GM Spiderbeard's One Shot RPG Tour (Inactive)

Game Master Barvo Delancy

Simon takes Lottie by the arm and the two begin to explore belowdecks while Pembelton and Eileen try for the top. Parkes simply storms off to hide in his quarters in a huff shouting behidn hsi shoulder, "I bet there is no sodding problem and this is all over nothing!"

----

Lottie and Simon

Belowdecks is endless well-appointed hallways with private quarters, and some common seating areas. The bottom deck is the cheapest tickets and serving staff, so it's on this floor you're the most likely to find Eustace's room. However, the question is which room is his as a quick check doesn't show him at either of the seating areas.

-------

Pembleton and Eileen

Above decks the crisp air hits you as you see the ship heading southwards across the Mediterranean, putting you somewhere between Italy and Sardinia. Things seem to have been mostly cleaned up at this point, although the gyrocopters have been left well alone by the servants.

Vada stands with the pilot at the controls and is occasionally shouting commands at various crew members as they mop up blood and brains from the battle. Sparks' corpse is now missing.

No passengers are on the deck at this point, let alone Eustace.

Shrugging her shoulders awkwardly, she adds, "I, uh...rushed out so fast, I didn't get a chance ta thank you. For, you know." She indicates her shoulder with a tilt of her head. "'s almost like it never happened in the first place."

Pembleton stops muttering about Parkes under his breath a moment, turning to look at Eileen. He smiles cheerfully. "You are quite welcome, Miss Gallagher. Very glad to see you feeling better after your brave assault on that vicious... Sparks woman..."

He looks about, noticing now that her body is gone. Frowning, Sir Ian walks at a brisk pace towards Vada, motioning for Palamedes and Eileen to come as well.

"Excuse me, madam," he says to Vada, touching the brim of his hat. "Where are the remains of the woman who led the attack? We should like to examine it."

Simon will peel off a member of the staff at random: "Oy! Where do we find Pimsoil? Where's his cabin?"

Persuasion: 1d6 ⇒ 4
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 4

The staff member looks at Simon, stunned. "You're the ones who stopped that raid! FOllow me sir, right this way. He has one of the executive suites. Only a handful of those."

He leads you to the rooms right belowdecks near the front which include the captain's quarters, the first mate's quarters, and two other well-appointed suites. The staff member points you to Pimsoil's room.

-------

Vada looks fairly cheerful, if a bit smug as she greets you all. "Hrm? Well I suppose you need to determine what has happened with this raid, yes? She is... ah..."

She lowers her voice. "Parkes has a splendid self-renewing icing unit we use for storing provisions. The ah... remains have been interred there - separate from the food of course. Please keep that to yourselves. On the main deck, ask the bartender to let you in."

Pembleton touches his hat again in thanks and waddles over to the bar, whereupon he instructs the bartender to give he and Eileen access to the body.

Sir Ian will check out the body, looking for any messages in the clothing or other items of interest on the corpse itself. He'll look to Eileen for a more thorough search, commenting that her skills are likely better than his.

Investigation: 1d4 ⇒ 2
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 6
Ace: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Eileen complies, setting about the work of looking for anything of interest. She's not especially squeamish about dead bodies, but she does grimace a bit at the prospect of searching someone whose ghost she was talking to a short time before.

Notice: 1d6 ⇒ 1
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Simon will pound heavily on Pimsoil's door, then immediately try to open it.

If Pimsoil's there, he and Lottie will interrogate him further about his special dispensation from the Secretary of State to be on board, and continue with questions about why he was below decks, who he was talking to, etc.
Persuasion: 1d6 ⇒ 5
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 3

If he's not there, then we'll search his room.
Notice: 1d6 ⇒ 3
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 6
Ace: 1d6 ⇒ 1

Note that Lottie is far better at both of these than Simon

Gahhh forum ate my post. Or I didn't hit submit. Or my dog ate my homework. Or something.

Simon bangs noisily on Pimsoil's door, and gets... nothing. There is no response of any kind. Trying the handle, it is securely locked.

