When the ocean wept

From ORC Edinburgh RPG Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search

A small mini-campaign revolving around the mysterious artifact known as Poseidon's Tear.

Part 1: OIS - Under a Heavy Rain

In Under a heavy rain, Donalds and Kanly discover the body of Dave Carmichael. At this point, the Office Of Internal Security take over the investigation and a team (the PCs) are dispatched to investigate by their section head, Agent Smith. During the course of their investigations, the PCs learn that Carmichael was a repeat offending thief, often stealing items to order - he was suspected of stealing Poseidon's Tear from the National Museum of Scotland a few weeks previously but there had been no hard evidence.

The group chooses to interview Carmichael's wife, Sandra. She proves to be too grief-stricken to shed any light on his death, but they learn that a known associate of Carmichael, Colin Thomson has paid a visit recently taking a case that had been left for him. Leaving the widow behind they decide to make tracks to the large apartment building where Thomson lives. En route they learn that a lot of money has been placed in Carmichael's bank account, traced through a holding company to the reclusive Eric Matheson. Matheson has been suspected of collecting illegal arcane items and was flagged on both the GIA and FSB databases as a "person of interest". It is also apparent that two other of Carmichael's associates have turned up dead recently.

When the group arrive at Thomson's home they arrive when a party is in full swing. The group splits up, some investigating the building, the others remaining outside. There is no sign of Thomson, but in a darkened room nearby they find the dead body of a young human female. Suffocation is the cause of death and the room was locked from the inside - DNA traces on a nearby tiny air vent are traced to a deceased Chrysalis Corporation employee. They find similar traces in Thomson's room.

Meanwhile outside, some of the group see Thomson when he returns and tries to escape, pursuing him to King's Buildings, but they lose him in the ruins. His body is found later in a locked room; the cause of death: suffocation. The group find trace DNA traces matching those they found previously - again near an air vent.

With dwindling daylight, the group set out in the Saracen people carrier, leaving the safety of the arcologies behind, to try and interview Eric Matheson, who lives in a private residence in the Pentland Hills. When they arrive, the whole house is dark - the automated sentries are switched off and there are no lights on. Warily, the group plan their approach, but are told to back off by a communication from Agent Smith. Puzzled, the group retreat, passing a civilian vehicle heading toward the house.

The investigation is then closed.

Part 2: Eldritch Society - Corporate Ties

These events take place directly after Part 1 and before the story, Corporate Ties.

The Edwards family blog has long been used to contact the Tager pack that the PCs belong to. "Essy has apparently messed up Daddy's briefcase and he's not very happy": this code tells the pack members that someone in the Eldritch Society has done something that has messed up a Chrysalis Corporation plan, and that they are on the warpath.

The pack have a mission: someone named Matheson has possession of the artefact known as Poseidon's Tear. They have his address. Their mission is to retrieve it.

The group reconnoitre the house, aware of Dhohanoid presences within the building, along with many dead bodies, some partially eaten. The Dhohanoids are primarily Ramachese and Duo-Sanaras, although two Elibs also appear to be in attendance. One of the Ramachese is in communication with someone who appears to be less than happy with the bloodthirsty Elibs, and is making his displeasure known.

The pack takes out both Elibs (Chance Draycott, the Vampire Tager, using a Blood Bomb to do so) before tearing the other Dhohanoids apart, wiping out the Chrysalis Corporation team. However, the group hears what sounds like D-Engines rumbling closer. When the Whisper (Jack Tanner) investigates, it turns out that a Werewolf attack 'copter is closing fast on the house. The group makes their escape just as a volley of missiles slam into the building, wiping it off the earth.

Back in Edinburgh, the pack attempts to rest as the rain pours down - but as they drive their battered old van into the car park in the centre of the remodelled Omni centre in Leith, they are ambushed. As they emerge into the shopping mall car park, there is a huge explosion as part of the curtain wall explodes, flooding the area with water.

Revealed within the torrent are a number of Deep Ones and a Leviathan Mech. Faced by overwhelming odds, the pack scatters, after wreaking as much havoc as they can. Arthur West, a Merrow Tager, plunges into the water carrying the case with Poseidon's Tear inside as the rest of the pack buy him some time, but he is still pursued by a group of Dagonites.

His fate is unknown, but the Dagonites gain possession of Poseidon's Tear, and prepare to use it in the ritual to uncover one of the seals of R'lyeh, leading to the event s of Vanguard Venegeance below.

Part 3: NEG Mecha - Vanguard Vengeance

This takes place directly after the Corporate Ties adventure - the introductory fiction can be found at [[[Vanguard Vengeance]].

align:center

The NEG mecha are shot down as they make their way to the drop zone. Their transport, the McMurdo, returns to Rosyth for repairs, dropping them into combat zone with five Esoteric Order of Dagon Hydras and a Leviathan in support. The NEG forces blow the Leviathan apart in concert with charge Beams and lasers before turning their fire-power on the remaining Hydras.

Wary of the possibility of a White Death in the area, the lance heads straight for their target, the Ocean Vanguard. They decide to avoid using the interference of the Devils Hole as cover and opt for all-out assault. As they close on the former oil rig, their sonar registers multiple contacts.

Deep Ones and powered armour hybrids are conducting some kind of ritual in the middle of a growing storm. Two Leviathan mecha stand guard, on each side of the rig. However, it is the being that is clinging to the side of the rig that sends one Hemshall pilot and Engel to flee in fear. The twenty-five foot form of a Spawn of R'lyeh clings to the rig and appears to be presiding over the ritual.

A small glowing tear-shaped sphere appears to be the focus of the ritual. Stingray's Tsunami targets the sphere with his charge beam, hitting it squarely.However, the D-reactor in his mech begins to lose power as the charge beams fails to disengage and actually appears to be draining into the stone. Stingray tries to ram the stone with his mech, but the Spawn hurls part of the rig at him, entangling him. The two Hamshall Engels take apart the Leviathans, as Argonaut in the Cyclone mech launches a salvo of missiles at the surprised Dagonites, targeting the Spawn. The Spawn is blown from its perch and plunges into the depths, horribly injured.

The ritual reaches its conclusion, the stone appearing to split - strange symbols and the image of a vast undersea city appear: R'lyeh. It begins to fade gradually although the symbols burn into the minds of anyone present. As soon as it fades the EOD forces scatter, leaving the NEG mecha victorious - although at what cost?