Fantastic Unpaid Vacation Thread [4e]

[Paperscrap]

Hey all! This is going to be our IC and wishlist thread for the game Fantastic Unpaid Vacation. Allow everyone to post once - that first post will be used to edit and keep an up to date wishlist. After that, this thread will be used for in character conversations and recaps of previous sessions. Enjoy!

[Amondais]

Ashlay's Wishlist

-To be with his Beloved Shana Again
-A new Pretty Dress
-A Painting of a beautiful mountain range. One that gives an almost romantic vibe to it.

1) +2 Blood Iron Layered Platemail (level 8)
2) +2 Aegis Longsword/Scimitar/Khopesh (level 8)
3) Iron armbands of Power - Heroic (level 6)
4) Boots of Quickness - Heroic (Level 8)
5) Handy Haversack - Heroic (Level 10)
6) Battle Standard of Honor - Heroic (level 2)
7) +2 Brooch of Shielding (Level 8)

[andanteinblue]

Wishlist:

- own island nation
- mad scientist's lair
- own airship, with crew

[Demonicheart]

Esmeralda (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=213632)'s Wish List

- A NORMAL life :smallbiggrin:

Rhythm Blade + 1 (Level 3), Dagger
Siberys Shard of the Mage (Level 3), Dragonshard
Flaying Gloves (Level 4), Hands
Bracers of Escape (Level 7), Arm
Rope of Slave Fighting (level 7), Waist
Duelist's Dagger + 2 (Level 8), Dagger
Cat Tabi (Level 8), Feet
Fey Blessed Circlet (Level 8), Head
Shimmering Armor + 2 (Level 9), Armor
Medallion of Death Deferred + 2 (Level 9), Neck

[Viashino_wizard]

Grimtooth Darkscale (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=319021)

WISHLIST (Highest to Lowest Priority):
-Belt of Sacrifice (7)
-Healer's Brooch +2 (9)
-Circlet of Authority (7)
-Shield of Defiance (8)
-Gauntlets of Ogre Power (5)
-+3 Sacrificial Longsword (11)
-+3 Dwarven Chainmail (12)
-Battlestrider Greaves (12)
-Shield of Deflection (12)
-Rope of Climbing (10)
-Bag of Holding (5)
-Handy Haversack (10)

I've updated my wishlist after retooling Grimtooth.

[Surrealistik]

Wish List, Highest to Least Priority:


Siberys Shard of the Mage L3, Dragonshard


Boots of the Fencing Master L7, Feet


Shielding Wrist Razors +1 L4, Arms


Flowform Armor +2 L9, Armor


Accurate Rain of Hammers Ki Focus +1 L3, Ki Focus


Power Jewel L5, Wonderous


Demonskin Tattoo L3, Tattoo


Pelor's Sun Blessing L3, Boon


Viper Belt L4, Waist


Skull Mask L5, Head


Amulet of Physical Resolve +2, L7, Neck

[Paperscrap]

Placeholder for Purity's wishlist

[Paperscrap]

Summary of Events:

Having woken on a mysterious beach with no memory of how they got there, the party quickly took towards one another while trying to piece together the clues. A strange archway near their location seemed to be the only plausible explanation for their arrival; however, in a fit of shock, it crumbled in on itself. Having few ideas on how to proceed, the party collected the azure keystone that had topped the arch before pressing onward.

Unfortunately, they were soon confronted by a man known as Shea and a few roughs. Due to being new in this strange, alien world, Shea managed to convince the party into giving up all of their weapons, promising an answer to their surely endless questions. The promise soon fell apart as a ruse, however, and the party was able to recover their weapons and best Shea and the others in combat - finishing them off before any were able to run away.

In examining the bodies of the defeated, a strange inky substance was found slinking away from the mouths of the men. It seemed almost organic in nature, exhibiting some signs of movement before becoming somewhat lifeless. A sample of this fluid was taken and preserved for future use. Despite their best efforts, it was impossible to rouse Shea and the other men from their almost comatose state - leaving them to come to the conclusion that the only thing to be done was to leave the men in hopes that they would come to.

Fortunately, smoke was spotted in the distance by the confused party; promising some sign of salvation and perhaps some answers to the questions that were likely going through their heads.

(( If you'd like, RP is now open! The pathway that you're traveling on is similar to most trails; it's a little rough and confusing at times, but for the most part you have an idea of where you're going. ))

[Amondais]

Ahhhhhhwwwwwwwhhhn... was the sound that came from the Empresses mouth as she yawned. Wincing a little as she moved her shoulder a little wrong. Placing a hand on the bandaged area, it was still quite sore. Her armor had absorbed much of the full blades strike but it was still heavy enough to rend her flesh. Leading the group towards that distant goal, That smoke rising on the horizon like a distant omen.
Clank, clunk. the sounds of metal plates shifting as the Warrior continued walking... Noting the quite she felt it would be nice to strike up conversation.

"Ahh, I wonder how close to Lodis I am." She started... yawning again before continuing. "When we get there, I shall hold a grand feast to celebrate my safe return... Of course I will do everything I can afterwards, to see all of you safely returned to your respective lands." She let out a laugh, glancing back at the others with a smile.

"Though, I would not mind finding out who summoned us to this distant land and why?" she seemed to question. Then in an aside "Then again, for all I know I could be fifty miles from my royal palace... I never did get to explore the countryside without a host of soldiers behind me."

Ashlay swallowed a little at the bit of silence that followed "So, I am curious? What are your homes like?" She looked over her shoulder as she questioned.

[Demonicheart]

Inwardly, Esmeralda was having a panic attack. On her personal 1 to 10 scale of supernatural weirdness, this whole scenario ranked 11 and up. Some part of her just wanted to curl up into a ball and pray that whatever force brought them here would send them back. However, there was a solid reason why she didn't follow through with that plan. She remembered the promise she made to her parents and herself, I...I...will survive, no matter what. I...will find a way back...meet with Yoko like my father said...and we can go from there. I will survive this mess. Of her current 'traveling companions', the dark haired girl had to admit she found both Heinrich and Ashlay the most agreeable to her. The biggest reason was that they were both human but there were other positive traits in her mind. The former seemed to have a solid grasp on the situation and he had an understanding of technology to an extent. The latter had a presence about her that seemed to make Esmeralda feel safer in a dangerous situation. She had nothing against the other strangers even Grimtooth despite his ferocity.

The dark haired sorceress was pulled from her thoughts by Ashlay's inquiry. She pushed her doubts and fears aside once more and smiled, "Well...I was born in a large city called London. It's the capital of England, my home nation." Considering the previous discussion regarding guns and the overwhelming belief that Ashlay walked out of the middle-ages, Esmeralda took a good deal of time trying to explain it without confusing her, "I can't remember how many people live there...probably a million given how crowded the streets can be sometimes. London's been around for centuries and has just kept expanding. Its a decent city though. As for me..."

There was a noticeable pause as she began to speak more of herself. For a moment, it seemed like Esmeralda was just going to drop the subject completely. However, she found her voice again, "...I have seen both sides of the road so to speak. Before I was adopted by a wealthy businessman and gained the name, Halimond, I was a street urchin with not even a single pound to my name. Oh, um...we call our currency pounds. Those...dagger moves you saw, I learned then to survive. I try not to use my magic in public but...well, if they didn't back down from Grimtooth's glare then waving around a dagger without doing anything or casting a spell harmlessly at their feet would do nothing. Those men didn't scare as easily as the average person back home." Esmeralda had hesitated to mention her origin and to be fair, she still didn't tell the whole story. At the very least, she knew her adoption was public knowledge even if the media hadn't uncovered her true name yet.

Finished her talk of home, she turned her gaze to the resident scientist of the group and called out to him, "Mister Heinrich, I just want to let you know that if you need an assistant for something, I am willing to help out. I'm not a scientist by any stretch...but my father ensured that I had a well-rounded education. I did study the biology, chemistry and physics...though I'm not really sure how helpful any of that is right now." A part of her felt a little embarrassed to put herself out there when she was as lost as anyone else. Still, she reasoned it was better to pool their resources in any way they could if they wanted to get back to their homes.

