TheRPGSite

This will be the thread for my new Cthulhubusters campaign (as in Call of Cthulhu + Gangbusters, not Call of Cthulhu + Ghost Busters; apologies in advance to anyone who thought that idea was cooler and is now disappointed).

The campaign has not started yet, but I am busy prepping and we should begin getting some characters designed next week, maybe starting the campaign a couple weeks after that.

So far, I have only three players ready to play, but talk of a possible 4th player (or 4th and 5th players) is going on along with active recruitment attempts. For those who have followed my earlier AP threads, two of the players are people I've played with before (one briefly played in my D&D 4e campaign and the other in both the D&D 4e and BD&D campaigns; neither in my award-winning Rifts campaign), the others are not (as I've decided to split off from my previous gaming group).

Rules
The game is more or less using the 5th edition rules of CoC (since that's the book I own). There are some changes, though, and I typed up my own "Player's Guide" set of rules for my players to use (sorry, due to copyright issues I can't distribute). Some of the changes were to make the game more Gangbustersy, others just to clean things up a bit.

Stats are all the same as standard CoC. I did change up the occupations to include Gangbuster-relevent occupations (mostly taken from the CoC Investigator's Companion) and set investigator income based on the social class for the occupation selected.

One thing I did add a whole page on is ethnicity - the Gangbusters world is very ethnicity focused (ethnic gangs, anti-immigration fervor, etc.). Picking a character's ethnicity is a big deal in my campaign.

I completely revamped the skills list (sorry, CoC/BRP purists). I use the same default percentages model and skill resolution rules, but the skills themselves have been changed. They come very close to resembling most of the skills from Trail of Cthulhu (Firearms is a single skill, various scientific skills are split out, no own language skill, dodging just uses a general athletics skill, etc.) I also used the Trail of Cthulhu style of explaining what each skill could be used for. Although I do not prefer ToC overall, I feel they did a lot better with their skill writeups than regular CoC does (they also have more inclusion of police and criminal skills, which are essential for the Gangbusters aspect of my campaign).

Combat rules has some changes added. I included some rules from Deluxe BRP (aiming, concentration, some attack modifiers) as well as some others adapted from GURPS (diving for cover, changing posture), Top Secret/SI (using the tens digit for hit location - if needed, reloading rules), and Gangbusters (a lot of different modifiers to hit with firearms).

Firearms probably had the biggest overhaul in rules. I replaced CoC/BRP style burst rules with ones that approximate Palladium's firearms rules. I also added recoil rules for firing more than one shot per round (with recoil based on the weapon; higher calibers having more recoil).

The vehicle rules were changed quite a bit as well. I started with the Deluxe BRP "car chase" rules, but expanded them out quite a bit based on the Gangbusters rules for handling vehicle hits, crashes, and special manuevers.

As an appendix, I added a rather large weapons list (again, part of the campaign flavor) with pictures of each weapon type and who was likely to use it. I standardized the weapons stats a bit so that weapons of the same type always had the same number of shots per round, similar calibers of the same weapon type had similar recoil and damage values, etc.

intrigued, and would like to subscribe to your newsletter :D

I read it in your sig and I could have sworn it was Ghostbusters. :o

I actually think this is more interesting. Mobsters are an old fixture at my CoC game tables, both as PCs and NPCs.

In fact, in  the last CoC game I played one of the guys actually played one Mr. Alfonso Gabriele "Al" Capone. Old Scarface's timely intervention, showing up with dynamite and tommy guns as the rest of the PCs were tied up by cultists almost saved the world. Too bad about the cultists finishing the rite and Cthulhu waking up and eating everyone...

So, my last post gave an overview of the rules changes I am using. This time, I'd like to talk about the setting / theme.

Theme
I'll start by saying that my take is subtly including CoC elements into a Gangbusters-style world. What I'm not going for is something like the "Cast a Deadly Spell" movie or the "Bloodshadows" RPG where you are trying to do a noir game in a fantasy setting (the "historical Shadowrun" take, if you will); not that there's anything wrong with that approach, it's just not my cup of tea.

Instead, I'm basically taking your standard noir and adding in an extra element of the fantastic. If you look at the stories of Dashiell Hammet for example (my personal favorite noir writer), he has multiple stories where secret cults are involved. I'm basically saying, hey, instead of freaky 20's sex cults (the usual staple of noir stories), why couldn't they be cults of Cthulhu entities?

Setting
The setting I'll be using for the game is Lakefront City, the pseudo-Chicago setting that TSR created for Gangbusters. I have the 3rd edition which includes the "Trouble Brewing" module in the back that sets up a whole sandbox of city mayhem so I'll be starting off using a fair amount of that.

I picked the year of 1924 for my starting date; part of my plots involve an upcoming election and that year fell in nicely.

I created a whole city guide for my players (again, can't share that since I am co-opting some copyrighted material).

I started by discussing the local industry information. This was an area that TSR more or less ignored, as they were focused solely on the cops and robbers aspects. But the rise of big business is a pretty big theme of the decade, and the conflict between businesses, unions, and criminals fuels all of the politics of the time.

Next, there's a big section on crime. I use the Tolino and O'Conner gangs from the TSR material (stand-ins for Capone and Dean O'Banion), but added some more as well - such as the Magenta Gang (my stand-in for the Purple Gang), the Jefferson Gang (a black syndicate based on Bumpy Johnson's Harlem gang), and even a gang based on Rocco Dillon from Naked Gun 33 1/3 (what can I say, I like Fred Ward). I also added in the very real On Leong and Hop Sing tongs for the Chinatown gangs (with one of them led by Chang Li Ching, my favorite villain of Hammet's).

Some of the characters are actually NPCs I've used before in different campaigns. I added the O'Banion Brothers, John T. and James, as henchmen for O'Conner (they are based on the characters of the same names from "Legends of the Fall" and have been included in roughly half of the games I've ran since the 90's as my generic, murderous Irish gangsters - they've showed up in D&D, Earthdawn, Rifts...) The Jefferson gang is led by "Whisper", a guy with a previously slashed throat that can barely speak that I've previously used in a Cthulhu campaign - last time he was a Cajun gangster in New Orleans (I know I'm stealing him from some form of fiction, but can't remember what originally inspired me).

One of the biggest differences I've made is a change in mood from the TSR setting. TSR was going for a more family-friendly, lighthearted take where bootlegging and gambling were the main crimes. My setting adds back in the other lucerative criminal industries of prostitution and drugs (particularly with the Chinese gangs who are the major source of the drug of the decade, opium / heroin). The criminal elements in my game are not romanticized, but given the hard edge of noir where they are bad people doing bad things.

do you have a miskatonic U. stand-in planned?  someplace for them to turn when a clue in arabic or other languages turns up.  or to identify a strange statue found in a basement temple. . . .

Setting (cont)
Next up is law enforcement. I wanted to be as expansive as possible to make the setting realistic. One thing that tends to get oversimplified in both fiction and games is the differences between different law enforcement agencies. I find it more interesting to include more of the layers.

To that end, I start off with the federal agencies. First, there's the Bureau of Investigation (their historically accurate name for the time), which primarily enforces the Mann Act (something TSR glossed over, as they had agents going undercover in bank robbery gangs instead). Then there's the Prohibition Unit (again, using their historically accurate name for 1924), probably the most likely agency to be involved in the campaign. I also make sure to point out the role of the US Marshall's Office and that all of these agencies would be working with the US Attorney's office and the federal courthouse rather than the district attorney / county court.

At the state level, there's the state patrol. Which at this time was brand new and couldn't do anything but enforce vehicle laws on state highways. There's also the local prison, Statesville Prison (which TSR used and is a real Illinois prison; it was also used in Naked Gun 33 1/3 which inspired me to add Rocco Dillon into the mix).

At the county level, I have the Bloomfield County Sheriff's Office (TSR included the county name, but no sheriff's office to speak of). One of the things that drives me nuts is when fictional works conflate local police with the county sheriff's office as if there was only one agency in the area (unless it is a small, rural area where sheriff's office would be contracted for local law enforcement as well). Also included is the district attorney's office, the county circuit court, and the county jail (another pet peeve I usually see - county jails being conflated with state prisons).

Finally, there is the local level - the Lakefront City Police Department. I stick to the TSR setting model of one precinct per ward plus a central HQ. I believe the historical Chicago had quite a lot more precincts than that, but it is difficult to figure out the exact number and this seemed easier.

One thing I don't want to shy away from in the setting is the racism of the times. It's part of noir (the various ethnic groups at each other's throats) and is a huge part of the politics of the time (when eugenics and the KKK were more popular than ever). To that end, I make special note to include that the police have black officers, but they aren't allowed to arrest white citizens (yes, this is historically accurate).

One other change I added was to include the seperate agency for the Lakefront City Park Police (based on the Chicago Park Police of the time), as they are responsible for the various wilderness and park areas where investigators may go exploring.

Finally, I included notes of the private detective agencies operating in the area - the two main agencies from TSR that were real agencies - the Pinkertons and the Burns agency. While not actually in the city, I plan to have an operative from Hammet's Continental agency show up at some point.

Quote from: beeber;570067do you have a miskatonic U. stand-in planned?  someplace for them to turn when a clue in arabic or other languages turns up.  or to identify a strange statue found in a basement temple. . . .

I have several local colleges, actually. More setting info to come...

Setting (cont)
As I continue along my setting guide, the next section is Media. I've included the three TSR newspapers from the Gangbusters setting - the Tribune, Star, and Herald Examiner. For the Examiner, I'm recasting it as a bit more socialist / yellow-dog journalism than in the default setting. I also added in a radio station, KYW (a real Chicago radio station).

Then it is on to politics. Politics is a hot-button issue, but is very important in the period so I can't just leave it out. My way of handling it is primarily to note that both sides are pretty much wholly corrupt at all levels and connected to organized crime. Other than that, they are pretty much there to fight about prohibition and unions. There's also a section about the various Socialist parties, as Trotskyites and anarchists fit into some of my planned events. For the local politicians, I'm primarily using the TSR setting NPCs but I will be including the county commissioners and some of the state level politicians as well.

Next up is a large section on recreation. One thing I felt TSR really lacked was to say what people did when they weren't cops and robbering. I have two baseball teams in the area (based on Chicago's teams, complete with one having a recent scandal), beaches, boxing, country clubs, horse racing, jazz clubs, libraries, museums, the opera house, parks, restaraunts, and theaters. Lots of these places will either have ties into one of the criminal networks or be somewhere that more Cthulhuesque investigations might lead.

Along with politics, I also include the hot button topic of religion (avoided completely by TSR). Because religious organizations were so instrumental in the prohibition movement and tied to various ethnic groups, I wanted to include at least some information about them and the big split between Roman Catholics / Liturgical Protestants and the Pietistic Protestants on the issue. I also point out the other religions commonly found in the city.

the racism & gangs thing would be very lovecraft.  any asian gang has the potential to have nameless secrets, etc.

Setting (cont)
The next section in my document discussed the local school system and various colleges in the area. Like other sections that fell outside of the normal cops and robbers setting, I had to make things up based largely on historical Chicago. While not going into detail, I did specifically mention several colleges and universities found in and around the city - including art institutes, Protestant bible colleges, and a Jesuit university. The largest one that investigators might use for research and that had ...interesting... collections would be the prestigous North-Central University (a stand in for Northwestern University).

My last section in my setting guide discussed transportation, another area where I based things on Chicago. The city has an elevated train line as well as electric streetcars. There is also a private bus company to take passengers to the outlying areas (Lakefront City Motor Coach Company) and several taxicab companies. Two of the largest are essentially at war with each other - the Canary Cab Company (based on the Yellow Cab Company) and Variegated Cab (based on Checked Cab).

Characters
As I mentioned, we haven't done character creation yet. I have talked to the players about making sure we create them together so they have a common theme (for example, we can have a criminal and a cop, but make the cop a corrupt cop on the take who assists the criminal's gang).

One of the players is definately leaning towards a criminal or corrupt politician but I haven't heard anything from the others yet.

My "Player's Guide" book split occupations into a few recommended categories and other occupations (somewhat similar to how CoC usually does it). My top listed occupations were Criminal, Gangster, Federal Agent, Police Detective, Police Officer, and Private Detective. The other occupations I had listed were Alienist, Author, Boxer, Businessman, Clergyman, Dilettante, Entertainer, Explorer, Laborer, Lawyer, Physician, Politician, Professor, Reporter, and Union Activist.

I thought that was a good enough cross section to get people ideas. I also wanted to keep it somewhat limited in order to fit into the setting focus and to make it easier for me to adjust the careers (I kept having to edit them while I refined my skill list in the rules).

Naturally, if a player had a different concept in mind that wasn't on the list I'd work with them to put something together.

The Sandbox
So, now that I have set up a basic setting I've been working on detailing out the sandbox environment itself. I'm avoiding going into specifics here, not only to avoid spoilers but simply because everything is still changing as I revise it.

I started with the list of NPCs, listing them out. As I do that, I start to notice gaps and add in more NPCs to fill in the gaps make things seem more "real".

Next, I started drawing some relationship maps. My goal is always to have key NPCs inked to at least two or three other NPCs (I want multiple ways the group might interact with the NPCs). When I start to notice some gaps, I start adding more relationships, which sometimes eliminates some of the NPCs I added. For example, I had a cult member with a daughter who was a dilettante. I also had a completely different branch with a young guy in debt to criminals who was dating a different dilettante and they were trying to get her money. Then I thought, hey, want not get rid of the other dilettante and just make it the cultist's daughter who he's dating?

For key NPCs, I also start sketching out some key locations - where they live, where they work, etc. There's a mysterious mansion out in the country connected to someone, so I start planning it out. Someone else owns a lake house - I decide to put it on a small island and map out the island and house. I map out the Chinese restaraunt in Chinatown where the tong is dealing H, and the corner house where they have their dice games. Etc.

Each location has a list of people associated with it, events that can happen there, and clues that could connect to other goings-on. And of course, any occult or mythos books that can be found - along with the skill gains and sanity costs associated with them. Call of Cthulhu isn't really about fighting monsters and I don't usually include many; that said, the few places where it makes sense I also add in some notes about inhuman horrors there.

Finally, I have my list of big events to happen in the sandbox. Some are just the normal Gangbusters style events related to the city's crime war, mayoral election, and other business. Others connect somehow to the mythos cult activities occuring around the city. Each event notes the people and locations involved along with notes about clues.

For clues, I'm more or less following the Trail of Cthulhu style where there is at least one obvious clue that can connect to either a person, place, or event that the investigators can follow up with, along with multiple smaller clues that might be detected that can give more information about what is going on.

I don't actually have all that much documented out yet for myself, but I like to leave a certain amount of things open as I still want to see what characters the players come up with (I feel it is important to customize at least some of the initial events to get the investigators involved) and I like to keep other things open since the events should change once characters start playing around and causing things to happen.

The First Two Characters

Well, one of the players couldn't make it last night and we're still looking at who else might be joining. In the meantime, we went ahead and generated characters for the two guys who were there, in between games of Kill Dr. Lucky and Robo Rally.

The first is Father Clink Mulroney, an Irish Catholic priest from St. Vincent's Church. He's middle-aged (55), fat, cynical, and greedy; basically having gone from a somewhat apathetic priest to a bootlegging crime lord selling liquor out of the church basement.

Father Mulroney's physical stats are below average, but he is decently smart and well educated, as well as having a high POW score. Skill-wise, he's skilled in accounting, has a great credit rating, is quite persuasive, has a keen understanding of human psychology, and is very streetwise. His liturgical skills are fair at best, with relatively low scores for theology and Latin. He also speaks Irish Gaelic, having come over from the old country back in the Victorian Era.

Father Mulroney does carry a large knife under his robes as a precaution, but is not skilled in using it.


The second character is Francis "Shoes" McDougal. McDougal is a street punk, having grown up in the St. Vincent's Home for Homeless Boys. He's young (18) and impulsive, and works as muscle for Father Mulroney's criminal operations, having grown up with the priest as his mentor.

McDougal is only average size, but makes up for it with his wiry muscles and strong constitution. Growing up on the streets has left the youth a bit hatchet-faced and low on willpower, but he is smart and relatively educated by his Jesuit schooling. He does not have a very broad range of skills, focusing on the expertise of his streetwise knowledge and his ability in brawling and athletics; he does manage to be decent at concealment, fast talking, and sleight of hand activities, can be dangerous with knives or bats, and is fair at driving a car or shooting a gun, along with a very slight knowledge of explosives.

Shoes prefers brawling and always uses his brass knuckles for extra punching power. He also carries a small .25 hold out piece given to him by Father Mulroney, but primarily uses it for intimidation.


Since a large gang war over bootlegging is one of the plots I have planned for the sandbox environment, these characters should fit in just fine. Ideally we'll end up with at least one character who is a little stronger at research / investigative skills, but since the campaign is Gangbusters with a mix of Cthulhu (rather than the other way around), it can work without it.

I'm actually pretty excited to be able to play a more morally-gray game again. I see a lot of fun potential here.

Prologue - Cast of Characters

The campaign is looking to possibly start next Friday, or perhaps two weeks after that.

In preparation, I've already played a test run session using my girlfriend as a half-willing participant because she loves the 20's.

This was her first time playing a RPG. She created a character named Maisie Brockovitz, who rolled up as a large, strong Jewish woman bwho is a bit on the crazy side. She decided to make her a dilettante, Maisie's father owning a garment factory. But Maisie likes to slum it on the seedier parts of town, and is skilled in both educational and street pursuits (and is one heck of a brawler). We also decided Maisie would have connections to the local Jewish organized crime syndicate, the Magenta Gang (loosely based on the Detroit Purple Gang).

The following "prologue" is my session notes of her test run session.

Prologue - Scene 1 (of 7)

Maisie Brokovitz is helping her father Hiram in his office at his garment factory when he notices a large shipment of silk due from Hong Kong is several days overdue. Knowing she is a girl who can take care of herself and enjoys traveling in the seedier parts of town, he asks her to head down to the docks and see if she can sort out where the silk shipment is.

Maisie agrees and heads down to her 1923 LaFayette 134 sport touring car and speeds down the ship yards, far in excess of the posted 10 mph speed limit. When she arrives, she heads straight over to the harbormaster's office.

The harbormaster looks through his books and identifies her shipment as coming on The Irish Rose, due out of Hong Kong. He explains to Maisie the ship is still overdue by a week and suggests she contact the owner, Ned Flynn.

After unsuccessfully trying to convince the harbormaster to make a call to Flynn for her, Maisie decides to head over to Flynn's office herself. First, though, she stops in at a nearby café, The Big Drink Café, for lunch.

The clientele of the Big Drink are mostly a working class lot, and Maisie's fancy dress causes more than a few stares as she sits down at the counter. Everyone keeps their distance and avoids talking to her as she finishes her soup and lemonade.

Prologue - Scene 2 (of 7)

After lunch, Maisie heads over to the nearby office building where the Waterfront Improvement Association is housed and where Flynn, who is head of the association, keeps his office. Stepping inside the office suite, Maisie sees no secretary to greet her at the waiting room desk. Back down the hallway, she can hear several men talking inside one of the offices.

Assuming the secretary is at lunch, Maisie takes it on herself to walk down the hallway and into the office. As she announces herself, she can see the office is occupied by three men. Two of the men stand back near the desk, one appears to be a businessman in his early forties while the other looks to be a working class man of the same age. Nearer the door stands a taller, younger man with a muscular build.

The working class man is holding some kind of small bag. When he sees Maisie he quickly closes it, but she gets a glimpse – it appears to be filled with cash. Before she can say anything, the taller man steps in front of her and grabs her arm, asking what she is doing.

As Maisie explains she is there to see Ned Flynn about a shipment, the businessman tells the taller man to let her go, calling him "Sean" and speaking with an Irish accent. He then tells Sean to take the other man, who he calls "Rory" down to the car.

After the two leave, the businessman introduces himself as Ned Flynn and asks what he can do for her. Maisie explains about her shipment and Flynn explains the ship has been held up in New York because of some "Chinaman" who insisted on traveling back with it.  He tells her it will likely be another week or two before the ship comes in.

As they talk, Maisie notices a telegram on Flynn's desk from New York. It appears to confirm what he has said, and names the Chinaman as "Fung Xian". She recognizes the name as a man who she found on the streets of Hong Kong many years ago. After helping him out, he taught her a little of his secret martial art style he called the Wu Shen.

Maisie says nothing to Flynn about her coincidental connection to Fung Xian. Instead, she insists that her father needs his silk and cannot wait. Flynn seems wearied by her insistence, muttering something about how he is already being hassled about the ship by "those damn brothers" that work for "O'Conner" as well as "Antonelli's men"; he also complains about already having enough trouble with "Ulnovsky" and "his damn revolutionaries". Maisie doesn't get any of the references but elects not to ask.

Just then, Flynn seems to get inspired. He carefully looks over Maisie and notes she is rather tough looking and recalls some stories he heard about a Jewish girl who likes to start bar fights in seedy locations. Outwardly, he tells her he believes the two of them may have some mutual acquaintances; in particular, a specific family of three brothers.

Understanding he is referring to the Levin brothers of the Magenta Gang, and likely wants help arranging a murder for hire, Maisie nods in agreement. Flynn explains to her that he could have the silk shipped over in a truck in just two or three days, but it would be expensive. However, he tells Maisie he will do it as a favor for her if she will do him a favor.

After she asks what favor he wants in return, Flynn explains it will be rather simple. He takes a piece of paper and writes down some quick notes then seals it in an envelope. He then explains to Maisie that all he wants her to do is to deliver the envelope to their "mutual friends" and then deliver her whatever they give her in response. She agrees and takes the envelope.

Prologue - Scene 3 (of 7)

After leaving the offices of the WIA, Maisie decides to go back to her father's factory first. When she arrives, she goes into his office and explains that the ship will be delayed a week or more. Hiram is not pleased and gets very agitated, noting that they need the silk for the upcoming wedding for the daughter of "Mrs. Shivas".

Once he's worked himself up, Maisie tells him the shipping owner is open to getting them the silk in a couple of days, but is looking for a payment of $50. Hiram decides the deal is fair and takes the money out of his wall safe and gives it to her. He reminds her to be home in time for dinner as her mother is making brisket.

As she leaves, Maisie pockets her father's money with a sly smile. She then heads to the south side of town to the dive where some of Levin's men hang out. Once inside, she quickly spots her friend Eddie Keywell and his associate, Abe Fletcher.

Eddie gives Maisie a friendly greeting and she explains she's there on business, delivering something. Eddie takes the envelope and opens it. He steps over to Abe and the two briefly discuss the contents of Flynn's note in hushed whispers.

After the two men appear to come to some kind of agreement, Eddie steps back over. He takes one of the matchbooks from a table and writes something inside then hands Maisie the closed matchbook, telling her to take it back to whoever sent the envelope.

Before leaving, Maisie unsuccessfully tries to get a "courier fee" out of Eddie. He does toss her a couple of bucks, telling her to get a couple of drinks on him.

Once in the car, Maisie opens the matchbook and takes out a match to light a cigarette. The writing inside simply says "Malloy $300 A14". It means nothing to her.

Prologue - Scene 4 (of 7)

When she arrives back at Flynn's WIA office, Maisie finds the secretary seated at the desk in the main suite lobby. When the secretary asks what her business is, Maisie briskly tells her she was there earlier and wants to see Flynn.

Upset by the young woman's uncouth nature, the secretary stomps back to the office. A moment later she returns, icily telling Maisie that Mr. Flynn will see her now.

In contrast, Flynn greets her gregariously when she comes in, while the silent Sean stands next to him. She attempts to hand him the matchbook but he steps back, instructing her to give it to Sean. The tall man looks it over, exchanges nods with Flynn, then leaves.

Flynn then invites her to sit down, smiling. He tells her that she is the kind of woman who could be of use to him. When she asks what he means, Flynn coyly mentions all he wants to do is hire her to cozy up to a "new friend".

Maisie asks for $200 a month, but Flynn won't go nearly so high. Instead, he offers $25 a week. Maisie gets him to agree to $30.

Once they arrive at a deal, Flynn explains that he is having trouble with some Trotskyite anarchists, led by a man named Ulnovsky, who have infiltrated the local dockworker's union. One of the Trotskyites has a Jewish girlfriend named Karina Krasnik. Flynn wants Maisie to befriend the woman and report back to him anything that she hears.

The name "Krasnik" doesn't sound very Jewish to Maisie until Flynn explains that Karina is a Russian Jew, not a German Jew like herself. Maisie isn't very familiar with the part of town where the Russian Jews tend to live, and asks Flynn where Karina might be found. He points her to the local speakeasy frequented by the dock workers, the Blue Parrot.

Prologue - Scene 5 (of 7)

It is only early afternoon when Maisie arrives at the Blue Parrot and the place is dead. She heads over to the bar to order a gin and tonic.

The bartender eyes Maisie and her fine clothes suspiciously, telling her he hasn't seen her around before. Without going into details, she simply says she's there to meet up with Karina Krasnik. He tells her that Karina doesn't usually come in until later.

Maisie drinks her first drink quickly, noting the alcohol quality isn't great. She makes her next drink a neat gin and sips it slowly.

After some time, Karina shows up and Maisie cozies over. She starts off making small talk about the local horse races, but Karina isn't biting. Maisie tries to play up their shared religious heritage, but the Russian sees her as a rich princess type. She asks Maisie why she is hanging out here, to which Maisie simply states she needed a new place to drink.

Looking over Maisie a bit closer, Karina notices Maisie is not a delicate rich girl but built like a longshoreman. She calls over to the bartender by name, calling him Marco, ordering another round of drinks. Maisie adds they will need some snacks as well.

Calling her "rich girl", Karina asks Maisie about her family business. When Maisie discusses her family garment factory, Karina boldly attacks it as nothing but a sweatshop for slaves. Maisie doesn't disagree.

Karina goes on to talk about the rights of workers and their struggle over their "rich masters". She mentions she is part of a group helping the local dock workers in order to overthrow the ship owners making money off of their backs; she mentions Ned Flynn by name as one they find particularly odious.

Maisie doesn't flinch at the mention of Flynn and is unfazed by the revolutionary rhetoric, sardonically calling Karina "crazy girl". She then rudely calls over the bartender for more snacks and drinks. Karina cautions her not to disrespect Marco, who is clearly getting more upset.

With reckless abandon, Maisie throws out a $5 bill on the floor to Marco for "inconveniencing him". Having reached his limit of patience, he begins yelling at her about her condescending attitude. When she yells back, he slaps her across the face, hard.

Maisie responds to the slap by slugging Marco hard in the gut. He staggers back then turns to head back towards the bar. As he leaves, Maisie throws a glass at him, hitting him in the head, as Karina yells out for her to stop.

Completely enraged, Marco reaches behind the bar for something. Karina tries to grab Maisie, but the larger woman shrugs her off. Maisie then hurls a knife at Marco, missing him but smashing some bottles. In response, he pulls out a shotgun and aims it at her; warning her to leave immediately.

Nonchalantly, Maisie grabs a bowl of peanuts off of the table and leaves. As she exits, she asks Karina, "See you tomorrow?" The Russian woman's mouth is still open in disbelief as she leaves.

Prologue - Scene 6 (of 7)

While Maisie starts up her car, Karina runs over quickly to catch her. She hands Maisie back her knife, telling her she may need to practice her throwing. Maisie offers her a lift and Karina accepts.

In the car, Karina explains that although Maisie is clearly crazy, she likes her style. She also has thought of way that Maisie could help out her and her friends on the docks.

When Maisie asks about payment, Karina balks and says she should do it for the good of "the people". Maisie insists, however, that she should at least get some free meals out of the deal; noting that she enjoys the delicacies of the Italian immigrants, particularly something called pizza. Karina dryly responds that she'll see what she can do.

As Karina is dropped off, she tells Maisie to meet her on the docks at midnight; instructing her to wear something dark.

Maisie then heads straight back to Flynn's office. She explains about the midnight rendezvous. He encourages her to go, wanting her to pay attention for any mention of activities involving his ships. Maisie notes that Karina and her friends don't appear to like Flynn much, which causes Flynn to snort derisively.

Before agreeing to continue on to the docks, Maisie insists Flynn provide her with a gun. He has his man, Sean, give her a small .25 ACP pistol. She immediately conceals it in her cleavage.

The tall man expresses his concern that she won't know how to fire a gun, but she assures him she's had hunting lessons. He flatly states that firing it at another person is not quite the same thing. Flynn politely mentions that if she should need to use the gun, she should drop it in the harbor afterwards.

Prologue - Scene 7 (of 7)

Midnight arrives and Maisie makes her way back down to the docks, grabbing a cookie for a snack first. She is dressed in her brother's old newspaper boy outfit.

When she arrives, she finds Karina and another man already there. Karina is visibly shocked by Maisie's bizarre choice of clothing but does not say anything. Instead, she introduces her fellow companion to her, calling him "Yulian".

Maisie tries to ask Yulian where he is from, but he tells her it is none of her business. Karina intercedes by changing the subject to the matter at hand. She explains that dockworkers loyal to their cause have been disappearing during the night shift. They suspect "Flynn's Goons" of kidnapping them as part of an effort to destabilize the union.

Karina goes on to explain that the three of them are there to patrol the docks and look for any of Flynn's men or whoever else might be abducting the dock workers. She asks Maisie if she needs a gun, but Maisie pats her cleavage, noting it is not necessary.

The three then split up to patrol different areas. Very little work goes on at night but some dockworkers are around to re-organize the goods to make sure everything is clear for the ships unloading the next day.

After a short while, Maisie hears a noise up ahead; a grunt followed by sounds of a struggle. She stays in the shadows and sneaks over to investigate.

What she finds is a dock worker with his head being crushed by two long, scaled arms with webbed fingers and claws at the end. She looks over to see that they are attached to a strange, scaled created with a round body and pale yellow eyes.

Managing to keep her cool despite seeing the strange and alien creature, she decides to try and help the dock worker. She immediately runs up to it, tearing off her shirt and pulling out her gun.

The shot goes wide and misses the creature. It immediately drops the worker and starts towards her. She makes a run for it but the beast is too fast; it grabs her and pulls her to the ground.

Claws rake across Maisie's face, causing blood to go everywhere. Badly injured, she responds by firing her gun twice into the creature's thorax. It howls in pain and steps away.

Taking advantage of the creature's injuries, Maisie gets up and sprints away. It doesn't take long before she runs into Karina and Yulian, who heard her shots. They are shocked by her appearance of undress and injuries, and ask her what happened.

Maisie rambles on about seeing a monster and having to shoot it, noting that it forced her to expose herself. Karina bandages Maisie up and leads her back to the car while Yulian goes to investigate.

Karina takes her straight to the hospital. On the way, Maisie states in no certain terms that Yulian is going to die, but Karina assures her the man can take care of himself. When she drops Maisie off, the attending doctor asks what happened but Karina ignores him, telling Maisie she needs to leave but will be in touch.

As she gets back into the car, she notes Maisie is certainly a unique individual as Maisie calls out to her that she really hopes they can be friends, still ignoring the doctor's questions about her horrific injuries.

Prologue - Session Notes

This session went reasonably well considering my gf never actually played before. BRP is a great system for newbies as there's almost nothing to do except describe what you are doing and once in a while roll dice.

The scenario was something I thought up after we did character creation. The docks area is more or less the same as described in the TSR Gangbusters 3rd edition book: Flynn, the WIA, Flynn's man Sean, Ulnovsky and the Trotskyites, the Blue Parrot, the Big Drink Cafe, etc. Krasnik is also there though I note I inadvertently changed the name from Katrina to Karina in the write-up. Even the Malloy hit that Maisie helped set up comes from the prologue information about the docks in the book.

I did add in a couple of characters of my own that will come up again - Yulian the Trotskyite has some plot threads associated with him, as does Rory the bag man. And the monster plot is all mine.

Basically, my goal was to do a test run that: a) introduced some concepts for later, and b) allowed me to try out the mix of gangster activities and Chthulian horrors.

I thought it was a great success. The pacing and mix of mob stuff to Chthulu stuff is pretty much exactly how I plan to run the full campaign.

As for my girlfriend, this is probably her only forray into RPGs. She enjoyed the parts where she got to say and do crazy stuff, but overall it moves a bit slow for her and she didn't think she could play in a larger group setting.

Another New Character

So, the last regularly-scheduled gaming session was on 9/14 and we had originally planned to have two new characters ready by then and start the adventure.

In addition to the one player we planned on who couldn't make it, we added in another player. Actually, he's one of the guys from my old group who we originally excluded because both (a) he was originally planning to be moved across the country by now, and (b) he was actually friends with the people we are purposely excluding and we weren't sure if he'd be OK with it. But, since the selling of his house keeps getting delayed and he specifically asked us about a game excluding the others, we went ahead and included him.

Anyhow, he was originally supposed to create a character prior to the session but that didn't happen. So, instead, he created a character at the session and instead of diving into the game we spent most of the time playing the card game "Crimes Against Humanity", which nearly caused people to pass out from the resulting humor.

The character he created is Jethro Biggins, a young but lazy Democratic alderman from the 2nd ward. Biggins dabbled in street crime as a youth and is now a corrupt alderman, taking payoffs from Father Mulroney to run his bootlegging operation (being an Episcopalian, Biggins is against the idea of prohibition and is happy to make a little money off of it).

So, now we have three characters ready to go. It looks like the fourth player may miss this Friday's session, so we may begin with just these three; despite the fun from the board/card games, the other guys would really like to get this campaign started.

Session 1 - Cast of Characters

Father Clink Mulroney - Irish priest running a bootlegging operation out of his church

Alderman Jethro Biggins - Corrupt city alderman on the take from Mulroney

Francis "Shoes" McDougal - Young street criminal and former orphan acting as Mulroney's chief lieutenant / muscle

Session 1 - Scene 1 (of 9)

The afternoon began in full swing at the St. Vincent church, where Joseph "Little Joe" DeMotte gave a fine speech to his supporters and promised victory in the fall mayoral election. Most of the speaking, however, fell to Alderman Jethro Biggins, the junior alderman in the 5th Ward, under the watchful eye of his local Democratic political boss, Henry Burns.

The event was designed to get the ward's Irish voters out to vote and was the first of several planned for the next few weeks. Biggins noted the next stop would be the following week at St. Martin's, the Episcopalian church he and Burns regularly attended.

The pastor of the parish, Father Clink Mulroney, was not overly enamored with the proceedings. He had little use for politicians in general, and less use for someone like DeMotte who was running on a crime reform platform. He felt it was bad enough he has to make regular payoffs to Biggins just to keep his bootlegging operation going.

DeMotte's talk of clamping down on crime did not appear to extend to violations of the Volstead Act, however, for Burns had insisted that Father Mulroney break out his best alcohol to serve at the fundraiser.

Mulroney had the drink distribution overseen by his right hand man, the youthful Francis McDougal. McDougal was one of the orphans Mulroney help raise at the St. Vincent's Home for Homeless Boys, and still called him by his childhood nickname of "Shoes".

With the speeches over and everyone mingling, Biggins made his way over towards Father Mulroney. As the two exchanged small talk, Burns came over to congratulate Biggins on a successful engagement. Transitioning quickly from the compliment, Burns then asks Biggins how much he, personally, is giving to DeMotte's campaign fund.

Biggins, anticipating the "request" might come up, relates to the boss he is in for an even grand. Biggins knows that it is a decent amount of money (at least, it would be if it were honest money), but he sees it as an investment.

Burns also makes a point to tell Father Mulroney that DeMotte really liked the alcohol he is serving. The political boss goes on to relate that the daughter of DeMotte's cousin is getting married in a couple of days and in need of some alcohol. He tells Biggins to arrange a deal to have Mulroney furnish the alcohol for the wedding reception.

Mulroney is happy to oblige, even if the order is relatively small; just a few barrels. Burns writes down the address for delivery – listed as a suite at the Lexington Hotel over in the downtown area across the river in the First Ward. The priest instructs him to give the information over to Shoes, which he does; along with a tip of $5.

After Burns leaves, Mulroney tries to feel out Biggins about DeMotte's intentions. The priest is concerned that he seems a rather legitimate person and might cause problems with Mulroney's side business and the way things need to get done. He tells Biggins that an anti-crime platform is all good and well, as long as DeMotte doesn't really mean it. Biggins responds that DeMotte seems forthright in his convictions towards it, but hopes to steer it in the right direction; as a crackdown on Italian crimes.

Session 1 - Scene 2 (of 9)

After the event ends, Father Mulroney discusses the liquor situation with Shoes. Rather than try to truck the alcohol over the main bridge, he'd prefer to have it shipped across the river by boat at night. To do that, they'll have to truck it down to the docks at the Third Ward and have it shipped from there.

McDougal has many contacts with other organized criminals in the city, including the de facto boss of the Third Ward, Ned Flynn. Mulroney suggests Shoes go down to Flynn's office and work out a deal.

Shoes takes the truck used by Mulroney to ship the liquor out of the church basement operations and heads over to Flynn's office at the Waterfront Improvement Association. Flynn's secretary, a pretty young thing named Ruth, immediately shows his back to Flynn's office.

Inside the office, McDougal finds Flynn behind his desk with his bodyguard Sean O'Casey standing by. Flynn greets Shoes warmly, and asks what he can do.

Shoes relates the situation with needing passage across the river for some product in order to get it over to a party at the Lexington Hotel. Flynn immediately becomes cautious, noting the hotel is strictly Tolino family territory. He will agree to move the liquor across, but tells Shoes he will need to find his own way to deliver it to the hotel; Flynn has no intention of dealing with the Tolinos.

Flynn then mentions there is another problem, that he is having difficulties getting the dockworkers to do any night work. He grumbles about having conflicts with the union, caused by "those Russian bastards". He tells Shoes that apparently someone has been kidnapping dock workers at night and that the radical Russian unionists are blaming him for it. At the mention of Russians, Shoes spits on the ground in disgust.

The businessman does, however, believe he can arrange for some special labor. But, he cautions Shoes, it will be double the normal cost – an even $100 instead of the usual $50. He does offer that he could rent one of his boats for $25 if Shoes would pilot the ship himself, but Shoes isn't so sure of his boating skills.

Shoes decides to take the information back to Father Mulroney and let him figure out how to handle it. On his way out, he tries to lay a hand on Flynn's secretary but she stops him and slaps him hard across the face for "getting fresh". As Flynn yells to ask what's going on, Shoes quickly heads out the door.

Session 1 - Scene 3 (of 9)

Back at St. Vincent's, Father Mulroney is beside himself at the news and goes into a long harangue. He is quite upset that Shoes couldn't broker a better deal.

Shoes suggests that if the priest drove the boat the money would be the same, but he is exasperated by the idea, mocking Shoes about how it would look if a priest got caught driving around in a boat full of hooch.

Complaining about his underling being useless, Mulroney calls over to Alderman Biggins for some assistance. The alderman is sympathetic (as he, too, is on the line for the delivery) and agrees to try and arrange some help for the boat and the transportation to the hotel, using his connections.

Biggins' first instinct is to make a call to Saul Gutzmann, the Democratic political boss of the First Ward. But Gutzmann quickly blows him off, noting that his people are all too busy trying to win the mayoral race.

With the Third Ward area under Republican control, Biggins decides trying to arrange a political favor there would be an even bigger waste of time. Instead, he decides to take matters into his own hands and get out amongst the dockworker constituents living in his ward.

Since most of his dockworker constituents are Polish, Biggins heads over to the Kuczborski Café, a speakeasy popular with working class Poles. At first, everyone in the bar stops to look at him when he walks in, looking sorely out of place in his suit and tie.

But someone quickly recognizes the alderman and several appreciative laborers invite him over for a drink. Naturally, they take the time to complain to the alderman as well. Several are unhappy about a Russian man named Ulnovsky, who they claim is a Trotskyite activist trying to take over control of Local 710 of the International Brotherhood of Dockworkers.

Biggins promises the dockworkers he will look into Ulnovsky and see what he can do. In return, he tells the men he is in need of a few strong workers to ship over some alcohol for a wedding reception.

The alderman finds several workers willing to perform the work for some extra pay. They are less excited, however, once they discover they will be using one of Ned Flynn's boats. Biggins can tell there is a lot of resistance between the laborers and the businessman Flynn, with several openly complaining about Flynn getting his Brother-in-Law, Ben Whittier, elected president of Local 710. Again, Biggins offers his sympathies and extolls his commitment for fighting for the rights of organized labor.

Another sticking point is that the job takes place at dusk, and the men aren't too keen on making a run in the dark. Several claim that Flynn has goons kidnapping dockworkers working the night shift in order to put pressure on the union. One of the drunker patrons, however, disagrees; he heard it was a monster from the lake grabbing the men and eating them. Biggins laughs off the preposterous idea.

Session 1 - Scene 4 (of 9)

With a couple of men secured, Biggins heads over to St. Vincent's to work out the final arrangements with Father Mulroney. While there, he notes the stories about the abductions and suggests Mulroney do some "administrating to the flock", since they believe in monsters. Father Mulroney notes that the Polish Catholics in the area tend to belong to the St. Wenceslaus parish.

After Biggins leaves, Mulroney examines all the angles and tries to come up with a plan. He's concerned about the Tolino mob controlling the Lexington and doesn't want to cause any problems there. He asks for Shoes' input on how to handle the situation.

Shoes notes that the Tolinos are currently feuding with the Irish gang in control of the First Ward, Deanie O'Conner's outfit. Mulroney asks who the antagonist is, but Shoes dismisses the concept as irrelevant.

Given the information, Father Mulroney asks if Shoes is advising they try to broker a peace, noting this simple favor for Boss Burns is getting rather expensive. Shoes tells the priest that his actual intention was to suggest they kill one of O'Conner's men as a favor to Tolino, but Mulroney wants to avoid that sort of thing if possible.

Changing the subject, Shoes starts talking about the "monster" Biggins mentioned. Knowing Father Mulroney is not the most knowledgeable theologian, he sardonically asks the priest what the scriptures say about such things. The little joke backfires, however, when he discovers the father is actually knowledgeable about that particular area, and spends the night listening to him preach on about demons and other unclean spirits.

Session 1 - Scene 5 (of 9)

The next morning, Father Mulroney tells Shoes they need to go back over to Flynn's to make the final arrangements. McDougal is surprised to hear that the father is coming, but he responds that last time he let Shoes go alone it nearly caused him an anal fissure.

Mulroney grabs his large knife for protection and conceals it in his robes. He then tells Shoes he'll be driving the truck himself today, deriding Shoes' driving skills as bad as riding a drunken horse.

When they arrive at the Waterfront Improvement Association, the middle-aged priest's eyes light up when he sees the pretty young Ruth. He pays her compliments, but she spends her attention glaring at Shoes. She tells the father he needs to teach his boys better manners, explaining that last time McDougal tried to get fresh with her.

Mulroney calls the youth a naughty boy, but continues to flirt with the young lady himself. He invites her over to the rectory for "bible study", but she laughs it off, reminding the lecherous old priest that she is Seventh-day Adventist. He does get her to admit she's still not married, and she even gives the sly old dog a wink as she takes them back to see Flynn.

Sitting at his desk, Flynn looks up with some surprise at seeing Father Mulroney, telling him he didn't expect to see the priest personally. Mulroney complains he had little choice after the poor deal Shoes brokered the last time, but Flynn protests the deal was as fair as he could make it.

Flynn goes on to complain about the difficulties of getting the dock workers to work at night, with tales of kidnapping. Father Mulroney asks Flynn if he's heard about the stories of monsters being at the docks at night. Flynn laughs it off by making a joke, "You mean Protestants?" but Mulroney can tell he's being evasive and the question made him uncomfortable.

Mulroney then goes on to discuss the plan, telling how he's arranged for his own men to use the boat and transport the liquor. He wants something of a discount from Flynn, but the sly businessman states they can discuss that once Mulroney brings his boat back in one piece.

Shoes then hands the money over to Flynn's stoic bodyguard Sean, who hands him back a key and slip noting where the boat is moored. Mulroney tries to bring up the monster theory again, but Flynn immediately insists it is a plot by "the damn Russians". Behind the priest, Shoes spits on the floor again.

Ned goes on to discuss how a man named Ulnovsky is the problem. According to Flynn, the Russian is a Trotskyite anarchist. Father Mulroney offers to work with Alderman Biggins to see if something can be done about him.

Session 1 - Scene 6 (of 9)

After leaving the WIA building, Father Mulroney asks Shoes for his impressions. McDougal suggests that after their talk last night, he believes Flynn could use some spiritual guidance on the reality of demons. Mulroney smirks at the youth's sardonic reply.

The priest is concerned about the Russians making trouble for Flynn. It sounds to him like Ulnovsky is trying to stir up trouble in order to take over the union. He asks Shoes' opinion on whether they should deal with the Trotskyites or the Italians first.

Shoes notes the Tolinos are the more immediate threat. Sending the liquor into their territory without talking to them first could be very dangerous. Mulroney agrees, but decides to stop in at the alderman's office first to get him started on looking into the Russians.

They find Biggins lounging around in his office, smoking a cigar. Father Mulroney tells the politician that he's learned a Russian named Ulnovsky is said to be behind the rumors about a monster. Jethro notes that information is consistent with what the Poles told him about a man named Ulnovsky gaining power in the union.

Mulroney tells Biggins he and Shoes will be heading out to make "friendly overtures" to the Italians. He asks Biggins to do what he can about the Russian problem.

Biggins spends most of the day unsuccessfully trying to talk with various local union stewards. After that proves fruitless, he decides to take a different track and heads over to the local police precinct. There he meets with one of his contacts, Captain Jimmy Deakins.

Deakins has one of his clerks look for a file on "Ulnovsky". A couple of hours later, he has a file for them to examine. The Russian is identified as Vasily Leonovich Ulnovsky. The file contains the following information:
•   Born in Kiev, 1889
•   Russian Father, American Mother
•   Immigrated to the US, 1919
•   Application for citizenship pending
•   Aka "Comrade Leon"
•   No known associates
•   Arrested April 3rd, 1923 for Disturbing the Peace and Inciting a Riot
•   Released April 5th, 1924; served 12 months of 18 month sentence

The captain isn't too fond of the Russian or his "anarchist beliefs". He tells Biggins his men can certainly take care of the man if he comes into their ward, but notes there's little they can do outside their precinct area. He suggests that if Biggins can't get the 3rd Ward precinct to cooperate he should try the State Port Authority. Deakins does admit, however, that the port authority officers don't really have the same understanding of the problems of civil disobedience.

Session 1 - Scene 7 (of 9)

Meanwhile, Father Mulroney and Shoes make their way across the bridge into the downtown area. Heading over to the Little Italy district, Shoes directs the priest over to "Little Augie's Cafe", a speakeasy where he knows a guy who knows the Tolinos.

Little Augie's is located right off of Broad Street, situated between Goldstein's Jewelry and Harshaw's Hardware. Just across the street is the Lexington Hotel where Shoes will make the delivery for the wedding.

Shoes gives the password at the door and heads inside. He is glad to see that Augie's night bouncer, a big Russian named Billy Alexius, isn't manning the door during the day.

Behind the bar is Augustus "Little Augie" Barton himself; his regular bartender (a German named Max Schultz) only works the night shift. Barton recognizes Shoes and greets him, wondering what brings him into town during the day.

Without going into details, Shoes says he needs to make a connection into the Tolinos to work out an arrangement. Augie suggests that the quickest way would be to see "Joey the Book" at the Bookie Joint next door. He makes a quick call over to let Joey know they are coming.

Augie tells Shoes all they need to do is head out the back door and the door to the bookie's will be right next to it. Not completely trusting Barton, Mulroney and Shoes decide to go out the front door and walk around to the alley.

Even during the day the alley is dark as the sunlight is blocked by the large apartment buildings adjoining the smaller shops. As they head around, Shoes and Mulroney notice the path leading back to the bookie's door has two side doors, a small alcove off to the side, fire escape stairs down from the apartments, and a smaller alley perpendicular to the main one leading down to Canal Street. It looks like the perfect place for an ambush.

The two slowly make their way towards the door. As they get close, they hear a sudden noise in the small alcove near the door. Both men tense up and prepare to draw their weapons. Just then, an alley cat jumps out from behind the trash cans. In anger, Mulroney kicks the cat.

When Shoes knocks on the large metal door, a slit opens up and a pair of steely eyes look out, asking who it is. Shoes tells the man that Little Augie just called over to let them know they were coming.  The Italian at the door says, "Oh yeah, 'Kid Boots' or something, right?". Shoes corrects the man on his name and the door opens.

Shoes and Father Mulroney are immediately escorted inside by the man at the door, holding a .32 pistol on them. A larger man stands inside watching them. He directs the door man to move them over to the nearby pool table and frisk them.

The man finds Father Mulroney's knife along with Shoes' knife and pistol. He places the weapons on the pool table, telling his boss that the kid is packing and the priest had a knife.

Now that they are disarmed, the boss moves in closer. He gets uncomfortably close to the priest and asks what they want. The man has a thick Nepalese accent. Father Mulroney responds they are looking for a sit down with Al Tolino.

The boss asks what they want with his brother, revealing himself as Joseph "Joey the Book" Tolino. Mulroney tries to explain about the wedding reception and his refreshments but Joey cuts him off, showing his dislike of their plan to move booze through his family's territory.

Father Mulroney assures Tolino that they intent to pay a proper fee for the privilege. Joey, however, doesn't like the idea. He goes on to say he's not inclined to partner with them due to their Irish heritage, using several racial epithets in the process.

Joey's eyes then narrow, and he looks at Mulroney intensely. He asks what Mulroney's connection to O'Conner is. Mulroney explains that they have nothing to do with O'Conner but he is aware of the difficulty O'Conner is causing the Tolinos. He offers to assist them with dealing with O'Conner as part of their arrangement.

The offer does not have the intended effect, as Tolino seems disgusted that Mulroney would sell out "one of his own kind". Joey tells the priest he is lucky that he doesn't want to kill a priest. He then proceeds to draw a large handgun out of his jacket and fire towards Shoes before anyone can react. The shot luckily misses.

Mulroney has to make a quick decision. He eyes a nearby chair and thinks about attacking the man; but Joey and his door man are both armed and there are two doors inside the room that any number of other men could be behind. He settles on trying to talk his way out, calmly insisting to Joey that there is no need for violence.

The priest manages to calm down the large man. Joey then agrees that they can move the booze in but he gets a 60% cut. Mulroney tries to offer a bargain of a lower cut in exchange for future trade, but Joey tells him that 60% is the best deal he will get and refusing it will lead to him shooting Shoes in the head for his trouble.

With full diplomacy, Mulroney graciously accepts the terms of the deal. Joey then insists the two leave immediately, using more racial slurs to explain why he wants them gone.

Session 1 - Scene 8 (of 9)

Father Mulroney is now also concerned that O'Conner will consider it an insult if he is not paid as well. Shoes also has connections into the O'Conner mob, so they decide to head over and try to stop any trouble with the Irish gangsters before it starts.

The Irish are located just a block down, at Harrigan's Restaurant (another speakeasy) on Canal Street next to the B. Allan's Department Store and Fanucci's Fruits & Vegetables. They find Deanie O'Conner himself sitting at his favorite booth in the back.

O'Conner isn't too thrilled to see Father Mulroney. He asks Shoes what he is thinking bringing in a priest, noting it is bad for business.

Sitting down with O'Conner, Shoes explains they just came from talking with Tolino's brother, Joey. Deanie notes Joey is a certifiable psycho. Shoes responds that Tolino did give him a bit of a scare, and grimaces when O'Conner tells him he was lucky he didn't get plugged.

Father Mulroney then explains to O'Conner why they are there and about their plans to transport the liquor over to the Lexington for the wedding reception. O'Conner says there is no problem with the plan, but he wants a 60% cut of the money.

Sighing inwardly, Mulroney explains that Tolino has already insisted on a 60% cut and he can't pay 120%. O'Conner couldn't care less, noting that the money is Mulroney's problem, not his. He also tells the priest he doesn't understand why he would pay Tolino anything.

Shoes asks for a quick word with the Father and they head over to another corner to talk. Mulroney tells Shoes he has a plan – he wants to arrange for O'Conner and Tolino to have an unplanned meeting. He then heads back over and concedes the 60% to O'Conner, setting up a time to meet later.

Session 1 - Scene 9 (of 9)

After they leave, Mulroney explains his plan to Shoes. He wants to help the Tolinos eliminate O'Conner. Shoes insists Mulroney go in alone to talk to Joey about it.

When Mulroney heads into the bookie joint, Tolino is clearly unhappy to see him. He asks the priest what he wants and Mulroney explains he is looking for a better deal. Joey calls the priest a thorn in his side but agrees to hear the deal.

Mulroney's deal is to get free passage for his liquor to the Lexington in exchange for helping him eliminate Deanie O'Conner. He tells him he has a time and place set for a meet with O'Conner that they can ambush him at.

Once again, Joey is very suspicious. Mulroney can tell the man is clearly psychotic and in need of an alienist for his paranoia.

But Joey is no moron either. He's wary of trying to take out O'Conner directly due to the Irish mobster's political connections. Mulroney mentions he has connections of his own, and is using them to deal with some Russians at the moment but could assist Tolino later.

Tolino hurls some more racial slurs at Mulroney but agrees to the deal once Mulroney explains his motivation as "sometimes a bad man needs to be taken to task".

As they head out of downtown, Shoes voices his dislike of the plan. He doesn't like giving up O'Conner and notes he trusts O'Conner a lot more than the Tolinos. He also doesn't like the idea of leaving a mad killer like Joey on the loose.

Mulroney, however, is committed to his plan. He daydreams to himself about the possibility of taking over control of the whole city himself.

The two head back over to Biggins to exchange information. Mulroney is less than thrilled with Biggins' progress, but the alderman explains these things take time and that he will contact the port authority tomorrow and may have better luck.

The two then head back to the church for the night, planning to make their next move in the morning.

Session 1 - Session Notes

This session marked the official start of the campaign. One player wasn't able to make it, but we decided to continue on without her.

We started off the night with a few quick hands of Cards Against Humanity then decided to move on to playing this session. It really only lasted about two hours yet quite a lot happened.

Things took a little bit to gel - largely because I didn't have a lot of time to prepare (I'd been having some unfortunate health issues lately) and also because my girlfriend took her kindle fire that night that had the pdfs of all my campaign notes on it so I had to do a lot from memory.

I like beginning campaigns with something seemingly mundane that gets complicated quickly. Since one of the characters was a politician, I decided on the fundraiser that roped in the bootlegging priest as well.

One challenge of a CoC-style game is getting the PCs somewhat together. Sometimes I just force them to decide on a reason ahead of time. This time I tried to grow it more organically.

Although the first couple of sessions can be a little awkward that way, I tend to find that after a little bit it works like a TV show with an awkward premise - eventually the story and character interaction gets good enough that no one remembers the basic premise was kind of absurd (see things like Castle, The Office, etc.)

I did get some questions straight off about the validity of a political fundraiser at a church. I admit I'm no historian - I know churches were heavily tied in with politics at the time and the whole "losing tax exempt status for political activities" thing didn't really start being an issue (that I could find) until the late 60's. That said, I'm chalking it up to dramatic license.

The exact ward the church and alderman are from changed several times in my planning. I basically wanted to find a semi-realistic location in the city where Democrats were in power.

I can't remember if I took the name of St. Vincent's from an actual Chicago church (though Catholic churches all have similar names throughout the country). I was originally going to call Shoes' former home the St. Vincent's Orphan Asylum (which sounded darker and more retro), but my research indicated that was a more Victorian name and that the "Home for Homeless Boys" better fit the times.

We decided early on that Biggins would be an Episcopalian since his name was English and he was assimilated. Similarly for my NPC ward boss, Henry Burns.

Joseph "Little Joe" DeMotte comes from the TSR Gangbusters book. That setting was in 1920 where he is just one of the top Democratic aldermen; I decided it made sense for him to be the next candidate for mayor.

The Lexington Hotel also comes from TSR, as do all of the downtown and dock locations, Flynn, the Tolinos, the O'Conners, and Ulnovsky.

One of my NPCs was Ruth, Flynn's secretary. I made her Seventh-day Adventist to give some more variety (this may be a bit anachoristic as it wasn't all that  popular of a denomination except in the South at the time). When she slapped Shoes I made him take a point of damage. ;)

Kuczborski Café was one of my locations, but I took the name from somewhere. Actually, it turned out to be more difficult than I thought to come up with an obviously Polish name for a place; apparently most real restaraunts had more generic-sounding names.

Shoes spitting on the floor whenever the Russians were mentioned was a running gag the player came up with. He never did explain what the back story was, which makes it better I think.

Captain Jimmy Deakins is another NPC I had to come up with on the spur of the moment. He's named after the original captain from Law and Order: Criminal Intent but his personality is that of a hardened city cop.

One of my favorite parts of the session, which doesn't get its due in the write-up, was the 10 minutes at a time where Father Mulroney berated Shoes for being incompetant (all with a laughingly bad Irish accent).

After that, my most fun was the scenes at the bookie joint. I added a lot of tension when they headed up to the door by describing them advancing ever so slowly. I actually did freak them out a bit with the cliche'd "it's just a cat" moment. :D

Then inside Shoes nearly got shot (I just happened to roll a miss and Mulroney made his persuade roll). At least they were smart enough to know not to fight back (some people in the previous group would never go along with something like that and always insist on fighting).

The O'Conner meet was hilarious as well, because you could see the lightbulb go on over the Mulroney player's head when he realized how much of a bear trap he stepped into. Which then caused him to have to think quickly to gain an advantage. Whether his plans will succeed or not remains to be seen.

Reading the session notes, you can get a pretty good idea of when the PCs made their rolls, and when they didn't. On the whole I tried to limit the rolls and let things flow more naturally.

Actually, if I had it to do over again, I'd use more of the WOD system rather than the percentage skills since a certain amount of min-maxing did occur during character generation.

We didn't really get much into the Cthulhu part this session, but I have a feeling that the night boat trip next session will prove more interesting in that regard...

Session 2 - Cast of Characters

Father Clink Mulroney - Irish Roman Catholic priest running a bootlegging operation out of his church
 
Alderman Jethro Biggins - Corrupt city alderman on the take from Mulroney
 
Francis "Shoes" McDougal - Young street criminal and former orphan acting as Mulroney's chief lieutenant / muscle

Session 2 - Scene 1 (of 5)

As dawn breaks in the city, Father Mulroney is wondering about his actions over the previous day. He wonders if he is better off allying with the Tolinos against the O'Conners, or if he'd be better off having Shoes make up a bomb to kill them both. First, though, he knows he has to deal with the damn wedding liquor that is causing so many problems.

The priest grabs Shoes and tells him they need to head over and see Biggins again. On the way, he has the boy stop at Edna's Diner for some flapjacks, his breakfast food of choice. Shoes is less than thrilled when the father (once again) makes him pay the bill, but stiffs Edna on the tip because, in his words, "Edna's a cranky old bitch".

They arrive at Biggins' office by mid-morning. Having little else to do, the alderman is already there. After confirming with Biggins that everything is still good to go with the Polish dockworkers for the evening, Father Mulroney decides to confide in Biggins about the trouble he's in with the O'Conners and Tolinos.

Biggins is unsympathetic, but notes the father has got himself into a "real shithole". Mulroney insists the Tolinos can take care of his problems for him, but he'll need Biggins', flattering the alderman as a powerful political force. The priest explains he wants him to smooth the two groups into a meeting.

The alderman is taken aback by the suggestion that he mediate between ruffians. Mulroney tries to reassure him that his involvement will be limited to "greasing the wheels", but Biggins still expects he's the one that could end up getting greased.

Appealing to the man's practical side, Mulroney explains that with O'Conner gone, he can expand his territory; something he cannot currently do in this ward because much of it is controlled by the "Crazy Genna Brothers", a murderous gang of Sicilians that Mulroney has no intention of interfering with. Biggins shudders at the thought of coming into conflict with "Bloody" Angelo Genna and his siblings.

Mulroney continues with his explanation that new territory will bring more money, noting how bootlegging has a much better income potential that the salary of an alderman. Biggins is seduced by the priest's argument, and agrees a mutually beneficial arrangement could be made.

But before they get too deep into the conversation, Biggins wants to focus on the topic at hand – getting the night's delivery done. He asks the priest for his opinion about the rumors of a monster down on the docks. Mulroney notes that history is filled with stories of encounters with demons, asking if Biggins would like to read a paper he wrote on demonology while at seminary. The alderman politically notes he enjoys examining the work of his constituents, but will save that for another time. Off to the side, Shoes has a knowing smirk.

The priest is less concerned about monsters and more about any interference from law enforcement. He suggests they make sure that the port authority turns a blind eye to their operations for the evening. Biggins agrees, noting he needs to talk to someone at the state port authority anyway about the Russians; and perhaps have them investigate into the "monster attacks" as well.

Shoes is also concerned about how discrete the Polish workers will be, not trusting anyone who isn't Irish. Mulroney agrees and tells Shoes that he should accompany the Poles that evening, and to make sure to be well-armed in case of interference.

The youth asks if he should also put together some explosives in case of an emergency. The father notes the idea isn't a bad one, as they may need a diversion. Fearful of blowing himself up, Shoes wants to keep explosives as a last resort option and would prefer to rely on Biggins getting comfortable with the port authority. Mulroney agrees and wants Shoes to accompany the alderman over to the port authority office to make sure it gets done right.

Session 2 - Scene 2 (of 5)

After dropping the priest off back at St. Vincent's, Shoes drives Biggins over to the State Port Authority Police office in the docks area. The port authority police have only a small, one-room office with two desks. Only one officer is on duty, an older man identified by his name plate as Harbor Sergeant Morrison.

Morrison looks up from his coffee and newspaper to ask what they want. Biggins explains they are there because there is a wedding this evening needing a shipment across the river and he wants to make sure there are no interruptions or distractions.

Biggins goes on to explain that he is also interested in knowing if the port authority is aware of the activities of anarchists down on the docks. Morrison doesn't seem particularly concerned, but does ask if it involves some Russians. But, he is immediately distracted when he spots Shoes spitting on the floor at the mention of "Russians".

Sergeant Morrison asks them who they are. Biggins explains he is Alderman Biggins of the 5th Ward. Morrison's eyes narrow and he smiles slightly, noting he can be sure the alderman's shipment has no problems in return for consideration.

Shoes doesn't like the idea of paying the bad-tempered sergeant off. He reveals the small pistol in his pocket and tells Morrison to do as he's told. But the sergeant isn't having any of it, telling him "how about I just call the cops on you then, sonny?"

Biggins steps in to smooth things over. He tells the sergeant that he always values the input of citizens. Morrison wants to know how much he values the input. Biggins slowly drops twenties on to the desk until he reaches $100. Morrison quickly pockets the cash and tells him everything will run smooth but warns him to keep his pet on a leash, referring to Shoes.

Shoes holds his temper and the two turn to leave. As they start to head out, Morrison jokingly cautions them to watch out for monsters tonight. Biggins turns around and asks Morrison what he is talking about. The sergeant is surprised Biggins is taking it seriously; he notes it is a popular joke around the office after a girl was found attacked on the docks and claimed a monster did it.

Shoes makes a derogatory remark about showing the girl "his monster", but gets smacked in the head by Morrison for his troubles. The old codger notes his dislike of foul-mouthed, vulgar youths. Shoes is smart enough not to fight back.

Biggins quickly tries to regain control and get Morrison to explain more about the girl. He explains that some Russians were messing around on the docks a couple of weeks ago and a girl was attacked. When Biggins assumes the attacked girl was Russian, Morrison contradicts him, noting the girl that got attacked was a Jew not a Russian. After she told the doctors at the hospital she was attacked by a monster, Morrison explains, they moved her to the asylum.

Session 2 - Scene 3 (of 5)

Back at St. Vincent's, Biggins and Shoes discuss their visit with Father Mulroney. When Biggins explains everything is worked out, Shoes interrupts and derisively notes to the priest that Biggins paid off the port authority officer.

Father Mulroney is displeased to learn the alderman couldn't simply bully the officer into compliance, noting the alderman does not have "bigg'uns". Shoes tries to explain he was planning to pistol whip the officer, but Biggins interfered by paying the $100.

When he hears the amount, the priest notes the alderman is very generous, but notes that money can often be saved by applying a little elbow grease. Biggins, for his part, notes he wanted to avoid a murder. The priest sardonically notes, "aren't you the honest one".

Biggins changes the subject by telling Mulroney about what the officer said concerning the girl and the supposed monster attack. Mulroney is concerned the story keeps coming up, and suggests they check on the docks.

Before they go, he slips out of his robes and into regular working-class clothes in order to be inconspicuous. Shoes warns the priest that a man of the cloth can avoid trouble that a regular guy can't, noting that a man with a big mouth in civilian clothing risks getting his mouth shot off. Mulroney fires back that Shoes couldn't even intimidate an old man as he stashes his knife into his work pants.

They arrive at the docks to find it in full swing, with ships being loaded and unloaded at the various piers. Mulroney suggests they start by looking around to see if they can find the Poles that Biggins hired for the evening.

The three don't get far before a foreman spots them. The short Italian man wanders over and wants to know what they are doing. But once he recognizes the alderman his tone lightens.

Biggins asks the foreman about any "odd happenings" down at the docks at night. The foreman scoffs that the alderman is referring to the crazy stories about a monster. He plainly states there is no monster on the docks and any trouble they are having has to do with "that crook Flynn" or
"those damn Russian anarchists".

As far as the foreman is concerned, if anyone is disappearing people on the docks at night, either Ned Flynn or the Russians are involved, or both. He complains about Flynn's ploy to take over the union by instilling his brother-in-law as the local president and how the Russians have been trying to cause trouble of their own by getting workers riled up.

Mulroney makes a disparaging remark about the foreman's ability to manage the situation due to his Italian heritage. The foreman makes a remark of his own back to Biggins, asking where he found Mulroney while including a derisive racial remark of his own about the Irishman.

Biggins tries to keep the conversation on point. He talks about the monster sightings, but the foreman reiterates that he's only seen the Russians skulking around the docks at night. Biggins then asks about the young lady that was attacked. The foreman describes her as a "rich Jew broad who was slumming around with Ulnovsky's woman".

The alderman asks where Ulnovsky and his girl usually hang out. He indicates a speakeasy called the Blue Parrot, just across the street from the docks. But he reiterates that he hasn't seen any monsters; though someone did spot the Jewish girl coming out of Flynn's office so he suspects its part of some kind of scam.

Mulroney questions whether the girl would really get herself committed just to plot something with Flynn, but the foreman just says he has no idea what a crazy girl might do. Finally, Biggins asks where the supposed attack happened, and the foreman points him towards pier 34.

Pier 34 has a great number of crates around, along with some docked ships, but no workers around. The three spend a couple of hours combing the area for any evidence of an attack.

After a while, Father Mulroney spots something shiny between a couple of planks. He pulls out a small shell casing. Then, glancing around, he spots what appears to be the remains of a large claw, about three to four inches long.

He calls over the others to show them. The priest notes it appears to be the claw of some kind of large animal. He wonders if the "monster" might be some escaped exotic animal running around loose on the docks.

The priest examines the dock boards near where the claw was found but spots no claw marks. He tells Biggins he needs another favor from him; he'd like the alderman to stick around the area tonight to see if he sees anything.

Alderman Biggins is not in agreement; he does not want to be alone at night in the area where a large claw was found. He asks Mulroney what he should do if he spots a creature. The priest says simply, "run for it".

Shoes wonders if they should move their boat from pier 21 up to this pier since it doesn't have anyone around. Mulroney, however, doesn't like the risk of potentially having to deal with a large animal.

Biggins suggests before they make any more plans that they go talk to the girl who was attacked. The priest agrees, noting they will need to stop at the church first so he can change back to his clerical attire.

Scene 4 (of 5)

It takes nearly two hours to reach the Dunning Asylum located on the outskirts of the 10th Ward in the Northwest area of the city. The large hospital campus has over twenty towering brick buildings surrounded by acres of farmland. Many of the patients can be seen working the hospital's fields as they drive up the long road to the main gatehouse.

The guard at the main gate asks who they are. Biggins immediately responds that he is a city alderman there to see one of his constituents. The guard tells them to wait while he calls up to the administration building with the gatehouse telephone.

After a minute or so of conversation, the guard hangs up. He tells them they are free to come in and see the director, pointing them to the administration building. As they head up the windy road, Shoes notes the place gives him the creeps and expresses his hope they won't be there long.

The director greets them at the main lobby of the administration office, introducing himself as Dr. George Leininger. Biggins likewise introduces himself. When the director asks who he has brought with him, the alderman introduces the priest but Shoes cuts him off quickly afterward, pointedly telling the director that he doesn't need to know who Shoes is.

Mulroney makes a nervous laugh, explaining the lad is a "Mr. Jones" who spent some time in the facilities here in the past. Dr. Leininger gets a confused look, noting he doesn't recognize Shoes. He calls over a nurse and asks if they are there to re-commit "Mr. Jones".

Shoes looks horrified at the prospect, but says nothing. Examining the young man's face, the director notes he can see signs of acute anxiety in the young man.

Biggins, however, explains they are instead there to see a constituent of his, a young woman who was committed after being attacked by a monster. Dr. Leininger recognizes the case and asks the nurse to pull the file.

While the nurse is gone, the director asks Biggins why the priest is there. Father Mulroney explains he wants to give spiritual comfort. Dr. Leininger is most confused, noting they have their own chaplain on staff and also that the girl is Jewish. But Mulroney insists he can give comfort.

Shoes makes another of his cracks about comforting the girl with "his monster". The director partially catches it, noting that muttering could be a sign of regression and that he recommends the boy be looked at while they are here.

Mulroney tries to laugh it off by saying the youth simply says crazy things sometimes. Dr. Leininger asks Shoes who his alienist is. Shoes, unfamiliar with the term, doesn't know what he means. When the doctor repeats his request about whose care he is in, Shoes responds "the good father's".

The priest explains Shoes lives at the church. Dr. Leininger praises the priest for finding use for the simple-minded. He does make sure that as Shoes is apparently a sufferer of idiocy that the father has had him properly sterilized.

Shoes, not at all liking being mistaken as mentally challenged, interrupts the conversation to ask where the Jewish girl is. When Dr. Leininger goes to check on the nurse, Shoes shares his opinion with the others that the doctors here are crazy. Mulroney reassures him they won't let the doctors "chop anything off" while he is there.

Moments later, the doctor returns with the file. He identifies the girl as Maisie Brockovitz. Her case history reports she showed up at the hospital emergency room with multiple lacerations to her face and chest.
The mention of lacerations across the face interests Mulroney as he thinks of the claw in his pocket. He asks the director if any photos were taken. The director shows him the photos in the file, which Mulroney examines carefully. The lacerations appear to be four evenly-spaced cuts parallel to each other; they could be caused by claw marks, but the priest isn't sure.

Dr. Leininger tells them there is little else in the case file except that she was brought in by a Russian girl. At the mention of Russians, Shoes spits on the ground. The doctor notes the behavior as possibly compulsive and against recommends having Shoes stay for a weekend to get an extended analysis.

When he turns back around to face the priest, Shoes slips out one of the file photos and puts it under his jacket. The director suggests they let him have Shoes undergo a hydrotherapy session while they talk to Maisie but Father Mulroney insists the boy is OK for now and they can always take that measure if he acts up later.

The director acquiesces, but does signal a large, nearby orderly to accompany them. He then takes them over to Ward 14, where Maisie is under the care of Dr. Hugo Bronfenburgher.

Session 2 - Scene 5 (of 5)

Dr. Bronfenburgher is an older German man with large glasses and a thick accent. He explains the patient is a remarkable case of delusions. He goes on to explain his theory that the psychotic break with reality is the result of underlying sexual trauma, which he believes is the result of an incestuous relationship with her father.

Ignoring the doctor's psychobabble, Biggins indicates his desire to speak to the girl. The doctor tells him that communication could prove difficult, for she has recently undergone hysterical paroxysm therapy and her mind is currently a bit fuzzy. Dr. Bronfenburgher suggests that he and the orderly (whom he refers to as "Sven") accompany them.

As they head over to Maisie's bed, the doctor explains about the frequent occurrence of hysteria in women. Shoes makes another of his comments indicating his desires towards the girl.

Dr. Bronfenburgher looks at Shoes closely, examining him. He asks the young man if he ever did things with small animals in his youth. When Shoes responds "sure did" the doctor calls for Sven to take him away, noting that he will need to undergo a full psychoanalysis. Shoes is taken aback that he would be locked up "just because of a few squirrels".

Shoes struggles with Sven, who calls for a couple more orderlies over to assist. Seeing the situation is getting out of hand, Father Mulroney calls from them to stop. He convinces the doctor that a forcible treatment could cause Shoes to regress.

The doctor thinks for a moment and agrees that perhaps Shoes would be better served by exercise time in the yard. Mulroney agrees, telling Shoes to go relax and look at the pretty birds and clouds. As Sven leads him away, Shoes grumbles that there better not be any squirrels out there.

Once he is gone, Dr. Bronfenburgher takes Biggins and Father Mulroney over to Maisie's bed. They see she is a tall, beefy woman. She slowly opens her eyes and asks who they are.

Biggins introduces himself as an alderman, continuing his lie that she was injured in his municipal ward. He asks her what she remembers. Maisie mentions remembering a large creature coming toward her with long claws. Behind them, Dr. Bronfenburgher explains that the delusion of the monster represents her superego repressing the sexual awakening of her id, which makes no sense to Mulroney or Biggins.

Father Mulroney asks the doctor if they still have Maisie's torn blouse. He explains that when she came to the asylum, she was already in a hospital gown and the hospital probably threw it away. In any case, Dr. Bronfenburgher insists it is immaterial as her injuries are clearly self-inflicted as a result of neurotic anxiety over her sexual urges.

Biggins makes a claw with his hand to show Maisie, causing her to react. Dr. Bronfenburgher chastises him, telling him it is important for her to undergo psychoanalytic treatment to drive out the fantasy she has constructed, not indulge her in it.

Father Mulroney convinces Dr. Bronfenburgher it may be helpful to get some paper and have Biggins attempt to sketch the monster for her to show her how unbelievable the situation is. After he leaves, noting his suspicion that the depiction of the creature will be vaginal in nature, Father Mulroney shows her the claw they found.

Maisie gets excited over seeing the claw. She notes it is proof she is not crazy and begs them to get her out of there. Biggins explains they will do what they can but it could take time. They ask her more about what she was doing there.

She explains she was out on the docks at night with a Russian Jewish woman named Karina Krasnik. She goes on to tell them that Ned Flynn was paying her to get close to Krasnik in order to spy on what Ulnovsky is up to. She isn't sure what to believe because Flynn is blaming the Russians for kidnappings but they blame Flynn.

She describes the creature as being over six feet tall with the large claws and stood upright. Father Mulroney is disturbed that the creature does not sound like an animal.

Just before Dr. Bronfenburgher comes back, she again pleads for them to get her out of there quickly. She's noticed a "Dr. Krasnik" visiting the asylum lately and looking at her. She thinks he may be related to Karina and isn't sure if the Russians have something planned for her.

As the doctor steps over, Father Mulroney makes the sign of the cross over Maisie, asking her if she feels better. Looking confounded, she tells him she does not, as she is Jewish.

Biggins then goes through the motions of drawing the creature. Dr. Bronfenburgher, disappointed it doesn't remotely resemble any form of genitalia, chooses instead to deride the alderman over his lack of artistic skills. He tells them there is no more benefit to their visiting the girl and has them taken back to Dr. Leininger.

The director expresses his hopes that their time with Maisie and Dr. Bronfenburgher were helpful. He notes the doctor studied under Dr. Sigmund Freud in Vienna. Biggins and Mulroney, who know little about such things, act impressed despite not really knowing what he is talking about.

Once Sven retrieves Shoes from the exercise yard, the three take their leave. They promise to consider bringing Shoes back for a weekend of treatment.

As they drive past the gate, Father Mulroney expresses his concern that the monster could very well be real. Shoes expresses his skepticism, noting that she's probably just nuts like everyone else there. He is also unimpressed with the claw, which he describes as "that crazy barnacle you found".

Mulroney and Biggins, however, are already thinking of how they can get Maisie out and how all the pieces fit together. But as the hour grows late, they first need to focus on getting that liquor across the river.

Session 2 - Session Notes

This session was originally supposed to take place back on the 12th, but the Shoes player was delayed on a work trip and we decided to do board games instead. We went with Ikusa and I ended up shogun over Japan.

