City of Curses: The Keepers Session 4: Silver Snakes

The Keepers 4: Den of the Silver Snakes

Session Report for a Fate Core game set in Crux, City of Curses.  For the Previous Session Report, click here.

A bit late, but here is the session report for my last game of Crux. The Keepers did some home invasion, stopping the Machine while setting the city on fire.

The Opener: Scene Question: "Does Fulcrum tell Ono and Rainel about the Machine?"

In a scene with just NPCs, Ono and Rainel find Professor Fulcrum in the Alchemy Lab. After a bit of discussion, Ono threatens Fulcrum to tell him about the device. Ono is on a mission from the Archbishop- he has to stop this threat, before things spiral out of control. Fulcrum tells him what he wants to know- even though Fulcrum knows he could've potentially stopped the Tengu Crow.

Fulcrum let Ono go, hoping Pyro wasn't in any danger...

Scene Question: "Do the Keepers spare the youngest members of the Silver Snakes Gang?"

In the last session I asked a player (the player of Ash to be specific) to give me up to three truths that all would happen in the next session. She wrote down about the Keepers finding children guarding the roof and how the Keepers could bribe them with food.

Only one of those happened, however. 

Ishida had followed the rest of the Keepers into the Wish Quarter. He observed them from another rooftop, as they moved toward the Silver Snake's den via a neighbor's roof. Ishida knew the dangers of the area, especially under the sway of the Silver Snakes.

The Silver Snakes are a gang belonging to the Demon's Orphans, under the purview of the Archwitch. A gang that detests Ursyklongs, they believe them to be the root cause of many Tieflings' ills in Crux. 

The rest of the Keepers snuck toward the Silver Snakes Den. 

Ash, trying to find a place to use as cover on their approach, accidentally knocked over a aging and crumbling chimney, covering her legs in bricks. It also masked her location, making it look like she had disappeared. Gav responded by using wind to blow out all of the lanterns by the watching guards- And Pyro walked right up to those on guard, asking them where he might find "The machine."

Ishida mean while looked for a way into the building. He found a window, but took some physical stress squeezing through it quietly. 

While Ash dug her way out of the brick she was under, Pyro was confronted with guns. The gangsters on the roof are all Tiefling children, none older than 9 years. Despite the dark, Pyro's own arcane runes and gears lit up the area. Each of them point their pistols up at the Android.

Gav acted as fast as he could. He wove a quick spell, planting a Suggestion on the children. When Pyro asked the children how they got there, each child began recite their own life stories, entranced by the spell and Pyro's words. 

Eventually they drive the children away, Pyro using Gav's enchantment to get them to leave. Ash sends her own ferret into the Warehouse ahead, but they only hear ceramics break.

Meanwhile Ishida found the rest of the Silver Snakes, busy. The gang of tieflings danced and listened as one of them played guitar.  The music was loud enough for Ishida to hunker down and observe, keeping an eye out in case one of the gang moved toward the two big doors where the Machine must be stored.

After Ash easily broke into the skylight of the building Gav dropped down like a feather to the top of something crazy covered in white canvas.  Ash's ferret, Moki, meanwhile continued on its mission, knocking over the occasional pot.  The warehouse looked to be a former kiln and pottery, so old forgotten bits of ceramic were everywhere.  So Moki seemed to not be subtle.

Gav felt the Machine try to coerce him.  His will resisted its temptation.

Gav wove a spell to make the room sound silent to anyone observing.  Meanwhile Ash and Pyro joined him.  Then Pyro started to blow the machine up.

As the machine started to overload, it's exhaust heat became more and more choking.  That was when the tiefling urchins came back.  Ash did what she could to get them out, while Gav yelled and shouted until they obeyed.

Ash went into the alley behind the kiln room the machine was in.  Her body started to shudder, the poison from earlier almost knocking her unconscious.  She fell over, as the bricks of the warehouse began to glow red.

Although built to contain heat, the warehouse began to be too much for Pyro and Gav.  The Machine fought Pyro at each step, almost alive in its struggle to dodge destruction.  As they lept out, the two of them saw crackling energy open several portals at once.

One such portal struck at Gav with bright energy.  It didn't harm him: instead, Gav's skin turned purple.

The warehouse rose into the air.  Black smoke bellowed from it, fire and sparks spreading to neighboring buildings.  The entire neighborhood emerged from their homes, massing in the streets.  Some panicked, while others tried to something to stall the growing fires.

Ono ran into Gav and Pyro across the street.  Seeing what they had done, Ono promised to cover them so they might make their escape.  Above, Rainel flies, calling down a storm of rain to help quench the fire.

Only a crater remained of the Silver Snakes den.

Ash on the other hand, woke up in the arms of tiefling matrons of the local orphanages.  Her disguise had taken on tiefling traits.  Ash had to do her best to convince the matrons to let her go.

Scene Question: "Do the Keepers inform the Chancellor of what happened?"

That night, the Keepers met up at a bar on the Skullmount, the Scroll & Bone.  A friend of Gav's owned the place, letting them use it in private.  Ash didn't look very pleased, arriving late and taking a rather large- for her- pint of beer.

After a bit of conversation, a old Tengu janitor began to clean the floor.  Gav and Ash recognized Ishida, whose disguise was purposefully poor to get their attention.  Gav revealed him, and a surprised Pyro hugged Ishida, relieved to find him alive.  Despite having abandoned them and running off on his own for most of this scenario, Pyro still remains impressed with Ishida's knack for deceit.

The next morning the Keepers go to the central hall of the University to discuss what had happened with the Chancellor.  Again, Gav meets with someone other than the Chancellor, one of his aides and a professor of mathematics.  Gav and Ash talk with him, as both Pyro and Ishida choose to stay outside.

After a long discussion, they didn't admit to causing the machines's destruction on purpose.  Still impressed, the aide mused about further research and Gav's thoughts on it.  Unlike prior, Ash tried to contain herself when faced with the multiple racial slurs used against her.  

"We shouldn't let the religious madness of a few blind us to the potential gains,"  the Aide pointed out.  "We should be able to replicate it, don't you think?"

"Uh... the thing had a consciousness."  Gav shuddered.  "It was malevolent."

"So... perhaps the best way to approach it is to use an Android then?"  

"You're not listening to me."  Gav insisted.  "The machine tried to control me.  It mutated all the tieflings that used it.  It could be nothing but dangerous."

"I see..." The aide thanked them for their effort.

After they had left, the professor placed a tablet of black metal onto his desk.  It looked like the same ichor-black metal that had comprised the machine.  He cut his palm, placing it down onto the metal.  His blood fed it, and he closed his eyes in concentration.

"...yes they denied destroying it.  I think took part it in its destruction.  Yes... Of course sir.  They still have potential...  We just have to wait."