File #R9500: Setter Blackpaw. [Terra Nullius Lore]

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Subject's Name: Sato Shinsetsu no Kasai
Subject's Alias: Setter Blackpaw.
Sex: Male.
Race: Hengeyokai.
Age: Unknown (Looks to be in his mid-twenties, estimating him to be 150-200).
Height: 5'0.
Weight: 111 lbs.
Hair: Honey blonde.
Eyes: Violet.
Special Characteristics: Numerous tattoos in hengeyokai writing ("Fur and Claw / Steel and Flame").
Typical Garb: Setter wears many outfits, but he favors revealing hengeyokai styled garbs.
Status: Alive.

Combat Assessment:
Setter is a master of disguise; hiding his magic as martial prowess in many instances. His style has foundations in Wu-Jen magic, but he has quickly adapted and made it his own style over the course of his life. He was quick to adapt to Genesis technology as well; he prefers the use of an assault rifle as his default weapon. Setter's magic is meant to confuse, daze, and hinder his opponents. He is also a healer; possessing a majestic arcane spell that can instantly mend wounds. Setter is quite adaptable on and off the field; a jack of all trades and an incredible asset in a team and as a solo operative.

However, his defining characteristic is a unique SEED called Providence. Through diving into his memories as well as tracking down information sources, I was able to ascertain the nature of this SEED. Unlike a typical SEED, it does not grant Setter the ability and skills of a Freediver. Rather, it acts as a general enhancement; inputting and outputting information and streamlining everything the hengeyokai does.

In terms of combat applications, Providence is fully aware of Setter's skills and populates those as a list of applications which it can then run. At the speed of thought, Providence can read Setter's intent in a situation and execute his will at the correct time and in the correct way. Although the end effect of Setter's attacks are always the same, Providence allows him to disguise the nature of his spell as an unarmed attack or a gunshot. The enemy would be able to observe this normally, however, Setter is able to convincingly play the part--using his own theatrics to misdirect and disguise Providence's magic as physical effects.

In terms of body control, Providence can manipulate the state of Setter's brain, the way his body moves, and the way he reacts to stimuli. This is where Setter gets his battle readiness and practiced combat stance from. It also allows Setter to maintain a thoughtful and calm demeanor even in high-stress situations. As far as I can tell, Providence does not have complete regulatory control over Setter's body, so high-level involuntary reactions such as shock can override Providence.

Electronic countermeasures have been installed into Providence as a passive application. It is meant to combat Freedivers. Providence will actively attempt to stop Freedivers, but when it fails, it will record the event using Setter's memory and sensory information in order to give Setter a reliable memory of the event. This allows Setter to understand what transpired while he was under the control of the Freediver as well as relevant information that might have been unintentionally forgotten. In rare circumstances, I have seen Setter act normally while being controlled externally as long as he acted within the parameters of the command thanks to Providence.

Lastly, Providence provides limited synchronization as it has been designed to be a closed system. For instance, Providence cannot access the internet, cell phone networks, radio signals, or other kinds of wireless actions. This limits the access external sources can have on Providence. Setter's brain is still capable of being hacked, but Providence is generally protected from such actions. The synchronization aspect of Providence comes into play by access technology, magical items, and other equipment used by Setter. This is primarily for information purposes as it allows Providence to have a 'user guide' for operating Setter and the equipment he has access to. This synchronization allows for the most efficient method possible to be used in Setter's action. This allows Setter, who is a hengeyokai raised in a limited technological environment, to quickly pick up and use new technology.

Skill Assessment:
Setter's main attributes are his charisma and dexterity. Through his upbringing and training, is an expert diplomat and liar. He is quite perceptive of his environment and has keen insight into the behavior of others. Over the course of his life, he has become educated in the arcane arts (Wu Jen magic specifically) and possesses above average endurance. He is a jack of all trades; having picked up little proficiencies here and there in many other skills as well as a library of knowledge. Setter makes for an excellent leader and party face due to his charisma and polite behavior.

Setter's weaknesses include an addiction to pain killers (a side effect of long lasting wounds from the dwarven cartel hit, more on that later) as well as his dependence upon Providence. As seen when an EMP was used against Athena, Setter had a hard time recovering from the incident until Providence rebooted itself. Setter used to be capable without Providence, but he became much more efficient with its use. It is ultimately a calculated risk for Setter.

Lastly, from time to time, Setter is bombarded by visions of spirits; whether these are true spirits harassing him or figments of his imagination is unknown to me. I plan on using the information I've collected on the matter and consulting with someone more knowledgeable in primal magic.

Background:
Through my interactions with him, through my information gathering, and from diving into his memories upon his agreement to work with the Middleman, I have learned the following about Setter Blackpaw...

Setter Blackpaw is the assumed identity of the dog hengeyokai known as Sato Shinsetsu no Kasai. He was born to Fujiwara Mukuro (mother) and Sato Hajime (father). Mukuro took the Sato surname upon marriage. Setter's memories suggest that his parents lived in Musashi when they were children, but the hengeyokai's turtle island is a can of worms I don't want to touch.

His mother's clan (Fujiwara) were well-respected practitioners of Wu-Jen magic. The eldest female of the family would be the head of the house as well as a head priestess dedicated to their deity: the Dragon. Males in the Fujiwara clan were reported to be caretakers while younger females were priestesses with lesser responsibilities.

