Capture the thief of the Resurrection Gem

Seekers Beyond the Shroud

Play report of the 15th through 17th sessions of Lana Vanne’s ascension to the occult campaign using Seekers Beyond The Shroud.

You may want to read the first, second, third, fourth, 5th & 6th and 7th through 14th parts of the campaign.

Monday, first quarter - Day 15 at the Omphalos

Ezra is back again in town, Lana ignores him. Event: Ezra, the mind mender

Poor Ezra.

As Lana walks to the Hall of the Orders, she comes across Anish Larson, a famous mage. She speaks with him about the difficulties that she is facing with the Consecration rituals and he is not impressed. Event: celebrity CHA test

At the Hall of the Orders, representatives from the Kadmonites and Mesu-Betesh are in their posts. Lana avoids the Kadmonites, she doesn’t want to attract more attention until more time has passed since Mary’s death.

The man managing the Mesu-Betesh missions in the same one that gave her the egyptian amulet recovery mission some time ago (the one with smokey eyes), her second mission for the Omphalos. Since it went well, the adept remembers her, and introduces himself. He is Ghiyath Saleem, a middle ranked adept in the Mesu-Betesh order, he is one of the regulars handling the missions. He wants her to join the defensive force to defend one of his Order’s sanctums, that is under siege by a rival sect.

Nope. This is a 100% combat oriented mission and Lana is weak.

Lana politely turns down the mission.

She really needs some money, she doesn’t want to burn her just-in-case last obols paying the fee for the ritual chamber, so she heads back home.

Lana’s financial cushion is about 1000ø, she could rent the ritual chamber but the cushion contemplates having to buy another Kevlar armour, so let’s preserve it that way.

Tuesday, first quarter - Day 16 at the Omphalos

Today is a hectic day and many things are happening at the same time, Ezra is back again and there is some order dispute, so no representatives are going to be present today. Event: hectic day + ezra + order dispute

This Ezra is surely in need of some obols, he is working too much.

There are many people walking around this day, however may of them are heading to the private meeting that the Orders are having, so Lana is able to speak with Rosa A. Cunningham, a Salvadorean adept that is an expert of the astral. Lana doesn’t know much about the astral, but Rosa explains all about it to Lana and her enthusiasm is well received. She gives her her phone number. CHA test +50 favour with Causa Scientiae

We are at 575 with Causa Scientieae now! Only 25 to go to get to Rank I and obtaining the title of She Who Hates Chimeras (among other actual useful things).

Lana heads home.

Wednesday, full moon - Day 17 at the Omphalos

When Lana arrives at the Omphalos, some people follow her with their glares, she picks up some chatting, apparently refusing the mission from the Mesu-Betesh was not well taken, and now all the Orders resent her. Event: disappointed mentors Gain half favour on the next mission

She sees a suspicious figure again and follows them, this time there is a sect planning some assassination, Lana is not in good terms with the Orders right now, but she decides to report this. Encounter: suspicious figure +50 favour with all orders

Technically the previous event causes -50% favour with the next mission. So she can gain the full favour points for this encounter.

The higher ups report back saying that the Cult of the Dying Sun were the ones planing the murder, and that she should watch her back.

Another antagonist. But guess what?

Cecil comes to congratulate her, she is now Rank I with the Causa Scientiae Order!! She gives her a plastic miniature, hand painted, as a present, is a chimera with the following engraved text on the base: I LIKE CHEWING YOU.

Lana keeps joking with Cecil and tells her that they should refer to her from now own as: Lana Vanne, Who Hates Chimeras.

Lana’s DEX improves.

Although I really wanted her to know the formula of the Salamander’s Gift (heals HP to max), the alchemy requirement to cook it is very high (50), so a DEX upgrade makes more sense. Also, some defensive skills that Lana relies on to avoid taking damage need DEX (since she is useless trying to use bandages, avoiding damage is the thing for her), so it is a good upgrade.

She heads to the Hall of Orders, the news of her being Rank I have already spread and surprisingly, The Siddha Order, which Lana has never contacted before, is at the Omphalos. There are also representatives from the Causa Scientiae, but Lana heads to the representative of the Siddha Order regardless.

