JesseLowe/PirateMonkeySession06
Back to Session 5: Revenge!
jetman has arrived.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Hi! )
The Storyteller w00ts.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: I will have to switch computer at around an hour. The whole process will take approx. 5 minutes and chances are you won't even notice.
You say, "That's cool."
Captain Kaizoku says, "Oh, I'd like to buy up a skill, Melee to 4. Should I just change it on the Wiki, or do you want some in-game action or training time?"
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Well, you know what I want to do.
You say, "Melee is favored, so it takes no training time."
The Storyteller . o O ( I'm pretty sure, anyway. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: You are correct.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Done and done. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, let me go put some coffee on and we'll get started. First, though: Captain, you're setting the direction for tonight's adventure. What is your immediate goal? )
Monkey . o O ( Let's mess around some more! Oook! )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Ideally, to intercept V'Neef Barada and covertly steal whatever he plans to bribe the Wyld Hunt with or otherwise subvert his effort, preferably in a way that makes the whole house lose face. Should that be beyond possiblitiy completely, then continuing to track down the Deathknight with the artifact fragment )
Monkey [to Captain Kaizoku]: And the daiklave?
The Storyteller . o O ( Let me clarify that: Barada has a Wyld Hunt ready to go in his squadron, but wants to bribe the spirit rulers of Great Forks to allow him to loose it in the Scavenger Lands. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Tertiary priority, with the need to get at least a good ordinary replacement for it, like an Excellent slashing sword. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. BRB, putting the coffee on. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Hmmm, that changes things a bit, since we're not staying in the Scavenger Lands, but the opportunity is still good. And I thought Monkey had a higher Stealth than that... )
Monkey . o O ( Sasuga Kaichou! )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Ooo, ooo, that reminds me. I'm upping Larceny (favored) from 1 to 2.
Apollonian [to TonyC]: Okay.
Monkey . o O ( Monkey is a very upfront person. <haughty> )
The Storyteller looks at the map and ponders.
TonyC [to jetman]: Besides, once I have RP-ed some significant stealthiness to self-justify raising it, I can easily up them. I plan on having 2-3 XP in the bank at all times.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Well, the basic plan the Captain has thus far is Monkey jumping onto the ship and sneaking around to find out the Admiral's plan and then steal whatever makes it work. )
Monkey . o O ( Doable! Let's give it a try! )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, that's enough structure for the moment, then. Let's begin with the company arriving at Suda's yacht on the docks... )
You arrive at the docks quickly and without incident, the bridge crew clearing a path through the Nexus crowds. The black yacht is waiting for you, and the crew seems unaware of any urgency and looks more than a bit surprised as you hustle up the gangplank. A few words of explanation to the boat's master clear up the situation, though. Apparently Suda thought she might have to offer you passage after all.
Monkey wraps his cloak tighter around him to hide the bright glow.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( I can imagine that briefing... "Now I need you to listen very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, VERY carefully Monkey..." )
Captain Kaizoku has his hand on the sword borrowed from the Master at Arms under his cloak, the fragments of his Daiklave wrapped in a spare fold of cloth. "We are sailing immediately" he tells the lead sailor in sight, looking down the gangplank for Suda or any trouble approaching.
The yacht is built of a dark wood neither of you are familiar with (and no, it's not that creepy shadowland stuff), an Imperial rig and sleek lines telling of its speed. There's room for everyone aboard, though it looks like a few people are going to have to sleep on the deck. (It's the Large Yacht on page 54 of Savage Seas.) The crew are four experienced sailors who move through their duties with confidence and skill.
Monkey starts looking for a place to sleep. Always the thing to do after an invigorating fight.
Captain Kaizoku has seen more than a few of these yachts in his pre-Exalted days and knows his way around them. Heading to the common room belowdeck, he waves the officers down for a meeting, and sends the Proreus to nudge Monkey along as well.
The dock is beginning to get a bit crowded as the crew casts off and pushes away from the dock. In the direction from which you came, you can see a crowd of mercenaries, probably hired by the Council, vainly struggling to get through the press of onlookers. A soft and steady breeze fills the sails, and you head out of the Nexus harbor, moving toward the center of the Yanaze.
Monkey says, "Oh! A meeting! Will there be biscuits and jerky too?"
Monkey finds one Suda's crew and tells him to get the officers something to eat and drink.
The bridge crew gathers in the salon. It's a bit crowded with the nine of you. (Ten, if White Soul Weeping joins you, and he's a big guy.) The crew nibbles on the bread, cheese, and fruit that one of the sailors drops off, and waits for the Captain to speak.
Captain Kaizoku remarks "I'm sure they'll have nothing to complain about now that we've left the city..." as he sees the approaching troops, and turns away from the sight, waiting until they are a good half-hour out before beginning the meeting, sitting in the cabin with his back to the wall studying his broken blade (And yes, WSW is in). Master Jaff is looking all serious in his sitting place on Monkey's right shoulder.
Captain Kaizoku putting his palms on the table, he stands and leans forward on it. "The Immaculate Order has taken their best shot at us and failed. This was not a meaningful victory, as we should never battle where the enemy sets the field. Right now, V'Neef Barada is planning to unleash a Wyld Hunt in the Scavenger Lands to run Monkey and myself down. While it is tempting to let him waste time searching where we are not, I plan to strike our best blow against him, and let him damage his House's presitge even further."
Master Jaff nods approvingly.
Captain Kaizoku says, "Now, the rulers at Great Forks will not easily let this happen, and it is likely that Barada will have some spectacular bribe. Likely money or goods, for spirits do not like trade concessions. We should be able to catch up with his vessel. At that point, Monkey and Mr. N'jeef --" he nods to the purser "-- will board covertly. The goods will be replaced by something worthless and returned."
The Storyteller . o O ( Have you put the crew stats on the wiki yet? )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( I was just about to do it, but there's only a link up to the Kubernetes for a page. )
Monkey says, "Captain, what are we replacing it with? And what do we do with the stuff anyway? Dump them overboard?"
The Storyteller . o O ( Actually, that's an error... but go ahead and edit the page so you've got the links you need. )
The crew nods attentively. The kubernetes speaks up. "So this is a stealth mission, sir? Smash and grab, like?"
Captain Kaizoku says, "That will depend on the nature of the goods, but something of no value, unless we are able to secure some worthless substitute. Rocks, if nothing else. And no, this will be a snatch and grab. I do not intend to confront Barada on the water until we have secured a new Unconquered Sun""
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( I am not sure how to edit in more links... )
Monkey says, "Aye aye Sir!"
TonyC [to jetman]: Want me to handle that?
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Please. Just put one in for every position that's up there. )
Monkey . o O ( There's some logistic worries for this mission, but I trust Kaizoku will handle them. )
Suddenly, a bright creature of scintillating colors appears in the salon. It's humanoid, maybe two feet tall, and apparently insubstantial, as the wings on its back blur through the wood of the bulkhead. It faces Captain Kaizoku and speaks, the voice oddly deep and ominous from such a small creature. "By order of the Council, the beings Taiyo Kaizoku, Monkey, Kahlun, and their associates are banned from the city and lands of Nexus for a year and a day as punishment for the disruption of commerce. Entry into the city shall be punished by death." The creature then disappears in a burst of Essence.
Apollonian [to jetman]: Make a Int + Occult roll, difficulty 2
Captain Kaizoku rolled 5 dice on Int + Occult >>> {8, 6, 3, 4, 1}.
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, never mind. You don't know what the creature was. )
Captain Kaizoku chuckles. "An elder monk of the Order banished from Nexus for distrupting commerce."
The Storyteller is doing some calculations to figure out when you'll catch up with Barada. Carry on...
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Brandon would like to sit and lurk.
Apollonian [to TonyC]: Sure!
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Oh, I have a further plan for catching up. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Curses, foiled again! What's the plan? )
TonyC [to jetman]: Links done.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Involving the Calling the Wind's Kiss for favorable winds for the yacht, and bad ones for V'Neef when his ship is in sight. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Ah. )
jetman [to TonyC]: Thanks.
Brandon has arrived.
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, gimme a few minutes. )
TonyC [to jetman]: Hmmm, minor error on Kubernetes. Fixing. Don't use that link yet.
Brandon says, "One question, then I'll shut up: this is Exalted, right?"
Apollonian [to Brandon]: Yup. Vanilla Solars campaign. Welcome to the peanut gallery. :)
TonyC [to jetman]: Done.
TonyC [to Brandon]: http://www.lensmen.net/wiki/exalted.pl?JesseLowe/PirateMonkey for background info and logs, if you care.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( And the stats for the purser are up, the first of them. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( You didn't suck the air of the room, honest Brandon. :) )
Monkey . o O ( Time to switch comp. Back in 5. )
TonyC decides that saving the world takes priority over chatting and disappears.
The Storyteller . o O ( Yeah. I'm trying to work out some g*d*mn travel times for their yacht and their target's triremes, going upriver against a breeze. )
Brandon says, "Wait, who's the GM?"
jetman [to Brandon]: Jesse.
Brandon says, "AH, thought it was Tony"
jetman [to Apollonian]: Sorry for doing something so complex to start...
The Storyteller . o O ( That's okay, I'll be able to save the figures for later. This is going to come up quite a bit in a pirate game, after all... )
Brandon thinks Exocets would solve the PCs problems.
Brandon says, "Sorry, I promised Tony I wouldn't kibitz if I sat in"
The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey _is_ an Exocet, albeit one with a smart mouth and poor impulse control... )
TonyC materializes out of thin air.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Back.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( LOL! Truer words were never spoken. )
Brandon [to Apollonian]: The Monkey is a French missile? Interesting ...
TonyC [to jetman]: OOC here. Exactly how are you planning on doing this switcheroo anyway?
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Huh, what, ook?
Brandon says, "Ugh, I have to leave. Have fun."
Brandon waves
The Storyteller . o O ( Uh-oh. You didn't make the links for the bridge crew sublinks off my personal page. )
The Storyteller waves back. Sorry you didn't see any action.
Brandon goes out.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Drats, you're right. I forgot the /
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Are you fixing it already or should I?
TonyC [to Apollonian]: And what happened while I was away?
jetman [to TonyC]: OOC Monkey and the Purser sneak on board to do it, while the ship is moving. There likely won't be a guard due to the high discipline of their navy, so it shouldn't be too hard.
jetman [to TonyC]: Nothing. Jesse's still working out the travel times.
