For a faction that lacks subtlety and decency, they've been recently keeping a low profile on their activities to minimize their footprint. The investigators will have to work together and scour the city if they have any hopes of finding any details regarding their upcoming plans.
Investigating the City
It is often said that anything can be found on the World of Dreams, you just need to know where to look. There are several dwellings in the slums that tend to attract all manner of ronin, lowlives, and other disreputable characters. With lax regulation from the Scorpions and a blind eye, the slum has always been a perfect breeding ground for criminal activity. Many holdings here as a base of operations for criminal organizations such as the True Scions of Gusai.
Each investigator involved here will have to dig for information at a variety of locations while trying to keep a low profile to avoid attention from both the members of the True Scions and their associates. Their successful efforts will be represented in Clue Points collected at the end of the event while any bad attention attracted during their efforts will be represented in Threat Points. Each location will require a different approach to digging for information, which will demand investigators to potentially coordinate to exercise their skills best. In this event, each investigator can roll up to three times and can be done at any combination of locations. Their collective efforts will contribute to the Cumulative TN regardless of who previously participated.
Once a location has been successfully investigated of all Cumulated TN, it can no longer be investigated but please note the final amount rolled when tallying everyone's efforts. Investigators may coordinate and do these attempts separately from each other if they wish.
- Matsu Eriko's Help
Matsu Eriko has a turbulent history with the True Scions of Gusai. This started when Eriko sought out the True Scions to unearth the data core relic on a remote system. The relationship went south when the criminal syndicate attempted to kill Eriko by ejecting her into space. She survived and retaliated by stealing back the data core relic, which put a large target on her head. Needless to say, Matsu Eriko has a large stake in this investigation and is very eager to involve herself.
An investigator may have Eriko accompany them for the duration of the event. She will provide her expertise and aid, which will bestow to all rolls here +2k0 or +2k1 if the investigator has her as an ally. This also provides the skill clause. Her involvement does pose some risk to the investigators as she is very recognizable by the members and associates of the True Scions, despite her best efforts. Any time any Threat Points are incurred from a location where her aid is used (see below), the group gains an additional 1 Threat Point. The investigator with Eriko must use her bonus for all rolls, as she will not take a passive role in the investigation.
For the last few years, the Thunder Strikes Warehouses have been one of the main operation hubs for the True Scions. The organization makes use of shipping containers where they often load with illegal hardware and stolen goods, masked with either legitimate products or altered logs. There are numerous containers found in the warehouse here, making it very difficult to find where they might have buried their caches. In the last few days, the True Scions have made several withdrawals and there are several discrepancies that could be found with enough searching.
Skills Used: Investigation/Perception or Stealth/Agility
Cumulative TN: 75
Special Rules: If this location is fully investigated, the group gains an additional Clue Point as a reward. This would make this location worth 2 Clue Points in total.
Coldstone Dojo
The Coldstone Dojo often sees a large number of faces on a daily basis, their visitors are often ronin who pass by for a quick workout before moving on to their job. The dojo staff collect their meagre coin and ask no questions. Compared to a proper dojo, there is much to be desired with much of their workout facilities lacking much in frills and comforts. As of late, many associates of the True Scions have been using the facilities and at times, recruiting able-bodied ronin for their jobs. It is likely that someone might have had some idea of why they have been recruiting.
Skills Used: Brawl/Agility or Athletics/Strength
Cumulative TN: 50
Special Rules: Whenever an investigator rolls 20 or more at this location, the group gains 1 Threat Point.
Feast & Fame Food Court and Market
Feast & Fame is one of the densest centres of commerce in this sector of the slums. What began as merely just a few stalls in an open lot grew quickly into a dense market in a short amount of time. Now, the markets serve as a daily necessity for many of the locals here to provide them with daily goods and sustenance. Many of the stalls are built in a simple manner, often consisting of just struts and sheet metal. Street kitchens are open at almost all hours of the day, frying and grilling food for patrons sitting on foldout tables and chairs. Beneath the constant hustle and bustle, much of the True Scions' ill-gotten koku is exchanged and laundered here.
