(1) Atalantia - Scourge of Magic

Game Master mdt

Sanita nods. "Much better." She takes the journal, and immediately opens it, and begins to scan the pages at a fantastic pace, her eyes going up and down as she scans each page, spending a couple of seconds on each page. It takes her about 3 minutes to go through the entire journal.

Then she opens the book on the Prison and scans it just as rapidly, her head moving only slightly, but her eyes moving like targeting reticule homing in on a target. Again, it takes less than 5 minutes, the silence in the hold stretching as she continues to read. Finally, she opens up the Vellandrus book, and again spends about 5 minutes poring over it.

She finally closes the third book, and then closes her eyes, her eyes moving under the eyelids, as if she were in REM cycle while asleep.

Finally she opens her eyes. "I see, well, I can't say I blame you for not taking on a larger, more heavily armed ship. Especially not one where the captain was evincing supernatural powers not previously seen." She replies finally, then turns to Flann. "I'd like you to show me this 'Iskan' weapon. I have never heard of Iska before, but from your tale of this shop in Massiaran, they have some of our weapons for sale, as well as comparable weapons made on the surface. This is.. troubling to say the least." She says, with a hint of malice in her voice. "We may have to do something about this 'Iska', depending on what and who they are. I may divert you to gather more information on 'Iska'."

Assuming Flann demos his gun and lets her examine it

"Impressive, I don't think I've seen anything like this before, the ingenuity is impressive. I think we may want you to buy some samples for our techs to take a look at." She examines the gun in minute detail, taking out a magnifying glass to look at certain details. "Yes, I think this 'Iska' needs to be seriously looked into." She finally hands the gun back to Flann. "Let me think on this tonight. I'll sleep on my boat, and you can all unload this cargo from the ship, and store it in the storage vault, #14, please. Put it in the front, I'll have it sent to someone who can do a detailed appraisal on it. The prices are certainly significantly cheaper than what we pay for metal and glass in Taksi. That's not a surprise though, given it's a giant swamp." She digs a key out of the top of her blouse, where it was hanging around her neck, and casually tosses it to Kotsi. "Kotsi, take your new companions to the Vaults, and let them get kitted out as befits their new rank. And make sure our resident Captain with the Kleptomaniac in his head doesn't steal any shinies."

She then stands up. "Good work..." She says almost as an after thought as she saunters out of the ship's hold.

Congrats to the OG players, you may now redo all your equipment to get up to WBL. If you crafted something yourself (or someone in the party did), then only count that item for 1/2 value for WBL (assuming you keep it). Anything you don't keep, will go into the vault for cataloging. If you picked up something you want to keep, like Flann and his rifle, then you'll need to count that toward WBL. If you want something psionically empowered (like Flann's Rifle) you'll need to request that be done (at full price) and then get it done ASAP. If someone in the party can empower it, then it's a half-price thing again like anything else you made yourself (at least the empowering cost).

Kotsi catches the key and looks at it with a faint flicker of surprise, and her eyebrow raises at Sanita's compliment that soon follows afterward.

She leads the way to the vault and opens it, tucking the key back into a pocket under her armor.

"Help yourself to whatever you're authorized to."

When Connor mentions them being treated as landlubbers, the corner of Ishthraxa's mouth will raise a bit. "I see she's running Southern-style rigging. Good for maneuverability, but you'll need to run a few extra backup lines in a storm to relieve the stress."

Ishtraxa enters the vault with the new folks. "I hear you can charge power stones, Connor. I think it might be good for me to carry some protection against energy. There's no rush." He will requisition a few tattoos, a dorje, and the crystals used to make a power stone. He'll give the crystals to Connor. The dorje he gives to Flann. "This should help to keep us all breathing. Use it as you see fit."

His mental speech shows a little bit of dry amusement.

Connor nodded at Kotsi, his mind already churning and calculating on this shopping trip. He babbled a bit about benefits vs. weight and durability to Hero as his eyes roamed over the shelves.

