- The Foxes met up with Boros and the rooks who'd been waiting nearby; they joined the group while Drave went to investigate the reports they'd gotten about their hideout in the Coalridge mine.  As they entered Doan's to get rid of the bouncers, they immediately found themselves under attack.  Thane and Asp were able to recover from the ambush and chose to engage their attackers with demands.  While Boros restrained one of them, Asp demanded that the other take his friend and leave - that this was their place now.  Clearly outnumbered  and off-balance, the two bouncers retreated without a fight.

- The Black Foxes are growing in strength and reputation, and are close to ending this war with the Stone Club.  Time is running out on some of their obligations, however, and Drave has now discovered that their hideout is currently unusably haunted by the Ghost of Lord Weirin...

- The crew's efforts to sway Merson away from his association with their rivals continued to grow shakey as the evening continued.  Having set up the groundwork as being a local doctor with connections, Thane made a desperate bid push Merson to agree to a future meeting at his office.  The aggressive "invitation" fell flat, however - though it attracted some attention from the Bluecoat, Cork, who was also at the table.

- As Thane was leaving the table, the ghost of a well-dressed gentleman appeared at the table and sat down.  Drave used his Attuning abilities to interact with the spectre, and learned that it wanted to join the game.  Seeing an opportunity in the fact that no one else could hear anything the Ghost was actually saying, Drave leaned into Merson and suggested that the Ghost was there for them - and that he could protect them from it in exchange for some measure of Merson's loyalty.  Merson agreed, but they Foxes would need to rid of the Stone Club's "bouncers" at Doan's bar first...

- Meanwhile, outside, the Stone Clubs gang had made a show of force against the Foxes by way of cornering Thane.  He was able to stand his ground, however, and a nearby Bluecoat presence might have played a role in the leader's decision to simply re-state his threat instead of escalating the encounter.

New Character:

Asp [Taylor] : Slide

Session Highlights:

- Drave and Thane made their way into the black fog within the tavern, searching for the gathering they'd been told about.  Unfortunately, they quickly became disoriented and lost, encountering a coin-laden ghost and a spectral door in a back corner of the establishment.  Drave attempted to interact with the ghost, but managed only to upset the being, which began to deform and emit a deafening howl. 

- The two slipped away back into the fog and were about to give up their search when a voice greeted them - telling them it could aid their search in exchange for something.  Thane found himself unable to turn and look at the speaker, but Drave managed to resist the compulsion and turned to find an enormouse spider probing its forlegs into Thane's brain.  Drained of further resolve, he wasn't able to tell his companion about what was happening.  Thane agreed to a trade, and the spider planted the knowledge of Merson's location in his mind before retreating into the darkness above.

- Drave and Thane found the card game where Merson was present with two men and two women - and shortly joined by a Bluecoat called Cork who told them if they wanted to talk, they had to play.

- The  two were dealt in and began their talk about the Stone Club's immenent demise - speaking to no one in particular, but hoping to plant seeds of doubt in Merson's mind.  One of the others at the table - a woman called Asp - seemed to be trying to aid in this effort by asking questions and verbally underlining certain details...

- The Foxes laid low for a couple of days before again resuming operations.  They had an encounter with the Stone Club's gang in Fenwell Hook that kind of ended in a stalemate.  Tellis reappeared and gave them a couple of tips including the location of the Club's hideout and the name of an individual that runs their gambling racket.  He also told them that taking out the face of the org wouldn't be enough - if they wanted to cripple the Stone Club, they would need to deal with the leader of the gang - a man by the name of Dauch.

- Though running out of time on several commitments and opportunities, the Foxes decided they needed to press their advantage against the Stone Club.  Coming to the conclusion that direct confrontation was not their forte, the crew decided to undermine the Club's financial situation by convincing the gambling tychoon to switch allegiances.

- After doing some legwork, the found out that Merson participates in a card game with some other locals once a week at the Black Circle Tavern in the north of the district.  The establishment seemed to be a bit more high-brow than they were accustomed to and, once inside, they also found it difficult to navigate.  A strange shadowy darkness seemed to fill all of the spaces between the table, making it very difficult to identify any other parties present...

