"No, that's fine, thank you." The Elf shook her head. "I'm sure we can find our way back, and if we have an issue we can ask a crewman."
"As you wish." Hime said, nodding slightly and stepping around the corner and out of sight... where she promptly paused for just a few moments to listen to what the elf did. She still wasn't sure why the Principal Minister had looked their way... but it was better to be too careful than not careful enough.
You heard the door unlock, and the Elf murmured, "Madam, I think we may want to move things along..."
That... wasn't a suspicious statement all by itself. What was the halfling doing, though? That was a little less clear... and she used one finger to draw a rune on her other palm, which pulsed faintly as she prepared to activate it.
After a few moments, the door opens again and the Elf and Hafling depart, heading down the other corridor. You hear a faint splash from the Duchess' room.
Well, that was suspicious as hell. Taking care to move quietly, Hime moved after the elf and the halfling. She was worried about that splash, but the odds that the elf had done something to the duchess seemed low at best... not when she was a known associate and had spoken with an officer of the law moments before, which pretty much annihilated any alibi. Not with that verbal statement, either. No, her gut was telling her these two were planning something. Too many things weren't adding up here...
You manage to sneak up behind the pair, thanks to the Halfling's shorter stride, without being seen. You can get the on them, if you like.
Her attack was... well, 'sudden' was probably a good way of putting it. From behind the elven woman, Hime abruptly lashed out with both hands in a double strike designed to take down a target as quickly as possible - without actually hurting them too much. It was actually one of her preferred moves in combat - sadly, the focus it took to unleash meant she couldn't just do it over and over, but hopefully it would be enough to bring the elf down so she could handle her companion as well. She'd been in her Pugilist Stance since quite some time ago, just in case something like this came up.
for
The blow pummels the Elven woman into unconsciousness and then some. She collapses in a heap without the chance to make a sound. Her companion turned, wide-eyed and surprised by the turn of events, and downed a potion to vanish from sight.
Without hesitating, Hime brought her leg up in a snap-kick aimed at the potion bottle.
for
"Attempting to flee will only make this worse." she warned him. "Surrender now and you will be treated much better."
The potion goes flying, and the Halfling swears, drawing a bag of some kind from his pouch.
As he drew the pouch, Hime slammed her foot back on the ground to regain her stance properly, then pushed off with her left foot into a jabbing elbow strike supported by a push from her other arm. The Pommel Bash was named for the way some people made surprise attacks with the bottom of their weapons, rather than the normally-dangerous part... and it was usually enough to throw off people's guards, since they tended to expect punches and kicks. She'd given him an opportunity to surrender... and intended to teach him why refusing the commands of an officer of the RHC was a bad idea.
for
The Halfling staggered, his head snapping to the side as he took the blow, but managed to hurl the bag at Hime...which came apart in the air, revealing the stick contents of a Tanglefoot bag.
The gunk catches Hime and threatens to glue her down as the Halfling turned and ran.
Nobody needed to be carrying something like that onboard the ship, and Hime's suspicions had just gone from a stable suspicion to a full-blown alert.
She exhaled slightly, then forced all of her limbs to move just a few inches from where they'd started. The goop shattered under the sudden force she exerted against it, and she darted after the halfling to close up the range again. Unfortunately, the lingering goo still slowed her down a bit...
Chasing the Halfling was difficult, given the headstart and the remainging goop...which seemed to be the point. However, the shorter legs of the Halfling meant that he couldn't escape entirely. The Halfling runs to the boiler room, shouting "Incoming!" as he does. Upon entering, two of the Engineers from earlier look up from stuffing firegems into the furnace. Too many firegems - you can seal the dials are already redlining, and a whistle of steam is escaping the piping.
They're planning on destroying the ship.
Thankfully, at this point the Tanglefoot has turned brittle and is crumbling off, and you have the drop on the two engineers despite the warning of the Halfling.
