Rushing Caterers

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Encounter Conditions

After enough setup progress

Initial Text

You find some caterers rushing about, <carrying bottles of wine and assorted tubs>/<moving a variety of candies>. They don't look like they're panicked, but they're certainly moving with purpose.

Summary of Choices

1. Stop to chat - information
2. Help them move - nothing, unless in catering outfit, gain 4 XP Strength
3. Sneak after them - fight 2 Dock Security, or with sufficient Stealth Power:
   1. Grab something - gain: 2-3 candy flies or 4-6 of: candy corn, candy eyeball, crunchy spider, peanut butter candy or 2-3 hound wine, spider wine or 2-3 bloody punch mix
   2. Poke through the crates - gain 4 XP Perception
   3. Move some crates - help caterers, gain 4 XP Strength
   4. Leave it - gain 3 XP Reflexes and Will
4. Jump them - fight Caterers, or with Watchful Guards fight Dock Security
5. Let them work - walk away

Choice Text and Results

Stop to chat

They chat a bit about where they're going to be serving food and drinks. They're trying to set up everything that isn't perishable now, because they're going to be short-staffed the day of.

In catering disguise:

They stop their search for a bit to complain about how everyone at Midgard is being giant prima donnas about this party. The male caterer builds up a head of steam. "They've got their whole thing going on across town, but everybody's gotta have a say in this. One department wants candy and complementary spider masks, they make sense even if that lady is super scary. But the other is like 'we need drones and blood fountains!'"

His female counterpart jumps in, "did you not talk to the people who want real gold gelt and fucking glitter? It's like they've never cleaned up glitter before! And this is Halloween, not Mardi Gras!"

You let them rant for a bit. They seem to feel quite a bit better afterwards.

Help them move

You offer to help, but they protest that their bosses would murder them if they let any guests or even other staff move things for them. They say they appreciate the gesture, though.

In catering disguise:

You help them haul some crates. They're pretty light, so each is individually easy work, but you still kind of wear yourself out going back and forth.

You've earned 4 XP in Strength

Or:

You help them haul some crates. One of them clinks ominously, but you're pretty sure you made it without breaking anything.

You've earned 4 XP in Strength

Sneak after them

With 8 Stealth Power, not sure what might be needed:

You slip behind them, making your way back to a fresh shipment of crates. Judging by the labels, about half of them are fragile.

Or, with insufficient Stealth Power?

You try to sneak behind them, but they lead you to a pair of security guards, running away the moment you're tangled up in the ambush.

(Fight 2 Dock Security)

Grab something

If the caterers are moving candy:

You grab a few candies. They're wrapped surprisingly carefully, but appear to be little gummy flies.

You found: 2-3 candy flies

Or:

You grab a few handfuls of candy before heading back to the floor.

You found 4-6? of: candy corn, candy eyeball, crunchy spider, peanut butter candy

If the caterers are moving wine:

You grab a few bottles of wine. You heard there's apparently some special wine being released on Halloween, but this doesn't seem to be an early batch.

You found: 2-3 bottles of hound wine and spider wine

Or:

You grab a few tubs of drink mix and get out before anyone notices.

You found: 2-3 tubs of bloody punch mix

Poke through the crates

Looking over the crates, there's some buckets of "blood" punch mix and bottles of wine. Each of the crates also has a purchase order, which refer back to a variety of people within Midgard, all showing "Fenris" as their team.

There isn't much information about the team online, but they're apparently a Special Project studying drone control systems.

You've earned 4 XP in Perception

Looking over the crates, there's a variety of candy. They come from a variety of suppliers, but every form has the same signature "J. Barsukov."

You've earned 4 XP in Perception

Move some crates

You haul a few crates out into the banquet hall. It's… not entirely apparent where they're supposed to go, but you put it by some other crates, so it should be fine.

You've earned 4 XP in Strength

Leave it

You sneak back out, satisfied with your infiltration skills.

You've earned 3 XP in Reflexes

You've earned 3 XP in Will

Jump them

You decide to avail yourself of some free drinks. The caterers have other plans, which seem to involve panicking hopelessly and trying to escape.

(Fight Caterers)

With Watchful Guards:

The guard trailing you jumps in your way as you rush towards the caterers, giving them time to escape. You're not sure if he thought it through, but it looked downright heroic.

(Fight Dock Security)

Let them work

You let them rush about. They seem plenty busy with their own business.

(Walk Away)