So, it'd been a little bit by the time we got back to the campaign. It was nice to get back into the swing of things. I was originally anticipating a more action-oriented session, but it turned out to be a good investigative one.

One thing I'd like to note upfront: this session shows a fair amount of blatant sexism. Much like the blatant racism (which is usually anti-Immigrant in nature), this is part of the fact the game is set in the 1920's. Most things set in the 1920's tend to romanticize the time a bit (HBO's Boardwalk Empire being a notable exception), I want to present the time as realistic as possible with all of the ugliness.

The session began with a discussion between Mulroney and Biggins that rehashed everything from the last session. I shortened it in the write-up because the characters obviously would have remembered the conversation they had the night before even if the players can't really remember it from 4 weeks ago.

Mulroney's new idea to blow everyone up at once is something they've been discussing between sessions. I try to remind him that both gangs have a couple dozen guys in them and killing the heads of the gangs would just put someone else in charge.

The Sicillian Genna Brothers gang is a real Chicago gang from the West side. Bloody Angelo Genna is the name of a real Chicago gangster. Sometimes I change the names to fake ones (if they were really well known), but in this case I felt it would be safe and not break the 4th wall since he's relatively obscure.

I may have mentioned before that the Port Authority Police is a bit anachronistic. NY had a force since the late 20's, but I'm not sure Chicago did (from my limited research, it looked like it may have been the 50's before that happened). Because of that, I wanted to make the office pretty small.

Once again, its nice playing with players who know you can't fight everyone. I thought Shoes did great getting upset but not attacking the old harbor sergeant while Biggins tried to smooth things over.

I brought up the monster attack again just to keep the story going. Maisie (from the prologue) getting transferred to an asylum seemed like the logical outcome from that attack. Plus, I'm inspired by the current season of American Horror Story.

One thing I've had fun with is how everyone blames the Russians, Flynn, or both for the disappearances. They've heard it so many different ways, the PCs have no idea what to believe. I like that they had to hear a fair amount of evidence before even starting to acknowledge a monster existing as a real possibility.

My idea for the claw was that Maisie shot it off when she unloaded on the creature. I was envisioning something like when you find a cat claw lying around, but on a much larger scale.

Dunning Asylum is the real nickname of the Chicago State Hospital, and the location and the description of the hospital are attempting to be somewhat accurate (though in my mind I'm thinking more of the hospital from the film, Session 9). Calling it an asylum is slightly anachronistic (more of a Victorian way of referring to it), but something about "asylum" sounds more sinister.

Dr. George Leininger (whose name got to be a pain to spell consistently in the write-up), is named after a real doctor at the Chicago State Hospital. Dr. Hugo Bronfenburgher, however, is named more-or-less after the psychiatrist in the film, The Hudsucker Proxy (the character there is actually named Bronfenbrenner, but I misremembered it during the session and just kept it).

Dr. Bronfenburgher (another name I had issues spelling consistently) was concieved as a very bad Freud imitation, complete with an over the top German/Austrian accent. And naturally he studied under Freud himself.

Anyone familiar with psychology will probably notice the asylum is a bit of a mash-up when it comes to treatments. I wasn't trying to be overly accurate but at least present something that seemed like it could be accurate. So, I mixed up some work therapy, hydrotherapy (by which I meant cyrotherapy), and psychoanalysis along with hysterical paroxysm. I'm pretty sure a true Freudian alienist would not use methods like cyrotherapy or hysterical paroxysm.

The hysterical paroxysm is another semi-anachronism (again, more Victorian), and actually was not said in the session. Instead, I said electroshock therapy, which I later realized was far, far more of an anachronism (not invented until 1937 or widely used until the 50's). I switched it in the write-up to keep things more accurate. Ironically, it better fits with the talk about women suffering hysteria that did occur in-game by the crazy doctor (along with his over-the-top Freudisms connecting everything to Maisie's sexuality).

The reference to Dr. Krasnik is another bit of foreshadowing. He'll become important later, and not as part of anything to do with the Trotskyites.

I played the Maisie character as a NPC. Readers may remember she was originally a PC created by my gf for the prologue one-shot. I haven't been able to convince her to actually play in the group, so if they free the character it will likely remain a NPC.

We do have another female who, in theory, may join someday. However, so far she hasn't been able to join us due to family activities, or because of her other gaming group (oddly, it meets the second and fourth fridays of the month while we meet every other friday, causing the sessions to be in conflict some times and not others).

She may want a different character, or she could play Maisie I suppose. My suggestion was to use Queensryche's Operation Mindcrime as inspiration to create Sister Mary, a former prostitute turned nun working for Father Mulroney by dealing out heroin. But that might be going a little too dark.

Finally, on a less fun note, it appears I may only have one more session with the Biggins player. It looks like he'll finally be moving in early December. He'll be missed, though they are all plotting how they can have his character "go out with a bang".

Session 3 - Cast of Characters
 
Father Clink Mulroney - Irish Roman Catholic priest running a bootlegging operation out of his church

 Alderman Jethro Biggins - Corrupt city alderman on the take from Mulroney

 Francis "Shoes" McDougal - Young street criminal and former orphan acting as Mulroney's chief lieutenant / muscle

Session 3 - Scene 1 (of 10)

By the time the three get back towards St. Vincent's from their trip to the Dunning Asylum, it is already growing dark. Father Mulroney has Shoes continue down to the docks in the 3rd Ward to drop Biggins off so he can ready the Polish dockworkers.

As Biggins gets out of the old Model T, Mulroney instructs him to have the workers check around pier 34 for any signs of trouble. The priest doesn't want any surprises.

Biggins finds the three workers near the area where Shoes dropped him off. They introduce themselves as Bolus, Mirek, and Jedrik. The alderman, wanting to stay safe, has Bolus stay with him and send Mirek and Jedrik off to check out pier 34.

Session 3 - Scene 2 (of 10)

Meanwhile, Shoes and Father Mulroney head back to the church. The priest is immediately stopped by Sister Mary, a former prostitute turned nun who helps the father keep track of "the boys" and manages his heroin dealing operation. The sister wants to speak to him.

Mulroney sends Shoes down to the basement to get the truck ready to go and follows Sister Mary off to a nearby vestibule to speak in private. Mary tells the priest she has been looking for him but he's been gone all day; Mulroney explains he's been busy.

With an icy stare, the nun tells him that "those hopheads" are acting more agitated than usual. Mulroney isn't immediately sure which of the heroin-addicted boys she is referring to, so she clarifies that she's talking about "the brothers", referring to Noel and his younger brother Liam. She warns the father to keep an eye on them.

Downstairs, Shoes spots Noel and Liam lounging about; he suspects they've been shooting up during working hours again. When Noel sees Shoes is heading over to the truck, he asks if there is a shipment going out that night. Shoes cautiously confirms it, but wonders why Noel is so interested.

Noel then asks where the shipment is heading but Shoes cuts him off, noting that it is Father Mulroney's business where the shipments go. He wants to know why Noel is so interested. Liam pipes in, saying they are ready to start participating in more of the action. Shoes casually remarks that before they can step up, they need to get straight first.

Shoes grows increasingly suspicious of the two, who are acting a bit out of character. He checks with them to ask if they've been messing with the truck at all, but they claim not to have touched it. As Noel is explaining they wouldn't go anywhere near it or the father would have their hides, Mulroney comes down the stairs.

Father Mulroney notices Noel is uncomfortable and asks him why he is so nervous. Noel defensively responds he is anxious, not nervous, and wants in on the action of going on the bootlegging run. Mulroney asks if they have any guns. The two respond they do not, but Mulroney isn't so sure they are telling the truth. When the boys suggest Father Mulroney provide them with guns, he admonishes them that real men earn them.

Sensing they are being dishonest about something, Mulroney comes up with a plan. He tells them he has a job for them, to keep an eye on Ned Flynn. He suggests they boost a car and keep watch over the Waterfront Improvement Association building, tailing Flynn if needed. They agree to the job and leave.

Once they are gone, Mulroney asks for Shoes' feel on the boys. He says he can't be sure, they could just be hopped up again. However, the youth does note the boys were asking a lot more questions than usual.

Still suspicious, Mulroney has himself and Shoes carefully look over the truck. From what they can tell, it hasn't been tampered with. Satisfied they are OK to proceed, the priest changes into his civilian attire and the two head out for the docks. On the way, Mulroney reminds Shoes to keep an eye out for Noel and Liam.

Session 3 - Scene 3 (of 10)

Back at the docks, Biggins is getting nervous. It has been nearly half an hour, and the two Polish workers haven't returned yet. With a thick fog coming in off the river, the alderman is having difficulty seeing very far.

Suddenly, Bolus smacks him in the arm and excitedly tells him to look, pointing off into the mists. Looking closely, Biggins can see a humanoid form starting to emerge.

Still is denial of the existence of anything supernatural, the alderman calls out a greeting, introducing himself. As the figure gets closer, Biggins can see it is no monster, but rather a large Irishman.

The man asks Biggins if he is the one waiting for the boat. When the alderman confirms it, the man asks where his friend the priest is.

The alderman is fairly sure this man is familiar with Father Mulroney so he explains the priest will be by soon. The man indicates that he is waiting for the priest to arrive at the behest of Mr. Flynn, who wanted to make sure they found the boat alright.

The man goes on to explain that there has been a change in plans. Because of the nature of the use, Flynn decided not to use one of his own boats. Instead, they "borrowed" a yacht from the Lakefront Yacht Club. The Irishman chuckles that the yacht belongs to "that polo player, Beragon" whom Biggins recognizes as being Monty Beragon, a famous polo player married to the famous opera singer, Veda Beragon.

About then, the headlights from the truck can be seen as Shoes pulls into the parking area. Spotting that they have arrived, the man tosses the boat keys to Biggins, noting he has to go. Shoes catches partial sight of the man as he hurries off, but doesn't get a good enough look at him. Shoes figures it is one of Flynn's muscle, possibly Sean O'Casey.

When Mulroney gets out of the car, Biggins explains the man was working for Flynn and tells them about the new boat. The priest is nervous that something "higher end" will attract attention.

He then notices there is only one dockworker. Biggins explains he sent the other two off to pier 34 but they haven't come back yet. Mulroney is nervous, but decides they should wait another five minutes. In the meantime, he tells Shoes to drive the truck out to pier 21 and have it ready to be unloaded.

Just after Shoes drives by, Mirek and Jedrik show back up, talking in Polish and laughing. Mulroney is so concerned about the operation he fails to notice they've been drinking.

Instead, the priest hands them each a small packet of money, noting they will get half upfront and the other half when the liquor is dropped off at the Lexington Hotel.

Mulroney then instructs Biggins to head over towards the WIA office and check if he can see a car with two youths in it sitting around. The alderman happily agrees, glad to put distance between himself and the pier. The priest then takes the dockworkers over to the pier.

Session 3 - Scene 4 (of 10)

When Shoes gets out of the car, he immediately spots the large yacht. He can tell it is a 1922 Consolidated Commuter, quite a bit larger of a ship than he was anticipating.

As the dockworkers load on the barrels and begin untying the ship, Shoes asks Mulroney about the boat. Mulroney explains what Biggins told him about it belonging to Monty Beragon. Shoes is concerned a boat that big might be missed.

The priest tells Shoes to check around the area to make sure nothing is out of place. Not a minute later, Shoes nearly trips over something in the dark. Looking down, he sees it is a body. He calls the father over.

Before the two can investigate the body in detail, they hear police sirens. The sounds appear to be getting closer. Father Mulroney tells Shoes to get in the truck and get out of there while he jumps onto the boat and yells for the Poles to get away.

Shoes narrowly avoids smashing the truck into a police car as it arrives at the docks. The policemen ignore the truck and begin heading for the pier. They yell for the boat to halt, but by now it is a fair distance away. They fire some shots at it, but it disappears into the fog quickly.

Back on the street, Biggins hears the shots. Heading back towards the pier, he sees that the boat is gone along with the truck, and there are police on the docks.

Heading back towards Flynn's office, he looks around for anyone waiting in a car but doesn't see anyone. He also doesn't spot the figure in the window of Flynn's office, looking out the window with binoculars.

He does, however, notice that another cop car has arrived as well as a morgue wagon. He decides the best course of action is to leave the area and hails a nearby taxi.

Session 3 - Scene 5 (of 10)

Standing on the deck at the bow, Mulroney looks out into the dark fog. The river is not that wide so it won't take long to reach the other side. Still, he would like a better idea of where they are headed.

He's also still concerned about the ship, particularly with the dead body found nearby. He decides to head below deck and look for a flashlight. He calls for Mirek to accompany him. Neither man spots the wet footprints in the lower deck hall.

The two head into the supply room, digging around for a flashlight. Just as Mulroney finds one, he feels a warm splash of blood fly into his face and the scream of Mirek. He turns with the flashlight to see a large humanoid creature standing over the corpse of the dockworker. It has a large, bulbous head with fish-like eyes and a large mouth with sharp teeth.

One of the creature's webbed claws strikes out at Mulroney, but misses. The priest draws his knife and backs up, heading out the door. He tries to hold it shut while looking for a way to bar the door but is no match for the monster's strength. The door bursts open, knocking him back and to the ground.

The commotion has attracted the attention of Jedrik, who appears at the bottom of the stairs from the bow deck. He screams at the sight of the creature. Without thinking, he grabs a small picture off of the wall and throws it, drawing the monster's attention.

Mulroney takes the opportunity to stand up and head up the ladder at the other end of the hall to the captain's deck. As he gets up, he can hear the screams of Jedrik and the sounds of a continuing struggle.

Bolus is terrified and wants to know what is going on. Mulroney tells him to stay at the wheel and get them to land as quickly as possible. He asks the Pole if he's seen a flare gun around. Bolus points out a box nearby. As the priest grabs the gun and loads it, he hears the screams below deck come to an abrupt stop.

Father Mulroney grabs a nearby lantern and readies himself; he knows the creature will be coming any minute. Suddenly, the creature emerges on to the bow deck and heads over the top of the cabin, coming straight for them. The shock is too much for Bolus, who goes into a catatonic state.

Thinking quickly, Mulroney smashes the lantern and covers the area with oil. He then moves away and readies the flare gun. The creature is quicker than he would expect, and he knows he only has time for one shot.

When the monster reaches the captain's area, he fires. The whole middle section of the yacht explodes into flames, covering the monster's front and poor Bolus. The beast attempts to move towards Mulroney, but collapses, dead.

The priest readies the lifeboat into the water and manages to row away just as he hears the sirens of police boats in the distance. He starts his way towards shore, but his weak strength and lack of experience with boats lead him to take well over an hour to reach it.

Session 3 - Scene 6 (of 10)

Shoes sits at St. Vincent's, not sure what to think. After leaving the docks, he headed across the river but then realized they never scoped out the docks along the first ward nor established a rendezvous point when making their plans.

The youth tried to locate a suitable point and wait. But after seeing a large, fiery explosion in the river he decided to leave when Mulroney never showed up after an hour.

Hours later, Father Mulroney shows up at the church. Shoes sees the man is half-burned, soaked, and covered in blood. The priest is quite agitated, carrying on about how he was attacked by the monster and the claws that came at him.

Shoes isn't sure what to think. He believes there must have been some kind of altercation. He ignores the priest's talk of monsters and begins listing the various dangerous people they now owe money to after screwing up the liquor delivery. He does note, however, that Flynn might be OK because it wasn't Flynn's boat they blew up, and they obviously won't have to pay the dock workers any more money.

Just then, Alderman Biggins walks into the rectory. Mulroney again starts to tell his story of the creature in the river, but the alderman is incredulous. He asks Shoes if the priest has been into the liquor again. Shoes dryly remarks that they certainly didn't deliver it.

Biggins tries to ascertain what happened, but Mulroney just carries on about how the beast tried to eat him. Shoes refers to it as an "episode with the dock workers" and sardonically remarks on how he was the one who was almost committed at the asylum.

Shoes sits the father down and gets him a drink. Biggins suggests the priest draw a picture of who killed the dock workers. When Mulroney is finished, Biggins seems the resemblance with the picture he drew based on Maisie's description. The alderman is shocked, believing this could be real after all.

The youthful Shoes is more concerned about deadly humans than monsters. He notes both the Tolinos and O'Conners will be after them for money now, dryly stating they may have to raid the collection plate.

Biggins then explains they have even more trouble. He tells them how after he heard shots on the docks, he went back to his office. There, he saw a note from his secretary with an urgent message to call one of his contacts.

Without mentioning the contact's name, Biggins tells the story of his call to Captain Deakins and how the captain was warning him that the local prohibition agents had been tipped off to Mulroney's liquor operation and are planning to hit it soon. The captain mentioned the men by name, Beck and Burns, but Biggins doesn't recall the specifics when he retells the story.

Shoes looks around the basement room, spotting 20 barrels of whiskey and 40 cases of beer. He wonders aloud if they should just take it all to the Lexington and use it to pay off the Tolinos.

The father, however, is more concerned about the stills and other equipment. Shoes suggests they just blow the church up, which Biggins notes would be covered by insurance. Though, of course, the money would go to the archdioceses and not to Mulroney himself.

Mulroney would rather try to pay off the prohibition agents, but Biggins notes it can be difficult with feds since they have no local, trusted connection to the men. Shoes suggests killing the agents as a more practical measure, noting that no one locally would miss them. But Biggins and Mulroney believe that would cause infinitely more trouble.

Session 3 - Scene 7 (of 10)

As different ideas are being discussed, they hear people coming down the stairs; its Noel and Liam. When Mulroney asks what they have been up to, Noel states they found a car. Liam looks around nervously, says something about them needing to head back up to the car to get something.

After they leave, Shoes feels something isn't right. He suggests they get out of here now. They hear the two starting back down the stairs and Shoes readies his pistol.

As Liam gets to the bottom of the stairs, they can see he also has a pistol in hand. He spots Shoes ready and says, "Oh crap" and Shoes fires off a shot. It misses, as does Liam with a return shot. Liam steps down into the room as Noel comes down with his own gun, a revolver. Everyone moves for cover.

Mulroney yells for Biggins to leave out the basement door and go get help. He then takes out his knife and starts to make his way towards Noel. Noel fires at him but misses with a couple of shots.

Meanwhile, Shoes and Liam exchange a series of three shots each, all missing. Father Mulroney manages to inch his way up but Noel catches him in the shoulder with a round from his .38. Liam, however, misses Shoes, who catches the youth in the gut with one of his shots.

Noel is distracted as Liam collapses, allowing Mulroney to rush up to him. He attempts to stab him with the knife, but Noel manages to hold him off. Shoes points his gun towards the two and yells for Noel to surrender, knowing he has no bullets left to back up the threat.

Suddenly, Noel is smashed in the back of the head by something and collapses. Mulroney looks up to the stairs to see Sister Mary holding a bloodied processional cross. She reminds the father she told him not to trust the hopheads.

On the ground, a bloodied Liam begs for the father not to kill them, stating it wasn't their fault. Mulroney has Shoes tie the men up.

As Shoes completes the knots, Biggins shows up with a beat cop. Mulroney recognizes him as Officer Kerrigan, a local cop on his payroll. Kerrigan wants to know what is going on, but Mulroney explains it as an "unfortunate incident".

Kerrigan sees the blood pooling under Liam and notes he looks bad. He asks the father if he wants the two hauled in, but Mulroney insists they will handle it themselves. Kerrigan isn't so sure; looking the other way on Mulroney's booze and heroin operations is one thing, but murder is another. Mulroney, however, insists no harm will come to the men and convinces the cop to leave.

Session 3 - Scene 8 (of 10)

Once the policeman is gone, Father Mulroney immediately begins berating Biggins for bringing in a cop. Biggins responds that he was told to "get help" and isn't sure what else the priest could have meant.

The priest drops the subject and focuses his attention on the two miscreants. He tells Liam that he'll let the two of them go if he tells them who hired them. Liam doesn't trust the priest, demanding he be taken to a hospital first.

Mulroney then gives the instruction to Shoes, who quickly dispatches Noel with a shot to the head. Liam is anguished by the sudden death of his brother. He begins cooperating, however, telling Mulroney that it was O'Conner who hired them.

O'Conner, Liam explains, is upset because he found out Mulroney was working with the Tolinos to set him up. He hired Liam and Noel to delay the three here and make a call to signal the prohibition agents. O'Conner wanted to make sure all three were arrested.

After confirming Liam had not made any call yet, and that the prohibition agents wouldn't move in until the morning if they do not get a call, he tells Shoes to untie the man and let him go. As Liam gets up and starts stumbling his way towards the stairway, Mulroney gives the nod and Shoes shoots him in the back of the head.

Shoes wonders what they should do now. Mulroney tells the alderman to leave and admonishes him not to bring any more police into it. Shoes also notes for Biggins not to call any fed numbers either.

With Biggins gone, Shoes and Mulroney wrap up the bodies of the two dead youths in carpets and load them into the back of the truck. Once they are out of sight, the priest has Sister Mary get a few more boys down to the basement to help disassemble the equipment so he and Shoes can load it into the truck as well.

Once everything is loaded and they are alone again, Mulroney tells Shoes they will need to get rid of the bodies and the gun used to shoot them. Shoes drives the truck out, the two discussing the plan.

Mulroney doesn't want to burn the church down, as not only would it be sacrilegious, but unlikely to fully hide all the evidence. Instead, he wants to move the equipment elsewhere and start up a new operation while getting the Tolinos to pick up the existing liquor as a form of payment, or perhaps have the police nab them with it instead.

Shoes drops Mulroney off at the Bloomfield County Hospital to have his shoulder wound looked at. He tells the priest he will contact the Tolinos and have them meet Mulroney at the hospital to discuss how to handle the liquor. In the meantime, he'll get rid of the bodies.

He begins by heading over to Little Augie's. Shoes lets Augie know that Mulroney wants a sit-down with the Tolinos at the hospital to arrange a payment for them. Barton agrees to pass along the message, but notes that the Tolinos will probably send a flunky rather than one of the brothers themselves.

Augie also makes small talk about "that mess in the river last night". Shoes stays quiet as Barton goes on to talk about how the remains of four people were found – two burnt skeletons and two dock workers with their heads crushed in; not to mention the cops finding a couple barrels of whiskey.

Barton notes that wasn't the only trouble down by the docks, the body of some union representative was found as well. Knowing that Shoes was planning to ship something that night, he asks if he and the priest were involved in that. Shoes is noncommittal and says he needs to leave. Augie teasingly tells him to try and stay out of trouble.

Session 3 - Scene 9 (of 10)

Shoes' next destination is Harrigan's, looking for O'Conner. The place is pretty dead, none of O'Conner's men are around. He speaks briefly to O'Rorke, the bartender, to let Deanie know he was looking for him. He specifically mentions Liam and Noel.

When he heads out the door, Shoes is immediately stopped by James and John T. O'Bannion, a pair of O'Conner's lieutenants and bloodthirsty killers. James tells Shoes they've been looking for him, and orders him into a nearby car; Shoes is fairly sure the man's hand is on a pistol in his pocket. James notes that although they've previously had little dealings with Shoes and Mulroney as "small time operators", they are starting to cause real problems.

Rather than follow the order right away, Shoes convinces James to go look in the back of the truck first. The O'Bannions agree to have a look, but aren't terribly impressed with the two dead bodies of Liam and Noel.

James asks him what the meaning of showing them was. Shoes replies with his usual sardonic banter that he wanted to return the brothers to O'Conner since they were "his". James has his brother smack Shoes in the side of the head and calls him a smart aleck. He repeats his demand for Shoes to get in their car as the two shove him towards it.

John T. gets in the driver's seat and James has Shoes sit in the passenger seat. James then gets into the back, sitting directly behind Shoes. The youth stays calm, but wonders if the brothers plan to murder him now. He asks where they are headed, and James responds they are going to see O'Conner.

The gangsters drive Shoes over to O'Conner's small house in the heavy Irish neighborhood in the 2nd Ward. They take him into the house and confiscate his weapons before letting him see O'Conner in the parlor.

O'Conner gets out of his chair, wearing a smoking jacket. He tells Shoes, "you got moxie, kid". He asks why Shoes' boss is trying to set him up, revealing he knows all about Mulroney's conversation with Tolino.

Shoes plays dumb, saying the father's business is his own. O'Conner tells Shoes he'll give him some advice, and proceeds to tell him he's tying himself to a sinking ship. He then tells the youth he could be valuable and that his gang could use someone like him.

The unexpected offer surprises Shoes. But he stays loyal to Mulroney. He explains to O'Conner about Mulroney's plan to set up the Tolinos with the liquor raid on the church. O'Conner is wary rather than happy; he warns Shoes that crossing the Tolinos will lead to a lot of bloodshed and that he and the priest will never survive.

Shoes tries to negotiate with O'Conner, saying they need a place to hide out and suggesting O'Conner has enough connections to keep them safe.  Deanie asks what's in it for him. Shoes explains that if they can keep some of their territory, naturally they'd give him a cut of it.

Deanie likes the idea, noting his plans to gain control of the 1st Ward along with the entire north side. He explains about his supply of whiskey straight from Canada, and how he'd like to use Mulroney to expand westward into the Genna Brothers territory.

He then stops to ask Shoes about what happened the previous night on the river. Shoes tries to explain it as "an incident involving Polacks and smoking on a boat" but Deanie's not buying it. His connections told him there was part of a Statesville Prison uniform found on one of the charred remains and now everyone is worried about a possible escapee situation which is causing difficulties.

O'Conner also cautions Shoes about how he believes they are crazy for working with Flynn, noting that Flynn is deeply connected to Tolino. He tells Shoes that if they partner up, he expects no more "funny business", noting that the reason Shoes and Mulroney are still alive is that he has an aversion to killing a priest, but that won't hold up forever.

Deanie goes on to explain the rules. He'll let Mulroney and Shoes continue to operate, but they will be expected to expand into the Genna territory at their own risk. He will also give them a new warehouse to run their operations. In exchange, he expects a 60/40 cut of all money, in his favor. He also establishes that he'll turn a blind eye to their heroin operation, but he doesn't want them running any whores. With little choice, Shoes agrees to the deal.

Session 3 - Scene 10 (of 10)

Once Shoes dumps the bodies where they won't be found and unloads the brewing and still equipment at the new warehouse, he heads over to check in on Alderman Biggins. He finds the alderman at his office.

As the two head over to the hospital, Biggins explains about another call he had with his contact that morning. Captain Deakins (who is not named by Biggins to Shoes) had called Biggins to warn him about the trouble at the docks the previous night. Apparently, the body of union steward Jim Malloy was found at the docks, shot in the back of the head. In addition, there was the matter of the burning yacht in the harbor.

According to Deakins, the yacht is registered to Montgumery Beragon, a well-known local polo player. Four dead bodies were found aboard – two were identified as Polish dockworkers Mirek Zielinski and Jedrik Nowakowski; they were found with their heads crushed in. The other two were charred, mostly skeletal remains that have not yet been identified. One of those bodies was found with a partial Statesville Prison uniform on.

Biggins leaves out the final part of the conversation with the captain, where he let it slip that he was in the area at night and how the captain didn't believe his story about being out for a walk. Nor does the alderman mention the captain's warning for Biggins to try and stay out of trouble, as the docks area is outside his ward and he will have little protection there.

When they finally arrive at the hospital, the two quickly realize Mulroney has not checked in under his own name. Shoes decides to ask the admittance nurse, describing the father as a "half-burnt Irishman" with a gunshot wound.

Father Mulroney's location is eventually found, under the name of "Rocco Jonesey", whom Shoes then calls "Uncle Jonesey" for the benefit of the nurse. When Shoes explains what he's been up to, Mulroney quickly realize they will have a problem if the Tolinos arrive looking for him under his actual name. Shoes offers to go take watch.

Before Shoes leaves, Biggins explains about his phone call; the matter of the prison uniform found is a bit unsettling. Shoes wonders if the "monster" the priest saw was actually an escaped prisoner, but the father insists it was an inhuman beast with claws. As Shoes heads out to the lobby, he wonders if Dr. Bronfenburgher almost committed the wrong man...

Session 3 - Session Notes

This session was packed with things going on. In retrospect, probably too many things going on at once, but that's just how it turned out. It was a lot of fun, even if the Biggins player didn't manage to get himself killed off during his last session (or will it be his last... I'm already hearing discussion of skype again...)

Some random thoughts about the session:

* This session is from almost two weeks ago. It took me a while to type up my 16 pages of handwritten notes.

* Mulroney's car has never actually been described in the game, but when I do the write-ups, I'm thinking they are tooling around in a pretty old car; he is a priest after all. Granted, I assume both the car and the delivery truck are paid for with illicit bootlegging money and not from the archdiocese.

* Bolus, Mirek, and Jedrik did not have proper names during the session. I just gave them names during the write-up to make it easier (grabbing three random ethnic Polish names).

* The Sister Mary character was previously mentioned as my idea for one of the players to have a PC. Since she won't be joining us anytime soon (or possibly ever), I went ahead and had her make an appearance. I wanted to give a little more depth to Mulroney's organization; it can't just be him and Shoes.

* The heroin-addict brothers Liam and Noel are clearly a slam on the Gallagher brothers from Oasis. None of the players seemed to catch the joke, but my gf caught it immediately when reading my notes.

* The Irishman at the docks was not Sean O'Casey, but one of Flynn's other goons. Since Biggins doesn't know Flynn's guys and Mulroney and Shoes didn't get a good look at him, I figured I'd leave the identity a mystery for the moment.

* The famous polo player, Monty Beragon, comes straight out of the novel, Mildred Pierce (as does his wife, Veda). He's not intended as a main NPC, just adding some flavor.

* About a dozen Notice skill checks were missed during the scenes at the docks, some of them called out in the write-up. Note that the story still proceeds just fine, just that the PCs missed a lot of clues that would explain more.

* As I anticipated, the PCs assumed the body was a monster attack. Even after they found out it was a dead union guy later on, I'm still not sure they pieced together that Flynn's guy killed him and called the cops to set them up (also the reason they aren't using Flynn's boat).

* I admit, I'm taking a metric ton of dramatic license with the size of the river. Clearly this is not the same river that runs through Chicago in real life; I have it something more like the east river in NYC or the San Fransisco Bay.

* The monster finally meets the PCs. I killed off the NPCs pretty quickly (I barely bother to roll for that kind of stuff), but the Mulroney character did really good (and had a great idea about the flare gun); particularly since I originally expected the more combat-ready Shoes to be the one on the boat.

* Mulroney failed his SAN check when spotting the creature and lost 5 points. The player did a great job of having him ramble on about the monster coming at him with its claws later on.

* The part where Shoes (and his player) first realizes they never had a plan on how to meet up on the other side was hilarious.

* I love how the Shoes player has his character very down to earth and not believing in monsters, depite the mounting evidence (causing him to come up with increasingly dry remarks that try to rationalize things).

* The call from Captain Deakins was planned to happen. Biggins would have gotten it earlier but at the last minute they decided not to go back to his office first.

* The plot with Noel and Liam being bought by O'Conner was a direct result of the previous conversations. Basically, part of the setup has always been that O'Conner has a contact around the Tolinos. So, naturally, he would have heard about Mulroney's plan for double-crossing him.

* I nearly cheered at how Mulroney and Shoes dispatched Liam and Noel, because it was a classic anti-hero moment (often seen on shows like The Sopranos or Sons of Anarchy).

* Shoes going straight to O'Conner was unexpected. I suppose it would have been more logical for him to end up dead, but not nearly as interesting.

* I think I mentioned before, the O'Bannion brothers come straight from Legends of the Fall, and our frequent villains I use (regardless of the game being played).

* O'Conner wanting Mulroney to cut into the Genna Brothers territory is one of those things that led to the death of his real-life counterpart, Dean O'Banion.

* I had a couple of the NPCs refer to the boat incident in order to pass along the clue about the Statesville Prison uniform. Hopefully they decide to follow up on that because it leads to a lot of other clues.

* The plan to double-cross the Tolinos is quite ill-fated, and I tried to warn the PCs off of it. But we'll see...

Session 4 - Cast of Characters

Father Clink Mulroney - Irish Roman Catholic priest running a bootlegging operation out of his church
 
Alderman Jethro Biggins - Corrupt city alderman on the take from Mulroney
 
Francis "Shoes" McDougal - Young street criminal and former orphan acting as Mulroney's chief lieutenant / muscle

Session 4 - Scene 1 (of 6)

Shoes stands out in the lobby of the hospital while Alderman Biggins waits next to Father Mulroney's bed on the floor of the ward. Mulroney thinks about his plan to set up the Tolinos. He takes the piece of paper with the phone number for the Prohibition Unit that he took from Liam and gives it to the alderman, instructing him to head over to the church and keep a lookout, and call the number when he spots Tolino's men coming out of the church with the alcohol.

Jethro heads down to the lobby and finds Shoes waiting. The two begin talking, with Biggins explaining Mulroney's plan. As Shoes turns around from talking with Biggins, he spots a young Italian man behind him arguing with the duty nurse about looking for a "Father Mulroney", and the nurse responding that no one is registered with that name.

Shoes approaches the man with an offer of assistance. Next to the young Italian man is another older, taller man who appears to be Spanish. The Italian man tells Shoes they are looking for Father Mulroney. Rather than immediately lead them back to the priest, Shoes tries to draw out who they are working for.

But the men are not interested in conversation. They take a step towards Shoes in an intimidating manner. He can also spot that the Italian man is likely carrying a small pistol in his jacket, though the Spanish man appears unarmed.

After a brief back and forth, the Italian man gets tired of the discussion and finally commits that they are there at the behest of "Big Al". Shoes knows this means they are Tolino's men, so he shows them back to the ward. Along the way, Shoes notices that behind him the tall man is looking through a wallet, takes some money out, then tosses it towards a trash can, missing. Shoes tries to act like he hasn't noticed but makes a mental note to check out the wallet later.

When they arrive at Father Mulroney's bed, the Italian man introduces himself as "Mr. Nitti" and his companion as "The Basque". He explains they are there as representatives of Big Al and want to know why the priest requested a sit down.

Mulroney launches into a speech about having excess production and wanting to make a gift to Tolino because of his inability to deliver some alcohol the previous night due to "bad luck on a boat" and the cut for Tolino that went along with it. Nitti voices his suspicions that something is off with Mulroney's story, but Mulroney dismisses it by saying that lots of things went wrong that night – briefly mentioning the boat being procured by an Irish mobster, the dead body and the police, and a strange encounter with a creature on the boat. As Mulroney describes the creature, Nitti rolls his eyes and voices disbelief but the Basque cuts him off, finally speaking a single word, "Diablo".

Nitti doesn't want to continue the conversation about the creature and returns to talking about the liquor. Mulroney gives him the location of the church. The mobster tells the priest he'll discuss the situation with his boss and let him know. As he and the tall man prepare to leave, he makes a joke about Mulroney staying away from dead bodies and Irish mobsters in the future.

As the two leave, Mulroney calls out to the Basque, "Diablo?" He responds, "Si, Diablo." He tries talking some more in Spanish, but neither Shoes nor the priest make any sense of it (not speaking Spanish) and Nitti eventually gets him to leave.

Session 4 - Scene 2 (of 6)

Once he's sure the men are gone, Shoes heads back to the hallway and retrieves the wallet. Walking back over to Mulroney, he explains how he saw the Basque grab the money and toss it. Opening the wallet, Shoes spots a slip of paper and a driver's license for "Jethro Neville Biggins". As he states it aloud, Father Mulroney gets excited – telling him to get to Biggins as soon as possible.

Mulroney is worried about Shoes being able to find Biggins because they don't know where he'll be watching the church from, but Shoes notes the alderman is not an expert of disguise.

Shoes, figuring Tolino's men won't be heading to the church right away, heads over to the church at a sensible speed. The heavy traffic of mid-day makes it take longer than he would wish. When he gets to the neighborhood, he can't spot Biggins right away so he drives around for a while.

Biggins notices a truck that keeps heading around the block. Looking closer, he sees that it is Shoes. He heads out into the street to flag the youth down.

For his part, Shoes doesn't stop the truck but breezes by the alderman, tossing out his wallet to him. Biggins isn't able to catch the object but realizes it is a wallet as soon as it hits the ground. Checking his pocket, he quickly realizes his own wallet is missing.

The alderman is confused how and why Shoes had his wallet, also noting that his cash is missing. Shrugging, he heads back over towards his observation spot. Up the street, Shoes has a revelation – if the Basque was close enough to pinch the wallet from Biggins then he might also have heard them talking.

Biggins spots the truck make a fast u-turn up the street and head back towards him. He can tell Shoes isn't a very good driver, with the truck fishtailing. After hitting a curb and a loud clunking noise, the truck stalls out and slowly comes to a stop in from of the alderman.

At the opposite end of the street, a car is coming towards the men quickly. Shoes can't get a good look at the occupants but recognizes they are in danger. He immediately grabs the alderman and throws them behind cover.

As the car passes, the automatic fire of a Tommy gun rings out reducing the truck to Swiss cheese. Biggins also spots Shoes bleeding heavily from a shot near his shoulder.

Grunting through the pain, Shoes has Biggins lead him over to the church and into the garage. The car does not return, and the youth hopes the gangsters think he and the alderman were killed. Inside the garage he gets in Mulroney's car and tells Biggins to drive him to the hospital.

The two make it in good time. Taking a cue from Mulroney, Shoes has himself admitted under the name of "Jethro Jonesey".

Session 4 - Scene 3 (of 6)

Meanwhile, Mulroney lies in his bed, not realizing what has happened. He doesn't even notice that the orderly coming over to fluff his pillow is Italian until it is too late.

Suddenly unable to breathe, Mulroney tries to shove his assassin off, but the man is too strong. He also tries to kick at him, but isn't having much luck. With the pillow still pressed down hard, Mulroney begins to lose consciousness.

Down the hall, Biggins makes his way over to Mulroney's bed on the other ward after Shoes has his surgery. He spots an Italian orderly exit the curtains of the bed up ahead and knows something is wrong. He runs over and sees the pillow over Mulroney's face. Taking it off, he sees the man has started to turn blue.

Biggins immediately yells for help. A nurse comes over and is able to resuscitate Mulroney after a tense minute or so. When he regains consciousness, she tells him how lucky he was.

The alderman starts to explain that someone tried to harm "Mr. Jonesey", and the nurse wants to call the cops. Father Mulroney, barely able to speak, tells Biggins to stop her. As before, he doesn't want any cops involved.

Instead, Mulroney wants Biggins to get him out of the hospital. After getting the nurse to not make the call, the alderman reflects that he's not sure if the Italian man would have heard them saving Mulroney or not and agrees it is not safe there.

The priest then asks after Shoes, and Biggins explains about the shooting. Father wants to wait until Shoes is OK to move then get both of them out.

Biggins heads down to the area where Shoes is recovering and gives him an update. Shoes instructs him to gather a couple of wheelchairs and check the car, then come back for him and Mulroney.

After finding a couple of wheelchairs, Biggins heads out to check the car. Looking it over inside and out, he determines it hasn't been tampered with; at least to the best of his limited mechanical knowledge.

Heading back inside, Biggins takes Mulroney out to the car first. The priest is still concerned about the car but gets inside. The alderman then heads back to get Shoes, who keeps his gun ready under a blanket over his body.

Shoes directs Biggins over to the new warehouse in the 2nd ward of the city. Once he and Shoes are unloaded, the priest instructs Biggins to go back to the church and talk to Sister Mary; they need to get rid of the alcohol. After ruling out ideas to transport the alcohol somewhere, he decides Mary will need to get some of the boys to destroy everything and get it down the drain. The two men also instruct the alderman to bring them back some pillows and blankets (and the father's teddy bear).

Session 4 - Scene 4 (of 6)

By the time Biggins reaches the street St. Vincent's is located on, the cops are already there and the truck has been towed out of the middle of the street, though glass and shell casings litter the ground.  The church itself doesn't seem to be the source of any activity, however.

After looking around to make sure the area is safe, Biggins heads inside and meets up with Sister Mary. Her icy stare, as it usually does, unnerves him. He explains there has been an accident with the father, which she assumes is related to the shooting outside. Biggins half-explains that the shooting is related before going into the list of things he needs. He won't tell the nun exactly where Mulroney and Shoes are at, but does note it is somewhere comfortable.

He then explains to Mary that she will need to gather some boys and get rid of the liquor. After verifying Mulroney wants everything gone, she asks Biggins about her "operation". Biggins, ignorant of the nun's heroin trade, says he's not sure.

Sister Mary tells Biggins that without an order from Mulroney, she plans to continue her operation. Biggins tries to pry out of her some specifics, but she tells him he wouldn't want to know. She also comments that it is better she continue, lest she upset "the doctor".

Biggins starts to go into specifics about the police raid, but Mary isn't interested. She waves him off, telling him she will take care of the situation, "as always", and remarking that "you boys are always playing too rough".

After returning to the warehouse, Biggins explains to Shoes and Mulroney about the conversation. The father congratulates him, mentally noting that Biggins is finally becoming a competent functionary. Shoes says it explicitly, however, calling Biggins' sudden competence a "pleasant surprise".

Shoes then notes that their operations are going to take a hit. Given the heat from both the cops and Tolino, they will need to lay low for a while. Biggins states his intent to work on finding them a better safe house to recuperate in.

Father Mulroney is busy planning on how to get business going. The longer they take, the more in debt they'll be to O'Conner, who is not a patient man. His first order of business is replacing the truck they lost.

The priest instructs Biggins to head back to Mary with another set of messages. He wants her to "take some of the petty cash" and get a new truck purchased. Biggins notes her question about her operations. Mulroney, also not wanting to upset Mary's heroin contact (which she only refers to as "Dr. X"), tells Biggins to have Mary continue but keep it away from the church.

Shoes also notes they'll need some corn to ferment, so they should bring the truck loaded with a batch. He also wonders if the Basque noticed Biggins' address in the wallet, cautioning the alderman to stay away from home for a few days. Jethro notes he can stay in his office for a few days, and plans to send his wife and six kids to her sister's place up in Sheboygan.

Biggins' second trip to Sister Mary goes as well as the first. She informs him that "gentlemen from the government" stopped by while he was out, but everything went fine. She cautions that he and the others need to be more careful or she will be "lighting a candle" for them soon.

Meanwhile, Mulroney and Shoes try to figure out what to do next. They'd like to pay a visit to their "good friend" Ned Flynn, but aren't in any shape to do it at the moment. Shoes wants to look into the prisoner uniform more; he wonders if it is related to a stowaway or perhaps related to Flynn's machinations. Father Mulroney is still unconvinced; he insists he saw a monster on the ship and it was only a convict if the convict was "from another dimension".

Shoes wants to start by getting records from Statesville Prison, something Biggins should be able to help with. Mulroney is focused on the creature, and plans to spend some time looking into the claw.

Session 4 - Scene 5 (of 6)

The next week is spent with Shoes and Mulroney healing up and doing some research along with Biggins. They also have a brief meeting with John T. and James O'Bannion, who caution them about their precarious position due to "playing with matches". They do say O'Conner will see what he can do to keep the Tolinos from wiping them out, but it's going to cost a large favor.

Father Mulroney spends his time researching the claw. He decides the best course of action is to get in touch with a zoologist at one of the local universities. Settling on North-Central University as the largest state university in the area, he sets up a meeting with the Associate Director of Biology, a zoologist named Dr. Gary Galbreth.

The priest tells the professor of a recent "crisis of faith", discussing his monster encounter. Dr. Galbreth explains that cryptozoology is not his specialty, or something he has much interest in. However, when shown the claw, his interest increases.

Dr. Galbreth describes the claw as appearing to be possibly feline, and referring to various cases of "phantom cats", cryptids of mega-fauna cats sighted in various areas around the world.

Biggins, fascinated by Dr. Galbreth's discussion, shows the professor a drawing of the creature he saw. The professor notes the creature has characteristics more aquatic than feline in nature. He makes a photostatic copy of the picture and wonders if it is some kind of sea creature.

Mulroney notes he did encounter it on the docks. Galbreth theorizes it could perhaps be related to the long-mythical Loch Ness Monster; however, he does note that lake monsters typically take a more fish-like form. The doctor agrees to take the claw and perform some more tests on it.

Session 4 - Scene 6 (of 6)

For his investigation, Shoes sends Biggins off to look for information on the prison uniform while he heads over to the diner and tries to collect gossip on the dead union steward, Jim Malloy.

During his time at the diner, Shoes gets that Malloy was a close friend of Ulnovsky. The initial blame was naturally put on Ned Flynn, but Flynn is claiming a bootlegging gang did the hit; a claim that is somewhat validated by the police looking for a local bootlegger who escaped from the docks and blew up Monty Beragon's yacht.

According to the gossip, Ulnovsky is planning to retaliate soon. Shoes is unnerved to hear they may have another enemy, but at least now understands why Flynn tried to set them up with the murder.

Meanwhile, Alderman Biggins makes a call to Captain Deakins. After a couple of days, Deakins reports back what he could find:
•   The uniform had the id on it of #95R814
•   Prisoner #95R814 was identified as Robert George Rebadow, born Normal, IL, 1865
•   Rebadow was an architect who killed his business partner over a building design dispute in 1894
•   Convicted of Murder in the First Degree and sentenced to Death by Electrocution, 1895
•   His execution was interrupted by a power failure and his sentence was subsequently commuted to Life in Prison without Parole
•   Four months ago, Rebadow died of illness at Stateville Prison, death certificate signed by Dr. Stefan Krasnik, head physician at the prison. He is buried at Rosehill Cemetary.

Deakins notes the prison officials are worried about this being a potential scandal. Two high-profile criminals have escaped over the last 18 months that they've tried to keep quiet – the notorious armed robber Cody Powers, and murderer for hire Rocco Dillon. They're concerned the uniform is related to a third possible escape.

Later, Biggins reads off the notes to Mulroney and Shoes. The priest picks up on the mention of Dr. Krasnik as the physician as sounding familiar. Shoes recalls that Dr. Krasnik was the one Maisie identified as hanging around the asylum, checking up on her. The priest wonders if he was interested in her wounds, and perhaps knows something about the creature. Shoes, ever the realist, speculates it has more to do with the fact that "the guy he declared dead was the one who attacked and raped her" (though Maisie herself never claimed that type of assault, Shoes figures it was inevitable).

After more discussion about the claw and disagreement between Shoes and Mulroney over whether he was attacked by a monster or escaped prisoner, Father Mulroney suggests they add Dr. Krasnik to their list of people to check up on. They also discuss making a trip to Rosehill Cemetary to see who is buried in Rebadow's grave. And although they want to connect back with Flynn, Shoes suggests seeing Krasnik first because they are wounded. Father Mulroney agrees, noting Krasnik is less likely to shoot them.

Session 4 - Session Notes

I'll start off by noting the Biggins player really did move to NC prior to this session; this was my first-ever attempt at using Skype to include a player in a game. To my rather large surprise, it actually worked out pretty well once we got everything up and going (ironically, Biggins was more effective this session than ever, lol). We'll probably continue on this way as long as it works out OK.

Overall, this session was a bit shorter (the time zone difference led to us breaking earlier than before), but a lot got done. And it was a good mix of action and plans, along with some research.

Misc notes from the session:

* Tolino's men, the Basque and [Gino] Nitti, come from the TSR Gangbuster's setting. I didn't originally plan for them to find out about the setup, but between the poor decision to discuss the plot openly in the lobby and failing the Notice roll, I figured it made a nice twist.

* I decided it would be more interesting if the Basque didn't say anything until he acts superstitious about believing Mulroney's monster was some kind of demon.

* Shoes could have reached Biggins well before Tolino's gunmen, but he elected not to try for the Drive check.

* Shoes failed his drive check doing the U-Turn, and I finally got to use my crash table (twice).

* Shoes was nearly killed by the single shot he took. I really like how the BRP system makes combat a bad thing.

* Mulroney did actually die by suffocation in the hospital. But, his luck held out enough for a nurse to revive him.

* The Mulroney player did a great job of voice-acting the wheezy, difficult to speak condition when he was trying to tell Biggins not to involve the cops (again).

* It actually took quite a while in real time to get everyone out of the hospital because I described things slowly in order to rachet up the tension.

* The "Dr. X" mentioned as part of Mary's backstory refers to the doctor supplying her with the heroin. The name is taken straight from the same Queensryche album, Operation: Mindcrime, as Sister Mary is.

* I invented Biggins' wife and kids on the fly during the session. It would make sense that as a politician, he'd be a family man. Granted, he's not really at home much, making him a bad family man.

* Last session I noted I wasn't sure the players caught on that Ned Flynn was setting them up, or that Liam and Noel were jokes on Oasis. Apparently I was wrong (or they read these session summaries online...)

* Given the concept of Lovecraft's work, Mulroney's comment about a "convict from another dimension" is sort-of correct.

* Originally another player was going to join this session. The "big favor" O'Conner wants was going to be tied in with that.

* Dr. Gary Galbreth is a real biologist from Northwestern University. I needed a name for my North-Central University (my expy for NWU) doctor, so I used Google.

* References to "cryptozoology" and "cryptids", as well as "phantom cats", are probably anachronistic. I claim dramatic license; I wanted some interesting theories.

* Jim Malloy's murder by Flynn was part of the TSR plot in Gangbusters. I thought it made sense for Flynn to pin the murder on Mulroney and gang to get Ulnovsky headed at them instead.

* Robert Rebadow, and his background, come straight from HBO's Oz. With the exception that I moved him from CA to IL and changed some dates.

* The mentions of Cody Powers and Rocco Dillon relate to subplots that may come into play later. Cody Powers is one of the TSR NPCs, while Rocco Dillon comes from Naked Gun 33 1/3.

I have lots of things that could happen in upcoming sessions, depending on what the PCs get involved in. I feel like the campaign is really getting moving. Now, if they can just keep from getting themselves killed...

I do wish we had another player or so, but I think we've done OK by having some NPC allies (Capt. Deakins, Sister Mary) who can do some of the work for them.

Session 5 - Cast of Characters

Father Clink Mulroney - Irish Roman Catholic priest running a bootlegging operation out of his church

Alderman Jethro Biggins - Corrupt city alderman on the take from Mulroney

Francis "Shoes" McDougal - Young street criminal and former orphan acting as Mulroney's chief lieutenant / muscle

Session 5 - Scene 1 (of 8)

Still on the lam from the Tolino gang, Father Mulroney, Shoes, and Alderman Biggins spend the next week in the dark apartment the alderman managed to find them as a new hideout. The priest believes he and Shoes, though still recovering, are feeling better enough by this point to go see Dr. Krasnik at the asylum.

Thinking of the last visit when he was nearly committed, Shoes is naturally nervous about the trip. He wants to stay in the car when they arrive. Mulroney cautions the lad to behave himself this time and there won't be any trouble. After all, he notes, Shoes was saying some pretty alarming things last time. Not to mention the spitting on the floor.

Shoes doesn't recall the spitting but agrees to try and keep quiet. The priest is glad the youth will agree to come – he prefers having him drive. It takes less effort to convince Biggins to accompany them, as Mulroney appeals to the man's vanity by noting he lends credibility to the group.

After deciding the car is a more practical choice to drive over to the asylum (and, Biggins notes, is faster in case they need a fast getaway), they head across town. As before, they are stopped at the large gates at the bottom of the hill with the Dunning Asylum towering over them.

However, once the guard comes over Mulroney immediately realizes it may not be as easy as he thought. When he asks to see Dr. Krasnik, the guard notes that none of them are on the approved visitors list.

Biggins is undeterred, and tries to convince the guard that they are there in an official capacity to deliver some papers. The guard heads back into the gatehouse and makes a call. When he comes back out, he explains that the doctor is not in.

Shoes whispers to Mulroney that it might be helpful if they could get into the doctor's office to look around. The priest tries to get the guard to let them up to drop off the papers, which he explains can't be dropped off because they contain private information.

The guard isn't buying it, and explains he can't let them in without authorization. Biggins tries to assist, but the guard doesn't budge because Krasnik isn't in. He notes to them that Dr. Krasnik is only a consultant and not at the asylum all that often.

Shoes boldly asks the guard where Krasnik is when not working at the "loony bin". After being scolded for using a poor term for the asylum, the guard explains that Dr. Krasnik is usually up at Statesville Prison, where he is the head physician.

Father Mulroney suggests to the others that they change tactics, and head to the prison instead. Shoes agrees, noting that Rebadow was from the prison so it is a natural path to follow in the investigation.

Session 5 - Scene 2 (of 8)

Rather than take the Lakefront & Steel City Interurban Electric Railway train line to Steel City (which Statesville is just north of, in the small town of Hillcrest), Father Mulroney decides they should have Shoes drive them in the Model T, taking the road to Nortonport. The roads through rural Jasper County are poorly maintained and sparsely populated, with little to see but fields and farmhouses.

About 10 miles into the nearly 50 mile trip, Shoes hits a rut in the road, causing the car's axle to get bent. Unfortunately, as he checks the car, they didn't think to bring a spare axle.

The men discuss what to do next. They could attempt to hitchhike, but few cars are found on the road. The other option is to find a nearby farmhouse. Shoes states his intention to stay behind and guard the car.

Father Mulroney agrees that keeping the car guarded from thieves is prudent. He and Biggins will head off to the nearest farmhouse, a couple of miles away.

With the corn harvested for the season, Biggins and Father Mulroney find the walk through the muddy autumn fields to be slow going. Biggins even loses his footing at one point, getting himself covered in mud in the process.

After nearly an hour, they arrive at the farm. Looking around, they spot a chicken coop, a horse barn, and several cows grazing in the field. They do not, however, notice the old farmer with his shotgun until he pulls back the hammer.

Biggins immediately puts his hands up as the old man calls them hobos and tells them to get off his land. The alderman immediately explains they are stranded motorists and not indigent vagabonds. The old farmer relaxes, lowering his gun. He explains to them he thought they were hobos coming to steal his chickens again.

Father Mulroney proceeds to introduce himself and the alderman, noting Biggins' fall in the mud on the way over. The man introduces himself as Herman Schuette and invites Mulroney in, noting that Biggins will need to stay outside as "Martha doesn't like mud in the house".

Once inside, Mulroney meets Herman's wife, Martha, who serves him a glass of lemonade. Herman explains that his son, Seth, will be along for lunch soon and will be able to fix the car. Father Mulroney thanks the old couple for their hospitality, offering to help them with anything they need. Herman thanks the priest for his offer, but notes the family is Methodist.

Session 5 - Scene 3 (of 8)

Back at the car on the side of the road, Shoes spots another vehicle heading up the road from the south. It appears to be a larger touring car with several occupants. Shoes wonders if it could be Biggins and Mulroney returning with help, but is cautious.

The car slows as it gets closer. Shoes waves the car over, but can't get a good look. When it pulls up, he sees it has four occupants – a young black driver, a middle-aged white man sitting next to him, a younger white man in the back behind the driver, and an old white woman sitting behind the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man in the passenger seat is large and muscular, and rather rough-looking; Shoes can tell the man has done time before. He asks Shoes if there is a problem.

Shoes explains about the car having a broken axle. The man turns to the younger man in the back seat, calling him "Nick", and tells the man to take a look at the car. Nick looks around the car, but Shoes can tell he is more interested in casing the car for anything valuable than in helping with a broken axle.

Still, Shoes asks Nick if he thinks he can fix it. The other man answers for him, saying they might be able to help for a fee, and asks Shoes how much money he has on him.

Concerned about where this is going, Shoes tries telling them he is just a poor boy from the city coming out to visit his uncle. He is then shocked when the old lady in the back seat pulls out an old Colt .45 and points it at him, telling him to hand over all his cash.

Nick collects the money while the old woman warns Shoes not to go talking to any cops or she'll plug him. Nick hands over the cash to the middle-aged man, whom the old lady calls "Rocco" as she tells him they should get going. Rocco nods to the driver, who takes off without a word.

Session 5 - Scene 4 (of 8)

A short time later, the farm truck arrives with Father Mulroney and Seth, and Biggins sitting in the back on a block of hay. When Shoes greets them with a surly "about time" comment, Mulroney can tell something is wrong.

As Seth goes to work on the car, the priest asks Shoes what has happened, to which the youth simply replies "some kooks almost shot me". Shoes starts to relay that he had a bad encounter with a car of people, but Mulroney is having a hard time following. He notes they passed a car with some people on the way to the car, and all he saw was a nice little old lady.

It takes Seth an hour to get the new axle on. When he is finished, Father Mulroney instructs Shoes to pay the man for his services. Shoes sardonically notes that they will have to give him an IOU because he was robbed of all his cash.

As Biggins pays the farmer, Father Mulroney is exasperated at his functionary. He carries on about Shoes being robbed by a little old lady, and how Shoes is supposed to be his muscle. Shoes snipes back that at least he wasn't the one almost killed by a pillow.

Once they are back on the road, Shoes takes it slow and careful the rest of the way. After stopping for gas in the large town of Nortonport (population 8,000), they head over to the prison at Hillcrest (population 5,000), just north of the relatively large city of Steel City (population 30,000).

It is nearly 3:00 in the afternoon by the time they get to the prison gatehouse. Once there, Father Mulroney realizes they will have as difficult a time, if not worse, of trying to gain access there as they did at Dunning.

The guard at the gate asks for names and wants to know their business. Biggins tries to give a story about needing to talk with Dr. Krasnik for some important questions, but his unprepared and rambling tale makes little sense and just leaves the guard confused.

Eventually, a supervisor, Lt. Vaughn, is summoned to try and make some sense of what they want. The lieutenant is very straight-laced and immediately gets down to business, clarifying their names and that they are not there for anything related to the prison itself.

Vaughn especially gives Shoes a close examination. Shoes wonders if the guard has identified him as a former street punk.

The lieutenant goes on to explain that even if they had a legitimate reason to enter the prison, which he does not believe they do, he cannot let them in because they are currently in a state of lockdown. Shoes blurts out a question about whether they are looking for four people who escaped.

The guard is confused by the statement. He notes they are in lockdown because of a body being discovered on the river in the city and concerns it was an escapee, but he wants to know what Shoes was talking about.

Father Mulroney, not trusting what Shoes might say, inserts himself into the conversation to explain about the car breaking down and the four people they encountered. He can't tell if Vaughn recognizes the people from the descriptions, but the lieutenant does say "Interesting..."

Alderman Biggins, using his silver tongue, finally convinces Vaughn they will need to see the doctor. Lt. Vaughn agrees, but only if Dr. Krasnik comes out to them.

After a while, a middle-aged Russian man with thick glasses emerges from the secured door. He seems agitated about being bothered and demands to know what they want with him, noting he is a busy man. At that exact moment, the three men look at each other, realizing for the first time they aren't precisely sure what they intend to ask of the man.

Father Mulroney stumbles to introduce himself and his companions, telling him they wish to speak with him about Robert Rebadow. Dr. Krasnik seems put off by the topic, and asks why he should talk to them about the dead prisoner.

Shoes tells the doctor that they are there because the father saw Rebadow in the city recently. The Russian's eyes narrow, and he asks the priest to describe Rebadow.

Ignoring the man's incredulity, Father Mulroney tells the doctor that he has a story to tell, but it is a bit strange. He goes on to tell about the monster on the docks and his encounter on the lake, saying he saw a monster with Rebadow's uniform on.

Mulroney goes on to describe the fantastical creature, noting he was personally assaulted by the beast's claws. But Dr. Krasnik remains cool, calling the story nonsense and saying he doesn't have time to listen to their fantasies.

As he heads back in, Shoes tries to get a reaction by saying, "Karina saw him too!" But it doesn't work and Krasnik closes the door without looking back.

Session 5 - Scene 5 (of 8)

As the door slams shut, Shoes dryly notes "well, that didn't work." Mulroney points out that the good doctor likely doesn't stay overnight at the prison, so they may have to wait until later and confront him again. Shoes has a more direct idea – to kidnap and interrogate him.

Father Mulroney agrees the measure may be necessary, and even Alderman Biggins, usually adverse to criminal activities, stays silent on the matter.

The men decide to wait outside the prison for Krasnik to leave, then follow him to wherever he goes and confront him there. They pick a spot down the road to stay and wait for the doctor to get off duty, Shoes making a poor attempt to conceal their car from view.

As dusk nears, cars begin to move in and out of the prison with the shift change. Fearing Shoes will get them into trouble again with his driving, Mulroney directs Biggins to drive. Shoes notes it will also give him the opportunity to use his gun in the car, if needed.

Biggins spots the doctor leaving the prison in a 1917 Studebaker Light Four. He pulls out the Model T in the traffic after it, attempting to hang back a bit to shadow the car. The priest instructs him to drive casually and slowly, but Biggins' attempt at stealth appears to fail as the doctor's car suddenly picks up speed and makes a sharp turn. The alderman realizes the doctor is on to them.

The doctor's car begins to pull away. Shoes tries to hang out the window and shoot at the tires of the doctor's car, but doesn't even come close to hitting.

Speeding up, Biggins manages to pull in a bit closer as the two cars continue a series of turns along the country roads. The doctor tries to get away, but one of his tires hits a rock and blows out. The car fishtails, causing the loss of a second tire. With little choice, Dr. Krasnik pulls his car into a nearby ditch.

Biggins pulls up over next to the car and Shoes jumps out. He quickly throws the door open and punches Krasnik in the jaw with his brass knuckles, knocking the man cold before he knows what hit him.

Shoes drags the man into the back of their car while Mulroney finds some brush to attempt to camouflage the doctor's vehicle with Biggins' help.

While tying up Dr. Krasnik, Shoes calls over to Father Mulroney to remind him to check the car over. The priest grabs the key from the ignition, but spots nothing else inside the car.

Everyone then gets back in the car and Shoes makes sure the doctor isn't armed. As Biggins pulls away, he asks if they want him to head back to the city or just away from the prison in general.

Father Mulroney once again realizes he failed to fully think through the plan. He notes they can't just cruise around town with the unconscious doctor. Ultimately, they decide the best course of action is take the doctor back to the warehouse and interrogate him. Though, he notes, they may very well give themselves away as the abductors because they will be asking about the same things they did before.

Session 5 - Scene 6 (of 8)

Biggins finds his way back to the main road and takes extra time to take the long way around Nortonport to avoid being seen. After a couple of hours, they finally reach the warehouse.

Dr. Krasnik is unloaded and tied to a chair while blindfolded. When he comes to, he immediately begins yelling about his abduction, demanding to know what is going on.

Fearful the man will remember his voice, Mulroney has Shoes handle the interrogation. Using a badly disguised voice, Shoes tells the doctor they need information and that they know he falsified a death certificate.

The doctor asks Shoes who he is. Shoes attempts to tell the man he is Ned Flynn, but the doctor isn't buying it. He tells Shoes he knows he isn't Ned Flynn. When Shoes attempts to spin the discussion that he works for Flynn, the doctor remains adamant that he does not work for Flynn, and that the doctor would know if he did.

Shoes backhands the man, but he only laughs and tells the youth that he cannot scare him. The doctor further states he is no coward, insinuating that Shoes is.

Returning to the interrogation, Shoes tells the man he knows things they need to know, stating they want to know how one of the patients he declared dead ended up on a boat in the city. The doctor claims to know nothing about a boat. When Shoes tells him they know he forged the death certificate of Rebadow, Krasnik just laughs at him again. He tells Shoes that he knows Shoes works for "that silly priest who speaks of monsters".

Shoes tries to say that the priest works for Flynn as well, but Krasnik calls him a liar. He tells Shoes that Shoes is weak and he will tell him nothing.

Seeing their ruse is doomed, Mulroney tells Shoes to take off the blindfold. The doctor laughs again, telling Shoes he knew it was him and further insulting his manhood.

Enraged, Shoes releases Krasnik bonds and challenges him to a fight. The Russian responds quickly with a powerful cross. Shoes tries to counterattack, but only gets off a weak jab.

Dr. Krasnik is clearly more formidable than he initially appears, delivering another powerful blow, this time a hook to Shoes' ribs. Once again, Shoes responds with a weak jab.

Krasnik makes a lunge for Shoes, but the youth sidesteps him. An attempted counterattack, however, fares little better. The doctor then kicks Shoes hard in the knee, nearly causing him to lose his balance.

The doctor is clearly weakening, but Shoes can't get off a solid hit. After another glancing shot, Shoes is knocked out with one of the doctor's crosses. Krasnik has little time to celebrate, however, as Mulroney grabs a nearby metal bar and smashes him in the back of the head as hard as he can.

Mulroney watches as Krasnik collapses to the ground and begins bleeding profusely from his head. It occurs to the father than perhaps he should have pulled his blow if he wanted to just knock the man out instead of potentially killing him.

Not wanting to take the man to a hospital, but trying to keep him alive, Father Mulroney makes a quick call over to O'Conner for another favor to have a friendly doctor come right away. The doctor gets there in time to save Krasnik's life, but notes the brain was likely badly damaged when his skull was crushed and the man will likely be an imbecile. Mulroney is less than thrilled to discover he has further indebted himself to O'Conner for saving the life of a man who is now useless to him.

Session 5 - Scene 7 (of 8)

A week goes by as everyone continues to recover. Dr. Krasnik's condition does not improve, as he continues to spend his time blankly staring into space and drooling, requiring constant care. Over the week the cadre finds little news of the doctor, except for a small story in the Steel City Times about the doctor gone missing with the Jasper County Sheriff's Office investigating; apparently the car was never found.

Father Mulroney does finally hear back from Dr. Galbreth at North-Central University. He tells the priest that the claw he found is made of cartilage, similar in nature to a shark bones, particularly that of Carcharodon Megalodon. Dr. Galbreth suggests the possibility that it could belong to an undiscovered species of freshwater shark. Shoes dryly notes that the father simply found a large shark tooth.

Trying to get a reaction, Mulroney shows the claw fragment to Krasnik. The vegetative doctor does actually react, apparently recognizing the claw. He mutters something in Latin, but the priest doesn't really catch it. He tries to write it down, but it comes out as complete jibberish.

Shoes is starting to get nervous about keeping Krasnik around and feels he has little more use for them. He suggests taking the doctor down to the lake and using him for "monster bait". He starts to explain about using dead squirrels as bait when he was younger, but Mulroney cuts off the story.

Mulroney does want to rid himself of the doctor, and figures drowning him in the river is as humane as anything. He checks with Biggins to make sure he still has the alderman's support; the alderman suggests an "in for a penny, in for a pound" attitude.

Not wanting to be hasty, Mulroney decides they should wait another week to see if the doctor recovers more; perhaps they can still get something useful out of him.

After another week of rest, the doctor is mumbling more. Father Mulroney shows him the claw again, and this time carefully listens and takes down the phrase. He writes it down as, "flumina cruenti fluant cruore hominis perfectonis". As the father is writing it down, the doctor also mumbles something in English but no one catches what he said.

Session 5 - Scene 8 (of 8)

Knowing it will take some time to research the Latin, Father Mulroney decides that there next step should be to go to Rosehill Cemetery and dig up the grave of Robert Rebadow to see if anyone is actually buried in it.

Biggins stays behind to watch over Krasnik while Shoes and Mulroney head across town to the cemetery, Mulroney changing into his civilian attire first. After some trouble getting over the tall fence, the men manage to make it inside.

It suddenly dawns on the men that it might take some time to locate the grave, at night, in the 350 acre cemetery. They wonder if perhaps they should have done some more research first.

As they wander around, they spot the electric torch of the night watchman nearby. They attempt to hide, but the watchman's light catches Father Mulroney. The man calls him over.

Mulroney tries to act drunk, but the watchman isn't buying it. However, he still doesn't want to take the time to have the incognito priest arrested and just escorts him out.

Shoes, meanwhile, continues to try and find the grave but is having little luck. As he is looking around, he makes enough noise to attract the watchman. Caught with a shovel in the watchman's beam of light, the guard pulls out a gun and fires.

Hit in the arm, Shoes ducks behind a nearby headstone and draws his own weapon. The two exchange a few rounds of gunfire. Shoes takes another shot in the shoulder while the watchman is hit in the hip.

Terrified, the watchman tries to get away. By this point, Father Mulroney has already hopped the fence and found a large branch he fashions into a club. As the watchman runs by, the priest hits him hard in the head with the branch.

The guard tries to crawl towards his dropped gun. As the man lies on the ground, Mulroney, flush with adrenaline, repeatedly smashes the man's skull until he is certain the man is dead. Then he grabs the gun off the ground and puts a round in the man's head, just to be safe.

A wounded Shoes finally makes it over to Mulroney. Luckily, the father remembers the approximate area where the grave should be located. Shoes heads over to the area indicated while the priest drags the corpse of the night watchman.

When they find the grave, Father Mulroney is forced to do all of the digging because of Shoes' injuries. It takes some time, but he finally strikes wood with his shovel.

Prying open the coffin lid, Mulroney and Shoes see that the coffin has been filled with rocks for weight; Rebadow was never buried here.

The men throw the body of the dead watchman inside the coffin and fill the dirt back in. Just as they put on the last shovel of dirt, they realize they forgot to grab the man's keys first, forcing them to climb back over the fence again to get out. Father Mulroney sprains his ankle in the attempt.

Sometime later, the two manage to hobble their way back to the warehouse, where they have to call O'Conner for another favor to get the doctor in again. O'Conner agrees to send the doctor, but tells Mulroney he wants a sit down tomorrow. Given what they owe O'Conner, no one is surprised by the request. Biggins wonders what O'Conner has in mind for repayment.

Session 5 - Session Notes

This session went OK, but it was right before the holiday weekend started and I think everyone was a bit more distracted than normal.

The session was a real mix of bad decisions and bad luck for the characters. On the one hand, they failed a ton of rolls (even the advancement rolls at the end of the session) that caused a lot of problems.

On the other hand, they kept running off half-cocked with a fairly well-formed initial thought, but then realized they only thought it through halfway. One of the players thought it made sense, though, as the characters are two-bit criminals trying to go big (and failing at it).

I'm still unsatisfied with the system, though; the pure percentile approach means some skills can almost never fail, while others hardly ever work. In part, this is an issue with the players not spreading out the points very well; but, in retrospect, I do think a more guided approach for players would be better (again, something the WOD lines did pretty well).

In my spare time, I'm working on an update of the Top Secret/SI rules (which I'm calling Top Secret/NI), which has an approach to skills I like a bit better. I probably won't bother to retrofit it to this campaign unless the campaign goes on longer than I expect (I've always seen this as a relatively short campaign).

Other thoughts:
* The session immediately started with the PCs going to confront Krasnik directly at the asylum. I was hoping for something more thoughtful. Plus, I thought I had made it clear before that Krasnik didn't actually work at the asylum. There would have been clues, however, if they had managed to talk their way in.

* We actually never even discussed the idea of taking the commuter train to the prison while in session. I don't think it occurred to anyone.

* Steel City is my campaign world's expy for Joliet. Similarly, Nortonport is an expy for Lansport and Hillcrest for Crest Hills. Jasper County is a strange case where I'm using it for both Dupage and Will counties (to keep record-keeping a bit less cumbersome). I'm also exaggerating the rural-ness for dramatic effect; I'm pretty sure the exburbs of Chicago were pretty busy in the 20's.

* A failed Drive check led to the broken axle. I wanted to accentuate the poor quality of roads in those days. I gave them a luck check for having a spare axle on hand (since they didn't specify before they left), but that failed too. Just like Biggins failed the athletics check to avoid falling in the mud.

* The farmer with the shotgun was perhaps a bit more mentally based on a Great Depression era thought than a Roaring Twenties one. Nonetheless, it added some color.

* I made the family Methodist for the irony factor; strong prohibitionists inadvertantly helping a bootlegging gang. Given that I gave them a German name, they probably should have been Catholic or Lutheran instead.

* Shoes' encounter was with the Rocco Dillon gang. It's part of a subplot that doesn't necessarily make sense to include at this point, but I thought something interesting should happen. Plus if they return later it will make things more dramatic.

* Ma Dillon robbing Shoes was the most hilarious part of the night. The Mulroney player had a long tirade about his head muscle getting pushed around by a little old lady.

* I honestly can't remember what Biggins' cover story at the prison was, but I do remember it made no sense.

* Lt. Vaughn was the name of a real life prison guard (possibly at Statesville, I don't recall) I found attached to a photo online (I think that was from the 50's and not the 20's, however).

* Dr. Krasnik was lying his ass off about not knowing anything. However, a lot of failed rolls made it impossible for the PCs to confirm that or get anything out of him.

* The car chase went pretty well, and they were effective in kidnapping the doctor. Sadly, they still weren't sure what to do with him.

* I thought it was great that Shoes stayed in character and tried to fight with the doctor. But a truly abyssmal set of damage rolls led to him getting his ass kicked.

* The Mulroney player specifically asked if he could find a length of pipe and said he was striking as hard as he could at the doctor's head. So, when he rolled decent damage, I figured that not only was the guy dying, but his skull would have been jammed into the brain.

* I loved the part where they ask for the favor then realize they ended up with a vegtable (heavily inspired by the fate of Steve the Drunk from HBO's Deadwood).

* During the actual session, I think I used the term "State Police" for the investigation of Dr. Krasnik's disappearance. Since the State Police only handled highway patrols at the time, I changed it appropriately in the write-up.

* Dr. Galbreth's report during the session didn't actually give the name of C. Megalodon as the species; that's just added color for the write-up.

* Similarly, the Latin phrase wasn't actually said in the session; I just said the doctor said something in Latin. I created the phrase during the write-up so I could try and get the grammer remotely realistic (I always planned what the English translation was). Note that it's been 18 years since I've taken a Latin class, and don't recall being that good at it, so it's probably still jibberish to anyone with knowledge. I'm also stealing the (English version of the) phrase from a French movie, which will make more sense later so I won't go into it now.

* The doctor's English phrase, which they failed the roll to catch, would have given them a further clue about another place to go.

* Having the night watchman encounter the two at the cemetery was a bit contrived, but so was them being able to find the grave so I claim dramatic license on both.

* The reason the watchman was so trigger happy with Shoes was because he already had the strange encounter with Mulroney.

* The players never even thought about the watchman's keys. I only mentioned it later to hassle them.

* They now owe O'Conner at least four favors, and that's not counting getting them off the hook with the Tolinos. He's going to start calling in his markers next session.

* I hope some of the investigation continues with the PCs and they don't get too discouraged by some of the setbacks. I think they are actually doing pretty good for being a bunch of two-bit hoods.

Session 6 - Cast of Characters

Father Clink Mulroney - Irish Roman Catholic priest running a bootlegging operation out of his church

Alderman Jethro Biggins - Corrupt city alderman on the take from Mulroney

Francis "Shoes" McDougal - Young street criminal and former orphan acting as Mulroney's chief lieutenant / muscle

Session 6 - Scene 1 (of 10)

The morning of the sit-down, Shoes and Father Mulroney discuss the need to take some time to train more. Recent events have made it clear to them that their current levels of athleticism and firearms ability is insufficient to further their aims of building a criminal empire.
 
A knock at the door of their warehouse reveals a messenger boy with a note from O'Conner. It gives the time and location of the sit-down, located in the warehouse district.
 
Mulroney takes care that the note advises him to bring "no more than 3" people to the meeting. As Sister Mary would not be the natural choice for such a meeting, the priest asks the alderman to accompany him. Biggins wants assurances he won't be shot at, but Mulroney notes he can't make any promises.
 
Not sure what to expect, the group decides to take Father Mulroney's car. Mulroney has Biggins drive so that Shoes can keep a gun at the ready. Father Mulroney elects to wear his civilian clothing and brings his knife. Shoes brings his brass knuckles and gun as well, though admits O'Conner will likely have men to check them for weapons.
 
Shoes wonders if they should plan first for anything they need to discuss with O'Conner, remembering the perilous events of their previous attempts to enter discussions without preparing. Mulroney notes that Ned Flynn is clearly setting them up for trouble, but Shoes flatly states that he doubts O'Conner would care about that. The youth goes on to point out that so far they haven't brought in much money but have caused him a lot of trouble.

Session 6 - Scene 2 (of 10)

When they arrive at the warehouse, Biggins pulls in and parks next to three other cars. In the middle of the warehouse is a large table with seven people at it and another couple of men standing around as guards.
 
Father Mulroney immediately recognizes Deanie O'Conner on one side of the table, with a man to either side of him. One of the men is James O'Bannion, but he doesn't recognize the other.
 
In the middle of the table is a middle-aged man in a suit, whom Mulroney also doesn't recognize. And on the other side is Al Tolino, flanked by two of his men.
 
Mulroney is nervous about Tolino being there, but feels they have little choice but to proceed. As they approach, O'Conner tells them to wait and has the two men frisk them first. They find Mulroney's knife and Shoes' pistol, but the brass knuckles remain safely hidden.
 
