"You guys head there; I'll check this one for any clues and circle back."
Bryn activates Tactic / Deployment: (Ex) You can direct allies to get into advantageous positions quickly. All your allies you can see gain a +10 ft. enhancement bonus to their base movement if they take a double move or run action.
He then searches the fallen saboteur.
Round 14
Adam double checks the dials and the bulging of the pipework and lets out and explosive oath, "The pressure is still climbing, we're toast unless we try something desperate. I don't really understand the theory but the Risuri modifications convert mechanical energy to magical which is used to power the ships systems. If we where to shunt a hell of a lot of power into the capacitor that would stop the boiler from exploding but it would need to so somewhere, probably the ships main gun. I think we could swing that as a special salute for his majesty..."
Adam glanced around at the systems before continuing, "We need to discreetly contact the captain to authorise an unscheduled gun salute and I'll do what I can here to charge the capacitor."
Bryn grabs the odd looking whip and brings it back to the boiler/Preach.
Catching up to Preach and the others, Bryn holds the monster limb up high, "I brought this - it might be useful?".
As the group all returns or gathers in the main part of the engine room they take notice of the troubling nature of the engine's boiler, over heating and spouting fire from the open door. They also might notice that Alexandra lays on the ground to one side of it. Her armour is no longer singed from the battle with fire sprites and fire wielding elf, but outright blackened from her efforts to remove a gem that was one of the problems that was left for all of the Coaltongue. The half-fey's long hair is much shorter, the ends also having taken fire. Her face and arms are bright red on her pale skin with many burns.
Juliet frowns as she spies Alex on the floor. "I'll get her up top." Stooping and grunting, Juliet pulls the unconscious constable off the ground and drapes her over her shoulder.
Too badly hurt to risk moving in front of the inferno that was the furnace, Messer looked around for anything that might help - any way to reduce the strain the over heated metal was under. But he was certainly happy to see the others and a wand, and nods his thanks to Juliet.
Alsah grabs the amulets and runs back as quickly as she can. She blows her whistle loudly, hoping to alert people, especially delft, to the danger
Preach looked at the antenna Bryn offered and nodded, "If we have no other option then yes, but bursting the pipework is a desperate solution, one that would cripple the ship and embarrass his majesty. I think we should at least try to convert the pressure to mana and fire the main gun. If we pulled that off the nobles would be none the wiser."
Turning to Messer Preach tried to explain the engineering principles behind this, adding "I lack the theoretical training in the arcane, natural sciences and the theological background to pull this off, but maybe together we can do this!"
He glanced at Alexandra and winced, "But maybe not without Alexandra... Unless one of you can revive her, we need to fetch Geoff Massarde."
"I'll leave the wand here and carry Alex to (medical?) I'll then try to find Geoff and get his input. However, do what you have you to do in the meantime."
"On second thought, it looks like Juliet is taking care of Alex. I'll stay here and try to empty out some of those fire crystals. Messer, you're too hurt to help down here. Get up top and find Geoff. Start the evacuation as needed. Folks will need as much time as we can give them.
But if things start to get too close, everyone else get upstairs."
Spotting a shovel, Bryn grabs it and starts to head to the furnace to move the fire crystals out.
Preach followed Bryn's lead and grabbed a shovel and he winced as he approached the firebox, "This is probably not the smartest thing I've ever done..."
First, alsah catch her breath. then she will apply the fireward to the furnace to see if that helps to reduce the heat. Hang it on something, or even just push it against it (holding on to the others in case of damage. If that doesn't work, give one to each of the shovellers. a little protection is better than none.
And a thought...
What effect would these wards have if we threw them into the fire? she asks
Preach and Bryn suffer the heat and start removing firegems from the furnace dumping them to the side, where they smolder. Juliet continues to carry Alex topside and Messer thinks deeply.
Round 15
The heat was appalling but the firewards did seem to help take the edge off. Glancing at Bryn he muttered, "I'm sure this is helping Bryn... We just gotta grit our teeth and keep at it and trust the others will bring help before it's too late!"
And with that he tried to shovel out another of the gems!
