Adventure: Profit Motives

San Gabriel can be a dangerous place for anyone, but especially for mortals, but if that risk becomes too apparent the exposure of the supernatural can be a problem for everyone. When a series of human deaths at construction sites across the city coincides with inexplicable surges of magical energies and disquiet among supernatural communities, it's definitely cause for investigation.
Profit Motives is a one-shot adventure recommended for Modern AGE in Pulpy Mode.

Plot points/Scenes

Checking a Job Site

Summary
The PC's investigate one of the construction sites tied to a mortal worker's poorly explained death.
Scene Notes
This is one of the most likely places for the PC's to start their investigation, but if they come here later after finding other clues it is recommended that the site supervisors act much more aggressively toward them during the day and that a few additional thugs are present at night to represent the escalating danger.
Investigation Notes
Upon arriving the PC's quickly note that the site is under the control of the Starlight Commercial Construction company. It is apparent that despite the recent death the site has already returned to normal activity which makes uncovering clues more challenging. With a difficult check the PC's can uncover signs of intentional damage to safety equipment. Logic suggests that if the PC's where able to uncover this sabotage after days of normal work activity then it either it was done after one worker was already killed or the CSU's failed to note it implying police negligence... or worse. With an easy check the PC's can find information tying the Starlight Commercial Construction company to a larger organization called Shoreline Property Development Group (SPDG).
Obstacles
If the site is approached at day the workers present seem very stressed, yet oddly reluctant to speak with the PC's about any investigation. Site supervisors will attempt to bar the PC's presence on the site, disrupt any investigation, and will call for police intervention if the PC's push the matter. If the site is approached at night, there is a strong likelihood that the PC's will be confronted by police for trespassing.

Approaching the Pack

Summary
The PC's confront the lycanthropes who have moved into the territory.
Scene Notes
If the PC's have heard the rumors of a pack moving into the area causing trouble this may be their first stop. If they instead are presented a different hook this could represent a lead that comes up while asking around for more information. Feacha and the scrutineer will both know about the pack's movements as part of their own separate hooks.
Investigation Notes
The pack is perhaps 2 dozen strong, though several of their members are juveniles or younger. An easy check convinces them to explain that they had previously lived in the harbor region, but recently they'd experienced a recurring illness seemingly brought on by magic being worked in the area. This was particularly harmful to the younger members of the pack which is why the group has been insistent on pushing their way into the area even if it means conflict with other supernatural groups. A very difficult check will result in a juvenile named Jordan to come forward with details about a particular warehouse where unusual happenings had been noticed by Jordan and a couple other younger werewolves. The pack will not permit Jordan to guide the PC's to the warehouse, though a particularly high check could lead Jordan to sneak away and do so of her own accord.
Obstacles
While the pack is not immediately violent with the PC's, they do seem unusually defensive and easily provoked. If the PC's get too aggressive with them or fail too many social interaction checks, combat may ensue. Any threat to the younger pack members will be met with immediate attack.

Investigating the Harbor

Summary
The PC's explore the harbor and surrounding industrial area for clues regarding the effects.
Scene Notes
If the PC's reach this scene after speaking with Feacha they can begin their investigation from their home, reducing the check to locate the warehouse. If the PC's reach this scene after being attacked by the thugs (see Chasing Leads & Being Chased below), the address on the business card leads them to the warehouse with crates of weapons. If the PC's reach this scene after speaking with Jordan and the lycanthropes no check is required to locate the warehouse, and Jordan's presence will guide them directly to the clues here. If the PC's reach this scene after investigating the Shoreline Property Development Group offices no check is required to locate the warehouse.
Investigation Notes
Searching through the harbor district with an average check will lead the PC's to a group of warehouses belonging to the Shoreline Property Development Group. Once inside, it is apparent that some sort of magic has been worked in the area, but it requires another difficult check to track down the exact location where the workings were performed. Any spellcasters among the group or those with special knowledge of illicit rituals can attempt to determine the purpose of the magic performed here, with a difficult check revealing that the magic is syphoning energy toward a specific location in town. Researching the location reveals it to be an office building downtown. While investigating the warehouses, the PC's may also stumble across crates marked as heavy equipment parts, but an average check reveals they actually contain military grade weaponry and body armor.
Obstacles
If the PC's were able to locate the specific warehouse with the clues, when they attempt to leave the warehouse they are assaulted by a group of thugs.

