The whole group makes it, as usual: Tim (Sir Brindal Karth), Chris (Peter Sangaree), April (Sister Joann), and Nick (Brother Xavier). The day doesn't start as flawlessly as everyone might hope, as I spoil everything by showing up late.
The characters recognize that they have a long wait ahead of them before their machine parts and money show up from Delphi. This wait is made doubly long by the fact that Linus Link doesn't want them to leave Llanfyrth until the machine tools they retrieved from the abandoned cybernetics shop in Surreveil Valley are up and running again.
To kill time, the characters engage in their various hobbies.
Peter Sangaree tries to fix the walker and the gatling gun taken from the Scorpion ARM. His desire is to combine the two into a sort of teleoperated gun platform. Unfortunately, he swiftly learns that the walker needs parts that he doesn't have. Everything he lacks to fix the walker can be made using the CNC lathe. On a less-promising note he is unable to completely figure out what is wrong with the gatling gun: he can make the barrels spin up by hooking a battery to the thing, but can't get the action of the gun to operate. Brother Xavier, who happens into Peter's workshop during one of these tests, proposes that there might actually still be some shells left in the thing, a comment that makes everybody treat Peter's experiment with kid gloves.
Sir Brindal Karth, anticipating that he will soon have access to a large sum of money thanks to the MachtArbeiterBank, sets out to find some transportation to Tuam and then Fennen Marsh. He elects to look along the waterfront, reasoning that travel by sea might be slower, but will be both cheaper and more reliable.
He swiftly discovers that his options split two ways. Several high-tech (Tech 6) hydrofoils serve the Port of Llanfyrth, but normally only travel northern routes. They are joined by a much larger fleet of more primitive sailing ships and steamers, some of which do make the southern run to Tuam. The route to Tuam is about 5000 kilometers long, a journey that a hydrofoil can make in five to ten days, but which takes a steamer upwards of 30 to 60 days (depending upon the winds and the seasonal currents).
Brindal Karth studies the costs of purchasing a ship. He learns (over the rather clannish objections of the hydrofoil captains) that a mid-sized hydrofoil will cost 15,000 to 20,000 FB, while a large steamship will cost only 1500 FB. The steamship will require a crew of perhaps forty men, plus Riggers' Guild members qualified to serve as Captain, Sailing Master and Engine Master.
He also learns that the port in Tuam serves a substantial fleet of ships, most of which run routes to the Byrrem Isles. The characters reason that the captains in those seas will be more familiar with the waters around the Circle Sea, and that it would be much more practical to acquire a ship at Tuam.
Peter Sangaree is at his workshop in one of Linus Link's warehouses when a message arrives from the Llanfyrth Down Port saying that he has a shipment awaiting him. Peter goes to pick it up, bringing along Bob Lungflook and several of the laborers the characters have hired as colonists. The shipment consists of twenty boxes, still bearing the Engineer seals from the Wickingham Number Eight plant in Lenbow. Peter hires a cart for 3 FB and arranges for the laborers to cart the boxes back to Linus Link's place. As there are far too many crates to carry in only one load, Peter leaves a couple of the biggest and meanest-looking laborers to watch the remaining boxes back at the Down Port. All together, they make an interesting-looking procession as they make their way to Linus Link's place.
The Llanfyrth Down Port functionary tells Peter that he has an additional message, one for Sir Brindal Karth of Fennen Marsh. When Peter offers to take it to him, the functionary explains that the instructions with the message are explicit: it must be delivered directly. They compromise: the functionary will head to Linus Link's complex to deliver it.
The package turns out to be a heavy chest bound in ceramsteel. When Brindal Karth opens it, it turns out to contain the 5000 FB that he had requested. In addition to the money, there is a small leather wallet sealed with Director Stephen Yie's seal. It contains a brief letter from the Director to Brindal Karth, complimenting him upon his obvious progress and requesting additional information about Brindal Karth's plans to develop the Fennen Marsh. It also contains an accounting of Brindal Karth's debt to the MachtArbeiterBank.
