From what he can see there are numerous cables snaking out from the- are those motherfuckers using STEAM?!  No, not steam, something else, but something similar.  Fuck.  Well, there's a few days to deal with that.  Some are louder than others, of course.

*There's a few pipes leading from the furnace to the main turbines.  That's the surest way of reducing power to the ship but he'd almost certainly be spotted, and it'd be loud and destructive.

*Alternatively there's a master fusebox just by the main turbine; he can mess with that, but there are two ghosts guarding it.

*Another option is to follow the secondary tubing to smaller turbines that seem to provide extra power to needed sections of the ship.  He could mess with the pipes to these smaller turbines.  Messing with the steam valves there aren't as loud but won't be as effective.

*The fuse boxes there aren't guarded, so that's a safer ploy.  The downside is that they're in more exposed areas.  He'd have to be pretty sneaky.  Even then, as soon as they get word that the power's off, a ghost would surely come to investigate.

*The furnace is literally getting fueled by ghostflesh.  The poor boiler-mates stand by the furnace with long knives, cutting strips of corpus from their ghostly bodies and throwing them into all-consuming flame.

Sneaking isn't really Arkady's strong suite. He finds distraction to be a better option. He decides to attempt to sabotage the piping leading to the main turbines, and hopes to make his escape in the ensuing chaos... And hoping that spiderweb will be able to make her escape as well. The thing he has the least is time. A delayed combustion would be the best option...

((Go ahead and make a Craft roll to mess with the furnace.  That's pretty easy to do- shooting the right place with your gun will do it even, so Difficulty 20- but if you have the sets, then floating some dice or trying to sneak out of it wouldn't be a bad idea.))

((9, 8, 7, 4, 3, 1 & 1. God damn it...
craft: 21+10=31 sabotage the Furnace))

He sees his opportunities, but he starts to boil with vengeance, and picks the most violent one. His chances of survival seem slim, but at least he does his job.

"Here's for Jonesy and the rest you undead fucks! FUCK YOU ALL!!!"

Arkady aims his pistol at points of the furnace he believes will cause the most damage and pulls the trigger.

Shit's about to hit the fan big time. This time he won't be able to squirm away from it. He'll has to do it the old fashioned way. Survival instinct and improvisation.

The ghosts look up just as Arkady opens fire on the furnace.  Maybe that pistol is blessed- the first shot hits a pipe and penetrates, ricochets out, and then hits a ghost in the arm.  The ghosts immediately scatter, which is a good thing for Arkady.

Well, that is, the 'civilian' ghosts.  The guards raise their shotguns and charge at him!

((These are fairly advanced mooks, Rank 4 minions with special weapons that allow them to shoot a zone away at a penalty.  They automatically go last.  Go ahead and roll Init.  The minions will go last, but they can Cover Ground and shoot at you.

You are currently one zone away, In Catwalks; they're in the middle zone, Furnace.))

((8, 8, 6, 5, 4, 1 & 1
External: Subtle force
initiative: 16+10=26
Shaping wave: 28+10=38
Cover ground: 21+15=36))

Arkady blasts a couple of more holes on nearby steam pipes in an attempt to create a smoke screen and then starts hauling ass on the catwalk towards anything that would resemble an exit.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:26, Sun 02 Apr 2017.

((Ghost Guard Cover Ground:
7, 6, 6, 5, 3, 3 & 2
*CG 26 + 5 = 31, not enough))

Arkady opens fire on the pipes, blasting a solid wall of necro-steam out that strips the flesh from a ghost's corpus in an instant.  It also provides a handy-dandy smokescreen, keeping them from effectively targeting him with their guns!  They can't scramble up to get him, so he retreats towards the bowels of the ship.  He manages to find an access corridor he can duck through, but it's only a matter of time before the Ghost Brigade manages to get around his steam-barrier.

Problem:  by his reckoning, he's heading towards the bridge.  Things are only going to get worse.  He turns a blind corner and finds himself right in front of a group of ghosts who look like they're outfitted for damage control.  Unlike the poor civilian-ghosts in the furnace, they raise their wrenches and tools menacingly.  Fortunately, these should be easier pickings.

