Zion Correctional Facility Continued Investigation - Adoption Records - Tue, Aug 30, 2016

The session begins with a technical issue as Luke and Chris are initially invisible in the recording session, which is resolved once Mark connects properly.

The group confirms that all players are present, including Luke, Chris, Brian, Robert, and Mark, and they discuss redundancy in their recording setup.

Chris shares a brief anecdote about a different D&D game where he played as a bronze dragon, leading to a light-hearted conversation.

The session officially starts with Luke, the Handler, providing a recap of the previous game events involving the agents’ efforts to cover up the events at Cornucopia House 15 years ago.

The agents had dealt with Deputy Detective Michael Costa, who attempted to blackmail David Cortez, suspecting his identity. The agents initially tried to mislead Costa into conspiracy theories, but when that failed, McCarter used mind-wiping powers to erase Costa’s memory, with Cortez covering up by deleting evidence from Costa’s photo library.

Luke clarifies that the agents did not plant any incriminating material on Costa’s computers, despite joking suggestions from Chris and Mark about planting child pornography or photos of dead children.

Detective Sergeant Velasquez of the Maryland State Police is mentioned as handling the Cunningham murder scene.

The agents had followed up on Franklin Price, a previous case officer for Cornucopia House, who is suffering from advanced dementia. When shown footage of Cornucopia House, Price briefly mentioned “Nika, my poor girl” and “the quiet children” before becoming unresponsive again.

The agents learned from Price’s son and nursing staff that Price had not communicated for years and appeared significantly older than his actual age.

The session focuses on the agents’ current task: obtaining custodial records from the Maryland State Archive to prevent any links to them regarding the events at Cornucopia House in 2001.

Pizzarelli, the Assistant U.S. Attorney, tasked the agents with retrieving these records to both understand the children’s fate and prevent anyone else from investigating the matter.

The agents discuss the difficulty of acquiring the records without creating a paper trail, as they are only accessible through a warrant, and Pizzarelli can issue a warrant, albeit slowly.

They consider the risks of exposure and explore options, including using fake identities and badges or possibly conducting a B&E (breaking and entering) to avoid detection.

Luke offers the possibility of providing in-character suggestions based on the agents’ backgrounds if the players desire, but encourages them to brainstorm solutions.

The group debates the technicalities of obtaining a warrant, the record retrieval process, and the feasibility of forging a warrant, with concerns about leaving a trail or alerting authorities.

They plan to case the Dr. Edward C. Papenfus State Archive Building in Annapolis and consider whether a B&E is a viable option.

Brian and Chris discuss the possibility of crafting a fake warrant and using smooth-talking to gain access to the records, weighing the risks of detection.

Luke confirms that there is an electronic warrant system with some security, suggesting that it might be possible to deliver a warrant electronically with enough skill.

Discussion on Email Use: The group discusses the use of unencrypted email for their operations. Brian and Chris express skepticism about the security of this method.

Forgery of a Warrant: Luke suggests creating a fake electronic warrant to gain access to records. This prompts a discussion on the feasibility and methods of forging such a document.

Alternative Solutions: Mark humorously suggests natural disasters as a means to destroy evidence, such as water damage or rat infestations, to avoid direct tampering.

Access to Records: Luke explains that with a warrant, the agents would be granted access to the records they require, but they would not be granted access to the storage areas.

Pizzarelli’s Concerns: Luke conveys Pizzarelli’s concern that the records themselves may not be damning, but the witnesses (children) might have seen unnatural events. The aim is to prevent others from investigating these witnesses.

Plan for a Switcheroo: Chris and Brian discuss the possibility of swapping the records with false information, a “switcheroo,” as a cleaner solution than destruction.

Sealed Records: Robert confirms that the records are sealed due to their involvement with children under state protection, adding complexity to their retrieval.

Security Measures and Verification: Brian and Chris consider the logistics of accessing the records, including the potential need for a secure viewing area and the likelihood of not being searched upon leaving.

Consultation with Pizzarelli: The group plans to consult Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonia Pizzarelli for guidance on the best method for accessing the records.

Security Cameras: Luke mentions that there will likely be a security camera in the room where records are reviewed, posing an additional challenge.

Forgery Expertise: Luke notes the need for either electronic forgery skills or a classical forger to produce a warrant, emphasizing the rarity of the latter.

