Psionic Anti-Crime Squad: Mind Over Manner [IC]

[Cespenar]

At Ian's question, the young woman looks the smallest bit apprehensive. She looks away as she speaks. "Well... we don't have anyone capable enough to follow them." Then, she's back at angry just like that. "What do you mean how it is important? They beat up the Talented! People like us, you! If you were doing your jobs, we wouldn't need to do this."

"And stop doing that while talking to me! It's awfully rude."

When Echo enters the scene, though, Snowfall seems a little more receptive. She still seems to be resistant to the implications of them being the bullies, but she at least accepts the invitation.

The nearest drinking place is a worker's tavern usually accustomed to having the craftsmen and workers of Blackford, so the weird group draws a lot of attention, but the Watch's insignia on the group's cloaks quickly take care of that. The bandaged man and the thespian girl seems ill at ease having been accosted by watchmen, but the rest of them seem to be holding their composure well.

"I'm Snowfall. They are Ironfist, Zombie, Encore, and... Boomstick. Sorry if we can't give our real names." Her tone and momentary cringes suggest that she doesn't approve of some of the names, especially Zombie and Boomstick, but she doesn't say anything about it.

"We are, to summarize, taking down the anti-Talented gangs."

***

The thugs don't really listen to Leolin until she picks one of them up and asks it to his face. He looks her up and down in panic, but apparently can't identify her as a "weirdo" just yet.

"We're running from them damned monsters, them weirdos! T-they just up and attacked us, very angry-like! Now put me down! I ain't done anything!"

[Piecemaker]

Echo updates his remote teammates about their new location as they walk for the tavern.

As he enjoys his drink, he introduces himself and the remainder of the group, then tells the vigilantes about the Academy, and mentions a little bit about the previous villain they took down.
"So we are paid to take down the criminally dangerous Talented and we just want to be *really* sure that you are one of the good guys. And while the anti-Talented groups are despicable, you can see why some of us might pose quite a threat to society and scare the ordinary folk. That bastard almost burned one of ours to a crisp with a single shot."

As the conversation progresses, Echo starts shooting some of the questions in his head:
"So what are your talents, if you don't mind me asking? You already observed most of ours'. I would love to demonstrate mine, but I don't want to pay the innkeeper for every broken bottle in the room."
"How do you find these gangs, exactly? We have been told that they are elusive to City Watch. And how many of them did you fight so far?"
"..and how do you make sure that the thugs are not a trouble for you again?"
(to his own group) "Anything else we would like to ask our friends?"


Echo mainly wants to know whether the vigilante group is the type that resorts to murder. To this end, he observes Snowball and the others closely for signs of deception. Sadly but unsurprisingly listening to people or observing them was never one of his strongest suits, but he tries to remember his training on interrogation anyway. If they averted their eyes it meant lies. Or was it low self-esteem? No, no, that meant they are scared. For lies you had to check for sweaty armpits...

Spoiler: OOC

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Sense motive check if needed:
(1d20+4)[22]

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"You do realize you were the ones who ran when the city guard showed up, right?" Leolin replies to her cockney captive. "We're going to need a bit more detail than that if we're going to help you. They're not chasing you now, so just calm down and go over what happened. Why were you all lined up like you were about to play Blade Dodgeball?"

It's no secret that calming people down isn't exactly Leolin's specialty.

[Lynam III]

Lucky listens intently to Echo's questions and the answers. He poses some questions of his own: "Did you ever contact the City Guard regarding the anti-Talented gangs? If so, what response did you get? If not, why?"

Spoiler

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Diplomacy: (1d20+11)[25]
Sense Motive: (1d20+5)[21]

[Blinkbear]

Argus stays outside the tavern with his dog and subsequently places sensors in birds-eye perspective, starting over the tavern and trying to get some overview over the area, the situation and the movements of people.

[Cespenar]

Tavern

Echo's roundabout talk actually calms Snowfall down, and she answers his question about their powers after a bit of trepidation. Still, her voice drops down to a whisper as she speaks.

"I can make it... rather cold at close range. Ironfist's touch hits with the strength of a hammer. Ah, Zombie, basically, is hard to hurt. Encore can force people to repeat what they do, and Boomstick, well, he just has his father's musket. It's a huge thing, though, and really scares people off," she ends with a slight chuckle.

