Our turnout is surprisingly weak today. Tim calls rather late to mutter, "I don't know where I am, I just woke up, and everyone's speaking Mexican." Dave is nowhere to be found, but may have been hauled off to be hit with blunt objects at Amtgard. April (Sister Joann), Nick (Brother Xavier) and Chris (Peter Sangaree) do manage to show up, eventually.
The characters wake in their rooming-house in the Tuam Low City to the mellifluous sounds of Brother Xavier screaming, "We've got to kill Thomas Ossy ab Gehallen! We've got to kill him! I want to kill him now!" Noting his mood and the fact that he is swinging around the right claw of a Scorpion ARM, the other characters elect to humor him for a while, despite their fairly tight timetable (they're expecting the Chibren Cooperative to send samples of dye and fiberoptic communications gear floating down the Anquelline river in a day and a half).
Brother Xavier suggests a simple plan: have Morgan Hawkwood (who is currently slightly on autopilot) invite him to a meeting, then ambush him and kill him. Morgan isn't as enthusiastic about this plan, for a whole series of reasons. First, inviting a guest to a meeting and then cutting him down is a violation of both Hawkwood honor and the concept of hospitality. Even beyond that, Morgan's honor requires that if he invites ab Gehallen to a meeting, it must be at a venue appropriate to his station. He suggests either the Court of the Duke South Coast, or in a household in Tuam High City. Of course, killing someone out of hand at the Duke's court is a problem, and setting up a reasonable household in the High City would be fairly expensive. Morgan suggests the alternative plan of summoning him to a meeting, then arranging for him to insult Brother Xavier to provide the good cleric with an excuse for challenging him to a duel.
Brother Xavier, hugely confident in his own abilities, is eager to duel ab Gehallen. However, he frets that ab Gehallen might have no personal honor and either decline the duel or manage to somehow escape it alive. He then starts spinning ideas about arranging "accidents" for the Scraver.
At this point, some of the characters, in particular Sister Joann, start to raise moralistic objections to the whole idea of cutting someone down in cold blood, even if they might be an otherwise implacable enemy. In defense of his whole assassination plan, he points out that ab Gehallen with his many followers and near-infinite resources will inevitably work scuttle any trade arrangement the characters might try to make, dooming them to poverty and loss. Brother Xavier also fears that ab Gehallen will be much more inquisitive about the source of the characters' trade goods than just about anyone else, and may learn about the existence of the Chibren Cooperative, which would be a total disaster.
The debate seems headed for oblivion when Peter brings a key issue into focus. He asks all the characters if they have any good resources to find out where ab Gehallen might be. It develops that Brother Xavier is best at beating information out of people, provided he can find the proper people to beat. Sister Joann suggests that the best strategy is to try and figure out what the address on the card is. Because the dueling idea is steadily getting discredited, the characters finally agree to make one run back to Fennen Marsh to pick up the Chibren trading samples so they can maybe arrange a bit of hard cash, and then to head up to Llanfyrth on a field trip to find Thomas Ossy ab Gehallen.
The characters then try to come up with some sources to provide names. They eventually think of Linus Link, the Scraver who operates an airfield up in Llanfyrth. He doesn't appear to belong to the same faction as ab Gehallen, and he's fairly friendly towards the characters as well. He also has a really cool sea-slug-chewing habit that all the characters remember very fondly.
On his own resources, Morgan Hawkwood establishes a household in the Tuam High City (costing him about 200 FB/month among rent, furnishings and staff) on his own resources. He agrees to act as a front man for the characters' mercantile efforts, transshipping all cargo in his name, for a 5% cut off the gross. The characters understand that he will ultimately be responsible for locating buyers, and that to them it should appear that he is obtaining the goods himself, "from a source in the Byrrem Islands."
Morgan also points out to them that Tuam Port will surely exact some quantity of taxes and… "other fees" for the goods he moves, both to maintain legality and to ensure a suitable lack of official scrutiny. These costs will have to be passed along to the characters.
Thinking ahead towards the day when it will be necessary to transport large quantities of dye from Chibren to Tuam, Peter Sangaree buys 100 50-gallon barrels at the Tuam Port for 10 FB. He gets them broken down for easy carriage. He estimates that the Luftking at full load can carry about 70 barrels filled with dye. At this point, Brother Xavier scolds Peter for worrying about money so much. Peter responds that the group has already been spending Firebirds by the thousand to buy things like anti-aircraft missiles, ammunition for the Scorpion, and foodstuffs for the Chibren. All told, the group has only 550 FB left in it's coffers (strictly speaking, Brindal Karth's coffers).
