Chapter Two
Campaign: Rough Magic
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The Girl With Death In Her Eyes
Characters
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Game Sessions
2018-07-17
Dr. Celyddon is approached my Monsieur Thomas, "The Egyptian". Thomas wants to hire Dr. Celyddon to retrieve an object from the local offices of the Direction Générale de l'Armement (Directorate General of Armaments, or DGA), the research and development service of the Ministère des Armées (Ministry of the Armed Forces). Unfortunately, Monsieur Thomas' previous contact in the DGA, Gaspard Clerc, has been murdered.
Meanwhile, Johnny Diamond is approached by the sharp-witted and gorgeous Marguerite Degan, head of the Kaufman & Degan real estate development and construction company. A month ago, after being missing for almost a week, Marguerite's sister Hélène was found by the side of the road, catatonic. Hélène was dressed only in a slip, with cuts and bruises that appeared several days old. The police performed a cursory investigation, but found nothing. Marguerite wants Johnny's help in finding out who did this to Hélène.
Dr. Celyddon performs a day-long ritual to reach into Hélène's mind and find out what happened to her. The memories are faint -- Hélène's mind has retreated from the world to defend herself from a sorcerous assault most foul. But he sees two men, and a large rock in a brass case. Marguerite identifies one of the men as Michel Galabru, a casino owner to whom her father, Édouard Degan, has often been in debt since her mother died.
YouTube recording of game session
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* A Maître d'hôtel is responsible for all front-of-the-house operations, manages staff who give services to customers, and allocates the duties of opening and closing the restaurant.
** The Degan's butler's name is Laurent.
2018-07-24
The gang tracks down Édouard Degan, the father of Hélène and Marguerite Degan, and interrogates him in the back of a car (he thought they were driving him home). Unfortunately, the old drunk doesn't appear to know anything of relevance to Hélène's condition. However, they do learn that Hélène Degan has been seeing Michel Galabru, owner of the Alegria casino and Parrains gangster, for about six months. Édouard Degan denies knowing why Hélène would be dating the gangster.
Carole digs into the SIT's files and manages to put a name to the face that Dr. Celyddon found in Hélène's mind: Thierry Lhermitte. The gang confronts Lhermitte at the garage he owns, and they catch him in the act of beating someone to death. They subdue Lhermitte, rescue Lhermitte's victim, and retrieve the Nightmare Stone. Thierry Lhermitte tells them that a Pieds-Noirs gangster named Bernadette Blanchard coerced him into using the stone on Hélène Degan. They let him go, and start making plans to confront Ms. Blanchard.
YouTube recording of game session
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2018-08-07
The gang tracks down Bernadette Blanchard, the mid-level Pieds-Noirs gangster who hired Thierry Lhermitte to abduct and assault Hélène Degan. They confront Ms. Blanchard at her place of business, the commercial pâtisserie "La Madeleine". The conversation is interesting, but not satisfying. Dr. Celyddon later uses sorcery to surreptitiously lift facts about Lhermitte from Blanchard's mind -- this is more productive.
Blanchard appears to know nothing about Lhermitte's occult activities. As far as she knows, he is a maker of alcool de contrebande -- moonshine. He told her he had a concoction that would make someone lose their memory, and she has paid him to do this to several people whom she had preferred not to have murdered. From her point of view, she was being merciful.
Dr. Celyddon learns a few other interesting tidbits of information. First, Ms. Blanchard has been buying youth potions from Dr. Celyddon for over a year (the fact that his magic was literally in her blood is what allowed him to read her memories with such each). Second, she has been putting leverage on Michel Galabru to get a cut of the Alegria casino (currently under the control of the Parrains) -- he has been selling Lhermitte's moonshine as "Russian vodka" (this is how she learned of Lhermitte's existence). Third, she wants to keep her machinations concerning the Alegria casino from her superior, Jean-Jacques Verchere. Her reasons for that are not entirely clear, but the general impression that Dr. Celyddon gets is that Verchere would not approve.
Meanwhile, Leosliath checks in on Hélène Degan, and slowly ingratiates himself with Hélène's younger sister Marguerite. Hélène is doing much better: she interacts with Leosliath and appears nearly normal, but she does not remember him. In a change of heart, Marguerite tells Leosliath that he may visit again.
YouTube recording of game session
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2018-08-14
Snow is thick on the ground in Camaret-sur-Mer, and the streets are awash in grey slush.
Bernadette Blanchard makes a surprise visit to the Cafe Azure Americain, and asks pointed questions of Johnny Diamond and Dr. Celyddon. She seems satisfied with their answers. She then hires them to find an object which her men stole from the Directorate General of Armaments, and which was then stolen from her men: a "death ray"
The gang heads to the coroner's office during the guards' lunch break, and a generous bribe to the coroner on duty gets them a look at the bodies found at the ill-fated exchange of the death ray. There are two bodies, approximately 300 kilos each, with numerous heads and limbs.
Later, Dr. Celyddon goes alone to the location of the exchange. He doesn't find much in the snow-covered alley, other than dozens of footprints and some tire tracks, but he does find a stone with a human finger merged with it. He is shot by a man he does not recognize, but the man flees and escapes.
Later, Johnny Diamond is shot and seriously wounded while approaching his club, but he manages to get behind cover. He crawls through the snow and into the club for shelter. He calls Leosliath, who comes to Johnny Diamond's aid and tends his wounds. They look outside for the would-be assassin, but the assassin is already gone.
YouTube recording of game session
2018-08-21
The gang tracks the stolen "death ray" to a townhouse in the 11th District (Le Fret), an ethnic Polish community. Deciding that broad daylight is not the best time for a confrontation, they make a note of the address and plan to come back later.
Carole is invited to the Hippodrome Telgruc-sur-Mer by upper circle Parrains gangster Alexandre Montand. He asks her about Bernadette Blanchard's visit to the Cafe Azure Americain, and then invites her to Le Cirque de Demain ("The Circus of Tomorrow"), which is to be held at the racecourse a few days hence, and the associated black-tie event, the Gala de la Piste ("Party of the Circus Ring").
Dr. Celyddon and Johnny Diamond meet with Monsieur Thomas, "The Egyptian", to give him an update on their search for the "death ray". He seems content with their progress.
Yves Dupont, a gangster who works for Bernadette Blanchard, visits the Cafe Azure Americain, and asks Johnny Diamond to come to his home -- a stylish flat in the 1st District (La Préfecture). His home has been broken into and searched, and Ms. Blanchard thinks Johnny and the gang might be able to find some clues. While at the home of Yves Dupont, the building is attacked by the "death ray", disintegrating Yves' manservant. The attackers get away, but Carole sees a sign on the car door: Boucherie Charles ("Charles Butcher Shop").
YouTube recording of game session
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2018-08-28
The gang finds the death ray, foils the Ottoman spies, and saves the Circus Of Tomorrow.
YouTube recording of game session
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2018-09-04
The gang solves a murder at the Circus Of Tomorrow.
YouTube recording of game session