A corpulent woman with a scar on her face, wearing makeup to conceal it, and an untidy hairstyle welcomes her, she is Paek Ja-Ok, Korean, but she has recently moved to London since her Order needs someone to take this mission.

I use Knave to roll her appearance and then a random nationality generator.

Paek is her family name and Ja-Ok her name.

Paek is a bit uncomfortable telling her the situation, an ex-member of the Order has stolen the Gem of Resurrection, a mythical relic property of the Siddha for centuries that aids them trying to recover lost souls through meditation. Lana knew that this hard to meet Order had rather surprising occultists among their ranks, but this is very intriguing. Paek wants her to recover the Gem of Resurrection finding the thief, which the Order had located through facial recognition in the Natural History Museum. The goal is to recover the Gem and bring the thief to them, but if opposition arises, the Order prioritises recovering the Gem. Mission: get the thief Search 16

I use a random magic effect generator and magic item generator to know which shape has the item to recover and which effect does it have.

Lana accepts the mission.

Generating the location: The National History Museum

  • A - Entry hall
  • B - Lobby
  • C - Administrative office x2
  • D - Exhibition hall x8
  • E - Hallway x8
  • F - Security office
  • G - Archive

Natural History Museum

I made a mistake and forgot to add two administrative offices, that’s why the first one (C1) looks like a hallway.

At the National History Museum

Entry Hall

As Lana enters though the big crystal doors of the museum, a Daeva greets her. Combat begins. Lana acts first and shots her pistol to the Daeva, but fails, then quickly draws her knife to attack the creature, but fails yet again, the Daeva attacks but Lana avoids the blow. Lana goes first again and deals some damage to the Daeva, the creature casts Vril choke, and Lana falls paralysed. The creature casts Vril choke again. Then it attacks, but Lana avoids the attack. Now she can move, but the Daeva is quicker, attacks her, but Lana parries and then she is unable to connect her next attack. The creature acts first, and casts again Vril choke, then again, its VP are now depleted. The creature attacks and Lana parries. She cannot be quicker so the creature attacks, but she critically parries the attack and then uses her knife to hit it twice in a turn, the creature dies.

Vril choke deals d20 damage and makes the target lose its next turn.

As Lana walks through the entry hall, shadows, sad feelings and doubts assault her, she is unable to get rid of these feelings. She looses -5 points in a skill. WILL check

I choose to lose 5 points of STR, then readjust the associated skills.

This is a very bad punishment :( but well, at least is not a random stat, that could be catastrophic.

Edit: apparently I don’t know how to read anymore, the event said to reduce -5 on a skill not attribute. So I’ll be reducing Carbine which is a combat skill related to weapons that I’ve never used. Thanks, @Alex T on the Blackoath discord for spotting my mistake.

Lana tries to patch her wounds but fails.

Lobby

She heads to the lobby, there is another enemy, a sect adept that has become the Vessel of a spirit, the adept, a woman, is hostile. NPC reaction: hostile

Lana is critically slower to get ready for the fight, but she manages to parry the first attack. She tries to retreat but fails. She is quicker this time and tries to retreat once again, but fails, she parries the incoming attack. The vessel is quicker this round, but Lana can also parry this attack, then retreats and suffers and attack as she flees.

She tries to use a bandage but it falls to the ground.

She has now stepped into a Vril dead zone, the air is stale and she feels like walking in a thin fog. -20 VP

When I rolled this event I misread ‘Zombie dead zone’ and hoped to avoid getting another enemy, but it was just me not reading things well.

She cannot patch her wounds.

Administrative Office 1

There is a Guard making her rounds around the museum, she is not friendly. NPC reaction: hostile

Lana is quicker than her and sneaks out of her sight. Sneaking check

Her off-hand arm starts to itch, and a white pus has started to pour off her injuries, they are clearly infected. Heal -50%

Haha, they’re being optimistic and suppose that I can actually pass a First aid check.

But really, whyyyyyyyyy?

She finds some herbs in the table of an employee, they are labelled as “Medicinal herbs”, she hasn’t a vast knowledge of medicinal herbs, but she chews them and then applies the mixture to one of her cuts. She doesn’t feel any change, but now at least the infected wound smells like flowers and less like iron.

