TEXT:  
  GAMBLING 
  WITH 
  DEATH 
   
  A CITY OF MIST CASE 
   
  In an attempt to save his life, the ruler of a casino empire who is up to his neck in debt 
  captures a legendary hustler who he hopes could be his salvation. However, not only do 
  her powers fail to stop his debtor, Death himself, from collecting his due, but Death also 
  demands that the ruler sacrifices his fake savior as punishment. Now the casino magnate 
  and his security team scramble to cover up the murder as the crew ventures into the dark 
  secrets behind the glitz and glamour of the Royal Plaza Hotel. 
   
   
   
  Credits​: 
  Case by Amit Moshe 
  Editing: Eran Aviram 
  Proofreading: Marshall Oppel 
   
   
   
   
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  HOW TO USE THIS CASE 
  Gambling with Death​ is an introduction to the Dying branch of 
  Anatoli Vidales’ Avatar operation. ​Shark Tank​, the case 
  included with the new Starter Set, explores the Living branch 
  of Anatoli’s operation.  
  Anatoli is the Avatar of Hades, Greek god of death and the 
  underworld. In this case, he is referred to only as Death and is 
  represented by K9, the Rift of Cerberus, the three-headed dog 
  that watches over the gates of Hades. Read more about the 
  Living and Dying branches of Anatoli’s operation on page 177. 
  You can use this case as a standalone, or as the opening shot 
  for a season focusing on Anatoli, together with ​Shark Tank​. 
  THE BACKSTORY 
  Gambling with Death​ is inspired by the fairy-tale ​The Nightingale​, by Hans Christian Andersen. 
  In ​The Nightingale​, the Emperor abandons his favorite songbird for a bejeweled mechanical 
  bird, but when Death comes for the Emperor, the real nightingale returns and with her beautiful 
  song convinces Death to let the Emperor live. 
  THE EMPEROR 
  Kenny Liu (the Emperor) is a hotel and casino magnate, relatively young at forty years of age. 
  He leads a flashy lifestyle, wearing only the finest garments and jewelry and enjoying every 
  conceivable luxury while entertaining a retinue of gold-digging false friends and business 
  partners. Three years ago, his life of debauchery came to a screeching halt when Kenny was 
  diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. Rather than allowing the cancer to kill him, the 
  casino tycoon cut a deal with Death’s representative, K9 (Cerberus), to pay a stupendous 
  amount of money every month to stay among the living. And so, Kenny Liu became a resident 
  of Hades (see Anatoli’s Modus Operandi, page 175). 
  The payments were taking a toll on Kenny’s business, dragging down his hospitality and 
  gambling empire. It was going to end badly for him, if not for the caring love of a Rift named 
  Jenny Applebaum (the Nightingale), a school teacher he met at the hospital where he was 
  diagnosed. Jenny used her special ability to ward off Death’s servants with her song, protecting 
  Kenny from his debtors. 
  Eight months ago, Jenny disappeared. Whether she had enough of Kenny’s vain lifestyle or she 
  was spirited away by Anatoli’s people remains unknown. Cornered by his angry debtors, Kenny 
  Liu had to start paying three times what he had paid before for his continued life. Needless to 
   
   
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  say, his business could hardly withstand the hit and he has been desperately searching for a 
  way out ever since. 
  THE MECHANICAL BIRD 
  His salvation presented itself unexpectedly ten days ago, when his casino’s Chief of Security, 
  Carlton Cooper (a Chinese dragon), reported to him about a heist team planning to hit the 
  casino. Surprisingly, one of the team members not only had a striking resemblance to Jenny, 
  but she could also mimic any voice and any appearance to the point of fooling the casino’s 
  security systems. Cooper was hoping this person, Ashley Lind (the Mechanical Bird) could 
  stand in for Jenny and buy his boss more time against Death. 
  Last night, during the heist team’s planned hit, Cooper seized Ashley Lind and brought her to 
  Kenny Liu’s private suite, where he was scheduled to meet Death’s representative, K9. Held at 
  gunpoint, Ashley perfectly mimicked a recording of Jenny’s song, but K9 was not impressed nor 
  affected: the plan had failed. As retribution for the attempt, K9 immediately upped Kenny Liu’s 
  price: if he wanted to live, he had to pay with a life, right there and then. Angry at her failure to 
  protect him and thinking it would be easier to cover up the murder as a suicide, Kenny Liu used 
  his commanding powers to force Ashley Lind to jump to her death from the rooftop of the Royal 
  Plaza Hotel. 
  THE HEIST 
  Ashley Lind wasn’t even supposed to be there. She was entrapped by a con artist named Marty 
  Brooks (a Sleeper) and forced to take part in his operation. Marty was amazed at Lind’s 
  “disguise and impersonation technology and skills” (which, as a Sleeper, he could never accept 
  as a legendary ability), especially the fact she could fake voice and retina signatures. 
  The casino’s cash reserves are kept in a vault in the Box, its security center. When a player 
  wants to withdraw their winnings and the sum is too high for the cash registers on the floor, they 
  are taken into the Box where they are screened for fraud and where their winning money is 
  brought in from the vault, usually personally by Cooper, who is the only one except Kenny Liu 
  who is authorize to open the vault (using his voice and retina signatures).  
  Marty’s heist plan was clever and straightforward: 
  ●
  He recruited a professional card player, Théo Blanc (Sleeper), to win the minimum 
  amount needed to withdraw from the Box. 
  ●
  At the same time, Marty planned to supplant the Chief of Security, Carlon Cooper, with a 
  disguised Ashley. That was the most difficult stunt to pull as it depended on his ability to 
  trick Cooper into a trap inside the casino’s men’s room. 
   
   
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  ●
  Once swapped, Ashley would make her way into the box with Marty, who would act as 
  Blanc’s representative asking to cash out. 
  ●
  Disguised as Cooper, Ashley would fool the security guards and systems, fake the fraud 
  screening, and get in the vault, where she would pack Marty’s briefcase with all the 
  money she could get in (a lot more money than Blanc won). 
  ●
  By the time the casino found out the money was missing, the team would be long gone, 
  and either way, Chief of Security Carlton Cooper would take the blame. 
  Unfortunately for Ashley, during one of their dry runs the heist team was spotted by Cooper, 
  who followed Blanc, beat the plan out of him, threatened him into playing along with his plan, 
  and ran back to his boss to tell him about Ashley Lind. 
  On the night of the planned heist, Cooper was ready for them. Blanc walked off into the night, 
  Marty Brooks sensed a turning of the tides and made his usual miraculous escape, but Ashley 
  Lind was apprehended by a not-so-knocked-out Cooper when she made her way to the men’s 
  room to take his place. The events that transpired then led to her death. 
  BATTLE OF THE MINDS 
  The toughest moment in Marty Brooks’ planned heist would have been tricking Cooper into 
  following him into the men’s room and taking him out there. Marty noticed Cooper was a very 
  hands-on Chief of Security, who handled many complications by himself. Masquerading as 
  Blanc’s lawyer, Marty planned to fake a medical emergency and arouse just enough suspicion 
  to get Cooper involved, fooling Cooper into thinking he was dealing with a small-time con 
  man. Once in the men’s room, Marty would shoot Cooper with horse-grade tranquilizer, which 
  he hoped would be enough to knock out the veteran (and strangely durable) security expert 
  for a few hours. Alas, we’ll never know which one of them would have emerged victorious 
  from that encounter. 
   