"Finding them, well. We send Zombie as a bait to taverns like this, around where we heard the beatings happened. He acts all drunk and boasts about being a Talented, and when he leaves, sometimes the line hits. We have come upon such gangs twice now, though they didn't reveal anything other than these other fellows. But there's got to be some organizer or firebrand leading them. We just have to find them."

At Lucky's question, she frowns a bit. "We haven't, because they already seemed to be hunting them. Only problem is, they couldn't catch them. We got tired of their incompetence, so we formed this group. Somebody has to look out for their kind. It's the ob- I mean, it's the right thing to do."

Spoiler: Sense Motive

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Echo and Lucky can sense that these are not your regular bloodthirsty sort, and would definitely try to do things without taking any lives, but what happens when push comes to shove is anyone's guess.

***

Leolin and the Runners

"We was just happy that they got distracted for a bit, just that. You say you from the Watch? How come your uniform is all mismatch and stuff?"

[Piecemaker]

Echo now has a serious look on his face. "Did any of your fights result in someone dying? With your powers, it is only a matter of time. It is all fun and games until someone gets killed. Once you cross the line from vigilante to murderer, not even we can make a case to defend you."

[Lynam III]

Lucky nods at Snowfall's response, appreciating her honesty. "Truth be told, I can't blame you guys. If I were in your place, I'd probably do the same. But things have changed now, and there is a better option. The City Guard is now working with the Talented."

"Now, let's think what would happen if we didn't intervene. You would rough up the guys; perhaps get a name, perhaps not. When you found your firebrand, what options would you have? Neither killing him or beating him up would accomplish anything in the long term. Another firebrand would replace the old one, and they would now have more justification to attack the Talented. You people might be able to protect yourselves; but they would target more isolated Talented instead, and things would get really ugly. It sounds like a vicious cycle of violence to me."

Lucky takes a sip from from his drink. "Now, I didn't say there isn't a solution. I think there is one. We could join our strengths and hunt for this firebrand you mentioned. Three people from our team are already on the heels of the thugs you were planning to question, so hopefully we'll know where to look at. But..." he pauses "when we find him, we don't beat him up. We arrest him and his partners and hand them over to the authorities. Not only would that take them off the streets for the foreseeable future and make them look like wusses, it would also show that the Talented are not thugs and murderers, but good citizens like everyone else. Sounds better, eh?"

He finishes his drink and extends his hand toward Snowfall. "I'm Lucky by the way. I'm from the streets myself, so I know exactly how you feel."

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"Is it? I just altered it a bit to make it fit right."

She lets out a quick sigh to get the fit of vanity out of her system, then leans her arm on the goon's shoulder and looms over him. This chungus probably doesn't respect the Law much more than he does the Talented, but even with no obvious powers she could probably snap his neck.

"Listen, punk," she growls, "We already know about the sick crap you and your friends put these people through these last few months. We're here to make sure that all of that ends today. So the next time you meet up with your buddies, you're not going to have to worry about any more street fights, because you are going to tell them that the next time you line up with your spears and nail boards, the watch is going to be there, and we're not going to be on your team like we were today. Capisce?"

Spoiler

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Intimidate: (1d20)[19]+10 = 29, possibly higher if being very grappled helps or if Obs and/or Sylfas show up to help outnumber this guy.

[neriractor]

Jacob stands close by, helping obsidian keep the other two they caught under control while getting some new found respect for Leolin, who apparently could be really scary under her antics.

[Cespenar]

Echo and Co.

"No, of course not. We are not your common street cutthroat. We are just some concerned no- ahem, citizens. Though apart from this, if you think that the Watch cares about whether some odd criminal lives or dies, then I laugh at you sir."

She then turns to Lucky.

"No, we were thinking about handing the organizer over to the Watch once we had him anyway. We don't want his head or anything. It's not the olden times, after all."

At the offer to join, she looks a bit puzzled, and then glances over to the others. Only Ironfist stares back and nods at her, while others look around pensively. Shrugging, Snowfall turns back. "Suppose we agree. What is your plan to catch them?"

***

Leolin and Co.

The slimy attitude dissolves as Leolin drops her weight on the guy. He looks paler and paler as she talks, and when she finishes, he looks positively terrified.