- The Foxes had discovered that Muggs (the leader of the Stone Club) was going to be attending a particular hound race at Vreen's and made a plan to pull of their hit operation then and there.  Fortune was with the PCs' crew this time, as Muggs conveniently separated himself from his attendant and bodyguard - a woman called Rellanna.  While Drave tangled with her and everyone else was distracted by the manifesting form of a horrific spectral ogre, Erik was able to move in for the kill.

- This turned out ot be Erik's last operation, however - the scoundrel's life had taken its toll on the man, unhinging him a little.  His companions decided they'd turn him in to take the fall for the crew to clear some heat on them.

- While their leader is dead, the Stone Club is by no means defeated.  They're undoubtedly planning a counterstrike, and foxes will need to press their advantage if they're going to make this strike really count...

- Erik met up with his "friend" from their smuggling run at the Maple Grey in Silkshore and got an easy job offer.  Drave stumbled back into the Foxes' turf, but was acosted by the Bluecoats on the way in.  He tried to turn their attention to the Stone Club, but was only partially successful.  A few nights later, their tinker friend Lerrin found them at the Three Pennies to tell them that the Club was making problems in Fenwell Hook again.

- The gang spent some time discussing their options and gathering some info on their rival gang.  They were able to track down the Stone Club's HQ, as well as some that their leader Muggs has made a recent habit of betting on the hounds down at Vreen's races in Nightmarket.  The time has come to strike - and they're looking to cut the head off the snake...

- Fortune was not on the side of our scoundrels tonight, which meant that all of their successes came with a lot more strings attached.

- The pair found out which door had been repainted recently from a man hanging out on a balcony in the backpool, but only after Erik agreed to take him out for a drink the following evening and the manifesting ghost echoes prompted them to act on this information immediately.

- Once inside, the crew met the man called Thad they'd been told about - some Iruvian hawker from a gang called the Incense Collective.  Turns out the gang that Tellis used to run with indirectly caused some problems for Thad's organization, and that was going to dent the profitability of any deal to be made.  By this time, Boros and Erik were so worn down that they just wanted to take what they could get and be done with it. 

- The gang ended up with some impressive coin, but it was only a fraction of what their stolen loot was worth.  To top it off, Thad only agreed to the deal at all if they promised him a favor, but they had to get something out of this and they knew their bargaining position was slipping by the second. 

- Looks like the Foxes are going to be breaking into a Bluecoat watch station to destroy some incriminating evidence - but first, they've got to do something on their own turf about the Stone Club...

- The other boatman turned out to be an opportunist called Tellis looking for a way to make some coin with his info.  He gave them some instructions and the name of a likely buyer for the goods they'd just pulled out of the canal.

- The crew decided to jump on the opportunity immediately - both to unload their hot cargo asap, and because they really need the coin to finance their other efforts.

- Making their way to Silkshore, they made contact with the Bluecoat Lannerhand and got access to the backpool - but the blue door they were supposed to find is nowhere to be seen...

- The Foxes regrouped after their last score, but they know clocks are ticking on some outstanding "problems".

- Borrick - the leader of the local Bluecoat patrol - cornered Erik in the Three Pennies, threatening to run him in. The scoundrels managed to dodge Ironhook for the time being by promising a future favor.

- The Foxes' gang returned with news about a ditched smugglers' shipment in one of the Coalridge canals.  Needing coin for their plans and figuring the shipment must be worth something, they decided to jump on the opportunity.

- They "acquired" a boat from a local fisherman and went to the place the gang had described.  Due to some good fortune they managed to locate and recover both small metal crates with relatively little consquence, but before they could vacate the area, another boat came up the canal.  They made like they were simple fishermen, but the inquiry "So how's the fishing tonight?" called from the other watercraft didn't sound completely sincere...

- The Foxes were given a job offer to steal a set of paints from an artist in Charterhall that had been illegally infused with spirit essences.  It promised to be an easy score with a decent payout and since they were needing some cash quickly to get what they needed to stay ahead of the Stone Club, they took it.

- The target was located in the old Charter Wall community, and Erik and Boros quickly encountered a Bluecoat presence, intoxicated citizens, and a level of midnight activity they weren't used to in Six Towers.

- They broke into the artist's studio and were rummaging around when they began to encounter spiritual activity.  As one of the paintings began to wail and distraught ghosts began manifesting, Erik grabbed a couple of the paints and took off in a near-panic.  Boros steeled himself enough to grab a couple others as well as the howling artwork before making his getaway.

