Your first assignment in Partiz isn't what you expected. Three Red Scarves—local police—have vanished after a tavern brawl in the Settler's Borough. Madame Romina wants answers. The borough wants silence. And someone is using Potential where they shouldn't be.
📋 Quest Overview
Quest Giver
Romina (via Police Central liaison)
Location
Police Central → Settler's Borough → Outskirts
Difficulty
Medium (Investigation + Social)
Duration
1-3 sessions (2-6 hours)
Reward
Partizan sponsorship OR Romina's favor OR leverage
Themes
Family loyalty, corruption, trauma, surveillance
The Hook
Assignment at Police Central
Players seeking to become Partizans or earn favors are summoned to thePolice Central in the heart of Partiz. A uniformed liaison—one of Romina's trusted officers—delivers the mission:
"Last night, three Red Scarves caused a disturbance at The Wanderer's Resttavern in the Settler's Borough. They fought with settlers and Partizans alike, then vanished. One had a distinctive metal piercing on his right temple—new, still healing. They wore official Red Scarf insignia: scarves of molten metal thread, lighter than standard issue. Find them. Quietly. The Council doesn't need another scandal."
The liaison makes clear: this is a test. How the players handle this determines whether Romina considers them useful—or a liability.
Background: What Really Happened
The Truth (Trickster Eyes Only)
Hernano Ashgard, the respected head of the Settler's Borough police post, has a secret: his estranged son Diego recently returned from a Domain Hunt, traumatized and broken. To protect Diego from further hunting duty, Hernano fast-tracked him into the Red Scarves—a violation of normal recruitment protocols.
The Incident:
- Diego and two fellow Red Scarves (Pavel Drost andMira Volkov) got drunk at The Wanderer's Rest.
- Diego, still traumatized, started a fight when a settler mentioned Domain Hunting.
- The three fled when the fight escalated. Pavel and Mira went to a secret casino near the agricultural farms to hide.
- Diego tried to return to the tavern to apologize but was captured by the owner,Old Gregor Varn, who is torturing him in the cellar using hisPotential—a serious crime in Partiz.
⚠️ Complication:
Hernano knows his son is missing and is frantically searching in parallel. He will try to find Diego first to cover up the nepotism. If confronted, he'll offer players bribes, favors, or threats to stay silent.
Key Locations
🏛️ Police Central
Center of Partiz • Government District
The headquarters of Partiz's police force, a imposing stone building with the Red Scarf banner hanging above its entrance. Inside: administrative offices, holding cells, an armory, and experimental surveillance equipment.
What Players Can Find:
- • Personnel records (requires persuasion or stealth)
- • Duty rosters showing the three missing officers
- • References to "experimental imaging project"
- • Liaison willing to share rumors for favors
Secret: Photography Program
Hidden in a back room: early experimental photographic camerasinstalled secretly around the city. Poor quality, limited shots. The Council doesn't know; Romina might not either.
🛡️ Settler's Borough Police Post
Settler's Borough • Hernano's Territory
A small police station serving the Settler's Borough. Strangely empty during the day—Hernano works both day and night shifts, living here but never present when visitors arrive.
What Players Can Find:
- • Filing cabinets with Red Scarf personnel folders
- • Desk covered in papers (Hernano's obsessive work)
- • In the trash: burnt papers with traces of a sketch
- • The sketch shows a face with temple piercing, name "ASHGARD" visible
Key Evidence:
Diego's file was recently added and hastily processed—unusual speed. Cross-referencing with Hernano's file reveals they share a surname. The burnt sketch proves Hernano knows who the pierced man is.
🍺 The Wanderer's Rest Tavern
Settler's Borough • Opens at 10pm
A tavern catering to settlers waiting to become Partizans or preparing to colonize new territory. The owner, Old Gregor Varn, lives above. The building has ahidden cellar where Diego is being tortured.
Daytime Investigation:
- • Tavern closed, but Gregor lives upstairs
- • Knocking gets suspicious deflection
- • Nearby settlers describe the fight
- • Some mention one man came back later, never left
Nighttime Investigation:
- • Busy tavern, hard to search
- • Gregor watches for snooping
- • Cellar door hidden behind kegs
- • Sounds of muffled groaning if listening carefully
⚠️ The Cellar:
Diego is chained in a hidden cellar, suffering from Gregor's Potential torture—illegal in Partiz. Gregor claims Diego "deserved it" for the damage to his tavern. Finding this is both evidence of a crime AND leverage.
🎰 The Hidden Hand Casino
Agricultural Outskirts • Illegal Establishment
A secret gambling den hidden in a barn near the agricultural farms outside Partiz.Pavel Drost and Mira Volkov are hiding here, gambling away their anxiety and hoping the incident blows over.