His father's clan (Sato) is actually a splinter of the Fujiwara clan. The Sato clan is a subservient house to the Fujiwara. The Sato clan dedicated themselves to archiving history and protecting their parent clan at all costs. Setter's parents took up the roles expected of their houses with his mother becoming a wu-jen while his father was a historian.

Setter's parents were traditionalists within their culture and as such, insisted that Setter spend the first 100 years of life in his animal form. This cultural practice is meant to give the hengeyokai a robust set of experience to build upon after coming of age. I find that many of the city-henge have outgrown this tradition, but it is still largely practiced in caravans.

Setter grew up with his parents in the Kasai Caravan, a well known caravan that toured around Ezra. For the first hundred years of his life, Setter spent the majority of his time in animal form (roughly 2/3rds). However, the other third of the time, Setter spent in his hybrid form as he worked for the Kasai Yakuza. The Kasai Yakuza is run by Daichi, a hengeyokai crane that is well respected and feared. Setter declined promotions within the Yakuza in order to prevent his parents from learning of his activities.

After becoming 100, Setter was raised directly by his parents for a few years. He became capable of shapeshifting and educated in basic skills, hengeyokai culture, and wu-jen magic. A few years later, it seems that Setter left his home life and began working for the Kasai Yakuza on a permanent basis. At that point in his life, Setter largely works for the Yakuza during the day while moonlighting in the caravan brothel.

Within the next decade of Setter's life, he has obtained enough recognition within the Yakuza to be given authority over a small group of initiates. Setter's name starts to gain some notice at this time among mercenaries group--I have mentions of his reputation dating around this time. Things continue to proceed this way for several decades for Setter. He leads successful missions, he trains recruits, and ultimately garners the full attention of Daichi.

At that point, Daichi decided to form a runner team with Setter as the leader. This team operates for roughly thirty years with some of the members switching out on occasion, but largely, they're identified as the same core team from their beginning all the way to their end. Setter develops very close bonds with his team. The team operates efficiently and ends up leading the Kasai Caravan into a prosperous time. Setter uses his wealth and resources during this time to commission his unique SEED: Providence.

The last mission that his team went on would ultimately be the reason Setter sought out the Middleman, and me by association. Unknown to Setter, Daichi had made a deal to capture acquire a dragonborn by the name of Servius Axius. This dragonborn was a rare specimen, but he was also a high profile serial killer. Formerly, Servius had been a psychologist under the employment of Genesis.

Setter's job was to transport his cargo (Servius) to a secretive client of Daichi's. However, due to turf wars between the Kasai Yakuza and the Winged Serpents (a dwarven cartel), Setter never managed to finish the job. A dwarven cartel hit team (the Bronzeknuckle brothers) used intel given to them by Genesis to hit Setter's team in mid-transport.

Genesis had given the Winged Serpents the intel through their little spiderweb. You see, Lukas Baer (first class ROGUE agent) had put out a call for all unique specimens (like dragonborn) for Project Rebirth (an attempt to clone and create old creatures and monsters). His ally, Gwen Morrisson, helped Baer out by informing her agent, Leonhardt Nacht, what specimens were required. Nacht somehow discovered Daichi's intel on the route his team would take to transport their cargo. Upon learning that, Nacht fed the intel to the Winged Serpents.

Servius was captured and taken back to the Serpent's base in Babylon. The majority of Setter's team was killed in the hit; only Setter and one other member of his team survived. Both of them were gravely wounded. The Kasai Caravan took a hit to their reputation, lost their most valuable team, and lost business in one fell swoop.

Setter's teammate ultimately retired--too beaten physically and mentally to continue on. Setter on the other hand decided to pursue revenge. Setter used the incident to disappear off the map, so to say. After recuperating, he declared his surviving teammate his final client. He spent the next year developing a new life and tracking down information on the Bronzeknuckle Brothers. By using the Man With No Name (a popular resource for people looking to start new lives), Setter Blackpaw was officially born, and he sought out the Middleman for information...

Runner History:
After learning the truth of who Setter Blackpaw was, I knew that he would be a valuable asset. Setter had the leadership and social skills to assist several established Runner teams. He bounced from team to team. Through unfortunate circumstances, his second team was killed in action. Despite this, Setter was able to complete the mission by delivering the cargo to the client.

Having recently come into a Runner team that had similar interests as Blackpaw, I assigned him to work with the team of Roan, Kembu, Del, and Managirl. In the last mission for that team, Setter was capable of keeping the finicky client (Rickenato) happy and was able to make some tactful moves behind the scenes to keep all parties happy regarding Pandora's Box; a delicate situation that I knew Setter was right for.

Setter has developed positive connections within his latest group. He is particularly close to Roan, though he attempts to drive the best results and encourages all of his teammates. Kembu's inflexible morality sometimes puts the swordsman at odds with Setter. Angel Mauer's recent addition to the group as given Setter someone he can count on.