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, do you explain this plan to the yacht's crew, or at least tell them that you're pursuing someone? )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( The latter, with the suggestion that the Kubrenties take over the helm when things get close. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Heh. I'm doing algebra... a story problem, to be precise. "If Barada sets out at 46 miles per day and Kaizoku sets out 3 days later at 58 miles a day, when will Kaizoku catch Barada?" )
TonyC [to jetman]: Here's the thing, how do you plan on tracking the other ship down? If we doing by sight, they'll also see us. End result is likely a ship vs. ship fight.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: 46x3/12=11.5 days.
The Storyteller is jealous of Tony's math-fu.
jetman [to TonyC]: we know where they're going, and it's a big place on a public river. This is an inconspicuous ship, and won't attract attention.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Hmmm, enough time to heal 1 L and learn a charm.
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, that means that, unless you're willing to take the risk of traveling upriver at night, you won't catch them until they reach Great Forks. They will almost certainly be stopping at night to allow the oarsmen to rest and to avoid the inherent risks of nighttime river travel. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Is that with the favorable winds from the Calling the Wind's Kiss spell in there? )
The Storyteller . o O ( yes, otherwise you'd be moving almost as slowly as they are -- you're both going upstream, but they have oars and you must rely solely on sails. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Hrm, then we'll have to travel at night at least a few days to intercept before the city. )
TonyC [to jetman]: Next problem. Once we get close, we'll need to swim for a bit to board the ship. It's very unlikely they'll let us get close enough that swimming distance is negligible. Piracy is known is this area after all. If Barada's competent, he'll set a watch for pirates or shoal and other dangers. Monkey might be able to stay unnoticed thanks to his Exaltedness, but the Second Mate is iffy.
The Storyteller . o O ( Tony, how does that equation break down? )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: The fact that both sides are moving is irrelevant. You just want the head-start and the speed by which the pursuer is closing on. Thus 48x3 (3 days head start) / 12 (the difference in speed per day). think Ah, thanks. Really need to go back to doing GURPS Vehicles to keep my math skills up to snuff.
The Storyteller . o O ( Ah, thanks. Really need to go back to doing GURPS Vehicles to keep my math skills up to snuff. )
TonyC [to jetman]: Ideally, for best stealth we do this at night. However, then the issue becomes how we locate the ship at night.
The Storyteller . o O ( If traveling at night as well, you'll catch up to Barada in two days. )
TonyC [to jetman]: Next, the goods. If the goods are, say, a pair of First Age Artifact fans, no problem. But if they are two crates of jade, then taking it back to Suda's ship is well, you'd better have five aces up your sleeve, Captain.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( I forgot to mention it'd be at night. The ship will be lit up though, as the crew cooks and rests, so it'll be visible when we come across it, and it's a big vessel. The yacht would tie up on the shore as well, looking like just another ship. )
Monkey . o O ( Aye aye! )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( And in that case, sack it up and quietly drop it in the water for later recovery. )
Monkey says, "Shall we sabotage the ship while we're at it? Drilling a couple of holes is really trivial."
Captain Kaizoku says, "And that is the plan Monkey. A lot is riding on you... can you think of any suggestions?"
Captain Kaizoku says, "A good thought Monkey, but we want them to reach their destination. Drill almost through the hull, so that wear will open up holes after they are sailing back."
Monkey says, "Can you make it rainy or misty?"
Monkey says, "Or foggy?"
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( How is the weather, by the way? )
The Storyteller . o O ( The weather's fair. A good breeze headed downriver, some clouds, warm... about what you'd expect. )
The Storyteller . o O ( BRB. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( And are there otters or other big river creatures in this area? Manatees? )
Captain Kaizoku says, "My spells do not encompass that Monkey, but I may be able to arrange a diversion for you of another kind."
Monkey . o O ( Plenty of big river creatures. Some of them may want to eat us. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Even better in that case. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Commanding the Beasts will make them quite friendly. )
Monkey . o O ( Can you communicate with them both ways? )
Monkey . o O ( Also, do the creatures remain linked with you for the duration of the spell, empathically or otherwise? Or at least that they can discern your location or you them? )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Looks like just one way communication. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Back )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( And no, the spell works on hearing range. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Naturally, there are critters like river dragons, crocodiles, big fish, and so on available for hijacking if necessary. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( But while it lasts, they'll obey without question. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Get two otters or whatever to put on a big fight or show at the bow, as a diversion for the stern. )
Monkey . o O ( Ah, in that case, next question. How long does it last? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Jetman, are you working off of Book of 3 Circles or Savant & Sorcerer? )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( One scene, and S&S. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Gotta get that myself. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( It's a handy reference. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Plus it has the crotch picture. )
Monkey . o O ( Yay, Crotch! )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Fanservice city, enough to make Shirow blush! )
TonyC [to jetman]: Nah. Slightly naughtier than Shirow, but not by much. Intron Depot has stuff about the same level of fanserviciness.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( The later Intron Depots go further... lots of Cops with No Pants. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, so correct me if I'm wrong, but your plan is as follows: Sail day and night up the Yellow River in pursuit of V'neef Barada and his minions. When you catch up to him, shadow him inconspiciously and beach near him that night. While Kaizoku distracts the minions with some temporarily tamed critters, Monkey and the purser sneak on board, swipe the bribe stuff, and substitute something worthless and insulting. Then you head off elsewhere, correct? )
Monkey . o O ( Okay, two days. Hmmm, I can heal 1 L. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Yes, with Monkey alone if the conditions for swimming or sneaking are unfavorable for a normal person like the Purser. )
Monkey . o O ( Let's go with the first part of the plan. Sailing the night without dashing Suna's ship to pieces. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Ayup. Kaizoku, will you be piloting the vessel? At night, you'll need to light the way with your anima banner in any case... )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Yes, with Monkey up front as a lookout. )
TonyC [to jetman]: If you're piloting, you'll be up front already, actually.
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, make 4 Wits + Sail rolls, at difficulty 2 for the daytime ones (first and third), difficulty 4 for the nighttime ones (second and fourth) )
Monkey will of course, be on the look-out for Pirates, River-Dragons, and Bananas!
Captain Kaizoku rolled 7 dice on Wits + Sail >>> {10, 3, 4, 9, 7, 6, 6}.
Captain Kaizoku rolled 7 dice on Wits + Sail >>> {6, 4, 4, 3, 10, 2, 2}.
TonyC [to jetman]: OOC: It'll be better if you can wait a day.
jetman [to TonyC]: Why's that? Monkey heals up?
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Though with that roll, there may be a delay in any case. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Keep rolling? )
The Storyteller . o O ( No. Monkey, make a Per + Sail roll. )
TonyC [to jetman]: Yes. To be exact, I'm planning on taking a potion that will heal 1 L in a day. However, the potion will knock Monkey out for a full day. This, combined with natural healing, will put monkey to -1 wound penalty instead of -2.
Monkey rolled 5 dice on Per + Sail >>> {2, 5, 1, 3, 1}.
Monkey . o O ( Yes! Botches! )
Monkey . o O ( And that should've been 3 dice instead of 5. )
Monkey . o O ( Wounds. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( We'd catch up with them days before they arrived in the Forks, right? So we could assume a normal pace with them for a day to put their suspicions at ease and let Monkey heal up as well. )
The first day out goes without incident, but that night about an hour past sunset, the yacht runs aground on an unseen sandbar. Though there appears to be no damage to the ship, it takes the rest of the night and a bit of the morning to get the ship off the sandbar.
The Storyteller . o O ( In other words, you lose half a day's travel )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: This means the headstart is now 46 x 3.5.
Monkey yawns.
Captain Kaizoku is far from happy by this turn of events, but far from daunted, and carries on.
Monkey says, "Captain, since we aren't doing anything while we're stuck in the sandbar, permission to sleep all night and day?"
Captain Kaizoku is far from happy about that, but says "Permission granted Monkey. Get someone to cover your watch."
You rolled 6 dice on something >>> {1, 8, 5, 2, 2, 2}.
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, do the next day's roll... )
Master Jaff raises his hand and volunteers, but Monkey says, "No. You don't know anything about sailing. Carpenter, cover me, if you please."
Captain Kaizoku rolled 7 dice on Sail + Wits >>> {1, 5, 4, 2, 5, 9, 6}.
The Storyteller laughs.
Monkey sleeps all night and day and wakes up a bit after sunset.
Monkey . o O ( If I count the days correctly, Monkey has healed two health level by now. Thus he's 5L down and his wound penalty is -1. )
The Storyteller . o O ( That day, you manage to cover a good bit of distance, but not as much as you hoped. (only 3/4 speed) Roll for night travel. )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 7 dice on Sail + Wits >>> {4, 3, 3, 1, 1, 6, 3}.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( ... )
Monkey [to The Storyteller]: Will I need to roll too?
The Storyteller . o O ( No, you're asleep. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( I've never had such a consistant run of poor rolls... )
That night, sailing gently upriver, you run aground again... on a river dragon. He's not happy. Roll for initiative.
The Storyteller looks up river dragons.
Monkey snores softly. Meanwhile Master Jaff is trying to find an entrance to Suda's cabin when a sudden roar interrupts him.
Captain Kaizoku rolled 1d10+7 and got 15.
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, Monkey, make a Wits roll to wake up -- you're almost at the end of the required sleep, assuming you took the potion shortly after the first grounding. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Nah, I invoke my story-editing-leetness, spend a WP, and succeed at the roll.
The Storyteller . o O ( Cool. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Hey, don't forget to make your Conviction roll to regain WP too. )
Monkey wakes up from a nice dream of sandy beaches, coconuts, roaring fire... wait a minute, the fire wasn't supposed to be roaring that loud!
Monkey . o O ( Okie. )
Monkey jumps out of the hammock and runs out of the cabin.
Monkey . o O ( Do I jump in this round or next round? )
Captain Kaizoku is looking even more displeased that ever as the river dragon roars up out of the water.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( And what's the order? )
On 1d10+6, you rolled 11.
The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey, this round, but last. )
Initiative order is: Kaizoku and crew on 15, river dragon on 11, Monkey on 5.