[Surrealistik]

Mal wasn't quite sure what to make of his situation. How did it come to be that he was torn from his aimless wanderings of the Nevada wasteland? How was it that he found himself suddenly deposited in this verdant paradise so reminiscent of that lost beauty of the old world, before the great war, before the bombs lanced the sky and levelled the earth? Had he been thrown back in time, or was he somewhere else entirely?

When he first saw those alongside him, he had quickly decided the latter to be most probable, a peculiar hodgepodge of oddly adorned humans appearing alongside him, and in one case a strange lizardman unlike any mutant he had ever seen. Before them all had loomed a strange, portal like construct, that crackled and sparked with unknown energy, calling to mind the tribal mystics and shamans he had often encountered on his sojourns across the wastes, this mysterious structure like some fantastic monument conjured straight from their peyote-addled visions. Might these men of superstition have been right? Did the supernatural truly exist? Given his circumstances, and indeed, several of his own abilities, the frogman did not find it so implausible. Just as he theorized that perhaps the strange archway might well be his way home, Fate seemed to interdict, as its keystone was thrust into the sea, constituent parts rapidly crumbling to a useless, dishevelled pile. The way home had been barred, and the robed ghoul stuck with these bizarre strangers.


***

Relaxing in a meditative trance once the battle had been won, and the meagre loot of the con-men scavenged, Mal'Jareth reflected upon his companions; he had thought them all naive, dangerously so, save perhaps for the lizardman and the religious woman, each far too eager to surrender their weapons, even in spite of dire, and unfamiliar circumstances. Perhaps they would learn the value of distrust having been imperilled by blind faith, or perhaps the frogman's timely intervention had stayed that reckoning. With his fellows worrying hopelessly over the comatose men, showing them a mercy nearly alien to his world, he concluded the latter to be true. Whatever the case, he was resolved not to let it cost him his life; he would not allow the mistakes of others to become his own.


***

Clank clunk. Each step of the armoured human made him wince with its dangerous volume, the clattering din unmistakable amidst the relative silence of the woods. Rather than follow in step, he chose instead to move parallel to the group, hunched beneath the cover of the foliage, where predatory eyes would not fall upon him so much as those within the noisy, distracting procession. Given the weight of past precedent, the move struck him as wise and self-preserving; should his fellows need assistance, he would be situated to provide it... assuming the risk wasn't too great. Then came the unmistakable sound of conversation, deepening his pained grimace; they were strangers in a strange land, lost in a dangerous world they knew nothing of. How could they be so patently uncautious? None of these thoughts saw articulation however, for to give voice to them would be to attract attention, and was an agonizing process besides, his throat drastically altered by mutation; while he could speak given sufficient effort, he much preferred painless quietude. Discreetly, he stalks alongside, eyes ever wary for the danger anticipated, expected, since his arrival.

[andanteinblue]

The events of the day swirled and replayed itself in Heinrich Volta's mind. Quite a grand adventure, was it not? That was, after all, what he was looking for... wasn't it? When he stepped through that portal, he knew he would be going to some land so vastly distant as to stretch the very comprehension of that word.

While he had let his mind wander during the trek, he listened in rapt curiosity as Esmeralda described her world. Even the mechanical critter in his pack seem mesmerized by her words, crawling out from the leather flaps and staring at her a pair of dull orange lamps. "Fascinating," Volta concluded, "You had gotten blackpowder weaponry to work on your world? To the extent it has become commonplace? We had abandoned those deathtrap matches centuries ago in the Kaiserreich, though several other nations still use them. We thought it more prudent to keep the explosions on the other side of the field.

"Danke for the offer, milady," Volta dipped his head in a bow, "Your assistance would be most welcome. Knowledge is the finest of all weapons; rare is the circumstance where it does not prevail.

"I come from a world not unlike your own," he said, nodding to Esmeralda, "The capitol of the Kaiserreich is home to about a million souls." He turned briefly to Grimtooth, "Like Grimtooth here, I am a military man. I serve the Luftstreitkräfte for over a decade -- that is the... Air Services branch of the military, though I am an inventor by study and explorer by trade. I've been on more airships than I care to count, and designed more than a score of them myself."

At this point, the mechanical critter at scurried back through the back and out the other side, tapping at the same of Volta's head with a pair of appendages that look curiously like lobster claws. "Stop that, Cog. I'm getting to it," the airman muttered, nudging his companion back into the pack with a glare, "Pardon me, Cog here has taken on an eccentricity entirely outside of its design. Anyways, the archway we saw earlier is... similar to a monument we have studied back home. We believe it to be a doorway between the stars, Astria Porta in the tongue of its creators." He bit his lip for a second, unsure of how to proceed from there, "Long story short, we activated the device. I stepped through, and here we are.

"We had not expected it to be a one-way trip, though I suppose it was always a possibility..." His eyes took a more distant look. He had written the contingency plan himself: no one was to come through until he had sent back an all-clear signal. It was a risk he felt only acceptable for himself, but the others that were here... "At any rate, I'm sure we can find our way back, if not before the eggheads back home figure out a way to reverse this," he concluded with a certainty reserved for everyone save for himself.

[Amondais]

The Empress was aghast at the things Volta and Esmeralda, a million? It was hard for her to fathom a million people all living within a single city. The Most she had ever heard of was a hundred thousand. How vast the city walls must have been. Furthermore how could a city support so many? Water, food, shelter, refuse, and disease. The more Ashlay had thought upon these cities the two had mentioned the more she frowned.

"Your cities sound terrible." She breathed a sigh and turned back to them, walking backwards as she did so. "I mean no offense but... How can you have a million in one city? I can scarce imagine how the farms can support that population, or where you get your fresh water. There are Cities in Lodis that suffer some of those issues but their population at the most would be sixty-thousand." She breathed a sigh and shook her head before turning around.

"That is not to say I have solved the all those issues for my people. I have tried very hard to make their lives easier." She gazed in the direction of the smoke. "At the very least I have managed to ease their lives when I slew the tyrant god-emperor who once lorded over them." She had cast her gaze at the silent green figure.

"Your really not one for words are you?" She asked raising a brow at him. "I mean neither is Shana but... Your another whole level of not being much for words from her." She said as she walked. "I was surprised when you killed that Slim guy, Though did you really have to kill him outright?" She asked. She stared at the figure for a moment, her attention suddenly diverted back to Volta.

She stared at that mechanical critter. "W-what is it? Some sort of Golem?" She approached and looked at Volta's pack after it was stuffed inside. "I've not seen one kept as a pet, or one so small either." She found herself attempting to resist the urge of poking the pack with a curious finger.

"So you touched some ancient device and ended up here?" She sighed and scratched the back of her head. "I suppose its a bit more dignifying than my situation but it matters not." She shook her head. "Anyway I will not point fingers but we all should stick together til we can go home."

[Demonicheart]

Esmeralda seemed to relax a little as Heinrich spoke more about his own home and how he would welcome any assistance she could provide. To her, it sounded like his nation was probably close to industrial age technology. She would be able to talk to him about a few things without confusing him. She let out a small laugh about explosions, "I'm sure we had our share of explosions when guns were first developed too. That was long before I was born so thankfully I don't have first hand experience." Of course, there were still topics that she thought would bewilder even him but judging from his attitude, she believed Heinrich would welcome the knowledge.

When the Empress among them called both their cities terrible, the young sorceress was a little surprised. Once the topic was explained further, she started to understand,Well...I suppose if you took a place like Camelot and stuffed millions into it...I can see why that would be a major problem. Esmeralda wasn't offended at all by the comment, "Well, I won't lie, London does have its share of issues just like any city. In our case, overpopulation is a big one and there are still plenty of folks who don't have a way to support themselves. Still, we have...um what you'd likely call technobabble to help ease that burden a bit. There are farms but we use machines to plow and pick crops quickly. We also have ways of purifying water to drink. Anything we can't make ourselves we trade for. With cars, ships and airplanes, it doesn't take long at all to reach any corner of the world. We can travel thousands of miles in a few hours." In the back of her mind Esmeralda was silently worried if she made any sense at all to Ashlay.

The raven haired girl couldn't deny that she was also interested in Cog. She smiled at the little contraption and commented, "I think its cute that Cog has its own personality. We have robots too but most of them are remote controlled and the ones that aren't can only do simple things like walk and pull levers. Japan, another nation, is probably going to be the first to come up with something more complex. They always push the limits of technology. For now, I think Cog could run circles around any other robots his size or a little larger."

