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The Sword of Mars

Lugers & Ballerinas

You cannot know anything. Only suspect. This article contains content from pre-release sources that may or may not be reflective of canon upon release. This article therefore likely contains spoilers.

Lugers & Ballerinas was a genetic memory.

Chapter introduction

The Lost Key

In the modern day, the Crew of Descendants has gathered in London from all around the world. One of their Brotherhood contacts in the UK, Siegmund "Ziggy" Visser, has reached out to each of them in turn. He has spent weeks collecting evidence concerning a lost piece of Precursor technology that might be related to some of their Ancestors.

If this is your first session, the players can roleplay their characters and their arrival at the Stardust, along with their first contact with Ziggy.

Ziggy's hideout is a run-down, abandoned theater in the middle of Camden Town, formally "The Stardust". He has set up an Abstergo Animus device backstage, modified to connect to a number of commercial Brahman V.R. visors to allow multi-subject simulations.

Whenever the Crew is ready to begin their mission, Ziggy explains how they will enter a Simulation that will send them back to German-occupied France, in the year 1942. It will be the first in a series of memory blocks to investigate, in order to discover how their Ancestors got intertwined with the story of a previously unknown Piece of Eden. Ziggy will work as the Descendant's field technician, monitoring their performance in the Animus and keeping track of their discoveries.

Without further ado, the PCs gather around the Animus device, put on the visors, and the Simulation is on!

Description

In the midst of the Nazi occupation, a private party is to be held at the Folies Bergère, one of the most famous cabaret music halls in Paris. The organizer is Wilhelm Schmidt, an SS Obersturmführer and low-ranking member of the Templar Order. The night is expected to be attended by soldiers, officers, and local celebrities.

At the beginning of the Simulation, the Witnesses gather outside the Folies Bergère club, safe from prying eyes. Their mission is to infiltrate the building during the party and recover some intel regarding the recent activities of Sturmbannführer Heinz Müller, a Seneschal Templar.

Intro

A fine drizzle wets the road in front of the Folies Bergère, its lights creating colorful projections on the sidewalk. If it weren't for the German uniforms crowding the street, it might almost feel like it did before the war.

From your hiding place, you can see German trucks parked a short distance from the theater, and you have watched cars carrying people in evening dresses coming and going for quite some time. Whenever the theater doors open to let new guests in, the sounds of muffled music spill out.

One last look at your watches, one last check on your gear, one last deep breath to let the sweet petrichor fill your nostrils. Time to go, Assassins.

Key objectives

1 - INFILTRATION2 - RECOVER TEMPLAR INTEL3 - KILL SCHMIDT

There are a few access routes into the theater. At the back of the building, there is an entrance for waiters and theater workers. On the roof, a maintenance entrance can be easily accessed by jumping from an adjacent building. Finally, there's the theater's front door.

Challenges

• Patrol: A unit of 4 Wehrmacht soldiers patrols the perimeter of the theater. They will take an interest in anyone acting suspiciously and will demand a thorough explanation.
• Doorman: The show at the Folie Bergère is the event of the week in Paris and the guest list is long. Convincing the doorman that you are on the list or that you are working the event will require a good explanation.
• Flirting Officer: Oskar Fiedler, a young German officer, is smoking outside the back door, where he is trying to seduce a young dancer, Juliette Merion. He will be a thorn in the side of anyone approaching, tormenting and mocking them in an attempt to impress Juliette.

Weaknesses

• What do you mean I'm not on the list!: The party has attracted a lot of uninvited guests, who crowd the main door in an attempt to get in. The confusion will make it easier to slip in with a proper ruse or disguise.
• A Secret Door: A secret access way from the Paris Métro Station of Cedet leads into the theater.

Sensitive documents are kept in an area of the theater that Schmidt uses as his office. However, this area is closed for the duration of the party. Two soldiers have been posted to guard the area. If the Witnesses gain access to the office, they will find that a number of documents clutter Schmidt's desk. Two in particular attract their attention: one concerning the movement of troops towards the Pas-de-Calais region in northern France, and the second the kidnapping of a French professor of medieval history, both requested by Müller. From what they can understand from the documents, Müller is moving to the north of France, in search of technology attributed to the First Civilization: a Piece of Eden, perhaps? The Witnesses must find Müller before he gets his hands on the artifact.

Challenges

• Nazi guards: The 2 soldiers standing guard have received specific orders that no one can enter the restricted area. Any Social check made to overcome this Challenge requires 1 Raise.
• Booby-trapped desk: While searching the desk for the documents, a Wits check is required to avoid an explosive trap set by Schmidt. On a failure, all Witnesses in the room must make a Reaction check. The explosion also triggers the They're Onto Us! Setback. The templar documents are burnt, but still legible.

Weaknesses

• Orders are Orders (minor): If someone with a higher rank than Obersturmführer Schmidt gives new orders to the guards, they will obey at once.
• Let's Have a Drink! (minor): The guards are not happy to be on duty instead of at the party, so will gladly chat with anyone approaching. They are easily plied with drink too (which could lead them to go to the bathroom earlier than expected, or allow the Witnesses to put something in their champagne...).

Obersturmführer Wilhelm Schmidt occupies one of the central seats of the music hall, amidst a crowd of uniformed officers and bureaucrats, watched over by a dozen soldiers. He is enjoying the show and the evening in a carefree way and will hardly leave the auditorium, happy to spend time with the numerous celebrities present.

Special

At the first sign of an attack, the Obersturmführer will take the closest guest or dancer hostage. Any Approach check made to stop him requires 1 additional Raise. On a failure, the An Innocent is Killed Setback is triggered immediately.

Challenges

• The Life of the Party: Wilhelm Schmidt is very much in the spotlight tonight—it won't be easy to isolate and stealthily kill him. A direct assault would take everyone by surprise, but it will be difficult to escape the theater unscathed—a frontal assault requires at least 3 separate Approach checks, and the Witnesses trigger the They're Onto Us! Setback immediately.
• Sniper Hit: The Witnesses can find a good spot to attempt a shot with a rifle by making an Approach check with 2 Raises, due to the people crowding the auditorium. The shot triggers the They're Onto Us! Setback immediately.

Weaknesses

• New Recruit (major): Schmidt is new to the Templar Order and although he is a fierce supporter of the cause, he remains ignorant about most of the Templars' practices and traditions. He has been briefed on the existence of the Assassin Brotherhood, but does not know their abilities or intentions. Witnesses introducing themselves as Templars can deceive him with relative ease.

Debrief

Moments after completing the final objective, the simulation begins to fade. Ziggy's voice cuts through the muffled sounds of the party. He tells you that the memory block has been thoroughly explored and pulls you out of the Animus to get some rest.

Notable NPCs

SS Obersturmführer Wilhelm Schmidt

Wilhelm Schmidt is a 35-year-old German officer and recent recruit to the Templar Order. He possesses a commanding presence with a broad-shouldered, well-built frame. His closely cropped brown hair lends a neat and disciplined appearance, while his piercing blue eyes radiate a sense of unwavering determination. Dressed in a meticulously pressed black uniform, he carries himself with military precision.

Oskar Fiedler

Oskar Fiedler is a youthful German officer. His hair, a shade of dirty yellow, is swept to one side. A neatly shaved, strong jawline defines his face, while a slightly upturned nose adds an endearing touch to his overall countenance. His lips often curl into a playful, arrogant grin, displaying a set of perfectly white teeth.

Juliette Merion

A 21-year-old French cabaret dancer with a beautiful voice and curly hair.

The following characters are real historical personalities who lived in Paris during the period of the Nazi occupation.