Chris and Paul show up sufficiently on-time that we're all able to eat lunch like civilized folks. Nick puts in his appearance only a few moments late. Tim admits that he will show up somewhat late due to the exigencies of working for a living. Dan, despite previous indications of showing up, remains unavailable. Until he shows up bearing phenomenal quantities of food and whatnot.
The characters start out on the docks of Tuam, talking to Lieutenant-Brother Laszlo and several of his brother officers about selling them 2000 Sangaree Specials over the next six months. Peter estimates the production cost per gun will be 15 FB for materials, plus labor costs.
The group adjourns to the Broken Wheel Inn to discuss terms, in a private room paid for by the Lieutenant-Brother. Peter proposes a price of 25 FB per gun, then asks how much ammunition Lieutenant-Brother Laszlo will need. Laszlo estimates that he will need a round million rounds of ammunition, which is way beyond the colony's ability to produce. The characters goggle and whine among themselves for a while. Brother Laszlo agrees to the firearms price, and suggests 8 rounds of ammunition per FB, with the expectation that Peter will need to subcontract out his production. He also requires the plans and specs for the ammunition and the guns.
Peter and the other characters agree and sign a contract with the Lieutenant-Brother Laszlo. He asks to be informed of the date for the first delivery.
Knowing that he needs to be able to arrange the production of a million rounds of ammunition, Peter immediately thinks of the east coast artisan family who manufactures most of the local firearms. It takes him negligible time to determine that they are the Tellen Family, and that they have a small local office at the High City Engineers' Guildhall. Peter heads on over, pausing only to get a bowl of noodles and a dish of humble pie.
At the Guildhall, he meets with Winslow Tellen, a pudgy creature with soft hands who instantly recognizes Peter. Peter is a bit dismayed when the fellow puffs himself up with moist arrogance and crows out, "Well! If it isn't Peter and his accomplice, the Mad Monk Xavier!" Tellen continues to complain that he's none too happy with Peter, considering that Peter's earlier adventurism with the Electors' Council cost him some 1000 FB in commissions. He has only barely gotten started with prodding Peter harshly in the ego when Peter interrupts by throwing 1500 FB down on the table and barking out, "Here. Now let's deal." Winslow deflates like a puppy caught under a truck.
Robbed of his affected attitude, Winslow Tellen proves willing to bargain like a human. Peter explains that he needs the Tellen Family to manufacture one million rounds of ammunition for him, to his specifications. Winslow quickly determines what Peter's basic contract price is, then suggests a simple deal: the Tellen Family will produce the ammunition and deliver it directly to the Sacred Knife Battalion. They will then pay Peter a 4% commission (a "finder's fee") on the sale price. By the end of the contract, the commission will amount to some 5000 FB, a net gain to the characters of 3500 FB after six months (counting the money Peter tossed on Winslow's desk to get him to shut up). Peter agrees to this, signs the appropriate papers, and takes his leave of the Guildhall.
Once more in Morgan Hawkwood's townhouse, the characters consider first the terms of the fealty agreement they will present to the Baronet Robert Arlor de Marlwen, and second where they actually want to place his fief. There is general agreement that they should demand between 30% and 45% of his fief incomes, with certain minimums (perhaps 5000 FB) to ensure that he can't freeload some hunting grounds off Sir Brindal Karth. They also agree that there should be some amount of mandated military service and some phraseology requiring him to accept the rulership of Sir Brindal Karth, and follow his guidance in matters external to the fief. Their basic hope is to place some limits upon the amount of military adventurism the Baronet is able to engage in.
Considering a map of Fennen Marsh, the characters decide to place him near the Little Screamer mountains, in a long thin strip of land between the coast and the mountains. They feel that his people should be able to find reasonable farmland and pasturage in the foothills of the mountains, and may even be able to mine some iron ore there. The Baronet, who has already emphasized that he wants to have some hunting grounds, would be able to place his preserves in the forests near the coastline. Peter Sangaree makes the point that thus far, there are no known fiefholders for any of the land adjacent to Fennen Marsh. Granting a fief to another member of the nobility on land that may not strictly be in your fief, but which probably isn't in anyone else's, is a simple way to expand the legitimate stretch of your territory. On that basis, he suggests placing the outer borders of the Baronet's fief beyond the known borders of the Fennen Marsh colony. The other characters get devious looks in their eyes and make noises of agreement.
With consensus in their hearts, the characters draw out an area for the fief, then decide to fly back to the colony and ask the Chibren about the area. After they have allayed the Chibren's feelings, they will take a field trip out to look at the place themselves, just to avoid any unpleasant surprises later on ("I never KNEW that marsh leeches could grow so large!")