Ishthraxa's comment caught Connor off-guard, and his estimation of the Strix went up a notch. "If you've got the competence, I'll put you on night shift opposite Adran in the crow's nest. Navigation is our worst skill on the Elephant." he offered. "I've had to take know location and direction after we missed our landing by about five hundred leagues."

"Which energy type?" Connor asked about the power stone. "I've only got the lesser power right now."

"I could help chart a course with little issue myself, though I admit my own expertise with boats is limited to the occasional trip on one. I'd never expected to be part of a ship's crew, certainly, and still wouldn't be were it not for my mistake."

"Your past is your own here. We don't talk much about 'what could have been'. It's more beneficial to concentrate on completing the Special Operations missions." Connor said, not ungentle.

"Fair. Focusing on the task at hand is my preferred state of being in any case. Do we have any idea what the next mission might be, or are we left to stew in our own thoughts for a while yet?"

"Our mission to stop and/or confine Grimjowl hasn't been completed. I suspect that's still our ongoing goal. But Sanita indicated she might be sending us to the Southern gnome capital on the Surface to look at their weapons research. Too much of it included Atalantian manufacture." Connor replied.

"-and with access to better materials, they have improved the firing mechanisms, and begun muddling their weapons with magic." Flann's stance against this is a poorly affected facade over his whole-body excitement at the prospect of visiting Iska.

He takes a headband from a case in the vault. "Should grab one of these to accommodate the new agents..." Should be able to add everyone to the collective now.

"Grimjowl, now that's a name..." Vim chuckles to himself as he grabs a an oversized pair of well-worked leather gloves from the storeroom, as well as some the climate appropriate gear and tosses it over his shoulder.

"Can't help but have noticed back there, Captain, you sure do own a lot of Griffin. What happened, one do wrong by you?" he cracks with a smart, devilish smile.

"Griffon-mane is so smooth and light, it helps you with flying. I kept losing my balance when I tried to hover. Still do." Connor responded seriously with a gruff. "Adran, on the other hand, can balance on a wire in a hurricane." Holding out his hands, he started to manifest ectoplasm between them, forming the material into a wingless Humavian.

After sending the Human-sized astral construct quickly to the Elephant and bringing back Connor's bag of storage, Connor started taking items off of the shelves. Two hours later Connor was actually whistling a happy tune as he walked back to the skyship, astral construct in tow. The two of them were loaded with boots of Humavian and Halvavian size, their laces tied around their necks, multiple high-quality vests of varying color hanging from shoulders, and boxes of jewel dust, fine needles, epoxy, dyes, and other markings piled high in their arms.

"Kits!" Connor announced as he passed by the others still lingering around the vault. "Kits are wonderful! Who knew someone put everything you needed in these things?" Connor sported a brand-new chirurgeon's kit on one thigh (thanks, Flann!), a new silver ring on one hand (pay attention, Flann!), two golden ear-clips (+1), and new boots on his feet (US Army desert-style, of course).

"Everything's legal." Connor muttered sotto voce as he passed by Kotsi. "I'm just going to need a month or two to craft all this stuff." If you can't break the rules, cheat the system. Connor thought to the others in his head.

(Connor's not upgrading his weapons from the common stuff. Someone else can get the +2 sword and +1 shield.)

FYI: I grabbed a headband that increased the size of my collective. It doesn't make you vulnerable to charm effects. It was a bit more expensive than that ring though.

(I'll keep the ring on until we have a situation where Connor is vulnerable.)

Vim follows Connor's construct and the others back towards the ship with an amused air. "Neat trick, Cap'n. You're better than most Shapers I've seen- the best maybe," he says, genuinely impressed. "I think I might like this assignment. Might even let you play with some of my gear, if you find the time." he continud, with a laugh.

"Now where might I get some quarters around here? How much open space has the Elephant got, anyway?"

I grabbed those mundane gloves to be upgraded 'eventually'. No particular rush, as I haven't got the wbl to spare regardless.