SPDG Offices

Summary
Investigating the downtown office building which houses the Shoreline Property Development Group's operations, the PC's make a significant discovery.
Scene Notes
If the PC's reach this scene before investigating the harbor district they will not yet have evidence of illicit magical workings tying SPDG back to the supernatural community.
Investigation Notes
The office building contains a number of companies, but the 8th floor is entirely reserved for SPDG. None of the executives will engage with the PC's, but speaking with middle management will result in corporate nonsense answers while speaking with average workers will reveal most of them highly stressed and seemingly ready to quit due to poor pay/treatment and an apathetic leadership. If the PC's spend too much time interacting with workers, they will be confronted by Kent Fischer (see below) and told they're disrupting operations and it's time for them to leave. If the PC's access the floor when it is empty, the PC's can quickly locate the private offices of the board. There are multiple avenues of investigation, with varying difficulties here. An average check investigating the papers throughout the offices reveals multiple police reports for the differing accounts of the same incident. A difficult check investigating the computers reveals a password-secured spreadsheet balancing unlabeled costs versus profits for sites where injury/death incidents have occurred. A very difficult check investigating the computers reveals a deleted email chain with one Kent Fischer, director of human resources, regarding replacing "lost manpower." The implication of the clues from the executive offices is a corporate cover-up to protect profits over the lives of workers, but there's no evidence of supernatural involvement that can be found other than a book in one office titled "Better Business Through Black Magic," but flipping through it reveals it is a well-worn self-help book with notes in the margins about personal growth and confidence. Investigating Kent Fischer's office seems to confirm these findings, but an exceptionally difficult check can reveal a false bottom in a file cabinet inside of which there is a grimoire and other wizardly paraphernalia. Here is the connection the PC's have been looking for between the supernatural effects and SPDG. If the PC's do not find this additional investigation will be required to tie Kent individually to the magic performed in the warehouse.
Obstacles
If approached during the day the office is active and accessible, but the PC's will need some excuse to justify their presence. If they claim they are investigating they are denied entry and a PR representative will instead come down to the lobby to try and lead them away with empty answers. If they attempt to force their way in they will be barred by security and may have the police called. If approached at night the lobby is locked with a security guard at the desk and multiple others throughout the building as well as security sensors throughout. If the PC's approach openly the guard will turn them away until the building opens the next morning. If the PC's sneak in, being found will again result in a confrontation with security and the police being called.

Chasing Leads & Being Chased

Summary
After picking up the trail of something larger tied to their case, the PC's are attacked by hired guns.
Scene Notes
This scene should play out when the PC's have uncovered one or more supernatural leads tied back to the Shoreline Property Development Group. The PC's may or may not know about Kent Fischer individually, but he has noticed them. If they took anything from his office's hidden drawer he will be more directly aiming to eliminate them and recover his items, whereas if they've merely found more information than he wants he will still be attempting to scare them off the trail.
Investigation Notes
While this scene is far more about the encounter than the investigation, should the PC's capture one of their assailants they can interrogate the prisoner for details. An average check reveals they were hired by an SPDG representative while a very difficult check reveals Kent Fischer's name specifically and that he is a "creepy bastard" who "scared the shit outta" the thugs. If all of the assailants are chased away or killed, a difficult check can reveal a Starlight Commercial Construction business card for one Leonard Tolle with an address written on it. This address is for one of the SPDG warehouses in the harbor district (see above), though it is not the one containing the supernatural evidence.
Obstacles
The PC's are followed as they travel between scenes and attacked in a discreet location by a group of thugs in a couple unmarked vans. These thugs seem like simple enough criminals, but are surprisingly well-equipped. After 6 rounds of combat or when about half the thugs have been killed, whichever happens first, the thugs will retreat (taking their dead with them). 2 rounds later police will show up and if the PC's are still there they will be arrested.