Monkey . o O ( Are river dragons intelligent? )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Yes, that would be good to know... will Commanding the Beasts work? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Yes, it will. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, and speaking of spells, I found an error I had made. Casting a Terrestrial spell only takes two turns, not three. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Good, that'll help. )
Captain Kaizoku has to wonder if some greater force is interfering with his plan. He thrusts such doubts aside though as he stands before the wheel and begins to work his fingers in intricate gestures, calling upon the power of the Emerald circle of sorcery as he prepared to tame this beast as he has so many others. "Divert but do not engage!" he calls to the scrambling crew.
The crew shouts out a chorus of Aye, ayes as they obey their captain's commands. White Soul Weeping moves in front of the captain, grand daiklave at the ready in defense, while the rest take up bows and begin launching arrows at the beast, drawing its attention.
You rolled 5 dice on River Dragon Claw Attack! >>> {7, 5, 6, 6, 5}.
Churning the Yellow River into a froth, the river dragon leaps into the air with a powerful twist of its flippers and lunges toward the yacht with claws extended. The strike hits none of the crew, but smashes into the side of the yacht.
You rolled 10 dice on something >>> {5, 5, 1, 6, 1, 8, 6, 8, 6, 9}.
As the river dragon crashes back into the water, it takes a good-sized chunk of the foredeck railing and part of the hull with it -- thankfully, nothing anywhere near the waterline.
The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey's turn. )
Monkey goes into a run, and jumps into the river. "Owuowuowuo!" Tarzan-like.
Monkey . o O ( Full Dodge. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( The stats for everyone but the Cook and Surgeon are up now. )
Monkey pinches his nose closed as he splashes into the river.
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. Roll init again. )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 1d10+7 and got 8.
On 1d10+5, you rolled 15.
Monkey rolled 1d10+7 and got 13.
Monkey . o O ( One action. Probably full-dodge. :) )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( One, continuing to cast. )
You can see the river dragon vanish under the water, and then you hear it ripping at the hull below the waterline.
You rolled 5 dice on something >>> {8, 10, 1, 5, 7}.
You rolled 15 dice on River dragon bites hull >>> {7, 5, 2, 6, 9, 5, 7, 10, 6, 10, 8, 4, 8, 7, 8}.
Monkey . o O ( Tsk tsk. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Dang, if I'd rolled a higher init, the fight would be over. )
Monkey feels insulted that the water dragon ignored him completely.
There's a horrible crunch and gurgling noise, and the ship begins to listing to port as the river dragon surfaces on the starboard side near Monkey.
The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey's turn. )
Monkey . o O ( I mean, what, I'm not a good enough morsel for you? Is that it? Too skinny? Short? Why, you! I'll show you who's skinny and short. )
Monkey swims toward the water dragon's tail and tries to bite it. CHOMP!
The Storyteller . o O ( Oy! Well, roll it. )
Monkey rolled 5 dice on Dex + Brawl - Wound >>> {10, 9, 9, 7, 5}.
Monkey . o O ( Oops. Should've 4 dice. How about you just subtract one success. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, you hit (as it's not defending). Roll damage -- let's say Strength -2 Bashing )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: No soak?
Monkey rolled 4 dice on Monkey Bites Dragon! >>> {9, 5, 3, 1}.
think Oh, yeah. Soak 12B, so it's probably just Essence damage then.
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, yeah. Soak 12B, so it's probably just Essence damage then. )
The Storyteller . o O ( But I'll take that roll. )
Monkey spits. Phbpt pbhpt puh. "Blagh!"
The Storyteller . o O ( You may have got its attention... but it's Kaizoku's turn. )
Monkey . o O ( Tastes awful. Like mud with a hint of grass. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( The spell goes off now, right? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Yes, as your dice action. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Describe, unless you have to make a roll (which I think you don't). )
Captain Kaizoku has swirling ribbons of emerald essence swirling around him, with characters that can almost be made out. He uncrosses his wrists and the ribbons shatter, power flowing into the beast's flesh. Stepping up to the rail, he intones in a voice like thunder "By the secret words of the Sun, I command you! Cease your attack and move to the side of the ship!"
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( No roll. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Do you get to command it, or just incite emotions in it? The latter is the Bo3C version... )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( It says "Makling their will subservient to the caster's own" For one scene. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. It obeys you for the scene, then... )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Then I can attempt to tame it! )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( But first... )
The Storyteller . o O ( Ah, yes.... but that would be a neat trick. )
TonyC [to jetman]: The logistic for a long run dragon pet is pretty hard. But for this session it be cool.
Monkey . o O ( First? )
Captain Kaizoku has the beast go to where it made the hole and press upwards, supporting the yacht. "Mr. Carpenter, make repairs posthaste!" he calls out.
From the water, Monkey shouts, "Captain! I just discovered something!"
The carpenter and one of the sailors head below decks with the appropriate materials from the ship's stores.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( How would you tame it? The spell says I get a +3 bonus to Presence rolls... would that skill do it? )
Monkey says, "River dragons taste awful. It is not like chicken at all!"
Captain Kaizoku says, "Yes, Mr. Monkey?"
Captain Kaizoku says, "Just think of what you must taste to him, and get back aboard!"
The Storyteller . o O ( Extended Charisma + Survival roll, one roll every week. You'd need about 30 successes... )
Monkey swims under the ship to look at the damage first before surfacing back at the other side and climbing up.
Monkey . o O ( How bad does it look? )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( In that case, I'll send him on the way after repairs are done, not having any survival... )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( A river dragon would be one hell of a diversion on the target though! )
The Storyteller . o O ( The damage isn't too bad -- a hole about a foot in diameter at the waterline. )
You rolled 7 dice on Carpenter's roll >>> {7, 1, 5, 6, 6, 6, 5}.
You rolled 7 dice on Carpenter's roll >>> {9, 9, 10, 5, 9, 9, 7}.
Working quickly, the carpenter patches the holl with canvas and a makeshift wooden plate. It will need to be fixed on shore, though...
Captain Kaizoku sends the dragon moving down the river south as fast as it can go once the hull is patched, then moves the ship to shore for the night.
The Storyteller . o O ( repair overnight? )
Monkey has some experience with ships too and re-evaluates the sea-worthiness of the ship.
The Storyteller . o O ( Roll Int + Sail, then )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Yes. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Monkey rolls, or the Captain? )
The Storyteller . o O ( either or both. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Does wound penalty applies for this mental exercise?
Captain Kaizoku rolled 7 dice on Int + Sail >>> {9, 5, 5, 5, 9, 7, 8}.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( NOW I get a good roll. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Yes. )
Monkey rolled 4 dice on Int + Sail - Wound >>> {7, 5, 6, 10}.
The Storyteller . o O ( You know, I'm not sure, but I don't think the main rulebook ever explicitly says what wound penalties affect -- or even what they are... )
The Storyteller . o O ( In any case, you both can tell that the damage to the hull can be patched (with about 10 successes, one roll per hour), but for a real repair it'll take a day or two in a shipyard with a full suite of tools and timber. In the meantime, you can patch it up and hope you don't run aground, which may open it. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Don't worry about. Just say it affects everything and apply it to both us and antagonists and it'll be fine.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Buried in the example, it says "to all die pools" )
The Storyteller . o O ( Yes, but it irks my technical writer's soul! )
The Storyteller . o O ( In any case, I'll roll the carpenter's patch work now. )
Monkey says, "Captain, shall we patch it now or do we go for a full repair?"
You rolled 9 dice on carpenter's work >>> {5, 10, 2, 2, 6, 5, 3, 2, 4}.
Captain Kaizoku has the Carpenter start repairs. "Master at Arms, place a picket out, just in case. I suspect that other forces are at work here."
You rolled 9 dice on carpenter's work >>> {6, 1, 2, 3, 6, 5, 3, 4, 6}.
You rolled 9 dice on carpenter's work >>> {5, 3, 9, 2, 7, 1, 9, 10, 4}.
You rolled 9 dice on carpenter's work >>> {10, 8, 7, 7, 6, 9, 5, 5, 5}.
Captain Kaizoku says, "We patch now Monkey, and press on. This is an opportunity that will not come again, and we must seize it."
The Storyteller . o O ( He and his assistant work all night, but as the Sun rises, the hull is patched and the ship ready to be launched. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Roll sail + wits, dif 2 for the day sail. )
You rolled 6 dice on something >>> {7, 1, 3, 5, 7, 1}.
Captain Kaizoku rolled 7 dice on Sail + Wits >>> {10, 8, 2, 6, 5, 10, 8}.
Monkey says, "In that case, Captain, may I make a suggestion? You've been piloting both day and night. Despite your abilities, this can't be good for your complexion, Captain. Shall we take turns?"
Monkey . o O ( Mechanically though, it doesn't matter. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Monkey at the helm... I shudder to think of it. :) )
Monkey . o O ( Hey, what does the merit Past Lives do? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Nice. That day, thanks to some superb piloting, you cover a lot of ground, er, water. (half again as much as you would normally.) )
The Storyteller . o O ( Sail that night? )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Bonus to Lore for using First Age stuff, some memory fragments of some use. )
Captain Kaizoku says, "Mr. Monkey, you will light the way for Kerrigan to sail tonight."
Monkey . o O ( You wouldn't happen to have an ancestor who's a smuggler 'round this parts, would you? )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Yes, the Kubernetes )
Monkey says, "Aye Aye!"
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Gah, got thoughts mixed up there. The Kubernetes will sail tonight. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( And no, it's all about a First Age naval depot. )
Monkey . o O ( And just so you know, Monkey makes a pretty darn good sailing fisherman, thank you very much. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Wouldn't really help, for two reasons. One, CK's former life wasn't a smuggler. Two, rivers change from day to day, let alone over 1500 years. )
Monkey uses his forehead lantern to light the way. After a while, he starts making shadow plays to amuse himself. "And then the Bunny leapt toward the moon and turns into a dove! And the Princess of The Moon smiled and laughed, and the veil of clouds lifted away...."
The Storyteller . o O ( What's the Kubernete's dice pool? )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( 10 )
Master Jaff rolls his eyes and then looks upward to the moon, shrugging.
