, just going off a name. But, you already know that Klund is mixed up in some less than reputable business, which narrows things somewhat, even in Los Diablos. They're probably not going to be someone living in High End, for instance, or a reputable bookstore or charity. And Klund is not a common name. North Continental, which means that there won't be many of them in Los Diablos, not after the winters of '55. You've had tougher jobs before. And, of course, Klund isn't missing. So you shrug your shoulders and get to work.

The first stop is of course the Yellow Pages. There's usually one in the cleaner phonebooths dotted around the city, and you soon find one after walking down the street from Carruthers and sons. Flipping through until the page "K" you find what you're looking for. Lucky you, the list is on a two-sided page. Ripping it out, you fold it and place it in your waistcoat's inner pocket, and head out into The City.

Several of them you can discard immediately. Klund's Fine Pens and Ink. Henrik Klund, stockbroker. Klund Academy of Higher Education. Working your way down the list you eliminate around half of them, with the rest remaining to be verified. And that of course is a simple matter of asking around, visiting the more popular bars and public spots, subtly quizzing the known Mob associates, making a few calls to the people or businesses, methodically working your way through the list. It's long work, and by the time you're done it's late afternoon and you've spent a bit of money on bus rides and phonecalls.

-$5 for bus and phone fees. Money now $41.50! You have $94 in the bank.

>>5874561
Eventually, you have it narrowed down to a list of four. It's a small enough number, but at this point there's no way of telling which one might be your guy. You’re confident these are the ones that have a less than spotless reputation, perhaps enough that they’d keep a stolen letter, but now there’s no way to tell more without going in and investigating them yourself, which will take up the rest of the afternoon.

Which one shall you investigate first?
>Klund’s Antiquarian Curios and Collectibles. A small business in one of the older parts of The City, there’s rumours that the owner is more than he seems, and there’s talk of strange figures visiting the premises at night. But could this be your man?
>Erik Klund, a thug and hoodlum trying to go it independent from The Mob, and someone who is certain to be carrying his fair share of stolen goods. But is he big enough to be the one holding your letter?
>Klund Washing Service. It almost seems too obvious, a clothes washing service as a front for criminal activity, but the clichés are clichés for a reason. From what you hear, these guys are a pretty major fence for the city's criminal underworld.
>John Klund. Postal worker, and, from a phonecall you made, someone who’s still at home during the day. He doesn’t like visitors or questions, and you can, quote: “Fuck off.” This guy needs an attitude check. Maybe you’ll be the one to do it.
>You don’t have the time to waste looking through every one of these. Time to visit shoeshine Johhny, a guy who has an uncanny ability to know exactly what you’re looking for. You don’t know how he does it, but he’s never been wrong before. It’ll cost you though. (Shoeshine Johhny is available for consultation at midday and afternoon, and costs $20)

Rolled 5 (1d8)

Forgot a roll. This is unrelated to the choices you have to make, please don't worry about it.

>>5874566

>Klund’s Antiquarian Curios and Collectibles. A small business in one of the older parts of The City, there’s rumours that the owner is more than he seems, and there’s talk of strange figures visiting the premises at night. But could this be your man?

Even if he’s not the right one, this weirdo still might know something useful about the Breans and the museum

>>5874566
>Klund’s Antiquarian Curios and Collectibles. A small business in one of the older parts of The City, there’s rumours that the owner is more than he seems, and there’s talk of strange figures visiting the premises at night. But could this be your man?

We are looking for an antique, after all.

>>5874566

>Klund’s Antiquarian Curios and Collectibles. A small business in one of the older parts of The City, there’s rumours that the owner is more than he seems, and there’s talk of strange figures visiting the premises at night. But could this be your man?

>>5874566
>Klund’s Antiquarian Curios and Collectibles. A small business in one of the older parts of The City, there’s rumours that the owner is more than he seems, and there’s talk of strange figures visiting the premises at night. But could this be your man?

>>5874566
>Klund’s Antiquarian Curios and Collectibles. A small business in one of the older parts of The City, there’s rumours that the owner is more than he seems, and there’s talk of strange figures visiting the premises at night. But could this be your man?
If this is going the lovecraftian route then it’ll be useful to visit an antique store. Maybe he can say something about the Incan thingamabob.

>>5874596
>>5874632
>>5874814
>>5874912
>>5875014
You decide you'll check out The Antiquarian. After all, the instigator of this case was soms strange ancient mirror after all. Perhaps this Klund, even if he isn't your man, has heard of it and could give you some information? It can't hurt to check him out.

You take a bus ride to the Old part of the city, where Klund's Curios is. When the bus starts approaching your destination you notice that the neighbourhood around you is old indeed, run-down, forgotten. These streets were grand once, full of life and colour, but now they are crumbling into ruin. You doubt even the youth gangs bother to venture to this place. Still, that only means it would be easier to come and go from here unnoticed.

-50c bus fee. Money now $41! You have $94 in the bank.

The bus stop is, funnily enough, just across the street from your destination. It’s a wooden building, rare, even in this part of The City. Two stories, and enough roof to make a cozy attic. The windows are dark, and you can’t tell if it’s the lighting or if they’re just tinted. The double doors set between them are made of thick wood, coloured dark in a shade you don't recognise, and they seem heavy enough that even the fire brigade would have trouble breaking them down. Still, the building is in remarkable shape for it's apparent age, almost as if it's somehow retained a little of the grandeur from better days. A faded painted sign hangs above the porch, reading:

KLUND’S ANTIQUARIAN CURIOS AND COLLECTIBLES

Rare, obscure, and STRANGE artefacts from elder cultures and peoples extinct. Open until midnight.