She sombered up a little when she heard thought about her own circumstances for arriving, "I...before I came here...I didn't touch any portals or come intentionally. I was going to meet someone...very important to me. She's probably worried sick by now...since..." Her voice trailed off as she lacked the will to continue with her explanation. Esmeralda finished her train of thought, ...she probably thought I was dead and we were only moments from meeting again. After a moment of silence, she shook her head and began again, "I won't be a burden to you all. I'll do my best to survive and one day return home."

[andanteinblue]

"I suppose that would depend on the size of the city, would it not? From atop the Reichstag, the capital stretches as far as the eye can see, in all directions," Volta continued with a tinge of nationalistic pride, "Roads of cobblestone and metal tracks of the lightning rail crisscross the land. Mechanical irrigation and other advances have improved the yield of farmland by a factor of ten, compared to those in agrarian, feudal nations -- from which, I presume from your manner of dress, that you hail.

"Potable water is more of a concern. Pure water remains a rare commodity, though techniques for refining it from natural sources have been devise. The best water, however," he tugs at a flask at his belt, "come from ethereal aquifers, tapped directly from raw elemental sources outside of our Realm. Sanitation is an issue, particularly amongst the lower rungs of society. In recent years, however, we have learnt how to distill aprotist admixtures and medical counterseptics." Volta concludes by patting satchel of feathered darts.

Throughout the discussion, Volta's mechanical companion had feinted a retreat down into his pack, only to slowly emerge from the other side, lamp-light eyes peering around at the others as they spoke. Its eyes brightened to a incandescent yellow as Ashlay approached, emitting a satisfied whirl when poked. "You refer to Cog? I shall take that as a compliment, Frau Esmeralda," the airman's expresssion was torn between a courteous smile for the sorceress and mild annoyance for the little critter, "A golem -- if you must -- of my own creation. A mechanical assistant by design, though it has acquired some.. quirks outside of its original parameters." He narrowed his eyes with disapproval as Cog scooted out of the pack and onto Ashlay's outstretched arm, blinking its lamp-eyes in alternation.

"Careful now. It's developed an entirely unhealthy affection for silverware," Volta called out behind him, "If you have any cutlery on you, you may want to check that it's not been... misplaced."

He walked for some distance in silence as he listened to the others, leaving Cog to entertain them. "The Astria Porta is more of a doorway, with a shimmering threshold like a pool of water, but held aloft. But yes -- one moment I was stepping through it, and the next moment, I was at the beach." As Esmeralda recounted her story, it slowly sunk in for Volta that he might be the only soul here of his own volition. To be plucked out from your own world... "A misfortune we should hope to remedy. You seemed quite compable in the arcane back there. I shouldn't think you a burden at all."

[Paperscrap]

Session 2: Introduction to West Haven

Heading off in the direction of the smoke, the party soon finds what appears to be an abandoned village nestled in between the trees. Upon closer observation, however, they find that the residents were merely in hiding – working with an established curfew. The party catches a glimpse of a small figure darting into the house, leading to the introduction of an older woman, Elise, and her grandson Christopher. The conversation getting off to a rocky start due to suspicions, the woman eventually warmed up to the group and invited them inside. It was revealed that the town of West Haven typically is concealed from the outside world, though recent troubles with the Veil Tower™ has opened them up to the public. Believing it to have been a problem with the power source, the tower has been gutted in the past few days for repairs – a group from the village dispatched in hopes of commissioning a replacement.

It was revealed that the decision to seal themselves off from the outside world came due to the emergence of a strange, inky substance. Popular belief is that it was manufactured by demons living in the realm, their forces no longer kept in check due to a dwindling population of divine residents. It attacks humanoids almost indiscriminately, transforming them into people of altered states of mind. Combating this menace appeared to be an impossible task, though Elise revealed to the party a few prototypes that had been developed in the capital specifically for that purpose – one, a small glowing stick, caused the gunk to begin to react violently; the particles seeming to become extremely excited to the point of instability. Perhaps more interesting than that was a device that, from all appearances, seemed to be some sort of odd hand cranked radio. Somewhat bulky, and requiring two hands to use, it emitted a sound inaudible to humans.

This latter device came in handy later that night when a small raid was conducted. Waking with the sound of screams, the party jumped to the defense of the town, regardless of the personal risk. Elise’s machine helped those fighting by preventing the creatures from resealing wounds, making each and every blow a decisive one. Yet even still, the fight could not have been won without independent action – several others making a heroic effort to intercept the creatures before they could kill the townsfolk.

For this PBP session, we’ll be starting the evening before the raid happened. As this NPC is meant to be sort of expositional on the setting (at least to a basic degree) feel free to use it as a question and answer session! Being a bit frazzled yesterday, I don’t think I was able to answer things as well as I should have.

As the sun finally began to fade behind the treeline, Elise ushered everyone back into the house – taking special care to triple lock the door behind her. By this point the food that Ashlay had been preparing would have likely been in full swing, the woman’s grandson providing help when needed (albeit, as clumsily as one might expect of a young boy). “Well, that’s the tower at any rate. If you’d like, why not make yourselves comfortable? I’ll go see about hauling that power box out.”

[andanteinblue]

"Danke, for taking us in for the night," Volta said as he returned to Elise's abode, setting his heavy pack in a corner and removing the goggles and scarf from his head, "I must say, the Veil Tower is quite an ingenious design. The Luftstreitkräfte had experimented with cloaking its airships with varying degrees of success. To disguise an entire village on the ground seems an order of magnitude more complex.

"If you are still having problems with the power source, I would love to take a look. It runs on residuum, does it? As Frau Esmeralda suggested, perhaps the Archstone could offer an interim solution." Volta set his goggles and scarf down with his things and follows the others -- and the scent of food -- into the living room. "The question had occurred to me though. What does the village under the veil do for food? Tracts of farmland would almost certainly give your disguise away."

As the captain leaves the room, a pair of lamp eyes clicked on from within his pack. Cog's eyestalks emerge a moment later, followed by its five little mechanical claws. Ever so slowly, it skitters underneath a sofa and creeps toward the kitchen.

[Amondais]

"Ahh! Hold Chris, hand me that pot over there." The young Empress gestured to a pot of boiling red sauce. The Kitchen hair was thick with the smell of cooked food. Perhaps the most startling display was Ashlay herself. Dressed in black pants, a thin white shirt. Her hair was tied back into a bun, held their with several ornate sticks. Ashlay's form is well built, feminine, and oddly flat of chest. Her attention turning back to the others as they entered inside. "Ahh! greetings, how did things go with the tower?" She had asked before turning attention back the boiling pots and the like.

"Dinner will be ready in a few more minutes. Once the pasta is ready I will serve it. though I warn you I have not cooked in sometime." She flashed a smile to Elise. "I do hope you do not mind me cooking dinner in your home that is! I am cooking a chicken Pasta with a marinara sauce. I would cook Alfredo, though I fear I could not locate the proper ingredients." She continued to cook, thinking for a moment. "Elise? Might I ask a question? Where are we exactly? You said this was a hidden village but we know nothing of this country we in which we are now guests... Perhaps you might enlighten us?"

[Paperscrap]

“But of course! I wouldn’t have you sleeping out on the streets if I could help it. For all that’s known, doing as much may even go so far as to put the entire village at risk.” Elise returned from a back room - one of possibly four or five from the looks of things – a bulky looking metal box in tow. “Here’s the generator. I’ll be right back with the motor – I brought it with me just so that I could test its functioning without having to worry about feeding it through faulty wiring. As for the tower, I wish I could claim its principal design as my own. The university at our old capital, Cora, is responsible for coming up with the technology. I think as you mention, the original design was not for an entire village – although when projected high enough, it appears to work just fine.”