- The two were successful in their mission, but they were seen clearly by one of the local Bluecoats, a drunk, and Crenoll - the artist they robbed.

- Having acquired a few more members - a gang of Rooks and a cutter called Boros - the Foxes decided their next move would be to kick the Stone Club out of Fenwell Hook.  They'd had their eye on this territory for some time, and their contact that lived there was getting increasingly impatient.

- Their efforts to gather information about the area yeilded mixed results and they were unable to pin down exactly where and when the Stone Club appeared and/or what they did in the area.  They ultimately decided their approach would be an ambush-style assault: they'd jump the gang when they came to harass Lerrin again.

- The Foxes set up a concealed position outside Lerrin's shop and waited for the gang to appear.  When they did, the engagement quickly went sideways - it seems that someone may have tipped off the Club to someone else operating in their area.

- The resulting skirmish was brief and bloody, though it resulted in no immediate deaths on either side.  Though their gang broke and ran off and Borors and Erik took a great deal of injury and stress, they were ultimately able to beat down and run off the part of the Stone Club gang that operated in Fenwell, claiming that turf for their own.

- Now at-war with the Stone Club and under the eyes of the Bluecoats, the Foxes found themselves in a tight spot.  They had the good fortune to meet up with a Leech who helped patch them up, but their gang hasn't been seen since the street fight.  Worse yet, they're down to their last few coins.  The crew needs some easy cash - and soon...

- The Foxes decided their next move would be against Drave's rival - a witch called Quellyn.  She had apparently bound a ghost which was now haunting Drave in an attempt to get him to free it.  They did a little legwork in Crow's Foot prior to the operation, but didn't manage to get much more than some dirty looks.

- The gang made their way into the sewers and tunnels near the witch's tower where they found a boarded-up hole in its basement wall protected by some sort of ghost ward.  Drave was able to dismantle the magical protections and Erik quickly pried the boards out before they could be spotted.

- Inside the tower, they made their way toward the upper chamber Drave had seen in a vision.  They were caught by a mad, howling spectre which injected their minds with horrific visions before Drave managed to drive it off.

- Finally making their way up the brittle iron staircase into the upper chamber, they found the hanging dolls exactly where they expected them - and they could also hear Quellyn's voice chanting upstairs.  Peering into the ghost field, Drave was able to find the ghost he was trying to free and identify the doll anchor binding it to the witch.  With Erik's help, they cut the anchor down intact and made off before Quellyn could catch them - though the only loot they found was a small wooden box full of gold teeth.

- The Foxes returned to their neighborhood to discover that Flint, one of their contacts, had been questioned by the Bluecoats and may have let slip a couple of details about the Foxes' operations.  The crew did manage to do a little recruiting - picking up a small gang of rooks to help them cover their territory.

- Finding themselves threatened by rivals on apparently hostile turf, the Foxes did their best to play off the situation as expected.  They told the leader of the Stone Club gang that they had come to patch things up and even suggested that the two crews should be working together.  Their proposal got them a foot in the door (with help from some coin), but they got a bit demanding in the delivery and their "suggestions" were ultimately not well received.  Before the situation could erupt into actual violence, they took their leave.

- Deciding to continue their search for a fence, Erik went to speak with his friend Telda, a Six Towers beggar.  The woman initially told him off for his line of questioning, but later sent word to him about a hunched man with silver-gray hair called Zant who hangs out near the Black Circle Tavern.  

- As the room continued to warm unnaturally and the ghost began its operatic song, Drave decided it was time to go - prying open the window and jumping out back into the courtyard.

- Meanwhile upstairs, Erik bolted after Lady Molfon, grabbing her arm in order to keep her from escaping with her armfuls of surely-illgotten jewelry.  The ghost's song rattled something loose in his mind - visions of an icy gem that wouldn't go away - but he retained his hold and ordered her to give in.  When she surrendered, he gathered up the jewels and bolted for an exit.  Two of the guards caught sight of him as he made his escape, but he and Drave were over the wall and out of sight before they could engage in any sort of pursuit.