"Eh? I just like to craft." Connor shot back, deep in thought, like a wealthy woman already counting the dresses and hats just purchased. "You've never served on a skyship before." he concluded. "The Elephant's just over a hundred years old, with sails and steam engines. They've got a couple of bottled elementals each. Temperamental things." Connor and his construct led the way up the gangplank. After conversing with the fire guard for a moment, Connor added "You sleep anywhere you can lay down your bedroll without being kicked by someone on the way to the jakes. Most use a hammock. For sleeping, I mean. If you leave your pack lying around it might get squeezed into a pigeon-hole to make room."

Connor pointed at the fore and aft doors. "Mates and Gunners up, regular crew and riflemen down. My own quarters are about a foot square larger than the First Mate's, and the porthole leaks when we go through a thunderstorm. Gotta get that caulked. I think Adran sleeps in the crow's nest. We're not one of those fancy new warships with Captain's quarters as big as a bunkhouse and a bed that can sleep three whores and a cabin boy! Cargo's more valuable. Plenty of room when we're empty. I'll move the Third Mate in with the Gunners again for Kotsi, she can have his quarters. It's a little bigger than a closet." Connor fondly remembered Rory's speaking style as he pointed around the deck.

"Eh? I just like to craft." Connor shot back, deep in thought, like a wealthy woman already counting the dresses and hats just purchased. "You've never served on a skyship before." he concluded.

...

"Ooohhh..." Vim groaned, while Connor rattled off the details.

After Connor finishes mentioning Kotsi's room, Vim did his best to put his disappointment behind him, shrugging visibly. One didn't get to choose their mission, not with Sanita, anyway, and grouching about it wouldn't make things any better.

"Not much of a sailor, guilty as charged," he said, brushing a bit of dust off the lapel of his otherwise-impeccable suit.

"Ten years in the business, as it were, but I'm more of an 'infiltrate the ballroom' fellow than your 'batten down the hatches' type, but what the heck, right? I'm sure Sanita knows what she's doing."

Connor looked sideways at Vim. Like coming from the McIntyres but not knowing a lick of knots before serving on the Ashen twins? "Riiiight." he drawled. "You probably want to learn at least a little rigging and drill. Most ship's battles are long-range. If you can 'see the whites of their eyes', you're within range of all of their guns. And swords. When we land on the Surface, I can play the swashbuckling ship's Captain and you can be the diplomat attache. This job is definitely 'learn on the wing'. Our employers don't spend at lot of time, any time, actually, training us."

"Aye, you've got yourself a deal, captain, Vim responds, ignoring Connor's side-eye, and putting on what he hopes is a gruff sailor's voice.

He returns to his own voice with a laugh, and continued:
"I've spent a fair bit of time undercover auditing various trading organizations too; maybe I can take a look at your books along the way, and keep us out of any trouble. Gotta pull my weight and all that, right?"

Vim's cover identity works in Trade Admin (soooo exciting!) so maybe I can get some use out of those Profession skill points.

"I rate a closet? I'm flattered." Kotsi says, not quite smiling but clearly amused.

"You could always get yourself injured enough to bunk with me in the... What did you call it when I got here, Connor? The medicine cabinet?" Flann bounces down past the tour and into the hold carrying a coffer under on arm.

"I swear it's the ship's pillbox and medicinal liquor. Those aren't doors - they're cabinet locks!" Connor called after the departing Halvavian.

"And the bottles in there are very tasty!" says Telv.

That evening (or before Sanita comes back), Connor went to where Flann was on the skyship. "I've got a request for you." he asked, motioning towards a spot not currently occupied by crew moving cargo or adventurer. Sitting down, Connor pulled out a pair of fancy gloves from his belt. "Just got these from the vault: they're gloves of object reading. Let's not have Sanita come back without some new information to give her. Use these gloves on your Iskan pistol. I'll write down what you find out for Sanita." Connor handed over the gloves, getting out paper and pen.

