Arcane Auction Advice.

[MurderCityDisciple]

The scenario I am developing involves an Arcane Auction...the location is going to be in a long abandoned building in Detroit. Now the folks who are sponsering said auction would want it to seem as innocuous as possible. Meaning zero majick vibes emanating from said decrepit old hovel.

So far what I've come up with to keep prying mystical eyes out is a few Sanctum spells.
In your opinion would this be enough? If not any other mystical advice would be most appreciated.

The auction hosts are most professional.

[Jedrious]

Astral domain with portable portal.

[MurderCityDisciple]

Astral domain with portable portal.

Hum...good idea, but maybe a bit too far out for my new group, who haven't played any supernatural games before. Baby steps...I want to reveal the world like an onion...one layer at a time. The astral plane is a few layers deeper than I am shooting for.

Thanks though.

[Shark_Force]

if you just make the auction take place in an area well below ground level (say, 3-4 floors down) in a converted parking garage, i would think that would prevent street-level patrols from being able to detect anything.

edit: or you could just place it in the middle of a large building complex. just having it some place where the hounds/hunters wouldn't be likely to go would provide a lot of protection.

[MurderCityDisciple]

if you just make the auction take place in an area well below ground level (say, 3-4 floors down) in a converted parking garage, i would think that would prevent street-level patrols from being able to detect anything.

edit: or you could just place it in the middle of a large building complex. just having it some place where the hounds/hunters wouldn't be likely to go would provide a lot of protection.

The building in question is going to be situated near the Detroit River, underneath the bridge...the river is a ley line, the bridge structure that bi-sects the river will cause a slight dicordant effect (think permanently humming electric guitar string).

The ley energy and discorndant effect should help mask any long distance scrying, the Sanctum enchantment on the building (I hope) will disuade any more local snoopers.

The underground idea isn't bad, but the auction attendee's are going to be already a bit paranoid without being led into a dreary Detroit basement in ghetto hell.

The game itself is going to be based on a group of seekers who work out of John King Books in Detroit. The catacombs of which I'm sure are going to be full of arcane grimness and maybe a few esoteric delights. John King Books itself is huge...4 floors in a former glove factory. http://www.rarebooklink.com/cgi-bin/kingbooks/about.html

Images of JKB
http://bodylit.com/2011/08/15/four-floors-of-fun/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28537042@N06/3244590069/
Very cool and real place...now stock it with a few Nightbane, a sorcerer and maybe a store cat.

[URLeader Hobbes]

A few things to take into consideration…
They may even be using proxies instead of the actual artifacts. Once a bidder has won the auction for an item the organizers make arrangements for payment and delivery.
Considering the nature of the auction those who are bidding most likely are there due to invitation. The auctioneers would be making a huge mistake to make this particular event open to the public. So as it most likely is by invitation only people bidding (or those they sent to represent them) will be allowed entry and chances are they will have to show an ID as well as be confirmed and on the list.
Not confirmed, not on the list, no entry and most likely they are going to be tailed to ensure they don’t do anything like tip off the Nightlords or another group that might try to crash the party.
Security would have to be a must. No active spells, but Nightbane in the Facades would be on hand. (Keep in mind they are undetectable as long as they maintain the façade.)
Bidders will most likely wish to keep their true IDs secret from the other bidders. So it will be acceptable for them to send a representative to bid and they should be allowed to communicate during the bidding process. This will be done via cell phones that are one time use, after which they will be destroyed.

[MurderCityDisciple]

A few things to take into consideration…
They may even be using proxies instead of the actual artifacts. Once a bidder has won the auction for an item the organizers make arrangements for payment and delivery.
Considering the nature of the auction those who are bidding most likely are there due to invitation. The auctioneers would be making a huge mistake to make this particular event open to the public. So as it most likely is by invitation only people bidding (or those they sent to represent them) will be allowed entry and chances are they will have to show an ID as well as be confirmed and on the list.
Not confirmed, not on the list, no entry and most likely they are going to be tailed to ensure they don’t do anything like tip off the Nightlords or another group that might try to crash the party.
Security would have to be a must. No active spells, but Nightbane in the Facades would be on hand. (Keep in mind they are undetectable as long as they maintain the façade.)
Bidders will most likely wish to keep their true IDs secret from the other bidders. So it will be acceptable for them to send a representative to bid and they should be allowed to communicate during the bidding process. This will be done via cell phones that are one time use, after which they will be destroyed.

All very good points.

Yeah security is going to be very tight at the shindig in question...maybe not that ramped up to extreme levels if paranoia....at least not yet. Ahem...

I am actually rebooting the game as far as the Dark Day goes. I'm going with 12-21-12 (the alleged Mayan Doomsday). The auction is going to take place 6 or so months after the Nightlord's Night of the Long Knives has enviserated the powers that be.

The PC's know something foul went down, but are still not 100% sure what exactly went down. The events surrounding the auction will help reveal at least some of the Nightlord's machinations.

I will make note of the security procedures that have been recommend to me here for future reference.

I have a few other events planned thusfar...the auction being just the first...I just need to figure out when to spring the The Great Jugglo Riot. Aka..The Black Night of Blood and Faygo.

[MurderCityDisciple]

You could also have the anti magic artifact it hides some magical affects not sure how much magic it can hold but it lasts for so many melee rounds per each time used until the P.P.E. is used up.

That is something I didn't even think about either...

In fact it might even be an object up at the auction.

[G]

You could have the entire auction done by telephone or over the internet for more security. A Nightbane with the talent lightning rider might be able to attend in person...

You could use that to get the PCs into the whole nightbane internet thing...if that interests them, I think it was called the shadowboard?

[MurderCityDisciple]

You could have the entire auction done by telephone or over the internet for more security.

What fun would that be? I want a whole lotta supernatural types all under one roof for my nefarious porpises....yes...the evilest of blow-holed, aquatic mammals.

You could use that to get the PCs into the whole nightbane internet thing...if that interests them, I think it was called the shadowboard?

My cybermage is lurking on the shadowboard, but his exteme levels of paranoia are keeping him from delving any deeper than just lurking.