|
Item |
Amount |
|---|---|
| Round-trip Passage to Gwynneth, five people | 400 FB |
| Dueling Shield for Sir Brindal Karth | 700 FB |
| Concealable Synthsilk Bodysuit for Sir Brindal Karth | 400 FB |
| Plain Synthsilk Suit for Brother Xavier | 300 FB |
| Parts for Machine Tools | 700 FB |
| Advance for Exploratory Expedition | 5000 FB |
Total Expenses |
7500 FB |
Interest Rate per Annum |
22% |
Interest Due at Year's End |
1650 FB |
With their parts in hand, Peter Sangaree and Linus Link's Chief Mechanician Robbie Baron set to working on the machine tools the characters brought back from Surreveil Valley. The ground rules for the repairs: 5 Victory Dice are required to repair each machine, with one roll of Wits+Mech Redemption allowed per day for both Peter and Robbie. After a very slow start (accompanied by many busted fingers and oaths), it takes them a total of thirteen days to fix everything and set up their machine shop. From there, it takes an additional ten days to get both of Linus Link's damaged Morgen Luftkings back into operational shape. During that time, Robbie Baron introduces Peter to a shop near Linus Link's complex that serves really good wombat wraps. Both of them eat a lot of the things.
Always thorough with mechanical repair (especially when his life may depend upon them), Peter spends an additional two days checking over the plane destined for the characters, identifying parts that are likely to fail. He identifies about a dozen of them, then manufactures backups for all of them. Finally, he spends an additional 50 FB of Sir Brindal Karth's money purchasing filters and other components that can't be made with the characters' machine shop. He attempts to ensure that he will get good quality by working through suppliers that Robbie Baron recommends to him.
During this process, Peter rediscovers that Bob Lungflook has a certain amount of skill in repairing airplanes, acquired during his time as an air pirate on Delphi (he has a Mech Redemption skill of 2). Peter ensures that Bob is able to get as much exposure to the operation and repair of the Luftking as possible, forseeing a day when his skills may be essential.
In addition to looking at ships to purchase, the characters make a number of substantial purchases to equip themselves and their men for their initial journey to the Fennen Marsh. First, they send 1000 FB to Brother Caldmon in the Surreveil Valley monastery in payment for additional investigation of the old GyCeMiSS archives. Brother Caldmon sends back a message assuring them that he is working diligently, but has not yet uncovered anything of tremendous use.
The characters also determine that the three skilled laborers they have managed to recruit to their cause are a carpenter, a cook and valet, and a surveyor. They also determine that two 25 kg sacks of rice will cost a total of 1 FB and will feed 50 men for 4 days. Of course, such a diet will be terribly dull, and will lead to various nutrition-deficiency diseases unless mitigated with fruits, vegetables, and possibly vitamin supplements. Finally, the generator that Brindal Karth purchased some time ago will consume 1 liter of fuel per hour in normal operation, and can generate enough power to run several large machines and a couple of halogen floodlights.
A complete shopping list of the characters' equipment is provided below:
|
Item |
Price |
|---|---|
| Camping Gear (30 people) | 15 FB |
| Tents & Cots (for 30 people) | 30 FB |
| 10 tarpaulins | 10 FB |
| 30 days’ food for 50 men: 15 25kg sacks of rice, about 400kg total | 8 FB |
| 6 crates multivitamins | 24 FB |
| Backpacks for 30 men | 15 FB |
| 8 Barrels (w/ poles for easy carrying) | 2 FB |
| 15 each of shovels, picks & machetes | 5 x 45 = 225 FB |
| 15 axes | 5 x 15 = 75 FB |
| 2 sets of block & tackle | 20 FB |
| 2 wheelbarrows | 10 FB |
| 2 tripod-mounted halogen area lamps | 60 FB |
| 10 small electric lights | 20 FB |
| 200 liters fuel for generator | 10 FB |
| 4 crossbows | 40 FB |
| 200 bolts | 100 FB |
| 4 longbows | 40 FB |
| 200 arrows | 90 FB |
| solar-powered nano-filtration water filtration unit for 50 men | 100 FB |
| reloader | 200 FB |
| 1 keg of gunpowder | 100 FB |
| 2 medpacks | 50 FB |
| 5 medkits | 50 FB |
| 20 lanterns | 10 FB |
| 30 whistles | 1.5 FB |
| 4 pairs of binoculars | 40 FB |
All told, this equipment costs some 1350 FB and masses about 15 tons (within the carrying capacity of a Morgen Luftking-2). Sir Brindal Karth pays this out of the 5000 FB he recently received from Director Yie and the MachtArbeiterBank. Because his arrangement with the MachtArbeiterBank requires that he provide a share of profits to them for any venture associated with the Fennen Marsh fief, he and Sister Joann start methodically inflating the group's expenses in the books, and generate 270 FB worth of imaginary expenses. Their intention is to use this money to hide Brindal Karth's interest in the ship the characters wish to purchase.
