Sinns of the Father, Dante's Redemption Options

[SinN]

http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?show...=0&#entry628165

In the last 15 years, the streets of New Orleans have gotten meaner, if possible. Theres always a new threat. Something, or someone else that comes along and wants the next biggest, baddest thing to be feared. Despite the occourences, one name has survived all the turmoil, Jacob Sinner. They say that someone is most famous after they're dead, imortalised for eternity. Very little was ever truly known about the personal life of Jacob Sinner. His family, most of all, were kept a secret.
The new threat on the street is something unknown. 11 people have gone missing. And only one body is found, completley mutilated, beyond recognition of the body.

[SinN]

Slow week
As Dante drives away from the purging flames that was once a dive bar. He had carried out a hit that night on seven individuals who had robbed one of Lucky Santangelo's casinos. Money wasn't the issue, though. In the middle of the robbery, one of the casinos "working girls" was killed. No one messes with Lucky's girls. Its an age old rule at the Lucky Strike. You screw with them, and your asking to be killed, slowly.
Dante drove listening to the loud hum of his engine. He told them he was taking them to Hell. He looked in the rear view mirror, humored by the irony. After he'd hung up the phone, informing Lucky it was finished, a new message popped up on his screen.

Ace in the Hole. Work. Price Negotiable. One hour.

[fistandantilus4....]

Dante groaned.

I hate anonymous drop messages. Means someone I don't know knows how to get a hold of me. What the hell is 'Ace in the Hole'?

Absently, Dante switches on the autopilot and scans the matrix for local sites matching the title 'Ace in the Hole', eventually finding a bar that gives dive bars a bad name.

Ah hell.

With a shrug, Dante changes directions to the autonav, setting his destination for the Hole.

[SinN]

As you arrive, you can already tell that this is the dive of all dive bars. Bullet holes riddle the outside, mostly near the door. As you get inside, the light is dim, ceiling fans look like they're about to fall off. Theres a bar upfront with only 2 or 3 people sitting at it. In the back of the bar, there are a few pool tables. Not in great condition, but some a playable. theres a few orcs and human males playing a few games.
As you walk in through the front door, the bar tender goes pale for a moment. Once he regains his composure a few seconds later, he quickly runs to the back rooms of the bar.

[fistandantilus4....]

God damnit
Seeing the bar tender run for it, Dante quickly casts a deflection spell, locking it into his sustaining foci, following it with a spell to Detect Enemies, while scanning the 'crowd'.

I'm going to kick my self if I just walked into something.

[SinN]

Dante gets nothing on the detect enemies. Though you can sense some hostility from the men in the back. But thats as to be expected. Searching the crowd, you notice similar expressions on a few of the other patrons. A mixed expression of suprise, fear, and excitement. No one is aproaching you, but many are stairing.

[fistandantilus4....]

Fuck it.

Annoyed and very on edge, Dante keeps his face expressionless. Minding the detection spell, he walks to the abandoned bar, reaches out, and brings a bottle to him with magic fingers.

If these wharf rats are gonna be eyeing me, might as well give them a reason for second thoughts.

Showing minor magical ability, Dante takes a stool, trusting to general fear of magic in New Orleans to keep the idiots in front from trying anything for a while. That left worrying about the idiots in back.

[SinN]

Dante sits for moment. Out of the corner of his eye he notices the bartender come back holding a bottle of rum. He slowly aproaches Dante, and places the bottle in front of him, next to the bottle he already had.

H-H-H-Here you are s-s-sir.

He looks terrified. Beads of sweat drip of his nose and face. He appears to be waiting for something to happen.

[fistandantilus4....]

Dante looks contemptously at the bottle.
Get that shit away from me.

What the hell did I just walk into? Sometimes I hate New Orleans.

Dante looks the crowd over again, then back at the bartender, trying to figure the man out.

Maybe I look like the local enforcer or something.

He meets the man's eyes, waiting to see if he'll break and say something useful, or at least just go away.

