Finally managed to finish the "one-shot" that we started here. We were down a player, so we didn't have Mickey back, so we decided he gave a rousing speech and then was abducted by aliens or something (actually I just forgot about him).
The characters follow their lead to a nameless dive bar, hoping to find the infamous Thick Stan. They walk right in, and CB walks up to the bar and asks to do some work in exchange for food. The bartender looks him over, and then growls at him to go grab a bin from the back and collect glassware. He gets started on that, and the characters spot three thugs at a table in the corner. One of them is an immense fellow, broad of shoulder and girthy of neck, who can only be Thick Stan.
Penelope, subtle as a train, stands upon a table and addresses the room. She offers money to whoever will give her information about the train wreck that happened today. The room subtly shifts and people surreptitiously glance at Thick Stan, who growls and shakes his head. The money is apparently too tempting, though, because one of the patrons tugs Penelope's dress a bit and motions toward the door.
Penelope and Leigh head outside and hide in a shadowy stoop. Meanwhile, inside, CB hears Thick Stan growl to his cronies, "go outside and make sure girl doesn't talk. Also get money." They stand up, and CB trips, spills glassware on them, and knocks them down to buy the others some time. Thick Stan stands up and lopes toward the door, and his cronies follow. CB knows he needs to go help, but he spilled the glasses and, Nose to the Millstone, he feels he needs to clean up first.
Outside, the dude who offered info finds Penelope and reveals that a young woman, about the same age as Penelope, was in the bar the other day looking for folks to do a "job," and he heard her speaking to Thick Stan in Slovak. In fact, they left together! Penelope slips him some money and he heads into the street...and straight into Thick Stan.
Stan picks him up by his throat and shakes him till he gestures towards Penelope and Leigh, and Stan tosses him aside. Penelope runs around Stan and finds herself coming up on the two mooks. Stan grabs for Leigh, but Leigh dives between his legs, grabs his suspenders and pulls, knocking him ass over teakettle.
Penelope runs into the bar, a thug on her heels. CB grabs her and spins her around, sticking out his foot to trip the thug. Penelope then starts talking to the bar patrons, getting them fired up about the possibility of not having to answer to Thick Stan all the time!
The other thug, meanwhile, goes after Leigh, but the Spirit of Exploration is just too damn quick. Leigh dives between this guy's legs and yanks down his trousers, and then runs into the bar. Stan follows, and arrives to a not-terribly-friendly crowd. He tries to stare them down, but Leigh slips in among the people and spreads the rumor that Stan is secretly a cop. The crowd turns against him, and he leaves with a snarl.
Penelope bribes one of the thugs (who are not at all interested in dealing with these kids any further) to tell her where Dobra might be, and they reveal that she said something about the Drake Hotel, downtown. The characters head back to the hospital where they tell Herr Hoffmann that Dobra was responsible for the train crash, but he refuses to believe it. After all, they didn't see Dobra at this bar, and he can't believe that she would do such a thing. The characters decide they need to go talk to Dobra directly.
They secure a carriage and arrive at the opulent hotel, which fortunately puts Penelope very much in her element. She talks to the concierge and learns that Dobra is in the penthouse, and they ride the elevator up (which fascinates Leigh, who's never been on one). They arrive at the penthouse to find a guard reading the paper, and he throws Penelope's little card right back at her and tells them to leave. They talk him into asking if Dobra will see them, and CB shoulders the door open.
Dobra and a bunch of tough-looking fellows are in the room, including Thick Stan. Things look like they might get ugly, but the characters deftly talk Dobra down, slowly learning about her and her motivations. Penelope, noting that Dobra doesn't seem to care about money, finally realizes that Dobra feels that Everyone Needs to Know (Her) Name. Leigh, following up on that, realizes that Dobra is the Shadow of Fame.
They each launch a barrage of accusations and speculation about her motive, and Dobra finally gives up and tells the thugs to leave. She agrees to tell Hoffmann what really happened, and tells the other characters to leave her alone.
The next morning, the characters are summoned to a townhouse to meet with Herr Hoffmann, and he reveals the truth - he is a representative of the Century Club, a society dedicated to the betterment of mankind. The characters are Spirits, embodiments of the new century. "I have so many questions," says Leigh.
"Ja," says Hoffmann, his eyes lighting up. "Gut!"
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