---

It's a simple matter, with Vada's permission, to get into the large metal cooler which has been stuffed with various perishables and champagne. Near the back you come across a small pile of bodies which have been unceremoniously dumped. Alongside them is the gigantic mechanical sledge that Sparks was using.

Eileen has the intense sensation of being watched as she enters, although nothing materializes.

There's little of interest on the pirates save their firearms. On Sparks, most of her clothing has been badly torn thanks to her transformation, but you do find a simple note in a hanging pocket along her skirt. It's written in a sharp, elegant handwriting.

"I am displeased, Prudence. The Watchmen are now involved thanks to your arrogance and overcomplications. Fly to the ship, and destroy Parkes and the Watchmen. My powers will see us safe upon detonation. The Council of Midnight hungers for this victory. Do not let your weaker self regain control, and do not fail."

The old savant frowns at great length through bushy eyebrows at the paper, which he reads silently alongside Eileen.

"Hmmph. The idea of a bomb has been confirmed, at least." Pembleton pulls at his muttonchops absently as he thinks. "We must find the person who wrote this if we are to find it. If our companions have found Pimsoil, we can compare the handwriting here to his."

Sir Ian wonders what the point of ordering Prudence to attack Parkes was if the bomb was already planted, and voices this aloud as he looks at the woman's corpse before him. He removes his hat respectfully, having forgotten to do so earlier, but his face shows no remorse for killing her.

Sighing slightly, he looks for the best sidearm among the pirate bodies to give to Simon and prepares to follow Eileen.

My post appears to have been eaten as well...

Jiggling the handle, annoyed, Simon begins throwing his weight against the door as he speaks: "Mrs Wandsworth, perhaps you *mmph* "could see about finding *rrggmm* "someone with a key?" *HAHH*

Strength: 1d6 ⇒ 2
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 6
Ace!: 1d6 ⇒ 4

"Nevermind - that will just take too long. Let's see what the man is hiding, yes?"

I rolled a 7 for Notice earlier - I dunno if you want me to reroll that here...

Notice: 1d6 ⇒ 2
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Or maybe Lottie should roll that check...

Eileen's brow furrows as she reads the message. "Council of Shadows? So it's not just Sparks - sounds like maybe it wasn't even her fault. An' who calls themselves the 'Council of Shadows'? Bet they're all a bunch of rich-"

She cuts off, suddenly aware of her present company.

"Well, you know," she concludes lamely.

"Anyway," she adds quickly, "sounds like the one that wrote it is on board somewhere. Don't know what they mean by 'powers', but I could stand to avoid findin' out."

Heaving a sigh, she turns for the exit. "Think we should head to the rooms? The others might be lookin' for that toff Master de Clare seemed ta know." Making sure Pembleton is following, she sets off in search of the others.

Pembleton chuckles very quietly at Eileen's comment, nodding understandably and offering her an affable smile. Though never rich or affluent, he recognizes he lives in some level of privilege.

"Yes, let us find them." Pocketing the best weapon and associated ammunition found among the raiders that he can, he waddles behind Eileen.

The doors, like most of the ship, are designed to be light where possible and so it's not that much of an effort to hammer through the hollow, flimsy door. Lottie claps her hands and does a quick look-around before moving into the room with you.

The cabin for Pimsoil is beautifully appointed with tasteful art and elegant carvings. Aside from the nice bed and personal bar, of immediate interest is a locked chest at the foot of his bed. The room is otherwise extremely clean, with the neatly hung clothing one would find of one of his stature.

"Oi! What are you doing?!" You hear a shout from down the hallway. Lottie looks over to you at the chest. "I'm no good with locks, dearie. But maybe I Can tell this nice young man running over to sod off."

---

Pembleton snatches an excellent pistol and some ammunition from one of the bodies, and you head off in search of Simon and Lottie. It is not too difficult as you head to the cabin level you see some staff members rushing over to a broken door, where Lottie is pleasantly trying to explain to them that this is all normal.

You're reunited at Pimsoil's cabin. There's a locked chest and some crew members threatening to call the captain on you.