   
   
   
   
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  THE CASE ICEBERG 
   
   
   
   
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  DEPTH 0: THE HOOKS 
  The case begins immediately after Ashley Lind’s death, before dawn or in the morning of the 
  day following the attempted heist. The crew can learn about her death in a number of ways: 
  ●
  Watching for crimes:​ If the PCs are involved with the police or seek out unusual 
  crimes, they will learn about Lind’s death from participating in or tracking police activity, 
  from a police contact, or from the morning newspapers and news reports. This would 
  lead them to ​the crime scene​. 
  ●
  A concerned relative or friend​ could recruit the crew to help find out what happened to 
  Ashley Lind, or even pay them to do it. This person may not even know that she had 
  died, so they might lead the crew to ​Ashley’s apartment​. 
  ●
  Tip-off: ​An enemy of Kenny Liu could tip off the crew about a link between the suicide 
  and some shady dealings in the casino. It could even be K9, seeking to put more 
  pressure on Kenny while possibly setting a trap for the crew. The tip could lead to ​the 
  crime scene​ or ​the casino​.  
  ●
  Mystical source:​ Visions or omens revealed to a crew member (perhaps someone 
  walking by the hotel) could indicate that dark forces are at work at the Royal Plaza, 
  perhaps hinting to the nature of the Mechanical Bird. This could lead to ​the crime scene 
  or ​the hotel reception​. 
  ●
  Invitation from Kenny Liu:​ If a crew member has death-defying powers (like 
  Post-Mortem) or has gained a reputation as a miracle worker (like Declan L’Estrange), 
  Kenny Liu may be interested in them as a way to escape Death. He’ll have his Chief of 
  Security, Cooper, contact this crew member and offer to do business, giving the crew a 
  chance to snoop behind the scenes. Such a meeting would begin at ​the casino​ and 
  move on to ​the Box​ if Cooper gets the right impression, but could take a bad turn if 
  anyone was caught investigating the Ashley Lind death. 
   
   
   
   
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  DEPTH 1: BLOOD, GLITZ, AND COGWHEELS 
  The Royal Plaza Hotel is a historic downtown building that has been a center of revelry and 
  entertainment for the City’s socio-economic elite for almost a century. More recently, about a 
  decade ago, it was purchased as a part of a hotel chain deal by then up-and-coming hotel and 
  casino magnate, Kenny Liu. The hotel towers over an open marble plaza, spans over multiple 
  city blocks and is forty stories tall. Its spacious ground floor holds the reception, service area, 
  and the luxurious Royal Plaza Casino. 
  THE CRIME SCENE 
  The rain falls heavily from the overcast heights of the Royal Plaza hotel, washing over the 
  marble plaza at the front, swirling with blood and gore. Like the rain, so did Ashley Lind fall the 
  distance from the light-bulb-studded letters at the top, crashing into the hard ground. What was 
  she thinking, in those last moments, as she was plummeting to her death? Was she hoping a 
  miracle would happen and she’d fly away from there? Was she done with the world and readily 
  accepted the end? Did she have someone special in her thoughts? No one will ever know. 
  Soon, Ashley Lind will be an ever fading stain on the worn marble steps. Gamblers in tuxedos 
  and nights gowns will walk all over her. And she’ll be forgotten. Maybe that’s what she wanted.  
  At the time of Ashley Lind’s death, sometime between midnight and sunrise, the plaza in front of 
  the Royal Plaza Hotel is all but forsaken. Except for a handful of vehicles and pedestrians in the 
  outlining streets, hundreds of feet away, no one is there when she breaks through the roof of the 
  glass canopy above the entrance and hits the ground. Ten minutes later, a small crowd gathers 
  in the rain amidst giant floodlights and glass debris and someone calls the police. Thirty minutes 
  later, the area is closed off by the precinct police, with detectives and a forensics team following 
  suit. The crowd grows bigger and bigger, media teams arrive, and the police orders the casino 
  and hotel to call it a night, sending guests to their homes or hotel rooms. Pedestrian traffic in 
  and out of the hotel is diverted to other entrances. By dawn, the body is already at the morgue 
  and cleaners are scrubbing off the blood in an area delimited by police tape. A beat officer 
  stands guard, ready to collect additional witness reports. Sometime during all that, the crew 
  might arrive at the scene. 
  Depending on their time of arrival, the crew can find the following individuals hanging around: 
  ●
  Detective Johnny Nicholson​, a forensics specialist; a brusque, sturdy, middle-aged 
  man who grunts, growls, and barks more than he talks. He would share the forensic 
  details of the case with anyone who has the authority or some whiskey. 
  ●
  Detective Farrah Enkidu​ (if she’s not a PC), a local detective who is equally rough 
  around the edges as her co-worker, and seems to nervously exchange banter with Det. 
  Nicholson, which does little to hide her heavy heart. She suspects foul play and is more 
  inclined to investigate the case than others in her department, but lacking any evidence, 
  her hands are tied. 
   
   
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  ●
  A hodge-podge of eyewitnesses​, most of whom have seen nothing and are just 
  succumbing to a macabre need to be close to the drama. One witness, Macy Kraus, saw 
  the moment of the fall and can confirm the time and the fact that Ms. Lind was not 
  screaming. 
  ●
  Beat officers​ patrolling and watching the potential crime scene (use the Beat Cops / 
  Security Guards Danger on page 148). At your option, they may start with a status of 
  watchful-1​. 
  The body ​will remain in front of the hotel, covered in tarp until sometime before dawn when it 
  will be moved to the morgue. 
  The deceased​ is a dark-haired, white female, lean, in her late 20s to mid 30s. 
   
  She was wearing a ​beautiful yet inexpensive evening gown​ made of strangely shaped 
  golden sequins (reminiscent of cogwheels). 
   
  Her body came crashing through the glass canopy hanging over the hotel entrance. ​She died 
  from the impact. 
   
  A careful investigation would reveal ​bruising around her wrists​, as if she was restrained by 
  force (but there is no usable DNA). 
   
  There is a ​concealed loaded pistol​ tucked in a holster on her thigh.  
   
  Stashed in ​a hidden pocket ​at the back of the dress, there are her driver’s license (identifying 
  her as Ashley Lind) and a few bank notes. 
   
  At the crime scene: 
  One witness, an elderly gambler named ​Raymond Frank​, said he noticed Lind inside the 
  casino that night and that she was alone (this was during the heist). 
   
