Scouting New Smoke

Summary

In Session 7, Safia conducted an extensive aerial reconnaissance mission of New Smoke after Sucks Benedict identified dangers at the Canal Entrance using his Trap Expert abilities and discovered a Marked Stone. Safia used her Shapeshift ability to transform into a pigeon, rolling a 10 to successfully take flight despite initial difficulties from having eaten fuzzy peaches beforehand. Flying over the 20-25ft walls while guards commented on the struggling bird with a human-sounding cough, Safia performed a successful Discern Realities check (rolling another 10) to gather crucial intelligence about the town's layout, industrial character, guard behavior, and the viability of the smuggling route through the canal outlet.

The reconnaissance revealed New Smoke as a brutal, industrialized settlement arranged in a horseshoe shape with constant foundry smoke, a busy Market District, and violent guards who beat and imprison people attempting to enter with contraband. Safia also observed the Pine Cone Man, a well-liked merchant with extensive inventory, establishing him as a potential contact point within the town's market area.

Details

After Sucks Benedict examined the Canal Entrance and determined the timing-based danger from guard patrols, the party devised a plan for Safia to scout from above. Safia suggested transforming into a rat to signal when guards passed, but ultimately decided to use her Shapeshift move to become a pigeon for a broader reconnaissance mission. Rolling a 10 on the transformation, Safia successfully became a pigeon, though she initially struggled to get aloft due to having eaten fuzzy peaches shortly before the transformation.

Flying over the walls, Safia heard the Wall Guards comment on the pigeon's peculiar flight pattern and human-sounding cough in the smoky air. Once inside the 20-25ft walls, Safia performed a Discern Realities check, rolling another 10 to gain maximum information about the town. She discovered New Smoke was arranged in a horseshoe shape, described as looking "kind of like a Mad Max town" with "a lot of ramshackle buildings, things made out of a bunch of different kind of mixed materials."

The industrial character of New Smoke became immediately apparent. As Safia observed: "There's a ton of foundries, I'll tell you that much. There's a ton of like smelters and foundries. So there's, there's constant work, constant noise, ton of smoke in the air." The town center featured a busy Market District with tents and string lights, while large scrap piles dominated the far end of the settlement.

Investigating the canal outlet—their planned entry point—Safia discovered it had been built over extensively with planks of wood and carts, effectively hiding it from the town's surface. She noted that "there is like basically a metal grating that used to go above it," suggesting the smuggling route remained viable despite the surface construction.

At the main gate, Safia witnessed the brutal enforcement methods of the New Smoke Guards. She saw guards aggressively search people attempting to enter, confiscating a Game Boy Device from someone, knocking them to the ground when they resisted, and dragging them away to jail. The guards then casually attempted to play games on the confiscated device while making jokes. Safia also witnessed a mother being knocked down and dragged away. This violence deeply disturbed Safia, causing her stomach to turn, and she reported back to the party that New Smoke was a "pretty rough and tumble town" where getting caught with their contraband would result in imprisonment.

While Vasso and the underground group navigated the canal system, Safia continued her aerial reconnaissance in the afternoon sunlight. She focused her attention on the Pine Cone Man, a large, pale, bald merchant wearing distinctive pine cone-covered clothing that rattled when moving. The Pine Cone Merchant operated a prominent stall in the New Smoke Market, displaying a jovial, community-oriented demeanor. Safia observed the merchant laughing with customers, greeting couples walking by, offering samples, and kissing old ladies' hands in a charming manner that contrasted sharply with the brutal guard presence elsewhere in town.

Safia's pigeon instincts created an urgent desire to peck at the Pine Cone Man's distinctive clothing to get at the seeds, but she successfully resisted this urge. Landing near the tent, she examined not what the merchant had for sale but where inventory was stored and the layout of the operation. The tent was positioned between other market stalls and butted up against a smithy wall where metal hammering could be heard. Inside, Safia observed massive inventory including bolts of fabric, some weapons, pots of scented oils, and extensive salvaged building materials—metal, wood, and bundles of wire. The display table featured various technological objects and items of moderate quality—"the pretty good stuff"—while the truly valuable items were presumably kept hidden, possibly concealed under the merchant's pine cone outfit.

Participants

Safia — Used Shapeshift to transform into a pigeon and conducted all aerial reconnaissance, rolling 10 on both the transformation and Discern Realities check
Sucks Benedict — Identified the timing-based danger at the Canal Entrance using Trap Expert abilities and discovered the Marked Stone, prompting the need for reconnaissance
Erin — Played Safia during the reconnaissance mission
Shawn — Game Master who described New Smoke's layout, the Pine Cone Man's operations, and the guard violence
Wall Guards — Commented on the pigeon's unusual flight and human-sounding cough
New Smoke Guards — Demonstrated the town's brutal enforcement at the main gate
Pine Cone Man — Observed as a well-liked merchant with extensive inventory and community presence
Vasso — Navigating the canal system with the underground group during Safia's continued reconnaissance

Consequences

The party gained comprehensive intelligence about New Smoke's layout, including the horseshoe shape, industrial foundry district, Market District with tents and string lights, and scrap piles at the far end
Safia confirmed the canal outlet remained a viable entry point, with the metal grating compromised and the outlet hidden from surface view by construction
The party learned New Smoke has extremely violent guard enforcement—people caught with contraband are beaten and imprisoned, establishing clear stakes for their smuggling mission
The Pine Cone Man was identified as a well-connected merchant with extensive inventory of salvaged materials, technological objects, and trade goods, establishing a potential contact or trading partner within the town
Safia experienced the physical discomfort of the town's industrial smoke while in pigeon form, coughing with a human-sounding voice
The contrast between the Pine Cone Man's jovial community presence and the brutal guard violence established the social dynamics within New Smoke
Safia's successful rolls (both 10s) provided maximum information without complications, allowing the party to plan their infiltration with complete intelligence