Way of the Wicked - the Fall of Andoran (Inactive)

Game Master increddibelly

the next week or so, winds aren't as favorable as they were up to now. No other problems occur, though. The next event will be as you approach the Star Bay, about 40 miles east of Souston.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19

Oret announces to the group and captain, "We've been spotted." He points behind the boat, to a steam-powered patrol ship.

"What are our options?"

As the captain walks away the tenseness in Talon's muscles waver some. He looks around at the crew's reactions with a dark look that says Get back to work After another moment he turns back to the party "Id say having to pay the money early that we were going to anyways isn't a horrible price, except for the fact he might try to get rid of us if he already has his money"

For the moment Talon stands beside the captain as he ponders their problem "So these 'StarKnights' are like guards of the water? Well we can either kill them all or lie, but I hate to start a fight if we don't know the strength of our opponent" he looks at the captain "I know little of water travel, what possible lies would seem convincing for our prescense of cargo and heading?"

"Lie through our teeth, of course."

Sindran activates his iron circlet by speaking the command word, masking the half-orc's appearance as a high-ranking human Andoran soldier. The circlet itself alters its appearance into an appropriate helmet.

"I'll prepare the documents, we'll operate under the idea that we've contracted a trusted civilian ship for covertly delivering weapons to the Watch Wall. The sailors know nothing, of course. Disguise ourselves as soldiers, I'll assume command."

He starts digging through his backpack, taking out an inkpen and an ink vial. He frowns.

"Tch. I seem to have forgotten the necessary paper. Any of you have some kind of fine paper? Caladwhen, if you would be so kind to aid me. I'm unfamiliar with the region and may need your knowledge to fill in the details."

I seem to have forgotten to get some stationery. Anybody happen to get some? Or some other type of parchment? Otherwise I'll have to rip a page from my blank book.

I've got that Small Book of Military Regulations I've taken a long while ago (and assumedly read) if that will aid me. Specifically:

<source> To forge a document on which the handwriting is not specific to a person, you need only to have seen a similar document before, and you gain a +8 bonus on your check.

Also if that will let me know the protocol for this type of thing? Don't think I have any relevant knowledge ranks though.

May also cast Guidance right before I start forging.

"I know little of water travel, what possible lies would seem convincing for our prescense of cargo and heading?"

The captain seems sincerely worried. "These guys usually come prepared; I expect that boat to be full of men, armed to the teeth, trained soldiers as well. I've never been caught before!"

"What do you know of their rules?"

Talon also takes out his iron circlet, taking the form of a large low-ranked human soldier. He wraps his wings around his torso and puts his shirt and over them to hide them

Oret places his circlet on his head, and wills his appearance to be that of a short, overweight soldier, of similar build to his own, but human. Not having any experience in this, however, he botches the job several times before getting himself presentable.

"DAMNATION"
Kargeld folds his telescope.
"that is The Blade of St. Martius. I counted a dozen men on board and a captain, all armed to the teeth. Well? You thought yourselves so clever? Let's see your ruse then?"

Realize that the Frosthamar and its crew look very suspicious to the patrol ship even from afar. You are a loaded foreign ship headed east.

You still have about ten minutes to come up with something, but here's what happens next:

As soon as the ship gets close enough, the Anodran sailors begin shouting "Heave to in the name of the Supreme Elect!"
Kargeld and his men comply, slowing the ship and awaiting the approach.

The Captain of the patrol ship formally requests permission to come aboard, knowing all too well that there's only one option; this is more a statement, showing everyone who's in control, than a question. He and four armed sailors board the Frosthamar, and after introtudcing himself as Captain Sambryl of the st Martius, he demands to speak to whomever is in charge.

Talon assumes a stern expression, one of a soldier who takes no nonsense when he is on duty. As the Captain of the patrol ship requests to board, Talon gestures to the sailors to let him do so. As he approaches Talon gives the crisp salute he sees guards give, then approaches the man and speaks quietly "Sir, my superiour has requested that he speaks to you in private. There are certain matters that are not to be discussed amongst the crew"

Talon, this really isn't that kind of boat... There's obviously only room for crates in the hold, there are no meeting rooms or sleeping quarters available - the sailors just lie on top of a crate and hope none of the cargo shifts overnight. Your character would definitely know that as well, so I assumed your post was based upon a false assumption and I haven't acted upon it.