The Halfling, despite the bruise on the side of his head, turned and thrust a short sword towards Hime.
Despite her best efforts, the blade managed to nick her - and having refreshed her attacks on the way, Hime lashed out with a quick blow intended to stagger him and help stop him from making any more trouble for her. If she was lucky enough, maybe it would actually put him down for the count... And once he was, she could focus on the engineers and reverse this mess. The King was onboard.
for
The blow rendered the Halfling unconscious. He'd been close to it before the blow, and it easily knocked him into the world of dreams.
The two engineers, carrying the shovels still glowing from the furnace, moved closer and attempted to knock Hime to the floor...or simply bludgeon her to death.
Both of the saboteurs managed to land blows on her, and she stepped around to the side before jabbing out with both hands, aiming to take one of them down as quickly as possible. After that, she'd just have to try and endure the other's attack somehow... and she could put this matter to rest. It was risky, but if she didn't risk it, things would get a whole lot worse.
for
The blow easily knocked out the fake Engineer. The other one looked over, and tried to swing and finish off Hime.
Hime ducked the blow - not without a sense of heartfelt thanks to anyone who might have been watching over her - and retaliated with a quick elbow strike the moment she saw an opening. Hopefully that would be enough to drop him, as well, so she could focus on putting out the engine... because the sooner that happened, the better.
for
The blow knocks out the fake engineer, dropping him to the floor with the others.
Flooding the boiler would shut down the building reaction, although it would literally have to be a flood - enough to flood the whole room. You remember from your tour that there are two release valves that will help with the situation, but not remedy it at this point, and there should be an alarm sounding...although the only thing you can hear is the noise of the band above. And both options will take time.
Another possibility is to destroy the boiler. Firedust from the arsenal, poured into the boiler, would certainly do the job, although it would also be quite harmful to whoever loads the boiler. Using more carefully placed casks of the explosive could also do the job, cracking the boiler to release the pressure. Either option will flood the room, either with steam or molten slag from the boiler, but at this point it's not a question of saving the boiler and furnace, but the ship as a whole.
Replacing the boiler would be an issue... but one she could handle. Hime darted out of the engine room, healing herself as she went-
-and otherwise running towards the arsenal of firedust as fast as she could. Hopefully there'd still be people there that could help...
The guard is missing when you arrive, but you find her inside - bleeding, critically wounded and bleeding but still breathing.
You also find the fireward has been taken - if the boiler explodes the arsenal will go up too, ripping the ship apart. There will be no survivors on board.
You can carry two kegs of firedust back to the boiler easily enough. Three or four is possible, but will be slower.
Without hesitating, Hime slammed a burst of healing energy into the guard's chest. It had been a pretty good shot - hopefully enough to help keep her alive. She didn't like what the guard being injured implied... but even if there were other saboteurs on the ship, the boiler had to be their first priority, and if they could reach the King or any of the truly important guests, they wouldn't have bothered with a plan that could be uncovered this way.
"Get up and move now." Hime barked at the guard as she moved over to the kegs of firedust, grabbing two. "I'm Constable Hime, RHC - the boiler's been sabotaged, and we have to shut it down by force now, or everyone is going to die. Grab what firedust you can carry and follow me!" Without waiting for an answer, she began moving back towards the boiler as fast as she could.
The guard looks confused and disorientated upon waking, gasping as she reaches for where the wound was, and blinking for a moment before her training kicks in and she follows orders, wincing as she got up and lifted the barrels before following.
Any doubt in her mind was removed as soon as she saw the boiler, already starting to glow a worrying red colour. She looks over at Hime, waiting for orders.
With a sharp movement, Hime opened the first cask of firedust. "Get those others open in case we need them, but stay back - there's about to be a lot of steam!" Hime said as she lurched forward and moved to start pouring firedust into the boiler. If she'd had more time, she could have arranged for something fancier... but this would have to do.
