GMEDWIN |
The sailor says, "I cannot tell, it could be but I didn't see anything over the horizon. We should talk to the captain."
The sailor gets captain Smith and he says, "Interesting, we humans cannot see at this time of the evening. Maybe you can wake Constable Dufrene or McCormick to take a gander through the spyglass."
GMEDWIN |
Captain Smith says, "Contable Escheus, you may be right. Let's continue."
Your ship continues towards Danor and you see no new signs of a ship or smoke anything the rest of the way through the Yerasol Archipelago.
The first flurry of snow (snow! Cretien is used to it: for the rest of you, this is the first time) announces Winter – and proximity to the Danoran continent. There are other signs too: warships armored with iron churn and steam past you with increasing frequency, patrolling the Danoran coast and the islands of the Yerasol Archipelago, protecting creaking fat-hulled steamboats shipping food to feed Danor’s burgeoning population of industrial workers. Huge grey mountains far inland seem to rise from the clouds as you get closer to land.
1st of Winter, 500 AOV
You reach Beaumont late at night on the 1st Winter. It should be a full moon, but the air is thick with smoke and snow, and the stars are hidden behind a fog of smog, even on your ship the white snow resting on the deck that delighted you yesterday has turned dirty and grey. Through the pea soup air the small town glimmers with coal fire and oil light. You shiver under blankets on the deck as the biting wind howls through the harbor, brushing black soot and brown ice from your hair.
At this hour the harbor is not busy and your turn comes fast: you disembark at customs as a couple of 'Inpecteurs' board to check the cargo, and you are pushed into a small grim office. The Officie de Custums (Valerie) is a middle-aged woman (tiefling) with jet black hair swept back tight, an eyepatch, and an almost finished Nicodemus stick between two long yellow-stained fingers. More of a stick of ash really – another hundred spent ones are piled around an ashtray and a tube of expensive lipstick.
‘Papiers monseiurs. Maitenant. Plus vite. Vous etes Risuri?’ she drawls. ‘Alons – papiers j’ai dit. Vite!’ she adds, frustrated.
Cretien Dufrene |
since our papers are in order and all, Cretien will step forward
"Voici nos papiers, inspecteur. Il est bon d'être de retour."
Falko Escheus |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |
The white snow turning to grey somehow gets to Falko/Gauthier and his thoughts wander back to when they were climbing Cauldron Hill. He remembers the filth floating above the city, he remembers the clear sky above Caudron Hill. He looks to Johnathan. The man had lost so many loved or cherished ones, was obviously mangled by visions. A cursed gift.
Returning to the filthy snow, his eyes catch sight of a warship on the horizon. These were the obvious signs of the power one could wrestle from the bowels of the earth, using technology. The filthy snow is what comes with it. Another cursed gift.
And then there was him, surrounded by the dead spirits of his scumbag father and the betrayed Xambria. What curse comes with this gift, he wonders, and thinks of the witch-oil, wondering at the connection.
The Captain signaling their imminent arrival pulls him back to the here and now. As the dock approaches, he slips from view and casts an enchantment that, if it works in this land, might give the team an edge.
Casting heroism, 50 minutes.
In the customs' office, while Cretien replies, he studies the woman, trying to pull small things from her movement, her demeaniur, her attitude, to improve his own performance as a Danorian expatriate.
"Ah! L'odeur d'ume bonne Nicodemus! Comme ça m'a manqué! On en trouve à Flint, mais elles n'ont pas le même goût. Dites, je peux vous en prendre une?" he asks the female Tiefling.
GMEDWIN |
The inspecteur looks you all up and down responding to Falko's request, "Peut-être, laissez-moi voir."
She goes into her tunic breast pocket and pulls out a silver cigarette case and with her yellow stained fingers opens it and it reveals five remaining and she says, "Heureusement, pour vous j'ai cinq restants et mon quart de travail se termine dans une heure. Vous pouvez en avoir un." she gives one to you.
She then checks your documents thoroughly and suspiciously, releases you back to your ship. The customs officials have kicked around your belongings and searched a couple of personal chests half-heartedly, disappointed perhaps there was nothing good to gank.
Captain Smith docks the ship in the busy little harbor and you trudge through the snow to hail a carriage to the hotel you had setup for yourselves and properly affluent for your expedition. You check in and there is a young half giant sitting on a chair in the corner, whom Cretien recognizes from Pardwright.
He stands up and asks, "Would you happen to have a match?"