The idea of a private meeting is excellent though - we COULD twist it so that you're inviting your superior on their ship.

haha yes i remember we have no private areas on the deck, and you have the intuition I was hoping for. I didn't want to appear like an intelligent soldier, I wanted him to come to the conclusion himself that we need to go on their boat. Then we can see how many soldiers, how well armed, the details on the boat...as well as them not learning much the same about us

:) the problem is - why would he ever grant your request? He IS the law around here. He has no reason whatsoever to indulge in idle chit chat with some random suspicious sailor. He's got far more important (important in his annoyingly lawful good mind, true) things to do. You'll need a very good lie, and your characters have only a couple of minutes to come up with one.

Sindran - You've got that excellent reference of military history. You'll get your +8 bonus on the forgery, if you decide to make one. If Caladwhen descides to Aid Another, you'll get a +10 on your roll. Sounds very doable to me.

Hi all, back from vacation and finally caught up. Over 70 posts since last time I checked! Anyway, do we still have time before the ship is near us? I'm wondering if we could use our iron circlets to look like soldiers? That might be useful with Sindran's forged documents.

i believe about half the party has already done that haha. our idea is that we're delivering weapons to the army, but the soldiers don't know about our cargo. I believe we're waiting on sindran

Welcome back :D There's still a few minutes until they are near, but you can imaging what will happen if, from a distance, they see your outfit suddenly change - so although this is exactly why you were given those things, I recommend picking outfits soon-ish. Still - why would soldiers take a ride on a peasant's ship? oh and don't tell Kargeld I said that...

That was the plan, Aerent. I'm disguising myself as a high-ranking soldier in charge of the ship and will attempt to get them to pass us through and keep it on the hush-hush. If we fail to convince them enough, I'll start burninating their ship (which looks splendidly burnable with that furnace. Maybe I could get it to explode!) and we'll stand by to kill any survivors.

The idea is that we're delivering the weapons covertly to the Watch Wall. We have information that there's been unrest in the barbarian lands to the east and there might be ships or pirates waiting or preying on official military vessels, thus the need for secrecy and hiring a civilian ship to prepare for an invasion. We don't want to warn them that we've caught on to their plan and the high-ranking officers decided to take the opportunity to quell any invaders, thus not stopping or deterring them but instead preparing to face them head-on.

I'll go on with my plan if nobody else pipes up. Adding on a +1 for Guidance and my +5 from Linguistics, it adds up to a very nice +16 for forgery. It's a hidden GM roll so you'll be the one rolling it when appropriate, yes? I'll have to do with what paper I can get. Considering I forgot to buy stationery, I'll have to rely on anyone else providing me with good paper otherwise I'll just use some paper out of my blank book.

Arryn has a nice journal...not sure if she's willing to part with a page though ;) Sindran's story is plausible. You have drawings of officers in your little military handbook to use as guides to prep your disguise. I'd say you're ready.

Ah, didn't see the parts where we were going to disguise ourselves. I'm fine with your plan, Sindran and I've actually got pen and parchment that you can use.

As soon as "The Blade of St. Martius" gets close enough, the Andoran sailors begin shouting "Heave to in the name of the Andoran Republic!"

Kargeld and his men cannot do anything but comply, slowing the ship and awaiting the approach. The brutal stomping of the steam engine on the other is very intimidating to the sailors on the Frosthamar.

From the Blade, a strong wooden plank is placed across the bows of both ships, and a figure with obvious authority places one foot on his side of the plank.

"My name is Captain Sambryl of the Blade of St. Martius. I would have permission to board."
The captain breathes an air of authority, and his not-quite-a-question shows that the captain assumes the permission will be granted, and will extend to the four armed sailors brandishing spears behind him.

you're up :)

I'm going with the idea that Talon did what he said earlier then seeing how the captain will react to that (i.e. telling him that I requested to talk in private). If Talon's okay with that. Does my handy little book tell me what high rank I decided to impersonate?