You somehow feel a shiver as you look at it. It’s cold here, even though the sun is still out. Better get inside. Walking up to the porch, you peer through the windows, but all you can make out is indistinct shadows. You knock on the door.

Silence, and then a faint: "Come in! Welcome! Come in!

You put your hand on the brass handle, and open the door.

File: Isaiah Klund.jpg (25 KB, 218x386)

25 KB JPG

>>5875516

Inside you’re met with a large, dim room, covered in shelves stacked with the most diverse set of objects you have ever laid eyes on. There’s furniture, clothes, statues, and all sorts of strange objects throughout the room, which is lit with only a few candles.

And, as your eyes adjust to the darkness, standing a little to the side you see a man. He is neither short nor tall, roughly middle aged, thin, with dark black hair, and a goatee and moustache. Well dressed in a waistcoat and old fashioned long jacket, he seems respectable enough, though his eyes have a certain gleam to them even in this gloom that you can’t quite place.

“Hello. I do not believe that we are acquainted. Isaiah Klund.”

His voice is soft, though there is a faint hint of something else to it. He offers you his hand, even bending down a little to bring himself to your level. You take it.

>Arsene LeBlanc.

“Mr. LeBlanc. Yes, that seems like your name. Tell me, what has caused you to enter my store today?”

You shrug. You believe he might have a stolen letter, but you can’t say that to his face.

>Oh, curiosity. This is a very interesting place you have here, and I thought I’d check it out. There’s not many places like this in Los Diablos.

He nods, then speaks in a very serious voice.

“Tell me, do you believe in the occult, Mr. LeBlanc?”

PICK ONE
>Yes.
>No.
>Write in.

He raises his eyebrow, and smiles. It’s a cryptic smile, and he looks at you with a twinkle in the corner of his eye as he nods.

“I see. Well then, feel free to look around, and please ask any me any questions you wish. And of course, no touching of any items in the collection, even if you wish to buy. You might hurt yourself.”

You look around you. You can’t see anything dangerous here other than a sword or two, but you feel like Klund is serious. Guess you better follow his instructions. The man begins to walk away from you, lighting candles in the store to brighten it up a little bit, but you can still hold a conversation with him while you wander around and browse the shelves.

>How long have you been here, Mr. Klund?

He smiles again.

“A long time. A very long time. Oh, the days that I have seen, Mr. LeBlanc. I could tell you tales until closing time and it would not be long enough.

>I see. And what precisely do you sell?

He shrugs, and simply says: “I sell things Mr. Leblanc.”

He doesn’t elaborate, so you ask him.

>What kinds of things?

“All kinds. Curiosities. Ancient things. Old ideas. Remnants from places and peoples forgotten. Whatever people want.”

He lights some more candles. You don’t see him use a match.

>>5875519

You walk about in silence for a few minutes, inspecting the store. Most of it is taken up by this main showroom, but there’s rooms at the back that look like they’re private use. And the things on the shelves are… well, you’ve never seen anything like them. Taxidermised sea creatures, big and small, trinkets and artifacts from civilisations and places you’ve never heard of, gigantic leatherbound books, elaborately designed telescopes, gloomy paintings of empty castle halls, this place has everything. You can’t imagine how he’s gathered everything in one spot.

>This is a very impressive collection, Mr. Klund.

“Thank you. Now tell me. What are you interested in?”

What do you wish to discuss with Isaiah Klund?
>His customers. Has he ever heard of the Breans, for instance, or worked with the Howard Philips Museum? Or even a man called Farrow?
>His collection. You have to admit, it’s quite remarkable. Does he perhaps have any Inkan mirrors in stock? Or does he know what kind of people do have such mirrors?
>His services. Surely these curios are not the only thing he does. Has he ever handled letters for instance?
>The man himself. Who is he? Where is he from? How did he collect such a large number of objects?
>Write in.

Forgot song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IXYu_Vqlsk

>>5875519

>Write in.

“The world is a big place, Mr. Klund. I haven’t seen much in the way of magic or monsters, but I haven’t searched for it either.”

>>5875520

>His customers. Has he ever heard of the Breans, for instance, or worked with the Howard Philips Museum? Or even a man called Farrow?

Let’s get to business - he’ll probably be a evasive person but better to pin him down if we can

>>5875519
>Yes.

>>5875520
>His customers. Has he ever heard of the Breans, for instance, or worked with the Howard Philips Museum? Or even a man called Farrow?

>>5875519
>No.
>>5875520
>His collection. You have to admit, it’s quite remarkable. Does he perhaps have any Inkan mirrors in stock? Or does he know what kind of people do have such mirrors?

>>5875519
>>5875540
+1
>>5875520
>His collection. You have to admit, it’s quite remarkable. Does he perhaps have any Inkan mirrors in stock? Or does he know what kind of people do have such mirrors?

File: 1700348984692007.jpg (31 KB, 720x492)

31 KB JPG

Updating tomorrow, tired from work today.