The Storyteller . o O ( Hmmm... and you've been piloting? )
You rolled 10 dice on kubernete's piloting roll >>> {9, 8, 5, 3, 1, 4, 9, 7, 9, 2}.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( I didn't get a chance to delegate. )
The morning dawns clear and bright, and in the distance you can see the sails of a squadron of triremes. You have caught sight of your quarry, though he is a good six miles upstream yet.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Is it rowing, or just sailing? )
The Storyteller . o O ( make perception rolls )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 4 dice on Per >>> {5, 4, 4, 8}.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Just Perception? No awareness?
The Storyteller . o O ( Yes. )
Monkey rolled 2 dice on Per >>> {8, 5}.
Captain Kaizoku says, "Our target is in sight. The wind will be with us, and we will halt for the day not too far from them, wanting the security of a military ship nearby. White Soul Weeping, stay below until nightfall, and Monkey, do not jump around."
The Storyteller . o O ( Observing the enemy from the top of the mast you count five triremes and a pair of cargo vessels flying the House V'neef flag, all moving in formation upriver. The triremes are rowing, slowly, while the cargo vessels take advantage of a breeze. )
Captain Kaizoku uses calling the Wind's Kiss to make sure the yacht maintains the desired pace with the floatilla.
Monkey rolled 5 dice on Conviction >>> {9, 6, 5, 10, 7}.
Monkey rolled 4 dice on Conviction >>> {10, 7, 9, 1}.
The Storyteller . o O ( No problem. Incidentally, despite using that spell pretty much constantly on the voyage up, I think you've been resting enough that you're at full Essence. )
Captain Kaizoku says, "A Trieme is a cramped vessel, and most of the crew will camp on shore tonight."
Monkey . o O ( FYI. Full Essence. Full WP. Down 5L Health. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Yeah, it's a big chunk up front, not a constant cost, so that's what happened. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey, that's been a 4 day trip, at least 3 of which can count as relaxed healing days. )
The Storyteller . o O ( I have this image of Monkey lounging at the front of the ship, fruity drink in hand, anima all lit up. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( LOL! )
Captain Kaizoku goes to the Purser. "Should any of their crew come by, you are the 'captain' of this vessel. Charm them like a customs inspector."
The Storyteller . o O ( Let's see... looking at the map and the distance traveled... )
Monkey . o O ( Two of those days are accounted for already. But the other two will be enough to heal another health level. )
Monkey dives down to the river and took a couple of strokes before remembering something and swimming back to the ship.
Monkey says, "Sorry, I forgot I'm supposed to wait until dark."
Captain Kaizoku says, "Are there any other parts of the plan you're unclear on then Mr. Monkey?"
That night, the triremes beach on a gravelly spit of land extending out a bit into the river, creating a small natural harbor. The two cargo vessels anchor in the center of this harbor. Traffic on the river is not heavy, but seems to be sufficient that your yacht draws few stares when it beaches half a mile south of the harbor. The triremes are beached bow out, ready to be launched at a moment's notice if necessary. The harbor is a couple hundred yards in width, but does not seem to be too deep -- perhaps five, six feet in depth.
Monkey says, "Can't think of any, Captain."
Monkey . o O ( Hah, chew on that. )
Captain Kaizoku says, "Why don't you tell me the plan again before you go?"
Captain Kaizoku digs up some small sacks for Monkey to carry.
The harbor is formed by an arc of gravel and sand, anchored by driftwood and boulders, that curves from the shore out and across, creating a lagoon downstream of the bar. The triremes are arranged so as to launch into the lagoon. The mouth of the harbor is quite wide, easily allowing two triremes with sweeps out to exit at once.
Captain Kaizoku takes a good look at the cargo ships and the activity on them, trying to determine if they are tenders for the Triemes or carrying something for further upriver.
Monkey scrunches his face in deep concentration.... "Mmmm, swim over there. Stealthy-like. In the dark. Then climb up. Also in the dark. Find valuable cargo. Switch it with something. Carry valuable cargo back. Also in the dark. Everything stealthy-like.
The area where the yacht is beached is, as mentioned, about half a mile downriver (i.e., west), and separated from the harbor by a small stream that empties into the Yellow River. The beach here is about ten yards wide for most of its length, and extends a mile in both directions beyond the harbor.
The Storyteller . o O ( Make Perception + Awareness checks )
Monkey rolled 3 dice on Per + Awa >>> {8, 8, 1}.
Captain Kaizoku adds "To the flagship" as he points out the ship in question. "With the flag on it. If you don't find anything that seems likely, check one of the cargo vessels."
Captain Kaizoku rolled 4 dice on Per >>> {6, 4, 4, 10}.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( GOT to buy awareness... )
The Storyteller . o O ( You both notice that White Soul Weeping seems a bit nervous, and glances inland every few minutes. )
Captain Kaizoku strides up to the Ghost-blooded and says crisply "Report."
White Soul Weeping takes out his now ever-present slate and chalk -- he's been trying to figure out some kind of sign language, but it takes a while -- and begins writing. In brief, he tells that at the moment, you're a scant 70 miles from Walker's Realm, the shadowland held by Walker In Darkness. He's worried that the deathknight you saw in Nexus might have reported his defection, and being so close to his old master's home makes him even more nervous.
Captain Kaizoku clasps the big man's shoulders. "You are in my crew now, under the protection of the Sun. Should any Deathnight approach you, I will burn them down" he says firmly. "Furthermore, you know the area and where that Deathknight would go. Consult with Kerrigan and map out where he would be heading to report to his master. We will see if we can find him and do what we should have done back in Nexus."
White Soul Weeping nods, a little reassured. He heads over to Kerrigan and they share notes as the cook prepares dinner at the fire.
The Storyteller . o O ( What do you want to do now? )
Monkey ponders the best route to the flagship. Straight line swim? Walk over the beach first to reduce swimming distance?
Captain Kaizoku has Glint and Wolf set a campfire up and subtly picket the area as he plans for a potential fast escape and the best place to attack the ships should they begin moving, with an eye to using Obsidian Butterflies to shear off some oars.
Monkey continues pondering, "Should the second mate come? How about Master Jaff? Let's see, probably should bring some rope. Oooo! I'll need a mask. It has to be cool... hmmm, red kerchief over face. Yup. I better go find one."
The Storyteller . o O ( Description of what you can see of their security measures: They have built a fire at the stern of each trireme, around which are gathered the rowers and the marines in orderly rows of small tents. A picket line of marines extends across the beginning of the sandbar, with a few more walking patrol along the bar itself. They seem alert but confident in their security. )
The Storyteller . o O ( hello? )
Monkey . o O ( Waiting for more setting description. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, sorry. I put most of it earlier. )
Monkey . o O ( For example, what's the weather's like? Lighting? )
Monkey . o O ( Starlit? Full Moon? How about the current? Kaizoku wants to use Commanding The Beasts, are there any that would be useful distraction? )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Yes, are there any larger aquatic beasts nearby? Otters, for example? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Moderately clear, but crescent moon. Make a Perception + Survival roll to predict the weather and/or to figure out what critters are nearby. )
Monkey . o O ( Set your sights higher, Captain. Ask for, say, another friendly river dragon. :) )
Monkey rolled 3 dice on Sur + Per >>> {4, 6, 8}.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( It's not a summoning, and river dragons aren't likely to lounge within earshot of a big camp... )
The Storyteller . o O ( Weather-wise, it'll probably rain later in the night, but not heavily. )
Monkey says, "Captain, best bet would be to wait until rainfall, then swim over to the bow of the flagship. Can you make it rain sooner?"
Captain Kaizoku shakes his head. "That is not a spell I possess yet Monkey. You will have to depend on your stealth."
The Storyteller . o O ( that reminds me... the Captain ought to know a bit of Thaumaturgy, with Lore 3. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Make a Per + Survival roll to figure out nearby animals )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 4 dice on Per no survival >>> {7, 3, 4, 6}.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Okay, I'm ready. You can advance the time whenever. Whether the Second Mate comes is up to him (or in this case, jetman).
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Don't you need to by those disciplines seperately? )
The Storyteller . o O ( While there don't seem to be any useful water creatures nearby, there's a herd of elk on land that might be persuaded to distract the Realm scum. )
TonyC [to jetman]: Cool. A distraction land-wise would be better for us swimmers since they won't be looking at the water.
Captain Kaizoku think And how long is the swim? Close enough that the Purser could make it with Sail 4?
The Storyteller . o O ( You can, but as per the "Magic for Everyone" box on page 115 of the Player's Guide, you get one ritual/formula/procedure per two dots in Occult -- though for an Exalt, I'm gonna say you get one per dot. )
The Storyteller . o O ( But we can continue this discussion over email. )
Captain Kaizoku works his magic and Commands the Beasts, bringing the largest six of the herd together under his command. When Monkey and Akbar are near the position, the elk will start a territorial battle very near the camp, keeping it up long enough to be entertaining.
The Storyteller . o O ( The swimming distance would be within the purser's capabilities -- though it's Athletics, not Sail. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Swim would be Athletics.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Geh. Let me port them over to the appropriate subpages.
Captain Kaizoku think That being the case, the Captain will also do some weather working to hide the moon and bring the rain along faster.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( And the Purser goes, shedding his chain shirt beforehand. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, we'll handwave it for now. )
It's almost midnight before the Captain's quiet rituals bring about the overcast sky and drizzle you've been waiting for. Monkey and the Purser walk east along the beach a ways, then quietly slip into the water.
Monkey leaves his flame pieces to Master Jaff, "Now, don't play with them. Well, okay, if we're being attacked by a herd of wyldebeasts. But only then!"
Monkey swims slowly, trying to be quiet.
The purser, Akbar N'jeef, has brought along a oilskin sack with a coil of rope within it. He has made such excursions before, but has never liked them.
The Storyteller . o O ( Make Stamina + Athletics rolls for Monkey and the Purser. It's not a hard swim, but you're trying to be quiet, which means moving slowly, which is tiring. )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 2 dice on Purser Sta >>> {5, 5}.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( I thought swimming was under Sail, since there are charms relating to it under the skill. Ah, well. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Uh, you sure he shouldn't have some Athletics... )
Monkey rolled 9 dice on something >>> {7, 2, 10, 5, 10, 2, 8, 1, 7}.
The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey, you can share successes with the Purser if you like. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Looks like another oversight on my part. )
Monkey . o O ( Sure, he can have half. )
The Storyteller . o O ( All right. It takes you almost half an hour to swim into the harbor. You pause for a rest between the two cargo ships, holding onto an anchor chain. It's dark here, the light from the fires blocked by ships. The flagship is a good sixty feet away, and there's a small chance you'll be spotted as you cross the distance. Also, make a Perception + Awareness roll. )
Monkey rolled 3 dice on something >>> {4, 2, 8}.
