The King looks at Chretien and says, "We need to get it out of the city, then. My subjects are likely to die in this case. Is your group still alive? We need to come up with ideas to get this construct out of the city. Get me my ministers!"
"they were alive when I left them. I had the way to get here the quickest so i thought it prudent to split off. They're likely headed this way. Where are your ministers, your highness? I'll fetch them. Sad though i am to fire at a child-like creature, perhaps if the boat laser is best suited for this task if there is a clear shot."
The king looks at Chretien with disbelief and says, "I understand you are a professor of technology but thousands of men, women and children can die while that child like monstrosity stumbles its way across Risur."
You help the King's staff fetch the ministers. You notice also that the Danoran contingent is no longer being guarded.
The rest of the party have in the interim showed up as Chretien is able to get the last member of the ministers into the King's impromptu room the ground floor lobby. The city map and the map of the country are tacked up on a large easel.
Premier Minister Lee and Delft are giving the King updates. Soldiers, Police and Firemen are all trying to pitch in. You see the King smashing a missive with his signet ring putting the royal seal on a message going to the mayor of Bosum Strand.
"I understand, your Highness. While I'd rather not fire upon it, i can think of no other option available to RHC alone. We would need a large scale distraction, and even that may not save the creature. That is why I suggest large-scale artillery. It is likely to be every bit as resilient as its composite materials. Is the Coaltongue available?"
The King says, "I am waiting to hear from the Admiral about the status of the Coaltongue."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
You are admitted to meet with King Aodhan, who has convened on the ground floor lobby, having concluded that speed of evacuation trumps good furniture. Present with the king are several military officers, Chief Inspector Stover Delft, and Principal Minister Harkover Lee. D
Inspector Delft brings you up to speed on what’s happened in Flint. He says, "Constables, this is a complete disaster but here is the sitrep: Parity Lake district is currently being evacuated, leading to panic and looting in neighboring districts. Reports keep coming in of ships fleeing the harbor, including Jierre's Lux Aurumque, the Danoran capital ship.
The panicked evacuation is also making it difficult for the naval fleet that defends Flint to get back into the harbor. There are twenty first-rate ships-of-the-line stuck out at sea, and only a handful of combat-ready vessels in the actual harbor. Any questions?"
Femi runs as fast as he can back to the hotel, doing his best to keep up with the group. Never much of an exercise fanatic, or even casual engager, he's sure he's having a heart attack half way there.
He punches through though, and keeps on keeping on. Unsure what he'll be able to do in any event, he charges forward.
It's some time before he catches his breath, but he listens carefully to the details.
"So, no big guns 'eh? Cretien, did I see you riding it there for a while, or was that my imagination? Can it be reasoned with? Seems unlikely that we'll be able to destroy it."
Femi has no ideas, being completely out of his depths when dealing with such technology.
"It has a child-like mind. Curious but its body is dangerous and it has no idea."
Delft says, "We do not have full access to the all of the big guns but we do have some."
Delft continues, "First, it may have a child-like mind which is both a blessing and a curse at the same time. Disabling the colossus seems infeasible. People have shot at it with pistols and muskets as constable Dufresne can verify grenades and it hasn’t noticed or treated it like being stung by a mosquito. Observation by telescope suggests its skin is adamantine, effectively impervious to any mundane weapon, though perhaps enchanted cannons could injure it. Luckily it seems not to have any sort of ranged weapons." Climbing it and looking for a way inside is an option, because there is some space along its back with hollow components intended for storing witchoil and other fuel. These do feed into its inner forge-heart, which provides magical energy to the colossus’s limbs. However, anywhere vulnerable would be so hot as to set fire to flesh and melt most metals other than adamantine. Even if someone could get in, magical wards would dispel the intruder’s protections and leave him doomed in the forge’s heat. Its mind is too limited for it to communicate, though it does respond with curiosity to unusual sights and sounds. It has no fear of anything, but it does get angry if it is harmed." he then spits a most nasty wad of chaw into the nearby spittoon as it makes a loud "Ding"
King Aodhan looks crestfallen before is about to speak but gives you time to ask Delft any questions.
Iva moves as quickly through the city as she can. She dodges fleeing people, and skirts around the construct as she heads toward the hotel at a full run. Breathing hard when she arrives she takes a moment to smooth down her hair, and then enters the war room.
She listens carefully, and suggests "What if we drew it out into the sea? The ships could take care of it there. I don't want something that large falling on an entire section of the city. I know the creature getting into the water would cause waves, but the higher portions of the city should be fairly safe. This is not how the evening was supposed to go."