>>5876159
Sleep well qm.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

Rolling for tie break.
1= His Customers
2= His Collection

>His collection. You have to admit, it’s quite remarkable. Does he perhaps have any Inkan mirrors in stock? Or does he know what kind of people do have such mirrors?

He smiles at your question, and shakes his head. "Thank you. And no, Mr. LeBlanc, unfortunately not. In fact, there are remarkably few in circulation. Only seven or so, and most of them have, allegedly, been lost to history. Between the mysterious Doom that befell them and the arrival of the Conquistadores a century later, it's a real wonder that anything from that ancient civilisation survived. Someone who does own one of those mirrors must be, well, immensely rich or influential. Likely both. In fact, I heard tell that someone found one during the last war, though I cannot recall the exact circumstances of its... recovery."

>Have you ever seen one before?

A glint comes into his eyes then, as he stares at you. "Yes, yes I have. A remarkable piece. And such a bright jewel set in its frame! Mr. LeBlanc, such a thing would inspire supreme jealousy in any man, much less a dealer in antiquarian curiosities as myself! But, unfortunately, it was not for sale, so I had to move on, disappointed."

>Where did you see it?

"Oh, it was some musty old museum on the East Coast, a ghastly old place with nothing worthwhile, except for the mirror. The Phillis Howe museum, or some other silly name like that. The Mirror was about the only worthwhile thing there. But I'm sure it's easy enough to find if you go looking."

He gives you a knowing look, before smiling and sweeping his hand over the room. "But there are all sorts of things to discover in this world, mirrors, and other strange things. The most important thing, Mr. LeBlanc, is that you need a clear and astute mind. Be able to tell the difference between the real and the fake, the glamorous and the subtle. But more than that, you need to know a thing's worth. Why someone would want a thing, why they want to buy it, or steal it. Take this collection, Mr. LeBlanc. All genuine artifacts, but only valuable to those who really know what they're worth."

You nod your head, politely. You’re not sure how to answer that.

>It’s very impressive. I’ve never seen anything like it before.

"Thank you. It’s something I’ve been collecting for many years. Many, many years." He says that last part in a whisper, looking over the room and smiling faintly, as if reminiscing on years gone by.

He shakes his head, then turns back to you.

"These are immensely valuable objects. Some might say, priceless. And there are a select few who would say that they are something more than priceless. And, Mr. LeBlanc, that Inkan mirror you were talking about is beyond doubt a priceless object. The Inkan’s believed such objects held great power, you know. But I wonder how many people today believe the same as the Inkans did all those centuries ago? Or, how would they react if they knew the truth of such beliefs?”

>>5877160

You feel like he’s trying to tell you something, but you’re not sure what. In any case, you’re pretty sure he’s not the Klund who’s got Farrow’s letter; he’s just a slightly eccentric antiquarian dealer. At least you’ve learned a little about the Mirror, though you think it’s a little eerie how much he knows about the subject.

>Is there really nothing else you can tell me?

Isaiah Klund grins, then looks thoughtful for a moment as he looks you up and down. He evidently comes to a decision when he nods and grins at you again.

“You know, what you said earlier when I asked you about the occult struck me. It’s true that a lot of people don’t get the opportunity to see things that may be a little weird, or strange, since many simply don’t seek it out, like yourself. But what if they did experience something they couldn’t explain? Something that defied all reason? What then?”

You remain silent, unsure about where this is going.

If you’ll indulge in the whims of an old man, I’d like to demonstrate a… magic trick, that I know, and I want to see how you explain it. Impress me, and I’ll give you information on anything you want. Fail, and you have to subscribe to my weekly newsletter. How about it?

He doesn’t look that old. You’re wondering how to reply when you notice he’s already taken a strange spherical object from and is holding it before you. It looks like a crystal ball almost, but the inside is dark, impossibly dark, and seems almost like it’s writhing with something inside.

What will you do?
>Stare at it as hard as you can, try to find an explanation to the trick that Isaiah is about to show you. (Godly: Perception, DC 16)
>Stand back a little, watch it dispassionately. What is Isaiah’s game here? Why, indeed, is he showing you this trick at all? (Legendary: Intuition, DC 14)
>Play a game of your own. Snatch the sphere from Isaiah when he starts the trick, try and see if you can’t surprise him. (IMPOSSIBLE: Athletics, DC 18, and ???)
>Write in (roll may be required)
>Refuse to play his game. You’re not going to waste any more time here.

>>5877162

>Stand back a little, watch Klund curiously.

Basically, Klund is more interesting to us than the crystal ball - it’s clear that HE believes in the supernatural, and therefore we should appear open to such things.

Even if he’s not the right Klund, he’s clearly in the same circles as the Brean family and therefore he may know of a useful person to us.

>basically, ham it up as a curious audience and attempt to win his favor in doing so

>>5877162
>Play a game of your own. Snatch the sphere from Isaiah when he starts the trick, try and see if you can’t surprise him. (IMPOSSIBLE: Athletics, DC 18, and ???)
Leblanc has an athletic stat of +12

>>5877162
>Stand back a little, watch it dispassionately. What is Isaiah’s game here? Why, indeed, is he showing you this trick at all? (Legendary: Intuition, DC 14)
We might have +12 in athletics, but snatching weird artifacts from weird people in weird shops is not only rude, but also dangerous.

>>5877162
>Stand back a little, watch it dispassionately. What is Isaiah’s game here? Why, indeed, is he showing you this trick at all? (Legendary: Intuition, DC 14)

Watch Isaiah more than the ball. Magic tricks mainly use the props to distract their audiences.