O'Conner looks over Biggins closely then asks the priest who he brought. When Mulroney introduces him as Alderman Biggins, O'Conner is in disbelief that he brought an alderman to the meet. Father Mulroney, however, insists the alderman is a staunch ally.
 
The middle-aged man in the middle of the table smiles and chuckles. In a thick Sicilian accent, he jokes to Biggins that he will not get very far in politics hanging around these people. He then tells everyone to sit down.
 
O'Conner starts by making introductions. The man to his left is identified as "Yiddie", whose name Shoes recognizes as being Frank Neumark, Deanie's chief lieutenant.
 
The middle-aged man in the middle of the table is identified as Mike Merlo. Biggins recognizes the name as being the head of the Union Siciliana, a powerful labor group, and a man with deep political connections. According to O'Conner, Merlo is there to mediate.
 
Finally, O'Conner notes the presence of Tolino, along with his associates, "Mr. Lombardo" and "Mr. Lipari". Shoes recognizes Lipari as Tolino's bodyguard, while Biggins mentally notes that Lombardo is Antonio Lombardo, vice president of the Union Siciliana.
 
Merlo then takes over the meeting, explaining he knows there has been a misunderstanding between Mulroney and Tolino. He disapproves of the escalating violence, noting it is bad for business. Everyone, including Mulroney, agrees.
 
O'Conner notes that he got Merlo to set up the meeting so they could settle the dispute. Tolino openly asks Mulroney what he has done to cause the priest to disrespect him the way he has.
 
Father Mulroney remains very diplomatic, explaining that the disrespect began when Tolino's brother, Joey the Book, became violent and shot at Shoes. Tolino agrees his brother has a temper, and mocks Mulroney by noting that he may be too aggressive for "delicate Irish boys".
 
Merlo keeps everyone calm and on point, despite the insult. Tolino agrees that making the mess go away would be best for everyone and he is willing to do so, with a couple of conditions. Mulroney agrees to listen to the man's demands.
 
First, Tolino explains, he wants Mulroney to stay out of his territory. All liquor distribution privileges for the Lexington Hotel or any other location in his territory is off limits. Mulroney agrees the request is reasonable.
 
Second, Tolino demands they stay away from his men. He doesn't want any more funny business. Again, Mulroney eagerly agrees.
 
Finally, Tolino wants compensation for the aggravation Mulroney has caused him. He quotes a figure of one hundred grand.
 
Mulroney's heart sinks as he hears the amount. He tells Tolino that it is a reasonable request, but explains that his coffers are a little low due to recent events resulting in a loss of his merchandise.
 
In the spirit of cooperation, Tolino offers to make the number something fairer, coming down to fifty thousand. Father Mulroney agrees the amount is more reasonable, but notes he can only give ten in cash. He offers to make up the remaining forty in liquor.
 
O'Conner, however, isn't pleased at all with that arrangement. He reminds Mulroney that he already owns the rights to all their liquor. To settle the matter, and keep Mulroney under his exclusive control, he offers to front Mulroney the other forty. The priest doesn't like the idea of becoming further indebted to O'Conner, but agrees to the deal as he knows he has no other choice.
 
With the deal settled, Merlo gives O'Conner and Mulroney instructions on the safe deposit box at the First National Bank to make the drop to. He will act as the intermediary, collecting the money then giving it over to Tolino.
 
Tolino's men and Merlo get up to leave, and O'Conner instructs Mulroney's crew to stick around. He has more to discuss with them.

Session 6 - Scene 3 (of 10)

O'Conner tells Father Mulroney he owes him a lot of favors and it is time for him to start calling some of them in. He smiles slyly and tells the priest that he'll start him off with something more palatable, joking that he wants to ease Mulroney in and that he doesn't want to be too rough for the priest's "first time". O'Conner and his guys chuckle at the double entendre.
 
Getting closer to the point, O'Conner tells Father Mulroney that he knows he's also had some trouble with Mr. Flynn. The priest starts to go into a long explanation of his dealings with Flynn, but O'Conner cuts him off, telling him he doesn't need the whole story.
 
The point, he explains, is that something needs to be done about Flynn. O'Conner goes on to say that Merlo won't be able to keep the peace if they come into conflict with Tolino directly, but they should be able to get away with "nibbling around the edges" of Tolino's empire. And since Flynn is in bed with Tolino, O'Conner explains, allowing Mulroney to get revenge on him will kill two birds with one stone.
 
Father Mulroney is intrigued and wonders what O'Conner has in mind. The gangster goes on to say that word on the street has it that Mulroney isn't the only one under investigation by the feds. The local prohibition agents, Carl Beck and John Burns, are also investigating Flynn. And being the sly fox he is, O'Conner continues, Flynn plans to discredit them by calling in a tip that one of his ships will have liquor on it; a tip that will prove to be false and get the agents off his back.
 
O'Conner then offers a question, "But what would happen if the agents did find something on the ship?" He then answers his own rhetorical question by noting that Flynn would be out of the picture and no one could blame anyone for what happened.
 
Mulroney and the others are intrigued by the idea. The priest asks O'Conner if Tolino is aware Flynn is under investigation. Deanie responds that since Antonelli (the local district commissioner of the prohibition unit) is in Tolino's pocket he assumes Tolino is.
 
The priest then asks O'Conner how he plans to get the liquor on Flynn's ship. O'Conner responds that he isn't planning to do anything, but if, by fate, liquor is found on the ship then he would consider Mulroney would owe him one less favor.
 
Not sure that prison will be enough retribution, Father Mulroney inquires how much protection Flynn would have while incarcerated. O'Conner guesses that he wouldn't have much. The priest notes that a lot can happen to a man in prison.
 
Moving on, O'Conner explains that Ned Flynn is planning to make the call tomorrow morning, so any liquor would need to "appear" on the ship that night. Mulroney wonders how much liquor should be found on the ship, but Deanie says they just need enough to put him away.
 
O'Conner seems pleased at the plan, noting that he'll be glad to have "that Irish turncoat" out of the way. He goes on to say that Flynn's gang is as bad as Regan's Colts and the Southside O'Donnells (two Irish gangs from the south side also allied with Flynn). O'Conner smiles as he says he and Father Mulroney are the only honest Irishmen in town.

Session 6 - Scene 4 (of 10)

As they head back from the meet, Shoes and Mulroney discuss what to do next. Shoes' advice is to send Biggins to recruit help from Ulnovsky to get the liquor loaded, noting that Ulnovsky has no love for Flynn.
 
Mulroney isn't sure that is such a good idea, given that Ulnovsky is gunning for them at the moment because he believes they killed Jim Malloy. Shoes explains that's why they need to send Biggins, because Ulnovsky won't know him. Biggins himself, focused on driving, only pays half-attention to the discussion.
 
Father Mulroney wonders who Biggins will tell Ulnovsky that he works for, since he obviously can't tell the Russian that he works for them. Shoes retorts that the alderman can say he works for anyone, such as O'Conner, though he should probably keep names out of it if possible. The point, the youth explains, is to sell Ulnovsky on the idea that it is to his own advantage to get rid of Flynn.
 
The priest wonders if the anarchist will want any kind of financial compensation. He knows they'll need to hand over all of their free cash to pay off Tolino. He also notes they can't pay them in liquor, either, as all they've been able to produce since getting set up at the new warehouse will need to be put on Flynn's ship. Shoes responds that the "dirty Russians" only drink "potato water" anyway - spitting out the car window in disgust as he says it.

Session 6 - Scene 5 (of 10)

From the warehouse, Biggins leaves in his own car to head down to the docks. Once there, begins asking around about Ulnovsky but is having little luck.
 
After a short time, he is approach by a couple of uniformed policemen. They ask him what he's up to, and the alderman explains he's out talking to constituents. The cops tell him they have some questions for him, but it would be better if they went to the precinct. When he asks if they want him to follow them, one of the cops tells him they'll go ahead and take him there.
 
At the precinct house, Biggins is taken not to an interrogation room as he suspected, but instead to the office of Captain Daniel Ross. Behind the desk sits a fierce-looking middle-aged Irishman. Ross tells Biggins he's heard he was looking for Ulnovsky.
 
Biggins responds that he was, not noticing that the two cops standing behind him are readying their billy clubs. The captain asks Biggins what hiss interest in the man is. The alderman explains that he heard the Russian was stirring up trouble in the union and was trying to investigate.
 
Captain Ross relaxes a little, now appearing more curious. He notes Biggins is a little out of his ward. Biggins agrees, but notes that he has many constituents who work in the union.
 
Looking more circumspect, Ross notes they've had trouble with Ulnovsky as well. He tells Biggins that if he finds Ulnovsky, to be sure to let him know. The captain tells Biggins he wants to detain Ulnovsky for questioning, but notes that anything could happen while the Russian was detained.
 
Oblivious that the officers behind him have put back their clubs, Biggins agrees to help the captain. He even goes further attempting some politics, asking if the captain voted in the last election. Captain Ross smiles at the attempt, noting he is Republican.

Ross then tells his men to take Biggins back to the docks. As they leave, Biggins hears the captain calling someone but doesn't catch any of the conversation.

Session 6 - Scene 6 (of 10)

Once back at the docks, Biggins decides to take a different approach. He heads over to the local speakeasy, the Blue Parrot. Inside, he finds the bar filled with tough-looking longshoremen.
 
The bartender, looking at Biggins' suit, asks him if he's sure he's in the right place. Not intimidated by the bartender's obvious warning, Biggins says he's just coming to talk to constituents and offers to buy everyone a round of drinks. The offer is heartily accepted.
 
Tired from the day's efforts and a little tipsy from having a couple of drinks, Biggins tries to talk to the people in the bar but finds himself having trouble remembering Ulnovsky's name. Instead, he simply asks if anyone has been causing trouble down at the docks. Specifically, he notes, are there any anarchists?
 
The question immediately kills the favorable mood in the room and everyone begins moving away from Biggins. He tries to change the subject, but it is clear that no one wants to talk with him anymore. The bartender advises the alderman that he's had enough to drink and it is time to leave.
 
Exiting the clandestine bar, Biggins is grabbed by a pair of men. They appear to be dock workers. He doesn't resist as they wordlessly drag him into an alley and put a hood over his head.
 
Biggins is then put in some kind of car and driven around for a while. They end up stopping somewhere. From the sounds of the echoes, Biggins can tell it is some kind of garage or warehouse.
 
After being sat down in a chair, Biggins is told by a man that he hears Biggins has been looking for some anarchists. The man has a thick accent, but Biggins can't tell for sure if it is Russian or not.

Scared by the turn of events, Biggins says that "anarchists" is a bit of a rough term. The man asks Biggins who he works for. Biggins tries to evade the question, just saying he works for a person who is not looking for trouble. In response, Biggins feels the pain of a lit cigarette being pushed into his chest.
 
The man repeats his question about who Biggins works for. The alderman, still not really answering the question, says he does not work for the police. In response, he is backhanded across the face.
 
Once again, the man asks the alderman who he works for. Hoping to avoid more trouble, Biggins tries to be a little less oblique by saying he is looking for someone to help him get rid of someone. He offers that he is an associate of someone who is affiliated with Deanie O'Conner.
 
The answer is not direct enough for the unseen man. Biggins feels his arm being held down as the man cuts off the alderman's index finger on his left hand.
 
The alderman then feels the blade on his throat. The man whispers directly into his ear, telling him that he is asking him for the last time who he works for. Terrified, Biggins responds that he works for "the father".
 
The man asks what father Biggins is referring to. But with the pain from his injuries and the adrenaline flowing, Biggins blanks on Mulroney's name for a minute.
 
When he finally manages to spit it out, the knife again is at his throat. The man tells Biggins that Mulroney killed a friend of his, and asks the alderman why he should not kill him right now.
 
Struggling to stay alive, Biggins quickly blurts out that he is looking for help getting rid of Flynn. Ulnovsky agrees Flynn is a problem. He tells the alderman that he will make a deal – if the alderman helps him kill Mulroney and get rid of Flynn, he'll let him live.
 
Biggins notes the terms of the agreement are a little stiff, trying to keep Mulroney alive. The man asks how he could let the priest live after he killed his friend. The alderman relents, noting that the man strikes a hard bargain.
 
The man says they should deal with Flynn first and then Mulroney. But when he asks Biggins what the plan is to get rid of Flynn, Biggins doesn't seem to have one (having not been paying attention to what Mulroney and Shoes were discussing earlier), just telling the man they were hoping he'd make Flynn go away.

Laughing, the unseen man tells Biggins he is brave but stupid. He then says that since the priest has no help to offer against Flynn, they'll kill him first. He asks Biggins where the priest is at.

Scrambling to think up a way to avoid everyone getting killed, Biggins tells the man the priest is in hiding and he'll have to contact him to get him out. The man says someone named Yulian will go with him to contact the priest and make sure he directs the father to a specific location where he can be dealt with. He warns Biggins that he only has two hours to get the task done, or Yulian will kill him.

Session 6 - Scene 7 (of 10)

Biggins is put back in a car and driven to another location. Once there, his hood is removed and he finds himself in a car with a large, Slavic-looking man. He assumes his companion is the "Yulian" mentioned by his interrogator (who he assumes was Ulnovsky).
 
Yulian gets Biggins out of the car and escorts him over to a nearby pay phone. He tells the alderman to make the call.
 
Stalling for time, Biggins calls St. Vincent's. The church secretary, Sister Eunice, answers. Knowing that Sister Eunice is an elderly nun with no knowledge of Father Mulroney's shadier activities, he gives her a vague message for the father that "a group of people he's been looking for want to talk to him" and gives the nun the number for the pay phone he is at.
 
Sister Eunice, a bit confused, tells him she will pass along the message. Before ending the call, Biggins tells her he needs the father to call him back as soon as possible. The sister tells him she will pass along the message to Sister Mary, who is more likely to know where the father is.
 
A few minutes later, the phone rings at the warehouse. When Shoes answers, he finds the icy voice of Sister Mary on the other line. She tells him that Alderman Biggins left a strange message with Sister Eunice, and passes along the info. She also says the call appeared to be urgent.
 
Shoes relates the call to Mulroney, who is confused why Biggins didn't call the warehouse directly. He wonders if the alderman has ran into trouble. Shoes agrees it is a likely scenario, given that the message sounded strange.
 
Father Mulroney calls the number from the message, getting Biggins. Mulroney slyly gives instructions for Biggins to alert him using a code if everything is not all right. Biggins uses the code. When Mulroney gives him instructions for another code to see if he is hurt, Biggins gives that code as well.
 
Biggins then proceeds to explain about the meet location and time. The Russians want to meet in an hour, at a warehouse by the docks. Mulroney agrees to the meet, and Biggins signs off by noting that "they'd love to meet you".
 
Once they are done with the call, Yulian drives Biggins over to a nearby warehouse. There he finds a Russian man (whom he presumes is Ulnovsky) and three dockworkers wielding sections of metal pipe. Yulian then leaves Biggins with the men to wait for Mulroney to arrive.

Session 6 - Scene 8 (of 10)

Father Mulroney tells Shoes Biggins is in trouble and hurt. He explains the Russians want to meet with them, but can tell it is likely so they can kill them. Shoes notes that at the first sign of trouble, they'll drop Biggins first.
 
Mulroney goes over their options – they can either call O'Conner for help or try to handle it themselves by grabbing a couple of the boys, which he admits aren't all that trained in such things. Shoes notes that O'Conner is not going to like them going to him for help. The priest agrees they should handle it on their own, mentally noting that he doesn't want O'Conner thinking they are more trouble than they are worth.

Shoes goes to grab a couple of the boys. Not wanting to take everyone away from the warehouse duties, he decides to grab the two Pauls (Paul Arthurs and Paul McGuigan), known as "Bonehead" and "Guigsy".

Mulroney tells the boys he needs some assistance. Given that Bonehead is rather dim, he elects to have Guigsy be the brains of the operation. He instructs Guigsy that he will be wearing a priest's uniform for this job. The former altar boy is happy to help, giving an enthusiastic "sure thing, faddah!"

The priest goes on to explain the task – Guigsy and Bonehead will drive the truck in the front, while he and Shoes take the car and come in from the back. He notes the operation involves dealing with some troublesome Russians and that there will be a nice bonus in it for them.
 
Guigsy asks if they can get some roscoes and Mulroney has Shoes give them the guns he took off of Liam and Noel; he warns them not to use the weapons unless necessary. Shoes also cautions them about Biggins and clarifies they are not to shoot him. Mulroney himself also decides to take a gun, despite having little knowledge of them, grabbing the revolver they took off of the dead night watchman at Rosehill Cemetery.

When they get near the warehouse address, the truck starts heading inside and Mulroney has Shoes circle around to the back. But Shoes has trouble figuring out which door in the alleyway leads to the warehouse.
 
Meanwhile, inside, Biggins spots the truck pull up and two young guys get out. One of them is wearing a priest uniform. The alderman isn't sure what is up, but knows there will be trouble when one of them identifies himself as "Father Mulroney".
 
The three men with pipes start approaching the lads. The two immediately draw their guns and start firing. Ulnovsky does the same, pulling out an old Russian revolver.
 
Back in the alley, Shoes spots the door and pulls over. As they get out, the men hear the shots ringing out inside. They draw their weapons, ready for a fight.

Inside, Biggins manages to maneuver his way towards the back of the warehouse and takes cover as Shoes cracks open the back door slowly. He sees the firefight and watches as Bonehead is hit with a shot, falling to the floor.
 
Guigsy gets off a shot at one of the men with pipes, which scares off the one next to him as well. The third pipeman, however, doesn't notice and proceeds to bash in Bonehead's skull with his weapon.
 
Mulroney whispers to Shoes that they need to get to the man with the gun, whom the priest insists is Ulnovsky. As the two men head over, Guigsy shoots the third man with a pipe but takes a shot from the Russian.
 
As the Russian prepares another shot, Mulroney gets behind him and puts a gun to his head. He tells the man to drop his weapon. When he does, Shoes takes it and gives it to Biggins.
 
With the threat out of the way, Father Mulroney explains to Ulnovsky that he sent Biggins to make a deal with him, but obviously there was some breakdown in the communication. When Ulnovsky responds he won't talk to anyone who murdered his friend, the priest explains that Flynn set him up.
 
Ulnovsky's attitude immediately changes. He believes the priest and sees how it all makes sense. He agrees to listen to Mulroney's request for help.

The father goes on to detail how he was set up and explains the plan for getting Flynn arrested. Ulnovsky seems to think well of the plan, noting that the priest is a much better negotiator than his friend was.

Father Mulroney tells Ulnovsky he'll supply the liquor if Ulnovksy can have men get it on the ship. He tells the Russian that he and his compatriots will not rest until Flynn is brought to justice for his crimes.

Looking over at the shot men, Ulnovsky notes that Mulroney's boys have met with an "accident", along with his own men. He tells the priest he knows a friendly doctor that can help the boy who is still alive (indicating Guigsy).

Mulroney agrees to the assistance. Around that time, he notices Biggins' hand injury. Ulnovsky matter-of-factly notes that Biggins also had an accident. Mulroney wonders what the alderman's wife will say when she gets back from Sheboygan. The alderman says he plans to pass it off as a "construction accident".

Ulnovksy leads everyone to the office of Dr. Edward Bolkanski, located near the docks. The doctor is not at all thrilled to see the injured men, but manages to patch everyone up.
 
While waiting, Ulnovsky makes small talk with Mulroney and Shoes. He mentions that once he gets Flynn dealt with, he'll have time to take care of his other business – including the search for his girlfriend's missing father.

Mulroney tells Ulnovsky he's heard of the disappearances around the docks but Ulnovsky explains the man is a doctor at the prison. Out of the Russian's sight, Shoes frantically tries to get Mulroney to change the subject, recalling that Ulnovsky's girlfriend is Karina Krasnik and her father is the kidnapped, brain-damaged man they have back at their warehouse.

Session 10 - Scene 9 (of 10)

After some time, they conclude the business with the Russians and head back to the warehouse. Father Mulroney is concerned about his bootlegging operation taking a hit with Bonehead dead and Guigsy out for a couple of weeks in recovery. He still has Tony, Alan, Colin, and Andy, but tells Sister Mary to try and find a couple more boys to recruit from St. Vincent's Home for Homeless Boys. She finds another couple of recruits named Chris and Zack.
 
Once Dr. Krasnik is moved back to the safehouse, Mulroney has Ulnovsky's men pick up the liquor for the night and the two return to the church.
 
After sending Shoes off to First National Bank to make the drop into the safe deposit box for Merlo, Father Mulroney decides to take some time to research the Latin phrase that Dr. Krasnik mentioned. He tries to make sense of it using the books in his rectory, but is having problems with the various conjugations and declinations.
 
His studies are interrupted by the sudden appearance of Deacon Stephen Dickford. The straight-laced, stuffy man tells the priest he has serious concerns about how the father has not been around much. He casually threatens that he would hate to have to speak to the bishop about it. Father Mulroney shudders at the idea of getting the notice of Bishop Duggan, and mentally notes that knowing the deacon, he's surprised he didn't threaten to go all the way to Cardinal Mundelein.
 
Deacon Dickford goes on to complain that Mulroney has barely made it to mass lately. Father Mulroney tries to respond that he's been down with the flu, but the deacon isn't convinced.

Somewhat condescendingly, Dickford goes on to say that he believes the father has too much on his plate and needs more assistance. He tells the priest his intention to speak to Bishop Duggan about taking over more administrational duties around the parish, perhaps even taking over as principal for the Home for Homeless Boys.
 
Not wanting the deacon involved, Mulroney tries to persuade him to change his mind. Deacon Dickford suggests he might be willing to let things continue, but does want to get a closer look at the accounting books to get a comfortable feeling that everything is under control.
 
Father Mulroney tries to assure the deacon that Sister Mary handles the books. But the deacon is not so dissuaded. Dickford tells the priest he intends to get the bishop's permission to see the books then abruptly bids the father good day.

As the man leaves, Mulroney puts his hand on the hilt of the knife inside his robe and briefly wonders if he should take care of the problem right away. But he relents, not wanting to cause problems that close to him.
 
Several streets away, Mulroney isn't the only one running into trouble. Back in his office, Alderman Biggins gets an upset call from Henry Burns, the political boss for his district. Burns chews Biggins out for neglecting his duties over the last few weeks, noting he caused enough problems failing to get that liquor to the wedding reception.
 
Biggins politely listens to the complaints, knowing that Burns can destroy his political career. When Burns insists he do more to support Joe DeMotte's mayoral run, Biggins gladly agrees to step up his involvement.

Session 6 - Scene 10 (of 10)

When Shoes gets back from the bank, Mulroney informs him there is more trouble looming. He tells him the deacon has been by and wants to look over the books. Shoes agrees it could be trouble.
 
Father Mulroney explains the deacon will need to be taken care of, stating he couldn't handle it himself because he wanted to keep it away from the church.
 
Shoes wonders how quickly they need to act. Mulroney calculates that it will take a day or two for Dickford to get on the bishop's calendar, but they should probably take care of it right away. Shoes offers to handle the situation himself, with Mulroney agreeing it would be the best way to go.
 
The priest then notes to Shoes that Deacon Dickford is quite fond of the cinema, and that a double feature of Greed and The Thief of Bagdad is showing at the nearby Capitol Theater. He notes that Shoes should be able to slip in and out without too much fuss. He gives the lad his knife and tells him it should look like a robbery.
 
Shoes heads down to the theater and waits in an alley for it to let out. Distracted by an attractive flapper across the street, Shoes doesn't notice the deacon until he is almost out of the alley, heading towards his car on the street.
 
Running quickly down the alley, Shoes catches up with the man. He turns and recognizes the youth, getting out a confused "Francis?" before Shoes puts a bullet in his head.
 
The gunshot attracts all kinds of attention and yelling. A police whistle can be heard a short distance away as he grabs the man's wallet. Shoes quickly ducks back inside the theater and maneuvers around to the front door to exit with the rest of the crowd. He then heads back to St. Vincent's, confident that the job was done right.

Session 6 - Session Notes

This session got things a bit back on track, with the group actually managing to accomplish some things (with some setbacks, natch). It also saw the focus switch from the CoC-style investigation back to a pure Gangbusters-style dealings with crimes and crooks. Everyone quite enjoyed it.

My top goal this session was getting the PCs out of immediate danger. I wanted to ratchet down the violence because there is no way the PCs would survive all-out war against the Tolinos.

Prior to the session, I started putting together the list of favors O'Conner will want. Naturally, they all are "missions" in game terms. I tried to come up with ideas that fit into what O'Conner would want while at the same time presenting opportunities to continue some side plots and introduce new ones. Like O'Conner, I thought it would be best to start with something the PCs would want to do anyway.

Looking forward to next session, though we may have some delays soon because the Shoes player is having a new baby due soon.

Misc Notes:
* Since there are 3 PCs, I wanted to limit the sit-down to 3 NPCs from each side. It gives the impression of a big discussion while keeping things small enough for people to keep track of what is going on.

* In TSR's Gangbusters book, they detail the Italian gang but not the Irish one, with the intention that PCs would be in the "good" Irish gang. Since Dion O'Banion's North Side gang is pretty well documented, I generally use historical figures from that gang for inspiration.

"Yiddie" Neumark is my expy for "Hymie" Weiss (I thought using his name might break the fourth wall too much). I use the same joke from his real-life counterpart that he had a Polish name that got Americanized to a Jewish-sounding one. And again, James O'Bannion is straight out of the movie, Legends of the Fall.

* Mike Merlo was a real guy. His death led to Dion O'Banion's murder being possible. I thought it would be natural to have him be the one get the PCs off the hook.

* Anthony Lombardo was also a real guy, but I'm using dramatic license because he came into power after Merlo was dead. Lipari comes from the TSR game.

* Having the mob want to get paid-off to end a conflict is pretty common. Having the PCs have to get further indebted to O'Conner was a way to keep things interesting (granted, Mulroney did manage to bargain down the amount).

* O'Conner's idea to nibble around the edges was my way to introduce a "cold war" feel to the conflict between the gangs. It allows for some conflict without all-out war being a risk.

* Flynn calling in a tip on his own ship was one of the plots from TSR that I'm adapting.

* Regan's Colts and the Southside O'Donnells were real Chicago gangs (if less well-known). Regan's Colts will come into play sometime soon - not sure about the O'Donnells (though my area guide did note that Spike O'Donnell has connections to the governor - as in real life).

* Mulroney's plan to try and use Ulnovsky was not anticipated by me (though I should have). Sending Biggins, however, proved to be a disaster when everyone realized (far too late) that the player hadn't really been paying attention when the plan was discussed.

We were dying laughing when he couldn't remember Ulnovsky's name (and failed an Idea roll to remember) and did the really unsubtle "so any anarchists?" bit in the bar (it reminded me of the early Family Guy episode where Peter is undercover in the school - "I'm looking for some drugs. Does anybody have any drugs?")

The kidnapping and torture scene had everyone with their head in hands, assuming Biggins was a dead man. He just barely managed to not get killed.

* Captain Danny Ross is named after the second captain on Law and Order: CI, though the resemblance stops at the name. The joke was that since Deakins had ties to Biggins, Ross had ties to Flynn (which Biggins might have discovered if he hadn't failed his Notice roll). Again, Biggins barely avoided getting a beat-down.

* Ulnovksy's men actually all have names because they come from the TSR book; there just wasn't a reason to name them during the session. Dr. Bolkanski is from TSR as well. The Yulian NPC is one of my own and will have more involvement later.

* Sister Eunice was created on the fly as a way to flesh out Mulroney's parish a bit more. She's sort-of named after the nun on American Horror Story: Asylum.

Mulroney's other boys, including the nicknames, are all named after band members of Oasis (continuing the trend I started with Liam and Noel). I did change Zak to Zack, spelling-wise, because I thought it fit better.

* Mulroney and Biggins getting chewed out for neglecting their day jobs was something I thought of before but didn't get to last session.

* I didn't actually give a name to the deacon at the session, the Mulroney player came up with the last name and I just added a first one in the write-up. Bishop Duggan and Cardinal Mundelein are named after real people.

* Shoes' trip to the bank had some suspense, as I made him have a luck check to see if anything interesting happened on the way to hauling the large bag of cash there. The bank will figure into the campaign again in an upcoming session.

* The Capital Theater is the original name for the old palace theater located in downtown Cedar Rapids (known as the Paramount Theater since the 30s). I had attended the recent open house of the theater (restored after the 2008 floods) and used it for inspiration for the deacon's place of murder.

* Father Mulroney is definately getting a little murder happy. Next session will show that murdering the deacon might not have been as quick of a fix as he thought it would be (people notice more when civillians end up getting killed).

Session 7 - Cast of Characters
 
Father Clink Mulroney - Irish Roman Catholic priest running a bootlegging operation out of his church
 
Alderman Jethro Biggins - Corrupt city alderman on the take from Mulroney
 
Francis "Shoes" McDougal - Young street criminal and former orphan acting as Mulroney's chief lieutenant / muscle

Session 7 - Scene 1 (of 15)

Alderman Jethro Biggins sits in his office, enjoying a cigar behind his desk at the end of the long day. The stump of his missing finger still throbs with pain. The phone rings, and Biggins sighs as he picks it up, knowing a call this late in the evening means more trouble.

Captain James Deakins is on the other end of the line. He tells Biggins he is calling to give him a head's up – a man has been murdered near the Capital Theater. Deakins goes on to say the victim was a man named Stephen Dickford, a deacon at St. Vincent's church and the apparent victim of a robbery gone bad.

Knowing the alderman has political contacts with the church, Deakins assures the alderman that he'll make sure the Central Homicide Division puts two of their best detectives on it. According to the sector sergeant's report, there were two possible eye witnesses to the crime who saw a young hoodlum leaving the scene. Deakins figures they'll be able to solve the case quickly.

After making sure he gets all the information from the captain, Biggins calls over to the church; he knows Father Mulroney will want to know right away that a member of his church has been killed. After being informed by Sister Eunice that Father Mulroney is away from the rectory, he calls over to the warehouse.

As usual, Shoes takes the call and passes it over to Mulroney. When Biggins relates the news, the priest exclaims how tragic the situation is that his good friend Deacon Dickford was killed. He is slightly surprised when the alderman mentions the witnesses, but doesn't miss a beat and tells Biggins he's glad there's a good chance those responsible will be caught. After asking after the alderman's injury, Father Mulroney hangs up the phone.

He then relates the contents of the call to Shoes. Shoes doesn't seem worried, he's pretty sure no one actually saw him commit the crime. Still, he'd like to know more about the witnesses; particularly where they are at.

Father Mulroney explains he doesn't want to ask too many questions and make Biggins suspicious. In matters like these, he feels the right course is to give the alderman negligible information about their involvement. Shoes agrees it is for the best.

As for the witnesses, Father Mulroney says it will likely come to nothing, as Shoes obviously would have had his face covered during the murder. When Shoes doesn't immediately agree, the priest asks him more directly if he was smart enough to cover his face.

Shoes explains that a mask would get in the way of him being able to see. Mulroney then begins to worry a bit more. He notes that they'll have to find the witnesses and remove their credibility, noting a nice young man like Shoes would not do well in prison.

The youth jokes he'd try pleading insanity, though he wonders if being stuck with Dr. Bronfenburgher at the Dunning Asylum would be any better. He ponders the idea of disguising his appearance.

Changing the subject, Shoes asks the father if he's heard anything from the Russians. The priest relates that he hasn't heard anything since they picked up the delivery, but they did not have any communication planned after that. Shoes hopes they don't just steal the liquor and Mulroney responds with, "well, you know the Russians..." At the mention of the word, Shoes spits on the floor.

Just then, the warehouse phone rings again. This time, it is Sister Mary on the phone. She tells the father that two detectives are at the church looking to speak with him about the deacon.

Concerned they may be there to arrest him, Father Mulroney gives the sister a code to use to indicate that. But the icy-voiced nun tells him flatly that all they want to do is inform him of the death. After hanging up, he lets Shoes know and the two decide the youth should lie low at the warehouse while the father goes back to the church alone.

Session 7 - Scene 2 (of 15)

When Father Mulroney arrives at St. Vincent's, he sees Sister Eunice sitting off in a corner of the office area, clearly upset. Sister Mary stands next to her with a blank expression; as close to a comforting gesture as the woman is likely to give. Standing nearby are two men in suits – one younger, thin, and taller; the other shorter, older, and pudgy around the middle.

When the father approaches the two men introduce themselves as Detective George Greevy and Detective Christopher Logan. The explain about Deacon Dickford being killed in an attempted robbery. Father Mulroney acts surprised and shocked, but the sideways glance he notices between the detectives makes him think they might not be fully buying the act.

The detectives start asking questions about when Mulroney last saw the deacon. Mulroney gives the time, explaining that the deacon was off to the movies.

The next set of questions is about how often the deacon was around. Mulroney explains the deacon was a regular fixture at the church and that they were close friends. Detective Greevy asks if the same is true about the attached St. Vincent's Home for Homeless Boys. Again, Mulroney mentions how the deacon was involved from time to time, giving advice to the young lads.

Greevy notes that a young ruffian was spotted leaving the scene of the crime. Following the thought, Detective Logan asks if Dickford had any enemies at the home or major conflicts with any of the boys. Mulroney, catching where the detectives are going, simply says "nothing serious" and can tell the detectives are skeptical he is telling the truth.

Done with their questions for the moment, the detectives thank the priest for his time and tell him to let him know if he can remember anything more at all about Deacon Dickford and the orphan boys. Father Mulroney makes sure to get the detectives' names and badge numbers so he can easily contact them should he have any further information.

Once the detectives are gone, Father Mulroney thanks Sister Mary for taking care of things. After saying a kind word to Sister Eunice and informing Sister Mary to look after the elderly nun, the priest heads back to the warehouse.

Session 7 - Scene 3 (of 15)

At the warehouse, Father Mulroney tells Shoes about his conversation with the detectives. He notes to the youth that the detectives didn't fully buy his story, but says that could work to their advantage. He goes on to say that someone will need to take the blame for the crime.

Shoes, a little nervous, asks the father what he has in mind. Mulroney explains that clearly the deacon was killed by a troubled youth. And goes on to explain that such a youth would have a lot of guilt; perhaps enough to take his own life. Going further, Mulroney mentions the basement of the orphanage does have sturdy beams along the basement ceiling.

Getting the picture, Shoes asks who the priest has in mind. Mulroney isn't sure; he notes they'll need to find someone who had at least a minor conflict with the deacon to make the story work. Ideally, the father continues, it would be a quiet, loner type who the other boys wouldn't really miss.

After mulling it over for another minute, Father Mulroney shudders at the thought. Though he has committed many sins, murdering an orphan boy and staging it as a suicide is crossing another line entirely. He asks Shoes if he has any other ideas.

Shoes sticks with his thought that they'll need to get to the witnesses. Father Mulroney says they'll have to rely on the resourcefulness of Alderman Biggins. Shoes quips about that being a problem.

The youth goes on to wonder if they shouldn't start looking for guys that look like him. But he isn't thrilled with the idea either, noting that performing another murder to cover up a murder is problematic. Father Mulroney agrees it is getting a little too bloody lately.

On a more practical level, Shoes doesn't think the hanging plan would work. He feels it would make more sense that the "killer" commit suicide with the same gun that was used to shoot the deacon.

Father Mulroney decides he isn't ready to cross over this particular moral event horizon. He also notes that every time they've attempted to cover up for a bad decision they rush into making another bad decision that drags them deeper into the abyss. He tells Shoes they'll be patient this time and wait to see what develops.

In the meantime, Mulroney suggests Shoes do something to alter his appearance such as shaving his head or growing a beard. The youth sarcastically notes that it could take some time for him to grow a beard. In response, the priest jokes that perhaps they could disfigure him a little. Shoes quips back that relying on Biggins will likely lead to them all being disfigured soon.

Session 7 - Scene 4 (of 15)

The next morning, Alderman Biggins gets an early call at home from Henry Burns. Burns immediately asks him if he's heard about the death of the deacon. When Biggins responds that he has, the boss asks him what he's doing about it.

Mistaking Burns' meaning, Biggins launches into a lengthy discussion about his communications with the police and the status on the investigation. Burns interrupts him halfway through, telling him he's supposed to be a politician, not a detective. He clarifies that what he meant was, what is Biggins doing to capitalize on the politics of the situation.

Biggins, not previously thinking about the death in those terms, notes that perhaps he should have a speech. Burns tells the alderman he is already ahead of him. He's lined up a time for a press conference and Joe DeMotte will be involved as well.

Burns excitedly notes that the murder is great for DeMotte's anti-crime platform. He goes on to say that this could put DeMotte over the top in the election, making him the next mayor. Finally, the political boss tells Biggins that if he plays his cards right, he could end up Parks Commissioner or something.

Biggins chuckles at the idea, wondering if it would be going up or down in the political hierarchy. Burns scolds him for laughing, noting that the Parks Commissioner has a large budget (including control of the Park Police force) and lots of leeway to spend it. He tells the alderman that a man could do very well in that position with the right friends.

The alderman then asks more about the press conference. He can almost see Burns beaming on the other end as the man tells him he's already secured the perfect venue...

Session 7 - Scene 5 (of 15)

Mulroney is awoke from his deep slumber by a fervent knocking at his door. When he asks who it is, Sister Eunice replies.

The father quickly gets up and puts on a robe. When he cracks the door open to ask why the sister is interrupting him from sleeping in, she explains that "his excellency" is waiting in the church office for him.

Knowing that Bishop Duggan's unscheduled arrival means nothing good, Father Mulroney instructs the sister to get the bishop some coffee and that he'll be out in a minute.

After quickly dressing, Mulroney heads over to the office and finds the stern-looking bishop waiting for him. After greeting the bishop and kissing his ring, Mulroney sits down.

The bishop explains he is there due to the death of Deacon Dickford. As the two commiserate on the senseless killing, the bishop notes they will need to think long and hard on finding a suitable replacement for such a dedicated man.

The bishop instructs Father Mulroney that Deacon Dickford should have a very nice funeral service tomorrow. Father Mulroney agrees. Bishop Duggan explains his intention is to officiate the funeral mass personally, which comes as no surprise to the father.

Bishop Duggan smiles as he tells the father that because of the special circumstances, they will have a special guest at the mass. Father Mulroney, sensing he is about to get more bad news, just smiles and says, "Oh?" The bishop explains that in honor of the deacon's loyal service and the tragedy of his murder, the archbishop himself, his eminence Cardinal Mundelein, will be attending the mass.

Father Mulroney, starting to worry inwardly, smiles outwardly at the news. The bishop then goes on to say they will have another prominent guest, mayoral candidate Joe DeMotte. Apparently, the bishop continues, DeMotte is having a press conference after the funeral to speak out against crime. Mistaking the father's wincing expression for a smile, the bishop tells him he knew the father would be pleased.

Father Mulroney starts to go into a long lie about how happy he is, but the Bishop sees through it. He tells the priest not to get carried away.

After Bishop Duggan leaves, Father Mulroney quickly heads over to inform Sister Mary. She expresses some surprise at the idea the cardinal will be coming. When Mulroney explains about DeMotte as well, she asks if his friend Biggins will also be in attendance.

The father agrees that is likely, and mentions they'll need to keep an eye out for him. He also specifically mentions they'll need to be careful, as the alderman is not "in the know" about the full details of Deacon Dickford's demise. Sister Mary agrees it would not be prudent for the alderman to know such things.

Finally, Father Mulroney expresses his exasperation as for how to prepare the church for such an event. He asks the sister if she has any ideas. She flatly mentions that the deacon was shot in the head, so they'll need a lot of ice. The father shudders at the thought of the smell of the decomposing deacon, and mentions he'll have Sister Eunice get an extra-large delivery from the ice truck.

Session 7 - Scene 6 (of 15)

Father Mulroney gets the boys together and spends a busy day of cleaning while Shoes keeps an eye on the warehouse. In the afternoon, Shoes contacts Biggins to see if any information has shaken loose on the success of the Ned Flynn setup (nothing yet) while Father Mulroney attempts to do some more research into the Latin phrase spoken by Dr. Krasnik.

Later that evening, Biggins gets the evening edition of the Lakefront City Star, only to discover the headline to be "Explosion on the Docks". Reading the story, he discovers the ship The Irish Rose blew up on the docks that afternoon, killing Waterfront Improvement Association President Ned Flynn along with Federal Prohibition Unit agents Carl Beck and John Burns and several other workers at the docks. The story goes on to say that local, state, and federal agencies are investigating and believe the explosion was the result of a bombing.

Back at the warehouse, Shoes takes a call. The man on the end of the line doesn't give his name but Shoes recognizes it as O'Conner. O'Conner sounds livid, abruptly telling Shoes he wants a sit-down at his place in 15 minutes. Shoes tries to explain that now isn't a good time, but the mob boss tells him if he and Mulroney aren't there in 15 minutes he'll put them in the ground.

Shoes immediately calls over to St. Vincent's, interrupting Father Mulroney ironing his robes. He tells the priest that O'Conner is hot about something and wants them over right away but he doesn't know why. Mulroney agrees to meet him over there. Shoes tells the priest to be sure and not leave him alone there.

After the call, Shoes heads over in the warehouse truck, not wanting to be seen on the streets. When he arrives, he is immediately taken to a back room. There he finds O'Conner flanked by a number of his men – including both O'Bannion brothers, O'Conner's lieutenant "Crazy" Cunin, Cunin's bodyguard Al Kachellek, the gang's hit man "Two Gun" Varain, and a guy Shoes knows as Duffy – hired muscle for the gang out of Philly. All of them appear to have their guns within short reach.

Shoes tells O'Conner that the father will be there soon. O'Conner forcefully tells Shoes to sit down. He immediately begins yelling at the boy, asking him what he and the father did. He goes on to say they have no idea of the kind of heat they are bringing down on everyone.

When Shoes tries to ask what he is referring to, O'Conner explains he is talking about the bomb he and Mulroney put on Flynn's boat. He goes on to berate them for not following his instructions and getting two feds killed instead of just getting Flynn arrested. Shoes stays calm and explains he has no idea what happened with the boat but that he and the father didn't put any bomb on it. O'Conner says they'll wait until the priest arrives and get things sorted out. John T. grins in a way that unnerves Shoes.

Just then, Father Mulroney is shown into the back room. O'Conner sardonically announces his entrance, calling him the "architect of everyone's destruction". When Mulroney explains he doesn't know what is going on, O'Conner again explains about the bomb on the ship at the docks.

The father starts recounting the actions they did take. To Shoes' horror, Mulroney makes the mistake of admitting they contracted Ulnovsky to put the liquor on the ship. O'Conner is exasperated, in disbelief that Mulroney couldn't see that adding the Russian to the equation would be disastrous.

In his usual way, Shoes offers a sardonic quip to add some humor to the situation. O'Conner nods to John T., who then shoots Shoes in the kneecap. As the boy goes down in pain, Father Mulroney thinks and talks really quickly, trying to convince O'Conner not to kill them both.

O'Conner relents slightly, noting the priest could still be more useful alive than dead, but notes he's very close to the line. O'Conner thinks some more, analyzing the situation. He speculates Sean O'Casey was likely killed along with Flynn and that Dion Carmody is the likely candidate to take over Flynn's racket; and that Carmody will be out for blood.

As O'Conner sees it, the first order of business is to make sure Carmody never learns the Russians have a connection back to anyone else; they can't give Ulnovsky the opportunity to give out the father's name. O'Conner makes a point to be very clear with Mulroney – if Ulnovsky gives them up to Carmody, they're done.

Father Mulroney agrees, but tells O'Conner he can't do much as they've just shot Shoes, his main muscle. He goes on to say that the rest of the boys aren't very effective in these matters. O'Conner sees his point and tells the priest to get his pal to the hospital; he'll have James and John T. take care of the Ulnovsky problem. But, O'Conner warns, this means they owe him even more.

O'Conner goes on to explain he has a favor in return he wants and it will need to happen quickly. As he explains to the priest, he has a plan to get back the money he sent to Merlo. Father Mulroney is shocked by the next question – when O'Conner asks how useful his friend the alderman is...

Session 7 - Scene 7 (of 15)

Deanie O'Conner explains his plan to Father Mulroney. In order to secure back the money, he's engaged the services of an "outside contractor" to rob the bank and retrieve the money. He wants Biggins to tag along as an inside man to keep an eye on things. O'Conner notes that naturally this means Biggins will need to wear a mask.

Father Mulroney tries to get more information out of O'Conner about the specifics, but he tells the priest not to worry about the details and just get Biggins over here.

The priest calls over to the alderman's office. Biggins, assuming the father is calling about the funeral and subsequent press conference, asks if everything is ready for the big day. Mulroney confirms, and tells Biggins he needs another favor.

When Biggins asks what the favor is, Mulroney struggles on how to break it to him. He begins reminding the alderman about how the message got confused when he was sent to contact Ulnovsky last time. He then explains there was a new confusion, and how Ulnovsky bombed the ship instead of just planting the liquor. Biggins confirms he read the story in the paper, but it is clear the alderman doesn't understand the full implications.

Mulroney goes on to explain that "Journalist O'Conner" is interested in the story as well, noting that O'Conner is upset by the news. Biggins begins to see where this is going and starts to get nervous. The priest goes on to say that Shoes was given the "gift of lead" and is out of commission for a while and that he needs Biggins' help on another matter. When Biggins asks what kind of help, the priest simply says, "the kind that will keep us above ground".

Alderman Biggins agrees that staying alive is a powerful motivator, but still wants to know what he'll be doing. Mulroney explains it as an undercover operation involving crowd control. When Biggins presses, he admits it may require flashing a gun.

Biggins doesn't like the sound of the favor at all. He's not a violent man and tells the priest he doesn't want to hurt anyone. He asks if the gun can be unloaded but Mulroney explains he'll want to keep it loaded. He also tells the alderman he'll want to keep his face covered, off-handedly noting that Shoes should have done the same.

The alderman wants to know when the operation will take place. Mulroney explains that it will have to happen as soon as they get the call. When Biggins insists that it will need to wait until after the funeral, the father tells him sternly that O'Conner is not a man who will want to be kept waiting.

Session 7 - Scene 8 (of 15)

The day of the funeral has the atmosphere of a pageant. Bishop Duggan gives the main service, with Father Mulroney speaking part of the eulogy and even Cardinal Mundelein having a few words. Afterwards, Joe DeMotte and Jethro Biggins both give their speeches and Mulroney admits that Biggins can give an impressive speech when needed.

Afterwards, Father Mulroney gets a nod of appreciation from the bishop and DeMotte thanks him for the opportunity. Burns is busy congratulating Biggins, telling him that as soon as DeMotte wins, he'll be on the inside track.

Later that evening, Father Mulroney receives a call from O'Conner; it is time to bring in Biggins. The priest calls Biggins and has him drive.

When they arrive at Harrigan's, they are once again taken to the back room. There are less of O'Conner's guys there this time; and to Mulroney's relief, the O'Bannion brothers are not in attendance.

Father Mulroney does notice some new faces in the room. Deanie introduces the main guy as Cody Powers, a name the priest recognizing as being the armed robbery fugitive from Statesville Prison.

Powers is a tough-looking street thug. He introduces his guys as "Lucky", "Malone", "Weasel", and "Sand" and immediately goes into the robbery plan. He and Lucky will be heading to the vault, Malone will take the cash drawers, Weasel and Biggins will work crowd control, and Sand will be driving the getaway car.

Approaching Biggins uncomfortably close, Powers looks him over. He warns the alderman not to flake out, or he'll drop him right there. He wants a tight operation, a quick in and out with O'Conner's safe deposit box contents and whatever else they can grab. O'Conner hands Lamb a slip of paper with the box number on it.

When he asks Biggins where they can pick him up, the alderman gives the location of a telephone booth a few blocks from his office. Powers isn't thrilled they'll have to drive across town to pick him up, and warns him he better be ready.

Father Mulroney brings up the matter of a gun. Cody tells him that's Biggins' problem. To make sure the alderman is armed, Mulroney gives him the .45 revolver he took off the night watchman.

Session 7 - Scene 9 (of 15)

Once the meeting with Powers and O'Conner is concluded, Father Mulroney takes the turn to return his attention to the Latin phrase he's been unable to decipher. He makes an appointment and heads over to North-Central University to see his contact, Dr. Gary Galbreth.

Dr. Galbreth is excited to see the priest again and wonders if he has another artifact to show him. The priest explains that it is just a Latin phrase he needs help with; as his own Latin is limited to liturgical uses.

The professor explains his Latin knowledge is fairly limited as well, as he is only familiar with its use in taxonomy. He does, however, have some collegues in the Classics department that he could contact for help. He copies down the phrase from Mulroney and tells him he'll get back in touch with him once he hears something.

Session 7 - Scene 10 (of 15)

Early the next morning, just after the bank opens, the Cody Powers Gang makes its move. Paul Sand pulls the large touring car up to right in front of the bank. Powers' main muscle, a large guy named Lucky Lamb, readies his Thompson and complains about having to bring "this moron" along, referring to Biggins.

The group quickly exits the car and bursts into the bank. Powers immediately moves to grab the bank president to get the keys for the vault. Lucky follows, but the bank guard draws his gun. Weasel shoots and the guard and misses, but the guard manages to drop Weasel. Lamb starts firing a wild spray in the guard's direction, but is admonished by Powers to let the other guys handle it.

With the guard turning his attention to him, Biggins decides to fire his own gun. He misses. Malone, meanwhile, grabs a female customer to use as a shield. Just then, an alarm sounds; one of the tellers must have set it off.

In the back, Powers asks Lamb for the number. He looks at the paper and reads it as 161. As Powers gets the box open, Lamb tells him to hurry as the cops will be there soon.

Back in the main area, the guard misses with a shot at Biggins and the alderman takes cover behind a large potted plant. Malone throws down his hostage and tries to take out the guard with his sawed-off shotgun, but only manages to damage the lobby.

Inside the vault, Lamb keeps telling Powers they have to get moving. Powers opens the safety deposit box and finds a small black box inside. He pockets it and says to get moving.

As they exit the vault, Lamb guns down the guard in a hail of bullets from the Tommy Gun. He asks Powers about Weasel's body. Cody tells him to leave it and get moving.

As the others leave out the main door, Biggins struggles to get to his feet. Once outside, Lamb covers the rest of the group by firing a burst of shots at the cops heading down the block towards the bank.

When Biggins reaches the car, the robbers slam the door in his face and begin to drive off. He tries to run and jump on the back of the car, but isn't athletic enough to pull it off. Half a block behind him, two beat cops have their revolvers drawn, yelling at him to stop.

Session 7 - Scene 11 (of 15)

Biggins tries to make a run for it, but the cops are in better shape. Thinking quickly, he ducks down a nearby alley and heads through a door into a service corridor.

Once inside, he moves around until he manages to get a little breathing room. He then ditches his mask and jacket, hoping to be less conspicuous.

Looking around, he spots an elevator close by. When the gate opens, he hops inside without looking. But once the gate closes, he realizes he is standing right next to Vito Lipari, Al Tolino's bodyguard that he met at the sit-down. In fact, the more Biggins thinks about it, he appears to be in some kind of hotel and there's only one big hotel downtown near the bank – the Lexington.

Lipari narrows his eyes and looks closely at Biggins, saying "Don't I know you?" Biggins convinces the man otherwise, getting a half-hearted apology. As Lipari is headed up to the penthouse, Biggins decides to have the elevator boy stop on the next floor.

Once he's safely away from Lipari, Biggins knows he needs to get away from the area quickly without being seen. He looks around the hallway and spots a janitor's closet. The door is unlocked and Biggins slips on a spare set of coveralls.

Emerging from the utility closet, he has just enough time to put on a janitor act before the cops come down the hall, still looking for the robber on the loose. Once they've passed by, he makes his way downstairs and out the back.

Session 7 - Scene 12 (of 15)

After his business at North-Central University is complete, Father Mulroney heads back over to Harrigan's to see how the operation with Powers went. When he arrives, he notices he sees Powers and his gang, but no Biggins.

Cody explains that the alderman didn't make it back in time. He also mentions them losing one of their guys too because of a guard. Mulroney tries to express the danger of Biggins being caught, but Powers simply states it isn't his problem. O'Conner tells Mulroney he'll need to find Biggins himself.

Deanie is more interested in getting his money. But when Powers produces the small black box, he's confused. He tells the crooks he deposited a large money bag of cash, not a small box.

O'Conner then asks if that is what was found in box 191. Lamb insists the slip said 161, though looking at it closer he sees it could be seen either way.

Disgusted the operation is a bust, O'Conner tells Powers and his guys to leave. He gives the box to Mulroney as a gift, since he figures the priest still owes him a favor.

The father opens the box to find a small obsidian disk inside. On it is carved the shape of a strange, frog-like creature with half-open eyes and bat-like ears.

Father Mulroney finds the disk strangely mesmerizing. He grabs the stone to put it in his pocket when everything suddenly goes black.

Session 7 - Scene 13 (of 15)

When he opens his eyes again, Father Mulroney finds himself lying in a hospital bed. Next to him is Shoes, with his leg elevating and draining.

Mulroney asks Shoes what happened. Shoes explains someone must have roughed him up because he's been lying there, unconscious, for at least an hour.

The priest isn't sure what to make of things. The last thing he remembers is seeing the strange stone with the toad creature on it. He can feel the stone is still in his pants pocket under his robes. Talking mostly to himself, the father comments that perhaps he shouldn't have taken it out. Shoes, half joking, remarks that he's starting to mumble like Dr. Krasnik.

A nurse notices the priest awake and alert, and stops over to check on him. When he asks her what happened, she explains he came in comatose, apparently after having some kind of fainting spell.

After a brief examination to make sure he's OK, the nurse calls a doctor over. The doctor starts his own examination, asking Mulroney a series of questions about whether he's had any head injuries, whether he heard any sounds, or saw bright flashes of light, or heard any ringing sounds prior to falling unconscious.

Father Mulroney explains to the doctor that he experienced none of that. The doctor looks confused, saying normally he'd believe something like this was epilepsy, but the priest isn't showing any signs and appears to be all right now. He tells Mulroney he is free to leave whenever he wished, but the priest decides to stay the night to be safe.

As for Shoes, the doctor notes his leg is draining well. When the youth expresses the pain he's in, the doctor prescribes more morphine. Shoes dryly notes they could use some for the road.

The next day, Father Mulroney is discharged. Before leaving, he takes a look at the disk again; this time carefully pulling it out with a cloth to avoid it touching his hand.

He shoes the object to Shoes (which he refers to as a medallion), who is briefly hypnotized by it, then shakes off the effect. He tells the priest the disk is creepy and strongly suggests he put it away.

The father gives his opinion that there is definitely something strange going on in the city: first the fish-man, and now this strange artifact. Shoes begs him to get rid of the object and focus on their problems with O'Conner. But the priest isn't so sure, he feels that perhaps God has a purpose for having him witness these strange events.

In the meantime, Mulroney does admit the more pressing matter is to find out what happened to Alderman Biggins. He tells Shoes to rest up and that he'll see him soon.

Session 7 - Scene 14 (of 15)

Outside the hospital, Father Mulroney finds a telephone booth and makes a call over to Biggins' office. To his surprise, Biggins himself answers.

He asks Biggins if he knows who he is. Biggins playfully responds that it is the person who keeps getting him into trouble. The alderman goes on to explain what happened with the bank guard and how he escaped from the cops by ducking into a hotel.

Mulroney is concerned at the mention of the hotel, and clarifies with Biggins that it was indeed the Lexington. Biggins even relates the story of running into Lipari but convincing him he didn't know him. The father hopes Biggins was successful, noting they have enough problems as it is.

The priest goes on to explain about the problem with the robbery and the wrong box. He cautions Biggins to lie low for a while. When Biggins asks if their debt is paid off now, Mulroney notes that with a man like O'Conner, a good effort isn't good enough.

The next call Mulroney makes is over to O'Conner. Deanie is surprised to hear the father is still alive, telling him he thought the priest had a heart attack or a stroke or something. He also notes that Powers nearly pissed himself laughing when Mulroney collapsed.

The father ignores the barb about Powers and mentions he's contacted Biggins and Biggins got away clean. He then asks O'Conner what the plan is now. But O'Conner wants to let things die down a bit and wait to see if the priest and Shoes can recover a bit first. He tells him he'll get back in touch with them in a couple of weeks.

Once that is taken care of, Mulroney heads over to the warehouse to get the boys back under control. Over in the corner, he sees Dr. Krasnik is a mess; the man is sitting in his own filth and likely dehydrated.

The father goes over to have a talk with the boys, telling them to clean the man up and feed and water him. He admonishes them for not taking proper care of the man. When one of them asks how long they have to keep the vegetable around, the priest replies as long as he is useful.

After Krasnik is cleaned up, the father uses a cloth to take out the disk and shows it to the doctor. The doctor's eyes go wide and he says a single word, "Cooper", before he appears to have a stroke and falls over, dead.

Father Mulroney tells the boys their guest no longer needs their services and instructs them on rolling the body up in a rug to dispose of it.

Session 7 - Scene 15 (of 15)

Father Mulroney decides to take another trip out to Dr. Galbreth's office once Krasnik's body is disposed of. The professor is surprised to see Mulroney so soon. He tells him he has heard back from his colleague in the Classics department and produces a note.

Dr. Galbreth explains the note could have several translations, but the most accurate would appear to be "The crimson rivers flow with the blood of perfect men". He tells the priest that the phrase sounds strangely familiar; like he read it some time ago in an academic journal or similar material.

Mulroney then explains he has something new to show the doctor. First, he warns Galbreth about the mesmerizing effects of the stone, even mentioning that touching it put him in the hospital. Galbreth asks how the stone is related to the claw, but Mulroney says they are two apparently unrelated events.

When he uncovers the disk, Galbreth is instantly hypnotized by it. In almost a fugue, he tells the priest he understands what he meant now. Shaking off the effects, he tells Mulroney to cover it up immediately.

The doctor then explains he can offer little insight into the object. He suggests Father Mulroney try someone in the anthropology department, but notes he might have better luck at the museum. Galbreth also notes the museum archives might also be able to locate that phrase.

Father Mulroney thanks the professor for his suggestion. He asks if he has any contacts at the museum. Galbreth mentions he did briefly meet Sir Archibald Beatty (the chief director of the museum) at the opening of a natural history exhibit once, but does not have a relationship with the man. As Mulroney leaves, Galbreth lets him know he'd like to hear about anything the priest can find.

Session 7 - Session Notes

Wow - this session wasn't longer than normal, it just had a ton of things going on. It didn't necessarily have the best flow yet (Shoes had very little to do, for example), but it did manage to advance the plots (both gangbusters and cthulhu themed) and had some great character drama.

Notes about the session:
* I wanted killing the deacon to be a big deal and not just another murder. When shady types get killed, the general population doesn't care. When Joe Citizen gets popped, it's a big deal and brings down a lot of heat.

* The players really started to see their own spiral of bad decisions and how each decision led to another one to cover it up. There was a lot of talk about how the campaign continues to inadvertantly feel like the TV show, The Shield.

* Detectives Greevy and Logan are obviously based on the Law & Order characters of the similar names.

* The PCs really agonized over the decision of whether or not to cover up the deacon's murder by murdering one of the orphan boys. In the end, they decided it was far too heinous of an act for them.

* Shoes' (unanticipatedly foreshadowing) comment about becoming disfigured was laughed at quite a bit later once he got knee-capped.

* I loved doing the jump cut from Biggins' phone call with Burns to Mulroney's talk with the bishop. The players never saw that coming.

* The Mulroney player made the decision that he let Sister Mary in on the killing; I originally didn't plan on her knowing. I really wish Sister Mary was a PC and not a NPC - she could be a lot more involved.

* The Russians bombing the boat was something else the players didn't see coming but I had planned the whole time once they made the (not very good) decision to involve them.

* O'Conner isn't going to be the only one upset about the explosion - Tolino's response is coming up too. The death of the federal agents is going to be a gaping wound in the city that leads to a lot of problems for our intrepid anti-heroes (not terribly unlike robbing the Armenian money train turned out to be on The Shield).

* I originally thought O'Conner should probably kill Mulroney for being dumb enough to admit involving Ulnovsky but at the last minute decided not to in order to avoid derailing the campiagn. The Shoes player picked the wrong time to make one of his trademark smartass remarks, though.

* The bank job was originally planned as a prologue to the campaign with the discovery of the strange box bringing in the supernatural element. However, plans changed and I went with the trouble on the docks instead. When the whole sit-down happened, I reasoned it would be a good time to re-add the storyline.

* Biggins being in the robbery is taking some liberties with dramatic license, but since Shoes (the original storyline planned for him to be the one) got shot I figured it was the only option.

* I spent a lot of time building up the tension for the funeral, but ultimately decided it would be dreadfully boring to play out so I had it occur off-screen. It served its purpose.

* Cody Powers and gang all come from the TSR product. The only change I made was removing the stupid storyline TSR had about Paul Sand being an undercover FBI agent (something that didn't happen for another 30+ years).

* During the robbery, the Mulroney player ran Lucky Lamb while Shoes ran Weasel (until he got killed) and Malone.

* I actually wrote out a slip of paper with the safe deposit box number on it. It was purposely written to be ambiguous (if the players would have noticed the ambiguity, they could have gotten the money back by taking both boxes).

* Biggins getting away was pure gold. It dawned on the Mulroney player first what hotel he accidentally slipped into (originally not planned by me, but since Biggins slipped into a random alley door I thought it was a good turn).

* The mysterious artifact in the box has a purpose but that won't come up for a while. Hopefully the PCs will start following the few clues to track down more information about it. BTW - Mulroney passed his sanity check when he touched it, passing out was his brain's way of protecting him from going insane.

* The Latin phrase is taken straight from the French film, The Crimson Rivers. I'm not using any of the rest of the movie's plot, just the phrase and the general concept of eugenics (something very popular at the time).

* The Musuem is a location I've been hoping to introduce for awhile now and it looks like the clues may finally take the PCs there soon.

Session 8 - Cast of Characters

 Father Clink Mulroney - Irish Roman Catholic priest running a bootlegging operation out of his church

 Alderman Jethro Biggins - Corrupt city alderman on the take from Mulroney

 Francis "Shoes" McDougal - Young street criminal and former orphan acting as Mulroney's chief lieutenant / muscle

Session 8 - Scene 1 (of 13)

The next week passes with little of interest. Both Father Clink Mulroney and Alderman Jethro Biggins try to return to a state of normalcy in their respective businesses while Francis "Shoes" McDougal continues to recover from his gunshot wound at the Bloomfield County Hospital.

The banality of this routine is suddenly broken one morning when Alderman Biggins arrives at his office and told by his secretary, Cheryl Gimple, that there is a group of men in his office waiting to see him. Biggins asks her about the men, and she explains there are four men, at least two of whom identified themselves as police officers. Concerned at the idea but not wanting to give anything away, Biggins heads in.

He finds four men standing around the office, all wearing suits. Two of the men introduce themselves as police detectives Vincent Goren and Alexander Eames. The other two men are introduced as Bureau of Investigation agents Bob Clark and Ben White. They tell the alderman they need to bring him in for questioning.

Biggins tries to get a better idea of what the men might be there for, but makes no headway and ultimately agrees to go along with them. He is taken down to the central precinct where the detectives bureau is located and brought into Goren and Eames' office.

As he takes a seat, the alderman spots various files on the desk. Nestled between them appears to be a sketch. Biggins' pulse quickens as he realizes the sketch is one of himself wearing his bandanna mask during the bank robbery.

The detectives remain standing around him as Goren asks the alderman if he knows why he has been brought down there. Biggins responds that he has no idea, but often has a lot of meetings with his constituents and other officials who need his help. Detective Eames notes that it is one of the alderman's meetings that they are interested in.

Eames goes on to discuss how they've talked to Captain Daniel Ross of the 3rd ward precinct and he told them about Biggins asking around about a man named Vasily Ulnovsky. Biggins responds by giving the men the same story that he gave Captain Ross about Ulnovsky causing trouble for his constituents who work on the docks. He's not sure if all the investigators are buying the story.

Detective Goren explains that Ulnovsky is identified as their chief suspect for the recent docks bombing, asking Biggins what he knows about it. Biggins explains he's familiar with it from the newspapers.

Goren goes on to press Biggins about his knowledge of Ulnovsky and whether or not he has any connections to any associates of the Russian. The alderman responds that he has no direct connection. Goren's eyes narrow, asking about indirect connections the alderman may have. Biggins stumbles in his response, saying he has no connections to anyone in particular associated with Ulnovsky.

The investigators all seem less than convinced, but Goren just sighs and notes that Biggins doesn't appear to know anything. He asks the alderman to let them know if he hears anything.

Detective Eames then makes a joke about the bureau agents being kept busy, between the bombing and the bank robbery. The bureau agents remain stoically silent, unnerving the alderman. Biggins, concerned they may be on to him, responds as if he hasn't heard about the bank robbery.

Goren briefly explains to the alderman about the bank robbery and how it has been connected to the fugitive from Statesville Prison, Cody Powers. He lets Biggins know that they'd be interested in any information he comes across for that crime as well.

Session 8 - Scene 2 (of 13)

Several blocks away, Father Mulroney gets a cup of coffee from Sister Eunice and sits down at the kitchen table in the rectory to read the morning paper. He cringes slightly at the headline, "Three More Killed in Escalating Violence at the Docks". Reading the story further, it seems that Dion Carmody and Vasily Ulnovsky are now at a state of full warfare.

One other story catches the priest's eye, nearly hidden in the corner of page 2. The title is "Man Found Tortured and Murdered in Warehouse". Reading further, the story lists the victim as being identified as Paul Sand, a known associate of fugitive Cody Powers. The story suggests the police believe Powers murdered Sand over a disagreement about the money taken from the recent robbery at First National Bank.

As Mulroney reads on, the story gets more interesting. According to utility records, the warehouse is listed as being rented by a Dr. Stefan Krasnik. Dr. Krasnik has been listed as a missing person for several weeks; having disappeared after leaving work one night at Statesville Prison, where Krasnik serves as the attending physician. Police believe Powers and his gang may have abducted Krasnik in order to gain access to his warehouse for criminal purposes.

The priest finds the whole story very odd indeed. While Cody Powers is certainly a psychopath, Mulroney knows they didn't actually get any money from the bank robbery according to what Biggins said; just the strange black disk that came from busting open the wrong safety deposit box.

Analyzing the story in his head, Mulroney finds the connection to Dr. Krasnik even stranger. While he likes the idea that the police will be pinning Krasnik's disappearance on Powers, he knows there is no connection between the two and it would seem a bizarre coincidence that Sand's body would be found there. Furthermore, he can't figure out what a medical doctor who works at the prison (and consults at the asylum) would need a warehouse for in the first place.

Leaving aside the question of what the doctor was up to (and silently admonishing himself for the disastrous turn of events with the doctor's abduction; especially now that it seems the doctor was quite a bit more involved in things that he first seemed), Mulroney decides to go pay a visit to Shoes to see how his recovery is going. He also wants to take the time to follow up on Dr. Galbreth's lead about checking into the museum about the black disk and the papers on "the crimson rivers".

Before heading out, the father knows he should probably take some muscle along. He knows he also hates driving himself around town if he can help it.

Father Mulroney mentally examines his roster of associates. Shoes, his main muscle, is in the hospital; as is Guigsy, still recovering from taking the bullet from Ulnovsky. The rest of the boys he usually used for muscle, Bonehead, Liam, and Noel, are all dead.

His remaining boys include Colin (or "Gem"), Alan ("Chaos"), Andy, Tony, Chris ("Rover"), and Zack. Mulroney knows Gem Archer is a competent jewel thief but not terribly intimidating. Likewise, he believes Chaos White is too unpredictable and more likely to cause trouble than help prevent it. Andy would be a decent choice, but he's busy keeping the liquor production up and training Zack.

The priest narrows down his choice to Tony or Rover. He'd been using Rover Sharrock mostly as a messenger, but the kid shows enthusiasm and potential so Mulroney ends up picking him. The fifteen year old youth is ecstatic at being asked to substitute for Shoes.

Session 8 - Scene 3 (of 13)

Shoes is bored out of his mind at the hospital and perks up considerably when he sees Father Mulroney has come to visit. He's less enthusiastic to see that the priest has brought one of the "new kids" along with him, but greets Rover warmly.

Father Mulroney immediately notices the dark circles under Shoes' eyes and his pale complexion. He asks the boy what is wrong. Shoes explains he hasn't been sleeping well; too many nightmares lately. Particularly vivid in his mind are the ones with hissing sounds.

Mulroney wonders if Shoes should speak to the hospital alienist about the dreams, but the youth is adamantly against it; fearful of being put into the hands of someone like Dr. Bronfenburgher. Rover, meanwhile, ignores most of the conversation and is only interested if there are any "pretty dames" working the hospital, which elicits a sighed response from Shoes that he is not so lucky.

Around this time one of the doctors stops by Shoes' bed; it's one of the residents, Dr. Seibert. The doctor asks Shoes how he is doing, referring to his as "Mr. McDougal". Dr. Seibert notes in the chart that the knee is healing up well. When Shoes asks how much longer he'll be stuck in the hospital, the doctor responds that he'll need another week or so before he'll be up and using a crutch.

Father Mulroney tells the doctor about Shoes not sleeping well. The resident wonders if it could be the morphine, but Shoes quickly notes the morphine is just fine. Dr. Seibert guesses Shoes just needs a sedative and notes on his chart for a dose of Luminal. Before leaving, the doctor notes how nice it is for the priest to take time to visit the boy and how he must do a great job at molding the young men under his care.

After Dr. Seibert leaves, Mulroney asks Shoes if Biggins has come to visit. Shoes notes that he hasn't seen or heard anything from Biggins since before Deacon Dickford was killed by that mugger.

The father notes he will need to follow up with Biggins, but first plans to go to the Lakefront Museum of Natural History. He explains to Shoes that he plans to visit the director of the museum, Sir Archibald Beatty, based on his discussion with Dr. Galbreth about the black disk.

Rover isn't sure exactly what they are talking about. Father Mulroney, feeling mischievous, decides to show the stone to Rover to get his reaction. He carefully takes out the stone using his handkerchief and displays it.

The youth, like everyone else, is immediately enchanted. Before Mulroney can react, Rover reaches out to touch the stone. His eyes go wide and his mouth looks as if to scream, but no sound comes out. He then falls to the ground unconscious.

As a nurse and other medical personnel come over to assist, the priest quickly pockets the stone again. He knew something like that could happen and knows he should have used better judgment. Still, he thinks to himself, he can see how Powers got a chuckle out of it when it happened to him.

Once Rover is carted off for examination, Shoes begs the father to get him out of the hospital. Mulroney says he can't do it that day, but will come back tomorrow. In the meantime, he tells the youth he'll have Biggins come by to cheer him up. Shoes sardonically notes that Biggins is always good for a laugh.

Session 8 - Scene 4 (of 13)

After getting dropped back off at his office by the police, Cheryl lets Biggins know he missed another call while he was out. Seeing the message, Biggins realizes it is Captain Deakins' number.

Heading into his office, Biggins calls over to the precinct and talks with the captain. Deakins informs the alderman that he heard the alderman had a visit that morning. Biggins explains what occurred, but Deakins notes he already knows.

The captain admonishes Biggins to be more careful. He explains that Captain Ross over in the 5th ward was connected heavily with Flynn. Now that Flynn's dead, Deakins speculates that Ross is in bed with Carmody. He warns Biggins that Carmody has gone to the mattresses, killing anyone tied to the Russians; if Biggins has ties to Ulnovsky it will mean Carmody coming after him too. Finally, he slips a quick warning that he can't guarantee Biggins won't be under surveillance from the detective bureau now.

Session 8 - Scene 5 (of 13)

Father Mulroney deposits a nickel into the collection box at the museum entrance and heads inside. He smiles and nods at the guard on the way in. The museum has a fair number of people visiting that day.

Heading over to the information counter, he asks the secretary to speak with Sir Archibald Beatty, the museum director. After making sure the priest does not have an appointment, the woman explains that the director is very busy and he'll have to make an appointment.

Undeterred, Mulroney goes on to say how he believes Sir Archibald will have an interest in his "trinket". The woman asks if he is there to donate something and offers to have someone come up from the collections department. The priest answers obliquely, saying "not exactly..."

When the secretary asks what the object is, Father Mulroney offers to show it to her. Once again being careful not to touch it, he takes the object out. As with the others, the woman is instantly mesmerized. She begins rambling on about how interesting and strange the object is; and once Mulroney covers it back up and she comes out of her haze, she agrees to see if Sir Archibald has some free time.

After waiting in the museum lobby for another hour or so, the secretary finally shows him into Sir Archibald's office. It is lavishly furnished with artifacts from India and Africa, including several weapons, pictures of Sir Archibald in the field, and other memorabilia. The man himself is rather large, with white hair and a walrus-like mustache. He gregariously offers the priest to sit.

When he asks what Mulroney has to show him, the priest begins by showing him the Latin phrase he took from Dr. Krasnik. Sir Archibald shakes his head, good-naturedly explaining he has no cognizance of the tongue.

Mulroney agrees that he had trouble with it as well. He reads the translation of the phrase and asks the director if he's heard it before. The director claims he has not, but Mulroney can tell he's not being entirely truthful.

Next, Mulroney shows the director the claw he found on the docks. Sir Archibald is more excited at this, saying it reminds him somewhat of a large tiger claw. He wistfully mentions his time in the Colonial Army while stationed in India.

Sir Archibald then asks what manner of creature the claw is from; he's hunted many on safari's but does not recognize it. Father Mulroney says he isn't sure, but what told the material is closer to shark bone and asks the director what he thinks of that. Sir Archibald shrugs at the question, saying he's no scientist.

Father Mulroney smiles slyly at the response, agreeing that the two of them are just simple, honest men. He then explains he has one final thing to show the director, but first warns him about the poor reaction people have to it. He especially admonishes him not to touch it, which causes Sir Archibald to believe the object must be poisoned.

Sir Archibald is mesmerized by the object. He admits he's never seen anything like it, but notes he's no anthropologist. He suggests that Mulroney take it "downstairs" to a Dr. Frock right away, assuring the priest that he'll free up the doctor's schedule.

Session 8 - Scene 6 (of 13)

After taking the elevator down, Father Mulroney discovers the basement level of the museum is rather Spartan, dank, and dark; despite being a relatively new building. He walks down the hallway until finding the door marked "Anthropology, Dr. Whitney Frock".

Knocking on the door elicits a call to enter. Stepping inside, Father Mulroney finds an older man in a wheelchair at a table looking at some pottery shards with a magnifying glass. Without looking up, Dr. Frock asks Mulroney what he wants.

Father Mulroney explains he was sent down by Sir Archibald to look at an object, explaining how he was showing it to the director previously. Dr. Frock scoffs, noting that he'll certainly be able to tell Mulroney more than the director could.

As before, Mulroney starts with the Latin phrase. Dr. Frock identifies the phrase as something he's read before; in an article related to eugenics. But he isn't interested in further discussion, noting he's an anthropologist and not an evolutionary biologist.

Mulroney doesn't have any better luck with the claw, though Frock notes that many primitive cultures use such things for necklaces. He suggests such a claw could perhaps be found amongst the tribesmen in Borneo.

Finally, Father Mulroney shows him the black disk; Frock handles it better than most. Dr. Frock notes the stone itself seems unfamiliar, but he's not a geologist. The carvings, however, are somewhat familiar to him.

Dr. Frock begins wheeling himself towards the door, telling Mulroney to follow him; he explains they need to go to the archive room. Along the way, he explains the carvings look similar to those of the Hopwell Indians, a tribe that lived near this area, in a place called the Cahokia Mounds, before colonists settled here.

But when they reach the archives, Dr. Frock gets agitated while looking through the files. He exclaims his frustration that the file is missing. Checking the log book, he is surprised and openly exclaims his confusion that the file was taken by someone who he implies shouldn't be accessing it.

When Mulroney asks him to explain, Dr. Frock says the file was recently checked out by a former employee who hasn't worked there in months. He names the employee as a biologist named Dr. Stefan Krasnik, noting there was some kind of scandal related that led to his dismissal. Father Mulroney plays it cool, but his excitement is up; there is definitely more connecting Dr. Krasnik to the events going on than he realized.

