Red Sky Volume 6 "Clean Slate"
Now that I have all of the planned characters for this, I've officially started working on actual planning for this. A GURPS: Monster Hunters game that is set in the Dresden Files universe (albeit located here in OKC), I'm planning on trying something slightly different (and potentially game-breaking if this blows up in my face) wherein I'm going to be intentionally not having the characters be in a group until the climax. This is definitely going to be something of an experiment to see if I can actually pull this off, but I've got a decent game plan, I think.
First, I've got to look at the overall narrative thrust and, while the PCs are exceedingly unlikely to learn much of this (or even any of it, really), I like to have this kind of stuff mapped out for internal logic reasons.
As of the previous story arc, two of the vampire Courts - Red and White - sort of went to war. Basically, the regional head of the Red Court (who is the former husband of one PC and the father of another) was humiliated in front of the exiled White Court vamp and decided that "of course, this means war." Several months have thus elapsed.
The conflict between the Red Court in Oklahoma/Texas under Eduardo Torres and the Whites under Diana Raith has reached a dangerous point and, in the opinion of Torres’ masters, is draining too many of other necessary resources from their ongoing war with the wizards. Therefore, Baron Torres has been ordered to make peace. He is, understandably, less than enthusiastic about this instruction and thus, intends treachery at this meeting which will not take place on Neutral Ground, but rather the expansive Howell Estate. In an attempt to cover his tracks, he has manipulated the Children of Janus into doing what they do best as well as providing plausible deniability. Three different attacks are planned, two of which are simply diversions with the third being the actual one intended on taking out Raith at the meeting place, but all three have connective links, so Torres can blame the CoJ cultists for such an attack..
Diana, knowing quite well that Baron Torres is a treacherous slime bucket even if she does not know all of the specifics involved, arranges through intermediaries for flunkies with tenuous ties to the Red Court to hit Matias and other members of Department X, knowing that this will attract their attention. At the same time, she arranges for the information about this planned gathering to reach the Department’s operatives which will ultimately cause them to move against it. This plan brings with it no small amount of danger as Department X will not differentiate between the kinds of vampires present, so she has an escape plan already in mind thanks to her acquisition of a warlock on her payroll whose sole power is being a speedster for brief bursts; Diana is confident she can handle the harsh acceleration. Finally, just to be safe, she has suborned S/A Hawkins of the OSBI and has him standing by with a tactical team, ready to move in at a moment’s notice.
At the same time, Auric Craft, who has joined with the Denarian, Penemuel, has learned that the Reds have, in their possession, a grimoire of immense power known as the Nocte Eternæ. Knowing that even with his own considerable power he cannot stand against such a formidable force, he seeks out Sofia, well aware that as long as he appears to be fighting the Reds, she is inclined to assist in such an endeavor. As a backup, he spins an elaborate tale of woe about a prisoner held captive by the Reds he wishes to rescue. (How does he prepare against any suspicions she might have that he’s Denarian?)
Aware of these dual threats, Lei (who is actually a Chinese Dragon) in her dragon avatar form manipulates Jenks into getting involved after he successfully steals a great deal of money from one of her casinos. She will claim to have put a powerful curse upon him - this is a lie - that will consume him from the inside if he does not Do A Thing at the meeting place before a certain time. Lei is well aware that this will put him in direct contact with Sofia which is at least part of her intention. Despite having claimed Neutrality in all matters, she has decided that she must get involved in some facet and her manipulation of Jenks is not really meddling. Really. Okay, it actually is and will eventually come back to haunt her in later installments.
Through the Children of Janus angle, Jack Carter and “NEW PC” will get involved. When the second attack transpires, Carter’s Intuition kicks in and with a bit of investigation, he can identify that the Howell Family is linked to both of the targets in some way (Peterson’s wife, Audrey, is a Howell, and the Family own the candy place. This leads directly to the estate so he (they) can join up with the other PCs as well, just in time for a timely assault.
First, I've got to look at the overall narrative thrust and, while the PCs are exceedingly unlikely to learn much of this (or even any of it, really), I like to have this kind of stuff mapped out for internal logic reasons.
As of the previous story arc, two of the vampire Courts - Red and White - sort of went to war. Basically, the regional head of the Red Court (who is the former husband of one PC and the father of another) was humiliated in front of the exiled White Court vamp and decided that "of course, this means war." Several months have thus elapsed.
The conflict between the Red Court in Oklahoma/Texas under Eduardo Torres and the Whites under Diana Raith has reached a dangerous point and, in the opinion of Torres’ masters, is draining too many of other necessary resources from their ongoing war with the wizards. Therefore, Baron Torres has been ordered to make peace. He is, understandably, less than enthusiastic about this instruction and thus, intends treachery at this meeting which will not take place on Neutral Ground, but rather the expansive Howell Estate. In an attempt to cover his tracks, he has manipulated the Children of Janus into doing what they do best as well as providing plausible deniability. Three different attacks are planned, two of which are simply diversions with the third being the actual one intended on taking out Raith at the meeting place, but all three have connective links, so Torres can blame the CoJ cultists for such an attack..
Diana, knowing quite well that Baron Torres is a treacherous slime bucket even if she does not know all of the specifics involved, arranges through intermediaries for flunkies with tenuous ties to the Red Court to hit Matias and other members of Department X, knowing that this will attract their attention. At the same time, she arranges for the information about this planned gathering to reach the Department’s operatives which will ultimately cause them to move against it. This plan brings with it no small amount of danger as Department X will not differentiate between the kinds of vampires present, so she has an escape plan already in mind thanks to her acquisition of a warlock on her payroll whose sole power is being a speedster for brief bursts; Diana is confident she can handle the harsh acceleration. Finally, just to be safe, she has suborned S/A Hawkins of the OSBI and has him standing by with a tactical team, ready to move in at a moment’s notice.
At the same time, Auric Craft, who has joined with the Denarian, Penemuel, has learned that the Reds have, in their possession, a grimoire of immense power known as the Nocte Eternæ. Knowing that even with his own considerable power he cannot stand against such a formidable force, he seeks out Sofia, well aware that as long as he appears to be fighting the Reds, she is inclined to assist in such an endeavor. As a backup, he spins an elaborate tale of woe about a prisoner held captive by the Reds he wishes to rescue. (How does he prepare against any suspicions she might have that he’s Denarian?)
Aware of these dual threats, Lei (who is actually a Chinese Dragon) in her dragon avatar form manipulates Jenks into getting involved after he successfully steals a great deal of money from one of her casinos. She will claim to have put a powerful curse upon him - this is a lie - that will consume him from the inside if he does not Do A Thing at the meeting place before a certain time. Lei is well aware that this will put him in direct contact with Sofia which is at least part of her intention. Despite having claimed Neutrality in all matters, she has decided that she must get involved in some facet and her manipulation of Jenks is not really meddling. Really. Okay, it actually is and will eventually come back to haunt her in later installments.
Through the Children of Janus angle, Jack Carter and “NEW PC” will get involved. When the second attack transpires, Carter’s Intuition kicks in and with a bit of investigation, he can identify that the Howell Family is linked to both of the targets in some way (Peterson’s wife, Audrey, is a Howell, and the Family own the candy place. This leads directly to the estate so he (they) can join up with the other PCs as well, just in time for a timely assault.
So yeah. Narrative thrust squared away...
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