The firedust sizzles for a moment before exploding with ferocious force. There was neither the time nor the opportunity to get out of the way.
On the plus side, the force of the blast knocked Hime far enough back before the now ruined boiler spilled it's super heated content to the floor in a molten stream hot enough to warp the metal of the deck plates with a hideous creak. The gauges all began to drop down, however, as the pressure dropped dramatically.
Hime winced as she looked down at her clothes, which had been thoroughly ruined by this point. She didn't wear a whole lot to begin with, given the subtropical climate of the area, but what she did have hadn't been made for stuff like this. "Okay... help me get these three tied up - they're perpetrators." she said. "Then we need to get some of the engineers down here to get this mess under control. I need to go find the Duchess' elf companion. Have one of the engineers fetch more security, and get back to your post after, just in case." After making sure the woman understood and the three criminals here wouldn't be able to escape, Hime moved off to go find the elf (who ought to still be unconscious after the beating she'd been given), search her, and tie her up. It was time for some... firm questioning.
The guard- Divianne - nodded, finding some rope to tie them up
The Duchesses Elf companion - Sokana, according to the identification she carried - carried several things of interest on her person. An elemental gem of fire, an item that would have cause great issues if it had been added to the boiler. A scroll of summoning. And a rusting antenna, a device made from a Rust Monsters antenna designed to rust metal devices into uselessness.
Her unconscious form was easy enough to tie up.
When Hime had removed everything potentially dangerous from Sokana, she firmly tied the woman up before hitting her with a bolt of invigorating energy - not a full heal, just the temporary little boost she could provide others without actually expending much energy. Hopefully that would be enough to wake her up. And if it wasn't? Well, a few slaps across the face might work...
Waking up with a start, Sokana tried to raise, and failed when she found herself bound. "What is the meaning of this? Where is the Duchess? I demand to be released!"
Hime simply grabbed the front of the woman's clothing and stared her straight in the eyes.
"The boiler did not explode." she said flatly. "However, somebody put the life of the King at risk today. Now, I am going to strike you with a power that will force you to speak truthfully. If you complain, reject the power, or stay silent instead of answering my questions, I will assume you are guilty, and you will get to have fun explaining to His Majesty's personal guards why you were carrying something like an elemental gem of fire during a plot to destroy the ship's main boiler and kill everyone aboard. I like to think I'm a nice person, but I will not lose a wink of sleep over the punishment they'd give someone who tried to commit regicide. Now..."
"What was your plan and who was behind it?"
The woman took a deep breath. "I have nothing to say to you. I serve Duchess Ethelyn. All the things I have done were done at her behest, and without her orders I am not at liberty to talk of them."
"Then they're going to have quite a lot to talk to her about." Hime answered.
A check of the rest of the ship reveals no problems - and no obvious sign of the Duchess, either, beyond a window open to the sea in her room. It isn't clear if she left willingly or not, but at this point it's unlikely she will be found anytime.
With the boiler destroyed the ship expends what steam is in the system drifts to a halt, and the crew soon comes to find out what. They are shocked to find the boiler room reduced to a mass of seething metal, but quickly understand just what a catastrophe had been avoided. Geoff Masarde, the tiefling with the bodyguards you saw earlier and the ship's designer, is flabbergasted at the damage, but once the metal cools enough for him to enter (but not any others) he inspected the damage, and announced that while the ship was going to be towed to port, but most of the engines were undamaged. It would take a week or two, but the Coaltoungue would survive.
With the ship safe, the party finished as planned, albeit not quite at the destination. The king revealed he had an important announcement to make - that he was seeking peace with Danorans, setting aside centuries of racism and violence to move both nations ahead. It was Danorans that made the Coaltoungue possible, after all, and in one years time the city of Flint will hold a peace talk between the two nations.
In addition, the king will finally take a bride - a Danoran, to seal the treaty.