(Flann, mdt, it'll take 6 minutes per owner for Flann to use object reading on the pistol. The power has an audible and mental display, in case anyone is interested. I'm having Flann do this to shortcut 6 minutes from the power, in theory.)

Flann is the first owner of the pistol, he bought it brand new in the box...

(The power doesn't even tell you the manufacturer person? We're still in cottage industry.)

Flann gets a confusing image of many people, mostly gnomes, touching the gun briefly, or sort of touching the gun, as if dozens touched it, but only long enough to do one thing to it, not long enough to leave any psychic impressions

"They are mass-producing these, meaning they have the supply and demand to support heavy industry. We're not likely to come back with good news, are we?"

"A souvenir from your last mission, I take it?" Kotsi asks, finding it impossible to ignore much of anything that goes on on the ship (not that she'd want to).

Flann demonstrates the rifle/pistol conversion. "These were being sold in a city of mercenaries alongside magic pistols." -and some Atalantian firearms. Flann adds over the collective. "I did not expect my little hobby to become such an important part of our mission. Before working here, I operated a Vitalist spa which forged ledgers and processed income for a gun smuggling ring. I got a few gifts along the way. I wish now I had been more involved... Although if I had, I may have been able to arrange a less death-defying means of pardon."

Obviously disappointed, Connor muttered "Maybe we should have purchased an Atalantian gun." Taking back the gloves, he added "But we can still use these gloves of object reading if we do find something suspicious."

"You haven't talked much about your past before, Flann." Connor opined.

"I guess you have to see a bit of the world to really know your place in it? I never really questioned anything until I got pegged, and I'm sure that's exactly why I held that position... I'm not likely to visit mother before we leave, if it can be helped..."

The next day, Sanita comes back, and sets everyone around the circle. "Ok, we need more information on this 'Iska' place. We need to know if they're just coming up with this stuff on their own, if they're being fed information from someone in Atalantia, or both. You had a good excuse, the engines. If they can replace the engines, we'll get a good sample of their skill and what they can do with it. Plus it'll give you a good excuse to hang out in their country for a few months without raising suspicion." She reaches into her pack and hands Connor a small keg that's very heavy. Inside he finds 1000 platinum coins in neat stacks (20 lbs) and another 10 lbs of various gems (which total up to 100,000 gp in value). "That should cover your costs. Stop in Atalantia and pick up some cargo, given it's land locked, I'd guess that spices and dried or pickled fish would sell good there. Keep track of Grimjowl's position, now that you can, and make sure he's not around where you are for now. This takes priority over Grimjowl."

She looks around. "Any questions?"

Ishthraxa nods in acknowledgement of the order.

"I believe Altina Gearloose of Amprin Mechwerx quoted us a year to replace the Elephant's engines." Connor said after taking the miniature major financial institution from Sanita and putting it in his bag of holding. His fingers were trembling very slightly as he rolled the bag back up and re-attached it under his backpack, which was sitting on the ground. Don't think about what Tenfa would do, don't think about would do... ran through the Humavian's mind like a bullet shot.

"I suspect the gnomes would pay more for Atalantian clockwork, weapons, and engines." Connor opined. Before the blonde Human could respond, Connor said "Obviously we can't give them our best technology. But what about old salvage parts - broken engines not yet melted back down? If the gnomes recognize the gears, that's another clue."

"Second question - how often should I contact you with correspond? I would love to report Grimjowl's location close enough to the Dragonbane fleet for him to have an encounter." Connor asked.

Flann is not terribly impressed by the barrel, but looks a little nervous about rooting out spies and smugglers. His network is suddenly dead quiet, like a forest after a gunshot.

He totally misses the opportunity to report his educated guess at Tenfa's likely instructions with respect to the liquid assets Connor just tucked away.

Sanita looks thoughtful. "Nothing even remotely up to date. I suggest one of the scrapyards. No more than 20% of your cargo, enough to get them interested, and see if they recognize anything." She finally says, and then grins. "Send me a daily position report on him, and I'll see if I can arrange for a few ships to be doing some practice maneuvers near him. Keep him honest."