Cretien says, "No but I have a lighter."
Isaac says, "Better still"
Cretien "Until they go wrong"
Welcome Isaac, sometimes as a GM you need to make it run somewhat smooth.
Isaac Kgmetrepersecondsquared |
"Hilary Bray at your service. I understand you need a local guide.", says the 8 foot tall half giant. You see he carries large weapons and an extra crossbow on a mount. He's well dressed and neatly groomed. Not what you expect when you hear "half giant".
Ashweather Huxley |
"Hilary Bray at your service. I understand you need a local guide.", says the 8 foot tall half giant. You see he carries large weapons and an extra crossbow on a mount. He's well dressed and neatly groomed. Not what you expect when you hear "half giant".
Hux nodded his at the guide, 'well met, Bray. You can call me Asher, Asher Holmes." I'm glad he is on our side, he thinks as he scrutinizes the half giant.
Cretien Dufrene |
"Ah, yes, I'm still Cephas, in case you had forgotten since when last we met. Are we to be enjoying the snow, then?"
GMEDWIN |
The bellhop brings you up to your rooms for the next week and on your tables, the staff have lain out brochures for the local attractions: b ‘L’Academie Militaire Lamar’ or ‘L’Opera de Beaumont’ or a burlesque show. The city is smaller than Flint, with a thicker stench of industry hanging in the air, but it’s full of people like any other.
Shortly thereafter you le clé(for good is 3 then 2 and for bad is 2 then 3) or the signal on your door. Isaac, fully expecting it lets them in.
Mes amis!’ he greets you in the local tongue, thrilled to be part of this plan. ‘Tell me everything. But first, this is Marie Therese’ he presents a blushing and lovely young tiefling, perhaps a little drunk. He touches the small of her back. ‘And Louis’. Her miserable looking boyfriend, a spineless skinny young man trying to grow a moustache. ‘Our friends!’.
Louis sourly suggests some of you may prefer visiting ‘L’Academie Militaire Lamar’ or ‘L’Opera de Beaumont’, which Marie Therese finds oddly hilarious. ‘Not all Risuri’s lack culture and education’ he snaps at her pointedly. She then slides an envelope on over to you and says, "These are your train tickets, first class, as Control has requested. We will be on the train. Hilary knows how to contact us in the city. Do you have any questions?"
Very little magic works in Danor, and so the city lacks any of the tiny magical flourishes found in every civilized part of Risur. But perhaps the biggest shift is the climate. Just a couple hundred miles north of Flint, Beaumont has no shelter against frigid arctic winds blowing south.
Falko Escheus |
"Enchanté mes amis!" says Falko as he bows low and kisses Marie-Therese's hand.
"This place looks just so dreadful, no? Everything is coated in dirt, even the snow! But if you tell me there are ways for gentlemen and ladies to find entertainement, or even better, to enjoy ART! Then I have to see it with my own eyes!"
Johnathan Eli Holbrook |
Johnathan continues smiling blankly and following with. Once he finally has some time to himself, he spends the entire 10 days staying indoors and studying.
Cretien Dufrene |
and magic item creation does not work here?
"Well, it comes from your blood, yes, like heat from the body. This land, in such an analogy, would be a blizzard. The heat from within is leeched out and diffused before it can manifest an effect."
GMEDWIN |
It is still possible to cast spells. Creating magic items won't work. Magic items made from 1st level spells will stop working after 7 days. You won't be in Danor long enough for second level items to lose their power... unless you guys do something really foolish.You had 7 weeks plus ten days to make magic items.
Cretien Dufrene |
Cretien will translate for the others as necessary, enjoy the native foods he has missed, and maybe pick up a bit of the news.
Angus McCormick |
Angus will spend the next 10 days going around making contact and reinforcing his persona as a black market arms dealer.
He will if possible try to get a list of the train passenger or at least hire some people to watch who is arriving into town to board the train (in order to get some info on possible suspects)
GMEDWIN |
Falko spends his time with Marie-Therese taking in the sights, going to opera, taking in the ballet and checking out this new Danoran invention called "Déplacement de photographies" (working title) and the museums.
Angus tries to get a handle on who will also be on the train but the tickets are bought anonymously and don't have names it is very difficult.
