Plot Advice for a Scenario

[pencilneckgeek]

I'm running a campaign set primarily in Portland, but that crawls into the Seattle area from time to time. I have devised a scenario for my players where the Baroness of Seattle (the leader of the Red Court) is sending out a message to her enemies to back off. At the same time, I want this "message" to be a distraction for some other thing that is going on.

Essentially, while she is sending out spectres (she's also a necromancer) and having houses firebombed, I want there to be an alternate motive to for which all this mayhem is a distraction. But for the life of me, I can't figure out what that should be.

So, here I am fishing for plot hooks   

Any insights/ideas will be highly appreciated. Bring on the dastardly!

[blackstaff67]

A Blampire and its Fine Thrall sorceror whosde plots may occasionally intertwine with the Rampire.

[Griffyn612]

I'm not much of a gamer, but I like plots and developing things.  Looking at what you've provided, I see a couple possible plots.  But I'm not sure how "playable" they are.

What might help is to know why she feels the need to send out this warning?  Are others threatening her territory?  Is she under pressure from Wamps or someone else?

As for the secret agenda, here's what pops off the top of my head.
 1) While seemingly random, the targeted locations are those contested by this other organization.  Fairly obvious, assuming the players know the area.  If not, then they have to figure out why, which leads to who.
  2) Their attacks aren't just to show power, but to garner a specific response.  By taxing official resources to respond, she could be advancing an agenda to provide contacted services to the city.  Just like there are private EMT services, she could be advocating private fire and police services, which she would control.
  3) The attacks are seemingly random, but are actually devaluing land and property in strategic areas.  The attacks are a cover for a land grab, which would help her and the Ramps expand their control in the area.

The one with the most action potential, as it implies she has forces in place to act as police that can be fight.  A combination of all three plots might be best.  #1 is the known plot in the supernatural community, but the players aren't sure why other locations not associated with the Ramps enemies are being hit as well (#3).  And then the shoe begins to drop as the first responders that arrive are her people (#2).

[Second Aristh]

You could go the Dan Brown route.  Have the Baroness kidnap representatives of the factions against her, then kill them in specific locations with specific methods, e.g. run with an elemental theme fire/water/earth/air/spirit.  Have her bind a spirit at each location to serve as a messenger to give a warning to the non-vanillas that can perceive it.  The warnings are the distraction that the Baroness is making a power play, but the real plot is the huge ritual she's powering with the strange and unusual murder methods.

[Lavecki121]

Each location is a spot where the Fey is weak and by causing mayhem at them she is weakening the barrier even more in order to attempt to cause a major rip to get things to come through that she is allied with.

Essentially making a bunch of small holes in a "circle" to make the "circle" fall out.

[wyvern]

The first two attacks are real.  The third is a sham, faking the death of an undercover agent who desperately needs to be extracted due to his acquisition of a valuable macguffin* the Baroness' enemies don't yet realize is missing.

* Possibly a non-physical macguffin; the true name of a particular entity or some other form of knowledge could fit well here.

[Shaft]

She is touched by Khorne, the outsider blood god, and these kills are blood for the blood god!  The distraction is that she doesn't want her enemies to back off.  Every death in battle is a sacrifice to him, and the greater the violence, the greater the gift.  Blood for the Blood God!!!

And the best part is that after she raises those who have died in the conflicts, they can be sacrificed again. 

Best part, part II: she can raise the dead of either side of the conflict, so no matter what happens, she wins.

Best part, part III: since she's a necromancer, she can store her heart or soul or whatever in a phylactery off site in a nasty part of the NeverNever that is full of chaos and strife, and as long as she has even a milliliter of blood left in her system, Khorne will raise her from the dead and regenerate her body.

Best part, part IV: Khorne is so happy with the work she's been doing that if she gets 666 kills in his name, his avatar will personally visit her and lead her legions of undead in a glorious wave of conquest.

[AgentSchneider]

She is touched by Khorne, the outsider blood god, and these kills are blood for the blood god!  The distraction is that she doesn't want her enemies to back off.  Every death in battle is a sacrifice to him, and the greater the violence, the greater the gift.  Blood for the Blood God!!!

And the best part is that after she raises those who have died in the conflicts, they can be sacrificed again. 

Best part, part II: she can raise the dead of either side of the conflict, so no matter what happens, she wins.

Best part, part III: since she's a necromancer, she can store her heart or soul or whatever in a phylactery off site in a nasty part of the NeverNever that is full of chaos and strife, and as long as she has even a milliliter of blood left in her system, Khorne will raise her from the dead and regenerate her body.

Best part, part IV: Khorne is so happy with the work she's been doing that if she gets 666 kills in his name, his avatar will personally visit her and lead her legions of undead in a glorious wave of conquest.

Somebody is a big Warhammer 40K fan lol. Although it wouldn't be the first time I had seen the Chaos Gods in a DFRPG game...and I have to say that your proposal actually works pretty well.

[pencilneckgeek]

Thanks for the ideas, guys. This will definitely help with my campaign.

[Jabberwocky]

Or, just for once you know, make the RC the "good" guys. Or at least scapegoats for other party's atrocities. I mean, she's a RC Baroness, isn't she? She's the one responsible alright. Let's kill her. With fire, of course. The only "slight" complication to this holy crusade: She's been framed and the whole thing is being orchestrated by someone else (a nice plot twist would be e.g. an overactive cell of St. Giles or, generally, someone usually seen as benign). What the vampire needs is not killing. In fact it's help.