One Way Out (Inactive)

Game Master Signore di Fortuna

Amara does a brief look around the bus stop/terminal to get a feel for the area. She doesn't go beyond 50', however, and comes back if it looks like anything happens to any of the group.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15

Calling out to her friend Rosa says, "Oy! Amara....don't go too far...we don't wanna end up having you get left behind."

Once Amara comes back

"Hey Amara.....I know how hard it is right now not to want to just take off for the hills or whatever....but, try not to go too far off from us just yet...okay? We know nothing of this place....and I don't want any of us taking any unnecessary risks....just yet." She smiles at Amara as they wait for anyone else that's still waiting in line to cash their vouchers.

Just out of curiosity....how many of us did still have our vouchers? I was just wondering who we were still waiting on is all.

Alton gives a quick scan of the area taking in the new sights of Oldenburg but being wary of the dangers it could hold.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

Altons feet suddenly become very interesting as bug starts makes its way over his toes.

Amara comes back after she finishes looking around.

"Didn't go far. Just wanted to see a little bit." Amara's tail is held behind her in a postition that looks like this.

"300,000 people here, each fighting just to get by. Perhaps the other train would have been preferable?" Eleanor questions.

Rosa looks at Elle and smirks, "Nahhh"

-Posted with Wayfinder

As Amara looks outside, she sees several people from the train milling about, talking excitedly about new prospects and a new life from under the rigid rule of Lohne. Several guards mill about the area, looking for anything untoward. Given Heigel's advice, perhaps the registration center is one of the few safe bastions of Oldenburg.

Once you have settled your monetary affairs, you board the thirty-two and head down the cobblestone road into Oldenburg proper. Near the registration office are many shanties, but you also see a variety of different restaurants, merchant stalls and interesting clockwork projects. A mechanical streetsweeper raises his battered metal top hat as the bus passes. Whatever Oldenburg may be, it has not repressed diversity and innovation.

Ahead a large ramp leads to the upper part of the city. Above, it looks moderately nicer. A battalion of guards sit on each side of the ramp watching traffic go by. The bus stops and lets you off. "Don't dally too long and don't look the beggars in the eyes."

The smells of steam, smoke and oil are heavy here. You can see a black plume of smoke coming from one small garage in particular.

Last answers from Heigel:

"I stay here because my options are few and my name is known. There is a benefit to anonymity for a while, at least. Money makes this place go around and many people want to make sure you don't have it."

Before boarding the bus
Rosa pats Amara on the shoulder, "I know...it's okay honey. There's just a lot of people here and I don't want you getting lost in the throng of the crowds....okay?"

Once off the bus

Pointing at the small garage, Rosa looks at the others. "I believe that's our destination."

"Lead the way and we'll follow Rosa.:" Alton said before beginning to hum a make shift tune to settle himself.

Rosa nods, "Right then..." With a purposeful stride she walks up to the door of the garage and bangs on it a couple of times.

A dwarf covered in grease opens the door. "Oy, whaddya want? Bangin' on a dwarf's door when he's workin'...I swear they stopped teachin' you kids respect at that place!"

"Old man Heiger sent us." Eleanor replies.

Rosa smirks at him slightly, "You must be Mr. Kaplan. Sorry for the intrusion, but we're the ones that Heiger has sent to you. Respect? No, I suppose not...they are too busy beating us for that, trying to instill respect while not showing any doesn't really work, now does it?"

Always the ninja, Lol

"Heiger, eh?" the dwarf laughs. "Aye, I'm Kaplan. You can call me Kappy, if you like. Don't remember the last person who called me Kappy. Well, come on in...I have issues with Lohne myself, but that's long gone."

Kaplan holds the door open for everyone, escorting them into his workshop. Pools of grease are scattered along the floor. Two motorcycles in progress dominate most of the area. The walls are filled with many items, from mundane backpacks to wands. An open cabinet filled with potions hangs on the left wall, while a large bulletin board dominates the right wall.

"Sorry, I don't have seatin' to offer," the dwarf says, grabbing a smoking cigar from a nearby ashtray. "I see some of you are already set. Anythin' you need, I'll sell to you for twenty percent off the market price. Anythin' at all. That's the Heiger special. Take a look around, nothin'll bite you here. Once you're set, we'll talk shop."

