Here's the outcome:

1. General Enforcer Xiabus Khan has been left ontouched by Skarmen plan because the Acolytes have managed to pick the mirror shard from he beforehand (he gave it up willingly, as the PCs were acting overtly as representatives of the =I=). This was the only shard they have managed to collect during the scenario.

2. Lady Amorite was killed, because the PCs lacked driving skills to get to her manor in time after learning of the assault.

3. Skarmen was killed in his tower, but not after taking one acolyte's FP with him.

And the interesting part: the Daemon . As you remember, I've spent a lot of time preparing to make a decent proposal to the Acolytes. In fact the Daemon has offered the PC who would put the last mirror shard, a choice of one Dark Pact and a hint that would help the Acolytes undo the Widower in TF ("... mortal, do you want immortality, or infinite power, or great knowledge that will save yourself and a whole planet of the likes of you? ").

The Acolytes feared to accept the deal (one of the PCs had 0 FPs )), and have simply waited until the inquisitorial team arrived. Heh! For not dealing with the Daemon, though, they have received a FP each.

How did it come out in your play?

We're in the middle of it right now. Was going to finish tonight, but then players start dropping out

"Gotta work"... "Stuck in Sweden"... Honestly. The excuses they come up with to get out of my games ...

My players acquired four fragments before facing Skarmen in the tower. They unleashed the cyber mastiffs in the Folly's dungeons (who let the dogs out, yes) and rigged one with explosives. Took the elevators up and sent the dogs against the Risen. Then they plundered the armoury and went up to the top level where Skarmen was.

During the fight Skarmen used mind control powers to make the players toss the mirror fragments, and then used telekinesis to acquire them. He was put down in a vicious melee, one shard short of completing the mirror.

The acolytes were terrified of the daemon and the mirror. They refused to look at it, barely talked with the daemon, and sought to destroy the mirror as quickly as they could. When they did, the daemon disappeared, they took the fragments, and delivered them to the =I=.

The Laughing God said:

Wow, I like this kind of strategy! Really, stylish.

Pity I haven't read this tip before my showdown.

Thanks, I thought an adversary of Skarmen's (and the daemon's!) calibre should fight intelligently and postpone hack 'n slash until no other options remain.

Interesting that you talk about "acting intelligently." For me, one of the motifs of the Haarlock's Legacy idea is that of masters and servants. From the start, you are given to a new Inquisitor, the "Master of Chamber XIII." You deal with many of Haarlock's servants - the Spider Bride, the Widower, the Gilded Widow, the Daughter... I've always thought it would be a neat change to Damned Cities to have the warp-dabbler and daemon-thrall be Skarmen's secretary, a figure who is only seen a couple of times and most likely discounted by the Acolytes. It wouldn't change the course of the adventure that much - the secretary is manipulating Skarmen so that he is distant, etc. - but the Acolytes suspect Skarmen (and perhaps even kill him) only to find out it's the secretary all along. It would be very "grimdark"!