Cretien
You also get your hands on a Flintian paper:
Fire. Scholars throughout Flint weep as the Miller Memorial Library
burns down. The library, which was built over 400 years ago during the
first term of Governor Roland Stanfield, contained original copies of some
of Risur’s oldest literature, poetry, and religious epistles. Police authorities
blame poor construction of the building’s gaslight lanterns, but some
found it suspicious that no adjacent buildings caught fire. The lawyer for
of a pair of lizardfolk brothers serving a life sentence in prison for arson
delivered a statement on their behalf. Though they did not explicitly claim
responsibility, they warned that Risur should release them, or else more
buildings will burn.
Fireband. Benedict Pemberton, owner of experimental arms manufacturer
Pemberton Industries, is on a tour of the nation, speaking with
members of parliament and rich power-brokers to promote his new
book, Behold! Science! In it, he argues that the Risur-Danor peace conference
scheduled for early Spring 501 could kill the nation’s progress in
technological innovation, since without the threat of war there will be no
motivation for research. Critics charge he’s making a veiled push for war
with Ber, about which he makes derogatory claims throughout the book.
Fired! As protests continue in Parity Lake over factory conditions and
worker abuses, several owners discharged their entire workforce without
notice and brought in police to arrest as trespassers any workers who
showed up. The same day, several hundred Beran immigrants arrived at
Bosum Strand and were ushered directly to the factories.
Fireworks. The year ends on the 91st of Winter, and that evening the
people of Flint can expect a dazzling display of fireworks launched from
ships in the harbor. Parades are being organized, including the grand
March of Kings, a mobile costume ball with dancers and all manner of
extravagant entertainment. A few small factories upstream of Stray River
are producing high-quality fireworks, while those in Parity Lake are under
watch to make sure nothing burns down.
Ice. Climate researchers at Pardwight University warn that extra soot
and smoke in the air from the industrial economy will block sunlight, cooling
the planet and causing horrible winters. A spokesman for Eschatologists
of Flint United sent a thank you letter to the department, encouraging them
to keep spreading evidence of the world’s imminent demise.
Johnathan comes with Cretien to try the local specialties with Hux in tow, Johnathan really only cheers up trying the foods. But generally sulks in his room for the majority of his stay.
Isaac although having been undercover in Danor for awhile, is pleased to get the insider's view from Cretien.
11th Winter 500 AOV
It’s a relief when the morning of 11th Winter dawns. Freezing cold, you huddle in a mass with hundreds of other people far too early in the morning: The elaborate architecture of Beaumont’s Western Station looms over you: seemingly drooping, heavy with stone depictions of the celestial bodies. Behind you, imposing in its vastness, a giant marble clock face some twenty feet in diameter gives accurate Danoran Standard Time down to the second. Brass numbers dictate the passage of each moment, an exacting feat of engineering that Danor has exported to most of the world.
In front of you is another of Danor’s marvels: the Avery Coast train, a great behemoth of black iron, still somehow appearing sinuous as it stretches into the distance in front of you. Windows stud its length, and, at the far end, grey smoke belches out of the smokestack of the locomotive. This is the marvel that is said to have tamed the Malice Lands, and it is working to unite the continent into one grand economy. Brochures announce that the railroad has proven that Danor can accomplish more with intelligence and manpower than most nations can accomplish with mystical secrets and genuflecting to gods.
The train hisses and steam spurts from its edge, casting a white haze over the platform and obscuring some of the other passengers waiting here. There is a whistle, and a man waves at the crowd, welcoming you aboard. He wears a brilliant red and yellow sash emblazoned with the symbol of the Avery Coast Line: a pair of train tracks, woven in an infinity symbol.
Turns out the waving man is the train’s conductor, the amiable and boisterous Xorin Marchand, and when he realizes all seven of you are travelling first class he beams at the chance to impress you.
GMEDWIN |
Ooops.. I meant six... darn..
He cools his face with his hand, clicks his fingers dramatically, and a small army of uniformed porters pick up all of your luggage and he insists on personally escorting you to the rear of the train. ‘I will give you a tour of the train personally, and introduce you to your first class chef and entertainment. Please, come with me to our lavish first class dining car, Car 19, where we will provide you with our complimentary breakfast and finest Danoran pastries as the porters deal with the bags and the rest of the train is filled’.
Who wants to go with him?
Cretien Dufrene |
Cretien will definitely go with him.
Falko Escheus |
Falko/Gauthier cannot help but gawk at he train. For an anguishing moment, he is brought back to another powerful serpent, the Voice of Rot, lying waiting in the deep bayou. For a moment, he wonders which of the two snakes will end up winning.
