Setting:

The city of Opardem, capital of Galdun, Uqtium, Breginthresh 15, 1998, Age of Flames. The first day of winter. Technological level is 1880s Earth.

A few short months back, the Ma-e Empire sold all of the Galdunic and Maraddonian territories to Baghaasim, changing the occupying armies of the regions from tren and werefoxes and Ma-e soldiers to the much dreaded rakshasas, fire-form faeries known for cannibalism, bodily possession, and conquest. Because rakshasas are faeries, iron and steel weapons have to be registered.

The city, one of the oldest in the world, is known as the center of culture, arts, and fashion in central Ranu, and under the control of the rakshasas, not much has changed in that regard. Though the night is full of the cries of tigers (the nocturnal form of a rakshasa), the days are still free from terror.

Indeed, the Exposition univeselle has finally begun in the city--a technological and historical world's fair that saw the beginning of the reconstruction of the Tempete, the famous prison where political prisoners were kept before the fall of the monarchy on First Shem, for historical recreation purposes. Also at the fair were hundreds of inventors, artists, and speakers of all sorts come to share their knowledge and wonder with the world.

The main attractions in the city, other than the Exposition, include the Ossuaire, the extensive tunnels beneath the city; Rue Papillon, the main thoroughfare where the fashion shops are; Rue Rouge-Gorge, where the robins sing; Rue Fabricant, where the craftsmen who founded the city first worked, and where their descendants now work; Salle des Mille Visages, the sprawling palace of art; Maison de la Liberte, the government offices that are currently under rakshasa control; and Arc du Coeur, the major arch that sprawls over Rue Soleil and commemorates the most famous rulers of the city and the nation.

Currently, the major issues affecting the city are the influx of immigration in the area (not counting the rakshasa-occupation), the transitional government that is a mix of Ma-e and Baghaasim, the obviously corrupt Police Prefecture, the guilds' protests of the sale of their entire region and its effects on their work, and, as always, the inefficiency of the trains.

The Plot & Characters:

An investigative PC of some sort (detective, reporter, policeman, etc.) gets called to the scene of a crime late one warm night. A rakshasa has been killed in the Ossuaire, and our other PCs are present and possibly suspects in the crime. The first facts of the investigation to come out will be the fact that the dead rakshasa was a) killed with an iron club and b) is missing something important.

One PC should be the primary investigator. One PC should be from another Time, and, as a stranger, will have no papers or identification (Benjesus, this is a good one for you). Most PCs should have a connection to the dead rakshasa. One PC could be of the Ma-e Empire remaining forces. One PC should be involved in the Exposition universelle. At least one PC should have an unregistered iron or steel weapon, and at least one PC should be know about the missing objects, if not have them. And one PC should be a rakshasa possessing someone else (the only way they can keep from being tigers at night). Some of these can be mixed together (a rakshasa possessing someone, who knew the victim, etc.).

Given that this is a detective story, the majority of the plot will remain shrouded, but a lot will come out in character creation.

Common races: Galds (French humans), robins, flutters, trens, werefoxes, rakshasas, empaths, wild talents, quails, silver empaths, azure talents (aberrations), lost talents (mutants), lupas, cheetahmen

Characters:

PCs:

Achille Diaz, empath consultant

Simon Pharamond, private detective

Angelique Bucher, burlesque performer

Mathilde Rauneau, spellcaster exhibitionist

Bertrand Rue, stage manager and smuggler

Iadnes, mad street dweller

The Body:

Subhash Avanjana, rakshasa soldier

Rakshasas:

Jatasura Kauravas, rakshasa smuggler hunter

Police:

Daniel Javert, rookie cop friend of Simon

City figures:

Prefect Florent Absolon, head of the police

Mayor Jeremie d'Ulrich, mayor of the arondissment that the crime took place in

General Taigi Ten-uek, Ma-e werefox general leading the withdrawal of Ma-e troops

Lord Kulash Kidaram, Baghaasimian rakshasa who is the regional ruler now