Slipping away for a moment, she returned once more with an even heavier looking device, one with frayed wiring sticking out of the back and a mechanical arm that looked more or less useless for the moment. “And here’s the last part of it! I’ll admit, I’m unsure about whether or not the archstone would work. I know exactly what you speak of, of course – I used to think it rather delightful as a child – but I’m not sure if that is the actual power source for the gate or not. That gates been closed since before I was born – I’d imagine that most of the juice has ran out by this point. It wasn’t much required anymore after – oh dear, I just realized there’s so very much to explain! I suppose for the moment, I’ll stick to your questions. Yes, this one runs on residium. You’re welcome to take a glance at it if you’d like – I still intend to show you just how useful that material is, but it’d be best to wait until morning I think. There are some in the village that are quite a bit handier with it than I am. As for food, well –“

“I told you, that’s not chicken!” Chris interrupted to Ashlay’s comment.

“Ah, um, don’t worry about that comment! It’s still certainly edible. I’m sure you saw the gardens on your way in, yes? We typically use those for fresh vegetables. As for everything else… well, it’s not quite fresh. I’d hate to make you squeamish, since there’s no reason to be – we merely have a mage on hand who takes care of such duties. "

“As for you cooking in my home, of course I mind it! I’m not much of a host if I’m to let an empress cook. That being said, I know well enough than to steal someone’s cooking spoon. Just allow me to do the dishes – I hope you’re not messing things up in there for her Chris!”

“Of course I’m not!” The boy retorted with a bit of annoyance in his voice, too distracted to notice the robot slip inside of the kitchen – and too naive to know to guard the silverware he’d just recently placed down.

“Oh dear, that’s a difficult question to answer. You’ll have to forgive me, since I haven’t ever introduced someone to this world before – I only heard of it. It’s been generations since anyone I know was taken in, you’ll see. At any rate, you’ll have to pardon our lack of inspiration, but you’re in the realm of Atlas right now. You’re quite lucky to have came from that gate, as most in this state are human – you’ll find if you venture out too far, however, that you’ll come across those who aren’t. For the most part everyone gets along – although there’s some conflicts from time to time. I likely have a map somewhere if you’d like to see it… can’t say for sure if it’s completely up to date or not, however. As far as I’m concerned, only the celestials know what’s happening out there right now.”

[Amondais]

Ashlay glanced down at the lad with a raised brow at the comment about it not being chicken, turning her attention towards Elise as she further explained. Offering a nervous smile in response to her and the lad. "Well, I have been to strange lands before eaten monkey brain out of a skull even." She had admitted "Not really my thing, but the King of that Land had offered it and it would have been rude for me to refuse."

She cracked a smile and looked back and Elise and smiled "But that aside, I lived the life of an adventurer and prisoner. I've survived on maggoty bread and..." She paused and looked back to the sauce as it was nearly finished. "water before. I am not easily made squeamish if it helps."

She chuckled at Elise's complaints about Ashlay cooking dinner. "Alright alright, I apologize. This is your home and I am a guest, I have no right to refuse your commands here. And as far as Chris goes, he has been more than helpful."

Nodding along as explained the world around them. "Atlas..." she mumbled to herself and dwelt upon the name for a moment. She recalled a titan that was said to hold the heavens in place, But as far as a nation by such a name... there was none she recognized. But the world was vast so perhaps... just perhaps.

"A map you say? That would be lovely if I might see it after dinner. As far as non-humans go I get long well with them. I used to travel with some Elves, dwarves, Heck there was even that goblin." She said as she looked off in thought, before stepping away from the stove "Anyway the food is done." she started to undo the borrowed apron then hang it up.

Ashlay stretched a little and looked at the strange device. "If you think the Arch Stone could help I would offer it up. But I have trouble shaking a feeling that it might be key in getting my companions and I home." Turning attentions away from the device to Elise. "Miss Elise? Pardon the question but might I take a bath after dinner?"

[andanteinblue]

"Quite a feast you have prepared here, Frau Ashlay," Volta smiled as he helped set the last items down onto the table. Quirking an eyebrow at the mention of the menu, "Not quite chicken? -- and now I fear I must ask what it is, to sate my curiosity before my palette! On our airships, most of our food come tinned -- there's some variety to be sure, but the process dulls the taste and make everything a little pasty. When in transit, anything fresher than a fortnight is something of a commodity."

Once the table is set, he helps the women be seated -- should they permit him the honor -- before shuffling to his own chair. He turns to Elise as he sits down, "Frau Elise, an atlas of Atlas" -- he smiles widely at the pun -- "would be most helpful. Please, you must entertain our curiosity: On our way back, you mentioned this village is Westhaven; I presume by that, this is the western fringe of Atlas? To the east then, would lay the heartlands, and also the greatest perils presented by the demon ink?

He drummed his fingers on the table a few times before unconsciously starting to play with the utensils set before him, "I can't help but notice you mentioned this gate. The implication being there are others? I fear the archway did not survive our arrival intact. But if there are others, they may be key to sending us home." His fingers paused for a moment as a thought just occurred to him, "Do you know if the gate has been used recently? Other arrivals? Or people departing through them?"

Meanwhile, a light and a shadow move through the kitchen, a certain mechanical critter skitters crablike between the legs of the tables, ducking behind Cris as its lamp eyes craned to look up at the counter. Then it hops silently onto the seat of a chair, then up along its back panel and onto the table top. The shine from the untended silverware gleams in its eyes as its lobster claws reach out to snatch several of the spoons.

[Viashino_wizard]

Grimtooth sat down heavily, having removed his armor in favor of a plain gray shirt and pants. He didn't appear to hear Elise's comment about humans and those who aren't; either he assumed she hadn't meant any offense or he was just very inattentive. When Ashlay announced diner was ready, he rubbed his hands together and assumed an eager look. "Heh, as long as it's meat, it doesn't matter where it came from," he asserted. "Meat's good for you. Full of nourishment. And blood!" The dragonborn rested his elbows on the table and his chin on his laced fingers, eagerly anticipating the meal.

Not being very happy with my performance in the last two fights and having gotten access to a wider array of materials, I've retooled Grimtooth to be a Cha-based healing and attack-granting focused warlord. I thought I'd let you guys know ahead of time rather than taking up time during the next session. Anyway, notable changes:

-Grim now has Bravura presence instead of Tactical. Basically, if you can see me when you spend an action point to make an attack, you can choose to make it a frenzied attack. If you hit, you get to make an extra attack or move action afterwards, but if you miss you give all enemies CA until the end of your next turn.
-I've got a brooch that boost all my healing powers by 1.
-I've got Healer's Mark, so whenever one of my powers lets you spend a surge, you get to make a saving throw against something affecting you.
-I've also got the Inspiring Breath feat. Basically, when I hit an enemy with my breath weapon, you all deal an extra 5 typeless damage against it until the end of my next turn.
-I switched up both my at-wills. Now I can let anyone within five squares of me make a basic attack against an enemy as a free action and have an attack that temporarily boosts my healing powers when it hits.
-I have Bastion of Defense instead of Lead the Attack.
-I've got better healing encounter powers. Specifically, I can use a minor action to let someone spend their Second Wind for free plus a small bonus and have a supercharged version of inspiring word that lets you spend two surges but doesn't grant bonus healing dice.
-I have a magic battle standard I can plant as an encounter power to create a healing zone (close burst 5 on where I plant the flag). Whenever any of us spend a healing surge (even if it's for something besides healing) inside the zone, all of us in the zone heal 2 HP (including the brooch bonus). This works really well with Stand the Fallen and my double-word, since the effect triggers for each surge spent. The standard can be uprooted by someone with a standard action, though, and then it's out of commission for the rest of the encounter. Flavor-wise, it has the insignia of my unit on it (black gauntlet gripping a bloody skull) and a little wyvern aquila (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquila_%28Roman%29) on top.
-My strength is a good 4 points higher, so my attacks are more accurate and deal more damage.
-Wisdom is now my dump stat, which I think is pretty appropriate.

[Paperscrap]

SESSION 3:

When we last left our intrepid heroes they still remained in the village of West Haven. Having saved the villagers the night before, the party found themselves rewarded with a sum of 800 residium each, an amount that some immediately put to use purchasing or further enchanting goods after the merchant made it clear that he was providing a 10% discount on all items. Afterwards, all of the members contributed to the re establishment of the Veil tower - while the muscle devoted themselves towards fixing the tower's wiring, the brains were fast at work trying to develop a way to use the keystone as a power source. Though it took some time to accomplish everything, they eventually succeeded and decided to leave for the capital city of Cora - clutching a piece of paper containing the names of a few professors at the university there.