"I can withstand fire, but not much. Only your ordinary campfire-size, not a forge. We could use heavy chains to trip it, and then throw more over it. Creating novel sights to attract it elsewhere is a good idea. lure it in the direction of a hostile area. Send an empty train down the track, children love toy trains."
The King's shoulders drop further with the heavy weight of his office, he says "Almost no one knows about what I am going to tell you. PM Lee, CI Delft and I discussed using a powerful magical ritual invested in me as part of the Rites of Rulership, I intend to banish the colossus into the Dreaming. While the exact ramifications of performing such an act are as of yet unknown to me, both mentally, physically and emotionally, we believes it is the only option available to us if we are to save Flint. In order to enact this ritual, I require thirty minutes of unimpeded casting time, and I must stay within a thousand feet of the target. I know the dangers of this, especially if the golem takes note of me, and I am not sure it will be possible to keep the titan still for that long. Constable Dufrene, I like your idea but I am concerned about where we could set up such a trap and also where we could find chains big enough to bind such a monstrosity. To this end, I want to lessen the colossus’s advantage by utilizing some form of Constable Skipwith-Darling's idea, bringing the immense construct out into the harbor, where its slow movement will be further impeded by having it square off against faster seafaring vessels. The main decision I am to make is whether to draw the colossus to the harbor via the Stanfield Canal, which would minimize the collateral damage, or draw it to the waters north of the city, near The Ayres, where more of the Risuri fleet could confront it. The second route would wreck a swath of the city at least a mile long. The first route only endangers a few blocks—though unfortunately it would destroy all the bridges along the canal—plus it gives them the ability to deploy the R.N.S. Coaltongue. I am inclined to go for the harbor, but I am not dead set against trying the other route. Do you have any other possibilities?"
"Lost bridges trump lost lives any day. And maybe the Coaltongue can defeat it so that you need not deal with the consequences of the Dreaming."
"Er, ah, I agree, the bridges can be rebuilt - go for the harbor my liege."
He wonders what they can do to occupy the enormous child for 30 minutes... maybe tell it nursery rhymes?
Lee turns toward the group and says, "Maybe we can try the train idea, constable Dufresne, please expound on using the train."
"We get its attention towards a train. We could, time permitting, put colorful fireworks in some empty freight cars or have illusionists cast something of the like to gain its attention. Then the train starts moving and at this point we hope it follows. The train would be empty of all but essential personnel. I can conduct it if need be. Illusionists can leave once we fully gain its attention, leaving via magic. Once I get him very far away, I'll make my way back separately. I'll need the train to have an engine, a coal car, two freight cars filled with junk, the caboose filled with explosives if possible as an option, and whatever cars the mages or fireworks are to be in."
Lee says, "We can get the collossus out of the city with the train and then we can have King Aodhan banish it to the Dreaming. We cannot leave it to wonder outside of the city anyways. If he goes south it could trample any sort of villages within Risur and if it goes really far could destroy Bole, west is Shale, east is Ber. Do the rest of you agree?"
"I would prefer to lessen the loss of life, and go for the harbor. Bridges can be rebuilt, and people are aware of the danger now. If we lead it into the countryside those villages have no way to protect themselves if one gains it's attention."
The PM says, "Neither do the city dwellers. And there are a lot more of them."
"I agree with Iva. Let's try and steer it to the harbor." he says, though he wonders if Rognar's plan has merit.
Lee looks visibly upset and says, "The collosus is in the city as we speak so to get it anywhere from where it is, it will first have to travel through the city to get there. Getting it out to open water is an option, his big feet will destroy more parts of the city that way and put more people at risk. So, option 1, lure the beast to the harbor which will evidently lead to some more death and destruction. Option 2: Lead the north into the open waters is a longer trek and guarantees more death and destruction but we shall have an easier time subduing the creature and make it easier for the king to do his ritual. Option 3: : Lure it to follow the train south of the city. This case offers Rognar's idea some merit. If we lure it back over Cauldron Hill, through the Nettles(which were abandoned months ago) and then through the sparsely populated Cloudwood and then around the outskirts to where the train is. Then we prop the king up on the train while it is moving and he can do the ritual. Of course a callous person could move the beast through Central District but that would endanger much more lives."
"I like Rognar's idea. Less deaths."
"Sure, fewer deaths is better. Let's do that." Femi agrees to the new plan readily.
The King stands up, "OK, I will send out some teams to get the collossus to go back over the Cauldron Hill and around the outskirts. We do have a bit more time but we need to take some of the naval artillery and transfer them onto the train. We need some sort of protection just in case."
He turns to Delft, "I want you to organize First Responder efforts throughout the city and organize the evacuation."
