ZEITGEIST (Inactive)

Game Master Whack-a-Rogue

Ellena cuts off the Captain mid-technobabble. "Stop. I have no idea what you're saying, much less how to do it. The crew is on deck - where's the master-gunner, or whoever normally calibrates the thing? And signal the other ships to sail out of the way, just in case."

Last round's actions
Alice: finish breaking boiler pipe
Azaghal: toss fire ward into boiler (Alice destroyed it, so I guessed what you'd do)
Corynne: escort prisoner topside (will reach Main Deck 4rds from now)
Ellena/Jebediah: at the Brand control center
Miselle: running topside (will reach Main Deck 2rds from now)

Luckshore is already running for the ladder as Alice's touch causes the damaged pipe to crumble to dust. As searing steam begins to fill the room, Azaghal throws his fire ward inside, where it instantly attempts to contain the heat. It's substantial protection won't last long (it's already starting to melt), but there should be sufficient time to leave the area before it's consumed.

Corynne's able to ascertain that her prisoner is fairly injured, and a solid blow to the head should incapacitate him for some time. (he has 6 HP)

Up on the Main Deck, people continue to board the lifeboats as the Captain barks a few orders into the communication tubes. "It'll take a few minutes for our escorts to clear the area, but I've sent for the master-gunner. How much time do we have?" (master-gunner will be here in 2rds)

Round 18 (-5)
Engine Deck is rapidly filling with smoke. Everyone still there now has 20% concealment. Next round, it increases to 50% concealment, and everything takes 1pt fire damage.

"I have no idea. The chief-engineer was headed below, he may know."

"You must truly believe in your cause to remain so stoic given what you face for your actions." Corynne says conversationally as she proceeds with the man walking ahead of her. Keeping the conversational tone, she draws her mace and swiftly brings it swinging up in a glancing blow to the head, seeking to knock the prisoner out.

Bluff as a distraction: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
Attack(non lethal): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14
1d6 ⇒ 5

Out of breath, Jeb comes in on the end of the conversation with the Captain.

"I understood some of that. As I understand you...<Insert Technobabble here>...is that correct?"

Okay, rolling knowledge (engineering)

knowledge, engineering: 1d20 + 8 + 1d6 ⇒ (16) + 8 + (5) = 29 That might have done it, lol.

Recalling a lecture on Engineering systems and some of the models he had built over the years, Jeb found it easy to familiarise himself with the control board.

Az got one. There were three, might buy us some more time.

"I'm getting some more wards" she says, hurrying towards the ladder. "Use this if you need to break metal" she adds, dropping the rusting antenna on the floor near the boiler. "Luckshore, bloody hells, any brilliant ideas?"

Getting two wards should take me four rounds if I remember correctly, don't know if that includes this one. Shoveling some firegems out might be an idea, but we'll need the heat protection to stand in front of the boiler.

Miselle kept going. There really wasn't much else to do. She was just thankful she was in better shape than many of her family, but even so she was breathing hard.

Feeling that he's done all he can do here, Az sprints as fast as he can to see if he can help figure out how to shunt the excess energy into the Brand.

That seems like the best course of action to me but I'm definitely open to suggestions.

-Posted with Wayfinder

Last round's actions
Alice: retrieving fire wards (you can be back in the boiler room with two wards four rounds from now)
Azaghal: running topside (will arrive 5rds from now)
Corynne: attacking uncooperative prisoner (will reach Main Deck 4rds from now)
Ellena/Jebediah: at the Brand control center (one success)
Miselle: running topside (will reach Main Deck end of next round)

@Alice: "Uh, maybe clearing out the fire gems? We have long-handled shovels, but the boiler looked stuffed to overflowing, and I don't know how much time we have left."

@Corynne: "Owww! What the absolute f*@@ was that for!" (he's down to 1hp)

@Jebediah: You've been following the construction of the Coaltongue with great interest and had even listened to a lecture about the construction of the Brand. Deciphering the control board and aiming at an unoccupied bit of ocean was practically child's play. Now you just had to figure out how to contain the excess magical energy and avoid drawing the attention of any nearby fey.