Motivations:
At this point in his life, Setter is primarily motivated by revenge. He plans to use the knowledge that the Middleman has equipped him to hunt down the targets responsible for destroying his old life. Past motivations are a bit murky. Setter clearly desired recognition and respect, though he seemed to enjoy his lifestyle. Setter has motivation beyond revenge as it is likely that he has a fallout plan to start a new identity after he gets his revenge against the Winged Serpents. I imagine he longs for the life he was forced to leave behind. Luckily for hengeyokai, they are long lived, and he has plenty of time to start his life over again.

My ultimate analysis is this: Setter is not a king, but a kingmaker.

END REPORT
WD

Picture is credited to the artist Rukis.

File #R9527: Roan Mitchell. [Terra Nullius Lore]

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Subject's Name: Yoshirou Naomichi.
Subject's Alias: Roan Mitchell.
Sex: Male.
Race: Hengeyokai.
Age: Unknown (looks to be in his early twenties, estimating 100-125).
Height: 5'6.
Weight: 143 lbs.
Hair: Black, short.
Eyes: Green.
Special Characteristics: Achieved the Genesis Rank: First Specialist, CID 633774.
Typical Garb: Black clothing, black shades, tactical gear, and trench coat.
Status: Alive.

Combat Assessment:
Extremely dangerous. Roan's skills started at an early age through marksmanship training with his father and grew steadily as he involved himself with the gangs of Babylon. His combat training was rapidly developed under the tutelage of Genesis. I find that hengeyokai's natural alacrity translates well to firearm usage; they're quick to pick up on it and Roan is certainly proof of that.

Roan is first and foremost a sniper. While he will use other types of firearms, he mostly relies on his sniper rifle. His accuracy is on a level that most people can't match; especially if he has time to line up his shot. I've taken a look at his old marks from Genesis Training and they were some of the highest ever recorded. It seems Roan has gotten his hands on an illegal rail gun; much more potent than a standard sniper rifle. Roan also possess a wide armory; carrying grenades of several types (incendiary, sleep, etc).

His shots are powerful; capable of killing VIPs from a distant. Those who manage to survive his shots find his attacks to be debilitating; I have observed enemies feeling weakened, dazed, stunned, or slowed after being shot. Roan has no qualms about killing, but goes out of his way to not kill innocents.

His one weakness tends to be his distaste for melee combat. He's more interested in fleeing than standing and fighting if he is attacked up close. Though, this is more of a 'tactical retreat', as Roan resumes firing upon his target once he's clear of danger. Recommend dealing with him in close quarters while ensuring methods of retreat are cut off.

Skill Assessment:
Roan's primary attributes are his wisdom and his dexterity. He is highly perceptive, athletic, and acrobatic. He has developed intimidation and bluffing skills from working closely with ROGUE despite not being particularly charismatic. His natural inclination to bluffing a target stems from his desire to hide his true identity while the intimidation techniques started when he ran with gangs.

He has an adept knowledge of urban warfare and the city itself. He is able to identify the best route and vantage points for various scenarios. Roan's stealth skills are unparalleled which plays into his combat role (finding a roost and sniping from it). His natural talents combined with rigorous training from Genesis has made Roan an excellent field agent. It is likely that he would have been promoted from his security position to ROGUE had he stayed within Genesis.

Background:
Roan's pre-genesis history is difficult to determine on paper, but I was thankfully able to skip through all the hoops when I dove into his mind for the first time. Roan Mitchell is the cover identity of a cat hengeyokai named Yoshirou Naomichi. Roan's parents came over to Ezra with the Oni Caravan. Roan himself never really lived in the caravan. It seems his father was a weapon's merchant and quickly found the potential in firearms offered by Genesis. Yoshirou's father and mother moved to Babylon to become representatives of the Oni Caravan. In Babylon, Roan's father began striking up deals in order to provide the Oni Caravan with the best weaponry available. It seems the Oni Caravan had plenty to offer Genesis.

I imagine Roan's parents hoped that Babylon would provide Roan with greater opportunities than the caravan's nomadic lifestyle would. The dream of many hengeyokai who would later be dubbed 'city henge'. I find parents are often misguided, but with good intentions. As Roan became of age, he quickly fell into the 'city henge' archetype. It seems Roan largely ignored his own cultural background despite his parent's attempts to integrate hengeyokai culture into the boy's life, from what I have observed of his parents and after speaking to family friends.

Roan and his parents were subjected to a great deal of racism from both humans and hengeyokai. Humans felt that the hengeyokai were dangerous foreigners and should be avoided while the hengeyokai viewed his parents as race traitors, despite having the blessing of the Oni Caravan to conduct business with Genesis. Like many young 'city henge', I imagine Roan wondered why his family didn't just pretend to be humans.

It seems Roan's parents were too proud to pretend to be human; even if many other caravans did have their liaisons pretend to be humans and then smuggle the weapons back to the caravan without Genesis knowing that the weapons would be used by hengeyokai. I imagine Roan's family was meant to be the 'official' face for the Oni Caravan, even while these secret deals went on with others.

From what I could tell, despite the rampant racism, Roan seemed enamored with the bright lights and the technology Babylon had. I reviewed some surveillance video on several deals and determined that Roan and his father went to the shooting ranges together often to 'test' the product before agreeing to buy it for the Oni Caravan. It looks like Roan and his father followed proper firearm safety, but I imagine Roan's father wanted to have his boy familiar with a firearm just in case...

