Session 1: Bolt from the Blue

## Introduction

> *June 16, 2023. In the hazy heat of the setting summer sun, the streets of Old Eastgate are quiet, save for the background buzz of cicadas. Golden rays shine down on a sleepy side street, the last rays of daylight hopelessly fighting to hold back the encroaching darkness. The few denizens unfortunate enough to be caught outside scurry from shadow to shadow, trying in vain to escape from the oppressive fire of the angry sun. A homeless man pushes his shopping cart across the street, then stops in the middle and looks down at his watch.*
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> *Suddenly, the silence is shattered by the roar of engines as a convoy of vehicles roars around the corner: a heavy, armored limousine, flanked ahead and behind by black SUVs. The cars screech to a sudden halt as they nearly collide with the homeless man. Two burly men rush out of the front SUV, tackling the man to the ground. Shouts ring out as they begin shoving him out of the way.*
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> *Then, with a faint twang, something hurtles down from the roof of the Old Eastgate Bank. The object hangs in the air for a moment, almost as if it has struck a solid object. Then, with a flash of blue light, the object pierces through the air, smashing into the roof of the limousine and exploding. The entire street falls silent for a moment, stunned at the suddenness of the strike. Then, the silence is cut by agonized screams. From within the now roofless limousine, a well-dressed figure rushes out of the door, completely ablaze. The fine clothes burn away to boiling skin, the skin to charred bones, and then the bones to dust, all in the span of a few seconds as the screams fade into the wind.*
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> *A split second later, the two guards pull submachine guns and spray a hail of gunfire at the bank roof, but it’s too late. The sleepy block at the intersection of Neuse River Drive and Washington Boulevard springs to life as police sirens wail in the distance, while the last rays of sunlight slowly sink below the city skyline. The slumbering city stirs to life in the evening twilight, reveling in the oncoming bloodletting.*
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> *Welcome to Eastgate.*
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## Scene 1: Private Detective (Larsyn)

Larsyn Venture received a visit from Laura Shaw, the Chief of Staff for Eastgate's mayor and a well-known political strategist who had served under Larsyn's father, Kaval Venture. Shaw informed Larsyn that Horatio Kincaid had just been assassinated earlier that evening, and that his death would disturb the supernatural order. She charged Larsyn with investigating the case discreetly and bringing the information on the culprit directly to her without informing anyone else, including the normal police chain of command. Larsyn would be removed from normal duties and only assigned to the Kincaid case. Larsyn agreed, and she provided her direct contact information. She warned Larsyn that the forces involved would likely be dangerous and suggested that he bring along someone experienced with the supernatural for protection.

## Scene 2: The Dog Tag Dilemma (Zeke)

Brother Zeke was wrapping up a meeting to plan his church's Juneteenth ceremony when his assistant, Bo Higgins, approached to warn him about a visitor. Excusing himself and moving upstairs, Zeke discovered that his mystery guest was Fiorenzo "Coffin" Salvini, a lawyer and fixer for the Cavalieri Family. Salvini approached Brother Zeke about the possibility of acquiring a forged dog tag for Dreighton Security. He had worked with Zeke before to get one of his marked men out of the city after a hit. Zeke expressed confidence that the job would be done quickly and discreetly, and Salvini promised generous payment.

## Scene 3: Friday Knight (Kade)

Kade Agravain received a mysterious phone call as he was getting off work for the weekend. The call came from a woman only identified as "Knight". She informed Kade about the recent assassination of Horatio Kincaid and tasked him with two assignments: first, discovering the culprit and their true motive, and second, recovering information as to the whereabouts of Kincaid's legendary trove of magical artifacts. Kade agreed to the brief and rushed to the Cane Club.

## Scene 4: Vampiric Visitors (Arthur)

Arthur was patrolling his territory when he discovered two outsiders darkening the doorstep of Jackie Wentworth. The Vamps, members of the Livingston family, were hunting for clues about Kincaid's murderer, and they traced the attacker's suspected route to the neighborhood. Jackie refused to answer their questions or open the door, and Arthur proposed a compromise: the Vamps could ask their questions if they left the door closed. They agreed begrudgingly. Jackie explained that she had not hunted vampires for quite a while and had no idea who was responsible. The Vamps asked if she knew any wizards in the area, which she denied. Arthur told the Vamps to leave his territory, and they seemingly complied. In search of a wizard, Arthur set off for Brother Zeke's church.

## Scene 5: Grim Tidings (The Proprietor)

As the Cane Club prepared to open, the Proprietor received an unexpected visit from Zebulon Stalsworth, the butler and emissary of the Four Families. Stalsworth brought the news of Kincaid's death, which could threaten the balance of power in the city. The Families were itching for vengeance, but Stalsworth wanted to ensure that a reliable, unbiased investigation was conducted into the perpetrator, especially since he could not verify that no one in the Families had been involved. He warned the Proprietor to be quick, quiet, and cautious in his inquiry, then hurried off.