  Some of the ​golden sequins​ from Ashley’s dress can be found here. 
   
  Policemen say there is nothing on the roof indicating a struggle. 
   
   
   
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  The police think it was suicide, but they don’t know for sure. 
   
  There was no major event happening at the hotel or the casino. 
   
  BEYOND THE MIST 
  Anyone using their Mythos to ​Look Beyond the Mist​ could discern a lot of mythical activity 
  around the case, although the earlier this occurs in the investigation, the more vague you 
  should be about what the symbolism truly means. 
  ●
  Ashley Lind, Rift of the Mechanical Bird,​ is represented by golden cogwheels, 
  precious stones, and copper springs all shifting in an ever-changing array and taking 
  different shapes and forms and echoing beautiful harmonies (she’s a mechanical 
  mimic). 
  ●
  A ruler, such as ​a king or an emperor​,​ ​represents​ Kenny Liu ​and his power and 
  influence. As the original story relates to the Emperor of China, you may want to 
  incorporate Chinese symbolism of royalty, such as the color yellow. 
  ●
  The ruler has a watchful and dangerous ​Chinese​ ​dragon​ in his service: Carlton 
  Cooper, Chief of Security. 
  ●
  The presence of Death​ hangs over this case, but while Death seems to take a 
  special interest in it, its involvement is unclear. Its representative, if you wish to reveal 
  him, is a vicious black three-headed dog (K9, the Rift of Cerberus). 
  As a surprising twist, characters who can usually contact the spirits of the dead cannot 
  contact the spirit of Ashley Lind around her body, at the place of her death, or at her grave. 
  Her spirit seems to simply not be there. Read more under ​Aftermath​ (page XXX). 
   
  GOLDEN GEARS 
  Ashley’s Mythos allowed her to shift mechanical parts inside of her to look and sound like 
  other people. The illusion was never perfect: Ashley was Touched but was far too distracted 
  by the everyday world to focus on the mysteries of her Mythos. Still, the parts that shifted and 
  cranked inside her were real, and like with any delicate contraption, gears, pins, and springs 
  popped out of place when handled with force. 
  Ashley’s altercation with Cooper and Kenny Liu left a trail of clockwork pieces all over the 
  Royal Plaza Hotel. It leads from ​the casino​ men’s room where Cooper apprehended her to ​the 
  Box​, up the elevator, and to ​Kenny Liu’s private suite​. It ends at ​the crime scene​ below, where 
  her body hit the marble floor and some of her parts scattered. The Mist may mask these as 
   
   
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  golden sequins from her dress, but a meticulous awakened investigator can spot the 
  difference. 
  The best use of this detail is as a sporadically recurring motif that hints at what happened. 
  Don’t let the crew trace it all the way to Kenny Liu and give away the mystery. Instead, drop it 
  as a sign now and then that they’re on the right track - right before distracting the crew with 
  new complications, as the Mist always does. 
   
  THE HOTEL RECEPTION 
  Looking at the reception hall of the Royal Plaza hotel, you wouldn’t know anyone had died just a 
  short distance out the doors. High mirror ceilings and walls refract the luxurious chandeliers into 
  a sea of crystals and gold. Sparkling marble floors echo the art deco glory. Mellow jazz music is 
  playing, lulling you into intoxicated relaxation. Only when your gazes descend to eye level do 
  you notice the hosts of guests accosting the reception desks. Even more guests can be found 
  drinking in the nearby lobby and bar, where the sounds of the live band mix with clinking cocktail 
  glasses. 
  At the reception, for at least a day after the incident,​ the staff is struggling to contain the 
  commotion​. The reception desks are flooded with in-person and phone inquiries about the 
  suicide outside (as the hotel has already labelled the event). Anyone trying to approach the staff 
  during that time will find them ​overrun-by-guests-2​. 
  The security team is closely monitoring the place​, with ​security guards​ and​ ​security cameras 
  covering the floor. Anyone snooping around who is not a guest will be escorted out, while 
  guests will be warned and asked to return to their room. The security team will protect the 
  interests of the hotel, rejecting any inquisitive persons short of a detective with a police warrant. 
  All access to ​the casino​ and other areas ​inside the hotel​ is strictly limited to staff and guests. 
  Security camera footage​ from that night does not show Cooper apprehending Lind.  
   
  A professional analysis of the footage​ will show that it was tampered with and may even 
  reveal it was overwritten with footage from another point in time. 
   
  The staff and guests at the reception​ know very little, but cross-referencing their stories could 
  reveal valuable details: 
  There was no major event happening at the hotel or the casino. 
   
   
   
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  One or two guests can claim to have seen Ashley Lind at the casino on the night of her death. 
   
  One guest has seen her enter ​the Box​ with a tall dark-skinned man in an expensive black suit. 
   
  Asked for identifying features, the same guest will recall something like a snake embroidered 
  on the man’s suit. 
   
  If pushed to recall more details, the guest will say Lind seemed distressed, ​“like a bird in a 
  cage”​. 
   
  If approached indirectly, staff members may unwittingly identify this person as Carlton 
  Cooper, Chief of Security. 
   
  A friendly or justice-seeking staff member or guest may help the crew to sneak into ​the casino 
  or ​inside the hotel​. 
   
  THE CASINO 
  As news of the gruesome death outside spread, the casino staff slowly and reluctantly closed all 
  bets at the tables. The guests left, leaving this glittering hall of exhilaration, occasional victory, 
  and certain demise to stand in silence. But not for long; tomorrow night this place will again be 
  packed wall-to-wall with compulsive risk-takers, ladies of luck, strung out fools, naive beginners, 
  and yes, some drunk on the rush of a winning streak. Nothing can stop this money-making 
  machine, least of all a poor bird caught in its gears. 
  The Royal Plaza Casino is a fine exemplar of the magic of the gambling industry. Designed by 
  the best, it lures you into the action with bright lights, sparkling drinks, the cheers of the crowd, 
  and the sounds of roulettes, slot machines, and shouting card dealers. 
  There are three security doors​ (two on either side of the casino and one at the center) leading 
  into guard rooms and corridors that converge at ​the Box​. Each such door is guarded at all times 
  by security guards (use the Security Guards Danger, page 148) and a sophisticated alarm 
  system (use the Security System Danger, page 150). 
  On the day following Ashley Lind’s death​, the casino is empty. This allows for some time to 
  investigate: 
   
   
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  There’s a trail of golden sequins​ leading from the casino’s men’s room to the nearest 
  security door. This is a pretty big clue, so if you’d like to challenge the crew, they could find 
  the sequins in the janitor’s mop or vacuum cleaner, not knowing where to place them in the 
  casino. 
   
  If the crew has ​legendary means of investigation​, such as psychometric abilities or visions 
  of the past (like Flicker, the Starter Set character), they may be able to ascertain that Lind was 
  here on the night of her death, that she was in distress, and that she made her way into ​the 
  Box​, accompanied by Chief of Security Cooper. 
   