>>5877165
Wtf anon why
Let’s not assault an old man who’s only been friendly to us.

>>5877162
>Stand back a little, watch it dispassionately. What is Isaiah’s game here? Why, indeed, is he showing you this trick at all? (Legendary: Intuition, DC 14)
As much as I’d like to try out the +12 to athletics that we have, I don’t think that this is the right place or time to be using it.

>>5877163
>>5877165
>>5877187
>>5877188
>>5877302
Roll 2d6+6

Rolled 6, 2 + 6 = 14 (2d6 + 6)

>>5877457

Hopefully we don’t blow it

>>5877459
Nice job anon.

Do need Bo3 in case of crits.

Rolled 2, 6 + 6 = 14 (2d6 + 6)

>>5877457
>>5877493
Gotcha

>>5877676
Backlinking to >>5877481, I’m a mobile poster

Rolled 6, 4 = 10 (2d6)

>>5877457

Op?

>>5878789

Eh, it’s New Year’s Eve, anon - he’s probably taking the night off

Sorry for the missed update, was busy enjoying new years. Happy New Year everyone! The Deal with the Devil update arriving soon.

[i]Test[/i]

[green]I hope this is green[/green]

You take a step back, but you only hesitate for a moment. It would be rude to refuse him. Besides, you feel like the more interesting thing to see will be Isaiah’s reaction, not whatever parlour tricks you might see in this dark sphere. You sigh, and nod at him.

>Okay. I’ll play your game. What shall I do?

His grin as you speak is a little too enthusiastic to just be an old man’s excitement at playing some trick on a naïve stranger, but you don’t say anything. Instead, Isaiah points to the cloudy ball and holds it up to your face. It begins to glow a little, and you can see the shapes and shadows start to morph and oscillate as he stares at it.

“I want you to hold this and look deep into it. Tell me what you see. That is all.”

You look at him, but he doesn’t elaborate, so you suppose that’s it. A strange thing to be sure, but this entire place is starting to feel strange, even a little twisted, though you can’t quite pinpoint what’s causing it. Still, you shrug your shoulders, and hold out your hands. It can’t be that harmful, right? But the grin returns to Isaiah’s face as he tips the ball from his hand into your own, and you feel a great chill within you as you briefly see a black and decaying hand on each of Isaiah’s shoulders in the sudden flash of light from the crystal ball.
You take an involuntary step back as you peer into the light, trying to remain aware of your surroundings, and Isaiah...

>>5879143
You see…

Great stone ZIGGURATS with gigantic bonfires surrounding them beneath a black starless night.

Searchlights over a burning city, SHADOWS moving swiftly between the clouds above.
A rattling wooden box wrapped in IRON chains. Two stoic conquistadores stand beside it, their weapons drawn.

Miss Brean sitting on a couch with two other men, smiling and laughing at what they say. They have the same colour hair as her, BLONDE.

A king observing himself handsomely in a MIRROR. Something is moving behind him.

A forest at night being blown by a strong wind. The tall cypress trees are endless, and there are shadows of HORSEMEN moving between them. Maybe you should look closer…

No, No! You must not be drawn in. You must focus on Isaiah. What does he mean for you to see in this? Why are you seeing this? What ghastly trick is this? It’s like seeing a picture at the movies, but somehow this sphere is magnifying it, blurring the images together as if they were from a dream. What a strange and unwholesome device this thing is! If, indeed, it is a device at all.

You wrench your head away briefly, or maybe you look back, you’re not sure, but you see Isaiah sitting and eating at a table with… corpses. They all have grins on their faces as they pass each other wine and eat the meat laid out before them. But they are corpses! What-

You open your eyes, and Isaiah is standing in front of you, his grinning face slowly disappearing in the fading light of the murky ball as it returns to shadow. He reaches out and takes it from your shaking hand, which feels unnaturally cold, and waits a moment in silence. Then: “You have an impressive will, Mr. LeBlanc. Few have torn themselves away from a Seeing Stone of Reuel. I shall answer your question.”

What shall you ask him about?
>The Mirror. What, precisely, is this thing that the Breans and Howard Philips Museum are so keen on getting their hands on?
>Himself. What on earth is he? What the hell was that sight you saw in the ball?
>The Breans. He must know them. Who are they exactly? Why have they hired a detective to find a missing lawyer?
>The City. A man like him, whatever he is, must know some useful secrets. And to survive The City one has to know it.
>Write in.

>>5879145

>The Breans. He must know them. Who are they exactly? Why have they hired a detective to find a missing lawyer?

Let’s not let this weirdo drag us off-target - what are the Breans really up to? Understanding their motivations will help us understand our case better.

>>5879145
>The Breans. He must know them. Who are they exactly? Why have they hired a detective to find a missing lawyer?

>>5879145
>The Breans. He must know them. Who are they exactly? Why have they hired a detective to find a missing lawyer?>>5879145

>>5879145
>The Breans. He must know them. Who are they exactly? Why have they hired a detective to find a missing lawyer?

We have no time for these parlor tricks.

>The Breans. He must know them. Who are they exactly? Why have they hired a detective to find a missing lawyer?

Isaiah Klund smiles, and knowingly nods his head.

