Most of the principals show up: Tim (Sir Brindal Karth), Chris (Peter Sangaree), April (Sister Joann), and Nick (Brother Xavier). Gareth has been taken by aliens, Josh is in limbo, and Jade has been exiled to Fort Hood.
Sir Brindal Karth recieves a message stating that a package is waiting for him at the Grilled Trout Arms, which proves to be an inn in that quarter of Lenbow typically occupied by the scions of the Hawkwood and Justinian Houses. He gathers up his retinue (the other characters) and heads over to pick it up. The innkeep hands over a thin, wrapped package with little comment. All of the characters debate for a bit about whether or not it could be a bomb; their mental states are hardly improved when some of the more technically-inclined among them speculate that it might be possible to use fractal explosives wrapped in monowire (to create armor-piercing shrapnel) to create a bomb to fit into the package Brindal Karth has in his hands.
Brindal Karth finally swallows his paranoia and opens the package, discovering that it contains a series of heavy, ornate invitations addressed to the various characters (including those not currently present). They all invite the characters to attend the Duke Reike's feast, to be held at the Ducal Palace, starting at dusk upon the day of the First Thaw Festival a week hence. Each invitation appears to have been personally signed by Duke Reike himself.
Peter Sangaree asks the innkeep about the festival and in return gets a long diatribe about how the First Thaw Festival is one of eight or so festivals the Duke sponsors for the people of Lenbow. The Winter Plaza is cleared to make room for musicians, dancers and tricksters of all sorts, as well as traders with wonders from all across Delphi. There is a great parade through the streets of Lenbow, and then after dusk the Duke gives a great feast for all the "best folk" of the city. On the day of the festival, the Winter Plaza is normally packed, as all the workers of the city are given the day off.
Peter Sangaree listens carefully to the innkeep's spiel, and starts to suspect that the man might have hidden Third Republic tendencies. He elects to keep this information to himself, to shield his own treasonously Republican leanings.
With four days to go before the First Thaw Festival, the characters find things to occupy their time, some worthwhile and some otherwise.
Equipped with the massive coin purse he lifted from the body of the unfortunate Deacon Feoss, Brother Xavier heads out into the Lenbow Market to try and find a personal shield for sale. After some questioning and a few threats, he manages to locate an open market plaza operated by a voluble Charioteer of Asian extraction. Sadly, the Guildsman is not overwhelmingly impressed by Brother Xavier's Avestite robes, and mocks him mercilessly: "Hey Church-boy! What you want shield for? I thought love of Pancreator keep you warm and safe!". Brother Xavier restrains himself from attacking the man until he is finally offered a Sure Sport Model 28 for purchase, first for 800 Firebirds and then for a mere 600. Heavy though his ill-gotten purse may be, it isn't enough to satisfy the merchant's greed, so Brother Xavier stalks out amid vivid fantasies about running the merchant through.
Sir Brindal Karth, likewise impressed with the value of personal shields, decides to take some precautions against the next time he encounters someone equipped with one. He enlists Peter Sangaree's help to manufacture a dozen simple firebombs out of some rags, bottles and gasoline, expending a total of one Firebird on the project.
His gasbombs safely stowed in the Remora, he ventures out into the Market to speak to the same Charioteer who had previously incensed Brother Xavier. He gets a much more polite reception, doubtless because the merchant has some well-founded prejudices about the relative wealth and trustworthiness of nobles, as compared to off-duty Avestites. He discovers that he can purchase a concealable personal shield for only 800 Firebirds, and can purchase a synthsilk suit from the finest tailor in town for a mere 600 Firebirds (the Charioteer points out that a rude synthsilk jumpsuit will set him back only 300 Firebirds, but that it is hardly appropriate for a man of his stature to wear such plain garb). To the Charioteer's dismay, Brindal Karth also leaves the stall without buying anything.