The mention of Dr. Krasnik reminds Dr. Frock of something as well. He tells Mulroney that now that he thinks about it, the paper where he read the phrase about the crimson rivers was related to a paper of Krasnik's. He checks the files, but the file isn't there yet. He tells the priest that, unfortunately, the paper is probably still in the secured archives section of the old building across town and that it could take six months or more before it gets moved to the new one.

Father Mulroney thanks the scientist for his time. Dr. Frock would like to keep the black disk to study it, but Mulroney doesn't want to let it out of his sight. Instead, he allows Frock to draw a sketch of it and take some photographs before he leaves.

Session 8 - Scene 7 (of 13)

When he returns to the church, Father Mulroney is approached by Sister Mary. She tells him he got a call from "Harrigan's" while he was out. When he asks her if the message was to call Harrigan's or go down there, she indifferently says it makes little difference as one always leads to the other.

Getting O'Conner on the phone, Mulroney quickly discovers how prophetic Sister Mary was, as Deanie tells him to get himself and "the alderman" down to Harrigan's right away. His next call is to Biggins.

Alderman Biggins doesn't let him get much of a word in edge-wise at first, explaining about talking with the police and the federal agents at the station. Mulroney doesn't like the sound of having feds involved. He's even less thrilled that Biggins spotted a sketch of himself, and is only partially mollified by Biggins' deduction that clearly they haven't identified him yet.

Putting the matter aside for the moment, Father Mulroney explains to the alderman that they've been summoned again. Biggins cautions his contact in the police has warned him about being followed, explaining the whole Captain Ross / Flynn connection and the hunt for Ulnovsky. Mulroney tells him to exit out the back of his office building so he can pick him up in the alley.

Using his keen street smarts, Father Mulroney picks up Alderman Biggins from the alley behind his office without being seen; at least, as far as he can tell. On the way over, the two fully explain what they've been up to that day.

Father Mulroney tells Biggins the next step he has planned is to access the old museum and get to the secure archives. He asks Biggins if he is up for a night visit. The alderman notes it is a lot safer than most of the things the priest has involved him with lately.

They also discuss Shoes, and how he's still whining about being stuck in the hospital; Biggins suggests maybe he can use a hollowed-out crutch with a gun in it from now on.

Arriving at Harrigan's, Mulroney cautions Biggins to leave the talking to him. But when they step inside Harrigan's, the bartender tells them he thinks they have the wrong place. Mulroney is confused until he clarifies that "I think your dog picked up some fleas", which leads him to believe they've picked up a tail.

The two apologize for wasting the man's time and head back out. They look around carefully. Biggins spots a car down the street that looks familiar to one that's been parked near his office lately.

The father comes up with a plan. He tells Biggins to drive the car and get the tail to leave while he heads around back and enters the speakeasy through the alley.

Once inside, Mulroney finds Deanie in the back room with the O'Bannion brothers. As usual, O'Conner looks pissed. He asks the priest, "what gives?" and wants to know why Biggins is bringing down more heat on them.

Father Mulroney points out that O'Conner asked him to bring the alderman down to Harrigan's. Deanie retorts that he wasn't expecting a tail – he just wanted to ask them why Biggins was being hauled in by the cops. Mulroney explains about the interrogation in brief details.

O'Conner then goes into a rant about how everyone is messing up his business. He complains about "that psycho Powers". Deanie is convinced the missing doctor was the one who helped Powers escape and Powers probably whacked him afterward and stuffed the body somewhere like he did with Sand.

Deanie is especially upset that Powers didn't even pull the job off, and now the police are bearing down on everyone for the robbery since the guard was killed so much that he can't move any product. He also notes "Morgan even has his own guy looking into the robbery" and that even Tolino is smart enough to not tangle with Morgan. Mulroney assumes that O'Conner is referring to David Thomas Morgan, the powerful financier and chairman of the bank's board of directors; he interprets O'Conner to be saying that Mr. Morgan must have hired a private detective or something, but doesn't ask for clarification.

Of course, the bank robbery isn't the only problem. Deanie also refers to the situation with Ulnovsky as a nightmare. He explains that since Carmody is going to war on the docks, Ulnovsky has gone to ground and the O'Bannions haven't had any luck finding him.

Returning the matter to Alderman Biggins, Deanie suggests to Mulroney that he should stop running around with the alderman now that he's under surveillance unless they all want to get pinched. Father Mulroney admits it is not a bad idea and that he was trying to lie low for the time being. Deanie tells him to "lie lower". The final advice Deanie gives Mulroney is if they can't get rid of the cops, use Biggins to put them on to Powers or Carmody, or preferably both.

Session 8 - Scene 8 (of 13)

It takes Father Mulroney a short time to locate Biggins and get in the car. He asks the priest where they should go next. Mulroney sardonically remarks "I think they're on to us" and suggests they head back to the church instead of endangering their operations further.

The two men decide to lay low at the church until it gets dark. Father Mulroney decides to put Rover on lookout for the tail car, but Sister Mary reminds him Rover is still in the hospital. The priest notes the fact had slipped his mind in all the excitement of the day. Sister Mary blandly notes she can't recruit new help fast enough at the rate the priest is getting them incapacitated.

Mulroney explains the situation with Biggins and the tail car to Sister Mary. She coldly asks if it is time for Biggins to go, suggesting the politician has outlived his usefulness. But Mulroney isn't ready to give up the alderman just yet. Mary strongly suggests he keep Biggins away from her operations at the very least, noting Dr. X is not an understanding man and would not be pleased if there was any interference. Mulroney agrees, and wonders what sort of man Dr. X must be that he would intimidate someone as stonehearted as Sister Mary.

With Rover unavailable, Father Mulroney is once again forced to select another of the boys to assist. He decides on Tony. He has Tony stay outside and keep an eye on the tail car.

Later that evening, as it gets dark, Tony stops in and notes the car is still there but the guy sitting in it recently changed out with another man. Mulroney is not thrilled the surveillance is considered important enough by the cops to have shifts.

The priest instructs Tony to go over to the car and create a distraction. Not the most imaginative lad, Tony asks for suggestions on how. Mulroney barks at the youth to just tell him he has a sick grandmother needing help or something; anything to distract him. He then tells the boy to run away afterward, instructing him to acts as if it were a prank should he get caught.

To further confuse matters, Mulroney gets a spare nun's habit and robe and dress Biggins in it. Sister Mary does not find the disguise convincing, but Mulroney hopes it will be good enough from a distance.

The two try to sneak out but the cop isn't buying Tony's story and he spots them. They make a run for it as the detective starts up his car. The car closes in on them quickly, but they manage to duck into a side alley.

As the cop's car screeches to a halt the two continue running down the alley, getting some distance between them. The car turns and heads down the alley but they are far enough ahead that Father Mulroney manages to grab Biggins and get them both off to the side in some shadows before the car drives by.

After staying put to make sure they've lost the tail, Biggins takes off the disguise and they head out to the main street. Mulroney quickly hails a cab and gives the cabbie an address over near the old museum.

Session 8 - Scene 9 (of 13)

The old museum is under renovation construction to house the new Lakefront Museum of Science and Industry, scheduled for opening in 1928. Luckily for Father Mulroney and Alderman Biggins, the current state of the construction gives them plenty of easy access to inside the building.

It doesn't take long to find the stairway down to the old basement, but they find it is a narrow, rusty old spiral metal staircase. Some of the bolts look like they are starting to separate from the wall. Biggins tries his best to be quiet, but they make a lot of noise as they head down.

About halfway down the stairs, Mulroney realizes the moonlight illuminates the upper level well enough to see but not the basement. He also realizes he neglected to prepare any equipment ahead of time and doesn't have so much as a votive candle on him.

The two head back up and try to look around for anything they can use for light. Next to the stairway is a long pole with a wick; Mulroney recalls the old building still used gas lighting. He lights the wick with Biggin's cigar lighter and they head back down the stairs.

Using the pole, Father Mulroney lights a couple of the gas lamps along the walls. He is careful, however, to avoid having them too bright as he does not want to attract anyone's attention.

The basement is dark and musty, much worse than the one in the new museum. The two men find a nearby office door by the stairway and row after row of half-filled shelves of boxes and artifacts.

Mulroney instructs Biggins to check out the office. The alderman opens the office door to find a small, sparse office with a desk and chair. The desk has a typewriter on it and some typed papers next to it.

Biggins starts by going through the papers on the desk. They appear to be the work of an archivist, cataloging the various objects still to be moved to the new museum. He spots a reference to the Hopwell Indians in one of the papers and calls out to Mulroney. The priest then goes to look for the Indian artifacts while instructing Biggins to look around for the secured archives.

Session 8 - Scene 10 (of 13)

Wandering around for a few minutes, Biggins walks between the shelves and locates a vault-style door. Deducing this is likely the door to the secured archives room, Biggins tries opening it. He finds it unlocked and the loud, metal creaking noise of the door reverberates in the basement.

Inside, the alderman discovers a large number of filing cabinets. He begins rooting around, looking for anything related to Dr. Krasnik.

Meanwhile, Father Mulroney slowly advances into the dark regions of the basement. As he stops to light another lamp, he spots something out of the corner of his eye. But when he turns, he sees nothing, as he misses sight of the shadow that was there only moments before.

A few steps further and he locates the section on the Hopwell Indians. He notes that anything remotely valuable was likely already taken to the new museum; all he finds on the shelves are a collection of pottery shards. The shards do have marks resembling the black disk he carries, but the priest feels no strange feelings while examining them.

Turning to look at another pot, he comes face to face with another bulbous-headed creature. Startled, he jolts backwards, knocking over a shelf. Running back towards the stairs, Father Mulroney shouts out to Biggins – warning him there is a monster.

Alderman Biggins hears the commotion in the other part of the basement, but can barely make out what Mulroney is yelling about. He hears a loud crash from a distance away and spots the priest running straight for him. Mulroney grabs Biggins' coat, yelling that they have to leave right away.

The two men make a run for the stairs, but the old, rusted stairway cannot take the quick movement and sudden shifts in weight. As Biggins gets three-fourths of the way up, the stairway comes loose from the wall. It bends and crashes to the ground, sending Biggins and Mulroney sprawling onto the floor.

As Biggins gets up, he sees the creature coming towards them. It has a large head with eyes like glowing pears and a mouth of sharp teeth. The body appears humanoid, but bloated; the arms and legs ending in human-like appendages of hands and feet, but webbed and with sharp claws at the end.

While Biggins is looking over the monster in abject horror, Mulroney is thinking quickly. He decides to make a run for the office. Biggins sees him moving and follows.

Father Mulroney reaches the office first. He sees the creature is right behind Biggins. Favoring self-preservation over friendship, he shuts the door and begins barricading it. He then proceeds to make his eye out the narrow window in the office.

Outside, Biggins alters his course, narrowly dodging a clawed strike from the creature. Instead, a chunk of plaster is torn from the wall.

Running over to the shelves to look for a weapon, Biggins spots a native spear of some kind. He grabs it and stabs at the monster as it charges at him. The priceless artifact goes into the beast's eye and the tip snaps off.

The monster howls in pains and stumbles off back into the shelves area. Biggins hears more crashing sounds as the flailing beast continues knocking things over.

Debating whether to leave Biggins' chances to fate or assist, Father Mulroney decides to go back into the old museum and look for a way to help the alderman. He heads over to the doorway where the stairs used to be and can see Biggins looking around for something. There is no sign of the monster.

Biggins hears Mulroney and looks up to see him. He yells for the priest to hurry up and get him out of there before the creature comes back.

Father Mulroney looks around for anything that could help Biggins out. Biggins tries to assist, yelling for the priest to look for a fire hose or something.

After a few minutes, Mulroney locates the old fire hose. He begins spooling it out, feeding it down the doorway to Biggins. After the alderman manages to climb up, the priest disconnects the hose and throws it down into the basement; he does not want the monster using it. The two decide to get out of the area immediately.

Session 8 - Scene 11 (of 13)

The night is a relatively quiet one on the upper ward of the Bloomfield County Hospital but Shoes is having trouble sleeping. He doesn't want another nightmare.

He's somewhat startled when the curtain around his bed is disturbed by a doctor. He doesn't recognize the man, and in the poor light he doesn't even notice that the doctor is dressed strangely out of date.

Shoes asks the doctor what he wants, but the man ignores him completely. He begins looking at Shoes' knee wound and poking around.

The youth nervously cracks a joke about hoping the doctor is there for more morphine, as he is running low. The doctor slowly turns to him and cracks a slight smile.

Reaching into his coat, the doctor pulls out a syringe. But Shoes notices something odd is going on; the syringe is odd-looking with extra metal pieces attached to it, and the liquid inside is a strange green color that almost appears to glow in the moonlight.

Shoes yells for a nurse. The doctor responds by jamming the needle into his leg and beginning an injection. Shoes manages to maneuver himself off the bed with only half of the liquid in him, breaking the needle off in his knee.

The youth lies on the ground, howling in pain, as the doctor quickly disappears. A moment later a nurse arrives and wants to know what is going on and how he got a needle into his knee. Shoes yells for her to call security, explaining a man posing as a doctor tried to inject him with something strange.

The nurse calls for the orderlies to restrain Shoes and get him back to bed. She doesn't know how a needle got stuck in him, but assures him there is no syringe and he must have had another of his nightmares. When he tries to hobble his way out of bed, she threatens to tie him down for the rest of the night and scolds him to get back to sleep and stop disturbing everyone.

After she leaves, Shoes decides everyone in the hospital is crazy and it is dangerous to stay. Tying his bed sheets together, the youth creates a rope to lower out the nearby window.

Shoes manages to get out easily and make his way down the makeshift rope. He then hobbles himself a short distance away. Trying to think of what to do next, he figures he won't get very far in a hospital gown with no money.

He starts by figuring out a way to get clothes. He heads over to a nearby alley and assaults a homeless man. After knocking the man out and stealing his clothes, he heads back out to the street.

Shoes knows he still has no money so taking the bus or a cab is out. He tries stealing one of the cars in the hospital parking lot, but doesn't really have the knack for it.

Just then, Shoes notices an ambulance pull up. The men in the ambulance all get out, taking an old man in a gurney inside along with some nurses that greeted them. The youth notices the ambulance is still running but no one is around.

Hobbling over quickly, Shoes gets himself inside the vehicle and manages to drive off. With his injured knee, he's unable to work the clutch very well, but still manages to make his way over the warehouse.

Session 8 - Scene 12 (of 13)

Once Father Mulroney and Biggins reach a safe distance away from the old museum, the priest finds a pay phone and calls over to the warehouse so he can have one of the boys pick them up. He is surprised when Shoes is the one who answers.

Shoes asks the priest where he's calling from, and he explains he is calling from a pay phone. He, in turn, asks Shoes what he is doing out of the hospital, and the youth explains that crazy people at the hospital are after him. Mulroney responds that he and Biggins were nearly eaten by another monster, but Shoes tells the priest he's in no mood for any more crazy monster stories.

Mulroney doesn't want to argue and instructs Shoes to come pick him up. Shoes asks if he wants him to take the truck or the ambulance. Mulroney asks, "Ambulance?", and Shoes responds, "OK, the ambulance" and hangs up.

An hour later, Father Mulroney spots the ambulance coming down the street. When Shoes stops to pick them up, he asks Shoes why he is dressed like a bum and driving an ambulance.

Shoes vaguely explains that it was all that was available as the two get in. Mulroney tells the boy he'll need to ditch the hot vehicle or they'll end up in prison quickly. Shoes tries to argue that a fake ambulance could come in handy, but Mulroney gets him to dump it a few blocks from the warehouse.

On the way, Father Mulroney and Biggins relate their events to Shoes, who still doesn't believe there is any monster. He believes they just saw a big guard dog or something. Biggins notes if it was a dog it had huge claws and could walk upright. Shoes, in turn, tells them about the doctor and the strange syringe, which they find to be an equally fantastical tale.

By the time they reach the warehouse, Shoes' knee is hurting him badly. He decides to rest and lie low for a while. Mulroney, however, plans for them all to return to the warehouse to finish off the monster.

Session 8 - Scene 13 (of 13)

After getting some new clothes, rope, flashlights, and other equipment the trio head back over to the old museum in Mulroney's truck. They park out of the way and head in slowly. Nothing looks amiss in the area.

Finding the upper level undisturbed, Father Mulroney listens carefully for any noises coming from the basement. Hearing none, he shines the flashlight around until he is sure there is nothing moving around in the immediate area.

Tying off the rope securely, Mulroney tells Biggins to head down first. Not much of an athlete, the alderman manages to let loose of the rope and hits the ground with a thud.

Father Mulroney tries to avoid injury by holding on to the end of the rope and having Shoes lower him down. But the rope ends up slipping out of Shoes' hands and Mulroney ends up with a sprain or two himself.

From the top, Shoes yells down that he'll stay above to "cover" them. When Mulroney tries to protest, Shoes notes they may need him up there to pull them up quickly.

Mulroney does object to Shoes keeping a gun and leaving Biggins defenseless. Shoes notes the monster (which he doesn't believe exists) could be upstairs as well, and that he doesn't need to worry about Biggins. Mulroney eventually persuades him to toss it down, but Shoes warns the alderman not to lose this one like he did the last one, referring to the gun Biggins dumped at the Lexington after the bank robbery.

The two slowly make their way over to the vault, guns drawn. They are glad to see the vault is still empty of creatures.

With Biggins covering him, Father Mulroney heads over to the filing cabinet and locates the file for Dr. Krasnik. Meanwhile, Shoes decides to head out of the museum to make sure they aren't being noticed.

When the two get back to the rope and call for Shoes, they are concerned when he isn't around. Biggins tries to climb up the rope, but is having difficulty.

Hearing the commotion as he heads back inside, Shoes goes over to the doorway and asks what the trouble is. Mulroney explains that Shoes can't climb the rope, which Shoes notes is no surprise.

Eventually, with Shoes' help, both men make their way out of the basement. Shoes dryly remarks that he's glad the monster didn't get them. Mulroney, however, is more curious about where the creature went.

When they get back to the warehouse, Father Mulroney briefly flips through the papers in the Krasnik file. The one mentioning "the crimson rivers" is a paper Krasnik did as part of his work on the State Eugenics Board; a treatise on the declining physical state of the American working class and the need for selective breeding. The later part of the paper is a proposal for forcibly breeding immigrant children as part of a human heredity experiment. There is also a memorandum in the file from Sir Archibald expressing his disgust at Krasnik's paper and ethics, resulting in him dismissing Krasnik from employment at the museum.

Shoes can't make heads or tails of what Krasnik's paper is talking about. He asks the priest what selective breeding is. Mulroney dryly remarks that Biggins is what happens when you have natural breeding.

Session 8 - Session Notes

The other day I had time to post the session summary but not my notes so I thought I'd take a few minutes today and give my thoughts.

There was an extra 2 week delay in sessions as the Shoes player's wife went into labor on the day of our last session, resulting in a last minute cancellation (he later noted that the labor took long enough we could have had the session anyway, lol).

Whenever there is a 4 week gap between sessions, people tend to forget things and there's always an effort getting things moving again.

That said, this session ended up going pretty well - some good investigation with a brief couple of action scenes. The only drawback is that the Shoes player didn't have a lot to do for a good chunk of the session.

General notes:
* Detectives Goren and Eames, like the previous detectives, are named after characters from Law and Order (this time, L&O: Criminal Intent).

* The BOI guys come from the TSR setting. Note, though, that I insist on calling it the BOI and not the FBI to be period appropriate (something that TSR was a bit more anachronistic about). They don't actually do much because the BOI didn't have much authority in those days (again, TSR had plots like undercover agents - something that didn't happen until decades later).

* Biggins seeing a sketch of himself was just there for the gag factor. If it turns out police sketch artists weren't used yet then, I'm claiming comedic license.

* Carmody and Ulnovsky being at war in the streets is a major deal and will be discussed further next session.

* I wish I had the time / inclination to create full fake newspapers to "hide" stories in for the players instead of just relaying the info exposition-style.

* Mulroney found the story about Powers and Krasnik's warehouse strange (picking up that it was some kind of clue), but I'm not sure the player is asking all the right questions or following up on the clues yet. Kind of like with the safety deposit box, there's a lot of clues sitting out there in plain sight waiting for someone to look at them. More proof I say that it's not just a matter of not using rolls for investigative work in RPGs that becomes a problem; it's that a lot of players make lousy investigators.

* I did love the fact that this session showed there were all kinds of connections to Krasnik with the things going on. If the players had the foresight to simply investigate Krasnik (like, say, following him or clandestinely trying to figure out what he was up to) instead of abducting / brain damaging him, they'd be a lot further along to discovering things going on.

* Once again, just a note that all Mulroney's guys are named after people associated with the band Oasis. I finally had to create a document for him to keep track of his gang with (something I probably should have done from the beginning; or let him design it himself using some general rules like Palladium does for creating your own mercenary organization or whatever).

* Shoes' nightmares was foreshadowing for his later visit. It's also a clue that will make more sense later.

* I think I named Dr. Seibert after a doctor in the movie Side Effects (which I recently watched)

* I didn't explicitly name Luminal in the session; I had to look it up later. Luminal is the trademark name (not to be confused with Luminol, the CSI chemical) Bayer used for phenobarbitol at the time (a barbitute used at that time as a seditive).

* The Mulroney player half-suspected the thing with Rover would happen but figured the comedy moment was worth it.

* I can't remember now if Sir Archibald Beatty was a real person associated with the Field Museum or not (I may have also slightly changed the name). Sometimes I use historical names for reference and then change things up later. The actual characterization comes from me - I wanted him to be a explorer / trophy hunter type who is in charge of the museum but isn't actually trained in any science (though would be a naturalist).

* Biggins being under surveillance is designed to make things slightly more challenging for the PCs to commit more wanton crimes.

* Dr. Frock is inspired by the character of the same name from the Lincoln/Child novels "The Relic" and "Reliquarry". Oddly, I made him the anthropologist instead of the evolutionary biologist, since I needed Krasnik to fit that role.

* The Hopwell Indians and Cahokia Mounds are very much real. Their ties into the back story (as of yet unrevealed), naturally, are complete fiction.

* I was glad Mulroney picked up the hook that the clues were at the old secured archives. The whole new museum/old museum thing is based on the real history of the Field Museum (though I doubt they were as slow to move over the archived collections).

* I loved that the PCs didn't get confused by the "dog has fleas" comment. If I had to stop and explain it, it would have ruined the tension of the moment.

* The line about Morgan's guy looking into the bank robbery is more foreshadowing and a bit of a clue but I'm not sure the PCs got that.

* One thing I didn't make as explicit before that I did do this time - the identity of "Dr. X" is something only Sister Mary knows. That particular subplot may be a bit more of a slow burn.

* General note: there were a lot of truly terrible die rolls starting with the attempt to disguise Biggins as a nun.

* We got a pretty good laugh out of the fact the PCs forgot to actually bring any supplies to the old museum to break into it with.

* I made the old museum have gas lighting as I figured updated electricity was one of the reasons they would build a new museum in the first place. It also added to the mood of making the place old and creepy.

* There actually is a story behind why they were attacked by another monster at the old museum. There will some clues next session on that as well.

* I loved that Mulroney nearly killed Biggins by being focused on his own safety.

* I don't know if the old museum (or even the new one) at that time would have a roll-out fire hose in it, but they did make a luck roll so I had to have something there they could use as a rope.

* Shoes completely missed the fact the doctor was dressed in Victorian clothes, which was something of a clue. For the strange syringe, I was mentally thinking of something like the one used in Dark City.

* We nearly died laughing at the part where Shoes beats up a homeless guy to get clothes and steals the ambulance.

* There is a bit more information on the Krasnik paper next session (some I forgot in the write-up, and some that will be revealed when Mulroney gets a chance to review it in more detail).

Session 9 - Cast of Characters
 
Father Clink Mulroney - Irish Roman Catholic priest running a bootlegging operation out of his church
 
Alderman Jethro Biggins - Corrupt city alderman on the take from Mulroney
 
Francis "Shoes" McDougal - Young street criminal and former orphan acting as Mulroney's chief lieutenant / muscle

Session 9 - Scene 1 (of 13)

The night grows late and Father Mulroney drops off Biggins at his house before heading back to the church. On the way back, he makes a few quick turns to shake any tails; Shoes even compliments him on the good driving.

Mulroney notes that the next day he'll need to check up on Rover in the hospital. The mention of the hospital reminds Shoes of his pained knee, and he jokingly asks the priest if he can see about getting him one of those "staffs like the bishop uses" for a crutch. Mulroney tells him he'll see what he can arrange as they pull into the church basement.

The next morning, however, Shoes is surprised to find that his knee doesn't hurt at all. In fact, looking at it, he can barely see even a scar where the bullet went – the wound seems to have completely healed. Walking over to the kitchen, he tries putting weight on it and finds his leg is completely back to normal.

Spotting Father Mulroney at the kitchen table eating his breakfast, Shoes tells the priest he doesn't need the staff after all. He does, however, ask the priest to see if Sister Mary can get him "something to take the edge off".

Mulroney asks if it his knee hurting him. Shoes corrects him, saying it is withdrawal from the morphine making him jittery. In fact, Shoes notes, his knee is fine. The priest looks at it and is surprised by the miraculous healing.

Not wanting Shoes to be edgy from morphine cravings, Father Mulroney tracks down Sister Mary and asks her about getting some product for Shoes. She heads back into her office and pulls out a small black bag from a desk drawer. Handing it to the priest, she coldly tells him not to make it a habit.

Shoes is delighted to get a small fix of heroin, but feels he's too jittery to inject himself so he asks the father to do it. The two head back to the rectory to avoid Sister Eunice seeing. It takes Mulroney a few tries to hit the vein, but he eventually gets it.

The priest then hands the car keys to Shoes and tells him to go check on the warehouse. He wants to review the Krasnik papers some more.

The treatise is written as a proposal to the State Eugenics Board regarding a solution to the declining state of the American working class. In it, Dr. Krasnik refers to "the crimson rivers" of the human bloodline, something he relates to Norse mythology. According to Krasnik, by controlling the crimson rivers, through controlling the breeding of man, they can create a superior human race.

As part of the proposal, Krasnik also references another study – one done by a Dr. Eugen Fischer of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute of Biology in Berlin called "Human Heredity and the Phenogenetics of Human Racial Groups". The references indicate the study is related to Dr. Fischer's work with the Society for Race Hygiene.

Krasnik's proposal itself is vague and a bit rambling. He calls it "The Human Instrumentality Project" and makes reference to a grant by something called The Marduk Institute. It clearly, though, has something to do with forcibly taking poor immigrant children off of the streets and engaging them in forceful breeding projects as a way to study which human characteristics were strongest so as to more properly determine which racial groups could be allowed for miscegenation and which should be sterilized.

Needing to cleanse his mental palate after reading the rambling and disturbing papers, Mulroney decides to check out the daily news. He's pleased to see that the news is a bit quiet today, no more violence or crime headlines. The front page is mostly about political news – mentioning the local activities of Senator Joseph M. McCormick to support Big Bill Johnson's re-election campaign and an upcoming event at the opera house with Governor Small.

Finding politics a bit of a bore, Father Mulroney puts down the paper and decides to take a cab over to the hospital so he can check on Rover.

Session 9 - Scene 2 (of 13)

Alderman Biggins sits in his office, lightly dozing, when the ringing phone jostles him back awake. His secretary, Cheryl, calls over to him that he has a call; it's Burns.

Boss Burns tells Biggins he's received a strange call himself from "the other side". One of Senator McCormick's aides has contacted him to give an invitation to the alderman for a fundraising party. Burns clearly doesn't like getting the call, and asks Biggins how he knows McCormick. Biggins, barely even placing the name, tells Burns he has never met the Republican senator.

Burns finds the whole matter very strange. It's extremely unusual a US senator would have anything to do with an alderman, much less one from the opposite party. The party is a fundraising event that would go for Big Bill's re-election campaign, which is another reason Burns mentions for disliking it.

According to Burns, the invitation is for the upcoming Saturday, and is at David Thomas Morgan's house. Biggins keeps his cool but gets nervous at the mention of Morgan; Morgan is the chairman of the board of First National Bank, and he wonders if the invitation is related to Biggins' participation in the robbery with Powers.

Cautioning Biggins not to go, and if he does go not to be seen as it would hurt DeMotte's chances, Burns indicates he wants nothing to do with the matter. Biggins agrees, and definitively tells Burns he won't go. This pleases the boss, who urges Biggins to get out and be as politically active as he can to get DeMotte votes.

Session 9 - Scene 3 (of 13)

Shoes isn't thrilled when he reaches the warehouse. Production is clearly down, and the three guys there seem to be rather lethargic. Shoes yells at the boys, asking what the problem is.

Chaos responds that the problem is that Father Mulroney keeps taking guys away from the work and they never come back – Bonehead, Liam, and Noel are all dead, Guigsy is still laid up, Tony is keeping an eye out at the church, and now Rover is in the hospital. He complains that with Andy out making deliveries, it just leaves him, Zack, and Gem to do all the work.

Shoes has no sympathy and tells them they need to get things moving again; he wants production back up to full capacity. He also asks if there has been any trouble at the warehouse, but the three respond there hasn't been.

Chaos, however, has some ideas on how to be safer. He suggests wiring dynamite with tripwires around the building to blow up anyone trying to get at them. Shoes tells him to try it on his own quarters first. Chaos asks if Shoes wants him to start work on it now, but Shoes explains he should do it on his own time. Shoes then has him get back to work and tells the others to keep their eyes open.

Gem also has some ideas and pulls Shoes off to the side. He asks him if he's seen the day's paper. When Shoes explains he hasn't, Gem takes out a torn section from his pocket and unfolds it. It's from the society page and features a photograph of David Thomas Morgan and his wife Rebecca Lynn Morgan.

Shoes doesn't get what Gem is after at first, so Gem points out Mrs. Morgan's diamond necklace. After commenting on what a pretty necklace it is, Gem explains that the Morgans are having a party this weekend and he's got himself hired as a valet parking cars.

Gem figures that with the party going on, he might be able to slip into Morgan's bedroom and steal the necklace. Shoes is skeptical, asking how he would manage to fence the necklace. Between the high value and the ties to Morgan, no one in town would touch the hot ice. Gem reluctantly agrees that had not occurred to him.

Shoes applauds the youth's initiative but tells him to focus on the bootlegging as it as straight of money as they can get. He says he'll talk to the father about it, but cautions Gem that it probably won't happen. Deflated, the youth agrees but notes again that it is an awfully pretty necklace.

Session 9 - Scene 4 (of 13)

When Father Mulroney arrives at Bloomfield County Hospital, he is surprised to find Rover's bed empty. He grabs a nearby nurse and asks her what happened to the patient Chris Sharrock.

The nurse checks a clipboard then tells the father she is sorry, but Chris passed away last night. Father Mulroney can't believe it.

Reading the notes, the nurse does mention that the whole business is a bit strange. According to the charts, he was declared dead by a Dr. Cooper and immediately picked up by staff for a funeral home named Destiny Memorial. She doesn't recognize the name Cooper and finds it unusual that the body was moved out so quickly.

Father Mulroney, however, does recognize the name Cooper; it's the name Krasnik said when he saw the black disk, just before he died. He asks the nurse how he can get in touch with Dr. Cooper and she suggests going down to the business office.

At the business office, the clerk is able to find a file on a Dr. Ephraim Cooper. The clerk notes, however, that Dr. Cooper retired back in 1898.

Mulroney is surprised by that twist of information and asks if they have the doctor's last known address on file. The clerk gives it as "Ravenscry Manor", with a rural route listing it as somewhere out in rural Jasper County.

Session 9 - Scene 5 (of 13)

By the time Father Mulroney gets back to the warehouse, Shoes has everyone moving at a frantic pace. The priest asks him how things are going, and Shoes responds he is trying to get production back up.

Mulroney isn't pleased to hear that production is down. Shoes explains the kids have been complaining about the declining workforce. The priest threatens to cut their wages, though Shoes suggests cutting more than that.

Calling out to the boys, Mulroney tells them that since they have half the normal man-power, he expects them to work twice as hard. He then tells them he has more bad news, Rover is dead. When the boys ask how, he explains that Rover died in the middle of the night last night at the hospital.

Shoes is skeptical, noting that Rover didn't hit his head that hard when he collapsed. Mulroney agrees that Rover seemed OK to him, but wonders if it was the result of him touching the black disk.

Taking Mulroney off to the side, Shoes tells him about Gem's necklace idea. Father Mulroney is more supportive, noting that they could always try to move it out of town.

Shoes, however, is more concerned about what would happen if Gem was caught. Mulroney says they could always pop him if things don't go well. Shoes asks if he means Morgan, but Mulroney clarifies he meant Gem. Shoes cautions that the lad would likely squeal right away so they may not have the chance and suggests cutting his tongue out before he goes.

Abandoning the necklace theft idea for the moment, Mulroney explains to Shoes about the mysterious Dr. Cooper. They discuss paying a late night visit to Ravenscry Manor to see what's going on with the doctor.

Mulroney then tells Shoes to call Biggins. Shoes agrees to do so, but makes it clear he's not sure involving Biggins is a great idea.

When Biggins answers the phone, he asks Shoes about his knee. Shoes explains his knee is fine and asks the alderman if he's heard anything new.

Biggins goes on to tell Shoes about the strange invitation he got to the party at David Morgan's house. Biggins being Biggins, he mixes up some of the facts and says that he and Burns were invited by Morgan himself, making no mention of the senator.

Shoes is surprised Biggins is being invited to a party by the guy he tried to rob. He asks the alderman if he plans to go. Biggins is very clear that he definitely will not be attending. Shoes explains about one of the boys being a valet and asks if Biggins can give him a ride, but the alderman is adamant he wants nothing to do with it.

Putting the phone to his chest for a minute, Shoes asks Mulroney if he wants to tell Biggins about the trip to Ravenscry Manor. Mulroney tells him yes, noting that having Biggins along could be helpful.

Shoes gets back on the phone and asks the alderman about taking a trip out to see an old doctor that evening. Biggins warns he could still be under surveillance.  Shoes explains how he can go to a nearby speakeasy and slip out the back; being at night, it should be fine. He cautions the alderman, however, not to go asking about any more anarchists.

Biggins expresses some concern about Shoes doing activities with his knee. Shoes explains it is completely fixed by a shot, noting that he knew the hospital was crazy for trying to make him stay there longer. Biggins finds the story about the shot very strange.

Once he's off the phone, Shoes explains to Mulroney that Biggins is in for the trip to Ravenscry Manor. He also tells the priest about Biggins' invitation to Morgan's house and how he tried to get him to take Gem there, but didn't have any luck. Shoes notes that Biggins was "oddly smart for once" about the situation.

Mulroney wonders what Biggins is afraid of. Shoes explains that the alderman is worried that Morgan might be on to him, noting that the police did have a sketch of him. The priest isn't so sure, saying that staying away could be even more conspicuous. Shoes suggests perhaps the priest can change the alderman's mind.

Session 9 - Scene 6 (of 13)

Later that afternoon, things are in full swing at the warehouse when a call comes in. It's O'Conner. Shoes gives it over to the father to handle.

O'Conner explains that Mulroney will need to come in for another sit-down. When the priest asks what it is about, Deanie says that it is not him calling for it this time – it's Merlo.

According to O'Conner, Merlo is organizing a big sit-down with everybody who's anybody in town. Except, O'Conner notes, for the guys from Bronzeville and Chinatown; they aren't invited for obvious reasons.

Deanie goes on to explain that Mulroney will get another call tomorrow right before the meet giving out the place. He cautions Mulroney that he's only allowed to bring one guy this time since it is such a big meet. As he hangs up the phone, Mulroney wonders what Merlo has in mind by bringing in all the gangsters in town together.

Session 9 - Scene 7 (of 13)

While Mulroney and Shoes spend the day bootlegging, Biggins spends his day out campaigning. He spends most of the day outside the office, heading around to various union bosses and other important people in the neighborhood. Throughout the day, he does notice there is still a tail car on him.

By late afternoon, he gets back to the office but finds his secretary looking uncharacteristically shook up. He asks Cheryl what is wrong, and she explains a big Irish guy named Dion came by with a couple of other guys looking for the alderman. When he wasn't there, Dion got really angry.

Cheryl is clearly disturbed by the incident. She tells the alderman she could tell the men meant business. She asks if he wants her to call the cops but Biggins tells her he thinks it will be OK for now.

After hours, Biggins makes his way over to the nearby speakeasy. Luckily for him, whoever's tailing him doesn't seem interested in busting him for violating the Volstead Act.

Session 9 - Scene 8 (of 13)

Meanwhile, Shoes and Father Mulroney head out in their car to go pick up Biggins. Mulroney keeps an eye out for tails but doesn't spot any.

Shoes, however, think they should cut some corners just in case. Mulroney agrees it couldn't hurt.

But Shoes cuts one of the corners a little too much, smashing over a curb. A cloud of steam begins pouring out of the engine and a loud rattling noise can be heard. After a few seconds, the car slows to a halt.

Shoes tells the father he thinks the car is dead. Mulroney suggests they look under the hood. However, neither man is much of a mechanic and don't spot the blown radiator hose. Instead, Shoes suggests it could be a problem with "the Johnson rod", but Mulroney isn't so sure such a thing even exists.

A few minutes go by before a kindly old lady pulls up in her Model T. She asks the father is he is having car trouble.

Aside, Shoes tells the father he doesn't like the looks of her. He cautions the priest about the last incident they had with an old lady in a car. Mulroney mockingly responds that he won't get beat up by an old lady this time since he is with him this time.

To the elderly lady, Father Mulroney explains their car appears to have overheated. Shoes adds that he believes the Johnson rod broke in half.

The lady tells the two to get in and she'll drive them. They find out very quickly the old lady is a remarkably slow driver.

While driving, she begins talking about how she doesn't understand cars very well. According to her, her deceased husband, Herman, was the car expert but he passed on a couple of years back. She explains that she personally preferred the days of the horse and buggy.

Annoyed by both the slow driving and the mindless droning of the old woman, Father Mulroney begins looking around to see if anyone is watching. He notices there are relatively few people out and none close by. He rationalizes that they do need a car.

When the old woman asks the priest where she should take them, he gives the nod to Shoes. Shoes uses his brass knuckles to punch the old lady in the back of the head. She falls forward immediately into the horn.

The father grabs her head up and takes the wheel. He pulls the car over to a stop and they quickly throw her into the back seat. Checking for a pulse, Mulroney's lack of medical training causes him to declare the unconscious woman to be dead.

Mulroney wants to find some place to drop off the body, but Shoes notes they should go get Biggins first since they are behind schedule. The priest notes that the alderman wouldn't approve. Shoes suggests there could be a dumpster in the alley behind the speakeasy, allowing them to kill two birds with one stone, as it were.

Father Mulroney isn't convinced, but Shoes tells him that Biggins is going to leave soon if they don't get to him. Shoes reminds the priest that he is the one who wanted Biggins along; Shoes himself states he would feel safer taking the old woman as their accomplice.

The priest finally relents. Just to be safe, he suggests tying up the old lady and gagging her. Shoes dryly notes that he's all out of rope, but does shove a handkerchief into her mouth.

Mulroney switches out to have Shoes drive and gets into the back seat next to the old lady. They shove her down to the floor so her body can't be seen and drive over to meet the alderman.

Session 9 - Scene 9 (of 13)

Waiting by the alley door of the speakeasy, Biggins spots a Model T coming up the alley. It's not Mulroney's car, but he doesn't recognize it as the car tailing him either. Looking closer, he sees that it is Shoes driving.

Alderman Biggins pays the bartender then heads out the alley door. Not spotting a tail around, he heads over to the car and asks Shoes if they have a new undercover car. Shoes tells him to get in. He does, failing to spot the old woman's body pushed down in the back seat area.

As they pull away, Mulroney asks after the alderman. Biggins starts to explain that Dion Carmody visited his office that day but is interrupted by Mulroney telling him to watch for a tail.

Just to be safe, Shoes decides to wind around some of the streets for a while. Concerned about their previous troubles, he takes it slow this time. Biggins has then wind around over towards his house first then start heading out of town. The alderman, however, does not notice the looming cloud of black smoke coming from the direction of his neighborhood.

It is a long, slow drive out into the country; particularly with Shoes trying to drive cautiously at night. However, no headlights follow them so they feel reasonably safe they aren't being tailed. About halfway to their destination, it occurs to Mulroney they've once again forgotten to get supplies before heading out.

The priest sighs and decides it is probably time to take care of the other matter. He directs Shoes to head towards a secluded area. Shoes asks if it is time to "take grandma home". Mulroney confirms as Biggins wonders what the two of them are talking about.

Shoes pulls the car over. Mulroney instructs him to "put one in the wagon, just to be sure". Shoes cautions it will cause a lot of noise, but Mulroney thinks they'll be OK with no one around. Biggins still isn't sure what's going on.

Biggins, however, is surprised to see Shoes get out and start dragging a body of an old lady out of the back of the car. He asks what's going on, and Mulroney tries to placate him by telling him not to worry about it.

The alderman remains quite agitated. He begins chastising Mulroney for always having dead bodies show up around him. Nearly yelling, he asks why they can't just move liquor without all the bloodshed.

Mulroney tries telling Biggins they simply found the old lady dead by the side of the road and are taking her out here to bury her. Biggins isn't buying it, and gets more upset when he recognizes the woman as old Mrs. Martha Marple, one of his better-known constituents. He wants to know what happened.

Once again trying to spin a tale, Mulroney explains that Mrs. Marple was on to him for the robbery. Biggins again indicates he knows the priest is lying and rhetorically asks what's wrong with him.

Just then, a shot rings out as Shoes puts one into Marple's head. Biggins exclaims "Jesus!" Mulroney, meanwhile, starts digging through the old woman's purse as an exasperated Biggins proclaims "Oh my God..."

Inside the purse, Mulroney finds the old lady's driver's license along with a matchbook, a pack of cigarettes, tissues, some hard candy, and a coin purse with about ten dollars' worth of nickels. He takes the matchbook.

When Shoes gets back over to the car, he looks at the alderman and tells him he looks pale. Biggins addresses Mulroney, telling him strongly that he has to promise him no more killings. Shoes claims it wasn't really a killing, claiming the old woman missed her husband and they were just re-uniting them. Mulroney, falsely poetic, declares it is almost romantic in a way.

Shoes is a bit more crass about the matter. He tells Biggins he didn't have to hear her talking and insists they did the old broad a favor, noting that old ladies shouldn't live that long anyway. A disgusted Biggins tells the two that the least they could do is leave him out of it in the future.

Session 9 - Scene 10 (of 13)

The trio head back out again. Wanting to change the subject, Biggins starts talking about Carmody's visit again.

Father Mulroney is concerned, asking what Carmody wanted. Biggins responds that he doesn't know, but he certainly upset his secretary. Shoes cautions Biggins to stay away from Carmody, as he's clearly gone crazy after Flynn died.

Mulroney tells Biggins he heard he had another interesting thing happen that day, and asks about the party invite. Biggins confirms he got the invite but isn't planning to go. When Mulroney asks him why, Biggins notes that he's a Republican so going to the party could kill his political career.

The priest wants to know more though. He asks if Morgan explained why Biggins was invited. When Biggins responds that he did not, Mulroney suggests it would be a good idea to find out.

Biggins, however, doesn't want to go anywhere near Morgan's house. He thinks maybe Morgan is on to him for the bank job and it could be some kind of trap. Mulroney wonders what they would plan to do to Biggins, but the alderman doesn't think it would be just trying to get him to switch parties.

After another hour or so, Shoes spots a sign post indicating the road up to Ravenscry Manor. As they head up the winding road through thick trees, they spot a large, overgrown hedge and a tall iron fence and gate blocking the road. The house is still far up ahead, and not visible in the darkness.

Shoes notes the gate is chained and has a large padlock on it that appears to be old and rusted. He takes the tire iron out of the car's trunk and smashes the lock until it releases. The old gate creaks loudly in the still night as Shoes opens it.

Back in the car, Shoes drives up the road to the manor. It is a large, Georgian-style mansion. Shoes notices it appears to be originally built as a Tudor-style mansion then remodeled. The front façade of the building has started to wear and the turret is half-collapsed and partially burned. The roof appears to be in bad shape and most of the windows are either broken or boarded up.

Biggins tells Shoes he is surprised the youth knows anything about architecture. The youth dryly responds that he is full of surprises.

The men get out of the car and look around. The house is dark and it doesn't appear anyone lives there. They know they'll need some kind of light source.

Mulroney has Shoes tear off some of the wood siding of the mansion to use as torches. He then starts looking around for something to wrap around them. Shoes notes they should have taken the old lady's clothes, but the priest does manage to find a blanket of hers in the trunk and they tear it into strips and light the torches up.

Trying the front door, Father Mulroney finds it locked. Shoes gives him his .25 pistol and takes out his own .38. He then hands the tire iron to Biggins and prepares to head inside one of the broken windows to the left of the main doors.

Session 9 - Scene 11 (of 13)

Shoes manages to get inside without injuring himself. He sees he is in an old drawing room. There is little of interest in the room except for some broken old furniture and a fireplace. He smashes up the furniture and gets a fire going.

Outside, Mulroney and Biggins see the glowing, flickering light emerge from inside. They wonder what is taking Shoes so long. Mulroney yells in the direction of the window for Shoes to hurry up and open the door.

Shoes heads out the door of the drawing room that is in the direction of the main doors. It goes into an old salon. The salon has several old, unremarkable paintings along the walls and the wallpaper is peeling. He unlocks the doors and lets everyone inside.

Father Mulroney gruffly asks Shoes what took him so long and looks around at the salon. He sees that there is some kind of mural painted on the wall underneath the wallpaper. He hands his torch to Biggins and has Shoes help him peel the paper off.

With all of the paper down, they see a large mural. It is of a primordial jungle filled with dinosaurs. In the middle is a strange, alien city. Shoes and Father Mulroney are entranced and disturbed by the image, while Biggins simply looks away.

Looking closer, Father Mulroney spots that one of the buildings in the city is a temple of some kind. The top of it has a statue with a large, winded snake. And in the doorway of the temple is the shape of a humanoid figure with an ophidian-like head and a tail. A chill goes down Mulroney's spine.

The priest tries to get Shoes to look at it, but the youth refuses. Biggins, however, makes the mistake of looking at it. It has an unhinging effect on his mind.

Biggins wonders if this is related to the monster. Mulroney isn't sure; it is very strange, but the image on the mural and the creatures he saw were very different looking from each other.

Mulroney then explains to Biggins why they are at the manor, talking about Krasnik mentioning Cooper, Rover's death and the Dr. Cooper at the hospital, and that they are here because this is Cooper's last known address.

Biggins remarks that it has been a strange circle of events surrounding them. Father Mulroney agrees. Shoes, however, tires at the talk of monsters; he reminds them they are there to look for info about the doctor, not look at paintings.

Mulroney again tries to get Shoes to look at the mural closer, but he tells him he's seen enough. He sarcastically suggests the father get some of the boys at the church to repaint the chapel with a similar mural, joking that it couldn't drive any more people away than the father's homilies do.

The three men then decide to proceed with searching the rest of the house.

Session 9 - Scene 12 (of 13)

They begin by heading back over to the drawing room and following one of the doors out of it. It leads to a library room. Father Mulroney wants everyone to search the room carefully, as he feels there could be something important there.

After combing over the room three times, the group finds little of interest except for the doctor's large collection of old books.

Deciding to move on, they find one of the doors out of the library leads into an enclosed hallway. Trying another door there leads to discovering the lavatory.

Assuming the bathroom isn't worth searching, they head back down the hallway and discover the large main hall at the front of the house, with two sets of stairs leading up to the mezzanine and the upper level. Wanting to stay on the first floor for now, they head back up the hallway and try another door.

What they find there is a second, smaller library. They search this room carefully as well and find a section of four books that appear out of place.

The first book appears to be in Arabic script and none of the trio can read even the title. The second is a Latin book by someone named Theodore Christoph Lilenthal called "Supernaturalem Quidem Esse Summi Numinis in Mente Humana Operationem, Neutiquam Tamen Impossibilem". Unfortunately, Father Mulroney's Latin knowledge again proves lacking and he is unable to translate any of it.

The third and fourth books appear to be in English. Both are Victorian era scientific books. The first is called "Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation" by Robert Chambers. Skimming the abstract, Mulroney sees it is an evolutionary biology and theological work discussing the creation of man through intelligent design and the transmutation of the species.

The fourth book is called "On the Nature of Limbs". It, too, is a scientific treatise on evolutionary biology. Father Mulroney can't really follow the whole point of the book, but can tell it has something to do with the biology of fish.

They decide to take the four books and continue on.

Session 9 - Scene 13 (of 13)

The next room ahead is an old morning room, with little in it but a chair and side table.

They head back out and try another door from the hallway. This one leads outside to an enclosed courtyard in the middle of the mansion.

The men head out into the courtyard. Spotting an old shed, they decide to look inside. They find little but rusty old tools.

Father Mulroney looks around the courtyard carefully. There is a large garden with strange plants that has become overgrown. Looking closely, he sees the plants are not indigenous to the area, but appear to be rare plants typically found in Africa, India, and the Middle East.

Crossing the courtyard, they find another door on the opposite side that leads into another hallway. In the hallway is a section of stairs heading down. Mulroney instructs Shoes to head down to the basement.

The stairs heading down are dark and drafty. A breeze blows out Shoes' torch, but he manages to make his way down without injury. He can tell it is a dirt floor cellar.

After the others get down, they relight his torch. The basement is filled with rats that scurry at the light.

Digging around the cellar for a while, the men find little except for an old bottle of 1820's wine. Shoes suggests popping the cork, but Biggins grabs it to save for later. There is another set of stairs in the cellar, but they quickly find the stairs simply lead outside the house.

Heading back inside to the hallway, the men continue exploring. They find little of interest as they walk through more halls, an empty storage closet, the servant's hall, the butler's room, the butler's pantry, a larder with long-mummified rotten food, the old kitchen, the scullery room, and finally back around towards the front of the house where they discover a muniment room next to the main hall.

The muniment room contains an old desk with many papers. Mulroney hopes there will be something of a clue there, but after searching around for a while they find little of interest except for old bills and receipts.

With the ground floor more or less explored, they begin heading up the stairs to the upper level...

Session 9 - Session Notes

I thought this session was another great mix of gangster business and investigation. Quite a lot actually got discovered this session, though the players are still a ways off from really putting the pieces together.

* The session was originally going to have a much different bent, but a last minute cancellation took away my original surprise beginning.

* Shoes' knee being miraculously healed was anticipated by everyone. They also anticipate what's going to happen next with it. It's a nice bit, though, as it gives a way to get Shoes back into action.

* We weren't sure if taking heroin to combat morphine withdrawal would work that well, but it seemed like a decision the PC would make.

* Much of the info in Dr. Krasnik's papers is rephrased from last session, I just forgot to include some of it in the write-up. The write-up this time presents it in a way that makes a lot more sense, though, than how I originally explained it during the game.

* The Dr. Eugen Fischer mentioned in Krasnik's papers was a real scientist and responsible for a lot of really bad things (including the Nazi eugenics studies). In reality, he was the director of the anthropology and eugenics institute, but not until 1926 so I had him at the biology institute instead. There is one anachronism - he didn't study phenogenetics until later, but I claim dramatic license.

* The "Human Instrumentality Project" is taken from the anime, Neon Genesis Evangelion. So is the "Marduk Institute".

* Sen. Joseph McCormick is another real guy (as is Governor Small).

* I don't recall if I mentioned it before - Biggins' secretary is named after the character on the TV show Archer (but has a different personality).

* I'm bad at coming up with a lot of different personalities for the "background NPCs" but I tried to give Gem and Chaos some independent ideas this time.

* The Morgan necklace caper is something from the TSR product but I'm heavily adapting it here. I originally planned to introduce the subplot a different way, but it fit in nicely with the Biggins storyline.

* Rover being dead was something I thought up right before the session. Luckily, the info on Dr. Cooper was planned for quite a while.

* I found it odd Mulroney took Rover being dead (and mysteriously being carted off in the middle of the night by some unknown mortuary company) at face value. These are the kinds of things I always expect the PCs to dig into a little more.

* I've been waiting a while to introduce Dr. Cooper into the mix. He'll probably stay at the fringes of the action for a while longer yet.

* Merlo's big sit-down was part of the story for this session that got moved.

* I wanted to point out the racism hierarchy of the times by having O'Conner explicitly mention that the black and Chinese gangs weren't invited. Irish and Italians (along with other immigrants, like Slavs and Jews) were not considered "white" at that time. Yet, they are still higher on the pecking order than the Blacks or Chinese.

* Dion's visit is part of the escalating Ulnovsky plot. More on that next session.

* Car jacking the little old lady may well have been the moral event horizon for Mulroney and Shoes. I think they did it more for humor value than as part of a consistent characterization, but they certainly have been growing more violence-friendly over time.

* An old woman driving a car (and smoking) at that time was probably rather anachronistic of me. But it was there for humor value (I wanted the feel of the scene with the old couple picking up David Niven in the movie Midnight Madness).

* The cloud of black smoke coming from Biggins' neighborhood will be explained next session (it was not mentioned during the session to the PCs since there was a failed Notice roll involved).

* Ravenscry Manor was one of the first "set pieces" I planned for the mythos part of the campaign. It is explicitly designed to be an investigative location for clues and not some kind of dungeon crawl location.

* Ravenscry Manor uses the floorplan for the real Georgian manor, Redgrave Hall. I don't recall when I decided on the name.

* I thought it was hilarious the PCs once again forgot to get flashlights, etc, before heading out. They didn't think it was quite so funny so I took pity on them with having the blanket in the car.

* The hidden mural was one of my favorite mythos things - it's the clue you don't realize you didn't really want to find until it is too late (granted it is a very low SAN loss).

* The Latin book title is likely jibberish. It's been quite a long time since I put that one together and I don't think I put much effort into making it seem authentic.

* You may notice the vast majority of the house doesn't have much interesting in it. I felt clues existing in every room would be too far over the top - so there's just a few scattered around.

* The PCs missed some clues in the muniment room due to some failed Notice checks, which they knew. They had the option to spend longer or try and box up all the papers, but decided to wait. The clues are side clues, however, and not central to moving the plot forward (I never force rolls for those kind of clues unless they are something that will show up later anyway and the roll is just to see if they find the clue earlier).

* There's still a room or two of interest upstairs, which we'll get to next session.

Session 10 - Cast of Characters

Father Clink Mulroney - Irish Roman Catholic priest running a bootlegging operation out of his church

Alderman Jethro Biggins - Corrupt city alderman on the take from Mulroney

Francis "Shoes" McDougal - Young street criminal and former orphan acting as Mulroney's chief lieutenant / muscle

Maisie Brockovitz - A young Jewish dilettante who likes to slum around with gangsters.

Colin "Gem" Archer - Another of Mulroney's boys involved in his bootlegging operations; sidelines as a jewel thief

Session 10 - Scene 1 (of 7)

The night grows late at Ravenscry Manor, as Alderman Jethro Biggins, Francis “Shoes” McDougal, and Father Clink Mulroney ascend the stairs. Their makeshift torches are beginning to burn low and the father is getting concerned about how long it is taking.

As they reach the upper level, they see a long hallway filled with more doors. To save time, Father Mulroney suggests they split up. Shoes asks what they should be looking for. The priest describes their goal as “monsters, clues, things of that nature…”

Father Mulroney has the men spread out and each take a door a fair distance away from the other. The door he chooses leads into a hallway with yet another long set of doors. Going inside the first one, he finds an old bedroom.

After making sure there is nothing of interest in the room except more doors, he tries one of the doors to discover it connects into an adjacent, similarly furnished bedroom.

Meanwhile, Shoes discovers his door opens into a dressing room. The old closet areas are bare, and little remains except for a padded box footstool.

Checking out the footstool, Shoes discovers a hidden latch. Opening the latch, he discovers the top comes off of the footstool revealing a hidden compartment inside. There appears to be an old note at the bottom.

The note reads, “To whomever finds this note – a warning. The owner of this home, Dr. Antoine Prendergast, is not who he seems. I have discovered he is engaged in activities most foul. Do not trust him. I fear it is too late for me to escape my fate but write this in the hope of warning others.” It is signed, “J.C. Shottum”.

Over in the next room, Father Mulroney hears some noise from a door in the bedroom he is searching. He moves over to the door and knocks. Shoes’ voice calls out from behind the door, asking what he wants.

As Mulroney opens the door, Shoes pockets the note. Mulroney sees him handling the footstool and disparages him for playing around, telling the youth they are there to find clues. Shoes curtly remarks the stool was in his way.

Mulroney finds the youth’s behavior a bit strange. Spotting the top of the footstool on the ground, he points it out to Shoes. Shoes blithely responds that the stool is flimsy and the top broke right off.

Down the hall, Alderman Biggins isn’t having much luck in his search. The first door he opens goes into an old bedroom. Looking under the bed, he spots a rat. After kicking at it, the rat squeals and scurries off into a hole in the wall. Biggins starts searching around the mattress, but his poking and prodding only reveal another rat.

Taking one of the doors at the end of the room, he discovers another bedroom. Unlike the last one, this one has only a bed frame but no mattress.

Stopping for a second, Biggins hears murmuring voices from the next room. He creeps over to the door, catching the last part of a conversation where Mulroney asks, “I wonder what happened to Biggins?” Biggins opens the door quickly, yelling out “boo!”, but neither the priest nor Shoes is startled.

Session 10 - Scene 2 (of 7)

The next hour or so is spent as the men go around the circular hallways, checking each of the room. They find a long series of interconnected bedrooms and dressing rooms, none with any signs of recent use or anything of interest to them.

Eventually they make their way towards the back corner of the mansion, where another set of stairs leads up to the tower room.

Father Mulroney encourages Biggins to take the lead and has Shoes follow him. The stairs lead up to a small passage with two doors.

Biggins opens the first of the two to discover the ruined tower room. He spots a large hole in the side wall, and the ceiling and wall in that part of the room look half-collapsed. Near the hole are remains of an old workbench and some smashed glass, along with black scorch marks along the wall and floor.

The alderman relates the information back to the priest. Mulroney encourages Biggins to go over and check out the work bench.

As Biggins steps over, the floor under him collapses in a loud crash. He manages to grab onto the side of the rotten floor, hanging on for dear life.

Mulroney quickly tells Shoes to go save the alderman. Distracted by the sudden event, Shoes doesn’t have time to think and runs over to help. The floor can’t take the additional weight, and breaks; causing Biggins and Shoes to fall two stories down into the housekeeper’s room.

Rather than check on his friends, whom he figures it will take quite a while to get to, Mulroney carefully makes his way over to the work bench. He sees there is some sort of chemistry equipment on the desk. He grabs it.

At the end of the room is a set of stairs leading up to the turret. Mulroney, deciding he doesn’t want to crash through any floors himself, decides not to ascend into the turret and heads back out into the hallway.

Before heading downstairs, he decides to check out the other room. He opens it to discover an unfinished attic room with uneven floors. There are papers scattered all around and tacked to the falls are several papers, maps, and newspaper articles.

Father Mulroney tries to identify anything of interest in the room, but there is almost too much going on to really tell. He decides to read one of the newspaper articles. It is dated October 11, 1871 and titled, “Local Recluse Feared Dead”. The article describes an old recluse named Jeremiah Prendergast who is disappeared and presumed dead after his home burned in the great fire (which Mulroney recognizes as the Great Lakefront City Fire of 1871).

Not sure what to make of the article, Mulroney looks around some more. He finds an old poster rolled up on the floor. It appears to be a circa 1830’s medicine peddler’s poster for “Enoch Prendergast’s Snake Oil Liniment – 2 cents”.

Setting aside the poster, Father Mulroney looks at the maps. He can’t quite figure out what they are for – they appear to be county assessor maps of some kind. He decides to take the maps with him as he heads downstairs.

Session 10 - Scene 3 (of 7)

It takes quite some time for Mulroney to make his way down the stairs and through the corridor passages of the house back to the housekeeper’s room. By the time he gets there, his torch is burning quite low.

He finds Biggins still in the same position on the floor, moaning with dull pain. Shoes, however, is quite still.

Mulroney rushes over to Shoes to help, but finds no signs of life. The youth has no apparent breath or heartbeat, and is impaled on a piece of broken furniture. Father Mulroney tries slapping him awake, but the futility of the gesture finally dawns on him. He calls out a yell of grief for Shoes, asking God why He couldn’t have taken Biggins instead.

The alderman is clearly suffering from broken ribs and a concussion and makes no notice of the slight against him. Mulroney knows they need to get out of the home quickly.

The priest helps Biggins to his feet and helps walk him out to the car, letting Biggins carry the maps and books taken from the home.

Once the alderman is secured in the car, Mulroney heads back inside to use the remains of his torch to start the mansion on fire. As he drives away, the quickly burning tinderbox of the mansion glows in the background.

The trip back in the dark is a difficult one, and a bent wheel forces the men to abandon the stolen car. Mulroney uses the lighter to set that on fire as well as they start making their way back towards the city on foot.

Shortly after dawn breaks, they catch a lucky break as a friendly milk truck driver gives them a lift into town. After hailing a cab, they finally make their way back to the church.

Session 10 - Scene 4 (of 7)

Heading inside the church, Father Mulroney encounters Sister Mary in the vestibule. She asks where he’s been and where Francis is.

Father Mulroney explains that Shoes was “taken from us in the line of duty”. Sister Mary scolds him again about not being able to recruit enough boys to keep up with his use of them. Changing the subject, she then notes he has a visitor waiting for him outside his office.

Mulroney decides to go see who has been waiting for him this early in the morning. He instructs Sister Mary to tend to Biggins; she is clearly not thrilled with the idea. The nun coldly asks what he suggests she do. All he can come up with is to make sure the alderman doesn’t bleed too much.

Heading back to his office, Mulroney is shocked to discover his visitor is the girl from the asylum – Maisie Brockovitz.

He asks Maisie what she is doing out of the hospital. She explains she had to get out – she needs to figure out what that thing she encountered was, referring to the monster she was attacked by. Maisie goes on to explain how she made a rope out of sandals she collected at the hospital.

Father Mulroney isn’t sure what to believe and laughs at her story. Maisie takes no notice, matter of factly mentioning that it would have been noticed if she used bed sheets. Mulroney sarcastically agrees using a couple dozen sandals was “more subtle”, but tells her he likes how she thinks.

He takes her into his office to talk. He offers her coffee, but she explains she doesn’t care for it. Mulroney notes that he doesn’t either, mentally shuddering at the terrible coffee Sister Eunice makes.

The priest wants to know what led Maisie here. She explains she knew he was a priest, and wasn’t hard to find. And since he’s the only person who believed her about the monster, it made sense to go to him.

Mulroney goes on to tell her about his two encounters with the monsters, noting he barely escaped with his life both times. Maisie is confident she can kill the monster herself at the next encounter.

He asks Maisie if she has any additional information, but she merely scoffs at the idea, noting she’s been locked up. She hasn’t seen that creepy Dr. Krasnik lately, however.

Confirming she is there looking for help, Mulroney explains he recently lost his assistant and suggests she can fill in. He goes on to explain to her about his investigation into the monster and most of their dealings. He leaves out the parts about kidnapping Krasnik and the rest of their illegal activities.

Father Mulroney then starts to feel out Maisie’s tolerance for illegal activities. He explains that it is an expensive world, and a man has to do a few extra things to make money. He notes that she may hear things that could shock her.

Very bluntly, Maisie suggests to the priest he buy her silence. He commends her for being his type – resourceful and greedy. She quotes him a rate of $10 a week. He agrees, unaccustomed to being the one being shook down for money.

The priest then asks Maisie where she’s staying, and is a little cautious when she gives her intention to return to the family home. He wonders if there won’t be alienists or men from the asylum waiting there for her. She doubts anyone is looking too hard for her, and her father certainly wouldn’t turn her in.

Mulroney explains he needs to leave soon for an important meeting. He tells her he’d take her, but she wouldn’t fit in. Instead, he asks her to look after Biggins. She tells him it will cost him another $5. She also asks if there is any whiskey, but settles on drinking the communion wine instead.

He then takes her over to the rectory to meet Biggins. The man is still in something of a daze. Maisie asks Biggins what the hell happened to him, but all she can make out is him muttering “fall…” and “shoes…” She explains she has no shoes but is wearing sandals. He then mutters “fire…” and Mulroney pats him gently on the shoulder, saying “It will be all right, Jethro”.

Finally taking notice of Maisie, Biggins eyes light up with recognition. He asks her if he is in the asylum ward now, too. She explains that he is in the rectory. Half-conscious, he wonders aloud if that is better. Maisie says she doesn’t really know – her synagogue doesn’t have one.

Session 10 - Scene 5 (of 7)

Before heading to the meeting, Father Mulroney knows he needs a new lieutenant, but his prospects are slim – Zack is too green, Tony is too young, Chaos is too unpredictable, and Andy is too faint-hearted.

In the end, his only choice is Gem Archer. The tall, lanky youth isn't much for muscle but is a pretty good thief.

Mulroney calls over to the warehouse, which Gem answers as "Gem Archer's Distillery". Father Mulroney laughs at the joke, noting that the youth sounds a lot like Shoes. Gem explains he learned from the best.

The priest goes on to tell Gem he has bad news and good news. He starts by saying, "Remember how Shoes was my lieutenant?" Gem immediately picks up on the use of the past tense. Mulroney goes on to clarify that the bad news is that Shoes is dead but the good news is that he is being promoted to take his place.

Gem is shocked at the death of his close friend and pseudo-brother. He asks what happened. Mulroney explains Shoes had a fall. Gem wonders if he means that metaphorically, but Mulroney goes on to clarify that he physically fell onto a sharp piece of wood.

With that out of the way, Gem wants to know if this means he can pull off his necklace caper that weekend – noting that Shoes was against the idea. Mulroney gives him permission and Gem agrees to take the new position.

Mulroney then tells Gem to grab the truck from the warehouse and pick him up at the church.

Session 10 - Scene 6 (of 7)

After Gem picks him up, Mulroney explains they have an important meeting to attend. Gem gets nervous at the sound of that; he wants to know if it is like the "meeting" he sent Guigsy and Bonehead to.

The priest explains it is not, but it is like the meetings where Biggins got his finger cut off and Shoes got shot, so he should be present but quiet. Murloney reflects that Shoes was a good lad, but had a bad tendency to say whatever he thought. Gem happily suggests it won't be a problem for him since he doesn't think anything.

At the site of the big meeting, Father Mulroney is greeted by O'Conner and Yiddie Neumark. Spotting Gem and not recognizing him, O'Conner asks Mulroney who he is and what happened to McDougal.

When Mulroney explains that Shoes is "no longer with us", O'Conner assumes it was his smart mouth that got him killed. The priest clarifies it was actually a sharp stick, which actually gets something of a reaction from O'Conner, who calls it a hell of a way to go.

O'Conner then asks if the new kid is another smart one. But Gem quickly tells the priest he is not smart.

The gangster leads them over to the table where Merlo is telling everyone to sit. Mulroney spots Tolino and Lombardo nearby. Next to them are a couple of men who O'Conner explains represent New York's interests (meaning Boss of Bosses Joe Massere) – Frankie Yale and "Two Knife" Altieri.

Next to them sit a pair Mulroney recognizes, "Bloody" Angelo Genna and his brother Antonio "The Gentleman". The priest mentally notes that weapons weren't checked this time and wonders if Genna is carrying his trademark meat cleaver.

The rest of the gangs aren't familiar to Mulroney so O'Conner gives him a brief run-down. He points out the "degenerate Irish" Ralph Sheldon, the current boss of Regan's Colts, and his lieutenant – a new guy named Ryan O'Reilly. Next to them are Joe and Sam Aiello, who O'Conner counts as Italians you can do business with.

"Polack Joe" Saltis and his partner Frank McErlane are there as well; O'Conner calling McErlane crazy for his love of drive-by tommy gun shootings. They are separated from their rivals, the Southside O'Donnells, by the unrelated Westside O'Donnells represented by Myles O'Donnell and his brother "Klondike" Bill (rumored to have once been part of Soapy Smith's gang in Alaska). Finally, the Southside O'Donnells are represented by the recently pardoned Edward "Spike" O'Donnell and his brother Walter.

Father Mulroney is surprised by the sheer size of the gathering, noting that Merlo really did recruit everyone with a gang in the city, though mentally notes that Dion Carmody and his crew aren't represented. O'Conner makes a comment about that bastard from Chinatown (referring to Chiang Li Ching) having the balls to send a note sending his regards, as if they would invite him. He scoffs at the idea and makes several racial remarks about the Chinaman.

Merlo quickly calls the meeting to order. It is clear he wants to get it over with quickly, before any violence breaks out.

He tells them all that they are all there for the same reason – Dion Carmody's war against the Russians is causing them all to lose money. Merlo suggests that it is in their best interest to stop the violence between the two factions. He suggests they all agree that whoever takes out the Russians and Carmody can take over Flynn's old territory.

Most everyone agrees. Leaning over, Mulroney asks Gem is he hears the sound. Gem reminds the priest he's not supposed to talk. Mulroney tells him it is the sound of opportunity.

Angelo Genna, however, tells the group in no uncertain terms that the heroin trade in that territory is his. No one feels like arguing with him, though Mulroney isn't so sure he'll completely secede the heroin trade in that area to the Gennas.

Merlo notes it will be dangerous, but quite lucrative for whoever manages to serve up Ulnovsky. Father Mulroney then takes the floor, telling the others he is a small time operator compared to them and can't take on the Russians himself. He does let them know they can ask him for help. This gets nothing but snide comments and sneers in return, just as the priest wanted it. He doesn't want anyone thinking he is a real threat yet.

Session 10 - Scene 7 (of 7)

Back in the truck, Gem drives the car while taking out a wallet. He starts counting out $500 in cash. He tells the priest that the meeting really did lead to an opportunity.

Mulroney, however, is concerned. He asks Gem where he got the wallet from, since he knows he doesn't pay the boys that much.

Gem explains he lifted the wallet off of the nicest dressed guy at the meeting – Spike O'Donnell. Mulroney lets out an exclamation of "Holy Jesus!" He then asks Gem if he realizes who's wallet he stole.

The youth quips it was someone better off than they are. He goes on to praise the father for his idea about staying quiet; no one took notice of him at all. Father Mulroney tells Gem not to steal from mobsters; especially not mobsters with connections to the governor.

He then has Gem hand him the wallet so he can toss it after Gem extracts the money. Inside he finds little else of interest except for Spike's (fake) driver's license and a note with the phone number for Governor Small's chief of staff, Scott Harris. Mulroney takes the note out and tosses the wallet out of the truck's window.

Gem drives the truck over to the church – Father Mulroney wants to make sure Biggins is still alive. After checking on the alderman, he takes Maisie aside to talk.

Mulroney explains to Maisie about the situation with the Russians. He wants to kill Ulnovsky and take over Flynn's territory. Since he knows Maisie was involved with Flynn, he asks her about her connections to organized crime and if they can access the talents of the Magenta gang.

Maisie responds that she has her own gun, but Mulroney notes she's no match for the Russians. He just needs her to locate and infiltrate the Russians so they can have them taken out.

While Maisie works on getting in with the Russians, Mulroney wants to take Biggins to the hospital. The priest notes they will need a story. Biggins suggests they simply say he was mugged. Mulroney agrees it is a great idea and fits in with Biggins' help of DeMotte's war on crime.

Gem drives the two off to the hospital while dropping off Maisie at her house so she can change clothes and get her car to head down to the docks.

Session 10 - Session Notes

This session was much shorter than previous ones - I'd say no more than 2 hours. The Biggins player was back in town so there was a large dinner outing before the game.

Maisie got to reappear this session as I convinced my GF to come to an actual session. She originally was going to come the previous session, but had been sick.

Gem is obviously the replacement character for the Shoes player. The sudden death of Shoes was the result of not one bad die roll, but about 4-5 in a row. Though not exactly an exciting death, it did remind the players how quickly deadly BRP rules are.

Various notes on the session:
* I loved that Mulroney showed (willful) genre blindness by having the group split up, but since there is no monster in the mansion, it didn't have the result he was expecting.

* The hidden note doesn't make a ton of sense because they didn't go up into the tower later to see the connected clues (and now, never will). Of course, the fact Shoes hid the clue meant even if Mulroney would have gone up there it still wouldn't have made much sense to him (at least, not in character).

* I really abbreviated the search of the upper level in the game the same way the write-up reads. I don't have it in me to come up with 20 different ways to say "here's a bedroom attached to a dressing room - neither of them having anything interesting in them".

* I thought having the hole in the wall, the half-collapsed roof, and the scorch marks would have given the PCs enough hints that the area might be dangerous. I guess not.

* The Shoes player was actually doing some work at the time on his laptop when Mulroney ordered him to go save Biggins. If he hadn't been distracted, he might have been more cautious and lived. But I think it works in story - Shoes is reacting to Biggins being in trouble and not stopping to think.

* Mulroney not bothering to go check on the men and do more investigating first was priceless.

* Mulroney missed all kinds of clues in both the unfinished room and the turret of the tower. None are essential, but would have explained how things fit together better. The fact he burned down the house was kind of ironic in that it hurt them a lot more than the people they are up against (who clearly abandoned the home some time ago).

* Mulroney complaining about "why couldn't it have been Biggins" elicited a lot of laughs. Biggins also played his part great, grunting and breathing heavy while not being able to talk.

* Maisie is more of a special guest star - she's only planning to come back for one more session (my GF isn't really into the whole RPG thing).

* One thing I planned to do but didn't get around to because of a busy week was actually go over the back story for what Maisie was up to with my GF. So the story she gives was more or less improvised right there.

* Maisie putting the screws to Mulroney for cash was my favorite part of the session. He instantly realized he really stepped in a bear trap by taking her into his confidence.

* The Shoes player went with Gem Archer as he has the most potential. He's still working a bit to give him a more distinctive personality (though Gem is clearly dumber than Shoes). Plus, now I can use that Morgan Necklace Caper storyline after all.

* Again, Gem Archer is a real person. I took the liberty of using his nickname as positioning him as a jewel thief.

* All of the gangsters at the big meet are real ones from Chicago's 20's era, except for Ryan O'Reilly who comes straight from HBO's prison drama OZ. There's a subplot planned for O'Reilly, but that may or may not ever show up.

* Soapy Smith was likewise a real person.

* Spike O'Donnells connections to Governor Small are indeed real, and the governor was re-elected despite them. Scott Harris is a made up name - I couldn't find who Small's real chief of staff was. If I remember correctly, I combined some names from guys who worked for mayor Daley and governor Blogovich (or whatever his name was).

* A big point of this scene was to give Mulroney incentive to finish up the Ulnovsky / Carmody plot himself (and give him a reason to use Maisie).

* Gem picking the pocket of Spike O'Donnell was another great character moment.

* Next session is likely cancelled due to a scheduling conflict, so it may be a couple of weeks before we learn what happens next...

Just wanted to drop note saying that I enjoy reading these reports.  Keep 'em coming! :)

Quote from: Drohem;640977Just wanted to drop note saying that I enjoy reading these reports.  Keep 'em coming! :)

Thanks! I'm afraid tonight's regularly-scheduled session is cancelled due to Good Friday, but we should have another session on April 12th so the next installment will come then.

It's always good to know people are actually reading these things. I never get many comments so I always wonder.

I primarily type up these notes as a service to my players and because I like keeping track of things. I post them here (and at TBP) just in case anyone else finds them interesting.

Sadly, nothing since my practically-legendary Rifts campaign has grabbed the online community's attention very much. I am debating a future Palladium Fantasy game set in a non-Palladium world (rhymes with Sark Dun) once this is over but I'm still working on the rules adjustments (not really changes so much as setting-appropriate tweaks).

Session 11 - Cast of Characters

Father Clink Mulroney - Irish Roman Catholic priest running a bootlegging operation out of his church

Alderman Jethro Biggins - Corrupt city alderman on the take from Mulroney

Colin "Gem" Archer - Another of Mulroney's boys involved in his bootlegging operations; sidelines as a jewel thief

Session 11 - Scene 1 (of 10)

Alderman Jethro Biggins was finally allowed to leave the hospital several days later. With Maisie still out on the streets looking to connect up with Karina Krasnik, Father Mulroney and Gem Archer decided to pick up the alderman.

Biggins isn't terribly interested in talking to the men. Instead, he just has them drive him back to his office. He is anxious to check in with Boss Burns.