I'll let this PBP thing be for questions and answers - you can do it in character through RP with Elise or just OOC. If there's anything you'd like to know about the game world, now's the time to ask! I'll be posting an updated map up on here this weekend for future reference.

[Amondais]

SESSION 3:

When we last left our intrepid heroes they still remained in the village of West Haven. Having saved the villagers the night before, the party found themselves rewarded with a sum of 800 residium each, an amount that some immediately put to use purchasing or further enchanting goods after the merchant made it clear that he was providing a 10% discount on all items. Afterwards, all of the members contributed to the re establishment of the Veil tower - while the muscle devoted themselves towards fixing the tower's wiring, the brains were fast at work trying to develop a way to use the keystone as a power source. Though it took some time to accomplish everything, they eventually succeeded and decided to leave for the capital city of Cora - clutching a piece of paper containing the names of a few professors at the university there.

I'll let this PBP thing be for questions and answers - you can do it in character through RP with Elise or just OOC. If there's anything you'd like to know about the game world, now's the time to ask! I'll be posting an updated map up on here this weekend for future reference.

Ashlay was busy helping about the village for the remaining day, though still managed time to approach Elise. His questions were 'simple' but numerous.

"So Atlas is a continent not a country? Then I fear I am even further from home than I thought. However, I was wondering about your veil towers. Where did they come from in the first place? Who created them... and that device of yours that you used to help us fight off the shadow last night. How did you come across such a blessing?" She had asked. Glancing at Chris for a second. "Also, Chris is your Grandson? What happened to his parents?"

OOC: Upgrading my Amulet of Protection +2 to a Amulet of Resolution +2, wit the 10% discount it will cost me 720 to do so. (going from level 6 to 7)

[Paperscrap]

"So Atlas is a continent not a country? Then I fear I am even further from home than I thought. However, I was wondering about your veil towers. Where did they come from in the first place? Who created them... and that device of yours that you used to help us fight off the shadow last night. How did you come across such a blessing?" She had asked. Glancing at Chris for a second. "Also, Chris is your Grandson? What happened to his parents?"

"Oh no, no, no. It's a continent! Brightcastle would be the country you're in." She replied, trying to correct the misunderstanding. "As for the Veil Towers, they're quite the prototype! The idea was conceptualized by one of my colleagues at the Grand University of Cora - if you're going by my missive, you'll be able to meet him yourself. I suspect they're being used quite often now, though likely only for military applications. As for the device, it's something I constructed myself - it's merely based off of research. It seems as though certain frequencies create instabilities in creatures inhabited by that slime - it helps to debilitate them in that sense. Unfortunately, as you could tell, it's rather bulky in design. I'd like to have it automated, but for the time being the hand crank is rather necessary - it requires uneven cranking to generate spikes. Apparently they can grow accustomed to hearing the same pitch and volume constantly. Ah, Chris? I'm afraid... well, his mother died a few years ago. His father, my son, is one of the ones in the party to Port Pastel at the moment. I wouldn't be lying if I said I wasn't worried about him - though I think with the lot they have, they should be safe."

[Amondais]

"I see..." she trailed off looking at chris in thought. An almost sad look on her face. Closing her eyes she shook her head to dismiss ill thoughts and notions.

"I will pray to Pelor for his safty... Speaking of, is there any sort of temple to Pelor near here? or In Cora that your aware of?" She asked crossing her arms. Attention turned back to the elder woman. "If not that is fine. I will simply have to offer my prayers at dawn. Not that I am particularly faithful, however I believe it best to offer my respects to the gods every now and then. Lest they decide to curse me with misfortune."

Glancing again at that device she could not help but to wrinkle a brow. "Bulky as it is... it is clearly a start. If I do say so myself Elise I would keep working on that magic device of yours. Perhaps one day your invention will save Bright castle." She beamed a smile looking at Elise. "However when your lands are free from this shadow I should like to invite you, Chris, and his father to Lodis for a grand feast to celebrate." She let out a bit of a laugh.

[andanteinblue]

Volta would spend most of the afternoon poking through the books at Elise's, getting a better idea of the landscape and the nation they have found themselves in. Occasionally, he would talk to Elise or Nicholas to clarify some points, when they were available, or matter-of-factly approaching one of the refugees with various questions about their lives.

At some point, he wanders in on the dialogue between Ashlay and Elise. "I'm sorry to hear about Chris' mother. About the creatures from the night, are they native to the surrounding forests? Are they related to the demon ink? I should like to see these contraptions that help ward off the two. So much material to go through; so little time."

Momentarily forgetting he had asked the questions, he shuffles past a few refugees to help himself to a hot cup of coffee coffee before returning.

"I was quite curious about Brightcastle's rail system as well. Does it run on residium like your generators? How far does it go? What major cities does it connect? Back home, the heartland of the Kaiserreich was connected via rail, trains driven by steam and elemental lightning. Corrosion from rain makes the lines hard to maintain." He takes a long sip from the porcelain cup, then adds with a hint of pride, "Airships are still the most preferred form of transportation though."

[Paperscrap]

"A temple to Pelor? I'm afraid I'm not familiar with them. If it's a god you wish to worship, however, I'm afraid most can't hear you here... and fewer still can provide any direct influence. I suppose the best way to think about it would be to imagine Atlas as a house - not just anyone can barge in unannounced, so to speak. As for the device, I'm honestly at ends as to what to do with it! I only created it as a sort of precaution; although now it seems as though it may be genuinely useful. Perhaps the next time you come by here I may be able to provide a model for it for your own party. As for the offer, that would be most delightful empress - although I fear it may be difficult traveling!"

Elise would become distracted by Volta's interruption shortly afterwards, turning her attention to his questions as she sipped from a glass of warm tea.

"Ah yes, as am I... it's been long enough that I think those wounds are becoming easier for them to bear, though I doubt they'll ever fully heal. As for those creatures, I've never seen anything quite like them - it appeared to me as though the ink was actually forming their very bodies! I'd be happy to show you the device if you wish, Mr. Volta."

She'd pull the machine out (after another long drag of tea, of course), giving him ample time to look at it while addressing his other questions.

"Ah, the rail system? It does, although the generators required are much larger than the ones here in this little tower. In order to get the speed at which the rails are so fond of going at, they're not nearly as efficient either. The railway is connected to the three major cities in Brightcastle - although a fourth branch serves as our connection to the northern world. We've actually a rail that extends as far as the frozen norths above! Airships are very much in use; perhaps even more so in some cases. Ours are typically a bit slower going than the rail, though the flexibility is something else - it's the only way to travel East, from what I've heard."

[Paperscrap]

Session 4

When we last left our intrepid heroes, they'd left to go visit the capital city of Cora! Stopping at a village along the way, they were just in time to intercept a bunch of soldiers who were in the process of ransacking the place for all of its belongings. After soundly defeating the villainous brigade, they took to questioning the officer - learning that the villagers had been carted away to the tower for 'conversion', a process that would strip them of their free will by exposing them to black ichor! They also learned that the person in charge of this whole fiasco was a woman who was simply known as 'The Empress' - a shadowy figure for the moment who demanded absolute loyalty from her subjects; or else. After stealing 800 residium each from the wagons (and a pretty black kitty plush in Mal's case) the party rode off to the tower in their newly acquired wagon; only to find that it was extremely well fortified. After much deliberation, they have decided to sabotage the nearby train station in order to gain access...

If you'd like, feel free to use this week's RP session to brainstorm! I'll try to answer questions if I can.

[Amondais]

Session 4

When we last left our intrepid heroes, they'd left to go visit the capital city of Cora! Stopping at a village along the way, they were just in time to intercept a bunch of soldiers who were in the process of ransacking the place for all of its belongings. After soundly defeating the villainous brigade, they took to questioning the officer - learning that the villagers had been carted away to the tower for 'conversion', a process that would strip them of their free will by exposing them to black ichor! They also learned that the person in charge of this whole fiasco was a woman who was simply known as 'The Empress' - a shadowy figure for the moment who demanded absolute loyalty from her subjects; or else. After stealing 800 residium each from the wagons (and a pretty black kitty plush in Mal's case) the party rode off to the tower in their newly acquired wagon; only to find that it was extremely well fortified. After much deliberation, they have decided to sabotage the nearby train station in order to gain access...

