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--- tmwan_handover_at_headquarters [2026/01/04 07:43] – admin
+++ tmwan_handover_at_headquarters [2026/01/04 08:48] (current) – [DM Tutorial: How to approach the scene] admin
@@ Line 185: / Line 185: @@
 | **PC Action / Situation** | **What Happens (Concrete & Weapon-Aware)** | **Consequences / Mechanics** |
-| **PCs remain hidden near the plant hatch** | The yard stays quiet. Inside, voices are controlled but tense. | No roll. PCs have **initiative advantage** if they strike first. |
+| **PCs remain hidden near the plant hatch** | The yard stays quiet. From this position you can clearly see the weathered fabric curtain covering the OfSO back entrance — shifting slightly with the airflow — and, off to the side, Martin “The Tinkerer” Gagnon’s hut/workshop. Inside the building, voices are controlled but tense — muffled by walls and curtain. | No roll. PCs have **initiative advantage** if they strike first. |
-| **PCs sneak to the curtain and carefully peek inside** | The fabric parts just enough. Inside the narrow corridor: The Client’s Hand stands offset with pistol ready. Two henchmen flank Martin — one weapon aimed at his head, the other controlling his arms. | DEX (Stealth) DC 13. Success: full tactical awareness. Failure: fabric rustles → all weapons snap up. |
+| **PCs check / enter the Tinkerer’s hut (quick visit)** | The hut door (or curtain) gives easily. Inside: a cramped, analog-first workshop — tools on cords, jars and parts, hand-sketched diagrams, half-built devices. No enemy presence (unless the DM decides a guard peeled off). The place feels lived-in and useful, not like a stash. | No roll for entry. PCs may take up to 3 small items (DM-approved) as a fast grab (e.g., hammer, pliers/cutters, screwdriver set, wire, improvised caltrops/tripwire parts). If PCs linger: exterior guards’ arrival becomes more likely / faster (DM: reduce their entry time by 1 round). |
-| **PCs peek behind the curtain** | Clear view: Hand stands offset, pistol low but ready. Two henchmen flank Martin. | Full tactical awareness granted. |
+| **PCs sneak to the curtain and carefully peek inside** | Through the narrow part in the fabric, you see the layout clearly: the Hand keeps his [[guarding_troopers_combat_knife|Guarding Troopers Combat Knife]] low but trained. He does not shout. The henchman with the DIY handgun presses the barrel closer to Martin’s head — not to fire, but to remind him. The second henchman keeps a grip on Martin’s arms.| DEX (Stealth) DC 13. Success: full tactical awareness. Failure: fabric rustles → all weapons snap up. |
-| **PCs enter corridor openly** | Sound echoes. All weapons rise instantly. | Immediate escalation. Hand shouts one command: “One move — he dies.” |
+| **PCs enter corridor openly** | One henchman shoves Martin forward half a step; the other tightens his grip. “One move,” the Hand says calmly, “and he’s gone.” | Immediate escalation. Combat not yet started, but hostage clock begins. |
-| **PCs attempt negotiation / distraction** | The Hand responds calmly, weapon steady. | CHA (Deception / Intimidation) DC 15. Failure → countdown begins (see below). |
+| **PCs attempt negotiation / distraction** | The Hand responds calmly, weapon steady. | CHA (Deception / Intimidation) DC 15. Failure → countdown begins or continues (see below). |
-| **PCs split actions (some sneak, some engage)** | Combat fractures the space. | Risky but viable. Failure may expose Martin to immediate harm. |
+| **PCs initiate combat without surprise** | The henchmen fire immediately — loud, brutal pistol shots at close range. The Hand does not rush; he acts only when he sees an opening to use the knife. | Roll initiative. The corridor becomes chaotic and lethal. |
-| **PCs initiate combat** | Gunfire erupts. The Hand acts first if not surprised. | Roll initiative. |
+| **Exterior guards hear gunfire** | They do not charge. Folding crossbows are unfolded first — quiet, deliberate. They enter cautiously, hunting angles. | Reinforcements arrive in 2 rounds unless blocked. First attacks may be silent bolts. |
-| **Exterior guards hear gunfire** | Boots pound. Door guards enter from front corridor within 2 rounds. | Reinforcements join unless blocked or delayed. |
+| **Exterior guards engage** | Crossbows target exposed PCs. Hunting knives are drawn only if forced into close quarters. | PCs risk being pinned or flanked by quiet, methodical enemies. |