After dropping him off, Mulroney and Gem try to decide what to do next. Gem notes the party at David Thomas Morgan's house, where he plans to steal the necklace, is tomorrow night. Father Mulroney suggests they make sure they have a good plan and has Gem head over to the North Shore area of town.

Morgan's mansion sits far off the street up a small hill, with a tall, wrought-iron fence and accompanying hedges surrounding it. Staying away from the main entrance with the guard house, the two observe the grounds from across the street. They do not get a good view of the mansion itself, but the horse paddocks and stables can be clearly seen along with the tennis court and a gazebo near the front courtyard.

Father Mulroney wonders about the easiest way for Gem to get away once he's nabbed the necklace. Seeing the stables gives him an unconventional idea, but he dismisses it when Gem notes he has no experience riding a horse.

The two then turn to the idea of Gem hopping over the fence and into a getaway car driven by one of the other boys. Gem isn't so sure, he's not terribly athletic. But the youth knows one thing, once the necklace is discovered missing it won't take long before Morgan has his security checking people so he can't just walk it out.

That gives Mulroney another idea. He speculates that they don't need to get Gem and the necklace out, just the necklace. He could sneak off, toss the necklace out to Chaos or one of the others, and then exit out the main entrance later. Gem isn't so sure he trusts Chaos with anything, much less the beautiful necklace he has his eye on.

Just then, Gem spots a man walking around the area who seems out of place. He can't tell what the man is up to, and points him out to Mulroney. The priest is surprised to see that the man is the Spaniard he saw at the hospital, the one called "The Basque" who works for Tolino.

The father isn't sure what the Basque is up to either, but wants to take advantage of the opportunity to get rid of him. He has Gem quickly pull the car out and runs him down in the street.

The accident happens quickly and neither can be sure if the man is killed or not as they just keep driving. It seems like the perfect crime until they get a couple of blocks away and hear a police siren behind them.

With the police car only a few car lengths behind them and not trusting Gem's driving skills, Father Mulroney has him pull over the car. The police car pulls over as well, keeping a bit of distance.

As the cop gets out, he draws his gun and points it at the car. He yells for the men to come out with their hands up. Mulroney tells Gem to pass him his gun.

Gem complies immediately while the father stays behind. When the cop threatens to shoot, Mulroney insists on staying in the car. He tries to tell a story about not feeling well and being on the way to the hospital, but the cop isn't buying it.

Mulroney starts to get nervous when a warning shot comes through the back windshield but keeps his cool. When the officer starts to walk over to the car, Gem attempts to distract him by appearing to be sick, but the cop pays him no mind.

As the cop gets into position, Mulroney quickly pulls up Gem's small pistol and fires off a quick shot, winging the policeman. The office fires back with his revolver, putting a couple of shots into the car but missing Mulroney.

Gem takes the opportunity to get over to the cop car. Getting inside, he starts it up and prepares to run down the cop.

He doesn't get the chance, though, as Mulroney's next shot catches the officer right between the eyes. Gem hops out of the police car, grabs the cop's gun, and gets back in their car. They speed off quickly, smashing the fender into the parked police car as they pull away.

Session 11 - Scene 2 (of 10)

Cheryl is glad to see the alderman looking better when he shows up in the office, telling him how bad he looked when she brought him the spare suit from the office a couple of days ago. She has a large stack of messages waiting for him while he was gone.

Biggins takes the stack of messages and heads into his office, closing the door. He ignores the messages for the moment and calls over to Burns. As expected, the political boss is hot about where he's been.

The alderman explains about his stay in the hospital, explaining it as an accident while visiting with constituents at a construction site. Burns isn't concerned about the injuries Jethro sustained, but is upset he didn't have any reporters around to witness it and report the story.

Boss Burns then asks Biggins what happened with his house burning down. Biggins has no idea what Burns is referring to. The boss explains that he heard Biggins' house burnt down a few days ago.

While Biggins tries to process the loss of his home and all his family possessions, and worries about having to tell his wife, Burns rambles on about it being arson and how crime is running rampant in the city. He notes he even read a story in the paper that day about vandals striking the old museum, wondering what the world is coming to.

Burns then tells Biggins they've got a great opportunity here. He wants Biggins to talk up the arson to the newspaper, framing it as the brave politician who had his house torched by criminals for fighting against crime and corruption in the city.

He notes, however, that he certainly won't be sending a Tribune reporter, as "that rag" is owned by the McCormick family. The mention of McCormick reminds Burns about the invitation to the fundraiser at the Morgan house. He once again asks Biggins if he plans to attend the party and warns him to stay away. Biggins again agrees he has no intention to go to the party.

Burns tells him the City Star reporter will come over in the afternoon to interview him and cautions him to stay out of trouble until then. Biggins, mixing up his cover stories, makes a comment about avoiding being mugged. Burns is confused, reminding Biggins he said he was hurt in a construction accident not a mugging. Biggins notes he suffered a head injury and still isn't thinking clearly. Burns, clearly annoyed, tells him to make sure to get clear by the time the reporter shows up.

Once off the phone, Biggins checks the paper for the story Burns mentioned about the old museum. It is a small piece on page 3, simply noting that vandals had apparently broken into the basement of the old museum and knocked over several shelves, damaging some of the archived pieces. According to the story, Sir Archibald Beatty assured the press that nothing valuable is stored in the old archives. Police have said very little publicly about the crime, but the crime reporter quotes a source as saying the police have found a bloody fingerprint at the scene that they are keeping quiet about for some strange reason.

The alderman then decides to go investigate what Burns said about his house. He heads out to the main lobby and asks Cheryl if she can drive him over to his house. She just laughs, explaining that as a young woman in the city she doesn't know how to drive. He has her call him a cab instead.

Taking the cab over to his neighborhood, Biggins quickly sees his house has been reduced to nothing but charred remains. After paying the cabbie, he can do little more but stand in his yard and stare in shock for some time.

Session 11 - Scene 3 (of 10)

When Mulroney and Gem pull into the warehouse, Andy tells the father he has a message telling him to call Harrigan's. Knowing that calls from O'Conner never lead to anything good, Father Mulroney sighs and makes the call.

In a pleasant surprise, O'Conner seems to be his jovial self when he gets on the phone. Deanie mentions he's been busy looking for a line on the Russian, explaining how being able to expand into new territory will be good for both of them. He promises Mulroney a 10% finder's fee if he can provide any information.

Mulroney can't help but smile, O'Conner really believes his story about not going after the Russian himself. With Maisie's help, Mulroney knows he could soon become a major player in town.

But O'Conner is not just interested in talking about the Russian. He also wanted Mulroney called because it's time for him to call in another favor.

Deanie briefly explains the situation. A Chinaman named Fung Xian has recently arrived in the city. O'Conner hints around that Xian represents a different interest, and hence a different tong gang, than Chiang Li Ching, who currently runs things in Chinatown and has connections to Tolino. Getting the gist of Deanie's plan, Mulroney notes that perhaps Xian could be an "Irish Chinaman".

O'Conner agrees that Mulroney has the right idea. He warns him the Li Ching runs a tight ship down there. Mulroney voices his understanding that the meeting would have to be discrete. Deanie is glad the two are speaking the same language. He tells the priest to call him back once he's met with the man and sees what kind of deal could be worked out.

After the father is off the phone, Gem asks what the man wanted as he works to fill in the bullet holes on the side of the car. Mulroney explains that O'Conner wanted another favor, one requiring them to go see a man in Chinatown. Gem groans at the idea of another killing, and Mulroney comments that they never know what they will be required to do in the service of the Lord; but, he explains, this is just a talk.

The father then explains they should head over to the church first to change into something else. Gem wonders if he is going to attempt to disguise himself as Chinese, but the priest calmly notes that his intent is simply to look more civilian.

In the meantime, he tells Gem to clean up the car as best he can before they go out of the warehouse again. The priest then heads over to talk to Chaos.

The boy named Chaos is busy at work on his workbench. The priest can see him working on some sort of yellow chemical flakes. He asks Chaos what he is up to.

Chaos explains he is adding nitric acid to the dinitrotoluene to produce trinitrotoluene. When he sees it is clear the priest isn't following, he clarifies he is producing TNT.

Father Mulroney is a bit nervous about Chaos working on explosives in the warehouse, but it gives him an idea. He asks the boy how much he can produce. Chaos thinks about it for a minute and explains he can probably produce a couple pounds worth quickly. He'd have difficulty producing any more as he is running low on something called oleum.

Mulroney asks if it would be enough to destroy a small building. Chaos agrees, noting that it is a matter of setting the charges in the right location.

The priest then asks about how to remotely detonate such a device. Chaos starts to talk about a project he is working on to use an old alarm clock as a timer detonator, but Mulroney explains it isn't right for what he has in mind. In that case, Chaos suggests the typical plunger detonator with a wire running to a blasting cap. He notes they'll want at least 50 feet of wire.

Chaos goes on to say that he has something similar rigged up as a booby trap in his room at the orphanage. When Mulroney questions the comment, Chaos explains that Shoes told him to do it as part of a defensive plan. Mulroney realizes the boy must have taken one of Shoes' sarcastic remarks seriously, and warns him not to blow himself up as he needs the explosives in a couple of days.

Mulroney then heads back over to Gem and explains his plan. He wants to get Ulnovsky and Carmody in the same location at the same time, and then blow them both up. Explaining it to Gem, he believes he can just tell each of the men that the other one is in the building.

Gem isn't so sure about the plan. He notes that it sounds awfully familiar to the plan Shoes once explained to him that the priest had about getting O'Conner and Tolino together; and that plan didn't work out so well.

Instead, Gem comes up with his own dim idea to steal things from both men and wait for them to come looking for their stuff at the warehouse. Once the men are in the warehouse, they can slip out the back and blow it up. Mulroney explains the downside of the plan being that they'd blow up their own warehouse. Gem notes there is a lot of territory down by the docks to make into a new base of operations.

Session 11 - Scene 4 (of 10)

Once they change into standard attire, Mulroney has Gem drive down to the alderman's office. He hopes the alderman can use some political connections to help him find Fung Xian.

They find the politician at his desk with a blank look of shock. When Mulroney asked what happened, he explains his house burned down. Gem asks what the alderman did while Mulroney inquires about his health.

From the outer office, Cheryl asks if it was related to that awful Dion Carmody who visited earlier in the week. Biggins tells her that is probably not the case but inwardly isn't so sure.

Gem, looking on the bright side, tells Biggins he is now free to come to the party at the Morgan house. Biggins tells the boy he has absolutely no intention of going. He explains he is an injured man and has a reporter to talk with about public safety that afternoon, so they'll have to find someone else to go with them.

Gem is confused why Biggins would bother with talking to reporters about his house being burned down. Biggins briefly explains about needing to bring up the crusade against crime in the city, saying they have a mayor to elect. When Gem asks him if he intends to lie about what happened, Biggins explains he is a politician and will say what is needed.

Since the alderman isn't interested in accompanying him, Father Mulroney asks if there is any other news to tell them about. Biggins tells them to shut the door so Cheryl can't hear.

Once the door is shut, Biggins starts going through his messages. Mulroney and Gem get confused, thinking the alderman had something to tell them. Neither notices the newspaper story on his desk about the museum, and the alderman himself seems to have forgotten it as well.

The alderman looks through several of the messages – various constituents upset about something or wanting favors, calls from the fire marshal and the police precinct, etc. He stops at a strange one that says, "Hope you got the message" and is signed "DC".

Biggins wonders who DC is. Father Mulroney gently reminds him it is likely Dion Carmody. Biggins concludes the man must have been the one to burn down his house. Gem asks why he would torch the house, but Biggins gets confused. He suggests it might be related to the bank robbery. Mulroney, not saying anything, recalls that it is probably related to the threats Carmody made about suspecting Biggins had ties to Ulnovsky from his activities on the docks; he wonders how hard the alderman hit his head since his memory is so affected.

Changing the subject, Mulroney mentions they have an errand to run in Chinatown and suggests the alderman accompany them. Biggins begs off, explaining he has not political contacts in that area and needs to stay and wait for the reporter. Mulroney warns him to keep an eye out for Carmody, but Biggins absent-mindedly mentions he is focused on something else at the moment. As they leave, Mulroney tells Gem it is a good thing that it isn't catching.

Session 11 - Scene 5 (of 10)

Gem drives himself and Father Mulroney down to the Chinatown district. Mulroney has Gem pass by the popular Chop Suey restaurants and touristy shops and head back into the slummier areas where the people actually live.

The two pass by the On Leong Merchant's Association building and Mulroney knows they are in the On Leong Tong's territory. The area is filled with row houses, apartment buildings, and even a few siheyuan houses.

Unfortunately, neither Mulroney nor his young protégé have any experience dealing with the Chinese and so end up wandering around the area like tourists; watched with suspicion by the residents.

After a block or so they are approached by a young Chinese boy. He asks if they are looking for something to buy. He is trying to get them to come visit his grandfather's shop.

Figuring the store is as good a place to start as any, Mulroney decides to follow the boy. He leads them to a basement storefront identified as "Wing's Antique Emporium". It is a large, dimly-lit shop filled with stacks of old junk.

Mr. Wing emerges from behind a curtain leading into a back room. He is a tall Chinese man with long white hair and a white beard. He smokes a long pipe, but Mulroney can only guess whether it contains tobacco or opium.

The old man greets them. He has a strong accent but speaks clearly. Mr. Wing explains he does not often get visitors in his shop and tells them he has a wide variety of fine goods they may be interested in.

Father Mulroney tries to explain they are not in the market for any goods, but Wing draws their attention to a nearby chess set. He claims it is a fine set made of marble and jade, worth $300 but he will sell to them for $200.

Gem examines one of the pieces. He openly tells the priest not to buy, it is fake jade made from dyed quartz. Mr. Wing laughs good-naturedly, noting they are obviously not typical Chinatown tourists and asks what has brought them to the area.

Mulroney explains they are there to find his "uncle", a man named Xian. Wing looks him over. He correctly deduces they mean Fung Xian, whom the old man refers to as the "Triad man".

The father perks up at the mention of the triad. He knows the various warring tongs are all organized street gangs of Chinese-Americans, but the triads are powerful organized crime syndicates found in China and Hong Kong. If Fung Xian was sent by one of the triads, something major must be brewing in Chinatown.

As Mulroney considers the implications, Wing continues explaining that he knows something is up in the area. He mentions many new men in the area who carry cleavers and don't speak English.

The priest asks the man to arrange a meet with Fung Xian. Mr. Wing offers to connect them, but explains it will be dangerous as Chiang Li Ching, head of the On Leong Tong, has spies everywhere. For the risk, he wants $500.

Father Mulroney balks at the price. He threatens to involve the police into Wing's affairs. Wing doesn't flinch, but asks what price he had in mind. The two eventually settle on a price and Wing insists on getting his money up front.

As part of his cover, Mulroney also purchases the chess set, but for the actual cost of the item, commenting always enjoying a good game of chess. Wing dryly remarks he prefers Chinese checkers, which gets a chuckle from the priest.

Mulroney then asks Wing if he is also interested in arranging a buyer for a valuable necklace. Wing explains that such a thing can be done; he suggests Mulroney give him the necklace and it can be shipped out to his "relatives" in San Francisco who can find a clandestine buyer.

Gem and Mulroney then get ready to leave the shop. They set up a meet time of 10:00 that evening to return. Mulroney is pretty sure he can trust the old man.

As they head to the car, Gem explains his confusion that he had no idea Mulroney was part Chinese. Mulroney, having some fun with the lad, tells him he grew up an orphan in China and explains that's why he takes such good care of the orphaned boys now. He asks Gem if he knows he can always trust him. Gem agrees.

Session 11 - Scene 6 (of 10)

Across town, Biggins is having much worse luck trying to convince Jake Mingle, crime reporter for the City Star, that the burning down of his house is connected to his crusade of justice in the city. Jake notes it's not much of a story, but he might be able to get it added as a human interest piece. He tells Biggins he'll let him know and leaves.

The alderman then decides to make a call to his wife, Bertha, to let her know what happened. He is relieved she is still at her sister Martha's home in Sheboygan.

Once the operator gets her on the phone, however, he can tell he's made a mistake. When he starts to talk about the fire, she immediately becomes hysterical. He tries to calm her down, asking about the children – Eva, Pearl, Jean, Frederick, Joe, and little Viola – but has no luck and she ends up hanging up on him.

Deciding to deal with the domestic affairs another time, Jethro decides to contact Captain Deakins next to see if he has any information on the crime.

Captain Deakins has a little information. His detectives have located a witness placing Dion Carmody near Biggins' house the night of the fire. He asks Biggins if he has any connection to Carmody, but Biggins lies and tells him there is none he is aware of.

The captain then inquires if Biggins needs any protection. He has a man in mind who could keep Biggins out of trouble. Given his connections with the priest's illegal activities, the alderman tells Deakins he'll consider the offer, but notes he wants to remain approachable to his constituents. Deakins cautions Biggins to consider the offer carefully, noting the alderman has been engaging with elements in dangerous waters lately.

After Biggins tells the captain there is nothing else he needs to know about, he hangs up the phone. With all the excitement in his own life, it never occurs to him to ask the police captain about the bloody fingerprint discovered at the museum.

Session 11 - Scene 7 (of 10)

When Father Mulroney and Gem arrive back at the church, they find Sister Mary in the vestibule. She comments that they smell like Chinese food.

The father tells her he has a present for her and hands her the large, wrapped chess set. She asks what it is and he explains it is a chess set he purchased from a Chinaman.

Sister Mary's eyes narrow as she confirms they went to Chinatown. She wants to know why; specifically if they are looking for a new heroin connection. Father Mulroney assures her that he was not looking for a new supplier, but she still warns him not to try and cut out Dr. X as he wouldn't like that.

Father Mulroney wonders exactly how close Mary's connection is to the mysterious doctor. Trying to sound casual, he asks her if there is a chance of meeting the good doctor in person. She brushes him off, saying the doctor wouldn't like that and that he likes to keep things just between the two of them.

Mulroney's suspicions increase with the rebuttal. He makes a mental note to have Mary followed at some point so he can get more information on Dr. X.

Dropping the subject for the moment, he asks if there is any news to report. She has none, but does complain about the chess set and how the father keeps bringing back junk to the church – the strange stone, those musty old books in the rectory, etc. The reference reminds the father he still needs to look into the books he brought back from Ravenscry Manor when he has a chance.

He tells Mary he was wondering if Alderman Biggins had called, mentioning how the alderman's house burned down. Sister Mary asks if he fell asleep with one of those cigars he's always smoking, but the father clarifies it was arson. She says she'll keep an eye out, as they don't want any fires at the church.

Mulroney also asks about recruitment efforts, but Mary tells him it will take more time to recruit. She has to make sure to get the right kind of boys otherwise they'll end up with more like Liam and Noel.

Gem, however, wants to hear about the strange stone Mary mentioned. Father Mulroney realizes he hasn't shown the boy his trinket yet, and offers to do so but warns only to look, not touch. Gem remarks on how he loves pretty rocks.

When the priest takes out the black disk, Gem immediately becomes entranced. Unconsciously, he reaches out to touch it but Mulroney pulls it away in time. He warns the lad that anyone who touches it ends up in the hospital. Gem is confused how touching a stone could put someone in the hospital but takes the father at his word.

Archer is very interested in the stone, noting that he can't identify what it is made of. Mulroney offers to perhaps let him see it again sometime, but is concerned about the affect it had over the youth.

Father Mulroney decides they should go see Biggins – he'd like to have him as a getaway driver in case there is trouble at the meeting tonight. Gem asks where the alderman is staying, and Mulroney tells him he assumes at his office. Gem suggests the orphanage might be more comfortable, which Mulroney agrees would be an improvement over sleeping on a desk.

Session 11 - Scene 8 (of 10)

Biggins isn't exactly thrilled when the two men show up and discuss wanting him to drive them to Chinatown late at night for a meeting. Father Mulroney assures the alderman that he'll just have to wait in the car.

But Biggins isn't so sure; Mulroney's plans have a way of getting out of hand and he doesn't want another deadly encounter. He bluntly asks the priest if there will be any shooting, but Mulroney assures him there will be none and describes it as a "mellow encounter". Biggins responds that a mellow encounter sounds good, noting he can do without any more excitement for a while.

The alderman then tells them that he spoke to his contact in the police. He explains that Dion Carmody was spotted near the house at the time of the fire, which doesn't surprise Mulroney. Gem tells Biggins he's probably not safe at the office, either, as Carmody already knows where that is as well.

Biggins also explains he is debating getting some police protection, but that it might interfere with their operations. Father Mulrony agrees, inwardly concerned that Biggins will bring the police into a sensitive situation again.

Gem doesn't help matters by trying to be friendly to Biggins and telling him that they got the Spanish guy who stole his wallet. He points out a dent on the car's fender for emphasis, saying the man had strong thigh bones. Gem goes on to start commenting about the cop as well before Mulroney shuts him up, quickly telling Biggins that Gem was just joking. The youth agrees, noting the dent came from hitting a car; the Spaniard, he explains, was run over with no problems.

When they arrive in Chinatown, Mulroney has Biggins stay in the car. He warns the alderman not to go bringing in any police for help if there are signs of trouble. Instead, the priest instructs him to go back to the warehouse and grab a couple of the boys for help.

As Mulroney and Gem head over to the shop, Father Mulroney explains to Gem that they have to be careful what they say to Biggins, as he is a man of mixed morality. The alderman, Mulroney explains, is not so understanding of homicides and doesn't understand they are often necessary aspects of the business.

Gem, confused, notes that Biggins assisted in a bank robbery. Mulroney confirms that the act is an example of the mixed morality he was talking about. The priest then instructs the lad to check with him before mentioning things they do to Biggins. Gem agrees, though still lacking a real understanding of the discussion.

Session 11 - Scene 9 (of 10)

Heading down the stairs from the street, Gem and Father Mulroney find that Mr. Wing's Emporium is completely dark. They decide to keep heading towards the door, but make sure to ready their guns.

Gem finds the door is unlocked. Father Mulroney tells him to head inside. As he does, the youth calls out a greeting for "Mr. Wu", noting to the priest that he can't keep Chinese names straight.

A British-sounding voice answers in response. It instructs the two to get inside and close the door, and to stop making so much noise.

As they get inside, they can see a curtain moved to the side from the back room. The faint light from the room beyond shows a Chinese man wearing a suit standing in the doorway. Gem is confused and continues to look around for an Englishman.

The source of the voice is confirmed, though Gem is no less confused, when the Chinese man speaks perfect English with a British accent, asking who they are. Looking at Mulroney, he notes that the priest must be his "nephew".

Father Clink introduces himself to the man, who confirms he is Fung Xian. Fung asks the purpose of the meeting, and Mulroney explains Deanie O'Conners request to establish relations.

Xian is keenly aware of what Mulroney is getting at, noting his organization has sent him to America to effect a change in management in the city. He tells the priest that he could be persuaded to ally himself with O'Conner, provided O'Conner can connect him with Deanie's "friends at the armory".

Mulroney bluntly asks what Fung is looking for. He explains that in order to deal with Chiang Li Ching's entrenched syndicate, he needs what Americans call "Tommy Guns"; four crates worth.

The triad man and the priest come to an agreement to get a response from Deanie about the guns within two days. Xian notes he may also need to hire some muscle, as he's having difficulty getting his men to support the new regime. According to Fung, the locals are terrified of Chiang Li Ching, believing him to be some kind of sorcerer. He dismisses these ideas as coming from ignorant peasants.

Father Mulroney gives the Chinese man the number of the warehouse so they can set up the next meet. As they leave, Fung bids them goodbye and tells them he looks forward to their meeting next week.

Session 11 - Scene 10 (of 10)

Out in the truck, Alderman Biggins is getting increasingly concerned. The area is quite dark at night, and entrenched in a thick fog.

Off in the distance, he spots a man in the street. The man has a shambling, awkward gait and appears to be holding a meat cleaver in one hand. Not taking any chances, Biggins immediately starts the car and drives off.

Shortly after, Mulroney and Gem exit the shop and head up to the street. They immediately notice Biggins isn't there.

As they look around for him, Biggins turns to see a man standing almost next to him. The man wears red pants and an open red robe. Mulroney stares in horror as he sees the man's mouth has been crudely sewn shut, and deep gouging scars on his chest. Worse, the man's skin is wrinkled and mummified, with dark black lips and extremities, and his eyes milky white.

The priest is shocked by the appearance and can barely react. Gem yells out "Leapin' Lizards!" and begins firing wildly. Mulroney does the same. Neither man manages to hit the dead man. Instead, it shambles over to Mulroney and cuts down strongly with its cleaver. The blow cuts off Mulroney's ear along with a large chunk of his face.

Bleeding profusely, Father Mulroney starts to run away. He yells for Gem to follow, but the youth is convinced he can stop the creature. He fires several rounds into it, but it doesn't seem to have much of an effect.

The cleaver just misses Gem as he steps out of the way. Now convinced the father was right, he runs off after him. The two disappear into the dark fog of Chinatown as the ghoul stutters after them...

Session 11 - Session Notes

This session was an odd one. To start with, I'll just say that at one point we were laughing so hard we had to stop for a few minutes to get under control. The sad part is that we were laughing at (and not really with) the Biggins player.

Not sure what was going on there. A tech issue prevented any video on Skype for us, and so we just got audio. He seemed really distracted and didn't follow along with what was going on. Sort of a repeat of the episode with the Russian.

On the one hand, I like that the alderman is rather bumbling. On the other hand, mocking him for it gets to feeling mean-spirited after a while. It also isn't helping much with advancing the game.

In any event, here's some more info about the session:
* Maisie was supposed to be at this session and it was supposed to be about hunting down Ulnovsky (both I and the Mulroney player had plans related to that plotline for the session). Sadly, an outing with her friends to Outback took priority.

* The Morgan house is heavily based on the mansion from Clue: Master Edition with some extras thrown in. In retrospect, I described it more befitting something in the hills of California rather than along Chicago's gold coast area.

* The Basque looking to steal the necklace was part of the original TSR plot for the necklace caper. I never in a million years thought they'd just kill him.

* Similarly, the police car was intended to lead to a chase scene. They went for a shootout instead. Mulroney is lucky the cop rolled bad - in my rules, a .38 special packs nearly twice the power of the .25 ACP pea shooter he was using.

* The Biggins player's conversation with Burns was really confusing (and funny) when he forgot his own cover story halfway through the conversation.

* I'm not sure how much more obvious I could have made it that the newspaper story was a clue. The later conversation with Mulroney was even more painful; I skimmed over it for the write-up, but during the session he said several times, "well, if there's not any other news you have for us..." and things to that effect. The Gem player was literally beating his head against the table.

* The joke about Cheryl not driving because she's a woman was meant to draw attention to the fact that a woman of the era didn't necessarily drive a car. One of my grandmothers (now deceased) never learned to drive because my grandfather insisted women didn't need to know how.

* As a substitute for having something happen with the Russian, I figured it was time for Deanie to call in another favor. I'd planned the Fung Xian plot from the beginning (careful readers may recall the reference to him in the prologue chapter as the Chinese man mentioned as coming over on Ned Flynn's ship).

* I see Chaos as very much the mad bomber type. I did explain he was making TNT during the session, but ended up expanding some of the details in the write-up (using Wikipedia as a reference). During the session I made the mistake of referring to "primer cord" instead of wire for detonating the explosive; I changed it in the write-up when I realized I was using a term meant for something a bit different.

* Mulroney's plan to blow everybody up real good is pretty much destined to fail as I almost never let PCs get away with plans like that unless they are very careful to cover all the contingencies.

* Again, the conversation with Biggins at his office was both hilarious and aggravating at the same time. Almost as annoying was that he avoided doing anything with the rest of the group but then didn't have any ideas of his own on what to do next. I really only like it when groups split up if they have separate plots to follow; trying to invent something interesting to occupy more than one group at a time without causing issues is difficult.

* I wanted to make a point that the public-facing façade of Chinatown is cheap shops and trendy chop suey restaurants, but the actual workers are living in poverty and being exploited by cruel members of their own community.

* The On Leong Tong is a real Chinese gang from Chicago (now reformed into some sort of community action group, naturally)

* Mr. Wing, his shop, and his grandson are an homage to the opening scene from the movie Gremlins.

* I had to look up during the session real quick to see what fake jade was made out of; I always think adding the fine details really adds to the sessions.

* Fung Xian is a triad man because I thought it made things more enticing than just a run of the mill tong war.

* As mentioned before, I invented the idea of Biggins having a family. I finally gave them names in the write-up this time (not actually mentioned during the session). I use a table of the top 100 names used for a given decade (from an online site) and rolled 1d100 to generate them (I also rolled a d2 for gender for the kids).

* We're still not sure if Biggins was intending to lie to Deakins about not knowing Carmody, or if he wasn't paying attention again.

* I have another player I'm trying to get join. If he does, I want him to be a dirty cop that Deakins sends to protect Biggins.

* Whenever Sister Mary mentions Dr. X, I usually err on the side of making it obvious she's holding something back about him. Mulroney is finally starting to get suspicious about it so that subplot may yet come to pass.

* I had Sister Mary mention the books Mulroney brought back to remind him there are still clues to follow up on with those. Actually, there's still all kinds of clues that they could follow up on but never have.

* It made sense to me that Fung Xian would be a well-educated, upper-class sort of man. And Gem played right along with prejudices, baffled that a Chinese man could have a British accent.

* Chiang Li Ching gets a lot of mentions in this session. Again, he's my favorite villain from the stories of Dashiell Hammett. To be fair, though, in my incarnation he's also half Lo Pan from Big Trouble in Little China. Hence, the comment about sorcery and the "zombie" showing up at the end (also note the foreshadowing I laid down in the initial visit to Chinatown).

Session 12 - Cast of Characters

Father Clink Mulroney - Irish Roman Catholic priest running a bootlegging operation out of his church

Alderman Jethro Biggins - Corrupt city alderman on the take from Mulroney

Colin "Gem" Archer - Mulroney's newly-promoted lieutenant for his bootlegging operations; sidelines as a jewel thief

Session 12 - Scene 1 (of 12)

Alderman Jethro Biggins drove quickly through the streets of Lakefront City, glad to be out of Chinatown. Thinking of the companions he left behind, he wants to get to the warehouse quickly and get some help. He shudders as he thinks of the awkwardly moving, meat cleaver carrying form he saw on the foggy street.

When he arrives, Biggins finds the warehouse very quiet. The lights of the building are on, but he spots no movement and hears no noise. Stepping inside, he finds the place empty and the air pregnant with silence.

Looking down, he spots some red streaks on the ground; as if something bloody was dragged out the door. He stops and listens quietly as his heart pounds.

Biggins suddenly hears something moving on the roof. Sensing danger, he runs out to the truck and gets in without even looking up. As he starts the engine, the window smashes in. He can feel a large piece of glass wedged into left eye.

With his right eye, the alderman can see some kind of large, black tentacle flailing about in the cab with him. Whatever it is attached to must be outside, but Biggins can't see through the shattered windshield; for which he is grateful, as the tentacle is shocking enough.

Shifting the truck into reverse, Biggins slams on the gas and the tentacle pulls away. Once in the street, he puts the truck in gear and drives off as fast as he can without looking.

His mind racing with thoughts on what to do next, Biggins finds himself distracted by the shard of glass in his eye. Instead of heading over to the hospital or looking for an ophthalmologist, he decides to take out the piece himself while driving.

The pain sears through his skull as he badly cuts his eye taking the shard out. Biggins loses control of the car, fishtailing and slamming into a light pole. His head smashes into the steering wheel and he loses consciousness.

Session 12 - Scene 2 (of 12)

Colin Archer, or "Gem" as he prefers, finds himself lost while running in the dark, foggy streets of Chinatown. He's lost sight of Father Mulroney after trying to shoot down the undead man armed with the cleaver. He starts calling out for the father.

It doesn't take long before the two are reunited. Father Clink, his face badly mangled from the attack, complains about the pain and the need to get to a doctor; he's losing a lot of blood.

Gem, meanwhile, is more preoccupied with their attacker. Using his exclamation of "Leapin' lizards!" he inquires what it was that attacked them; making a note that he fired a couple of shots into it with no effect. Father Mulroney mumbles that it was a "Chinese zombi", believing the undead ghoul to be related to zombi folktales of the Vodou religion found in Haiti and West Africa.

Not versed in folklore or theology, Gem has no idea what a zombi is. But his attention span is short, and he changes the subject to tell the father there is something wrong with his face. Yelling at the dim youth as best he can with his mangled face, Mulroney tells him to try and patch him up; but Gem's attempt only succeeds in causing the priest more pain.

Knowing they'll need help, the two return their focus on getting out of Chinatown and finding someone who can help. Gem spots some light in a nearby alleyway. He tells the father to wait while he investigates, but the priest has no intention of waiting around for another zombi to find him.

Gem steps into the alley, gun at the ready. He spots an open back door of one of the buildings – a well-dressed Chinese man is handing a small pouch to a dishelmed Chinese man standing in the alley, apparently in exchange for money. There are a lot of loud sounds coming from the doorway and Gem deduces it sounds like a kitchen.

Father Mulroney, standing behind Gem, explains they appear to be witnessing an opium deal. He tells Gem that he could use some opium to dull the pain from his face. The youth isn't so convinced; he'd rather get Mulroney to a doctor. He tells the priest he'll go see if the building has a phone they can use.

As Gem walks over, the Chinese men spot him. The disheveled man runs off but the other Chinese man stands his ground. He says something to Gem in Chinese. Gem turns to Father Mulroney to get a translation, as he understands the father to be part Chinese. Mulroney responds that it just sounded like "Chin Chang Chong" gibberish to him.

Trying to be helpful, Gem tries to mimic the use of a phone to get his point across to the man. The man points at his gun and yells something in Chinese back. Gem becomes frustrated, saying he wants a phone not a gun. Father Mulroney tries pointing to his face to get a reaction.

The Chinese man looks annoyed, but motions them over. As they head over, he yells inside to the kitchen and another Chinese man comes to the doorway. This one is wearing a suit.

Father Mulroney asks if the man speaks English. With a thick Chinese accent, the man responds that he does. He sardonically asks if Mulroney and Gem are there for some chop suey as they are at the Yun Lon Chop Suey House. Mulroney snaps back that his face has been "chop sueyed" and they need assistance.

The man in the suit tells them to follow him. He leads them down the alley and down another street of tenement houses.

Session 12 - Scene 3 (of 12)

After another block, Father Mulroney, Gem, and the well-dressed Chinese man arrive at a traditional Chinese siheyuan structure. He leads them inside and they go through a number of hallways, doors, stairs, and other passages. The route is quite varied and Mulroney is sure the purpose is to confuse them of where they are at, which makes him nervous.

They finally stop when they reach a large red door. The man tells them to wait there as he heads inside. Through the door, Mulroney and Gem hear an old Chinese voice referring to the well-dressed man as "Jair Quon" and the two speak in Chinese.

Afterwards, Jair Quon comes back out and instructs Gem and Mulroney to go inside. He does not follow. The room beyond is a large hall, with curtains out from all the walls and a small platform on the end. Gem is quite certain not only are doors and passageways behind the curtains, but people hiding as well.

And old Chinese man with white hair and a long white beard smiles at them from a chair on the platform. The chair is colored bronze, with a high back. On either side of the back are the form of long, bronze snakes coiled around the chair.

The old man greets them, and asks what has brought them to visit Chiang Li Ching. Father Mulroney says they were attacked, but Chiang corrects him to say he was wounded by consorting with bad people. When Mulroney tries to protest, Chiang asks if he is saying he does not know Fung Xian.

Mulroney admits to meeting with Fung Xian, but tells Chiang he was only there because O'Conner wanted to do business with him. Chiang notes that he is allied with Mr. Tolino and has no desire to further Mr. O'Conner's interests.

Chiang tries to sound pleasant, but his contempt of Xian still shows. He explains that Fung Xian is there to further the interests of the Wo Hop To triad, and support the local Hip Song Tong, who are his enemies.

Mulroney explains they have no wish to get involved in the conflict. He again states he was just running an errand for O'Conner and was attacked by a zombi. Chiang does not directly address the statement, but does obliquely refer to his finding a way for those who displease him to still be of use.

Just then, Gem notices movement behind the curtains around them. Out of reflex, he starts raising his gun. Chiang holds him in a bold stare, calling him "boy" and forcefully warning him it would be a bad idea to attempt to use his gun in this hall.

Chiang politely but coldly asks Father Mulroney why he should let the two of them leave with their lives. Mulroney tells him it would avoid him going to war with O'Conner. Chiang is not intimidated, but decides he has no desire for other distractions at the moment.

The old man tells Mulroney that Jair Quon will escort them out of Chinatown, but also tells them they are never to return. Mulroney assures him they have no desire. Just to make the point, Chiang explains that if they do, there may be more "zombis" in their future.

After they exit the room, Jair Quon takes them back through the series of passages until they exit the main entrance to the siheyuan. He then points towards a nearby street and explains they need only go a couple of blocks.

Mulroney is disappointed Quon isn't planning to come with them, as he might have had Gem kill the man as a warning to Chiang. But given the circumstances, he decides to just follow the directions. They encounter no more undead minions on their way out.

Session 12 - Scene 4 (of 12)

Once outside of Chinatown, Gem has no trouble hailing one of the Variegated cabs. When the cabbie sees Mulroney's face, he exclaims "Jesus mister!" Mulroney explains he was mugged in Chinatown, which the cabbie says is no place for a white man after dark.

The cabbie rushes Mulroney straight to the hospital, where he checks himself in under his usual alias of Rocco Jonesey. They load up the father with some morphine as he waits for sutures.

While standing around waiting, Gem notices a gurney going down the hall. The man on the gurney is badly injured, with a large bloody bandage over one eye. Still, Gem notices the man appears to be Alderman Biggins. He tells the father, who says that Biggins usually isn't so bloody.

Gem goes after the gurney to get more information. He asks nurse what happened to "Uncle Jethro". After the nurse confirms he is a relative, she tells him his uncle was involved in a car accident – slamming a truck into a light pole.

She goes on to say that Biggins is critically injured. He has glass in one eye and there appears to be pressure on his skull from internal bleeding. She's pessimistic they can save the eye.

They won't let Gem into the operating room so he watches through the small window in the door. They shave Biggins' head and take out a drill and start drilling into his skull.

Gem yells out "Leapin' lizards!" and bursts inside, calling the doctor crazy and yelling that they can't go around drilling holes in peoples' heads. The doctor tries to explain, saying they need to relieve pressure from a subdural hematoma, but Gem isn't listening (nor would he understand if he did). They finally have to have the orderlies drag him out of the operating room.

When Gem gets back to Mulroney, he's already having his face sutured up. Luckily for Mulroney, he got the intern who is skilled at suturing and the scarring won't be too terrible.

The youth wildly retells his story about Biggins and the accident and the resulting eye being gone. He then says that the people here are not doctors at all, but criminals and con men.

Father Mulroney, high off of morphine, isn't following the conversation so well. Gem clarifies that they are not "their sort of criminals" but are doing experiments on Biggins, including drilling holes in Biggins' head. Mulroney laughs and says it could only improve the alderman.

The priest then wonders if anyone has found his ear. Gem suggests it is probably with Biggins' eye. He cautions Mulroney not to fall asleep in this place.

A nurse stops by and tells Gem his other uncle is out of surgery. They were able to save his life, but not his eye. She also notes that visiting hours are over so he'll need to leave soon.

Before he goes, Mulroney cautions him to keep an eye out for Dr. Cooper. Of course, as only Shoes ever saw the doctor before, they aren't really sure what to look for.

Session 12 - Scene 5 (of 12)

Gem makes a pretense of getting some coffee from the cafeteria and sitting around in the lobby. What's he's really doing is waiting for the guard to leave the area.

Once the guard's attention is focused on flirting with a nurse, Gem sneaks over to the hallway leading down to the basement. Looking around for where the laundry might be, he sees the basement is a long, dark hallway with a lot of doors. A set of swinging double doors at the end of the hall is marked "Pathology", which is an unfamiliar word to the youth.

It doesn't take long before he comes across the laundry room. It contains a mix of dirty and clean clothes, both staff uniforms and patient gowns. Gem dresses up in an orderly uniform.

Once disguised, Gem decides to investigate the mysterious pathology room. The doors open into a large room that resembles one of the operating rooms but has other strange equipment in it including something that looks like a grocer's scale.

Gem looks around a bit, noticing a large wall of huge metal drawers. He pulls one open, only to discover a corpse inside. Shocked, he rhetorically asks out loud what a hospital could be doing with dead bodies.

Looking around a little more, he sees there is an attached office area around a corner. As he walks over, he can hear someone inside talking. The voice is that of an adult male, with an older style New England accent. The man appears to be talking to someone else. Gem hears him say "...in an hour. He should be ready by then. The name is Jethro Biggins."

Gem hears footsteps next. He hides behind one of the tables and watches as a man dressed as a doctor emerges. The man is wearing outdated clothes and is carrying a strange syringe filled with a bright green liquid. Whispering "Leapin' lizards!" to himself, Gem realizes the man must be involved in something nefarious.

After waiting another couple of minutes, Gem tires of waiting for the man Cooper was talking to. Sneaking around the corner, he sees the office is empty. He is perplexed until he notices the office has a phone.

The youth then sneaks back upstairs to talk to Father Mulroney. He finds the father in a deep sleep and shakes him vigorously to rouse him.

As father is yelling at him for waking him, Gem explains about seeing the doctor and the conversation he overheard. He's convinced the doctor is planning to do something to Biggins.

Father Mulroney notes that Gem's description of the man sounds familiar. When he hears about the syringe, he's convinced it is the same man that injected Shoes – Dr. Ephraim Cooper. Gem, however, says that the man he saw was younger looking – certainly much younger than Dr. Cooper who should be nearly in his nineties by now.

Mulroney decides they can explore the mystery of Cooper's age another day. He implores the youth to focus on saving Biggins, but warns him to avoid attracting attention and not to have a shootout on the hospital ward.

Session 12 - Scene 6 (of 12)

By the time Gem reaches Biggins' section of the ward, he finds the doctor has beaten him there. The doctor is already injecting Biggins with the contents of the syringe.

Thinking quickly, Gem rushes at the man and attempts to tackle him. Cooper notices him in time and makes a run for it, leaving the syringe stuck in the alderman.

Gem gives chase down the ward hallway. As they near the end, a nurse pushes out a cart of towels in front of Gem, cutting him off. After slamming into the cart, Gem spots Cooper starting down the stairs.

The night nurse screams as Gem draws his gun and fires off a couple of shots. At least one hits Cooper in the back, and he goes rolling down the stairs.

Pushing the nurse away, Gem runs over to the stairs. He spots drops of blood going down them along with a small amount at the bottom, but Cooper isn't there.

He quickly makes his way down to the basement. Following the blood trail, Gem heads into the pathology room. He notices the garage ramp door is wide open – Cooper has escaped.

Hoping to get a clue about what Cooper was doing, Gem heads back into the office. On the desk, he sees a signed death certificate made out by Cooper as well as a transfer order to Destiny Memorial Funeral Home.

Gem takes the papers and tosses the orderly uniform and heads out the ramp. He quickly finds a cab and takes it back to the warehouse.

When he arrives, Gem sees glass on the ground outside the warehouse, but none of the windows are broken nor are there any damaged streetlights. Finding that suspicious, he cautiously heads inside the warehouse.

He sees no one as he goes in but does notice the blood streaks. Gun at the ready, he looks around and finds other splatters of blood along the walls in one of the corners of the room.

Gem calls out to see if anyone is there, but no one answers. The only thing out of the ordinary is a large wrapped package sitting on Chaos' workbench. The brown parcel paper is wrapped with twine made into a nice bow.

Stepping over closer, Gem notices there is no writing on the paper. He knows better than to touch anything Chaos was working on and decides to leave it alone.

With no one around and nowhere to go, Gem decides to sleep in the warehouse for the night with the gun still in his hand.

Session 12 - Scene 7 (of 12)

Jethro Biggins is surprised to find himself waking up in a strange bed with white curtains all around and a nurse staring over him. She exclaims surprise, saying the doctor wasn't sure he'd ever waken from his coma.

Biggins' mind is still damaged from the encounter with the tentacle creature. He asks the nurse, "is it here?" When she asks for clarification, he can only call it the "tentacle thing". She makes a note on the chart and mumbles something about Biggins showing signs of brain damage.

When the doctor comes over to investigate, Biggins becomes more lucid. The doctor shows Biggins a strange-looking syringe and asks if he knows what it is. The alderman is confused, assuming it was something they injected into him.

The doctor then explains that the previous night, some maniac broke into the hospital and tried to inject him with the syringe but a doctor on the night shift fought him off. They've called the police, but they haven't been able to find either the crazy man or the doctor. They plan on turning over the syringe to them.

On a more somber note, the doctor is forced to tell Biggins that he has permanently lost the use of his eye. Trying to cheer him up, he tells the alderman he will get a stylish new eye patch to wear now. Pragmatically, Biggins says at least it wasn't his life but the doctor cautions it was close and he is very lucky.

After the doctor moves on, Biggins asks the nurse about using a phone. She directs him to the pay phone at the end of the hall. She asks if he is planning to call his nephew because she hasn't seen him in yet.

Biggins is confused, asking about the nephew. Once the nurse begins describing him, Biggins realizes she is talking about Gem Archer. She notes he's also been there to visit another patient on the ward, Rocco Jonesey.

The alderman, remembering that is Father Mulroney's alias, tells the nurse he knows Rocco. She tells him that Rocco lost an ear. When the alderman asks if he was also involved in a car accident, she clarifies he was mugged.

Father Mulroney is touching his sore face when he spots Biggins shuffling his way towards him in the hall. Still addled, Biggins refers to him as Father Murphy when greeting him. Ignoring the use of the wrong name, Mulroney asks what happened after he abandoned them in Chinatown.

Biggins explains about going to the warehouse and finding no one but blood trails. He then talks about the noise he heard on the roof and how he was attacked by a "tentacle thing" when he tried to leave.

Mulroney is skeptical at the mention of the tentacle. He asks Biggins if he's been drinking again. Biggins insists he was not.

The alderman goes on to tell the father about removing the glass shard from his eye and having the accident. Mulroney isn't really paying attention; instead, he keeps asking Biggins what happened to the rest of the boys. Biggins finally says he was under the impression the blood streaks were all that was left of them.

Not liking the sound of that, Mulroney wants to know where Gem is. Biggins explained that he knows Gem stopped by the previous day, posing as his nephew, but hasn't seen him today.

Mulroney then asks Biggins if anything else strange has happened since he saw him last. Biggins says no. The priest then comments that is strange, as he was under the impression Dr. Cooper was running about in the hospital last night.

Biggins, still recovering, inquires who Dr. Hooper is. Mulroney yells it is Cooper, not Hooper, and asks Biggins if he damaged his ear as well. When Biggins appears to draw a blank on Dr. Cooper, Mulroney reminds him that Dr. Cooper was the nut who injected Shoes with something in the hospital last time.

Remembering, Biggins casually notes someone tried to inject him last night as well. When Mulroney asks what happened, Biggins explains the doctor must have been interrupted and relays the story he was told by the doctor.

Mulroney is frustrated it took so much to get the information out of Biggins and that he still doesn't know where Gem is. He then gets concerned, realizing Gem's next stop would have likely been the warehouse.

Session 12 - Scene 8 (of 12)

As Mulroney is instructing Biggins to try and call Gem at the warehouse, the youth shows up. He is surprised to find Biggins alive and says as much.

Gem then tells the father he was right about this place, as the crazy doctor was injecting Biggins last night when he went to check on him. Mulroney asks if it was the same doctor who drilled holes in Biggins' head, but the youth isn't sure (though assumes it was the "same nut").

Continuing on, Gem explains he couldn't get to the doctor in time to stop him. He explains that a nurse got in the way and Cooper was making a run for it, so he popped him. Mulroney winces, then yells at the boy for shooting a man in front of a nurse.

Gem goes on to explain Cooper isn't dead – he was gone from the stairwell by the time he arrived and apparently escaped out the basement ramp. Mulroney wants to know where he went, but Gem explains there were no other cars around so he had no way to follow the man.

When asked if there were any clues as to what was going on, Gem produces the documents he found in the office that Cooper filled out. Mulroney is suspicious of the transfer to Destiny Memorial Funeral Home, noting that it was the same place Rover's body was supposed to be sent (and now thinking about it, he was never contacted by).

Gem believes the next step is to investigate Destiny Memorial itself. He then asks Biggins what happened to the syringe. When he hears they are going to turn it over to the police, he asks if one of his police contacts is going to get it for him. Biggins admits he didn't think to ask anyone. Gem cautions the alderman to keep track of it, it could be important.

Mulroney agrees, noting there is definitely a bigger plot going on. The syringe attack was clearly not Dion Carmody's doing.

Still wanting to look into the mysterious funeral home, Gem asks Biggins if he is up for a trip. Biggins declines, saying he needs to heal up. Mulroney agrees he needs rest as well.

The priest then asks Gem where he went last night after the attack. When Gem explains he went to the warehouse, Mulroney has Biggins relate his story to the boy. When he gets to the part about the attack in the truck, Gem loudly exclaims, "A tentacle? Leapin' lizards!"

Mulroney asks Gem if anyone was there when he arrived, which Gem confirms there was not. When asked about searching the roof, Gem notes he had no reason to. He does tell Mulroney about the package on Chaos' workbench, which Mulroney decides is likely the TNT charge he was working on.

The priest instructs Gem to go talk to Sister Mary and get help, as the youth lacks the facilities to accomplish things on his own. He also instructs Gem to keep a low profile.

Meanwhile, Biggins calls up Captain Deakins. Deakins is concerned Biggins is in the hospital again and asks what happened. Biggins tells him he was "knocked around by a tentacle". Deakins says nothing but is worried the alderman is starting to have a nervous breakdown.

Biggins also explains about the man trying to inject him. He asks Deakins about intercepting the syringe. Deakins explains that since no one died, it will be relatively easy to obtain despite the fact it didn't take place in his district.

He then again asks about assigning a protection detail to the alderman, but Biggins refuses. He warns the alderman again about staying out of trouble and tells him not to tell anyone else about the tentacle or he'll end up at the Dunning Asylum.

Session 12 - Scene 9 (of 12)

Gem takes a cab back to the church. When he arrives, he finds Sister Mary in the vestibule. He gulps as she stares at him with her icy eyes.

She greets Gem dismissingly and wants to know where the father is. Gem explains that Father Mulroney is in the hospital. Sister Mary wants to know what happened this time. Gem tells the story about the zombi and being attacked with a cleaver.

Mary is not sympathetic, coldly stating she warned the priest to stay out of Chinatown. Gem then mentions his trip to the bloody warehouse and she stares at him and asks if they managed to lose all the boys.

Gem is intimidated by the severe demeanor of the nun. He stammers telling her that he didn't see any bodies. He tries to lighten the mood by suggesting perhaps they just went out to do other things since Mulroney wasn't around to keep an eye on them. Mary isn't impressed.

Mary summarizes that Gem is telling her the father is in the warehouse and the boys are all gone. Gem sweats as he explains there is more; and tells her about the alderman's encounter with the monster at the warehouse and he's now in the hospital as well.

When she asks how the alderman managed to get injured this time, he tells her about the injury Biggins suffered in his eye and the accident with the truck. Mary mentally tallies another problem, stating "no truck now either then?"

Trying to change the subject, Gem tells her he's there because he needs help. Mary suggests that the only boys left to recruit are in the 10-12 year old range.

Gem boldly responds by asking her if she can come with him. She dismisses the thought with a callous-sounding laugh, telling him he must be joking. She explains that she is already busy dealing with the bishop as it is and asks if he can't handle it on his own.

When it is clear he cannot, she suggests he call O'Conner for help. She notes their operation is in jeopardy. Gem agrees: blood, monsters, and Biggins – all not good for business. He then openly says he's uncomfortable talking to her so he'll go call O'Conner. She smiles unkindly as he leaves.

Session 12 - Scene 10 (of 12)

Calling over to Harrigan's, Gem finds it isn't so easy to get ahold of Deanie. Instead, the bartender passes the phone to John T. O'Bannion.

Gem quickly explains that they are having an operations problem. O'Bannion wants to know if it is related to the Tolinos, Carmody, or Ulnovsky but Gem explains, "more like a squid".

The youth then explains they've lost their workers and their truck. John T. notes that Gem and Mulroney's usefulness appears to be coming to an end.

He then says that he and his brother, James, will come over to help Gem out. When he asks where to meet, Gem suggests the warehouse. O'Bannion tells him they will be over soon.

Once off the phone, Gem realizes he should go anywhere but the warehouse, as he's certain the O'Bannions plan to kill him. Instead, he decides to go visit Destiny Memorial.

Hailing a cab, Gem has him drive out to the address listed on the transfer form. When he gives the exact address, the cabbie explains that the street doesn't go out that far – that address would put it in the middle of the river.

Frustrated by the dead end, Gem needs time to think. He tells the driver to drop him off at Edna's Diner instead, asking if the cabbie knows the place. The cabbie concurs he is familiar with it, noting that Edna is a cranky old bitch.

Heading inside, Gem sits down at the counter. He tries to sit and think for a moment, but Edna keeps pestering him to order something or leave. He finally takes a coffee.

Gem then asks if he can use the diner phone, but Edna tells him to use the pay phone. He caustically tells her back that he'll be using her tip to do so.

Attempting to dial the phone number listed on the transfer papers, Gem is frustrated when the operator comes on the line and tells him he is trying to dial an unassigned number.

Trying to think of what to do next, Gem spots a solitary man wearing a suit sitting at one of the tables. A large case sits next to him.

Introducing himself and making small talk, Gem discovers the man is George Mueller, a clothing iron salesman from Cincinnati. Gem cons Mueller into believing he lives with his aunt who is in the market for a new iron.

After convincing Mueller to drive him back to his aunt's house, Gem tries to steer him towards a more out of the way location but ends up in a fairly residential area. He has Mueller stop and then pistol whips him when he goes to grab his case, knocking the man out cold.

Making sure no one is watching, Gem uses the man's tie to bind his hands then drives off in the car. Once in a more secure location, Gem strips Mueller and finds the suit will fit. He then ties the man to some irons and drops the body off into the river. Despite not waiting for dark, he lucks out and no one appears to spot him.

Session 12 - Scene 11 (of 12)

When Gem returns to the hospital, Mulroney comments on how sharp he looks. Gem explains he had a spot of luck that day.

Confused, Mulroney asks if he located any boys. Gem tells him that he didn't make it to the warehouse, which upsets the father; he tells Gem he wanted him to find some boys not buy a suit.

Gem goes on to say there's no one left at the orphanage to use. He then relays the tale about talking with Sister Mary and her suggesting he call O'Conner.

Father Mulroney's eyes go wide, saying "You didn't, did you?" Gem says no, but clarifies he talked to John T. instead. He then explains about what he told O'Bannion and how the brothers wanted to meet him at the warehouse.

Gem also notes he didn't meet them at the warehouse because they sounded bad. When Mulroney asks what he means, Gem clarifies that they didn't sound bad like talking with Sister Mary, but more like their encounter with Chiang Li Ching.

The youth also makes a comment about being dropped off by an iron salesman. When Mulroney asks what he means, Gem tells the story about killing the man and taking the car.

Mulroney isn't sure what to do next. He's lost all his allies and everyone is gunning for him now – Tolino, O'Conner, Carmody, Ulnovsky, two different Chinese gangs... His best hope is that the monster is still at the warehouse and managed to kill the O'Bannions.

The priest then tells Gem they don't have much choice – he'll need to go out to the warehouse to see what happened. Gem is nervous, but Mulroney reminds him the O'Bannions never met him yet so if he keeps his distance he should be fine.

Session 12 - Scene 12 (of 12)

Gem spots the car parked at the warehouse as he drives by. He decides to loop around to the alley.

Once there, he parks his car and takes out one of the remaining demonstration irons to use as a weapon. He heads over and cracks open the door.

Peering inside, Gem spots the O'Bannions standing around with guns drawn. James is just starting to say something about not thinking anyone will show when John T. spots Gem and says "Get him!"

Gem makes a run for it. A couple of shots ring out but nothing hits him. He tries yelling to the O'Bannions that he is just an iron salesman as he gets into the car.

The O'Bannions aren't listening. They fire off more shots, one clips Gem in the shoulder. As he drives off, the car is hit with several bullets, breaking out the back windshield and putting holes in the fuel tank.

Gem doesn't get more than a block before the engine starts to give out. He puts his gun in the back seat and emerges from the car with the iron. Stepping out with his hands up, he again claims to be a simple iron salesman. James runs up and smacks him hard with the butt of his gun and everything goes black.

Session 12 - Session Notes

To be honest, it was the day before the game before I remembered we were having it so I didn't have as much time to prep before the session. Luckily, I had a lot of notes built up ahead of time.

Once again, Maisie did not make her return (she was out with Bronchitis this time) so we couldn't have the showdown with the Russians. Maybe next time (if anyone is left alive).

Overall this session was a lot of fun but the Biggins player still isn't firing on all cylinders (though he did better this time).

Other notes about this session:
* The attack on the warehouse is unrelated to the Chinatown goings-on. I'd actually had it planned ever since they torched Ravenscry Manor (its a reaction to that), but didn't get to it last time.

* Biggins is getting down into the mid-30's for sanity. He may start to develop some issues soon.

* Biggins' eye injury is the result of several bad rolls combined with some bad decision-making. If he would have looked up before getting in the truck, he would have realized that he was about to be attacked. And I made it very clear about his chances for removing the glass himself - everyone groaned when he went ahead and did that instead of just going to the hospital.

* Gem's new catchphrase, "Leapin' lizards!" gets used quite a bit this session. Between that and making him obviously dumb, the player has done a good job of differentiating him from Shoes.

* I'm using "zombi" instead of "zombie" because technically Mulroney using either word is a bit anachronistic so I want it to at least seem like he's using an older form.

* The chop suey house and Jair Quon were planned a while back but in a different context. But once they were lost in Chinatown, I thought it would make for an interesting encounter.

* Having a traditional Chinese siheyuan in the middle of the city is pure dramatic license, but I thought it would make things more alien and uncomfortable for the players.

* The bronze snakes on Chiang Li Ching's chair aren't just decoration; if the PCs had tried to use any force on the man they would have discovered that quickly.

* Obviously Chiang greeting Jair Quon in English is not realistic. Nor is his flat-out naming the Wo Hop To triad (a real triad - but the Chinese themselves don't use that term as far as I know) and the Hip Song Tong (again, a real tong and the historical rivals of the On Leong Tong) to a non-Chinese person. But here I'm using some more dramatic license so I can cram in some exposition.

* Chiang Li Ching is not directly related to the larger mythos plot going on, but he is a dark sorcerer in his own right.

* I want to make a quick note here just to say I'm trying to show that the people of the time are racist towards the Chinese but I'm trying not to present the Chinese NPCs themselves in a racist light while at the same time keeping to pulp tropes. I hope that comes across.

* I don't know if surgeons of the 20's could actually diagnose subdural hematomas or if they used the drilling procedure them. On HBO's Rome show they had ancient Romans doing it so I figured why not.

* Gem's reaction to the surgery was hilarious.

* Biggins made two luck rolls. He passed the first one (survived brain surgery) but failed the second (eye gone).

* Another area we weren't sure about was whether a circa-1920s hospital would actually have a refrigerated morgue. We decided to err on the side of dramatic license.

* I originally just mentioned the Pathology room in the basement for atmosphere. But when Gem went to investigate, I thought he should be rewarded with some clues and so added the Dr. Cooper scene.

* I thought it was funny Mulroney cautioned Gem against having a shootout in the hospital, and they ended up having a shootout.

* Naturally I couldn't have Cooper die right there. But that's not to say he isn't off recovering somewhere, badly injured. Gem's shooting will at least put his plans back a bit.

* Biggins getting the partial injection will lead to something later, just as Shoes would have had he not died.

* Gem would have blown himself up if he had messed with the package in the warehouse.

* Biggins referring to Mulroney as Murphy and Cooper as Hooper were not intentional moments of being in character; the player was being out of it again. Similarly, we really pushed hard to get him to mention being injected because he somehow forgot about the conversation even though it was a few minutes prior.

* Destiny Memorial is obviously a fake funeral home. There is another clue associated with it still, provided the PCs think to investigate it.

* The players were hoping I'd provide more orphan cannon-fodder, but they've gone through so many I figured they will need to wait a bit.

* I loved the encounter with Sister Mary, she's the icy cold femme fatale.

* I don't know if the players realized it or not, but she was setting up Gem to get killed by suggesting he call O'Conner.

* I'm not trying to be a killer GM, but telling the O'Bannions that they are no longer useful could only lead to trouble. It's not like I hadn't foreshadowed that.

* George Mueller is the alias a character uses while working as an iron salesman on HBO's Boardwalk Empire. The encounter at Ednas is meant as an homage to the show.

* Another murder for a car, only to lose the car right away. Also, Mulroney warned Gem to keep his distance, which he didn't do. Next time we'll see if he can talk his way out of getting killed.

Session 13 - Cast of Characters

Father Clink Mulroney - Irish Roman Catholic priest running a bootlegging operation out of his church

Alderman Jethro Biggins - Corrupt city alderman on the take from Mulroney

Colin "Gem" Archer - Mulroney's newly-promoted lieutenant for his bootlegging operations; sidelines as a jewel thief

Session 13 - Scene 1 (of 14)

Gem Archer awakes to find himself tied to a chair in some kind of warehouse. The O'Bannion brothers stand nearby, leering at him. John T. tells his brother James that the boy has finally woken up.

Still trying to keep his cover, Gem asks the men if they'd like to buy an iron. John T. doesn't go along with it, telling Gem to stop with the blarney.

When asked where Deanie is, John T. replies that he'll be along shortly, noting he's disappointed. When Gem asks why, the man tells him that if it were up to him, he'd have killed Gem already.

Gem jokingly suggests they pass the time waiting for O'Conner by playing cards. James tells him to shut his smart mouth up and acts as if to hit him, but his brother gives him a cautioning look; they want him conscious when Deanie arrives.

A few minutes later, Deanie and Yiddie Neumark show up at the warehouse. After confirming Gem's name, he tells the youth he's in a spot of trouble. Gem asks why, not really understanding the politics of the gangs, and Deanie explains that Gem's boss is trying his patience by costing him more than he's bringing in.

Thinking quickly, or as quickly as Gem can, the youth tells Deanie the reason they aren't producing liquor any more is that they have a change in business plans. O'Conner wants to hear more. Gem goes on to say that they made lousy bootleggers, so they have plans on how to bring in other revenue. He mentions the Morgan party and plans to "leave with a guest".

Deanie laughs, telling the kid he has moxie like Shoes for planning to rip off Morgan; something even the Tolinos won't try. Trying to sound competent, Gem notes that Shoes' problem was that he did not know when to shut his mouth.

Getting down to business, O'Conner wants to know what his end will be. He reminds Gem that the father owes him a lot. Gem comes back with 30%, thinking of his deal with Mr. Wing for nearly the same amount to move the ice through the old man's San Francisco connections.

O'Conner agrees it isn't a bad deal. Gem starts rambling on about how it would be more except they have to pay to move it out of the area. Deanie picks up on the comment and wants to know how they plan to move stones that hot. Gem, realizing he made a mistake, convinces Deanie that Father Mulroney doesn't trust him with those kinds of details.

With the business deal arranged, O'Conner goes on to explain to Gem that the reason he was keeping him alive was to find out what happened in Chinatown. Gem asks which time, but O'Conner has no idea what he means.

Gem then rambles on about three different meetings with the Chinese in Chinatown – the old man with the dumpy store, the "fake Chinaman" with the limey accent, and the "scary Chinaman" with the crazy monsters.

Deanie is beside himself trying to sort out Gem's rants. He rhetorically asks how they can manage to screw up a simple meet. He then tells Gem the Chinaman he's interested in is the one with the British accent.

Gem tries to recall the conversation as best he can. He tells Deanie that the fake Chinaman and the scary Chinaman are involved in some kind of war and the fake one is open to deals. When Deanie asks what the man wanted, Gem explains they want a few crates of guns. Deanie laughs that they certainly aren't messing around.

Starting to rant again, Gem talks about how they need to guns to take on the scary monster men with the meat cleavers. Deanie is more interested in when Xian is expecting the guns. At first, Gem says he isn't sure. But after Deanie yells at him a bit, he recalls there was something about meeting back up with him in two days.

O'Conner takes the information in, noting that two days will have to make for a quick trip. Gem agrees, noting that Xian probably wants to make a move on Chiang Li Ching before he knows what hit him.

With the party that night, Deanie notes that Gem will have to make the trip out in the morning to get the guns. Gem is confused by the mention of a trip, but O'Conner explains that he doesn't have the weapons locally; he'll need to get them from his connection in Rock River, over 200 miles away. He promises Gem that if he gets everything done without a hitch, that will square things up with them (though Gem is sure he means only square enough to keep him and Mulroney alive; they'll still owe O'Conner).

In the meantime, Deanie wants to send one of his guys with Gem to "look in on my investment". He has Yiddie make a call over to Harrigan's to get ahold of someone named "Handsome" Dan McCarthy.

Session 13 - Scene 2 (of 14)

At the hospital, Father Mulroney's convalescence is interrupted by a visit from Bishop Duggan. Mulroney explains to the bishop about the mugging, saying it happened near the area where Deacon Dickford was killed. He remarks on how dangerous the city has gotten.

The bishop is very intrigued and looks at Mulroney's long sutures. He asks what kind of knife the men had that could make a cut like that, but Mulroney feigns ignorance, saying he has very little knowledge about knives.

Trying to remain positive, Bishop Duggan relates that "when God closes an ear, he opens an eye." As his usual custom, Father Mulroney agrees with the doddering old bishop even though he has no idea what the man is trying to say.

Duggan then starts to talk about his search for the new deacon, but says it was made irrelevant by something strange. The bishop believes it was a sign from God. He goes on to tell a worried Mulroney that a "charitable organization" has made an offer to purchase the orphanage. The archdiocese has decided to accept the offer and close St. Vincent's to split out the diocese among the other parishes.

The bishop then tells Father Mulroney the good news – he is to be reassigned to be the head priest in a brand new parish in Cleveland. Mulroney lies about how happy he is, while worrying about his crumbling criminal empire.

Mulroney smells something funny about the whole affair and asks Duggan about the organization purchasing the orphanage. Duggan gives the name as the Marduk Institute, noting he's never heard of them before.

The name sets off alarm bells in Mulroney's mind. He remembers the Marduk Institute being the organization that was supposed to be funding Dr. Krasnik's experiments for the Human Instrumentality Project; a project that involved studies of breeding immigrant children – the same kind that live in orphanages like St. Vincent's.

When asked if he ever met anyone from the institute, Bishop Duggan explains that the whole thing was handled through lawyers. Mulroney tells the bishop he'd like to meet the people, as he has a close bond with the orphans and wants to make sure they'll be taken care of. He describes the boys as being "as close to my heart as Jesus", which causes Bishop Duggan to make sure with Mulroney that his connection to the boys isn't too close.

Duggan then explains that St. Vincent's will be decommissioned in 30 days, so Mulroney should have plenty of time to get his affairs in order. The bishop also makes a side note that while Sister Eunice is planning to retire, Sister Mary seems very unhappy with the situation. Mulroney is not surprised in the least.

Session 13 - Scene 3 (of 14)

After the bishop leaves, having told his "good news", Father Mulroney heads down the hall to talk with Alderman Biggins. Despite his life-threatening injuries from the night before, the alderman looks to be in remarkably good condition.

Clink tells Jethro all about the bishop's visit and the plans to decommission the church and ship him off to Cleveland. Biggins remarks that the changes might affect business a bit. Mulroney agrees they will have a profound effect indeed.

The alderman asks Mulroney if he plans to go. The priest honestly isn't sure, not having put much thought into it yet.

Instead, Mulroney tells Biggins the interesting fact about the Marduk Institute being the organization buying the orphanage. When the forgetful alderman doesn't recall the name, Mulroney reminds him about the connection to Krasnik.

Biggins deduces they may be trying to get at the orphans for experiments and Mulroney agrees he isn't sure what they are up to but the whole thing doesn't leave him with very good feelings. He asks the alderman to use his connections to dig up more information on the institute.

The conversation then turns to Biggins' remarkably healed appearance. He tells the father that he feels exceptionally well, commenting that it must be from all the prayers the priest has been saying for him. The priest inquires if he's seen the strange Dr. Cooper again, but Biggins has nothing to report. Mulroney, however, is suspicious since the alderman was injected with the strange liquid; he tells the man to keep him apprised on any new developments.

Biggins also mentions re-thinking getting a police detail for security purposes. Mulroney cautions against it, saying that having the police too close to his operations makes him nervous.

Session 13 - Scene 4 (of 14)

Shortly after his conversation with the priest, Alderman Jethro Biggins checks himself out of the hospital. With no home to go to, he heads back to his office.

At this time of night, the office is closed and dark. After letting himself in, Biggins heads back to his personal office and makes a call over to the precinct.

Captain Deakins informs the alderman that he was able to retrieve the syringe and take over the case from the detective in the hospital's precinct. He asks the alderman what he wants to do with it. Biggins, having not thought that far ahead, mentions he has some friends who may want to review it. Deakins says he'll have a patrolman drop it buy the office in the morning.

Biggins then discusses the plans of the mysterious Marduk Institute to take over the orphanage. Deakins isn't really sure how that relates to police matters, and suggests Biggins would have better luck getting information out of city hall. Biggins agrees, but wants to make sure Deakins hadn't heard of any strange rumors associated with the company. The police captain tells him has never heard of them at all.

With that, Biggins moves to end the call. When Captain Deakins cautions him to be safe, Biggins decides he would like extra patrols around his office after all. With the matter taken care of, Biggins makes a note for himself to contact city hall in the morning and decides to go to sleep in his office chair.

Session 13 - Scene 5 (of 14)

Across town on the Golden Shore of Lakefront City, Gem and his new friend, Dan McCarthy, work as valets parking cars at the Morgan Mansion. They are watched over by the caretaker's son, a man in his early 30's named George Pritchett.

The night begins with a lot of work, as the party is heavily attended. Gem doesn't recognize most of the guests, who look like a mix of old and new money, except for Rev. Jacob Greene, rector of the Episcopalian Church of the Beloved Disciple where Alderman Biggins attends.

Once most of the guests have arrived and the work slows, Gem takes a minute to talk with Dan. Noticing that McCarthy has gained more tips from the women than he has, the youth remarks that they don't call him "Handsome Dan" for nothing.

Dan is anxious to get moving with the heist, but Gem cautions restraint. He wants everyone to have a few drinks first.

Gem is concerned about how the heist will work, telling Dan that his original plan was to have someone outside the gates to hand it off to. Dan, who is even slower than Gem, notes that the original plan won't work because they are both inside the gates.

The next best idea they can come up with is to steal one of the cars and get away. The tricky part, they realize, is getting away from Pritchett long enough to swipe the necklace.

Even trickier than that, Gem notes, is that Rebecca Morgan is wearing the necklace so getting it off of her will be tough. Dan wonders how Gem plans to pull that off. Gem tells him that's where he comes in, but McCarthy remarks he's not that handsome.

Gem wants to isolate Mrs. Morgan then life the necklace. He thinks Dan should be the one to distract her. When Dan isn't sure how that will work, Gem suggests he just strike up a conversation with her.

Dan is excited at the prospect of talking with Mrs. Morgan about his love for baseball, as he's a big fan of the Northside team - the Lakefront City Wharfies. Gem suggests a woman like Mrs. Morgan may want a more genteel topic of conversation.

Getting the idea, Dan admits women don't necessarily find the Wharfies a romantic topic of conversation so he asks Gem for ideas. Gem comments that he has very little experience with ladies, but suggests just telling Mrs. Morgan she's pretty.

Just then, Gem catches sight of Johnny Cannon, Morgan's bodyguard / personal investigator, standing around in the main hall. He knows they'll never get anywhere near the necklace with Cannon around.

A plan begins to form in Gem's mind. He knows Cannon is investigating the bank job that Cody Powers pulled and believes he can use Dan to distract him instead. He instructs Dan to tell Cannon that he has information about the bank robbery and to use that to get him out of the area.

McCarthy isn't so sure, as he doesn't know anything about the robbery. Gem tells the gangster to take Cannon to the hospital and find Alderman Biggins. When Dan is confused, Gem clarifies that sacrifices have to be made and that Biggins was in on the robbery so he'll have to take the fall.

Dan is still confused, and Gem realizes Deanie never told him about the robbery plot. McCarthy explains he's rarely told what goes on, as O'Conner believes he has too big of a mouth. Gem suggests that he use that mouth to talk to Cannon about Biggins. When McCarthy asks what happens next, Gem clarifies that Cannon will take care of things from there.

Session 13 - Scene 6 (of 14)

Dan McCarthy approaches George Pritchett and tells him he needs to speak with Johnny Cannon saying something about having information and a Wharfies game. Pritchett remarks he is more a fan of the Southside team – the Lakefront City Bass. McCarthy says nothing but inwardly scoffs at the idea of following the team after the Black Bass scandal at the World Series a few years back.

Pritchett is skeptical of what McCarthy is up to, but goes and gets Cannon anyway. Cannon isn't in the mood for small talk and quickly gets to the point, asking what information McCarthy has. Dan asks if he is interested in information about the robbery at First National Bank.

Cannon plays along, telling McCarthy he might be interested. Dan promises he can identify the man who was the mastermind behind the robbery. Cannon laughs, noting he already knows Cody Powers was behind the robbery.

Dan tries to explain that it wasn't powers, but Cannon isn't buying it. Johnny explains that Powers has already killed three of his own guys to keep the money – explaining that the bodies of Mack "Lucky" Lamb and Jake Malone were found the other day.

McCarthy continues to disagree. He tells Cannon that Alderman Jethro Biggins is the true criminal behind it all. Cannon is skeptical about an alderman being involved, but Dan continues on.

He explains about Biggins' house being burned down lately because of his criminal involvement. Cannon recalls the story, and notes that Biggins does have some involvement with Dion Carmody. After Dan suggests that only a man with political connections could have kept Powers from being caught, Johnny is convinced he may be on to something.

Johnny tells Dan to take him to Biggins. Dan explains about being at the hospital. Cannon then has Morgan's chauffer, Alfred Mortimer, bring the Rolls Royce around from the carriage house, saying that they will be taking Mr. Morgan's car to the hospital.

Session 13 - Scene 7 (of 14)

While McCarthy is taking care of Cannon, Gem convinces Pritchett to let him take a break to go to the bathroom. The gardener warns him not to go on the grounds, or leave any cigarette butts there, and tells him to use the servant's entrance to the house.

Gem heads into the back of the mansion through the door near the carriage house. The door opens into a hall next to the kitchen. Morgan's Chinese cook is busy working on the food and barely looks up at Gem as he passes.

Also nearby is the trophy room. Inside, three men are having drinks. One of the men Gem recognizes as Rev. Greene. Another is dressed in a fine suit and Gem recalls seeing the man in the business pages but can't place the name. The other is a larger man that the youth recalls as having to do with the museum.

Passing by the trophy room, Gem looks around to get a fix on Mrs. Morgan. The mansion is crawling with people, both guests and a large number of Chinese servants, and the party doesn't seem confined to any one area.

He catches sight of Mrs. Morgan and some other women down one of the other hallways. They appear to be heading to the conservatory as he catches mention of Morgan's prize orchids. Gem manages to get there first.

When he steps into the conservatory, he realizes he is not alone; a pretty young woman dressed in a flapper style is there looking at the flowers. Seeing Gem, she comments on how beautiful the flowers are, noting that "we have a great selection out on the island" but she doesn't get to visit it as much as she'd like.

Making conversation, Gem asks her about the island. She explains that her father has a house out on one of the islands on Lake Michigan. Unfortunately, she says her father and his fishing friends tend to keep it occupied so she hasn't been able to use it lately. She introduces herself as Valarie Hill. Gem likewise introduces himself giving his real name, Colin Archer.

As Mrs. Morgan and her gaggle of middle-aged women arrive, Valarie comments on how much she enjoys large parties, as they are always more intimate than small ones. Mrs. Morgan doesn't recognize Gem so he introduces himself and tells her they were admiring her orchids. She describes them as her prize possession, aside from her necklace.

Gem attempts to lure Morgan away from the other guests, but doesn't have much luck. Valarie, meanwhile, steps out towards the doorway and tries to lure him away. He resists at first, but after having no luck getting near the necklace he decides to leave and go find Valarie.

