Session 001

Case Number: VET-001.001

Scene Carry Over Notes:

• Starting Location: I8 - The Loft
• Shift: 3 Evening 4pm - 8pm
• Scene Tags: Noisy
• Previous Scene Level: N/A
• Notes
  • Nox gets a text to meet his first client at the Glass Siphon in E3.

Scene:

• Level: 1d4+2: [2]+2 = 4
• TP: 10

I left my new loft and headed to the Exchange Strip to the Glass Siphon. According to Sage it was the best coffee shop in Steelcross. I could take the train, or a car, but I opted to take my bike. It would take a couple hours but it nothing compared to hiking in the woods for days.

Spend 5 TP to get from I8 to E3: I8 - H7 - G6 - F5 - E4 - E3

Q: Is the contact there already?
Oracle
DC 15 → 6 » No, but
Prehistoric, Dispute, Singing

aiEvaluationYour contact is nowhere to be found, but the cafe's peaceful atmosphere has been replaced by a loud, primal dispute. A group of patrons are engaged in an intense, rhythmic singing battle that feels strangely ancient and out of place in the modern shop.
Q: Do I recognize the singing?
Oracle
DC 15 → 3 » No, but
Candidate, Effect, Eye

aiEvaluationThe melody remains unrecognizable, but you cannot ignore the strange, shimmering effect rippling through the air. As one singer's gaze meets your eye, it becomes clear they are being presented as a candidate for something far more important than a simple song.

Q: Do I recognize the singer?
Oracle
DC 18 → 16 » Yes, but
Rundown, Glare, Man

aiEvaluationThe man's face is unmistakable, though he appears completely rundown and weathered by hardship. As you approach, he meets your gaze with a sudden, piercing glare.
Q: Do I know him through Chase?
Oracle
DC 12 → 11 » Yes, but
Spirit, Bell, Girl

aiEvaluationYou recognize him from stories Chase once shared about a young girl and the haunting toll of a bell. However, those memories are inextricably linked to a chilling, spiritual encounter that makes you wary of approaching him.

npcLiam Edgar Ives is a [motivated] [Mundane] [alchemist] who [communes with ghosts]. They are motivated [to serve redemption] and have a goal [to master oblivion]. In combat, they deal [chaos] damage with [mind control], but they [is fated to be a construct].
Level: 1d10: [9] = 9

Instead of finding my contact I found an old friend. He was part of the ritual going on. The magic was obvious, but the patrons were oblivious. They thought it was just some tribal folk song, but the words held magic. How wrong they were.

I didn't approach Liam Ives, he worked with ghosts, and the last time we met it didn't go well.

I sat down in a booth with my back to the far wall facing the door. I didn't want anything to sneak up on me — not here. Not with Ives watching me.

Q: Are there rumors about what happened to Chase concerning me?
Oracle
DC 12 → 14 » Yes

Q: Does anything happen before my contact arrives?
Oracle
DC 15 → 17 » Yes

Q: Does it have to do with Liam?
Oracle
DC 12 → 3 » No, but
Premonition, Item, Pleasant

aiEvaluationThe tension involving Liam is momentarily broken by something entirely unrelated. You stumble upon a small, pleasant item that triggers a fleeting and strangely comforting premonition.

As I slide into the booth I knocked over the salt shaker. Tiny grains of sand spill on to the table. A pattern forms on the table, a reminder I'm not alone.

I quickly sweep up the 9-tailed fox etched on the table in salt before anyone else sees.

I whisper to my self. "I know you got me."

It was pretty obvious when my contact walked in. He was looking around nervously, stared at the singing group in the middle and when I waved him over and he pushed his glasses up with a single finger.

I stood up, offered my hand.

Q: Does Dr. Aris Thorne accept my handshake?
Oracle
DC 15 → 12 » Yes, but
Seat, Shame, Weather

aiEvaluationDr. Thorne accepts your handshake, but as he settles back into his seat, an unmistakable air of shame follows him. The sudden gloom of the encroaching storm outside only deepens the heavy, somber mood between you.
Scene Tag: Looming Storm

With a smile I said, "I'm Nox Knight with Phoenix Investigations." I handed him my freshly printed cards. "Why don't you tell me what I can do to help."

NPC interactions: hindered by unsettling presence, trust issues, eased by detect weaknesses

Level 10 Dr. Aris Thorne → [indifferent] (+0)
Drift: No change ← (2d6: [4, 2] = 6)

Pathway: Can you Help me?

Npc interactions
DC 30 → 15 » Fail, but
Damage Control: You are on the defensive, but you spot a weakness or a hidden detail—gain an Insight.

It appears that neither Dr. Thorne or myself want to be here right now. The whole thing doesn't go well. But I have my first mission on my own. Something or someone is destroying the library, and it's my job to figure out what it is.

Dr. Thorne gives me the exact address of the library and I agree that a favor is a good payment. It is my first client after all.

insightThis insight reveals information about a [Known] [Quest] regarding its [Plan].
+1 Plan to this Mission

2d10: [6, 6] = 12 → F6
Solis Heights ← (1d20: [3] = 3, 1d20: [6] = 6)
Level: 1d6+2: [1]+2 = 3
Creature: Celestial ← (2d6: [1, 3] = 4)
Descriptors: Electric Vast Bitter ← (1d20: [1] = 1, 1d20: [9] = 9, 1d20: [6] = 6)
Reputation: Martial: Constant security patrols. ← (1d20: [3] = 3)
Filter: High Humidity: Thick, clinging dampness. ← (1d20: [9] = 9)
Power: The Syndicate: Organized and ruthless. ← (1d20: [2] = 2)

Q: Does Dr. Thorne have anything else to say?
Oracle
DC 15 → 20 » Yes, and
Witness, March, Communion

aiEvaluationDr. Thorne provides more than just the location; he shares a chilling detail he witnessed firsthand at the library. As he speaks, his words move with a rhythmic, haunting cadence that feels less like a briefing and more like a dark communion of shared secrets.

Maybe he just needed a little bit more time to get used to me. I did give off that unsettling presence, the flickering flames below my skin, and the pulsing silver glow beneath my jacket.

It wasn't much to go on, but it was enough for now.

We parted ways.

Q: Does Liam have anything to interject?
Oracle
DC 15 → 8 » No, but
Costume, Fresh, Obstinate

aiEvaluationLiam remains silent and avoids any direct interruption, but the striking, fresh colors of his ritual costume are impossible to ignore. He sits with an obstinate, unyielding posture, acting as a stubborn, colorful fixture in the background of your departure.

Liam's outward display made me wonder what he knew. But he wasn't my type.

Spend 5 TP to go home.

Shift 4 & 5: 8 Downtime points

Spend 2 hours Researching the Gilded Archive, hacking into their security feeds → +2 to Plan

Spend 1 hour eating dinner — Tag added: Well Fed

Spend 1 hour meditation — Tag added: Zen

Spend 4 hours Sleeping — Tag added: Refreshed

aiSummary* Nox travels to the Glass Siphon and encounters a ritualistic singing battle involving his old acquaintance, Liam Edgar Ives.

* Avoiding direct contact with the unsettling Liam, Nox observes a salt pattern on a table that triggers a brief, comforting premonition.

* Dr. Aris Thorne arrives for a meeting and commissions Nox to investigate the destruction occurring at the library.

* Thorne shares a chilling eyewitness detail regarding what he witnessed at the library before parting ways with Nox.

* Nox conducts downtime activities, including researching the Gilded Archive's security feeds, eating, meditating, and sleeping.