Voyage of the Morningstar [IC]

[drakir_nosslin]

Issage, the corridors

Walking through the corridors together with lady Faysight, Issage raises an eyebrow at the halfling's short explanation.
"Pardon me for asking, but why do you insist on this idea that nothing can go wrong with the Morningstar?" He is silent for a short moment as he descends a short staircase, but continues before the security chief has time to reply.
"It's not that I suspect that you are trying to fool me, but we both know that no ship is unsinkable. You might feel the need to hide such... uncomfortable truths from the rest of the guests, but please, do not believe that I am stupid." He stumbles slightly, his heavy burden throwing him slightly off balance as he rounds a corner.

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Sense motive - (1d20+10)[19] vs. Faysight's in the last post.

[Matar]

"Impressive..." Muttering under his breath Fredrick swirls the milk in his cup a little before speaking up for the first time. His voice is calm, awkward and bored all at once.

"Captain. I'm an author that values my privacy greatly. My life is what I write." He pauses awkwardly, looking around a bit before taking a sip of his milk. Speaking out a crowed like this was just... troublesome. "What I'm saying is this. How can ensure our safety? It's out of the question for me to hold of on writing during my whole stay here after all. And if one of my books was to go missing for some reason..."
Fredrick trails off before giving his shoulders a shrug and finishing off his cup of milk. For a moment you think he might continue, but he doesn't.

[Rauthiss]

Valse, seeing Issage assisting the Officer, decides to remain in the cafe to make sure that no other incidents occur. He makes a path through the crowd for the Engineer and the Officer, then goes and stands next to the Captain, taking his place once more among the rest of the security guards.

[whoiam]

Renia

For her part, Renia had been tempted to follow the engineer back to her quarters, just in case. But, no... the staff were doing that, and the last thing she wanted to do now was give people the impression that the crew could not be trusted to deal with such a simple little crisis...

So what she did, instead, was sit down and think.

But they're not actually moving a world, are they? If they had the power to do that, they would not need a ship - they would assemble their new plane and move that.
A shadow manifestation?
Or something to that effect. It doesn't have to be real forever. Just long enough to still the winds... and as the ship moves on to the next pseudo-plane, the previous ones fade away.
Still an impressive level of power.
Well, it had to be. However you do it, fighting the very nature of the Aether cannot be a simple task.
So, how do they move, then?
How do they move in any becalmed demiplane? They guard the secrets of their engines far too closely for me to have learned them. But I guess whatever engine they use inside a plane is faster than the sails are... and a lot more reliable. That's why they invented a means of travel that did not require the winds...
He said you could navigate with this kind of drive without needing deep Aether navigation, did he not?
....I think I see what you are getting at there. If anyone could replicate this effect, the guild would be dead overnight. There would be no more navigation problems and none of the worlds would need to accept the guild tariffs anymore.... Odd, that the guild would put so much work into an invention that could make them obsolete...
You're starting to get worried about something, aren't you?
Very worried. The guild was never interested in advancements before - they created their navigation chambers, and then they concentrated on preventing anyone else catching up, instead of worrying about advancing further. Which means... either this technology is easy to replicate, and they need to stake their claim to justify supressing anyone else who manages it... or they think it cannot be replicated... or they *know* it cannot be replicated. Maybe it uses pieces that even the guild cannot replicate, and they believe that if they cannot, noone else can... Forgotten remnants of the times before? Or maybe noone will repeat it because the first one won't work.... this one....

Standing, Renia raised the psicrystal to her lips and whispered to it. Then she placed it in her hair, where it could join the psicrystal already perched there.

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"I'm going to take you back to my cabin when this little party breaks up. Tell Erdore to follow me there as quickly as he can. I need to talk to him."

Who else... not Vidaria, so... Frederick?

Renia then tries a further piece of manifestation, attempting a mindlink to the mind of her fellow professor...