Session 13 - Scene 8 (of 14)

Valarie stands down the hall, inside the doorway of the library. She beckons him over quietly, whispering that the library is empty. Once inside, she becomes very forward, throwing herself passionately at Gem.

The youth is a bit taken aback by the suddenness of the girl. He suggests they talk a bit first. She tells him he can talk while she clears off the desk for them.

As the salacious girl begins moving things, Gem notices some interesting items on the desk. He spots a financial ledger, some medical journals, and a cut-out from the newspaper of a story from several months back about Dr. Stefan Krasnik taking over as head physician of Statesville Prison.

When Gem shows more interest in the ledger than her, Valarie gets annoyed. She asks who cares about business. Gem remarks that he's always interested in making money. Surly commenting that Gem is just like her father, Valarie leaves the room in a huff.

Examining the ledger, Gem is surprised to find it written in code; clearly Morgan has some illegitimate business interests he's trying to hide. Also inside the pages he finds a receipt leasing out a warehouse on Broad Street and Michigan Way. Gem recognizes the address as the one leased to Dr. Krasnik where Cody Power's man, Paul Sand, was found dead.

Moving to the medical journals, Gem quickly finds himself in over his head. He can't make any sense of them at all. He decides to leave them and take the article and the ledger.

Gem knows he can't walk around with the ledger and concealing it would make lifting the necklace even tougher. He decides to stash it in the conservatory by the begonias and retrieve it later.

It doesn't take long before Gem catches up with Mrs. Morgan and her guests. They've moved on to the studio, where Morgan is showing everyone the paintings she's done of her orchids.

Trying to come up with a way to lure her away from everyone, Gem notices there is a lot of paint in the room. Thinking to himself, he realizes if an accident were to occur, Mrs. Morgan would need to go off to change.

Gem pretends to trip over something and knock a palette with oil paints on to Rebecca's dress. He apologizes, but she is quite upset he's ruined one of her favorite dresses. She storms out of the room, with the rest of the guests giving Gem the eye.

Session 13 - Scene 9 (of 14)

Gem wants to follow Mrs. Morgan upstairs, but doesn't want to be noticed. He decides to take the servant's stairs back by the kitchen.

After heading up the stairs louder than he'd like, he finds himself in the servant's area. An old Chinese woman looks at him curiously as he passes by her doorway.

Heading through a door into a connecting hall, he eventually makes his way towards the family area of the upper level. All of the doors are closed, so Gem goes up to the first one he sees and puts his ear to it. The room beyond appears to be quiet. While there, he notices that the name "Niven" is carved into the lower part of the door jamb, as if by a child.

Gem finds the carving curious; as far as he's seen, the Morgans do not appear to have any children. But he thinks no more about it and moves on to the other doors.

A couple of doors down, he hears clothes being moved on a rack; Gem knows this must be Mrs. Morgan's room. Checking the door, he finds it unlocked. He quietly peeks in and catches the sight of Rebecca with her back turned to him; she's only wearing a slip and the necklace.

After considering his options, Gem decides to knock rather than try to snatch Mrs. Morgan from behind. She calls out asking who is there, but gets quite angry when she realizes it is Gem. He attempts to tell her he finds her irresistible in a pathetic attempt to seduce her. It goes poorly.

Rebecca Morgan begins yelling loudly for Gem to leave. Realizing the gig is up, he rushes into the room. She screams as he pulls out his revolver. Gem attempts to pistol whip Morgan to shut her up, but she manages to fight him off.

People from the party can hear the struggle and begin heading up the stairs. Gem tries to grab for the necklace, but Morgan claws him across the face with her fingernails, drawing blood. He then tries to strangle her, but she fends him off with one of the bedside lamps.

With time running out, Gem threatens to shoot her. She throws the necklace to him as he hears everyone in the hallway coming towards the room. Thinking quickly, he fires a warning shot at the wall outside the door and runs to the master bathroom.

Once inside the bathroom, Gem shuts the door for time and throws open the window. He manages to make it through the narrow opening but slips trying to climb down the rose trellis. Gem crashes to the ground but manages to avoid being seriously hurt.

The party is quickly becoming a scene of chaos with people running all over and women screaming. Gem traces advantage of the confusion to grab one of the cars as Pritchett calls after him. He speeds down the driveway, narrowly avoiding the elder Edward Pritchett closing the gate on him. Tires squeal as he turns quickly out into the street and speeds off towards Chinatown.

Session 13 - Scene 10 (of 14)

At the hospital, Dan gets nervous as the duty nurse informs him and Cannon that not only are visiting hours over, but that Alderman Jethro Biggins has already checked out of the hospital. Johnny is less than pleased at the news.

The two men head back to the car, with Handsome Dan making sure to fall behind Cannon. As Cannon grumbles about the trip being a waste of time, McCarthy draws his pistol. He puts two in the back of Cannon's head as several people in the parking lot scream.

Dan then makes a run for it, leaving the body of Johnny Cannon bleeding in the hospital parking lot.

Session 13 - Scene 11 (of 14)

Gem makes his way through the dark streets of Chinatown over to Wing's Emporium. Despite the fact that the shop is dark, he makes his way down and finds the store unlocked.

Inside, he sees light coming from the back room, as he did the previous night. He calls out for "Mr. Wu". In response, he hears someone moving towards the doorway in the back room.

Gem approaches the back room, gun in hand. He spots Mr. Wing approaching him, but something is very wrong with the way he is walking. As he emerges into the light, Gem sees he has been made into a zombi.

Wing strikes out but Gem gets away in time. Realizing the futility of shooting the creature, he makes a run for it. Gem stumbles over the merchandise strewn around the store, sending him to the ground. The zombi makes its way over.

With a bit of luck, Gem manages to get to his feet and avoid another of Wing's attacks. He heads out the door and starts up the stairs, only to spot two more zombis at the top. Both of them are carrying cleavers. Gem quickly realizes he has fallen into a trap set by Chiang Li Ching, and that perhaps he should have heeded the warning to stay out of Chinatown.

Deciding the odds are better inside, Gem heads back into the store. He manages to push his way past Wing and make it into the back parlor. He turns on one of the burners on the apartment stove and lights the newspaper article about Krasnik on fire then throws it on the couch.

Before Wing can get near him, Gem then heads up a set of back stairs from the parlor that lead up to the alley behind the shop. He makes his way back around to the front and escapes in his car before he can be attacked by the cleaver-wielding zombis. With nowhere completely safe to go, he decides to head back to the warehouse.

Session 13 - Scene 12 (of 14)

When he wakes the next morning, Alderman Biggins finds himself feeling very good indeed. In fact, a whole knuckle worth of his chopped-off finger seems to have regenerated itself over night. He finds the experience odd, and the newly-returned section of finger to be dry and itchy.

Putting aside thoughts of this miraculous event, Biggins contacts the clerk's office at city hall to see if he can get any information on the Marduk Institute. The disinterested clerk informs him it will take 2-3 weeks to get the documentation he's requested. He attempts to use his political influence to get the time shortened, but fails to circumnavigate the bureaucracy.

Next, the alderman calls over to Boss Burns. Before he can get much of a word in, Burns wants to verify Biggins did not attend the fundraiser for Sen. McCormick. According to Burns, the party ended up being a disaster with Mrs. Morgan's necklace being taken by a young robber, and Mr. Morgan's bodyguard killed by another of the gang.

He goes on to talk about Rev. Greene being at the party and witnessing some of the events. Apparently, one of the valets robbed the necklace after attempting to rape the daughter of local restaurant and night club magnate Jonathan Allen Hill. Biggins doesn't say much, but given the level of mishaps wonders how much of it involves Father Mulroney and Gem.

Burns is also glad to hear Biggins is out of the hospital. He has several more ideas for the last couple of weeks of the mayoral race. He tells the alderman he smells success for DeMotte, believing this latest incident with the wayward youth at Morgan's house will bring tensions about the increase in crime to a head.

Biggins, however, is more interested in the Marduk Institute and asks Burns if he's heard anything about it. The political boss responds he hasn't heard of the institute before. Burns isn't concerned at first, but does get cautious when Biggins mentions the Catholic Church decommissioning St. Vincent's, noting that Catholics are reliable Democratic voters. He promises to look into it and let Biggins know.

Session 13 - Scene 13 (of 14)

After the call, Biggins waits around for the patrolman to drop off the syringe then makes his way to the hospital to talk to Mulroney. He finds Gem there visiting as well. The youth is surprised to see him, but tries to cover it.

Biggins tells the two about how well he is feeling, and shows them the re-growing finger. Mulroney finds the whole affair very odd indeed.

Gem nervously asks if Biggins had any visitors at the hospital last night, and Biggins explains that he checked out the previous afternoon. When he asks why Gem wants to know, the lad explains he is still concerned about the crazy doctor, Ephraim Cooper.

Mulroney notes he didn't have such a good night, as there was a shooting in the parking lot of some kind and the investigation kept him awake. He does relate, however, that he is glad there was a bit of violence he wasn't involved in.

Gem, more nervous, tries to play it cool and aks Mulroney who was shot. The priest explains it was the PI for Morgan, Johnny Cannon. He asks Gem if he heard anything about the killing at the party, but Gem says he did not.

He does tell Mulroney that he was able to get the necklace. He also notes that some people may have gotten hurt in the process.

When Mulroney asks him to elaborate, Gem explains about Handsome Dan McCarthy accompanying him and how he told him to distract Cannon. Mulroney is surprised to hear he told him to go to the hospital, but starts putting two and two together.

Biggins, oblivious as ever, wants to know where the attempted rape factored in. Gem angrily denies that anything of the sort happened, explaining that Hill's trampy daughter Valarie was the one coming on to him. He says that Reverend Greene obviously has his facts crossed.

Mulroney wants to know what else went wrong. Gem explains about going after the necklace and Mrs. Morgan shouting.

Biggins dryly comments that it might be time for him to leave the conversation. However, the alderman does offer to check with the police to see what they have on the robbery. He also comments on increasing the patrols around his office and warns Mulroney and Gem to stay away from it.

Sarcastically, Mulroney congratulates Biggins on his great idea. Mock yelling to the heavens, he says he is out of commission for one day and the two of them have managed to nearly bring the entire empire down.

Returning to the conversation at hand, Mulroney asks Biggins about information on the Marduk Institute. Biggins responds that the information is coming, but leaves out the fact it may take a couple of weeks.

Biggins does, however, produce the syringe to them. Mulroney asks what they should do with it now. The alderman suggests having a doctor examine it, but the father wants to look it over personally.

As he examines the strange device, an idea begins to form. If the liquid in the syringe can heal up Biggins, he believes it could turn a healthy young man like Gem into some kind of super soldier.

He attempts to stab Gem with the needle, but the youth avoids it. He cautions the priest about nearly accidentally sticking him with it. Mulroney offers to hand it to Gem, but he has the priest set down the syringe before he'll take it from him.

Session 13 - Scene 14 (of 14)

Once Gem gets Biggins to leave so he can talk to the father alone, he asks Mulroney if he'd like to hear the good news or bad news. Mulroney dryly remarks he never has any good news.

Gem explains the first set of bad news is that their fence has been "compromised". Mulroney wonders if he is referring to the police, but Gem explains that old "Mr. Wu" has been turned into one of the things like the cleaver-wielding Chinamen. He goes on to explain how he had to burn down the shop to kill him. Mulroney asks Gem to clarify that Wing was a zombi, but the youth simply states that he "wasn't friendly".

Mulroney remarks that Gem had a busy night. He asks what else is on the youth's mind. Gem starts talking about the necklace heist not going according to plan. He explains about having Dan sic Morgan's man Cannon onto Biggins, but that Dan must have improvised when Biggins wasn't at the hospital.

Gem then goes on to explain that while he was at Morgan's, he found an encoded ledger. Mulroney gets excited until the youth reveals it is stashed in Mrs. Morgan's begonias. The priest sardonically asks if Gem plans to go back there and pick it up, but Gem explains he might be able to get a friend of the family to do it, thinking of Valarie Hill.

He also tells the priest about the article he found about Krasnik. When Mulroney asks to see it, Gem admits he used it to start the fire at the Chinatown shop.

Continuing the dialog, Gem mentions the medical journals he saw. Mulroney asks if he took them, knowing the answer before the youth gives it.

Sighing heavily, Father Mulroney recounts everything they know – Gem stole a necklace while using his real name, not hiding his face, leaving an eye witness, and failed to bring back any of the interesting things he discovered at the mansion. He tells the youth he'll need to hide out in the warehouse for a while.

At the mention of the warehouse, Gem produces the lease receipt he found in the journal. Mulroney is intrigued. Gem's idea is to hide himself at that warehouse. Mulroney notes that as long as it isn't in Chinatown, it's a better idea than he's had.

Mulroney feels their only option is to try and fence the necklace through O'Conner. They may also need to take care of Handsome Dan, but O'Conner may do that for them. In any event, he advises Gem to contact O'Conner and make a deal to split the necklace profits 50%. That might, Mulroney suggests, be enough to keep them alive for another day.

Session 13 - Session Notes

This session made for a fun comedy of errors (as it always does when they try to commit crimes, because the PCs are so bad at it), but it is getting a bit difficult keeping the game interesting for everyone when they spend most of the time split up.

It's an interesting conundrum - if the game is more realistic and healing takes a while, then there should be large down periods. Unfortunately, the sheer number of things going on prevents me from just doing a "two weeks later..." kind of advance at the moment.

As the failures and injuries stack up, I think we're starting to wind down the campaign a bit (it was never intended to be a very long campaign). There are a lot of outstanding plot ideas I have planned, but I'm not sure how long it can go before the PCs all end up dead. At this point, nearly everyone in the city is gunning for them.

Various notes from the session:
* Maisie once again made plans with her friends and skipped out. Hopefully she'll be back next time because bringing the Ulnovsky thread back into the game might actually get the PCs an ally.

* The original plot to get Xian's guns was quite convoluted and involved a number of steps. Before they could even go to Rock River (my expy for Rock Island), they first had to deal with Ragen's Colts who controlled that highway. And before they could do that, they had to make a deal with Ryan O'Reilly who would want them to eliminate Ralph Sheldon so he could take over the gang but they had to frame one of Whisper Johnson's guys so they could blame it on that gang. And even before that they had to get in with O'Reilly by disrupting a Klan rally. The way things ultimately progressed in the game, we'll have to skip all that and just have the trip to Rock River.

* Handsome Dan McCarthy was a real guy in Dean O'Banion's gang. I doubt he was as stupid as presented here. McCarthy was a way to give the Mulroney player something to do (he played the character and came up with the personality).

* The bishop's line about "when God closes an ear, he opens an eye" was my way of mocking the kind of silly platitudes people say when shitty things happen to someone else.

* The plot with the Marduk Institute buying out the orphanage is part of the conspiracy to eliminate the PCs from meddling with the plans of the conspirators. They've already wiped out their men and attempted to kill them several times, so I thought rather than another direct attack, they'd simply do something to get Mulroney out of the area. It is also in line with their activities.

* Biggins asking Deakins about the Marduk Institute is one of those moments that always makes me cringe in a game. Why do some PCs always assume every NPC can give them the same info? Seriously, WTF do they really expect the police captain to know? Use the right NPC for the right info (it is especially strange here, since Biggins usually forgets to ask the police captain for info relating to crimes going on).

* George and Edward Pritchett were characters I invented, I think, but I don't recall if I named them after anyone or not. Might have been related to a book I was reading at the time.

* I also don't recall how I came up with Rev. Greene's first name, but "Rev. Greene" was an homage to Cluedo, since I'm using the Clue: Master Edition layout for Morgan's Mansion.

* Mr. and Mrs. Morgan, Johnny Cannon, and Alfred Mortimer are all from the TSR Gangbusters setting.

* The Lakefront Wharfies and Bass teams are my expys for the Chicago Cubs and White Sox, with the "Black Bass" scandal referring to the 1919 World Series Black Sox scandal.

* Cody Powers is on the run and may yet return for the mystery of who has been killing his men (hint - it's related to the cult conspiracy).

* The man Gem didn't recognize in the trophy room from the museum was Sir Archibald. The other was a character that has not been introduced yet, but may come up later.

* Valarie Hill, and her father Jonathan Allen Hill, are named after characters from Cheers.

* Valarie's comment about the island is foreshadowing. If the PCs ever get that far.

* Her comment about large parties being more intimate was an homage to the line from the Great Gatsby. I don't think the PCs caught that and took it as a come-on line. That made me change the character a bit to be more of a good-time girl and throw in the library scene.

* The clues were always planned in the library. If the PCs could start to put some of them together, they'd be a lot closer to uncovering what's been going on.

* Gem's plan with the paint was actually my idea after I had Gem make an idea roll because he couldn't think of a plan.

* The mark about Niven is another clue should the PCs follow up on it.

* We got quite a good laugh about the idea that Gem couldn't fight off a middle-aged woman.

* McCarthy brutally murdering Cannon was somewhat metagaming (since it was more about protecting Biggins - which McCarthy had no reason to do), but it fit just enough I didn't take issue with it.

* The zombi encounter at Wing's was planned since the encounter with Chiang Li Ching. They should have followed his warning (or at least thought that he might be ready for them next time). I did show mercy by letting Gem find a back set of stairs to escape.

* Biggins' finger regeneration is more foreshadowing. I did forget to have him make a sanity roll, though (as I did with Gem in the zombi encounter).

* There's a lot of really important info on the Marduk Institute that really starts to unravel the conspiracy. Too bad about that failed politics roll, now Biggins will have to wait to get it.

* As an aside, the reason Dr. Cooper hasn't reappeared at the hospital is that he's still recovering from his gunshot wound.

* Mulroney's thought about turning Gem into a super soldier is dangerously close to the same idea that the conspirators have as part of their plans.

Session 14 - Cast of Characters

Father Clink Mulroney - Irish Roman Catholic priest running a bootlegging operation out of his church

Alderman Jethro Biggins - Corrupt city alderman on the take from Mulroney

Colin "Gem" Archer - Mulroney's newly-promoted lieutenant for his bootlegging operations; sidelines as a jewel thief

Maisie Brockovitz - A young Jewish dilettante who likes to slum around with gangsters

Session 14 - Scene 1 (of 14)

After Gem leaves to go parlay with O'Conner, Father Clink checks himself out of the hospital and takes a cab back to the church. Along the way, he reads the Lakefront City Star newspaper left in the back of the cab.

The headline reads, "Local Dock Worker Union Leader Kidnapped". Intrigued, he reads the story. According to the article by reporter Jake Mingle, Local 710 Union President Ben Whittier has been kidnapped from his home. According to Detective Vincent Goren, the kidnapping is the latest attack in an escalating situation of warfare down on the docks that has been going on for the last three weeks.

The story goes on to discuss the lead suspect is a Trotskyite named Vasily Ulnovsky, described as a dangerous anarchist suspected in the bombing of The Irish Rose last month. The paper notes the bombing resulted in the death of Whittier's Brother-in-Law, Waterfront Improvement Association President Ned Flynn, along with several dock workers and Federal Prohibition Unit agents Carl Beck and John Burns. New WIA President Phelan Fitzroy is quoted as calling out city hall to mete out justice to these "foreign agitators".

When the father finally arrives at his destination, he finds Maisie Brockovitz waiting for him in the vestibule. Seeing him, she asks where the hell he has been. She gives a modest sympathy when Mulroney explains he's been in the hospital, but the father shrugs it off as a hazard of the occupation.

Maisie explains she was able to connect with Karina Krasnik and find where Ulnovsky is holed up. When Mulroney asks how she found him, Maisie explains he's been active around the docks again.  The priest tells her he's heard about Whittier's kidnapping, and notes Ulnovsky is unlikely to be all that active around the docks at the moment.

The girl then tells Mulroney that she was able to follow Ulnovsky where he was holed up, in a warehouse out on the west side of the city. The father asks how her meet with the man went, but she explains that Ulnovsky himself didn't want much to do with her as he found her to be too loud. Mulroney chuckles inwardly.

Just then, Sister Mary steps in; Father Mulroney can tell she is furious but asks her how things are going. She very caustically remarks that things are not going all that well, as she knows he knows because she knows the bishop went to see him in the hospital.

Maisie interrupts to ask if there is any wine she can drink while she's waiting. Mary coldly ignores her and tells the priest they need to talk in private. Mulroney gets rid of Maisie by telling her to go into his office and help herself to the wine he has there. As she leaves, she grumbles something towards Sister Mary about her being a "Gentile bitch".

As soon as Maisie is gone, Sister Mary approaches Mulroney very aggressively. Sticking her finger in his face, she tells him he'd better fix the situation and that Dr. X is very upset.

Father Mulroney explains he isn't sure there is much he can do about the archdiocese closing the church, but Mary warns him that Dr. X will take action if Mulroney doesn't.

Once again, the father's suspicions are raised. He tries again to get Mary to arrange a meet with the doctor, but she changes the subject. She leaves the church in a huff, telling the priest he had just better fix it. From the window, he sees her take off down the street.

Mulroney is starting to believe that "Dr. X" is actually Mary herself. He quickly heads into his office and gets the address for Ulnovsky's warehouse on West 58th street. He then promises her more bottles of wine in exchange for tailing Sister Mary and seeing where she goes.

Session 14 - Scene 2 (of 14)

Maisie leaves the church and spots Sister Mary up the block. She tries to follow her, but Maisie's conspicuous form doesn't take long to tip off the nun. Mary quickly hails a cab.

With Sister Mary escaping, Maisie tries to hail a cab herself to follow her. Unfortunately, the girl has less luck and by the time she gets someone to stop, Mary has escaped. She decides to head back into the church.

Inside, Father Mulroney studies the Latin text, supernaturalem quidem esse summi numinis in mente humana operationem, neutiquam tamen impossibilem, by Theodore Christoph Lilienthal. Unfortunately, he is still able to make very little out of it.

Looking at the book in Arabic, he recalls he went to seminary with a Father Noel Furlong who studied Arabic. Thinking more, he recalls Father Furlong is just across town, at the Passionists Monastery in Norwood Park.

Heading outside to catch a cab, Father Mulroney is surprised to see Maisie already getting the attention of one. He approaches her, telling her she is supposed to be following Mary. She explains that the nun managed to slip her.

Since Maisie has already drunk the bottle of wine, Mulroney offers her a new deal. He explains that Alderman Biggins is doing work looking for information on a funeral home called Destiny Memorial. Maisie doesn't understand why, so Mulroney goes on to explain that the funeral home doesn't actually exist; the address puts it in the middle of the river.

Maisie finds it a little more interesting that a funeral home would have a fake address. Mulroney goes on to connect the address in the river to the strange happenings in the river. Maisie isn't so sure the priest isn't just being too literal and mistaking an obviously fake address with an actual connection to the river, but says nothing.

When she starts hinting around for wanting compensation for assisting the alderman, Mulroney reminds Maisie she already owes him. She tries to say she tried to follow Sister Mary, but Mulroney is adamant that trying to following the sister wasn't good enough to fulfill her part of the bargain. In the end, Maisie relents.

Before she leaves, Father Mulroney writes her a note to give to Biggins and gives her the address of the alderman's office. Mulroney doesn't want another incident of a message being lost by the messenger and figures Biggins might not remember Maisie very well since he was injured last time they saw her and it has been nearly two months since he met her once at the Dunning Asylum.

Session 14 - Scene 3 (of 14)

Alderman Jethro Biggins is working behind his desk when his secretary Cheryl tells him there is a woman to see him. When the tall, Jewish girl walks in he has to stop and think; the woman seems vaguely familiar, as if from a dream.

He greets her and asks if they've met. She tells him he looks familiar too, and remarks that he had a concussion last time she saw him. She hands him the note.

After being reminded about meeting Maisie in the asylum and vaguely recalling her watching over him after his injury at Ravenscry Manor, Biggins focuses on the matter of Destiny Memorial Funeral Home.

Given the connection to the river, Biggins wonders aloud if there might be some kind of city under the water. Maisie, somewhat incredulously asks if he means like Atlantis and nonchalantly suggests he go diving in the river to investigate. Biggins doesn't think so.

Instead, the alderman makes a call over to the precinct to talk with Captain Deakins. He gives the name of Destiny Memorial and has Deakins see if there is any police information on it. Deakins has his clerks take a look.

A few minutes later, Deakins tells Biggins that his clerks found something. Destiny Memorial had been handling a lot of deceased prisoners later at Statesville Prison. Apparently, they only started taking bodies there since the new head physician, Dr. Stefan Krasnik, took over a few months ago.

The captain briefly mentions Krasnik's disappearance over a month ago and that the prison hasn't used them since. Looking over the notes, the captain realizes that Destiny Memorial was the company that took custody of Robert Rebadow when he died. Apparently, they took the body in the middle of the night which was an unusual procedure.

Digging deeper, the captain notes the death rate climbed 23% since Krasnik took over. And Destiny Memorial was involved in several other late night pickups.

Captain Deakins goes on to tell the alderman, in confidence, that there was evidence of a second escaped prisoner from Statesville Prison who was also picked up by Destiny Memorial; the fingerprints of a man named Arkady Rossovich were found at the scene of the vandalism of the old museum two weeks ago.

The captain is unable to give Biggins a different address or phone number than he already has for the funeral home. He asks the alderman if he has had any luck getting information about the company out of city hall, but Biggins notes he hasn't talked to them yet.

Changing subjects, Captain Deakins asks how the increased patrols are working out. Biggins tells the captain that so far, he hasn't had any more trouble with Carmody.

Biggins asks the captain if there is anything he can do for him. Deakins circumspectly notes that the alderman is said to be the next parks commissioner. He then mentions that the Parks Police force might be more effective with a new chief. Biggins agrees that would make sense.

After getting off with Deakins, Biggins makes a call over to city hall. He asks if they've managed to locate information on his previous inquiry yet. But the addled alderman has difficulty recalling who he was having city hall look up; the closest he comes is the "Martok Institute". From across the room, Maisie helpfully suggests that it was something to do with Atlantis.

Nearly forgetting his main reason for calling, Biggins looks at his note and tells the clerk he also needs information on Destiny Memorial Funeral Home. The clerk suggests that information will also take a couple of weeks.

Biggins tries to get the clerk to see if there is a way he can get the information faster. The clerk coyly remarks he does have a nephew in need of a job. Biggins only commits to interviewing the boy and the clerk suggests he call back later to see if they've been able to find anything.

Session 14 - Scene 4 (of 14)

Meanwhile, Gem Archer takes the bus downtown to go to Harrigan's. O'Rourke is tending bar, as usual, and Gem finds Deanie O'Conner and Yiddie Neumark in the back room.

O'Conner takes one look at Gem and immediately gets agitated. He asks him what the hell happened with the necklace heist. Gem quickly puts the blame on Dan McCarthy, saying "that goon you sent with me screwed up."

The accusation mollifies O'Conner for the moment. He makes a remark indicating he agrees McCarthy's actions were less than productive. He claims to have sent Handsome Dan on a "trip down the river".

Gem then tells O'Conner that he and the father want to give O'Conner a larger cut from the diamonds, for his trouble. Deanie suggests that is the kind of deal that could keep Gem and Father Mulroney from taking their own trip down the river. Gem notes he can't swim, but O'Conner ignores the comment and asks him what he has in mind.

When Gem offers a 50% cut, O'Conner calmly suggests he was thinking more of a 70/30 kind of split, in his favor naturally. Gem agrees that would be a fair deal, as long as O'Conner arranges to fence it.

O'Conner wants to know what happened to the fence Gem was planning to use. Gem, momentarily forgetting what he told O'Conner last time they talked, starts rambling about how "they" got "Ping, Wang, or whatever his name was".

O'Conner is surprised, asking Gem to confirm that his fence was a Chinaman. Gem curses himself silently, recalling he had been keeping that from O'Conner. He responds simply, "not anymore".

Deanie isn't interested in pressing the issue. Instead, he wants to know where Father Mulroney is. Gem explains about the father being in the hospital.

O'Conner isn't sure what to do next. He remarks that someone still needs to go up to Rock River, but he isn't sure Gem can get the job done. Gem defensively reminds Deanie that he did end up getting the necklace.

Deanie isn't convinced. He openly mulls over the idea of sending the O'Bannions up with Gem to make sure the job gets done right. Gem, terrified he would not be coming back from that trip, promises he can get the job done. O'Conner gives in, telling Gem he's giving him this one last chance.

The discussion then turns to Deanie's contact in Rock River. The small city of Rock River is off to the west and near the military armory at Arsenal Island. The city is controlled by gangster John Looney. Gem notes he's never heard of him.

O'Conner goes on to explain that Looney runs the racket up there with his kid, Conner. He makes a quick phone call to arrange the meet.

When he gets done with the call, O'Conner tells Gem to meet Looney at a restaurant called Arthur's Deli. Looney has a connection at Arsenal Island that can get the excess guns from the stockpile built up during the Great War. He also cautions that Looney will have his lieutenant, Anthony Billburg, there as well so Gem better not start any trouble.

Finally, O'Conner realizes Gem is without a vehicle. He suggests Gem use one of his trucks and has Yiddie go get the keys. After making sure the truck has all the spare parts he might need for the long, 200 mile trip to Rock River, Gem takes off.

Session 14 - Scene 5 (of 14)

Across town, Father Mulroney arrives at the Passionists Monastery and makes his way to the office of Father Furlong.

When the other priest spots him, he loudly greets him as "Father Clink!" and Mulroney notes to himself that he forgot how flamboyant and obnoxious Father Noel could be.

The two then sit down for a cup of tea and idle chit-chat. Father Furlong explains that in addition to helping out at the monastery, he leads a local youth group. Mulroney notes he works with the youths at the orphanage as well.

Father Noel goes on about how much he enjoys working with wayward youths to bring them back to spiritual enlightenment. He also throws in a phrase about "watching all those strapping young boys grow up" that gives Mulroney a slight pause, but he dismisses the thought and just agrees that Noel was always close to the young ones.

For his part, Mulroney dryly remarks on how he himself has certainly brought a lot of the boys closer to Jesus, inwardly pleased with his clandestine bon mot.

Father Mulroney then gets down to business, telling Furlong that he's come to see him for his expertise in Arabic and showing him the book. The two head over to Father Noel's desk, where the middle-aged priest puts on his reading glasses.

Noel translates the title as, "The City of Pillars", by the author Al-Jahiz. Glancing at the first few pages, he explains to Mulroney that the book is about a legendary city. Father Furlong equates it to a fairy tale, and excitedly remarks how much he enjoys fairy tales.

Father Noel begins translating the book for Father Mulroney. The book talks of the Lost City of Iram and how King Shaddad of that city failed to heed the words of the prophet Hud, and therefore the city was smote by Allah. Noel notes that he's familiar with some of the references from his study of the Qur'an (being a more studious theologian than Clink) as well as a mention in the folktales of the Book of One Thousand and One Arabian Nights. He notes it is also referred to as the Atlantis of the Sands.

The book goes on to discuss the location of the city ruins, buried somewhere in the sands of the Rub' al-Khali desert. The original folktales identify the Iramanians as worshipping stone idols, but Al-Jahiz goes into more detail. He explains that Shaddad was the leader of a cult that worshipped stone idols found in mysterious ruins.

In his writings, Al-Jahiz goes on to explain how months before the city's destruction Shaddad's men uncovered the ruins of an ancient nameless city near Iram. The strange city had low passages and seemed to have been constructed for beings that did not stand upright as men.

As Furlong continues reading, Father Mulroney becomes increasingly nervous. The more Al-Jahiz describes the city, the more it reminds him of the mural he saw at Ravenscry Manor. When Noel mentions that the men found a stone idol of a winged serpent that was brought back to Iram, Mulroney recalls the temple from the mural.

Father Mulroney manages to hold out until Noel describes the Iramites discovery of paintings and bones suggesting the inhabitants of the ruins were a serpent-like race. Recalling the figure in the doorway of the temple on the mural, Mulroney becomes unhinged.

Gone temporarily insane, Mulroney takes off his robes and begins dancing naked in the fountain out in front of the monastery. It takes another hour before the men from the Dunning Asylum can arrive and subdue him.

Session 14 - Scene 6 (of 14)

Back at the office of Jethro Biggins, the alderman makes another call for information. This time, he contacts the Bloomfield County Hospital.

After some initial confusion caused by the alderman referring to himself as "the city", he eventually gets transferred to the business office, where he inquires about Destiny Memorial.

The clerk in the business office checks the files, and explains that particular funeral home has only been used a couple of times, and only by a Dr. Cooper.

Biggins, not recalling that Father Mulroney has already been down this path, asks if Dr. Cooper is in. After some checking, the clerk finally tells him that Ephraim Cooper retired in 1898. The clerk finds it all very odd. Biggins concurs, the forgetful alderman finding the information just as interesting as when Mulroney gave him the exact same information a week ago.

The clerk is able to get a little more information on Destiny Memorial itself. He gives a phone number and address to Biggins, but those match the information the alderman already has. He also notes from the paperwork that the attorney for the funeral home is listed as an Antoine Prendergast, but the name means nothing to the alderman.

When he's off the phone, Maisie asks if there is anything else she needs to help with. Biggins wants to know where the father is, but she isn't sure. She does comment that he may have been going to the warehouse, but Biggins takes her to mean his own warehouse as he does not know about Ulnovsky's.

The alderman asks if she just wants him to relate what he's found to her, or if he should send it in a note. Maisie tells him to write it down, commenting that she'll probably go out drinking before heading back to the church. Biggins gives her the note and spends the rest of the day performing his political work.

For her part, Maisie decides free wine at the church beats paying for liquor at a speakeasy and returns to St. Vincent's. When Sister Mary finds her later getting into the sacramental wine, the two exchange barbs, with Mary calling her a "Christ killer".

Mary, however, does not want to waste her time with Maisie and leaves her in Mulroney's office. Maisie gets hungry and tries to get at the host, but cuts one of her fingers on the tabernacle and passes out.

Session 14 - Scene 7 (of 14)

Later that evening, Gem finds his way to Arthur's Deli, a small building near downtown Rock River. He finds the interior of the restaurant a little cramped, but the food is quite good.

Gem quickly spots three men waiting for him. Looney introduces himself, his son Conner, and his lieutenant Anthony Billburg. Gem starts to explain that he was sent by O'Conner, but Looney stops him, telling him they already know that since O'Conner called him to set up the meet.

Looney is interested in getting down to business. He wants to know how much Gem needs. Gem tells him four crates, which Conner remarks is "a lot of heaters". Gem notes that Chinatown doesn't do anything small.

Looney jokes they'll practically be able to fight out a war, thinking of the current conflict taking place in Manchuria between the Zhilhi and Fengtian cliques. Gem concurs that they are indeed planning something along those lines.

Billburg is more interesting in finishing up the particulars of the deal. He wants to see the money. Gem then realizes he doesn't have a plan for how to pay for the weapons. He gives a weak explanation of Deanie waiting to liquidate some assets before being able to provide the cash for the guns.

Looney isn't happy, grumbling something about arranging a liquidation right now. Gem suggests the gun purchase be on credit, but Billburg notes they don't know him well enough for credit.

Gem smiles, and explains proudly that he is the one responsible for the "Great Morgan Necklace Caper". None of the men have ever heard of the caper, but Conner does remark that it sounds impressive at least.

Looney decides that since Gem is a jewel thief, he should have no problem providing a down payment and they can give him the rest of the guns on credit. When Gem asks what they have in mind, Looney explains that the Rock River Diamond Company is just a couple of blocks away, and he'd like something big and classy for the wife. They agree to meet back in the parking lot of the deli in two hours.

Gem first cases the Rock River Diamond Company from afar. He can see it is a nice jewelry store and that business is starting to wind down.

Coming up with a plan, Gem drives a couple of blocks until he finds what he needs on the corner of 14th Avenue. He stops at Tony's 11th Street Pawn Shop.

Going inside, he tells the gruff shop owner Tony that he needs a fancy-looking but worthless ring. Tony is more than happy to show his collection of "fugazi" jewelry. Gem selects one and pays the man two dollars.

He then heads quickly back to the diamond store, finding it in the middle of closing. A quick story to the shop owner about needing an engagement ring for a planned proposal gets him inside.

Looking around, Gem finds the ring closest to the one he got from the pawn shop. Using his masterful sleight of hand, he pockets the real ring and replaces it with the fake. He then tells the shop owner he doesn't have enough money but will run out to the bank and be back.

Gem hangs around the parking lot until Looney and his crew comes back. They arrive in a truck with four crates in the bed.

Looney likes the ring and has his son transfer the crates from their truck to Gem's. Looney thanks Gem for the business and tells him to come back when he needs more. Gem then begins the long trip home where he plans to sleep in O'Conner's warehouse.

Session 14 - Scene 8 (of 14)

Biggins is getting ready to leave for the night to catch up with Mulroney when his phone rings. With Cheryl already gone home, he answers it himself. Captain Deakins is on the line.

The captain tells Biggins that the priest he hangs around with, Mulroney, was picked up by the Dunning Asylum a few hours ago and that he thought the alderman would want to know. Biggins thanks him for the information.

Deakins also goes on to say that the extra patrols have paid off – they caught Dion Carmody near his office, apparently planning to fire bomb it. Biggins happily remarks that he won't need to worry about him anymore. Deakins for his part says he's looking forward to the alderman's gratitude.

Biggins then leaves the office, heading out to Dunning. When he arrives, he manages to convince the hospital director, Dr. Leininger, to let him see Father Mulroney.

The alderman finds Father Mulroney under the care of Dr. Hugo Bronfenburgher. When Biggins arrives, Mulroney is just finishing up a hydrotherapy session where he is submerged in freezing water.

Between the shock of the cold water and seeing Biggins, Mulroney manages to get control of his senses. Biggins asks how he is feeling, but all the priest can say is "cold".

As Mulroney is warmed up and dressed, Dr. Bronfenburgher notes his mental clarity has improved and explains to the priest that he was quite out of his senses when he arrived. The doctor begins to drone one about repressed urges expressing themselves while Biggins moves in closer for a more private chat.

Father Mulroney asks Biggins how he ended up in "this bathroom". Biggins gives a brief explanation of what occurred. Mulroney then tells Bronfenburgher that he wants to leave, but the alienist feels it would be best to continue to observe him.

Biggins is eventually able to secure Mulroney's release by convincing Leininger to release Mulroney into his care. Dr. Bronfenburgher agrees, but does note Mulroney will need to come back for weekly treatment sessions and must be brought back right away if he exhibits any signs of regressing.

Session 14 - Scene 9 (of 14)

When the two finally get out of the asylum and head back towards the church, Biggins asks Mulroney what happened.

The father explains he isn't sure, as he recalls a jumbled mess of images and events. He is certain there was something about water, and snakes, and the last thing he recalls clearly was talking with Father Furlong. He believes they may have been talking about snakes.

Biggins has no idea what is going on. Mulroney suggests they start by going back to the monastery.

Father Noel is happy to see Clink back to normal. Mulroney needs him to refresh his memory on what happened, so Noel quickly gives him the overview of what they were discussing. Mulroney takes the book back from him and thanks the priest again.

Back in the car, Mulroney briefly explains the situation to Biggins. Biggins wonders if the book is related to the creatures they saw. Mulroney notes the city in the book is similar to the one in the mural. Biggins recalls the mural with a shudder.

Mulroney further notes the book was in the same house. Biggins now recalls that as well, noting it was a rough night for him. But Mulroney is more focused on how the pieces fit together, noting it is all too much to be a coincidence.

The father then wants to know where Gem and Maisie are. Biggins explains he was hoping Maisie was with him, as he gave her the notes about Destiny Memorial. Biggins then mentions his various attempts to research Destiny Memorial, along with discussing the police arresting Dion Carmody.

Mulroney notes that Biggins is recovering well from his injuries. Biggins agrees, saying he feels like a young man again. The priest is more interested in Biggins' regenerating finger, but the alderman admits he's paid little attention to it because he's felt so good.

Session 14 - Scene 10 (of 14)

When the two finally arrive at the church, they find Maisie passed out in Mulroney's office. The father shakes her awake.

Maisie claims she needs help and is dying. Mulroney determines she is just drunk and not bleeding to death from the small cut on her finger.

Biggins asks if she still has the note her gave her. She explains she had to sneeze, but they could probably still make some of it out. Disgusted, Biggins cleans off the note with his handkerchief and hands it to Mulroney.

Mulroney finds most of the information rather redundant until he gets to the end and the mention of Antoine Prendergast. He recalls the poster he saw in Ravenscry Manor for the 19th century medicine show for snake oil salesman Enoch Prendergast.

He also recalls the article on the wall about a Jeremiah Prendergast who was presumed killed in the great Lakefront City Fire of 1871. The priest tells Biggins about the two, not fully understanding their connection but now seeing them as some kind of clues to what is going on.

Sadly, neither man knows about the note from J.C. Shottum that Shoes found at Ravenscry Manor discussing Antoine Prendergast himself. Unfortunately, Shoes decided to keep it a secret for an unknown reason and the knowledge was lost at his death (and was ultimately burned up with the rest of the manor).

Biggins believes the best thing to do would be to contact his police informant in the morning and see what they can find out about the mysterious Mr. Prendergast. Mulroney agrees, noting that if they can understand the link with Destiny Memorial, they will probably be a lot closer to figuring out what has been going on. The two also decide that Biggins should contact the hospital and Statesville Prison to see if Destiny Memorial has any more pick-ups scheduled.

As it is getting pretty late, Mulroney decides to turn in for the night. He and Biggins also throw Maisie into one of the unused rooms to sleep it off. Assured that Mulroney is fine on his own, Biggins returns to his office. Mulroney falls asleep trying (and failing) to make more sense of the book, "On the Nature of Limbs".

Session 14 - Scene 11 (of 14)

The next morning, everyone meets back up at the church. Father Mulroney first debriefs Gem about his activities, and the youth explains that he took care of the Chinaman/gun problem. Gem notes that everything went smooth, which Mulroney praises, then mumbles something about a little matter of payment later that Mulroney doesn't really catch.

Father Mulroney then starts to ask Biggins about any news in his investigation, when Maisie interrupts to suggest they should head to Ulnovsky's warehouse. She's concerned that he might change locations again soon if they don't act quickly.

Gem is ready for action, suggesting that they make the stop at Ulnovsky's warehouse and try out the guns before delivering them to Chinatown. Mulroney notes that he isn't sure about how good a shot any of them are, though Maisie is quick to point out she is handy with a gun.

Being careful, Mulroney asks how many people are at the warehouse. Maisie gives the number as somewhere between 22 to 30 men, depending on the time of day.

Mulroney tells Gem that's a lot of men, no matter how good of guns they have. Gem suggests they will have an advantage that Ulnovsky won't know they are coming, but the father is convinced they need a better plan.

Biggins, not wanting any part in a gang war, comments that he'd better head back to his office. Gem comments to the priest that Biggins doesn't seem very motivated.

Gem then asks what about Chaos. Mulroney notes he is still missing from the tentacle monster. Gem notes that the kid did leave them a package however, though they can't be sure it was an explosive device.

Maisie perks up at the mention of explosives, noting she likes them. Father Mulroney smiles, and suggests she be the one to deliver it to Ulnovsky. He instructs her to light it then toss it in, making sure to get far away before it goes off. If she manages to pull it off, the priest promises that he'll make her his "new foreman".

The group of them head over to Mulroney's warehouse in Biggins' car and the priest has Maisie grab the package. To everyone's relief, it does not explode when she takes it.

Mulroney instructs Maisie to take Biggins' car and Biggins can take a cab back to his office. The father and Gem plan to get their own cab back to O'Conner's warehouse so they can take the truck and deliver the guns to Chinatown.

Session 14 - Scene 12 (of 14)

Maisie drives Biggins' car straight into the warehouse. Karina Krasnik is there, and comes over as soon as she spots Maisie. She asks what Maisie is doing there.

Maisie gives a story to Karina about needing to talk to Ulnovsky about something. Karina isn't sure Ulnovsky is in a talking mood. She complains that Ulnovsky has become too focused on his war with Carmody and that he is now focused on personal revenge.

Karina goes on to say that Yulian has a better grasp on the overall picture. She tells Maisie the two of them are about to leave on some business Yulian has with a man named Rocco Dillon. Maisie isn't familiar with the name.

Maisie also declines Karina's invitation to join them, preferring to wait for Ulnovsky. Karina tells Maisie they should catch up later, as Yulian has something big planned.

After the two take off, with Maisie noting they seem much more intimately connected than last time, she proceeds with her plan. She just gets the fuse lit when one of the men in the warehouse spots her.

The Russian anarchists proceed with pulling their guns. Maisie takes out hers as well. She fires off three shots, downing one of the men. She takes two herself, wounding her side and shoulder.

With time running out, Maisie decides to make a run for it. But she stumbles as she tries to get out and is still caught in the explosion when it goes off.

Session 14 - Scene 13 (of 14)

Back at his office, Biggins calls up Captain Deakins and asks for another favor. Deakins wonders if he's looking for information on another company, but Biggins clarifies it is for a person named Antoine Prendergast. Deakins offers to call back when he has the information.

The alderman then calls over to the prison. After forgetting the name of the funeral company and having to check his notes, Biggins asks about any pickups scheduled for Destiny Memorial. The prison guard notes they haven't used that funeral home since their head physician disappeared over a month ago; Dr. Krasnik was the only one who ever used that service.

Biggins returns to some of his political work when he gets a call back from Deakins. The only thing he's found out so far is that Antoine Prendergast has an apartment building in the Chinatown area leased for 50 years starting June 9, 1920. Deakins explains the lease was from Jim Moy.

The alderman is not familiar with the name Jim Moy. Captain Deakins explains that Moy is head of the On Leong Merchant's Association, a front for the On Leong Tong crime syndicate. Deakins warns Biggins that the syndicate is led by a dangerous man named Chiang Li Ching, a name the alderman does recognize.

Session 14 - Scene 14 (of 14)

Meanwhile, Gem and Mulroney pick up the truck from O'Conner's warehouse but then realize they aren't sure where to deliver them since their contact location, Wing's Emporium, was burned down.

They decide to swing by the Russian warehouse to see how Maisie made out. They find they cannot get too close, for there is a large crowd in the area along with police and fire trucks attempting to put out the fire in the ruins of the warehouse.

Gem exclaims, "Leapin' lizards Father! She really set it off!" Father Mulroney agrees Maisie was a brave young lady and notes he's sure she's fine, though spotting the remains of Biggins' car in the ruins makes him think she's likely dead.

Gem notes that Biggins was fond of his car. Father Mulroney explains that sacrifices have to be made.

With all of the police around, Mulroney doesn't want to get any closer to the scene. He knows they'll need to find a way to contact Fung Xian.

Until then, he has Gem drive them over to his own warehouse so they can stash the guns. Mulroney notes he doesn't want them falling into the wrong hands.

Once that is done, the two head into Chinatown. Mulroney's best bet is they can still locate Wing's grandson who may be able to lead them to Fung Xian.

Session 14 - Session Notes

This was a great session that actually occurred two weeks ago. Because of the Memorial Day weekend and some subsequent activities, it took me a long time to get the notes typed up and posted. Oddly, this Friday's scheduled game was cancelled because one of the guys was off on a business trip so now this thread is all caught up again.

I thought the session went pretty well. The investigators are actually making some progress on putting together some of the clues, several plotlines were resolved, and there was the big bomb scene where stuff got blowed up real good, as they say.

Next session (in two more weeks) should see Mulroney finally starting to rise in the criminal underworld but that's not necessarily a good thing for him.

Notes about the session:
* Father Clink probably should have been in the hospital a bit longer, but we didn't want another session where he didn't have much to do.

* The Ben Whittier kidnapping was supposed to happen a long time ago, but my gf finally managed to make it back for a session to reprise her role as Maisie so we could move the Ulnovsky plot forward.

* This write-up contains a lot more exposition than I gave in-game (something I frequently do to flesh out the story better) for the newspaper story about the Whittier kidnapping. During the game, I just gave a couple of highlights.

* As with the previous time Maisie showed up, my original intent was to discuss the session with my gf ahead of time but once again I kind of forgot and so she made up her story of finding Ulnovsky and what happened on the fly. My version would only have had her locating Karina Krasnik and Ulnovsky would have had far less men around.

* Maisie and Sister Mary not getting along was a great running gag. I love that Mary only (just) tolerates Mulroney and thinks the others are idiots. Also, Jews and Catholics weren't always the best of friends so some of their interactions illustrate that.

* Mulroney has very nearly figured out Sister Mary's secret with Dr. X. Unfortunately, Maisie is the worst person in the world to try and tail someone.

* This session saw Mulroney finally getting back to the books from Ravenscry Manor. Note that all the authors of the books are real historical people (scientists/philosophers) though the books themselves are not.

* Father Noel Furlong comes straight from the show-stealing Graham Norton character on Father Ted. I did my best to act out the character as well as Norton.

* During the session, we actually just said Furlong was at another church. But after looking at a map of Chicago when doing the write-up, I realized the monastery made a cooler setting.

* Maisie didn't actually think Mulroney was being too literal about the river address associated with Destiny Memorial, I just threw that in the write-up as another hint to the players that they are being too literal.

* Mulroney gave Maisie the note for Biggins because all of us forgot that she previously met him at the asylum during the session. I adjusted it in the write-up to make a little more sense.

* Deakin's initial conversation with Biggins contains some info in the write-up that actually occurred during a later conversation in the game. My write-up notes are just a sort of shorthand that I enhance with memory, but I don't always remember things precisely correct; particularly if there are multiple conversations about the same thing during a session.

* An error I made in-session (that is corrected in this write-up) was I called the prisoner associated with the fingerprints "Vasily Rossovich" instead of "Arkady Rossovich". Vasily is Ulnovsky's name, not Rossovich's.

* Deakins wanting to become chief of the park police was planned for a while. Why else would he help out Biggins so much.

* Biggins not agreeing to just hire the nephew of the city hall clerk was considered quite a boneheaded move by the rest of the players.

* Archer taking the bus to Harrigan's was made up for the write-up. During the session, we kind of forgot Gem didn't have a car to drive over there with.

* The Gem player totally forgot he didn't already tell O'Conner about the Chinatown connection for fencing the necklace, so his scrambling to cover the mistake was real.

* I don't recall if I mentioned it last time, but Rock River is my expy for Rock Island, IL (with Arsenal Island being the Rock Island Arsenal).

* John Looney was a real gangster in control of Rock Island. Billburg and Conner were also real (though I'm misspelling his name; it was actually Connor). Billburg and Conner are also anachronistic; Billburg became enemies with Looney long before this point and actually was part of a group that killed Conner Looney in 1922.

* Arthur's Deli is a complete anachronism / in-joke. There is a real deli in Rock Island of the same name that I tend to stop at to eat when I'm travelling back from visiting Chicago. It's a decent deli, but despite several large billboards advertising it along the freeway, the place is quite tiny (it is oddly cramped with a very low ceiling). The other part of the joke is that in real life, Billburg owned a rather large establishment, complete with a  117-foot long bar.

* The Lost City of Iram and its stories in the Qu'ran are a real thing. The only thing I've changed is to have Shaddad finding the Nameless City of the Cthulhu mythos and that his city was smote for worshipping the idols that matched the mural from Ravenscry Manor.

* Mulroney going insane was the result of a particularly bad SAN check and subsequent loss of sanity points. I came up with the humorous consequence.

* There were lots of groans when Biggins contacted the hospital because everyone else knew Biggins wasn't going to find anything new. To make the whole affair have a little more of a point, I gave Biggins the clue about Antoine Prendergast (which would have been a bigger clue had Shoes not kept that note he found to himself).

* The Zhili-Fengtian War was a real thing in 1924. I didn't name it exactly during the session itself, I just referred to the Chinese fighting the Japanese back in Manchuria.

* In the actual game, all of the dialog with the NPCs was essentially done by Looney himself. I find it difficult to switch between NPCs in the heat of the moment of conversation (particularly as I am also taking notes at the same time). So, when I do the write-ups, I sometimes split out the dialogue more to make the conversation seem more natural.

* The Rock River Diamond Company is based on a real jewelry store in Rock Island. As is Tony's 11th Street pawn shop. I've never been in either of those, just used Google for some quick business names.

* I really liked Gem's plan for stealing the ring as a down payment. Technically speaking, the timing doesn't make much sense (careful readers may note this would be taking place late in the evening on a Sunday), but I'm using dramatic license.

* Speaking of, careful readers may also note that sometimes the time of day and/or day of the week are rather fluid things in the game; especially session to session. I have several references to previous events in this write-up and so when I went to write it, I finally started to map out the timeline of the sessions so see precisely how much in-game time had passed. What I found was that we often forget what time of day a session the previous session ended and the next one began, and you'd end up with what appeared to be afternoons that appeared to go on for 20 hours or more. We also don't pay any attention to day of the week, as Biggins is making all kinds of calls to city hall, etc, on the weekend when they would be closed. I claim dramatic license (which kind of fits; this is supposed to resemble a pulp crime novel after all)

* Carmody getting picked up by the cops was somewhat anti-climactic, but his fire-bombing was a planned event and Biggins did request the extra police, so with the help of a good luck roll, I let the issue resolve itself off camera.

* Maisie got really lucky and managed to not blow herself up when picking up the explosives from the warehouse.

* Note that Karina and Yulian escape the ultimate explosion and Karina's comment on Yulian having something cooking with Rocco Dillon. That will likely come up again.

* Maisie getting caught in the explosion was more a rule of funny than anything. Since my gf wasn't necessarily interested in playing any more sessions, there was no issue in her getting blown up. At the same time, she's only presumed dead for now...

* Jim Moy was also a real person associated with the merchant's association in Chinatown.

* Mulroney and Gem were dismayed when I reminded them they had no where specifically to drop the weapons in Chinatown after Gem burned down the antique shop.

Session 15 - Cast of Characters

Father Clink Mulroney - Irish Roman Catholic priest running a bootlegging operation out of his church

Alderman Jethro Biggins - Corrupt city alderman on the take from Mulroney

Colin "Gem" Archer - Mulroney's newly-promoted lieutenant for his bootlegging operations; sidelines as a jewel thief

Session 15 - Scene 1 (of 9)

Mulroney has Gem drive their truck through Chinatown and over to the area where Wing's Antique Emporium used to be located. They look around for someone around, but only spot a ten year old girl sitting on a nearby stoop. The priest has Gem pull the truck over and stop so he can get out and talk to the girl.

Father Mulroney approaches the young girl and gets a friendly greeting. She gives her name as Lei Ming and asks him in broken English if he wants "love-love", which he misinterprets as the name of another Chinese gang. A couple of exchanges later he realizes she is a child prostitute and offering him her services.

Cringing at the depths of despair this girl lives in, he staunchly refuses and instead explains he is only looking for information. When Lei hits him up for money anyway, he tries to convince her that Jesus would want her to help, but she insists on getting paid.

They settle at a price of $3, though Mulroney again must convince her he is not in need of any of her other services. He then asks about the family of Mr. Wing, and the girl points him to another shabby tenement house a block away.

Mulroney thanks the girl and pays her, but only $2 as his greed outweighs his compassion. Lei does not appear to notice she is being shortchanged, and lets him know to come back when he needs something other than information, causing him to wince.

Once he reaches the car, Mulroney avoids explaining the details of his uncomfortable dealings with the minor and instead directs Gem to drive the truck over to the house the girl pointed to.

Session 15 - Scene 2 (of 9)

As they approach, the two carefully scan the area for any more of Chiang Li Ching's zombis; they do not wish to be the victims of a third ambush by the gangster sorcerer. When they are satisfied none are around, Mulroney gets out and approaches the door.

No one answers as he knocks on the door. He tries the handle and finds it unlocked. He opens it slowly. It appears to open into a traditional Chinese parlor.

Looking around, Father Mulroney spots a young boy attempting to hide behind the ice box in the kitchen. He calls out to the kid. When the boy emerges, he recognizes the youth as Wing's grandson.

The boy is agitated with Mulroney and clearly does not want him around. He asks the priest what he is doing there, and says that Chiang Li Ching will kill him and the rest of his family for talking with him.

Mulroney reminds the boy he made a deal with his grandfather. The boy does remember, but explains that dealing with Mulroney is what got his grandfather killed.

After talking with the boy for a few minutes, Mulroney finally gets the boy's name, Baojia, and convinces him that he would be upholding his family's honor by helping the priest complete the deal they made with his deceased grandfather, Pang.

Baojia does remember his grandfather was helping Mulroney meet  with Fung Xian, though he won't say the man's name aloud (hinting that Chiang Li Ching has forbidden it to be spoken). The kid then confirms he is home alone, as his mother is at the laundry. Baojia explains that the man they seek can be found there as well.

The child agrees to take Mulroney to the laundry to meet with Fung Xian, but only if he agrees to never come back to his home again. The priest confirms, and gets back into the truck where he and Gem follow Baojia from a discreet distance until they reach the laundry.

The somewhat large industrial building has several signs in Chinese on it, as well as a single one in poorly written English identifying it as Li Lui's Laundry. Baojia has Mulroney and Gem wait outside for a minute while he heads in to arrange the meet.

Session 15 - Scene 3 (of 9)

After a minute, Baojia emerges from the back door and tells Mulroney to come in. The priest gets out of the car and heads towards the door, nervous about heading into a trap.

Inside, he finds himself in a dark back room of the loud facility with sheets hanging all around. He sees no one, but hears the familiar British accent speak from somewhere in the room acknowledging that he has returned.

From his hidden location, Fung Xian asks where the guns are. Mulroney, circling as he speaks, explains that they didn't bring them yet since they were ambushed last time.

Fung Xian agrees that Chiang Li Ching is more entrenched in the area than he first believed. The two ultimately agree that the best course of action would be for Xian's men to pick up the weapons at Mulroney's warehouse later that night.

After settling on a meet time on 10 pm, Mulroney no longer hears any further conversation. Although he never heard the man approach or leave, he suspects he is now alone in the room. Baojia then reappears, suggesting to Mulroney that it is time for him to leave. Mulroney gives the kid a dollar and thanks him for his assistance.

Session 15 - Scene 4 (of 9)

With the meet arranged with the Chinese, Mulroney decides to head over to Harrigan's to keep Deanie in the loop. Gem wants to come in with him, noting that he believes Deanie is starting to warm up to him. Mulroney suggests that Deanie only likes having more targets around but agrees.

The two get a nod from John O'Rorke, the bartender, and he motions them to the back room. Once in back, they see Deanie playing cards with Yiddie Neumark and a couple of Deanie's other guys.

Deanie is winning, as usual, and in a cheerful mood with Mulroney for once. Mulroney explains they are there to drop off his truck. O'Conner is more interested in discussing Carmody being picked up by the cops, which he sees as a great development.

Mulroney notes he has some related news about Ulnovsky. Deanie asks if they spotted the Russian, and Gem notes they spotted him all over.

When Deanie doesn't get what Gem means, Mulroney explains about the explosion. O'Conner is ecstatic at the idea of the war at the docks being at and end, and wastes no time having Yiddie get Merlo on the phone.

As Yiddie arranges the call, Deanie explains another big meet will be required. He then jokes that Spike O'Donnell probably won't attend this time, as he claims someone stole his wallet last time. O'Conner laughs at the absurdity of the story, saying he believes Spike is simply busy meeting with Governor Small, who is set to be in town for a couple of days.

Changing the subject, Deanie tells Mulroney that another problem, or rather opportunity, has come his way. He brings up their "old friend" Cody Powers, who Deanie says hasn't been right since he whacked his own crew after that bank robbery went bad.

According to O'Conner, Cody has been spotted hiding out in Bronzeville under the protection of a man named "Bad" Leroy Brown. Deanie describes the large black man as being the toughest man in town.

The problem, Deanie explain, is that Brown works for Whisper Jefferson's crew, which of course operates under the protection of Tolino. Deanie notes that if Powers let something about the robbery slip to Brown, it might make its way back up the chain, and Tolino finding out he was behind the bank robbery would be a troubling development.

Since Brown is running protection for Powers, Deanie figures the logical thing to do is get rid of Brown first. But in a way that can't lead back to them.

Gem notes that it could be like what happened to another Tolino soldier, the Basque. Mulroney obliquely notes they "ran into the Basque" a couple weeks ago. The less subtle Gem clarifies that they ran "right into him".

Continuing the oblique conversation, Mulroney suggests their meeting "left quite a mark" with the man and had "quite an impact". Deanie is clearly growing weary with the puns and changes the subject to talk about another issue.

The mob boss goes on to explain that he's also dealing with Ralph Sheldon being upset about Gem running the guns through Ragen's Colts territory without getting a kickback. Sheldon, Deanie explains, is threatening to close off routes to Rock River.

Deanie notes that Sheldon has been a pain to deal with ever since he took over after Frank Ragen quit the gang to become police commissioner and his brother James left to run the General New Service to publish racing results. O'Conner scoffs at Sheldon's insistence that his gang be called the "Sheldon Gang" instead of "Ragen's Colts".

O'Conner goes on to say that Sheldon's shifty lieutenant, Ryan O'Reilly, seems to be the kind of guy they could actually deal with. Deanie suggests finding a way to kill two birds with one stone and get rid of Sheldon and Brown at the same time. He notes that since Ragen's Colts are known for fighting with the blacks, it shouldn't be too much of a stretch; though he admits the Klan is Sheldon's biggest enemy at the moment.

Mulroney agrees the opportunity sounds promising and that they'll work on a plan. Deanie is delighted, noting that now that he's gotten rid of Carmody and Ulnovsky, he'll be in a position to reward Mulroney for his service. The priest and Gem wisely keep their mouths shut and don't comment on O'Conner appropriating all the credit for resolving the dock wars.

Instead, the priest explains to O'Conner that he has a problem of his own with his parish being closed down and being reassigned to Cleveland. Deanie is concerned, noting that the Cleveland mobsters will eat him alive. Mulroney agrees that he is fonder of the Lakefront City area, but doesn't answer Deanie's question about being ready to hang up his collar for good.

In any event, Mulroney also explains about the delivery for Fung Xian that evening. O'Conner likewise notes he'll let the priest know about the new meet with Merlo. Mulroney and Gem then take a cab back to the church.

Session 15 - Scene 5 (of 9)

Meanwhile, Alderman Biggins' work for the day is interrupted when his secretary Cheryl explains that a couple of policemen are there to see him. He has her show the men in, whom he recognizes as the detectives he spoke to before – Det. Goren and Det. Eames.

Eames notes that the alderman looks much worse for wear than the last time they saw him. Goren carefully looks him over, noting the missing finger digit and the eye patch along with his other scars.

Biggins tries to play it off as the difficulties of working with the people on the streets. Eames suggests he may be taking too hands-on of an approach.

The detective then explains that they are at Biggins' office because they thought he might be dead. When Biggins shows surprise, Det. Goren explains the remains of Biggins' car were found at the site of a warehouse explosion.

The alderman gives the detectives no explanation, saying he didn't know how his car got there but insinuates it may have been stolen. Eames smiles and says there is something strange about the car theft – it seems that the explosion was at the warehouse of Vasily Ulnovsky.

Goren wonders if Biggins has any idea of how that may have happened. He asks the alderman why Ulnovsky, a man Biggins had been asking about around the docks, would have stolen his car and used it to blow himself up.

Eames continues to say that the explosion was even worse than what happened with the Irish Rose. He suggests it could have been an accident, he supposes, but maybe they'll never know. Biggins wisely keeps as quiet as he can, agreeing with the detectives but on guard against saying anything stupid.

The detective goes on to lament that Biggins is now out a car. Goren expands on the thought, noting that Biggins is also recently out a house. The alderman agrees with a smile, passing it off as a "run of bad luck" but that he's still "here to serve".

Goren smiles at the alderman's statement. He gives his admiration of the alderman's "plucky attitude" and says he can see why Biggins is on the short list for Parks Commissioner.

The two detectives leave, but that gives Biggins little comfort. He can tell the detectives smell something rotten with his story and worries they'll continue to dig. He makes a call over to the church to talk with Mulroney about it, but reaches only Sister Eunice who explains the priest has not returned yet. He settles for leaving a message.

Session 15 - Scene 6 (of 9)

Shortly after Biggins makes his call, Gem and Mulroney arrive at the church. Sister Eunice greets the father and tells him he has several messages – one from Alderman Biggins, one from the janitor at the orphanage, and one from Bishop Duggan about the Marduk Institute.

Father Mulroney decides the bishop's call is likely the most important so he calls him first. The bishop begins the conversation by inquiring about Mulroney's preparations for heading to Cleveland. The priest notes he'll have a hard time leaving the parish behind, but Duggan comforts him by saying they must go where God calls them to.

Mulroney isn't so sure God is the one doing the calling. He turns the conversation back to the reason he called Duggan, information about the Marduk Institute.

Bishop Duggan explains that he spoke with the lawyer at the institute, but "Mr. Prendergast" won't have time to see him in the next 2-3 weeks so Mulroney might not be able to meet with him before shipping off to Ohio.

Mulroney picks up on the mention of the name Prendergast. He recalls two different Prendergasts being identified at Ravenscry Manor: a poster for Enoch Prendergast's snake oil show from the early 19th century and the news clipping about a missing man named Jeremiah Prendergast in the great fire of 1871.

Outwardly, the father simply asks the bishop for information on Prendergast. The bishop gives the name as Antoine Prendergast, with an address and phone number. Mulroney notes the address is the same dummy address used for Destiny Memorial, but the phone number doesn't match.

Session 15 - Scene 7 (of 9)

Mulroney's next call is over to the janitor, Abel Brown. The old man explains that he called because he found one of the boys hiding out down in the boiler room of the orphanage.

When the priest asks which boy it is, Abel explains that it was the "White boy... Alan..." Mulroney is someone surprised to hear that Chaos is alive and asks the janitor if the lad is all right; but Brown notes the youth is "not all there".

According to the janitor, Chaos was ranting something about a squid. Brown reckons that Chaos must have gone crazy reading Jules Verne. He explains to Mulroney that he had the boys from Dunning Asylum come and haul Alan off, under the care of a Dr. Bronfenburgher.

Mulroney gets Brown to clarify that this all occurred a couple of hours ago, and then asks if there was anything else strange at the orphanage. Brown is slightly confused by the question, wondering if finding the disturbed youth wasn't enough.

Before ending the call, Abel notes he plans to go clean out White's room. Worried about what might be found there, Mulroney offers to come over and help.

Once he's off the phone, the priest explains what has happened to Gem. Mulroney is very curious about the comment about the squid, noting it is consistent with Biggins' description of the tentacle that attacked him. Gem, however, isn't so sure and notes that Biggins did have a shard of glass stuck in his eye at the time so wasn't seeing right.

Mulroney and Gem agree the situation is very odd.  They discuss picking up Chaos at Dunning, with the preference that Gem handle business there as Mulroney is still technically a patient of Doc Bronfenburgher's.

The priest then tells Gem of his plans to go help the janitor with Chaos' room. The youth cautions Mulroney about going in there, reminding him that Shoes once made an off-hand remark to Chaos about setting up explosive traps in his room. Mulroney's eyes widen as he realizes what is likely to happen.

Cold and calculating, Mulroney then decides he can rid himself of another impediment and calls in kindly Sister Eunice. He explains to the elderly nun about White being discovered and being taken away. She is very sympathetic, expressing her hopes that the father will visit the boy so that his spirit, along with his mind, can be healed.

The father then tells Sister Eunice that she can help by assisting the janitor cleaning out the boy's room. He explains that Alan will recover more quickly with his personal things around. Sister Eunice is happy to have a way to help, and plans to head out right away. Gem says nothing during the discussion.

As Eunice is heading out the door, Mulroney inquires as to the location of Sister Mary. The nun explains that Mary hasn't been around lately, but tells the priest that she doesn't think she is feeling well.

Eunice goes on to say that a friend of hers has spotted Mary coming out of a doctor's office in a bad part of town. When Mulroney asks her who the doctor is, she tells him her friend identified the office as having a sign listing a Dr. Thomas Kingsley.

After the nun finally leaves, Father Mulroney remains intrigued. He wonders if Dr. Kingsley is the real identity of the mysterious Dr. X that Sister Mary uses for her heroin supply.

Session 15 - Scene 8 (of 9)

Before getting involved in anything else, Father Mulroney wants to meet back up with Alderman Biggins. He calls over to the alderman's office, but Biggins explains he doesn't have a car so after making sure to pick a route that won't expose them to Biggins' surveillance, Mulroney has Gem drive Maisie's car over to pick him up.

Once Biggins gets inside, he explains about his visit with the police as Gem drives around the area. At first Mulroney is confused about the destroyed car and explosion, but then recalls that Maisie was using Biggins' car to take out Ulnovsky.

Mulroney chastises Biggins for being irresponsible in loaning out his car for a bombing (despite it being the priest's own plan) and notes that he hopes Maisie is all right. Gem, recalling the aftermath they saw, suggests that she likely didn't make it back. Mulroney mockingly suggests that Biggins must have a terrible sense of guilt over the tragedy.

Putting aside the matter of the dead Russians and Maisie, Mulroney asks Biggins if he's been able to make any progress on his investigation of Destiny Memorial. Biggins relates the information about the lawyer being Antoine Prendergast, and Prendergast being given a lease in Chinatown by the On Leong Tong.

Gem asks Biggins if he happened to get the address of the leased property but the alderman admits he did not think to get it, though he doesn't believe it would be difficult to do. Gem is curious if the lease is related at all to the properties controlled by Chiang Li Ching himself.

Mulroney instructs the alderman to keep following up on the Marduk Institute and Destiny Memorial. He explains that he and Gem will be busy this evening with tasks of their own. Gem tries inviting the alderman along, but Biggins is very cautious about going out on another of their dangerous missions.

Session 15 - Scene 9 (of 9)

After dropping off the alderman a couple of blocks from his office, Mulroney asks Gem for his ideas on what they should do next. Gem wonders if they shouldn't follow up on Dr. Kingsley to see what Sister Mary is up to.

Mulroney, however, is more interested in finding out more about Antoine Prendergast. After failing to find the man listed in the phone book, Mulroney uses a story about reuniting an orphan to get a clerk to trace back the number for Destiny Memorial.

The clerk at the phone company identifies the number as being assigned to a Dr. Stephan Krasnik. The clerk also gives the address associated with the number to Mulroney, who notices it is the same as the address of the warehouse registered to Krasnik where Cody Powers' man was found dead.

The priest has Gem drive him over to the area of the warehouse, but they keep their distance. Finding the closest pay phone, Mulroney attempts to call the number over and over to make sure no one is there. Eventually, the phone operator has to tell him to stop.

Gem is sent in for a closer look. The thief circles around the building carefully, noting any exits. Everything looks quit in the back and Gem gives the all clear signal to father so he can move in closer as well.

The two look in the back windows of the warehouse, but don't see much going on inside. They do notice a hearse sitting in the loading bay. Destiny Memorial is stenciled on the side.

Gem finds the loading bay door unlocked. Mulroney cautions him to get ready, and they both ready their guns.

Opening the door, Gem hears little except the creaking door and the scurrying of rats. There's no one around. Looking at the hearse, the thief jokingly suggests to Mulroney that they have found a replacement vehicle for the alderman.

Gem looks around the warehouse but finds little other than rats and an old work table. The table is largely empty, but does have some liquid residue on it. Gem identifies it as the green liquid that Dr. Cooper injected into Biggins. The table also has several large claw marks on it.

After talking it through with Mulroney, the two examine the hearse. They find little inside except for a matchbook on the passenger seat.

Mulroney takes the matchbook, prompting Gem to comment that the priest doesn't smoke. Mulroney responds that he does, however, hunt down clues. The matchbook is from the "Bamboo Room Club", a nearby tiki bar night club.

After putting the matchbook back where he found it, the priest finds the vehicle registration in the glove box. The car is registered to Dr. Antoine Prendergast at the warehouse's address.

Once they've made sure there is nothing more of interest, the two leave to head to Dunning Asylum. Some distance away, Alderman Biggins is taking a cab there himself, after having no luck reaching anyone at the state level about Destiny Memorial.

Session 15 - Session Notes

This session actually occurred almost a month ago; I'm just late in getting the notes typed up after a vacation, work being done on my home, and a lot of activity going on at my work. We skipped the July 5th session (as I was out on vacation) so this coming Friday we should have another session.

This was also a shorter session than usual; the Biggins player had to work late so we started an hour later than normal but ended at the same time. I thought it was a nice, small session where more clues started to come into place.

Other notes about the session:
* The child prostitute in Chinatown was meant to be a very uncomfortable encounter (which worked well). The idea was to show the squalor and exploitation of the Chinese people. Like all trips to Chinatown, I try to present the area as quite alien to even the working-class slums that Mulroney is used to.

* As is often the case, I didn't actually give the names of either the kid or the grandfather during the session. I added them later to the notes for color.

* The laundry encounter was purposely meant to be unsettling and mysterious. Again, the meets in Chinatown should always feel different than the rather normal sit-downs they have with the other gangsters. I want to present a mood that the PCs don't really "get" the Chinese gangs.

* The callback to Gem picking Spike O'Donnell's pocket is there for humor, but the mention of the governor visiting is intended as foreshadowing (and ties in with some previous foreshadowing).

* Leroy Brown is clearly taken from the Jim Croce song.

* Powers hiding out in the black part of town under the protection of Brown (and everyone knowing about it) is an homage to the situation of Jackie Jr. in The Sopranos.

* Frank and James Ragen were real people, and O'Conner's account of Sheldon taking over the gang are more or less historically accurate. The main difference being that everyone did refer to them as the Sheldon Gang by this point (I continue calling them Ragen's Colts in my campaign for color).

* The plot with O'Reilly I've mentioned before is something I wanted to bring up in the game. We'll see if it goes anywhere.

* This is the first mention of the Klan in the campaign; I originally intended for them to be bigger players (the 1920's seeing a huge resurgence in the popularity of the group) but it just hasn't worked its way in yet.

* I had Deanie take credit for taking down Carmody and Ulnovsky because it seemed like the kind of thing he'd do. I also want to see how the PCs react to that.

* The detectives hassling Biggins just made sense since they used his car in the explosion. I don't think anyone (the players or myself) quite remember why Maisie didn't just use her own car.

* The bishop got to drop one of the bigger clues, that Antoine Prendergast is the lawyer for both Destiny Memorial and the Marduk Institute. I'm hoping people were suspecting the organizations were related all along, but this is the confirmation.

* The janitor gets a name and slightly more of a personality in the write-up than he had in the actual session.

* Chaos turning up was planned for a little while. I thought having one of the boys turning up crazy would be more interesting than never hearing anything about any of them ever again.

* Like Gem, I was remembering about the explosives in Chaos' room. It's a good thing Mulroney didn't go there. I thought him sending off Sister Eunice to likely die was a bit out of character, though.

* Dr. Thomas Kingsley is a name from one of Robin Cook's novels. One aspect of the novel is the basis for the backstory of Sister Mary and Dr. X.

* I originally thought they'd search Krasnik's warehouse many sessions ago when it was first brought up, but they finally got here (much like tracing the safe deposit box would have led them to Cooper a lot quicker but they never did that either).

* The warehouse with the abandoned car and the rats was somewhat of an homage to the scene at Your Self Storage in Silence of the Lambs.

* The matchbook as a clue is classic noir. The Bamboo Room Club, however, is an anachronism - tiki bars didn't come in until the 30's (but I'm claiming dramatic license).

* Mulroney actually made a comment during the session about suspecting the different Prendergasts were all the same person who found a way to extend his own life using the green stuff. But, I can't recall if it was made in character or just an ooc conversation so I didn't include it in the write-up.

Session 16 - Cast of Characters

 Father Clink Mulroney - Irish Roman Catholic priest running a bootlegging operation out of his church

 Alderman Jethro Biggins - Corrupt city alderman on the take from Mulroney

 Colin "Gem" Archer - Mulroney's newly-promoted lieutenant for his bootlegging operations; sidelines as a jewel thief

Session 16 - Scene 1 (of 10)

As Father Mulroney and Gem pull up to the outer gate of Dunning Asylum, they spot Alderman Biggins getting out of a cab. The men quickly ascertain they are both there to visit Chaos and that Biggins has made no further progress getting any information on either Destiny Memorial or the Marduk Institute.

They then quickly head inside, as visiting hours are almost over. They ask to see patient Alan White, and the duty nurse takes them over to his ward, where he is under the care of Dr. Bronfenburgher.

Dr. Bronfenburgher immediately focuses on Father Mulroney, asking him if he is back for further hydrotherapy treatments. The priest assures him he is feeling all better, and that they are there to check in on Alan.