 | **A PC attacks a henchman holding Martin** | The hostage becomes unstable. | If attack misses or fails: Martin takes lethal damage (unless prevented). |
 | **PC disarms or incapacitates Martin’s captor** | Martin stumbles free or drops prone. | Martin is no longer a valid hostage. Hand adapts tactics immediately. |
-| **PC shields Martin / pulls him clear** | Bullets snap past. | STR / DEX contest vs attacker. Success saves Martin; failure risks injury. |
-| **Exterior henchmen enter the building** | Reinforcements arrive aggressively, firing into the corridor. | Pressure spikes. PCs may become flanked if poorly positioned. |
-| **PCs delay too long during standoff** | The Hand enforces control. | Countdown: after 2 failed rounds → Hand orders execution. |
 | **Any attacker is cornered or restrained** | Automatic response. | Suicide capsule triggered (see Stage 7). |
@@ Line 208: / Line 205: @@
 | **PC checks Ezrah (not stabilized earlier)** | Her condition is critical. | WIS (Medicine) DC 12 now determines survival. Failure may lead to death. |
 | **PCs successfully free Martin alive** | Martin steadies himself. He looks at the PCs for a long second, then gives a short, sincere nod. “You didn’t have to do that,” he says quietly. “But you did.” | Personal Debt Established: Martin openly states that he owes the PCs. This can be called in later for gear, shelter, or favors. |
-| **PC secures the headquarters** | Silence returns. Smoke, blood, overturned furniture. | Scene control achieved. Time to investigate safely. |
+| **PC examines attacker corpses** | Fractured teeth, chemical burns in the mouth. | Confirms tooth-embedded suicide capsule protocol. These were not desperate men — this was doctrine.|
-| **PC examines attacker corpses** | Fractured teeth, chemical burns in the mouth. | Confirms tooth-embedded suicide capsule protocol — trained, disciplined operatives. |
+| **PC searches the Client’s Hand** | He is dead and lying motionless on the floor. | Loot: 820 [[kourou|Kourou]], three carved wooden chips from [[saws_end|Saw’s End]], a [[guarding_troopers_combat_knife|Guarding Trooper Combat Knife]], a half-empty Schnapps flask from a [[frontier_quickdraw_network|Frontier Quickdraw vending machine]] — and a handwritten note. |
-| **PC searches the Client’s Hand** | He is dead and lying motionless on the floor. | Loot: 820 [[kourou|Kourou]], three carved wooden chips from [[saws_end|Saw’s End]], a Guarding Trooper combat knife, a half-empty Schnapps flask, Frontier chew strips — and a handwritten note. |
+| **PC examines the handwritten note** | The paper is a DIN A5 notebook sheet with a printed logo of [[hale_and_hook_outfitters|Hale & Hook Outfitters Morningstar]] at the top. The handwriting is neat, precise, and geometric — the lettering style faintly resembles directional wall signage aboard the [[last_frontier|Last Frontier]]. | The note reads only: “SE Public Services Ring Rd 5, NK”. This is not a reminder — it’s a field briefing artifact, suggesting the Hand relied on externally prepared instructions, likely written in [[Morningstar|Morningstar]].|
-| **PC examines the handwritten note** | The paper is a DIN A5 notebook sheet with a printed logo of [[hale_and_hook_outfitters|Hale & Hook Outfitters Morningstar]] at the top. The handwriting is neat, precise, and geometric — the lettering style faintly resembles directional wall signage aboard the [[last_frontier|Last Frontier]]. | The note reads only: “SE Public Services Ring Rd 5, NK”. This is not a reminder — it’s a field briefing artifact, suggesting the Hand relied on externally prepared instructions, likely written in [[Morningstar|Morningstar]] |
+| **PC searches interior henchmen** | They are dead and lying motionless on the floor, weapons still clutched in stiff hands. | Each henchman still holds a DIY handgun, crudely but skillfully built from wood, copper piping, and salvaged mechanical parts from the [[last_frontier|Last Frontier]] wreckage — functional, lethal, and disposable by design. In their pockets and gear the PCs find: a receipt from [[django_s_diner|Django’s Diner]] (Morningstar), dated two days ago, listing five Serbian Soups and five [[slivovitz_superior|Slivovitz Superior]]; additionally, refined solvent oil in a small metal flask and matches. The items indicate coordinated travel, shared staging, recent presence in Morningstar — and clear intent to commit arson after the killings. |