[SinN]

Oh....I um.....He clears his throat. My mistake. I just remembered you liked....Is there anything I can do for you?

[fistandantilus4....]

huh?

No.

Actually...
I'm supposed to be meeting someone here. What do I have to do to get your regulars to quit staring at me?

[SinN]

Theres....Im sorry. Theres nothing I can do about them...

But I did just receive a message. He told me Id know when the man he's supposed to meet got here. i suppose thats you...one of the boothes, in the back next to the pool tables.

[fistandantilus4....]

And who is 'he'?

[SinN]

I dont know. His money's green. So I gave him a private booth. If you cant tell, money is slim around here. Things haven't been the same since the incidents that took place, about fifteen years ago.

He wipes a glass, then the bar. He appears to be remembering something.

[fistandantilus4....]

Dante rolls his eyes, not really caring to hear about the bar man's woes. Instead, he stands, wiping the lip of his glass with a gloved hand, and walks over to the booth, looking for the Money Man there.

[SinN]

It doesnt take long to notice a man sitting in a booth smiling at Dante. He's about to take a sip from his drink when he notices Dante. He puts his glass down and smiles intentively.

[fistandantilus4....]

Dante stays a good two meters from the man, looking him over, getting a read on him. He also minds his peripheral vision to see if anyone is paying attention to the two of them. Without approaching further, he says I assume you're the man who called me here? I don't care for anonymous messages with little information.

[SinN]

And I dont care much for smart mouth young men, but what can you do.
The man sitting in front of you looks to be in his late 70's. Wearing what appears to be a suit, with a top hat. The usual in New Orleans. Dante's seen this kind of thing before on people. It seems to be a style.

He take a sip from his drink and moves it aside.

Sit, sit. What harm could a frail old man like me do. I wish to speak bussiness. Mostly, how much this is going to cost me?

[fistandantilus4....]

Dante remains standing for the moment.
'Don't care for it'? You called me here, without anything more than 'there's work'. You can take my smart mouth as long as I have to take your bad manners.

Dante reaches an arm towards a chair, using a simple spell to bring it to him, turns it backwards, as sits, facing the man.

Ok. Talk. What'syour business.

[SinN]

Roll Ettiquite Test

[fistandantilus4....]

Charisma 6 + Etiquette 4 10

[ Spoiler ]

2,6,4,5,3,2,3,6,6,5= 5 hits
That little black dice kicks ass. Ask Redjack. He hates it when I run games with it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[SinN]

Alright then. Im sure you've heard of the disapearences and bloody bodies found right here in New Orleans? Well the job is simple. Find out what it is, and eliminate it. I have a detailed report on the bodies found, and about the people still missing. Included are the sites where the victims were last seen, and also where the bodies were found. Everything else is entirely up to you to find. Now as for pay, Im willing to pay up to 10k for this job to be done. Do we have a deal, Mr. Dante?

He holds out a disk.

[fistandantilus4....]

Dante scrutinizes the Johnson or a long moment, internally debating. In the end, it has less to do with the cred, than his own conciense, at having an oppurtunity to do something, and passing.

Alright Mr Johnson, I'm interested. But first, tell me, why me? This isn't exactly my are aof expertise.

[SinN]

Its not yet. But I can see now that it may be. You're a hunter Dante. You always have been. Its in your blood. But the rest of this conversation is for another time. Complete this job, and I may have more work for you, only if you're interested ofcourse. And Ill consider finishing this conversation. I think you may be interested. But only one can tell.

He puts his ciggarette out and stands. He pats his coat, pulling out a flask. Quickly taking a sip.

Theres a number on that optical disc. Call only when finished. A man will awnser that wont be me. But he'll direct you to me, but only if you give him a password. The word is....
He leans in a little closer.

...black mage. Good day to you young Dante.

The man picks up his cane and walks to the door.

Roll perception

[fistandantilus4....]

Intuition 4 + Perception 2 + (S)Visual 2 = 8
3,4,1,2,6,5,1,3 = 2 hits