Urban Shadows: Vegas Blood Feud I

2 July 2015: 8pm: Urban Shadows: Vegas Blood Feud

GM: John Farish

I wound up playing this twice with him, and it was different each time. This was the session I'd actually signed up for. That said, the core idea of the session was the same and, as the GM said, was loosely based on the notes for an Angel session (i. e., Eden Games's RPG based on the Angel television show -- the Angel from Buffy).

• Markus Sieber: Vampire, Night: Maximillian "Max" Van Helsing
• Me: Oracle, Power: Kami
• James Mendez Hodes: Veteran, Mortal: Arantxa Aiza
• Redacted as player prefers anonymity: Fae, Wild: Anna Arendel. Yes, that Anna. Her monarch was Elsa, the Snow Queen.
• Jason Schneiderman: Werewolf, Night: Lee Collins

Mendez (I think): Will you be less boring than Anna in the movie?

Anna's Player: I will punch you in the face.

GM: And they're off!

Everyone made name tents. "Ambiguous" or "Transgressing" refers to gender. (*)

Lee:
Ambiguous
Caucasian
In Concealing Clothing
Excitable
ooo
 O
[That's a picture of a paw print]

Max:
Ambiguous
Caucasian
Vintage 60s Clothing

Anna:
Indigenous
Messy
Eccentric

Kami:
Transgressing
South Asian
Loose Clothing

Arantxa Aiza's name tent had just the name on it. The player said that the first name was pronounced "Ah-REAH-cha". Some called her that; others called her "Miss Aiza".

(*) There are a number of categories where the player is told to circle as many as apply, and the options for gender include: Ambiguous, Male, Female, Transgressing. This puts the idea of non-binary gender front and center, and a lot of us take it. And, if we don't, we've probably still put more thought into the question than usual. Similarly, the fact that broad racial possibilities are listed means that I'm less likely to default to a white character -- and that, if I do, it's a matter of deliberate choice, not laziness on my part.

Arantxa Aiza was in her mid-50s and had been in Vegas for 20 years. She was missing a leg. My notes say that she was a terrorist for a while, and I think the organization was Meta, but I'm not sure. This happened after it broke the ceasefire in 1989, if that helps anyone figure out the context I'm missing. My notes also say "then peace (sector? doctor?)", and I've no idea what that meant.

Her greatest achievement in the city was that she sold strategies that helped various supernatural factions, iirc. I think she went into retirement after someone changed and messed up her advice. What she most needed was interaction with other people.

Anna: I have the playbook for the character.

• Stats: Blood -1, Heart 2, Mind 0, Speed 1
• Factions: Mortality 1, Night -1, Power 1, Wild -1
• She had Faerie Magic. In addition, she had In Our Blood, which meant she rolled with Blood, not Mind, to trick people. And, Scales of Justice allowed her to use Faerie Magic at no cost at those who owed her a debt.
• Anna of Arendale was now working as a tour guide in Las Vegas. She had been in the city for 2 years, on and off. She knew the location of a portal between the fae world and the human world.
• What did she like most about the mortal world? OMG Everything!
• Her closest companion was Miss Aiza. As for her need, it was Romance -- she was looking for a boyfriend.
• Her Fae Court was, of course, the Winter Court.

Lee Collins looked to be in early 20s and had been in Vegas for 8 months. Lee had moved from Pennsylvania, bringing, I think, only one bag. My notes about Lee say:

• waif
  • supported
  • guardian
• These last two are tags describing Lee's territory. Lee was accepted as the protector of his territory, and Lee had made a deal with someone to protect it when Lee wasn't around.
• What is the best part of the change? Nobody can keep you from where you want to be -- freedom.
• What is the most important part of your territory? The Orleans Hotel & Casino. The player left the most important person in the territory TBD. I'm not sure if this ever was decided, but there was enough going on that was all right.
• Lee desperately needed to make a living and applied for casino jobs, and did other work as well.
• Someone wants Lee's turf. Who? Karena.
• If I understand my notes correctly, the Orleans was often a shelter to the ghost that haunted it.

Max was a scion of the Van Helsing hunter family, and looked to be in early 30s. Max had been in Vegas for 6 months and had been turned by Adrian, the vampire Max had been hunting.

• How do you keep your cravings in check? Rats. Lots of rats -- also hookers, and blood banks.
• Adrian was the vassal of Bastion, the former (vampire) prince (of Vegas). Bastion had recently found dead. Er, that is, Bastion's head had been found. The rest of the body had not.
• What scheme are you interested in now? High roller at various casinos. Not the Gold Coast, though -- Bastion liked it. If I understand my notes correctly, Max actually had a cordial relationship with Bastion.