Well, Eileen thinks as she takes in the scene, it's louder than I would've gone with, but it saves me the trouble.

She wastes no time trying to figure out the social nuances of the situation, opting instead to simply make herself as unobtrusive and unimportant-seeming as possible - not an easy trick as she heads directly for the broken door. Inwardly she hopes that none of the crew members present were there for the recent fight's immediate aftermath.

I'm not entirely clear on whether the crew are actually blocking the door yet or if they're just making loud complaints while Lottie holds them at bay. Assuming Eileen actually can get into the room:

Her well-honed larcenous gaze sweeps over the room, searching out any valuables or places where anything of value might be kept.

In a low voice, she mutters to Simon, "Ya mind standin' in the doorway and blockin' their sight? This won't take a tick."

She kneels by the chest, slipping a set of lockpicks from a place of concealment in her sleeve. Eyeing up the lock with professional curiosity, she sets to work.

lockpicking: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
Wild: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Gazing about the room with narrowed eyes, Simon murmurs politely to Lottie: "Yes, be a dear, would you?"

Settling on the chest at the foot of the bed, cracking his knuckles and looking for something heavy, Simon looks slightly relieved as Eileen slips into the room: "Ah, hello child. I was just about to... Do you really think that's best? Oh, you seem to know what... I'll just stand over here then, shall I?"

Moving to stand awkwardly in the broken doorway, Simon will interject 'helpful' comments into Lottie's conversation about how Pimsoil is a 'friend' and they're trying 'to bloody well save everyone's bloody lives!'

Loud complaints, they're approaching the door but not actually at it yet. So you can get in.

It's an easy enough matter for Eileen to just push past the crewman who is obviously not quite equipped for this situation. Although this lock is pickable, it'll take a couple of minutes to get it open.

Lottie's Persuasion: 1d10 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 61d6 ⇒ 2

"Look my little poppin, you're going to have to accept that - no I understand that the door is open but we are undergoing an important bit of investigation for the captain. We have reason to - no you don't need to fetch her, we're quite capable of doing this on our own. Have you ever taken a bribe? They're very lovely."

The crewman is not budging, but he also hasn't fled to alert any form of authorities. Lottie glances over her shoulder encouragingly as Eileen continues her work. Her prattling is enough time for Eileen to pop the lock.

Inside the chest is an inky black robe and an ornate book. Within the book is a strange, spidery runic text. Disturbing drawings of fantastical creatures scrawl around the text and altogether it has an unwholesome feel to it. A page has been rather quaintly bookmarked. The drawings on the page show an elaborate star-like shape within a circle, adorned with runes.

Pembleton surveys the scene, the last to arrive on his old legs. Thinking a moment, he quietly orders in German for his dog to growl lowly. Simultaneously, the aging soldier takes out his ridiculously-large rail gun and stands impassively with it in his hands, somehow looking through the people.

Intimidate: 1d4 - 2 ⇒ (2) - 2 = 0
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 6
Ace!: 1d6 ⇒ 2

"Council of Shadows," Eileen snorts derisively as she eyes the book, resorting to scorn to try to push away her unease. "Buncha barmy toffs."

Eileen extracts both objects and sets them aside, giving the chest a quick once over for any sign of hidden compartments.

Notice: 1d6 ⇒ 3
wild: 1d6 ⇒ 1

Her voice pitched to carry just to the edge of the room, she calls, "I think we got our man."

"Now look dearest I think --..." Lottie trails off as she hears Eileen assert that the group has found their man. "That nice Simon fellow will pay for the door."

He turns white-faced as Pembleton fixes him with the stare of a man who has lost his patience. Another look at Palmedes and he looks like he's about to bolt.

"We'll talk to the captain about this, shan't we? You just have a nice lie down."

Between Pembleton and Lottie you manage to get the crew member to stay away. Most of the rest of hte passengers remain indoors and thankfully the lower deck is relatively sparse.

Where to now?

