Zeitgeist S03E01: Digging for Lies
Once again, Mickey Windsor's squad went on downtime between missions.
- Sora went off to make money by learning what recently deceased individuals had interesting possessions, and resold them for their true value.
- Bram went to the Temple of Heroes to practice his devotions and to see how the former cultists were
- Tahl'zair tried to trace what was happening with the missing witch-oil titan, and learned that Reynard Quicksilver, who'd been assigned the investigation by Margaret Saxby hadn't progressed very far with it. Which begged the question, why assign that case to Renyard at all, and not the highly effective, get things done squad?
- Robert did paperwork, earned some 'coffee money' for his efforts and was progress by Doctor Vokharis to assist with the new audit of the Bloodstone Vigil.
- Mickey did his usual side-hustle of telling fortunes and dealing with minor occult problems.
The group met in the #Red Lion Tavern to discuss matters, and learned about Flint's upcoming technology expo. There'd also been an outbreak of Eldritch Syndrome around the area of Cauldron Hill.
Mickey thought that they hadn't gotten the Witch Oil Titan case for political reasons. When they reported into the office, they met the Imperial Auditors, both from House Drakkencrown. This was the goblin Nigel Pryce-Hill and the orcish warlorld General +Abrakk, a war veteran. Margaret introduced the squad to the auditors and hustled them out again.
Stover Delft assigned the job to run security on the Flint Technology Expo. While the group protested it was beneath their paygrade, Stover assured them that given their experience with Gale's group, it was in fact an anti-terrorisom operation.
At the expo, the Bloodstone Vigil encountered many exciting new technological developments, including
- a map of the future rail system that would cross the continent
- Benedict Pemberton's new Battle Enhanced Armoured Replicants, or automatons controlled by telemetric headsets.
- an automaton labourer having an existential crisis
- trained badgers that could fire mounted guns
- the amazing dragonborn bard, Rock Rackus.
- a man showing off a teleportation device that radiated magic, despite claiming his device was technological in nature
In the evening, aberrant monsters appeared from the direction of the teleportation device! After a fierce battle, they were defeated, but two civilians had their minds sucked dry by the horrors.
Tahl'Zair captured Simon, the rogue who'd been running the teleportation display. Simon was charged with a variety of offenses, including releasing aberrant monsters into the world, leading to the cognitive deaths of two civilians. He told the group he worked for the ^Fell Guild, and tested magical artefacts before selling them. He'd been using the $The Staff of the Ancients to empower his teleportation device, which worked well until the horrors appeared.
Simon gave up the name of his associate, Kaja, who'd given him the artefact to test. The Bloodstone Vigil resolved to chase her down and reclaim any other dangerous artefacts that she might have in her possession.