If you'd like, feel free to use this week's RP session to brainstorm! I'll try to answer questions if I can.

Brainstorm post!
Okay, As I recall our idea was as followed.
Do something evil to the poor train, while the fortress guard are distracted with the train disaster we rush inside the gate.
Find the Villagers
Steal both Airships, letting the Villagers take one of them.

Now, I think first thing is first... What sorta distraction should we use?
We could set fire to the train yard... as Fire is always a great way to get a reaction out of a near by fortification.
Once we are inside the gate, I do not think we will be able to sneak about in there. We will likely be fighting guards all over the place (at least it won't be the entire garrison if the distraction works and is big enough.)
We should also take a guard hostage and force information out of him. (namely on where the villagers are.)
As far as the Airships go, if none of the villagers can pilot the other ship we are better off destroying it and taking the villagers on the other one with us. (This assumes that Mister Volta can pilot the airship.)

[Viashino_wizard]

As you know, I missed the second half of our last session. Why exactly did we decide to do this (besides the fact we're adventurers and this is textbook adventurer sh*t)?

[Demonicheart]

((Essentially it came down to a vote like the choice between the port town and cora. Mal wanted the Empress and everyone working with her to die in explosive fire once he found the discarded doll and realized not even children were safe from 'forced recruitment'. Esmeralda and Ashlay were going along because they were trying to save the villagers who were taken alive before the next batch of demon ink poisoning can begin. There is still the chance that its too little too late, but with the wagon, we made good time. Purity and Heinrick wanted to head back to West Haven to warn the people there and come up with a strategy. Since they were outvoted, Purity used animal messenger to relay their findings.))

[andanteinblue]

Volta pointed out how bad an idea it was to assault a military strong point without any information on it! Also, we haven't really much clue what to do with the villagers if we do "rescue" them.

As for the plan, that's pretty much it. Some sort of fire using residium fuel / engine on the locomotives should cause enough panic. Any idea what would be a good flammable material to use (is residium flammable? explosive?). I think Volta would go for something flashier looking that doesn't cause as much damage (though more out of want for technical finesse than a care to minimize casualties).

Beyond that, we have no idea what-so-ever what's beyond the walls and in the tower. I'd suggest trying to close the gates on them once we get in, if that's at all viable.

As for the airships, ideally we get set them up with one (even on basic autopilot with some landing instructions) while we take the other. Splitting up would increase their chances of escaping. We definitely can't leave an airship behind that they can use to give chase, so in that case, we'll want to sabotage it.

[Surrealistik]

#1: Access to the train will be gained via humans disguising as soldiers, and taking me and Grimtooth aboard for processing at the tower.

#2: We hijack the train/do something to turn it into a distraction.

#3: We exploit the distraction to sneak into the gate.

#4: We capture and field interrogate a sentry for important information on the interior and whereabouts of the villagers, etc...

#5: We jailbreak as quickly as possible and flee to the airships. Bonus points if we can sabotage AA emplacements/disrupt lines of communication (will help prevent external site interception during our airborne escape) in the process.

#6: Hopefully we can have the villagers fly off in the second airship though I doubt it. In any event, we should work to prevent the second airship from pursuing us either by sabotage, usage, etc...

#7: We lift off and bomb the tower to oblivion.

#8: Fly off into the sunset. Might have to deal with interceptors but it's a military airship so we should pull through.


OOCly, I was just eager to get something fun and exciting going, but even so, I really don't think we'd have gotten much information of substance from those in West Haven beyond largely unhelpful generalities which would spell out what we already know: that we're in for a rough time. Certainly nothing meaningful enough to warrant the delay that would be result.

[Paperscrap]

Ahh, ideas! You'd think you could probably use residium to create an explosion easy enough - afterall, Elise mentioned that it was capable of releasing a comparatively huge amount of energy. The only problem is the catalyst is magical in nature. Perhaps when you get to the engine you'll be able to figure it out. As for the gate, you think it would likely be possible as long as you were to take out the people manning it; it might be a temporary solution at best, though, since that'd surely be caught.

[Demonicheart]

((I know that we stopped last week in the middle of combat but I have a question. Its not about the combat itself but about the prisoners. One of the cells has a mix of demon-ink victims and normal people. From the looks of things, they are keeping separate but are they doing anything else (i.e. trying to convince the other side they are right, fighting, cheering/booing the party, etc.) I'm just asking out of morbid curiosity.))

[Paperscrap]

Good question! I didn't really work in the prisoner interactions during that combat. Most of the non infected individuals are either shouting or watching on in fear, while the infected individuals actually seem to be very calm; almost in a trance like state.

Also, to summarize the last session the party ended up making it to the railroad station where through combined efforts they took out two guards and collected four grenades. Afterwards, they set up a massive residium fire that caused the nearby tower to force open its gates in relief. Nearly being caught at the gates, the party successfully managed to slip past the guards; only to be stopped with a failed check just inside of the tower. Barricading the doors, the party managed to fend off innumerable guards just inside, including a small number of psychically enhanced men. They then proceeded to use the freight elevator to reach the basement prison area, but only after setting up a trap using two of the grenades that disabled the other elevators. Once they reached the bottom floor, they ran into the warden and his diabolical rending machine. The fight still continues... Grimtooth and Purity having recently fallen to the machine's vicious claws as the combined effects of the party have damaged it heavily, setting its movements to become more erratic and spastic.

[Amondais]

Grim fell too? I must have been distracted with Purity falling. Alright! Things may be... 'grim' but I think we have this in the bag. Honestly bad rolls seem to have been our bane this past session. But that's how D&D usually is.

[Viashino_wizard]

I'm only at -1. The real problem is I've only got two healing surges left and Heinrich already used his juice. I can use my Dwarven Armor's ability after someone gets me back on my feet, but that's about it if I want to have a surge left for the escape. Also this thing attacks Reflex and my Ref is terrible.

[Amondais]

I'm only at -1. The real problem is I've only got two healing surges left and Heinrich already used his juice. I can use my Dwarven Armor's ability after someone gets me back on my feet, but that's about it if I want to have a surge left for the escape. Also this thing attacks Reflex and my Ref is terrible.

Well my Ref is the worst, BUT the dice seem to love having it roll low when it comes to me. Anyway, I think right now what we really need to do is spread out so it can't AoE us. I can slow it on my turn and hopefully that will get some incentive for it to look at me without me having to spend that daily.

Also I do not believe you can use your armors power while you are knocked out. However we have 3 rounds at a minimum before you die, I can make a healing check on you both to save you (as I recall, I will have to double check some rules) but first we need to finish off this Monster. It's obviously bloodied and not well off. All in all I love this encounter. The Danger and excitement! Looking forward to finishing it.

[Viashino_wizard]

I meant I could use it after being healed so I don't immediately drop on the thing's next turn, or I could save it for the next encounter.

[Paperscrap]

In the last session...

The party managed to defeat the tiny terror lurking in the prison block before making a daring escape! The loading platform proved to be a complicated challenge as reinforcement after reinforcement came spilling out of the staircase and elevators; although the party managed to disable the turrets and untie the mooring lines at the nick of time! They departed with the cries of a rather enraged air ship captain ringing in their ears. "Heresy! Treachery! I'll see your necks bloodied for this! That you can count on!"

Surveying the damage after the fight, things didn't look very good. Only a few of the villagers had managed to survive; and those that did told of a rather hopeless fight. It would appear as though the empress was waging a two front battle at the moment; and through superiority of technology, numbers, morale, and the secret weapon that was the black ink dominating on both sides. The villagers spoke of perhaps going to meet with the orcs, knowing that even they would likely not provide a safe haven for very long.

Additionally, the party found enough residium to give each party member 1k!

You now have a decision to make. Where would you like to go? It's implied that you'll be traveling to go to the orcs first, but that doesn't have to be the case. Go ahead and make a vote if you will!

[Amondais]

In the last session...

The party managed to defeat the tiny terror lurking in the prison block before making a daring escape! The loading platform proved to be a complicated challenge as reinforcement after reinforcement came spilling out of the staircase and elevators; although the party managed to disable the turrets and untie the mooring lines at the nick of time! They departed with the cries of a rather enraged air ship captain ringing in their ears. "Heresy! Treachery! I'll see your necks bloodied for this! That you can count on!"