The alienist recounts his appraisal of the youth's condition. He believes White has suffered a traumatic break with reality and goes on to explain his theories about White's delusion of being attacked by a giant squid. Dr. Bronfenburgher explains that the tentacles attacking the boy are really manifestations of the phallus of his father, representing patriarchal oppression. He goes on to explain that the mouth of the squid represents a vaginal symbol of his mother.

Gem is enraptured by the doctor's Freudian explanations, noting that they don't teach information like this at the orphanage. Father Mulroney quietly suggests that such things would not be polite to bring up around Sister Mary.

Mulroney convinces the doctor to let them see Alan. Bronfenburgher has the tall Scandinavian orderly, Sven, open the door to White's padded cell. After Biggins, Gem, and Mulroney enter, Sven closes the door behind them.

Chaos sits in the far corner of the room, held in a straightjacket. His head tilts to the side, with a bit of drool coming from the edge of his mouth. Mulroney looks at him for recognition, but his eyes are glassy with the look of thinking of something far away.

The father gets a little closer and calls out Chaos by name. He asks if he remembers anything. Chaos slowly turns his head, and lets out a weak call of "Father...?" Mulroney assures the youth and gets him to talk a bit more.

Chaos is not very talkative and when he does speak it is in short, quiet bursts. He mentions that "it came in and killed everyone". After some more discussion, Chaos confirms he was the only survivor, at least as far as the youth knows; he mentions there being a lot of blood.

Mulroney tries to get a description of the creature out of the lad, but Chaos isn't very helpful. All he can remember is a large number of tentacles coming at him.

The priest has little luck getting much information about how the creature got into the warehouse either. Chaos has difficulty remembering, but does note he was working at his workbench. He believes Tony, who was working in the back, was the first to start screaming.

Mulroney also asks if anyone else was with the creature, but Chaos doesn't recall. Gem then asks if the creature had a prison uniform on. Chaos repeats the words a couple of times, and with Gem asking him again if it had one the youth finally agrees; though whether he truly saw it or is just agreeing with Gem is unclear. Mulroney does note the youth appears to be in a highly suggestible state.

The priest doesn't like the idea of Chaos being left in the asylum and rambling on. He speculates that Chaos might say things that could cause trouble, and it would be better to get him out of the asylum so he can be dealt with.

He tries asking Chaos if he wants out, but the youth refuses. He finds the small cell safer. Mulroney tries several times to convince him the threat is over, even suggesting Biggins had killed the creature already, but to no avail. Eventually Chaos starts to get agitated and Mulroney drops the subject.

Father Mulroney does offer Chaos that he will help him should he want to get out later. He mentions they may need another of Chaos' packages. Chaos mumbles something about there being one more in a room but to be careful when opening the door. Mulroney is confused by the statement and thinking about another monster, but Gem believes he is referring to his room at the orphanage being rigged with another bomb.

Session 16 - Scene 2 (of 10)

Once they are ready to leave, Mulroney signals Sven to let them out. As they exit, Dr. Bronfenburgher again tries to convince Mulrony to stay for more treatment, but he still insists he's feeling fine. The good doctor's tenacity, however, gives the priest another idea.

Mulroney asks the others to go ahead a leave and that he'll join them in a minute, explaining to the doctor that he'd like to see him about a private matter. The two head back into the doctor's office, where Mulroney shows him the amulet.

Bronfenburgher recognizes it as some kind of Indian artifact and finds it very curious, though he does not appear to be as mesmerized by it as some others have been. Mulroney tries to get the doctor to touch it, even going so far as to suggest the name Bronfenburgher appears on the back, but the doctor declines.

The doctor does, however, notice the similarity between the carving on the disc and the description of the creature given by Maisie. Mulroney agrees the two do seem similar, wondering if it will interest the doctor further. His hopes are let down a second later, when the doctor begins explaining the similarities being caused by the fact that repressed sexual urges are a common affliction across all cultures and that the creature represents man's fear of vaginal aggression.

Undeterred by the alienist's lapse into rhetoric, Father Mulroney tries a new ploy where he pretends to stumble and "drop" the amulet, by nearly tossing it at the doctor. However, the scheme nearly backfires when Bronfenburgher calls in Sven to assist and nearly insists on keeping Mulroney for some "relaxation therapy".

Once out of the asylum, Father Mulroney explains they will need someone to check out the Bamboo Room club. Gem suggests such a mission would be up Biggins' territory and Mulroney agrees, noting they will be busy affecting the delivery with Fung Xian that evening.

Alderman Biggins, however, has no idea what they are talking about. Mulroney begins to explain that they obtained a clue pointing them to the club, but he hesitates in telling the whole story. Biggins mistakes the hesitation for something worse, and asks if he killed anyone again.

Mulroney then goes into detail about finding the location of the fictitious Destiny Memorial, and how it was located in the same warehouse where Paul Sand was found killed. He goes on to discuss the hearse along with the papers registering the car to Antoine Prendergast.

Biggins is less than fascinated with the story and doesn't see how it ties to the Bamboo Room club. Mulroney then explains about finding the matchbook and his theory that they might be able to find Prendergast through the night club.

The alderman wants more information about the club itself, but naturally Mulroney has nothing to tell him; his only knowledge of the club is the matchbook.  Biggins finally agrees to go, and the priest gives him some advice. He tells Biggins to be a bit more subtle this time to avoid an unpleasant encounter such as when he went searching for Ulnovsky, noting that the alderman only has so many fingers left.

Session 16 - Scene 3 (of 10)

Mulroney drops off Biggins a couple of blocks from the asylum to leave him to get a cab. Biggins tells the cabbie to head to the Bamboo Room, which the cabbie recognizes as a popular night club.

Since the driver recognizes the place, Biggins asks him a couple of questions about the establishment. The cabbie describes it as being a "high end" night club downtown, officially operating as a dance hall and juice bar.

When they reach downtown, Biggins exits the cab and can see a lot of people going in and out of the building. The clientele he sees is largely older, middle-aged businessmen accompanied by younger flappers in their 20's.

Heading inside, Biggins finds mostly the girls on the dance floor with the men sitting around drinking (and leering). The men's drinks do not appear to be juice.

Biggins decides to head over to the bartender, who is much more courteous than the speakeasies he's used to. The alderman asks for their most popular juice drink, which turns out to be tomato juice. Tasting it, he realizes it also has a healthy amount of gin in it.

An older, bald man in a nice suit approaches Biggins, asking for him by name. The alderman confirms his identity, but isn't sure who the man is. As the man goes on to explain how happy he is to have the alderman in his establishment, Biggins realizes he is talking to Jonathan Allen Hill, a local wealthy restaurateur and night club owner.

The two men engage in a bit of small talk. Hill notes that he was disappointed Biggins could not attend the party. When Biggins doesn't recall what party he is referring to, Hill clarifies he is referring to the Morgan Party, which Hill describes as "nice until that bit of unpleasantness" and going on to complain about the man who tried to assault his daughter.

Biggins recalls the story Gem told him about the robbery and Hill's lascivious daughter Valarie. He decides to go along with Hill's version of the events and inquires after the girl's health. He responds that she's doing fine, mostly staying at their lake house and then proceeds to talk about his fishing trips there with his friends.

After the alderman and Hill discuss the bass out on the lake for another minute or two, Hill asks what brings Biggins to his nightclub. Biggins stammers something about seeing a matchbook for the place and wanting to check it out, but doesn't elaborate or use the opportunity to bring up Antoine Prendergast. Instead, he compliments Hill's clientele and the man notes he only lets the best people in.

After the alderman compliments the drinks being served, Hill wishes Biggins a good evening then leaves to attend to business. Biggins spends the next hour or so meandering around the club to keep an eye out for anyone interesting.

Another hour passes before he sees anyone out of the ordinary. A couple comes in, gathering a fair amount of attention. He recognizes the dark-haired, smarmy looking older man as Richard Colcord, owner of Colcord Steel and Industry. The young woman with an air of nobility accompanying him, who Biggins does not recognize, is the one getting all the attention. She appears to speak with some kind of Scandinavian accent.

Rather than try to talk to Colcord, or attempt to bring up Prendergast with anyone, Biggins elects to go back to the office and get some sleep.

Session 16 - Scene 4 (of 10)

Meanwhile, at the warehouse, Mulroney and Gem sit around waiting for Fung Xian to show up. After a while, a truck pulls up with a couple of large Chinese men.

Mulroney tries to verify the men are from Fung Xian and there to pick up the "package", but it quickly becomes clear the men do not appear to speak English. Mulroney uses the opportunity to openly insult them and then shows them back to the guns.

They men quickly load up the crates as the priest and his ward look on. Gem asks the father how he can be sure they are Fung Xian's men, as all Chinese look alike to him. Mulroney responds that at least they are not zombies.

Gem notices that Mulroney is concentrating on something. When he asks what's wrong, the priest recalls Chao's comment about "another one behind the door" and wonders if he was referring to another of the creatures. Gem corrects him that Chaos was referring to his room being rigged with explosives, but Mulroney isn't 100% convinced; he notes one can never be too careful with monsters.

With all of the crates loaded, the Chinese men appear to be getting ready to leave. Mulroney stops one of them and tries to ask about the payment. Since they don't speak English, he pulls out some cash to illustrate the point. This only causes further confusion when the Chinese man attempts to take the cash as a tip.

Gem tries to help using his miming skills. Unfortunately, his poorly-done (and rather racist) attempt proves ineffective.

In the end, Mulroney decides to let them leave rather than try to stop them. He knows they'll have to take it up with Fung Xian later.

Session 16 - Scene 5 (of 10)

With little else to do for the evening, Father Mulroney decides to ring over to Biggins' office and see how his mission to the Bamboo Room club went. He can tell from the way Biggins answers the phone that the alderman was already asleep and woken up by the call.

When Mulroney asks how the visit went, Biggins notes it was a nice tiki bar and that he got to meet the owner, Jonathan Allen Hill. As Mulroney repeats the conversation aloud for Gem's benefit, he gives the youth a look. Gem, recalling the incident with Valarie, notes to the father the name does indeed sound familiar.

Mulroney, however, couldn't care less about Hill; he's interested in what Biggins found out about Prendergast. Biggins feebly responds that he learned nothing, and mumbles something about focusing on getting the "lay of the land".

The priest becomes concerned. He asks Biggins about what kind of questions he asked about Prendergast. Biggins admits he didn't even mention the man's name to anyone.

Nonplused, Mulroney asks with exasperation what exactly Biggins was discussing with people all night. The alderman responds back that they discussed fishing, the party at Morgan's house, and the assault on Hill's daughter and her spending time out at the beach. Gem wants to know which beach, but Biggins notes he didn't get the address.

Conceding for the moment, Mulroney tells Biggins to just continue his research into the Marduk Institute. He also gives him a new name to check, a Dr. Thomas Kingsley. Biggins asks if Kingsley is related to the other doctors (Krasnik and Cooper). The priest responds with a non-committal, "possibly", saying that it isn't clear yet (and certainly not wanting to give the alderman any information about the connection to Sister Mary). He advises Biggins to sound ignorant if questioned.

Session 16 - Scene 6 (of 10)

Once off the phone with Biggins, Mulroney decides that he and Gem will need to do more digging into Prendergast themselves. He doesn't want to go near the Bamboo Room, so he opts for heading back to the Destiny Memorial warehouse.

Once again they drive to a nearby street and walk the rest of the way. The two split up, and each sneak around one of the sides. As they get ready to go their separate ways, Gem notes they once again neglected to get flashlights first. Mulroney insists they'd be a liability, anyway, as then they could be seen.

The two circle around the building. Mulroney stumbles quite a bit in the dark, at one point knocking over a trashcan and scaring an alley cat.

A moment later, a large, black tentacle jets out of the darkness, wrapping itself around Mulroney's left arm. It jerks back with such a fury that it dislocates the limb; any more torsion could have ripped it off.

Gem hears the commotion and rushes to peek around the corner. He spots the tentacle wrapped around Mulroney's arm. Recalling Dr. Bronfenburgher's theories, he tries to helpfully yell out, "Leapin' lizards Father, quit thinking about your father!"

Mulroney opts for an equally enigmatic strategy, and uses his free hand to take out the amulet. Another of the tentacles comes out of the darkness and snares the object, then both retreat back into the dark; the creature appears to be leaving the area.

Thinking quickly, the priest uses his good arm to wildly fire shots into the dark where he hears the beast. One bullet strikes home, showering him in a black goo that can only be the monster's blood. The effect on Mulroney's mind sends him into a momentary shock and he cries out in horror.

Gem rushes over and can hear the creature heading up to the roof of the adjacent building. The noise quickly moves across the rooftop and away from the area.

Once Mulroney comes back to his senses, the two decide to look inside the warehouse. Mulroney is particularly hoping to find more of the green "fast healing" drug. They check around carefully, but find no other clues.

They do, however, discover a couple of funeral home uniforms, giving Mulroney another idea. He and Gem change into the uniforms and drive out the hearse. As they leave, the priest makes sure to torch the warehouse.

Session 16 - Scene 7 (of 10)

Gem drives the hearse to the hospital, where they drive up to the garage. The elderly night guard waves them on without a word, and they quickly head around to the entrance to the pathology room.

Once inside, the two look around the office. They find little except for typical hospital paperwork. Gem has better luck once they move out into the lab area.

Inside one of the fancy new refrigeration units, he finds a hidden panel containing four vials of the green liquid behind it. He immediately lets Mulroney know.

The priest is a little disappointed there is no syringe with it; after all, Mulroney notes, it's not like he can just drink it down. Gem assures the priest there is no reason to worry; he's seen Sister Mary use a needle plenty of times.

They wrap up the vials in an apron and quickly take the hearse back out. Mulroney has Gem drop him off at the church and suggests the youth ditch the hearse outside Harrigan's as a way to cause trouble for O'Conner. When Gem asks how he will get home, Mulroney tells him he doesn't care, suggesting he use either Biggins or a cab.

Session 16 - Scene 8 (of 10)

When they arrive at the church, Mulroney immediately notices a large chunk missing out of the orphanage. In the darkness of night, the street lights illuminate the smoking ruins of St. Vincent's Home for Homeless Boys. The priest immediately realized what has happened.

The father makes his way out of the hearse and approaches the church. Before he can reach the door, Sister Mary comes out to greet him, accompanied by two detectives wearing cheap suits. They introduce themselves and detectives Goren and Eames.
Goren looks over at the hearse and back at Mulroney, asking if he was dealing with a deceased parishioner. Mulroney gives an oblique answer about it being "tragic" then shoots Gem a quick look. Gem takes the hint and drives off, though not before Sister Mary gets a look at who was driving.

The detective notes there was more than one tragedy tonight. Mary, cold as ever, explains that Abel and Eunice are dead, though the children are all fine.

Father Mulroney puts on his best act to appear anguished, but the detectives are suspicious. Eames asks about his arm, which the priest explains as being injured while carrying the casket. Eames, in his usual deadpan manner, tells the priest that sounds terrible and suggests he go to the hospital.

Trying to change the subject, Mulroney makes a comment about Sister Mary having a medical background. Mary, picking up on the backhanded comment, tells the priest "not now, father".

Detective Goren goes on to explain there was an explosion at the orphanage, and asks if any of the boys were involved in gangland activities. Mulroney answers to the contrary. Sensing the need to deflect the detectives, he slips in a comment about the boys being active in civic projects with Alderman Jethro Biggins.

The detectives pick up on the comment and dig deeper. Mulroney gives them a long story about Biggins spending lots of time with the boys.

Eames then reveals that Biggins has ties to the explosion. Goren further explains one was used on his car recently.

Mulroney plays along, giving sympathy about Biggins' recent misfortunes – robbery, home destroyed, etc. Goren suggests Biggins has been the victim of gangland violence.

Detective Goren questions Mulroney about a series of names – Vassily Ulnovsky, Yulian Petranov, Karina Krasnik, and Ben Whittier. The priest pretends to know none of them, or about the war on the docks or the kidnapping. Goren explains they are all presumed dead in the explosion involving Alderman Biggins' car.

Eames then asks about three more names – Mike Jones, Stan Wocynski, and Sean O'Hara. Mulroney really doesn't recognize those names and says as much. Eames explains they are three dockworkers confirmed dead in the explosion.

With nothing else to discuss, the detectives take their leave. Before they go, Eames assures Mulroney that they will check all connections and get to the bottom of what's going on.

Session 16 - Scene 9 (of 10)

When the two are alone, Sister Mary asks Father Mulroney what happened. He starts to explain how he was attacked, but she cuts him off, explaining she is referring to the orphanage.

Mulroney tries to say he doesn't know, but Mary already suspects "that nut" (referring to Chaos) had something rigged up in his room.

Rather than discuss the explosion, Mulroney asks Mary for a syringe. He tries telling her it is for some medicine, but she gives him a look that suggests she doesn't fully trust him and openly mentions her suspicion that he has something he is not telling her.

He priest explains he and Gem were attacked by something not human. Mary isn't so sure she believes the priest's story about being attacked by a tentacle, even if Gem was a witness.

In the end, Sister Mary decides to get a syringe for Mulroney. While she is going to get it, he hides three of the vials in the back of the ice box in the kitchen.

When she comes back, he quickly injects himself with the fourth vial. Although he only intends to use part of it, the euphoric feeling he gets makes him unable to stop. He tells Mary she needs to try it but she flatly tells him she doesn't think so.

Instead, Mary takes a slip of paper and writes down an address. She tells Mulroney to meet her there the next day at 5:00. He asks what it is about, but she tells him just to go inside at that time and everything will be clear. She explains has something she wants to talk to him about there.

Mulroney then starts to feel sleepy from the effects of the drug. He goes to lie down.

Session 16 - Scene 10 (of 10)

For the second time that night, Alderman Biggins is woken out of his sleep. This time, someone is knocking at his office door.

When he opens the door, Biggins finds Gem standing there. Behind him on the street appears to be a hearse.

Biggins is just about to yell at Gem about parking the thing in front of his office when he notices the Destiny Memorial sign on the side. He asks Gem where he got it.

Gem responds that it was retrieved from an old warehouse, but tells the alderman not to worry. He explains there is a funeral worker uniform inside and that no one will bother then while they are disguised.

Biggins wants to know more about the warehouse, but Gem deflects the question, stately simply that he's sure the alderman will hear more about it later.

Gem then goes on to explain that it was Father Mulroney's idea to bring the hearse to him. The youth tells Biggins he thought he'd be happy to be getting a new car but suggests that if the alderman doesn't want it he'll need to drive him back to his own car (referring to Maisie's car).

Biggins suggests that Gem trade him Maisie's car for the hearse, but Gem says the father can't be seen in the hearse as it would be "bad for morale" at the church.

Wanting to get the hearse and Gem away from his office as quickly as possible, Mulroney stops arguing and puts on the uniform as well as trying to disguise himself (doing a rather poor job).

The two head out, with Biggins driving the hearse. They only get a block away before a police horn sounds behind them.

Rather than try to explain his way out of the awkward situation, Biggins makes a run for it. But he doesn't have much luck. Eventually the cop car rams into him, puncturing the gas tank.

As the car loses fuel, Biggins still proceeds to try and get away. The passenger cop begins firing, taking out one of the hearse's tires. The car comes to a quick stop.

Gem quickly tosses his gun to Biggins then puts his hands up out of the window. Biggins goes to toss the gun back, but is seen by the cops.

Yelling, "He's got a gun!" the two men open fire. Biggins takes a bad shot and collapses.

Gem, seeing Biggins go down, tries to yell about being kidnapped. The police don't appear to believe him as they drag him out of the car and proceed to pummel him with their night sticks.

Session 16 - Session Notes

This session certainly turned out different than I was expecting. A few unexpected choices by the PCs had it become a lot more dangerous than I was first planning for. The really cool part, though, is it ends on such a cliffhanger - Is Biggins dead? What will be the effect of Mulroney injecting himself? Will Gem end up in jail or the hospital? What did Sister Mary have planned?

The other main thing I think of this session is, I'm starting to feel bad about having so much fun at the Biggins' player's expense. He's a friend, but it's hard not to laugh at his foibles when he has an "off" session.

Other notes:
* I love playing Dr. Bronfenburgher and coming up with his absurd, overly sexual theories on psychiatry.

* I would have let Mulroney dispose of Chaos, but he had some bad rolls trying to convince the youth to leave the safety of the asylum. Similarly bad rolls prevented him from dealing with Bronfenburgher.

* Mulroney's comment about being more subtle was a great call back to Biggins' previous investigative venture ("Anyone know any Russian anarchists?")

* Once again, the Bamboo Room club is an anachronism, and I think making it a juice bar turns it into an anachronistic stew since that's more of a 50's beatnik thing (I think).

* I believe I mentioned before Jonathan Allen Hill comes straight from Cheers. As does Richard Colcord, though I changed the name slightly (from Robin).

* Hill and Colcord were both meant to give Biggins some opportunities to investigate further. And then, hilariously, he didn't ask them anything.

* Colcord's date is part of a background detail where I had him dating a Danish princess. They were also at the Morgan party (though Gem, naturally, didn't recognize them).

* It was previously established that Fung Xian's men didn't speak English, so I thought the scene at the warehouse would be humorous. I wasn't wrong as Mulroney and Gem got flustered at how to ask for payment without causing a conflict.

* Fung Xian, by the way, isn't ripping them off. An open exchange of guns for cash just isn't his style (more on that next session).

* Mulroney calling Biggins was basically the player using OOC knowledge to generate an opportunity to hassle him for screwing up finding out info about Prendergast.

* Mulroney's trash can/alley cat encounter is pure cliché, but it was just an explanation for his bad roll when trying to be stealthy.

* I'd been planning another attack by the tentacle monster for a while now, but this seemed like the first good opportunity. I also like that so far, the creature itself has remained largely unseen.

* Gem's joke about "Quit thinking about your father!" was the highlight of the session for me.

* Mulroney using the amulet was quick thinking, so I figured the creature should retreat because of it. And to keep Mulroney from constantly using the thing to put people in comas or ward off creatures, I had the monster take it.

* Mulroney's starting to lose a fair number of sanity points from his monster encounters. He and Biggins are both getting pretty low.

* The uncomfortable scene with the detectives at the church played out wonderfully, with Mulroney essentially throwing Biggins under the bus.

* Note that Yulian and Karina are presumed dead by the police, but are very much alive as they left right before the bombing (not that anyone left around knows that).

* The three dockworkers/anarchists confirmed dead all come from the TSR book.

* Sister Mary gave Mulroney the address of Dr. Kingsley's office, but he doesn't know that yet.

* The cops coming after the hearse wasn't a random thing - Biggins has been under police surveillance for a while. As mentioned previously, he has both allies and enemies within the police force.

* My original thought was that Biggins would have to have some uncomfortable conversations. I wasn't expecting him to try and make a run for it. And I always portray the cops in town as trigger-happy (due to all the corruption and gang wars), so...

Session 17 - Cast of Characters

Father Clink Mulroney - Irish Roman Catholic priest running a bootlegging operation out of his church

 Alderman Jethro Biggins - Corrupt city alderman on the take from Mulroney

 Colin "Gem" Archer - Mulroney's newly-promoted lieutenant for his bootlegging operations; sidelines as a jewel thief

Session 17 - Scene 1 (of 15)

Colin "Gem" Archer woke up on the cot in his cell somewhat less stiff and sore than he had for the last two weeks. He felt he was finally starting to recover from the beating he took from the cops.

After the morning head count, cell inspection, and inspiring words from Warden Westbrook, Gem settled down to his spot in the day room where he played cards with a couple of fellow Irish prisoners when one of the guards calls his name. When Gem asks what the guard wants, he tells Gem he's made bail.

Gem wonders who could have bailed him out as he goes through processing. He assumes it must have been the father, though he wonders what took so long. As he gets out, he is greeted by his long absent fellow gang member, Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan.

Guigsy, however, surprises Gem when he explains that Father Mulroney isn't the one who sent him to bail Gem out. In fact, according to Guigsy, Father Mulroney is dead. He goes on to explain that Mulroney was buried at All Saints Cemetery over a week ago, apparently of a heart attack.

Gem is upset that Guigsy didn't bail him out for the funeral and is even less thrilled when Guigsy explains he works for Dion O'Conner now, and that O'Conner has taken over all of Mulroney's old territory (along with that of the former Flynn/Carmody gang).

Guigsy tells Gem he's supposed to take him to see O'Conner but Gem isn't so sure. Guigsy nods to the car and explains to his friend that he might want to reconsider as "Doyle and Spike", apparently the two men sitting in the back of the nearby car, are there to make sure Gem comes along.

Gem feels betrayed by Guigsy and doesn't trust O'Conner, but admits he has little choice. Guigsy attempted to mollify him by explaining that O'Conner has been decent to work for, but Gem isn't buying it. As he gets into the front passenger seat, he takes a quick look at Spike and Doyle, but doesn't recognize either man.

Session 17 - Scene 2 (of 15)

Before long, the car reaches the familiar sight of Harrigan's and Gem is taken into the back room to see O'Conner. The man greets him and tells Gem it was good of him to come. Gem notes his boys were very accommodating.

Gem asks about the father. O'Conner tells him that the father is dead and that the nun (referring to Sister Mary) found him the night Gem and the alderman were picked up by the cops. According to the doctor's report, he is believed to have died of a heart attack.

Dion says it was too bad, as he kind of liked the father. Gem can't tell if the gang leader is telling the truth or not about any of it.

O'Conner then introduces Gem to his new fellow gang members, Justin Doyle and Spike Johnson, formerly of the Flynn Syndicate. O'Conner refers to them all as "one big happy family now". He then tells Gem that Guigsy has referred to Gem as a good earner and offers to let him join in.

Gem, however, is still very cautious. He tells O'Conner that he knows he has a debt to repay, but isn't so sure he will stick around much longer than that. O'Conner relates that it is OK for Gem to remain in the area and kick up his percentage, or leave the area, but is clear that he should kick up as long as he is in the area. Gem grudgingly agrees.

O'Conner tries to sympathize with Gem for missing the father, but explains they have bigger things to worry about. When Gem asks what he means, O'Conner says that the Genna Brothers  haven't taken too kindly to his expanding out near the docks. Gem agrees they are crazy.

In addition, O'Conner tells Gem they still have the issue with the bank robber. Gem thinks he is referring to Biggins, and asks what happened to him. O'Conner clarifies he wasn't referring to the alderman, who last he heard was in a coma.

Gem explains Biggins was hit pretty hard by the cops, noting Biggins pulled a gun on them. O'Conner remarks on the alderman as being crazy.

O'Conner then says he isn't sure what to believe about the alderman, as there are stories both about the Biggins incident – one that he was involved with organized crime elements (which O'Conner remarks he knows is true), and another that Biggins was the victim of corrupt enemies on the force (which O'Conner also relates as being true).

Gem says that Biggins could be out of commission for a while, and O'Conner notes that even if he wakes up he could be a turnip. Throwing in an oblique reference to Krasnik, Gem says it is too bad the father isn't still around as he was being good at dealing with men like that, including a kindly old doctor.

O'Conner wants to know what Gem has in mind for next steps, asking if he and Guigsy want to carve out territory in the old neighborhood. Gem is surprised, telling O'Conner he expected he'd already have a job for him lined up. Dion explains he thought Gem would want to take some time to get up on his earning, but does say that he could always help out with the problem in Bronzeville if he thought he could handle that.

Having been out of things for a while, Gem doesn't catch the reference. O'Conner gets a little more direct, reminding him about Leroy Brown running protection for Cody Powers. Gem offers to take care of Powers in exchange for paying off all his debts with O'Conner.

O'Conner agrees, despite not thinking of Gem as a soldier. Gem volunteers Guigsy to help him, and the enthusiastic youth heartily agrees.

Gem wonders if O'Conner has any more info, but he doesn't think Leroy Brown on the south side will be that hard to find. He does mention Brown is a notorious gambler and likes his women. Gem notes they have that in common.

To help out, Deanie agrees to give Gem a small .32 pistol but not a car like Gem wanted. Gem says they will need to take a day or two before doing the job, but will catch up with O'Conner later. Deanie tells them not to get into too much trouble.

Session 17 - Scene 3 (of 15)

Once they leave Harrigan's, Guigsy asks Gem where they are headed. Gem explains the first thing he wants to do is go back to St. Vincent's and talk to Sister Mary about Father Mulroney's death. Guigsy responds that will be tough to do, as the church has been shut down and Sister Mary has gone missing.

When asked about the church, Guigsy explains that the way he heard it, the church was shut down after the explosion at the orphanage. He goes on to tell Gem about rumors he heard that the bombing was involved in a war between Alderman Biggins and the Russian anarchists led by Ulnovsky. Gem tells him not to believe everything he hears on the street.

Gem then says they need to find someone with answers. The only person he can think of to seek out is Dr. Thomas Kingsley. When Guigsy asks who Kingsley is, Gem explains he doesn't really know.

Despite not really understanding what Gem is up to, Guigsy continues to follow along. They take a bus over to the slums where Kingsley's office was said to be by Sister Eunice.

It doesn't take too long to find the small storefront. An old sign over the shop reads, "Dr. Thomas Kingsley, M.D." but the place doesn't look like it has seen any patients for a while. It appears to be quite run down.

Gem knocks at the glass door, but no one answers. When he finds it locked, he decides to head into the alley and look for the back door.

Guigsy tries to pick the lock, but his lock pick breaks off in the lock. With little choice, Gem begins trying to force open the door. He manages to break it open on the second try.

The back door opens to a small hallway, presumably between the front lobby, the exam room and the doctor's private office. Gem notices some light in the back room. He readies his gun while Guigsy readies his knife, and the two approach the door quietly.

Gem has the younger boy open the door slowly and take a look. Guigsy relates that someone is seated at the desk, but it is turned around so he can't see anything but the back of his head.

On Gem's command, the two burst into the room quickly with guns aimed at the back of the chair. Gem tells the man in the chair not to turn around and put his hands up. The figure doesn't move.

Gem gets ready to fire a warning shot into the ceiling when a voice behind him and to his left tells him not to move. It's Sister Mary. Having the drop on them, Mary tells Gem and Guigsy to not make any sudden moves and put down their weapons. Gem lowers, though doesn't drop, his gun.

Sister Mary tells Guigsy to go ahead and turn the chair around. When he does, the figure in the chair is revealed to be the mummified remains of a middle-aged man in a doctor's suit.

The nun introduces the two to Dr. Kingsley. She explains the doctor was an old client of hers back when she worked the streets. She also used him for taking care of the girls, especially when one got into trouble.

A couple of years ago, Mary explains, he died of a heart attack during a particularly vigorous session with her. She realized that if she kept his death a secret and kept up the payments on his office and to the state licensing board, she could order and dispense as much heroin as she wanted using his credentials and have the girls sell it on the streets to their johns.

Gem asks Sister Mary if she, then, is Dr. X. She explains there is no Dr. X. Gem starts to put the pieces together, understanding that Mary is her own supplier.

Sister Mary is not interested in discussing the matter further. Instead, she wants to know what Gem is doing there. He explains that he wanted to talk to her because he was looking for the father's personal effects, as they were looking into some things when he died. Mary explains all of the father's personal possessions were likely shipped back to the bishop's office after his death.

Gem then asks about her finding the father dead. She explains that it was true she found him dead, but lied to the doctor about a heart attack. Instead, she explains that she saw the father shooting up some drugs the last time she saw him so she assumes he died of a drug overdose. Mary notes that although she and the father didn't always see eye to eye, she didn't want him thought of as a hophead.
 
Shocked at this revelation, Gem explains that what the father was taking wasn't drugs, and that it was supposed to help him. Gem feels guilty as he is the one who encouraged the father to use the stuff.

When Mary asks what the injection was, Gem admits he doesn't really know. He does say that it helped Biggins improved as did Shoes when he was injected. Mary tries to clarify who injected Biggins and Shoes, but Gem can only recall it as "some funny dressed, old-fashioned doctor". Mary jokes that it certainly wasn't Kingsley who did it.

Gem goes on to mention how he shot that doctor. Mary dismissingly remarks on "you boys and your problems" and chides him for not sticking to business. Gem tells her he is looking for some new business ventures, and offers to join her.

Mary tells Gem she won't be needing his services, then shoots Guigsy in the face. As the corpse of Guigsy falls to the ground, Mary turns to shoot Gem but he gets into the hallway in time. She follows after him, hitting him in the arm with a grazing shot.

At the end of the hall, he turns to shoot back, but his shot goes wide. Mary ducks back into the doorway of the office for cover. She fires back, but misses.

Gem begins walking backwards while firing. One of his shots catches the nun in the chest and she goes down.

Bleeding badly, Mary's black and white habit quickly grows red all over as she tries to crawl back over to her gun. Shoes tries to run up to kick the gun away, but she manages to grab it first. Luckily for him, she misses trying to shoot up at him from the ground.

Attempting to subdue her, he pistol whips the nun. But he doesn't hold back his strength enough, and the force of the blow is enough to kill her.

With Mary dead, Gem grabs her gun and begins to search the body. She has little on her except her rosary, which Gem discovers is actually a concealed garrote that can be expanded. He also takes Mary's wedding band so he can sell it.

After searching the body, Gem looks over the papers on the desk. He finds little of interest outside the various bills Mary had been paying and the doctor's prescription pad.

Ignoring the papers, Gem finds Mary's stash of heroin ampules and begins loading up one of Dr. Kingsley's medical bags he finds lying around the office. Once that has been gathered, he takes the knife off of Guigsy's body along with Guigsy's money clip containing $40.

Before he leaves, Gem makes sure to start a fire to burn down the office.

Session 17 - Scene 4 (of 15)

A couple of nights later, Father Mulroney awakes to find himself staring up at the stars. He has a deep chill in his bones. He's not sure what he's doing outside, in the dark, as the last thing he remembered was going into the rectory to lie down after injecting himself with the green liquid.

Standing up and looking himself over, he sees he is wearing his priest uniform. He also notices his fingers now have long, black nails and that his hands are covered in dirt and blood. The revelation sends a chill down his spine, but he otherwise feels quite strong and healthy.

The father then looks around his immediate surroundings. He can see a lot of gravestones around, he is obviously in some kind of cemetery.

Nearby, one of the graves appears to have been recently dug up, from the inside. One the headstone, he reads, "Father Clink Mulroney, 1869-1924, RIP". The priest steels his mind against the understanding that he has apparently dug himself out of his own grave.

Near the grave, he also spots the mutilated body of the night watchman. The man's chest appears to have been ripped open by some kind of animal. But seeing the blood on his hands, Mulroney realizes it was he, himself, who must have done it.

Shaken by these events, Mulroney decides to head out of the graveyard. Although, as he leaves, he does note to himself that he feels a much more intimate connection to the dead now; the thought of lying down with the cold corpses almost titillates him.

Mulroney finds new strength within himself and leaps over the cemetery's tall fence. He immediately goes into the street and flags down the first car that happens by.

The driver asks Mulroney what happened, and he explains he was the victim of a robbery (while being careful to hide his claw-like nails). He lures the man out of his car by saying he needs assistance.

When the man gets out, Mulroney tries to slice his neck using his claws. He nicks the man's neck and the man screams, asking what he is doing. Mulroney then tries to smash his head into the car, but the men gets out of the way.

The man continues to run down the street. Mulroney gets in his car and runs the man down. He then proceeds to head to the church.

Session 17 - Scene 5 (of 15)

When Father Mulroney reaches the church, he sees that it is boarded up and apparently no longer in use. He does, however, spot that one of the boards on one of the windows appears to have been moved.

Stepping a little closer, the priest looks inside. He can see a faint light coming from the back of the rectory. Mulroney grabs a tire iron from the car and attempts to quietly approach the church.

Inside, Gem is sitting in the rectory, where he has been hiding out the last two days. He is passing the time with some self-pleasuring when he hears someone loudly moving around outside.

Gem grabs his gun and moves up to the window hole. He peeks out and sees the ghost of Father Mulroney coming for him. The shock is a bit too much for him as he yells out, "Leapin' lizards!"

Mulroney hears the exclamation from outside and rushes up to the window. He sees a shocked Gem, who is mumbling something about "don't haunt me." Mulroney tells Gem to get back so he can get in, and Gem quickly backs up, half-stumbling in the process.

Once Mulroney climbs inside, he asks Gem what is the matter. He tells Gem he looks like he's seen a ghost. Gem just mumbles and babbles. The father tells Gem he's not dead then smacks him to try and get him out of his stupor.

Gem notices that Mulroney has long, bloody claws which further degrades his grasp on his sanity. He makes a run for it to the back of the rectory and cowers in a corner. Luckily, he manages to retain control of his bodily functions.

Father Mulroney tries to tell Gem to stop running. It takes a few minutes, but Gem eventually comes out of his daze. He points to the bag nearby and says "heroin."

The father asks Gem what happened to the church and recounts what he can remember in the moments leading up to waking up in the cemetery – talking with the detectives, Sister Mary wanting him to meet her at Dr. Kingsley's office, and injecting himself with the green liquid. He then relates waking up in the cemetery and how he and the security guard must have been attacked by some animal.

Overwhelmed by the information and the possible implications, Gem grabs an ampule of the heroin and spikes up. While Gem is riding the horse, Mulroney goes to look for the remaining vials of the green liquid; he has another idea about something Gem can inject.

Finding the ice box gone along with the rest of the church furnishings, Mulroney settles for finding a spare set of robes in the vestry. He then grabs the knife off of the drugged-out Gem and cuts down his nails, takes a shower, and changes into the robes.

Once he's back to looking and feeling more or less normal, the father grabs all of Gem's possessions – his weapons, money, and the bag of heroin. He holds on to the weapons and money but hides the heroin. Mulroney then settles down for a nap until dawn.

Session 17 - Scene 6 (of 15)

Alderman Jethro Biggins wakes up in a hospital bed. He doesn't recall how he got there or how long it has been, but his last memories are a mix of memories and bad nightmares of getting shot in the stolen hearse.

Looking down, Biggins notices his missing finger has completely grown back. But his hand is webbed between the fingers and the regrown finger has a long, black nail ending in a sharp point. The skin on the finger is also a bit scaly, as are the spots on his chest where he is healing from the gunshot wounds.

As he is trying to process these changes, Biggins also notices that he can see the back of the gauze around his missing eye. He rips off the gauze, and realizes he can see again. Grabbing a hand mirror near the bed, Biggins discovers that his regrown eye is slightly larger than his other one, and is a solid, almost glowing pale yellow color; it reminds him of the monster he saw in the basement of the old museum.

The shock is too much for the poor alderman. His mind breaks into psychosis, leaving him schizophrenic with a compulsion to steal things.

Biggins gets out of bed immediately. A nurse coming over to check on him is shocked by his appearance; she screams and faints. Another nurse comes over to assist, but is shocked by the alderman's appearance, yelling "What happened to your eye?" He simply walks past her.

The alderman looks for the nearest exit. He finds a stairwell nearby, but as he looks down, he sees that it is goes all the way down to Hell and the devil is down there beckoning him. Biggins responds by grabbing a nearby fire hose and blasting water down the stairwell. He then heads off until he can find another exit. No one stops him as they are focused on cleaning up the mess he made.

Session 17 - Scene 7 (of 15)

Once he leaves the hospital, Biggins decides heading back to his office would be too dangerous (they will be looking for him there), so he decides the church is the safest place to go. For transportation, he steals a bicycle from the hospital parking lot. The sight of Biggins with his transformed eye and hand riding a bicycle down the street while wearing a hospital gown attracts more than his share of attention.

Despite all odds, Biggins manages to make it to the church without being stopped. Like the others before him, he is surprised to find it boarded up. He does notice the missing board across the window and tries to subtly get inside. But his efforts are as subtle as his bike ride.

Father Mulroney is woken by the sound of someone crashing into the church. He wakes Gem and they go to investigate. They find the bizarre appearance of the alderman disturbing.

Mulroney asks Biggins what he is doing. The alderman responds that he is looking for a place to hide, as his office isn't safe. Gem exclaims that he won't be able to hide anywhere looking like he does. The priest tells Biggins he'll need to cover the eye, trim his nail, and get into some clothes.

Gem asks where he has been, as he was shot up last time Gem saw him. Biggins recalls getting shot in the disturbing nightmare he had, but is having difficulty concentrating because of the loud circus music playing in the church.

Biggins talks progressively louder as he asks if the church is having a bazaar sale or something. He asks if there is somewhere quiet they can go. Mulroney realizes that Biggins is having auditory hallucinations.

He asks Biggins what is hearing and Biggins explains about the circus music. Mulroney tells him there is no music, but tries to test Biggins' grasp on sanity by asking him if he sees the children sleeping in the corner. The alderman asks if they have some kind of record playing and they should turn it down if they need to sleep.

Eventually, Mulroney gets Biggins to go take a shower. Just as he leaves the room, Mulroney and Gem hear someone calling from outside asking what is going on in there. Mulroney recognizes the voice as that of Danny Kerrigan, the beat cop he has on the take.

Mulroney tries to disguise his voice and claim that he found a couple of indigents in the building, and that he needs help as one of them has a weapon. Kerrigan isn't buying it, and threatens to call the paddywagon if they don't come out.

The priest then announces who he is and tells the officer to go ahead and come in. As he does, Gem discreetly exits off to the vestry room.

The police officer remarks to the father that he thought he was dead. Mulroney explains the situation as being some kind of setup where he was kidnapped. Kerrigan explains that the church is now closed, having been purchased by some company called the Marduk Institute.

Father Mulroney explains the Marduk Institute was behind his kidnapping, in league with a local criminal named Leroy Brown. Kerrigan recognizes the name as being a rather tall black man from Bronzeville, though he uses more racist terms.

Recognizing that Kerrigan is a man who can be dealt with and who is somewhat racist, Mulroney sees an opportunity. He tells the officer that Brown needs to be dealt with; he's muscling in on O'Conner's turf and could cause all kinds of chaos in town.

Kerrigan takes the bait. He remarks on Brown also being a ladies man and mentions concern that Brown might try to move in on white women. Mulroney tells an outlandish lie about Brown being involved in the rape of three white women at once, but it comes off as being a bit over the top.

Still, Officer Kerrigan is convinced something needs to be done. Mulroney tries to convince Kerrigan to get a raid done on Brown, one he might get shot during. Kerrigan laments that Bronzeville isn't his beat, so he'll need to talk to Captain Deakins who could send a detective to do it. Danny mentions that the captain is usually fairly amenable to helping out in the neighborhood.

Mulroney then takes Kerrigan in the back and shows him the large stash of heroin. He explains to the cop that they'll have a lot of money coming in, and offers him a very large bribe for helping out with the Leroy Brown situation. Kerrigan agrees he'll make sure it gets taken care of.

Kerrigan asks the father what he plans to do in the meantime. Mulroney explains he and his syndicate can no longer stay in the church. He asks the cop for a favor, to get some plain clothes so he can be more discreetly dressed. Kerrigan agrees to fetch some clothes from the precinct lost and found.

Before he leaves, he tells Mulroney that his friend, the alderman, is in a coma. Mulroney explains that Biggins has recovered and is cleaning up in the back. Kerrigan mentions letting Captain Deakins know, remarking he knows the two men are close. He makes an off-hand remark to some papers the captain sent over to Biggins' office just before they found out he was in a coma.

Mulroney doesn't like the idea of Deakins being told Biggins is at the church. He convinces Kerrigan that it will be better if it is a surprise. To keep Kerrigan happy, Mulroney gives him the cash he took off of Gem.

Session 17 - Scene 8 (of 15)

Officer Kerrigan drops off some clothes at the church a couple of hours later. In the meantime, Mulroney has trimmed Biggins' claw and covered his hands up by putting on some gloves he finds in the vestry used by the altar servers. He also fashions a new eye patch for him.

After putting on the new clothes, Mulroney remarks that Biggins is now presentable for the public again. Gem is still annoyed about the father giving his money to the police. He also doesn't like the deal he made about the heroin money; his plan was to bribe Brown with the heroin to get him to give him powers rather than try to figure out how to sell the drugs.

Mulroney tries to assure Gem that they won't need to worry about money. He asks Gem what he has been up to. Gem relates the events since he got out of jail.

The father is shocked that Guigsy was killed. Gem sees it as no big loss, calling Guigsy a traitor who went over to O'Conner too easily. Father Mulroney tells Gem not to worry, as Deanie O'Conner's days are numbered. He calls O'Conner one of the "small details" they will be taking care of.

Gem is a bit uneasy about Mulroney's new boldness and wonders if he has gone crazy as well as Biggins. Mulroney continues with the conversation on what to do next. He mentions he picked up a vehicle last night.

Mulroney wonders aloud what they should do next. Biggins mumbles something about not liking his new clothes. Gem makes a motion to Mulroney to indicate he wonders if they need to keep the alderman around. Mulroney shrugs, not sure if the alderman has outlived his usefulness yet but does indicate he is willing to get rid of him if he has.

Relating down their options, Mulroney mentions getting the cash from Fung Xian or go to see O'Conner. He wonders how Deanie will respond to "crazy Biggins". Gem reminds the father that Deanie is waiting on him to deliver Cody Powers.

Mulroney considers the option of dealing with Leroy Brown, but says they should let Kerrigan take care of it. He also considers doing something about Ralph Sheldon. He asks Biggins what he wants to do next.

Biggins agrees to come along with them, but Mulroney reminds him he is wanted by the cops. Biggins is confused about what things happened in his dreams and what actually happened. Gem tries to tell him he really was shot.

The alderman isn't sure what to do next. But the voice behind him tells him he should kill them all. Biggins asks the voice why, and another voice tells him they are his friends. Biggins agrees.

Watching Biggins arguing with himself, Mulroney decides it might be best to send Biggins off on his own. He thinks perhaps the alderman could take care of Chaos and/or Dr. Bronfenburgher at the asylum. Gem, not quite catching on, suggests Biggins could break Chaos out, as they could use another hand.

Mulroney tells Biggins to stop talking to himself and reminds him about Alan White. Biggins recalls the name. Mulroney tells him about being in the asylum, and tells the alderman he needs to either get Chaos out of the asylum or out of this life.

Biggins agrees. Mulroney tells him to meet up with them later at the warehouse. He then tries to tell Biggins about the voice he is hearing; he advises the alderman that starting fires with soothes the voices. One of the voices tells Biggins to burn himself.

Mulroney gives Biggins the bus pass and knife from Guigsy. Biggins stares at his reflection in the shiny knife. He sees a face come out of his own skin, telling him to "cut them!" He begins stabbing at the air, arguing with the voices. Mulroney decides the best thing to do is get out of there quickly.

Session 17 - Scene 9 (of 15)

Heading over to the car, Gem asks for his gun back. Mulroney elects to give it to him, keeping ahold of the tire iron for protection.

Putting some of the heroin in the car, Mulroney decides they should head to Chinatown first. When they arrive, Gem notices the neighborhood is quieter than normal, with many shades drawn. He advises the father there could be trouble.

They drive over to the laundry to look for Fung Xian. Parking in the alley, they get out and cautiously approach the back door. Gem tries to listen at the door, but realizes the futility of trying to listen at the door of a large industrial laundry.

Mulroney has Gem head inside first, gun at the ready. When he opens the door and steps in, he spots a Chinese woman carrying a large basket of clothes. She is startled by Gem and drops the laundry and runs off.

Baojia appears a minute later. He yells at Gem and Mulroney, asking what they are doing there. Mulroney tells the boy they are there for payment from Xian. Baojia tells him it is a dangerous time, as last night the word came down, with ten dead in Chinatown.

Mulroney assures the kid that once they get paid, they'll leave. He also mentions having something else Xian might be interested in. The boy curses something in Chinese and leaves.

Moments later, the British-accented voice of Fung Xian can be heard from somewhere behind the hanging sheets. He asks what they want.

Father Mulroney announces himself. Gem scans the room, gun pointed. Fung Xian emerges, calmly telling Gem he won't need the weapon here.

The father tells Fung Xian that his men did not pay him and starts to talk about what happened to him after. Fung Xian is not interested. He curtly tells the priest that the payment was already arranged, and dropped off to Mr. O'Conner, expressing his confusion as he was under the impression Mulroney was doing business with him on behalf of O'Conner.

Father Mulroney realizes the misunderstanding. He tells Xian that they are "independent contractors" and don't work for O'Conner directly. Xian bluntly tells him that they should take up any problems with the money with O'Conner.

Changing the subject, Mulroney tells Fung Xian he also has a separate deal he wishes to discuss with him that doesn't involve O'Conner. Xian tells him to be brief, as he suffered many losses last night and cannot afford more.

Mulroney tells the man that his deal might help him afford more. He shows him the heroin and Fung comments on the purity. But he notes that he has no need for more heroin.

The father tries to convince him that the purity and large quantity of the heroin will make it easy to move. Fung Xian agrees to sell the drugs for him, for a 30% fee. He arranges for his men to come pick up the drugs that night at the warehouse.

Fung Xian originally wants to pay Mulroney once the drugs are sold on the street, but the priest wants a 25% down payment. Xian warns him that if there any problems, he would want the money back and tells him he would not want to make an enemy with the triad.

Session 17 - Scene 10 (of 15)

Meanwhile, Alderman Biggins, after a couple of bus transfers, makes his way to the Dunning Asylum. But things start to go wrong immediately when Biggins asks to see his good friend "Chaos" instead of asking for Alan White and can't remember the boy's real name.

After being chased off by the guard, Biggins elects to try and sneak in. He heads along the fence over to the part of the hospital where the small cemetery is. Looking around, he spots a relatively secluded place he can climb over.

Biggins has a hard time climbing. But he does notice the bars don't seem that strong. The alderman uses his strength, particularly in his webbed hand, and bends the bars out of the way. Once he's inside, he tries to bend the bars back but manages to break off part of the fence. He hides it behind a nearby bush.

Heading into one of the back entrances, Biggins looks around the hospital. He spots an orderly working on stocking one of the closets with his back turned.

The alderman tries to punch in the man's head using his webbed hand. At the last minute, the orderly turns and ducks out of the way and the alderman's fist smashes into the closet door, going straight through it.

The orderly tries to attack back, but Biggins fights him off. With his fist caught in the door, Biggins uses his strength to rip the door off its hinges. He smacks the orderly with the door, getting a glancing blow.

Yelling loudly, the orderly begins running down the hall for help. Biggins breaks the door in half to get his arm out, but by then several orderlies and a doctor are headed for him.

The alderman tries to make a run for it. But the other men are faster, and tackle Biggins to the ground. As the doctor injects him with a tranquilizer, everything goes black.

Session 17 - Scene 11 (of 15)

After leaving Chinatown, Mulroney remembers Kerrigan's comment about the papers being sent to Biggins' office. They decide to head over.

Gem looks around carefully as they drive in, but it looks like there is no more police surveillance around. They park a discreet distance away and head over.

The office is not occupied, and the front door is locked. From past visits, they know there is no back door to this particular office suite.

Gem tries to pick the lock, but doesn't have any luck. Mulroney then decides to force the door open by using his newfound strength to bend the metal frame of the door.

Once inside they look around the office.  Gem spots a couple of interesting envelopes on Biggins' desk – one from the police precinct and one from city hall.

Father Mulroney decides to read over the papers from city hall. Inside the envelope, the first set of papers appears to be the articles of incorporation for Destiny Memorial Funeral Home. The papers list the address as the warehouse address and everything is in the name of Antoine Prendergast. The board of directors is made up of a single person, the chairman of the board of the Marduk Institute. Mulroney pieces together that the fake funeral home is indeed a wholly-owned subsidiary of the institute.

The second set of papers is the articles of incorporation for the Marduk Institute itself. To Mulroney's surprise, these also list the address as the same warehouse; he had always believed the institute was some out of state entity.

Like Destiny Memorial, the Marduk Institute was incorporated by Antoine Prendergast on the same day last October. Unlike the Destiny Memorial papers, these list several members of the board of directors: Antoine Prendergast, Chairman of the Board of Colcord Steel and Industry, Chairman of the Board of the Waterfront Improvement Association, Chairman of the Board of First National Bank, Chairman of the Board of the Lakefront City Tribune, and the Chairman of the Board of Prime Entertainment LLC.

He knows Colcord Steel and Industry is owned by Richard Colcord, who Biggins saw at the Bamboo Room Club. And First National Bank is owned by David Thomas Morgan, whose party Biggins was invited to. Mulroney starts to see that Biggins was in the middle of things all along.

The father can't recall immediately who controls the Lakefront City Tribune, though later that evening he will remember that it is Senator Joseph M. McCormick. He does, however, recall the newspaper story saying the chairman of the WIA was taking over as the acting president, Phelan Fitzroy. Finally, he knows that Prime Entertainment is the company that owns all of the nightclubs in the city under Jonathan Allen Hill; clubs like the Bamboo Room Club.

Father Mulroney starts to understand that the whole affair is a conspiracy by the richest men in the city.

Session 17 - Scene 12 (of 15)

Gem discovers some interesting papers in the envelope from the police as well.

*** Letter from Captain James Deakins to Alderman Jethro Biggins ***

FROM THE DESK OF CAPTAIN JAMES DEAKINS
12TH PRECINCT, LAKEFRONT CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT

TO: Alderman Jethro Biggins
FROM: Captain James Deakins
RE: Antoine Prendergast
DATE: October 24, 1924

Alderman Biggins,

In reference to your query of Antoine Prendergast, I was able to find the name mentioned as a potential witness interviewed in the disappearance last year of a Mr. J. C. Shottum, former head of the Bloomfield County Historical Society.

According to the secretary at the society, the day Shottum disappeared he had several meetings off site, the last of which was with Mr. Prendergast. It concerned an inquiry into his relation to a possible ancestor of his in the Lakefront City area mentioned in a couple of old letters in the Historical Society archives. Apparently the letters had been recently discovered during some renovation work. Though I doubt it has any bearing on your inquiry, I am enclosing photostatic copies of the letters as they are interesting curiosities.

The detective's report on Mr. Prendergast has him stating that Mr. Shottum never arrived at their meeting and they suspected something must have happened to him on his way to the appointment. The case remains open. Could Prendergast have been the cause of the disappearance?

Your servant,
Jimmy Deakins
Captain James Deakins

Enclosure

Session 17 - Scene 13 (of 15)

*** Incomplete Letter Dated November 9, 1871 ***

Frederick,

I hope your first year at university finds you doing well and that you are attending to your studies. Your mother worries so about the cold winters in New England, but I cannot foresee them colder than the icy winds off of the lake here.

A curious occurrence happened upon me yesterday which I will relay on to you. Do you recall our old neighbor, Jeremiah Prendergast, whom you were always afraid of as a child? Well, he is believed to be perished in the great fire that consumed our old neighborhood back in October. I happened to be out walking in that area the other night when I bumped into a man on the sidewalk.

I was astonished when I looked up and saw the face. The man looked just like Jeremiah the last time I saw him, back years ago when he first moved in. I asked the man if he were kin, and he gave his name as Ephraim Cooper, Jeremiah's nephew come to take care of his uncle's estate. He was a very peculiar man and had his uncle's archaic way of speech and old style of clothing.

That night I found myself unable to sleep. There is something very queer with that man. I keep thinking it is something with his eyes – he pretended not to recognize me but I could tell in his eyes he did. Perhaps he visited his uncle once and I was pointed out to him, but I cannot recall Jeremiah ever having visitors except for the late night deliverymen.

Unable to rest, I found myself walking along the foggy streets again the next night, in the vicinity of the burned ruins of Jeremiah's home. As I got closer, I spotted the faint light of a hooded lantern inside the house ruins. I did not dare getting any closer to see what was going on inside, but I swear I could hear the thrust of a spade against the earth.

I plan to venture out again tonight and will finish this letter with what I find. I hope to have the nerve to see exactly what is going on there as I fear it is something nefarious. Of course, it could turn out to be nothing more than a search for a family heirloom and you will believe your father right fit for the madhouse. We shall see.

(letter unfinished)

Session 17 - Scene 14 (of 15)

*** Letter Dated December 19, 1871 ***

Dearest Mother,

I was sorry to hear that there has been no word on what happened with father. I join your prayers for him every night.

I have spoken to the proctor and given him my plans to return home this spring, once the railways are able to be traveled again. I know father's wishes would be for me to continue my studies, but we simply cannot afford it. I hope to be able to obtain a clerkship on my return that will provide for the family. At least I will be able to attend the speech of Mr. Colfax about the importance of the Pacific Railroad when he arrives next week.

I wish you would reconsider sending me the partial letter father was writing me, but I will trust your judgment on the matter. Your mentioning that it concerned old man Prendergast, however, did remind me of something odd that occurred a few weeks after I arrived here.

As you know, I have been working as an assistant clerk in the library archives for Mr. Hollis. One of my first assignments was to help him catalogue a large collection of old letters.

One of the letters I read through was a fascinating discussion about Cotton Mather by a cousin of Magistrate John Hawthorne who was a student here at Harvard. It seems that Reverend Mather had accused one of the boy's professors from here, named William Pendergrist, of witchcraft. But as this was after the unfortunate incidents in Salemtown, Cotton's father Increase Mather intervened using his authority as president of the university, and had the investigation stopped. To avoid a scandal at the school, President Increase discharged Dr. Pendergrist and rumor has it he was also excommunicated from the Puritan church.

After I was reminded about that letter, I went back to the library last week and performed further research. I eventually uncovered an old portrait of Dr. Pendergrist hidden in the library basement. He must be an ancestor of Jeremiah Prendergast – the resemblance between the two is uncanny.
I hope this letter finds you well and I send my love to you and all my brothers and sisters.

With Love,
Frederick

Session 17 - Scene 15 (of 15)

With Gem reading the letters aloud, Mulroney feels they confirm his suspicions. He believes William Pendergrist, Enoch Prendergast, Jeremiah Prendergast, Ephraim Cooper, and Antoine Prendergast are all the same person – someone who has used ancient knowledge, or perhaps magic, to extend his life unnaturally.

Mulroney doesn't really care what Prendergast and the Marduk conspiracy are up to, but he is interested in stealing their secrets to create an unstoppable army he can use to take control of the city...

Session 17 - Session Notes

It took me a while to come up with the opening structure for this session. The main criteria I gave myself was: there had to be some consequences for the characters, but they had to all remain viable. So, I thought through the logical conclusions.

Gem, being a known thief, would be stuck in jail. But someone had to bail him out. Since the other two PCs were indisposed, I thought O'Conner being behind it made sense.

Biggins in the coma made the most sense and was the most game-able. I originally envisioned a scene with Boss Burns visiting him and explaining about the whole "framed by crooked cops" excuse, but his crazy escape worked better so I went along with that. Actually, the whole reason for the 2 weeks later timeline was originally to bring things up to the day before the elections as part of a Biggins plot (which obviously got abandoned as the PCs went down a different path).

For Mulroney, he was always going to be presumed dead because I previously established that everyone injected with a full dose appeared to be dead as part of a dormancy phase. I had several ideas - waking up on ice at his own funeral, waking up at the hospital morgue, waking up in the lair of the conspirators - but ultimately I thought the cemetery worked best because it would keep things from going completely off the rails and go along with the 2 weeks later timeline change.

The best part of the session was that I finally got a chance to give more exposition and now the PCs actually understand at least half of what is going on. We're also clearly picking up steam and nearing the end of the storyline. I expect another session or two should do it.

Other thoughts:
* Originally, Guigsy was going to recover in time for the "big meet". If Mulroney would have been around for the meet and taken credit for getting rid of Ulnovsky and Carmody, he would have gained control of the old Flynn territory and Spike and Doyle would have been his new muscle.

* In case it hasn't been obvious, Captain Ross is Biggins' corrupt enemy on the police force. Ross worked for Flynn who worked for Tolino, and Biggins is clearly allied with the O'Conner side of things.

* Since we'd moved forward two weeks, I was planning on abandoning the Leroy Brown / Ralph Sheldon storylines (have them be taken care of by O'Conner's other guys) but since Gem wanted to deal with it.

* Again, aspects of Leroy Brown's personality discussed come straight from the song.

* The scene at Dr. Kingsley's office was originally planned in mind with Father Mulroney heading over there. Sister Mary was always designed to be the noir femme fatale, who secretly controlled the heroin trade on the North Side. She wanted to kill Mulroney for his bumbling causing her to lose the church as her cover and interfering with her plans. She was going to settle for killing Gem and Guigsy.

* The story of using the dead doctor's credentials to order drugs comes from the Robin Cook book, Godplayer, where I got the Kingsley name. The corpse in the chair is an homage to Psycho. I had him die during prostitution as the natural explanation of how she took over.

* The heroin is described as being in glass ampules. I honestly have no idea how it was distributed in the 20's by doctors.

* Mulroney lost a lot of sanity in the cemetery as he kept making uncomfortable discoveries. He developed necrophilia as a result. Technically, he rolled a sexual paraphilia and I decided that made the most sense. We all agreed it would just be a high-level joke - nothing we would explore while playing.

* Clearly, Mulroney is turning into one of the monsters. As is Biggins. Biggins is slower since he didn't get a full dose.

* Gem lost some sanity seeing Mulroney, and I encouraged him to act as if it was a ghost.

* Mulroney sees the green drug as a sort of super soldier serum he can use to his advantage while Gem sees it as the monstrous, unnatural curse that it is.

* We all nearly died laughing at Biggins' escapades leaving the hospital.

* Mulroney turning Kerrigan to his advantage was an interesting turn of events. I didn't see that one coming.

* Ever since they asked for the money from the Chinese workers, I had always planned to screw them over by having the money go to O'Conner.

* The "last night the word came down, ten dead in Chinatown" phrase is a line from Queensryche's song Empire (which I feel is the spiritual representation of this campaign) that I'd been wanting to slip in for awhile.

* Biggins forgetting Chaos' real name (despite it being used minutes before) is classic Biggins.

* Biggins is likely going to be locked in the asylum (and possibly lobotomized) for the rest of the campaign. He's down to 10 sanity points or so anyway. So, expect a new character debuting next session.

* I hinted about five times for the PCs to go to Biggins' office. I wrote up all those documents so I wanted to be sure they got found. Most of the information could have been found a lot earlier if it had been specifically looked for and/or if Biggins would have made some of those politics rolls I'd had him make for the last however many sessions.

* The articles of incorporation were actually fully-written up legal documents. I got a template off of the web. One thing of note - the documents clearly label the city as being in Illinois, though I like to keep that vague in the game itself.

* I call the conspirators the "Lakefront City Five" in my notes (I don't count Prendergast, who is manipulating them for his own goal). Hopefully more gets revealed on them, what they are up to, and how Krasnik fit into things later.

* The three letters were all printed up using three different types of handwriting fonts. I thought it made things more realistic, but one of the fonts turned out to be annoying to read.

* Deakins' letter nicely explains where J.C. Shottum figures into things. Of course, the PCs didn't realize there was a mystery about him at all since Shoes never revealed the note he found and Mulroney never ventured to the top of the attic at Ravenscry Manor to find his remains.

* The old timey letters from the 19th century were planned back at the very beginning of the campaign. In fact, I had to end up adjusting them for some of the changes I had made. Originally, Ephraim Cooper and Antoine Prendergast were different people (which is why this is the only non-Prendergast name you see). I ended up simplifying the conspiracy plotline a bit (as I have a bad tendency to get the story so overcomplicated the players can't follow it even if I explain it to them).

* The second letter changed considerably from my original thoughts as well. Originally it had very little new information.

* The mention of "Mr. Colfax" is a joke about then Vice President Schuyler Colfax, who was involved with the Credit Mobilier scandal related to the Pacific Railroad.

* The mention of "Mr. Hollis" is a joke as well, HOLLIS is the acronym of Harvard's online library system.

* The connection to Harvard, the Mathers, Hawthorne, and the Salem Witch Trials wasn't added until much later, when I got the idea from Robin Cook's novel, Acceptable Risk (which had a plot involving old letters similar to this sort of thing).

* The fact that he was named "Pendergrist" instead of "Pendergrast" then threw the PCs a little. It was meant as just a bit of color in that the name changed a bit between the 1690's and the 1870's.

* The hidden portrait of Pendergrist looking the same is pure cliché and used in many stories. In this particular case, I was drawing from both the Cook novel as well as Lovecraft's own The Case of Charles Dexter Ward (my personal favorite Lovecraft story).

* Mulroney's reaction at the end is further proof he's not a hero. He doesn't care what the evil men are up to or stopping them. He just wants to take over himself. Gem may well end up being the real hero, as he's not too keen on the father's plans.

Session 18 - Cast of Characters

Father Clink Mulroney - Irish Roman Catholic priest running a bootlegging operation out of his church

Colin "Gem" Archer - Mulroney's newly-promoted lieutenant for his bootlegging operations; sidelines as a jewel thief


And introducing...

Detective Cletus VanDamme - Police detective with a heavy dose of flexible morality

Session 18 - Scene 1 (of 12)

Detective Cletus VanDamme was engaged in his usual activities for the night – shaking down hopheads, running protection for bootleggers, and getting some free action at the bordello – when one of the uniform cars spotted him and gave him a message that Captain Deakins wanted to see him.

Cletus doesn't know what Deakins wants, but he's sure it can't be anything good. For the most part, Deakins lets him operate on "detached assignment" as long as the general peace is kept. Lately, though, the streets have been anything but peaceful so he knows the captain will have a high priority assignment for him. He takes his time making his way back to the precinct.

Captain Deakins gives his usual growl about what took Cletus so long when he finally arrives. The detective gives his excuse as "some leads I was following up on". The captain ignores him and tells the detective he has a new assignment for him. VanDamme asks if it's another heroin dealer that Deakins wants him to run out of the neighborhood (before the Genna Brothers get cleaver-happy), but the captain tells him no. He says the new assignment is a strange one.

The captain goes on to explain that it involves Alderman Jethro Biggins, which VanDamme remembers from his anti-crime speeches. Deakins explains that Biggins was going to be very good for them, but something happened and Biggins went insane; he's now locked up in Dunning.

What Deakins wants, he explains, is for VanDamme to figure out what happened and take retribution out on anyone who caused the problems. Cletus always suspected Deakins had some kind of scheme going with Biggins, and clearly he's on the warpath now; he tells the captain there will be no problem resolving the case.

Deakins begins laying out the information he knows to VanDamme. He tells the detective that Biggins was asking about some strange things lately: a couple of companies called Destiny Memorial Funeral Home and The Marduk Institute, and a man named Antoine Prendergast that they were both tied to.

The really strange thing, Deakins continues, is that the only thing he could find on Prendergast was to a cold case from last year involving a missing person. VanDamme agrees that would be the place to start. The captain hands him over the file.

Session 18 - Scene 2 (of 12)

*** Missing Persons Report ***

Case Number: 23-84

Name: Jebediah Coltrane Shottum

Aliases: "J.C."

Date of Birth: September 17, 1873

Height: 5'9

Weight: 150

Eyes: Brown

Hair: Brown

Case Notes: Mr. Shottum was reported missing on October 2, 1923 by Hilda Grawthorne, secretary of the Bloomfield County Historical Society. Her boss, J.C. Shottum, had not been seen or heard from in several days.

Mr. Shottum's appointment book lists his appointments for the day as being with Edward Merriwether, a clerk in the County Assessor's office, Alderman Henry Snow, and a Dr. Antoine Prendergast.

Both Merriwether and Snow report Shottum arrived to their meetings, but Prendergast said Shottum never showed up. The last person to see him was Alderman Snow at approximately 8:00 that evening.

Prendergast's address puts him inside Chinatown, and it is likely Shottum was the victim of a crime on his way to see him. Suggest additional patrols to be on the lookout for the body.

Disposition: Open

Session 18 - Scene 3 (of 12)

As Cletus reviews the report, Deakins voices his disapproval that the detective on the case didn't put much effort into finding Shottum. VanDamme asks who that was, but isn't surprised when Deakins identifies Billings as the detective (who Deakins refers to as not being "worth a shit").

Captain Deakins gives his theory that Prendergast either kidnapped or was otherwise involved in Shottum's disappearance. He suggests that VanDamme rework the missing persons case from the beginning, starting with the Bloomfield County Historical Society, where Shottum worked.

The captain also lets VanDamme know that Biggins was a connected guy with the Mulroney crew. Cletus is familiar with the priest, who died a couple of weeks ago. VanDamme tries to get clarification on exactly how Biggins and Mulroney were in bed together, but the captain admits he isn't sure what their full arrangement was.

Continuing on, Captain Deakins explains that Alderman Biggins' connection to the gang is what led to his being shot recently. The captain explains that the police commander of the precinct over in the 3rd Ward, Captain Danny Ross, is connected to Tolino and Mulroney was connected to O'Conner so it was a sensitive issue.

According to Deakins, the only member of Mulroney's gang that is left, and now working with O'Conner, is small-time jewel thief Colin "Gem" Archer. He suggests tracking Gem down for any additional insight on what Biggins was up to. Last the captain heard, Gem was hanging out at the old abandoned church.

Cletus is surprised to hear that the church is abandoned. Deakins explains it was sold to the Marduk Institute. The captain is convinced something nefarious is going down in the ward, and he doesn't like it. VanDamme gets the implication, realizing the captain believes Biggins' lapse of sanity is involved in something bigger going down.

The captain agrees, saying he wants to know what it is – especially with the governor in town for the election tonight. He's already sending some of his men to help out with security of the opera house downtown where the governor will be, but he needs VanDamme to make sure the Marduk Institute and/or Prendergast won't be causing any trouble.

Detective VanDamme says he will go investigate. He also notes to himself to go check on Biggins. Deakins tells him to report in when he has something, or pass it along to Officer Kerrigan. Cletus agrees, noting to himself that Kerrigan also had ties to the Mulroney mob.

Session 18 - Scene 4 (of 12)

The detective decides to check in on the alderman first, heading up to the Dunning Asylum. After using his credentials to get inside, he's taken to see Dr. Hugo Bronfenburgher – the doctor in charge of Biggins' care.

Dr. Bronfenburgher greets the detective, who explains he's there to check on the welfare of Jethro Biggins. Bronfenburgher describes the alderman's condition as "terrible" and explains he is suffering from an acute psychosis involving delusions, hallucinations, and a continual attempt to steal the doctor's pen.

VanDamme wants to see Biggins, but Bronfenburgher explains he is sedated at the moment. The detective still wants to check on him, and the doctor agrees to have Sven, the tall orderly, to show the detective to Biggins' cell.

Before he goes, VanDamme asks the doctor what happened to cause the psychosis. Dr. Bronfenburgher explains his theory, which he calls a "mass psychosis theory". According to Bronfenburgher, diseases of the mind can spread from person to person the same way that a disease of the body can.

In this case, Bronfenburgher explains, there has been a recent outbreak of people believing they have seen monsters. He describes the reported monsters as being big with large teeth, and very vaginal in nature; the doctor believes they represent repressed sexual urges towards the mother.

Dr. Bronfenburgher describes the first case as being a young Jewish girl. The second case he saw was a young orphan. The alderman, Bronfenburgher explains, is the third case and had contact with both of the previous cases so clearly the disease spread over a vector from the two to him.

Detective VanDamme tries to follow the doctor's ramblings as best he can. He still believes it is important to inspect the alderman. He also suspects drugs, and asks the doctor about any marks or other indications on the alderman's body.

The doctor describes the alderman as having a very strange physical appearance. While not completely sure, Bronfenburgher's theory is that Biggins' psychosis is so strong that it acts as a type of mass hypnosis – planting a post-hypnotic suggestion into the minds of people around him to see things on the alderman that aren't actually there. He gives an example of the alderman's missing eye appearing to him as a large, solid yellow eye now.

Bronfenburgher goes on to say that he dare not allow VanDamme to see Biggins, or else the mental disease could spread. VanDamme positions himself a little closer to the doctor, to check his breath for alcohol. He doesn't smell any. He also doesn't detect any pupil dilation; he believes the doctor's theory is crazy, but he doesn't appear to be on anything.

Detective VanDamme explains that regardless of the risk, he can't leave until he's seen Biggins, though he doesn't necessarily need to talk to him. Sven shows the detective over to the window in the door to the padded cell where Biggins is lying.

When he's finished verifying the alderman is indeed locked up here and appears to be OK, VanDamme goes back to the doctor to follow up with some more questions. He asks who found the alderman, and Bronfenburgher explains that Biggins was captured while breaking in to the asylum. The doctor describes it as a case of the man's "superego" gaining dominance over his "id" (which wants to act crazy and act out sexual fantasies with his mother) in order to seek help for his psychosis, but VanDamme doesn't really understand what he is talking about.

VanDamme then asks if Biggins had anything on him when he was taken in. He specifically wonders about drug paraphernalia. The doctor has Sven grab a drawer from the inventory room; it contains a wallet with $40 and a half-used city bus pass.

Dr. Bronfenburgher also confirms that Biggins was alone when captured. When asked about what Biggins has been saying or if he's had any visitors, the doctor explains that VanDamme is his first visitor. He does remark that the alderman has a wife and children, but that they are out of town because their house burned down (which the doctor considers a contributing factor to Biggins' illness).

As for what Biggins has been saying, Dr. Bronfenburgher describes the alderman's ramblings about seeing and hearing things, fire, the devil, and someone named Prendergast. Cletus tries to dig in to the Prendergast comments, which the doctor says are not referring to a relative but to someone connected to something called the Marduk Institute that Biggins also talks about.

Bronfenburgher goes on to say that he has heard of the institute before, but can't recall when. He believes it might have been mentioned by one of the consulting doctors they used to have come in, someone named Krasnik.

VanDamme asks for more information about Krasnik. Bronfenburgher describes Dr. Krasnik as the consulting doctor from the prison. The doctor goes on to say that Krasnik disappeared one night a couple of months ago while driving back from the prison. Bronfenburgher says that Krasnik's daughter, Karina, came looking for him at the asylum after which is how he heard the story.

Cletus gives Dr. Bronfenburgher one of his cards. He wants to be called if Krasnik ever shows back up or if he hears anything more about Prendergast or other strange rantings.

The doctor makes an off-hand comment that the only other thing strange that Biggins talks about is "the monster at the warehouse". VanDamme asks some follow-up questions about that, which the doctor dismisses as just another part of his delusions.

Bronfenburgher is able to find some notes from Biggins that give the address of the warehouse. Cletus recognizes it as one of Deanie O'Conner's bootlegging warehouses.

VanDamme thanks the doctor for his help and prepares to leave. As he does so, the doctor tries to get him to attend a seminar at the local university discussing his theories of the male sexual repression of urges towards their mothers. Cletus politely agrees he would be interested, but notes that his schedule is usually full.

Session 18 - Scene 5 (of 12)

From Dunning, Cletus heads down to the museum district and stops at the Bloomfield County Historical Society. He talks to the secretary, Hilda Grawthorne about following up on the disappearance of Shottum.

Hilda explains that J.C. disappeared over a year ago. She describes him as a good man, but he'd gotten very involved with some old papers found inside the walls of a post-great fire tenement house being remodeled.

VanDamme asks more about the papers. Hilda explains they concerned a family named Prendergast. Apparently Shottum spent the last couple of days before he disappeared at the library and county register's office doing research on that family; though she herself didn't know why he found that family in particular so interesting.

Cletus is interested about the genealogy study that Shottum was doing. Hilda explains that is most of what the historical society does – research the founding families and settlers of the area. According to Hilda, Shottum never actually met Prendergast in person; the meeting he didn't make it to was supposed to be their first.

Hilda then offers to show J.C.'s notes to the detective. He has her make a photostatic copy of them to take. She gives him the notes, and explains that it appears to be something tracking the male descendants of the family only, which is very strange. She also notes that it only shows their activities for around a thirty year period each, which is also strange.

VanDamme asks more questions about J.C. himself. Hilda explains J.C. was a confirmed bachelor, and had no living family. But she is able to give him the names of a couple of Shottum's friends – such as Sir Archibald and other scientists at the museum, people at the historical society, and some of the older families in town such as the Morgans. She claims he had no enemies, as the historical society is not a controversial job.

Cletus thanks Hilda for the information and gives her one of his cards. As he heads back to the station, he reviews Shottum's notes. They don't mean much of anything to him.

