Zion Correctional Facility Continued Investigation - Sat, Aug 27, 2016

The session starts with Luke, the Handler, complimenting the players and expressing his enjoyment of the game, setting a positive and collaborative tone.

Chris ensures the conversation is recorded, emphasizing the importance of capturing the session accurately.

Luke elaborates on his excitement for the game and mentions completing the editing of episode 8, despite some technical issues with his microphone.

The group discusses technical aspects of recording, including redundancy measures and internet speeds, highlighting their commitment to high-quality sessions.

The game session officially begins around a quarter past nine, with Luke providing a recap of the previous events:

• The agents dealt with Owen Becker by erasing his memories using a magic ritual performed by Matthew McCarter.
• The agents left Becker at a bus stop after drugging him and breaking his phone, ensuring he couldn’t reveal any sensitive information.
• Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonia Pizzarelli questioned the agents about Becker, to which they responded evasively.

The session progresses to the agents returning to the investigation site, where they receive a lead on a suspect named Thomas Perez Cunningham, a resident of Maryland.

The agents find a horrific murder scene at the Cunningham farm, discovering that Thomas’s family had been stabbed to death and that he was missing.

They learn that Thomas Cunningham is deaf and was adopted by the Cunninghams in 2006.

The agents decide to hand the crime scene over to the state authorities, specifically Velasquez and her team, as there were no signs of unnatural activity.

Deputy Detective Michael Costa confronts David Cortez with a photograph that appears to show Cortez at a family barbecue, suggesting potential blackmail.

Costa arranges a private meeting with Cortez at a rest stop, hinting at a significant conversation.

Cortez, adapted to helplessness, remains composed and doesn’t require a sanity check.

Cortez makes an intelligence check and recognizes the photograph from a family event over a year ago.

The photograph includes Cortez’s wife, her sister, and was likely taken by Kate’s sister’s wife, Jillian, and tagged on social media.

Cortez realizes the photograph is not irrefutable evidence and considers bluffing his way out of the situation.

Costa balks at Cortez’s confident demeanor and clear lack of patience, indicating that Cortez’s persuasive approach is effective.

Luke (Handler): Initiates a tense conversation, lowering his voice to avoid being overheard. He expresses frustration about the agents excluding Cecil County from the investigation while using their resources. He demands to be let into the investigation to see what the agents have learned, insisting that the county level had no involvement in the situation.

Brian (David Cortez): Responds to the demand by questioning the competence of the local authorities and implying that the deputy’s approach is akin to blackmailing a federal agent.

Chris (Graham Miles Drummond): Comments on the situation humorously, supporting Cortez’s stance.

Luke (Handler): The deputy remains unconvinced of the agents’ federal status and expresses skepticism. He insists on seeing the agents’ findings to avoid being scapegoated.

Brian (David Cortez): Attempts a Persuade check with a 20% bonus granted by the Handler due to previous success. Despite the bonus, the roll is barely a failure.

Luke (Handler): Describes a tense standoff where the deputy declares they will find out who is truly incompetent. The deputy then leaves, expressing anger and frustration.

Chris, Mark, Brian: The players discuss the implications of the encounter, with some suggesting that they should indeed blame the county for any mishandling of evidence.

Brian (David Cortez): Decides to find Drummond and inform him about the blackmail attempt by Detective Costa. He expresses concern about the detective digging deeper into their activities.

Chris (Graham Miles Drummond): Suggests being proactive and leveraging his CIA connections to counter the detective. He contemplates using a contact, Roman Butler, to gather information or create distractions for Costa.

Brian (David Cortez): Reminds Drummond that their names are already linked to a murder investigation in Florida, adding urgency to their need for leverage.

Mark (Steel Monroe): Inquires about the effectiveness of Assistant U.S. Attorney Pizzarelli in squashing information. The Handler explains that Pizzarelli can lock up official inquiries but cannot control all information channels.

Luke (Handler): Confirms that Costa doesn’t have the clearance to access federal files but implies he might have obtained information through unofficial means.

Brian (David Cortez): Texts Pizzarelli to inform her about the potential leak and the blackmail attempt by Costa. Pizzarelli responds, indicating concern and promising to check if anything appears suspicious.

Brian (David Cortez): Decides to let Drummond handle Costa by pretending to investigate Cortez, aiming to gain Costa’s trust and gather more information.

Chris (Graham Miles Drummond): Agrees to the plan and contacts his FBI friend, Roman Butler, to ask for a favor. He intends to leverage Butler’s resources to investigate or create problems for Costa.

Luke (Handler): Outlines the communication process between Drummond and Butler, emphasizing the need for surreptitious methods due to their covert operations.

Chris (Graham Miles Drummond): Leaves a coded voicemail for Butler, who promptly returns the call. Drummond explains the situation and requests background information on Costa, hinting at potential corruption or problematic aspects in Costa’s life.