After much pain and delay, Sir Brindal Karth de Hazat has finally managed to finish the installation and therapy for his new Internal Think Machine on Leagueheim. He is quite proud of it, as he chose the top-of-the-line "Vinjogoguladjz's Doorway" model.
He decides that he should try and do something for the colony before he departs. His first plan is to try and hire a few good technicians to help out Peter, who works too many long nights. Through his streetwise skills, he is able to locate Harley and Chigger, two "slightly disgraced" freelancers. Harley is a machinist with a Texas accent, while Chigger is a think machine program writer who twitches a lot. Brindal Karth talks to both of them for quite a while before coming to his senses and giving them the miss.
Brindal Karth is then struck with incredible inspiration. Here he is, in the glorious center of Leagueheim, storehouse of much of the Known Worlds' remaining technological prowess. What single item should he seek out? The answer is clear: a new CNC lathe. Armed with a 30,000 FB draft from the MachtArbeiterBank, Sir Brindal Karth buys a beautiful new CNC Lathe, still crated up in the original manufacturer's packaging.
He books passage for himself and his lathe on the Swiftbeck. The ship is a Charioteer freight hauler of indeterminate age and modular construction. For this run, it carries a dozen crew and about 100 passengers. Brindal Karth's cargo occupies only a part of one cargo module, but he hires the whole thing to avoid complications. One complication he does notice during loading is the fact that the three other cargo modules in use are marked "Dangerous: Live Animals."
Sir Brindal Karth's uneventful journey back to Gwynneth takes a distinct turn for the worst during final approach. The ship is still decelerating from high-C when a surprisingly well-armed and well-organized group of passengers tries to take over the ship. Considering that one of their teams was detailed specifically to shoot Sir Brindal Karth's cabin into bits and flinders, he suspects that they are actually assassins gunning for him, but wanted to make their attack look like common piracy.
Their attempt to take over the ship is basically successful, right up until the team detailed to take the engine compartment runs into a group of alert crewmen with guns. Blasters, actually. The resulting firefight destroys all manner of essential ship systems. The Swiftbeck is mortally wounded from the inside, and starts to break apart on a direct course for Gwynneth.
Sir Brindal Karth makes his way to the command deck, gunning his way through a couple of the would-be killers along the way. Once he gets there, the Captain briefly mistakes him for another of the pirates, a misunderstanding that dramatically improves Brindal Karth's credibility when he orders the Captain to change course so most of the escape pods and cargo modules will land on Sulesslund. With the course change complete, all the passengers and crew who are able rush for escape pods. Brindal Karth lingers just long enough to make certain that the cargo module containing his CNC lathe detaches safely from the ruins of the ship. The crewmen near him assures him that the cargo modules were designed to re-enter and reach orbit using their own contragrav gear, and should all reach the ground safely.
The other characters become aware of the disaster unfolding above them when Korzhun happens to see a spectacularly beautiful meteor shower, then suddenly recognizes what he is looking at. The other characters are galvanized into action instantly, but aren't quite sure what to do until Koa so k'Terr reveals that he can establish a psychic link with Sir Brindal Karth, primarily because he has a psychic Bond with the noble.
Thanks to Koa's efforts, the characters are treated to a rather disjointed narration of Brindal Karth's insane journey from his cabin to the command deck, a journey punctuated by volumes of screaming, gunfire, flames, and the horrible whistling of air escaping through the punctured hull.
Sir Brindal Karth manages to get to an escape pod with the ship's Navigator. On their way down to the surface, Brindal Karth interrogates the man about the contents of the other cargo modules, particularly the three marked "Dangerous: Live Animals." The Navigator is able to tell Brindal Karth that the CNC Lathe is in Module 2B, and that the other three modules contain dangerous Soul Vultures. Brindal Karth is understandably upset to hear this. He is considerably happier to hear that the Navigator checked the vectors of the escape pods and cargo modules just before abandoning the command deck, and can verify that most of them were heading for touchdown in central Sulesslund.
In the minutes leading up to touchdown, the characters on the ground debate what to do, all the while running all out for the Tuam airfield and the Luftking. Several characters suggest that they could try and get a transmission to Fennen Marsh, to get the colony to scramble some VERTOLs to shoot down the incoming cargo containers. After mere seconds of discussion, this plan is abandoned: the characters reason that even Brian the Goat wouldn't be able to intercept more than one cargo module on it's way down, and none of the pilots would be able to tell which module they were shooting at.
Once the characters make it to the Luftking, they do send word back to Bob Lungflook to send Linus Cossett out with a couple of armed colonists in the Assault Carrier to check out both escape pods and cargo modules that touch down near the colony.