Round 19 (-5)
Engine Deck is rapidly filling with smoke. Everyone still there now has 50% concealment, and everything takes 1pt fire damage.

"How can I help?"

Aid Another Kn.: Arcana: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20

Once more unto the breach

"We need to control the flow of excess arcane energy..."

knowledge (Arcana): 1d20 + 8 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ (13) + 8 + 2 + (5) = 28 +2 from Ellena (thanks)

"Captain, I understand the Board and have figured out how to control the excess energy, but I have no idea how to placate the Fey Titans. Who's your best available man?"

Puffing away rhythmically, Miselle kept her pace up.

Getting winded... But I've been through worse. Rest when you're dead, Kildare! "Alright, I'll grab one fire ward, you get the other -huff- then let's go save this *$&%# of a ship! Stars and Victory!"

"Being a terrorist, trying to kill innocents....but mostly....wasting my time." Corynne says as she throws a punch that connects quite satisfyingly with the man's jaw. As he crumples to the floor she races off in the direction of the Brand on the off chance she can make a difference.

1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16
Nonlethal: 1d3 ⇒ 3

Az continues his dash for the top deck, moving as fast as he can.

Full-round run.

Last round's actions
Alice: retrieving fire wards (you can be back in the boiler room with two wards 2rds from now)
Azaghal: running topside (will arrive 4rds from now)
Corynne: attacking uncooperative prisoner (will reach Main Deck 4rds from now)
Ellena/Jebediah: at the Brand control center (two successes)
Miselle: arriving at Main Deck

Corynne knocks her prisoner unconscious with a heavy blow. Jebediah's question is answered a moment later by a panting technician. "I am. Master Gunner Yensin, at your service. What's our status?"

Round 20 (-5)
Engine Deck is rapidly filling with smoke. Everyone still there now has 50% concealment, and everything takes 1pt fire damage.

Run run run!

Ellena was getting just a little tired of repeating this bit. "The engines have been sabotaged and we need to vent pressure. We're firing the Brand. They've been doing... things... to calibrate it, but we still need to appease the fey. No, I don't know how long we have."

Miselle, nearing her goal, raced towards the Brand Firing system.
Do I need to spend this round moving, or do I get an action? If so...

Panting and puffing, Miselle attempted to configure the mechanical poritons of the Brand.
Knowledge (Engineering): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18

More politely, Jebediah adds,
"I'm familiar with the board and understand how to control the excess Arcane energy, but I have no idea how to placate the Fey Titans. Can you help us, sir?"

Corynne continues her flat out run towards the main deck, expecting to feel the shockwave of an explosion at any moment.

Last round's actions
Alice: retrieving fire wards (you can be back in the boiler room with two wards the end of next round)
Azaghal: running topside (will arrive 3rds from now)
Corynne: heading topside (will reach Main Deck 3rds from now)
Ellena/Jebediah/Miselle: at the Brand control center (two successes)

@Control Center: "Normally, we wouldn't have to worry about that, but from what I've been told about what happened to His Majesty, there's been some fey interference. If 'She Who Writhes' has truly awakened, we'd already be dead, so I don't think we need to do any appeasement. However, it would be beneficial to create some sort of distraction away from the Brand to draw the attention of any troublemakers. Something loud, flashy, or technological should do it."

Round 21 (-5)
Engine Deck is rapidly filling with smoke. Everyone still there now has 50% concealment, and everything takes 1pt fire damage.

The Know(nature) check is no longer necessary. Instead, you can attempt to fire the Brand now (risking possible complications) or create some sort of distraction. If you choose the latter option, there's no defined skill check - get creative, and you'll find out how effective it is. :-)

Miselle considered. "Can we get in touch with the escort ships? If we have all of them fire off their own guns at the same time we fire, it should create quite the show." The Machinesmith grinned. "Maybe we can pass the whole thing off as part of the show, if anyone asks."

