US Law Enforcement Response, Time, Scale and Coordination (Galveston, TX)

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Icelander

Ironically, the players don't know about Igor's exceptional vitality and resiliance. In one second, Igor took a .45 LC to the abdomen, 5.56x45mm round to the brain and 9 pellets of 0 buckshot to the face. Before he had fallen to the ground or the PCs had time to make any Per-based Diagnosis checks, this was followed up by an All-out Attack (Strong) swing with an enchanted heirloom Bowie knife, Very Fine and improved damage, swung by ST 20 Lacoste. In other words, it didn't matter how resilient Igor was, he was at -HPx10 after suffering more than 250 HP of injury in just over a second.

I had assumed him still being up - albeit staggered - would clue them in, but I see your games are run in a fashion where that could actually be chalked up to him just taking a moment to fall, and Lacoste acting quickly enough to decapitate that one can't know for certain if he was still "alive" when it happened.

Originally Posted by Icelander

So, naturally, Lacoste's player concluded that the rest of the opponents were probably also afflicted with these terrible soulchains and asked if he could see the soul of the man he shot, clearly fatally, leave his body. When I replied that he couldn't, Lacoste's player decided that this meant that the soul was still trapped in there and he needed to free it by cutting of the head. Reasonable and logical, of course. So, Lacoste positioned the man he had shot for a good beheading strike and in only two powerful blows, he got the head free of the neck.

That makes a great deal of sense. It would make him sound absolutely insane to anyone affected by the Facade, or course, but I'd say it speaks well of his personal character that he would take such a risk to rescue the soul of someone who was attempting to murder him mere moments before.

Originally Posted by Icelander

The fact that the truck moved during the ambush, both in a forward direction, and backwards, makes this a somewhat hard sell. Not to mention that the way that the driver has his hands attached to the steering wheel with the knife and one of his feet nailed through to the gas pedal. It's clearly impossible that anyone else could have been driving.

On the subject of blood spatter, a very inspired analyst might notice that infinite care appears to have been taken to ensure that the blood sprayed everywhere other than where the killer must have been in the cab. In fact, it almost seems lime the killer contorted himself into various uncomfortable positions to escape blood spatters, while working diligently to open more and more veins. It seems not only incomprehensible, but actively impossible, as no one could have applied the kind of force needed without being in a position where they should have been covered in blood, but it's as if the spatters went right through the killer and landed on the passenger seat, window and other surfaces.
[...]
It's quite possible that whatever tortured Alberto didn't need knives or screwdrivers, but merely felt that using the contents of the toolbox open on the floor of the passenger side of the truck was amusing. Also, wanted to secure Alberto in an appropriately dramatic pose, for which purpose the sharp implements jammed through him were necessary.

Yeah, that all makes this a serious head-scratcher. It's almost as if the thing wants more people to break through the Facade. But that's certainly nonsense... right?
EDIT: Incidentally, did you ever happen to read the novel Door to December? Re-reading your description of what was done (and considering Alice wasn't physically present, but clearly involved) made me think of the "monster" from that.

Originally Posted by Icelander

However, it's not as if the truck won't reward DNA analysis, as they'll find genetic material from numerous open cases in it, including the six bodies in the Walmart. Also, at least a dozen other open murders, in California, Oregon, Arizona and New Mexico, as well as two or three around Dallas.

Huh, so it was a murder-van. Well, murder-transport-van, anyway.

Originally Posted by Icelander

Carillo was divorced and lived in a rental apartment. Several people in neighbouring apartments heard the shot.

You'll need to determine, of course, when - and indeed if - any of the neighbors called 911 to report the gunshot. It's close enough to New Year's that it's possible someone could mistake it for a firework of some sort (I can't speak to Texas, but here in Indiana it's not uncommon to hear fireworks in the week between Christmas and New Year's), particularly if it wasn't a terribly powerful handgun. While not in an apartment, there was a time at my brother's house (in an urban neighborhood) when someone stupidly test-fired an AR-15 in the backyard, and no police were ever notified.