Is time moving forward, leaving the past behind, or is it just going in circles, and the past is to always return? With a vengeance? he thinks to himself, before being brought back to attention, and his own lack thereof, by Xorin Marchand.
Stiffening, he returns to his bodyguard role and keeps a watching eye on the porters handling their belongings.
When the conductor makes his offer, he just turns to his masters. He'll go where they tell him to go.
GMEDWIN |
Conductor Xorin Marchand beckons that you follow as he leads your group into the classy dining car. ‘Come along Sirs, come along’ he beckons you up the red-carpeted passenger steps and into the lavish dining carriage.
Xorin introduces you to Kov Marik, the first class chef who is pouring Drakran Coffees (alcoholic) into fine glasses for you, and Doris Gavagne the piano player, who is playing a merry march nearby.
Angus watches the First Class guests carefully. A family of four half-orcs are boarding at the same time, and it’s clear they haven’t much experience of first class travel. They take a booth in the dining car, the kids annoying the piano player and the husband sipping a Drakran Coffee suspiciously.
But another guest in the First Class lounge, looks very antsy as if waiting for someone who isn’t showing up. She keeps craning her head out the window, her mouth sourly wrenched up, her ticket in her hands. ‘Look at her tattoos!’ giggles the half-orc boy, while the wife tries to silence him.
Isaac Kgmetrepersecondsquared |
Isaac ducks his head as he enters the first class car, and nods as the staff is introduced. He picks up the coffee and takes a sip and smiles "My compliments Chef Marik, excellent Coffee!"
When the child mentions the tattoos, Isaac tries to get a look at them.
Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25
GMEDWIN |
The woman responds to Angus and says, "Hum, I am just looking for someone."
Chef Marik bows at Isaac's remark and says, "Much obliged, sir."
The orc kids adore Stephan and his entourage instantly. Tarro (the 7 year old boy) keeps asking about Bree’s tattoos. Dabo (the 13 year old daughter) gets increasingly irritated at her younger brother, who’s interrupting her telling stories. ‘Tu es stupido and so is this stupid last-minute vacation! Why do we have to suddenly go on a trip anyway – Dad’s such a pain!’
The half-orc grins friendly at you, while looking in despair at his children. ‘Esta brilliant, family trip to see the New World, eh. You into engineering?’ He slaps the metal table. ‘Nice! You know where they make it!’ Damata Griento, as he introduces himself, is happy to talk – knowledgeably – about engineering for hours.
The mother, a darling in her late 20s, apologizes. ‘I’m so sorry; the nino don’t know the difference between tattoos and scars, senorita. I’m Ejeka Griento, mucho gusto’. She slaps Tarro on the head. ‘dejar que ahora Tarro.’ she glares at him.
The woman with the (admittedly terrible) scars on her arms just smiles calmly. ‘Little Tarro is it. If your sweet sister’s arm ever gets cut off, you should hold onto it in case you can sew it back on.’ This excites Tarro to no end, but Dabo (Damata’s daughter) begins showing signs of a panic attack. Damata becomes stricken at the thought of his children being hurt, and hustles the children to their suite.
Hilary
She looks out the window again, urgently, pissed off, not caring that the two half-orc kids are crying down the hallway being escorted to their cabin (right next door to Isaac's as luck would have it). She does not introduce herself.
There’s a kerfuffle outside on the platform. A drunk tiefling travelling in second or third class has dropped his bottle of firewater and is fighting with a train guard, swearing loudly. He’s dressed in an overly large military coat, misshapen from old bottles stuffed in his pockets. But he’s strong – he pushes two guards aside effortlessly. As he boards the lower class cabins, a scarf would around his face falls away and some of you get a glance at a fearsome visage: horrible scars across his face and horns splintered. Hux recognized him. Sergeant Kairon. His nemesis from the War.
Ashweather Huxley |
Hux takes the offered coffee from Kov Marik, "Thanks mate." He makes small talk with the chef as peers out onto the platform. He points at the inebriated tiefling on the platform and points out, "I think he has had enough already."
Crud, he thinks to himself as he recognized the tiefling. He breathed a sigh of relief when his nemesis enterd the lower class cabins, That was close. I'll have to tell the other my cover may be compromised when we have a little more privacy."
He took another sip of his coffee as he gazed out the window.
Cretien Dufrene |
Cretien makes a mental note to come back and converse with the half-orc man, if there is time later.