One ward to protect me, one to slow the fire, or to protect another shoveler. Steady, Alice.

Keeping the run. Is Luckshore still with me?

Miselle considered. "Can we get in touch with the escort ships? If we have all of them fire off their own guns at the same time we fire, it should create quite the show." The Machinesmith grinned. "Maybe we can pass the whole thing off as part of the show, if anyone asks."

"Coordinating that will take time we may not have... is the band still on deck?"

@Alice/Ellena: Yes

Two more rounds and I'll be on deck!

Just keep running, just keep running

racking his brains for inspiration, Jeb suddenly has an idea,

"Do we have any kind of signal rocket? something loud and flashy that could be fired off as a distraction? It could even be passed off as part of the show!"

There. That proves I read the discussion tabs, lol.

Last round's actions
Alice: retrieving fire wards (you and Luckshore have reached the Engine Room and can act normally)
Azaghal/Corynne: running topside (will arrive 2rds from now)
Ellena/Jebediah/Miselle: at the Brand control center (two successes)

@Control Center: "There was supposed to be a gun salute at the conclusion of His Majesty's speech. Our cannons are loaded with blanks for that purpose, but the crewmen are assisting with the evacuation process. We do have emergency flares on board. One's here, and the rest are stored below."

Round 22 (-5)
Engine Deck is full of smoke. Everything there is under the effects of obscuring mist and takes 1pt fire damage each round.

Through the ward's protection, the heat of the Engine Deck is a gentle warmth on Alice's skin. Heading towards the furnace, she gets to one of the shovels that the treacherous technicians were using, kicking it in the air and grabbing it like a sword.
"Get a shovel and put your back into it: if you think stuff's about to blow up, throw your ward in the fire and get out; and if we survive, I expect you to buy me a drink."
She chuckles lightly approaching the roaring fire.

"The flares will have to do. See if anyone else has a bow, crossbow or gun too. Not as impressive as cannons, but flaming arrows and shot are better than nothing." Miselle shrugged.

Corynne continues running for all she's worth.

More running... "Where below?

"Very well, Captain. This is your ship, so if you would give the command. We are on stand by, Sir."

Az huffs and puffs, finally getting near the top deck and glad for it!

-Posted with Wayfinder

It takes less than a minute for the orders to be sent out. Then, as your signal flare reaches the peak of its flight, all eight escort ships fire a salute. Then, the Coaltongue's captain pulls a lever, and the Brand vaporizes a large mass of ocean in a spectacular display. There's a long moment of silence, but then a welcome sound reaches your ears - applause.

@Alice: The Engine Deck remains a mess of smoke and scattered firegems, but the sounds of rushing steam and the shriek of an overloaded boiler has died down. The enormous surge of power from the Brand's firing has vented most of the excess pressure, and the immediate danger has passed. The tiefling Massarde assures you that he and his men will be able to undo the sabotage within a couple hours.

I did some handwaving as, once you settled on the plan, there was no way you'd run out of time. Nice work, everyone. :-)

"Did it work?"

From the lower decks comes out something resembling Alice.
Her face is blackened by soot, her hands are blistered and part of her hair is burned. She's wearing her shirt, a tattered, bloodied and burned rag that was once her frock coat on her arm, but she's smiling broadly as she crashes on a seat.
"Bloody good work, everyone. The tiefling says they'll get the ship back into shape in a couple of hours. Great idea, Princess. Spooky, there's a couple fresh corpses downstairs if you want to do your thing."
She fishes a cigarette from the former coat and lights it.

Flashing Alice a congratulatory grin, Corynne nods, heading back belowdecks to interrogate the recently departed terrorists.

I can do this twice per day. Once with the Unfinished business feat and the second time using Voice of the Grave

@Corynne: you'll get a total of two questions. Potential targets are the technician and the handmaiden.