Glancing over his shoulder at what Eileen has found: "Of all the... that little weasel! The last I saw of Pimsoil was near the passenger cabins, but that was just before the battle - he could be anywhere by now..."

Frowning at the crewman (and Lottie's casual remark), Simon pulls some large bills from his pocket: "Here you go, boy. For, uh, the door. Now, I don't suppose you know where to find Master Pimsoil, do you? Perhaps you and your companions would be willing to help us out? For some small compensation, perhaps..."

Simon places a 20 in the lad's hand, riffles some more money deliberately, before putting it back in his pocket.

Eileen holds the book out, keeping it at arm's length as she offers it to any of the others who might want to take a look at it.

"Guess we should find him, then," she says.

Hearing Simon, she agrees. "Might go faster with their help - Vada's too, even. Just hafta do it in a way that doesn't tip him the wink, like...we desperately need his help, or sommat."

With that, she rises, prepared to join the others as they leave.

"I'm afraid I can't think of a way to call Pimsoil to us," Pembleton says as he pushes into the room. His intimidating glance is gone and his affable smile has returned. "Scientifically, I mean. But given... oh, just under half an hour, say, I could create a device that makes the wearer intangible, thus able to slip through walls, floors, ceilings and the like.

"Alternatively," he continues, "if we capture him on our own I could have a device ready that would allow me to pull the truth of things from his mind. Though I can't imagine how he wouldn't talk under..." He catches his word before it comes out, and absently pets his mechanical hound on the head. "... pressure."

"So where should we start?" Eileen asks. "Find Vada, ask the crew, go look where he was seen last?"

Lowering her voice a little, Eileen adds, "I'm for tippin' off Vada. She has an interest in stoppin' all of this too, an' getting her involved might give us more pull if things get tricky later."

Keep it going, I'm here!

Is Simon successful in hiring some randos?

"Alright, let's head upstairs and inform Vada - perhaps we'll get lucky and run into Pimsoil on the way."

Jabbing a large finger into the crewman's chest "You, boy - send someone to check the engine room again. Pimsoil might have made his way down there. Well? Don't just stand there - go!"

Pembleton mutters something unintelligible that only Palamedes seems to catch, and his clockwork dog offers him a consolatory whine. He looks down at his hound as it does, nodding crisply in staunch British fashion. The old man pulls at his moustache and straightens his vest before following the others in a dignified if stuffy manner.

Eileen turns to glance over her shoulder in reaction to the noise from the mechanical dog and makes a note of Pembleton's body language.

She doesn't say anything immediately, but as the group makes its way towards their destination, she muses aloud, " 'My powers will keep us safe 'pon detonation.' What kinda lunatic..." Her voice trails off.

To Pembleton, she adds in a hushed aside, "We may need your-" Here she makes a vague, circular flutter with her hand. "...whatsit once we find him. Someone who thinks they can survive gettin' blown up isn't likely to spill no matter how nicely Miss Lottie chin-wags with him."

Pembleton brightens immediately, leaving his petulance behind. As a classically prideful old man, he is apparently easily sated through recognition.

"Indeed! I'm glad someone else sees the value, my dear. I'll start working on it as we go." Stopping a time to retrieve mechanical pieces from his ridiculously over-sized pack, he begins piecing them together.

Been sick, thanks for waiting.

The lad looks over Simon, looks at the door and sighs. "Sod it, it's not like this trip is going well to begin with. We'll find Mister Pimsoil. He's hard to miss."

---

With your target in mind, you head for the top of the deck. The ship continues its trajectory, the Italian coast stretching by on your left as you continue onwards. Vada looks happy at the helm. She calls over her shoulder.

"Ahoy! Learn anything about the pirates?!"

"That's a good lad! We'll just head up to speak with Captain Vadasseri - keep a careful eye on him and send someone to fetch us, yes?"

******

Beaming at the captain, Simon stammers: "Well, we've.. er that is, Miss Eileen here, mostly. That is, we all contrib..."

*ahem* I'll start again - it seems the pirate captain, that rather large brute, was a ... a savant, I suppose. At any rate, she hated Parkes, and was willing to bring the ship down to show him up. But, as it turns out, she changed her mind."

