Saturday, March 1, 2014

War Beneath Heaven S02 E07: Lost Leader


  • Cheng Dao and HSS decide it is best he represents HSS and Purchase the Title for Prince of the Heights. The cost would be brokered by Dylan Baker of the Tower and negotiated with all the participating Domain Mage Lords conceding to Cheng after they get their cut. (old fashioned feudalism which pretty much how things work in established and stable oligarchies).
    • Bill has a “recent” acquisition but Cheng is too busy expanding and wheeling and dealing to pay closer attention.
    • The underground tunnels was an old water way and logistics network more than 1000 years ago.
    • HSS plans to expand their secret network using the tunnels, and Bill's knew “friend” gives them a way to be ignored by the Tunnel's pale serpantine dragon guardian.
  • Cheng was able to pony up the money because he plans to let the Russian Vampire Clans settle in his high population territory. Undead don't really deal with Mages unless there was a way to enforce the deal, so the Russian Orthodoxy is brokering the deal with Cheng. Its a Win-Win... if you can call having a vampire clan move into your neighborhood a “Win”
  • The party gains a Vampire Enforcer and his Handler: Sergei and Dimitri. Sergei has been as sleep for a long while and has come out of retirement. He's politics are simple and effective for this purpose: Police the Russian Vampire Clans/Mob – which means he has to make sure they don't gobble up more territory than the deal suggests and that they keep their numbers and activities in Check.
  • The problem of the Dragon and the Kaeneen aka Devourers was settled... kinda. Osman and Thomas have been very poor in their Ops decisiveness. They did a terrible decision in leaving it up to a group decision. (Note: they should assign one of the PCs as Team or Project Leader). What happened is they ended up pursuing BOTH avenues by talking to the Far East Triad (Local Chinese Mafia which operate in the Economic Autonomous Zone). Chengs sends them with the Vampire hoping they can negotiate with the FET... without a plan.
  • The meeting has been set up and some days pass, with the team doing their other responsibilities.
    • Speedy and Fish gossip with Jeni as they go about doing the Infra Duties and Responsibilities with building an underground network. Perfect: A Miner (and Explosives Expert) and an a Network guy.
  • When they come to the meeting, obviously Thomas and Osman dropped the ball. They go down to a shielded room only for Cheng to prepare them terribly for the negotiations.
  • They meet Willian Lao (Wu Lao) and his representative a Miss “Xin”. They find the information of the team useless and are far more interested in Killian. Bill was trying to sell his brother out, but the FET cannot believe such a man would do so, so quickly. When a gun fight was about to errupt, Miss Xin concludes the negotiation quickly by taking the information they desire from Fish and giving them the identity of the Dragon.
  • The Dragon is working for Quijolo Group, a proxy of the Chinese government (and what should not be as surprise – a Rival of the Triad.
  • The Party leaves and find out that Cheng's fortress is again attacked. Cheng uses excessive force: Fire magic to deal with the Devourers which attack them with Swarms and a well-Trained militia. Fires rage in the area, destroying the Shanties and causing much of the population to scatter.
  • The Party rushes in and dispatches them, catching them by surprise. They seem to have taken out 18-19 Opfors...
  • Post battle analysis looking dire as it may be a probing attack. Further Attacks on Cheng make him look weak to the other Domain Lords. After the battle, he wants Blood, he needs them to make an example of the Devourers. Osman and Thomas, are swayed to agree. They argue that to deal a decisive blow quickly to the Kaeneen – one that should end this would bring stability and lower the loss of life. They seem to change their minds quite quickly, asking the party to delay the attack on the Dragon for the Devourers.   
GM Notes. 
Give more room for players to Improvise. 
Give more "Flexible" time so that each turn is more satisfying. 
I have to tweak things to speed up combat flow. 
New Player, New to GURPS a session to show the system and build a character. 

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