The group's meager outstanding fortune gets reduced even more in another Tuam buying spree. The characters burn 300 FB buying trade goods (axes and pikes), replacement tools, and two inflatable rafts with repair kits. The rafts are made of fairly tough material, and have DR5 and 10 hits.
In remarkable contrast to the characters' previous trip out to Fennen Marsh, the return to Fennen Marsh is very uneventful, with no signs of hurricanes, Vuldrok, or other troubles. Bob is fairly glad to see everyone when they disembark, and immediately details a couple of his men to unload the barrels from the Luftking.
That evening, the entire colony gathers for an impromptu feast. Groupleader Ribben and the Chibren technicians join them. Most of the items on the menu are sadly uninspired, drawn from the colony's normal stores. However, as a special treat Groupleader Ribben and his people offer everyone some local Chibren foodstuffs: algae cakes and garum. Some of the characters really don't believe that the Chibren really do eat food like that. At the same time, Groupleader Ribben expresses a certain amount of disbelief that Brother Xavier enjoys yam beer as much as he claims to.
Early the next morning, Freeman Quinn spots a string of brightly-painted plastic barrels floating down the river in the midst of his surveying activities. He rushes back to the central camp to inform everyone else. Brother Xavier is too hung over from the previous night's festivities to do much, but Sister Joann leaps into action. She gets the inflatable rafts into the water, and colony members into the boats. They pull the barrels into shore with a minimum of fuss. Afterwards, the characters inspect their cargo and determine that they have two barrels each of yellow and blue dye, plus one full of fiberoptic cable and electronics.
The characters decide that their best course is to wait at the colony until the Sutter Kane arrives. Based upon it's departure from Tuam, they anticipate it will show up in about four days, giving everyone an opportunity to either help out at the colony or pursue their own projects.
Brother Xavier and one of his "brute squad" go out hunting Fennen deer (the eight-legged herbivores native to the area). They head out with Sangaree rifles and a couple of jugs of yam beer. Brother Xavier's straight-faced claim is that he's going to bring back meat for the colony. The two of them stagger back three days later with two Fennen deer, claiming that they would have stayed out longer except that they ran out of beer.
Peter starts out helping Freeman Samwise Oak make shingles for the colony buildings. Freeman Oak has become incredibly tired of rainwater dripping through the hastily-constructed thatch roofs in the colony. Peter discovers that planing and cutting wood by hand is incredibly arduous work. Unfortunately, Peter is trapped by technologist thinking, forcing him to decide that there must be a better way. He scavenges around for a day, obtaining three rotary sawblades from the Chibren and some other items from his own personal stash of gimcrackery. Armed with this gear and a plan to temporarily convert one of the Luftking engines into a power source for a rotary saw, he tells Freeman Oak to build him a frame. The carpenter is almost too eager even to agree.
By the time Peter is done, his rotary saw proves able to churn out enough shingles to cover all the existing buildings in the colony.
The characters hear of Sutter Kane's approach midmorning. The characters gather at the dock to watch as it creeps upriver, escorted by a gaggle of Pakorgo canoes. It looks to the characters like the Pakorgo are trying to trade with the Sutter Kane crew, with not too much success.
It takes the Sutter Kane over two hours to make way up the river to the dock. During the wait, the characters inevitably fall to squabbling. The subject of the day happens to be how to deal with the convicts once they arrive in the colony.
Sister Joann suggests that putting the prisoners through basic training would be a good idea: it would teach them respect and how to take orders. Both Peter and Brother Xavier are more than a touch horrified by the notion of teaching a gang of hostile convicts how to fight as a unified military force. They rather understandably take a dim view of any policy that makes it easier for the convicts to rebel and slaughter the rest of the colony.
Peter offers a vague compromise, by advocating Bob's suggestion some time ago to simply work the prisoners so hard they don't have the energy to think about rebellion. Peter suggests that if Sister Joann would like to oversee the work details, she might be able to pick out and train some of the more promising candidates after a few weeks. He emphasizes that all the convicts should be treated with kid gloves until the characters are able to figure out which ones will be troublemakers and which ones will be good citizens. Peter also suggests that Sister Joann might spend some time training some of the colony freemen.