"Uh, yes. Yes! I'm goin' straight to home, that's a promise!" he exclaims as he tries to scurry away like a hurt dog.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Make a Sense Motive check.

[Lynam III]

Lucky smiles his best smile and says: "I will have to check with our team, milady. Please excuse us for a moment." He takes Argus by the arm and moves away from the others so he cannot be heard.

When his face cannot be seen by the group, his expression is a mixture of surprise and annoyance. "Hey Argus, I need to talk with Leo. Can you please pass on my message?" He speaks in a soft tone so that he cannot be heard. "Here it is: The thug-hunters turned out to be some nobles slumming for adventure, although they don't know we know that. We agreed to help them catch the leader of the thugs before learning this. Did you manage to catch any of the runners? If so, please bring them here as soon as possible."

[Blinkbear]

Lucky smiles his best smile and says: "I will have to check with our team, milady. Please excuse us for a moment." He takes Argus by the arm and moves away from the others so he cannot be heard.

When his face cannot be seen by the group, his expression is a mixture of surprise and annoyance. "Hey Argus, I need to talk with Leo. Can you please pass on my message?" He speaks in a soft tone so that he cannot be heard. "Here it is: The thug-hunters turned out to be some nobles slumming for adventure, although they don't know we know that. We agreed to help them catch the leader of the thugs before learning this. Did you manage to catch any of the runners? If so, please bring them here as soon as possible."

Argus is waiting outside the tavern, but that makes it probably only more convenient for Lucky. He raises an eyebrow upon this new development, but quickly transfers the information to Leolin. "You'd also like me to pass it to the others?"

[Tsunamiatunzen1]

Ian allows the others to keep talking, still not trusting himself to handle this as diplomatically as the others, though he does stop leaning on his bag albeit a bit grudgingly. However, upon hearing Snowfall's challenge for a plan he speaks up.
"We have someone who can follow them if that's your concern. No need to make Talented look power-crazed. If you're asking what happens after that," he shrugs, "it's up to you whether to stay on and train your skills while having the law on your side instead of teetering on the edge of right and wrong."
He then backtracks a bit.
"Wait, you said the Watch doesn't care if some random criminal dies? Am I to suppose you have a specific example to prove your point?"
Ian was beginning to suspect there was more to this group than met the eye. He still needed more pieces of the puzzle though.
Something about them strikes me as odd now that I think about it. Hmm, better organize what I need to figure out.
1. She keeps stopping in the middle of an explanation and deliberately makes it a bit vague.
Possibility: Still wary of us for any number of reasons and thus isn't telling the whole story.
2. Where do they get such fancy material to make those costumes? It must cost a lot.
Possibility: Higher rank? Backing from influential group?
3. Distrust of the Watch to act is obvious.
Possibility: Anti-Talented influence in Watch?
Too bad I can't write this all down right now.

[Piecemaker]

As a side thought, Argus, does your talent include listening to remote places as well? If so, after finishing our business, we could leave these folks alone and just eavesdrop on their conversation to learn a bit more, transmits Echo.

[Lynam III]

Lucky nods at Argus. "Sure, why not."

[Blinkbear]

Argus nods at Lucky: "Will do!" And then he does so. Additionally, he answers Echo: I see and hear what they're saying. Just need to know where to put the sensor.

[Cespenar]

Tavern

"Mil- what?" The jab doesn't seem to escape Snowfall, and causes a chain reaction of wary glances between the vigilantes as Lucky leaves to speak with Argus.

She also looks undecidedly at Ian's invitation to the Squad, but his backtracking causes her to get irritated again.

"I don't need to give any examples." At that, Zombie joins in from the sidelines. His voice, unlike his clothing, has a smooth carry to it. "They use the stick even if the fellow gives himself up. Sometimes shoot them as they escape. And their raids often end up pretty bloody."

Thugs

Spoiler: Jacob

Show

It seems to Jacob that while the guy really seems afraid, he also believes that he got off quite easy.

[Piecemaker]

Echo gets back into the conversation, passing time until Leolin's team brings the thug. "Sure, no one gives a damn when the Watch gets brutal. But if some fellow accidentally gets killed at the hands of 'Weirdos', and people find out, not even castles may protect you from the angry mob with pitchforks and torches."

