Spreading Corruption Act I: Eagle-On-The-Hill

Hassan arrived first at Eagle on the Hill. It's an old, derelict hotel opened in 1853, ravaged twice by bushfires (once in 1899 and again in 1983), and then abandoned after the construction of the new freeway route. Thus the hotel they wait at (pictured above) is a relatively benign loci (as far as they go) of flame and abandonment. It would make for a brilliant wyrm's nest (a crucible, no less) but for the werewolf pack (the Protectorate) who use it as a meeting place.

Anywho, so Hassan waits for a short while and reflects on the fact that the night up here is truly pretty. It's never struck him before. In fact, nothing truly has for decades as the ancillae is old enough that his feeling echoes have receded into rare moments. Tonight feels profound and he chalks it up to an omen from the concept of the Dark Mother rather than a burgeoning reawakening of weak but sincere emotion.

James Tyler soon arrives. The two have dealt with occult situations before in-game (and presumably also during the intervening decade and a half between campaigns) so Hassan can be more honest with the Invictus than he otherwise would be. In this element, they are occult investigators and potential hunters allied to a common cause, not politicos dancing with words in Elysium.

James explains the court situation. Hassan explains again what he saw over the city. They try to figure out what to do about it when they hear two gun shots coming from below, in the direction of the sleepy remnants of the dying suburb. Trouble is, that particular remnant they hear the shots coming from is only a few hundred feet down one of the slopes. It sounds like a .38 revolver.

In 2025, in this particular future of Adelaide, gun laws have been relaxed due to the current dangers and need for self-protection so the sound isn't as unusual as it otherwise would be in Australia but it's still worth checking as it's 11pm at night. Hassan uses Heightened Senses - Hearing and makes out a muffled non-sound that reminds him of the times he's contested various Obfuscate-like powers without quite succeeding. Wondering if the gun shots are vampire-related, the two head towards the sound.

You can find all of this adventures' articles over here.

Music

A replayed song from the Fahrenheit Soundtrack.

Considerations

Funnily enough, both characters have well over 100 experience points on their sheet yet I'm really not worried that they'll be overpowered. New World of Darkness sheets sure know how to soak up experience. Besides, neither of them are dedicated combat characters.

I made gun laws less restricted in this World of Darkness version of Adelaide because I want to ramp up the sense that the streets are so dangerous you can't just rely on the law. It's also important to help the characters feel comfortable getting involved without feeling like the Law will be breathing down their neck every step of the way - which would encourage a realistic yet boring response to the horror, like running and hiding.