Both Koa and Brother Xavier have heard of Soul Vultures, one terrible predator among many from the jungles of Malignatius. Koa recalls that they are particularly susceptible to several types of fungus, but he doesn't recall what else the fungus might affect.
The characters (except for Brindal Karth) finally arrive at Fennen Marsh, where Bob Lungflook meets them with a report. As ordered, he sent out the carrier. Linus was able to investigate three escape pods and one cargo module. The cargo module wasn't labeled 2B, so he left it alone. Likewise, one of the escape pods failed to decelerate, leaving nothing but a few metal scraps and a very impressive crater. The second pod decelerated properly, and Linus was able to rescue the Captain and an Assistant Engineer from it. The third pod appeared intact, but the beacon shut down as soon as the Assault Carrier flew overhead. Moments later, someone fired shots towards the carrier, so Linus left the area. Hearing Linus' report, Bob ordered Brian the Goat to take one of the Hunters out to clear the area. During his flight, Linus was able to see about three dozen pod beacons, not counting Brindal Karth's pod.
After Linus has returned and refueled, the characters board the Assault Carrier and have him take them out again.
Peter asks to be taken by the hostile escape pod, just to check out the area. It is instantly obvious that the entire area has been ventilated, though it isn't at all clear that Brian managed to hit anything important. On the way to the second site, the characters meet with Brian in the Hunter. Brian very innocently asks Peter how fast his shop can make 20mm shells. Peter explains that they can't, and that Brian will need to be a little more conservative with ammunition in the future. Brian sounds appropriately mollified.
Thanks to Koa's psychic link, the characters find it very easy to locate Brindal's pod. Once there, the Navigator tells them that cargo module 2B should be about 20 kilometers to the northwest. The characters actually find it about 40 kilometers to the Northwest, but they refrain from criticizing the Navigator's estimate considering the tools he had to work with.
Cargo Module 2B's landing wasn't as easy as it could have been. It appears to have crash-landed, burning out it's lift motors in the process. All the trees in the area have been reduced to splinters. The characters locate a landing point, then move in on foot to check out the damage. Peter quickly determines that the lift modules are completely unrecoverable, while the other characters estimate that it will take four to six Assault Carrier trips to bring the lathe parts out. There is a certain amount of debate upon the wisdom of taking a trip out with the dumptruck to bring back not just the lathe but also the pod itself (on the grounds that it might make a really nice building). A major concern is that any surviving attackers might try to steal the lathe. Peter pulls the think machine for the lathe, largely rendering the remaining components useless. The characters then seal up the pod and leave it for later recovery. Brother Xavier and Korzhun volunteer to remain with it and stand guard.
The rest of the group boards the Assault Carrier to check out the other pods in the area. Based upon transponder signals, there are two dozen escape pods active and safe on the ground, plus the remaining three cargo modules. Linus Cossett estimates that he can reach eight of the sites by the end of the day, given occasional fueling runs back to Fennen Marsh. Knowing what is probably inside the remaining cargo modules, the characters elect to visit as many escape pods as they can.
Five of the escape pods contain people, including some 15 passengers and three crew. One pod is fragmented, with no survivors. The seventh is sealed, but apparently jettisoned with nobody on board. The last pod is the most disturbing: it made a safe touchdown, and the seals have been blown, but nobody is on board. Koa uses Shadows Gone By to see the last five hours of the pod's existence, but sees nothing except a local scavenger eating a discarded food bar.
Brindal Karth retains a paranoid belief that the original occupants of the pod were some of the men who attacked him aboard the Swiftbeck, and remains committed to finding them. He exerts his near-superhuman Tracking skills to find that there were originally six humans in the pod, and that they know techniques to avoid trackers. In particular, they headed to a nearby rock outcropping, then set at least a half-dozen false trails. The other characters congratulate Brindal Karth upon his successful paranoia, then point out that it is getting dark. The general consensus is that the pod occupants were either hijackers or player characters.
Satisfied that the hijackers are safely stranded out in the deep jungle, the characters head back to Cargo Module 2B to start moving the CNC Lathe components out. They end up spending the entire night moving the parts, switching off piloting duties between Linus Cossett and Brian the Goat to ensure that nobody gets overtired.
Everyone sleeps for a night, then the characters head out to look at the twelve remaining passenger pods. Most of them are fairly uninteresting, and prove to contain a total of forty-four survivors, including two Obun.
Things become a bit more gruesome when the characters investigate an escape pod that touched down only about ten kilometers away from one of the cargo modules. From the air, the characters can see that the pod is open, and that the survival tent has been set up outside. However, nobody emerges from either the tent or the pod to see what is making all the noise. The characters debate what to do, suspecting that there may be pirates in the area. They finally decide to land and give the pirates a fair chance to shoot at them, just to (in Peter's words) "Prove what fucking humanitarians we are."
