Prolog – Volitis World Introduction
Goal: shorten time for future expositions, give context to why the players do their jobs
Everyone of you has worked at some point in your lifes, as headhunter.
For this reason you are all used to dealing with shady people, so it comes as no surprise to you when you are contacted for another job and asked to meet under a bridge early in the morning.
Each informant leads you to a shady establishment, instead of giving you tagert information, but it does make sense to you all, to discuss those things in private, rather than in the open so early in the morning.
Whatever establishment you would have expected to find behind the door your informant leads you through, you find yourself in a corridor instead and are asked to wait.
The corridor is lined with windows to one side. Behind the glass lies a city build out of towers. It looks nothing like the place you currently live in or even dare to call home.
Wherever you are, your viewpoint is above the city. You can make out four other towers, which are about the same height as the level you are standing on. All other towers in your view are smaller. They are connected through bridges and you can spot people busily moving along them.
After a few minutes your contact comes back and tells you to follow them. Your client wants to see you..
Event – First talk with Mykor
- Explain that the players are there as new champions + the old ones died, went missing
- Say that if they succeed, they can choose their pay (even services, items, money, employment etc.)
- Explain what a Renegade is
- Stress how important it is for the target to be alive
- each player receives a small, bronze gear wheel with a green see through middle
The Players get send off on their mission.
ONESHOT 1
| PLACE | Paris, France – Exposition Universelle, Palais des Machines |
| TIME | 1889 |
| GOAL | Headhunt for a Renegade in the Palais des Machines |
| CONFLICT | Mykor, Ligatan & Endo all want to find the Renegade first. |
| PLAYER MOTIVATION | Business as usual, Headhunters |
| ROLES | Heros: Champions (Players) Main Opponent: Renegate Second Opponent: Thomas Edison Fake-Ally Opponent: Wilhelm Maybach Ally: Mykor Contact Fake-Opponent Ally: Gottlieb Daimler |
| MYSTERY | Who is the Renegade? |
WORLD INTRO:
Palais des Machines
You find yourself in a giant building made of metal and glass. The sun floods the entire hall with light and reflects on machines, which turn and hiss and click without pause.
A giant banner over the entrance announces that this is the “Palais des Machines”, a part of the World Exhibition in 1889, Paris.
Two additional banners, to either side advertise the two most prominent inventions of this exhibition: the Phonograph developed by Thomas Edison and the Motor Quadricycle by Daimler. Guests are urged to have a look at these innovations and even try them out for themselves on the first floor.
You stand between smaller booths directly at the entrance, between which people gawk and crowd and mumble in awe. Smoke filters through the air near you, but before you have a chance to look around you are greeted by an Englishman selling Apple-Dumplings.
Event: First talk with Aldéric the Apple-Dumpling Vendor
- he is the contact person, as is every other Dumpling Vendor
- Reason to believe there are others searching as well, or that the Renegade is very aggressive
- Event 1: One of the other vendors was nearly burned in the face by a sudden blow of hot air from a machine
- Event 2: Another vendor was nearly robbed of her money, but attempt failed
- Renegade is presumably male, with blond locks
- Give the players the Morphine
Aldéric Fortier – Contact Person – Mykor
| ROLE | Ally |
| WEAKNESS | Apathetic to the search for Renegades, loyal to own |
| NEED | Empathy |
| DESIRE | Go back home to Volitis |
| OCCUPATION | Apple-Dumpling Vendor |
| PAST EVENTS | – nearly killed vendor – early robbed vendor |
| BEHAVIOUR | Done with everything, “Not paid enough for this” |
| RESSOURCES | Money, Food, everything acquired through exchange |
| RELATIONSHIPS | The other Apple-Dumpling Vendors |
| LOOKS | Dark brown short hair, moustache, freckles and sunburned skin, gray eyes |
| VOICE | deep, grumbly, constantly frowny face, sulking undertone |
Phonograph
It’s definitely an easy to find booth. Music and voices echo in every direction from the brass colored cylinders of the machines. While it is one of the fairs biggest events, there are remarkably little people surrounding the booth. Maybe it is due to the volume. Behind the counter stands a young man with auburn hair. He presents the workings of the machine with a flourish. Next to him under a table sit two doberman dogs, who don’t look happy at all about the noise.
Events & Information
- Event 1: Two cases with wax rolls have gone missing. The were transported in traditional briefcases
- Event 2, if Daimler became enemy: some test drivers nearly crash into the booth. No one got hurt, but they toppled some of the machines and destroyed them.