((Repair Crew are Rank 6 minions, without any of the special training of the more advanced guys he left behind.  Eventually they'll get around his steam so he has to fight his way through the repair crew.  Even so, he'll be heading directly towards the Bridge so things will get worse.))

((6, 6, 4, 4, 3, 1 & 1
Initiative 13+10=23
CG 21+15=36
Wave/craft 24+10=34
Float 6-6))

Arkady throws a line of salt behind him to block the corridor he came from and runs towards the repair crew with his left arm covering his head while aiming his 1911 at the ghosts in front of him.

"IDI NAHUI SUKA BLYAT!!! OUT OF MY FUCKING WAY!"
This message was last edited by the player at 22:22, Tue 11 Apr 2017.

((Alright- attacks are made with a separate roll; I'm going to slam down a barrier so we can walk you through combat and learn!  Sorry, no running this time, Arkady.

So it's your Initiative; minions go last, so you get to attack before them.  Usually you roll 3 times per combat, an Init roll, an Attack roll, and one or more Defense rolls.  You just did your init- you technically have the 4s still because you can't attack on your init.

You can, however, use the 4s to make a Shaping Wave or for other uses.  Arkady probably has some salt with him from the ill-fated Paddy Wagon; I suggest using a Shaping Wave to lay some salt behind you.  Ghosts usually can't cross salt, so that'll keep you from being easily caught by the ghost-cops in the furnace.

After you decide what to do with your 4s, go ahead and roll your Lake again to attack the repair crew.))

The repair crew aren't just mindless ghosts rushing towards certain death or their job.  It looks like they've actually been trained.  No sooner does he notice them and wave his gun at them menacingly when a bulkhead closes behind them.  Of course- any good repair crew responding to an unknown or catastrophic situation will enter and then seal the compartment shut in case of failure.  That leaves Arkady trapped with them and the ghosts no doubt closing in behind him!
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:36, Sat 08 Apr 2017.

((Edited the change to the last post to keep things coherent.

9, 5, 5, 4, 3, 2 & 1.

Strike: 25+15=40))

He's trapped for now and a fight can't be avoided. He fires his pistol towards the repair crew.

((Repair Crew defense:
10, 10, 8, 5, 4 & 3
*Defense vs Strike 20 - Basic Incompetency 5 = 15 vs 40
*This is a difference of 25, which is 2 Ripples.  These are low-rank minions; a Minion can suffer only as many Ripples as the number of dice they roll.  This means they can take another 2 hits like that.

Repair Crew offense:
10, 9, 9, 5, 4 & 3
*Attack 29 - General Incompetency 5 = 24
*Arkady needs to roll his Defense against this result.  He needs a result of 25 or higher to avoid any repercussions from their attack.))

His first shot is a good one.  Man, this gun was well made!  The shot blows through skull of one ghost, then passes through the chest of another, taller ghost behind him.  That leaves only four left.  They quickly surround Arkady, swinging their pipes and wrenches and chains at him.  But as competent as the seem to be at repairing, they're not really fighters.  They depend more on sheer fervor than technique or strength.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:45, Thu 13 Apr 2017.

((Defence roll: 10, 10, 6, 6, 6, 5 & 1.
Dodge: 36 + footwork 15 = 51 beats 24

Initiative: 10, 7, 5, 3, 3, 3 & 2
Subtle force w/ Unarmed, ranged
Initiative 33 + 10 = 47

Attack: 10, 9, 8, 7, 3, 3 & 1.
Strike 23 + 15= 38 ))

Arkady notices how open the blows of the repair crew are and avoids them with ease in an almost flowing motion, and immediately retaliates with a controlled punch to the center mass.

((Defense:
10, 8, 6, 5, 5 & 5
*Defense vs Strike 35 - General Incompetency 5 = 30 vs 38, a Ripple.
*They've suffered 3 ripples out of 6.