Sindran, this may help

That is excellent. Thank ya. I'm assuming I'm done forging and it's on my person.

A man wearing a Commodore's uniform steps out from some conveniently placed crates after Talon's introduction. He looks a bit worn and dirtied from sailing but it does little to detract from his commanding presence. "Commodore Lawrence Morgan of the Andoran Naval Fleet," he says, and his gaze rests upon the Captain. "Let us speak on your ship."

Noticing his superior officer - (and not just ANY superior officer - this man has fought countless naval battles against pirates, practically writing the book on naval tactics) - The captain's demeanor instantly changes.

"Yes SIR! May I just say I didn't expect you here, SIR!"
he steps back, extending his arms in welcome...

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21

"Let us hope the enemy doesn't expect me either, Captain Sambryl." Lawrence Morgan nods to his crew and steps aboard the Blade of St. Martius. "Shall we speak in your quarters? My operation demands secrecy so I would appreciate it if you and your crew would pretend to not have seen me or our cargo."

The Commodore strokes a hand along the fine wood of the ship and seems to be pleased. "I have not had the pleasure to personally inspect the Blade of St. Martius. I've heard much about its splendid engine and would appreciate a short personal tour later, Captain."

the Blade of St Martius
As all sailors hear the Commodore's name, they all stand to attention. All except Crewman Jonas, who runs off hurriedly to the Quarterdeck, and points out 6 sailors to come with him to the lower deck - double time!

The captain stands aside and speaks to his crew: "MEN, At ease! Do not act against the Commodore's attire, they are not the enemy."

Meanwhile, the captain beams with pride, and is chatting on about the great honor of receiving Commodore Sindran-nay-Lawrence, as the two enter Captain Edward Sambryl's private chambers in the bow of the Main deck (bottom of picture).

hey, Sindran; is that another title for your chalkboard?

You know, I think it is. *cheers*
Sorry to everyone else as I'm hogging the spotlight at the moment. I've decided on burning the ship down. Perhaps we've agreed upon that?

Commodore Morgan raises a hand to stop Captain Sambryl's chattering and sits down in a chair near the table. He gestures for the man to take the seat opposite to him.

"You may have heard of the unrest of the barbarian tribes in the East. Our information has revealed the possibility of a coming invasion, mostly from the Bugbears under the banner of chieftain Sakkarot Fire-Axe. While we could visibly reinforce the Watch Wall to deter the would-be invaders, we have decided to quell them instead as a show of power. While Andoran believes in freedom and democracy, we well know that other nations think us weak for our belief. We will show them they are wrong."

The Commodore retrieves some papers from his jacket and slips them across the table for the Captain to view. He waits a few moments for the man to look over the documents before continuing on.

"Of course, the Watch Wall is ill-prepared for an invasion of such a size which is why I am delivering a cargo of supplies to them. So you understand the need for secrecy--we want them to attack and think us unprepared when we are more than prepared for them. I've taken a civilian ship to avoid raising suspicion; the civilians know nothing, of course. It's nothing urgent, the invasion doesn't seem to be moving any time soon, but I wanted to personally overlook the matter with trusted crew to avoid any potential information leaks. I know that I can trust you with this matter, Captain Sambryl.

"Now, about that personal tour?"

haha very well done Sindran

After his initial greeting Talon is much the shadow of Sindran. He is a silent, intimidating figure that follows him around and gives long glares at anybody who gets too close to him. In every sense, Talon is attempting to make himself appear the Commodore's bodyguard

Not sure if I need any rolls for that, more for flavor than anything. Tell me if u want some or feel free to roll some yourself DM

very nice Commodore Sindran. Talon is allowed to wait outside the captain's quarters in the hallway, while the 'important men' go inside the quarters to discuss things. There's a small stairwell leading down - which is, judging from the heat, noise and sounds of frantic cleaning, where the engines are.

moments later, a somewhat befuddled cap'n Sambryl opens the door
"You bring dire news commodore. would that I might lighten your mood by showing you around our mighty fine ship. You've seen our main deck, the finest Darkmoon Vale pinewood went into the fine craftmanship (etc whatnot endless boat-talk boring the brains out of poor commodore Lawrence)"

Then, a decidedly sooty-looking crewman Jonas appears and nods curtly. "pardon the interruption, commodore, SIR, cap'n; you'll be happy to know that the tasks have been completed, SIR." before saluting and running off, back to the quarterdeck outside.