Kami: I have the playbook for Kami.

• Stats: Blood 0, Heart -1, Mind 1, Spirit 2
• Factions: Mortality 0, Night 0, Power 1, Wild 1
• Kami's birth name was Dinesh Ridgeway. Dinesh went by Kami and dressed in a kimono, using a lot of make up to create a Japanese persona despite being not Japanese. Part of this was shtick, and part some combination of self loathing and fear about some of the visions that came.
• Kami had been in Vegas for 11 years.
• How do you cope with the visions? Drink until I can't predict the games.
• What are the nightmares like? The person I see in the mirror wants me to be her and manipulate people with false visions. (The Oracle's Corruption Move is to give a false prophecy.)
• What do you desperately need? Freedom.
• Kami had a collection of tomes and grimoires.
• Kami started with Foretellings and two of Conduit, Psychometry, and Skim the Surface. The third was picked up in play. I can't recall which that was.

Debt

Arantxa:

• Has something for Lee, and it is almost ready. Lee owes Arantxa a debt.
• Anna keeps pulling Arantxa's ass out of fire. Arantxa owes Anna 2 debts.
• Karina relies on Arantxa for training and so on, so owes 2 debts to Arantxa.

Anna:

• Entrusted Lee with a dangerous task, which Lee succeeded at -- escorting her to a ball. She owes Lee 2 debts.
• Max broke an important promise. Max was _supposed_ to take her to the ball. He owed her 2 debts.
• Anna: Keeping something hidden for Bastion: a necklace with a giant blue diamond -- or from Karina. Bastion owes her 1 debt (I don't know how that shook out with Bastion dead). The necklace is in Kami's vision of Lee.

Lee:

• Max was aiding Lee by keeping Karina, Bastion's #2, from -- well, the playbook says "finding" Lee, but it might have been from flat out attacking Lee's territory. Lee owes Max 1 debt.
• Kami lives in Lee's turf, under Lee's protection. There is a room at the Orleans that no one charges Kami for. Kami owes Lee 1 debt.
• Abraham Zeidler, wizard, hired Lee for a job, and Lee f*cked it up. The job was to steal something from Bastion's private safe. Lee owes Bastion 2 debts.

Max:

• Arantxa sees that Max gets fed regularly. Max owes Arantxa 2 debts for this.
• Kami relies on Max for a fix. When Kami needed to get especially drunk, alcohol alone wouldn't do it. *Kami needed some vampire blood, and Max supplied this. Kami owes Max 1 debt.
• Adrian owes Max 1 debt for turning Max into a vampire.

Kami:

• Anna helps Kami understand the dreams and visions. Kami owes Anna 2 debts.
• Kami has had a dire prophecy about Lee, but doesn't know how to help Lee. Kami owes Lee a debt.
• Kami is helping Arantxa realize Arantxa's full potential through Kami's visions. Arantxa owes Kami 1 debt.

Next came faction moves. Each player named the character her PC trusted least. That character's player chose a faction other than the other player's PC's own faction, and that other player created a rumor about that faction and then rolled with the modifier for that faction to see how prepared the PC was.

Arantxa trusted Max least, as Max was the one Arantxa had seen less vulnerable. Arantxa's own faction was Mortality.

• Power: There is someone in Power whose abilities are those of a superhero.

Anna trusted Max least, as Max had stood her up for that ball. Her own faction was Wild.

• Night: Anna heard a rumor about Bastion's little brother Locksley. Locksley sometimes comes back to Vegas. He doesn't seem interested in turf. But, he was there when Bastion's head was found, and he has now disappeared.

Lee trusted Arantxa least. Lee's own faction was Night.

• Mortal: Everyone says beware of the Church. Everyone is afraid of the cops. But the real monster hunters are the fire fighters. They're uncorruptable. They go into burning buildings armed with axes.

Kami trusted Anna least. Anna could screw Kami so easily, as she gave Kami advice about the dreams and visions. Kami's own faction was Power.

• Wild: The Fae are oddly interested in who winds up succeeding Bastion.

Max trusted Anna least. Max's own faction was Night.

• Mortal: There are organizations and factions that hunt us all

Me: Tourists.

Mendez: Yeah, it's like a safari.

