CWN Campaign Session 1+2

Seattle, 2063. The fixer Fat Freddy recruits a team of runners for a simple job: Mr. Smith, an ex-corporate mage; Reiki, a glamorous sweet-talking summoner with a sordid past; McBain, a geared-up street samurai; and Bernie, cyberdoc and drug pusher extraordinaire.

The job? Mr. Johnson wants them to find a secret cannabis lab where magically awakened weed is being grown (sold as Space Queen on the streets). Get a sample, secure the research, destroy the lab–all for 15k. The lab is run by four good friends, Hector ‘Lozo’ Lozano, Deandre Wilkins, Vigo ‘Vig’ Ortega, and Yolanda ‘T-Mac’ Torrence and under the protection of the 38th Street Gang.

The team starts with some legwork, hitting up their contacts. They learn that members of the lab have been seen hanging around the T-Mart Convenience Store on 164th St in Redmond. The group goes on a little scouting mission, leveraging Mr. Smith and Reiki’s ability to conjure spirits. They find the convenience store has obvious gang protection and is unusually fortified on the inside: cameras, security doors, ballistic glass.

They also visit a black market in the Redmond Barrens, the Touy House, a five-story building with dedicated floors for shadow-running paraphernalia, to procure some useful items (drugs, tools, armor).

Before hitting the store, they decide to find out more about the Gang of Four and their weed. Mr. Smith, through his Lodge contact, hears the rumor that Space Queen has unusual effects on some: conferring short-term Astral Sight. They find Deandre Wilkins has a grandmother, Mable Wilkins, that lives in social housing in the Barrens. Yolanda Torrence works as a part-time bouncer at the downtown club Ebra.

Reiki visits Ebra to make contact with Yolanda. After one unsuccessful attempt, they get lucky on the second try. Reiki, relying on their natural charm and the help of a summoned spirit, are invited to Yolanda’s home, which she shares with the elf Karma, a stripper from the Boobie Bungalow. After a one-night stand, Reiki secures Yolanda’s phone number–a full social hacking success.

The team decides to leverage Mable Wilkins to lure Deandre into a trap. They convince Mable to call Deandre to her apartment, where they successfully overwhelm and abduct him. After an interrogation in their temporary safe house, they learn more about the security measures of the lab. With Deandre’s security chip and pass codes, they decide it is time for the Run.

They use Reiki’s connection to Yolanda to lure her away on a proposed date at a fine dining establishment North of Seattle. Bernie uses his gang connections to hire a few Brain Eaters, a thrill-seeker gang, to hit some other corners the 38th St Gang controls. Both attempts are successful: several gang goons leave the premises of the convenience store and Yolanda is indisposed for the evening. The team, including two summoned ghosts, hits the store.

A short fire fight with the remaining store clerk and a guard dog ends in favor of the team. They advance down to the basement, accidentally triggering a shotgun trap. In the basement, they face-off with Vig, two gang members, and a summoned dogsbody spirit. McBain cuts through the enemies–literally–and the ghosts provide essential assistance. They are able to force Vig’s surrender and secure 10 samples of the weed, the underlying botanical research, and some valuable lab gear. Before leaving, they set fire to the lab.

Holding on to Vig and Deandre as hostages for the moment, they prepare to meet Mr. Johnson (for the first time!) for the exchange. Mr. Smith receives a text message from the Albanian mobster Burja Kurti–he would like to meet the team at noon at his strip club Two Cups…