The characters finally decide to use their newly refitted Luftking to make the trip down to Tuam, bringing along their load of supplies and their various employees. Before departing, Linus Link has them talk to Rebekah Clerihew about the route. She tells them that the flight down to Tuam is about 4500 kilometers by air, beyond the normal 3000 kilometer operating range of the Morgen Luftking. It is possible to make the trip in two jumps, but she prefers to play it safe and stop twice. She prefers to stop at Paintersville and Fort Sabwran along the way. Paintersville is a small hamlet with an efficient two-runway airfield run by the Fliers' Association. Fort Sabwran is a Hawkwood military installation that serves non-military aircraft on the side. The Tuam airfield is run by the Charioteers and is used to serving aircraft from Llanfyrth. She notes that fuel is available at all three fields. However, she suggests that the characters spend the night at one of the stopovers so they can avoid flying at night.
Rebekah also warns the characters about the Six Martyrs monastery, about fifty kilometers to the Northwest of Tuam. She tells the characters that the Brother Battle monks there possess a weapon called an AATTD (Aegis Auto-Targeting Theater Defender). It is think-machine controlled, and will engage and shoot down any aircraft within about twenty kilometers of the monastery. She notes that the monks don't appear to have any control over their weapon, but prefer to leave it as a hazard to aviation rather than shut it down.
The characters (with an appropriate nod to Sister Joann) thank Rebekah for her information.
The last of the characters' equipment is loaded aboard the Luftking and everyone is boarding when Fergus Clerihew (who had been supervising the loading process) approaches the characters. He first gives them a gift, five jerrycans full of spare fuel already placed in the back of the cargo compartment. He then tells them that someone named Thomas Ossy ab Gehallen has been asking around about Sir Brindal Karth. Fergus tells them that Gehallen didn't leave an address or any way to contact him. Sir Brindal Karth doesn't know the fellow, but he does remember that Count Marco Linford de Hazat's Master of Keys was Sir Peter Gehallen de Hazat. The characters quickly conclude that the Hazat Count is checking up on him, possibly for less-than-virtuous reasons.
Paintersville proves to be much as Rebekah described. The Fliers' Association representatives on the field were attentive and thorough, refueling the aircraft promptly and providing food for the characters and their entourage at the landing field. The characters (as people of quality) dined upon a well-prepared two course meal, while the commoners were fed a thick stew from a large cauldron. The total charges, including food, fuel and landing fees, amounted to 60 FB.
During the trip between Paintersville and Fort Sabwran, Brother Xavier and Brindal Karth spot several moving lights in the sky far to the East. No matter how much they point them out, they are unable to get Peter to see them, but Brindal Karth does get extremely good use out of his telescopic Engineer's Eye and determines that they are spacecraft bouncing off the upper atmosphere: two frigates and one assault lander, pursued by another frigate. The characters watch as the lander descends and all the frigates (which are not streamlined for atmospheric entry) break off. They decide that they are probably watching a Vuldrok raiding party.
There is some excitement about as the characters approach Fort Sabwran: the air traffic controller tells them that they must land exactly on schedule, as the airfield will be shutting down for non-military usage in mere minutes. On the ground, the field officer is polite but insistent in his request that they debark from the aircraft and leave the field quickly (within ten minutes after their arrival). He allows them to hire guards from the Fort for 3 FB for the evening, and further allows them to leave behind Bob Lungflook and two of the brawnier laborers as additional protection with the proviso that they cannot be armed. To compensate Bob and his two companions for the hardship of standing guard all night, Peter gives them food and beer from his private supply. He warns them that he wants the nano-mimetic food-storage bags back undamaged in the morning.
Fort Sabwran may be extremely military, but also turns out to be quite cheap. The characters are charged only a 5 FB landing fee and 25 FB for fuel, but the field officer explains that they will have to find food on their own. He suggests the Red Crescent Inn, which feeds everyone in the characters' group for 10 FB.