Electronic vs. Paper Warrant: The group debates the merits of using an electronic warrant versus a paper one, considering the ability to erase electronic traces post-operation.

Fake ID and Badge Discussion: The group discusses acquiring fake IDs and badges for their operation, weighing the risk of their current identities being tied to the investigation.

Role of Pizzarelli: Luke highlights Pizzarelli’s role in providing resources, such as fake IDs and badges, that will pass superficial scrutiny.

Preparations for Forgery: Brian plans to spend part of the day creating the fake electronic warrant, while others consider heading to the investigation site.

Intent of Forged Documents: Luke clarifies that the forged documents need only look legitimate enough to pass a superficial inspection, fulfilling their immediate operational needs.

Badge Verification: The group discusses how the badges will likely be verified visually and possibly scanned, but not subjected to deep background checks.

Courier Delivery: Luke informs the group that a courier will deliver the necessary fake IDs and badges the following day, facilitating their operation.

Final Preparations: Pizzarelli assists in finalizing the details and ensures that the group has everything they need for their operation, emphasizing the importance of the fake warrant.

The session begins with the agents successfully assembling badge-backed identities, which are crucial for crafting their warrant.

Luke, the Handler, contemplates the mechanics of how the warrant insertion will unfold, ultimately deciding that a computer science check is necessary to determine success.

Brian, playing David Cortez, fails the initial computer science check with a roll of 91 out of 70, indicating his inability to access the system to insert the fake warrant information.

Despite the failure, it’s not a critical one, meaning Cortez can attempt again, albeit at the risk of leaving a trail if he fails a second time.

Cortez decides to change his approach by accessing a different Wi-Fi network at a Starbucks to avoid detection from his hotel’s network.

In a humorous moment, Brian dons a hood to symbolize his shift to a more cautious hacking attempt.

The second attempt is successful, allowing Cortez to submit the warrant into the system without raising alarms.

The team humorously discusses the absurdity of carrying large amounts of fake documentation, settling on preparing just enough paperwork to maintain their cover.

Mark, playing Steel Monroe, and Robert, as Matthew McCarter, engage in banter about the futility of their efforts and the potential for federal officers to swarm them.

The group learns from Professor Grace that Owen Becker has quit his job for personal reasons, prompting jokes about the side effects of ketamine, which they had previously administered to him.

The agents prepare for their visit to the Maryland State Archives, receiving their badges via a secure federal courier.

Discussion arises about the necessity of bringing firearms, with an acknowledgment of the complications that could arise from using unregistered weapons.

The team plans their trip to the Popinfuse State Archives, with humorous confusion over the name.

The session highlights logistical preparations, including paperwork and ensuring their cover stories are in place.

Professor Grace provides information about the ongoing investigation, emphasizing the extensive work required to deal with the skeletons being uncovered.

A conversation with Professor Grace reveals the need for a legitimate autopsy report, with Chris, as Graham Miles Drummond, volunteering to facilitate this through Monroe.

The team reassures Professor Grace about the importance of her role in their operations, highlighting the delicate balance of maintaining their cover.

As the agents prepare to head to the Maryland State Archives, they reflect on the potential outcomes of their investigation, humorously considering that the case might abruptly end with the discovery of mundane diary entries.

The session concludes with the agents arriving at the archives, noting the building’s dated architecture and the attendant clerk awaiting their approach.

Camera Monitoring Discussion: The session opens with Brian (as David Cortez) inquiring if the cameras are live monitored or recorded. Luke clarifies that the security is not high, likening it to a non-secure facility where footage is reviewed only if issues arise.

Interaction with the Archives Clerk: The agents approach a mid-30s clerk at the Maryland State Archives. His appearance is noted as slightly unkempt with classic bureaucratic hair. Brian states they are dressed in suits and presents a fake ID under the name Perez for accessing sealed paperwork.

Request for Records: The agents request records from 1991 to 2001 related to Cornucopia House, Family Without Frontiers, and Custodio. The clerk recognizes the place from the news and agrees to have an archivist pull the records, which will take some time.

Waiting for Records: Agents are taken to a bare-bones meeting room on an upper floor, away from public areas, where they wait for the records to be brought in batches.

Review of Records: The agents receive stacks of folders, with paperwork spanning multiple years and not in chronological order. They identify 19 children from Cornucopia House, noting the children were relocated to three Maryland institutions after February 2001.