After the speech, you are taken aside, healed and given fresh clothing before being led to a room with Principal Minister Harkover Lee waiting you. "You have done the nation, the crown and myself a great service, constable. I would like you to make a report, if you would, about the events tonight?"
"Of course, Principal Minister." Hime said, straightening and clasping her hands behind her back. She truly appreciated the clothing - being presentable was important when giving reports, after all... and for most other things, too. With that, she began to explain the details of the encounter, starting with the way the duchess had sought her out to procure a quiet room away from everyone else - a request that had seemed innocent enough at the time, but had clearly caused problems later.
However, her suspicions had first been truly triggered when the Duchess' servant had rejected an offer to have the Duchess escorted to the party - neither of them seemed like they'd had the chance to learn the layout of the ship, and the servant's further comment on wanting to move things along, including addressing a 'Madam' in the Duchess' quarters, were only making it worse in retrospect. Whatever she'd been planning, though, she hadn't been able to follow through with it - she'd been knocked out before it had even began.
Here, Hime was careful to explain the timing of the events, noting that the unconscious elf had actually been left alone for some time before being searched, and Hime could not, in fact, guarantee that the items she'd found had been on the elf the whole time. The circumstances made the elf suspicious as heck, and the crime was immense, but they were a country that followed the rule of law... and the elf wasn't actually guilty beyond reasonable doubt. Yet. Fortunately, Risur would doubtless have no trouble hitting her with enough truth magic to make her talk, at which time the elf's guilt, or lack thereof, could be fully determined.
From there, Hime explained the incident with the boiler, including what had happened with the halfling and the two fake engineers. The report was honest there, and she admitted she'd probably been about one blow from dropping, but hadn't seen any other way of protecting the ship and, more importantly, the people onboard it once it became clear this was more than one or two rogue agents. From there, she detailed her decision to break the boiler with firedust, and noted what had happened with the other guard - she wasn't sure when the other had been hurt, but it was unlikely any saboteurs were still on board. They would have been expecting the boat to blow, after all, and so they'd probably fled overboard. Anyone who'd boarded the ship but was currently missing was almost certainly involved in the plot somehow. Which, she pointed out hesitantly, might've included the duchess. She'd heard a splash - like someone jumping out from a window - right around the time the plot seemed to have started. You had to be very careful about accusing anybody as important as her, but somebody had plotted regicide... and the Duchess seemed to be the most important person whose whereabouts were currently unknown. It wasn't likely the elf had just stabbed her or something, given the lack of blood and the verbal comment.
"That concludes my report, Principal Minister." she didn't ask if he had any more questions - he drastically outranked her, and if there was anything else he wanted, he'd let her know. She'd probably have to do a whole lot of paperwork after this one, but... well, such was the way the RHC worked.
The minister shook his head. "Thank you for the concise report. I admit, I was not expecting anything so...dangerous. It seems clear that this was an assassination attempt, with the hope of blaming it on 'dangerous new technology'. It seems...likely that the Duchess was involved, somehow. The King has already been informed, and some answers were gathered from the minds of the assassins, but it will take time for the full story to come together."
Lee shook his head. "Given the damage, Mr Masarde tells me that the boiler was slightly over two minutes from a catastrophic failure. Our best guess is that they intended to accelerate the proceedings with the elemental gem you seized, and use the rusting antenna to lock shut the boiler doors and other essential equipment. With firewards gone...clearly, we shall have to re-think a few elements of ships like the Coaltoungue if we are to see them in heavy use. That you not only saved his Majesty - and the rest of the guests aboard - but also the ship with a minimal of damage has not gone unnoticed, constable Hime. In fact, his Majesty wishes to have a word with you before we are towed back to dock, if you are feeling up to such a meeting now?"