A dwarf covered in grease opens the door. "Oy, whaddya want? Bangin' on a dwarf's door when he's workin'...I swear they stopped teachin' you kids respect at that place!"

Amara sneezes at the strong scent of the cigar. "That stinks." she states simply. The smoke looks like it bothers Amara a lot. Every minute or so she coughs.

How dark is it in here? For that matter, what time of day is it?

It's about 3 pm. The shop is well-lit.

"My apologies," Kaplan says, snuffing out the cigar and opening a couple of windows. "I forget about the smell nowadays."

Rose looks around for a bit, finds a used rag on a table and picks it up. Looking at Kappy as she pulls out her rifle she says, "May I?"

The dwarf nods. "Fine lookin' weapon there. May need a little tinkering down the line."

She cocks her head as she regards him for moment, "It was a graduation gift....from my weapon instructor, Doru. The only instructor in that place that...showed any kindness towards me. Do you really think it could be improved on?"

She starts taking it apart and cleaning the various parts with the rag.
"Bessie here was his favorite....but, he gave her to me." She gets a little scowl on her impish face, "I haven't had a chance to clean her since I had to shoot that bastard Lenz in the back on the train. Wasted a perfectly good bullet on his ass."

The dwarf grins. "Aye, I heard about that, but, yes, anything can always be improved upon. So, what's that old so-so Doru up to these days?"

She smiles as her eyes widen at the realization that Kappy actually knows Doru.

Her voice takes on a softer happier quality, "You know him?"

Kaplan nods. "Aye, we knew each other, but he was a bit of young'un when I knew him. Always had a passion for guns, taught me a thing or two."

She smiles and nods, "Well....he's a bit older now...but, still very passionate about guns. It was....something we shared. He was good to me Kappy....the closest thing to a father I ever had...." She stops herself, instead concentrating on cleaning the barrel of the gun.

Looking around, Amara sees if she can find survival supplies. The things she has on her sheet.

Spying a scimitar she goes to the weapons rack and observes it's quality.

Looking over at Kappy: "May I?" she asks in a curious manner.

"Aye, those bastards at Lohne think by takin' away a person's family that makes 'em stronger...it ain't right. Despite how bad this place sounds...and I'm sure Heiger didn't put any gloss on it...it's not too bad. There's a world of wonder, but you have to look for it. In a city of three hundred thousand people, there are secrets, magic and mystery. You'll have to put Lohne behind you at some point, I'm sure Doru would want you to do that," Kaplan says. "Though it's as far from a fairy tale as some people have said, it gets better."

The dwarf gives Amara a broad grin. "As long as nobody's head comes off."

Wiping an angry tear away, she finishes giving Bessie a nice polish and puts her back together again. Holstering her gun, she looks up at Kappy with a wry grin, "I am stronger...but, they also make us angry, unsatisfied, and then give us the tools to do something about it....which is exactly what I plan to do.....someday. I'll start where I have to...but, there will come a day when parents are no longer forced to give up their children and where children can just be children." She looks over at her friends fondly as she speaks to the Dwarf.

"You've got the fire in your eyes to make me believe in you," Kaplan says. "I'll give you a place to start and a way to direct all of that frustration you're feelin'."

While the others talk Eleanor eyes the motorcycles and the other devices around the workshop with more interest than the weapons, magic or conversation.

"This place is awesome." she says gleefully.

Alton joins Eleanor over at the motorcycles. "Can you make one of these for me but smaller?"

The dwarf smiles at Eleanor. "You have an eye for machines. These have been a project of mine for a couple of years. I'm hoping to get them done before too long. Could always use a hand around here, if you've got time."

Nodding at Kappy she says, "If I'm gonna afford more ammo for ol' Bessie here, we're gonna have to take some jobs anyways. I'll be damned if I allow this place to grind me up and spit me out, like it does with so many of the others who come here with dreams of freedom. Unlike them however, we will actually achieve it. So....about venting that frustration...."

Gently taking the blade down, Amara examines the quality.

"Good. I'll take it. And a few other supplies I have in mind."