Interrogation

Summary
After being taken into custody by police, the PC's are threatened rather than being booked.
Scene Notes
If at any point the PC's are arrested, this scenario plays out. Subsequent police interactions will simply result in combat scenarios where the PC's are either shot before they can be arrested or hauled in handcuffs to a discreet location for execution.
Investigation Notes
Although the intent of the dirty cops who threaten the party is to scare them off the investigation, this can be a golden opportunity to draw out some more information. If they can use careful wordplay and social checks, the PC's can learn more about SPDG's dealings with the police department and the cover-up of the numerous deaths. With a very difficult check they can even discover that there is a body currently at the morgue from such an incident.
Obstacles
The PC's encounter with the police can go a couple different ways, but at the end it is either threats and then dumping them off in an empty construction yard or combat. The cops are tough, but ultimately they want a payday, not to give their lives for a cause. They will surrender or flee if they are put in a no-win position.

Body of Evidence

Summary
The PC's examine the body of a recent victim at the morgue.
Scene Notes
The PC's could choose to start their investigation here, but if they do so there should be some check to determine if they can even verify that the body of a worker is present. If they spoke with Emilia at the start of the adventure she could verify this location for them.
Investigation Notes
An examination of the body reveal post-mortem injuries consistent with certain sacrificial rituals the PC's may be familiar with. A magical examination reveals similar information, but also results in a wave of disorientation affecting any spellcasters in the group. This is an after-effect of the ritual which was performed on the body previously.
Obstacles
Accessing the morgue while open is exceedingly difficult due to the high police presence, but not impossible with the right social checks. Entering at night means breaking in and avoiding encounters with guards and any police that may be in the area. There is also a single medical examiner who is present after hours finishing paperwork which could be a help or a hindrance depending on the PC's choices.

The Takedown

Summary
The PC's confront Kent and bring an end to his plans.
Scene Notes
The PC's can reach this scene any time once they've uncovered Kent as the true architect of everything they've been investigating.
Investigation Notes
Kent is continuing to act in the background orchestrating his final 3 sacrifices over the course of the week. This is the highest concentrations of deaths and will be difficult to cover up, but his time is running out which also makes him increasingly desperate. If the PC's thwart any of this sacrifices through their investigation he will turn his attention toward sacrificing them instead. By the time this scene plays out there's no more investigating to do, the players either stop Kent or fail.
Obstacles
Kent himself is more imposing than he appears. He's a competent spellcaster and if faced in his warehouse is empowered by his ritual. Additionally, his thugs have been enchanted by this point making them far more resistant to injury and pain. He will attempt to flee if it looks like he's losing the fight. It is possible for the players to overcome Kent without fighting him themselves, whether by pulling in allies or revealing the mundane portions of his plans to the public, but any attempt to persuade him to stop always fails as he's far too fanatical for such debate.

Themes

It is encouraged for the GM to drop in details emphasizing the corruption of the local authorities and the callousness of the SPDG executive board. Thematically, this story centers around a bad actor, Kent, leveraging the greed and lack of basic empathy in the company and its leadership to enable literal human sacrifice for his own dark purposes. The company may not be intentionally participating in human sacrifice to an ancient cosmic horror, but they are nonetheless willing to ignore it happening right under their noses as long as the money keeps rolling in.

Components

Hooks

Here are a few plot hooks that may draw your players into the adventure:

• Local union leader Emilia ("Emi") Garcia has been asking around for help investigating a recent string of worker deaths at construction sites across San Gabriel.
• A gang of lycanthropes have moved into the area and are causing trouble for the locals, including the PC's, as they try to carve out a niche for themselves.
• A spellcaster, either a PC or an ally of them, has been having difficulty controlling their spells, with several effects coming out far stronger than intended.
• Feacha, a fey contact of the PC's, has come to the group asking for help after experiencing severe disorientation and illness of a magical nature.
• A mortal known to the PC's recently died under questionable circumstances at a construction site in town, but the authorities have quickly deemed it an accident.
• A scrutineer from the Order of Meriln has been harassing locals about recent magical disturbances in the area.

