Scion: Hero (IC)

[Benoojian]

Max is too used to hiding and disappearing into the shadows so he somehow finds himself alone in a large room at the bustling party. He's not even sure how there could be a room devoid of people in a party this packed but he's certainly not gaining any intel on the satyrs here.

[Kish]

Most of the students around Brand are drunk. One woman seems fascinated with his story but also drunk enough to have trouble following it, laughing at inappropriate parts. Nothing triggers any Knacks, but Brand does notice, as his story goes on, that one of the satyrs is watching him ever more intently, in a way that doesn't seem friendly. When the story ends, the satyr walks closer to him and says, "That's quite a story. Could you help me with something in the back?" He gestures to a door.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Hmm. Brand knew he was good at playing a crowd, even (especially) the drunk and rowdy, and he felt like that had been an excellent performance. But the reaction of his audience suggested otherwise. There was definitely something off with the air here, even beyond the fact that breathing it in made him tipsier than a half-dozen pints.

And now he had drawn the attention of one of their hosts. Brand turned to face the satyr, plastering a guileless smile onto his face. "Of course," he said. "I love helping." Not his most eloquent line, but he was busy gathering his thoughts. Brandon was careful to keep his eyes on the satyr, not looking at his companions elsewhere in the room; no sense in blowing their cover, too. He stretched, extending his arms high into the air, before jumping heavily down off the table, landing with his feet flat to make a decently loud clap. If his friends were paying any attention at all, now they'd see what was going down.

Most likely, the satyr wanted to pump Brand for information. Possibly, he wanted to kill or otherwise neutralize the scion. The two were not mutually exclusive, either. It's also technically possible, Brand allowed, that he just wants to make out. He wondered how best to respond as he followed the satyr out of the living room.

In a fight, when in doubt, you should go on the offensive. As long as you didn't overextend, that was often the best way to learn something about your opponent, and it let you dictate the flow. Applying that same principle to conversation...

"So," Brand casually started as they found themselves alone in a hallway, the door to what was presumably the backroom just ahead, "how much do you know about the dagger?"

[DeTess]

When Liliana saw Brand leaving with the satyr she started to follow, though she kept something of a distance and slowly worked her way through the crowd to avoid being seen. If it was an ambush, Brand would be far more suited to fighting it off than she was, but she had a trick or two up her sleeve if he needed help, or for getting any defeated opponents to aid them in their search.

[Justanotherhero]

That loud noise really kinda interrupted the flow. Honestly the only reason that drink spilled and the move did not look good. Well off to make a new one.

Julian registers Brand leaving and goes to mix a new drink while checking out what is going on over there.

For now he does not intend to intervene unless he hears/sees some new development.

In the meantime he gives the dancefloor a demonstration of what it really needed the ancient but classic robot dance hoping that the distraction will allow the rest of the team to move unnoticed.

[Kish]

Spoiler: Brand, Liliana, anyone else in the hallway

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"I'm afraid I have to insist on going first," the satyr replies. He leads Brand into the back room and closes the door behind them.

Spoiler: Brand

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On the other side of the door is what appears to be a rather messy office. "Who are you working for?" the satyr asks bluntly once the door is closed.

(5d10)[5][1][6][3][8](23)

[Kaworu]

Mateusz also followed his friend. Going after him and the satyr was probably better way of learning something than just keeping an aye on the alcoholic drinks.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Huh. Brand had genuinely expected the satyr to have friends back here ready to jump him the moment he walked through the door. Once again, three explanations presented themselves. Perhaps they weren't coordinated enough for that. Perhaps this titanspawn was confident he could take Brand solo (which Brand would pay good money to see him attempt). Or perhaps the satyr was genuinely interested in talking, for now. And wanted to know about Ms. Kessler...

"That falls under client confidentiality, I'm afraid." Plus, Brand gave it about 50% odds she'd told them a fake name. "Suffice it to say, I represent someone who wants Carnwennan, and believes your people currently have it. If them remaining anonymous is truly a dealbreaker, I can contact them and ask for permission to share more. But... I'd think you'd be more interested in what we can offer you for it."

Spoiler: OOC

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If Brand hears the door open behind him, he immediately goes for his tactical bracelet, summoning his Relic armor to himself.

[Kish]

Spoiler: Brand

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Whatever the satyr was expecting you to say or do, you're pretty sure that wasn't it.