Attack:
9, 8, 7, 4, 2 & 1
*Strike Arkady 19 - General Incompetency 5 = 14))

He drives his fist through another ghost's torso. They're down to half their number and starting to really reconsider their course of action- but then again, Arkady is just another mortal!  Surely it can't be THAT hard!

Turns out it just might.  Wrenches and crowbars aren't that useful when swung by weak-armed ghosts with ectoplasmic muscles.

The largest of them, a hulking ghost with shoulders so wide he practically doesn't have a neck, lifts up his giant wrench. "What's wrong with all of you!  Kill him for the masters!"

((Defence: 8, 7, 4, 3, 3, 3 & 2.
33 + footwork 15 = 48 vs 14

Initiative: 10, 6, 5, 4, 4, 3 & 2.
init 16 + 10 = 26
Wave 24 + craft 10 = 34

Attack: 9, 7, 7, 5, 3, 3 & 1.
Strike 27 + 15 = 42
Disrupt block 23 + craft 10 = 33))

Arkady quickly ducks to avoid the blow from the massive ghosts massive wrench and throws another line of salt in between the remains of the repair crew to divide them in a single subtle motion. He decides to go for the big ghost. When the blow is past him he hits the the wrench near the handle to throw it off balance, as tools are usually shittily balanced, and in an uppercut like motion he punches his pistol under the chin of the massive ghost...

"Shut the fuck up and eat your lead like a good boy." ...And pulls the trigger.

((Defense:
7, 6, 5, 5, 2 & 1
*Defense vs Strike 25 - General Incompetence 5 = 20 vs 42, 2 Ripples- that's 5; I'm gonna make the Shaping Wave do the rest))

The ghost gratifyingly brings down his wrench on nothing but thin air.  Arkady slams him off balance, driving the barrel of his gun into the ghost's chin.  The huge ghost looks down at Arkady and lets out a quiet '... Oh' before his head is blown right off.

The last line of salt thrown traps the last remaining ghost against a corner.  He can't move past it.  He drops his hammer and raises his hands in the air.

Arkady looks at the mess he has made and glances towards the surrendering ghost. He raises his pistol and puts a round in its head without remorse.

"That's for Dragunov, Suka... hmm... I could've asked him for directions... Bliet. oh well."

He takes a look at his pistol and it's delicate engravings. This sure as hell is a great gun, extraordinary even. The old geezer who made it must have been a fucking wizard or something.
((Spend 1 MalJoss Walk with a merchant's eye.))

No time to fall in thought for too long. He needs to keep going.
Arkady looks at the closed bulkhead and tries to figure out a way to remove or avoid the fresh obstacle.

((9, 8, 5, 4, 3, 1 & 1.
Awareness: 21+10=31))

Maybe a thaumaturgist; there's definitely some occultish sorta stuff to it, and in this brave new world that shit has actual meaning to it.  A closer examination shows this is supposed to be extra-effective against ghosts, which might explain a bit.  How much of it is real and how much is flat-out 'god I hope so' is academic.

The bulkhead is closed but there's a fairly complex-looking access panel next to it.  He can always try to hack the damn thing open.

There's more loud noises behind him and the crashing of metal on metal.  Powerful (and smart) enough ghosts can always find mechanical methods of disturbing the salt lines.  Ones without special armor can always dematerialize and move through the walls.

At least the guns have stopped.

((This weapon is Auspicious!  It has a unique property- all attacks are considered AoE vs ghost-minions.  That means they deal an extra Ripple of damage!

Hacking is Wu Wei 40 or Crafting 50.  A Critical Failure means he's locked in and has to find an alternative way out- this means back to the furnace room and then another side corridor.  Regular failure gives him one more chance before the bigger ghosts catch up.))

((8, 6, 5, 4, 2, 2 & 1 + flow 6-6
36 + 10 = 46 To hack the panel - Wu Wei))

He exchanges a fresh magazine in his pistol, tucks it back to it's "holster" and inspects the
access panel.

"Oi blin. I hate hacking..."

It's not like he can't hack. He just doesn't like it. Mechanics give a better "feel" to working with machinery as you can actually feel and hear what you're doing. It's more intuitive. He messes around in the directories for a while, swapping a few code lines here and there, and attempts to release the lockdown.