How to Find It:
- • Settler witnesses mention "casino game outside the city"
- • Interrogating Red Scarves about illegal gambling
- • The official casino knows about competitors
- • Following agricultural workers after hours
What's Inside:
- • 20-30 gamblers, mix of settlers and Partizans
- • Pavel and Mira at a corner table
- • Armed guards (not official Red Scarves)
- • The owner pays off certain police—but not Hernano
Key Characters
Hernano Ashgard
Borough Police Head • Former Red Hat • Settler-Turned-Partizan
A gaunt man in his late 50s with white hair from overwork, deep bags under his eyes, and stunning blue eyes that seem to look through you. Known throughout Partiz as relentless and incorruptible—but he has one weakness: his son.
Forma: 4
Weathered but still capable
Anima: 7
Sharp investigator
Umbra: 6
Respected authority
Background:
Arrived as a settler in his teens, worked his way up through Domain Hunts as aRed Hat, earning respect through countless missions. Now runs the borough with an iron will—but his estranged son's return has cracked his composure.
Secret:
Diego is his illegitimate son from a relationship with a settler woman who died in a Domain Hunt. Hernano never acknowledged Diego publicly. When Diego returned broken from his own Hunt, Hernano's guilt drove him to fast-track Diego into the Red Scarves illegally.
Diego Ashgard
Red Scarf (New) • Domain Hunt Trauma • The Missing Man
A young man in his early 20s with a fresh metal piercing on his right temple(a coping mechanism after his trauma). Dark hair, pale skin, haunted eyes. Currently being tortured in Gregor's cellar.
Forma: 5
Young, fit
Anima: 3
Traumatized, scattered
Umbra: 4
Withdrawn
Trauma:
Diego witnessed his entire Domain Hunt squad killed by monsters. He alone survived by hiding. The guilt and terror have left him with violent reactions to mentions of Hunting—which triggered the tavern fight.
Current State:
Drift: 6 (accelerated by trauma). Being tortured by Gregor's Potential—experiencing his worst memories on loop. If rescued, he's incoherent and needs medical attention.
Old Gregor Varn
Tavern Owner • Age 80+ • Illegal Potential User
A withered, bitter old man who has run The Wanderer's Rest for decades. Thin white hair, gnarled hands, and a permanent scowl. He's tired of settlers and Red Scarves treating his establishment like a fighting pit.
Forma: 2
Frail with age
Anima: 6
Cunning survivor
Umbra: 3
Bitter, isolated
⚠️ Illegal Potential:
Gregor has a Ketsu-affinity Potential: he can bind a target's mind to loop through traumatic memories. Using Potential outside government/military contexts is illegal in Partiz—punishable by exile or worse.
Motivation:
Gregor claims Diego "deserved it" for the property damage. In truth, Gregor's bitterness has curdled into cruelty. He enjoys making the young man suffer—and fears what will happen if he's caught.
Pavel Drost
Red Scarf • Gambler • Coward
Mid-30s, stocky build, nervous laugh. Hides at the casino because he's terrified of consequences. Will flip on Diego immediately if pressured.
Mira Volkov
Red Scarf • Former Settler • Loyal
Late 20s, tall, dark hair in a braid. More loyal to Diego than Pavel—she won't betray him easily. Knows Diego is Hernano's son but promised to keep the secret.
Investigation Paths
Clue Network
Players can investigate through multiple paths. Each clue points to others:
Police Central Records
→ Reveals the three names → Points to Settler's Borough post → Hints at photography program
Borough Police Post
→ Burnt sketch proves Hernano knows Diego → Fast-tracked file shows nepotism → Empty during day suggests Hernano is searching
Tavern (Day)
→ Gregor's deflection is suspicious → Neighbors mention "one came back" → Can stake out for nighttime entry
Tavern (Night)
→ Witnesses describe the fight → Mention "casino outside city" → Can search for cellar
Red Scarf Interrogation
→ Information about illegal casinos → Photography program rumors → Hernano's reputation
Official Casino
→ Knows about illegal competitors → Can point to farm location → May want players to shut it down
Operational Clock, Checks, and Fail-Forward
Run this quest with a visible 6-segment pressure clock. Mark 1 segment whenever players lose time, trigger public violence, or fail a critical social check.
Pressure Clock (0-6)
- • 2/6: Hernano starts parallel interference and removes one easy witness route
- • 4/6: Pavel and Mira relocate; casino security doubles
- • 6/6: Romina sends official intervention; subtle outcomes become harder to preserve
Three Action Vectors (choose per scene)
- • Social leverage: Drop + Anima (DC 10) to extract testimony, secure access, or split witnesses
- • Stealth/infiltration: Drop + Umbra (DC 10) to enter tavern cellar, files, or casino back rooms unseen
- • Material proof: Drop + Reverie (DC 9) to recover records, residue, ledgers, or camera traces
Success
Gain a decisive clue and choose next target route. Reduce pressure by 1 once per act if players protect civilians.
Mixed
Gain clue with a cost: mark +1 pressure, lose one ally's trust, or expose your investigation.
Failure
You still get directional intel through rumor or panic, but opposition consolidates and one route hardens.
GM Timer
Advance Pressure +1 every 20 minutes of real play or after extended planning stalls.
Tactical Branch: First Operational Move
Before choosing your first location, declare one operational posture. The posture applies until the next major reveal and changes both risk profile and clue quality.