  All data and footage from the casino’s security cameras and other monitoring devices are 
  stored in ​the Box​, inaccessible from here (and as mentioned later, it was also edited like the 
  footage from the reception area). 
   
  On the subsequent night and every night thereafter​, the Royal Plaza casino is open for 
  business but its security staff is ​on-edge-1​ trying to make sure the night goes by uneventfully. 
  Two of the regulars may recall useful details: 
  ●
  Rhonda Giles​ is a high-society high-roller, a top-of-the-line risk management specialist 
  who gambles as an outlet, usually dressed in a daring black number and sporting a 
  martini. While she is burning through her hard-earned money, Rhonda may be inclined 
  to share information about the night of the incident at the casino, but she will try to 
  counter-investigate the crew and later sell the information to Cooper (use the Reporter or 
  Social Butterfly Dangers, page 144). 
  ●
  Billy Cash​ (​Jin Chan, Chinese Money Toad spirit) ​is a flashy thrill-seeking gambler from 
  the southern US who works the casino in a lime green sequin jacket and a pair of 
  shades hiding glowing red eyes. He will let the crew know he has something for them, if 
  they care to bet on it. Every time they win, he will let loose an important detail. You can 
  play the gamble as an ​Investigate​ move using the PCs gambling tags or, if you want to 
  up the stakes, use Billy Cash as a Danger. 
  Note that Chief of Security Cooper and his team are anticipating someone would be snooping 
  around; if anyone scores 7-9 on their Investigate roll, use the counter question option to allow 
  Cooper to find out important details about the crew. 
  Here’s what the casino patrons can reveal: 
  Ashley Lind was at the blackjack table as a “floater”, hanging around and pretending to be a 
  friend of one of the players.  
   
   
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  Ashley’s eyes were following a middle-aged man in a mustard-colored suit and big 
  sunglasses, a known sleazebag named ​Marty Brooks​ (could lead to ​Marty's place​). 
   
  Marty was representing a professional named ​Théo Blanc​ who won a nice sum and cashed 
  out soon thereafter, uncharacteristically. 
   
  As soon as Théo Blanc and Marty left their table, Ashley made her way to the mens’ room. 
   
  She was forcibly dragged out of there by Chief of Security Cooper moments later and walked 
  into ​the Box​. 
   
  Billy Cash knows Théo Blanc and can point the crew to his usual haunt, the ​Ace of Clubs 
  (​Théo’s club​). As for Rhonda, she spent the night with Blanc and found an ​Ace of Clubs 
  casino chip​ (temporary tag) in his jeans back pocket as she was going through his stuff. She 
  hasn’t seen him since. 
   
  BILLY CASH (JIN CHAN) ★ 
  LOSING STREAK 5         HURT OR SUBDUE 1 
  ●
  Okay, Okay, Maybe I Saw Something:​ Every time Billy Cash takes a status on his 
  losing streak​ spectrum, he reveals one item from the list below. When the​ ​losing streak 
  spectrum maxes out, he reveals everything he knows. 
  ●
  Lucky Toad:​ When Billy Cash enters the scene or as a hard move, give him ​lucky-1​. 
  ●
  Sticky Prosperity:​ When Billy Cash takes a status that would affect his luck, 
  gambling, or money (including ​losing streak​ statuses), reduce the tier of the status by 
  1. 
  ●
  Paranoid:​ When you try to attack or threaten Billy Cash, he has already signaled 
  security (or the cops). Create a new Danger: Beat Cops / Security Guards. 
  ●
  Win someone’s money in a gamble (​a-little-over-budget-1​, ​overspending-2​, or 
  financial-risk-3​) 
  ●
  Look at his hand, then set the cards down, eyes flickering in red 
   
   
   
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  ASHLEY’S PLACE 
  This is where she lived: a crummy studio apartment tucked under the railway in a rundown 
  neighborhood. This place has all the signs of a lost soul: dilapidated walls, dripping faucet, 
  empty fridge, and an eviction notice from six months ago that was never acted on. What 
  happened to you, Ashley? Why did you fall so low? 
  Ashley Lind lived in the Blue-Collar Residential, in a small apartment she could hardly afford. 
  She survived mostly thanks to her petty scams, using her abilities to steal money from 
  strangers. 
  Profiling Ashley ​or ​asking around ​could reveal she lived mostly on her own; friends and 
  lovers came and went. Though she lacked the clarity to see it, Ashley didn’t really know who 
  she was. Perhaps having the ability to become what others wanted her to be made it difficult 
  to truly find her own identity.  
   
  Call records​ could reveal that Ashley made single calls to many various numbers (her fraud 
  victims) but numerous calls to two numbers: one at ​Marty’s place​ and the other a private 
  number (calls from her sister, see sidebar). 
   
  Searching the apartment​ (or the computer) would reveal ​a folder with incriminating 
  photos​ of Ashley with her victims, which may have been used to blackmail her. In each 
  photo, Ashley looks completely different, and in some cases it’s hard to recognize her (thanks 
  to her mimic powers). These are the photos Marty Brooks used to entrap Ashley, promising to 
  give her the originals and delete all copies if she helped him with the casino heist. 
   
  There are ​golden mechanical gears​ in the shower and on her bed covers. 
   
  THE REAL NIGHTINGALE 
  Ashley’s older sister, a school teacher named Jenny Applebaum (she change her last name), 
  was Kenny Liu’s real Nightingale. Kenny Liu never cared enough about these women’s 
  personal lives to connect the dots, but Chief of Security Cooper had suspected the two 
  nightingales were related. 
  Jenny’s powers have made her a potential threat to Anatoli’s (Hades) operation because she 
  could prevent people from dying and ward off Death and its agents. It’s possible that she was 
  murdered for that and that she now exists in Hades. Perhaps she made herself disappear 
  because she started investigating the Avatar’s operation, and if so, maybe she used Kenny 
  Liu as a platform to learn more about K9 and his superiors. She could even be the same 
  person as Perry Kennedy, once Anatoli’s wife and his only love (see Anatoli’s History, page 
   
   
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  177). 
  If you choose to incorporate Jenny in the story, her involvement may open up a can of worms 
  much bigger than the scope of this case. Ashley Lind may have been searching for her sister 
  when the heist took place, so she may have had additional motives unknown to any of the 
  other characters (perhaps except Cooper). You can drop some vague clues about the identity 
  of Ashley’s sister, such as a photo of the two at Ashley's place; leave the big reveal about her 
  to Cooper, Kenny Liu, or K9 at the end of the case.  
   