"excellent. then finally, let us move towards the pride and joy of our nation's navy; our engine room!"
And the good captain leads the way downstairs, Sindran and Talon following right behind, into the engine room...

meanwhile, back on the main deck;
"Jonas?"
"hmmm?"
"I been thinkin', yeah? - isn't that co-mo-door-guy the same co-mo-door-guy that what sent us on our way this mornin', way back in Triela harbor...? 'e's lookin' awfully similar, except 'e's comin' from the wrong way, an' 'e must have grew a foot during the day?"
"...Leroy?"
sense motive vs vastly superior officer and suggestion coming from stupidest co-worker: 1d20 + 1 - 10 ⇒ (10) + 1 - 10 = 1
"yeah, Jonas?"
"Don't hurt yourself with that big brain o' yours, okay?"
"..."

Kargeld is getting restless. He is far too close to far too many soldiers with far too many crossbows ready to be aimed at far too many pieces of contraband in the hold of his trusty Frosthamar.

Captain Odenkirk edges towards Aerent and Caladwhen, anxiously whispering: "this is taking way too long! they've been caught! We should do something! We HAVE to get the hell out of here!"

When they go in the room and the Captain asks for privacy, Talon looks at Sindran for his approval before nodding and waiting outside.

As Jonas passes his message Talon makes a mental note about these 'tasks'.

Continuing to follow around the Commodore and the Captain, Talon remains much the dull, imposing bodyguard. As they make their way downstairs in the dark, Talon's darkvision lights up the corners of the room and he gives the slightest smile, knowing Sindran is also at an advantage in the dark. He gives Sindran a look, then flicks his eyes towards the captain as if saying We could

Sindran gives the briefest shake of the head. Not yet.

Commodore Lawrence follows Captain Sambryl down into the engine room and nods at the appropriate times when the captain yammers on about his ship. He only listens intently when he starts speaking about the engines.

He makes a show of inspecting the engines, making approving noises. "Very lovely. The engineers have really outdid themselves. I understand that the Blade of St. Marius is the fastest ship in these waters?"

It's a rhetorical question and the commodore straightens up from where he was leaning. "These are powered by a furnace, correct? I would like to view what powers these marvelous engines."

Haha, I loved that conversation tidbit with the two sailors.

Sorry I have family in from across the states that don't get to see often, will try to post

-Disguise-
(I assume I am all disguised and such already, no worries, here's a quick description though)

Arryn did a fair disguise, and when you think of it, it reminds you of Ron. She is wearing a helmet, and picked some baggy clothes as to seem more just there in the background.

-Kargeld-

In response to Kargeld starting to lose it, Arryn will stare him in the eyes and say, matter-o'-factly and somewhat sternly "Kargeld, now don't you think that if anything wrong had happened to our commodore, there would be some kind of commotion to let us know we have to get in there to save his @$$?"

Oret, realizing that his gravelly voice would likely give him away, merely stands near the captain, subtly catches his attention, and shakes his head.

ew, you lot are scary!
Kargeld's mind is only marginally quicker than Leroy's, but Arryn's message seems to find its way in. He cools down somewhat.

map, repost

"ah, commodore! You know I saved the best for last. Have you ever heard the name Marquis Claude de Jouffroy? The crazy but brilliant calculist from Absalom? He is the genius responsible for the creation of these twin magnificent machines! Let me point out to you the yahda yahda"

significantly more boredom ensues, as you reach the bottom level of the ship, the cargo hold, where you end up standing before the magnificent(well, according to some), and infernally hot (according to you), furnace of the left engine. No one else is here, the captain wants to demonstrate his ship by himself and not share this moment of glory with his crew - such is the privilege of rank, is it not?