[neriractor]

Jacob glares at the criminal and then passes a message along to Argus "Can you ask Leolin if she is planning obsidian and I to pursue them? if not she seems to be going far too easy on this punks"

Spoiler: OOC

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did the noble thing pass to all of us or just to Leolin?

[Blinkbear]

Argus does so.

Spoiler: ooc

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it went to all.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"Good." Leolin winces and tightens her grip on the thug as several brain transmissions flood into her mind. There's a part of her that really doesn't like being told what to do in this manner, though the toneless mindlink doesn't quite convey her annoyance.

Okay, quick: you guys want this guy I just shook up or one of the other ones? Either way... Obsidian, you and J were pretty good at skulking around, right? Think you could follow these guys to their hideout?

[GnomishPride]

I'll see what I can do. I'm not the greatest at tracking, but I don't think these street thugs are great at hiding, so it should be a cakewalk.
With that, Obsidian sets off on his grand quest to find the hideout.

[neriractor]

"sure we can, just..." at that moment he sees obsidian rush behind him and leaves mid-sentence, not wanting to lose the trail.

following closely he thinks of something, trying to not pass it over to anybody ¿J?... perhaps she heard it somewhere, is nothing

Spoiler: OOC

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activating chameleon for a better hide check.

[Cespenar]

Sneaky and Runner

Following the men proves easy, and they lead to a ringleader holed in another sketchy tavern on the edge of Blackford and Ditchton (a slums district). Obsidian and Mimic can spot one thug telling the gruff ringleader something in a panicked expression after chugging a drink or two to calm his nerves. The ringleader seems angry enough to almost beat the men then and there, but then nods and writes a message to a piece of paper. The first man then gets back out of the tavern and hands the ringleader's note to a young runner.

Following the runner proves a bit harder than the thug, but Obsidian and Mimic seem to compensate each other's weaknesses well. In one instance the runner seems to suspect something when Obsidian walks into a woman and her kid, but he can defuse the situation smoothly and not look that out of the ordinary. Mimic continues the tail and sees the runner to a small chapel in Ditchton. The runner enters the chapel and disappears, but it is obvious that sneaking into or hiding in the small building would be very difficult. Obsidian arrives shortly after as well.

***

Tavern

If Leolin gets the man back to the tavern, she finds the owner a bit perturbed by the squad using his tavern as a temporary base. In an attempt to save the situation, he swaps some people from somewhere and empties the group a partially isolated room, still connected to the main drinking hall but partitioned by two wooden panels and a curtain. The group may need to huddle up with the vigilantes a bit, but it at least seems the tiniest bit more private if someone is to interrogate someone.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"Alright punk, there's one more thing we have to do before you take off. Come on."

Alright, I'm bringing this punk over. What did you want out of him, anyway? Names?

[Tsunamiatunzen1]

Ian frowns in thought at the explanation.
"That does seem odd. That shouldn't happen if it's as bad as you say."
He doesn't say much else after that. Still deep in thought before Leolin arrives.
"Ah, you see? We have ways to follow them very effectively."
Upon the tavern-keeper's distressed insistence, he brings up the rear thanking the tavern-keeper before closing the door to the room.
"Well this is... cozy..."

[Lynam III]

Spoiler

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Assuming Argus conveys all messages to and from those who are mindlinked

Lucky answers Leolin's question "We want to learn who is organizing these thugs."

Lucky sends a question to Obsidian and Mimic: "Did you guys find out anything? Any clue as to who might be behind the thugs?"

[Cespenar]

Obsidian and Mimic

Obsidian and Mimic report back what they saw via Argus's mindlink.

[Lynam III]

When Lucky hears that the trail ends at a chapel, he curses. "This is big. The captain needs to hear about this."

He returns to the inn, and speaks with the Talented crew: "One of our people managed to follow the trail to its end, but it is no common thug or villain. We have to report this back to our boss. If you want to help us, you should come back with us and talk with the captain. She will decide to what extent you can assist us." Lucky does not tell them where the trail ended at. If they ask him, he tells them he cannot divulge that secret.

If the Talented and others agree, Lucky wants to go back to the HQ, along with the Talented and the captured.