Captain Kaizoku rolled 6 dice on Aware + Per >>> {5, 7, 1, 7, 9, 4}.
The Storyteller . o O ( Sorry, that was Monkey only. But now's a good time for CK to launch his distraction. )
Captain Kaizoku pats the biggest Elk on the haunch and sends them running for the biggest fire near the bow of the ship, the two biggest elk instructed to lock horns and mock fight for dominance as the others circle around, close, but not too close to the men.
The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey doesn't hear anything out of the ordinary -- but, since I forgot to ask earlier, did you activate any scene-length Charms? )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Nope. Why should I? This is a cinch!
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Or so Monkey thinks.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Even his jumping one? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Right... )
Monkey puts his Ultimately Useful Tube, bought at a heavy price for situations just like this, into his mouth, turns over, and swims on his back, slightly submerged.
The Storyteller . o O ( roll Dex + Athletics )
Monkey rolled 10 dice on Swim swim. >>> {8, 9, 3, 4, 3, 4, 7, 1, 3, 9}
Just before he dives in, Monkey can hear the bellowing of a pair of elks engage in a mating battle near the sandbar. Shouts and the clatter of armored feet over gravel indicate the distraction is working, at least partly.
Midway, Monkey stops, pauses, and turns around to swim back to the Purser.
The purser is treading water and slowly moving forward after Monkey, looking at him quizzically.
Monkey gives the tube to the Purser, who Monkey remembers as a not-very-good swimmer from the dry South, smiles, and turns around to swim back to the flagship underwater, holding his breath all the time.
The Storyteller . o O ( Ah. Okay. You both make it to the bow of the flagship, unspotted. )
The Storyteller . o O ( hiding under the beak, you confer in whispers. )
The purser says, "What's the plan, sir?"
Monkey whispers, "I climb up, lower a rope, you climb up. Then we look for what Captain wants.
Akbar pulls out the blackened rope. "You will climb up the chain and then pull me along, then we will inspect the ship starting with the flag captain and then the hold"
Monkey says, "Oh, good, you got the plan right. Alright, give me the staff back and I'll see if I'm going to knock somebody out first."
The Storyteller . o O ( First, Perception + Awareness to see if you can hear anyone above you. )
Monkey climbs the chain and once reaching the deck level, slooooowly peeeeek.
Monkey rolled 3 dice on Per + Awa. >>> {3, 1, 1}.
The Storyteller . o O ( Nope, nobody up there at all. )
The purser hands the tube back as he clings carefully to the chain.
Monkey . o O ( Exactly. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Then, Dex + Athletics to climb... and Dex + stealth for the quiet bit. )
Monkey . o O ( Auto-success for Dex+Ath. I have enough dice. )
The Storyteller . o O ( ok )
Monkey rolled 6 dice on Dex + Stealth >>> {4, 3, 4, 8, 4, 6}.
You rolled 3 dice on something >>> {9, 8, 6}.
As Monkey climbs the anchor chain, he makes a slight misstep and gently bumps against the hull. Above him, through the drizzle, he sees a figure appear over the railing and look out into the darkness. It's a marine in buff coat, armed with a boarding axe. The marine looks around and grunts, "Huh. Must be my imagination." He turns and leans against the rail, looking back toward land.
The Storyteller . o O ( Do what now? )
Monkey continues climbing up, a bit more slowly.
The Storyteller . o O ( You're about a yard below the deck now -- the trireme isn't that tall -- so roll Dex + Stealth to do it quiet-like. )
Monkey rolled 6 dice on Dex + Stealth >>> {3, 6, 10, 4, 2, 8}.
You rolled 3 dice on something >>> {4, 2, 10}.
The Storyteller . o O ( You make it undetected -- describe what you're going to do )
Monkey lifts himself very slowly over the railing. Peeking over it, he sees the buff marine hooking his axe on his belt, takes some dried leaves from his pouch, and rolls it up. The marine lights it up, takes a long drag, and turns to watch the elks. Monkey takes this opportunity to climb over to the deck.
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, what now? You've got one marine across the foredeck from you, about six or eight feet away. )
Monkey crouches and messes around with his Tube. "Drats, which one is the blue end?" he thinks. "Well, this one looks lighter." Aiming at the marine, he darts him.
The Storyteller . o O ( What are the effects of that again? )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Paralysis poison. But let's see if I hit first.
Monkey rolled 5 dice on Blowpipe - Wound >>> {9, 1, 4, 5, 8}.
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, roll to hit. He has no defense, but soak 3L )
Monkey . o O ( Dammit! I keep forgetting to add Accuracy. )
Monkey rolled 1 dice on something >>> {7}.
The Storyteller . o O ( 3 successes -- do you want to sacrifice some for called shot? )
The Storyteller . o O ( IIRC, that's how it works... )
Monkey . o O ( Nah, I messed up the mechanic, but yeah, call it like that. Besides, it's poison. Stamina+Resistance. Diff 2. Is he mortal? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Yes. Just a sec... )
You rolled 4 dice on something >>> {1, 10, 1, 4}.
Monkey . o O ( Mortals roll against Diff 4. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Ah, then he fails. )
The Storyteller . o O ( what's the effect? )
Monkey . o O ( Hmmm 6B damage. No rolling. Duration 4 hours. Penalty -3. I'm not sure how the Penalty works. )
The Storyteller . o O ( So he automatically takes 6 bashing levels? Then he's unconscious. )
Monkey's dart thunks into the back of the marine's neck, and he crumples to the deck without a sound, his cigarette falling to the water below.
Monkey . o O ( Ah. Penalty is tacked on to all dice pool on top of wound penalty, except this goes away after duration elapses, regardless of whether the damage has healed or not after those hours. )
The Storyteller . o O ( The deck of the trireme is poorly lit, with only flickering light from the fires on the beach. )
Monkey ties the rope to the railing and lowers it to where he thinks the Purser is. "Psst. Come up."
TonyC [to jetman]: You are playing the purser, right?
The purser climbs up slowly and carefully.
jetman [to TonyC]: Yep.
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, no stealth roll required at the moment. You're on the foredeck of the flagship, a standard Realm trireme. )
Monkey scoots over to the unconscious marine, looks around, and moves him to a dark corner. There, he starts donning the marine's paraphernalia, hoping this way he'll fool the next marine, even if it's just for a few moments.
The Storyteller . o O ( The captain's cabin -- such as it is -- will be in the stern, but it'll likely be quite spartan. The hold will be between the rowing benches and beneath them. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Where first? )
Akbar whispers "We should go to the captain's cabin first.
Monkey whispers back, "Hold on, I'm almost done. Okay. I'm done."
Monkey walks straight ahead to the stern. Then he hears the elks' battle display and starts walking faster so he can watch it too.
The Storyteller . o O ( make a quick Intelligence + Larceny check )
The purser pats the water off his body with the oilskin sack to not leave as much of a trail before following.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Who? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Ah, that's monkey doing the disguise thing. )
Monkey rolled 3 dice on Int + Larceny = Disguise >>> {6, 6, 8}.
The Storyteller . o O ( Well, Monkey doesn't look _much_ like an imperial marine, but the buff coat covers a lot... )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( I'll bet he forgets to take off the buff jacket and goes for a swim with it later. )
Monkey oohs and ahhs watching the elks duke it out.
Monkey flinches after one particularly violent elk headbutt. He grimaces, "Ooo, that's gotta hurt."
As Monkey watches the elks, he hears a door below him slide open and someone step out onto the main deck.
TonyC [to jetman]: Quick! You do the smart thing!
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Monkey's the hero here! :) )
Monkey says, "Oh hey, look at those elks duking it out."
Monkey waves the newcomer over without looking.
Akbar remains still, working his way around a mast in the opposite direction.
Monkey points at the elks. Not that he's alone. Below, at the beach, almost everyone around the fires are watching the entertainment. The more entrepreneurial among them are already collecting bets on which elk will emerge victorious.
Whoever it is climbs up the ladder to the poop deck. By the sound of it, they're fully armored. "Back to your post, marine. You can watch the local wildlife on your down time." (Make a Wits roll.)
Monkey rolled 3 dice on Wits >>> {3, 7, 10}.
You rolled 5 dice on something >>> {5, 10, 4, 5, 7}.
Monkey stiffen into attention without pause. "Sir, yes sir!"
The Storyteller . o O ( It's Barada. He doesn't seem to recognize you... yet. )
Monkey turns around and walks briskly in step toward the bow, taking care not to remain in the shadows.
Monkey . o O ( to remain in the shadows. )
Ackbar lets out the breath he had been holding. "Did he go back to his quarters?" he asks quietly.
The V'neef admiral takes Monkey's position, watching the elks battle. Suddenly, he straightens up. "Wait a moment..." he says.
From his position on the bow, Monkey is the perfect picture of discipline.
He turns sharply, looking down the length of the ship. "Marines! We have an intruder! Alert! Alert!"
The Storyteller . o O ( Uh, that's Barada doing the shouting. )
From the bar, there's a flurry of shouting. On the other triremes, you can see torches being lit and marines and oarsmen looking around wildly.
Monkey feels a tap on his shoulder.
Monkey joins in the shouting, raising an alarm.
Monkey jumps a bit forward and turns around, raising his boarding axe in a defensive position. "Intruder!"
Monkey . o O ( Who tapped me? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Just a sec... )
Ackbar tries to become one with the mast.
Monkey stares into his own face -- or at least, that of his double, hooded and cloaked in blue. She raises a finger to her lips, signalling silence. Then she leaps from the deck to the top of the mast, the color of her cloak changing as she leaps to match Monkey's buff jacket.
Monkey waits and scratches his head in confusion.
She throws a dagger at Barada and it thunks into the deck at his feet. He looks up just in time to see her leap from the mast to the shore. She lands with a crunch in the gravel next to a startled sailor and takes off at a dead run towards the forest. "After him! It's that damn pirate Monkey!" shouts Barada in fury, leaping off the trireme to follow.
Monkey makes a lot of noise running in place. As the noises gets farther away, he slows down, looks around to find the trireme deserted, and says, "Psst, Ackbar?"