GMEDWIN |
The chef looks inquisitively at Hux for using such a colloquial Risuri term in First Class. The chef says, "Monsieur, that doesn't fit into my purview. But I will see what's we can dieu."
The woman with the scars looks distinctly uncomfortable and continues looking anxiously out the window of the car while scratching her scar red.
At 7:25, a beautiful, dark-skinned woman wearing an Avery Coast uniform enters the cabin and announces ‘Last check everyone. I’m your security guard Malia Baccarin, here to keep you safe.’ She gets appreciative glances.
‘Are any of you staying on the train to Trekholm?’ she asks you and the woman with the scars (Brianne ‘Bree’ Kaldeckis is her name). Bree nods subtly.
‘Wonderful!'
'We like to offer our distinguished guests a “safari” of sorts in the Malice Lands. As we pass through those wild lands, you may sit on the roof of the train with muskets, and with the guidance of the train’s security personnel you can shoot at any malice beasts that come at the train. Are you trained with a weapon miss?’
Bree nods, interested in the notion. She turns to the rest of you, curious. ‘In addition, if anyone’s interested in acquiring fine rifles, there is a noted supplier in Cherage I can arrange to meet you on the train – we provide an Avery Coast discount.'
Shortly after the security check, the clock tower outside the station booms out a tune on the half hour. There is a great snapping hiss heard throughout the train, and the behemoth vehicle lurches into action, metal squealing and clicking. Beneath you, you can feel the train accelerating, slowly but steadily hauling its tons of cargo and passengers up to speeds unmatched except by magic. Beaumont glides past, and soon the scenery of pastoral Danor is flying by at a staggering sixty miles per hour.
Feel free to ask Ms. Bacarin some questions.
Falko Escheus |
Sorry, couldn't post before.
The coffee fills Gauthier's chilled bones with a welcomed warmth. He lets the delicate mix of aromas drift through him as he smiles his appreciation; a rare thing for his character.
When things get heated, or plain awkward, really, he, like a good bodyguard, pretends not to notice, but nonetheless feels the lady and the family, trying to find subtle signs, the way they position themselves, where they leave their hamds, that would tell of advanced training.
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22
*
As the train departs, Gauthier reaumes to his cabin, but not until he made sure his companions were safe and sound in theirs.
After a few minutes, he leaves to go and walk around, familiarizing himself with the surroundings. If he passes by Baccarin, he goes to her and introduces himself: "Glad to meet you. You can call me Gauthier. I'm in charge of my employer's safety during this trip. Anything I should know to make both our lives easier?" he asks, proferring two Nicodemus from his coat.
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21
Johnathan Eli Holbrook |
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Johnathan proceeds as if barely aware of his surroundings, practically catatonic ever since they arrived in the dead magic zone, silent. It doesn't seem to be anything physically effecting him--just a kind of psychological stupor. Cretien may guess it's from the feeling of powerlessness and vulnerability.
The only sign of life from him are when he smiles faintly at the half-orc child Tarro's excitement at sewing an arm back on. As soon as possible he retreats to his cabin to read.
GMEDWIN |
Falko
Baccarin takes one of the Nicodemus sticks and lights it with her lighter, as well as lighting yours and says, "Well, nice to meet you Gauthier, I am Malia Baccarin. What kind of business is you proprietor in?" with a smile.
Falko Escheus |
Gauthier asks for Malia's flame and lights his own Nicodemus. At the question, he pauses and gives the head of security a knowing smile and moves on, ignoring the question. A good bodyguard should keep his mouth shut in the company of strangers. It's normal she'd ask, and it's normal he'd not answer.
"So, what kind of security you have on board to keep my masters safe. I heard you talk about shooting creatures from the roof. Sounds like unnecessary risk, no?"
GMEDWIN |
Malia says, "We have ten guards. Two are responsible for freight and the rest are for the guests."
The delightful Miss Baccarin takes note of your car numbers and promises it will be great. ‘If enough people sign up, the driver can be persuaded to slow down to twenty miles an hour for the Safari, and we serve beer and spiced cider on the roof. The beasts are mostly natural or elemental, but the malice influence mutates them horribly. Their lives are usually miserable so killing them is a blessing. Mister Griento and his son have signed up, as has the lady with the scars on her arms. Well the Avery Coast Railroad is an opportunity for adventure for most people, the beasts aren't that big. And it is a lot of fun. Wouldn't you like to see this beasts up close?’ as she runs her well hand along your shoulder.
What do you guys want to do, take a tour of the train, talk to someone?