Moments after the characters arrive at the Red Crescent Inn, the peace of the sunset is shattered by a series of colossal explosions. The entire evening sky lights up with pillars of flame reaching from the Fort proper into the heavens. The innkeeper, looking understandably tense, explains that the characters are seeing a flight of orbital interceptors taking off. The characters surmise that the Hawkwood military is responding to the Vuldrok ships they saw earlier in the day.
Taking advantage of the excitement, Peter obtains 40 FB from Brindal and goes looking for off-duty military personnel with access to the maintenance shops. He finds a moderately-drunk Orbiter Crew Chief who is willing to let him look through the spare parts room. Peter buys 20 FB of slightly battered spare parts from him, and pockets half of the remainder (10 FB). Meanwhile, Sir Brindal Karth resolves to have a good time before he heads out into the bush. He expends a rather lordly 10 FB on women.
The characters land safely at Tuam early the next day, and immediately pay out 65 FB for landing fees and fuel. They learn from the Charioteer agent on the field that it will cost 2 FB per week to store the Luftking on the curtain. Brindal Karth pre-pays for three months of storage, at 24 FB.
Immediately upon arriving, the characters set about finding a ship to purchase. They reason that if they can find a Captain who is having financial problems they will be able to get a better deal, so Sister Joann talks to the Church to try and identify some likely candidates. She learns about three captains with money problems: one is a drunkard, one disappeared, and one just can't manage money.
Peter looks for moneylenders, with the goal of locating some foreclosed ships. He finds that the Low City boasts only small pawnshops run by the Muster. He discovers that public financing for something as big as a ship is almost unavailable in Tuam, and that the only real commercial bank is operated by a lone Reeve in the High City (which he lacks a permit to enter). However, he does learn that the Electors' Council uses a Muster battalion called the Eahlen Forest Fusiliers to protect the city and keep order in the High City.
Meanwhile, Sir Brindal Karth merely walks down to the Port and (thanks to a staggeringly fortunate roll) almost bodily runs into a "Boat for Sale" sign, placed upon a 150 foot brig with a steam engine. The captain (and owner) proves to be ancient fellow, by far too old to ply the seas. The oldster asks for 2000 FB, but Brindal Karth manages to argue him down to 1250 FB paid in cash, on the spot. As the fellow walks away, burdened with a tremendous load of coins, Brindal Karth frets about the quality of his rather impetuous purchase.
When the group reassembles to discuss their progress, the other characters are only partially enthusiastic to learn that Brindal Karth has made their efforts moot by simply buying whatever he ran into. After they arrange to hire a captain and have him inspect the ship, they feel somewhat better. They manage to hire Gregor Halfiron, a Hawkwood bastard who has been posted as First Officer for the past four years and who had given up hope of ever getting a Captain's post. He looks over the characters' ship and tells them that he will need:
Altogether, the characters spend 1670 FB on their ship in the first month, counting the purchase price. During the time the ship is refitting, the characters remain in Tuam. Brother Xavier and Brindal Karth also both get paid another month's income from their holdings.
While the characters' ship is being refitted, Peter rents a warehouse in the Low City and sets up his machine shop. He spends a month designing a serviceable bolt-action rifle. Each rifle has a materials cost of 8 FB, or 10 FB if he needs to subcontract out the woodworking for the stock. He determines that when the CNC lathe is running properly, he can turn out eight rifles per day or 1000 shell casings per day. However, each day of operation takes a successful Tech+Armory or Tech+Mech Redemption roll to make the lathe function properly. Materials cost is about 8 FB (10 FB without a woodworker available) each, he can turn out eight per day while the CNC lathe is up. It takes a successful Tech+Armory or Tech+Mech Redemption roll in the morning to make the lathe work.
The characters delay their departure for a week so Peter can produce guns and bullets. He starts by producing 1000 shell casings, then assigns Bob Lungflook and one laborer to load them by hand at a rate of 80/day/man. Peter then turns out guns for four days, producing 32 rifles. The guns cost 256 FB for materials, while the bullets cost 50 FB for materials.