[Eldan]

The Café

Captain Clyton smiles broadly, displaying flawless white teeth, after he has spent a minute or two marvelling at the engine outside and listening to the talk among the passengers.
"Apart from Miss Faysight here, we have several guards, as well as a squad of no less than a dozen guild marines of the highly distinguished Serpent Batallion. Finally, we have the most modern in shipboard weaponry to defend against pirates, as well as a variety of magical alarms and protections. Furthermore, our helmsmen and Engineers are top people, who know exactly what they are doing."
He walks over to a nearby table and takes a tall glass of white wine in one hand, sipping from it.
"Now, let me once again say that you are all very welcome aboard this ship and..."
There is a soft noise from his pocket, as if a small bell was tingling there.
"Excuse me for just a second..."
He moves away from the table, pulling what seems like a small silver amulet from his pocket, and begins whispering into it, before turning back.
"There has to be a minor disturbance. I would please ask all of you to either stay in this Café for a while, or return to your quarters. Miss Faysight is already taking care of the situation, which should be resolved in no amount of time at all."

[Zweanslord]

Erdore's psicrystal

Erdore's psicrystal climbed next to Renia's psicrystal and responded telephatically to Renia's words. "Erdore is informed. He will come along when you leave." Meanwhile, sitting next to Renia's psicrystal, it contacted the other psicrystal. "Why, hello there again. Hope you don't mind the company."

The psicrystal paid special attention to Erdore when the Captain spoke again and when he told of a disturbance, the psicrystal noticed how Erdore looked in their direction. Once more, it sent a message to Renia. "I take it you opt for the choice to return to your quarters then, yes?"

[Matar]

Who else... not Vidaria, so... Frederick?

Renia then tries a further piece of manifestation, attempting a mindlink to the mind of her fellow professor...

Although Fredrick was always the type to be careful, Renia's mental probing certainly didn't feel hostile in the slightest. Accept the telepathic link Fredrick greeted her with the warmth he is so well know for.

"What?"

He tries to split his attention, trying to focus on what everyone is saying along with communicating to her.

[drakir_nosslin]

Issage, the corridors

Having left the engineer in her quarters and said goodbye to miss Faysight Issage finds himself alone in the corridors. Deciding that the social game in the café can wait for a while he returns to his quarters and takes a nap.

[whoiam]

Renia
To Frederick: I may be being paranoid, but something definitely seems to be wrong here. I'm going to go back to my quarters now: As I go, I'll recite the route to you. Follow me there when you're done with the crowd. We need to talk, and I doubt this is the place.

At the same time, Renia's psicrystal relays her response to Erdore's Psicrystal.
Yes, she's going back now.

And also at the same time, Renia glances around, rubs her eyes wearily, and starts for the door. Were anyone to question her along the way, she would offer the fairly plausible explanation that she not healed the Engineer so much as shared her alertness: she had had to lend enough to get the engineer back on her feet that she herself now needed to rest.

And as far as anyone else knew, that was exactly what she'd done...

[Volthawk]

Titan looks over to the captain. "Well? Don't you still have your speech in which you attempt to impress us and relax us to divert from the problems you are having?

[Zweanslord]

Erdore Aurum

When Renia made his psicrystal aware and in turn it made him aware, Erdore cast a short glance in the direction of the doorway. He lingered for a moment, looking around for a moment until he had spotted his family members. He smirked a bit as he saw the other amabassador talking with one of the other guests in a rather stressed manner. His father and brother were calm and composed, but more importantly, they were not looking at him.

A while after Renia left, Erdore started to leave as well. Walking at a normal pace, he made his way to the door and then through the hallways. On instruction of his psicrystal, he followed the same path Renia had taken earlier and which would eventually lead to her door. Making sure nobody else was coming along with him, so he could get to the door unnoticed by others, after all, his business were his own and not that of the other guests, nor could he use rumors. Politely, he knocked on the door.

When Erdore knocked on the door, his psicrystal informed both Renia and her psicrystal: "That's Erdore."

[Eldan]

The Café

Several of the guests seem highly agitated. A woman in her forties, almost as wide as she is tall and covered head to toe in glistening gems sown to her gown and hanging from heavy golden chains, is yelling at her personal servant in a shrieking, high-pitched voice. Several merchants are talking with agitated gestures in one corner, throwing angry glances and frowns at the captain between drinks.

The captain tries his calming smile again, this time at Titan.
"As I said, my Lord Ambassador, this is not a "problem". It is a minor disturbance which will be handled in mere minutes."