"Opa. That should do the trick."

Beep boop beep.  The bulkhead opens up, leaving a dark quiet hall ahead of him.  The lights flicker.  This is pretty standard ghost activity; he doesn't have much time before the next team finds him. Based on the schematics he can tell that he's headed straight towards the bridge, which of course means getting closer to whatever's commanding this fucking thing.

Arkady rushes onward in the dark hall. He feels the adrenaline rushing in his veins and cold sweat on his skin. He takes a deep breath, forces himself to calm down and keeps going towards the bridge.

He's going to live through this. He must. He's a survivor.

He gets halfway down the hall when the lights flicker again.  A bulb hisses and shatters behind him.  Not good.  He's not got much salt, either.  Normally he'd be working with another ten, twenty guys, each with a few pounds of salt- bit by bit exorcising the hallways.  But here...

The next bulkhead opens.  A flicker of light and he sees a black outline in front of him.  It coalesces, revealing a brawny middle-aged woman with jet black eyes and a ragged cut through her throat.

When she speaks it half comes from her mouth, half from that gaping wound.

"I don't know how you survived this long,"  She says as she stares at him, "But maybe it'd be best for everyone if you let me kill you peacefully.  Surrender now or I'll have to take you to the Captain."

Arkady takes a look at the entity in front of him. She isn't a ghost like the ones he just faced. She seems like an opponent to take seriously... And his lack of salt makes her non avoidable.

"you know... I really would like to surrender like that ghost back there, but I don't like the idea of ending up like him... You know... Ectoplasmic brains on the wall and shit. "

He removes the helmet of his enviro-suit and leaves it hanging on his tool belt, takes his small canteen from one of his pouches and enjoys a long swig of some alcohol not meant for drinking.

"Also... I have a small problem... We Russians are very bad at surrendering, so I'm either going to die drunk as fuck like a crazy Russian bastard I am, or you get to suck my massive Russian cock after I've beaten the shit out of you. You even have a shortcut for an excellent deep throat. How about that for surrendering SUKA?!?"

He flicks a finger and readies his pistol in an overconfident fashion.

The ghost crosses her arms, "Hrm.  You know what?  Go ahead," She gestures at him, "Get good and pissed.  Not my problem.  Drink it all up because once we're done with you, you won't be able to enjoy it again."

She leans against the wall, "No, really.  Enjoy it.  Last bit of respect for the condemned man, here.  Unlike the lack of respect you just gave me."

He finishes his canteen and throws it on the floor, maybe a bit disappointed as it wasn't as full as he remembered.

He takes a look at the woman in front of him and he feels anger for her indifference.

"respect? For you? Like your masters showed respect for my mother and what remains of her in Latvia? Like you showed respect to my father and what remains of him in china?? LIKE YOU SHOWED RESPECT TO TO MY FRIENDS AND THE CREW THAT TOOK ME IN THAT FLOATS IN SPACE IN SMITHEREENS?!? FUCK. YOU."

His metal fists screech and grind from the sheer pressure applied to them. He is furious and unable to contain  it.

"Your masters and your kin ruined my life, Twice... And you expect me to respect you? No. I fucking LOATHE each and every one of you... And I will survive to avenge every single one of the lives you've taken from me. TEN FUCKING FOLD, so you better fucking bring it or scurry the fuck away into that coffin you crawled out of."

"Please.  Might as well be mad at the bullet hitting your ship,"  The ghost sneers back at him, not intimidated in the least.  "We're all slaves.  Doesn't mean I was going to be happy bashing your face in.  Maybe that's going to change."

She cracks her knuckles.

"Hope you enjoyed that last drink, because it's time I drag your corpus back to the flaying table."

((Lady Bear is a Lesser Legend, meaning she usually goes last in Initiative.  You're technically one too, so you're both going to tally up your init.
10, 8, 8, 8, 3, 1 & 1
*Floats 8-8-8
*Initiative 21 + Speed 10 = 31))