We opened with Karina talking to Arantxa, in Arantxa's workshop. Anna was there as well, having been reading the Dresden Files to Arantxa, and Arantxa had been protesting the absurdities in the book.

Anna: Hush, it's a story.

Karina: How would you have done it?

Arantxa: The safe is excellent -- I vetted it.

To break in would take serious equipment or a serious team or both. Karina asked about a possible weak link.

Arantxa: The usual -- people who have access to it. Who has access? Who do they trust -- and who do _they_ trust?

Karina: Do we know anyone who can do that?

Arantxa: Oh yes -- dead people.

As for how Arantxa would kill Bastion:

Arantxa: I wouldn't have done it when he was _in_. I would have done it when he was _out_. Even if I could, I'd be worried on the way _out_.

Of course, only the head was found, so exactly where he was killed was an interesting question.

Anna: Probably not Fairyland. They don't bleed there.

Arantxa: That's an excellent reason _to_ do it in Fairyland. (to Karina) So, this advice is on the house, but if you're wanting me to track down the killer...

Karina: What would you want?

Arantxa: I'd just like to throw a party. I'd like to use the Gold Coast.

You know, I think this is why I love Urban Shadows. This is the sort of thing one uses Debt for.

Karina had either hired or heard that someone else might have hired some... outsiders, I forget which.

Arantxa: Outsiders. I think you should tell me who they are.

They were three Wolves, crazy and violent, but willing to do anything for money.

Anna asked Arantxa what kind of party Arantxa wanted to throw.

Arantxa: A debutant ball.

Anna: _I've_ never had a debutant ball!

Arantxa: You're welcome!

Anna: Oh mighod! Oh mighod!

Happy Fae Anna.

Meanwhile, at the Orleans, folks were asking for Lee so that they could ask Lee for Kami. Specifically, two legbreaker types were asking.

Lee: Can we have a couple of housekeeping carts around in case we need towels?

Absolutely. There were also some maids on Kami's floor, and the hotel detective was watching the legbreakers.

Lee: Send the detective back and clear the maids out. I'll be there in a second.

Kami was sleeping off a bender, having gone on it as a result of the Foretellings move. That is, Kami had had a vision of Anna in a ballgown, very badly burned. The burnmark was in the shape of a necklace, but the necklace was gone.

Lee intercepted the legbreakers on their way to Kami's room.

Lee: Gentlemen? Can I help you with something?

Leg Breaker: We were told this might happen, so -- I'm going to reach in my jacket to hand you a message.

Lee: Would you like me to read it here?

The letter was addressed to Lee. Lee pulled out a knife, not threatening the gentlemen, but using it to open the envelope.

GM: The fact you pulled out a knife actually makes them feel calmer.

Leg breakers' thought balloon: This is our kind of guy.

The letter was from the Russo Brothers, who ran one of the casinos in Las Vegas. It explained that Kami owed them money. A lot of money. Kami had made no attempt to pay.

Lee asked for 24 hours. The gentlemen countered, saying he had two hours to persuade Kami to help out with a problem.

Lee: How much does Kami owe?

Kami owed tens of thousands of dollars. Lee winced.

The Russo Brothers were, however, prepared to be quite reasonable. If Kami could prove that they didn't have anything to do with what happened at the Gold Coast, they would cancel the debt. They wanted to see a show of good faith, some indication that Kami was working on it, quickly, even if the actual results took a little longer.

Lee agreed to get Kami working on this, and the gentlemen took their leave. Lee got into Kami's room and roused the oracle, who was feeling awful, and not just because of the bender. The poor child Anna was going to be horribly burned!

Lee said they'd work on that, but in the meanwhile, Kami owed the Russo Brothers rather a lot of money. Kami didn't remember this, but then, Kami had been blind drunk, mystically speaking, and as far as I can tell, the debt was legit. Kami nervously asked if perhaps the Russo Brothers could use an oracle's services. Lee filled Kami in on what they wanted.

Kami examined the letter, trying to learn with Psychometry what secrets or mysteries it had been privy to. The oracle learned that there had been another message on this letterhead (though not, I think, on the same exact sheet). Someone had paid someone to feed information to Karina about who was involved in the break-in.

My notes say: "Benny -- not entirely human -- part demon -) Katina -) It's Zeidler".

If I am interpreting this correctly, and I am not sure that I am, the letter was either by or about Benny, someone not entirely human. Benny was part demon. And somehow, Karina and Zeidler were involved.