Monkey says, "Hey, where are you?"
Lets out the breath that he has been holding. "I swear on the gem-studded sands you just cost me 10 years off my life!"
The guards on shore are quick to obey, but there's a bit more confusion on the ships. Most of the soldiers and sailors seem to jump to the admiral's orders, but mill around in confusion once they hit the gravel.
Monkey says, "But isn't it an interesting 10 years! But quick, let's go find this thing."
Monkey runs to the captain's cabin, opening the door by force if necessary.
Bites back a flaming curse as he heads to the stern where the captain's cabin waits.
Monkey . o O ( I don't remember hearing the noise of a lock, but hey.... )
Ackbar says "Wait! I can open that quietly!" before Monkey can bash it.
As Monkey opens the door -- which is not locked, and is indeed half open -- a woman's voice asks from inside, "What's going on out there?"
Ackbar whispers "Tell her there is a commotion and to go to the stern to see."
Monkey says, "Madam! The Notorious Pirate Monkey has attacked the fleet! The Commander and the rest of the guard has gone off to capture him, but for your own safety I've been instructed to guard you. Please come with me to the stern. We'll be able to watch for any more trouble better there."
Monkey holds his hand out to the woman.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( OOC Gah, I meant the bow... I'm not shipshape. )
Monkey . o O ( Shall we retro it? )
A tall Dragon-Blooded woman, dressed in diaphanous blue robes and wearing a luxurious white cloak embroidered with the badge of House Cynis steps forward. "Really? How... exciting. Let us go." She ignores Monkey's hand and sweeps past him, drawing her cloak around her. (Make a Wits roll)
Monkey rolled 3 dice on Wits >>> {4, 1, 6}.
The Storyteller . o O ( Oy. )
Monkey . o O ( Look, if the roll is for whether Monkey knows who she is, well... you know how Monkey is. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( OOC The cabin's at the stern already, right? )
Monkey winks at the purser and nods towards the cabin.
The woman -- basically ignoring Monkey -- climbs up to the stern. "I can't see anything. This is unacceptable." She snaps her fingers and shouts something in an unknown tongue.
The Storyteller . o O ( Yes, the cabin's at the stern. )
Monkey turns around and follows the woman three steps behind her, like a proper guard would.
Monkey . o O ( Ackbar has free rein of the Captain's Cabin. Go to town, David. )
Ackbar slips inside the cabin quietly, looking for any strongboxes first of all, then the logbook.
A strange humming fills the air and a spirit of beautiful light appears next to the woman. It stands higher than a man and makes obeisance to her, its wings moving softly under the rain. "Agata, bear me hither," says the woman as she mounts the wasp-like creature. "You," she says, glancing at Monkey, "tell Barada that I will return when I choose, but ere morning." With that, the creature beats its wings in an increasing tempo and rises into the air, heading south as it gains altitude.
Monkey says, "Aye aye, Madam."
The cabin is constructed so that there are four bunks flanking the entrance, two to a side. Past them is a large table and two bunks with curtains for privacy. Beyond that is a door that leads to a small, private cabin -- the captain's. A quick search shows the logbook on the table -- it seems Barada was making an entry when he was disturbed.
Monkey . o O ( She casts a spell in one turn? )
The Storyteller . o O ( No, beckons an already-bound demon. )
Ackbar glances at the logbook before checking the private cabin's door.
The Storyteller . o O ( Can Ackbar read High Realm? )
Monkey goes back to the Captain's Cabin.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Nope, just Low. I knew that would happen. )
Monkey says, "Found it?"
The Storyteller . o O ( Hmmm... make an Intelligence roll for him, adding Linguistics if he's got it. High Realm is sufficiently close to Low that he could make out a few important words. )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 5 dice on Int + Linguistics >>> {10, 3, 2, 6, 4}.
Monkey looks around for a piece of paper and some ink and feather.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Linguistics 3. )
The Storyteller . o O ( On his quick glance, Akbar recognizes the words "First Age", "treasure," and "slaves" in close proximity. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey has no problem finding the stuff he's looking for. )
Ackbar breathes "Monkey, can you read this devil's scrawl?"
Monkey lifts his head up from his writing. "Oh? Let me see."
Monkey rolled 2 dice on something >>> {7, 4}.
The purser points Monkey to the logbook, careful not to touch it.
Monkey says, "Nope, that's those fancy Realm-speak. You know, where they use thou instead of you. Just grab the whole thing, and the charts too while you're at it."
Monkey . o O ( Any more information other than what you already told Ackbar? )
Ackbar shakes his head. "The plan is to leave no sign we were here at first!" he says, moving to the cabin door and opening it.
The Storyteller . o O ( No, not really. As for the other... you do find a strongbox under one of the curtained bunks. It's not locked, and seems to have just been pushed back under the bunk. )
Monkey opens the strongbox and looks inside. (Traps? What traps?)
The Storyteller . o O ( Inside are a variety of magical accessories and a pair of books, one bound in white, the other in black. It seems to be a small sorcerer's toolkit. )
Monkey passes the writing instruments to Ackbar. "Well, there are more ways to get information than by simply grabbing the physical medium."
The harried smuggler can't beleive he's hearing the word "Medium" from Monkey, but starts copying as best he can. "What is that?" he asks. "And check the captain's cabin, hurry!"
Monkey goes, "Oooo," and ponders.
Monkey gets some more sheaves of paper.
Monkey checks the captain's cabin, a plan forming in his head.
Monkey . o O ( Gadzooks! A plan! In Monkey's head! )
Monkey . o O ( But first, searching the cabin. )
The captain's cabin is neat and well-ordered. A bunk is against the far wall, under a pair of portholes that look out of the stern. On the right is a small desk. On the left, a dresser. Under the bunk is a sea chest, closed and locked.
Monkey looks at the desk first, opening drawers if there any, and then goes to open the dresser. The sea chest last. Ackbar leans his head through the door once he has copied the High Realm text as best he can.
He then gets out his lockpicks, knowing anything valuable in here must be secured.
In the drawers on the desk, Monkey finds the usual -- writing supplies, a couple forms, envelopes, and the like. The dresser contains clothes. The sea chest will require a Dex + Larceny roll.
Captain Kaizoku rolled 8 dice on Dex + Larceny >>> {9, 2, 7, 7, 10, 1, 7, 7}.
Monkey . o O ( From the clothes, this is Barada's? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Wow. Now I know what pursers are good for... )
The Storyteller . o O ( Yes, it seems to be Barada's cabin. )
Monkey . o O ( Where does the woman reside? Is it any of the room we've been through? )
Akbar pops the lock on the sea chest with consummate ease. Inside are several books, a bag of jade, and a scroll bound with scarlet ribbon.
Monkey takes the papers, uses his knife to cut it to the proper size and assembles them in two stacks.
The Storyteller . o O ( The woman does not appear to reside on this ship. )
Monkey then goes to get the white book and the black book.
Ackbar rolls the scroll tighter and sees if he can slip it free of the ribbon to read it.
Monkey cuts the binding of the two books and places the contents inside an oiled sack. He then places the stack of papers, approximately the same thickness into the leftover covers, and does a makeshift binding job of it.
Monkey . o O ( If there is enough time and paper, I'll do the same for the books inside the locked sea-chest. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey does his thing no problem. Akbar is able to slide the scroll out from the ribbon well enough, and open the scroll. )
Monkey places the white and black forgeries back into the strongbox.
The Storyteller . o O ( There's not time for the books in the sea chest, plus most of them have clasps. )
Ackbar whispers "Did you even look to see if those were worth the effort or important?"
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( WHat does the scroll say? )
Monkey whispers back, "No. But imagine the surprise!"
Monkey . o O ( Honestly, it's my gut feeling. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( And do the clasped books look like the logbook? )
Monkey says, "Okay, here's our options. We can take all of this, relock the box, and hope they don't reopen the box until they get there."
Monkey . o O ( Is it possible to attempt to replace the scroll? )
Monkey . o O ( Given our time? )
The Storyteller . o O ( The scroll is in Riverspeak, and appears to be a letter to the rulers of Great Forks, or their representative. In short, it offers them a powerful manse near Grayfalls in exchange for the right to launch the Wyld Hunt. To sweeten the deal, Barada is making a gift of a hundred slaves and five talents of jade, outright. )
The Storyteller . o O ( You probably don't have time to replace the scroll )
Monkey says, "The other option is to destroy the contents of the book and scroll, but we won't be able to bring them."
Monkey says, "Ackbar, you're better at this sort of thing that I am. What's your counsel?"
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Are the Talents in the box? )
think Oh, the books -- they don't look like logbooks, more like tomes of knowledge.
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, the books -- they don't look like logbooks, more like tomes of knowledge. )
The Storyteller . o O ( No, they aren't -- they'd be too big to fit. They're probably in a strongbox in the hold. )
Ackbar hefts the contents of the box and hands it to Monkey. "Find something that weights the same, a boot or the like. We'll put it inside and damage the lock so they won't open it casually.
Monkey takes off his buff jacket and boarding axe and whatever else the marine had. Using both hands as a rough scale, he places what he thinks is enough weight inside the box.
Monkey writes in his native language, Seatongue. "Dear Beautiful Madam. I apologize for tricking you last night. In truth, you were at the best spot, right next to me. It's just too bad that Barada was convinced I was somewhere else, but I have nothing to do with that, honest. -Signed Monkey.
Monkey adds that letter into the pouch.
Monkey . o O ( Okay, if they open the chest, they'll figure out the switcheroo anyway. So might as well gloat. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. Nice touch... )
Ackbar puts the contents of the chest into the oilskin sack and then works a pick around in the lock to make it much harder to open with the key. "Quick, to the hold. We can slip out the bilge if need be!"
Monkey says, "Okay. Go first, I'll cover you if need be."
The purser carefully moves out and towards the hatch leading down that the Admiral emerged from, looking out over the water for a moment at the chaos that the faux-Monkey caused.
By this time, some of the marines have drifted back to the ships, though none to the flagship. In the distance, you can hear shouts as Barada coordinates a hunt for Monkey's double.
The Storyteller . o O ( Make a Wits roll. )
Monkey will stand guard near the entrance until Ackbar needs his help with something or the marines return to the flagship.
Monkey rolled 3 dice on wits >>> {9, 2, 4}.