After blinking for a minute, he finally says, "So, not Forsen, then."

Make a Perception+Awareness roll.

"Do you know--wait. Perhaps the best question to ask is, are you human?"

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Spoiler

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Brand paused, the question requiring more thought from him than he assumed it would for most people.

"Humanity is relative," he finally said. "I never knew my father, and my mother's side of the family is so very mixed compared to most pantheons. To answer the question in the way I suspect you wanted, I was raised human, and still identify most strongly with that race, but the blood of a Goddess flows in my veins."

How much to tell? Perhaps a show of good faith was in order, especially now that the satyr was reevaluating his assumptions about Brand.

"Brandon Flynne, Champion of the Weak and Scion of Brigid, at your service," Brand finished, putting a little flourish into it. Plus, turning down a perfectly good opportunity to showboat a little just isn't in my nature.

[Kish]

Spoiler: Max

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You arrive back at the central living area just in time to see Mateusz sneaking through a door and closing it behind him. You see two other satyrs dancing, but the only one of your companions still in this room is Julian.

Spoiler: Brand

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"Ah," the satyr says after a minute of looking surprised. "You're from the other side." You don't think the satyr means the other side from himself. "I'll tell you what I told Forsen: I bear neither the gods--other than Pan, of course--nor titanspawn any love, and wish to be excluded from this narrative." He pauses, breathing hard for a few seconds, before he adds, "And one thing I didn't tell Forsen because he already knew it. I don't have your dagger. Leave now. Don't return." A pause again before he adds, "And take the others who came here with you away with you, too."

Spoiler: Brand, Liliana, Mateusz

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The satyr opens the door, revealing a messy office to those of you who haven't already seen it, and goes to sit behind the desk.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

As he heard the door swing open, Brand whipped around with a speed that belied his relaxed posture, right hand going for his left wrist. Seeing his friends there instead of a satyr ambush, the gleeful glint in his eyes receded, and the genial, friendly persona returned to his features before he turned around to face the satyr again.

Brand nodded, standing up from his seat and tipping an imaginary hat to his host.

"It's been a pleasure to meet you. One final question, and then me and my people will leave you and yours in peace." The satyrs had been their only lead. The fact that they might have a new one now, this Forsen figure, was no reason not to be thorough.

"Where is the dagger now?"

[Kaworu]

Mateusz just nodded his head in a greeting when entering the room. He was quiet, apparently waiting for the things to unfold.

[Benoojian]

Max waits, watching the door, thinking that it might be best that the satyrs don’t know every one of the group. He tries to blend back into the party while listening for a commotion.

[Kish]

Spoiler: Brand, Mateusz, Liliana

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The satyr hesitates, pausing to glare at Mateusz. After a minute, he searches through the papers on his desk, eventually coming up with:

Spoiler: Newspaper clipping

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"This man--well he's not actually a man--is Gunnar Forsen, CEO of Fornjot, Inc. He contacted me recently. Believing us to be titanspawn, he assumed we would be happy to accept well-paid mercenary work for our...common cause. He doesn't seem like someone who is used to being told no. He said that he had a very special dagger, but it was recently stolen by one of his employees, someone he called 'Mog Raznosgolar.' He apparently brought it to a tenement in Vine City. If you want the dagger, I'd suggest you hurry to get it from him; it'll be much harder to retrieve when it's back in Forsen's hands."

[Justanotherhero]

During the beer pong game, Julian, seeking to level the playing field, decides to play with his left hand, despite being right-handed. Feeling bold, he lines up for a trick shot, aiming to bounce the ping pong ball off the wall to the table's right, hoping his unconventional approach would lead to a spectacular score. However, the ball skitters off course, missing the cups entirely and eliciting laughter from the crowd. „Go big or go home is the way.“ Taking a sip off his drink he is still waiting for any sign from the back but also there was no noise the waiting is the way to go. Or so he hopes.

[Benoojian]

Max sidles up to one of the dancing satyrs, trying to cut in and steal the dance

[DeTess]

"Thank you for the information." Liliana frowned a little as she considered what they had just learned. "One more question and we'll get out of your hair, though we might hang around the party until it won't seem odd that we're leaving to any outside observer. Why would anyone come to believe your group would hold the dagger if it was never in your possession in the first place, and your only connection to it seems to be that someone tried to hire you to get it?"