After a week of operation, Peter's manufactory is raided by a crowd of city Clavigers, backed up by Eahlen Forest Fusiliers in an APC. The characters are informed by a very proper-looking officer named Captain Farragut in no uncertain terms (and at gunpoint) that the use of power devices is strictly forbidden in the Low City. Raid by Clavigers: not allowed to use power devices in the Low City. The characters offer abject apologies, and refrain from pointing assault rifles at the Clavigers. Peter agrees to pay the necessary permit fees and relocate to the High City, where such activities are permitted. Brindal Karth gives 1000 FB to Peter to fund his manufactory, in the strongbox the money from Delphi came from. From that money, Peter immediately pays out 100 FB for a Resident's permit in the High City (for himself).
Peter arranges to lease a small manufactory with living quarters upstairs for 30 FB per month. He also lays out 200 FB for permits and introductions to various Electors' Council officials, which Brindal Karth exploits by arranging for a contract to produce 200 guns for 40 FB each, and 40,000 shells for ¼ FB each over the next six months. Peter estimates that his materials cost will be 10 FB per gun and 70 FB per 1000 rounds (20 FB in brass and 50 FB in powder and primer). As a work force, Peter retains only two unskilled laborers, who are given High City work permits.
It takes Peter a total of three months and two weeks to finish the contract, during which time the other characters head off to Fennen Marsh. In his time in the High City, Peter is amazed by the modern conveniences: not only are all the buildings equipped with electricity, air-conditioning, and running water, but the High City also has a working think-machine network and a cellular phone system.
The characters decide to leave Peter Sangaree back in the Tuam High City while they sail out towards Fennen Marsh, a trip they estimate will take about two to four weeks. In the last days before they depart, Brindal Karth purchases 20 mules for 20 FB, two barrels of salt port for 4 FB, five crates of pseudo-limes for 10 FB, assorted spices for 20 FB, and two months' provisions for the ship crew for 20 FB.
The plan is for the bulk of the group to sail out and clear the airfield, and then to have Peter fly the group's Luftking out to meet them in a month's time.
The journey across the Circle Sea is unremarkable, save for one signal event. A few hours after a storm (which seemed ferocious to the characters, but which Captain Halfiron dismissed as "typical"), the ship lookouts spied a derelict upon the horizon. The characters pulled up close to be able to identify the remains of the Red Syrmfish. The ship was a steamer, but had clearly been attacked viciously not long before. The characters hailed the ship, and were answered by Captain Mikal Ten, who told them that his ship was a powered brig out of Maria Town in the Byrrem Isles. He had been carrying a load of 300 tons of neoteak for Gallinin on the south coast of Lachann when he was hit by a flight of antiship missiles. His crew had no more warning of the attack than the lookout's frantic cry of "incoming!" mere seconds before the impact. After the ship had been crippled, the survivors saw two VERTOLs approach the ship, hover over it for a moment, and then speed off into the distance. Captain Ten assumes that the VERTOLs were Vuldrok craft, and that they fired the missiles.
The characters send Captain Halfiron and their carpenter over to assess the damage, and Sister Joann over to heal the wounded. They quickly discover that the ship is taking on water, and that large sections of the hull have been shattered by the impacts and could give out at any time. They also find that there are some 30 survivors, counting the Captain, his First Officer and his Sailing Master.
The characters make arrangements to tow the Red Syrmfish with them. They tell Captain Ten that they will help him to repair the ship in exchange for half of his cargo, a deal he readily agrees to.
The characters arrive at the River Delta after some two weeks' sailing. They manage to locate a deep channel and proceed carefully up it, with two ship's boats out front to take regular soundings. Fleeting glimpses of what might be native canoes or coracles persuade the characters to dispatch armed crewmen into the ship's boats and to post armed guards along the sideboards as a precaution.
The biggest excitement of the journey was the discovery by one boat crew that there are large, manatee-like creatures in the river. One of them knocks into the boat, sending a crewman overboard. The riflemen respond with a frenetic volley of gunfire that manages only to alarm the characters. The situation is brought under control soon after.
Just before the ships reach their final destination near the Gieresport Airport, Sir Brindal Karth happens to notice what looks like a VERTOL flying along the coastline to the north. He points it out to Captain Ten of the Red Syrmfish, who confirms that it looks like one of the craft that attacked him. The characters immediately start to speculate upon whether or not Peter, in a slow and unarmed aircraft, will stand a chance when he tries to fly in.
The session ends with the characters' ship anchored in the Anquelline River at fairly close approach to the putative location of the old Gieresport Airport. Each character gains six experience points.