Around this point in the timeline, Roan went into his rebellious 'teen' phase. A part of me thinks he never outgrew that by the trench coat he still wears, but who am I to criticize fashion? In this 'phase', Roan developed a human identity (Roan Mitchell). He began running with small time gangs and doing small jobs for the human populace to build up 'street cred'. Roan managed to keep his human persona separate from his hengeyokai persona such that no one could figure out that Roan and Yoshirou were the same person.

Overtime, Roan figured out that the gangs he was running with were small-time, and that Genesis was the real power in the city. Roan seemed to be driven by a need for respect, but I also sensed in him a latent desire to make a difference in the city. At this time, Roan made the decision to join the armed forces division of Genesis. I've heard of other hengeyokai doing this, though Genesis finds it difficult to root out a person's true identity since Genesis protocol prevents them from diving into the memories of their employees. A privacy issue, if I recall.

To join Genesis, though, Roan would have to give up his hengeyokai life. Genesis doesn't hire hengeyokais out of 'national security'. A nice label for the company's prejudice. Roan approached his parents with the age old hengeyokai excuse of 'wanderlust'. His father saw through Roan's ruse and interrogated his son until Roan finally admitted that what he really wanted to do was join Genesis, and that meant leaving Sector 8 for good and taking on a human life.

His father was furious, and his mother was not exactly supportive either. Roan and his father had a huge argument, one where neither side would back down. Roan's father forbade him from joining Genesis, and said if Roan disobeyed him, then he would be disowned by his family and the clan. Roan didn't care for that ultimatum. He ran away from home, shed his hengeyokai skin, and became Roan Mitchell full-time without any regrets.

Roan was able to use the Man With No Name (a common underground contact for hengeyokai) to draft a birth certificate and other documents to support the history of Roan Mitchell. From there, he applied to the Genesis Military and began boot camp. Roan quickly set himself apart from his peers; enough to attract the attention of a young and budding Gwen Morrisson. In Gwen's formative years as a ROGUE agent, she was scouting the talent for her future machinations. She had hand picked Roan, even if he didn't know it at the time.

Roan was accepted into a security role and was given the luxuries all soldiers receive: company housing and salary. Roan bounced from team to team for awhile; acting as a recon, scout, and sniper. He eventually rose to the rank of First Specialist. Despite his persona of a lone wolf, Roan actually had several close friends and relationships within Genesis Security. It may have just been comradeship, but these are social connections that Roan still maintains even outside of Genesis.

The deepest connection he made was with a woman known as Kimberley Meyer. She was a recon specialist that he often worked with. Meyer was an orphan; no family and no friends. She lived for her job, though that changed as her bond with Roan grew. The two were physical with one another, but I sense that Roan had real love for her. For his sake, I won't detail their relationship further, but it is clear that Roan would do anything for Meyer. She quickly became his world.

Gwen Morrisson became the main handler for Roan's security team. While many of their missions were sanctioned and handed down from the Genesis Corporate ladder, Gwen actually used Roan and many of his teammates in several black ops missions underneath the nose of Genesis executives. These missions were always presented as official missions, but the outcomes of the missions generally benefited Gwen and not the entire company.

The final mission Roan participated in with his security team was the attempted apprehension of Leonhardt Nacht. Nacht had broken into a testing facility and was acquiring sensitive information to use against Gwen Morrisson and Genesis. During this mission, Meyer, who had been performing recon, had been captured by Nacht. As the security team closed in on him, Nacht took Meyer to the roof and held her hostage.

Gwen told Roan not to take the shot. Frustrated, and believing himself capable of saving his lover, Roan took the shot on Nacht. His sniper round killed Meyer instantly and missed Nacht. The impact of the shot sent Nacht and Meyer tumbling off the side of the building they were on. Nacht wasn't found. Meyer's corpse was splattered across the pavement.

On the official books and in the news, Gwen changed the story to claim that Nacht kidnapped Meyer (and still has her kidnapped to this day). Roan was awarded several medals of honor and valor for his service, then honorably discharged from Genesis service. In reality, Gwen had been keeping Roan imprisoned for weeks; interrogating him and psychologically challenging him. Gwen would eventually release Roan to turn him into a weapon against Nacht. Ultimately, Roan's background is a tragic one. A family that disowned him, and then accidentally killing the person he cared for most. No wonder he is so somber and serious.

After being released, through his leads and contacts, Roan began a one-man hunt for Leonhardt Nacht. He found it difficult to get any information on the man as it seemed like Genesis was protecting him. However, Roan's desire for revenge against the man brought him to my doorstep...

Runner History:
After defeating several of Nacht's contacts and preventing an EMP from falling into his hands, Roan learned of the Middleman and sought employment with him. The Middleman could provide Roan with the answers and questions regarding why Nacht was protected by Genesis and how to kill Nacht. I thought this to be some trick or trap by Gwen Morrisson or Genesis, but after sifting through Roan's minds, I felt it safe enough to take a risk on him. After all, Roan has a good history of service and excellent skills that lend himself to be an incredible asset in the Runner lifestyle.

I assigned Roan to a team of rookies. I believed that Roan's professionalism would temper the group and keep them on track for their missions. He would never forget what the task at hand was because his desire for revenge depended on it. Roan excelled as a 'controller', eliminating enemy effectiveness while maintaining a calm and cool professionalism.