"I'm not brave enough to keep His Majesty waiting." she answered with a slight smile. "I am an officer of the RHC - my presence is his to command." Although what Assistant Chief Inspector Delft was going to think... well, she just had to make sure she didn't embarrass herself, even if it was more nerve-wracking to be called for an audience than she would ever admit. Attention was one thing - she was a dancer for fun, and enjoyed it. Royal attention, though? Even at the best of times, she'd be lying if she said there was no pressure.
Lee chuckled dryly. "Few are, oddly enough. Please, follow me." The Principal Minister led you to another room - the captain's stateroom, judging by the minimal decorating that had been done so far, and his Majesty sitting at the desk.
The King rises to his feet in greetings. "Officer Hime. We owe you a great deal, it seems. Not just myself, personally, but the nation as a whole. You have our thanks."
Hime promptly knelt down before her monarch, keeping her gaze low in the traditional sign of respect. She usually wasn't the type to do that... but the King was special. "I only did my duty as an officer of the RHC, Your Majesty. If anybody deserves your thanks, it is Principal Minister Lee - it was his initial request on the docks that encouraged me to investigate as I did, and without that, I'm not sure anyone would have noticed the sabotage before the boiler blew." Keeping her face down had one other benefit - it allowed her to hide her nervous expression.
The King nodded. "Yes, Minister Lee chose wisely when he asked for you assistance, and Detective Delft was wise to recommend your service, but it was still your service that saw the ship - and all aboard's lives - saved. Few could have done it, much less alone, and fewer still without disrupting the party. Most think that it was simply a malfunction of the ship, although given my sisters involvement, we are going to have reveal the truth."
Aodhan sighed. "My sister and I...we disagreed, about how we should advance. She thought I should pay more respect to the fey, put less trust in technology, but I never thought she would..." The King looked at you. "Do you have any family, Hime? Siblings?"
"Both parents, Your Majesty, and a pair of younger twin sisters." she answered. She truly appreciated the King's words, although it was hard for her to show it - the last thing she wanted to do was be thought arrogant. True, many people would have had a hard time taking down targets as quickly as she had... but they hadn't exactly been expert warriors, and she'd been extremely close to defeat. It hadn't been the kind of glorious success people often imagined when they thought of heroes - one wrong move on her part, or one lucky strike on theirs, and all of this could have ended very differently.
"Well, hopefully you won't face the adversity my sister and I have." The King rubbed his eyes. "Thank you for seeing me, constable. I won't keep you from your duties any longer, and I'm afraid I have work to attend to myself."
As the ship is towed back to port, you are met by a most enthused Delft. He is very happy with your performance, suggesting that your actions have reflected well enough on the RHC.
Despite this, when it is confirmed that the Duchess Ethelyn was involved in the plot to kill her brother and had escaped the ship, you were not ranked high enough to be assigned to the case of finding the woman. You may be a hero, but procedure is procedure, and instead your task focused on interviewing various low ranked associates, fishing for information that might be of use.
The news of the Duchess' betrayal had an unexpected effect on the nation, with many more than expected rallying to the King's attempts to make peace.
ACT TWO - THREE TOWERS
About a week after the Coaltoungue's ill fated maiden voyage, you are filing paperwork in the main RHC office when you're asked to attend Assitant Inspector Delft in his office. Upon arrival, you find he is not alone. A Tiefling, dressed in rich reds and purples that never the less give great ease of movement, is waiting for you as well. Delft introduces the woman as Lya Jierre, Minister of Outsiders for Danor.
Without waiting for an introduction from yourself, Lya directs your attention to Delft's desk, where a puzzle has been set up. There are three ivory “towers,” each three inches tall with a steel plate on its base. Next are three stone rings—one red, one green, and one blue—each just slightly larger in diameter than the towers. Each ring has three strands of thread clipped to it, and each of the nine strands ends in a small silvery magnet, which can stick to the bases of the towers.