Institutions for Children:

• Arnold Springs Children’s Home: State-run, received seven children with various psychological diagnoses. These included ADD, ADHD, PTSD, and others, but symptoms were similar across children, indicating misdiagnosis due to uninformed assessments.
• Mary’s Place: A state-run facility.
• Peace Love: A privately run facility that sent children to public schools to avoid costs. Children here were disqualified from special education plans by Dr. Diane Doherty, causing further neglect.

Psychotherapy and Bureaucracy Insight: Graham (Chris) uses his knowledge of child development to analyze the records, suggesting systemic failures in diagnosis. McCarter (Robert) succeeds in a bureaucracy test, revealing Dr. Doherty’s negligence was financially motivated to protect the district from bankruptcy due to federal laws requiring educational services.

Educational Neglect Consequences: Due to financial strain, the children were moved to other private mental health facilities, effectively removing them from the Maryland child care system.

Psychotherapy and Bureaucracy Test: McCarter successfully uses his bureaucracy skill to understand the motivations behind Dr. Doherty’s actions, while Graham provides psychological insights into the misdiagnosis of the children.

Discussion of Records and Analysis: The agents identify patterns in children’s diagnoses and the failure of the educational system to accommodate their needs, leading to their displacement.

Summary of Findings: The session concludes with the agents understanding the dire consequences of systemic failures in the care of Cornucopia House children, setting the stage for further investigation into their fates.

The session begins with Luke, the Handler, providing background information about Mary’s Place, another state-run orphanage that was defunded due to budget cuts. All children from this facility were relocated out of state, and Maryland lost track of them.

Luke clarifies that four children were sent to King Torino Children’s Refuge in Charlotte, North Carolina: Nika Chilikov, Elle Gable, Conrad Hopko, and Jennifer Wills. Chris acknowledges the familiarity with Elle Gable.

Brian confirms that they had already known about Elle Gable being fingerprinted at an event by King Torino.

The Handler instructs players who are not adapted to helplessness to make a sanity check. Chris expresses concern about his current sanity level, while Robert remarks on his own sanity reduction.

Mark comments on the consequences of using spells, and Luke confirms Graham’s critical failure on the sanity check, resulting in a one-san loss for all who failed.

Chris questions the rules regarding hitting his breaking point and decides to project onto his bonds to manage his sanity.

Luke discusses the emotional toll on the agents, particularly the realization that their extreme actions to help children did not yield the expected positive outcomes.

Brian and Chris inquire about the names of the assailants connected to a murder in Florida, but the Handler confirms that they only have a John Doe from Florida identified through facial recognition.

Luke mentions the unsealing of adoption records for children associated with Cornucopia House. One record is for Lilia Bondarenko, who died at age 15 in 2008.

Lilia’s adoptive parents, the Thompsons, reported her missing multiple times. Her death was ruled accidental as she died while trying to hop a freight train under the influence of meth.

Luke provides details about another child, Samuel Ball, who was adopted by Clarence and Becky McLeod, renamed Samuel McLeod, and then illegally returned to state custody. The parents were prosecuted and divorced due to the stress of legal proceedings.

The session includes discussion on the adoption and relocation of other children from the orphanages, with some details about their whereabouts remaining unclear.

Chris and Brian consider potential leads and connections, including the possibility of tracking down other children based on the paper trails available.

Luke explains the practice of “Bus Therapy,” where institutions transfer children to other facilities due to financial constraints, often resulting in inadequate care for the children.

Chris darkly jokes about the situation at Cornucopia House, implying that the children were better off being sacrificed to Babushka than being subjected to the broken system.

Robert seeks clarification on the suspects, confirming the names of Elle Gable and Thomas Perez but noting the lack of identification for the third assailant.

Chris and Brian engage in a lighthearted conversation, drawing connections between the names “Cunningham” and “Happy Days,” and joking about characters like Fonzie and Tony Danza.

Luke, acting as the Handler, sets the scene where the agents are wrapping up their long day of document review and need to switch real documents with fakes.

Chris considers using Drummond’s criminology skills to come up with a plan for switching the documents unnoticed.

Luke mentions a camera in the room, indicating the need for stealth to avoid detection during the document swap.

Brian and Chris discuss the possibility of using their bodies to block the camera’s view, leading to a decision to make stealth checks.