Luke (Handler): Describes Butler’s trust in Drummond, built on past favors and career support, indicating a willingness to assist despite some reservations.

The session begins with a conversation between Chris (Graham Miles Drummond) and an unnamed contact. Drummond asks for information, and the contact agrees to look into it and report back if anything interesting is found.

• Chris thanks the contact and acknowledges their mutual benefit in past collaborations.
• They reaffirm their alliance and end the call on a positive note.

Luke (the Handler) then instructs Chris to make a roll using 1D100, with a success threshold set at 20%.

• Chris struggles to find the dice in the game interface but eventually rolls a 75 and then a 78, both failing.
• Chris expresses frustration, but Luke informs him that the long shot did not pay off, and the contact reports back that there was no relevant information.

Chris discusses with the group about possibly leveraging information they already have on the contact but decides against it to avoid damaging their professional relationship.

• They agree that while Drummond prefers using a “carrot” approach, they are not desperate enough to resort to blackmail.

Brian (David Cortez) suggests waiting until later in the night to contact Deputy Detective Michael Costa, planning to text him around 11 or 11:30 PM to propose a meeting at a bar.

The group discusses the status of Owen Becker, who has been taken care of after they erased his memories and left him at a bus stop.

• Luke explains that Owen was taken back to his hotel by the police and hotel staff, and he seems disoriented but not suspicious of the agents.

The agents review their current tasks and loose ends:

• They need to handle the situation with Michael Costa.
• They have not yet obtained the adoption records, which remain a significant task.
• They consider visiting Franklin Price at the Charlotte’s Rest Veterans Home.

Chris (Drummond) calls the Charlotte’s Rest Veterans Home to inquire about Franklin Price.

• He identifies himself as Agent Whiteside and is informed by Nurse Vance that Price has advanced dementia and is not communicative.
• Despite this, Drummond arranges to possibly visit the facility either that evening or the next day.

The group discusses the possibility of using their abilities to recover Price’s memories.

• Chris asks Robert (Matthew McCarter) if he can reverse memory loss but is informed that creating new spells is beyond their current capabilities.
• They consider using Monroe’s (Mark’s character) medical knowledge and experience with dementia patients to try and communicate with Price.

The group agrees that although it seems unlikely they will get coherent information from Price, they are running out of leads and decide to proceed with the visit.

Discussion on Adoption Records:

• Brian and Chris discuss their next steps, focusing on obtaining adoption records.
• Chris inquires if any player has criminology skills; only Brian has a base level of 20.
• Chris expresses reluctance in resorting to burglary and speculates about other means to access the records.
• They consider if Vincent Franklin Price might have the records.

Break and Transition:

• The group decides to take a short break.
• Luke, the Handler, suggests a brief pause for a restroom break, and the players agree to return in a few minutes.
• Upon returning, Brian emphasizes the importance of removing a picture from the internet.

Planning and Travel:

• Luke recaps their current situation, noting plans to visit Price at Charlotte’s Hall before contacting Costa.
• The group discusses their mode of transportation and jokes about vehicle options.
• They decide to proceed to Charlotte’s Hall, located at the Charlotte’s Rest Veterans Home.

Arrival at Charlotte’s Hall:

• The agents arrive around 7 PM.
• A receptionist informs them that visiting hours are over, prompting Chris to assert their Department of Justice authority.
• The supervisor, Head Nurse Mia Rogers, is called in and eventually allows them to visit Price.

Interaction with Franklin Price:

• Nurse Rogers leads them to room 121, where Franklin Price is resting.
• The room has minimal personal effects, with dusty photographs indicating Price has few visitors.
• Chris attempts to engage Price in conversation, initially without success.

Triggering a Reaction:

• Mark (Steel Monroe) rolls an intelligence check and suggests using news about Cornucopia House to elicit a reaction from Price.
• They turn on the TV to a news segment about Cornucopia House, observing Price’s demeanor change.
• Price shows visible anguish and sorrow, muttering “Nika, Nika, my poor girl.”

Further Investigation:

• The agents discuss the significance of the name “Nika,” confirming the spelling as N-I-K-A.
• Price becomes emotional, with tears running down his face, and mumbles about “the quiet children.”
• The agents make alertness checks and understand Price’s reference to the bodies found at Cornucopia House.

Closing Interaction:

• Price momentarily acknowledges the agents before retreating back into his own world.
• Chris expresses gratitude to Price, squeezing his shoulder, which elicits a minimal response.
• The agents attempt to find more information, including checking old photographs for names, identifying Price’s son and his family from 1988.

Sanity Check:

• Monroe makes a sanity check due to the helplessness of Price’s condition, resulting in a critical success and no sanity loss.
• The agents recognize the irreversible state of Price’s dementia, acknowledging the damage and his limited grasp of reality.

