PARALLAX, Session 16: The Compass and the Paramedic

Scene setup

Scene Expectations

The teams tracks the sniper using the spider thing. Hopefully we get some leads on Hastur.

Expected scene test

Scene Proceeds Normally

Playing the scene

FQ: Doest the man head for the airport?
A: No!
FQ: Where does he go?
A: Entrance + Welcoming. My interpretation: he heads for an hotel

We place the mechanical spider inside a large cardboard box. The precise direction it skitters works like a compass, making tracking the sniper an easy task.

We don’t have very far to go. The spider leads us to a motel on the outskirts of the city. It’s nothing fancy, but decent accommodation by the looks of it.

Placebo: “Okay, what do we do now?”

Pariah: “Well, I hoped he would have been recalled to their headquarters since he’s badly injured. But obviously, that’s not the case. He’s probably reported back and been instructed to lay low and recover. I don’t think we can get much more out of him right now.”

Phalanx: “We can track him again anytime we need to. I say we follow the Jackie LaRoux lead instead. Let’s try to find out if she has the book.”

Pariah: “Agreed. I will ask Robertson to surveil this hotel, and inform us of any movement, just in case.”

We all agree it’s the best course of action.

Pariah: “Let’s start with LaRoux’s workplace. We’ll talk to her colleagues and see if she’s been behaving strangely lately.”

Her file states that LaRoux works at University Medical Center New Orleans, the primary academic medical center for the region. The trip there is uneventful. We head straight for the Emergency Room, where Pariah flashes her fake FBI badge and asks to speak with the head of paramedics.

NPC rolls Character Identity: Expert Crafter => veteran paramedic
Character Personality: Calm + Inconsistent
Character Appearance: Fancy + Odd
Character Conversation: Awkward + Mundane
Age: (D100): (55)
Sex: (D4), 1-2 male, 3-4 female: 1 => male
Name: Marcus LeBlanc

The head of paramedics is Marcus LeBlanc, a man in his mid-fifties. He has close-cut hair dyed purple and wears a pair of strange, cross-shaped earrings. Despite his odd appearance, he looks professional. At first, he is a bit awkward—clearly not used to dealing with the FBI—but he is collaborative.

Phalanx: “We’re making some routine background checks on everyone involved in the Baptiste murder case. What can you tell us about Jackie LaRoux?”

LeBlanc: “Jackie? She’s a good paramedic. She worked with Frankie for five years; they were very close friends. I never had a single problem with their work—they were among my best. Frankie’s death hit her pretty hard. It hit all of us hard, but her especially, of course. I’ve been cutting her some slack the last few days, but I hope she pulls herself together soon because right now, she isn’t easy to work with.”

FQ: did she behave strangely lately?
A: yes!
Punish + Environment
My interpretation: she’s been treating all her colleagues like Baptiste’s death is their fault.

Pariah: “How so?”

LeBlanc: “She’s been blaming everyone around her for Frankie’s death. Even me. She said I shouldn’t have sent them on that call because it wasn’t their area.”

Phalanx: “Is that true?”

LeBlanc: “Technically, yes. But as you can imagine, we are very shorthanded, so having to respond to a call outside your assigned area happens basically every day. I don’t blame her, though. What happened makes no sense, and I understand the need to blame someone for something that random.”

Phalanx: “Has there been anything else out of the ordinary? Any erratic behavior?”

FQ: Any erratic behaviour?
A: Yes!
Take + Danger
FQ: any mention of the book or king in yellow?
A: Exceptional Yes!
My interpretation: she put herself in unnecessary danger while on duty, stating that the tattered king is coming for her.

The man pauses before answering, adjusting his stance.

LeBlanc: “Well, there is something. But I don’t want this to ruin her spotless work record. She’s just going through a bad time.”

Pariah: “We understand. This will stay off the record.”

LeBlanc: “Yesterday, while responding to an emergency call for a car accident on the highway, she was seen walking carelessly right into the middle of traffic, like she was in some sort of trance. Her partner barely shoved her out of the way of a speeding car, or she would have been killed. When her partner yelled at her, she just muttered nonsense. Something about a ‘Tattered King’ coming for her.”

The air in the room suddenly feels colder.

Phalanx: “Is she on duty now?”

FQ: Is she on duty now?
A: No!

LeBlanc: “No, she clocked off a couple of hours ago.”

After confirming her home address with LeBlanc, we thank him and leave the hospital.

Placebo: “It seems highly likely that she did take the book. So, how do we proceed?”

Phalanx: “She’s probably asleep after her shift. I say we sneak into her home and search for the book while she’s out of it.”

Pariah: “It’s a plan. Let’s go.”

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Scene bookkeeping

Chaos Factor

7 (unchanged)

Character list

New entry for Jackie LaRoux

Thread List

New entry: LaRoux Has the book