Mark and Robert reveal their low stealth scores, leading to Chris and Brian deciding to attempt the stealth checks.

Chris rolls for stealth but fails; however, Brian succeeds, allowing the team to complete the document switch without alerting the camera.

The team successfully swaps the real documents with the fake ones and signals the archivist that they are done for the day.

They joke about the possibility of the archivist reviewing the documents on the spot, but it does not happen, and they leave the archives without incident.

The team returns to their hotel, a Holiday Inn Express, with the stolen documents, and they consider whether they have thoroughly reviewed them.

Luke suggests they have compiled a coherent picture of the Cornucopia House situation but leaves room for further investigation if desired.

Brian and Chris discuss the potential for further inquiry into specific individuals connected to Cornucopia House, such as Bondarenko and Radomir Reznik.

Brian expresses curiosity about Bondarenko, while Chris recalls the difficulty of finding relevant records on Radomir Reznik.

They contemplate the possibility of missing children being linked to Cornucopia House through poorly documented custodial records.

Chris successfully performs a law check, revealing the thin and poorly documented nature of Cornucopia House’s records, especially for children with non-European names.

The team considers using news articles and public records to identify patterns of kidnappings or missing children that could relate to their investigation.

Luke and Chris discuss the use of computer science or SIGINT skills to analyze data for patterns, an area where Cortez excels.

Brian rolls for SIGINT, receiving a bonus for his expertise, and starts working on code to sift through news articles and reports.

By the end of the day, Cortez’s analysis suggests a pattern of kidnappings across a wide region, with parents often suspected due to implausible stories.

The realization of this disturbing pattern leads to a potential helplessness check for the team, as they process the implications of their findings.

Luke outlines the geographical scope of the kidnappings, spanning regions from New England to the Northeastern Midwest.

The session ends with the team reflecting on the unsettling truths uncovered in their investigation.

Timeline Discussion: The session opens with a discussion led by Luke, the Handler, about the timeline of events related to Yelena’s disillusionment with the SCOPSI leadership. This period is identified as occurring in the mid to late 90s, aligning with her breaking away from the cult.

Supply Line Issues: Chris and Brian discuss Yelena’s loss of supply lines from Europe as she distanced herself from the SCOPSI, indicating a significant turning point in her operations.

Cult Destruction Recap: There is a recap of the agents’ past actions against the SCOPSI cult, including luring them into a temple and using a firebomb to destroy it. Survivors attempting to escape were killed, emphasizing the brutal and thorough nature of the agents’ mission.

Emotional Impact: The players reflect on the grim nature of their past actions, with Brian noting the business was particularly unpleasant and something they prefer not to dwell on.

Information Threads: Luke summarizes that the agents have uncovered a significant amount of information about the children but are under no immediate pressure to act on it.

David Cortez’s Obsession: Brian reveals that David Cortez is personally driven by an obsession to uncover the truth behind the Cornucopia House situation, prioritizing his understanding over covering it up.

Sanity Loss and Adaptation: Robert discusses a failed sanity roll, leading to Matthew McCarter’s adaptation to helplessness. Luke explains the consequences, including a permanent loss of five points in POW (Power), reflecting McCarter’s deteriorating mental state and diminished magical abilities.

Handling of Investigation: The session progresses with the logistical handling of the investigation. Antonia Pitzerelli contacts Cortez, confirming that the agents have secured necessary paperwork from their trip.

Official Story Preparation: Luke outlines the need for the agents to prepare reports and presentations for an interdepartmental task force meeting, where they will present the official story of their investigation to state and local police.

Body Disposal: Brian mentions the secure transfer of bodies to the anthropology lab at Harvard, ensuring no evidence remains to link them to the investigation.

Leak Concerns: The conversation shifts to a concern about a leak, with Brian indicating that the names of the agents have surfaced during the investigation. Luke informs them that the information was leaked by a state trooper named Vivian Sawyer.

Potential Actions: Luke suggests that unless the agents wish to take drastic measures against the Maryland State Trooper and county deputy involved, they must rely on crafting a plausible official story.

Next Steps: The session concludes with plans for the agents to create a presentation detailing their findings, with the expectation that they will lead the presentation due to their role as lead investigators.

Closing Remarks: The players engage in light banter about their presentation skills and reflect on the broader themes of the campaign, including the challenges faced by children in the system, inspired by the personal experiences of the campaign’s creator.