Session 32 - Goodbye Old Friends, Hello New ...?

Key Points:

• During the extended rest, Mei-Xing went to meet one of her eccentric contacts...
• Known as DeathOtter, Mei's contact was a female human freediver. She enjoyed playing tricks to a degree and had a tricked-out stealth suit. She owed Mei a favor from awhile back and agreed to hack the phones Mei had taken off the two defeated Olympians.

• The group recovered at one of the pent houses in the Ramesses embassy during the day and evening. By the time night descended upon the city, the group was getting ready...
• Mei informed the group that the phone hack was completed and could be picked up at any time.
• The news station confirmed that the First Lady of Genesis had been killed, but it did not name the killer. It seems someone was protecting Roan's identity from the public for the time being.
• An in memoriam service played on the news, but that was about it.
• The group 'shot the shit', though Managirl ended up feeling 'picked on' by the hengeyokai.
• Kembu ended up apologizing (in his own way) to Setter for his outburst earlier in the day.
• Del received a visit from a strange animal spirit. The animal spirit called upon Del to perform her druidic duties; sent there by her master. Del had little choice but to answer the call, saying tearful goodbyes with the group and vowing to return to assist the group in their endeavors before this was all over.
• Managirl took it the hardest, but a lot of the group felt it on some level.

• The group met with Rickenato to ask last minute questions regarding the mission...
• Over a plateful of carrion crawler pasta, Rickenato answered the group's questions...
• Rickenato gave the following information:
• Prometheus posted the auction on a BlackNet 'Craig's List' type of website. The auction was barebones and would've seemed like a joke normally. Prometheus could be contacted through the website.
• Rickenato claimed he would pay 3,125,000 GP for Pandora's Box if Prometheus was willing to sell.
• Rickenato refused to reveal who his ROGUE contact was at Genesis, but he was told that a tiefling by the name of Gnoll who frequented the underground fight club known as 'Bulette's Brawl' had details on where to find where the transaction was going down between Prometheus and his buyer. It was also mentioned that a lot of gambling occured at Bulette's Brawl.
• Rickenato gave the group a handkerchief made from drider's silk. The handkerchief had Rickenato's house sigil, words, and animal on it. It could be used as proof of their affiliation with Rickenato if necessary.
• Managirl gave Rickenato a ring with a Wolf Sigil on it and asked him to look into its origins. Rickenato claimed that it seemed genuinely old, likely dating back to the noble houses of Ezra. He would need time to discover which house, however.
• Rickenato agreed that if he was questioned by the authorities, he would do what he could to vouch for Roan's innocence.

• The group decided the best course of action would be to collect the hacked phones. From there, they could go to Bulette's Brawl...
• DeathOtter wanted to meet Mei-Xing at a location called Frankie's Funhouse in the lower city of the entertainment district. The place had a weird clown motif to it and didn't see a lot of business (if any).
• Once inside the funhouse, weird things began. The group was warned not to 'feed the otters' by the ticket seller. The group saw an otter waddling around within the funhouse and directed them to the hall of mirrors. When Mei-Xing initially refused to go, another otter (this one cybernetic) appeared and coerced her into going into the hall of mirrors.
• In the hall of mirrors, spooky noises like unexplained footsteps and baby's laughing could be heard.
• The group followed the otter to the end of the road where they met the eccentric DeathOtter; a human female freediver.
• After some back and forth with her and everyone else, it was revealed that Hermes (the olympian) was meant to meet a contact at the Bulette's Brawl. He and Dio both had search histories for Pandora's Box which suggests that Athena and her crew are after it as well.
• DeathOtter had a grudge against Athena and believed that her services could benefit the group in defeating her. With some reluctance, she was allowed to join the group.

Current Objectives:

• Complete the Middleman's Third Job: Recover Pandora's Box for Rickenato.
• Receive the Middleman's Answers.
• Defeat the Olympians (Two of Twelve defeated).
• Defeat Nacht.
• Prove Roan's (and the group's) innocence.

Session 31 - Disguises, Disguises...