- Over the next few days, the crew got their payoff from Adelaide and made some efforts to reduce the amount of heat they were taking from this last operation.  After taking some personal time as well, they met and decided that if they were going to be doing this sort of thing a lot, they'd need someone to help them move their goods.

- Drave's friend Flint could only give them the barest lead, and the two made their way to Doan's, a tiny backstreet bar and gambling den, to ask around -only to find themselves confronted by local rivals, the Stone Club...

- The ghost who appeared in the Foxes' coal-mine lair intruded upon Drave's mind, showing him a tower in another district of the city containing the ritual components binding him to the witch Quellyn, before something pulled him back into the Ghost Field.

- Erik scouted the guard situation at the Molfon Estate ahead of their score attempt against it.  Their noble contact Adelaide - through her servant Marta - had told them of a particular piece of jewelry she wanted from the Molfon family. 

- Though they started off well, their plan to sneak into the house quickly went sideways as they were spotted by two guards who raised the alarm.  After knocking one out, Erik intimidated the other who ran for help.  Their cover blown, the two smashed a window to get inside but set off a security measure in the process which lit up the entire house with electroplasmic light.  Drave began grabbing anything of value while Erik cowed a servant girl into telling him where the jewels were kept.

- Erik hurried upstairs into the master bedroom where he found a jewelry chest open and mostly empty.  Suspecting someone hiding in the room with the missing jewels, he opened the closet door whereupon Lady Molfon shot at him with her husband's pistol and bolted for the open door.

- Drave found a couple of coin worth of valuables on a mantle and eventually ended up in the music room when all of the lights in the manor went out and the ghost of an old woman appeared at the piano...

Characters:

- Erik [Tony] : Lurk

- Drave [Tim] : Whisper

New Contacts:

- Telda : a roaming beggar and a good source for info on the street

- Flint: a spirit trafficker with a shop in the Foxes' territory

- Kobb: a gambler and broker who takes bets on the fights at the Broken Anchor

New Rivals:

- Quellyn: a witch who holds a grudge against Drave for interrupting a ritual and the resulting injury and scar

- Darmot: a Coalridge Bluecoat who seems to have it in for Erik

- Candra: a sailor/boxer who underestimated him once and now takes special pleasure in beating him down

Session Highlights:

- As they finished setting up their operation, the crew got two score opportunities: one from their noble contact, and the other from the Circle of Flame.  The first was to steal a particular antique necklace from a rival noble, and the second was to obtain an artifact from a carraige about to move through their turf.  Since the latter was more time-sensitive, they decided to act on it first and risk the noble's impatience.

- Drave decided on a setup action to scout the likely routes and find a ghost that he could push to manifest and distract the Spirit Warden driver of the carriage.  He was successful, but the spirit took an interest in him: it's apparently being controlled by another and it seeks release.

- While the driver was distracted, Erik entered the carriage and found it coated with ice.  He managed to free the box containing the Soul Gem from its containment and made a run for it before the Warden could catch him.

- The Circle of Flame was impressed by the Foxes' daring success and gave them the 6 coin payoff promised.

- The crew took a fair bit of heat from the operation as they were both spotted and the Spirit Wardens are a high-profile faction.  Erik attempted to pin the deed on some local rivals, the Stone Club, but only managed in further agitating that gang.

- The two had spent a day or to trying to unwind from the stress of their score and were planning their operation against the Molfon Estate for Adelaide's necklace when the spirit Drave and previously coerced appeared in their hidden lair...

System: Blades in the Dark

Setting: Doskvol, the Shattered Isles

Players: Tony, Tim

Schedule: Occasional Weeknights

Starting a small, experimental Blades in the Dark campaign.

Tonight, we made the crew: the Black Foxes.  A pair of disgruntled ex-miners from the district of Coalridge got together and decided to start a more lucrative, less legal enterprise.  With the help of some chance relationships they've set up a hideout in a disused corner of the coal mine and have their sights on an area of the declining Six Towers district still possessed of some unjustified wealth.

Crew Type: Shadows (theives/spies)

Contacts: Adelaide Phraoig (noble), Lerrin (toolmaker), Mirage (Circle of Flame contact), Ulf Ironborn (gang leader)

Allies: The Circle of Flame (Occultists), Ulf Ironborn's gang (Bravos)

Enemies: The Stone Club (Bravos), The Dimmer Sisters (Occultists)