Surveying the damage after the fight, things didn't look very good. Only a few of the villagers had managed to survive; and those that did told of a rather hopeless fight. It would appear as though the empress was waging a two front battle at the moment; and through superiority of technology, numbers, morale, and the secret weapon that was the black ink dominating on both sides. The villagers spoke of perhaps going to meet with the orcs, knowing that even they would likely not provide a safe haven for very long.

Additionally, the party found enough residium to give each party member 1k!

You now have a decision to make. Where would you like to go? It's implied that you'll be traveling to go to the orcs first, but that doesn't have to be the case. Go ahead and make a vote if you will!

Hmm actually While Orcs were the first idea we had, might it not be safer to see about bringing them to West Haven? Although if we go to west haven we will need to halt the ship a way from west haven and approach on foot. Beyond that I would vote in favor of Venturing to the east. To Investigate the claims that the Demons brought this foul ink. If we can find its source we can hopefully find a means a counteract it.

[andanteinblue]

I'm leery of bringing the airship anywhere close to West Haven. It won't take a genius to see the detour, and connect it with a missing village that's on the maps and now nowhere to be found. Endangering an entire town just to give a few ppl a comfy place to stay isn't really a good idea. I'm not even sure I'd mention West Haven to the two of them (I purposely avoided bringing it up). The orcs seem as good as a place to start since it's nearby, though I'm not opposed to checking out the east either. But even in the latter case, the orcs may help give us more perspective on the whole thing.

[Paperscrap]

In this session, the airship known as the Unusual Circumstance took to the sky, moving towards the Orc town of Stonefist! The orcs there seemed rather peaceful; and despite being somewhat guarded at first they rapidly grew to accept the party. The group then met with the leader, who seemed to have an almost supernatural foresight; some imbibing his soup which seemed mixed with some strange tonic or other.

It was there that they learned the secret of the Empress! Apparently when the realm was made, a set of keys was also crafted and given to each of the leaders of the various races as a way to unmake the realm should it be deemed unsuitable to live in. The humans, fey, orcs, dragons, dwarves, elves, demons, and angels apparently all had their own key - the last given to the keeper of the realm of the dead. Of these nine keys, it would appear as though the empress already has one; and she's fast on her track to obtaining the others!

In order to stop her from succeeding, the party recruits a crew of orcs (12 of them, in fact, plus one human from the tower) in order to stop the invasion of the nearby orc settlement of Redbrook. Under Volta's decision, the crew decided to put their new gunship to good use; coming up with a plan to take down an enemy bird and hopefully gain favor of the besieged fortress so that they may speak with the chieftain there.

Currently, the plan is to disguise themselves up as a ghost ship to add a psychological element to the attack. Grimtooth and Esmer can both vote against it to go with a more traditional approach, however. It's a minor decision, but one that may change my planning - so let me know!

[andanteinblue]

In the waning hours of the day, Volta helped orientate the new recruits, directing them to familiarize themselves with various stations and to help load what supplies Stonefist could spare into the vessel. Then he caught some shut-eye but a combination of nervous excitement and creative torrent had taken hold off him that he had to let out. While the crew still busied themselves with operations, Volta invited the party to meet him in the navigation room.

Maps and charts and tables decorated the walls of the room, neatly stacked and cataloged, each filed with meticulous care... with the exception of the one actually in use. Sprawled out over the central light table, a map of the current area laid lopsided on the table, a good part of it drooping sadly off one end of the table. Compasses, calipers, set squares and pencils scattered over the working area and a trail of barely legible cursive scrawls documented their progress across the map.

As the attendants entered, Volta took his space at the head of the table where the scribbles on the map was most clustered. His robotic assistant scampered up a row of increasingly higher stools and clapped noisily on the table.

"Asymmetric warfare," Volta drummed his fingers on Cog's back as he waited for any reaction from the group before continuing, "That is our task and our challenge. We have but a handful of people and a single warship, set against an armada backed by the resources of an empire." He looked to Ashlay in his glimmering plate as he spoke, "We are not cavaliers charging across the open field. We are not soldiers standing shoulder-to-shoulder to fire by rank. We are the archer in the trees, the jaeger in the hills, and cloaks and daggers in the night.

"No doubt this 'Empress' is a powerful being in her own right. But if she could accomplish this doomsday task on her own, she would not bother subverting an entire nation. She requires the support of the people, of soldiers, to succeed. It is this support that we must undermine if the races of this world are to have any success in forming a resistance.

"Her soldiers are humans. Some are afflicted by the demon ink; others serve because they are compelled to. But allstill think, still feel, still have hearts and minds," he exchanged a glance with Grimtooth as a fellow military man, "An army fights until it loses its will to do so. An army can be broken through shock, through attrition, but its morale can be sapped in other ways. This," his jabs his finger on the table for emphasis, "is psychological warfare.

"I admit my goal in this is utilitarian. Why wade through a den of wolves, when you can drive away the runts and draw out the leader? Though I will point out, the same stratagem also strives to be humane," he nods to Esmeralda and Purity, "To achieve victory without killing, to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. Both noble goals for those with such things at heart.

"To this end, I propose the following plan," Volta picks up a particularly sharp looking caliper and gestured with it as he spoke, "a plan that will require the support of every single one onboard. We will cloak our vessel in a veil of dread and mystique, to strike fear into the hearts of our enemies. In their minds, we will be lurking around every corner, in every shadow, and tugging at the edges of their dreams. We will show them -- remind them -- the errors of their ways, that even if they have buried the past in their minds, that the past does not forget. The wail of the innocents will ring, always, in their ears. But our wraith will be righteous and target only those who deserve its eye. The common man need fear nothing from us, but the soldiers will doubt their officers, and the officers will question their own convictions."

He sets the caliper down with a loud clink as Cog skitters in place, large glowing eyes looking first to Volta, then to each of the attendants in turn, prompting them to speak.

[Demonicheart]

Esmeralda was completely awestruck by Volta's passion regarding this war. The orc elder's desire to wait for the end seemed to light a fire underneath the veteran airman and he turned that fire into an inferno. Truthfully, she sympathized with the elder's view. He didn't want to get involved in a war and just wanted his people to live their lives in peace. Truthfully, that's exactly what she wanted too. The thing she didn't agree about was the fact that he was willing to wait for the destruction of Altas. Even assuming that all outsiders, not just the warmongering Empress, would be able to return to their homes when the keys were used, what would be the fate of those born on Altas. Would the native people just die? The young sorceress didn't have an answer for that. Still, she knew that she couldn't face her family again if she sacrificed a world just to get back home.

Before the strategy meeting, she had spent a good deal of time thinking on everything. She assisted where she could with the resupplying of the ship but her mind was flooded with her own personal views. When the meeting came, she nodded a bit at Volta's points. He was certainly right about a few things. Esmeralda even had an idea or two that could help the plan overall. However, there was one thing that was bothering her and she spoke her concern, "I can understand the nature of the plan very well. Back in my world, magic...the kind I can use, it isn't common at all. Science and technology dominates and most magic is considered a myth. When I was an orphan, it was that lack of understanding that helped me survive when I couldn't talk my way out of trouble, run or hide. If I cast magic in front of a simple mugger, it would have the same effect as if I suddenly changed my arms in sub-machine guns. A sane person with something to lose would rather let me go than fight. Soldiers would be much harder to scare but if we do pull it off, it would demoralize them.

My only worry with this plan is that we might do too good a job and wind up scaring the orcs being attacked as well as the Empress' forces. The goal is to convince them to parley with us through our actions. Though, I'd hope that they would at least consider it once they see we aren't fighting them." The dark haired woman took a deep breath as she released the last bit of doubts running through her. Although she seemed on board with the ghost ship plan, it would certainly help if that last portion was addressed. For the time being, Esmeralda focused on the plan, "Volta, you still recall the plans for the West Haven tower, right? I was thinking, would it be possible to build a smaller version of that device for just the ship? If we could, it would help with our surprise assault and further the fear of some new threat...plus we could use it when we actually need to run. At least...its something to think about...though it might take a few days to do. Even if we can't build anything like that, I can help with disguising the ship. I've never been a fan of horror movies but I seen my share so I think I could come up with something scary."