Once finished she will move next to Rosa, look up at her and leaning into her side affectionately. "Hi!"

Rosa forgets about her own frustrations for a moment as she see's a happiness in Amara that she had not seen for....well, ever really. Smiling down at her little friend, she takes her hand and places it on Amara's head affectionately. "Well...it looks like you've found some fun things to play with....I'm kidding of course we know they're not toys." She says to Kappy before he has a chance to rebuff her.

"I'm just glad to see some smilin' faces for a change," Kappy responds. He points to the bulletin board. "Those are jobs. One time deals that slip through the cracks and end up in my hands, some of 'em are on the up-and-up, some of 'em...not so much. I can use people with all sorts of talents, whether you're a mechanic or just run really fast."

Taking her gun out again she sets to reloading it again, then makes sure that the safety is in fact on before holstering it again. She looks around and spots Nye standing a bit off by himself.

Frowning ever so slightly she calls out to him, "Nye? Doin' okay over there?"

"I have the distinct feeling I'm going into a lot of crawl spaces with Ellie yelling directions." Alton said walking over to Kaplan and Rosa.

Aneirin watches the streets whizz by, agog. He has never seen so much embedded energy - the stones, cement, masonry, metal. The streets alone represent so much labour and material. He stares up at the rising tiers, wonders at the lives of those above him. As a representation of the pyramid of power, the tiers of Oldenburg are ostentatious, in your face, and abrupt.

On arrival, Nye stares at the guards on the ramp until the bus driver warns him otherwise.

Nye fidgets outside until Kaplan ushers them in. He is indeed pleased by the workshop, but a little lost - he can't seem to find anything that matches his gauntlet, nor any indication that armor is worked on here at all. It's probably the amazing cornucopia of....stuff that is scattered about. He waits politely as the others ask their questions, and until the Dwarf is not otherwise engaged.

"Mast.... Kaplan" he begins, a little earnestly "Are you at all interested in armor? I know I'm likely getting a bit ahead of myself, but I'd thinking of adding a mechanism to this piece I made [here holds up spiked gauntlet] to enable it to fire small projectiles, or even a grappling hook perhaps? I'm not really sure..." he trails off

"Hmm," Kaplan muses for a moment, looking at the gauntlet. "Not much call for armor unless someone's headed down to 'The Hells'. But I could fix that with somethin', if you like. A bit too small to put a grapplin' hook in it...well, to make it useful, anyway. Darts! Now there's somethin' you can do with that! A trigger in the palm...sounds excitin'! Of course, if you wanna do it that way..."

Seeing Nye talk with Kappy puts her a little more at ease. Maybe he's alright after all.

Being careful not to prick herself on any of Amara's spines she gently caresses the back of her friends head, "I'm glad you found some things that you liked Mara. It's important to hold onto things that make us feel good about ourselves."

"I have the distinct feeling I'm going into a lot of crawl spaces with Ellie yelling directions." Alton said walking over to Kaplan and Rosa.

"Hmm? Do try and keep up then." Eleanor replies.

Nye beams, losing some of his reticent demeanor taking to the conversation like an over-eager child. He is proud of his work, the artisan in him swelling inside. Being talked to by an elder in a manner not accompanied by shouting or violence also seems to be to his liking.

"Well, the grappling hook doesn't have to be for taking my wait maybe for attaching to a foe and reeling them in, or at least getting them off balance. I think the armature could sit like so, and maybe even extend the gauntlet up the arm like an olde timey gladiator's manica….And then if you just….."

ad infinitum

Kaplan beams at Nye, "Aye, but if'n you're not too picky, you could put a harpoon in..."

Equally engaged in the conversation.

Amara pokes about while the others talk and get the things they need. She doesn't get into anything, just close enough to smell whatever happens to catch her interest. The grease is particularly bad, as was anything smoke-laden. Amara scrunches up her nose anything that has a pungent odor.

Amara finds a stash of chocolate bars on one of the shelves.

Would Lohne have had chocolate?

It was pretty pricey in Lohne, but you'd know of it.

Ears tingling....did someone say....chocolate?

Picking up the stash of chocolate bars, Amara takes them to the dwarf.

"How much?" she asks.