Simons brow furrows: "Now, Pimsoil, there's the real culprit. Man pretends to be a fool but he's really part of some Nighttime Council and they actually did plant a bomb. Probably. At any rate, I've got your man out looking for him, so we'll know soon enough."

That's about as close as Simon is going to get to figure this out - mostly he just wants to crack skulls. Not that he'd ever admit to needing help.

Glancing a bit awkwardly at the others, Eileen adds,

"Saw that Pimsoil poking about the engine room earlier. Anyway, it's best he doesn't know we're on to him - make him think we need his help or sommat, maybe. Seems he - or his gang - are the ones what put the grey lady up to the whole thing, an' she's the one what might've planted the bomb. Only-" Eileen trails off, her brow furrowed as she tries to think things through.

The note indicates there IS a bomb, because it mentions detonation. But why send Prudence? Just to stop us?

"Oh," she adds, suddenly remembering.[b]"An' the bomb is likely somewhere that would insult Parkes' intelligence, bruise his ego. Given the size of it, I dunno how much that narrows things down."

Vada looks at you all incredulously but finally curses. "On one hand I'm wondering what I should believe or what you lot are here for in the first place but so be it, I'll go along with this because you at least seem to have the safety of the ship and crew in mind."

She turns around to bark a few orders at crewmen and get someone ot man the helm. "I'll round up some men and we'll see if we can find Pimsoil and get him to explain what the hell is going on. I knew nobody could be as stupid as he looked. Follow me."

---

After around ten minutes, Vada has gathered four more crewmen who aren't completely useless in a fight. With the lot of you gathered, the men you sent to find Pimsoil report back. Not only is he in the engine room, but he's doing something odd.

The doors to the engine room massive, wooden, and ornate. Steam bellows out from below and it's hard to hear much over the roar of the engines. Vada briefly looks nervous.

"Ah... what are we supposed to find in there?"

The crewman Simon had paid off grimaces. "He was chanting in some weird tongue, ma'am. Real loud-like."

While someone checks to see if the door is unlocked, Simon will draw pistol and rapier - double check that the pistol is properly loaded - and then lower his shoulder: "Right, I'll lead the charge, then."

Simon is prepared to charge into the engine room, whether the door is opened for him or not.

Eileen, while no expert on the occult, has seen enough in her time in the dark alleys of London to be open to the potential danger of unchecked weirdness. She blinks incredulously at the crewman.

"An' you just-" She bites back the rest of her comment, settling for a frustrated hiss through her teeth as she withdraws a scary-looking knife.

Taking Simon's lead, she hastily moves to the door, putting all of her admittedly meager weight behind shoving it open.

"Right, I'll lead the charge, then."

"If you would be so kind as to give him half a foot of doorway," Pembleton replies as he fires up the rail gun with crackling energy, "Palamedes is a little more fleet-footed than the rest of us."

The dog growls lowly, almost pointing towards the door, somehow aware of what Sir Ian's German command will be before it even comes.

At the corner of Eileen's eye, she sees the angry spirit of Theodosia flicker for a moment before vanishing. You all look to each other, somewhat nervously, and fling the doors open.

The engine room is full of billowing steam with the main engines at the opposite sides of the room and several white-hot pillars to either side of you. Seated cross-legged on the opposite side of the engine room is Mister Pimsoil, his eyes closed. He is loudly chanting in a strange tongue.

"Goka ya mgn'ghftephai mgepogor n'ghft l' cahf Y' ahornah mgah'n'ghft frn ephaiah'mgehye nilgh'ri..."

Map is updated.

I'm guessing we're not technically in combat yet, since there's no initiative draw?

As soon as Eileen sees Pimsoil, her eyes widen. Is this like the Headmaster all over again? It's possible that he's just a harmless kook, but given his apparent connections and confidence...

Not wanting to risk it, she impulsively darts forward, showing an uncharacteristic lack of caution as she grabs for any convenient hand-sized tools, bolt, or other debris.