“Very well. I will tell you about The Breans. The family driven by ambition. Come with me.”

He turns around, and leads you to a table and chairs in a corner of the display room, which he motions for you to sit at. He sits down himself, and pours out a bottle of wine into the two glasses already at the table. You both drink a moment, then Isaiah begins to speak.

“The Breans are New Blood. Their line is old, but they have only recently come into fortune, and they rage at their lack of influence in certain circles.”

>Blood? You mean they’re New Money, not Old?

Isaiah laughs. “Not quite. I mean they are a new player to a very, very old game. You asked me how I know them. I have never had the displeasure of dealing with such upstarts, but I am well aware of them through reputation, and a man of my position needs must know about potential customers, or enemies. But I am getting distracted. You want to know who they are.”

He chuckles dryly, as he pours himself another glass.

“Mark and Henry Brean. Have you looked into them yet?”

You admit you have not.

“Well then. What you should know, is that they were deployed on the Southern Front in the last war, in the jungles and deserts of the south. They returned decorated war heroes. Doesn’t that strike you as strange? Receiving the highest honours, despite serving in one of the quietest fronts of the war?

You shrug. Like most people you like to forget about what happened during the war, leave it buried in the past. Isaiah continues his tale.

“I’ll tell you what they did. They stumbled upon something that was not supposed to be discovered. A lost Inkan city. Lost for a reason. And that would be the end of it, but they somehow fought their way out, trekked through the jungle, and reported it to their high command. The usual happens, The Government is all over it, The Company gets involved, lots of arguing, but in the end the incident disappears and Mark and Henry Brean are decorated for bravery and told to forget everything they saw. Brave lads, but foolish. They wanted to know more. So they return, build their fortune, and maybe lend a small trinket they brought back with them to some out of the way museum desperate for attractions. You follow me, Mr. LeBlanc?”

You’re not sure you do entirely, but you allow Isaiah to continue.

>>5880181

“And in comes Miss Brean. A young, intelligent, ambitious woman. Mark and Henry are smart, but be aware, Mr. LeBlanc, she is the brains of their operation. She’d do anything to get more power. And certain hints in her brothers’ stories of their adventures down south leads to some investigating, and she draws them in to a plan to study the… mysteries of this world, and City. Certain deeds are performed. Dark places for the uninitiated, Mr. LeBlanc. Very dark places indeed. Along the way she discovers the trinket they gave away is more valuable than they thought. And she wants it back.”

He takes another sip of wine, totally at ease. You wonder how he knows all this?

“So they hire The Lawyer. A faithful one, he’s served them well in the past. They don’t tell him about what they’ve been doing, or planning. So he helps them retrieve this artifact of Inka, and then he disappears. I can tell you, they were just as surprised as their opponents. And now nobody can legally get their hands on the thing. Very inconvenient.”

>But why is the lawyer missing?

Isaiah chuckes. “That’s another question, Mr. LeBlanc. I said I would only answer one. But perhaps, what you should be asking yourself, is: what does he know that has him so scared he’d run away from his own employers? I’ll leave it at that, Mr. LeBlanc. It’s been a nice afternoon. Please, come again.”

He stands up, and motions you to the door. You get that this is your queue to leave. A strange man, Isaiah Klund. Unsettling. You say your goodbyes, and walk to the door of the store.

File: Gangsters.png (182 KB, 1039x768)

182 KB PNG

>>5880183

Outside, the afternoon sun is beginning to set, and the shadows of the street are so long that you initially don’t notice the group of men waiting there. They’re dressed in suits, waiting by two idling cars. This can’t be good. Men in suits waiting for someone either means Tough Guys or G-Men. You slowly walk from the porch of Klund’s store.

They notice you. One of them, probably the leader begins walking over.

“Detective LeBlanc. You need to come with us. Someone wants to talk to you.”

On closer inspection, the men are Tough Guys. G-Men wear all black. And they usually don’t have Italian accents. Not that it makes much difference. The Mob isn’t much better than The Government.

You don’t need to be a detective to realise this means trouble. What will you do?
>Go quietly. You’re in trouble, but you don’t want to make the situation worse.
>Make a run for it. You can probably outrun them. You just hope they don’t have guns.
>Go with them, try and find out more, but escape at the first opportunity.
>Write in.

>>5880190
>Go with them, try and find out more, but escape at the first opportunity.

>>5880190

>Go with them, try and find out more, but escape at the first opportunity.

Play along and then slip away

>>5880190
>Go with them, try and find out more, but escape at the first opportunity.

>>5880190
>Make a run for it. You can probably outrun them. You just hope they don’t have guns.
We can do more important investigations if we get away. And even if they catch us, we can find out more about them and break out then anyway. Win-win.

You think the best course of action right now is to feign acceptance. You don’t want to anger these guys, not yet. At least not before you know a little more about what’s happening. So you shrug your shoulders, and begin walking forward.

>Alright. You got it, chief. Where are we headed?

The mobster gives you a smile, one that seems to be the opposite of reassuring, and jerks his head at the front car.

“We’re going to see the boss. Get in the car.”

You nod, understanding that he won’t say more, and you meekly get in. The other mobsters follow, and you find yourself wedged between two greasy men, their stoic faces so cold they almost could be carved from stone. Stuck between the two bags of muscle, you somehow feel even smaller than the 5 feet you really are. You’re almost afraid that if the car takes a corner too hard you’re going to get squashed like a bug. Regardless, the leader gets in the front passenger seat, and you’re off.
You try a bit of conversation.