  MARTY’S PLACE 
  Marty’s dump takes up three store spaces under a cheap tenement. Painted letters on the 
  frontispiece read “Brooks Cleaning and Maintenance Co.”, but you can see through the paint 
  that the business was renamed, more than once. No one in this neighborhood would trust Marty 
  Brooks as far as they can throw him. It takes a real scumbag to build a reputation like that. 
  Marty Brooks worked out of a makeshift office doubling as a mouldy apartment and 
  masquerading each month as a different company. The three rooms he rented out are big 
  enough to store all the crap he accumulated from various fake gigs, such as exterminator gear 
  or a janitor’s cart. One of the rooms has a desk, some file cabinets, a sofa to sleep on, and a 
  shower. It seems fortune did not favor Marty lately. 
  All of the above can be seen through the broken blinds on the windows. Since no one is around, 
  breaking in would entail picking the lock or busting through the door, which may alert the 
  neighbours. Unless disarmed,​ a silent alarm​ will flash a red light in the office, but it does very 
  little else (it certainly does ​not​ call the cops). 
   
  Good detective work or accounting skills​ could reveal Marty for what he is: a con man. 
  The ​straw companies​, the ​disguises​, and the ​shady but clever bookkeeping​ in his 
  cabinets all show he’s an expert in fraud. It can also reveal Marty had some windfall in the 
  past but that his spending spirals out of control every time, sending him back to crime. 
   
  Checking Marty’s police records​ shows he’s never been incarcerated for more than a 
  couple of months; the police just can’t seem to make allegations stick. 
   
  There is a photo on Marty’s desk of Linda Brooks, his ex-wife.​ Public records or a quick 
  phone call to her number can show she owns a house in the suburbs, which is currently 
  serving as ​Marty’s hideout​. 
   
   
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  DEPTH 2: A HEIST GONE WRONG 
  INSIDE THE HOTEL 
  Up here, the dimly-lit corridors stretch silently forever. On the higher floors, the fancy red carpet 
  muffles the guests’ steps and luggage trolleys. Overpriced art, gilded mirrors, and marble tables 
  with mint bowls line the walls. Waiters emerge from hidden elevators, pushing silver room 
  service carts with gourmet delicacies and chilled champagne, reminding you that somewhere 
  below, folks are working hard to produce all this affluence.  
  The hotel and its rooms can provide very little to further the investigation. If the crew questions 
  the guests, they can reveal the same information available at the hotel reception and at the 
  casino (​Rhonda Giles​ and ​Jerry Chan​ can be found in their rooms until the night after Ashley’s 
  death, when they hit the casino). However, access to ​the Box​ or ​Kenny Liu’s private suite​ is only 
  available through the hotel and its security systems (although the Box is also accessible through 
  the casino, and boasts even tighter security). If the crew got this far, they also have easier 
  access to ​the roof​. 
  SECURITY! 
  The main stake of a scene inside the hotel is whether the crew will clash with security or 
  manage to elude them. ​Kenny Liu’s private security team​ is all over the hotel like a cheap 
  suit. There are dozens of them on standby, from the roof to the casino. 
  ●
  The hotel is equipped with​ a sophisticated security system,​ both computerized (or 
  electric, if you are playing True Noir) and monitored by security personnel (use the 
  Security System Danger, page 150, but setting off the alarm alerts the security squad as 
  below). 
  ●
  If the alarm goes off, ​a squad of Kenny Liu’s private security ​(use the SWAT Team / 
  Elite Security Danger, page 150) will show up within minutes and escort the crew out of 
  the hotel, with or without their consent. As a policy set by Cooper, they won’t hesitate to 
  injure anyone who resists in order to deter them from any recurring attempts. 
  ●
  If the squad faces significant resistance, ​Carlton Cooper​ will show up as support. 
  ●
  As a last resort, ​the police​ may be called in (which may alert the Gatekeepers, 
  depending on the mythical nature of the report and the degree of strain to the Mist in the 
  area). 
  ●
  The police have no warrant to search any part of the hotel​; Kenny Liu’s lawyer, 
  Trish Maloney​ (use the Corporate Lawyer Danger, page 142) will make sure it stays 
  that way, denying any involvement and requiring proof. She will also arrange for 
  detaining orders for any crew members caught in the hotel.  
   
   
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  THE ROOF 
  Access to the roof is limited to staff, going through service stairs, elevators, and corridors. 
  Unless any crew members can fly or magically transport themselves there, the crew will have to 
  break through some security measures to get here. 
  Up above, the wind is blowing wildly. The exposed roof is surrounded by a stunning panoramic 
  view of the City, accentuated by either a colorful sunset or overhanging clouds and persistent 
  rain. The giant flashing Royal Plaza sign, made out of hundreds of light bulbs, towers over the 
  side of the roof facing the plaza. Vents, air ducts, and AC units dot the naked surface, as well as 
  half a dozen stairwell and elevator entrances. A few security guards may be watching the roof 
  and the plaza for any snoops (especially if the crew had it easy so far). 
  The famous ​golden gears / sequins​ show Ashley Lind was here on the night of her death. 
   
  Cooper, Kenny Liu, and K9 were also on the roof that night​ but it will be much harder to 
  place them there. Divination can help, with Cooper being the easiest to scry and K9 the 
  hardest. 
   
  No one pushed Ashley Lind off the roof.​ Kenny Liu threatened her with his gun and used 
  his commanding Emperor voice to urge her to do it. No shots were fired, so ​forensics​ would 
  come up inconclusive. Only power from beyond the Mist or deduction based on further 
  evidence can expose what happened here. 
   
  THE BOX 
  If you get on the bad side of the house – and make no mistake, that includes winning – burly 
  security guards in tight suits and mirrorshades will walk you down a luxurious hallways lit in red. 
  The next room looks more like an interrogation room than a VIP lounge. Behind the one-way 
  mirror, you can only assume, lies a dark room lit only by screens, where the best minds in fraud 
  detection and casino security watch over Kenny Liu’s money. 
  The Box is the security hub of the casino, holding the command center, the vault, and the 
  security team’s facilities. To break into the Box undetected is essentially as challenging as 
  robbing the casino, but if the crew can pull off such a heist, much may be revealed. 
  Use the hotel security Dangers given on page XXX to represent the Box, but update the 
  Security System Danger’s spectrums to ​alarm:2​ and ​override:5​ and give it this custom move: 
  Cutting-edge:​ When Security System enters the scene, give it ​cutting-edge​. The MC 
  can renew this tag as a soft move after a player makes a move without it. 
   
   
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  The Elite Security in the Box starts with ​watchful-1​. If relevant, security and fraud analysts are 
  monitoring the casino, its entrances, and the hotel perimeter at all times (use the Detective / 
  Investigator Danger, page 148). Note that if anyone moves any money or chips belonging to the 
  casino, Cooper’s Dragon powers make him aware of it no matter where he is. 
  The command center holds the security camera footage​ from the night of the incident, 
  which has been overwritten with some everyday footage. If the crew can get the tapes to a 
  professional analyst or a Rift with the right powers, they can extract the original footage, 
  showing everything that happened that night except for ​Kenny Liu’s private suite​ (no cameras) 
  and what happened on the roof (which was out of the camera’s field of view). This also 
  reveals Marty Brooks and Théo Blanc’s involvement if it was not already revealed. 
   
