Actual Play: FATE High Road to China Session 2

High Road to China Session 2 Write-Up

Played Friday, January 13th, 2017

Dramatis Personae

• Fiona, a rich heiress (played by J)
• Faye, a reporter (played by R)
• Angelo, a gambler (played by T)
• Constance Sicard, a friend of Lambert
• An Old Man
• Two Stampe SV.4 airplanes
• Some locals
• Pursuing thugs from Uncle Louis
• Pursuing thugs from François Lejeune
• Lambert, Fiona's loyal butler (referred to but not present)
• Pierre Gaumont, Fiona's missing father, owner of Gaumont Industrie de Paris (referred to but not present)
• Louis Gaumont, Fiona's uncle, seeking to take over Gaumont Industrie de Paris (referred to but not present)
• François Lejeune, another member of the board of directors, late 20s, rich and entitled, family runs the Lejeune Company (referred to but not present)

Fiona races off to the Temple of Athena Nike to meet up with Constance.

She pulls up and is spotted by Faye, who's on the scene, hoping to catch a celebrity at the historic site. It turns out that Fiona was Faye's roommate of 3 years while they were students together at Mount Ida College but Fiona never remembered Faye, even when they were living together.

It also turns out that Faye has a fling with François, to get a story, but now she wants to see him ruined in revenge (or get a good story out of his ruin, whichever gets her the Pulitzer!).

Faye follows Fiona and sees her meeting with a woman painting on a canvas near the temple. She doesn't get close enough to hear their conversation.
Fiona approaches a woman painting and says "I'm in a little bit of a rush... do you know where Constance Sicard is?" while blowing cigarette smoke in a cloud around the woman.

The woman smiles and says "Did Philipe send you?", confusing Fiona.

Constance laughs and says "Your butler's first name is Philipe. Did you really not know that?" The thought of her butler having a private life shocks Fiona.

Fiona says "Aide-toi et le ciel t'aidera. ("Heaven helps those who help themselves")" and Constance gathers up her painting supplies and takes Fiona by the arm. They stroll around the temple talking.

Faye pays a local to give Fiona's car a flat tire but the local runs off with the money. Convinced there is a story, she rushes back to Fiona's car when she realizes that Fiona and Constance are heading back there in a wide loop, and hides in the covered back seat of the car.

Fiona says "I need a way to get out of the city.. far out of the city, without all the goons" to Constance. Constance asks why and Fiona replies "I need to find my father, so we don't go bankrupt to my uncle..." Faye overhears all of this and starts taking notes, like a good reporter.

Constance writes something down on a piece of paper and sticks it in Fiona's pocket "for later, you'll know when to use it" and tells Fiona there is an aerodrome, formerly a military air base, outside of Athens. It's easily missed and she should be able to find a plane there to escape the city. It's called the Hellenikon Air Base.

Realizing she hasn't much time, Fiona jumps in the car and speeds off. Constance calls after her "No fear, we'll enjoy your Lafayette '05 while you're gone!" Fiona grumbles "I should have taken the wine cellar keys from him before I left!"

Angelo, meanwhile, is stuck at the Hellenikon Air Base, after having arrived there on a cheap flight a few hours ago. Taxis are few and far between, so Angelo whiles the time away with playing poker with the few people in one of the hangers.

A local comes by and speaks fast Greek to the airport workers and they all leave, it turns out, because there is a bounty on Fiona's head, alive, and they start searching for her. An Old Man remains behind and continues to play poker with Angelo.

While driving to Hellenikon, Fiona realizes that Faye is in the car when she goes around a corner fast, causing Faye to hit her head and make a sound.
Faye claims that she was hit over the head and dumped in the car but Fiona recognizes her from when she was hanging around François a few months ago (but not that she used to live with her for 3 years!).

Fiona accuses her of working with François but Faye claims she was fleeing François, saying "I hate François! He's a no good scoundrel!" and hope Fiona will take her with her.

Faye trades mechanic service for passage and they make it to the air base, arriving in front of the only two people there, the Old Man and Angelo.

Fiona asks to buy a plane and the Old Man, in perfect English, offers his two Stampe SV.4s for Fiona's Stuts Bearcat, an advantageous trade for the Old Man.

Fiona realizes that if she's to escape, two planes are better than one, in case one breaks down, so she buys both and wonders aloud about another pilot.

Angelo says he's a pilot and the two bicker, getting into a bet about who's the better pilot. Fiona says "I bet I could drive CIRCLES around you, land or air!" If Fiona wins, Angelo will work for free, if Angelo wins, Fiona will pay him double!

The Old Man is enthusiastic about this and gives them the keys to the planes. They take off, with Faye in Fiona's plane, and a good tailwind helps Fiona fly off (Aspect: Good Tailwind -- 1 free invoke).

They race through the sky, with Fiona in the lead, then they perform some aerial acrobatics, both doing quite well. In the end, the Old Man declares Fiona the winner and when he finds out she's heading to the Middle East, he goes into the hangar and brings out two Lewis Light Machine Guns and mounts them on the planes. He provides several extra drums of ammo, knowing they will need it.

That's when the various goons searching for Fiona arrive. The heroes jump into their planes and escape before the baddies arrive. As they fly away, they don't spot anyone following them.

They fly roughly 500 miles to Antalya, Turkey, and then another 500 miles on to Cyprus, ending the day there. While in Cyprus, Fiona finds out that her father passed through several years ago, heading towards Tehran. Faye, writing furiously, sends stories into the newspaper about their adventures in Athens when she lands in Antalya, and then another story about Antalya when they land at Cyprus.

Faye interviews Angelo, asking "Are you trying to cash in on that bounty?" Angelo is cagey and Faye asks "Whatcha in for?Money, the thrill of danger, running from something?" Angelo simply says "All three, maybe!"

They leave Cyprus on the second day, landing in Jerusalem on their first 500 mile leg of the day's flying. Since Fiona's father has a warehouse in the city, Fiona keeps a low profile. Faye posts a story about their stay on Cyprus while Angelo volunteers to go to Fiona's father's warehouse for clues.

When Angelo asks about Fiona's father, Pierre Gaumont, with the worker, he misses when the worker talks to the manager. The manager makes a phone call then comes out into the factory to talk with Angelo.

Angelo claims to be looking for Pierre, but the manager, Grégory Plessis, says "M. Gaumont isn't here. In fact, I've heard sad news. His daughter, Fiona, a mentally unstable woman, ran away from her house in Athens and her uncle Louis is looking for her, for her safety. A reward is offered."

Angelo, with his Devilish good looks, tricks Grégory to reveal something about Pierre, where he was last. The manager lets slip that Pierre was headed towards India, after Tehran. Angelo leaves and watches to make sure he's not followed.

The trio fly off in the pair of airplanes, on their second leg of their flight, with Baghdad as their destination.

A half-hour from Baghdad, two planes dive at them from out of the sun, firing at them. Both planes are hit with superficial bullet holes in the fuselage and wings as danger and death approach!

Next time: Will Fiona, Faye and Angelo be shot down? Who will survive the aerial dogfight? Will Faye's stories reach the press? 

Tune in Next Time for High Road to China!!!!!!!!!!!!