The training debate boils down to a question of how to answer Sister Joann's concerns that the colony won't be prepared for a crisis. Peter suggests having drill sessions for a day every two weeks or so. Bob Lungflook notes that everyone is working really hard, but that they wouldn't mind the break. Bob also suggests holding hunting contests, maybe once a month, with a money prize for whichever team of two has the best catch. Peter puts Sister Joann in charge of organizing the contests, and gives her 40 FB for prize money.
With the matter of training settled, the characters turn to the question of what the incoming convicts are able to do. Peter already knows that several are skilled: he selected out a blacksmith, a fisherman, a potter, and a toolwright. Most of the rest are farmers, beast-handlers or simple laborers. In addition, the characters have already discovered the (semi-literate) scribe Yodrick among the convicts. Xavier offers up a typically straightforward strategy: give the convicts a really intimidating speech when they first arrive, then immediately set them to building their own barracks so the characters can see which ones of them will create problems right away.
Captain Halfiron descends from the deck of the Sutter Kane even before the last of the lashings are done. He reports that the voyage was marked only by a spate of harsh weather, a consequence of the hurricane that passed to the south. The Sutter Kane lost a spar to the storm, but Halfiron promises to have the ship's carpenter and some of the men find an appropriate piece of wood to fix it. The ship should be fully repaired within a few days. Peter suggests that the carpenter first look at the wood remaining in the colony, as they still have supplies remaining from the Red Syrmfish.
After his report, Captain Halfiron arranges to have that part of the Sutter Kane's cargo destined for the colony swayed ashore, primarily the livestock, and a couple of barrels of salt pork. Most of the cargo, including all the bagged rice and the bulk of the salt beef and salt pork, remains on board for transport up to the Chibren Collective.
The ship crew bring the convicts out in a coffle. Once they are assembled on the dock, Xavier gives them a staggeringly intimidating speech. After a brief introduction to the colony, he emphasizes the various threats that face anyone who tries to leave the colony proper: "cannibals to the north, spiny fliegers to the east, mind-worms to the west, and savages to the south." He promises food and shelter for those who behave and exile for those who don't. Xavier's oratory is incredibly effective: most of the prisoners are visibly cowed. The only false note is Xavier's promise that the colony is a place where the prisoners will be able to build a good new life.
With the end of the speech, the convicts are detailed to build themselves a barracks under the supervision of Freeman Oak. Brother Xavier and his brute squad stand guard.
Meanwhile, Sister Joann and Peter go with the Sutter Kane to head upriver and deliver the foodstuffs to the Chibren. They take Groupleader ("Captain") Ribben with them. Captain Halfiron explains that they'll have to go under steam. It will take a lot of coal to make the journey, probably enough to exhaust the Sutter Kane's supplies. The ship will probably need to be drifted downstream on the return journey.
It takes them two days to get up the river, and another two days to get back. The only complication in the journey is the characters' discovery that the Chibren have become somewhat gaudy in their uniform design: the two "Hawkwood privates" who guard the dock are tarted up in uniforms as gaudy as those of a tin-pot dictator. Peter makes sure to provide them with the Hawkwood infantry training manuals Morgan Hawkwood had appropriated from the Duke South Coast's court back on the mainland.
Xavier watches as the convicts dig out a shallow foundation for their barracks. After several hours' labor, he notices that one man has fallen and is no longer moving. A quick diagnosis reveals that the fellow is suffering from heatstroke. Xavier has the man carted off to a tent where he can be given plenty of water.
By the time Xavier gets back, there has been a second accident. Another of the convicts, a fairly soft-looking fellow, has cut his leg open with an adz. He quickly joins the first convict in the infirmary tent. While Xavier is binding up the man's wound, he talks to him a bit. He learns that the convict was a storekeeper in Llanfyrth who was convicted to be transported after he sold an arrogant Hawkwood noble a bad pear. The man is pretty shattered by what has happened to him, as it took less than an afternoon for him to go from a freeman to a convicted criminal bound for Fennen Marsh. He fears what might have happened to his wife, his aged mother, and his five children. Xavier is easily able to gain his confidence. The man then warns Xavier about one convict, a man who goes by Red Billy. He says that Red Billy seems to have a problem with women, and seems to have cut up a lot of them back in Llanfyrth. He also says that Red Billy was whipped on the boat.