"hence the need for such masterwork as these copper pressure vents. Now, if you'd kindly step over here and look up, you'll no doubt notice these yimmer yammer yip yap"

you know - he does go on a bit, doesn't he? And he will, if you keep standing there all fascinated-like.

The Commodore looks at Talon and nods before stepping up to the furnace and moving to open it, ignoring any protests.

Once the furnace is wide open, the Commodore slings his arms around the Captain's shoulders. "Now, Captain, have you taken a closer look at the furnace? No?" He drags them to the front of the furnace. "Well, if you haven't, then you're about to."

The Commodore pushes the Captain straight into the furnace.

Not sure if the furnace is wide enough to admit his whole body. If it can at least admit his head, I will push him in headfirst.

With the two of you pushing, and captain Edward Sambryl being very much distracted and flat footed - let's not roll grapples. It wouldn't be funny if the dice were against us.

"hey - what the - HEY! HEEYY! WAAAAAARG *sizzle* "

the engine room now seriously reeks of bacon.

The Captain's last words echo through the chimney, right where Jonas, Ricky and Leroy are watching the Frosthamar.

Jonas, perception DC15: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
Leroy, perception DC15: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14
Ricky, perception DC15: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

L "huh?"
J "now what, Leroy...?"
R "yeah, now what"
(ensign Ricky mostly seems happy that his superior isn't angry with him for a change.)
L "...I...I could've sworn..."
J "well? could you or couldn't you, which is it?"
R (sycophantic snicker)
L "Look fellas, I'm the only on'o'us payin' any attenchen, just as my uncle Ron taught me as a lad, but I guess I heard the Captain yell fer help jus' now."
J "oh Leroy...haven't you heard yet? Your uncle Ron was arrested. The daft git murdered the entire crew at Branderscar and he let five dangerous death row criminals escape! There's just no way anything he tought you could do you any good...Now shut it and guard that skiff over there"
R "yeah!"
J "Ricky, dammit, you're getting on my nerves. Go check out if everything's ok in the engine room."
R "!!! b...but"
J "BUT you'd like to bring me a drink first? awwwwwwww how awfully kind of you, ensign Ricky. Now move!"

If you missed the perception checks, you'd better hope to beat Ensign Ricky's initiative: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21

Well, I guess we found out what happened to Ron! Really enjoying those skits. :P

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19
Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13
Initiative: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

Sindran inhales the smell of roasting human flesh--the aroma of charcoal and roast pork, a hint of a coppery tinge and a sweet, musky undertone. Nothing quite like it. He grins. Delicious.

"Talon," Sindran starts but pauses when he hears boots heading downward. "Disguise yourself as the Captain. Quickly."

Sindran closes the furnace and faces the door, waiting for it to open.

When it does, the Commodore quirks an eyebrow at the man. "Is there a problem, sailor? No? Then get back up, you're interrupting my tour."

He pauses, seemingly rethinking something.

"On second thought, while you're here, would you show me what precautions you've taken to ensure the engines don't overheat? Is there some sort of pressure valve that shouldn't be turned or a temperature the furnace shouldn't exceed? For the inspection, of course. I want to know if the crew is up to par with handling such fine engines."

The Commodore gives a small smile at the Captain before looking back at the ensign. "Well?"

Disguised as an attache to the Commodore, a tall slim human woman with a very clean cut uniform and perfectly reserved haircut, Cala stays back on the ship with Captain Kargeld.

Noticing his discomfort, she does her best to try and calm him down. In a whispered voice she looks him plainly in the eyes "Captain, fear not. My companions have everything in order. I expect we'll be on our way very shortly."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15

Figured since everything is under control by Sindran and Talon, I'll just hold back until needed and keep the Captain calm. Don't know if the diplomacy roll is necessary, but there it is in any event.

oh man! that's classic!

ensign Ricky is taken abash by your brisk request and, without thinking, disciplined as he is, points a shaky finger at the large brass valves with gauges next to them. The valves are on pipes leading from the furnace to great exhaust pipes. There's one on each kettle.
"sir? th..those? Those gauges shouldn't go into the red, S..sir! We're supposed to turn the wheel all the way left if they do, sir!"