## Scene 6: The History Lesson (Kade and the Proprietor)

Shortly after Stalsworth's departure, Kade arrived, and the two smoked cigars together. Kade requested more information about Kincaid, and the Proprietor regaled him with the history of the Four Families in exchange for a Debt. Kade hurried to a planned meeting with Brother Zeke.

The Proprietor made phone calls to various acquaintances throughout the city. Eliza Reynolds promised to exchange any information she received among the student population. Jackie Wentworth expressed her disgust for the proprietor and her support for whoever conducted the assassination, although she claimed no knowledge of who was responsible. Esmerelda Strong, the museum curator, did not answer, although the Proprietor left a message promising to visit the Library later.

## Scene 7: Cashing In (Zeke and Kade, Zeke and Arthur)

Brother Zeke met with Kade and described the task he needed assistance with, hoping to draw on Kade's magical expertise. Kade said that he was willing to help, but had more urgent business at hand. In response, Zeke called in a past debt, noting that Kade had killed one of his clients before. Kade reluctantly agreed, promising to meet Zeke at a nearby Dreighton Security site after he finished an urgent meeting. Then he rushed off to the crime scene, where Larsyn was waiting for him.

Shortly after Kade's departure, Arthur arrived at Zeke's church. While Arthur wolfed down the leftover cookies from that evening's meeting (pun intended), he informed Zeke about the Four Families vamps hunting for wizards and asked if Zeke had been smuggling or harboring any wizards. Zeke claimed no knowledge of any wizards.

## Scene 8: Yellow Tape and Red Flags (Larsyn, Kade, and The Proprietor)

Larsyn arrived at the crime scene at the intersection of Neuse River Drive and Washington Boulevard, which had been cordoned off by police. He met with the lead officer at the scene, Sergeant Jenson Dunn, who had been instructed to follow Larsyn's orders at the scene. Upon his arrival, Larsyn received the following information about the attack from Sgt. Dunn:

* The killer had fired from the roof of the Old Neuse Bank, but bank staff had not noticed anyone strange entering the bank, nor had security cameras recorded anyone.
* The door to the Bank's roof was locked from the inside and the outside.
* There were strange metal fragments scattered around the inside of the limousine.
* The body had been taken away by members of the Kincaid Family before police arrived at the scene.
* There was only one person of interest, a homeless man who had blocked the Kincaid Family convoy. He had been taken away by the Four Families and police were still in the process of taking him into custody.

Larsyn investigated the limousine but was unable to discover anything else after a quick search. His investigation was interrupted by the arrival of Kade and the Proprietor. Kade was allowed in under cover as Larsyn's consultant, and the two were able to convince the police officers to let the Proprietor through as well.

Larsyn conveyed the information to Kade and handed over the fragments, which Kade promised to investigate. While Kade was unable to personally determine the nature of the magic, he had some contacts at the University who would be able to provide more information.

Meanwhile, the Proprietor unleashed his supernatural abilities to indulge his vampiric senses. Examining the scene closely, he was able to trace the death at the scene, gaining critical insight into Kincaid's last moments. The Proprietor learned the following information:

* The attack was completely unexpected, and Kincaid felt completely secure in the limousine.
* The attack came from a single sharp object, which the Proprietor determined to be an arrow, which slammed into the roof and exploded, letting the sunlight into the limousine.

However, giving in to his hunter's senses took a toll on the Proprietor, increasing his thirst for blood. He was hungrier than he had been in a long time, and risked growing increasingly disturbed unless he indulged his thirst.

## Scene 9: The Wrong Neighborhood (Arthur)

Arthur patrolled the neighborhood, looking for wizards. Eventually, he came upon the two Livingston Vamps from earlier that night, who were pursuing a nervous-looking Eastgate University student named Scarlet Clark. She claimed to have been in the neighborhood looking for magical herbs, but Arthur was able to see through her ruse. The Vamps pressed their line of questioning more aggressively, and she prepared to cast a spell. Arthur stepped in to try to intervene, but the Vamps were unconvinced and a fight broke out.

Arthur transformed into his hulking wolf form, and in a quick exchange of blows he dusted the first Vamp, whose butterfly knife barely broke Arthur's skin. The second vamp took a shot at the wizard, who went invisible. After a tense exchange of words, the surviving vamp, Kieran Livingston, agreed to drop the conflict if Arthur helped him pursue Scarlet. He agreed, and the two chased her scent.

After a few minutes, the two cornered Scarlet in a dead-end alley where she had been hiding. They pressed the same line of questioning, and she agreed to answer if they would let her go. Scarlet had been working at a listening post somewhere in the neighborhood, but was unable to get more details. She had no involvement or knowledge of Horatio Kincaid's murder. She claimed that if she provided more information, she would be in more danger from her superiors. Arthur and Kieran accepted her answer, and after providing her contact information to Arthur, she hurried away into the night. Arthur owed a debt to Kieran, and Scarlet owed a debt to Arthur.