Alsah desperately tries to think if the firewards could be more helpful and calls upon the help of the moon
Alsah catches her breath after the run and stands ready to drag out the shovelers if they fall.
Sweat drips from Juliet's brow, the Mystic bites her tongue as she shifts Alexandra's weight over her shoulder, and prepares to climb a ladder. There was nowhere to go but up.
Frustrated that he was too charred to help with the boiler, Messer decided, "In case things go wrong the crew and passengers - His Majesty especially - must be warned. I'll see if I can send help too." He moved towards the the upper decks to do just that.
The smell of burning hair and singed flesh starts to emanate from where Bryn and Preach remove fuel from the furnace. Grimacing as he continues to shovel, Bryn comments in a strained voice, "This could be going a lot better. Let's hope the others are doing better."
Bryn continues to shovel.
Playing on an educated guess, Alsah lobs the last fireward into the fire. It pulses feebly amid the inferno and begins to smoke, but the heat of the furnace does decrease slightly.
Bryn and Preach step once more into the breach to remove more firegems:
Messer and Juliet ascend the last steps and reach the empty pilot cabin. The band has stopped play and it sounds like a speech is underway.
Round 16
"Thanks Alsah!"
The heat wasn't quite so bad but it was still blistering his hands and arms. Glancing at Bryn, Preach noted he seemed to be worse off so Preach just gritted his teeth and tried to shovel another one of the crystals out!
Messer glanced around, looking for the captain, a high ranking crewmember or the king, himself, if possible. The crew would know the procedure to evacuate better than he, and he had no wish to panic anyone. Even if he was still smoking lightly.
Alsah stands ready to drag out the shovelers if they fall. And then replace them. (taking their amulet in the process once they are safe. Sort of safe)
Steady now... keep it moving and buy them time...
Bryn keeps on shoveling...
Moving with the unconscious Alexandra still draped over her shoulder, Juliet grunts and pushes through the door out onto the deck.
Coming on to the deck, Juliet and Messer see that King Aodhan is in the midst of delivering his speech, with the guests and crew in audience. Assistant Chief Inspector Delft stands near the edge of the group and sees you as soon as you step out. You can tell that he's been waiting for some sort of update on the situation.
He rushes over and helps each Alexandra down to the deck. "Give me a situation update."
Below deck, the shoveling continues,
Round 17
"Sabotage, sir," Messer reported succinctly. "The boiler has been over-pressurized to the point of danger. The others are trying to relieve the pressure now, but in case the damage is too great we believe an evacuation should begin and an engineer called to help. We need a healer or healing item for a downed officer, too."
"Aye," Juliet concurred, gently placing Alexandra's unconscious form onto the deck. "We could use a group of soldiers too. With shovels. We don't have much time."
He had to trust that they where doing the right thing, Preach gritted his teeth and ignored the heat of the furnace and selected another gem to shovel out.
Delft lets out a string of curses. "Well that's worse than I was expecting. Maybe Harkover will actually listen to me now."
He dashes over to the Captain to exchange a quick word before heading over to Minister Lee, who in turn politely interupts King Aodhan to for a quick word. The King's face turns grave and addressing the crowd he says, "It seems that there has been an incident onboard and as a precaution, we shall be disembarking to the escort ships while it is being addressed."
There a bit of a murmur from the dignitaries and the crew starts to mobilize, preparing the lifeboats for launch.
The fireward in the furnace begins to take on a decidedly melted look, but still helps to dampen the flames, as you keep enduring the searing heat to try to prevent disaster.
Round 18
that ward isn't going to last long. Be ready for more heat
Juliet barks at the nearest sailor, "Oi! Make sure this woman gets some healing as soon as she's able!" Order given, the Mystic sprints towards the lowerdecks again, intending to get back to the boiler room as soon as she's able.
Messer looks at his charred hand and arm, and sighed. It really, really hurt and he didn't want to be anywhere near that damned boiler. If a piece of plain iron could have a soul that thing's would be howling. Still, he would be more use there, so..."With your leave, sir, I'll escort the crew back down in case there are any more suspect aboard."