Basically, if there's anything like that - wrenches, small hammers, metal fittings, etc. within arm's reach, she'd try to pick one up. Her aim is to distract/disrupt/stun him, not kill him, so she'd rather avoid knives. Contingent on all of that:

Hefting her prize, she lets fly right at Pimsoil.

Throwing: 1d6 ⇒ 3
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Also, given his eyes are closed and the room is loud, would he qualify as unaware enough for "the drop" to kick in? If so, that's +4 to hit and +4 to...whatever the damage of a random blunt object would be (str+d4, I think?). I know that's a lot of if/then statements. If nothing like that is available, she readies her knife but holds back, giving Simon or Palamedes the opportunity to subdue him rather than risking a throw.

As the doors fly open, the metal claws of Palamedes rip into the flooring. His master finally cuts him loose, sending him directly at Pimsoil.

"PALAMEDES!" the old soldier yells, rushing in behind his hound as he heads for cover. "FASS! FASS!"

Palamedes, Fleet-Footed: 1d10 ⇒ 3

The dog makes it 11 paces, and I've moved Pembleton 6 for cover.

Pembleton stops at the pillar, raises his rail gun, and fires a regular shot at their foe.

Rail Gun, Regular Slug: 1d8 ⇒ 3
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 1

As the doors open, Simon charges straight in ...!
but he gets winded quickly, and as he staggers past Eileen, he raises his pistol to shoot:

Revolver: 1d10 ⇒ 9
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 2
Damage: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (3, 2) + 1 = 6

Moot points, largely. I'm applying a -2 to hit because of the steam obscuring vision.

Eileen finds a stray gear and flings it like a throwing star while Simon and Pembleton decide to take the direct route and try to blast his sodding head off. The gear, rail blast, and bullets all veer away from Pimsoil, whose eyes snap open. He has a strange, faraway look to him.

"I say, are you trying to get us all killed?" He snaps his head back and lets out a horrid, otherworldly gasp before rising to his feet. "This has been a cock-up from the start and you bloody Watchmen have just made it worse. So perhaps I slaughter all of you in the name of my lord, blow this wreck up once I locate the bomb, and perhaps settle for a nice pipe in Casablanca. Still on course, are we Vada?"

Eustace's head snaps back and he rises to his feet. As he does so, a strange black smoke begins swirling around his hands. Vada, standing to the side of the door shouts back "You're a dead man, Eustace!"

Eustace begins to levitate from the ground, and starts chanting. "Uln ya shuggoth ot mgepuaaah uaaahoth!"

The spare parts around the room begin swirling rapidly, and coalesce to form a monstrosity of clockwork! Bipdeal and larger than a man, its eyes flash green as it forms before Simon before bringing down a massive fist, which the sturdy man parries. Sir Eustace Pimsoil shrieks his orders.

"KILL THEM!"

Everyone is up! Big clockwork man is on the map.

Simon's eyes gleam and his mouth widens into an enormous grin: "Haha! Finally! Come along, tin man - let's see what you can do!"

Revolver: 1d10 ⇒ 10
Ace!: 1d10 ⇒ 7
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 4
Damage: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (2, 3) + 1 = 6

Rapier: 1d10 - 2 ⇒ (6) - 2 = 4
Wild: 1d6 - 2 ⇒ (3) - 2 = 1
Damage: 1d6 + 1d4 ⇒ (5) + (1) = 6

I think you should have another d6 on that shooting damage because of the raise.

Also, I'm annoyed! I made sure to post before I left this morning, and the forum didn't keep it. Grr.

Alas.

Anyway, my question there stands: how exactly were we measuring distance again? If each point of movement = 2" tabletop, remind me how that translates to the grid?

To no one apparent to the naked eye, Eileen snarls, "Behave, or I SWEAR I'll throw you in a furnace." Darting past the clockwork monstrosity, she heads for concealment behind a bank of machinery, furiously withdrawing the ring with her free hand and discarding it on the floor.