Captain Kaizoku rolled 3 dice on Wits >>> {6, 2, 8}.
The Storyteller . o O ( The dagger Monkey's double threw is still sticking out of the deck, just above the cabin. It gleams oddly in the faint light available, and the rain doesn't seem to hit it. )
Monkey . o O ( Ooo, shiny! )
Monkey abandons his post to inspect the dagger closer.
Ackbar bows at the dagger and gestures to it. "You knew the woman, perhaps it is a gift? Take it quickly!"
Monkey shrugs. "But I don't know her. What is this with strange woman knowing me?" But he kneels anyway and takes the dagger.
The dagger is perfectly dry and fits Monkey's hands eerily well. The metal feels damned odd, though.
Ackbar carefully heads down the hatch to the hold.
Monkey mutters. "First that big Dynast. Then the twin that I thought was a day dream. I wonder who's next. The Maiden of Secrets? Mumble mumble."
The hold is what you'd expect -- low-ceilinged, cramped, and full of stuff. Searching as quickly as possible, Akbar finds an unusually large chest under a coil of line. The chest is sealed with lead.
Monkey says, "How do you propose moving this?"
Ackbar pulls out his fine knife and sees if he can slide it through the seal.
The Storyteller . o O ( Dex + Larceny check, please )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 8 dice on Dex + Larceny >>> {8, 7, 8, 1, 1, 9, 9, 2}.
The Storyteller . o O ( Akbar can probably wiggle the seal off pretty easily, though sticking it back on will be trickier -- he'll need some kind of glue. )
Monkey stops and thinks, using what he knows of ships.
Ackbar does so, opening it up quietly, hissing to Monkey "Look for tar!"
Monkey looks and searches the hold.
Monkey . o O ( I'm looking for tar and firedust. )
Monkey . o O ( What is the chest made off? Wood? )
After a few minutes, Monkey finds a barrel of tar. It's the work of a moment to grab some. Firedust, on the other hand, is not to be found. Make a Wits roll.
The Storyteller . o O ( Yes, iron-bound oak. )
Monkey rolled 2 dice on Wits >>> {1, 9}.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Spending Wp for autosuccess.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Brain addled. Intended to declare spending before rolling.
The Storyteller . o O ( You remember that there was a pair of fire projectors on the bow -- there's probably some firedust towards the front of the hold, in a separate compartment. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( What's in the chest? )
Monkey decides that will probably takes too long and dismisses the idea of remelting the lead seal.
The Storyteller . o O ( The chest contains five talents of jade. Not just a couple sacks of obols, either -- full on jade talents, 68-pound slabs of jade. They're wrapped in silk cloth. )
Monkey . o O ( Help on ship structure here. If I want to jump out of the ship from here, is there an opening big enough? )
Ackbar smiles at the jackpot, loving the discovery of such weath. "Find some planks, and those balls they shoot from the firedust cannon!" he says, straining to lift one Talent and putting it down with effort before unwrapping it.
Monkey . o O ( They don't shoot cannonballs. Firedust cannon shoots jets of fire. )
Monkey says, "Why do you need them?"
The Storyteller . o O ( Note -- they don't shoot balls from firedust weapons. They're more like flamethrowers. And no, there's nowhere in the hold to jump from, though there's a hatch nearby that leads to the rowing benches. From there you can get out through the oarlocks with a bit of wiggling. )
Monkey says, "If you intend on throwing them overboard while marking a spot, I can do that."
Ackbar lifts up the heavy slab. "Something heavy then! I am not a warrior, I am a businessman! The chest must seem full."
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, and that's 5 slabs. 340 pounds. )
Monkey says, "Tie a length of rope to the slab, with a piece of wood on the other end. That way it'll be easier to find."
Monkey goes looking for tools.
Monkey says, "Hammers, anvil. What else is good. Oh, this axe head should be good. Barrel of nails....."
Monkey says, "Hmmm, I wonder if there's a spare anchor."
The Storyteller . o O ( Better find what you need quickly. You hear footsteps up on deck. )
Ackbar continues to withdraw the slabs, one at a time, and loads up the heavy things as Monkey brings them, using his merchant sense to get the weight close.
Ackbar says "The talents will stay in the mud, and the ship's indentation will be easy to see tomorrow, so we will just drop them out the oarlocks, then go ourselves!"
The Storyteller . o O ( Done. Judging from the sounds on deck, it's a patrol of marines come back to secure the flagship. )
TonyC thinks that tides might screw that up, but he doesn't know enough about it anyway.
Monkey helps Ackbar out.
The Storyteller . o O ( tides? Over two thousand miles inland? )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Yes. The great lakes, for example, experiences a significant tide. What matters is the amount of water, not where it's located.
Ackbar carefully makes note of the area and shore features where they drop the talents into the river after slathering a thin layer of tar to reseal the junk-filled chest.
The Storyteller . o O ( Never mind. Anyway, you make it into the water, but roll Dex + Stealth to do it quiet-like. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Is this river comparable to Lake Superior? Does tides even matter in Creation? Who knows? Your call. I'll go along.
Monkey rolled 5 dice on Dex + Stealth - Wound >>> {5, 5, 10, 1, 4}.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Can normal humans spend willpower for successes? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Yes. )
TonyC [to jetman]: Yes.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Ackbar does so then. )
The Storyteller . o O ( You slip into the water silently, following the treasure of jade. Make two stealth rolls to make it out of the harbor safely. Difficulty 1. )
Monkey rolled 5 dice on Dex + Stealth - Wound >>> {3, 6, 10, 5, 5}.
Monkey rolled 5 dice on Dex + Stealth - Wound >>> {6, 5, 1, 3, 2}.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( He does it twice more in that case. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. Akbar makes it out safely, but just as he's leaving the harbor, Monkey makes a little too much noise. )
"What was that?" A guard on one of the cargo ships leans over the railing, shining a lantern down on the water near Monkey.
The Storyteller . o O ( Monkey, make a Dex + Stealth roll, diff 3. )
Monkey dives down to the bottom of the river.
Captain Kaizoku has been pacing the deck steadily, sure the plan has been blown from all the tumult, yet there are no signs of a battle.
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Time to spend Willpower.
Monkey rolled 5 dice on Dex + Stealth + 1 success. >>> {4, 10, 7, 7, 6}.
Monkey waits at the bottom of the river.
Monkey waits some more.
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, you make it down to the bottom with nary a sound. Using the tube as a snorkel? )
Monkey gives up, extends the tube as a snorkel, and walks home underwater.
The Storyteller . o O ( Heh. )
Back at the yacht. The entire operation has taken over an hour, but seems to be a resounding success.
The Storyteller . o O ( What do you do now? ) Monkey says, "Blub blub bluurb, blub." (translation from Underwater: Hi there, Mr. Crocodile. Sorry, don't mean to interrupt your beauty sleep. I'll just be going now.)
Captain Kaizoku quickly inspects the log copy, then the books, with a curt but heartfelt "Good work men" as they return, and a "What set off the alarms Monkey?" to Monkey.
Monkey says, "Ah, Barada walks out right behind me, Captain. Luckily I was disguised, so he doesn't recognize me immediately."
Captain Kaizoku looks up from his work "Immediately? Then he did recognize you?"
Monkey says, "Right, it didn't fool him long, but then this.... my mirror showed up and threw a dagger at him!"
Monkey says, "So he and the lot of them went after him! He's pretty good too! Almost as quick as me!"
Captain Kaizoku looks up sharply. "Your mirror twin attacked the Admiral?" he states, troubled.
Captain Kaizoku says, "Do you have any idea who that is?"
Monkey says, "The Admiral? No, but his name's Barada, right?"
Monkey says, "But I think he missed on purpose."
Monkey says, "I think he has a plan. My mirror, that is. Well, not that the Admiral doesn't have a plan. But I have a plan too, well, yours, actually, but anyway....."
Summing up the nature of the items brought back...
Captain Kaizoku nods his head. "No, not Barada, this double of you. And you don't have a twin brother?"
The Storyteller . o O ( roll Wits + Occult )
Monkey says, "Then we went to the captain's cabin. And there's this woman....."
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Who? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Uh, CK )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 6 dice on Wits + Occult >>> {9, 6, 4, 7, 2, 7}.
Monkey says, "No. I think my mother would know if I have a twin and she never told me so."
The Storyteller . o O ( The books Monkey brought back are the White Treatise and the Black Treatise, basic studies in sorcery. Very handy. )
Monkey says, "Now, if I'm a Dynast, it might be a scandalous-nah, they like scandals, never mind."
Monkey says, "So, this woman...."
Captain Kaizoku is clearly less than reassured by Monkey's proclamation, but continues his reading.
Captain Kaizoku says, "Yes?"
Monkey starts describing the woman....
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Does the parchment with the contract give the location of the Manse? And does the woman's description ring any bells? )
Monkey says, "And poof! This big demon thing showed up and bowed to her. She calls it Agata and he carried her over to chase me. I mean, my mirror, which she thought was me, except I was standing right next to her, except she didn't know because I didn't tell her I'm me...."
The Storyteller . o O ( The parchment re the manse puts it location south along the Rolling River. It seems to have been abandoned for some time, but there are no more specifics on it. As for the woman's desc, make an Intelligence roll. )
Captain Kaizoku rolled 2 dice on Int >>> {10, 1}.
The Storyteller . o O ( Doesn't really ring a bell, but you think you've heard that one of Barada's allies is a Cynis sorceress. To track it down any more you'll need to do some investigating. )
Monkey says, "So we found this black book and white book, and I recalled you mentioned something about black and white something, although now that I think about it, you might be talking about chess, but Ackbar says we're not to leave any clue that we were here, which was hard, since I put this guard to sleep and there's alarm and everything, but anyway I figure if I replace the contents with blank papers it will look almost as good as new and the owner can then write new stuffs in...."
The Storyteller . o O ( Oh, and the log book page... )
Captain Kaizoku actually chuckles at that. "Only if they want to blow themselves up Monkey. These are books on sorcery, likely those of that woman's."