Inwardly, Connor groaned. He'd have to use psychic reformation again to get the mindpower. More days being sick. Well, as long as they weren't actively fighting. He nodded at Sanita.

"Are there any 'cleared' divine researchers among Special Operations that want to interview me or Telv? You have a rare opportunity - if Tenfa or Telv will talk to them." Connor asked. "And I will need a few hours of 'personal time' in Atalanta. Business, not pleasure. A retirement plan. If I ever make it back incapacitated but still able to manifest." It wasn't a return to Clan McIntyre, but a promise Connor needed to keep.

Vim casually interjects when a moment presents itself:

"Soooo...should one assume then that Grimjowl himself has bigger fish to fry than hunting down the Elephant? Seems like pirates tend to be a vengeful bunch, no? Any chance that he'll be out there looking for us?"

"I have no information on Grimjowl, I think Connor is the one best equipped to answer that. But it seems to me that Grimjowl likely has business interests, and will need to attend to them. As long as you aren't an active thorn, he should put you on his 'to do' list when it's convenient, rather than hunting you down. Otherwise, I doubt you would have made it back to base."

Turning to Connor. "A few hours would fit with your cover. Nothing untoward though. And while I'm sure there are some researchers who'd like to talk to you two, it will take awhile to get some of them cleared. We'll assume the next time you are back you'll be spending a few months in debrief. Just be sure you don't detonate during your visit."

Connor shook his head. "It's not the Surface I'm worried about. It's being sent to Ash." Turning to Vim and the other two new people, Connor added "I'll tell you all a long tale or three after we're underway."

Vim smiles at the good news, pleased they'll not immediately be thrust into a ship-to-ship battle.

"Alright, then. I'll hold you to that, Capt'n"

"I'd like to be present when you bring the trade to these Gnomes you're talking about. Reading body language is a bit of a hobby of mine. People with something to hide are interesting."

"I usually don't turn down assistance." Connor assured Kotsi. His face changed. "Except when Adran wants to argue with the local authorities." with a glance at the Halvavian. "Which reminds me..."

"Anything Adran and I can do about this gods-touched hair?" Connor asked Sanita. "Surface Wingless do recognize what it means. I can wear an eyepatch for this; in fact, I have an idea how to turn it to my advantage." he pointed at his right eye. "One of the times we came here Alsatia was able to use some artifacts to change people's appearance. I've been told not to mix high-level divine and arcane magic, but I'm wondering if I can get my hair back to brown?" Connor asked.

"What's a researcher?" asks Telv, clearly only following half of the conversation.

"A person who spends all their time studying to gain knowledge, and pass on knowledge. They also read old books and write new ones." Connor told Telv.

After a quick glance around, Vim focuses for a moment, and then shifts his appearance to more closely match Connor's albeit without the white hair.
"Will standard means of disguise not do the trick? Or does it need more 'oompf' then that to get over the 'godly' bit?" he asked, impersonating Connor as best he can.

"Maybe I can give you a hand?"

Changing my appearance via an augmented (6pp, per my Daily Routine) Everyman to look like Connor less the white hair. If doing so would be Foolish given where we are, I'll just ask the question without changing appearance.

Disguise: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (5) + 13 = 18
Bluff: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (18) + 20 = 38

Isthraxa seems about to reply when he hears Telv's question. But he knows that they'll have time to talk freer once we get travelling. "I'm not much of a negotiator, but I can be subtle security."

As he says this, he lets himself go blank. He becomes a mask, unreadable.

Conceal thoughts

"I haven't had much luck being the face of any negotiation outside of Reselia. I can't imagine why." Kotsi remarks drily.

"Not much call in our business yet for body doubles." Connor drawled back to Vim. To the new people, Connor said "We can go over specialties later, with proper team-building."

"And do I keep this crew, or recruit another?" Connor asked of Sanita.