  In Chief of Security Cooper’s office​, there are photos of Ashley Lind in the casino (taken 
  during one of the heist team’s dry runs a few days before the heist) and records of ​Théo’s 
  club​ and apartment (not his current hideout). One of Lind’s photos is circled with a red marker 
  with a scribble: “Songbird?” 
   
  In the private elevator ​going up from the Box to ​Kenny Liu’s private suite​, ​tiny bronze and 
  gold gears and pins​ can be found (or are they golden sequins?).  
   
  THEO’S CLUB 
  It wasn’t easy finding the Ace of Clubs. Slipping through the back wall of the sweet old couple’s 
  pantry takes you to a speakeasy no bigger than a hotel room, snugly fitted with a bar and two 
  round poker tables. Despicable unshaved gents and sultry women lay your soul bare with their 
  gazes, trying to pick up your tell through the curling smoke.  
  Hidden in the basement of an Old Quarter townhouse, the Ace of Clubs is a private club for 
  professional gamblers and a favorite haunt of Théo Blanc. Théo is not here, but the owner, 
  Marla Costa​ (the Ace of Clubs Card Soldier from Alice in Wonderland) knows where he is 
  hiding (a stadium by the Industrial Zone) and from who (Cooper, who will be coming to wrap up 
  loose ends now that Théo is a witness in a potential murder case). 
  Marla is a wiry and intense woman in her 30s, usually sporting a tank top, jeans, high heels, and 
  a leather jacket. Few notice it, but her profile is remarkably thin. The last thing Marla wants to do 
  is give away her pal and occasional lover; she and a few of the less savory patrons will throw 
  punches at anyone looking for the handsome gambler. 
  Marla’s Danger is given below (she’s a Hired Thug with a Warrior Mythos Power Set, page 156). 
  For her crew, use the Hired Thugs Danger (page 147). 
   
   
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  MARLA COSTA (CARD SOLDIER) ​★★★
  ★★★ 
  HURT OR SUBDUE 3     THREATEN 4 
  ●
  Card Manipulations: ​Marla can move cards without touching them, even within a 
  sealed deck. When she plays cards, give her ​the-cards-are-stacked-in-my-favor-3​, 
  renewable as a hard move. 
  ●
  Trained combatant:​ Increase the tier of the mundane physical harm or subdual 
  statuses caused by Marla Costa’s moves by one. 
  ●
  Unbeatable: ​When a Marla Costa enters the scene, give her ​parry with club​, 
  incredibly thin profile​, and ​light as paper​. 
  ●
  Legendary Clubsmanship: ​When you attack Marlo Costa, you first take 
  blackjacked-3​. 
  ●
  Bully (​threatened-2​), beat up with a baton (​broken-ribs-4​), or throw a card at an 
  exposed artery (​bleeding-out-4​) 
  ●
  Warn someone to mind their own business, or else 
   
  MARTY’S HIDEOUT 
  That lowlife Brooks chose a nice place to lay low: a five-bedroom house in Happyville, which he 
  probably bought with money he swindled out of old ladies. Now it’s listed under his ex-wife’s 
  name. You wonder how he was able to slip the casino security that night. Is he going to pull the 
  same stunt here?  
  When the crew arrives at Linda Brooks’ suburban house, Marty will try to make a run for it by 
  foot through backyards and private homes (he knows Linda’s car is compromised). Use the Con 
  Artist Danger (page 145) for Marty, but start him off with ​three-steps-ahead-3​ thanks to his 
  knack for leaving before trouble starts. If the crew misses one too many moves, ​Deny Them 
  Something They Want​ and make Marty disappear and skip town. 
  Marty is a balding middle-aged man in a distasteful cheap suit and large shades. If caught, he 
  will try to con his way out, but threat of physical violence will make him spill the beans fast 
  enough.  Note that being off the grid, ​Marty still doesn’t know about Ashley’s death​. Hearing 
  the news will fill him with genuine sorrow and he will burst into tears. For all his lies, the 
  middle-aged con man had a soft spot for Ms. Lind. The crew may also be able to guilt him into 
  helping them. 
   
   
   
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  Marty will share the heist plan ​and how it all went smoothly until he noticed Cooper was on 
  to them. 
   
  He will admit to walking out on Ashley​ after sensing that something is amiss. He saw her 
  walking to the men’s room to replace Cooper as planned, but had no way of warning her 
  without exposing himself. 
   
  He will blame Théo Blanc ​for selling them out, pointing the crew to ​Théo’s club​ or even 
  Théo’s hideout​, depending on your cinematic considerations. 
   
  DEPTH 3: THE RUSH TO HUSH 
  With the details of the heist revealed and the kidnapping of Ashley Lind by the casino private 
  security all but laid bare, the main question on the table is “​Why was Ashley Lind 
  kidnapped?”​. Besides Kenny Liu and K9 (who may yet be inaccessible to the crew), Théo 
  Blanc and Chief of Security Cooper are the only two who know the answer.  
  THEO’S HIDEOUT 
  The stadium is remarkably quiet when it’s empty, silent except for the rain tapping on tens of 
  thousands of plastic seats. The bright flood lights above the field make it hard to look into the 
  tiers. Somewhere below, a small door leads to a dingy caretaker’s apartment, but he won’t be 
  there until the season starts. That’s where Théo is supposedly crashing. It shouldn’t be too 
  tough to bring him in. So why do you have a bad feeling about this? 
  The stadium where Théo is hiding until he can safely get out of town is located somewhere at 
  the edge of the Industrial Zone. It’s up to you to determine whether it’s abandoned, off-season, 
  active but not right now, or actually hosting a game when the crew arrives. Théo has been 
  hiding in the on-site apartment (a cell would be a more appropriate term) of the stadium 
  caretaker, who owes big money to Marla Costa. The window of the apartment peers out into the 
  stadium. There are other rooms, such as broadcasting rooms, restrooms, locker rooms, 
  stairwells, etc. within the stadium building – all excellent locations for the bloody assassination 
  chase that is about to ensue. 
  If the crew is looking for Théo here, then so is Cooper. ​Since Théo may testify how he 
  betrayed Ashley Lind to Cooper, thus linking Cooper to Ashley’s death, he’s a liability the Royal 
  Plaza Casino can’t afford. Shortly before or after the crew arrives, Cooper or a hitman he hired 
   