The Storyteller . o O ( It's literally that. It describes the day's journey -- uneventful -- notes that the slaves in the cargo ships are still mostly whole, and includes a brief note that there is rumored to a First Age ruin nearby that may draw their Anathema targets. Lastly it includes the expected time to Great Forks, about 4 more days. )
Monkey says, "And then Ackbar took the books and the jade from Barada's chest and relocked the thing and we went to the hold to grab the jade talents, but it's pretty heavy so Ackbar says to leave it on the shore and tomorrow we can pick it up after they leave and then he glued the seal back with some tar and the guards starts pacing on the deck so we dived and swam except I was almost found out I had to stay underwater all the time. Luckily the tube extends out so I just walked all the way home."
Monkey says, "I think tomorrow we should sail after they launch except we go slower this time, not faster and after they lose sight of us, we turn around, pick up the jade, and goes straigth to Nexus, skipping Great Fork." Captain Kaizoku nods his head. "We'll go fishing in the morning and pull up the jade. I wish we could do somethin about the slaves, but there are too many troops present to free them with our current resources."
Monkey says, "Well, we could buy them. We could use the crew. Oh wait, we don't have a ship yet."
Monkey looks crestfallen.
The Storyteller is a wee bit surprised y'all didn't just up and steal the flagship.
Monkey . o O ( OOC. I'm okay with exploring the ruin if you want to side-track. However, given that the ruin was described in the High-Realm logbook, Monkey doesn't know about it and thus can't get distracted by it. Yet. )
Captain Kaizoku rubs his stubbly chin. "The manse and this ruin are interesting possiblities, but to get a ship, we must intercept that Deathknight and recover the scroll somehow. We will return to Great Forks and settle up with the... occupants... there"
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( He does now! :) )
The Storyteller . o O ( Return to Great Forks? )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Ooops, meant "someday" on that. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( And we'd be hosed if we tried to take the flagship. With no rowers, we'd be overtaken. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Flagship? Nah boring. I was tempted to steal both cargo ship full of slaves, but I couldn't figure out how Monkey can steer both ships at the same time and I don't think he can convince Ackbar to give it a run.
Monkey . o O ( Convincing Kaizoku? Yeah, right. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, so what is your plan now? )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( It's too bad we won't get to see what happens when they open that chest up as a bribe. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( What did Kerrigan and WSW come up with as far as that Deathknight's path. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( ? )
TonyC [to jetman]: We might. Jesse is familiar with the "Glorious Cut-scene Exposition!"
TonyC [to Apollonian]: I might be missing something. What are the books in the Barada's seachest?
The Storyteller . o O ( Ah. Well, WSW figures that the deathknight probably doesn't know what he's got -- the Abyssal seems to have acted primarily as the contact point in Nexus for Walker's agents in the area. However, he'll eventually send the stuff toward Walker's Realm, probably by land. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Did you take everything from the sea chest? )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Yes. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: IIRC, we were taking the jade and the books too. Hence the need to use both buff jacket and boarding axe as replacement weight. If it's just jade and scroll, those are pretty light.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Probably a mistake, but oh, well. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: What language are those "tomes of knowledge" in anyway? Old Realm?
think Okay. The books are works of lore and history, mostly of the Shogunate era. One of them describes the manse in a bit more detail -- it seems that Barada is planning on putting one over on the rulers of Great Forks, as the manse is, well, rubble.
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. The books are works of lore and history, mostly of the Shogunate era. One of them describes the manse in a bit more detail -- it seems that Barada is planning on putting one over on the rulers of Great Forks, as the manse is, well, rubble. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Though the hold's treasure chest was fixed to look untouched. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Does it give the Manse's location? )
The Storyteller . o O ( There are a couple basic histories, including a naval one. We'll deal with the contents in more detail over email if you like. It gives the manse's location in some detail -- you could probably find it, though some terrain changes may be inevitable. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Target rich environment. Are there any small, fast ships beached in the area that look to be heading up to the Fork? )
The Storyteller . o O ( No. There are a couple of fishing boats beached north of the squadron, but that's it. They look local. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( One plan would be to have that compromising book delivered up to the Fork the day after V'Neef makes his pitch, but travel realities seem to prevent that. )
Monkey says hi to Master Jaff and demands his flame pieces back. Master Jaff gives Monkey a raspberry instead. Monkey demands Master Jaff show him where he hid the pieces. Master Jaff moons him. Monkey chases Master Jaff around the ship.
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Did the knowledge tomes have any hints about the first age ruins mentioned? )
The Storyteller . o O ( A brief mention. It may have been an old manor or something. By the location given though, you suspect it might be in Walker's Realm. )
Monkey finally catches Master Jaff and gives him a noogie. Master Jaff surrenders and points at the mast.
Captain Kaizoku puts his hands on the table and stands once more. "Once that floatilla leaves and we fish out the Talents, we will be heading for the realm of the Deathknight Walker. Our purpose is twofold:" he says in his command voice.
Captain Kaizoku says, "First will be to find and waylay the creature who has the key fragment. Second will be to determine if the first age ruin mentioned here can be found. It may have useful artifacts" His gaze flicks over to the wrapped remains of his Daiklave."
Monkey climbs up the rigging to the mast and finds.... Rotting apple cores! Down on the deck, Master Jaff shows his tongue at Monkey before scampering to listen to Captain Kaizoku. Monkey joins him, a bit miffed at Master Jaff.
The Storyteller . o O ( It's probably getting close to dawn now. )
The Storyteller . o O ( You're planning on staying put till the squadron leaves, right? )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Yes, and planning a hiding spot on shore for the hotter members of the crew if need be. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Better do it quick, then. The sailor on lookout passes the message back that a fang of troops is headed your way. )
Monkey says, "Suda mentions Spires of Pyrron. What do we know about it?"
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Son of a... )
Monkey says, "Give the things we took from Barada to me."
Monkey says, "Ackbar, the oiled sack, please."
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( How many troops is that? )
The Storyteller . o O ( five marines. )
Captain Kaizoku lifts an eyebrow but nods at Ackbar to hand the items over.
Captain Kaizoku says, "Your plan, Monkey?"
Monkey says, "Captain, hide or disguise yourself. I suggest we let them board and see that we're innocent. If they disappear, the whole fleet will come after us."
Monkey says, "Me, I'll climb down the anchor and stay underwater."
Monkey looks at Captain Kaizoku critically, and says to Ackbar, "What do you think? A Southern style beard, with a goatee and a whitened wig?"
Captain Kaizoku summons the surgeon. "Bandages, and lots of them. I have a horrible plague." He turns to Ackbar. "And you're taking me to the Fork in hopes of a Fair cure."
Monkey says, "Ah well, I liked my idea better. Back soon."
Captain Kaizoku says, "The best disguise is one no one wants to look at Monkey."
Monkey takes the oiled sack, tie it shut, and climbs down the anchor.
The fang of marines arrives, led by a young Dragon-blooded soldier. He seems a bit more tactful than most Dynasts, and asks to speak with the ship's master.
Monkey dives underwater and, using the tube as a snorkel, waits things out.
Captain Kaizoku strips down to bedclothes and bandages up his hands and face, calling for onions. Ackbar was the designated "captain" for this contingiency and goes up to them, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "Yes, good sirs?"
The Dynast looks down at Akbar -- he's on the tall side, clad in a buff coat and wearing a wavecleaver daiklave -- and says, "Did you see or hear any disturbances nearby last night?"
Underwater, Monkey critically eyes the patch on the hole from the other side. Hmmm, not bad. Could've been tighter, but given the situation, the Carpenter did okay, he supposes.
Ackbar looks around at the other crew and shrugs. "Some noise, yes. A party in your camp? I know sailors are rowdy given the chance" he says, as if not understanding their point. "It was not that loud though."
As the Dynast talks to Akbar, his troops scan the area, spreading out a bit but staying alert.
Monkey yawns, and frantically grabs the tube and puts it back in the mouth as he chokes on river-water. A couple bubbles surfaces next to the ship unnoticed.
The Dynast says, "Yes, a party." He grins mirthlessly. "Did you or your crew note anyone passing by, either on land or on the river, about middlewatch?"
Ackbar gives his head a shake. "No, but I confess we had a party of our own, with a fine wine last night. With the navy so close, what pirate would come near?" he asks rhetorically, with a little smile.
Monkey start pacing impatiently on the hull for a while. The camera's POV rotates and Monkey realizes that he's walking on the hull upside down! Hey, this underwater thing is pretty neat!
The Dynast nods sharply. "Aye, that's true." He looks around. "Well, I suggest you be careful, merchant. The Scavenger Lands are dangerous. Farewell." He turns on his heel and marches back upstream.
Ackbar whispers in Flametongue after they have gone "How did that sort ever catch me?"
Captain Kaizoku motions the surgeon closer. "Tap on Monkey's pipe once the ships start to move." he whispers.
Over the course of the next hour, the squadron prepares to leave, and as the sun reaches the mid-morning mark, it swings out into the river and heads upstream.
Captain Kaizoku has the surgeon call down Monkey's air tube that he should walk to the jade drop point like that.
Monkey . o O ( Hmmm, not sure how well the message will come across. Bear in mind that the other end goes to my mouth, not my ears. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay... let's wrap up here. You get the jade easily enough, probably with assorted amusing hijinks on the part of Monkey and Mister Jaff. )
Monkey . o O ( Okay, wrap up. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( How many Talents is that when combined with the auction money and mugging funds? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Handing out the XP: 3 points + a 2 point bonus each for completing this mission as planned. We'll discuss other stuff over e-mail... except for the money thing... )
TonyC [to jetman]: There were two places in this session where I could conceiveably surprise attack and drop someone before they can do anything. I did not take the chance because I'd rather not start a fight without your cooperation. Well, Ackbar is there, but Ackbar would've been flattened if we get into a serious fight. Should I pursue such chances in the future?
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( I was sure that something would go wrong with the stealth... )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, six talents of jade (5 true talents, 1 book talent), and 19,000+ silver dinars. )
TonyC [to jetman]: Put that down in your character sheet, so you don't forget.
The Storyteller . o O ( Anyway, it's a hell of a lot of money. And I should point out that jade attracts spirits. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Q: including ghosts?
jetman [to TonyC]: Well, anyone worth taking down that way would probably be too hard... Barada must be quite tough, if that's what you wre thining.
The Storyteller . o O ( further stuff over e-mail. (Not sure if it includes ghosts.) Bye for now. )
Captain Kaizoku . o O ( Nite! Thanks! )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: g'night.
On to Session 7: Hijinks!