Then, he seems to notice something is off,
sense motive vs vastly superior officer: 1d20 + 0 - 5 ⇒ (6) + 0 - 5 = 1
"naaaaaaaaaaah, silly me!"

insanely funny how they keep fumbling. I'm honestly not fudging this - don't think I could fudge the dice here if I wanted :)

Just as you've managed to cool Kargeld's head, one of the chimneys bellows out two or three puffs of thick, black smoke.

Kargeld, eyes bulging, notices it as well. He hisses through his teeth:
"smoke...I see black smoke, I'm telling you there's smoke this isn't right! I reaaaally want to get out of here. Boogger this, I'm giving them 2 more minutes and then I sail my Hamar away from here!"

Haha, I'm finding it much fun. Also, hope you guys will be able to convince Kargeld to stay a while longer otherwise me and Talon will be stuck on a burning ship. And here's some cinematic music: Thrice - Burn the Fleet

The Commodore nods. "Very good. That will be all. Return to your post, sailor." He dismisses the ensign with a wave of his hand and looks back at the Captain.

Sindran waits until the footsteps from the ensign fade away before speaking again. "Talon, you should get above deck. Things are about to get very hot." Sindran gives a vicious grin, menacing on the Commodore's face. "Wait a few minutes then order one of the sailors to fetch the Commodore back to his ship, then get on the ship and wait for me. Don't give them time to ask questions."

In no particular hurry, Sindran starts turning each valve all the way to the right.

"Though do me a favor and break these valves first. Wouldn't do for them to be able to fix this."

As Sindran nods, Talon inclines his head and nonchalantly moves his way between the Captain and the furnace. As he helps Sindran push him in the screams almost relax Talon "That was...possibly...the most annoying human I have ever met" As the footsteps are heard he nods to Sindran, and with a twist of the ring takes the appearance of the captain. "Oh the irony, I could do so much" he grins.

Talon takes out his longsword, which seems to reflect the burning flesh more brightly than steel should. He gives some hefty swings to break the valves, then casually looks around and nods to Sindran. He heads above deck.

Above deck he breaths the calm sea air deeply for a moment, then with a smile heads towards the helm and looks out. I wonder how this ship will look from afar alight. Afar alight, I'm quite the poet he chuckles, and after a few minutes turns on his heel and barks out to the nearest crew member. "You! Go fetch the Commodore and bring him back to his ship, tell him I am there and waiting for him. Well hurry, he wants to be off soon and I have no intent to upset him, do you?" Ignoring any protests or questions from the man, Talon waves him off and makes his way back to his own ship. As he approaches Kargeld and the party he twists his ring, and changes just his eyes back to that of his own. He gets close enough so they can see and winks, then twists the ring again so his eyes are that of the Captain's once more "Well it seems all is in order! The Commodore was still inspections the engine room when I left, but he mentioned wanting to be off soon so I am finishing up. As soon as he gets back you should be off quickly" Then with a flourish and a smile he turns and barks to any soldiers on Kargeld's ship "We are off soon, return to the ship! I will be there shortly"

with a diabolical squeal, the pressure release valves fully close. The gauge rises with jolts, steam flowing through the engine, with nowhere to go but into the pressure chamber. Yeah, the heat quickly becomes oppressive, and every now and then, the machines ever-so-slightly shake.

as Ricky makes it back up to the Quarterdeck where Jonas and Leroy are watching the smoke from the chimneys getting visibly thicker by the minute.
"Back! The commodore and the captain are really enjoying the ship!"

As Jonas stares at the smoke, he says: "hm. you don't say...Well, I hope they're done playing soon. We've got pirates to hunt while they play around with Andoran's taxpayers' money."

Sindran, wanna do the honors of finishing up this chapter?