Stakes

Here are a few motivations for PC's involved in this adventure:

• Should the PC's have a positive interaction with Emi or the scrutineer, a monetary reward is offered for their assistance.
• Feacha will offer a favor if the PC's assist, or should the PC's already owe them a favor they will call it in for this situation.
• Should the PC's already ben indebted to the Order of Merlin they will be commanded to aid in the scrutineer's investigation.
• Resolving this issue could ingratiate the PC's with the lycanthropes (and perhaps a few other factions) in the supernatural community.
• Identifying the cause of the magical "power surges" could provide a source of power and will likely ingratiate the PC's with one or more wizardly orders.
• Increased mortal deaths tied to seemingly supernatural causes is an exposure risk to the entire supernatural community of San Gabriel, including the PC's.
• If one or more of the PC's has chosen to be connected to one of the mortal victims or a mortal imperiled by this situation, they may feel personally compelled to resolve the matter.
• There is a moral value to protecting the mortal workers' lives if the PC's are an altruistic sort.

Red Herrings

Ultimately the Shoreline Property Development Group is a red herring. While they are undeniably complicit in the villainy of Kent Fischer, they are intentionally positioned by him to act as a smokescreen for his crimes. If the players expose SPDG's wrongdoing to the public without implicating Kent or halting the supernatural plot, they will find that the magical effects and deaths continue, but now far more randomly than before.

Relations

Allies

Emilia ("Emi") Garcia

she/her
One of the leaders of the San Gabriel chapter of the Laborers' Union, Emi is deeply concerned about the safety of workers in the city and offers up her own meager resources for any efforts which will further that cause. She is also a devoted member of her community and has connections across the city's working class.

Feacha

they/them
A skilled fey hunter, Feacha is likely known to the PC's prior to the events of this adventure. They are a dealer in supernatural arms and occasionally information with a strong preference towards others who present themselves as hunters rather than prey. While very acquainted with the games played by other fey, they are far more direct in their dealings which can be refreshing to the PC's, but also means any attempts at duplicity will quickly sour the relationship with a dangerous being.

Neutrals/Bystanders

Poul of Halifax

he/him
A scrutineer of the Order of Merlin, Poul has been dispatched to investigate the magical power surges experienced by practitioners in and around the harbor district. He is terse and openly disinterested in his mission, but steadfast in his dedication to the Order so he continues investigating. He will welcome the help of the PC's particularly if they show an aptitude for spellcasting, but if they are of a more physical nature or are openly members of another Order he will treat them rather rudely. He is loathe to offer reward of any sort, but will provide information and limited spellcasting to the PC's should they agree to assist his investigation. If betrayed by the PC's he will attempt to erase their memories of him and his investigation.

Adversaries

Kent Fischer

he/him
Kent is the director of human resources for the Shoreline Property Development Group, coordinating the workforce of several construction companies throughout San Gabriel, Chicago, Milwaukee, and Detroit. The company considers him highly valuable and he is generally liked. Despite his generally positive perception, workers fear to contradict him leading to a weakening of union positions over his time with SPDG.
Kent believes himself a descendant of the Atlanteans and therefore a superior race. Heavily influenced by infamous bigots and eugenicists, he sought out a supernatural benefactor who he calls the lord of depths, though in truth he has no idea who or what he's worshiping. What he does know is a not-insignificant amount of magic including a ritual of human sacrifice which he has been using for years to empower himself. At the start of the adventure he is 8 days away from completing his greatest ritual, the Hyagnokwts, which he believes will allow him to bring his benefactor into the mortal and result in his own ascension. Who knows the truth, but one thing is for certain, he's

Related Locations

• Harbor District