The characters approach the pod carefully. They see nothing, but several of them do hear small chirping noises. Suddenly, Brother Xavier feels giddy and loses 6 Wyrd points. He becomes nervous, and persuades everyone to pull back to the Assault Carrier.
The characters reason that the nearby cargo module might have something to do with the sorry condition of this escape pod, so they fly over to check it out. They find that the cargo module is split open, and blue gook is spewing out from the sides. Koa uses his FarSight to look inside, and is rewarded with a vision of dozens of soul vultures, many of them roaming free from their cages. The creatures are roughly dog-sized and dog-shaped, but with hard exoskeletons and a variety of insect-like features. The characters quickly decide that there is only one solution: they get out Peter's flamethrower and use it to cleanse the inside of the pod. As far as they can tell, all of the soul vultures inside get crisped.
Now that the characters have a clearer idea of just how bad the things in the cargo modules are, they quickly visit the remaining two (occupied) modules. One of them is also split open, and quickly meets the same fate as the first: one brave character sneaks up to the thing and sprays flame inside until everything is dead. The second is still sealed, giving the characters a bit more opportunity to deal with the creatures in a controlled manner. Koa uses FarArms to lift three caged soul vultures out, then Peter goes in with the flamethrower and solves the soul vulture problem once and for all.
The characters return to Fennen Marsh, then send a message back to Morgan Hawkwood in Tuam. They ask him to try and determine who on Gwynneth actually ordered the soul vultures, and what possible use they could have for the wretched beasts.
Morgan takes a little while to find some information, then responds that they were a military order. From what he can tell, they were supposed to be offloaded on the WardenCo station, and were probably intended for some kind of military research.
Within days of the ship crash, the characters see a tremendous sight: the massive shape of a Hawkwood Frigate vectoring in towards their landing field. After a bit of negotiation between the frigate's pilot and the characters on where exactly the ship should touch down, the Righteous Falcon touches down on the far end of the old Gieresport Airfield, about five kilometers from the colony proper.
The characters board the best vehicle they have available, their salvaged fusion-powered dumptruck, and thunder down the airfield to meet with the Hawkwoods. They are met by the impressive sight of a dozen Hawkwood troops in full battle armor descending from the frigate on a lift. Their leader removes his helm and introduces himself as Lieutenant Sir Bellek Hawkwood, marine commander of the Righteous Falcon under the command of Captain Samuel Willet-Hawkwood. He greets the characters, and comments upon the unusual vehicle they chose to arrive in. Sir Brindal Karth offers that his fief is a remote one, and thus is forced to adopt rough, frontier techniques.
After obtaining permission from Sir Brindal Karth to use some of the colony's resources and airspace, the Hawkwoods spring into action. The Righteous Falcon spawns a flight of lift carriers that quickly disperse to recover survivors from the various escape pods. Lieutenant Bellek Hawkwood explains that the recovery mission will take some time, and that the Righteous Falcon will be leaving a detachment of specialists and pilots behind until it is done. Peter offers the use of an electric generator, which the Lieutenant gladly accepts.
Sir Brindal Karth is not unfamiliar with the demands of hospitality, and invites the Righteous Falcon's Captain and staff to dinner. The Captain brings along seven of his staff officers, and is treated to a feat of all the best Fennen Marsh can offer, including four roast pigs and all the yam beer the Hawkwoods can (or want to) drink. The characters, growing wise to the needs of managing the morale of their colony, turn the occasion into a holiday for the entire colony.
To show his generosity, Sir Brindal Karth gives Captain Willet-Hawkwood a Hawkwood military manual and a barrel of yam beer. To show his appreciation, the Captain gives Sir Brindal Karth an Albans Monastery First Edition copy of the Omega Gospels. This particular copy has marginal annotations by Saint Varasius. Captain Willet-Hawkwood offers his hopes that this volume will help the spiritual growth of the Fennen Marsh colony. Sir Brindal Karth thanks the Captain for his generous gift, while under his breath resolving to acquire a variety of expensive knick-knacks to use as gifts. The copy of the Omega Gospels is given over to Patera Fen.
Before the Hawkwoods depart, Koa so k'Terr makes a request: the colony needs some foundation holes drilled in the ceramcrete landing pad. The Hawkwoods explain that this is fairly easy, and agree to have a technician team and a force field drill head over to the colony to do the work they need. Koa offers his thanks.
The session ends with the characters hosting the Hawkwood frigate Righteous Falcon. Most of the survivors of the Swiftbeck crash have been retrieved, though there are still probably several of the would-be hijackers still at large in the deep jungle. Likewise, there are certainly a few soul vultures still at large in the wilderness. Each character gains three experience points.