Key Points:

• A dying Kembu and Fake-Roan began heading down the elevator together...
• Del, using Jergo, was able to get herself and Mei-Xing through and onto the top of the elevator.
• Managirl, using her KNIGHT armor, decided to just break through the doors and land on top of the elevator with a rough impact.
• Setter finished off the remaining drones on the floor the group was on.
• Kembu caught his second wind...
• Just in time for fake Roan (revealed to be a half-hengeyokai shifter by the name of Hermes) to start choking Kembu and wrestling with him on the ground.
• A half-hengeyokai shifter by the name of Dionysus appeared on top of the elevator with Managirl, Del, and Mei. Dio appeared to be some sort of cyborg; having metal claw like appendages instead of fleshy arms. He also had vampiric fangs; but whether or not he was an actual vampire... well, who was to say?
• Dio seemed to be the back-up for Hermes; having attempted to make opportunity attacks against the group as they fell (and failed to). He engaged the group, wounding Managirl, but was eventually eliminated as a threat by Setter...
• Setter used an enchantment spell; causing Dio to hear a song in his head. The song made him wound himself, then obey the commands of Setter...
• Kembu fought free of Hermes' grasp and wounded him, then with Mei's aid, was able to knock out Hermes.
• Managirl in the mean time landed a vicious fire-blast of a strike against Dio.
• Del landed her own powerful strike staff against Dio before having Kiki fly down and land on Dio like some kind of bear missile.
• When the elevator landed on the ground floor, Roan was waiting; having taken the 'quick' way down. He fired a shot at Dio, but missed.
• Compelled to fall down the elevator, Dio was defeated through a combination of strikes by Setter and the group.

• With the cops coming, the group had to think fast...
• The group stripped Dio and Hermes of any belongings, then got on the flying carpet and flew away.
• The carpet was returned to one of Rickenato's guards, then the group piled up into the truck.
• Roan had arranged to meet-up with Gwen Morrisson (ROGUE Agent). Using his directions, the group located her an empty janitorial area in a nearby office building.
• Gwen believed that Roan was not involved, but explained that it would be difficult to prove his innocence. She, however, would do her best...

• Some key details were revealed...
• Agent Johnson was being brought in to head the investigation of the Linda Campbell's death. Mention of the Quiet Mountain Reactor's shut down was given, likely hinting that Gwen knew the involvement of the group in the matter.
• Nacht has ties to numerous cartels as he was used as an undercover agent with them.
• Hermes and Dio were members of the Olympians; a group of hit-men that worked in conjunction with EARTHQUAKE. She revealed that Apollo and Artemis were both members of the group. Athena, a name mentioned by Hermes, was also a member of Olympians. She was a noted Freediver. Their founder is named Zeus who has direct ties to Mackelmore. A mention of Zeus being the 'all-father' to the Olympians was made.
• Gwen wanted Roan to kill Nacht and off the books. She revealed that she couldn't do it personally due to a mutually assured destruction scenario between her (or Genesis) and Nacht. Nacht is privy to a lot of sensitive information regarding Genesis. Gwen has a 'card' to play against Nacht that keeps him from acting against her directly.
• The group started constructing an alibi; mentioning Rickenato and his guards were all witnesses.
• Setter agreed to handle the interrogation of Dio; even after an argument between him and Kembu (Kembu assuming that Setter might resort to torture).
• EARTHQUAKE likely used the party's arrival at the treant theater to collect data on them to use during the events of the parade.
• EARTHQUAKE may be interested in recruiting Nacht, which is why they set Roan up to frame...
• Setter interrogated Dio. Setter learned that more or less Athena pulls the strings of many of the Olympians. The Olympians only receive details of their actions; they're unaware of what each other are doing. Setter was able to get on record that Dio isn't allied with the party, but he wasn't able to get the other half of the information on 'whodunnit'.
• Athena seemed able to put words in Dio's mouth and observed the interrogation through his eyes. Yet, when Del tried to address her directly, Dio started sobbing; he couldn't remember anything of his life before. Perhaps some of the Olympians are victims in all of this?

• The group plots their next move...
• The group left Dio and Hermes with Gwen; hoping that she could arrange a story that would protect the group.
• The group parted ways from Gwen. The current plan was to reunite with Rickenato in order to receive information about their mission.
• Mei-Xing mentioned that she had a contact who could potentially decrypt the collected cell phones of Hermes and Dio.
• Roan revealed that he was really a hengeyokai; showing off a hybrid form. He shared this as a need to hide his old identity temporarily.

Current Objectives:

• Complete the Middleman's Third Job: Recover Pandora's Box for Rickenato.
• Receive the Middleman's Answers.
• Defeat the Olympians (Two of Twelve defeated).
• Defeat Nacht.
• Prove Roan's (and the group's) innocence.