Oh! Let's hope so, those were terrible rolls :)
Extra dam: 1d6 ⇒ 3

I thought, for convenience, that each grid square equalled one movement, and therefore only moved Simon 5 squares

Eileen, Spiderbeard - I was using 1 grid as 5'. I'll correct if wrong.

Palamedes homes in like a heat-seeking missile... which is probably something a Savant has invented by now.

I don't know if Pimsoil is levitating too high to be bitten by Palamedes, but if he is please assuming Pembleton shouts a redirection in German and use the attack roll below for the metal construct.

Fleet-Footed: 1d10 ⇒ 2
Bite: 1d6 ⇒ 2
Damage: 1d6 + 1d4 ⇒ (2) + (1) = 3

Or not. Anyways he can reach either with his new pace of 10 this round so please move him on the grid.

Pembleton lines up Pimsoil, taking another solid slug shot through the Rail Gun.

Rail Gun: 1d8 ⇒ 2
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 1

Uggh...!

Savage Worlds does this thing where movement is measured in inches on a battlemap rather than in an in-game term. Your pace is six inches, or six squares on the map. In-game one square is uh, six feet I think.

Pimsoil is in melee range and Palamdes can attack him. He's like an inch off the ground being a spooky Victorian wizard.

Simon places what may be the best shot of his life right at the clockwork creature. Gears and other stray bits of debris are blasted off as he puts a hole right through the thing. It is still very much in the fight, but has been rocked back, hard.

Pembleton's shot is confused by the steam and just goes wild unfortunately, but thankfully not into the engine or anything dangerous. Palamedes lunges up at Simon but to little avail.

Eileen's little ring hits the ground, cherry red with heat. As it lands, there's a whooooshing sound in the room. A strange form begins to coalesce over the ring, that of an exquisite, winged spirit with wide, golden rings, while still transparent and hard to concentrate on. She looks exceedingly angry. Vada and the crew scream as it forms before you. Even Pimsoil does a double take.

"TURN THE SHIP BACK!" her voices echoes in all of your minds.

Vada's crewman just start screaming and running. Lottie slips into the room while Vada faces off with the spirit. "I've given up so much to get this ship to Morocco, I'm not going to let some spook change that!"

Vada's gunshot is deafening but goes either past or through the spirit; it's hard to tell. Meanwhile the clockwork creature tries to pound Simon into schnitzel but Simon parries.

Finally Eustace begins swirling his arms around as he chants. A vortex of flying debris forms in front of him.

The spirit from Eileen's ring has joined the fight and is now on the map. She seems to be mad at Vada.

Pembleton has a joker and gets a +2 to trait tests, and can act whenever he wants. The spirit also has a joker, but I'll give Pembleton first action.

This probably doesn't matter much, between the way we're handling initiative and the fact that she's definitely not gonna do better than a Joker, but because of quick, Eileen can't actually get less than a 5. If she does, she just redraws until she gets at least that high.

Queen of Diamonds for Eileen!

Is Palamedes on the map?

Also, is it straight rolls because of the -2 for the steam and the +2 of the Joker?

OH! He's in the vortex! And yes straight rolls for attacks. The +2 applies universally and the fog only harms ranged attacks.

Palamedes must make a strength roll. If he fails, he flies to the end of the arrow on the map and must take an actino to stand.

2d6 ⇒ (2, 6) = 8
1d12 ⇒ 3

Pembleton seeks a new vantage point as he moves around the back of the column. He checks his breath, tightens it in his chest, and aims at Pimsoil.

Rail Gun: 1d8 ⇒ 2
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 6
Ace: 1d6 ⇒ 1
Damage: 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (5, 2) + 2 = 9

Meanwhile, Palamedes tears through the vortex, keeping low and going for the throat of the floating wizard...

Palamedes STR Check: 1d6 ⇒ 2

... but is unfortunately he's not quite fast enough, and goes snarling off to the northeast. He lands with a loud metal CLANGGG!, and his master immediately grimaces.

Right, Pembleton thinks at Pimsoil, firing up the electrical aspect of his Rail Gun and preparing to unleash some of his Savant power. I'll do you for that.