"The shovelers aren't going to last long... is there some extra padding or heavy blankets that we can use to keep the heat off?"
Through gritted teeth Preach nodded, something like that seemed a great idea. His hands were getting nasty blisters and it was clear they were both going to need magical healing. Just a few more he thought, just a few more... So once again he tried to shovel out another gem.
Skin blistering and cracking, Preach and Bryn keep working to remove firegems, stacking them in smouldering piles around the furnace. The fireward nestled in the glowing heart of the fire finally melts away and the heat increases painfully. Fortunately, Messer arrives soon after bringing down more help, and with extra hands and the engine's designer on the job, disaster is adverted.
Topside, efforts to begin the evacuation start and lifeboats are prepared for lowering. A crew mate brings over an emergency kit to where Alex is laid out on the deck, and pours a potion of CLW down her throat . As the first of the lifeboats hit the water, Harkover Lee urges the king that they have to leave. King Aodhan nods and then removes a gold ring from one finger. Minister Lee grab hold of the king, preparing to magically transport the pair of them to one of the nearby escort ship. There's a flash of magic and the First Minister is gone, but a bewildered Aodhan remains behind on deck.
Fortunately, the battered RHC constables wearily emerging from below deck are able to report that the danger has passed. There are sighs of relief all around and the evacuation procedure stops. Mundane first aid for burns is provided and the crew begins working to bring the early evacuees back on board.
"Now that the danger has passed," Messer said as his charred hand was wrapped in a bandage, "Should we go and query the poor crew member we found? Does anyone know anything else about what happened?"
Alexandra regained consciousness startled and unsure of where she was. The sailor at her side reassured her that she was safe and well. She looked around now above decks in the open air, she first noticed dignitaries and their retinue being escorted to the lifeboats as escorted vessels moved to take in other evacuees.
"So, we did not stop it then?" The woman asked more rhetorically than to anyone. The sailor answered that he was unsure, that there were those still below working on the problem.
She notes that the King now stands alone, the First Minister disappearing.
It was not too much longer that word reached that the ship was out of any real danger. And moments more before she spotted her fellow Constables emerged as blacked and singed as her. She smiled and took in a deep breath. Which led to a few coughs, her lungs not fully healed from the brush with the extreme heat and fire of the furnace.
The woman approached her colleagues, "You did it." She stated greeting them, "The news has spread around the ship already."
She motions the others, "What transpired can wait until we are relieved." She motions to the lone King, "I think we should see to the King's security, until he safely ashore."
She makes her way towards the man and once within a respectable distance and nods her head in respect to the Crown, "Majesty, I am Constable Alexandra Stray. Might we," she motions to the others who followed her, "be of assistance?"
Juliet nods, vaguely aware that she's shaking. It was an experience she was sure she'd known before - being on the brink of death - but she had no recollection of her past selves' success in avoiding it. Regardless, and even knowing that she'd be reborn in some way when it happens, the relief Juliet felt at still being herself floods through the Mystic.
"Aye, Messer, let's talk with the departed."
We should search the Duchesses room and the quarters of her servants. My first thoughts on this are that this was an attempted coup by her. We should inform the king. It is unlikely to be there but there may be some clue as to her actions there.
"The duchess? Then we will need evidence." Lots of evidence. He had no wish to make accusations of royalty without absolute proof. The king was fair, he'd heard and seen...but he was still a man, and telling any man that his sister tried to kill him was not great. "What shall I ask?" Messer asked with a groan as he rose to his feet.
Bryn walks over to the crewman with the emergency kit, "I don't suppose there's any salves for burns in there, is there?"
...
Bryn looks around to see if the bar is still open. Either way, he walks away with two large pitchers of water. Heading to Preach, he holds one of them up and hands it to him, "Here, I imagine you need this as well."
Evidence? There is plenty already. First, she left the ship right before this happened without explanation, in a way that screams preplanning. Second, her Servant leas the attempted sabotage. The obvious target is the King. These agents were smuggled onto this ship, through security. Something only someone in authority could do.