The first mission at the testing facility assured me that Roan was capable of handling combat situations in both urban and rural environments. This was important as his second mission would take him to the rural area of Quiet Mountain. He developed a professional relationship with the client, Dr. Vesper Klein. Klein and Roan might have potential business dealings in the future.

His third mission would be his hardest as the Olympians used the identity of Roan to kill the First Lady of Genesis. It forced him briefly into his hengeyokai identity (exposing his cover to the group and to many others out there). While Roan's human identity will always be stained because of the Olympians' use of it, Gwen Morrisson managed to legally absolve Roan of all crimes thanks to his cooperating in the capture of the Olympians.

Roan's relationships with the other runners on his team straddles the line between friendship and professionalism. I believe he might care for many of them, though doesn't allow himself to get too close in order to protect himself. Then again, Roan is capable of up keeping an excellent mask, so that assessment might be off base.

Roan's questioned involved how he could kill Nacht, why Genesis was protecting Nacht, and then finally... the truth of the Middleman's identity. I can lure out Nacht by taking away Gwen's leverage against him and offering it in a place where Roan could set-up an ambush. Genesis protected Nacht since he had black mail against them. And I'm always amused when people ask that last question...

Motivations:
Roan lives by a creed. "Nothing worthwhile is given; it must be earned. Not everything earned is desired, or can be cast aside. Everything that is earned, can always be taken away."

In his early days, Roan was motivated by his desire for respect. Later on, he may have been influenced by his lover, Kimberley Meyer. However, at this juncture in his life, Roan is primarily motivated by revenge to the point where he has little to no concern for his own welfare. Roan has no end game plan beyond killing Leonhardt Nacht. He has been approached by several people attempting to assure him that there are options for him after killing Nacht, but Roan doesn't think he'll live that long. Given that he is going up against one of the most dangerous men alive, Roan might be right.

END REPORT
WD

Pathfinder World's Largest Dungeon Playtest Summary

• Millennia ago, the celestials built a great dungeon. That dungeon was used as a prison by the celestials. In recent years, a Mad King and his family have used the dungeon as their own prison; throwing people in there. A small community of misfits (prisoners and their descendents) now live in the dungeon, trying to survive. The group consisted of the following:
• Ms. Faera, Magus Schoolteacher. (Female)
• Small Wolf Ranger and Large Wolf Animal Companion. (Males)
• Varian, a Criminal Swashbuckler. (Male)
• Gil, a Watchman Inquisitor. (Male)
• Andersil, a Reserved Summoner. (Male)
• Arcata, a Rebel Arcanist. (Female)
• Kinatt, a Fortune Telling Witch. (Female)

• The group was brought together by their elders to rescue Carl. The son of two of the elders, the young paladin turned up missing recently in the community. It is believed he is kidnapped, but even if he left willingly, he is an important member of the town and needs to be brought back as the dungeon is a dangerous and deadly place.
• The elder provided Carl's hat to the group. The Small Wolf used the scent to track Carl...

• Once exploring the dungeon, the group was ambushed by a group of darkmantles when they stopped and examined a kobold corpse.
• The group ultimately killed the darkmantles despite their annoying constricting and darkness spells.

• Further in the dungeon, the group found a small group of goblins arguing...
• Andersil used his eidolon to scare the goblins further into the dungeon and avoided the threat that way.

• The group came across a prison area ran by orcs and their tiefling boss.
• The prisoners consisted of two men, a woman, a kobold, a bear, and a kangaroo.
• The orcs were quick to attack the party for intruding on their prison. The orcs were ultimately defeated, and their tiefling boss killed when it tried to ambush Varian in the darkness.
• The group freed the prisoners and promised to show them their community. In exchange, many of them (particularly the kobold and the kangaroo) knew which direction Carl went in.

• The group destroyed a barricade blocking their path and only afterwards found the secret door that would've circumvented that.
• The next area seemed to be living quarters for a the orcs. The group stumbled across an ogre, a wererat, and several orcs. All of them seemed to serve something called Longtail.
• A nearby ratling had left several corpses from his adolescents and aided his allies against the adventurers, but ultimately retreated before he could be killed.
• The group found a strange diagram and model for the Heavens; left here by the celestials.

• In the next room, the group found Carl along with a few woman that were being sacrificed by the False Priestess.
• Each member of the group ran into someone from their past; enemies that they had once clashed with. And although it almost cost many of them their lives, the group was ultimately able to defeat their enemies, and save Carl before he was killed.

5th Edition Zeitgeist Playtest Summary

• The group were members of the Royal Homeland Constabulary and were based in the City of Industry: Flint. The group consisted of...
• Aaron Harlond, a Gentleman Wizard. (Male)
• Tamiyah, a Sheltered Monk. (Female)
• Chrysocyon, a Gunslinging Fighter. (Male)
• Retela, a Rogue of Many Faces. (Female)
• Nadia, a World Displaced "Wizard". (Female)
• Kash, an Eccentric Druid. (Female)
• Kalani, an Islander Barbarian. (Female)

• Assistant Chief Inspector Stover Delft, the group's handler, gave them their case to track down the killer known as the Flayer. The Flayer had killed many victims and recently, one of them was the servant of a foreign diplomat. The diplomat threatens to spark an international incident if the killer isn't caught.
• The Flayer is known for claiming a patch of skin from his victims, but his victims generally have nothing in common with each other.
• The only lead on the Flayer was a docker by the name of Guy who put on a street show about the Flayer. His street show contained details about the killings that only the police know about.