Azaghal reaches the top deck just in time to see the Brand fire off, to spectacular effect! The rifleman stands in stunned silence for a few seconds, thankful that no one else is around to see what he is certain would be a tear in the corner of his eye at the beauty of the weapon's discharge.

Quick as he can after his moment of reverence, he looks for the others, an expression of stunned amazement still on his face. "I am glad I was on deck to see this display! By thunder, I would not be wanting to be in that thing's way when it got fired off!"

Jeb breathes a sigh of relief as he hears that everything was under control.

"Yes, very well done Ellena. A truly inspired piece of thinking."

Ellena breaths out a sigh of relief and sits down heavily. "I'm still not entirely sure what you did to make it work, but it did." She looks up at the more experienced members. "What do we do now? Get back to shore?"

"Protect the King," Miselle replied instantly. "I do not know if this was mostly a protest against the ship and the technology she represents, but it cannot be denied they knew the king was aboard the Coaltoungue when they decided to destroy her. It may have been part of a plot to put another on the throne. Until we return to shore, we should focus on his Majesties safety unless other orders arrive." Wiping her brow with a hankerchief, Miselle accidently cleaned some of the soot and grime from her forehead.

Well, who'd have said a day would come when I'd agree with Miss Danor?
Puffing a small cloud of smoke, Alice speaks in the most relaxed tone you've ever heard her use.

"Yes, she's right. I don't think there'll be any more threats however, we have all who fought against us dead or in custody, and any other assassin would have struck now, during evacuation. Not to mention the fact that Principal Minister Lee and all the guards are on alert now.
So, seeing as things look under control, I'll try to clean myself up and come back for the end of the party and the King's speech, if he's still holding it. Shout for me if there's trouble." I hope they have a spare clean shirt.

She heads downstairs, not before making a quick detour to the banquet tables and snatching a handful of cream puffs. Earned these.

"Aye, is good plan. Also we have prisoners to interrogate! I am hopeful they will have some worthwhile things to tell."

After the smoke has clears, Corynne heads below, leading a couple officers to retrieve the unconscious prisoner. Continuing on alone, knowing that most of her companions found this aspect of her power unsettling, she stops at the point where the handmaiden gave up her last breath.

Gripping her pendant with one hand, she crouches to touch the ground, reaching her senses out to the Great Beyond. A fog coalesces in the air around her as the temperature rapidly drops, interacting t=with the previous heat and steam, a faint howling, like that of lost souls from far away, echoes through the room as a pulsing blue circle of light begins to manifest on the ground, odd, otherworldly sigils marking the place of ritual, as the young ghost whisperer calls to one who was not quite yet beyond her reach.

In a few moments she was there, the spirit of the Duchess’ handmaiden, bare of all pretense, her spirit appearing naked and more than a little confused. ”Death is no escape from us, “ Corynne says quietly, getting the traitor’s attention. ”Who is the Duchess working with or for?”

DC 16 Will save to resist

@Corynne:"Loyal patriots" You have one more question
-------------------------------------
Once the hubbub from the Brand's firing subsides, King Aodhan gives his speech from the deck of the Coaltongue. Voice magically amplified, he speaks for about five minutes. First, he recounts the various trials Risur has faced to defend itself from Danor through four wars that ultimately earned either side very little. "For centuries, our people have viewed them as cursed and unnatural, while they claim we are superstitious and primitive." Ironically, their latest efforts to arm for war have instead brought the two nations closer together thanks to Danor technology and Risuran enterprise. "This mighty vessel is but one of the fruits of these efforts."

His Majesty hopes that his future successor (whoever that may be) will not have to lose any more young men and women to another pointless war. "And so, even though I first started this arms race, I intend to seek peace with our old, respected enemy, the sovereign of Danor." In one year's time, he will convene a peace summit here in Flint, and to seal the proposed treaty, he intends to marry a Danoran. "This union will join fast our two nations in bonds of love and usher in a new era of prosperity and achievement."

Afterward, your injuries are treated (heal back to full HP) and you're asked to give an accounting of events to Minister Lee.