This is another great example of why homeopathy doesn’t work folks, she needs some bandages and antibiotics.

Very thematic event by the way.

She cannot apply bandages to her infected wound, she cannot keep her hands still.

Hallway 1

There aren’t any enemies on sight, she rests for a bit and manages to apply a sticking plaster to her wound.

Exhibition hall 2

She finally reaches to the first exhibition hall of the museum, there is some kind of barrier, she notices it, but she cannot do anything about it. WILL test at -5 -5 sanity, -5HP

Now I need this Ezra mind healer!

She applies more plasters to her wounds.

Exhibition hall 1

This exhibition is a bit strange, there are pills, syringes and bongs… she realises that maybe this is not part of the exhibit and that maybe someone has thrown a party or something. All enemies: -10 defence, +20HP

‘cause they’re high

She uses more plasters, these things are easier to handle than the bandages.

Lana starts looking for the thief now, but she doesn’t find anything suspicious.

Exhibition hall 2

She goes back to this hall, nothing happens.

Exhibition hall 3

A Hunter walks by and completely ignores Lana, walks towards exhibit hall 1, his gaze lost. NPC reaction: indifferent

Lana bumps into one of the display cases, and a security cam quickly turns, she has gotten their attention. All enemies: awareness + 10

She looks around, this hall is big, but she doesn’t find the thief.

She is unable to apply another plaster to her wounds.

Hallway 1

Nothing happens.

Hallway 2

A female Ichorite (a black magic user that has powers resembling to vampires) walks by and smiles to Lana. “Evening darling, I usually come here to uhmm ‘party’, I thought that you might want to join me, but you don’t look so well, does that wound smell of jasmine? Poor thing, take this book, you might actually learn how to make a proper healing ointment. Let’s play another day.” NPC reaction: friendly

Lana thanks the woman and takes the Alchemical treatise that she has gifted her.

YES! I was afraid that she would bite her or something, we already have enough on our plate with the chimeras.

Lana searches for the thief and she locates them heading for the next exhibit hall. She stops the figure, she is a woman with elegant looks and dressed to kill. NPC flavour: hesitant, elegant, romance, internal security director

She tries to persuade the woman, she looks hesitant, Lana is covered in wounds, but that actually impresses her, she thinks that Lana might actually be strong and dangerous, seeing that she is still standing with those wounds. CHA test

She is at 64 health!! She’s been worse.

Lana sees how she’s looking at her and tries to persuade her, it would be more comfortable if she would surrender to her employer. The woman accepts. NPC reaction: unfriendly Persuasion check

She tries to apply more plasters to her wounds under the confused look of the thief, but she is unable.

Hallway 1

A Daeva cuts the women’s path. Lana engages in combat. She is way slower that the enemy, which casts Vril choke, then it comes closer to hit Lana, but she parries the attack. Lana acts first this time, she is unable to escape. Another Vril choke and an attack, which is parried. Lana attacks first, no more room to escape now, she scores a critical hit, the Daeva starts bleeding and seems to start falling to the ground, but manages to attack, Lana critically parries the attack. The Daeva bleeds, Lana’s hit doesn’t land. She attacks again and deals max damage again, the creature is paralysed again. It bleeds and Lana kills the creature in this last knife swing.

Administrative Office 1

Nothing happens.

Lobby & entrance

The thief and Lana enter the Vril dead zone and lose 20VP, then safely exit the museum.

At the Omphalos

Lana delivers the thief to Paek, the woman thanks her. “Good job, hoobae. The Siddha are thankful.

Hoobae is how Korean people refer to workmates with less experience. To Lana, Paek is her sumbae, since she is her senior and has more experience.

She needs to mediate to try to alleviate the injuries that her mind has sustained. She feels better. Meditation check Recover 3 sanity

If I got the rules right I can only meditate once a week, and Lana will recover 10 sanity naturally in a week if she doesn’t suffer any more sanity lost.

Mission recap

  • Got an Alchemical treatise
  • 500ø
  • +15 order points since Lana didn’t kill the thief
  • 75 favour with The Siddha (half favour)
  • I rule that she is able to take the Glock 17 and the baton from the thief, since she has apprehended her, so she can sell those for: 100ø + 400ø (half price) Appraisal check