After this eye-opening conversation, Xavier heads back to the work site to look at the convicts. He is easily able to spot Red Billy fairly easily: his hair gives him away. On closer examination, Xavier also realizes that while every other convict is sweating profusely, Red Billy appears completely fresh. He tells the guards to keep a special eye on Red Billy. The guard asks, "Why? He works great, and he follows orders really well?" Xavier just looks at the guard in disbelief.
Brother Xavier keeps a special watch on Red Billy for three days. He quickly concludes that Red Billy is an ironman: he works like three men, never sweats, and always follows orders. In the process, Xavier identifies four other possible troublemakers. One is a bull of a man who killed two men in a rage back in Llanfyrth. Thus far, he hasn't been a problem, but most of the convicts fear his anger. Two others are the only surviving members of a particularly vicious kidnapping ring from the central provinces that had been noted for snatching wealthy citizens, then cutting off their right ears to prove that they meant business.
Brother Xavier finally decides to interview Red Billy. Billy enters the building quietly, then sits without a sound. Xavier asks him what he did to be transported. Billy responds in a voice like rustling leaves, "I hurt someone. A lot." Xavier continues: "Did you kill them?" Billy: "Eventually." Xavier: "What did you do before that?" Billy: "I worked." Xavier: "Do you like the work you do now?" Billy: "It's okay."
By the end of the conversation, Brother Xavier is completely convinced that Red Billy is a complete sociopath. His eyes are dead, like dull stones, and he has a tendency to remain perfectly still for long periods of time. Empathically, there was noone sitting in Red Billy's chair.
When the Sutter Kane docks at the colony once again, Xavier boards and asks Captain Halfiron to tell him about why he had Red Billy whipped. Captain Halfiron uncomfortably admits that he really doesn't like whippings, but felt that he had to take some kind of action. He says that Red Billy acted extremely disrespectfully towards Sailing Master Peria Wesk, the only female officer on the Sutter Kane. Unfortunately, while the whipping had the desired effect (of keeping the rest of the convicts in line for the remainder of the journey), it wasn't for the reason Captain Halfiron had hoped. All the while Red Billy was lying under the lash, tied to the deck gratings, his expression never changed a bit. He simply stared hard at the convicts, in that soulless way of his.
Xavier and Peter debate the wisdom of setting up a separate holding area for super-hardened individuals. They try to talk to Sister Joann about getting her to kill Red Billy somehow, as they surmise there will be trouble between the two of them no matter what. Sister Joann is less than happy at the idea of being someone else's hatchet woman, but she agrees to inspect the convicts and "incidentally" meet with Red Billy. She talks briefly to him, expecting him to react quite badly. Much to her dismay, Red Billy merely smiles and speaks politely. He licks his lips obscenely as she walks away. Sister Joann suppresses a shudder as she departs.
As a continuing precaution, Xavier has the obvious troublemakers shackled. Unfortunately, Red Billy never breaks any rules. Neither do the berserker and one of the kidnappers. Peter and Xavier also carefully instruct all the guards to be careful about Red Billy: "He is a monster, waiting for you to make a mistake."
The characters prep the Luftking for a trip back. They take all the pilots, plus Horace Redd. Peter brings along two of the eight 2-inch shells he took from the Red Syrmfish, hoping to find something in Llanfyrth to shoot them with. The characters also load up the Chibren trade goods as well. They hope to buy some clothes for their convicts, plus hire a tailor, an apothecary, and a tanner.
The flight is completely miserable: the weather is rainy and cloudy all through. Brian the Goat proves to be perfectly happy flying under rain level, "to block Vuldrok radar," but has a terrible tendency to brush the bottom of the aircraft against the tops of the waves. Fergus Genne ab Gehallen is much happier to fly up above the rain when possible. The characters land in Tuam roughly on schedule, pay 65 FB in landing fees and whatnot, then head to the High City to drop off the samples with Morgan Hawkwood, who is to arrange for their sale. After their business is concluded, he offers them a nice dinner of Sea Crawler Bisque and Roast Beast. He offers them rooms in his townhouse, but the characters decline in favor of less-obvious rooms in the Lower City.
Each character gains three experience points.