Lee owed Karina a debt, possibly from asking her about Benny and getting an answer, possibly not. They may have visited her at this point, or at least after some quick consideration:

Lee: Is it safe?

Kami: Well, unless she's killed Bastion, very. If she has, we're both probably dead.

Lee: That's what I like about you, Kami -- your unrelenting cheerfulness.

Max was talking to Ziedler about Bastion's death and the safe burglary. Ziedler insisted that he hadn't done it. Ziedler just wanted the book, a book bound in human skin.

Max: ?!

Ziedler: It was like that when I got it.

He suggested Max talk to the fairy girl, aka Anna. Max asked him about the Necronomicon.

Ziedler: I got three fake copies in the next room.

Around this time, if not earlier, Lee and Kami updated the Russo Brothers as a proof of good faith, and all of the PCs started comparing notes, at least via text and phone.

Anna: Do you really think they took him to fairyland to kill him?

Arantxa: Well, it makes sense, doesn't it?

Anna: There are two portals to fairyland here.

I forget where she said that the first one was. As for the second, it was in the Disney Store.

Anna called Lee.

Lee: So, Miss Aiza thinks he might have been killed in Disneyland. (looking at Kami) You know how to get to the Disney Store, don't you?

Anna, overhearing, started to give the street address.

Kami: I call a cab and say, "Take me to the Disney Store."

Lee was satisfied.

My notes say, "It appeared after a scene change." I'm not sure if that was the Disney store or the gate to Fairyland in the Disney store.

I forget what this was about, but I'm guessing the necklace: Look for it? Do you know how much trouble that thing has caused?!

Lee and Kami arrived at the Disney store and saw Anna and Arantxa, and possibly Max as well, at the other end of it.

Anna: We know who killed Bastion?

Lee and Kami: Who?

Anna: Don't shout across the Disney Store!

Benny killed Bastion, or so Anna and Arantxa had learned, possibly from Max. Benny had done this because Adrian told him to.

Anna tried to find a dress for her debutante ball, and found Kalee's cake dress (from Firefly).

Kami: You'd look better in a kimono.

Anna: Your makeup's on sideways.

Kami explained about the vision of Anna to Arantxa and Lee privately. Arantxa said not to try to prevent it from coming to pass, but to have Anna made up at the right time with makeup that made it look like she was burned.

Arantxa: Do you ever have a symbolic vision? Seven fat cows and seven skinny cows?

Kami: I am not f*cking Joseph!

Lee: I don't care who you're f*cking. Let's find Benny.

They went to a bar or club where they had reason to believe they'd find Benny. He was there. There were also three werewolves getting ready to attack, although I forget the details of timing, which is the problem with waiting so long before doing the actual write up.

I do recall that Lee was now officially On the Hunt. I think this meant that the player marked Corruption for Lee, and it also meant that the Wolf was very focused. I think the PCs were scattered. Arantxa and Anna went to talk to Benny. Max was separate, though I'm not sure where. Lee went in the front. Kami was at the back entrance / exit.

Quote whose context I forget: That is a lot of grenadine.

Benny was willing to talk.

Arantxa: So, it's nothing personal?

Benny: It's _never_ personal with me. It's always business. I took him somewhere else and _they_ took care of the headcutting.

So, a woman actually beheaded Bastion. Specifically, the Queen of Hearts beheaded him in Fairyland.

GM (OOC): That was not originally in there.

Anna's and Arantxa's statements about Fairyland had changed the specifics of the scenario. After all, Urban Shadows is Powered by the Apocalypse, which means one doesn't have to come with a preplanned plot and often shouldn't. Now, for Urban Shadows, it's often useful to have a default situation, which the GM did -- Bastion's death and the resulting tension in Las Vegas, along with a default idea of who'd done it and why. But, being willing to abandon the specifics on the fly is useful. This keeps things feral -- we play to find out what happened.

Sure, the GM could have stuck with his original ideas. This wouldn't have been a problem, as it was all about which NPC had killed some other NPC. This is very different than deciding to run a plot that meant the players couldn't use their PCs' abilities or deciding to run a plot where the world and NPCs felt more solid and important than the PCs.

But, the whole point is for the players to create the city as they play, and incorporating their ideas is often fun, keeps things fresh, and increases buy-in. So, yes, the Queen of Hearts had beheaded a vampire. Benny explained that there was some deal she was planning, with Adrian as the potential fall guy or puppet, depending on how things went.