>Where are we going?

The mobster to your right speaks without even moving his head.

“To meet someone who wants to talk to you.”

Right. You remember that these mobsters aren’t in it for the conversation.

You notice that you’re generally heading towards the south of the city, where most of the poor districts with the immigrants and labourers are located. The Mob pretty much own the streets down there, and what cops that do patrol the area are either too dirty or too new to be of any use.

>So what can I expect from this guy, your boss?

This time the mobster to your left speaks, and he turns to you a little too enthusiastically, and you’re pushed into the bulk of the other guy by his movement.

“You been digging your nose into too many places, mister. Fuckin dicks like you don’t know when to stop. Should know better than to go messing with some lawyermen. I even heard-”

“Clam it, Angie!”

He’s suddenly interrupted by a shout from the guy in front, the leader. The talker, Angie, looks abashed a moment, then twists back in place
. “Yes, Gino. I won’t say nothing to the dick now, okay?”

All he gets in return is a Hmph! From the front seat, before silence returns to the car.

>>5881081

Guess it’s up to you to start things. What will you do?

(Pick as many as you want, though be aware that more you do, the less time you’ll have to escape.)
>Look closely at the car, and the mobsters around you. Perhaps you’ll be able to tell something about who they are and where they came from? (Challenging: Perception, DC 12)
>Try to start up a conversation with Angie and Gino see if you can’t get them to reveal a little more about what’s going on and who wants to speak to you. (Legendary: Silver-tongue, DC 12)
>Angie and Gino don’t look they see eye to eye. Maybe that can be exploited? You probably won’t get much information out of it, but maybe something important will slip. (Challenging: Insight, DC 10)
>Give the appearance of being quiet and accepting, lull them into a false sense of security so your escape will be easier. (Heroic: Deception, DC 10)
>Write in.

>>5881082
>Give the appearance of being quiet and accepting, lull them into a false sense of security so your escape will be easier. (Heroic: Deception, DC 10)

>>5881082

>Angie and Gino don’t look they see eye to eye. Maybe that can be exploited? You probably won’t get much information out of it, but maybe something important will slip. (Challenging: Insight, DC 10)

Starting an argument between mooks is classic noir.

“What’s his facking problem?”

>>5881082
>Look closely at the car, and the mobsters around you. Perhaps you’ll be able to tell something about who they are and where they came from? (Challenging: Perception, DC 12)

>>5881082
>Angie and Gino don’t look they see eye to eye. Maybe that can be exploited? You probably won’t get much information out of it, but maybe something important will slip. (Challenging: Insight, DC 10)
>Give the appearance of being quiet and accepting, lull them into a false sense of security so your escape will be easier. (Heroic: Deception, DC 10)

>>5881240
>>5881401
>>5881403
>>5881706
Going to need a tiebreaker.

>>5881891
I’ll change from >>5881706 to
>Angie and Gino don’t look they see eye to eye. Maybe that can be exploited? You probably won’t get much information out of it, but maybe something important will slip. (Challenging: Insight, DC 10)

>>5882179
?

>>5882264

I think he’s converting his half vote to a full vote, anon

>>5882277
Why'd he tag my vote?

>>5882285

Oh, weird - he probably missed his own?

>>5882289
I think maybe I did… jeez I don’t even remember if I voted at all, but sorry about that. I’ll vote for that option in any case, so:
>>5881891
>Angie and Gino don’t look they see eye to eye. Maybe that can be exploited? You probably won’t get much information out of it, but maybe something important will slip. (Challenging: Insight, DC 10)

>>5882414
Forgive my mobile posting, by the way.

No update today, sorry, got a little too drunk while playing some Lethal Company with some buddies. Could write something while inebriated to get into that noir spirit, but it probably wouldn't be up to standard.

Oh, wait, I don't even need to write an update. Whoops. Stupid drunk me.

ROLL 2D6, BO3. Dc 10.

Also, please feel free to give any feedback, anything you like about the quest, stuff that can be improved, etc. I really want to know if I'm getting the noir feel right or missing the mark a little.

Rolled 3, 5 = 8 (2d6)

>>5882706
>feedback
Overall the tone is fine, but I’d love a little bit more lore. Loving the quest anyway, I enjoy lovecraftian stuff and if it’s going that way then I’ll love you for it.

Rolled 4, 6 = 10 (2d6)

>>5882706

This quest is based and you should feel based, QM. The slow world building is a great fit for a detective story

Rolled 2, 1 = 3 (2d6)

>>5882706

>>5882726
>>5882729
>>5882757
>4,6 = SUCCESS!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5_tXVpM_oE

Angie and Gino don't sound as if they like each other much. Perhaps that can be exploited? You know that when dumb thugs like these get into arguments they tend to let things slip they otherwise might keep close to the chest. It seems a little bit of prodding might be in order. You nudge Angie with your elbow.

>Hey, what's his facking problem? I want to know what you guys are gonna do with me. No need for that Gino guy to be so pushy.

Angie leans over conspiratorially. "Gino thinks he's hot shit. Put in charge of the crew and now he starts bossing us around. Gigantic pain in the ass."

You hear Gino's voice from up front suddenly. "The fuck are you whispering about?"