When she shifted to the topic of disguises, she started to feel a little guilt for not admitting her own false features. Esmeralda soon decided to work up the nerve and speak on it now, "...I...know a lot about disguises. I've used a few to hide myself...It probably means nothing now, especially here in Atlas, but...my birth name is Emi Belnades. I...I'm sorry to bring up something so unimportant to strategy and I don't mind if you call me Emi or Esmeralda...I just...I can count the number of people I've told that on one hand." She briefly looked away from everyone and seemed focused squarely on the map. Despite her long hair, it couldn't completely hide the slightly red hue on her cheeks from sharing that. While her true name meant absolutely nothing in Altas, it was more a sign that she was willing to trust her wayward allies.

[Amondais]

The Empress sat in at the meeting, Not pleased with the plan she listened to the words and opinions of others. Thus far it seemed the majority was in favor of Volta's idea. Her arms remained crossed as she looked at the map, She understood Volta did indeed have a point. It had its merits and problems. Just as hers did...
She unfolded her arms to take up her cup of tea and take a brief sip. She took a moment to savor the taste and was reminded of home for a brief moment. Having almost forgotten that she was once again in an airship, which is likely for the best. Glancing across the table to Volta then to the others.

"Remember, the Empress is a Goddess who became trapped here. Which means I have little doubt she can tear this world asunder." setting the tea cup upon its saucer she leaned back in her seat crossing her legs. Considering the talk she was rather relaxed. "As a god I doubt she feels the need to do the work herself. Thus the Army... Besides" She trails off for a second and stares at the map. "It is possible she only bothers with the war since it is something to watch."

"Anyway about your plan, I do not believe you to be wrong. In this situation it would be advantageous to throw mud in eyes of the proverbial bear. It's just I have never been the one to agree to such tactics." Another sip of the sweet smelling tea. "That is what my dear Shana would always do... Exploit my foes when needed." She looked off a second. "I was raised a Knight, a Knight who would one day protect the Isthmus as my father did, and his father's father, and so on. I was brought up to be honorable, To protect those close to me. To Protect my country and people." Looking at Volta "That is my reason for disagreeing with your plan. However I will not stop the plan because I do not like it."

Standing then from her seat she walked about the room looking at the ceiling in some thought. "My Honor is not something to worry about in war however. I have lead a rebellion and I have ordered assassinations. It is not something I am keen to admit." Finishing the cup of tea she set it upon the table. "However I have concerns with your plan. As Esmeralda had pointed out... We run the risk of making ourselves seem as enemies to the Orcs. It matters not if we attack the Empresses troops first. Additionally zealots do not scare easily when it comes to something supernatural. These soldiers are infused with Ink so it may be a wasted effort. Furthermore us suddenly popping outta the sky looking all spooky, likely won't really have much of an effect on trained soldiers. To dishearten an enemy army you need an overwhelming show of force... which to be honest we currently lack. We can not become a terror to the Empress's common troops til whispers of us have spread. And such whispers can only be spread from our actions."

Tapping her chin "So for now Volta, Esmeralda, Grimtooth, and Purity. I feel it best we simply rush in, give them hell and break the siege. While Volta's enthusiasm in establishing a militaristic force is cute, and fine. It is far to early for such thoughts. For now we are simply nameless heroes."

Her quiet gaze fell upon everyone with her speech finished, raising a brow at Esmeralda's confession nodding her head as she put a hand on her shoulder "Well then Emi, if it helps... a name is just that. It does not change who you are... Unless it's your true-name in which case I'd have to wonder how you knew it."

She shrugged her shoulders with that and returned to her seat. Her attention however focused someplace outside the window. Perhaps beyond atlas... "I fear I will need to ration this tea."she said to no one in particular.

[andanteinblue]

"And that's where you are wrong. There is nothing cute about warfare. And we aren't dressing up simply to be spooky," Volta replied pointed to Ashlay, "Perhaps you've spent too much time away from the fields of battle, distant from the common foot soldier, the regular men and women on the front line. Soldiers who worry if they will see the end of the day, who worry if they will return home to their families, who worry because when they close their eyes at night, they dream of home and wander, even if for the briefest moment, whether it's all worth it.

"If warfare was about overwhelming numbers, then there would be no need for generals or clever stratagem, and we have lost already. I will not give up so easily. Nor will I walk blindly about our task, trusting in fate to sway wind into our sails. We have to sow seeds of doubt in their lines, to make their soldiers dream of home because the war they fight is not worth it, to think and realize what they are doing is wrong. Sure, their officers may be unyielding zealots or afflicted by the ink, but there are many who have not taken the ink, and perhaps many more who are swayed by doubt. It is those links in the empire that we seek to break.

"It is never too early to use all your weapons when it comes to asymmetric warfare. And now is the time to start. If luck is on our side, the soldiers may not even know that an airship has been stolen; it's quite an embarrassing bit of news afterall. For all they know, we are an impossibility, a mystery wrapped in an enigma. We must leverage that advantage before it is lost to us. We are not nameless bandits who have stolen an airship. We are harbinger of vengeance, echoes of their sin. We may not believe it; indeed we would be deluded if we did. But to them, we must be as folklore and legend."

Volta idly picked up a set square and flicked it back and forth between his fingers as he nodded back to Esmeralda, or Emi as it turned out. "But our impression on the orcs is certainly a concern. I think if they see us set upon their enemies, and not turn our weapons on them, that will convince them well enough. But still, it will be worth our while to study this empire's iconography, to deface only emblems specific to the empress and avoid images offensive to the orc and common citizens."

[Paperscrap]

In the last session...!

After cleverly disguising the ship, the party took off in search of the war front. Battling both rain and wind, they eventually found what appeared to be a reconnaissance ship for the Imperial army. Disguising themselves as ghosts of vengeance coming to strike for past misdeeds, the party swiftly dispatched those on board. It was at this point that they learned the Imperial troops on the ground were causing quite a bit of damage, however, even if they were about to be surrounded. It's now up to the party to determine how they wish to handle this situation! Please have a plan by Friday so I can plot stuff up!

[andanteinblue]

We`re going to have to help bail out the orcs no matter what, since that`s mainly what we`re here for in the first place. I think it`s more of a question of how we want to do that.

Mainly: How do we get down to the ground and what do we want to do with the airships.

One idea was to take the Circumstance down, drop us off in the middle of the fight and help the orcs fight off the soldiers while maintaining our "disguise". And then the Circumstance can come back up and our crew can salvage and pillage the Fanning while we conduct the ground battle.

Another option was to use one of the airships (likely ours) as fire support but that would leave the other airship drifting up in the air. We`d have to sabotage the systems and tie up the prisoners so they don`t wake up and take off in the mean time. Fire support seems risky though since our gunners can`t hit the broadside of a barn if they were standing inside.

There is also the question of what we want to do with the prisoners. In our original plan, survivors would be let be so they can spread word of these haunting ghosts of vengeance back in their lines. We also have the option of interrogating the captain or officers for useful intel, but that may mean breaking our cover to them (which Volta would suggest means their death). On the other hand, we could leave him for the orcs (or let them get captured by orcs) and let them do the interrogating, which seems to be the best of both worlds.

[Paperscrap]

Hey guys! Not sure if everyones going to see this or not, and I'll be messaging you individually, but I think the games going to be cancelled for this weekend. I hate to do this, but I've got a huge backlog of work and tests to study for that I think having the extra day would be super helpful for. That being said, we'll pick up as normal on the 16th!

[Amondais]

Hey guys! Not sure if everyones going to see this or not, and I'll be messaging you individually, but I think the games going to be cancelled for this weekend. I hate to do this, but I've got a huge backlog of work and tests to study for that I think having the extra day would be super helpful for. That being said, we'll pick up as normal on the 16th!

It's okay! We Understand!
But in this case I suppose I can sleep in on sunday!

[Demonicheart]

I might be late for today's game so please feel free to start without me.

[Viashino_wizard]

So hey, this still exists.

Heads up: I'm not sure I'll be able to play tomorrow, I've got a big paper to work on.

[Demonicheart]

It seems I'll be unable to make today's game so please feel free to start without me.