- Information – easy: Explains that dogs are there for protection due to Event 1
- Information – middle: Montague wears a clasp with Ligatan’s symbol on his shirt under his coat
- Information – hard: the Renegade searches for his Sister (Ligatan took her)
Montague Cornell – Ligatan
| ROLE | First Opponent |
| WEAKNESS | Haughty, Flashy |
| NEED | modesty |
| DESIRE | kill Endo or Mykor’s Champions to gain better position in Volitis |
| OCCUPATION | Ligatan contact, Phonograph presenter |
| PAST EVENTS | Renegade interference (Event 1) |
| BEHAVIOUR | Cold, professional, reasonably flashy & elegant |
| RESSOURCES | knows of the other Renegade friends, has people on their tail |
| RELATIONSHIPS | – Percival & Minerva (two Dobermann dogs (tracker dogs)), – other employees |
| LOOKS | Auburn Hair, slightly curly, between 20-30, thin moustache |
| VOICE | Reference: Howl, confident, “presenter”voice”, medium pitch |
| SKILLS | Socially skilled, Manipulative, Intelligent |
| Action: 12 | Knowledge: 9 | Social: 19 |
| GBP:2 | GBP:1 | GBP:2 |
| Animal Handling: 72 | Technology: 80 | Manipulation: 79 |
| Acting: 72 | Safety Procedures: 28 | Lying: 79 |
| Insight: 89 |
Motor-Quadricycle
Gottfried Daimler himself stands amongst a crowd of people, too many to get through to him and explains in a booming voice the workings of his Motor-Quadricycles. There is a man at his side, who checks the returning cars before people can go to another test drive.
There are five Motor-Quadricycles people can test on a designated ring going around a circle with seats in the middle. A huge number of workers for Daimler are dressed in simple dark blue pants and coats. There are miniature models of other inventions as well as motors at the main booth.
Events & Information
- Event 1: One of the workers was found drunk or something in the toilets, uniform gone
- Event 2 , if Montague became enemy: Brakes on Motor-Quadricycle malfunction, Car crashes
- Information – easy: Staff is only on the first floor, never the second
- Information – middle: Event 1
- Information – hard, if positive: Daimler cooperates with them, Players may now command the employee-network
- Players may try to steal uniforms, or bargain for them
Gottlieb Daimler – Endo
| ROLE | Second Opponent |
| WEAKNESS | (Reference: Garrett Hawke) brash, thick headed |
| NEED | Focus, empathy, slow down |
| DESIRE | Find the Renegade under all costs |
| OCCUPATION | Endo contact, Entrepreneur |
| PAST EVENTS | trained in gunsmithing & mechanical engineering |
| MOTIVATION | – in Search for production sites in France for his “Steel-wheeled car”, – searches for Renegade with brute force and workers |
| BEHAVIOUR | Charming, high charisma |
| RESSOURCES | – Daimler-Employee-Network – 5 Motor-Quadricycle-Prototypes – Money |
| RELATIONSHIPS | – Wilhelm Maybach – the workers in blue |
| VOICE | “Dad” voice, confident, but warm constantly smiling |
| SKILLS | VERY proficient with guns |
| Action: 9 | Knowledge: 15 | Social: 16 |
| GBP: 1 | GBP: 2 | GBP: 2 |
| Shooting: 99 | Gunsmithing: 95 | Persuasion: 96 |
| Mechanical Engineering: 85 | Insight: 96 |
Renegade
A young man, not boy anymore, but not man yet either. Dirty blond locks hidden under a blue cap. Wide, blue trousers in the same colour, and panicked green eyes. Looks around constantly, jumpy. Faces the floor most of the time.
Gilbert
| ROLE | Main Opponent |
| PAST EVENTS | – Worked as servant once, got fired and has to steal, is not good at it – Only got to steal the briefcases from Ligatan, because he is good with animals – Nearly got caught once, denies being a Renegade, Sister went missing after supposed interview with Phonograph company |
| MOTIVATION | Search for Sister, who went missing |
| BEHAVIOUR | Paranoid, hides on the second floor, observes Montague |
| RESSOURCES | False Uniform from Daimler, Briefcase from Montague, switchblade |
| RELATIONSHIPS | Other Renegades in other parts of the Exhibition |
| LOOKS | Blond locks, Blue Uniform, Medium height, very thin |
| VOICE | high, frightened, carefully neutral |
| SKILLS | Can use switchblades |
| Action: 24 | Knowledge: 9 | Social: 7 |
| GBP: 3 | GBP: 2 | GBP: 2 |
| Switchblade: 54 | Investigate: 59 | Persuasion: 37 |
| Hiding: 94 | Gang-Knowledge: 49 | Charm: 47 |
| Theft: 64 | ||
| Fighting: 64 | ||
| Athletics: 84 |
Overview
| Mykor | Endo | Ligatan | |
| Search | Description | Network | Bloodhounds |
| Capture | Morphin | Fake theft > escort him | Blackmail |
| Event | Attack by Renegade | Attack Ligatan | Attack Endo |
| Hint | Object, Description | Location on upper floor (Staff is only on the first),Missing Uniform | Circumstances,relationships |
| Item | Morphine | Uniform | Dogs |