Angie goes quiet again, and Gino doesn't continue. Guess you might have to prod a little further. Angie seems like the talkative type, you just need to provide enough momentum to get the ball running, or at least his mouth running. And Gino looks like he doesn't appreciate getting undermined, not by an underling; he's the kinda guy who thinks he ought to be a king, or at least treated like one. A bit of nudging should put them at each others throats. Leaning over, you whisper to Angie,

>So does Gino have anger problems or what? Guy seems pretty pissed off all the time.

Angie chuckles, and accidentally knocks the wind out of you when he nudges your side.

"Sure he does. Guy hates everyone that ain't himself. God, I saw him once beat a copper with a rusty-

"I said stop talkin' to the fuckin' dick!"

"I ain't said nothing, you prick!"

>Hey, Gino, no need to be rude!

"Shut the fuck up, dick! I ain't talkin' to you!"

You turn to the other gangster sitting next to you, who hasn't said anything so far.

>What about you big fella?

Angie shakes his head. "Nuh uh. Willow man ain't one for talking. Hell, I don't think he can speak anything but Italian. Some accident as a kid or somethin' strange like that."

"ANGIE! Shut the FUCK UP!"

Gino is screaming now, turned around fully in his seat, face red, and throwing spittle. You can see the poor driver hunched over in his seat, trying to concentrate on driving while ignoring everything else in the car.

"Oh yeah? Well fuck you! We're just takin' the guy to see the boss, big fuckin' deal!"

You sit back, and let yourself enjoy the spectacle. This looks like it's going to be good.

"Big fucking deal? When we got The Company breathing down our sorry necks? When the boss is already mad as hell and screamin for blood? You fuck, this shit is important, and I ain't letting you mess this up again!"

"Sure you are, Gino. Not like that shithead brother of yours, Bert. Wonder what he did with that shiny green jewel he was supposed to grab? Has he sold it in a opium den yet?"

>>5883458
The comment about his brother sets Gino off, and a proper screaming match begins in the car. Maybe this was a little too effective. The driver doesn't even look like he's blinking anymore. Still, there were a few interesting things there. The Company getting involved with The Mob is highly unusual. Why would The Company, a secure storage service and big tech investor be doing business with The Mob? Though you probably shouldn't let your curiosity get the better of you. While it might just be a coincidence, Isaiah mentioned a jewel that was part of The Mirror that the legal case was over. You wonder if the jewel that Gino's brother was supposed to grab is the same? Your thoughts are interrupted by the mention of your name.

"- told us to grab a guy named LeBlanc! And that's it! No goddamn questions! So you can shut up or shove it, Angie!"

"I ain't a dummy, Gino! We don't take guys to the boss just so we can beat 'em for his pleasure. This guy really so important we ain't looking for your crackhead brother?"

If looks of rage could kill, Angie would be turned to ash. But Gino only breathes heavily, and wiping his sweaty forehead with a cloth, seems to calm down.

"I dunno. Boss wants to meet with the dick, so we do it. I don't ask questions, it's healthy. Boss is already mad enough as it is. So I go along with it, okay?"

Gino suddenly glances at you.

"You ain't heard nothin, dick, okay?"

You nod enthusiastically. Your lips are sealed, at least while you're within earshot of this guy. But it looks like Angie isn't satisfied, and he keeps on pestering Gino about details like their pay difference and how much pull Gino's old man had to use to get him installed as leader of the crew. At this point you can start to see the perspiration drip down the driver's neck, and it's probably time for you to get going. Or maybe you want to find out more?

What will you do?

>Push them into giving up more info. Now you know a little more, it'll be easier to persuade them. (Medium: Silver-tongue, DC 10, +2 from slipped info)
>Make your escape. You've heard enough, now time to get out of here and back to the case. (Challenging: Muscle, DC 10)
>This is getting interesting. Maybe you will end up making a visit to their boss after all. Stay in the car until you reach your destination.
>Write in.

>>5882726
>>5882729
Thanks! I'll try to fit in a little more background lore without dumping it all at once. And yes, there is the possibility that the Lovecraftian hints will turn out to be more than just that, though to say any more would enter spoiler territory.

THE MIRROR SEEKS ITS KEY

>>5883465

>Make your escape. You've heard enough, now time to get out of here and back to the case. (Challenging: Muscle, DC 10)

Let’s bail before we get too close. Hopefully we can jump out at a red light while the morons are screaming at each other, or get them to actually start fist fighting in the car? Presumably driver might pull over in that circumstance

>>5883465
>Push them into giving up more info. Now you know a little more, it'll be easier to persuade them. (Medium: Silver-tongue, DC 10, +2 from slipped info)

>>5883465
>Make your escape. You've heard enough, now time to get out of here and back to the case. (Challenging: Muscle, DC 10)
Time to skedaddle.

>>5883465
>Push them into giving up more info. Now you know a little more, it'll be easier to persuade them. (Medium: Silver-tongue, DC 10, +2 from slipped info)
We got low muscle

>>5883471
>>5883485
>>5884341
>>5884376
Need a tiebreaker.

>>5884537
Try putting something up on the qtg?

>>5884926
>>5884341
Backlink

>>5884926
Yeah, think I'll do that. Thanks anon.

>>5883465
>Push them into giving up more info. Now you know a little more, it'll be easier to persuade them. (Medium: Silver-tongue, DC 10, +2 from slipped info)

>>5883471
>>5883485
>>5884341
>>5884376
>>5885372
Roll 2d6+2, DC 10, Bo3.