[Matar]

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To Frederick: I may be being paranoid, but something definitely seems to be wrong here. I'm going to go back to my quarters now: As I go, I'll recite the route to you. Follow me there when you're done with the crowd. We need to talk, and I doubt this is the place.

"Paranoid is good. It keeps you safe. I'll head to your room a few moments after you leave to avoid drawing attention."

Finishing off his glass of milk Fredrick waits for Renia to leave the room. Once she does he waits a few short moments and follows after her. His hands were stuffed in his pockets and he made his way out of the room as quickly and inconspicuously as possible. The last thing he wanted to do was draw attention to himself.

Once in Renia's room Fredrick looks around in silence for a moment before looking at her questioningly. Although totally silent it's rather obvious that he was asking 'What now?'

[whoiam]

Renia
For Erdore's eyes only

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At some point along the trip back from the party, Renia appears to have 'lost' her psicrystal.

Erdore arrived first, and was allowed in. Renia gestured him further into the room, but would tell him only "We've still got one more coming."

A minute later, Frederick also reaches her quarters. Renia gestures him inside as well, before shutting and locking her door.

"Frederick, this is Erdore, a Guild Navigator. Erdore, this is Frederick, one of my fellow Professors from the University of Arcane Arts."

Renia pauses a moment to allow the two to greet one another.

"Now, there's a couple of things I was worried about in the demonstration earlier, and I'd like the two of you to see if you can work out where my thinking is wrong.

As I see it, the Guild should have no reason to introduce a new propulsion technology. They have long since mastered the use of their existing ones: They have no trouble navigating and moving cargo through the Aether, and anything they invent to make this process easier stands a risk of diminishing, rather than strengthening, their nigh-unassailable position.

So there's got to be some reason why they're willing to run the risks this new drive could pose to their dominance. Either something out there is starting to challenge them - meaning this ship is the bright, shining target at the vanguard of their counter-attack - or this ship is intended to fail, messily and publically, to keep anyone else from investigating similar approaches.

Meaning that either the Guild's enemies are trying to sabotage this voyage, or the Guild are.

Or both.

Before you simply dismiss me as paranoid, take the Engineer. I know the power I used to revive her. I've used it a hundred times before. It... comes naturally to me.

And it never - NEVER - causes psychosis in its targets. No negative mental effects at all. In fact, I have occasionally cured mental issues with it, rather than the reverse. Something attacked her mind. It got to her before I did. I don't think it was still active when I revived her, but she was certainly still trying to fight it. And it makes sense, does it not? If the engineer goes, or merely her mind does, then breaking this ship would become orders of magnitude easier..."

[Volthawk]

Titan isn't satisfied with the captain's response. He still feels there's something more to it. The captain was trying too hard, from what he could see. Still, he had...ways of dealing with this.

"And what is the nature of this...minor disturbance, as you put it?"

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Using my Discern Lies on him.

[Zweanslord]

Erdore

"Thank you for the hospitality." Is the telepathic message from Erdore's psicrystal to Renia as it floats from her body to Erdore's. Erdore nodded as Renia explained that another was coming. "Alright." He stood there patiently, with the cloud still lingering near him.

When Frederik entered and he was introduced, Erdore nodded to him. "Greetings, Professor, a pleasure to meet you." His attention soon turns back to Renia, as she speaks for quite a while. Listening attentively, he can not help but sigh when Renia finishes speaking. "Always these political schemes. A shame, I must say. But nevertheless, whatever way it really is, it seems that danger is afoot. I can offer no input on theories about who, how or why, as you seem quite accurate on it all. It is peculiar to note the effect on the Engineer and I do not think you are being paranoid. Or rather, and no offense meant, you are, but such seems rather healthy and warranted in the political arena. In any case, I do value the lives of myself on those here on board, so I would be glad to offer aid, if it is that which you seek."

[Eldan]

The Café

The captain smiles his most reassuring smile at Titan, despite his previous attempts not having the desired effect of calming and reassuring the passenger.
"A not structurally significant part of the ship was lightly damaged. No one was hurt, and the voyage can continue as planned."

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Nothing of that is a lie.

[Niezck]

Standing in absolute silence as was apparently a custom among his people, Shau'kesh watches the situation unfold before him. Deciding it was about the right time to speak following the captain's latest reassurance, he strides toward the man, almost shouting at him.