   
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  will show up to (use the Hitman Danger, page 147, or use Cooper’s Danger with the necessary 
  spectrums and moves from the Hitman Danger).  
  However, Théo knows he’s in trouble and has planned a gambit of his own. ​He has the 
  apartment rigged with explosives (​mortally-wounded-5​) in case someone comes after him (crew 
  included), and he is hunkered down somewhere in the stands, watching for pursuers and 
  waiting to make his move. The ​heavy rain​ and ​flood lights​ (as well as possibly the ​roaring 
  crowd​) make it very hard to locate threats around the stands. By the time the crew locates Théo 
  and the hitman, it may be too late. 
  If the crew does manage to apprehend Théo, they find the gambler ‒ a boyish man in his 30s ‒ 
  soaked to the bone in a tracksuit and undershirt, a far cry from his dashing casino garb. Théo 
  may reveal that Carlton Cooper caught him after a dry run of the planned heist and forced him 
  to tell him about Marty and Ashley. He will describe Cooper as a ‘freak’, who somehow knew 
  where Théo hid a few chips he stole from the casino. Finally, he’ll describe Cooper’s immediate 
  interest in Ashley’s mimicry and disguise skills, and how he threatened Théo into betraying 
  Marty and Ashley. With that, Théo confirms that Cooper’s kidnapping of Ashley Lind was not 
  merely the casino taking disciplinary steps – it was a premeditated crime. 
  CHASING COOPER 
  Cooper steps out of the car, smoke coiling around him like a slippery scaled tail. His jaw 
  clenched, he cuts through the smoke, inhaling it without flinching. As his arm comes up, holding 
  a high-end assault pistol, the embroidery on his black suit starts glowing. Bullets start flying 
  everywhere; but what you should really be watching for is the smoke drawing into his nostrils 
  and the sparks flying out of his mouth... 
  Carlton Cooper is the focal point of the case. ​While Kenny Liu is the vile Emperor who 
  decreed Ashley Lind’s kidnapping and death, Chief of Security Cooper was his draconic 
  executor, taking care of everything needed to first snatch the Mechanical Bird and then hide his 
  master’s crimes. The Emperor is shielded by Cooper, his battery of lawyers, and friends in high 
  places. To reach him and to find out the final details of the case, the crew should first apprehend 
  Carlton Cooper (unless they explicitly decide to tackle Kenny Liu first and find another way to 
  get to him). 
  Luckily for the crew, the old dragon does get around: 
  ●
  If he was involved in or even watching the showdown at the stadium (​Théo’s hideout​), 
  the crew may want to pursue him there and then. 
  ●
  The crew may try to follow him in his private life, such as when he leaves the casino to 
  blow off some steam in a downtown bar. 
  ●
  You can have Cooper attack the crew (in his hitman mode described above) and then 
  flee. 
   
   
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  If Cooper thinks the crew will pose a problem in the future, he will try to take them out (and bet 
  on Kenny’s lawyers to prove self-defense). However, if the crew proves too difficult to handle, 
  he will attempt to flee. Depending on the outcome of the conflict, Cooper may do any or all of 
  the following: 
  ●
  Confirm the information gathered by the crew thus far 
  ●
  Complete the puzzle by telling the crew about Kenny Liu’s sickness, his deal with Death, 
  and the real Nightingale 
  ●
  Laugh cynically, telling the crew that they have no way of proving Ashley was murdered 
  since Kenny only convinced her to jump 
  ●
  Provide the crew with access to ​Kenny Liu’s private suite​, such as the codes to override 
  the elevator in ​the Box 
  ●
  Kidnap one of the crew members, or someone important to them 
  ●
  Retreat to ​Kenny Liu’s private suite 
   
  COOPER’S DODGE CHARGER (RELIC) ​★★★
  ★★★ 
  CATCH OR OUTRUN 5     DECOMMISSION 4 
  ●
  Vehicle: ​Cooper can emerge from the car as a soft move. This happens automatically 
  when ​decommission​ is maxed out. 
  ●
  Fear the Dragon: ​When you’re on a frontal collision course with Cooper’s Dodge 
  Charger, you first take ​chicken-4​, compelling you to swerve. 
  ●
  Burn the Road: ​When Cooper’s Dodge Charger enters the scene, give it ​fast-2​. The 
  MC can renew this status as a hard move. 
  ●
  Armored: ​When Cooper’s Dodge Charger takes a damaging status, reduce its tier by 
  2. 
  ●
  Ram into a vehicle (​lose-control-3​), an obstacle (burn two obstacle tags), or a person 
  (​multiple-fractures-4​) 
  ●
  Race away into the night (hard move) 
  ●
  Shake off pursuers with combat driving maneuvers 
  ●
  Accelerate and leave a trail of smoke behind it 
   
   
   
   
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  CARLTON COOPER, CHIEF OF SECURITY (THE DRAGON) ​★★★
  ★★★ 
  Carlton Cooper is a stern, gray-haired, middle-aged black man. A graduate of elite military 
  training, he has served his country for over a decade and then moved to a career in private 
  security. His guardianship of his clients’ greatest treasures awakened the Dragon in him and, 
  while he largely remained preoccupied with his duties, he is learning to rely on his legend 
  more and more every day and has already gained a reputation as the City’s foremost casino 
  security expert.  
  HURT OR SUBDUE 5      IMPLICATE 4 
   
  ●
  Ultimate Predator: ​When Cooper enters the scene, give him ​alert-2​, renewable as a 
  hard move. 
  ●
  Servant of the Emperor: ​When someone tries to sway Cooper against Kenny Liu for 
  the first time, give him ​subservient-5​ (he is under Kenny Liu’s control). 
  ●
  Hoard Keeper:​ When you take something of value from the casino, Cooper knows 
  where it is in town. 
  ●
  Slippery Scales:​ When Cooper takes a physical harm or subdual status, reduce its 
  tier by 1. 
  ●
  Bodyguards:​ When Cooper takes a status his bodyguards can protect him from, the 
  bodyguards (Elite Security) take the status instead. 
  ●
  Hide, destroy, or tamper with evidence (​lack of evidence​) 
  ●
  Keep the private security team efficient (​efficient-2​ or remove 2 negative tactical status 
  tiers or 2 impeding story tags) 
  ●
  Spot a greedy character and offer money (​greased-3​) 
  ●
  Use martial arts to restrain or hurt someone (​restrained-3​ or ​painful-injury-3​) or fire 
  accurate bursts with an expensive assault pistol (​multiple-gun-wounds-3​ to multiple 
  targets) 
  ●
  Breathe fire, exhausting himself (​burns-4​ to everyone in front of him, giving himself 
  exhausted-2​) 
  ●
  Call Kenny Liu’s private security (they arrive) (create a new Danger: Kenny Liu’s 
  Private Security, or increase its collective size if they’re already here) 
  ●
  Analyze the scene astutely, slowly piecing together the crew’s next move 
  ●
  In the hotel or the casino, vanish into a service elevator or back corridor  
  ●
  Call Kenny Liu’s private security (they’re on their way) 
  ●
  When in trouble, stop everything and inhale deeply (preparing to blow fire) 
   
   
   