He turns to Lee and Chretien, "I need you to get me the train and organize cars in any assortment you choose."
He turns to Femi, "Constable Ferka, we need your magical and military expertise for attuning the canons onto the train."
He then turns to Iva and Rognar and says, "I need you two to come with me and try get some extra Dockhands and workers to make the transfer of the guns on to the train that much easier."
He says, "Any questions?"
Femi salutes and nods, "I'll do what I can my lord." Though in truth all this technology confuses him.
He readily agrees to Cretien's plan but he hopes the can lay in more than two cannons per car...
Iva pulls out a notebook and starts making notes. "Are we sure two cars with cannons will be enough? I think we can get at least two on each side offset from each other? A total of four per car. If we have three cards that would be twelve cannons."
Chretien/Femi
|
Rognar will make his way to the docks and warehouses calling out to those who are near to bring as many of a crowd as he can.
dock hands and workers, hear me. A great threat is coming down upon the city and we need your help. Without you and your strong hands many people will die. Working with you together we can bring the threat to your houses and streets, to your families to an end. Bring me your strong hands and let them do what they have always done. Lift the load of this city! I know you can do it just as you do it every day!
Iva finds her own group of workers and doc hands. "This city needs you. We need this train loaded and staffed. You can make the difference in the fight for your families and neighbors. With your expertise we can draw this menace away from your homes. Join us."
Femi suggests, "We can mount a 4 gun 8inch platform on each flat bed car or a double 13 inch turret on each car. So we have some options."
"The key to this exercise is to maintain speed just fast enough where the golem is behind us but not so fast that we outpace it and the King cannot do his ritual. Tricky."
"I think we should mix up the guns evenly to give us the widest set of options. So one gun car with 4 8inch guns and one with a double 13inch turret."
"True, but when you mix guns you also need to keep two sets of ammunition. The bigger rounds are more likely to get its attention."
The King says, "I think the bigger guns will keep its attention more than the smaller ones. Let's get a move on"
You make your way with the king down to the harbor and the railhead. Dark clouds form ahead, and it begins to lightly rain during their trip
from the Hotel Aurum to the royal docks. When you arrive, you see
amassed a dozen Risuri warships—a mix of sail and steam, most of them
sixth-rate (110-ft. long, 30 cannons) or smaller, but perhaps with a few larger vessels like the R.N.S. Impossible and the Coaltongue. They
await the arrival of their king, flags flying high, their skeleton crews nervous at what lies before them.
Also present, surprisingly, is a Danoran warship, the Freux Rouge.
The King says to Chretien and Femi that they can handle the Danorans as he moves with Iva and Rognar to try to get the Dockers to assist with the gun transfer from ship to rail.
Chretien and Femi
the nearly abandoned docks. You met her at the banquet and recognize the voice of Captain Rosalyn Taylor.
Unlike the Lux Aurumque, which fled at the first sign of trouble, Taylor and her crew actually sailed to the Royal Docks, intending to offer
aid.
A contingent of Flint marines prevents the captain from disembarking, but she shouts to get the attention of the party, "Constable Dufrene, mon amis, how is it that we can assist Risur in zhis crisis?"
Iva and Rognar
in the harbor, with hundreds of people shouting and surging, nervously
stranded after their ships fled the harbor without them. These people,
most simple sailors or dockworkers, are close to panic, but from atop a
warehouse Thames Grimsley tries to get the crowd’s attention and calm
them down. The King nods to you to move towards Grimsley. The aging King tramps of five flights of stairs atop the warehouse. The Union leader looks confused at the sight of the king and RHC constables coming to see him during the crisis. Grimsley says, "My people are confused and terrified... what is going on?"
When he's finished, Femi asks, "What can you do to assist good captain?"
- - -
C+F
I+R
- - -
Iva steps up standing tall, and speaks as if addressing a crowded courtroom. "Dock Workers of Flint City. We have a plan to save the city from this creature, but we need your help. We have to get guns moved from ship to rail as quickly as possible. You are the only ones who have the skills to do this quickly and safely. Once they are loaded we can draw the creature out of the city, and away from your homes and your families. Please help us do this."
Femi is able to mark off one spot on the map where Captain Taylor can get close enough to assist. You give her the approximate time in which the train should be in that vicinity.
She says, "I will be there at that time. I must prepare my vessel. Please have the draw bridges raised."
She then makes way to her ship.
The dockers move with a level of vigor rarely seen. They transport the guns, fire gems and a pleothora of ammunition. You get an over outcry of volunteers from both the Navy and the Army to man the guns. You set out with the train moving toward the southern train depot and you go until you reach the Bole line.