"I say sir, quite a splendid show! I wasn't aware we were being treated to a uh... What's the word... play? Play, yes that's it. I wasn't aware we'd be treated to such drama here in the cafe, bravo though!"

[Matar]

"Point." Fredrick nods his head in agreement before thinking a bit about the situation at hand. "But we don't have anywhere near enough information to go on. Renia, you're a Psion of quite some merit. What I suggest we do is start fixing our information problem. Carefully."

Sitting down on a nearby cough Fredrick sighs softly, the bored expression never leaving his face. You've long sense learned that this wasn't a sign of disinterest however, it was just how he... always looked. Even when he was blabbering on about something he quite enjoyed.

"Things to keep in mind. Almost everyone here is going to assume something is off, though they may come to different conclusions. Some of these people are smarter then us. Most will not hand over their opinion willingly. We should learn their opinion. We need a way to get it."

Looking at Renia Fredrick taps his head three times.

"The Captain may or may not know the most. He will be among the most heavily guarded people here. A guess: His room is protected from Scrying and has some other protective qualities. Ours are not, as it makes it easier for us to be checked on. The Captain has a way with words and knows what not to say. Suggestion: Don't bother with him. Too dangerous."


Adjusting himself in the couch a bit he continues.

"The engineer. A weak point. Find out where she is being kept and speak with her. Speaking won't work, so we need another way to communicate with her. We will have a better grasp on the situation when we do. If you really want to know more then that should be the place we start."

[Eldan]

Two or three hours pass, as you stay in your cabins, or in the café, enjoying the refreshments. The merchants and guests are still mingling there, exchanging smalltalk and carefully making contacts for future business opportunities.

Then, you hear a calm voice, sounding in every room of the ship, from thin air.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the Morningstar is now on Cruise Speed and all problems have been resolved. Captain Clyton and his staff would be very pleased if you would join them in the Dining Hall for Dinner and this evening's surprise entertainment."

The Dining Hall

The hall deserves that name, being well over a hundred feet long, but narrow. Windows, gently curving outwards, line the walls, but the glass is smoked or otherwise darkened, giving the ever-twilit aether the appearance of darkness. Two gigantic chandeliers build of oil lamps and many-faceted crystals cast white and rainbow-coloured light over the room and the long table in it's middle. A white cloth has been spread over the table, and silver cuttlery has been arranged. There are large, shallow crystal bowls running down the middle of the table, filled with water. Pink and white water lillies are floating in them, and tiny, glowing fish are swimming beneath their stalks.

No one seems to be here yet, other than a few waiters in guild-blue, long-tailed coats and white gloves, standing next to the doors and the chief engineer, clad in a simple linen shirt and matching trousers, crawling on all fours under one of the chairs, busy drawing a kind of diagram on the polished hardwood floor with a stick of chalk.

[Volthawk]

Titan stands in the hall, looking a little confused. They do realise I don't eat, right?

He then notices the engineer, and walks over, stopping behind her. "What's that you're drawing there?"

[Togo]

Vidaria leans over to one side, trying see past the bulk of the metallic creature in front of her.

Hey there hansome. Can you move a bit to one si... ooh, glowing fish!

She eases herself past an armoured flank.

Ok, this ship is huge, big rooms, wide corridors. So why do I always find myself smooshed up against people bigger than me. And why's he wearing armour in here anyway?

She raises her head to see who she's moving past, then raises it further.

Oh. Ok. So not *wearing* armour then.

Mental gears click.

You're an ambassador! Um.. Titian is it?

She glances up and down.

Back home, are they all like you? I don't think I've ever heard of- Hey, what's with the chalk diagram?

[Eldan]

The Engineer doesn't look up from her work, now taking out a second stick of chalk, this one red as opposed to the first one's white, but she speaks in a low, hoarse voice:
"Guild secrets, guild secrets, everywhere guild secrets. Silver and gold, and others beyond that you can't even know the names of. I can't bend a rusty nail without creating guild secrets. Tripartite protection circle. Personal formula, don't get ideas, it's Name-locked."