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  DEPTH 4: A DEATH OWED 
  Once the crew connects all the dots, it becomes clear that Kenny Liu pulled the trigger on the 
  legendary power that made Ashley Lind jump to her death or, at the very least, that he was 
  involved in her death and benefited from it. 
  The crew may have different plans for Kenny: they may wish to interrogate or interview him, 
  capture him (and perhaps exact vengeance), or incriminate him and leave him to the cops (if 
  they don’t know about his powers). But how do you take down an emperor? 
  The final showdown with Kenny does not have to be a fight. It may very well be ​an intense 
  dialog​ that will force him to confess, ​a legal battle​ to get him to pay for his sins, or ​a heist 
  aimed at securing (or planting) evidence, bringing down his casino, or discovering who is pulling 
  Kenny’s strings. Use the security specifications in Depth 2 (page XXX) to represents the 
  challenges in getting to Kenny Liu’s private suite. 
  KENNY LIU’S PRIVATE SUITE 
  Kenny Liu’s private suite is a lavish residence of multiple open-plan spaces. Custom lighting 
  accentuates the designer furniture and contemporary art that was thoughtfully placed here to 
  create an impression of elegant power. Kenny Lui entertains guests in a lowered section of the 
  suite, where plush sofas and a cocktail bar await. The unobstructed, full panoramic view of the 
  City hits you with vertigo. The higher they go, the harder they fall. 
  When the crew arrives to face Kenny, the suite is surrounded by his private security force, with 
  Cooper heading it (if he still can). Depending on circumstances, K9 may also be present, 
  especially if he was the one who tipped the crew off or if the crew is starting to undermine his 
  interests with the Emperor (see K9’s Danger on page 182). 
  Kenny Liu is not going to roll over and give himself to the crew.​ He has survived worse 
  enemies than them (or so he thinks). Just like when he aspired to escape Death (twice!), he’s 
  willing to use any means necessary to permanently rid himself of the crew and weather the 
  Ashley Lind storm. If the opportunity presents itself, he will try to take command of a mentally 
  vulnerable crew member and push the crew into fighting themselves, hoping to later spin a story 
  and tack the Ashley Lind blame on the crew members. 
  Talking to Kenny Liu, the crew may learn about: 
  Kenny Liu’s history with Death, the real Nightingale, and Ashley Lind 
   
  His botched gamble that Ashley Lind will be able to save him from Death and the price Death 
  made him pay by sacrificing Ashley 
   
   
   
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  How he made Ashley Lind jump to her Death 
   
  At the apartment, the crew may find: 
  The ​cogwheel, springs, and pins​ indicating Ashley Lind was forced to be there 
   
  Artifacts of death worshipping​, such as an incense holder made of a skull 
   
  Medical files about his terminal disease 
   
  FLOATING LOCATION 
  By default, Kenny Liu’s private suite is located at the top floor of the hotel and it was there that 
  Ashley Lind was taken before she was forced to jump to her death. However, if the crew 
  somehow penetrates the hotel suite early in the case, you can choose to have Kenny’s private 
  suite be in his Downtown penthouse instead. In this variation, the hotel suite where the fateful 
  meeting with Ashley Lind and K9 took place is a separate location from the penthouse, where 
  Kenny Liu usually resides and where the crew finally finds him.  
   
   
   
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  KENNY LIU (THE EMPEROR) ​★★★
  ★★★ 
  Kenny Liu ​is a medium-height, fit Asian man in his 40s, usually wearing a designer suit in 
  gray or black. He has an air of smugness and sophistication about him, but also a certain 
  ruthlessness that comes from a feeling of superiority. He is a personification of the Emperor 
  ideal, and he is very much used to things being done his way. Unfortunately, he does not 
  embody the admirable qualities of the great emperors: he lacks a vision or a desire to serve 
  something greater than himself, so he’s been using his powers for nothing more than glorified 
  self-indulgence.  
  HURT OR SUBDUE 3     THREATEN 5     IMPLICATE 4 
  ●
  Mandate of Heaven:​ When you attack or try to influence Kenny Liu in his presence, 
  you first take ​obedient-3​. 
  ●
  Make Me an Offer I Can’t Refuse: ​When you refuse Kenny Liu’s offer, you are 
  Taking the Risk​. 
  ●
  Bodyguards:​ When Kenny Liu takes a status his bodyguards can protect him from, 
  the bodyguards (Elite Security) take the status instead. 
  ●
  Never Rest:​ At the end of every downtime or as a hard move, Kenny Liu can give you 
  besmirched-reputation-2​ or ​wanted-2​, or create a new Danger to go after you (choose 
  from Corporate Lawyer, Detective, Elite Security, or Hitman) 
  ●
  Relentless:​ At the end of the scene, remove any statuses on Kenny Liu’s ​threaten 
  spectrum. 
  ●
  Decree the will of the emperor, commanding absolute obedience (​obedient-3​) 
  ●
  Pull out a hidden pistol and fire (​well-placed-shot-4​) 
  ●
  Subtly and chillingly threaten someone 
  ●
  Be suspiciously nice to someone 
   
   
   
   
   
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  AFTERMATH 
  While the case can end in many different ways, here are a few points to consider before 
  wrapping it up: 
  ●
  What is going to happen to Kenny Liu?​ If he’s dead, is he going to come back with 
  the help of Death, or is it the ambrosia refineries for him? If he’s in jail, what prevents 
  him from simply walking out using his ability to command others? Or perhaps in jail he 
  gains even more power or has an epiphany about what he should do with his life? If he 
  is free, does he hold a grudge for the crew and continues to haunt them? 
  ●
  Where is Cooper at the end of all this?​ If his involvement was purely due to Kenny 
  Liu’s hold on him, perhaps now he is a changed man. He could be interested in 
  recruiting the crew or help them. Other powers in the Rift underworld may have noticed 
  his capabilities and wish to hire him. And if the casino is finished, perhaps he will ascend 
  to Borderlinehood.  
  ●
  Death, AKA Anatoli Vidales​, certainly has the crew on his radar after this. Whether or 
  not K9 became directly involved with the crew, Death will want the threat removed. He 
  may send his people to threaten the lead characters or their loved ones or offer them life 
  beyond death. 
  ●
  Marty Brooks​, if he stayed around, could be interested in the crew’s abilities and may 
  have a few new heists to propose to them. Though unlikely, his love for self-gain may 
  actually help him awaken and see the potential in Rifts. 
  ●
  The police ​could take a special interest in the crew, following the unfolding of the 
  investigation. From the beat officer on the street to the head honchos in command, each 
  department may see the crew as a threat, as allies, or as both. 
  ●
  And what about Ashley Lind? ​Is she really dead? Or has Death simply coveted the 
  Mechanical Bird to himself? The crew members may very well see her again (and 
  possibly her sister) in future cases related to Anatoli’s operation. For now, a befitting 
  ending shot could involve one of the crew members seeing someone that looks very 
  much like Ashley Lind, only a little sadder, staring at them in the street as the downtown 
  crowd billows all around… only to disappear in the stream of pedestrians moments later. 
   
   
  © 2018 Amit Moshe / Son of Oak Game Studio - Playtesting Copy
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/City of Mist (PbtA)/Adventures/Gambling with Death [playtest version].pdf