The Malay Coins
General Summary
Winter in New York City
Late afternoon/early evening, snow stopped for a little bit
The Disco Boys started a string of tech robberies in the area and we're going to smite them! They're showing an unusual level of intelligence this time around, so we're having a hard time figuring out what they are actually up to. In fact, they keep sending out low level members of the gang who have less technical knowledge than we do, to commit the crimes, so when we catch them they have no idea what they're supposed to be accomplishing.
After one arrest-fest, we see something odd at the Museum of Modern Art: unexplained movement across a window on the second floor!
WHY DOES EVERYONE KEEP ROBBING THE MOMA?!
On a nearby roof, a white-clad concealed spotter watches the escape route for the theft in progress. He has high tech scope things or something and maybe a whisper mike.
He has gloves, thin but some sort of odd insulation, and they fit me! YES!
They have a top layer that's an armored greave, adjustable with straps. He has a sash with pockets sewn in with flaps, sort of a reverse utility belt. He has a bill of sale written in Mandarin for a recent restaurant purchase. He has batteries, 4 smoke bombs, a vial of green ink, a lot of mystery electronic equipment stuff. He was listening to some individuals inside discussing their search for a Malaysian exhibit. Fortunately the comms gear is easy to move.
Mark Spectre has the very very nice surveillance scope collected by Frenchy.
The receipt is for a noodle bowl and some tea at the Brass Buddha. No prices are listed. So why does he have this receipt?
The Malaysian Exhibit is currently connected to the Coin and Money Exhibit, down on the first floor.
Three guys, we set up an ambush. The third guy seems to have thrown something, maybe gas pellets or a powder? this greenish fog that turns into the body of a chinese sea dragon. The mouth opens and then slams shut on Moon Knight, who is now hallucinating all over the place as an odd cloud writhes around him.
The three guys each have a restaurant receipt from the Brass Buddha, each for different dishes.
A guy in a suit comes running, with museum security with him. Suit Guy wears glasses, looks very disheveled, says this is the NINTH TIME THIS WEEK they've tried for "those things". They want "the Malay Coins". He wants to show us.
The Malay Coins in the display seem to connect together somehow, and the curator thinks there are four more coins missing from the series to form a whole pattern or painting or something. It might be a message?
A man named William Grossman tries several times a month to buy the coins from the museum. Museum curator knows one of the other coins is in Grossman's collection.
Mark Spectre has seen this guy at a distance once, he's an international coin and antique collector, willing to deal in {gasp} Nazi antiquities!
Another collector who supposedly has a coin is Amutar Muthani.
Rumors say a third coin surfaced somewhere in New York, in the possession of someone very secretive.
Possibly a family heirloom?
Fourth coin has not surfaced among collectors.
Taki takes samples of the green stuff that used to be a sea dragon, and Statesman and Moon Knight take one of the would-be thieves to a parking garage for interrogation.
Apothecary Fu suggests that the Golden Lotus guys with the green dragon powder are sweepers, effectively -- when there's a big failure to accomplish task to clean up.
He also says the Malay coin puzzle can't be solved by taking high tech digital pictures. He knows because he has one of the coins.
The weight is odd, there is some sort of carvings on the thin edge of the coin, some kind of I Ching pattern? The coins are separated because there is more to them than legend; they are dangerous. He has his to make sure it will not be misused.
The pattern on the edge of each coin tells part of the story, and one would have to have all the coins to get the whole story.
The treasure behind the coins is cursed. No one ought to go get it.
Among the Golden Lotus, it is probably Madame Zhou who wants them.
Apothecary Fu wants the other two coin owners warned. Grossman and Muthani are both currently in NYC, probably in Manhattan. Latter is in Bandis Towers in a penthouse. Grossman's summer home is in the same neighborhood as Kravenoff. Fu is going to make a fake coin, take about two days, that will send the treasure hunters in the wrong direction.
Taki sneaks into the Bandis Towers building, using a regular grocery delivery as a distraction for the security. She stealths her way up to the penthouse entrance, where Kravenoff has just arrived by invitation to view a newly-acquired antique.
After a brief, polite, Batman-style warning about the danger to his life, Taki leaves Muthani to his meeting with Kravenoff. She doesn't walk very far toward the exit before the outer windows explode inward, and Golden Lotus ninjas attack!
Taki leaves with one of the coins from the coin collection (not REALLY the Malay one!) in her glove, so that the Golden Lotus will pursue her. The real Malay coin from Muthani's collection is concealed on the person of his manservant.
In brief, Flag, Moon Knight and Statesman see Golden Lotus assassins trying to sneak into Grossman's estate.
Quickly Flag knocks one out with a quick disk throw, Moon Knight uses a sleep scarab, hits the CO2 tank on the unusual sniper rifle that fires crossbow bolts. Result?
Snow mushroom cloud. Bad guy knocked out.
Statesman uses the power of a snow covered tree to constantly harass the last Golden Lotus assassin in constant rounds of snowballs and snow falling from the tree in LARGE amounts. (note this may win prize for most unusual villain origin story)
They speak with Grossman... he tries to convince them to help him find the treasure of the coins for the knowledge and for the museum. During this, they get Grossman to go call a collector named Muthani. While Grossman is out, Flag and Moon Knight figure out how to get a REAL quick rubbing of coin edge where markings are.
When Grossman returns, they talk more and learn about Apothecary Fu having a coin. The heroes leave to catch up with Taki, and visit the Apothecary along the way.
They speak with Apothecary Fu, he explains the curse and shows the coins act as compass lodestones pointing a direction. But only together will it show the right way.
Fu explains the Dragon Scroll treasure and that if recovered, it should be returned to the Tibetan temple from which they came.
Statesman suggests making fake Dragon scrolls to throw off Golden Lotus. Fu says he can make some, but if the heroes want to find the real ones, Fu will need rubbings from the other coin edges.
Character(s) interacted with
- assorted Disco Boys
- assorted Golden Lotus soldiers
- Apothecary Fu
- Curator of the Museum of Modern Art in NYC
- William Grossman, collector with dubious ethics
- Amutar Muthani, collector of antique coins
- Kraven the Hunter (cameo)
- The Knights Vigilant:
- Moon Knight
- Sahara
- Taki
- Trickshot
Notes
Adventure run in 4+ sessions, from real world dates 03/30/2012 through 04/29/2012 and possibly beyond.
((Log kept by Taki's player until medical condition prevented play, at which point a substitute player temporarily joined the team as "Flag", a lawyer gadgeteer superhero.))
Report Date
30 Mar 2014
Primary Location
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