[drakir_nosslin]

Issage

The ambassador strolls calmly through the doors with his hands on his back. His white robes almost gleam in the light from the chandeliers and he wears the expression of someone who is either bored or in deep thoughts. Noticing the engineer he walks over to her, smiling.
"Ah, miss Arane! How delightful to see you up and about again! How are you feeling?"
Turning towards Titan, Issage bows slightly.
"I do not believe that we've been introduced? I am Katashi Issage, from Ateko."

[Eldan]

Arane coughs, before returning to her scribbling on the floor.
"Feeling? Oh no. I'm not doing that one again. Safer this way."
Finally, she seems content with the diagram under the chair, which now consists of three concentric circles, two rings of symbols between them, and a large, complicated symbol in the middle, looking a bit like a crooked, seven-pointed star. She stands up, sits on the chair in the middle of the circle, folds her hands in her lap and smiles.
"So!", she exclaims, her expression a lot more relaxed now, almost smiling. "Dinner, then?"
A group of merchants enter, six men, all dressed in dark silks and velvets, sporting sparse but expensive jewelry. They are sticking close together, sitting opposite each other and whispering to each other all the time.

[Volthawk]

Titan looks away from the engineer. Mental issues, it seems.

He then notices the two people talking to him. Ah, socialising time, then.

"Yes, I am Titan. From...well, we didn't have a name for our demiplane. Or our nation. You see, there was just the one. And as for if they're all like me, well, we were all constructs of some kind, yes, but I'm one of the warforged that took extra efforts to improve my body, to go with the improved techniques that went into my construction."

[Togo]

Vidaria, in the Dining Room

The singer shrugs. She brings her hands up and rests her chin on her knuckles. As she concentrates, there is a slight glow to her skin, as if she were lit from within. her eyes become redfilmed, then tears of blood form. Raising a finger to each eye, she drags the blood in a broad half circle on either side, meeting at the forehead. As her hands fall away, the blood coallesces into a host of tiny sigils. They scatter, crawling across her skin like panicked spiders, their lines bendind and warping in mimicry of insectile scuttling. Within moments they have vanished beneath the hairline, or down her neck and under the soft folds of her white shirt, leaving her clean and unmarked.

Protection ward. She says, to noone in particular. She glances at Arane. Personal formula.

Vidaria grins, her concentration broken.

So! Are you both ambassadors? If you need to do ambassdorial things to eachother, I can go look at the fish or something.

She jerks a thumb in the direction of the nearest lilly-covered bowl without actually showing any signs of moving towards it.

Arane! Any clue what we're likely to be eating on this voyage? I'm assuming it's not hardtack and weak beer, but most kitchens have a theme, or at least a pattern.

She glances at the glowfish dubiously.

We're not supposed to eat them, are we? Keeping the fey from munching the flowers is likely to be a futile effort, but the fish are pretty - I'd like to think they survive the meal?

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Using protection from law spell-like ability

[Togo]

Vidaria quirks an eyebrow.

Titan, not Titian. Got it. Actually, meeting you makes that pretty easy to remember.

She glances up and down at his body.

Nice construction. Specially modified you say? You look quite... armoured. Is it fair to say your people were expecting the outside world to be dangerous?

She gives a sideways glance at Issage.

I didn't introduce myself. I'm Vidaria.

[Eldan]

The Dining Hall

A voice speaks from behind Vidaria, at perhaps waist height, as the little girl host of Lady Threannmor of Nightmare steps up to the table, half-climbing up to a chair with the most charming little-girl-smile on her face. She has changed her dress, this one is a dark so blue it almost appears black with countless translucent gems on it, which glitter in the light of the chandeliers. Her golden hair is propped up in a complicated arrangement almost as tall as her head, sporting about a dozen black, diamond-tipped needles.
"I do quite like the act of destroying beautiful things - for its symbolic significance to mortals, you know - I think that doing it by eating would be very, hmm, vulgar. I leave such simple practices to haunts and alps and hounds. Lowly creatures without much imagination."

[Volthawk]

"Well, my set was made in a slightly different way. You see, it works by drawing ambient magic to make me personally work better. It was a new technique our creators tried before they died. As for the additions, well, since my construction I've been working on improving myself, seeing how far I can go with the improvements. Not particularly for out here, though."