While everyone else is out in the Market arguing with Charioteers, Peter Sangaree heads to the Wickingham Number Eight fusion furnace to poke through it's junkyard for components. With a small bribe to the junkyard master, he is able to find a short length of ceramsteel pipe and some other items, which he combines with an action taken from one of the submachineguns the characters took from the Muster goons hired by Captain Lukan Hawkwood-Pannice to create a spud gun capable of using the three shells he took from the Duke's armored car. His efforts are extremely successful: while the weapon is slow to reload (1 full round per shell) and clumsy to use, it is also as reliable as any weapon of it's class can be.
|
Weapon |
Roll |
Init |
Goal |
DMG |
RNG |
Shots |
Rate |
SIZ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spud Gun | Dx+Shoot | -3 | -1 | 12 (4) | 20/30 | 1 | 1 | L |
In addition to the 12 dice of damage the gun inflicts upon it's direct target, it will also inflict 4 dice of fragmentation damage on any target within 1 meter of the impact point.
A couple of days before the Festival, the characters read a note in the Lenbow Dispatch claiming that Captain Lukan Hawkwood-Pannice passed away in the service of the Pancreator. They infer that this actually means that he died under questioning. This speculation is confirmed a little later, when Captain Lewis Eyebolt of City of Wonders visits the Remora to congratulate the characters on a matter neatly handled: he has learned that while the Captain died under questioning, he didn't say anything. His sources also report that the Inquisitor Malegus Arkos is unlikely to pursue the matter any further, which is extremely good news for the staff of City of Wonders. Before he leaves, Captain Eyebolt notes that he is taking a collection to set up a little memorial service for the unfortunate Captain, and asks the characters if they would like to contribute anything.
The characters' responses to Captain Eyebolt's request re quite varied. Ever the generous noble, Sir Brindal Karth offers 2 Firebirds. Sister Joann, who feels for the passing of any valiant soul, offers a Wing from her meager purse. Peter Sangaree, still curious where his next meal is coming from, gave his spare change. Finally, Brother Xavier, who has never shed a tear and gave his own mother over to the Instruments of Truth, gave nothing.
Captain Eyebolt thanks the characters and departs, pausing to inform them that the memorial service will be on the day after the First Thaw Festival, at a small shrine in the Hawkwood Quarter of the city.
The day of the First Thaw Festival arrives with a bang. All of the characters spend the day in the Winter Plaza, enjoying themselves and having a fine time, except for Brother Xavier. Brother Xavier, his face set in his customary scowl, has the misfortune to encounter a jester. The jester instantly latches on to the one face in the crowd that isn't happy, and spends almost a half-hour parodying Brother Xavier, much to his irritation. By the time the other characters arrive to save him, Brother Xavier is on the verge (once again) of killing one of Lenbow's inhabitants out of hand. On the request of the other characters, he refrains and lets the jester go on his way.
That evening, the characters all reunite at the Ducal Palace to enjoy the feast. Their invitations prove to be genuine, and they are all admitted to the Great Hall with great pomp and ceremony. For once, nobody mocks Brother Xavier. They find that they are seated at a table as far from the Duke's table as possible and still be in the Hall, but the sumptuous dinner overwhelms their disappointment. Peter Sangaree, in particular, obtains great enjoyment from the food. He arrived equipped with a handful of nano-mimetic food-preservation bags, into which he dumps everything edible he can get his hands on. He is so sly about it that only the servants and the people at the table notice.
The characters are seated with one other person, a dour-faced man wearing a small silver pin worked in the shape of the sigil of the Reeves. He introduces himself to them as Cuthbert Lantern, an associate of the MachtArbeiterBank of Lenbow and personal assistant to the Bank Director, Stephen Yie (whom he points out seated at the Duke's table). He informs the characters that it was Director Yie's doing that got them all invitations to the feast, and further that Director Yie would appreciate a chance to speak to them after the feast is done. The characters agree to his request, then lunge back into the food (save for Sir Brindal Karth, who eats with all the style and decorum characteristic of old Hazat campaigners).
Director Yie is true to his word, and meets with the characters at the edge of the Main Hall after the feast concludes. He offers them a ride to the MachtArbeiterBank in his very impressive groundcar. During the drive, he gives everyone wine imported from Holy Terra, and makes his pitch: he has discovered a large area of land that was originally granted to the Hazat, but which has been forgotten for over 300 years. He wants the characters, particularly Sir Brindal Karth, to reclaim it and develop it's wealth. In exchange, he asks only some financial considerations. Though he has a contract ready at hand and is eager for the characters to sign on the spot, Sir Brindal Karth manages to recognize that it is extremely late and that all of the characters are both tired and slightly drunk. He persuades the Director to arrange an appointment for them the next day, at midmorning.