[Kish]

Spoiler: Brand, Mateusz, Liliana

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"Good question," the satyr replies. "And I have no idea. You should ask your...mysterious..."*he looks at Brand* "employer. How many of you are here, anyway?"

[DeTess]

Spoiler

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Liliana shook her head at the satyr's question. "It shouldn't come as a surprise that I don't intend to answer that. You said yourself that Forsen still keeps an eye on you, and I don't think you have any good reason not to tell him what you know of us if he sends someone to ask questions." She shrugged. "And I don't blame you for it, but I will make sure that there isn't too much you can actually tell him."

[Kaworu]

- Do you, uh... - Mateusz decided to speak - Do you wanna, maybe, our help? I mean... if the company is dangerous and would like to hurt you or is threatening you? I mean, you did not speak anything about it, em... directly, but this is the vibe I got?

[Kish]

Spoiler: Max, Julian

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The satyr lets Max cut in; the expression on his face as he looks at Max is more curious than hostile. He looks as if he's pondering something for about a minute. Then he starts dancing with a different woman.

Spoiler: Liliana, Brand, Mateusz

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"The exchange of information here seems rather one-sided," the satyr says dryly, sounding mildly disgusted but not at all surprised. At Mateusz's offer, his eyebrows raise almost into his hairline. "You really mean that, don't you?" he asks wonderingly. "But no. Forsen is not a stupid...creature, whatever one might expect. He's far more focused on getting the dagger back. At most he might try to pressure us to take his offer, but I think he's more likely to look elsewhere."

[PoeticallyPsyco]

"Truly, you have gone far beyond the duties of host to guest." Brand pulled out his silver sharpie, flipped the newspaper scrap with Forsen's image over (having already taken a picture of it on his phone), and scrawled his number on the backside, over what appeared to be an advertisement for an electric eggbeater.

Brand thought carefully about his next words. He'd heard the story of Prince Pwyll of Dyved, and knew better than to make a completely open ended promise, but too many restrictions would make him come across as stingy and ungrateful. Yes, that should do the trick, he decided, settling on his wording.

"Should you desire a favor in turn," he explained, handing the paper back to the satyr, "call upon me, and I will act to settle the balance."

Spoiler: Fun Fact

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You guys have probably noticed that Brand talks very archaically, like something out of a fantasy novel or one of King Arthur's legends. That's because those are his in-universe inspirations. After his Visitation and his decision to become more heroic, he began looking for role models, and found them in the fantasies he had loved as a kid. Talking like them helps him stay 'in character', a constant reminder to be kind and generous and selfless.

Spoiler: OOC

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Probably best if the satyrs don't have contact info for all of us, in case they get compromised. They already have Brand's name, so he's giving up his phone number as well.

[Justanotherhero]

As Julian moves through the party, he strikes up a conversation near the snack table with a group discussing their favorite courses. Introducing himself as Jay, he expresses his curiosity about the local courses, mentioning that he's a freshman currently studying chemistry but finding it "super hard and weird that stuff" and is considering switching to something like law or archaeology—whatever seems like the best idea.If ask how he affords college : “I could totally help run the family business but my brother won’t even listen to my ideas.“

His questions are light, focusing on what brings them to the party, subtly steering the conversation towards their studies without seeming intrusive. Julian laughs at the right moments, contributes when necessary, and memorizes names and details, especially from those who hint at connections to the fraternity of interest.

Later, he joins another game of beer pong, using his left hand to even the odds and keep the mood light. Julian listens intently, filing away each detail under a mental map of the place.

As the evening winds down and groups start to thin out, he notes exits, locks, and the general layout, all while maintaining the guise of a party-goer just trying to navigate his way around.

On his way out, he casually chats with the host, complimenting the party and saying, "Next time, I am totally going to be there," laying the groundwork for a potential return. Julian leaves with a mental catalog of faces, names, and a rough blueprint of the venue, ready to sketch and share with his team.

[Kaworu]

- Oh, I see... - said Mateusz - I'm sorry we cannot offer you more information, but we have our... restrictions. Still, I am glad we got to talk about things in a peaceful manner, even if you aren't completely satisfied. I'm happy that we aren't enemies.

[Kish]

Julian encounters one problem with his plan: when he asks about the host, he quickly learns that the host of the party is the satyr who recently disappeared into the back of the house with Brand.

You all make your way out of the party and regroup outside.

Spoiler: OOC

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20 XP to each person who was there.