• The group found their lead, Guy, at the docks at his day job. He seemed to have some additional protection that an average docker wouldn't have... local thugs hired for protection duty by someone who was in connection with the Flayer.
• Guy seemed to be focused on his Art, though reluctant to discuss much with the RHC. The group found a clue; an old journal with an address written on it. The journal detailed an ancient fey creature known as the Skin Taker.
• The Thugs were quick to provoke into a fight and were ultimately defeated by the group. Guy was taken into RHC custody for protection.

• The group followed their next clue; heading to the address on the journal. The address led them to the outskirts of the city in the mountains to a seemingly abandoned slum building.
• The party convinced a local skunk to scout for them, though it soon was attacked by an animated rug. The group stormed the cellar and saved the scout from the animated rug and killed several animated armors and swords in the process.
• The group advanced in the makeshift home and cavern; coming across terrible ghouls that tried to eat the group and seemed to be used by the denizens to dispose of evidence (like bodies).
• From there, the group came upon a group of cultists and acolytes who were studying and praying in the name of the Skin Taker. The group was able to dispatch them and arrest them.
• Finally, the group came to the heart of this place; encountering the Skin Eater and his Skin Mummy (along with swarms of insects). The group would defeat the undead creatures and find some clues that would lead them further in their investigation...

• By the end of the adventure, the diplomat was satisfied with the progress on the case, and the group avoided the international incident. However, the Flayer is still out there along with the Skin Taker...

Session 44 - Answers and Questions

Key Points:

• The group started the session 'held up' by Gwen and Genesis...
• The group confirmed the defeat of Hera, Zeus, and Athena. Gwen claimed she had a team in route to recover their corpses.
• Gwen claimed that she needed Pandora's Box, and that the group needed to provide it. The ROGUE Agent mentioned that her "plans" had begun to go into motion and could not be stopped. As part of her "plans", she needed Pandora's Box at all costs.
• Much to the chagrin of some of the other Runners, Setter and Roan were able to negotiate a deal. The rest of the Runners would be allowed to leave and would be removed from the situation. Then, Setter would reach out to his contact, retrieve Pandora's Box, and bring the intel on it to Gwen. Roan, in the mean time, would be held hostage by Gwen as collateral.
• Kembu claimed to see "through" Gwen and note her true, cruelness. Gwen merely thought that this was the way the game had to be played for a "greater good" and that Kembu and Aria should look to their "father" as the real monster.
• Otter attempted to frustrate Gwen, though the ROGUE Agent was quickly to threaten the Freediver after becoming annoyed.

• From there, the group split...
• Kembu and Aria went to visit Lisa Trent to ensure that she was safe. Kembu claimed that he would be rescuing her sister soon and found the girl to be in good spirits under the care of Managirl's adoptive father. Afterwards, the Kembu and Aria retired to rest at a hotel.
• Angel, Managirl, and Otter retired to a hotel. Otter worked her "magic" during this time, and ultimately found success in her endeavors. Mostly, it involved piggybacking on some information and intelligence...
• Gwen revealed to Roan that she was interested in making power moves within the corporation; first claiming the First Lady position at the side of the current President, and then taking over as President shortly thereafter. Gwen offered Roan a position within the company again under her directives, to which Roan had to think on (having not thought beyond Nacht).
• Setter found his contact: The Man With No Name. Prometheus had left a letter to Setter, thanking him for his assistance and for payment (as well as taking some delight in knowing that the Olympians would be killed). Setter acquired Pandora's Box. He then switched the information to a second hard drive, then destroyed the first hard drive, so that the original Pandora's Box was now decorative and void of useful information.
• Setter ultimately had a blank, decorative box to hand over as Pandora's Box to Rickenato, then had a fake flash drive that he could bait Nacht with (thanks to assistance from Gwen). The hard drive with the real information was given to Gwen. Setter negotiated that his "contact" could seek out employment from Gwen down the road.

• The party rested for the night, and the next morning, gathered at the Elven Embassy to deliver Pandora's Box to Rickenato...
• At the Elven Embassy, the group was cautious that some terrible event had transpired, but found Rickenato in one of the rooms boxing with the MMA Champion: Nolan King.
• Nolan King signed an autograph for Managirl, but otherwise, kept his distance from the group as he was annoyed by Rickenato and had a fight to prepare for later that night.
• The group handed Pandora's Box (sans data) over to Rickenato, who ended up just putting it on display. He had no idea what he was going to do with it besides show it off, though it is likely he'll do something crazy with it.
• While there, Rickenato informed that Managirl's signet ring belonged to the Morrisson family: making her a relative of Gwen (Heather deducing that they were likely sisters because of their age, this would result in Heather being shaken up over the news for most of the day.)
• Upon delivering the box, the group completed their mission, and removed themselves from Rickenato's presence and went to the Lucky Cat Inn...

