We decided to game at Paul's place. It was me, Tomas, Justin, Ian, Sam and of course, Paul. I was the GM for the game. Paul has a mother-in-law-suite in the back and separate from the main house. It was a very roomy place with a large front room that he converted to a game room. Everyone brought their own snacks and drinks, although Paul very thoughtfully stocked the place up with the same, too.
Here is the setting:
In Empire City (see map below), a female reporter turns up missing. She had written several articles exposing the crime syndicates that had taking over the city. They were not very flattering pieces. But now she had delved into something that went deeper than just the crime syndicates. There were kidnappings of some major brain trusts. And the police were acting as if it were nothing worse than missing person cases. She suspected a cover-up at the highest levels of city hall. She had contacted your group, a private investigations club that did the work as a hobby and asked you and your associates to meet up with her at her office at the newspaper at midnight. She hadn't explained why she contacted you. Only when you arrive, her office is in shambles. The place had been ransacked. And she is missing. You did find a torn section of newspaper with the following article.
Mysterious Disappearances Linked to Shadowy Cult?
Staff Reporter, Maggie O’Hara
A series of unexplained disappearances in Empire City has left citizens and officials grasping for answers. Prominent figures from the fields of science, journalism, and local politics have vanished over the past few weeks without a trace. Authorities remain tight-lipped, but sources close to the investigation hint at the involvement of an underground society calling itself "The Shadow Order."
This group, long thought to be a fringe conspiracy theory, has allegedly resurfaced in connection to these disappearances. Rumors abound of secret rituals and arcane devices being used in hidden locations beneath the city.
When reached for comment, Chief Inspector Donovan of the Empire City Police Department stated, "We are looking into all possibilities but have no evidence of any cult-like activity. We urge the public to remain calm while we investigate."
One of the missing, renowned scientist Dr. Gerald Kline, was last seen leaving a gala at the Empire Science Museum two weeks ago. His family has received no ransom demands, deepening the mystery. Similarly, several journalists investigating the disappearances—including this very publication—have received threats to "cease their inquiries."
Are these simply isolated kidnappings, or is something more sinister lurking in the shadows of Empire City? Stay tuned as The Empire City Examiner uncovers the truth.
After investigating the scene, you and your group leave the newspaper building, getting ready to head out, when a well-dressed man, or would have been well dressed, if he didn't have a very obvious tear in his suit jacket, stumbles out from the alley. He comes into the light and he's clutching his side, and when you look closer his white shirt has a large stain of blood. Before your group can reach him, he collapses to the sidewalk. He gasps something unintelligible, until you get closer to him. At this point you notice something is clutched tightly in his hand.
You've seen injuries of this magnitude before, in the Great War, and they never turned out good for the injured.
He whispers a three-word sentence with his last shuttering breath.
But before you can process his dying words, a screech of tires shatters the stillness. Out of the alley’s darkness, a group of men emerge—thugs, their faces obscured by the shadows. Leading them, is a sharp-eyed figure with an evil smile that curls up like the tip of a snake’s tongue. One of the city’s notorious crime bosses, flanked by four rough-looking men, steps forward.
"Well, well," the crime boss drawls. "Looks like we got ourselves some do-gooders. You boys sure you wanna stick your noses where they don’t belong?"
Without waiting for an answer, the group of thugs charge your group, and in an instant, the fight is on.
There isn't time to pull out your weapons and the scuffle quickly becomes a toss-up between a wrestling match and a boxing match. Within a couple of minutes two of the thugs are on the ground, unconscious. But the fight is not over, as the other two thugs and the boss step back.
Assessing the new odds, the boss gestures with his head toward the direction they'd arrived from. The remaining thugs quickly follow the silent command.
Before following his men, the boss looks back at you, his face taking on an evil glimmer as he bids you a farewell. "You ain’t seen the last of me, heroes,"
Although your group could easily follow him and perhaps bring him to terms. Your terms. The wounded man once more grabs your attention. However, after a quick examination, you discover he's dead. One of your associates opens the clenched hand of the man and discovers a small piece of paper, and it has an address scribbled on it.
One of your associates asks what he said before the others came out to fight.
You turn toward him and in a hushed voice, answer, "He said, 'They have her'."
Upon hearing that, one of your other associates, squatting near the body, reaches out, grabbing the arm of the dead man and pries open his tightly clenched fist. A badly crumpled piece of paper is revealed, with an address written on it. The address is to a local delivery service. One of the downed men groans as he regains consciousness...
Whether your team wanted the case is a moot point now, whatever you've gotten yourselves into, it doesn't appear you have any choice but to follow the clues and see where they lead.
~N~
- Justice Inc Empire City Street Map
~N~
So thus began our 6-hour plunge into the world of Justice, Inc.
We had a good time, and the players all agreed this was well worth the time. I'm not patting myself on the back, but I did put in a lot of time and effort into creating this adventure and I think it shone like the sun breaking through the storm clouds.
Unfortunately, we didn't have the time to finish the adventure, as the players fully immersed themselves into their roles and investigated and questioned most everything they came across. Meaning I had to play off-the-cuff a lot during our time spent gaming. I'm uncertain as to when we will gather again to finish the Justice, Inc. adventure, as scheduling between us all is a major problem. However, I will keep everyone informed through the Battleward forum.