Conclusion:

• The session concludes with the agents reflecting on their findings and contemplating their next steps in the investigation.

Luke, the Handler, discusses the agents’ frustration over not being able to help someone, a feeling they are familiar with from past experiences.

Chris (Graham Miles Drummond) inquires about actions Monroe can take to alleviate the suffering, suggesting putting someone out of their misery.

Chris wants to ask the head nurse for the next of kin details to continue their investigation. The head nurse provides contact information for Charles Price, referred to as Chuck Price.

Chris humorously imagines calling Chuck Price at 2 a.m., with banter about what to say during the call.

Chris prepares to contact Costa that night, emphasizing the urgency of the meeting.

The agents joke about sending inappropriate messages before settling on a straightforward text to Costa.

Chris arranges to meet Costa at a dive bar called Joe’s Spot in an hour.

Chris and Costa meet at the bar. Costa is dressed in civilian clothes, and they discuss Moreno (David Cortez).

Chris expresses suspicion about Moreno, showing Costa a picture and hinting at deeper connections.

Costa, intrigued by the picture, nods in agreement and acknowledges that Cortez might be operating under an assumed name.

Chris leverages his connections at the DOJ to gather more information, suggesting that the case might involve deeper conspiracies.

The conversation shifts to the FBI potentially covering up a decades-long child abuse and murder ring at Cornucopia House.

Costa remains skeptical, but Chris insists on the gravity of the situation, hinting at powerful people in Washington who might be involved.

Despite Chris’s attempts to persuade Costa, his failure on the final persuade check solidifies Costa’s skepticism.

The session ends with Chris expressing disappointment in not gaining Costa as an ally, leaving the situation unresolved.

Chris/Drummond’s Attempt to Convince Costa:

• Chris, playing Drummond, tries to lay out a conspiracy to Costa, claiming it involves the rich and powerful and goes up to the top levels of the country.
• Chris requests permission from Luke (the Handler) to have a black book with pedophile information, but fails a luck check and doesn’t have it.
• Drummond continues trying to convince Costa, but Luke indicates that Costa is not persuaded and has lost interest.
• Drummond persists in trying to connect the dots of the conspiracy, mentioning a pedophile ring and attempting to link it to influential figures.
• The conversation includes a reference to Jeffrey Epstein, but it’s noted that Epstein wasn’t prominent national news at this point in the timeline.
• Costa remains skeptical and ultimately dismisses Drummond, leaving the conversation.
• Drummond texts Cortez to inform him of the unsuccessful attempt with Costa, emphasizing that Costa knows about the list and has some information.

Discussion Among Players:

• Brian jokes about everyone getting a chance to convince Costa, and Robert suggests mind-wiping him as the next step.
• Chris reiterates that Costa has some crucial information related to the officer who found the body.
• There is a brief discussion about the timeline and context of the information Costa might have.
• Chris texts Cortez, summarizing the situation and the information Costa has.

Mind-Wiping Plan:

• Brian (Cortez) mentions the possibility of needing to mind-wipe Costa again and discusses it with Robert (McCarter).
• The group debates the logistics of carrying out the mind-wipe, including timing and ensuring Costa is alone.
• Robert expresses concerns about the difficulty of performing the spell and needing help to hold Costa down.
• Luke reassures Robert that he should be able to perform the spell quickly, having practiced it.

Attempt to Mind-Wipe Costa:

• Robert (McCarter) plans to track Costa down the next day at the crime scene.
• On Sunday, Costa is at the crime scene in the afternoon. McCarter approaches him, presenting himself as someone who can provide more information.
• Costa agrees to talk, and they move to a semi-private area.
• McCarter attempts to cast the mind-wipe spell on Costa, leading to an opposed POW (Power) check.
• Robert rolls poorly, and Costa resists the spell, reacting with confusion and suspicion.
• Costa steps back, and McCarter tries to cover, pretending to help Costa as if he’s about to fall.
• Costa remains wary and decides to leave, ending the conversation.
• The failed spell costs McCarter three willpower and one sanity point.
• Luke offers the option to try the spell again, but it would cost additional willpower.
• The group debates whether sedating Costa would lower his resistance to the spell.

Luke: Reminds the group that the spell being discussed has never been attempted before by them.

Chris: Encourages the group to proceed, calling on them not to be wimps.

Brian: Apologizes for some confusion regarding their previous actions.

Luke: Recalls the events from the last session, noting that the spell was cast, followed by sedation of the target.

Mark: Confirms the sequence of events, emphasizing immediate sedation.

Luke: Notes that McCarter achieved a critical success in the previous attempt, while Becker was unsuccessful due to a poor roll.

Robert: Debates the necessity of using the spell again, concluding that it’s necessary to prevent the target from revealing that spells are being cast on him.

Chris: Urges Robert to proceed and celebrates McCarter’s critical success in the upcoming roll.