Rolled 2, 6 + 2 = 10 (2d6 + 2)

>>5885407

Rolled 5, 4 + 2 = 11 (2d6 + 2)

>>5885407

Rolled 5, 6 + 2 = 13 (2d6 + 2)

>>5885407
here u go, chief

Updating tomorrow, moved to an earlier shift at work and I can't stay up writing anymore :(

Sorry for the delay anons.

>>5886168
All good op, update when you can.

Now that the two mobsters are raging, it's time to calm things down a little. Angie and Gino are too focused on yelling at each other to leave enough to care about you, so all you have to do is step in, cool their simmering rage, and get them to talk about something interesting while they're too distracted to realise what you're doing. Simple enough. These thick dummies won't know what hit them.

"Hey Gino, you really think the boss is going to promote you? After all the shit you've pulled?"

"Shut up!"

Angie and Gino are staring daggers at each other while the driver sweats up front, so now seems a good time as any. You clear your throat.

"So you think he won't? You worried about not being made? Gonna stick your head in a shoebox?"

"I said shut up, you goddamn wimp!"

"Hey!"

>AHEM!

A look of shock darts across their face before they both turn their heads to look at you. Gino points a finger.

"What d'ya want, dick?"

>Uh, I was just wandering what's going to happen to me when I meet your boss. He, uh, sounds like he's in a bad mood right now. I don't want to get hurt, you know?

Angie snorts. "Yeah, like hell he's in a bad mood. Ain't ever seen him so angry before. Gino here's got nothin on the boss."

"Shut your fuckin trap! And you dick! You don't ask questions, you do what we says, okay?"

You nod, trying your best to be humble.

>Sure, it's just, you know, I'm a little worried about this whole thing, yeah? Not every day I take a ride with Tough Guys like you.

Angie shrugs next to you. "Well we ain't started wailing on you, so that's pretty good as far as things go with us."

Gino just shakes his head and scowls. "Boss just wants to meet with you, and we ain't to touch you. That's all I got, dick. But you know what I think, little fella?

>What?

Gino smiles. You think the metaphor of a shark is a little overused when it comes to guys like him, but you have to admit you can't think of anything better right now.

"I think the boss is pretty pissed off. I think he's sick of all the shit that's been happening lately. And he wants to talk to you. I wouldn't hold my breath."

The silence in the car lasts for a while until Angie buts in.

"Hey, what if the boss wants to hire the dick to look for your brother! Now wouldn’t that be funny!"

Instead of reddening and starting one of his trademark tirades, Gino only pales and mutters quietly to himself. Angie, sensing that the argument has been won, tries and fails to hide a gigantic grin breaking out across his face as he starts humming some popular Los Diablos ditty about Special Police Brigade. It's a cheery song, only marred by the fact that the SPB rivals the commie terror gangs for sheer brutality.

It seems like everyone's lost in their thoughts now. Now is as good a time as any to make your escape, or you could stay with them and meet with this boss of theirs.

>>5887022
You need to get back on the case, but by the sounds of things you probably aren't going to get beaten to a pulp if you continue to tag along. And there's some interesting things being said about Gino's missing brother and a bright green jewel. Then again, you still need to find the letter Farrow wrote, and find more clues to his whereabouts. And look at the Breans more closely.

What shall you do?

>Make your escape. Time to get on the move. (Medium: Muscle, DC 10 +2 from distracted mobsters)
>Stay in the car. You'll meet with the boss and see what he has to say. (Proceed to the meeting.)

>>5887026

>Make your escape. Time to get on the move. (Medium: Muscle, DC 10 +2 from distracted mobsters)

I say we bounce

>>5887026
>Make your escape. Time to get on the move. (Medium: Muscle, DC 10 +2 from distracted mobsters)
Can’t be that hard to jump out of a moving vehicle away from two guards

>>5887026
>Stay in the car. You'll meet with the boss and see what he has to say. (Proceed to the meeting.)

I wanna see where this is going.
A chat with an old wise guy sounds like a treat compared to what happened with that creep Klund.

>>5887026
>Make your escape. Time to get on the move. (Medium: Muscle, DC 10 +2 from distracted mobsters)

>>5887026
>Make your escape. Time to get on the move
Why muscle instead of athletic?

>>5887150
I’d imagine it’s cuz we have to muscle our way out of the guards and force open the door, rather than something like jumping through an open window.

>>5887026
>Stay in the car. You'll meet with the boss and see what he has to say. (Proceed to the meeting.)
I'm sure it's fineeeeeeee

>>5887058
>>5887062
>>5887071
>>5887083
>>5887150
>>5887516
Roll 2d6+2, DC 10.

Rolled 1, 3 + 2 = 6 (2d6 + 2)

>>5887715
C'mon, LeBlanc! Put that stature of 5 feet into motion!

Rolled 2, 5 + 2 = 9 (2d6 + 2)

>>5887715

>>5887150
If you were just running from the guys, it'd be an athletics roll. But because you're in a car with two tough guys sitting next to you you have to briefly overpower them and actually get out.

There'll probably be an athletics roll if you manage to make it out of the car.

Do need Bo3. (Sorry, keep forgetting to put that in)

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Tough crowd? Rolling in 30 mins if nobody else does.