Adrian wanted Bastion's body, and also Bastion's brother Locksley, for some kind of ritual. Also, Captain Hook was somehow involved in all of this.

Benny: Why do you people want _Vegas_?

Anna: I don't want Vegas.

Benny: Why are you here?

Anna: Aren't I allowed to be in a city without taking it over? That's what all of you are doing.

Benny: The Hook guy is in the back. You want to talk to the Hook guy.

By now, Lee came over, intent on killing Benny, the target of the hunt, as Anna had told Lee that Benny had killed Bastion. Anna tried to call Lee off.

Lee: That isn't how it works.

Anna: But it wasn't him! It was the Queen of Hearts!

Lee: That wasn't what you said. Do not pull the trigger if you don't want the bullet to fire!

Lee's Player: I howl. It's a thing that happens.

I forget the context of this:

Anna: I'm from Arendel -- I mean Norway.

Anna got between Benny and Lee, and I noted that Kami had foreseen doom for both Lee and Anna. And somewhere around here, the three werewolves attacked.

Somewhere during this, Hook got shot with a silver bullet. I forget who shot him and why, but I don't think it was the PCs.

Kami (in a cab, holding the door open, to Hook): James! Get in!

While this was not what Captain Hook had been expecting, he did. Kami used oracular powers to skim the surface of Hook's thoughts to find out:

Who is Hook protecting?: His own reputation. He will do whatever it takes to get the necklace back.

Meanwhile, Arantxa killed one of the three werewolves, the alpha of the group.

Arantxa / Arantxa's Player: I think I just unleashed on someone by escalating to a car.

Actually, I think it was a van. Meanwhile, Kami told the cab driver to go to the Russo Brothers' place.

Benny and Lee fought. Benny opened his mouth around Lee's head. My notes say that Lee got an 11, something about Base Nature, and marking Corruption. The Wolf was holding its own against the half-demon

Meanwhile, Max did Terrible Harm to the other werewolves.

Anna: I know where to find the Queen of Hearts, I think. (to Max) Get in -- we're going to find the Queen of Hearts!

Max: But I'm having so much fun with the doggies!

Anna turned the van's spotlight on Benny. She also hit one of the other wolves with her van.

Lee Unleashed supernatural power, getting a 9 and doing Terrible Harm to Benny, and also taking harm from Benny's attack.

Max attached the unharmed wolf, getting a 9. Max did Terrible Harm to the wolf, but wound up in a Tough Spot, with guns knocked out of Max's hands.

Arantxa shot the wolf attacking Anna, Unleashing and using the move Gun to a Knife Fight, .i e., escalating. A roll of 11 meant that the wolf took Terrible Harm.

Anna: Ew! Now I have brains on me!

Arantxa: We are not in Disneyland any more!

Anna: Ew!

Lee's Player: I've tasted Benny's flesh. Can I stop?

Lee's Player rolled for Lee to Keep Cool, and had a +1 on that.

Max had an 11 as he went for a werewolf jugular. I think he asked the werewolf who'd hired him, and the werewolf said they were hired by Karina to find Zeidler. Max took +1 forward and killed one of the wolves. The last ran, and Max went after him barehanded.

Anna turned on the windshield to try to wipe the blood off.

Anna: That was _not_ what I needed!

Arantxa: Are you _quite_ finished?

Meanwhile, Hook agreed to corroborate Kami's explanation of what had happened in return for the silver bullet getting removed from his body. What had happened? Well, the Queen of Hearts used Adrian who hired Benny to bring Bastion to Fairyland, where the Queen of Hearts beheaded Bastion. Adrian got away with away with Locksley and Bastion's headless body. The Russo Brothers were off the hook, and Kami's debt was cleared. Karina now knew what had happened and agreed to make good on her promise.

We now described the epilogue.

Max: Karina is now Queen of Vegas, and Max is her second.

Kami: The oracle made Anna up with a fake burn and gave her a fake necklace. Kami returned the real necklace to Captain Hook, who now had no reason either to stick around or, more importantly, to kill Anna. However, unknown to Kami, Karina learned about this, and she had her own interest in the necklace...

Lee: Anna had previously made a comment about Lee needing a collar. Lee made it clear that this was acceptable, so was now wearing her collar. Lee owed Ziedler, who was now in Karina's control, so went to Arantxa for help to spring Ziedler.

Anna: You know, the I Love Vegas Polio Concert is next week. (strokes Lee)

Arantxa: The veteran threw a debutante ball for Anna and introduced Anna to Arantxa's nephew.