What is your next move, together or separately?

[Justanotherhero]

Julian writes another email:


**Subject:** Dinner at Hotel Spice and Sky

**From:** [email protected]
**To:** [email protected]

Dear Team,

To discuss our findings and strategize our next steps, I've arranged for us to meet and dine together.

**Location:** Hotel Spice and Sky Atlanta Perimeter, Meeting Room B04.03 on the fourth floor
**Time:** 7:00 PM

Dinner will be provided, allowing us to focus on our discussions in a comfortable setting. Please confirm your attendance at your earliest convenience.

Best,
Julian

[DeTess]

Liliana spend the night at a business hotel, then got an early start the next morning. After having a breakfast which mainly consisted of coffee she returned to her room and opened her laptop. She started by confirming her attendance to Julian. It seemed he had picked the hotel she was staying at as a meeting location, so she wouldn't have to go far. Then she got to work.

She started by making some calls among the members of her network of informants. She asked a clerk she knew with a local prosecutor's office to see if Gunnar Forsen, his company, or Mog Raznosgolar had ever come across her desk. Then she checked in with an acquaintance with the FDA to see if Fornjot, Inc. had ever gotten on their radar. She also warned her acquaintance that she had heard some unsavoury rumours about the company. She didn't have any evidence, of course, but if the titanspawn was doing something unsubtle like selling spiked drinks, her acquaintance could probably find out. Finally, she called a detective she knew that specialized in art theft and who had a lot of contacts in that part of the underworld, and provided him with a description of the dagger. Of this Mog was trying to sell it off as simple display piece he might have heard a thing or two.

Once she was done with her calls, she started doing some research in public archives into the tenements of Vine City, trying to dig up a map or similar documents that would help them plan their approach of Mog. If she had time, she also planned to do her own research into Forsen and his company, but she was leaving that to her contacts for now.

Spoiler: OOC: contacts

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The contacts I mentioned are part of Liliana's 3 dots in followers. If you want I can start hammering out more concrete NPC's for these, or leave it more vague as 'Liliana knows someone just high enough to get some useful information, but not high enough to really change things in most relevant organizations'.

[Kish]

Fornjót Power Associates’ company website gives a headquarters address in Colorado Springs. Liliana's contacts get back to her; Gunnar Forson (possibly a slight mispronounciation by the satyr?) is a large, well-built man who serves as the CEO for Fornjót Power Associates. He rarely gives interviews, but he’s well spoken, handsome and quite intelligent. He holds an amazing 44% share in the company’s publicly traded stock. His business practices are within standard tolerences for a CEO: his respect for the law is distinctly borderline, but he's never done anything that would make going after him worth the DA's office's time. He resides in a large alpine estate high in the Rockies, and, in his rare interviews, described his interests as skiing, hiking, baseball, and arm-wrestling. He votes Libertarian. Business Week named him one of the Most Eligible CEO-Bachelors of 2023.

Fornjót Power Associates manufactures an energy drink called Slam! The company website touts the herbal essences in Slam!, but from the ingredient list, it appears that its kick has more to do with caffeine and sugar. Assuming, that is, that there isn't anything in Slam! that isn't on the ingredients list.

The name Mog Raznosgolar, on the other hand, isn't readily found online in any likely spelling.

It's not hard to find the area the satyr indicated Mog is likely to be in, but most maps of that area seem to be years old.

Spoiler: OOC

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Make an Intelligence+Investigation roll, Liliana.

Fleshing out your contacts would help, but it's not urgent.

[Justanotherhero]

After sending the email to coordinate the debriefing dinner, Julian shifts his focus to the names he collected at the party. He opens his laptop and begins researching each individual on social media platforms and through broader online searches. His objective is to identify any connections to the fraternity of interest, as well as any other affiliations that might inform their investigation.

Julian methodically reviews profiles, noting common friends, group memberships, and recent posts that might hint at deeper involvement in the matters concerning their investigation. He compiles the data, correlating each name with specific details such as educational backgrounds, places of employment, and their roles within the fraternity. Julian is particularly attentive to any mentions or indications of unusual activities that align with the behaviors typical of the 'goat men' they are investigating. While he is still looking for the fraternity alumni, after all somehow the operation needs to be funded.

With a comprehensive portfolio of information in hand, Julian prepares a detailed report to share with his colleagues. After that he and Zahir make their way to the meeting.