Official Pressure
Show badges and push hard. Gain +1 witness compliance this act, but mark +1 pressure immediately.
Quiet Shadowing
Stay covert and tail targets. First stealth check each act gets advantage framing; on failure, lose one route for the scene.
Community Mediation
Prioritize settler trust over speed. Reduce pressure by 1 once this act if civilians are protected, but all route transitions cost +1 time step.
Rapid Triage Branch Matrix
At any point, the table can pause and choose one triage option to force momentum when leads stall.
Choose one route
- • Witness Sweep: run a social check (Drop + Anima, DC 10) to secure a new clue and an NPC contact.
- • Evidence Sweep: run an investigative check (Drop + Umbra, DC 10) to map the timeline and lock one suspect route.
- • Pressure Sweep: run a forceful check (Drop + Forma, DC 9) to seize a resource or faction leverage at higher risk.
On Success
Gain two clues, choose the next branch, and clear one active risk.
On Mixed
Gain one clue and one evidence point, but take a complication and a social cost.
On Failure
Fail-forward: still reveal a route, but mark +1 pressure and trigger a faction counter-move.
Evidence Board: Case Web
Track evidence in three lanes. Connecting any two lanes unlocks one Resolution Option early.
Witness Testimony
Statements from tavern patrons, Red Scarves, and liaison reports.
Material Proof
Burnt sketch, records, residue, ledgers, camera traces.
Political Motive
Nepotism cover-up, casino payoffs, and leverage chains.
Fail-Forward: Failed checks still place one weak thread in a lane, but mark +1 Pressure.
Side Discovery: The Photography Program
Experimental Surveillance
Through thorough investigation at Police Central or interrogating knowledgeable Red Scarves, players may discover that experimental photographic cameras have been secretly installed throughout Partiz.
The Technology:
- • Early, primitive cameras with poor image quality
- • Limited shots before needing maintenance
- • Installed secretly by certain police factions
- • The Council doesn't know about them
- • Romina may or may not know
Player Options:
- Work with Glassmakers: Partner with Brenner artisans to improve the technology. Create a market, gain influence, establish a surveillance network.
- Report to Council: The Council opposes surveillance. Exposing this earns their favor but makes enemies in the police.
- Report to Romina: If she didn't know, she'll launch an inquiry into the police. Major political consequences.
- Blackmail: Use the knowledge as leverage against whoever installed the cameras.
Resolution Options
✓ Deliver Diego to Hernano (Quietly)
Return Diego to his father without exposing the nepotism. Hernano becomes an ally, owes players a significant favor. Romina believes the mission succeeded. Players can lie about finding Diego or say he was "found elsewhere."
Reward: Hernano's favor, Partizan sponsorship, possible leverage for later
⚖️ Deliver Diego to Romina (Full Truth)
Report everything: Diego's identity, Hernano's nepotism, Gregor's illegal Potential use. Justice is served, but Hernano becomes an enemy. Romina respects the players' honesty but notes they're not subtle.
Reward: Romina's respect, Partizan status, but Hernano as enemy
🎭 Frame Pavel and Mira Only
Deliver Pavel and Mira as the sole culprits. Claim Diego was never found or wasn't involved. Hernano and Diego escape consequences. Gregor's crime may or may not be exposed depending on player choice.
Reward: Mission "completed," Hernano's quiet gratitude, leverage
💀 Expose Gregor's Crime
Regardless of how Diego is handled, exposing Gregor's illegal Potential use is a major crime. This can be reported separately or combined with other resolutions. Gregor faces exile or execution.
Reward: Bonus favor from Romina, but creates fear among other Potential users
🔧 Leverage Everything
Use knowledge of Hernano's nepotism, Gregor's crime, and the photography program as ongoing leverage. Don't report anything—bank the secrets for future use. Players gain no immediate reward but significant political capital.
Reward: Multiple leverage points, no immediate allies, maximum flexibility
Context: Red Scarves vs. Red Hats
The Two Forces
🧣 Red Scarves (Police)
City police force. Duties: patrol, investigation, peacekeeping.
- • Daily patrols with regular rest breaks
- • Food and lodging provided
- • Do NOT go Domain Hunting
- • Lighter metal-thread scarves (uniform)
- • Considered "safe" duty
🎩 Red Hats (Military)
Military force. Duties: Domain Hunting, territory defense.
- • Extended leave periods in Partiz
- • Called for Domain Hunts as needed
- • High mortality rate
- • Distinctive red hats (uniform)
- • Considered prestigious but dangerous
Diego was traumatized as a Red Hat but was moved to the Red Scarves by Hernano to avoid further Hunting. This is technically illegal—transfers require formal review.
"In Partiz, every investigation reveals layers. The crime you were sent to solve is never the only crime. The question isn't what happened—it's what you do with what you learn."
— Police Central saying
See Also
- The Partizan - Main faction information
- Partizan Families - Family structures and politics
- The Partisan Market - Main scenario page
- Partiz City - City locations and map