Lya says, “The three towers are about to be attacked. They must be reinforced by magic that flows like water from three portals -- fre mana is red, earth is green, water is blue. The wires are canals through which the mana flows. But if the mana streams cross, they’ll destroy their respective portals. How do you arrange the portals, towers, and streams of mana so that each tower gets all three types of magic, without any of the streams crossing?"
A glance over at Delft shows he seems bemused but impatient, yet the Detective gestures for you to try and solve the puzzle.
Hime considered the towers for a moment, then shrugged. "Shovels?" she answered. "If you want all of them to connect without crossing, you're going to have to go above or below at some point, or maybe through the towers somehow. You can't do it if you try to keep everything flat." She'd mentally drawn a few quick maps, looking at things like a spiral or one in the middle with the others outside, but none of them worked. Not when it was all on a flat board.
Jya nodded with a smile. "Absolutely correct. It is important that you be able to think in three dimensions. Otherwise, many problems will not have a solution...sometimes, you need to bend the rules a little."
Delft explains, "You see, where we found out where the Duchess, and the potential civil war we assumed she would try and stir up, has gone. She's taken the Island of Axis. We're not sure why - might be because it was one of the last targets captured by Dranor in the last war."
Jya shrugged. "The Island has an advanced steelworks, shipyard and a naval fort. The Duchess' attack should probably be seen by my people as an act of war, attacking a key military outpost, but we want peace too. And if we send in our marines, and they kill a member of Risur's royal family...well. You can imagine the problems that will cause to the peace effort." She smiled. "So we're bending the rules."
Nodding, Delft explained, "A fleet of Risur's finest is on the way. You will meet up with them, taking the RNS Impossible since it's our fastest ship, and with the help of four Special Constables, will make landfall before the main fleet, via a mine you'll need to reach from underwater. Their job is to open the sea gates and allow the fleet to attack, take the keep and capture the Duchess. Your job will be to find clues others might miss, as you're the last person to interact with the Duchess or her forces. Any questions?"
Hime nodded slightly as the woman mentioned bending the rules. As an officer of the RHC, she mostly supported the rules... but she'd break them in a second if she had to. Case in point? That firedust. Not only had she removed weapons material without permission, she'd used it to destroy national property - both were obviously illegal under normal circumstances, but the situation had made it clear that breaking the normal rules was the only correct course of action.
She considered her instructions for just a moment. "Would you prefer any traitors I meet be left dead or alive?" she inquired. As an officer, she was usually expected to subdue targets instead of killing them - hence her brutal, but nonlethal, takedowns of targets on the Coaltongue. On the other hand, anyone in the fortress could likely be considered a traitor, and being alive meant they might still have an opportunity to fight against the fleet. She wasn't particularly bloodthirsty - she had every intention of doing as they preferred, and just wanted to make sure that was what she actually ended up doing.
"Alive," Delft replied firmly. "We don't want to kill any Danorian troops left on the island who make the mistake of attacking you. And the Duchess must be taken alive, if at all possible. In addition, Lady Jierre here has two...requests."
Jia smiled. "First and foremost, Risur will hand back Axis Island three sunsets from now. It should be about 12 hours after the island is retaken, if things go according to the schedule. Secondly, and more personally, my cousin Nathan is on the island. He's a Tiefling, and I'm worried the Duchess..." She paused for a moment. "He's a Tiefling," she finished in explanation. "But he's also completely innocent - a child in the last war, and does not deserve any retribution for it. Please...keep him safe until my people can take him home."
Hime moved into her usual formal stance with her hands clasped behind her back and her feet slightly apart. "One of our jobs here at the RHC is protecting innocents, ma'am, and I will do everything in my power to ensure both of your requests are met." She could hardly refuse a request from a foreign Minister, especially when Assistant Inspector Delft had permitted her to make the requests in the first place. She wasn't a true paragon of the law, but orders were orders - absent compelling reason to do otherwise, she'd follow them.
"Is there anything I should know about the island before I leave?" she wasn't too familiar with the island in question, and you never knew what might be relevant.