Session 4, Scene 3: The Clean Slate

Plot points/Scenes

How to get to The Clean Slate

The Clean Slate is a secret speakeasy that you need a passphrase to gain entry to. The passphrase changes every day, and there are a few people who know it and are entrusted to give it out to a specific list of clientele. The only way to get your name on he list is to be invited to the speakeasy by someone else whose name is on the list.
The AdSoc members take the gang to see Scoop Jacksonville, who runs a news stand in the centre of Caffeinehagen.

Scoop Jacksonville

Visual: Elf, 6'5". Tanned skin. Brown eyes. Dark pompadour. Grey pinstripe suit, tan trenchcoat, grey trilby. Speech: 1950s New York news seller.
Scoop's news stand sits in the least developed area of the city centre. It's really big, almost like a shop rather than a stand, with lots of shelves filled with newspapers and magazines of all kinds, from around the world. There is a huge magical newspaper that acts as a live newsfeed, with beautiful calligraphy in Alanmantium ink that moves around the page to display a number of headlines, and give useful info about the weather etc.
Scoop has an incredible memory for faces, and never forgets anyone. He greets the AdSoc members, and asks "what's your poison?". They say they're "looking for a guide to the city's night spots, but not the touristy places, we want the real scoop".
Scoop gives a look left and right to make sure the coast is clear, then opens a panel up under one of the shelves of his news stand, takes out a newspaper from a stack, and gives it to them. The AdSoc members explain that the passphrase is contained in the paper. It's the first letters of every paragraph.
Today's passphrase is "When the mouse is unsurprised, he will make luxurious tacos".

Arriving at The Clean Slate

The Clean Slate isn't too far from Scoop's news stand. The AdSoc members take the gang down a couple of side streets, to a large building that would once have been considered grand and impressive, but has since been decayed by time and the elements. There is an old phone box outside the building. Haalia goes into the phone box, picks up the receiver and speaks into it, giving the passphrase. A door opens in the side of the stairs that lead up to the building, and the group enter, going downstairs to reach a landing with a steel door. An eye level window slides across, and scans the group. A gruff voice says "are they cool?" to the AdSoc members, who reply yes. The voice then says "This place doesn't exist. You were never here. If you cause any trouble, you'll never be here again. If you don't, we won't ask any questions, and we'll take care of you. As soon as you cross this threshold, you get a clean slate... Keep it that way.".
Big locks open and the door opens up slowly, revealing a large, dimly lit cave bar. There is a large main cave with the bar and a number of wooden tables, and several smaller caves set into the walls with tables for groups that want a little more privacy. It's quite smoky in there, and there are a number of different smells - from wine and ale, meats and cheeses, a couple of different kinds of leaves being smoked. It's quite busy - most of the tables are occupied, and there are a couple of people stood at the bar. Behind the bar is a stern looking female dwarf.

Helena Slate

Visual: Dwarf, 4'0". Pale skin. Orange, fiery eyes. Long, braided red hair. Tan tunic with leather apron. Speech: Gruff, Scottish, kind but stern. "So I suppose you'd like me to do that for you?"
Sedona Fable is at the bar.

Sedona Fable

Visual: Human, 5'8". Tanned skin. Blue eyes. Long blonde hair in a loose bun. Wearing a pink tracksuit. Speech: Essex girl. "You didn't hear nuffin from me?"
She tells the gang about some of the other patrons of The Clean Slate:

• Shylar Hardborne is drawing attention a bit, with occasional grunts and shouts interrupting an otherwise normal conversation with some companions. They're drinking ale and they have some big turkey legs to eat
• Raleigh O'Maleigh is sitting drinking ale with some colleagues
• Zelli Muckdrung and Stripe sit at a table with some of Zelli's friends talking over wine. There are a lot of flowers on the table and insence burning
• Elroy Sneeler sits in a dark corner, Aragorn style, with a dark hooded cloak covering his face, with a tankard of ale and a pipe

The AdSoc members are going to catch up with Sedona, the gang are free to talk to some of the patrons if they wish. Adventuring is as much about who you know as what you know.

Shylar Hardborne

Visual: Goliath, 7'0". Pale skin, lots of scars. Dark brown, steely eyes. Short, black mohawk. Leather armour, battle worn, old blood stains. Speech: Gruff, cockney, irritable unless getting a head massage. "Need that like a hole in the head"

Raleigh O'Maleigh

Visual: Elf, 5'10". Tanned skin. Green eyes. Mid length, green flame of hair. Tight shorts and t-shirt, yellow wrap around sunglasses. Speech: American, LA, chilled out. "Quick as a flash"

Zelli Muckdrung

Visual: Halfling, 3'9". Pale, dirty, patches of what you hope is mud, but your sense of smell tells you it could be worse than mud. Bright yellow eyes. Mid length, unkempt, dark hair undercut on left side. Leather armour and a dark brown cloak. Speech: Youthful, hopeful. "Ladies first"

Elroy Sneeler

Visual: Halfling, 4'2". Dark skin, with lots of freckles. Dark brown eyes. Mid length, unkempt, dark hair, with prominent grey streaks. Dark hooded cloak and tunic, heavily worn breastplate, with many battle scars on it, and an eyepatch. A longsword and a collar and lead hang from his belt. Hanging round his neck is a simple leather necklace with a set of dog tags in the shape of bones. Speech: Posh batman. "Life isn't a funfair"

Encounter

After a while, the door opens and a Yuan-Ti walks in. Yuan-Ti = snake person. Brianna has never seen a Yuan-Ti before. Cassiopeia and Fletch probably have. He's wearing blue jeans, a white T-shirt and a Leather jacket with a snakes head embroidered on it. Cass and Fletch can make a DC15 History(Charisma) check to see if they're cool enough to have been told about the Cannon Street Cobras. The Yuan-Ti is carrying Milton Ashbluff by the collar, strides up to the bar, plonks Milton down on a stool, pours himself a beer, and begins to talk to Milton intimidatingly. A couple more Yuan-Ti follow him in and gather at the bar also.

Zhavier Ssalass

Visual: Yuan-ti, 6'0". Light green skin with patches of tan scales. Piercing yellow eyes with vertical pupils. Dark, slicked back hair. Blue jeans, a white T-shirt and a Leather jacket with a snakes head embroidered on it. Speech: Italian American mafioso. "You ssssssssstaring at me?"
If the gang go over to talk to them, they antagonise them, and try to get into a fight. If they do, the Yuan-Ti throws a knife at the gang, but misses, and it ends up sticking out of Shylar's armour. The whole bar goes silent. She stands up, pulls the knife out, bends it in half and throws it to the ground. She lets out a war cry and the whole bar erupts into fighting. A huge bar brawl ensues.
At the end of the brawl, Helena pulls out a big gun, the door is locked, and Helena starts to question people on what happened and who started the fight. Elroy comes over and casts Zone of Truth on the gang. They tell the truth and aren't barred from The Clean Slate.

Why Milton is being bullied

He's caught up with them because his Dad's garage did some work on their leader - Qazzaxx Zhaqhiss's car. Qazzaxx wanted to win a street race, so went to Ashbluff's Autos to get a turbo fitted to the engine. The turbo blew up in the race and Qazzaxx lost, so now the gang are going to shake down Ashbluff's Autos and make them pay for it.

Plot type

Scene

Parent Plot

Session outline: Session 4

Related Locations

• Caffeinehagen
• The Clean Slate