6.9 KiB
campaign, type, session_number, date, arc, status, tags, last, next
| campaign | type | session_number | date | arc | status | tags | last | next |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalon Adventuring Academy | session | 7 | 2025-12-29 | gangs | planned | session 6 | session 7 |
Cold Open – Evening News: “Circle Inferno”
[!quote] Narration The screen flickers from some forgettable sitcom rerun to a BREAKING NEWS graphic – spinning siren crystal, red banner, scrolling text: “THREE DEAD IN CIRCLE EXPLOSION – POLICE SUSPECT FOUL PLAY.”
Hard cut to a reporter standing in front of a cordoned-off gas station. What’s left of the Circle is a half-collapsed skeleton of twisted metal and scorched concrete. Yellow rune-tape glows faintly around the perimeter. Emergency crews and arcanists in heavy, rune-lined gear move through the wreckage like ghosts.
Trisha-style Anchor
[!quote] Anchor – On Scene “I’m Tala Takanawa, reporting live from the scene of last night’s devastating explosion here at Circle Fuel & Snacks, where three people are confirmed dead and one teen remains in critical condition after what investigators are now calling a ‘deliberate act of magical arson.’”
She turns slightly, gesturing with a manicured hand toward the rubble.
“Behind me, you can still see crews from Sahuarita Fire, the Arcane Arson Taskforce, and Avalon Oversight combing through the wreckage. Witnesses say a ‘ball of fire’ engulfed the station shortly after 10 pm, rocking nearby neighborhoods and shaking windows for blocks.”
“Authorities have not yet released the names of the two adult victims, but we do know one of the deceased was a local teen. A fourth victim, a halfling youth, survived the blast with severe injuries.”
[!quote] Narration B-roll: a blurred shot of a stretcher being wheeled into an ambulance; sheets over two burnt shapes; a long, slow pan across the melted remains of the pumps and store front.
Chief / Arson Investigator
[!quote] Anchor (voiceover) “Earlier today, we spoke with Chief Marquez of the Sahuarita Police Department and lead investigator Captain Halloway from the Arcane Arson Unit.”
[!quote] Chief Marquez A tired-looking human woman in uniform, bags under her eyes, stands at a makeshift podium.
“What I can say at this time is that this was not an accident. Our preliminary findings, along with the Arcane Arson Unit, indicate the presence of magical accelerants and at least one mechanical trap device at the point of origin. Someone set this up to blow.”
“We are treating this as a homicide investigation. We are asking anyone who was in the area of Circle Fuel between nine and ten p.m. last night to please come forward.”
[!quote] Captain Halloway, Arcane Arson A rail-thin elf in a soot-streaked coat, a glowing sigil stitched over his breast pocket, steps up.
“We’ve recovered components consistent with a delaying snare trap- something designed to hold a target in place. This was a professionally conceived device.”
He glances back at the ruins.
“The level of damage and the magical residue mean we may never have a perfect picture of exactly how it was triggered. But whoever did this knew what they were doing, and we will find them.”
[!quote] Anchor (voiceover) “Chief Marquez confirmed that while no arrests have been made, investigators are pursuing several leads, including possible gang-related activity.”
Cut to Pip Interview (Hospital)
[!quote] Narration The image jumps to a quieter setting – a hospital room. Harsh fluorescent light washes everything pale.
A halfling teen sits propped up in a hospital bed, one arm in a sling, burns peeking from under heavy bandages along his neck and jaw. One leg is clearly immobilized, wrapped and braced. The lower half of his face looks like someone tried very hard to put it back together.
[!quote] Lower Third “PIP ‘PIPPIN’ TUMBLEFOOT – EXPLOSION SURVIVOR”
[!quote] Anchor (off-screen) “Pip, you were working at the Circle the night of the explosion. Can you tell us what you remember?”
[!quote] Pip He gives the camera a small, tight smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.
“Yeah. Uh… I remember stocking the cooler. It was a quiet night. Then…”
He taps the side of his head lightly with his good hand.
“Then it wasn’t.”
A beat. He licks dry lips.
“I heard this… click under the car outside. Real sharp. Not the kind you hear unless you’re listening for it.”
He looks directly at the camera now.“And then everything went white.”
Another beat. He exhales slowly.
“Thing is… you don’t set something like that up for some random halfling on a late shift. Whoever did this?”
His gaze sharpens, and for a moment the mask slips – there’s anger there, and something colder.“They weren’t aiming at me. I was just… in the Circle when the match got lit.”
He lets that hang, then adds, still staring into the lens:
“But hey. If the folks who did this are watching?
You know who you are.
You thought you were real clever, playing tough guy from W Block and running back up into the hills.”He gives the tiniest, bitter laugh.
“Funny thing about circles, though. You walk ‘em long enough… you always end up right back where you started.”
[!quote] Narration That “W Block” line lands like a punch in the room. To anyone else, it’s just nonsense – local slang, some dumb gang thing.
Ben and Joe know exactly who that was aimed at.
Back to Anchor
[!quote] Anchor – On Camera “A harrowing account from one of the survivors. Officials say Pip Tumblefoot faces a long road to recovery following multiple surgeries.”
She turns back to the camera with her practiced serious-face.
“Once again, three people are dead and one teen remains hospitalized after what authorities describe as a deliberate magical bombing at Circle Fuel & Snacks. Anyone with information is urged to contact Sahuarita PD or the anonymous tip line listed below.”
“Reporting live from Avalon, I’m Tala Takanawa. Back to you in the studio.”
[!quote] Narration – Zoom Out The image freezes for a second on the wreckage behind Tala, then shrinks into a corner of your vision as the sound of the TV drops to background noise.
You become aware of where you are:
– Soft leather couch.
– Big, spotless living room.
– Floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over Madera canyon.
– A tasteful, very expensive-looking family portrait on the wall with Ben in a sweater he would absolutely never wear to school.The Circle burns, looping silently on screen.
Ben. Joe. Soren.
You’re all here, in Ben’s very not-W-Block house, watching it.
[!question] Table Prompt “You’ve just watched that whole segment. Pip’s face. The rubble. The arson talk. The ‘W Block’ line.
What’s the first thing you say or do?”