Skills Used: Commerce/Intelligence or Lore: Underworld/Intelligence
Cumulative TN: 50
Special Rules: Whenever an investigator rolls less than 10 or more than 30, the group gains 1 Threat Point.
Ebisu's Grace Office:
Ebisu's Grace Office is an agency focused on finding work for ronin who are more courtly or artistically inclined. Clans very often don't like relying on ronin representation in business or political matters and those ronin rely on agencies such as this one to eke out favour in order to find employment. The offices are very old-fashioned, often relying on a printed catalogue of clients that is sorely outdated by several decades. The agency has a business relationship with the True Scions as they are often happy to accept their coin to run interference with the authorities.
Skills Used: Courtier/Awareness or Etiquette/Awareness
Cumulative TN: 40
Special Rules: Each roll done at this location will add 1 Threat Point to the group.
Mako Motor Garage:
The Mako Motor Garage had no previous ties with the True Scions, as they are predominately a space-faring criminal organization, until very recently. It is said that they have offered a large sum of koku for a sizeable fleet of industrial and heavy duty vehicles, immediately buying their way to becoming their top customers. Most of their projects with them have been completed but various schematics can be found in their catalogue. This might give the investigators an idea of what they've cooked up for the True Scions and a road map to their whereabouts.
Skills Used: Drive/Agility, Engineering/Intelligence, or Firearms/ Agility
Cumulative TN: 50
Special Rules: Whenever an investigator rolls 19 or less at this location, the group gains 1 Threat Point.
Happy Times Gambling Den:
For those who either take to the waves figuratively or literally, gambling has often been a favourite pastime for the Mantis and ronin. The Happy Times Gambling Den often caters to the True Scions whenever they visit the World of Dreams, happy to launder their dirty koku and provide them with a host of vices. The True Scions have recently made a notable visit, giving the den an appreciated surge in business. Visitors here are expected to gamble or are forced out by its tough security, no exceptions. Investigators might have to play a game or two if they are to get any information from the gambling den.
Skills: Sincerity (Deceit)/Awareness or Games: Fortune and Winds/Awareness
Cumulative TN: 50
Special Rules: Whenever an investigation roll is done here, the investigator must choose odds or evens and note this in their roll's description. If the result matches the choice, then nothing happens. Otherwise, the group gains 1 Threat Point.
Investigation Results
In order to find more information regarding the True Scion of Gusai and their plans in the near future on the World of Dreams, the investigators will have to complete their investigation on at least two locations above. In order to complete an investigation, they will have to clear it of all Cumulative TN. Once everyone has posted their efforts and/or utilized their attempts, a tally will be taken of investigated locations, Clue Points, and Threat Points.
If the group is able to collect a total of 200 or more by rolling for Cumulative TN, counting any amounts rolled in excess to the in a successful roll, the investigative efforts of the group are successful and they have a good idea of what the True Scion of Gusai are up. This may eventually lead to finding where they are gathered when they launch their operations. The group is awarded 1 Clue Point for their collective efforts. Further Clue Points can be gathered for each location fully successfully solved.
Clue Points: Clue Points are shared by the group taking an active role in aiding Matsu Eriko and opposing the True Scion of Gusai. Clue Points can be spent in the same manner as a Void Point, utilized in combat, skills or part of techniques. In addition, they can also be spent for a reroll in the same fashion as Luck and the higher roll is kept. The number of Clue Points is shared with the participating group.
In addition to earning Clue Points, they might have accumulated Threat Points, which represent the amount of attention they might have attracted during their investigation. There were eyes and ears everywhere on the World of Dreams and many are willing to trade information for a few quick coins from the True Scions of Gusai. If the group manages to attract enough attention, the True Scions will be more than prepared for any conflicts in the future and it might result in a tougher fight.
- 0-3 Threat Points: The investigations have been subtle in their search and the True Scion of Gusai are unaware of their pursuit.
- 4-8 Threat Points: Word travels around the streets that there are nosy outsiders who have shown interest in the operations of the True Scions of Gusai. They are wary and on alert.
- 9+ Threat Points: The True Scions of Gusai are fully aware of Matsu Eriko and the investigators being on their tail. They will be fully prepared to deal with them when they meet face to face.