Luke: Instructs Robert to roll for the spell’s success again.

Brian and Robert: Encourage each other, leading to another critical success.

Luke: Describes the effects of the successful spell, focusing on erasing the memory of discovering Cortez’s real identity.

Robert: Clarifies that the memory to be erased is the image and the name of Cortez.

Luke and Robert: Confirm that the list of names associated with the investigation can be wiped from the target’s memory.

Luke: Informs Robert of the cost of using the spell—six willpower and one sanity point.

Chris: Considers the cost reasonable given the circumstances.

Mark: Humorously threatens consequences for the target.

Luke: Describes the target’s disoriented reaction and his comment about the caster being a “weird dude” before walking away.

Chris and Brian: Joke about casting the spell again to erase the target’s impression of the caster being weird.

Chris and Brian: Discuss the potential long-term effects of repeated mind-wiping, such as causing dementia.

Luke: Concludes the scene, noting the target’s departure and the caster rejoining his companions.

Chris: Reflects on the success of the mind-wiping and its implications, including a humorous threat of violence had the spell failed.

Robert: Shares his concerns about the dice rolls and the success of the spell.

Brian and Robert: Reflect on their unique experience with spells in Delta Green, highlighting the novelty and potential consequences.

Luke: Notes the rarity of using spells in his Delta Green campaigns.

Chris, Brian, and Robert: Express their enjoyment and anticipation of potential future complications from using spells.

Luke: Shifts focus to the ongoing crime scene investigation, noting Velasquez’s update about the missing murder weapon and the search for the suspects and a missing vehicle.

Chris: Suggests following up with the family of a key figure, Price.

Luke: Initiates a call to Charles Price, who provides a resigned account of his father’s history, including early-onset Alzheimer’s and work with the Maryland Department of Human Services.

Luke: Describes the father’s rapid decline and long-term care needs, emphasizing his unrecognizable state for over a decade.

Chris: Inquires about “Nika” and “the quiet children,” receiving limited information from Charles Price.

Chris: Ends the call politely, expressing condolences for Price’s father’s condition.

Luke: Reflects on the lack of information from the call and the implications of Price’s condition and history.

Brian: Jokes about the need for payphones to emphasize dramatic hang-ups.

Luke and Chris: Discuss the implications of Price’s early onset dementia and his involvement in the Cornucopia House investigation.

Brian, Mark, and Robert: Debate the potential reasons for Price’s condition, including repeated mind-wiping and the involvement of another key figure, Houghton.

Luke: Provides insights into the mechanics of mind-wiping spells, emphasizing the combination of words and gestures required.

Robert and Mark: Discuss potential defenses against mind-wiping spells and the importance of willpower in resisting them.

Discussion on Spell Mechanisms:

• Mark and Brian discuss potential methods to counteract or disrupt a spell.
• Mark considers the use of earplugs or learning ASL as possible defenses.
• Brian suggests that earplugs might be effective.
• Mark questions whether loud noises or distractions could break the concentration of someone casting a spell.

Character Reactions and Conversations:

• Robert’s character (McCarter) gives a knowing look, implying naivety on Monroe’s part.
• McCarter advises avoiding spellcasters and getting the drop on them as they did with Kalamatiano.
• McCarter notes that the current targets are different from Kalamatiano and do not use the same rituals.
• Mark questions how McCarter knows this, as the targets seem to be communicating telepathically.

Investigation into Abilities:

• Luke, as the Handler, clarifies that Kalamatiano did not have the noted telepathic abilities.
• Mark humorously suggests the idea of writing abilities down, likening it to OJ’s book.
• Brian and Mark discuss Monroe taking note of the information and leaving cautiously, ensuring no one gets the jump on him.

Spell Range and Effectiveness:

• Brian inquires about the range and necessity of proximity for casting a spell.
• Luke responds that the exact range isn’t clear from Kalamatiano’s notes, suggesting experimentation might be needed.
• The group discusses the practicality and ethical implications of using a memory-erasing spell frequently in their campaign.

Character Attributes and Spell Usage:

• Brian and Chris comment on the spell being perfect for their character with the lowest willpower and sanity.
• The Handler indicates it’s late, suggesting wrapping up the session.

Wiping Costa’s Phone:

• Luke and Brian discuss the method for wiping Deputy Detective Michael Costa’s phone of incriminating images.
• Brian plans to access Costa’s cloud storage to delete the images.
• Luke confirms the successful wiping of the images, noting Costa’s changed demeanor towards the agents.
• Costa now appears friendly but avoids Whitehead, considering him “Looney Tunes.”
• The agents reflect on the strained relationship with Costa, who does not remember the previous conversations.

Session Conclusion:

• Luke indicates that the investigation is nearly complete, but they will finish the remaining parts in the next session.
• The session ends with the players expressing their enjoyment and confirming the next steps.