The next day, the characters head to the MachtArbeiterBank, where they are whisked up to Director Yie's colossal office and presented with his proposal. He points out that he is not going to tell them any specific detail about the fief he has located until Sir Brindal Karth signs, though he does mention that it is an area of land the size of Louisiana.
His initial offer is: 20% of gross income for any of the characters' endeavours goes to him, forever. He will provide guarantees for up to 100,000 Firebirds in loans from the MachtArbeiterBank at 30% interest per annum for 10 years. Most of this detail is heavily obscured in his prepared contract, but Sister Joann manages to make good use of the tiresome months she spent working in the Brother Battle Quartermaster's office on De Moley and decode the document.
The characters, once they realize what "gross income" means, immediately start to bargain. Sir Brindal Karth finally signs, but only after the terms have been changed. He agrees to turn over 25% of the profits from the fief for 50 years or until his death (whichever comes last), and 15% thereafter. Under protest, Director Yie agrees to offer the same quantity of loan guarantees, but at an interest rate of only 22% per annum. In exchange, Sir Brindal Karth agrees that he and three generations of his descendants will only obtain financing for projects on the fief through the MachtArbeiterBank. In addition, any loans will be guaranteed by the value of the equipment the characters purchase to develop the land.
With Brindal Karth's signature on the contract, Director Yie opens up a huge map and describes what may be his new fief. The land is the Fennen Marsh upon the world of Gwynneth, an area some 300 kilometers by 500 kilometers that comprises the totality of the lower Anquelline River basin. Unfortunately, Director Yie does not specifically know what might be worth examining in the area. He does have some general information: the mountains to the East show evidence of volcanic activity in the last three million local years, and may have valuable mineral deposits. The land in the river delta may be fertile from years of silt deposits, though they will obviously be subject to a certain amount of flooding. Finally, the whole area was a Second Republic population center, with at least two or three good-sized cities (though their specific locations have been lost). Of course, there are also some drawbacks. In particular, the nearest significant settlement is about 800 kilometers away by air, over water. Finally, there are reported to be some indigenous peoples in the area. As a first step towards planning, Director Yie suggests that the Second Republic carried out a thorough geological and ecological survey of Gwynneth, and that their reports are rumored to still be held in a library somewhere onworld.
Director Yie then tells the characters that the first step must be for Sir Brindal Karth to obtain title to the land by petitioning the senior Hazat in the Hawkwood sphere. This happens to be the Count Marco Linford de Hazat, who maintains his court at Spada House, some 90 kilometers from the Capital of Delphi at Sonnbourg.
Brindal Karth spends 50 Firebirds on fuel for the Remora, allowing Del Tarrant to fly everyone to Sonnbourg. Before the characters' departure, Cuthbert Lantern hands Peter Sangaree a sealed package with documents suggesting that Count Marco Linford de Hazat smuggled five decommissioned Hawkwood dervishes off Delphi as Hazat House servants. The characters quickly determine that this is intended to be blackmail.
The Remora lands at Sonnbourg without incident. While Del Tarrant seals himself into the ship, the remaining characters head out into the Agora, where they learn that the Flyers' Association controls all interregional air transportation. Faced with a clerk who tells him that the next flight to Spada House departs in eight days, Brindal Karth bribes the man to re-route a flight leaving tomorrow for North Fetlock to stop at Spada House.
Brindal Karth discovers that lodging in the Sonnbourg Agora is quite expensive, but isn't put off. He hires a room for some 5 Firebirds and offers everyone it's use. Most of the group accepts, save for Sister Joann who lodges overnight at the local Brother Battle shrine.
The next morning, the characters board a rickety turboprop airplane already loaded down with almost a hundred tradesmen and their baggage and make the short flight to Count Linford's fief.
The end of the session arrives with the characters arrived at a village just downhill from Spada House. The characters have found lodging, and are preparing to go and obtain an audience with the Count Marco Linford de Hazat in the morning. Each character gains five experience points.