-| **PC searches interior henchmen** | They are dead and lying motionless on the floor. | A receipt from [[django_s_diner|Django’s Diner]] (Morningstar), dated two days ago: five Serbian Soups, five [[slivovitz_superior|Slivovitz Superior]]. Indicates coordinated travel, shared staging, and recent presence in Morningstar. Also found: solvent oil and matches — planned arson. |
 | **PC searches exterior guards** | They are dead and lying motionless on the floor. | Each guard carries a Hunting Knife with a wooden handle engraved with the logo of [[hale_and_hook_outfitters|Hale & Hook Outfitters Morningstar]]. Slung across their backs is a folding crossbow, compact and well-balanced, also branded with the same engraved Hale & Hook logo — designed for quiet deployment and easy concealment. One of the guards additionally carries a tightly wrapped [[chew_meat_strips|Chew Meat Strip]] in his coat pocket.|
+---
 === Stage 7b — Ezrah Calls the Next Move ===
 ^ **Trigger / Cue** ^ **Immediate Reaction / What Happens** ^ **Future Hook / Consequence** ^
-| 🎯 **After the fight (HQ secured, Martin freed, evidence laid out)** | Ezrah is propped against the desk or wall, pale and shaking, but conscious if stabilized. She watches as you lay the findings out in a crude line: the Saw’s End chips, the Morningstar knife engraving, the Django’s Diner receipt, the solvent oil + matches… and finally the handwritten note pulled from the Hand’s jacket lining. Her eyes narrow when she reads it. “They didn’t just come here,” she says, voice thin with pain. “They came here with our address in their pocket.” A breath. “That means coordination. Someone knew exactly where to hit us — and when.” She looks up at you, jaw tight. “All roads point north. Morningstar. Atrana foothills.” | **Campaign pivot confirmed:** The note proves **insider-level targeting** (the HQ was pre-identified). The other items prove **Morningstar supply + staging**. Ezrah gives the order: **follow the trail to Morningstar** → launches **"Hunting an Unknown Hunter"**. |
+| 🎯 **After the fight (HQ secured, Martin freed, evidence laid out)** | Ezrah is propped against the desk or wall, pale and shaking, but conscious if stabilized. She watches as you lay the findings out in a crude line: the three carved [[saws_end|Saw’s End]] chips, the Hale & Hook engravings on the guards’ knives and folding crossbows, the [[django_s_diner|Django’s Diner]] receipt (dated two days ago), the solvent oil + matches… and finally the DIN A5 note with the Hale & Hook letterhead. She reads the address — “SE Public Services Ring Rd 5, NK” — and her eyes narrow. “Morningstar,” she says flatly. She taps the Hale & Hook logo with one finger. “Supply.” She slides the Django’s receipt next to it. “Staging. Five people. Same meal. Same drink. Two days ago. That’s a team moving as one.” Then she looks at the corpses — mouths burnt, teeth fractured. “And this?” Her voice drops. “Suicide capsules. That’s not a street crew. That’s protocol.” A breath. “They weren’t here to threaten us. They were here to erase us — kill everyone, burn the office, leave nothing that ties back.” She looks up at the PCs, jaw tight. “So why the scorched-tooth discipline? Why the arson kit? Why the need to wipe the whole board?” She swallows, fighting pain. “Because this poor guy…”  She points at the Nameless Man’s body on the floor — small, broken, already starting to feel like an object rather than a person.  “…he wasn’t just some confused old man someone wanted out of a cell.”  Ezrah exhales slowly, pain and anger mixing in her voice. “Someone was willing to send trained killers, burn their own identities, and wipe an entire office off the map because of him. That means there’s more to this case than we can imagine.”   Her eyes lift to you, sharp despite the blood loss. “All roads point north. Morningstar. Atrana foothills.” “And whoever pulled this… is operating on a scale far bigger than the job we thought we were doing.” | Campaign pivot confirmed: Evidence shows Morningstar supply + staging (Hale & Hook branding + Django’s receipt) and professional erasure tactics (suicide capsules + arson kit). Ezrah gives the order: follow the trail to Morningstar → launches "[[hunting_an_unknown_hunter|Hunting an Unknown Hunter]]". Adds a driving mystery for the next arc: Who trained them / who enforces the capsule protocol / what are they trying to bury? |
 ===== 6 | DM Notes =====
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 **Short version:**
-{{ :dm_briefing_scene_12.mp3 |}}
+{{ :dm_briefing_handover_at_the_headquarters_02.mp3 |}}
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