• The group arrived at the Lucky Cat Inn towards the afternoon and were forced to wait an hour or two for the Middleman and the Watchdog to prepare their 'payment'.
• Setter and Roan had a conversation in the inn; the two having mutual respect and trust for each other. Setter hinted that his current identity (Setter Blackpaw) would "die" after the mission was completed, and that he would assume another afterwards. Setter encouraged Roan to think of a future after Nacht, but Roan grew hostile (and later apologized for it). Setter informs Roan to "think" on his offer.
• The rest of the group passes time in other ways, before eventually being called to a back room...

• In the backroom, the Middleman is waiting, and congratulates the group on their success.
• Otter studied the Middleman; figuring out his identity then and there (more or less an A.I. housed within a construct body that resembles a human being).
• The group found that Del was already there and waiting; allowing for a reunion between her and the rest of the group (Managirl in particular seemed touched to see her again).
• The group was allowed to enter separate rooms and receive their answers from the Middleman...

• Del's answers...
• Del's answers revolved around the nature of Jergo (her blink dog's) existence and what Genesis was doing with those transportation trucks of animals. However, more than that, Del wanted to know how to get Genesis to listen that they were hurting and killing the planet...
• Watchdog informed Del that the president was a puppet. The best way to impact Genesis would be to approach one of two parties. The first party would be Gwen Morrisson, who is in the process of a hostile takeover of the company. The second party would be a secret cabal; the true forces that run Genesis from the shadows.
• Pandora's Box was revealed to contain sensitive intelligence on this cabal; their identities, locations, and resources.
• The cabal is compromised of monsters and monstrous humanoids that have run the progress of civilization from the shadows for a long time now; not just Genesis, but all major companies and countries.
• Gwen ultimately plans to use Pandora's Box to take out the Cabal and rule for herself.
• Del thought Watchdog and Middleman were trying to help Gwen, but rather, the Middleman was interested in his own goals (a democracy) and found the possibility of that easier under one leader (Gwen) than a hidden cabal with multiple members.
• That tied into her next question; what the Middleman was after. As a humanitarian, the Middleman ultimately wants improvement for the world, and for people to have the ability to choose for themselves rather than being manipulated and lead. He seeks peace in the end.
• Finally, the last question: Project Rebirth. Genesis is attempting to recreate and rebirth extinct (or near extinct) monsters and other creatures. Klein was briefly involved in the project, but removed herself after disagreements. ROGUE AGENT Lukas Baer is in charge of its operations, but receives support from Gwen Morrisson.
• Project Rebirth can happen due to Genesis having a Phoenix Hatchling; using the creature's DNA to allow for reincarnation of other species. The baby Phoenix was a gift from the cabal.
• In addition to having monsters for, well, monster purposes, the goal of Project Rebirth is to find a way to return one of the cabal members to normal: a dragon who has mutated into a cancer dragon and is slowly dying from mana radiation poisoning as a result of the reactors.
• The Cabal wasn't aware of the long term effects of the Mana Reactors, but don't want to destroy them as it would destroy a lot of their resources that they've created. The cabal is currently split; some of their members like the dragon wanting to tear down the reactors before more damage is caused while others want to continue production.
• Watchdog offered to work with Del in the future; as her goals likely line up with his and the Middleman's...

• Managirl's answers...
• Watchdog give Managirl the chance to ask REAL questions instead of the fake ones she had given him at the start.
• Managirl inquired why her level of mana radiation was so high compared to other manaborn. Watchdog revealed that her parents conceived her on top of a reactor core (her parents being scientists specializing in mana radiation studies).
• Managirl asked Watchdog if Gwen Morrison was her sister. He confirmed that, yes, Gwen is Managirl's sister.
• Managirl then asked the question, "where do I go from here?" Normally, the Watchdog doesn't deal in philosophy like this, but he decided to encourage Managirl to embrace her destiny and become a true superhero. Go out there and stop crime. Help people who need help. And more importantly, to trust herself and to turn her life around; to embrace lawful and good behavior rather than chaotic and neutral behavior.   

• Angel's answers...
• Angel's questions had to do with her past and her future; what happened to her family and how she could start her own.
• Angel's first question to Watchdog was to inquire about the nature of the deva's infertility. Watchdog was able to answer that Klein had begun to understand some of the issues, but sought no resolution for it because it did not pertain to her interests and research. Rather, the issue of the infertility has begun in recent years (the exact time frame was not given) and it is an abnormality. The Watchdog gave Angel in address to a library in Ramesses that'll have a tome that refers to the deva's fertility issues and what can be done to rectify it.
• Angel then asked what happened to her family. Watchdog informed her that their family lived in a town with Genesis connections. The dwarven cartel gang, the Winged Serpents, took out the towns inhabitants as retribution for a slight Genesis paid them. Angel's family (who were leaders in the communities) were among the victims of the dwarves.
• Angel didn't have a third question, so the Watchdog hinted that she can seek him out, should she ever think of another one.