Session 18 - Scene 6 (of 12)

*** Notes Taken by J.C. Shottum ***

Asa Pender, born 1606 in Suffolk in the hamlet of Groton to Eli and Martha Pender (ne Coper)

Emigrated with family to Cape Ann colony in 1621

Father, Eli, died in 1624

Befriended captured Barbary pirate, Aruj er Rasuli, in 1638

Presumed lost at sea, 1662


Silas Prender, Sugar Plantation Owner, Bridgetown, Barbados 1662-1690

William Pendergrist, Professor at Harvard, Cambridge, MA 1690-1692

Samuel Copper, country doctor, near Burlington, NJ 1692-1717

Elijah Pendergast, preacher, Providence, ME 1717-1745

George Kupfer, librarian, Harrisburg, PA 1746-1779

Edward Cooperman, spiritualist, Cleveland, OH 1779-1820

Enoch Prendergast, medicine salesman, St. Louis, MO 1820-1850

Jeremiah Prendergast, archeologist, Lakefront City 1850-1871

Ephraim Cooper, doctor, Lakefront City, 1871-1901

Antoine Prendergast, biologist, Lakefront City, 1901-present

Session 18 - Scene 7 (of 12)

Captain Deakins is surprised to see Cletus back at the station so quickly. The detective explains he still has some follow-up tasks but wanted to check in with what he found so far. He goes on to say that his preliminary investigation does appear to show the alderman and Shottum running in the same circles.

Detective VanDamme goes on to say how he checked in on Biggins and talked to his doctor. He describes Dr. Bronfenburgher as "as crazy as anyone there". Deakins chuckles, remarking that alienists are bizarre. VanDamme goes on to complain about some of Bronfenburgher's specific theories relating to vaginal monsters, but Deakins stops him – telling him he doesn't want that kind of filthy talk in his office.

When VanDamme explains that Biggins broke into the asylum, Deakins suggests the man must have cracked under the pressure from the election. Cletus confirms there were no signs of drug use or anything.

Deakins then asks how Biggins ties in to Prendergast and J.C. Shottum. VanDamme notes that Prendergast, and the Marduk Institute, are mentioned by the alderman in his ramblings.

The detective also mentions the connection between the Marduk Institute and Dr. Krasnik, and how Krasnik went missing. Deakins recalls the case of the missing doctor, noting that the Bloomfield County Sheriff's department is looking into his disappearance. He also mentions the sheriff's deputies finding Krasnik's abandoned car hidden in some bushes out in the county.

When VanDamme mentions Krasnik's daughter was looking for him, Deakins cautions him that Karina Krasnik is a known associate of Vassily Ulnovsky (dating him, in fact). He also explains that Biggins had a connection to Ulnovsky, which is what put him under investigation in the first place.

Deakins goes on to mention the recent bombing that Ulnovsky and Krasnik were killed in, which tied back to Biggins' car. He also discusses how Ross' men rousted Biggins on the docks looking for Ulnovsky. The captain notes that the alderman appears to be in the middle of a lot of things, and that the whole situation is very strange. He does call the alderman a nice guy and suggests that the alderman wasn't intentionally in the middle of everything, as he was "not the sharpest guy".

Captain Deakins then clarifies for Cletus that he wants him to keep digging in. He says there have been too many deaths and disappearances, and wants to know how Biggins, Ulnovsky, Prendergast, Shottum, and Mulroney all tie together. Cletus agrees something big is definitely going down.

Cletus also mentions the warehouse Biggins mentioned, and Deakins suggests he check it out – noting that it could be tied to Mulroney. The captain tells him to be careful and watch his back; until they put together the puzzle of what's going on, he won't know who to trust.

Session 18 - Scene 8 (of 12)

Deciding to wait on heading to check out the warehouse, Cletus makes a few calls around to see what other information he can find. He first tries city hall to find information on the Marduk Institute, but the clerk tells him it could be a couple of weeks before they can get him anything.

Next, Cletus heads down to the Lakefront City Public Library Central building downtown. He asks around with the library staff about J.C. Shottum, but no one seems to recall him being there. Several of the staff, including Chief Librarian Henry Legler, do recognize the name but don’t particularly recall what Shottum was doing at the library a year ago.

VanDamme then asks about genealogy records, but one of the clerks informs him that those types of records are typically kept at the Bloomfield County Historical Society. However, there are some books on the founding of the city and some of the initial families in the area in the library archives.

Venturing into the basement, the detective talks with the chief archivist, Carl Roden. Roden shows VanDamme into the archives and leaves him to look around. Cletus digs through the collection but finds little of interest except for some basic information on the founding of the city such as the Hopwell and Potawotami Indian Tribes who lived in the area, the initial exploration and settlement of the area by French/Haitian explorers Jean  Baptiste du Sable and Henri Joutel, and rail baron Rowland Brown who established one of the first large homes in the area called Ravenscry Manor.

Finding the trip to the library unhelpful, VanDamme heads out on the street and finds a snitch to shake down for information about the warehouse. The snitch, a three-letter street hustler named Val Bruhn, tells him that the warehouse was given to Mulroney’s gang by O’Conner after they allied themselves with him instead of Tolino.

Bruhn also says the warehouse is still occupied after Mulroney’s death, with at least pretty boy “Gem” Archer hanging out there. According to Val, O’Conner took over the old Carmody and Mulroney gangs in the area, so it’s probably O’Conner having Gem getting the place back up and running for bootlegging again.

Once he’s done with the Danish dilly boy, VanDamme finds Kerrigan walking his beat and passes along some of the information he’s found. After that, he decides to head home for the evening, planning to pick up the investigation tomorrow.

Session 18 - Scene 9 (of 12)

While Detective VanDamme spends the day investigating, Gem and Father Mulroney decide to lie low at the warehouse and wait for the night meeting with Fung Xian to sell off the heroin. Gem decides not to even go vote at the polls. Mulroney notes he is unable to vote as he is now legally dead, though Gem reminds him that such a condition tends not to be an issue in Lakefront City elections.

In preparation for the Chinese visit, Father Mulroney hides a little less than half of the heroin and keeps the rest out to sell to Fung. Mulroney worries about not having enough muscle, and wonders about bringing Kerrigan in. Gem isn't so sure that's a good idea and talks the priest out of it.

As the hour approaches, Gem gets into position in a hidden area in case there is trouble from Fung Xian's men. But at the appointed time, no one shows up. A lot of police sirens can be heard in the distance, towards downtown, as they continue to wait.

Once a half hour after the meet time goes by, Gem comes out of hiding and tells the priest they appear to have been stood up. Father Mulroney wonders what all of the commotion downtown is. Gem is uninterested, saying there is always something going on.

But the father feels they should go check it out. Gem cautions there will be a lot of cops around, but Mulroney tells him to not be such a coward.

Gem, still convinced the father is a ghost, suggest he turn invisible and fly over to investigate. The priest ignores his comment and reminds him he's the one who wasn't afraid to open fire in the middle of a large party.

Eventually, Mulroney gets Gem to drive their stolen car towards downtown. As they get closer, they see a scene of total chaos. Large crowds watch as a large fire is being taken care of and police are everywhere. Mulroney notes that the building they are working on is the opera house.

Session 18 - Scene 10 (of 12)

Working in the crowd amongst the other police is Detective Cletus VanDamme, who was called out an hour and a half ago along with the rest of the city's police force. Told Governor Small had been killed in an explosion at the opera house, VanDamme begins investigating.

So far, VanDamme has found some information. Among the dead are Governor Len Small, his chief of staff Scott Harris, gangster Spike O'Donnell and his brother Walter, Senator Joseph McCormick, and several aides of both the governor and senator.

Cletus canvassing the area has also turned up two people of interest, a Russian man and a woman. He notes the description of the woman sounds a lot like Karina Krasnik, which is strange since she was supposed to be killed in the Ulnovsky warehouse explosion.

Walking past the unknown detective, Father Mulroney and Gem spot Officer Kerrigan working crowd control. Mulroney tells Gem they need to go talk to him. As they head over, Gem tells the father he will keep an eye out for any Chinamen.

Kerrigan asks Mulroney what he is doing there, as he didn't want anyone to know he was still alive. Mulroney notes that he is in disguise, while Gem gives his theory that father, as a ghost, can only be seen by people he wants to see him. Kerrigan doesn't follow what Gem means.

Mulroney again ignores Gem and gets Kerrigan focused on telling them what is going on. Kerrigan explains about the deaths of Governor Small, Senator McCormick, and Spike O'Donnell. Mulroney asks for inside information, but Kerrigan explains he isn't a detective so doesn't know what they've been able to find so far.

Father Mulroney then asks Kerrigan for a detective in the area they could talk to. Kerrigan points out the nearby Detective VanDamme, saying the detective is amenable towards people who take care of him.

The priest also wants to know about Kerrigan's progress in convincing Captain Deakins to take down Leroy Brown. The cop explains that he was planning to talk to the captain that night about it, but that the explosion will cause a delay in the plan.

Mulroney and Gem then head over to VanDamme; the detective is so busy that they get all the way up to him before he spots them. Gem provides his theory that VanDamme can't see the father yet because he still needs to make himself visible to him.

Hearing his name called out from behind him, Detective VanDamme turns around to see two men. He doesn't recognize them.

Mulroney tells the detective he needs a word with him. He asks the detective if he knows who he is, and VanDamme responds in the negative. Mulroney gives the detective his name.

VanDamme is suspicious, as Mulroney is supposed to be dead. Mulroney goes on to explain that Kerrigan directed them to him. He also explains that the rumors of his death were not true. VanDamme makes a comment about hiding in plain sight.

After introducing Gem, Mulroney tells VanDamme what they've heard and asks for more information about the bombing. Cletus explains he has located a couple of people of interest. When Mulroney wants to know who they are, Cletus asks him what his interest is. Mulroney notes he's interested in everything going on in the city.

Cletus thinks quickly about the situation. He realizes Kerrigan is probably on the take from Mulroney, and that the priest is interested in the bombing due to something related to his criminal activities. He voices his suspicions to Mulroney, who confirms he has a passing association with the patrolman.

VanDamme then presses Mulroney about his affiliation with Alderman Biggins. Mulroney describes the alderman as being a close associate of his, as he is very active in his ward. The detective remarks to Mulroney that the priest may have some information he wants. The father suggests an exchange of information would be a fair deal.

Cletus agrees to the exchange. Mulroney wants his information about the explosion first. VanDamme explains he has two people of interest, which he identifies as Gina Krasnik and Vassily Ulnovsky.

Father Mulroney gives VanDamme a strange look at the mention of Krasnik. He recalled Dr. Krasnik having a daughter, but the name sounds wrong. He's also skeptical of Ulnovsky, as he's pretty sure the man died in an explosion (though, to be fair, he himself is also presumed dead).

Mulroney asks VanDamme if the two were the ones to cause the attacks. VanDamme notes they were only seen in the area. The priest wonders how good of a detective VanDamme is, and also questions his sanity.

Moving on, the father wants to know why VanDamme is asking about Biggins. The detective simply says he has been keeping tabs on the alderman. Mulroney wonders if VanDamme was Biggins' contact in the police, and asks the man why he was keeping an eye on the alderman, but Cletus says only that Biggins had a tendency to get into trouble.

Mulroney tries to press on to get why Biggins is so important to keep an eye on, but VanDamme interrupts his questioning to ask Mulroney when the last time he saw the alderman was. Mulroney explains he saw him the previous day. When Cletus asks how Biggins was, Gem interjects his opinion that the man was crazy.

The father feels Gem's description is a bit extreme, calling the alderman "confused". When Cletus asks about Biggins' activities that day, Gem again blurts out that Biggins was riding around on a bicycle "like a mad man" while wearing a hospital gown.

Mulroney again downplays Gem's contributions, saying the lad exaggerates a bit. He asks VanDamme if he has any news of the alderman, mentally noting they haven't heard back from him yet. VanDamme again ignores the question, saying only that he is trying to find information about what Biggins has been up to. When the father continues to ask what happened to the alderman, Detective VanDamme describes him as "a ward of the state" in "protective custody".

VanDamme does go on to say that the alderman is alive and he has checked on him that day. He then asks Gem to clarify about saying the man was crazy. Mulroney again insists the man was merely "confused" and explains he's suffered a recent run on bad luck.

Gem asks the detective if he saw his eyeball. VanDamme explains he didn't see the alderman up close, saying he was resting comfortably when he visited him. Mulroney makes a sarcastic comment about Biggins being a picture of health.

Father Mulroney then asks VanDamme what information he wants. VanDamme digs in a little further about Biggins' relationship to Mulroney. The priest says they worked together for years, as the alderman was a major proponent of the orphanage.

Deciding to trust Mulroney a little, Cletus mentions that Biggins has made statements about monsters and must have been involved with the wrong people. Mulroney dismisses the remarks, saying the alderman has an active imagination.

VanDamme then asks Mulroney if he knows of any Prendergast associated with Biggins. While they talk, Gem uses his sleight of hand skills to steal the handcuffs off of the detective's belt.

Mulroney asks the detective if he is referring to Antoine Prendergast. When VanDamme confirms he is, the priest remarks that is very interesting, as they are also looking into the man. He also mentions that Prendergast is associated with the institute that shut down the orphanage.

VanDamme plays dumb, getting Mulroney to mention the Marduk Institute by name. He tells the priest he hasn't uncovered any information about the institute or Prendergast yet; but, he says, he wants to learn more. He also mentions being interested in helping their mutual friend, Alderman Biggins.

Mulroney agrees, but voices his complaint that the exchange of information hasn't been very equitable so far as VanDamme hasn't given them much. When VanDamme asks what he wants, Mulroney asks about his connections in Chinatown. VanDamme notes he doesn't have any.

The father then offers a trade – a favor for a favor. Mulroney clarifies the favor he wants involves VanDamme making a contact in Chinatown, and how there is an individual who failed to meet with him as promised. The priest wants VanDamme to speak to the individual to voice his displeasure, and arrange another meeting. In exchange, Mulroney promises to give him a name that will help in his investigation.

After giving him the name of Fung Xian, Mulroney asks if he has any more information on the Marduk Institute. VanDamme says he might, but there would be a cost involved. Mulroney agrees, and gives him the warehouse address and a time later that evening to meet up.

Session 18 - Scene 11 (of 12)

Mulroney and Gem head back to the warehouse. Mulroney has Gem clean up the place a little, making sure to hide the papers they have on the Marduk Institute and Prendergast.

The father also explains his plan to offer the detective some heroin as payment. Gem isn’t so sure, but Mulroney reminds him the detective is dirty.

Meanwhile, Detective VanDamme makes a photostatic copy of the notes from the historical society. He also decides to leave the missing persons report at the precinct; he does not plan to share everything with Mulroney.

At midnight, Cletus arrives at the warehouse. He looks around carefully to make sure the place isn’t being monitored before heading in.

Mulroney greets him and asks what he has for him. Cletus hands him the copy of the Shottum notes. The priest reads the notes aloud to Gem. He asks Detective VanDamme what the paper indicates to him. VanDamme describes it as a partial family tree, but notes it is strange that it does not include the women in the family. Mulroney notes all the names are variations of the same two last names.

Gem also points out the dates are wrong; they are too short of periods to be birth and death dates and they never overlap. Mulroney agrees, saying the dates must refer to a person for a period of time. When Gem asks what the dates mean, Mulroney voices his idea that they are aliases of the same man and the dates are when the aliases were used.

The detective is confused, asking how the same man could still be living since “the Middle Ages”. Mulroney agrees the idea is far-fetched and drops the idea. He confirms that this is all the information the detective has.

In exchange, Father Mulroney gives the name of David Thomas Morgan to VanDamme. Cletus wonders what the richest man in the city has to do with anything. Mulroney says he doesn’t want to spoil all the surprises, but suggests that he approach Morgan about the Marduk Institute. He promising interesting results if the detective follows his advice.

Mulroney goes on to give some ampules of heroin to VanDamme. He tells the detective he won’t tell him what to do with it, but does note it has a high value on the street. Cletus voices his appreciation, and discusses his intentions to do something good with it.

Session 18 - Scene 12 (of 12)

After VanDamme leaves, Gem voices his concerns over how they are going to pay off Kerrigan after giving away part of the heroin. Mulroney dismisses the idea, noting they have a lot more yet.

Trying to keep Gem on his side, Mulroney hides his true intentions and instead explains how it is clear to him now that they must do whatever they can to rid the city of evil. He admits his past actions have done damage to the town, and it is time to pay it back.

Gem wonders what the priest has in mind. Mulroney explains they will need to take the "material" (referring to the green liquid) off of the street and take out the men involved in the conspiracy. The youth wonders how they will be able to do that, as it means going up against the most powerful men in the city.

Mulroney ponders how long Prendergast has been up to evil activities, and whether or not he's formed evil groups around the country. He tells Gem they can't allow such a nefarious plot to grow, telling the youth they need to think of the children.

Gem, overwhelmed by the priest's charisma and wanting to believe, voices his agreement. He asks the priests what is next.

Mulroney wants to get O'Conner involved in the conflict, as they could use his muscle. He also wants to get Kerrigan on their side. Then, he plots, they can take out the group one by one.

Gem is more concerned about Prendergast himself. He reasons that if the man has been around this long, he's probably not sharing all his secrets with the cabal. He feels that Prendergast is just using the cabal to fund his true operations. When Mulroney asks what is in it for the men then, the youth explains Prendergast probably has some kind of con running with them but it isn't his real agenda.

Mulroney agrees it makes sense, but he's not sure how they will be able to outsmart someone who has been around since 1606 without help. He says they will need to go to Deanie for help. Gem suggests Tolino as a possibility, but Mulroney reminds him that Tolino has not been the wisest choice in the past. Gem agrees Tolino has no love for the Irish.

In the short term, Mulroney wants to focus on resolving their cash problem so they can pay off Kerrigan. Gem wonders if they should rely on VanDamme to get the money out of Chinatown, or if it is time for a heist. Gem's eyes light up at the idea of another big heist.

Mulroney dismisses the heist idea, noting they don't have anything planned and it may not be a good time with all of the police activity.

The priest starts thinking about other options. He does note that one supposed member of the cabal, Joseph McCormick, is already dead and supposedly killed by Krasnik and Ulnovsky. He wonders if they should try and find them. Gem wonders if Ulnovsky got ahold of the same green liquid as Mulroney and that is how he is back from the dead.

Mulroney thinks maybe Ulnovsky could be another ally. They discuss that it is too bad Biggins is no longer active, as he had the closest connection to the Russian. Gem reminds him about the bar Biggins went to while looking for Ulnovsky, the Blue Parrot.

The mention of the bar reminds Mulroney that they also need to follow up on the Bamboo Room, as a couple of the cabal members were spotted there. He tells Gem it is too high end for the youth to go to, so he suggests he himself check out the Bamboo Room while Gem cases the Blue Parrot. Gem agrees.

Session 18 - Session Notes

After Alderman Biggins became no longer viable as a PC last session, I discussed with the player about creating a new character that was a police detective. The idea was to introduce a PC that doesn't fully trust the other PCs, giving some more tension to the game. He liked the idea so I went ahead and put together the character for him. The name "Cletus VanDamme" is an homage to the alias used by Detective Vendril on The Shield.

This session was interesting in that it was almost exclusively about investigations and conversations. Not only was there not a lot of (direct) action, but it had relatively few die rolls used.

The hardest part was getting everyone together. I don't like to railroad, so I present opportunities for the PCs to get together and let nature take its course. I'm not sure if the Cletus player was missing my hints (I must have said something along the lines of, "so, where are you going now - maybe that warehouse?" a half dozen times during the early part of the session), or if he was deliberately trying to put off getting together with the others to get more investigation done first. In any event, we were a good hour into the session before the other PCs got to do anything.

Other notes from the session:
* I had to give a lot of exposition from Deakins as well as some pretty big arrows on where to go next. I think all of the players found it interesting to look at what was going on from a different POV.

* J.C. Shottum in the Cabinet of Curiosities novel (where I got the name) didn't give a first / middle name as I recall. I went with "Jebediah Coltrane" as a joke that because he had such an awful sounding name, he just went with JC.

* Detective Billings is another homage to The Shield.

* Originally, I had no idea Dr. Bronfenburgher would come up so much. If I had, I would have made his theories a little less over the top. I about reached the limit of psychobabble nonsense I could come up with when talking with VanDamme.

* We all got quite a laugh about how the $40 money clip and the bus pass kept moving from character to character.

* Dr. Krasnik has been largely forgotten about by the group. Needless to say, he played an important part in the conspiracy which may yet be explained.

* I hadn't actually sat down and came up with the list of aliases until before this session. My original idea was that they would all have the exact same last name, but then I figured in the older days he would need to change the last name more to avoid being connected with his previous identities. In modern times, enough people would be around that he could just keep showing up as a relative.

* During the session, I mistakingly referred to Krasnik's car as being found burned. I corrected it for the write-up. Since the group tends to torch things/places, I forgot about the one time they didn't.

* Henry Legler was the real librarian of the Chicago Public Library at the time. Carl Roden was the next chief librarian in Chicago, so I put him in charge of the archives.

* Similarly, the Potawotami Indians, Jean Baptiste du Sable, and Henri Joutel were all real people. I can't recall how I came up with the name of Rowland Brown, he got added to my notes when I put together the history of who owned Ravenscry Manor (papers that were in the house but not found by the PCs).

* Val Bruhn had no name or background during the session - Cletus just visited a generic snitch. I wanted to add some more color to the session notes so I gave him a name and background.

* I actually brought up the election during the game, and the comments about it were technically OOC jokes.

* Gem thinking the father is some kind of ghost made a great running joke.

* I foreshadowed the governor visit several times. The bombing of the opera house was planned for awhile. Originally the plot also involved Rocco Dillon's group more (an homage to the Naked Gun 33 1/3 plot) but I didn't want to overcomplicate it at this point. Plus, using the Russians directly gives the PCs a little more connection to it.

* Since Governor Small, Spike O'Donnell, Walter O'Donnell, and Senator McCormick are all real people, clearly the game has an alternate history.

* VanDamme assuming the Russian man with Krasnik was Ulnovsky was great. Only Maisie knew that Karina and Yulian Petranov escaped the warehouse bombing and she died before she could tell anyone.

*  Giving the name as "Gina Krasnik" was less great. Up until that point, VanDamme had been a lot less scatterbrained of a character than Biggins.

* I love that the PCs don't fully trust each other at this point and are holding back information. Very noir.

* Next session should be more action-packed with the three PCs splitting up and each heading somewhere dangerous.

Session 19 - Cast of Characters

Father Clink Mulroney - Irish Roman Catholic priest turned gangster, now transforming into a monster

Colin "Gem" Archer - Mulroney's only remaining gang member - a somewhat dim-witted jewel thief

Detective Cletus VanDamme - Police detective who likes shaking down junkies and is both allied with and investigating Mulroney

Session 19 - Scene 1 (of 9)

When Father Mulroney wakes for the morning, his skin feels very dry; particularly his right hand. He looks down and notices that his fingers have become more webbed and his skin scaly on that hand. Naturally, this revelation further disturbs the father.

Not sure what to do and in an excited state, he decides to wake Gem. As Gem gains consciousness, Mulroney shows his the hand.

Gem, still thinking Mulroney is some kind of ghost, takes the horrifying visage in stride and calls it a "neat trick", saying that he thought the father could only turn himself invisible. Mulroney is a bit exasperated at Gem's stupidity.

Trying a new tactic to get the youth concerned, Mulroney explains his belief that the "glowing green juice" is causing the changes in his body. He says they must find an antidote before the Marduk Institute turns all of the children into monsters.

Gem agrees the green liquid is bad and needs to be taken off of the street. The father begins talking about needing to make sure they get all of it, but Gem notes they don't know where it is at.

The father goes on to talk about how finding the drug must be their number one priority. He asks Gem a rhetorical question about what Jesus would want. Gem doesn't quite get the point and tells the father he should have asked Jesus while he was dead; but then wonders if the father didn't go to heaven when he died.

Mulroney declares he has an idea on what to do next. Despite their discussion the previous night about splitting up, he wants them to work together. He wants to start by getting some preparations done for the evening's plans.

The priest explains to Gem that the lad will be going into the Blue Parrot while he watches outside, and then they will switch and have Gem watch while Mulroney goes into the Bamboo Room.

Father Mulroney has a pretty good idea what most of the Marduk members look like but Gem does not. To make sure there are no surprises, Mulroney plans for them to get pictures of all the men during the day so Gem can recognize them that night.

Before heading out, Mulroney knows he needs to alter his appearance a little. To hide his hand deformities, he wraps it up in a bandage so he appears wounded. He also shaves off his beard and makes sure to wear a hat. Gem is confused about the father shaving, and asks a question to Mulroney about whether his ghost powers allow him to regrow the beard at will.

The priest, growing tired of Gem's nonsense, pinches him and once again explains he is not a ghost, calling the boy a nincompoop. Gem finally realizes the father is indeed not a ghost – clearly he has been sent back to Earth by Lucifer, who is also clearly responsible for the priest's changing physical appearance.

When Gem explains his new theory, the father gets frustrated and explains he did not meet Lucifer; he simply woke up in a cemetery one night. He does say that he knows what will happen if he doesn't find an antidote, remarking that he is becoming "a member of the legion that is taking over this world". He reiterates that they must stop them, which Gem agrees with (though noting that he doesn't "like following demons", referring to the priest).

Session 19 - Scene 2 (of 9)

The two begin their investigation at the Central Public Library. After talking with the librarian, they find the storage area for old newspapers and begin pouring through them.

It takes quite a while, but the two do manage to locate most of them. One article discusses restaurateur Jonathan Allen Hill opening a new venue, and has a picture of him and his daughter Valarie. Gem notes that he remembers the daughter.

Also discovered is a not very good picture of David Thomas and Rebecca Lynn Morgan in the business section as part of a Chamber of Commerce gala. Luckily, Gem is already very acquainted with those two from the party as well.

Sometime later, Mulroney manages to locate an item in the society column about Richard Colcord and how he has been seen around town with Danish Countess Janne Mari Ahlefedlt. There is a not very well lit picture of the two of them taken at the Bamboo Room club. When he shows Gem, the youth exclaims "Leapin' lizards!" at the unpronounceable last name of the countess.

Gem also seems to think Colcord looks a little familiar from the party. After thinking on it a minute, he believes the man was the one he saw talking to Rev. Greene in the trophy room when he slipped into Morgan's house. Mulroney, meanwhile, notices that one of the men in the background of the picture looks very similar to Jethro Biggins.

The one man they can't find a good picture of is Phelan Fitzroy. Despite Fitzroy being mentioned frequently in the papers over his conflicts with the unions (and the anarchists), most of the pictures in his articles are of dockworkers, ships, or the docks area itself.

In addition to scouring the past articles for clues, Mulroney also notices the current headlines. The bombing of the opera house and deaths of the Governor and others is all over the front pages along with related articles about singer Veda Beragon suffering damage to her throat from the smoke and a sidebar piece about the still unsolved crime of her husband's yacht that was stolen and vandalized a couple of months ago. Also mentioned is that the city election results have been suspended, which Joe DeMotte is protesting as he was projected to win over Bill Johnson.

According to the article, Secretary of State Louis Emmerson has taken over as acting governor. Using his new executive powers, Governor Emmerson has declared martial law in Lakefront City and is sending in the 33rd Infantry Division of the Army National Guard to restore order. Major General George Bell, Jr. is quoted in the article as saying that as soon as tomorrow, ten thousand troops will be active in the city to restore peace. Thinking of all the soldiers, Mulroney begins to think of how an army of troops injected with the green liquid could allow him to take over much more than the city.

Session 19 - Scene 3 (of 9)

Later that afternoon, Mulroney and Gem discuss what other supplies they will need. The father begins rattling off a list of items they should get: flashlights, a can of gasoline, rope, matches, and a gun. He notes they may need to take someone captive. Gem wonders if they also plan to set the captive on fire.

Mulroney simply says he wants to be prepared for once. He also wonders if they should talk to O'Conner at this point to get some help, but decides it would be better to keep him out of it for now.

The two drive over towards Harshaw's Hardware store downtown to get the supplies. As they start to get out of the car, Gem notes that since Mulroney gave all his money to Biggins they don't have any to buy the supplies. Gem is concerned about trying to pinch some of the larger, bulkier items without being noticed.

The father agrees it will be difficult, but that they will likely need to steal the equipment. Gem suggests that the priest could show his monstrous hand to cause a diversion while he steals everything and heads out the back.

Mulroney can't think of a better plan so he agrees to try it. When they reach the hardware store, Mulroney gets a little nervous as the back door is in the same alley as Little Augies and the Bookie Joint; both are Tolino strongholds.

They decide to continue on with the plan. Gem heads in first and begins examining large canvas bags. After a few minutes, Mulroney heads in after.

Middle-aged Joe Harshaw is behind the counter. One of his adult sons, Dave, works nearby while a stock boy is stocking one of the shelves. Mulroney also sees only a couple of customers are in the store at the time.

Father Mulroney begins his attempts to distract by disguising his voice and complaining about not feeling well and needing some lotion. Harshaw isn't buying it, and tells Mulroney to leave. Mulroney presses the argument, and Dave comes over to try and force him out.

The priest then unwraps his hand and slaps it down on the counter. He claims he may have leprosy. Dave warns his father to stay back.

Sensing trouble, the other customers begin to rush out of the store while the employees are focused on Mulroney. Gem takes the opportunity to begin filling his bag with the needed supplies.

Gem continues filling his bag while Mulroney argues with the Harshaws (with him describing the pus coming out of his hand and them continuing to try and get him to leave). Eventually they force him out of the store using a broom but by then Gem has already grabbed everything (except for a gas can) and headed into the back.

On his way to the back door, Gem spots a back office and notices a nice, shiny safe in it. Deciding he can't pass up the opportunity, Gem throws the bag of equipment out the back door and heads over to the safe.

Session 19 - Scene 4 (of 9)

While Father Mulroney walks around the block, Gem heads into the back office. He shuts the door and begins working on the safe. Having no experience cracking a safe, he decides to try and get it open by listening for the tumblers falling into place.

Gem finds such an approach is slow going, but manages to only get one tumbler in position when someone tries to open the door. Gem then hears Dave complaining to his father about the door being locked. He also hears the father telling his son to get the keys from the cash register to open it.

Not wanting to get caught in the office, Gem decides to make a run for it. Dave spots him, and yells for him to stop. Gem makes a break for the back door, but isn't nearly fast enough.

Meanwhile, out back, Mulroney sees the bag out the back door of the hardware store but no Gem. Just then, Gem falls out the back door being tackled by Dave.

Trying to help, Mulroney grabs a flashlight out of the bag and attempts to hit Dave over the head with it. But his aim is off, and he smashes Gem instead. The blow nearly knocks the lad out, and gives Dave an opportunity to get a solid punch in as well.

Fearing for his life, Gem tries to get his pistol out and shoot Dave as the two wrestle on the ground. He fires off three shots but they go wild. Luckily, the shots don't attract any of Tolino's men. They do, however, attract Joe Harshaw and Mulroney sees him heading towards the doorway carrying a shotgun.

As Gem takes another punch on the ground, Father Mulroney steps off to the side and draws his knife. When Harshaw exits into the alley and points his gun at Gem, Mulroney stabs him in the neck.

Harshaw's body collapses to the ground and Mulroney takes the shotgun. Dave stops fighting Gem and cradles his father's dying body.

Mulroney tells Gem to grab Dave, but the youth is upset about getting beat up. He takes the deadly rosary he got off of Sister Mary and begins strangling the man. Mulroney decides to finish him of quietly and slashes his throat.

The father then quickly goes through the two men's' pockets, gaining them $30. Mulroney is also happy to find that the shotgun comes apart and can fit in the bag. He and Gem then grab the bag and quickly leave the area before Tolino's men or the cops show up. And despite a service station (Bud's Garage, Oil, and Gas) being located nearby, the two decide to find one further away that isn't right next to the downtown police precinct and county courthouse.

Session 19 - Scene 5 (of 9)

Detective Cletus VanDamme wakes up early in the afternoon, having slept in most of the day after working on the bombing investigation. He decides to head into the precinct and do some research on Fung Xian, the man Father Mulroney wanted him to check in with in Chinatown. He also wants to see what information is on David Thomas Morgan, who Mulroney named as being affiliated with the Marduk Institute.

VanDamme doesn't find much on Fung Xian, he appears to be a new arrival in from Hong Kong. The only thing of note in his file is that he came into town on the Irish Rose. Cletus recognizes the ship's name and being the same ship Ulnovsky blew up to kill Flynn and those federal agents, which happened a couple of weeks after Xian arrived. The detective starts to form a theory that Fung Xian was working with Ulnovsky for the bombing.

On David Thomas Morgan, VanDamme doesn't find any criminal record but there are a lot of notes in his file. The family information discusses David and his wife Rebecca (described as a socialite and would-be artist), and his son Niven who contracted polio a couple of years back and has been sent to a clinic in Marseilles to recover.

Morgan is listed as the victim of several crimes, including some more recent ones involving a robbery at First National Bank (for which Cody Powers is wanted) and a robbery at his home of a diamond necklace (for which an unknown youth is wanted).

VanDamme also finds a related murder case involving Morgan's former bodyguard, a PI named Johnny Cannon. He was killed in the parking lot of Bloomfield County Hospital, with "Handsome" Dan McCarthy as the main suspect. McCarthy himself appears to have gone missing, and is listed as having connections to Local 78 of the Plumber's Union and ties to Deanie O'Conner's North Side gang.

The file also contains background checks done on several of Morgan's employees – including his maid Wong Ma, his chauffer Alfred Mortimer, and his gardener Edward Pritchett. Nothing interesting shows up on the background checks.

Session 19 - Scene 6 (of 9)

After reviewing files, VanDamme decides to head out on the streets. He wants to find a junkie with connections to Chinatown. But he doesn't have much luck; even his usual reliable Chinatown snitch, an opium smoker named Dummy Uhl, isn't around.

With little success, the detective heads back to the station and checks in with Captain Deakins. Deakins asks him if he has made any progress on the governor's assassination. The captain is quite agitated about the situation and clearly unhappy about the National Guard taking over tomorrow, which he reminds VanDamme will make things difficult for a man like him to operate.

Deakins impresses on VanDamme that the mayor is breathing down everyone's neck over this investigation. He needs it solved now. The captain tells him that everything else, including the Biggins case, can wait. He says they will need to find out where the Russians are and who made the bomb.

VanDamme agrees and says he is on it. Deakins goes on to complain about there being too many bombings lately. He says that perhaps they do need martial law as crime appears to be out of control; even a hardware store downtown had a shooting earlier that day.

Before leaving, Cletus asks Deakins if he knows of any contacts near Chinatown, in case anything is going on there. Deakins wants to know what Chinatown has to do with anything, remarking that it was a bomb that went off not a fireworks show.

The captain does note there has been a lot of violence in Chinatown lately, but using some racial epithets, he says he doesn't care as long as the Chinese are only killing each other. VanDamme explains he has a hunch about a connection between the Russians and the Chinese.

Deakins laughs at the suggestion, saying the Chinese and Russians would never work together; they have completely different ideologies. VanDamme convinces the captain to let him work the angle, but he remains highly skeptical. Deakins reminds him just to be sure.

Session 19 - Scene 7 (of 9)

Heading into the Chinatown area, Detective VanDamme finds the patrolman Deakins gave him as a possible contact, a man named Kevin O'Donnell. VanDamme explains to O'Donnell that he's looking into some leads in the area.

VanDamme starts by asking the patrolman if he's heard of a man named Fung Shang. O'Donnell corrects him on the name, saying he must mean Fung Xian. VanDamme is glad to see his ploy worked and confirms that Xian's name is known in the area.

Officer O'Donnell goes on to say what he knows. Xian's name has shown up on the streets a lot lately. He gives VanDamme a brief rundown on how Xian has come in from Chinatown to support the Hop Sing Tong, who are at war with the On Leong Tong. He even mentions the name of Chiang Li Ching, nearly whispering it, talking about how the man controls everything in Chinatown – especially the heroin trade.

The detective takes in all of the information. Up until now, he hadn't paid much attention to Chinatown politics. He asks about people working with Fung Xian, specifically Caucasians. O'Donnell, however, hasn't heard of anything like that; leading VanDamme to believe that either Mulroney doesn't have very strong ties to Xian or that he's very discreet about it. He thanks O'Donnell and leaves one of his cards with the man in case he hears more.

Session 19 - Scene 8 (of 9)

Across town, Father Mulroney and Gem finish getting their can of gasoline filled at a service station and try to decide what to do next. They elect to head over to the Blue Parrot first.

Mulroney parks a discreet distance away and waits while Gem heads inside. The priest keeps the re-assembled shotgun close by in case there is any trouble.

Gem heads inside and goes straight to the bar. The small, skinny youth is out of place amongst the large, tough-looking stevedores. He orders a gin, which the bartender gives him in an obviously dirty glass. He decides not to complain.

Looking around, he gets a feel for the crowd. Several of the longshoremen appear to be Irish, several other Italian, and the bulk of them are Polish, Russian, or some other type of Slavic ethnicity.

Gem decides to sit down next to the most Russian-looking person he sees. Making small talk, he offers to buy the man a drink. They both agree the gin is awful.

Once they get a little friendly, Gem asks for help. Remembering that Ulnovsky was connected to a doctor, Gem explains he is looking for Doctor Bolkanski to fix him up from the fight he got in earlier.

The man agrees, noting the doctor is very helpful about such things. He explains the doctor's office is just down the street. Gem wonders if the man would still be in his office at this hour, but he assures Gem that Bolkanski always answers his door at night as he lives in the back of the office.

Gem finishes his drink and discreetly leaves without attracting any unwanted attention. He reaches the car and explains to the father what he found. They decide to head over and see Bolkanski, thinking he might be able to set them up a meeting with Ulnovsky. Mulroney also notes they will begin with attempting a friendly meeting, but he is prepared to go the other way.

Session 19 - Scene 9 (of 9)

Once again, Detective VanDamme heads back to the station to check in with Captain Deakins. The captain is surprised to see him back so soon.

VanDamme immediately gets down to business. He explains that a name he heard in connection with the Marduk Institute was David Thomas Morgan. Deakins is immediately upset, reminding VanDamme he can't go around throwing accusations about someone as powerful as Morgan.

He also wants to know how this is related to the bombing. He asks VanDamme if the Marduk Institute is related to the bombing, and VanDamme says it is his theory that it is, though he's still putting it all together.

Deakins is skeptical, noting that it would be unlikely Morgan would try to bomb the governor as his friend, Senator McCormick, was also killed.

VanDamme tries to appease the captain by also explaining that he has identified the possible Russian suspects at the bombing as Ulnovsky and Krasnik, noting they are both supposed to be dead but that he believes they survived the earlier warehouse bombing.

Captain Deakins wonders if VanDamme is mistaken, noting that all the Russians look alike. When VanDamme explains the descriptions matched, Deakins encourages him to chase down the lead. He reminds the detective that the Russians were active in the docks area, and encourages him to start there and check out what is going on around the docks.

Session 19 - Session Notes

This was another short session. In this case, we started a little late due to complications for a couple of the guys, then had to quit early because of technical issues for our remote player.

Overall, the session was a lot of fun and a nice change of pace. The last two sessions were very investigation / exposition heavy, and this session got back to some wacky mayhem.

It did, however, have the same fundamental flaw as last session - VanDamme is too independent and isolated from the other characters. I'm going to have to use some GM powers to course-correct the game to make sure he is tied in a little closer with Mulroney by making sure next session starts with both groups running into each other on the docks.

Other notes about the session:
* Mulroney lost a large number of sanity points this session. Expect more insanity to creep in soon.

* Gem's stupidity (in the form of failed idea rolls) allowed him to lose very little sanity. He's literally too dumb to be overcome by horror.

* I loved how he stopped believing Mulroney was a ghost, only to change it to believing he was a demon.

* I liked the little research venture to the library. They failed the roll, but that just meant they didn't get a picture of everyone.

* I don't recall where I got the countess' name from (whether I combined random Danish-sounding names or stole it from somewhere). I do know that I'm not at all sure how to pronounce "Ahlefedlt" correctly.

* Gem didn't actually recall Colcord from the party, I added that in later when I remembered it came up in the previous session. Biggins appearing in the photograph at the club was also likewise something just added to the notes (this time, for humor value). The same with the side articles about Veda Beragon (an homage to her throat problems from being strangled in Mildred Pierce) and the callback to Monty's yacht being stolen and burned (by Father Mulroney).

* Louis Emmerson really was the state secretary of state at the time. I have no idea what actually happens when the governor gets blown up and there was no record of a lieutenant governor at that time so I wasn't sure if that was a thing yet. So, I had him take over.

* Similarly, Maj. Gen. George Bell Jr. was a real officer in the 33rd Infantry during WWI. In real life, he moved up to being a corps commander then retired to become a banker in Chicago. But I wanted to use him here so my historical timeline is slightly different.

* The PCs really learned their lesson about preparing. At least, mostly so; they forgot about the whole "not having any money" thing until I asked what they were buying the equipment with.

* After the fiasco at the hardware store, I asked why they just didn't pickpocket one guy to get a wallet instead of coming up with such a complicated plan. The answer was they didn't really think of it until committing to the complicated one.

* Mulroney disguising his voice was a last minute improvisation, which no one understood the purpose of. The leprosy, however, was inspired. During the scene, he actually kept asking for calamine lotion and/or Epsom salts.

* Mulroney and Gem made a fair amount of luck rolls during the robbery to avoid getting noticed and not upsetting the Harshaw's enough to pull a gun earlier.

* The hardware store and the characters inside come from the TSR Gangbusters product, as does the store layout. There was an office with a safe, so I let Gem see it. I knew the player would try to go for it, though.

* I tried to get them to use the gas station on the map from TSR that was between the police department and the courthouse, but they wouldn't go for it.

* I try not to give PCs complete dead ends when they come up with ideas, so I had VanDamme find out a lot of info on Xian and Morgan from the police files that wasn't necessarily realistic. In reality, Xian shouldn't have been in there at all and Morgan would have had a lot less.

* Dummy Uhl is a character from Dashiell Hammet's story about Chiang Li Ching. If VanDamme hadn't failed that roll, he might have met him.

* I try to have Deakins keep VanDamme on point without railroading. I'm starting to think he's relying on him too much.

* I also used the captain to make a couple of (unintended for him) jokes - the one about fireworks not being bombs, and the one about the Chinese and Russians never being on the same side.

* Patrolman Kevin O'Donnell is also in the TSR product, though I assigned him to Chinatown. O'Donnell had a lot more info about Chiang Li Ching, but VanDamme didn't go there.

* Gem recalling Bolkanski was very unexpected. Particularly since I already had notes on how Bolkanski ties in to Karina and Yulian's post-bombing plans.

Cthulhubusters - More About Rules (Ethnicity)

I've had some questions so here's the basics on the rules I'm using in the campaign.

Mostly, it's straight CoC rules with the Gangbusters setting.

Characters are created using standard CoC rules, but I do add Ethnicity as a characteristic.

An excerpt from my house rules document:
Ethnicity: During this period of time (1880 – 1920), a lot of heavy immigration was occurring in the US from various countries. Characters are often identified with a particular ethnicity / immigrant group, either by choice or circumstance.

The majority of the population is referred to as Assimilated – meaning a white person who is not a recent immigrant and has no ties to a specific ethnic community (usually with a family with colonial ties to England or France; Spanish colonial descendants tend to be excluded as Hispanic, see below).

More recent immigrants from Europe are often not fully assimilated and live in ethnic neighborhoods in major cities. All are the targets of the various anti-immigrant sentiments that are growing in the country, along with the resurrection of organizations like the Klu Klux Klan.

The two largest populations of European ethnicities are Irish and Italian, followed by German (or Austrian, which are usually called Germans by the assimilated) and Polish.

Other European ethnic groups include Russian (which Ukrainians are often incorrectly lumped into), Slavic (an assimilated term for anyone from Eastern Europe or Eurasia other than the Polish), and Scandinavian (from United Sweden-Norway or Denmark).

The largest non-white ethnic group is the Black descendants of the American slave trade. They are heavily (and legally) discriminated against in many areas.
The next largest are the Hispanic descendants of Southern Native Americans and Spanish colonials. They have the highest populations in the Southern states of the country.

There are also a large number of Jewish immigrants (though often of European descent, they are not technically considered "white"). Most Jewish immigrants came from Germany, Russia, or Eastern Europe.

Finally, there are the various Native American peoples (called Indian by assimilated society). Native American culture is currently under severe attacks by assimilated society as the Eugenics movement gains strength, with huge numbers of children taken away and forced into boarding schools to become assimilated into society. Native Americans who can pass for assimilated usually do so. Others live on the federal reservations and make a living through tourism by playing up the exoticism of their culture.

Non-White immigrants other than Jewish immigrants are relatively rare and very few have any large communities. The recent rise of anti-immigration fervor in the country has led to increasingly strict immigration regulations against all immigrants, but particularly against non-European ones. The largest are the Chinese. The next largest group is the Lebanese, though they are typically found only on the East Coast; Indian immigrants from colonial India can also be found in small

Cthulhubusters - More About Rules (Skills)

Another thing that is different about my campaign is my use of a custom list of skills. I needed skills a lot more relevant to the Gangbusters setting rather than being pure Lovecraft focused.

I wrote up my skill descriptions closer to Trail of Cthulhu in style, because I wanted to keep the list focused on why a PC would use a particular skill.


An excerpt containing my skill list and a sample skill entry:

Skill List
Skill   Default
Accounting   10%
Anthropology   5%
Archaeology   1%
Architecture   5%
Art*   5%
Art History   5%
Astronomy   1%
Athletics   25%
Bargain   5%
Biology   20%
Brawl   25%
Chemistry   1%
Concealment   15%
Construction   15%
Cryptography   1%
Credit Rating   15%
Cthulhu Mythos   0%
Disguise   1%
Drive   20%
Electrical Repair   10%
Evidence Collection   1%
Explosives   1%
Fast Talk   5%
Firearms   20%
First Aid   30%
Forensics   1%
Geology   1%
History   20%
Language*   1%
Law   5%
Law Enforcement   1%
Library Use   25%
Literature   5%
Martial Arts   1%
Mechanic   20%
Medicine   5%
Military   1%
Notice   25%
Occult   5%
Outdoorsman   10%
Perform*   5%
Persuade   15%
Pharmacy   1%
Photography   10%
Physics   1%
Pilot   1%
Politics   1%
Psychology   5%
Psychoanalysis   1%
Ride   5%
Sleight of Hand   1%
Streetwise    1%
Theology   5%
Weapons   25%


Streetwise (1%)
Skilled in criminal acts and culture. Characters can use this skill to:
•   Use proper etiquette when dealing with criminals to avoid trouble.
•   Identify unsafe locations and dangerous people.
•   Make and utilize criminal contacts.
•   Determine the value of illegal goods.
•   Gather underworld rumors.
•   Produce illegal alcohol (bootlegging).
•   Fence stolen goods.
•   Forge signatures.
•   Oversee prostitution rings.
•   Sell narcotics.

Cthulhubusters - More About Rules (Combat)

My rules for combat vary a fair bit from standard CoC.

A large number of these changes are related to firearms. In my rules, firearms get a number of shots per round based on their action type (revolvers get 2 shots while semi-autos can make 3, for example) and there is a recoil penalty attached to making multiple shots based on caliber (so a .25 pistol can fire multiple times a round with minimal penalty while a .45 is going to have some issues hitting with the other shots).

An excerpt of the firearm attack action from my rules:

Firearm Attack

The character may shoot a firearm one or more times using this action. As part of this attack, the character can move up to half his normal move rate but all shots are considered wild (see below) if he moves more than 1 yard.

Prepared Shots: All combatants with a readied and aimed firearm may fire in DEX order before all other actions occur.

Normal Action Fire: If the weapon fired a prepared shot and can fire more than one shot, a second shot can fire during the normal DEX order. Alternately, a readied gun can be aimed and fired during the normal DEX order.

If a weapon can fire another shot during the round based on its number of attacks, it can fire once more at the ½ DEX order.

Readying and Firing Weapons: An unready firearm can be drawn / readied along with the normal action fire, but the weapon can only fire once during the round and it fires at the DEX-10 order (the drawing/readying occurs at the DEX order).

Wild Shots: A combatant may fire his weapon without any aiming at all. In this case, the weapon can be fired a number of times equal to the weapon's attacks number.

All attacks will occur at the normal DEX order (or DEX-10 if drawn this round).
Wild shots have a -30% penalty and the recoil penalty is doubled for subsequent shots.

Cthulhubusters - More About Rules (Combat, cont)

I added a lot of extra rules to combat to account for special circumstances. To be honest, I rarely ever follow most of them because I don't want to look things up in the heat of the moment.

I did revamp the burst fire rules to something closer to being playable (I don't care for the CoC standard burst rules).

Some excerpts:

Automatic Fire and Bursts

Weapons capable of automatic fire can fire multiple shots as part of a single attack called a burst.

Short Burst: A short burst fires 5 shots at once at a single target. If the attack hits, the damage is doubled.

Long Burst: A long burst fires 10 shots at once at either a single target or 2 targets standing next to each other (roll for an attack against each). An attack against a single target does 5x normal damage, or double normal damage against both targets if firing at two.

Extended Burst / Spray: An extended burst fires 20 shots at once over a 15 degree area. Roll to hit for each target in the area, up to a maximum of 10 targets. The total damage taken by targets is 10x normal damage, dived by the number of targets.


Firearm Attack Modifiers
Situation   Modifier
Target is...   
...Standing Still   +0%
...Crawling, Walking, or Prone   -5%
...Running, Leaping, or Jumping   -20%
   
...Partially Concealed or in Soft Cover   -10%
...Dropping Behind Cover   -20%
...Behind Cover   -30%
   
...Car Moving Slow   -10%
...Car Moving Fast   -30%
   
...At Point-Blank Range   +30%
...At Short Range   +0%
...At Medium Range   -10%
...At Long Range   -20%
   
...Small   -10 to -20%
...Medium-Sized   +0%
...Large   +10 to +30%
   
Attacker is...   
...Standing Still   +0%
...Crawling, Walking, or Prone   -5%
...Running, Leaping, or Jumping   -20%
   
...In a Car Moving Slow   -10%
...In a Car Moving Fast   -30%
   
...Firing after Aiming for 1 Round   +10%
...Firing into Melee   -30%
...Firing with the Off-Hand   -30%
...Firing Two Handguns   -30% each
...Firing while in Melee   -40%
   
...Shooting Up   -10%
...Shooting Down   +10%
   
...Drawing and Firing   -10%
...Turning and Firing   -10%
...Drawing, Turning, and Firing   -20%
   
..Firing a Second Shot   -recoil
...Firing a Third Shot   -2x recoil
   
...Firing a Short Burst   +5%
...Firing a Long Burst   +10%
...Firing an Extended Burst   -30%
   
...Attempting a Called Shot   -30%

Cthluhubusters - More About Rules (Vehicles)

The rules in CoC for vehicles were pretty light (and focused exclusively on chases), so I added some extra rules.

Some excerpts:
Vehicle Table

Vehicle   
Passengers   Max Speed*   Hit Points
Coupe   2-3   50 mph   25
Limousine   5-7   70 mph   40
Sedan   5-7   60 mph   35
Sport   2-3   70 mph   30
Sport Touring   2-3   60 mph   30
Touring   5-7   60 mph   30
         
Truck, Light   2-3   50 mph   45
Truck, Heavy   2-3   50 mph   70
         
Motorcycle   1-2   70 mph   15
* Luxury models can often travel much faster than the listed speed.


Collisions

Collisions with Other Vehicles
A car colliding into another car takes damage based on the nature of the collision.

Head-On Collision: Combine the speeds of both vehicles. Each vehicle takes 1d6 damage per 10 mph, while passengers in each vehicle take 1d3 damage per 10 mph.

Sideswipe: A sideswipe does 1d6 damage to the vehicle hit, and 1d6-1 damage to the attacking vehicle. Passengers in each vehicle take 1d3-1 damage.

Rear End Collision: Subtract the speed of the vehicle hit from the attacking vehicle. The vehicle hit takes 1d6 damage per 10 mph while the attacking vehicle takes 1d6-1 damage per 10 mph. Passengers in each vehicle take 1d3 damage per 10 mph.

T-Bone Collision: Use the speed of the attacking vehicle. The vehicle hit takes 1d6 damage per 10 mph while the attacking vehicle takes 1d6-1 damage per 10 mph. Passengers in each vehicle take 1d3 damage per 10 mph.

Collisions with Pedestrians
A car colliding into a pedestrian takes no damage from the collision while the passenger takes 1d6 per 10 mph the vehicle was travelling at.


Special Maneuvers
Special driving maneuvers can be attempted by the driver when the car has all tires intact and is traveling at high speed.

Bootleg Reverse
A car making a bootleg reverse uses the brakes to cause the vehicle to skid into a 180 degree turn and come to a complete stop. This maneuver is often performed as a way to quickly reverse direction. The maneuver takes two rounds to complete – one to turn to 90 degrees and another to complete the skid to 180 degrees.


Vehicle Hits
When vehicles are hit, roll for hit location to determine the effect.
Roll   Effects
1-2   Tire Hit: The vehicle takes 1 point of damage and suffers a Tire Blowout (see Crash table).
3-5   Internal Damage: The vehicle takes normal damage and the engine is critically damaged and will stop in 1d6-1 rounds.
6-9   Body Hit: The vehicle takes normal damage. See also Passenger Injuries.
10   Windshield Hit*: The vehicle takes 1 point of damage and the window is broken. See also Passenger Injuries.
* If there are no windshields, the vehicle takes no damage but passenger injuries must still be resolved.

Cthluhubusters - More About Rules (Occupations)

In my campaign, occupations are focused on criminal occupations, law enforcement occupations, and other occupations.

My list of occupations is:
Criminal
Gangster
Federal Agent
Police Detective
Police Officer
Private Investigator
Alienist
Author
Boxer
Businessman
Clergyman
Dilettante
Entertainer
Explorer
Laborer
Lawyer
Physician
Politician
Professor
Reporter
Union Activist


An excerpt showing one of my occupation descriptions:

Gangster
Organized criminals that are part of a local crime syndicate.

Earnings: Middle class to wealthy

Contacts and Connections: Other criminals (both street and organized), police, politicians, and businessmen.

Skills:
•   Accounting
•   Bargain
•   Brawl
•   Drive
•   Firearms
•   Persuade
•   Streetwise
•   Weapons

Cthulhubusters - More About Rules (Weapons)

As mentioned in the combat section, I completely redid the weapon statistics. The book I sent out to the players had a rather extensive appendix of handgun types, complete with pictures.

Some excerpts:

.25 ACP Pistol
The .25 is a very small pistol using the .25 ACP cartridge. Most of these pistols are cheap and of poor quality, known as "Saturday Night Specials". The gun is not very powerful and has little stopping power, but is favored for its small size and low price, making it ideal as a backup weapon or for use in committing crimes.
Example Model: Colt M1908 Vest Pocket
Attacks:   3 (-5%)   Ammo:   6 (box)   Range:   5   Damage:   1d6


38 Special Revolver
The most popular revolver in America, the .38 Special is the standard police sidearm almost everywhere in the US. While lacking the heavier stopping power of a .45, the .38 Special is still quite powerful and has better penetration.  
Example Model: Smith & Wesson Model 10
Attacks:   2 (-15%)   Ammo:   6 (cylinder)   Range:   15   Damage:   1d8+2

 
.45 ACP Pistol
The .45 is a heavy pistol using the .45 ACP cartridge. The pistol is primarily used as the standard military sidearm, and sees little use by civilians.
Example Model: Colt M1911
Attacks:   3 (-20%)   Ammo:   6 (box)   Range:   15   Damage:   1d10+2


12 Gauge Pump Shotgun
A standard, 12 gauge shotgun with a quick pump action. Originally designed for the military for trench warfare, it is popular with police for crowd control and breech entry, as well as criminals wanting a higher-powered, multi-shot weapon.
Example Model: Winchester Model 12
Attacks:   2 (-15%)   Ammo:   5 (tube)   Range:   10/20/50   Damage:   4d6/2d6/1d6


Thompson Submachine Gun
The Thompson is a submachine gun capable of firing in semi- or fully-automatic mode, using the .45 ACP pistol cartridge. It was designed for the military as a trench sweeping weapon, but has become popular amongst both criminals and law enforcement.
Example Model: M1921 Thompson Submachine Gun
Attacks:   3 (-20%) / Burst   Ammo:   20 (box)
50 (drum)   Range:   20   Damage:   1d10+2


Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR)
The Browning automatic rifle is capable of firing in either semi- and fully-automatic mode using the .30-06 Springfield cartridge. It is designed to be man-portable and allow for shoulder-fire, but the heavy recoil from burst fire requires using a bipod or other bracing. The BAR is strictly a military weapon, though robberies of these weapons by criminals have occurred (usually from National Guard armories) and they are popular on the black market.
Example Model: M1918A2 BAR
Attacks:   3 (-20%) / Burst   Ammo:   20 (box)   Range:   90   Damage:   2d6+4

For anyone who wanted a quick reference of all the firearms stats I use:

.22 LR Pistol
 Attacks: 3 (-0%) Ammo: 10 (box) Range: 20 Damage: 1d4


 .22 LR Revolver
 Attacks: 2 (-0%) Ammo: 6 (cylinder) Range: 20 Damage: 1d4


 .25 ACP Pistol
 Attacks: 3 (-5%) Ammo: 6 (box) Range: 5 Damage: 1d6



 7.62mm Tokarev Pistol
 Attacks: 3 (-15%) Ammo: 8 (box) Range: 15 Damage: 1d6+1


 7.62mm Nagant Revolver
 Attacks: 2 (-15%) Ammo: 7 (cylinder) Range: 15 Damage: 1d6+1


 7.63mm Mauser Pistol
 Attacks: 3 (-10%) Ammo: 10 (box) Range: 15 Damage: 1d6+1


 .32 ACP Pistol
 Attacks: 3 (-10%) Ammo: 8 (box) Range: 15 Damage: 1d6+1


 .32 S&W Long Revolver
 Attacks: 2 (-15%) Ammo: 6 (cylinder) Range: 15 Damage: 1d6+1


 8mm Nambu Pistol
 Attacks: 3 (-10%) Ammo: 8 (box) Range: 15 Damage: 1d6+2


 .38 ACP Pistol
 Attacks: 3 (-15%) Ammo: 8 (box) Range: 15 Damage: 1d6+2


 .38 LC Revolver
 Attacks: 2 (-15%) Ammo: 6 (cylinder) Range: 15 Damage: 1d6+2


 .38 S&W Revolver
 Attacks: 2 (-15%) Ammo: 6 (cylinder) Range: 15 Damage: 1d6+2


 .38 Special Revolver
 Attacks: 2 (-15%) Ammo: 6 (cylinder) Range: 15 Damage: 1d8+2


 .38 Special Snubnose Revolver
 Attacks: 2 (-15%) Ammo: 6 (cylinder) Range: 10 Damage: 1d8+2


 .380 ACP Pistol
 Attacks: 3 (-10%) Ammo: 7 (box) Range: 10 Damage: 1d6+2


 9mm Parabellum Pistol
 Attacks: 3 (-10%) Ammo: 8 (box) Range: 20 Damage: 1d8+2


 .41 Derringer
 Attacks: 1 Ammo: 1 (breach) Range: 3 Damage: 1d6


 .44 Bulldog Revolver
 Attacks: 2 (-20%) Ammo: 5 (cylinder) Range: 5 Damage: 1d6+1


 .44 S&W Revolver
 Attacks: 2 (-20%) Ammo: 6 (cylinder) Range: 15 Damage: 1d8+2


 .44 Special Revolver
 Attacks: 2 (-15%) Ammo: 6 (cylinder) Range: 20 Damage: 1d10+2


 .442 Webley Revolver
 Attacks: 2 (-15%) Ammo: 6 (cylinder) Range: 15 Damage: 1d6+2


 .45 ACP Pistol
 Attacks: 3 (-20%) Ammo: 6 (box) Range: 15 Damage: 1d10+2


 .45 Colt Revolver
 Attacks: 2 (-20%) Ammo: 6 (cylinder) Range: 15 Damage: 1d8+2


 .455 Webley Revolver
 Attacks: 2 (-20%) Ammo: 6 (cylinder) Range: 15 Damage: 1d8+2


  
 Shotguns

 .410 Shotgun
 Attacks: 1 Ammo: 5 (tube) Range: 5/10/25 Damage: 1d6 / 1d4 / 1d2


 20 Gauge Shotgun
 Attacks: 1* Ammo: 2 (break) Range: 10/20/50 Damage: 2d6/1d6/1d3


 Double-Barreled Shotgun
 Attacks: 1* Ammo: 2 (break) Range: 10/20/50 Damage: 4d6/2d6/1d6


 Sawed-Off Shotgun
 Attacks: 1* Ammo: 2 (break) Range: 5/10 Damage: 4d6/1d6


 12 Gauge Pump Shotgun
 Attacks: 2 (-15%) Ammo: 5 (tube) Range: 10/20/50 Damage: 4d6/2d6/1d6


 Semi-Automatic Shotgun
 Attacks: 3 (-20%) Ammo: 5 (tube) Range: 10/20/50 Damage: 4d6/2d6/1d6

  
 Rifles

 Light Rifle
 Attacks: 1 Ammo: 6 (box) Range: 30 Damage: 1d6+2


 Rifle
 Attacks: 1 Ammo: 5 (box) Range: 110 Damage: 2d6+4



 Elephant Gun
 Attacks: 1* Ammo: 2 (break) Range: 100 Damage: 3d6+4

 Machine Guns

 Thompson Submachine Gun
 Attacks: 3 (-20%) / Burst Ammo: 20 (box)
 50 (drum) Range: 20 Damage: 1d10+2


 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR)
 Attacks: 3 (-20%) / Burst Ammo: 20 (box) Range: 90 Damage: 2d6+4


 .30 Machine Gun
 Attacks: Burst Ammo: 250 (belt) Range: 150 Damage: 2d6+4

Session 20 - Cast of Characters

Father Clink Mulroney - Irish Roman Catholic priest turned gangster, now transforming into a monster

Colin "Gem" Archer - Mulroney's only remaining gang member - a somewhat dim-witted jewel thief

Session 20 - Scene 1 (of 9)

Gem pulls the car up to near Dr. Bolkanski's office. Father Mulroney carefully looks around, but the dark neighborhood is shrouded from the fog pouring in from the docks, making it difficult to see. After a moment, he decides no one is around and it should be reasonably safe to approach.

The priest has Gem check the door first. The youth approaches and finds the front door of the doctor's office to be unlocked. He tries miming the situation to the priest, but Mulroney mistakes the act as some kind of seizure and calls out to ask if he is all right.

Once Gem clarifies he was simply trying to discretely signal that the door was unlocked, Mulroney instructs him to head in. Gem carefully disables the bells over the door and quietly enters inside. He uses one of the flashlights to look around.

As he scans the office, he notices a crystal candy dish on the reception desk. Deciding it could fetch a good price, he pockets it discretely as the priest enters through the front door.

Seeing that no one is around in the office area and sensing an opportunity, Father Mulroney decides they need to head back to the doctor's private study; he wants to find a prescription pad. Unfortunately, the floor boards in the hallway are rather squeaky.

A moment later, the doctor emerges from a door in the back of the hall. He calls out, asking who is there and asks what they are doing. Gem and Mulroney decide to stay quiet, with Gem shining the flashlight right into the doctor's eyes to make it difficult for him to get a good look at them.

Undeterred despite his previous dismal attempt at the hardware store, Mulroney once again tries to disguise his voice; this time, attempting to affect a Russian accent. He calls out to the doctor by name, but Bolkanski yells at him to stop using the ridiculous voice.

The Polish doctor and the priest begin arguing over the authenticity of Mulroney's mimicry. Finally, Mulroney says he wants to speak to the doctor and after a bit more banter they finally get to having a conversation.

The father tells Bolkanski he is looking for a man named Ulnovsky. The doctor tells the priest that Ulnovsky is dead, but Mulroney insists they have information to the contrary. Bolkanski assures his "poorly voiced friend" that he is mistaken.

The doctor goes on to say that Ulnovsky blew up in an explosion some time ago. Mulroney suggests that sometimes things that are said to happen don't. But Bolkanski is insistent the man is dead.

Sensing the conversation isn't going anywhere, Gem asks the doctor to take a look at his injuries. The doctor leads him over to the nearby exam room and turns on the light. Checking over the wounds, Bolkanski asks if they are the result of fighting at the Blue Parrot. Gem explains it was another incident, not bothering to go into an explanation of the hardware store robbery.

Dr. Bolkanski bandages up Gem, and suggests putting a steak over his eye for reducing the swelling. Gem likes the idea of getting a steak. As the doctor is prodding around, there is a tense moment where Gem worries he will discover the candy dish, but he does not.

Father Mulroney then pulls his gun on the doctor. He calls out to the doctor, his accent slipping to his normal Irish Brogue for a moment. The doctor starts to turn towards him to thank him for dropping his poor attempt at a Russian accent but is startled by the gun.

Mulroney goes back to the bad Russian accent. He explains they need contact with Ulnovsky. He tells the doctor that he knows the man knows where Ulnovsky is, and that he was spotted with Karina Krasnik. Dr. Bolkanski stammers a bit, trying to say he does not know Krasnik. Mulroney can tell he is lying.

The father warns Bolkanski he is a very serious man. Bolkanski, still annoyed by the accent, says that he does not sound like a serious person. Still believing the priest is now part demon, Gem warns him that Mulroney talks to the devil himself while Mulroney considers shooting the man in a kneecap and starts to aim his gun in that direction.

Just then, the sound of a gun hammer being pulled back comes from behind Mulroney. A Russian-like voice tells him to put down the gun. Mulroney does as he is told.

Session 20 - Scene 2 (of 9)

Karina Krasnik emerges into the room to take the gun. When the priest turns around, he sees she is accompanied by Yulian Petranov, one of the men he met before with Ulnovsky. Yulian likewise recognizes the priest and asks what he is doing there.

Father Mulroney explains he is looking for Yulian's boss. Yulian says flatly that Ulnovsky is dead. When Mulroney tries to explain about Ulnovsky and Karina being spotted near the opera house, Yulian stops him. He explains that the bombing was his idea, not Ulnovsky's. He is upset that Americans are too stupid to tell the difference between himself (a Bulgarian) and Ulnovsky (a Russian).

Yulian goes on to explain that Ulnovsky has been dead a while now; killed by the bombing of their warehouse. Karina goes on to blame the whole thing on "that crazy Jewish girl". Mulroney tries to play dumb, but the scheme fails when Gem helpfully pipes in that she means Maisie.

The Bulgarian gives Mulroney a sly look. Still pointing the gun at the priest, he remarks that perhaps the priest put her up to it. Mulroney tries to say that he and Ulnovsky were good friends, but Yulian scoffs at the idea; reminding Mulroney that Ulnovsky used him like a child to take out Flynn.

Yulian tells the doctor to leave. Bolkanski edges his way out of the room and back to the residence area. Mulroney goes on to say that Yulian is the man they want to talk to. He tries flattering the anarchist about his successful job at the opera house, calling him a mastermind.

The anarchist is suspicious of the flattery. He wants to know what Mulroney wants. The priest explains he has a job of his own they need help with.

First, Mulroney wants to know more about who Yulian was trying to bomb. Petranov confirms that he was only really after the governor, calling the other killings a bonus. Mulroney asks if he'd like to throw more of a wrench into the politics.

Yulian is unconvinced, but Mulroney starts to explain about the Marduk Institute and how Senator McCormick was involved. He tells Yulian that McCormick's involvement is proof that the institute controls a good portion of the government, as part of a secret society.

Continuing on, Mulroney explains that the Marduk Institute, rather than Flynn, was behind the incidents on the docks. Yulian is confused why the institute wants the docks, but Mulroney brushes the question off, giving a bombastic speech about the institute's plans for dominating the world.

Karina tells the priest he is as crazy as Maisie was. He agrees it could be possible, but suggests they hear him out.

Mulroney asks Yulian if he recalls Alderman Biggins. Yulian does, calling him by the nickname Ulnovsky gave him, "Stumpy". Mulroney chuckles.

The priest goes on to explain that Biggins was never a very stable man, and is now at the Dunning Asylum, under the care of Dr. Bronfenburgher. He suggests Yulian go see him, saying he will find some strange characteristics of the man unrelated to his sanity. Yulian refuses, but is not surprised about the asylum, calling Americans weak-willed.

Gem helpfully suggests the father take off his gloves. Mulroney actually likes the idea. He takes off the gloves, revealing his altered hand.

Karina faints at the sight, but almost no one notices. Yulian seems less shocked than annoyed, wanting to know what kind of trick Mulroney is playing at.

Mulroney tries to explain that it is not a trick and is the result of the Marduk Institute. His attempts are somewhat thwarted as Gem tells the father to also show how he can disappear. Yulian sees this as proof of it being a trick, noting he has seen Houdini.

As Mulroney continues to try to explain what the Marduk Institute is up to, Gem decides to take the opportunity to pull his own gun.

Gem is not fast enough, and Yulian catches the movement. He shoots Gem immediately. The bullet from his heavy Tokarev pistol tears through the boy's aorta, killing him instantly and splattering the wall with blood. As Gem slumps over to the floor, the candy dish rolls out of his pocket.

He then turns his gun on the priest. Mulroney has his hands up already. He tells Yulian he has no idea what Gem was thinking. He eventually convinces the anarchist to join him against the Marduk Institute.

After finding some smelling salts, the men revive Karina. Seeing the carnage in the room, she asks what happened. Yulian coldly responds that the boy did not make it. Karina hugs him, telling him she is happy he is OK.

Father Mulroney suggests they cut short the touching scene and decide to leave. Yulian suggests they go to his hideout. As he and Karina have no car, they decide to go with Mulroney. As they leave, Mulroney spots Detective VanDamme driving into the area.

Session 20 - Scene 3 (of 9)

Yulian directs Father Mulroney to the shack he and Karina have been staying in. Before they head in, Yulian makes sure to set up the intricate set of cans tied to strings he uses for an alarm.

For the next two to three hours, Father Mulroney tries to get Yulian up to speed on the Marduk Institute and what he has discovered.

Mulroney admits the whole thing is hard to believe but there is a lot of evidence. Yulian, deadpan, notes that as the father can see, he is very distraught.

Unfazed, the priest continues discussing how the conspirators may have dies deep into the government's structure. Yulian indicates he dislikes structure. The father agrees they should tear this particular structure down; noting he can sense the anarchist has a great deal of rage against the machine of society.

Yulian wants to know what Mulroney has in mind. The priest says he has a plan, emphasizing he always has a plan. He wants Yulian to use his bomb-making expertise to get the Marduk Institute members together and kill them all at once.

The anarchist tells Mulroney he will need an assistant who can work with explosives. Mulroney, thinking of Chaos, mentions he does have one young fellow in mind for the task. But when Yulian says to bring him to him, the priest explains the youth is currently out of pocket and would need to be extracted from his current location.

Yulian assumes he is referring to the boy being in jail. Mulroney corrects him that he is in the asylum, but that he is a good boy.

The anarchist mentions something about Mulroney having spies everywhere and that he is impressed with the priest's planning. He tells him that Ulnovsky did not give the father enough credit.

Father Mulroney starts asking Yulian about using his "resources" to spring Chaos, but the anarchist explains that he and Karina are the only two left of their group; everyone else was killed in the explosion.

Yulian does, however, mention that he has a contact who can sell them supplies for the explosives but they have no money. The father tells them he has something better than money. He tells Yulian that if he arranges the contact, Mulroney will make the deal. When Yulian explains how much money they would need, the priest realizes he will need to hand over most of the heroin.

After that is planned, Mulroney talks about what they need to do next. He explains to Yulian about the Bamboo Room, saying they can make contact with a member of the cult there. Mulroney wants to make contact with the person and extract information, but notes it will likely mean killing the man. Yulian likes the idea, saying Mulroney should make lots of contacts there.

But first, they know they will need to go get the bomb. Yulian tells Karina that his love for her runs deep, but he couldn't bear it if anything happened to her; per his usual demeanor, he says all of this with his usual lack of expression or warmth. Karina sadly agrees to head out of town to the safety of nearby Gary, Indiana, while Yulian and Father Mulroney take care of the Marduke Institute.

Before Karina leaves, Mulroney asks her what happened to her father. She explains that he just disappeared one day; she wonders if it is related to the Marduk Institute. Mulroney explains he was looking to make contact with her father because he found a connection between Dr. Krasnik and the Madruk Institute, but suggests the cabal must have silenced him first. Karina tells Yulian to be sure to kill them all.

After Karina leaves, Father Mulroney suggests they will need some sleep. He also explains to Yulian that he was technically dead, but came back.

Yulian isn't sure what to make of the father's tale. He does recall the legends of the vapir from his homeland, or vampires as the Americans call them. He knows what his grandmother and the other villagers near Svishtov would have thought. He sits in a chair in the dark that night, keeping watch.

Session 20 - Scene 4 (of 9)

What Father Mulroney wakes the next morning, he is disturbed to find that his other hand has now transformed to match the first. Yulian stoically ignores the bizarreness of the change.

Mulroney asks Yulian for a knife. The priest uses it to trim the nails on his hand so that he can continue to use gloves to conceal the changes.

After Mulroney hands the knife back, he suggests it is time to go get the explosives as the other man uses the knife to shave. Yulian agrees to take him to meet his contact, a criminal named Rocco Dillon.

They discuss what kind of device they will need to build. Yulian suggests one large device to park next to the building, and a smaller backup device that would need to be hand-delivered. The backup device, he explains, is why he needs an assistant.

Father Mulroney briefly considers his options. Instead of wasting time trying to get Chaos out of the asylum, he figures he could use Lei Ming, the underage Chinese prostitute he met in Chinatown, thinking the girl would not be missed. Yulian disagrees; he wants someone with knowledge of explosives. He also mentions having a soft spot for the Chinese.

Putting aside the delivery method for the moment, Yulian makes a phone call to set up the meet. They decide to head over at ten in the morning, which Yulian cautions will be putting Rocco in a bad mood as it is a bit early for him.

The two head to one of the seediest hotels in town, where the cheap hourly rates attract a level of clientele that stay out of each other's' business.

Yulian knocks on the door to one of the suites and is met by Nick "Slasher" McGuirk, a young Irish hood and Rocco's main henchman. He calls back in to Rocco to announce their presence, and the hardened criminal tells him to let the men in.

Rocco Dillon has the appearance of a grizzled middle-aged ex-con, but with a solid, dangerous build. Also in the room is Rocco's elderly but still tough-looking mother, Muriel "Ma" Dillon, whom Yulian knows to have been a train robber who once ran with a gang of ex-Confederate soldiers when she was young. Mulroney, however, recognizes her as the "nice old lady" who Shoes claimed beat him up and robbed him.

Yulian tells Rocco he brought Mulroney with him, and says he likes the priest though calls him crazy. Rocco gives him a once over. Mulroney tries to act tough, but Rocco is all business; he wants to know what they want.

When Yulian describes what they need, Rocco is taken aback the man already needs that much more explosives. Yulian tells him that Mulroney can make it worth his while.

Rocco asks Mulroney what he has, and the priest suggests he has something better than money. He then shows Rocco the bag of heroin he brought. Rocco is impressed.

Before making any deals, Rocco mentions he'll need to have his man sample the quality. He calls out for someone named Tyrone. A black man comes from out the back bedroom, whom Yulian recognizes as Tyrone Young, Rocco's driver. Tyrone examines the heroin then spikes up.

Once Tyrone confirms the heroin is good, Rocco agrees to the deal. He explains that Tyrone is cousin to Whisper Jefferson, and he can move the product through Bronzeville easily.

Mulroney suggests that the organization he is going after manufactures a high grade heroin, which he calls the "green goo". Rocco is skeptical, having never heard of the stuff before. The priest suggests it packs quite a wallop.

Ma Dillon isn't buying the priest's story. She tells her son not to trust him. The priest turns his attention to her and starts talking about the day she encountered Shoes. She laughs about how he gave it up so easily.

Now charmed by the priest, the old woman suggests Mulroney take her to dinner sometime. Despite the fact that he has no romantic inclinations towards the grizzled, much older woman, he cheerfully agrees. Yulian expresses his disgust for such American displays of emotion.

Rocco doesn't like the idea of Mulroney carrying on with his Ma and warns him to treat her with respect when he takes her out. He tells them to leave the heroin with them and McGuirk will have everything ready for them by the next day. He suggests they show up later next time and not so early. They agree to the deal, though inwardly Mulroney hopes that neither Kerrigan, VanDamme, nor Fung Xian come looking for it since he already promised it all to each of them previously.