Confrontation at Meat Party

Summary

During Session 8, Vasso and Safia witnessed guards from the new thug regime extorting the Meat Party Vendor for protection money at Meat Party. The vendor protested that she had already paid the previous day, but the guards demanded payment again, citing high costs from holes in New Smoke's wall. Vasso, emboldened by his new armored shoes and moved by the vendor's distress, confronted the guards about the unsustainability of their protection racket. Safia, after wrestling with concerns about being "colonial," ultimately aided Vasso in de-escalating the situation. Vasso's successful "I am the law" move—boosted by Safia's aid from a 9 to a 10—forced the guards to back down, though they promised to return the next day for payment.

Details

The confrontation began when the guards approached the vendor, announcing their presence with "Hey, all right. Collecting." The Meat Party Vendor protested that she had already paid them yesterday. The guards insisted on another payment, justifying it by claiming "costs are high" due to holes in the wall.

Vasso, feeling confident in his recently acquired armored shoes and motivated by the vendor's distress, stepped forward to intervene. He confronted the guards directly: "I think you might need to leave this lady alone because it sounds like she already paid you yesterday." When the guards attempted to justify their protection racket, Vasso challenged them: "So what's she even paying you for, though?"

Vasso pressed his argument further, pointing out the logical flaw in their extortion scheme: "And then she can't survive, and then she dies, and then you don't get any more money for your boss man. Won't he be pissed at you?"

Safia wrestled with whether to intervene, worried about being "colonial" in the situation. Ultimately, Safia decided to aid Vasso in de-escalating the confrontation.

Vasso attempted the "I am the law" move with a charisma roll. His initial roll of 7, plus his +2 modifier, resulted in a 9. Safia's aid pushed the result to 10, achieving full success.

The guards backed down, saying "Okay, all right. Whatever, kid. Okay, calm down. Okay? Jesus Christ." Before leaving, they issued a warning: "We're gonna be back tomorrow and you better be ready to pay up."

After the guards departed, the vendor thanked Vasso: "Ah, thanks, kid. I appreciate what you're trying to do." She revealed crucial information about the regime change: "It hasn't been long. Took over, and they started roughing everybody up, asking for money." The thugs had only seized control "last couple weeks" before this session.

Participants

Vasso — Confronted the guards and used the "I am the law" move to force them to back down
Safia — Aided Vasso in the confrontation after resolving internal conflict about intervention
Meat Party Vendor — The victim of the extortion attempt who had already paid the previous day
New Smoke Guards — Enforcers for the new thug regime attempting to collect protection money

Consequences

Vasso gained +1 forward against guards in general as a mechanical benefit
The guards left without collecting payment that day but promised to return the next day
Vasso and Safia learned that the thug regime had only taken over New Smoke within "the last couple weeks"
The confrontation established Vasso's willingness to stand up to oppressive authority despite being hungry and relatively powerless
The vendor received temporary relief from extortion, though the underlying threat remained