• Roan's answers...
• Roan sought out the Middleman because while in the line of duty, he had accidentally shot his love interest (Kimberley Meyer, a recon member of his security team) when trying to take out Leonhardt Nacht (who was using Meyer as a human shield). His questions mostly had to do with his quest for revenge, though it did satisfy his cat like curiosity as well.
• Rather than give Roan an address and tell him to have it, the Watchdog offered Roan a 'deal'. The Watchdog would deliver Nacht to a location of Roan's choosing (that Roan could set up in advanced for an ambush). However, this would require 'releasing' what Nacht wants, and if Nacht acquires it, then slips away... he'll be gone forever.
• Roan then inquired as to why Genesis protected Nacht. Watchdog revealed that Nacht was a former, off the books agent for Genesis. Nacht was well liked in the company by some and hated in the company by others. Nacht had no qualms getting his hands dirty with what Genesis needed. Nacht's main directive towards the end of his career involved human trafficking in order to acquire unique specimens for Genesis projects (Genasi, Apex, Rebirth).
• Nacht eventually came to a disagreement with Genesis when Gwen Morrison took over as his handler. Gwen threatened Nacht by using Nacht's wife as leverage against him which set Nacht over the edge. Nacht and Gwen decided not to act against one another because each had information (or a hostage) that would ruin the other; creating an uneasy stale mate between Nacht and Genesis.
• Nacht had gotten along with his previous handler, but the handler had been killed, and Gwen took over the duties of advising Nacht. Nacht had been involved in human trafficking under that handler, but he had been trying to remove himself from those type of missions and Gwen wouldn't let him.
• Finally, Roan wanted to know about the Middleman's identity. The Watchdog revealed that the Middleman is a complex Artificial Intelligence that the Watchdog helped design. The core identity and personality of the Middleman came from a colleague, a father figure, that Watchdog looked up to. The process to create the Middleman resulted in his colleague's death; the goal of the project being to imprint a person's personality into cyberspace. To protect the Middleman and to prevent this from happening again, Watchdog killed all the other scientists involved in the project, then escaped Genesis and cut all ties with their organization.
• Ultimately, Roan was left more confused and twisted up over his answers than he was happy with them.

• Setter's answers...
• Setter's goal for working with the Middleman was to get revenge against the people who ultimately ruined his life by killing the team of mercenaries he had worked so hard to build.
• Setter inquired why his first team of mercenaries had been killed. They were killed in revenge against their primary employer (Daichi the Crane) who was cutting ties with dwarven cartels while trying to muscle in on their turf.  The cartel team was able to hit and take out Setter's team in mid-transport thanks to Leonhardt Nacht being leveraged and used to acquire sensitive intel from Daichi.
• Watchdog revealed that the nature behind the hit was also done for Genesis to acquire Daichi's cargo: a live dragonborn. Nacht went out of his way to ensure that the dragonborn would be captured, unharmed, when Setter's team was hit.
• Watchdog then gave Setter a list of names of the people responsible for the hit. It included: Leonhardt Nacht, Gwen Morrisson, and Lukas Baer. Carlos Rodgersias (cartel member who ordered the hit), Sofia, Juan, Javier, Jazmin, and Dante (the five man dwarven hit team).

• Kembu's answers...
• Kembu originally sought out the Middleman on a whim; having discovered a little girl named Lisa Trent whose old sister Brittany had been kidnapped by the Winged Serpents Cartel.
• The Watchdog revealed Brittany was being held in an apartment complex that the cartel used as a base of operations in Babylon. The Watchdog warned to bring friends.
• Kembu then inquired what the Middleman's ultimate goal was. The Middleman wants to see Babylon transition into a democracy. The Watchdog believes that this is possible under the Middleman's guidance, and supports the cause.
• Watchdog then revealed that Leonhardt Nacht was ultimately behind the kidnapping of Britanny Trent, and one of the main leaders behind the Winged Serpents. And without saying it directly, Watchdog confirmed Kembu's suspicions that Nacht is his and Aria's father.

• After the answers were shared...
• Death Otter attempts to recruit Managirl to help her steal a counter-encryption unit, but Managirl actively declines, and insists that Otter should not conduct criminal activities and that she might face off against Managirl someday if she continues that route. Otter eventually leaves the group; having more than she could've wanted when she first joined the group at Mei-Xing's behest.
• Setter made a phone call to Gwen Morrison in order to see what role she had in the events that have plagued Setter's life. Setter seemed to deem Gwen innocent of purposeful intent, though he managed to arrange a meeting between him and her associate, Lukas Baer, so that he could vet him out.
• Kembu informed the group that he would likely part ways from them and take up wandering again; though it seemed that his "beef" with some of the other party members might've at least been settled for the time being; settled enough that he trusted them enough to use their help in his goal of rescuing people kidnapped by the Dwarven Cartel.
• Roan and Kembu briefly talked regarding the nature of Leonhardt Nacht; Kembu asking that Roan not assassinate him until he and Aria have had a chance to talk to him.
• The group wanted to discuss some of their answers and revelations, but that would have to wait until next time...

Loot:

• N/A

Current Objectives:

• Receive the Middleman's Answers. [COMPLETED]
• Pursue Personal Goals.
• Roan: Defeat Nacht.
• Setter: Revenge.
• Kembu: Save the girl.
• Managirl: Find yourself.
• Aria: Reunite your family.
• Del: Save the world.
• Angel: Start a family.
• Death Otter: Defeat Athena. [COMPLETED]